The Victim Mentality Part II
The Victim Mentality Part II
Last time we talked about the victim mentality, we asked readers to consider their own experiences in life and the mentality they bring to those situations.
Today we continue the conversation and dive deeper into the question, “Are you a victim?”
To be or not to be…a victim
I had an interesting experience when I first started to play baseball at the level where pitching was introduced. I have always been on the small end of the physical stature spectrum and that particular summer was no different.
On the first day of practice, we worked on batting skills like bunting and making solid contact with the ball. I did not have a very good practice. I was not comfortable with bunting and did not fare much better when it came time to “swing away”.
This poor performance in practice landed me at the end of the lineup at our first game a few days later. I could have explained away my poor practice with statements like, “I’ve never bunted before”, “The machine was pitching too high for me” (remember I am the shortest kid on the team), “We weren’t using real baseballs” (we had those big dimpled yellow batting practice balls) or “The sun was really bright that day and it was hard to see.”
Instead, I took my spot in the line-up and waited my turn. When I was up, I stepped into the batter’s box and ripped a double down the line. I was only the second player to make it past first base and would eventually score our only run of the night on the next hit. The next game I was the first batter in the line-up and would continue to be the top batter for the remainder of the season.
The point of this story is not to say “yay look at me!” The point is to demonstrate how a mindset can significantly influence our successes or our failures. Had I chosen the victim mentality, I could have easily used any one of the excuses that I previously described. But, I didn’t. I did the best I could when the next opportunity came and fortunately, it had a positive outcome.
The victim mentality would have suggested that my failures during practice were a threat to my abilities and my self-identity. A successful person has a different perspective. They see these threats as challenges. These challenges are opportunities. They are obstacles to be overcome. They do not define a successful person. They simply provide an opportunity to meet a challenge, to learn, to grow, and to get better.
I ask you again, “Are you a victim?” Do you allow your successes and failures to define you? Do they prevent you from learning or growing? Are you able to take on the challenge? Or, do you find yourself having to prove your worth through your skills and abilities? What type of response would you have if you were in the same situation I was as a young athlete? Honestly reflect on these questions and consider how your mentality has influenced you during a recent challenge. How did it help, or hurt you?
What, if anything, can you do differently in the future?
To learn how to maximize your mental game, contact White House Athletics today.