Imagine you are hiking alone in the woods.

Suddenly, your peaceful venture is interrupted by a vigorous rustling in the bushes nearby.

Is it a bear? A bobcat?

Well before these conscious thoughts go through your mind, your body has already responded.

Your heart pounds.

Your breathing speeds up.

The only thing your mind can focus on is the potential threat to your safety.

Next, a friendly german shepherd trots out of the brush, flashes you a friendly look, and scurries off towards another hiker farther up the trail.

Almost instantaneously, your breathing and heart rate return to normal.

What happens to us in moments like these comes from our natural programming.

It's subconscious, instinctive.

Our brains have two main jobs - to maximize reward and minimize danger.

Most of the information it interprets is so insignificant that it doesn't register in our conscious thoughts.

The bigger ones first trigger an emotional response - fear, excitement, anger - well before we can clearly process what's happening.

It happens to all of us on a regular basis.

Worse, any potential threat that exceeds our mind's belief that we can handle it will trigger an anxiety response.

Is that a bear? I can't beat a bear in a fight!

Oh, it's a friendly dog? I'm not in any danger at all.

Unfortunately, our brains interpret perceived threats to our self image in the same way as a safety risk.

Playing an opponent we don't think we can beat.

Trying out for a team with kids who we believe are stronger, faster and more skilled than us.

Having our number called in a big moment that we don't think we can handle.

Joining a training program that we believe we can't keep up in.

Sports and fitness situations like these create the same anxiety response.

They're the grizzly bears we dream up in our minds, that our bodies perceive as very real.

Our fears don't have to be based in reality to trigger a physiological response.

These are the root causes of choking in athletics, of avoiding what's hard for us, and the stress that comes along with both.

Instead of continuing down the path that leads us to success, our fears cause us to turn around and return to our safe spaces.

Some athletes don't get this type of anxiety. In fact, they thrive on it.

So what's their secret?

For one, they prepare.

Nothing makes you more confident in the moment than knowing you've put in the work required to achieve success.

Second, they have a positive self image.

There are too many factors to get into why someone would or wouldn't believe in themselves, regardless of how prepared they are.

But we do need to acknowledge that those who perceive themselves to be worthy of success are simply more likely to achieve it.

Athletes who rise up to challenges are also the ones who have faced and overcome adversity before.

Household names like Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady and Michael Jordan all stood up to various major challenges to reach the pinnacle of their careers.

Youth athletes build up this tolerance to adversity by constantly taking on smaller challenges, working their hardest during moments where failure could still result.

They do what's uncomfortable, what doesn't come naturally, because they know the short term pain will produce long term growth.

This develops resiliency.

It's a bedrock principle of how we train our athletes here at Power Source, endlessly trying to get kids to do a little more than last time even if they aren't sure they'll succeed.

Sports coaches also do this regularly, because they know that teams must face adversity to become their best.

Success in big athletic moments doesn't come naturally for most. We have to work at it.

Our minds are predisposed to tilt towards the negative.

We only overcome that bias through preparation, a willingness to take on challenges, and a positive support team.

When you put all three of those things in place, good things are bound to follow.