MESSAGE #469 WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the great students in Ms. Romano’s class in Montgomery.

What motivates you?

Does success motivate you or does fear of failure motivate you?

In sports and life, the ones that succeed are the ones that can perform under pressure. John Murray, Ph.D. is one of the top sports psychologists in the world and in his book, “Smart Tennis,” he says that if you are motivated by fear of failure, your maximum motivation is when you are either playing someone much better or much worse than you, because there is little risk of losing. When you play someone of a similar level, motivation decreases because there is a true sense of potential failure. But on the other side of the coin, if you are motivated by success, you are focused on the process and rise to the occasion when the pressure is on. You love the competition.

Which mindset do you think helps you attain peak performance?

Are you going to go all out and perform under pressure, or are you going to try “not to lose”?

It’s up to you.

Thanks for reading.

This Thursday, November 13, 7PM @ Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center, Ed Tseng presents “Game. Set. Life. – Peak Performance for Sports and Life.”
4842 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19129. http://www.ashetennis.org/home/EdTseng.asp


MESSAGE #468 NINE ESSENTIALS FOR BECOMING A SUCCESS…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Sgt. Conor Mullanaphy stationed in Iraq.

1. Do not procrastinate.

2. Do it now.

3. Stand on your own two feet.

4. Do not fear failure.

5. Don’t sell yourself cheaply.

6. Develop the habit of being goal oriented.

7. Visualize your goals and believe you can attain them.

8. Plan your work, and work your plan.

9. Don’t you quit.

“When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. Be prepared to do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.”

(From The Golden 12 by Herbert Harris)

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #467 USE A BILLIARDS MINDSET

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Whitney Kraft.

Ever shoot pool? High level pool players not only focus on their current shot, but they look at the follow-up shots as well.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Ed, shouldn’t you stay in the present?”

Yes and no. I was at the USPTA Eastern Fall Conference yesterday at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and Kevin Kane gave a great talk on how to go from tennis pro to head pro to director to general manager at a club. Most pros stay in the present – they just want to make the most money now instead of looking at the big picture. But if you want to make it long term, it’s in your best interest to look down the road.

In pool, it’s good to focus on your shot, but if you don’t have a good “leave” for the next shot, you are done. If you do look one or two shots ahead, you can set yourself up for a win and make your life easier.

Life is the same way. I know one of my goals is to become one of the top speakers in the world and start my own mental training/sports facility. And all the steps I’m taking today are helping me move in that direction.

So stay in the present, but know where you want to go so you can set yourself up for greatness.



Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #466 AN INSPIRING STORY…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Professor Prose.

I love the Special Olympics. How can you not love all out effort and a smile regardless of if you win or lose? As a volunteer coach for the Special Olympics, I can safely say that working with my special athletes is one of the most rewarding things that I have ever done. Here is an inspiring story by request.

It was the Summer Games for the Special Olympics. The event was track and field. As usual, positivity was all around. “Great job!” and “You can do it!” filled the air from coaches, parents, friends and other athletes. There was this little girl – she was in last place, but she kept running and running and giving it her all. She wasn’t even close to the second-to-last athlete, but the crowd cheered on. In fact, the cheers got louder and louder as she approached the finish line. And after she crossed, she has the biggest smile on her face and she put her arms in the air as if she had just won the gold and said, “Mommy, Daddy, I did it!”

It was very emotional for the parents and tears were certainly shed. The girl’s parents were still crying when a reporter came up to them after the event. “Congratulations, why are you still crying…is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything is fine – we just heard our daughter say her first words…”




Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #465 DREAM BIG…

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“If you don’t believe in miracles, then you’re not being realistic.”
DR. BERNIE SEGAL

MESSAGE #464 THIS IS IT…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Tomer Grassiany (http://www.tennislessons.com).

This is it.

This is all you need to know.

If you want to become great, just read this…

“Just make up your mind at the very outset that your work is going to stand for quality…that you are going to stamp a superior quality upon everything that goes out of your hands, that whatever you do shall bear the hall-mark of excellence.”
ORISON SWETT MARDEN

Write this on an index card and put it on your bathroom mirror. Read it every morning and then go out and create your legacy.


Thanks for reading.

“GAME. SET. LIFE.” IN EGYPT

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MESSAGE #463 FOR ALL YOU RUNNERS OUT THERE…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the runners that participated in the recent New York City Marathon, especially Todd Kovacs, who read “Game. Set. Life.”…hope it helped!

From The Quotable Runner…

“To keep from decaying, to be a winner, the athlete must accept pain – not only accept it, but look for it, live with it, learn not to fear it.”
Dr. George Sheehan

“If I am beaten the next time I run, I do not mind. If you have a salad that is all one thing, all lettuce, it is not good. It has no flavor. So victory, always, would be flat. You must mix it with defeat to gain the flavor.”
Gerard Cote, four-time Boston Marathon champion in the 1940s

“My life is a gift to me from my Creator. What I do with my life is my gift back to the Creator.”
Billy Mills

“Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool. Sport is about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at the last minute. Sport, like all life, is about taking risks.”
Sir Roger Bannister

“There are people who have no bodies, only heads. And many athletes have no heads, only bodies. A champion is a man who has trained his body and his mind, who has learned to conquer pain for his own purposes. A great athlete is at peace with himself and at peace with the world; he has fulfilled himself. He envies nobody. Wars are caused by people who have not fulfilled themselves.”
Coach Sam Dee in The Olympian

“Who are you? Who are you?”
Japanese official to Billy Mills after he won the 10,000 in Tokyo

“Have a dream, make a plan, go for it. You’ll get there, I promise.”
Zoe Koplowitz, Achilles Track Club member with multiple sclerosis, who required 24 hours on crutches but finished the 1993 New York City Marathon


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #462 SUCCESS WILL COME TO YOU…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Bob Larson.

I am confident that success will come to you.

But I am also confident about this…

Nobody’s going to ring your doorbell and hand you success. You have to go out and get it.

I have been spending hours each day promoting my new book, “Game. Set. Life.” and today, I’m going into New York City to create a buzz.

The plan is to hit Tennis Magazine, Tennis Week, ESPN, the Public Library, Sports Illustrated, Mason’s Tennis Mart and perhaps some racquet clubs.

Maybe I’ll even give some away to random people on the street. It’s all about getting yourself out there. It doesn’t matter how great you or your product/service is…if nobody knows about it, it doesn’t matter.

So expect success, but you should also CREATE success.


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #461 A QUOTE FROM A GREAT COACH…

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“The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.”

Vince Lombardi