MESSAGE #843 THIRSTY?…
“Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed.”
-HERACLITUS
This blog is not designed to give you something to drink.
This blog is to make you thirsty.
Thirsty to go all out…every day.
One of the facts of life and peak performance is impermanence.
Nothing lasts forever.
Wins, trophies, money, vacations, sunny days.
We need to stay in the moment. Set goals, but enjoy the process of life. The process of our sport.
I remember a story about a master who held up a glass, while talking to a group, and said, “Do you see this goblet? For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on a shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that this glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”
Every day is precious…a gift.
Play every point like it’s your last.
Live every day like it’s your last.
It is then that you will have total awareness.
And it is then that your world changes.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #833 CHANGE THIS AND YOU WILL WIN MORE…
“The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same.”
-CARLOS CASTANEDA
I heard a profound statement recently.
When I went to hear Dan Millman speak at the Mind Body Spirit Expo in Philadelphia a few weeks ago, he said something that stuck with me.
“It took me 25 years of marriage to realize that all this time, my wife wasn’t criticizing me, she was improving me.”
I think this is brilliant.
We all have our own perception of conditions. You can have the same situation and two totally different views.
What if we looked at our opponents as people who are improving us?
What if we looked at our teachers/coaches as people who are helping us become better students/athletes? (Especially when they’re tough on us and make us do fitness)
What if we looked at our parents as people who are teaching us to become better human beings, with only the best intentions?
What if we looked at our difficult clients as people who are making us better salespeople?
When you change your perspective, you change your world.
When you change your world, you change your results.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #822 A GIFT FOR YOU…ON MY BIRTHDAY…
Normally, people get gifts on their birthday.
Well, today, I’m going to GIVE a gift on my birthday.
Yesterday, I went to hear one of my favorite authors, Dan Millman (above) speak at the Mind Body Spirit Expo in Philadelphia.
It wasn’t for me, it was for you.
I love listening to speakers to help me become a better speaker and person, but more importantly, so I can help my students and blog readers become better people.
Millman was a dynamic speaker and I walked away with some great tidbits.
“What is talent? The ability to learn faster than others. It is twenty percent innate, but it can be developed,” Millman stated.
“Effort over time is better than magical thinking. You can’t control the outcome, but you can control your effort.”
Many people went to hear Millman’s best technique for peak performance and happiness. He said that daily life is the best technique. “It’s like spiritual weightlifting. There are hidden gifts in adversity – it’s all in your perspective. Life is an experiment. And your only goal should be excellence in the moment. Check your posture, notice if you are relaxed and see if you are breathing.”
You don’t have to give up all of your possessions to become happy. “I’ve seen many grumpy monks. It’s a balance between Western and Eastern philosophies.”
“Thoughts are natural, but don’t mistake them for reality. The only way to tame your mind is to make peace with it. Be aware of your thoughts and then let them go. It’s okay to have an angry thought, just don’t ACT angry.”
“Life is not about successes and failures; life is about testing your limits.”
I really like that one. Just keep pushing yourself and get a little bit better every day.
Millman mentioned that his mentor, Socrates (from Way of the Peaceful Warrior) once said to him, “The difference between you and me is that YOU practice gymnastics and I practice EVERYTHING.”
Do I teach tennis?
Not really. I teach life through tennis.
Do I practice tennis?
No, I practice life through tennis.
It’s all about going all out.
Relaxing under pressure.
Enjoying the moment.
And getting better every day.
Anyone can have this mindset, immediately.
Be more aware of what you are doing and your whole world will change.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #807 THE BOSS…
Well, it’s that time of year again…
Bruce Springsteen time.
The Boss is touring all over the tri-state area and one of my students went to see him this past Friday.
Whether you like Bruce’s music or not, there’s no denying that he’s a great performer.
My favorite story about Bruce is from about two years ago….
The New York sports radio, WFAN was talking about Bruce and his concerts right around this time of year. And someone called in and said, “I’ve seen Bruce about 14 times and every time it was an amazing concert. And last year, the person I went with knew Bruce, so we hung out back stage afterwards. Well, while we were backstage, someone went up to Bruce and asked him, ‘How do you do it? Every night you give a great performance.’ “
Bruce replied, “Well, that’s easy…2 things – Number 1…Every night I tell myself that this is the most important concert of my career; and Number 2…It’s only rock and roll.”
What does this mean?
Your effort should be all-out.
Your attitude should be a little relaxed.
It’s only rock and roll.
It’s only tennis.
It’s only work.
Be the Boss of your own life today.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #740 CALLING ALL HUMANS…
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Rebecca Conti – a special Happy Birthday to you.
RULES FOR BEING HUMAN
You will learn lessons.
We’re all enrolled in a full-time school called “life on planet Earth.”
Every person and incident is your teacher.
There are no mistakes-only lessons.
“Failures” are the stepping stones to “success.”
A lesson is repeated until learned.
It is presented in various forms until you learn it-then you go to the next lesson.
If you don’t learn easy lessons, they get harder.
Pain is one way the universe gets your attention.
You’ll know you’ve learned a lesson when your actions change.
Only action turns knowledge to wisdom.
“There” is no better than “here.”
When “there” becomes “here,” you’ll find another “there” that again looks better than “here.”
Others are only mirrors.
You can only love or hate something in another that reflects something you love or hate in yourself.
Your life is up to you.
Life provides the canvas; you do the painting.
Your answers lie inside you.
All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
You’ll tend to forget all this.
You can remember anytime you wish.
-author unknown
MESSAGE #698 CH-CH-CH-CHANGES…
“I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed.”
-GEORGE CARLIN
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Melissa Sapio.
The joke above is funny. But it is also true.
I have been teaching tennis for the past 15 years and I have seen a common theme…
People want to become better tennis players, so they pay $80/hour for a lesson. There’s nothing wrong with that. But here is the problem…
They think that the $80 will change their game.
The lesson is just the beginning. You have to take action. You have to put in the work. You have to practice between lessons.
We live in such a fast-paced society with high-speed internet, fast-food and instant oatmeal, and many of us tend to want overnight success.
Do you know how long it takes to become an overnight success?
10 years!
So if you want to become a great tennis player, be patient and put in the work. Take action and create the player you want to be.
I have a secret…
I’m not perfect.
I am making changes in my own life right now to set myself up for the future. I’m willing to sow seeds today to reap tomorrow’s harvest.
Are YOU?
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #681 BE AN ANIMAL…
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Mitch Constantine in New York City.
I want you to be an animal.
But not just any animal. I want you to be a pink polar bear.
I know what you’re thinking…”What’s wrong with you, Ed?!”
Let me explain…
If you do what everyone else is doing, you’re going to get the results that everyone else is getting.
In order to succeed, you need to be different. Pink polar bears are different. Everyone else is a white polar bear.
Train differently.
Eat differently.
Think differently.
In business, you want to differentiate yourself from your competition. In sports, it’s the same way.
Instead of relying on your natural talents, work harder than everyone else.
Do different things, get different results.
Go all out. Don’t try your best – Do Whatever It Takes!
That’s it.
Don’t miss my one-of-a-kind radio show tonight on peak performance for sports and life. I will have some amazing guests on with me, including Bob Ryland (the first black professional tennis player), Carling Bassett-Seguso (former #8 in the world), Denise Capriati (mother of Jennifer Capriati), Linda Courier (mother of Jim Courier), and others. 9pm EST. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Game-Set-Life/2009/06/11/Sport-is-Life
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