Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Jessie Luttrell.

Someone once said…

“The purpose of life is to discover your gifts. The meaning of life is to give those gifts away.”

I like that. See, many people are so focused on material objects, money, status or fame, but all the successful people know that it’s not about you – it’s about others. Figure out what you’re good at and what you love to do and you’ll make money. Help others and you’ll leave a legacy.

“For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don’t enjoy getting up and working and finishing you work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are you’re not going to be very happy. If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn’t going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.”

-Andy Rooney

So if you base your tennis on winning or how many gold medals you win, you’re heading down the wrong path.

If you’re basing your work on your paychecks or raises, you’re heading down the wrong path.

If you’re basing your academic career on awards or accolades, you’re heading down the wrong path.

“The question is not ‘Is life beautiful?’ but, ‘Are you noticing?’

Focus on the process, not the product.

Thanks for reading.

Happy Birthday to the great Bryan Ho in Austin, Texas.

Last night I saw Sandy Zio and Jimmy Leahey play in West Trenton, NJ. Sandy Zio is a singer/piano player who performs throughout the tri-state area and has a new CD out called, “All That I Am.”

Jimmy Leahey’s father was one of the greatest jazz guitarists ever. Jimmy is the guitar player in The Alice Project and also tours with John Waite, Glen Burtnik and many others. He has been on Jay Leno and recently played a private party at Jon Bon Jovi’s house in the Hamptons with Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Roger Waters and Jimmy Buffett. Oh, and guess who was in the audience…Howard Stern, Katie Couric, and Bruce Springsteen.

I asked Sandy and Jimmy what they thought the three keys to musical greatness was and here’s what they had to say:

Sandy
1. Guts
2. Looks
3. Talent

Jimmy
1. Patience
2. Finesse (Energy)
3. Sense of humor

I always enjoy myself when watching rock stars perform, but if you think about it, do they use different instruments than you and me? No, so if you want to become a rock star, just do what they do and put the time in.

Thanks for reading.

From Great Quotes from Great Sports Heroes…

Chris Evert
1954-

The consistency of her performance and her steady baseline play made Chris Evert one of the most successful women in professional tennis. She won at least one major singles championship every year for 13 consecutive years, a record. An exemplary professional in her relations with her colleagues, the press and the public, she was the first player to win 1,000 singles matches as well as 150 tournaments, and the first woman to earn $1 million in prize money. Her winning percentage, .8996 is the highest in the history of professional tennis.

“If you can react the same way to winning and losing, that’s a big accomplishment. That quality is important because it stays with you the rest of your life, and there’s going to be a life after tennis that’s a lot longer than your tennis life.”

-Chris Evert



Thanks for reading.

Book update: I sent the pdf files to the publisher and I should have a proof within 3 weeks.

Today is the day…

My new book, “Game. Set. Life. – Peak Performance for Sports and Life” will be 100% done today and ready to be sent to the publisher. For all you loyal blog readers, you’re in for a treat – here is a sample…

“Ed Tseng’s book distills proven psychological principles into practical strategies that readers can apply to enhance performance and increase satisfaction on and off the court.”
– Cathy F. Telzrow, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Kent State University and 2008 NASP Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

“Buy this book. It will teach you how to go from ordinary to extraordinary in sports and life.”
-Val Barnaby, Former Rutgers, NFL and Arena Football Player

“Read this book…or else.”
-Paolo Colandrea, “The Mystery Man,” Actor, The Sopranos

Lesson 3 Know That A Great Champion Is Already Inside You

Do you believe that there is a Roger Federer inside of you? Does Federer use a magic racquet or special tennis balls?

No. So that means that, if you mentally and physically train like Federer and learn his strategies, you could become a great tennis player too. Obviously, there are many factors to consider at the professional level. I’m not saying you could become #1 in the world, but you could certainly get to a very high level of performance.

This applies to other areas of life. If you want to become a great student, just do everything that a great student does. I think somewhere along our way of life we begin to believe the lie that the average person cannot achieve greatness because success is only for the select few. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Nobody is born more gifted than anyone else. The successful people simply have the desire to become successful and employ the right strategies.

There you have it. More updates on the book soon, but I expect a copy in my hands in about 3 weeks.

Thanks for reading.

So how can you change someone? Easily…

You can’t!

You can only change yourself.

You can waste a lot of time trying to make another person happy only to find out you can only make him or her unhappy. It is a hard lesson to learn, but getting along with others mainly involves your ability and willingness to accept them for who they are rather than who you want to make them into. The wise shift is to focus on yourself and your own growth and improvement.

-From “25 Self-Development Truths You Can Take To The Bank Or I Don’t Know Anything” by William S. Cottringer, Ph.D.

In sports, you cannot change what your opponent does or what the referees and umpires do. You cannot control your coaches either. The only thing you can control is yourself, and your reaction. Control yourself and you ultimately control the situation. Then, you can focus on your game plan. That is one of the foundations of peak performance.

Business is the same way.

Relationships are, as well. Can you change your parents? Your children? Your significant other? No, but you can change yourself, and when you do that, many times, something amazing happens – THEY begin to change!

Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.

Thanks for reading.