Something incredible happened on a cold night in February 2013.

Inside New York's Madison Square Garden, thousands of people watched in amazement as the Warriors’ Stephen Curry single-handedly scored 54 points against the Knicks.

It wasn't just the number of points that made it special. It was how he did it.

Curry hit 11 of 13 shots from behind the 3-point line – a skill that would come to define him as one of the greatest shooters in the NBA and would literally change how the game is played forever.

A GLIMPSE INTO CURRY’S MINDSET

After the game that night, Curry revealed something interesting. In an interview, he talked about his state of mind when sinking all those shots.

Here's what he said: "Once I started seeing that three-ball go down in transition, all sorts of spots on the floor, I knew it was going to be a good night."

Did you catch it?

Curry saw himself making the shots—not just as he made them, but also before. He knew it was "going to be good night," because he was already visualizing himself making the shots. He could already see it. And by visualizing it, it actually happened.

BECOMING WHAT YOU THINK

Curry's performance that night (and in the years since) is a prime example of the power of the mind.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "We become what we think about all day long." In other words, the focus of your thoughts is what shapes you into who you are.

Think of your own life experiences, and you'll see how this rings true.

Have you ever worried about something so much, that you couldn't get those negative thoughts out of your head?

… Maybe you worried you were going to get into a confrontation with a friend or family member?
… Or that you were going to make an embarrassing mistake in front of other people?
… Or that you would do poorly on an important test?

And then, sure enough, after days of worrying, those things actually happened. You "knew" they would happen and then they did.

Well, they happened because you visualized them happening. You became your thoughts.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The same holds true for your greatest life goals--and your fears.

When you're filled with negative thoughts, those thoughts become your reality:

  • "It will never happen."

  • "I'll never get ahead."

  • "I'll be broke … stuck … miserable … unsuccessful … " etc.

Those thoughts become your real-life roadblocks. If you can't visualize yourself overcoming those challenges, then you never will.

But the opposite is also true.

Only when you visualize your success can it truly happen.

When you actually see that success in your mind, clear as day, and repeat those thoughts so often it becomes your mantra, like a song stuck in your head … that's when big things begin to happen. That's when you truly become what you think.

A PROVEN SCIENCE

Sound crazy? It's actually proven by science.

In 1967, a psychologist studied the power of visualization by studying basketball players making free throws. He told one group to practice making free throws for 20 minutes a day. Another group did not practice at all. And a third group simply visualized themselves making the shots, without any practice.

Then, after a few weeks, all three groups tried making the shots.

The results were incredible. The group that visualized their shots did nearly as well as the group that practiced for 20 minutes every day (while the group that did nothing fared the worst).

The pure visualization—the focus and repeated thoughts of making the shots—became a reality.

TAPPING INTO THIS POWER

At a.fatti, our founder has personally experienced and continues to experience the power of the mind.

It's what our entire brand was founded on. It's the mindset that made a.fatti a reality. And, it's why we push others to their highest potential … because nothing is more powerful than the mindset behind your greatest achievements.

We want you to tap into this power. Harness it. Let it propel your own life situation.

No matter what you do, start visualizing the life you want to live, right now. Get rid of the negative thoughts that hold you back. Picture your success in your head. Study it. Replay it, over and over. Visualize your future not as a "dream" or a "possibility" but with the confidence that it will happen.

That is the true power of the mind.