Bull Riding and Positive Thinking - Dr. Terry Stimson
by Dr. Terry Stimson, Senior Associate, CLI
My wife decided to surprise me with a very unusual birthday gift…she enrolled me in a Bull Riding Workshop, taking place at the Palmer fair grounds. The presenter of the workshop was Gary Leffew, who was named the best bull rider in the world at 24 years old.
I could not take the idea of attending a Bull Riding Workshop serious…what would I do in a Bull Riding Workshop? My wife made Jesse Stubblefield, organizer of the workshop, and manager of the Equestrian center promise that I would not be allowed to ride anything.
I just thought the whole idea was a joke. As the time for the workshop neared my wife put the pressure on and I realized she was serious about me participating. I finally said, “I will go if you go with me.” She agreed. As a photographer she was excited about the potential this workshop might provide for action photos. Though neither of us knew what to expect.
The workshop began with Gary presenting videos showing successful bull rides as he pointed out the rules that were necessary to follow in order to have a successful ride. What came next blew me away because he said even more important than your skills as a bull rider is your mental attitude.
“Over the years I have seen very talented bull riders defeated because they never developed FOCUS, DIRECTION and a set of well-defined GOALS. Winning is 60% mental and 40% ability and the practice of this concept took me from an average bull rider (I started riding at age 19) to a World Champion in 5 years. There is no magic spell, just dedication and commitment.”
He introduced the concept of Psycho-Cybernetics (1960, Pocket Books), which he said was the book he found that turned his life around. The author, a plastic surgeon, by the name of Maxwell Maltz after years of using his plastic surgery skills transforming humans into beautiful people ended up amazed to find a change of physical appearance often made no change in self-perception. He became obsessed with how people change their self-image and developed strategies for learning how to change by discovering the success mechanism within each person. This translates into, according to Maltz, “dehypnotizing yourself from false beliefs.”
Gary says, “Meditation and positive thinking lectures are a big part of my school and the students love it! These tools reinforce your dedication after you leave.” For the next three days he injected the importance of a positive attitude in a wide variety of ways. He had participants visualize themselves being successful riding a bull.
Gary told the participants it takes 21 days to make a change. This belief has become a part of our conventional wisdom. What most people probably don’t know is that the time it takes to make a change is also a concept which came from the work of Maxwell Maltz. He said, “move the trash can in your office and it will take you 21 days to remember where you throw out your trash.” Of course, when you are trying to change a habit the 21 day rule applies in the same way.
The biggest surprise for me, on the first day, was when Gary said, “OK, when you get back from lunch we will start riding the bulls.” He was serious. For the next three days my wife and I were able to watch bull riding up close and personal. As rodeo fans for many years it was an amazing treat to be so close to the nitty gritty of the bull riding world.
Gary emphasizes, “Bull riding is not for everyone and that's okay, but the mental aspect I teach applies to any sport, lifestyle or profession you may choose.” This was the biggest surprise for me since I am always up for a great motivational speaker. Gary continued to make references to different ways to increase the positive self-image using references to readings and speakers which served as a great reminder to me of many of the resources I have used to help people better understand themselves and others in my work as a counselor, teacher and management consultant.
Quite frankly, a powerful positive mental attitude workshop was the last thing I expected to find in a Bull Riding Workshop…but, I sure found it in Gary Leffew’s workshop and I have thanked my wife often for getting us involved in this wonderfully motivating workshop.
by Dr. Terry Stimson, Senior Associate, CLI
My wife decided to surprise me with a very unusual birthday gift…she enrolled me in a Bull Riding Workshop, taking place at the Palmer fair grounds. The presenter of the workshop was Gary Leffew, who was named the best bull rider in the world at 24 years old.
I could not take the idea of attending a Bull Riding Workshop serious…what would I do in a Bull Riding Workshop? My wife made Jesse Stubblefield, organizer of the workshop, and manager of the Equestrian center promise that I would not be allowed to ride anything.
I just thought the whole idea was a joke. As the time for the workshop neared my wife put the pressure on and I realized she was serious about me participating. I finally said, “I will go if you go with me.” She agreed. As a photographer she was excited about the potential this workshop might provide for action photos. Though neither of us knew what to expect.
The workshop began with Gary presenting videos showing successful bull rides as he pointed out the rules that were necessary to follow in order to have a successful ride. What came next blew me away because he said even more important than your skills as a bull rider is your mental attitude.
“Over the years I have seen very talented bull riders defeated because they never developed FOCUS, DIRECTION and a set of well-defined GOALS. Winning is 60% mental and 40% ability and the practice of this concept took me from an average bull rider (I started riding at age 19) to a World Champion in 5 years. There is no magic spell, just dedication and commitment.”
He introduced the concept of Psycho-Cybernetics (1960, Pocket Books), which he said was the book he found that turned his life around. The author, a plastic surgeon, by the name of Maxwell Maltz after years of using his plastic surgery skills transforming humans into beautiful people ended up amazed to find a change of physical appearance often made no change in self-perception. He became obsessed with how people change their self-image and developed strategies for learning how to change by discovering the success mechanism within each person. This translates into, according to Maltz, “dehypnotizing yourself from false beliefs.”
Gary says, “Meditation and positive thinking lectures are a big part of my school and the students love it! These tools reinforce your dedication after you leave.” For the next three days he injected the importance of a positive attitude in a wide variety of ways. He had participants visualize themselves being successful riding a bull.
Gary told the participants it takes 21 days to make a change. This belief has become a part of our conventional wisdom. What most people probably don’t know is that the time it takes to make a change is also a concept which came from the work of Maxwell Maltz. He said, “move the trash can in your office and it will take you 21 days to remember where you throw out your trash.” Of course, when you are trying to change a habit the 21 day rule applies in the same way.
The biggest surprise for me, on the first day, was when Gary said, “OK, when you get back from lunch we will start riding the bulls.” He was serious. For the next three days my wife and I were able to watch bull riding up close and personal. As rodeo fans for many years it was an amazing treat to be so close to the nitty gritty of the bull riding world.
Gary emphasizes, “Bull riding is not for everyone and that's okay, but the mental aspect I teach applies to any sport, lifestyle or profession you may choose.” This was the biggest surprise for me since I am always up for a great motivational speaker. Gary continued to make references to different ways to increase the positive self-image using references to readings and speakers which served as a great reminder to me of many of the resources I have used to help people better understand themselves and others in my work as a counselor, teacher and management consultant.
Quite frankly, a powerful positive mental attitude workshop was the last thing I expected to find in a Bull Riding Workshop…but, I sure found it in Gary Leffew’s workshop and I have thanked my wife often for getting us involved in this wonderfully motivating workshop.