Phil Jackson, who won a record 11 NBA titles as the head coach of the Bulls and the Lakers, is now in his first year as the president of the Knicks. The team is off to a sluggish 4-10 start this season, fourth in the Atlantic Division.

Can the Zen Master help guide the proud franchise to its former glory? He has already implemented the practice of deep and mindful breathing, and will undoubtedly pass on his basketball philosophyto improve players performance.

Indeed, Jacksons role in finding the positives in a negative situation is not unlike that of the protagonist in the Zen story titled, The Cliffhanger. The following is an excerpt from my new book, The Champions Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive (Rodale, 2014).

One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice. As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine. Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth. It was incredibly delicious!

Moral of the story seize the opportunity!Always seek the positive. The symbolism of the plump wild strawberry emphasizes that we should concentrate more on the plusses (the beauty and simple joys) than the minuses (the danger and troubles) during each moment of our lives. Have a love of the game and the competition, and the particular challenge of the moment, whatever it may be.

I think one of the most exciting aspects of watching basketball is when a top player, especially a point guard, seems to be running up the court into swarming defenders, and then all of a sudden tosses up a nice alley-oop to a teammate for a slam dunk. These moments are like plucking the strawberry. Their eyes see the opportunity!

Dr. Jim Afremow is a sports psychology expert and the author of "The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive." Follow him on Twitter @goldmedalmind.

Visit link:
Zen in the zone with Knicks president Phil Jackson