MESSAGE #1099 GET SOME AIR…
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Jane Atkinson in London, Ontario, Canada.
Have you ever been in a pressure situation?
Of course you have. But the question is, what do you do in those situations?
Most people tense up, stop breathing and pray that it will be over soon.
Next time, try what Michael Jordan did…
When the pressure was on, Jordan called up past successes in his mind. Most of the time he replayed the last-second shot he made in the 1982 NCAA Championship when he was at North Carolina.
And we all know what kind of results Jordan got.
So next time the pressure’s on, go back in time when you were in control, you were in the zone and you could do no wrong.
Or you can focus on the negative stuff.
Your choice.
MESSAGE #999 LEADERSHIP (and failure)
Today I’m going back to where I failed out twice, Rider University, while studying computers.
No, I’m not going back to get my degree (I have a degree from Ferris State University’s Marketing/Professional Tennis Management program).
I’m going back to Rider to be the opening speaker for their Team Leadership Challenge. This is my second time speaking at this great event and this year’s theme is “Navigating Your Way to Success.”
That’s funny to me.
When I started college it was as if I needed a map, but after failing out twice, I CHOSE to follow my passion (sports) and transferred to Ferris State. My grades skyrocketed. I graduated in 1997 and was named Pro of the Year for the USTA in 2005. After that, I started my own business, wrote a book and became a motivational speaker.
So what is leadership?
I think a big part of leadership is being brave enough to follow your passion. It’s about helping others. Leaders do things because it is the right thing to do, regardless of what others may think. That’s when people will follow. But it’s not about having followers…
The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers. -RALPH NADER
If you look at all of the great leaders in history, they all made everyone else better, whether it is Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Martin Luther King or Henry Ford. Focusing on yourself is weak. Focusing on others is powerful.
So today I hope to motivate, energize, and inspire the students at Rider, but more importantly, I hope to produce more leaders.
MESSAGE #988 A PEAK PERFORMANCE POEM
There are two types of teammates in the world: builder-uppers and breaker-downers.
The builder-uppers are the Derek Jeters who make the rest of their team better. Michael Jordan was the same way.
The breaker-downers focus on themselves and may even put their teammates down to make themselves look better. One bad apple ruins the bunch.
This applies to sports, work, school and relationships.
Here is my favorite poem to bring the point home…
One day as I was walking around my home town,
I saw a group of men tearing a building down.
With a heave and a ho and a mighty yell,
they swung a huge steel ball and a tall building fell.
Impressed, I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled?
Should I hire them if I ever want to build?”
“Oh no,” he laughed. “Oh no, indeed!
They’re unskilled laborers–that’s all I need.”
“These men can easily wreck in a day or two,
what it takes skilled builders many years to do.”
So I asked myself as I walked away,
which one of these roles do I want to play?
Do I want to be known as one who constantly tears down?
De-energizing others as I spread negativity around?
Or do I want to be known as one who skillfully builds up with care,
enthusiastically encouraging everyone whenever I’m there?
Which type of person will you be today?
MESSAGE #984 BOUNCE BACK
Today’s message is especially dedicated to Lance Lee in Philadelphia, Lou Nespoli in Colts Neck, NJ, Makenzie Devine in Washington Township, NJ, Megan Brett in New York City, Rachel Mech in Washington, D.C., and Tommy Haas in Bradenton, Florida. Happy Birthday to you all!
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, then became the greatest basketball player ever.
Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before perfecting the light bulb, then became the brightest mind of the past century.
Did Michael Jordan give up? NO.
Did Thomas Edison give up? NO.
Did Elmer McAllister give up?
You don’t know who Elmer McAllister is?!?
Of course you don’t, because he GAVE UP!
Never, never, never give up. -WINSTON CHURCHILL
MESSAGE #845 JORDAN VS TSENG…
JORDAN: Focus on the little things.
TSENG: Focus on your weaknesses, as well as your strengths.
JORDAN: Don’t think about the prize; think about the work.
TSENG: Focus on the process, not the product.
JORDAN: Use tough losses for motivation.
TSENG: You either win or you learn.
JORDAN: Nervousness is not a bad thing.
TSENG: If you’re not nervous, you’re not ready.
JORDAN: Prepare, practice and perfect it.
TSENG: Practice perfect.
JORDAN: Stick to the things you are capable of doing.
TSENG: Focus on the things you can control.
JORDAN: I was nervous when I first played golf with Tiger Woods.
TSENG: I was nervous when I first played tennis with Martina Navratilova.
JORDAN: You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
TSENG: The great ones act like winners before they actually become winners.
Michael Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, two Olympic basketball gold medals and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September. He is one of the greatest athletes in history.
Ed Tseng is a blogger.
MESSAGE #830 THE GREAT ONE…AIR JORDAN
“The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”
-PAUL VALERY
When I was younger, I idolized Michael Jordan. I remember watching him fly through the air in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest, with my mouth wide open. And I didn’t even like basketball.
Is Jordan the greatest ever?
Probably.
Anyone can tell you that Jordan has the highest scoring average (30.6) in the regular season and post-season, in NBA history.
He was the leading scorer 10 times, also a record.
He won 6 Championships with the Bulls, and was named Finals MVP…6 times.
There’s no question that Jordan’s physical abilities were out-of-this-world, and even though that is what initially drew me to him, that’s not why I am one of his biggest fans.
I’m a Jordan fan because…
He had fun playing basketball.
He had a will to win.
He got cut from his high school basketball team, but instead of giving up, he worked harder.
He goes all out, physically and mentally.
Money means nothing to him…”I just love playing.”
He divided his $12,500 prize for winning the 1987 Slam Dunk Contest among his teammates.
He played every game like it was his last.
He came out of retirement 2 weeks after 9/11 and donated his entire season’s salary (approx. $1 million) to the post-9/11 cause.
Greatness isn’t just about physical talent and results.
It’s okay to want to be the best in the world, as long as you also want to be the best for the world.
Be like Mike today…
Thanks for reading.
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