MESSAGE #1343 ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight.
-ARTHUR ASHE
MESSAGE #1340 WEDDING MENTAL TOUGHNESS
Well, today is the BIG DAY.
I’m getting married.
True mental toughness. Not really.
Am I nervous? No, but I’m sure I will be come closer to wedding time.
It will be a great day, but will everything go as planned? Probably not.
But like in sports, there are certain things you can control and there are certain things you cannot.
Be prepared, but don’t worry about things you cannot control.
Today, my goal is to enjoy every moment, make the most of it and have fun!
Thank you to everyone for their well-wishes!
MESSAGE #1339 A QUOTE
Great athletes focus on ACTION, not feelings or circumstances.
MESSAGE #1316 LEARN FROM DR. SEUSS…AND MY DAD
“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
-DR. SEUSS
First of all, Happy Birthday to my father, the great Vincent Tseng.
One thing my father taught me was that I need to be me. When I began college, my father thought that I should be in the computer industry, so that was my first major. But when it didn’t work out, he supported me in what I loved most—sports.
And then my grades skyrocketed and I was named Pro of the Year.
That was the best thing that ever happened to me. Why? Because I hit bottom and bounced back up. I followed my passion.
How does this affect you?
Don’t play a sports because someone tells you to.
Don’t become a doctor because someone tells you to.
Don’t become a musician because someone tells you to.
Follow your heart. Do what you love.
Then work harder than everyone else.
People like to give their opinions, but nobody knows you like you know you.
Do what you love. Do what’s right. And help make the world a better place.
And know that you have my support.
MESSAGE #1315 DON’T QUIT
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit–
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a fellow turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clubs of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may, be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t QUIT.
-author unknown
MESSAGE #1312 A GREAT QUOTE
The minute you start talking about what you’re going to do if you lose, you have lost.
-GEORGE SHULTZ
MESSAGE #1306 A JETER MINDSET
Every once in a while I hear a great quote, and my new favorite is from Derek Jeter. Recently, the Yankee captain was talking about his off-season routine, and how he doesn’t take much time off.
“It’s easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape.”
In other words, it’s better to do a little a lot, than it is to do a lot a little.
Is it better to workout a little bit every day or workout for ten hours on Sunday?
Is it better to study a little bit every night or study for ten hours on Sunday night?
I think you get the point.
Whatever it is that you want to be great at, do it often. Be consistent at it. Cramming doesn’t work.
MESSAGE #1305
What you do or dream you can—begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.
—GOETHE
MESSAGE #1299 PERSPECTIVE
Today I was coaching some high school tennis players. I talked about how their perception was more important than what happens to them. Bad line calls, the weather, spectators, loud noises and other distractions are inevitable, but very often winning and losing is determined by our perspective.
I then had them stare at a disk as I rotated it for ten seconds. After staring at the disc, they were told to stare at my face. Because of the special effect, my head appeared to shrink. Everyone was in shock.
Did my head really shrink?
No, it was their perception from staring at the disc.
I then talked about how we can change our perceptions by focusing by thinking about what else the situation could mean, namely, how it could be used to our advantage.
When you are facing a supposed better player/team, you can look at it as a potential loss or as a great experience.
It’s your choice.