MESSAGE #542 PHILADELPHIA HERE I COME…

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Today I will be giving a talk at Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education with Bob Ryland, the first black professional tennis player. It comes at a good time, just after the inauguration of our first black president and just before Black History Month.

We will be interviewed live on NBC Philadelphia at their studios and then by Comcast Sportsnet. There will also be several local newspapers reporting the event. Our talk begins at 7pm.

Now I know what you’re thinking…what does a Chinese-American tennis pro have to do with this?

I’ll tell you what. It’s not about the color of your skin. It’s about people helping people. It’s about giving people hope.

If I can fail out of college twice and become Pro of the Year and Mr. Ryland can overcome segregation and other challenges, imagine what YOU can do…

The message today will be…

YOU CAN DO IT!

Check back tomorrow for a full report.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #541

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Some of the greatest leaders in history have spoken great words. President Obama joined that list yesterday in Washington, DC. Below are words from another great in history…

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
-THEODORE ROOSEVELT


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #540 PREPARATION…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to President Barack Obama.

I believe in preventive medicine. What exactly is preventive medicine?

Eating healthy before you become ill.
Exercising before you become overweight.
Preparing your taxes before April 13th.
Practicing playing in the cold before your school tryouts.

Don’t wait until something goes wrong before you take action.

Noah didn’t start building the ark when it started raining…
You don’t learn CPR when someone starts choking…

You should prepare for situations so that if they do happen, you are ready.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #539 AT YOUR SERVICE…

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Every time our nation faces crisis, our national experience has shown Americans rise to the challenge. While government has an important role to play in helping rekindle our economy and addressing the problems of a distressed nation, President-elect Obama believes each of us, as Americans, have a responsibility to do what we can for our communities and fellow citizens. We are one nation.

The United States is once again at a crossroads and that is why the President-elect hopes to use the occasion of his Inauguration to rally our nation to commit to service in our communities. We are asking for your participation in meeting this challenge. In 1994, Congress transformed the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday into a national day of community service to further commemorate a man who lived his life in service to others. As a tribute to that legacy and the very real needs of our nation, the President-elect and Vice President-elect have launched a national organizing effort on the eve of their Inauguration to engage Americans in service. This national day of service will fall on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19, 2009 and, unlike past calls to service, President-elect Obama is calling on all Americans to do more than just offer a single day of service to their cities, towns and neighborhoods. He is asking all of us to make an ongoing commitment to our communities. Never has it been more important to come together in shared purpose to tackle the common challenges we face.

This website (http://www.usaservice.org) is designed to help promote these events and for Americans to make their commitments, build communities, find opportunities to serve and share their results. These can be events that engage people in direct service, or bring people together to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy and how they can commit to becoming more engaged citizens. Please create an event or sign up to volunteer today.

(From USAservice.org)

MESSAGE #538 DO THIS, WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT…

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I’ve worked with athletes of all levels and from all different sports. I’ve worked with students, business professionals, stay-at-home parents and musicians. One of the secrets is that you can act differently than how you feel. If you act how you want to feel, pretty soon you will feel how you act. Let me explain in a quote…

“No matter how much madder it may make you, get out of bed forcing a smile. You may not smile because you are cheerful; but if you will force yourself to smile, you’ll end up laughing. You will be cheerful because you smile. Repeated experiments prove that when man assumes the facial expression of a given mental mood-any given mood-then that mental mood itself will follow.”
-KENNETH GOODE



Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #537 THERE IS NO “I” IN TEAM…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Coach Mitch Kajzer and all his tennis players at Memorial High School in Elkhart, Indiana.

When I coached the Robbinsville High School girls tennis team, their record increased from one win all season to seven wins. I was nominated for Coach of the Year and everyone asked me how I managed to accomplish this. It was really quite easy. You see, as a high school tennis coach, you only have about two weeks to conduct tryouts and prepare for your season, so it is difficult to physically make a difference in players’ games…I worked on the mental side. We focused on the process instead of the product.

Listed below are some of the team rules we had…

1. No homework during matches-on most of the teams that I have seen, the players that were awaiting their turn to play were either doing homework, listening to music, or eating. My rule was for my players to pick a teammate to cheer for and sometimes even chart errors and winners. When you are at a practice or match, you are not a brother, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc, for those couple hours, you are a teammate and you will energize those players that you are supporting. Focus on the task at hand, stay in the present.

2. Focus on your attitude and effort, not your strokes-A match is not the time to practice your form. Instead, you should focus giving all out effort and your strategy. If your strategy isn’t working, try another one. I always say, winning or losing, you should always strive for the highest energy level possible.

3. Thank the other team’s coaches and players after every match-It’s surprising to me how many teams don’t thank their opponents. Character is a big part of success…and it goes a long way, so make sure you show it.

Now I know that not all of you are high school tennis players, but I do know that you are part of a team. A work team, a family team, a relationship team, an orchestra team…these rules apply there too.

The best players help others to be best players.

Thank you to all that came out to the Independent Author event yesterday at the Princeton Public Library and…Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #536 FAITH…

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FAITH- Finding Answers In The Hard




Stop by the Princeton Public Library today between 12pm and 4pm for an Independent Author Event. 20 local authors will be present. Ed Tseng will be signing copies of his book, “Game. Set. Life.” and speaking at 3:20PM.

MESSAGE #535 HEALTH AND FITNESS TIPS…

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I asked personal trainer, Rick Stype what he felt the three keys to becoming healthier and happier in the New Year were. Here’s his response…

1) The first part of the equation is attitude and commitment. People need to stop using words and phrases such as, “I can’t”. They need to take responsibility for their actions and be accountable and committed to the cause. Further elucidation can be found here: http://elitefitnesswellness.blogspot.com/2008/12/take-your-fitness-personally.html
2) The next area that I see as one of the biggest mistakes people constantly make has to do with focus. When people focus on the wrong things, such as weight (the biggest mistake), body fat %, dress or pant size, waist measurement, etc. People that focus on these things are doomed to failure. As an Independent Team Beachbody Coach, I see it all the time – dozens of times per week. The primary focus should be on Fitness First!!! When people focus on their fitness, and commit to working out 5-6 day per week (6 preferred), everything else will fall into place. Simply working out is not enough though. The workout needs to be intense! I prefer short, maximum intensity workouts to all other types. Bear in mind that intensity is relative – what I consider intense, may be a walk in the park to you, and could be too intense for someone else. The key point is that they have to go all out every time!
3) #1 and 2 above are fantastic, but if your diet is not supporting the cause, then results will not be as expected. Demanding workouts require more fuel, but at the same time, you don’t want to overeat. The key is making sure that you eat clean and eat smaller meals and snack more often (every 2-3 hours), while making sure that you are getting adequate macronutrients at the right times I cover all of these topics and more in greater detail on my blog: http://elitefitnesswellness.blogspot.com/ The specific categories are listed on the right side.

Rick Stype received his training certification from WITS, and also holds various certifications in Advanced Physiology and Advanced Exercise Design. Rick has experience in Functional Training, High Intensity Interval Training, Core Strength, and tailoring routines to meet the specific needs of his clients. Rick specializes in Pain Free Training: Corrective Exercise specifically designed to restore the body’s structural integrity and muscular/skeletal alignment, thereby correcting dysfunction and reducing or eliminating pain. Personal Physical Accomplishments: Lost 85 pounds over 3 years, then added 50 pounds of muscle over 2 years.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #534

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the mothers at MOPS International in Bordentown, NJ.

To laugh often and much,
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children,
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of
false friends,
to appreciate beauty,
to find the best in others,
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden
patch, or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
-RALPH WALDO EMERSON

MESSAGE #533 DEFINITION OF SUCCESS…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Zach Perles.

“If you find yourself being stimulated, being challenged, being driven, being pushed, inspired, influenced, and also encouraged-when anybody is in a position that any of those things can happen to them or to a group, then that is success.

When you reach the stage where you feel complete, where you feel as though you have accomplished as much as you were given an opportunity to accomplish. If you can reach that stage where you feel every morning, every day, that you’ve given your best, that kind of success becomes not just objective, but it becomes subjective because you know that you’ve given your best.

I always say to my guys, ‘The most important day of your life is today. This very minute is the most important minute of your life. You must win this minute. You must win this day. And tomorrow will take care of itself.’ “
-JOHN CHANEY