MESSAGE #682 TEAMWORK…

/0 Comments/in /by

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the special guests on my radio show last night – Bob Ryland (the first black professional tennis player), Carling Bassett-Seguso (former world #8 player), Linda Courier (mother of Jim Courier, former world #1 player), and Denise Capriati (mother of Jennifer Capriati, former world #1 player).

We had a great radio show last night on how sports help you in life. As you can see, I had a powerful line-up of guests talking about their experiences in the game of tennis and their own lives.

In my book, “Game. Set. Life.” I share some of the mental secrets of the greatest athletes and successful people in history. I want to create a paradigm shift in how people teach, play and view sports. But I can’t accomplish my goals on my own. Last night, my guests helped support the message. We talked about teamwork and how nobody can do it on their own. They need help from others.

What are your goals?
Who is helping you reach those goals?
Are you making a difference?

Right after you read this blog message, think about what you want to accomplish in life. REALLY think about it. Combine what you love with what you’re good at. Help others. And have others help you.


Thanks for reading.

If you missed last night’s radio show, you can listen to the recording here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Game-Set-Life/2009/06/11/Sport-is-Life

MESSAGE #681 BE AN ANIMAL…

/0 Comments/in /by

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

MESSAGE #680 I DID IT!!!

/0 Comments/in /by

Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the great attendees and volunteers yesterday at the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce Annual Golf and Tennis Outing at Greenacres Country Club and last night at The Warren Racquet Club for the USTA Eastern Junior Team Tennis Workshop.

So I did it.

Today was Day 21 of my 21 day workout/meditation/organization program. The experts say that if you do something for 21 straight days, it becomes a habit. I have to admit, I didn’t always feel like doing it, but I did it anyway. And I always felt great afterwards.

You need willpower. And if you don’t have willpower, that’s okay – do it anyway! By doing what I committed to for 21 straight days, I exercised my willpower muscles. Now I can’t picture myself NOT doing it every morning. That’s powerful. And it went by very quickly.

I feel like a new person.

I developed new habits.

Anthony Robbins said, “Our habits form our lives.” It’s true.

You can do it. But you have to start. The best time is today.

Remember the five words that make most people fail…

“I don’t feel like it.”



Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #679 HOW TO INCREASE YOUR ENERGY…

/0 Comments/in /by

Last night I was a guest on the Essential Tennis Live radio show discussing the French Open Finals with Ian Westermann and Royce Sternquist. Bob Ryland, the first black pro also called in to the show. I had a great time. Listen to the recording here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/EssentialTennis/2009/06/08/Essential-Tennis-LIVE

Yesterday I started teaching at 8am and finished at 7pm. A long day by any standard, but I paced myself, took breaks, drank plenty of water and brought snacks. I had just enough time to go home, eat, shower and prep for the hour-long radio show. And I wasn’t even tired afterwards! I was energized.

I love what I do. I like to think that I’m making a difference. It’s not work to me. I sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and start writing down ideas. Most people don’t have energy because they are not doing what they love or focus on all the negatives or things that might go wrong.

Should we just look forward to our summer break, or our two weeks of vacation? Should we just “live” for the weekend?

Or should we do what we love and enjoy the rest of the year?

Do what you love and you won’t work a day in your life.

If you don’t want to change careers, try adding several activities during your week, including meditation and yoga to start enjoying every day.

At the beginning of every day, try appreciating everything around you. Be aware of everything you are doing. Be aware of your body. This will help you stay in the present instead of immediately turning the television or radio. We are on information overload nowadays. We are bombarded with information from the television commercials, radio, billboards, the internet and spam. Technology is great, but we need to consciously take time to get back to our true nature.

Take a deep breath right now…then begin.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #678 HE DID IT, SHE DIDN’T…

/0 Comments/in /by

“In the long run, the sword is beaten by the mind.”
-NAPOLEON

Roger Federer was seeded #2 and won the French Open.

Dinara Safina was seeded #1 and lost.

What was the difference?

The difference is how they handled the pressure. Even though Roger had never won the French Open, he has had more experience playing in pressure situations. And he knows that negative emotions produce negative results. This was Safina’s third Grand Slam final and she wanted it badly. She wanted it so she could say she truly was #1.

But as it turns out, Roger was calm and cool and Dinara self-destructed. She even double-faulted on match point.

Physically, there was very little difference between Federer/Soderling and Safina/Kuznetsova, so it all came down to the mental side.

If Safina focused on her game plan, her attitude and effort instead of the outcome, the result may have been different.

How you deal with pressure is up to you. You choose how you react. And your reaction/perception will affect your results.

Will this match make or break Safina’s career? Probably not, unless she lets it. If she learns from her experience and gets back to work, she’s young enough to still reach her prime. Much of what we think becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What do you think?


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #677 1-2-3-4 PRESSURE…

/0 Comments/in /by

Anyone can perform well when they feel good, or are “in the zone,” but it’s the great ones that perform well when everything is on the line.

It’s the great ones that love the pressure.

But is it really pressure?

No, it’s perception.

Does the situation make you fearful or excited?

Someone asked Pete Sampras after he retired, what he missed most about playing professional tennis. Sampras said, “I miss feeling so nervous that I would throw up before the finals of Wimbledon.”

So if you can thrive on pressure on the field, at work, in school and in your relationships, you will be one of the greats.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #676 PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE…

/0 Comments/in /by

Once, Sinclair Lewis, the novelist, was supposed to give an hour long talk to a group of college students aspiring to become writers. He started his presentation with this question: “How many of you really intend to be writers?”

All of the hands went up.

Lewis responded…

“In that case, my advice to you is to go home and write.”

And then he left.

MESSAGE #675 RISK

/0 Comments/in /by

No risk, no reward.

I know something about you.

You don’t like taking risks.

You like to be comfortable.

I like Seth Godin’s take on it from his book, “Tribes”…

Possibility of Risk

I was listening to a talking head on the radio, and he was prattling on about a “probability of risk” related to some course of action in the future. People are so afraid of risk they can’t even use the word. Risk, after all, is a probability of failure, right? So this guy was warning us of a probability of a probability. He couldn’t even say it.

It’s all a risk. Always.

That’s not true, actually. The only exception: it’s a certainty that there’s risk. The safer you play your plans for the future, the riskier it actually is. That’s because the world is certainly, definitely, and more than possibly changing.

Think of it this way, what if you used the same strategy every time, against a certain opponent you knew you could beat? Do you assume that you will always get the same result? Just because you beat them before doesn’t guarantee that you will always beat them. They may be improving. They may be changing their strategy. And there may be tough weather/court conditions.

Nothing stays the same, so neither should your strategy attitude or mindset.

Take risks – you won’t regret it.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #674 PREPARATION…

/0 Comments/in /by

“Talent alone won’t make you a success. Neither will being in the right place at the right time, unless you are ready. The most important question is: ‘Are you ready?’ “
-JOHNNY CARSON

When you go into a tennis match, you need to be prepared.

You need to have your racquets strung, extra grips, a towel, plenty of water, energy bars, sunscreen, hat, motivational quotes, etc.

You also need to be physically and mentally prepared.

Do you learn CPR when someone is drowning?

No, you learn it first, so you can use it when you need it.

Sports are the same way.

If you have a presentation at school, it is in your best interest to prepare by doing research, writing an outline, and practicing.

If you have a job interview, you should do your research on the company, practice interviewing and get a good night’s sleep.

If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

Positive thinking helps, but you also have to put in the work.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #673 THE BETTER PLAYER DOESN’T ALWAYS WIN…

/0 Comments/in /by

Does the fastest horse always win?

Does the team with the best record always win?

Does the player ranked higher always win?

The answer is no.

It doesn’t matter who is better…

All that matters is who PLAYS BETTER.

GO ALL OUT!



Thanks for reading.