Good morning,
Michael Strahan has a three-word mantra: “Not if. When.”
It comes from his father, Gene, a career military man who died in August. Gene had always been Strahan’s hero and moral lodestar--his role model and ardent champion. Gene had taught his son about the importance of hard work and self-confidence. He would always set his son straight whenever he used the word “if” while talking about his dreams. If I get a scholarship. If I make the NFL. "No, son, not if. When," Gene would say. That mantra was repeated so often during Michael's formative years that it became hardwired.
"Any time we use the word if, we put doubt on whatever comes next," Strahan tells Inc., explaining his father's core philosophy. "If you say, 'If I make it off the couch, I might rake the leaves,' well, that's probably not gonna happen. We were taught to say, 'When I do this...' And just that little difference tells you it can and will happen. I didn't even realize that my dad was doing that until I was in my 30s. That's when I thought, 'Wow, he's almost been playing mind tricks on me all this time.'"
The mind trick has played a large role in the creation of Strahan’s talent management and production company, apparel and lifestyle lines, and public life as a multifaceted television personality following his retirement from professional football in 2007. Read our story to learn how those three words motivated the NFL Hall of Famer to thrive as an entrepreneur. |
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