“Any time you speak or think a criticism, make it a habit to follow that with your own solution to the issue. If you don’t have a solution, hold off on the criticism until you do!”
An example of someone who does is Craig Hill, a shooter who has studied with us and become as much of a role model for us as we feel like we are for him. We don’t know of anyone who is a better example of the power of positive, solution-centered thinking.
It’s not because Craig has achieved traditional standards of success, such as becoming an All-American and making the U.S. Team as well as running a successful drywall business in Houston. We say that because Craig is a model of positive, solution-centered thinking in all aspects of his life. He lives this stuff.
“I think the thing that OSP helped me with the most was how powerful your thoughts are,” Craig said. “People don’t realize the power of thinking positive or the power of thinking negative.”
“You can think a negative thought and maybe get away with it. Probably not, but maybe. But the minute you say it, you’re dead in the water. It’s just so powerful what happens when you stay positive and upbeat. It can be B.S. and you don’t even really mean it, but as long as you’re thinking it and saying it and practicing it, the chances of it happening are pretty good. But if you go negative and start thinking, bad things are going to happen. And saying bad things are going to happen, I promise you they’re going to happen.”
“And you see shooters do it all the time,” Craig continued. “They’ll walk up to a station and say, ‘Oh man, I hate that bird. That bird gives me so much trouble.’ They’re done right there. They’re going to give up a couple for sure. But Gil and Vicki teach that the way to approach it is, ‘Hey, I’ve been working on that bird. I’ve been practicing that bird. I’m better at that bird than I was last week. I’m going to hit all these birds.’ Whether you mean it or not, if you say it and think it, the chances of it happening are pretty good.”
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