3  Talk to yourself.//
　　Stay focused.// Relax.// Great advice.// But how do you do that?// One way is self-talk.//
　　Your mind, emotions, and your muscles/all work together.// If you tell yourself you’ll fail,/your performance will suffer.// Champions use positive self-talk/to stay focused under pressure.//
　　Develop positive cue words/to encourage yourself.// Use these words/whenever you are feeling mad, sad, or scared.// Here are examples/of negative and positive self-talk://
　　It’s just too tough! /// I love new challenges!//
　　We’ re down 20 to nothing ! /// It’s not over till it’s over.//
　　I’ve never done this before! /// Here’s a chance/to learn something new.//
　　Whatever your game is,/switch off the negative/and turn on the positive.// If you’re a basketball player/shooting a free-throw,/tell yourself:/“That basket is as big as Lake Biwa!// I can’t miss!”// If you’re a golfer/trying to make a putt,/talk to yourself:/“It’s all downhill now,/right into the hole!”//
　　One more tip:/Talk to yourself in the second person.// Instead of saying,/“I’m going to make that shot,”/say,/“Chris,/you’re going to make that shot.”// “Sally,/there’s no way in the world you can double-fault!”//
　　It may not work every time,/but in the long run, it will.//