Negative thinking creeps up on us when we least
expect it, effecting our performance at the craps
table.
Most good shooters will admit that when our mind
starts to "chatter" - our focus is disturbed and our
game goes south. That good roll we
thought we were having has gotten away from us
again.
During our last DiceBusters workshop, I brought up
the concept of addressing this chatter - this
negativity that sometimes enters our heads as we
shoot the dice. I called this chatter "Monkey Speak"
- others like to call it "Lizard Brain." In either
case, this concept has to do with the fact that
while we are shooting at the tables, there is a
little monkey that sits on our shoulders that likes
to spew negativity at us.
If we are going to stay engaged in the game in a
positive way, we each have to acknowledge the little
negative "Monkey" sitting on our shoulder - he has a
way of spewing endless drivel in our heads to
disrupt our game
"You can't
possibly shoot another 7 on the come out."
"You
were just lucky with that throw."
"
That
big stack of chips is in my way."
"Where's that waitress, I'm
thirsty."
"You cannot possibly keep shooting this well."
The list can go on and on, but I think you get the
idea.
We
are good shooters, but have to acknowledge and
address this negativity if we want to stay in the
game. Once we acknowledge the
existence of this "chatter", we can reset our focus
and not let the monkey will get the better of us or
derail us from our game.
How do we address this little critter with what it
wants? Feed it.
Acknowledging that he exists is a good start.
Obviously, it would not be grabbing your focus if it
were not "hungry." A deep breath of air may be
enough for your little critter. You could also say
to the little beast, "Yeah, I know you're there.
Listen, I am rolling the dice right now. And, I am
going to do it in spite of what you spew at me." The
idea is to connect with the "something" that is
distracting you and address it.
It's up to us as individual players to discover what
our little "Monkey" needs to eat. Simply verbalizing
negative thoughts and feelings will help to dispel
the chatter. Once fed, we can go back to achieving
our immediate goal, which is achieving an extended
roll at the table.
Many of you have heard me say that when I am
shooting at the table with the Dice Coach, he will
sometimes call his bets off in the middle of my
roll. Admittedly, I get a bit irked by
that action. He is obviously seeing
something at the table that is an indicator,
something that tells him my roll may be over.
Sometimes he is right and sometimes he is wrong -but
when this happens my little Monkey starts to
chatter, "uh oh."
I
acknowledge this distraction by placing the dice
back on the table surface and moving away from the
table slightly. I take a long
deep belly breath and pat my imaginary Monkey on the
head and say - "everything is fine in spite of his bets
being called off,"
I
find that the next roll is a favorable one - and it
brings a smile to my face when I notice Dice Coach
turn his bets back on. He must have seen my shoulder
Monkey "taking a nap."
That is one way I get past the distraction. The
point is, my Monkey forced me to identify
"something" that could have detracted from my goal
at hand and I had to connect with it to put it to
rest.
Most players will acknowledge that there is a
mind/body connection when it comes to how successful
we can be while rolling the dice.
This "Monkey Concept" is just one way of perceiving
the negativity that goes on in our head.
It
is up to us to decide how to best "feed" it.
