By Mike Shaw, Founder, Initiative for Performance Optimization & Self-Empowerment (iPOSE)
The first time I consciously recognized the power of mindset was the summer of 1981. I was thirteen years old, equal parts brazen and naive, which led me to believe absolutely anything was possible. Challenging that belief was the reality that I did not make the junior high school baseball team that spring. How could it be? I ate, slept, breathed, and lived baseball. I could hit, not for power but for average. I could play infield or outfield. I was lightning on the basepath. This had to be a mistake. I demanded an explanation from the coach. “You’re too small Mike. You’re just not good enough.”
So, days after completing the 7th grade, I decided this would be the summer when I would beef up my physique and add some muscle to my 98 lb weakling frame. That is not a euphemism…I actually weighed 98 pounds. I recruited two friends, and we rode our bikes to the local gym. What we walked into was like a scene out of Pumping Iron. These guys had arms like machine guns and legs like tree trunks. And their chests, shoulders and backs were ripped like twisted steel. They looked SUPER-HUMAN. I was hooked. I️ read every bodybuilding magazine I could find. I did every workout and took every supplement. I was downing so many Joe Weider weight gain tablets that I literally exploded while riding my bike home from the gym. But even that didn’t stop me. Despite being the youngest and scrawniest guy at the gym and not having a workout partner because neither of my friends joined the gym with me, I decided to see opportunities where others saw obstacles. While I was unaware of the concept of mindset, I was very aware of my belief that One Man (or Woman) can do what another Man (or Woman) can do.
This mindset became a building block in the belief system that has served me throughout my life. This once scrawny kid has competed and reached the podium on the amateur Bodybuilding Circuit, raced in the NYC Triathlon, conquered four Spartan-Race courses, built businesses, raised two incredible children, co-created a life of abundance with my beautiful wife, at 50 years of age fought in the United States Muay Thai Open, and most recently placed in the top 7% at the 2023 World Series of Poker Main Event.
The question is, how? How did I show up to each challenge with the mindset that would ensure my success?
Before we can answer the mastery question, we have to define what makes up our mindset. We begin to develop our mindset as young children discovering the necessary actions we must take to receive the love and care vital to our well being. For example, imagine an only child who is the sole focus of his parents’ attention. He is doted upon and secure in the notion that love and care are ever present and free flowing. At age three, his parents bring another child into the world. He now has a little sister. His parents’ time and attention no longer belong solely to him. In fact, to his immature brain they seem to be hyper focused on this new person. What does he need to do now to get love and care? How can he protect himself from this new isolation? Perhaps he acts out and behaves poorly. Maybe he becomes vigilant and tries extra hard to win the affection that used to come automatically. Regardless, a belief begins to form. This pattern continues throughout our formative years. We learn which behaviors win favor with our peers, authority figures, and siblings. We also respond to traumatic experiences, varying in duration and level of severity. Trauma is not the event we are forced to endure. Trauma is the change to our subconscious belief system due to the event we have endured. Our responses to trauma and the counter responses they garner from the influential participants in a given situation are the building blocks of our belief system. In short, our belief system is built by our subconscious to serve and protect us. Subsequently, our mindset determines how we view, interpret, and function in the world. Our mindset operates with a confirmation bias, seeking to confirm what we subconsciously believe to be true. Whether these beliefs serve as help or hindrance depends upon the situation, time and station in one’s life, and a multitude of other factors.
Mindset mastery comes as a result of examining one’s belief system, identifying patterns of thinking, and then questioning those beliefs and thought patterns as a means of determining which serve as a conduit for growth and productivity, and which are holding us back, forever tying us to our trauma and suffocating our growth. Many of our closely held beliefs served our needs at an earlier time in our lives but have since become blocks. Failure to free oneself from their beliefs/blocks will doom them to a continually repeating pattern of behavior and results.
There are three components of mindset mastery:
Action Mastery – is how one harnesses their energy and moves through the world. In this arena, we use blueprinting (creating models), dedicated time blocks, micro-goal creation, and exponential success compounding as a means of creating massive acceleration processes (MAP).
Impact Mastery – is how one embraces their true Alpha spirit, their thirst for knowledge, and their desire to use their knowledge to empower others. In this role, we translate our transformative experiences into lessons that can be shared with those who have yet to embark on their journey.
Character Mastery – to employ Action and Impact Mastery with honor and pure intent, we must let go of the belief system built in the shadow of the Ego and rediscover/develop the skills and knowledge that serve the Self. This segment of mastery empowers us to utilize the most efficient course of action in any given situation.
Becoming a Mindset Master is a journey. Like most journeys, it requires a guide, usually in the form of a coach or mentor. One’s coach will formulate questions and provide exercises that challenge one’s assumptions as a means of developing new perspectives and illuminating the path to one’s most abundant and rewarding life. What will it take? A belief that life is a gift and a desire to cherish and serve that gift by demanding the most of oneself. Expect to grow each day. Know that you are deserving of love and kindness. Revel in lifting up those around you.
Michael Shaw is the founder of Mindset Master – Transformation Architect. Michael specializes in improving his clients’ quality of life through Guided Introspection, Highly Intuitive Language and Listening (HILL), and the development of Character, Action and Impact Mastery. In addition to adults, Michael works with teenagers and young adults to help them build healthy self-images, life skills, and a positive life perspective.
If you would like to hire Michael for a speaking engagement, or need help with positive mental health strategies, please inquire about booking a free strategy session at themasterymindset.mikeshaw@gmail.com
