MESSAGE #622 EATING MEDITATION…

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“We could say that meditation doesn’t have a reason or doesn’t have a purpose. In this respect it’s unlike almost all other things we do except perhaps making music and dancing. When we make music we don’t do it in order to reach a certain point, such as the end of the composition. If that were the purpose of music then obviously the fastest players would be the best. Also, when we are dancing we are not aiming to arrive at a particular place on the floor as in a journey. When we dance, the journey itself is the point, as when we play music the playing itself is the point. And exactly the same thing is true in meditation. Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.”
-ALAN WATTS

I really like that quote.

Meditation is such a key component in relaxation/stress reduction, and it helps us all reach peak performance in whatever we do.

At least once today, try one of my favorite forms of meditation – the eating meditation.

EATING MEDITATION

First, let’s just say you are eating a turkey sandwich. Pick a place where you won’t be bothered (or looked at weird).

Before you even pick up the sandwich, notice how it looks on the plate, like the colors, the smell, the shape. Also, notice how hungry you are, either very hungry, moderate, or not so hungry. Notice your posture, and your breathing.

Next, reach for your sandwich, but reach slowly and notice the muscles in your arms tightening and your fingers extending.

Now take a bite of your sandwich and feel the texture of it, the sounds, and the smells. Focus on your teeth coming down, chewing the food, and then how your tongue helps push the food down. Feel the food going down your throat and into your stomach.

Appreciate how the food got to your table, like the workers in the bread company, and the truck drivers.

Continue with this eating meditation for the rest of your meal. How do you feel?

The more you meditate, the more you are able to stay in the moment. This will relieve stress, which will make you healthier, and it will help you enjoy life more. I think it actually slows life down. I’d love to hear your thoughts…



Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #621 HERE’S THE SECRET…

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“I try and keep my strategy simple, I stay very intense during a match and completely focused. I never think about an opponent until the moment we play, and then my focus is on where to serve and how to hit cross-court and down the line. I try not to complicate my life by spending too much time analyzing a player in advance.”
-PETE SAMPRAS

That’s the secret.

The beauty of Sampras’ simple strategy is that when you focus on your strategy, it is impossible to think about all the negative things, like the last point you lost, or “What will happen if I lose?” We often are victims of paralysis by analysis.

Focus is critical, but make sure you focus on the right things – the things you can control.

And be like Pete.



Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #620 HOW TO BECOME HAPPY…

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“Look up and not down. Look forward and not back. Look out and not in, and lend a hand.”
-EDWARD EVERETT HALE

“When you cease to make a contribution,you begin to die.”
-ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

“Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.”
-DANNY THOMAS

They say that the quickest way to become happy is to make someone else happy.

I agree.

Last night I took my mentee, Amish to the Trenton Thunder (Yankees AA affiliate minor league team) game. Before we went, I called the Thunder and told them that I was bringing my mentee, who lost his mother in 9/11 and was wondering if he could meet the team before the game. A very nice young lady called back and said that they didn’t do that sort of thing, but that they could make him “Fan of the Game” and he would be able to throw out the first pitch, get on the diamond vision, and be in the Trenton Times this week! Wow.

We started at the offices, and walked past the clubhouse, where a couple players were walking to the field, so Amish asked them to sign his baseball. We then walked under the stands and out the tunnel to the dugout. As we waited on the field, all of the players started coming into the dugout to warm up for the game. My mentee politely asked them for autographs. I think he left with 18 autographs, including the mascots’! Well, they announced his name, and we walked out to the pitcher’s mound and my main man threw a perfect strike to catcher. The Thunder game him a free hat and the game ball! After that, we thanked everyone and proceeded to our seats in Section L, Row 1 to enjoy America’s Pastime. A great night!

You should have seen Amish’s face – he was so happy. That made me happy. So remember, the quickest way to make yourself happy, is to make someone else happy. You don’t need to have a lot of money, you can give your time and energy.

Homework: Make someone happy today!

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #619 ZENNIS…

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Much of sports psychology originated from Eastern philosophy and spirituality. Below is a saying I recently came up with, which was inspired by Chinese Zen Master, Yunmen.

If you walk, just walk.
If you play tennis, just play tennis.
If you work, just work.
If you study, just study.
If you sit, just sit.
But don’t wobble.

What does this saying mean?

It means, do one thing, and do one thing well. Stay in the present moment, and stay focused. Don’t worry about what you’re doing later, what you’re going to have for dinner, or what movie you might want to see.

Stay in the moment, that’s all you need.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #618 GO TO THE DOCTOR…

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“The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it. Exercise, lose weight, test your blood sugar, or whatever. Do it without motivation. And then, guess what? After you start doing the thing, that’s when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep doing it.”
-JOHN C. MAXWELL

Have you ever not wanted to go to work?

Have you ever not wanted to go to school?

Have you ever not wanted to go to practice?

Many of you are suffering from anal glaucoma.

You can’t see yourself getting your butt to work, school, or practice.

One of the secrets to success is doing what you have to do, when you have to do it…whether you want to or not.

Just because you feel a certain way doesn’t mean you need to act a certain way.

Start taking the correct action today!


*If you missed last night’s radio show with Sandy Mittleman, listen to the recording here…http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Game-Set-Life


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #617 NOT AN OLYMPIC SPORT…

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“Just like your physical skills, your mental skills are something you need to practice and work on consistently.”
-ED TSENG

I have a feeling that someone reading this blog entry has been distracted by external forces in their sport, in their job, or in school. You may be affected by the weather, your opponent, the spectators, or co-workers. There will always be distractions, but there are ways to overcome them. I want you to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Below is an exercise you can do. I like to call it trashketball.

Take 20 pieces of used paper, or old newspaper, and crumple them up into balls. Get a trashcan.

Exercise #1 Casually toss a few of the balls, towards the trashcan. Did you make any?

Exercise #2 Now, focus on the center of the trashcan and take some shots. See if your results and focus changed.

Exercise #3 Finally, take some shots, focus on the center of the trashcan again, but this time, have someone stand behind you and try to distract you with random sounds or pokes in the ribs.

You will notice how Exercise #3 is difficult and affects your focus and concentration, but if you perform this exercise several times, you will start to become more comfortable with this uncomfortable situation. I like to call this mental cross-training. If you can perform under this type of pressure playing trashketball, you can overcome any other external distractions or pressures.

Instead of running away from pressure, embrace it.

Leave me any comments…

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #616 THE WINNING EDGE…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Collin Cadwell.

“The winners edge in self-dimension is to have a worthy destination and look beyond yourself for meaning in life. The greatest example of self-dimension a winner can display is the quality of earning the love and respect of other human beings. Winners create other winners without exploiting them. They know that true immortality for the human race is when a caring, sharing person helps even one other individual.”
-DENIS WAITLEY

MESSAGE #615 STAY FOCUSED…

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“Your focus is your future.”
-OPRAH

I played tennis this morning at the Ferris State Racquet and Fitness Center. I have not been playing very consistently in New Jersey, the court surface was very fast, and I was playing “The Quadfather,” Anwar Khan of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Obviously, my timing was off initially, but I managed to make adjustments. We played three groundstroke games to eleven and I won two of them. After that, we played a set and it was pretty close. Towards the end of the set, Anwar took the lead and I began to get nervous. I started thinking, “What if I lose? What will people think?” I was missing easy shots. But luckily I used my mental training skills, re-focused and went back to thinking about my strategy and placement.

It worked.

I ended up winning 7-6, and 7-5 in the tiebreaker.

This was a great way to end a great weekend.

It was a pleasure seeing some old friends and making some new ones. I enjoyed they workshops presented by industry leaders such as, Scott Schultz, Eddie Luck, David Brower, Paul Marcum, Chris Michalowski, Dan Moster, Pat Kearns, Sam Chrome, Mike Snyder, and Dave Ramos.

The Professional Tennis Management program at Ferris State University helped me reach many of my goals and it was my pleasure to come back, give back, and help inspire the next generation of industry leaders.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #614 I’M NERVOUS…

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“Winners and losers have the same feelings, they just take different action.”
-Rob Gilbert

Well, it’s Saturday morning at 9:32am and in about 28 minutes I will be speaking to the Ferris State Professional Tennis Management students, staff, alumni, and prospective students.

I’m nervous.

But I get nervous before every talk, so I’m fine with it. It’s okay to be nervous, as long as you don’t look or act nervous. Winners get nervous too, but they don’t let it paralyze them. Losers do.

So before a match, musical performance, or presentation before your class or co-workers, remember it’s alright to be nervous. Someone once told me, “If you’re not nervous, you’re not ready.”

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #613 A BLAST FROM THE PAST…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the great alumni, Professional Tennis Management students, staff and guests at Ferris State University this weekend for the Annual Banquet and Workshop Weekend.


I am sitting here in the Ferris State University Racquet and Fitness Center in Big Rapids, Michigan. I spent a good part of three years here in Ferris’ Professional Tennis Management Program and graduated in 1997. It is exciting to be back not only an alumni, but as a featured speaker. I look forward to seeing some familiar faces, meeting some new people and presenting to the program.

Christin Thurston, formerly Christin Schumann, USPTA tennis professional and USPTA Executive Director of Northern Division, was in the PTM program at the same time as me and is back for the weekend. Below is a brief interview with her.

ET: How has Ferris State prepared you for your current position in the tennis industry?

CT: This program is unique because it not only shows students how to teach the game, but it also provides a marketing and business , which is one of the challenges in the industry.

ET: How has sports/teaching helped you in other areas of life?
CT: It has helped me stay focused on the task at hand and be more mindful of different options in difficult situations.

ET: What tips can you give to someone who wants to get to the next level in their tennis game?
CT: Practice as often as you can, with whoever you can, it doesn’t matter what level they are.

ET: In your experience teaching, do you believe in the saying, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard?” 
CT: I do agree and as I always say, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” There is no substitute for hard work.

ET: Thank you for your time and enjoy the weekend…
CT: Thank you, it’s great to be back.

Wish me luck on my talk tomorrow.


Thanks for reading.