MESSAGE #850

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“Being creative is the fuel of the future. Change occurs moment by moment, and being creative is the only way to ensure success in the long term.”
-BRUCE MANDELBILT

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.

If you do what everyone else is doing, you’ll get what everyone else is getting.

Are you vanilla ice cream, or are you blood orange sorbet?

A new employee once asked Thomas Edison, “What are the rules around here?”

Edison replied, “Hell, there ain’t no rules around here…we’re trying to accomplish something!”

If you’re game plan isn’t working, try another strategy. Get creative.

The worst thing you can do is lose and then say, “Maybe I should have done something different.”

MESSAGE #849 TENNIS (AND LIFE) STARTS AT LOVE…

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“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.”
-SAM KEEN

This quote is not just about personal relationships, it’s about athletic teams, work teams and ANY type of relationship you may have.

You’re never going to find the perfect mate.
You’re never going to find the perfect player.
You’re never going to find the perfect employee.

Great business owners hire for attitude and train for skill.
Great coaches recruit for attitude and train for skill.
Great women date for attitude and train for putting the toilette seat down.

Okay, that last one was a joke, but I think you get the point.

So what if you’re trying out for a team? If you’re applying for a job? Going on a date?

If you have a great attitude; if you give it all out effort…

Success is inevitable.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #848 THANKSGIVING WAS YESTERDAY…AND TODAY…

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I went to a Thanksgiving celebration yesterday.

I couldn’t decide what to bring…

A bottle of wine?
Dessert?

No, think outside of the box, Ed.

So I called on the great Dr. Bob Emmons at UC Davis, the authority on Gratitude, author of “Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier,” and Editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology.

I decided that I wanted to show my gratitude by sharing my gratitude.

I spoke to Bob (and by spoke to, I mean emailed with) and told him about the early celebration and asked for one of his favorite quotes on gratitude.

Dr. Emmons is a busy guy, especially this time of year, with magazines quoting him left and right, so I didn’t know if I would be able to reach him. But I was optimistic.

I sent him a text message.

No response.

I then remembered that I texted him a while ago and he also did not respond.

So I emailed him.

He responded. Bingo!

So I rushed to Office Depot and had them print and laminate ten copies.

The night came and I waited for the perfect time to share my gift. It came after dinner.

I told everyone that I could have brought wine or dessert, but I wanted to bring something more lasting.

So I took out the laminated bookmark and told them the story about contacting Dr. Emmons, the gratitude expert, on the biggest gratitude day of the year.

Then I proceeded to read…

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
-MELODY BEATTIE

I gave one to everyone. It was a hit.

I said it could be used as a bookmark or put on the bathroom mirror. That way, every day can be Thanksgiving.

Wanna be a hit next Thursday?

Go to Staples. Copy my idea. Read it aloud to everyone.

Then, when you speak of me…speak well.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #847 THE PURSUIT OF PERFECT…

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Tal Ben-Shahar is the author of “Happier” and “The Pursuit of Perfect.” He has also taught one of the most popular courses at Harvard.

Yesterday, I asked Tal, who was Israeli national squash champion, if he ever felt like NOT practicing.

Tal said that quite often he didn’t feel like practicing, but “feelings are irrelevant, so in turn, they are MOST relevant. Accept feelings as part of reality, then do it anyway.”

What do you need to do today but are putting off?

MESSAGE #846 CHOP WOOD, CARRY WATER…

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In Zen there is a saying, “Chop wood, carry water.”

This means, focus on the task at hand.

Abraham Lincoln said, “Whatever you are, be a good one.”

Others say, “Stay in the present moment.”

When I give lessons, I tell my students to take pride in every aspect of the lesson, including picking up balls.

If you are taking out the garbage, be the best garbage taker-outer in the world.

There are no menial jobs, only menial people.

It’s all about excellence in the moment.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #845 JORDAN VS TSENG…

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JORDAN: Focus on the little things.
TSENG: Focus on your weaknesses, as well as your strengths.

JORDAN: Don’t think about the prize; think about the work.
TSENG: Focus on the process, not the product.

JORDAN: Use tough losses for motivation.
TSENG: You either win or you learn.

JORDAN: Nervousness is not a bad thing.
TSENG: If you’re not nervous, you’re not ready.

JORDAN: Prepare, practice and perfect it.
TSENG: Practice perfect.

JORDAN: Stick to the things you are capable of doing.
TSENG: Focus on the things you can control.

JORDAN: I was nervous when I first played golf with Tiger Woods.
TSENG: I was nervous when I first played tennis with Martina Navratilova.

JORDAN: You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.
TSENG: The great ones act like winners before they actually become winners.

Michael Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, two Olympic basketball gold medals and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September. He is one of the greatest athletes in history.

Ed Tseng is a blogger.

MESSAGE #844 WHAT MOTIVATES ME…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Devin Burke at Florida Atlantic University and Tom Hay in Memphis. Happy Birthday to two peak performers.

Many people ask me what motivates me.

Last night I got motivated.

I spoke to two classes at Montclair State University.

Motivating others motivates me.

What does that mean to you?

The best way to motivate yourself is to motivate someone else.

The best way to make yourself happy is to make someone else happy.

I spoke to Professor Melissa Sapio’s Developmental Psychology class and talked about my book and experiences. “Game. Set. Life.” was required reading for the course and all of the students wrote a paper on it. I got motivated while trying to motivate them. Afterwards, I signed some books and even some business cards, which was a first.

After that, I walked upstairs to my mentor, Dr. Rob Gilbert’s class and spoke to his students. Again, I was motivated. But it soon escalated as Christina spoke about reaching her dream of running in the New York City Marathon and Zeus, spoke on how he lost 65 pounds recently. And to top it all off, one of my she-roes shows up, the great Jennie Murphy, a great athlete…who is legally blind.

So how do you get motivated?

Motivate others.
Hang around motivating people.
And remember that motivation is not a feeling…it’s an action.

Thanks for reading.

Tomorrow: A FREE tele-seminar on MOTIVATION with the great Renita Kalhorn, Julliard-trained concert pianist, martial arts black belt and MBA recipient. http://motivation.eventbrite.com/

MESSAGE #843 THIRSTY?…

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“Everything flows and nothing abides, everything gives way and nothing stays fixed.”
-HERACLITUS

This blog is not designed to give you something to drink.

This blog is to make you thirsty.

Thirsty to go all out…every day.

One of the facts of life and peak performance is impermanence.

Nothing lasts forever.

Wins, trophies, money, vacations, sunny days.

We need to stay in the moment. Set goals, but enjoy the process of life. The process of our sport.

I remember a story about a master who held up a glass, while talking to a group, and said, “Do you see this goblet? For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on a shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that this glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”

Every day is precious…a gift.

Play every point like it’s your last.

Live every day like it’s your last.

It is then that you will have total awareness.

And it is then that your world changes.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #842 TRUTH ABOUT ANDRE AGASSI…

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“I only care about being better than yesterday.”
-ANDRE AGASSI, author of “Open”

Is Andre Agassi a crystal meth addict?
Is Andre Agassi just trying to sell a lot of books?
Is Andre Agassi a cheater?

Everyone has their own opinion on the hottest topic in the sports world.

Here’s mine…

I don’t believe that taking “crystal meth” was right. (Andre didn’t even know what it was – his personal assistant mixed it for him.)

I don’t believe he should have lied about it.

Andre’s message is about choices, about second chances.

We’ve all made mistakes in our lives, but not all of us are in the public eye.

Everyone thinks that when he was playing on tour with his long hair and neon clothing, he was expressing himself.

He wasn’t.

He was exploring himself.

He didn’t know who he was. That’s probably part of the reason why he experimented with crystal meth.

He was lonely on tour…on the court. He was depressed. He was living someone else’s life.

But one day, he decided to play tennis for himself. He made a conscious choice. That’s when his whole world changed.

He started really loving the game.

He started bowing to the crowd after every match (now everyone does it).

He started going all out.

Andre said that he only likes money so he can help others.

I truly believe that.

Andre wants others to learn from his mistakes.

I truly believe that.

Andre wants to provide education and opportunity to those in need.

I truly believe that.

Andre didn’t enjoy most of his victories, but he enjoyed winning the US Gold Medal because it was for his country.

I truly believe that.

I don’t know enough about Andre Agassi to say whether he is a good or a bad person. I don’t know what his intentions are.

But I am pretty confident that he, and his book speak from the heart.

I truly believe that he wants to help others, and how can you blame someone for that?

Andre Agassi believes that he is just like you and me…

“We’re all swimming to Hawaii; you may get farther than me, but nobody’s making it.”

Make the most of today. Make the most of your life.

It’s not too late.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #841 HOW TO BECOME AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS…

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“Nobody makes it overnight.”
-ALICE LEON, rockstar

Last night I went to a live taping for my favorite band, The Alice Project’s live DVD concert.

It was a great show and since it was being recorded, some of the songs had to be re-recorded.

That’s normal.

The band handled it like true professionals. And were they nervous beforehand? Probably, but they didn’t LOOK nervous.

One of their songs is entitled, “Nobody Makes It Overnight.”

I couldn’t help but think about the athletes (and non-athletes) that I work with and speak to.

Everybody wants to become an overnight success, but do you know how long it takes to become an overnight success?

10 years!!!

You have to put in the work.

Bottom line.

Thanks for reading.