We’ve all said them. “I should make this.” “I must get up-and-down.” “I don’t want to miss.”

They sound harmless—even motivating. But in this episode of Set Your Mind, Dr. Stephen Ginsberg breaks down why these sneaky words may be doing more harm than good.

Drawing on insights from Dr. Raymond Prior’s Golf Beneath the Surface, we explore how rigid language activates the brain’s threat system, tightens the body, and quietly sabotages performance—especially on the greens. The fix isn’t trying harder. It’s choosing different words.

Small language shifts can create big changes in feel, focus, and flow.

Key Concepts Covered

• Why words like should, must, need, and don’t trigger the brain’s threat response
• How threat activation leads to tension, shallow breathi ...