Denis Waitley — The Psychology of Winning

Denis Waitley

The Psychology of Winning was one of Dr. Waitley’s first books, his first audio release on Nightingale-Conanat. It’s a great book and a great program that I recommend to you. No one was talking about the law of attraction back then, no one was calling it that – but Waitley was writting and speaking about it.

Waitley has coached Apollo Astronauts and a U.S. Olympic team. He is a former fighter pilot and offers some great insights on life.

Denis Waitley speaks of crisis being “opportunity riding a dangerous wind.” He talks of the Chinese Yin/Yang: taking crisis and finding the opportunity. “Change is normal, problems are normal precursors to change. You show me a problem and I’ll show you change attempting to occur.”

I’ve always appreciated Dr. Waitley’s thoughts since I first heard him speak back in the ’80s. I have tried to keep them in mind, tried to step back from “problems” to see the larger picture, to appreciate the change that is trying to happen, trying to see what opportunities the change will bring.

Waitley went on to say “the telephone was invented in response to a family crisis.” Bell had started work on a project to help his deaf sister and invented the phone which has helped all humanity.

These ways of viewing situations are not focusing on it, not creating more of it as the law of attraction suggests, rather of having a positive response, a trusting response – see the situation, realize there is opportunity, envision the outcome, trusting that – God, the universe, the law of attraction, or however you choose to see the forces, will bring it – and then “ride the dangerous wind.” It is an exciting process when viewed that way – riding the dangerous wind, catching the biggest wave with your surf board, soaring on the warm currents to great heights in your hang glider, pulling back and seeing the beauty of the whole and not just the imperfection of the close up on the problem. On the other hand, to only look at what is, and only envision a crash, does not allow opportunity to express itself and it denies you the enjoyment of the moment.

Dr. Waitley was expressing these ideas back in the ’80s. No one was calling it “the law of attraction.” Yet “the law of attraction” is what he was speaking of.

A verse from the Koran has also stuck with me: “which of your Lord’s blessings would you deny.”