Onami was a powerful sumo wrestler who lived in Japan
Onami was so strong and skilful that he was able to beat his own teachers during wrestling matches in private training. Indeed, Onami never ever lost a practice match.
However, Onami had a problem of stage fright. Crowds made Onami nervous.
He was unable to perform at his best during public matches in front of large audiences. During public matches, Onami was beaten even by his own students and also by untalented wrestlers only half his size. Onami’s stage fright became so serious that he lost twenty consecutive matches.
Troubled by his stage fright problems, Onami consulted a Zen master.
The Zen master told Onami, “Your name means Great Wave. Imagine you are a Great Wave. Visualize yourself sweeping your opponents aside like a powerful unstoppable wave.”
Onami did as the Zen Master adviced. He spent the days and nights visualising himself as the Great Wave, an earth shaking wave, big as the ocean itself, sweeping his hapless opponent aside and into the air with great unstoppable power.
When the day of the competition came, Onami went into the ring of a public match with this mental movie of himself as the Great Wave. The moment the referee started the fight with the wave of the fan, Onami the Great Wave surged forward with tremendous power like a rushing surf. He swept his stunned opponent away with an unstoppable shove.
Visualization is a powerful yet simple method to manage your emotions and your body for peak performance when facing acute challenges such as during a crucial contest, final examinations, an interview, or during public speaking.
For example, when making an inspirational speech, imagine in detail that you are the awe inspiring, charismatic Martin Luther King. When playing goalkeeper during a soccer match, imagine in detail that you are a agile, pouncing cat. You can imagine anything you want as long as it gives you energy and power at the crucial moment of truth.
Try it, you will be amazing.
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