Wake Up Happy: Rule No. 14

Rule No. 14: If you can dream it, you can achieve it.
Use visualization to access it.

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In the Super Bowl XLII, when we were down 14-10 late in the fourth quarter, I thought about my dad. That whole week, when I’d talk about our chances of winning the game, he’d say, “Son, you’ve already won. Now you just have to go through the formality of playing the game. But you’ve already won.”

So when the Patriots went up 14-10 on us, I was inspired to give that same speech to my teammates: We’ve already won this game. All we gotta do is go finish it up. And when we scored that touchdown to win the game, I thought my dad was a genius.

With my dad, it was always “when,” never “if.” All the things I doubted or didn’t feel certain about, he talked about them like they were inevitable.

When you get that scholarship.

When you make it to the pros.

When you’re a Pro Bowler.

When you win the Super Bowl.

And that just became my mindset. I don’t ever look at something and think “if.” If you start thinking about “if,” then there’s no point in even trying, because you’re already doubting yourself. Think in terms of “when.” It’s going to happen — it’s just a matter of time. That’s how I try to operate in everything that I do.

It’s working so far.

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Michael Strahan is a Pro Football Hall of Famer who is the co-host of LIVE with Kelly and Michael, a FOX NFL Sunday Analyst and a special co-host of Good Morning America. His book, Wake Up Happy​: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide To Transforming Your Life, is available for pre-order now and hits stores October 13. Learn more at wakeuphappy.com.