MESSAGE #632 I KNOW WHO YOU ARE COMPETING AGAINST NEXT…

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“It is not true that nice guys finish last; nice guys are winners before the game even starts.”
-ADDISON WALKER

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Frank Freeburn of Nike.

Are you a tennis player? Then I know who your next match is against…

YOURSELF.

The only real competitor you will ever have is yourself. Think of your opponent as your teacher and your student. You each do your best as you test and teach one another, revealing where your opponent needs to improve, as he or she does the same for you. Once we view competition in this manner, we can strive to do our very best, without succumbing to overtones of hostility and negativity.

When we overcome the combative state of mind, when we no longer have opponents-only people like ourselves, brothers and sisters in training, all striving toward excellence-we achieve the highest potential in sport. This is equally true in everyday life, when we compare and compete with others over who is the most popular, most attractive, most successful. The key, it seems, is to maintain a balance perspective, appreciating the value as well as the pitfalls of the competitive mind-set in sport of life. It’s not that people who maintain a balanced perspective never compete; they just don’t take it too seriously. They remember that a game is just a game-and from their perspective, life, too, is a game.

The moment of truth itself, whether in performance or competition, can serve as an exciting stimulus to excellence. Yet its purpose ends when the race ends. Once we catch a fish, we no longer need the net; once we cross a stream, we no longer need the boat. And when the competition is over, we need not linger over scores, numbers, or statistics. We don’t need to preserve past scores like prize butterflies. When we let go of our preoccupation with numbers, statistics, titles, an victories, we rediscover the sheer joy in the process of training, learning, and striving toward the heights of our potential.

Once the game is over, the outcome is history. Fame is fleeting, and glory fades. The only lasting value in the competitive experience is the lessons we learn and live.

(From Body Mind Mastery by Dan Millman)

*MAKE A DIFFERENCE*

Help support the Arthritis Walk on Sunday, May 3, 2009 at 10am in Princeton Forrestal Village, Princeton, NJ. Join Team CanDo or just donate. Contact Team Captain, Alex Hunter for details: traininglight@ comcast.net or visit http://www.letsmovetogether.org (Mercer County Walk)

MESSAGE #631 DON’T READ THIS MESSAGE UNLESS…

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Don’t read this message unless you are about to do something important…

“The time is always right to do what is right.”
-MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR

“If it is to be it is up to me.”
-author unknown

“Opportunity’s favorite disguise is trouble.”
-FRANK TYGER

“Clear your mind of can’t”
-DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON

“People are like teabags. You don’t see their true strength until they’re in hot water.”
-author unknown

“Winners do what losers don’t want to do, especially when they need to do it.”
-ED TSENG

MESSAGE #630 CAN VERSUS WILL…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Salvatore Scarlata, owner of Vidalia Restaurant in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Happy Birthday to an amazing chef.

Can you quit smoking?

Can you go on a diet?

Can you start working out?

Some people say they can’t do this or can’t do that.

Then, I ask them, “Well, if I offered you a million dollars, could you?”

The answer is always, “Oh, yeah!”

So you can do the right things, but what I want to know is…

WILL you?

MESSAGE #629 DON’T WAIT…

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“Do you love life? Then don’t squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.”
-BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

I have a feeling that someone out there has something to do that they don’t want to do.

Something that they’ve been putting off.

I know I do.

It could be something at work, at school, or on the field.

If you have something to do, or something to take care of, do it immediately. The sooner you attack it, the sooner it gets eliminated.

When a favored team is playing an underdog, the favored team should put the other team away as soon as possible.

Why?

Because the longer the game goes on, the more hope the underdog has.

The longer you put off a problem or an issue, the worse it’s going to get.

Stop telling the world what you’re going to do and start showing it.

Do it, and do it today.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #628 DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE BACKWARDS…

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“Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier.
The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.”
-MARGARET YOUNG

MESSAGE #627 DAMN YANKEES…

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“Unless you’re the lead dog, the view never changes.”
-sign outside the Yankees clubhouse at Legends Field in Tampa

So the Yankees lost their first ever game at the new stadium. It’s okay.

The Yankees are not about winning every single game; that has never been done, and never will be. But the Yankees have something called, pride, tradition, and history. The new Yankee Stadium was designed after the original and the field dimensions are the same. It is now the most amazing stadium in the world, a working museum. Everywhere you look, you will see the Yankee legacy, past, present, and future.

Derek Jeter knows this. Mr. Jeter also knows what it takes to become the winningest sports team in history – HARD WORK. Above are two photographs I took of Jeter at the old stadium.

Derek Jeter starts training in the middle of November in Tampa, regardless how far the team goes in the post-season. Most of the other major leaguers report around the middle of January.

Why does Jeter do this?

Because he knows that his career isn’t going to be that long, so he’s going all out, while he can. He says he can go on vacation after he retires. He knows the workouts he performs in November help him stay strong the following October.

It’s about constantly getting better. Jeter says, “It’s monotonous, but it’s important, too. Repetition breeds familiarity. Familiarity breeds comfort. Comfort breeds relaxation, and the best environment for achieving success is when you’re relaxed.”

“The motivation is to be the best player I can be, and if that means some people want to call me one of the best in baseball, that’s up to them. I don’t sit here every day and think about what I accomplished in the past and how I’ve got it made now. I’m always focusing on what I can do to improve in the future. What can I do to make myself better tomorrow? I know people don’t care what I did last year. Seriously, last year is over with. My teammates and my coaches want to see what I can do this year. More important, I want to see it.”
Hard work (smart work) = Success
Homework: Watch the Yankees @ 1:05pm EST today!

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #626 THE ENEMY…

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“We have met the enemy, and they is us.”
-POGO, cartoon character

MESSAGE #625 YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT…

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“Don’t dig your grave with your own knife and fork.”
-English Proverb

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Agata Andrevski in London, England.

You get out of your body, what you put in to your body.

Many health problems occur because of poor nutrition.

Many athletes perform poorly because of poor nutrition.

Many people are often tired because of poor nutrition.

In my own experience with nutrition for the last 15 years, I can tell a difference in my body and energy levels when I don’t eat properly, or if I don’t drink enough water.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “But Ed, I’m always on the go – I don’t have time to eat well.”

Well, guess what?

I’m telling you right now that you do. If you’re too busy to take care of yourself, you’re too busy!

A great way to eat well and watch the number of calories you consume is to always take food with you when you leave the house.

The next time you go grocery shopping, stock up on: fruits and vegetables, nutrition bars (I like Soyjoy), almonds, raisins, whole wheat bread, eggs, lean turkey, oatmeal, brown rice and whole wheat pasta. Then, when you leave the house, bring food with you.

For breakfast, have an orange, a couple of eggs, and/or some oatmeal. If you’re pressed on time, just grab an apple and a nutrition bar.

For lunch, bring your own: turkey on whole wheat with mustard is healthy and will give you good energy. Or you can make some whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce the night before and bring it to school/work.

For dinner, my ideal is salmon or grilled chicken with broccoli, but you can do a combination or add brown rice.

Additional tips:

Always have snacks with you – a nutrition bar, fruit, or a handful of nuts will keep you satisfied and keep your metabolism going between meals. Snacks will also help you make better decisions if your next meal wasn’t planned.

Drink a lot of water! Always have a bottle with you.

PIZZA! I love pizza just as much as the next person, possibly more. But did you know that a plain cheese pizza is about 26% fat? Here’s what you can do: order half the amount of cheese (or no cheese) and twice the amount of sauce (a good source of lycopene, which can prevent cancer). More and more pizza places are offering whole wheat crust and pick a topping that is a vegetable instead of a meat topping. If you do this, your pizza will have less than 10% fat versus close to 30%.

Okay, time for me to make an egg sandwich on whole wheat sesame sourdough, with an orange first (if you eat your fruit first, your body will absorb more of the nutrients).

Leave your comments.

For a free 10-minute phone consultation or Skype call, email:


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #624 WOW…

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Susan Boyle isn’t a supermodel.

Susan Boyle has never been kissed and lives alone with her cat, Peebles.

Susan Boyle was bullied when she was younger because of a disability.

Watch the video above and get ready to be blown away.

A great singer, athlete, student, and/or musician is already inside of you.

Thanks for checking in.

MESSAGE #623 THE MASTERS…

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“I get nervous before every shot.”
-TIGER WOODS

One thing I love to do is listen to interviews after peak performances by athletes.

The Masters was won yesterday by Angel Cabrera, after a three-way, sudden-death playoff. In his interview, he made some great comments.

Q. It looked like you were having a lot of fun out there, especially as things got particularly tense; is that true?

ANGEL CABRERA: Yes, you’re right, I was happy with my game and I had confidence. I was just trying to enjoy the moment.

Q. Any nerves?

ANGEL CABRERA: Oh, at this stage of the Tournament, any player who says he does not feel nerves, he’s not human.

Q. What do you think of your chances to actually win this Tournament, when you were two shots down with two holes to play?

ANGEL CABRERA: I told my caddie, you know, “It’s a birdie against a bogey, two holes left, I still have a good chance.”

Why did Angel Cabrera win the Masters?

1. He was having fun and stayed in the moment.
2. He was nervous, but didn’t act nervous.
3. He was optimistic even when he was down.

It doesn’t matter who you are, or what you do…you can still use the mental skills that the world’s top athletes, like Angel Cabrera have.


Thanks for reading.