“Be There!” “Bite!” “Make It!”

These are some of the words I heard Jordan Spieth use to coach himself on the final round of the Masters Golf Tournament. The golf ball came under Spieth’s verbal command, and the grounds of Augusta National surrendered to his brilliant 18-under-par round, giving the 21-year-old his well-deserved Green Jacket.

What I saw Jordan Spieth do, which may be one little key to his success in golf, was keep his language on the positive side of wording. Instead of saying phrases like “Oh, no!” or “Don’t go there!” he said “Be THERE” and “Be enough!” Another time, he pleaded with the ball, “Go softly!” When the ball was sailing over the green, he yelled, “BITE!”

Instead of telling the ball what NOT to do, he told it what TO do. And he did it with straight-up posture and confidence. I had to keep reminding myself he was only 21 years old. His calm demeanor and maturity was more “old soul.”

As a dietitian and health coach, I listen to the self-talk of my clients because it is very telling of where they stand in the path of success. Negative self-talk can put one in the grips of failure, while positive self-talk leads the way to success.

One phrase I often hear clients say is, “I can’t resist sweets.” I tell them, “You are right.” I then point out what they believe will come true through their actions — so if they want my help, we need to start by working on that negative self-talk. This is a basic principle of the Law of Attraction — our words will attract our destiny.

Jordan Spieth certainly seems to understand that. He also talked about his family’s influence on him, especially his younger sister, Ellie, a young lady with special needs. He said she gives their family “humility,” and she keeps him “grounded.”

Having worked with people with developmental disabilities in the past, and now providing occasional care for a young man with special needs, I totally get this. It’s so easy to be focused on what the world values (money, fame, recognition, productivity) when these things are quite small in the grand scheme of things.

Is there a connection between Spieth’s positive self-talk and his humility in relationship with his sister? I can only speculate.

What about you? What could you learn from Jordan Spieth with regard to positive self-talk or humility? What do you say to yourself every day that keeps you reaching your goals, or possibly … not reaching them?

If you are short of your mark, what would happen if you changed your wording to phrases similar to Jordan Spieth’s … such as, “Be there!”, “Make it!”, or “Go softly!”? What would happen if you let someone in your life “ground you?”

Are you up for the challenge? Warning: Your life just might become better if you accept the challenge!