From the Tao Te Ching (written around 500 B.C.)…
A great misfortune comes about
With the feeling, ‘I have an enemy’
For when ‘I’ and ‘enemy’ exist together
There is no room left for my treasureThus, when two opponents meet
The one who does not see an enemy
Will surely triumph (69)
Today’s message is especially dedicated to Justin Cohen and Kristen Carlin. Happy Birthday to two peak performers.
FEAR – False Experiences Appearing Real
Have you ever feared an opponent before you even started playing?
Why would you do that?
Once we perceive our opponent as a “threat” they own our power and our energy.
Let me put it this way…
Think back to a time when you were totally “on” your game. Did you notice that everything was “just” flowing? Did you notice that you were playing with loose focus and had very little self-talk?
We play best when we “just do it” and focus on our strategy, effort and energy (controllables).
Fear to some people is excitement to others. (Think of a roller coaster).
Supposedly, when Pete Sampras was at 5-5 in a set, a time when most people tighten up, he thought to himself, “Oh yea, this is what it’s all about.” He loved the pressure.
It may take ten years (or the rest of time) to get even close to Sampras, physically, but you can be just as good as him almost instantly by having the same mindset as him.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to Manon Bollegraf in the Netherlands, Ash Kulkarni in New York City, Candice Carlin in Philadelphia and Kimberly Slater in Cherry Hill, NJ. Happy Birthday to you all!
Before you set foot onto the tennis court next time, ask yourself this question…
Am I going to let how I play determine my attitude, or am I going to let my attitude determine how I play?
Think about it – most people react to how they play, but the great ones CREATE how they want to play; it’s a choice.
Act as if it were impossible to fail.
For those of you going to the Caesars Tennis Classic in Atlantic City today, look for me in the press box. I will be taking photographs and shooting videos. Find me and you win a prize.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Diane Stevenson in the UK.
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. -NEALE DONALD WALSCH
Admit it, you like to be comfortable. But if you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.
When I give mental toughness coaching sessions, I have people perform mental cross-training. For example, I had a college tennis player sing happy birthday to me at the top of his voice, in a crowded restaurant. He didn’t feel like it but did it anyway and felt great afterwards. And I do it in my own life, as well. Six hours after I solved my first Sudoku puzzle, I competed in the National Sudoku Championships (Beginner level).
The more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, the more comfortable you will be when they arise.
Sports are mostly mental, but when was the last time you worked on that aspect of your game?
Homework: For the next week, do one thing each day that puts you out of your comfort zone.
In this video blog, Ed Tseng talks about and tests your focus.
On a daily basis, in and out of the sports world, I hear people using the word “can’t.”
“I can’t hit a serve.”
“I can’t find a job.”
“I can’t get this math problem.”
But you’re lying to yourself. You CAN.
And if you think you can’t, then what if I offered you a million dollars to do it, could you? I’m sure you’d find a way.
I have had many students say the word “can’t” during lessons and I tell them that the only time you can say that word in a sentence is when you add the word “yet” at the end of it.
“I can’t hit a serve…yet.”
“I can’t find a job…yet.”
“I can’t get this math problem…yet.”
That’s a totally different mindset isn’t it? That’s what the winners think like. And it’s a choice.
Thanks for reading.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to Lance Lee in Philadelphia, Lou Nespoli in Colts Neck, NJ, Makenzie Devine in Washington Township, NJ, Megan Brett in New York City, Rachel Mech in Washington, D.C., and Tommy Haas in Bradenton, Florida. Happy Birthday to you all!
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, then became the greatest basketball player ever.
Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before perfecting the light bulb, then became the brightest mind of the past century.
Did Michael Jordan give up? NO.
Did Thomas Edison give up? NO.
Did Elmer McAllister give up?
You don’t know who Elmer McAllister is?!?
Of course you don’t, because he GAVE UP!
Never, never, never give up. -WINSTON CHURCHILL
I feel that I am one of the most motivated people I know, but someone once said, “Motivation is like taking a shower – it feels good and it’s refreshing ,but you have to take a new one every dayp.”
Success is not doing something once, but doing something consistently.
I have a book in my library called, “Motivating Quotes For Motivated People.” Here are a couple of my favorites…
He who would leap high must take a long run. -DANISH PROVERB
Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events not of words. Trust movement. -ALFRED ADLER
Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. -PLATO
Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success. -JOYCE BROTHERS
You will be a winner when you realize that failure is only a state of mind. -AUTHOR UNKNOWN
Your “I Can” is more important than your “IQ.”
“I can’t hit a serve.”
“I can’t make any money.”
“I can’t stay positive.”
“I can’t stop smoking.”
Success does not come in bottles, it comes in “cans.”
We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world. -BUDDHA
“What you focus on expands, and when you focus on the goodness in your life, you create more of it. Opportunities, relationships, even money flowed my way when I learned to be grateful no matter what happened in my life.” -OPRAH WINFREY