MESSAGE #771 WINNING…

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“The better player doesn’t always win; the player that plays better always wins.”

The fastest horse doesn’t always win the race.

The best team doesn’t always win the game.

Upsets occur all the time in sports and life.

It happened yesterday at the US Open. Eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka, a three-time title winner on tour this year, lost to Francesca Schiavone.

Schiavone was the twenty-sixth seed.

She had never beaten Azarenka before.

Azarenka was clearly the favorite. She hit ten double-faults. The last one on match point. She proceeded to smash her racquet on the court.

So what does this mean to you?

Anything is possible.

What limiting beliefs do you have? Do you walk on the court thinking you don’t have a chance? Do you go into a test thinking you won’t do well? Do you start a speech and think you’re going to forget your lines?

At some point duing the match yesterday, Schiavone realized she had a chance to win.
And at some point during the match, Azarenka realized she had a chance to lose.

From there, anything can happen…

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #770 A QUOTE FROM ARISTOTLE…

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“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over the self.”
-ARISTOTLE

MESSAGE #769 WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM A GIRAFFE…

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“Fall down seven times, get up eight.”
-Japanese proverb

Life brings you challenges. I experienced a big one this week, but I got through it.

I really like the quote above. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall, or fail. It doesn’t matter how many challenges you face. All that matters is that you get up one more time.

When baby giraffes are born, they sometimes fall ten feet to the ground. If that isn’t tough enough, as the baby giraffe learns to stand, the mother kicks it off its feet. Then, something amazing happens…

As the baby giraffe gets up, she kicks it off its feet again!

Now this may seem cruel, but there’s a reason for it. Baby giraffes in the wild need to get up quickly and stay with the herd, to stay away from predators. It’s a matter of life and death.

In your life you may get kicked down, by certain events, opponents, other people or your own negative thoughts. But this is normal. And it’s not a matter of life and death. Be like that baby giraffe and get back up. Then, after a while, you will be ready to take on anything that comes your way. It’s all in your perspective and reactions. Just be glad you’re not facing lions, hyenas or leopards.

And as a coach, you shouldn’t kick your students, but if you incorporate challenges into your practice sessions, your athletes will perform better in competition. They will be tougher. But make sure they know your philosophy and you use positive reinforcement. Militaristic coaching is a thing of the past.

Now go out and be a giraffe today…


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #768 USTA TENNIS TEACHERS CONFERENCE AND US OPEN WRAP-UP…

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“Don’t worry about things you can’t control.”

Well, I’m back in Princeton, NJ after a whirlwind NYC tour at the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference and a US Open book signing. I am pleased with how everything turned out.

If you read my message from Monday, you know that there was a mix-up with the ordering of my books for the TTC. I had a book signing but no books. It worked out and books were available.

I couldn’t control the fact that I didn’t have books five hours before my book signing. It wasn’t easy, but I focused on preparing for my talk and staying in the present moment.

Your life is the same way. There will always be challenges. Someone once said, “Life is a series of problem-solving events.”
It’s true. You can’t control the problems, but you can control your perception of them. And you can control your response. On the court. In school. At work. At home.

Yesterday, I had a book signing at the US Open bookstore, just before Billie Jean King. It went very well; I sold some books, then met Billie Jean. She was very nice. She called me Edwardo. Funny. I gave her a copy of my book and she signed an old Time magazine for me, thanks to my friend, Melissa Sapio, editor of “Game. Set. Life.” and a great GSL promoter.

The rest of the day was spent catching up with friends and tennis pros from all over the world, though I did manage to watch one set of Cilic’s match in the Grandstand.

I met some great people in the industry at the Tennis Teachers Conference and US Open. It was a pleasure presenting my workshop and experiencing this great event.

I could focus on the things that didn’t go so well, but why would I waste that energy?

I hope you enjoyed the photos above.

For those of you in the Princeton, NJ area, don’t miss my peak performance workshop and US Open party tomorrow at Mrs. G’s TV and Appliances in Lawrenceville. 6-9pm.
Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #767 IT’S ALL GOOD…

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“The person who sends out positive thoughts activates the world around him positively and draws back to himself positive results.”
-NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

As you know, yesterday I had a bit of drama as I had a book signing at the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference and no books. It worked out, but not without a lot of stress on my end. Someone from the USTA was nice enough to go to the US Open bookstore and pick up thirty books and bring them to the Grand Hyatt for my book signing at 1:30pm yesterday.

I was quite stressed before my talk at 11:15am, but did a little meditation to get in the zone. I was fine. I think my talk went well and sold quite a few books at the signing.

I did have to go back to Princeton last night to pick up more books, but it could have been worse. My positive mindset helped.

Today, I am going to listen to Allen Fox speak at 8:30am and then heading over to the Open to do a book signing at the US Open bookstore (near Court 10), just before Billie Jean King.

I will be sure to post an update and photos tomorrow…

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #766 I AM NOT HAPPY…

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“It’s not what’s happening around you. It’s not what’s happening to you. What really matters is what’s happening inside you.”

So, I’m at the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference in New York City. It’s great, but I have a major problem…

The USTA was supposed to order books for my book signing for today at 1:30pm.

They didn’t.

I am not happy.

They are sending someone over to the US Open to bring some from their bookstore. But the problem is, I will have no books for my book signing tomorrow at the US Open.

I’m sure it will work out, even if I have to go back to Princeton to get more books.

I can’t control the situation, only my response.

Time to get in the zone and prepare for my talk in two hours. The key is staying in the present moment.

To be continued…

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #765 I’M IN THE US OPEN!!!

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“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is more important than the outcome.”
-ARTHUR ASHE

Well, I have a few big days coming up.

I head into NYC today for the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference. I will be speaking alongside industry leaders, such as, Patrick McEnroe, Brad Gilbert, Mary Joe Fernandez and Peter Burwash on Monday. Then, on Tuesday, I will be doing a book signing at the US Open Bookstore just before Billie Jean King.

As I tell my close friends, this is going to be…

Average.

You can’t get too high and you can’t get too low. Everything is a stepping stone to something better. Once you think you’ve made it, you’re done. I will never think I’ve made it. I seek to constantly improve.

Bruce Springsteen was once asked backstage after one of his concerts, how he gave such a great performance every night.
Bruce said, “That’s easy – two things…

#1. Every night I tell myself that this is the most important concert of my my career…and #2…

It’s only rock and roll.

What does this mean? Your effort should be all out, but your attitude should be a little relaxed.

It’s only rock and roll.
It’s only tennis.
It’s only a talk and book signing…

Next blog message from NYC…


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #764 HOW GOLF CAN HELP YOU…

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Know what you want
Believe in what you want
See it happen

Recently, I took a yoga class with one of the top yoga instructors in the country, the great Naime Jezzeny in New Hope, PA. He walked into the class and said “I have a book for you.” So he let me borrow a book called, “The Seven Principles of Golf – Mastering the Mental Game On and Off the Course” by Darrin Gee.

I’m not a golfer, but that doesn’t matter…

The Third Principle in his book is VISUALIZE THE SHOT. Gee breaks visualization down into three steps:

1. Knowing what you want
2. Picturing or visualizing what you want (the path of the ball) in your mind’s eye
3. Trusting and committing to that visualization 100 percent

When I teach tennis, after a student misses a shot, I always first ask them, “Did you have a target?”

99 percent of the time they say no.

When I ask them if they had a target, that’s code for “I know you didn’t have a target.”

Even if you hit a great shot, it’s luck if you didn’t plan to do it. At any level, you need to have a target. In any area of life, you need to have a purpose.

Next, visualize the path of the ball. When you are playing your sport, you should visualize the ball going where you want, the trajectory, spin, etc. And if you are a student, musician or business professional, you should visualize the steps you will take to reach your goal.

Finally, trust and commit to your visualization. You need to be confident in your plan. Expect it to happen. The truth is, sometimes it may not happen, but if you focused on the right process, that’s all that matters. Perhaps you need to make an adjustment. And that’s okay.

Sports and life are not about doing something one hundred times. Sports and life are about making one hundred adjustments. If you focus on the things you can control, you will have more fun, continue to improve and win more.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #763 ANDRE THE GIANT…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Michael Sachs, PhD at Temple University.

“I miss the relationships. I miss my peers. I miss the fans being up close and personal and being able to impact their day for a couple hours. But I’ve also chosen to look at my life as a canvas to impact people for a lot longer than that. You don’t get the immediate feedback, but your life’s work truly has a bigger relevance than just a break from their day when they come out to watch you. This is about real change and real impact.”
-ANDRE AGASSI

The quote above was from a recent New York Times article.

Andre Agassi was always my favorite tennis player. I remember when he first came up and had that long hair and wore those denim Nike shorts. All he had was that big forehand.

He’s come a long way since the 80s. He went from punk to professional. He turned into a class act. I really liked Andre as a player, but I like him even more now that he’s retired.

He has started a charter school in Las Vegas in a rough neighborhood so that underprivileged children could attend college and have a brighter future. He’s making a difference and seeing how the rewards are greater than all the money and trophies he won on the tour.

Very few of my students will go on and be as successful as Andre on the tennis court, but ALL of my students can go on and become as successful as Andre off the court. The lessons you learn and the challenges you face in sports will help you in all areas of life. And remember, it’s about others.

Beginning Sunday, I will be in New York City, speaking at the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference on Monday, August 31st at the Grand Hyatt and then I will be doing a book signing at the US Open on September 1st (I will be Billie Jean King’s opening act). Monday evening they will be honoring Andre Agassi and others for their philanthropic work after retiring. Hopefully I will get a chance to see him.

To read the full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/sports/tennis/28agassi.html?emc=eta1

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #762 PICTURE THIS…

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“We are what and where we are because we have first imagined it.”
-DONALD CURTIS

Today’s message is especially dedicated to yoga masters, Sue Elkind and Naime Jezzeny in Bucks County, PA.

The thoughts that you have are the results that you get.

Tiger Woods visualizes every shot before he takes it.

Roger Federer visualizes every shot before he hits it.

Anthony Robbins visualizes every seminar he gives before he gives it.

Do you think that they visualize negative events?

No way.

We are what we continuously think about, so if we keep thinking that we are not good at golf, guess what?

We’re not going to be good at golf.

Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The great athletes, students, business professionals and performers imagined themselves great before they became great.

Today I will be taping a segment for the “Let’s Talk with Gary Gellman” television show. Zig Ziglar has been on the show. Eli Manning (NY Giants), Nadia Comeneci (Olympic Gold Medalist), Dorothy Hammill (Olympic Gold Medalist), and Thomas Kinkade (International Artist), have as well.

I’m excited.

And I’m nervous.

Before I give a talk, I’m always nervous. But I don’t act nervous. I always visualize myself being successful and confident before I begin.

Today, while I’m driving to the studio, I will visualize myself on the show, in front of the cameras and being confident. I will mentally rehearse the main points of what I want to say. I will make the visualization as real as possible, imagining sounds and smells, as well as the surroundings. I will take deep diaphragmatic breaths to stay relaxed.

Anyone can use this technique.

Use it before a match.

Use it before asking someone out on a date.

Use it before taking a big exam.

But the key is, you have to USE IT.


Thanks for reading. Wish me luck today…