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MESSAGE #823 YOU MOTIVATE ME!!!

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“If you are not living on the edge you are taking up too much room.”
-JAYNE HOWARD

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Eric Ryan.

People consider me a motivator.

But I am also a motivatee (I’m pretty sure I just made that word up).

It means that others motivate me. I look for it in everything I experience. The quote above is from Eric Ryan’s Facebook page…it motivated me.

Yesterday I received probably over 700 birthday messages on Facebook.

From people like…

Geo Utter in Big Lake, WA
Alma Prelec in Boston, MA
Rob Gurden in Orange County, CA
John Carrigan in the UK
Kyle Foster in Big Rapids, MI
Jessica Battaglia at USTA Player Development in Boca Raton, FL
Leman Oktay in Turkey
Jimmy Ross in who-knows-where on the globe
Denise Capriati in FL
Beatrice Moberg in Sweden
Sadili Oval in Nairobi, Kenya
and Thanusha Puvunanayagam (say that 10x FAST) in NJ

I am a teacher and I am a student.
I motivate and I get motivated.

When I play a tennis match, I see my opponent as my student and my teacher. I’m trying to win the match by exploiting his weaknesses (which is helping him improve) and he is trying to win the match by exploiting my weaknesses (which is helping me improve).

When you view sports, and life, with that mindset…

You always WIN.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #822 A GIFT FOR YOU…ON MY BIRTHDAY…

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Normally, people get gifts on their birthday.

Well, today, I’m going to GIVE a gift on my birthday.

Yesterday, I went to hear one of my favorite authors, Dan Millman (above) speak at the Mind Body Spirit Expo in Philadelphia.

It wasn’t for me, it was for you.

I love listening to speakers to help me become a better speaker and person, but more importantly, so I can help my students and blog readers become better people.

Millman was a dynamic speaker and I walked away with some great tidbits.

“What is talent? The ability to learn faster than others. It is twenty percent innate, but it can be developed,” Millman stated.

“Effort over time is better than magical thinking. You can’t control the outcome, but you can control your effort.”

Many people went to hear Millman’s best technique for peak performance and happiness. He said that daily life is the best technique. “It’s like spiritual weightlifting. There are hidden gifts in adversity – it’s all in your perspective. Life is an experiment. And your only goal should be excellence in the moment. Check your posture, notice if you are relaxed and see if you are breathing.”

You don’t have to give up all of your possessions to become happy. “I’ve seen many grumpy monks. It’s a balance between Western and Eastern philosophies.”

“Thoughts are natural, but don’t mistake them for reality. The only way to tame your mind is to make peace with it. Be aware of your thoughts and then let them go. It’s okay to have an angry thought, just don’t ACT angry.”

“Life is not about successes and failures; life is about testing your limits.”

I really like that one. Just keep pushing yourself and get a little bit better every day.

Millman mentioned that his mentor, Socrates (from Way of the Peaceful Warrior) once said to him, “The difference between you and me is that YOU practice gymnastics and I practice EVERYTHING.”

Do I teach tennis?

Not really. I teach life through tennis.

Do I practice tennis?

No, I practice life through tennis.

It’s all about going all out.
Relaxing under pressure.
Enjoying the moment.
And getting better every day.

Anyone can have this mindset, immediately.

Be more aware of what you are doing and your whole world will change.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #820 MENTAL CROSS-TRAINING…

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What is cross-training? It’s training in different ways to improve performance. So if you’re a tennis player, you may cross-train by jogging, lifting weights, or playing basketball.

Cross-training your body can certainly help your physical performance, but there is another type of cross-training.

It’s called, mental cross-training.

If you have a tough time performing under pressure, do something similar that will help your mental toughness, like speaking in front of a group. When you put yourself in similar situations that will force you to face your fears and overcome challenges, it will be easier when you encounter pressure in your sport.

I really like cross-training my body at the gym, interval running, or practicing yoga.

But I LOVE cross-training my mind.

So what am I doing today?

Competing in the National Sudoku Championships in Philadelphia.

I know what you’re thinking, “He must be pretty good.”

Actually, it’s 5:26am and I just solved my first sudoku puzzle…EVER. Registration begins in just over three hours and the first round starts in just over five hours.

Don’t worry, I’ll be competing in the Beginner division. I’m extremely excited to put myself in that pressure situation and test my focus, relaxation techniques, and motivation. You never know, I might have beginner’s luck.

Well, I should probably go practice some more.

Wish me luck!

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #819 LEADERS…

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Someone once told me that I shouldn’t teach what I don’t already do.

I like to think that I walk the talk. My daily blog and book, “Game. Set. Life.” are comprised of my research on the greatest athletes, professionals and performers in history, but they also include my own experiences.

I practice what I preach. By no means am I perfect, but I certainly apply the principles to my own life.

Knowledge is great, but you have to experience life. I once asked one of my yoga instructors what a good yoga book was to read and he said, “Just practice yoga for a while – experience it, then you will understand the books. If you just read, you will not fully comprehend.” He was right.

Let me tell you one of my favorite stories…

A woman went up to Mahatma Gandhi and said, “Can you please tell my son to stop eating sugar?”

Gandhi replied, “Come back in two weeks and I will tell him.”

So two weeks go by and sure enough, the woman came back and Gandhi said to the young boy, “Stop eating sugar.”

The woman was grateful, yet puzzled. “Why did you tell me to come back? You could have told him the same thing two weeks ago.”

Gandhi responded…

“Because two weeks ago I was eating sugar.”

Lead by example.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #816 HUNGRY?

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So there once was a construction worker named Bob…

Every day when the lunch whistle blew, all of the construction workers would get together and have lunch.

Well, every day, Bob would open up his lunch box, and exclaim, “Son of a gun! A cheese sandwich again?! I hate cheese sandwiches!” He complained about his cheese sandwiches day after day until one of his co-workers finally said, “Fer chrissakes, Bob, why don’t you tell yer old lady to make you somethin’ different?”

Bob replied, “Old lady? I’m single and I make my own sandwiches.”

What are you doing over and over again and complaining about? If you want different results, you have to take different action. The best way to predict the future is to create it.

How are you practicing?
How are you working?
How are you studying?

We all make our own sandwiches every day.

What are you having today?

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #815 ONE TIP THAT WILL INSTANTLY IMPROVE YOUR GAME…

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“In order to be a great champion, you have to believe that you are the best. And if you don’t – pretend that you are!”
-MUHAMMAD ALI

Have you ever worried about a big match, an important test or a significant presentation?

Of course you have.

The two things that can make or break your performance are worry and fear.

But everyone worries. Tiger Woods gets nervous before every shot.

Muhammad Ali used to be scared to death before a fight.

Pete Sampras used to throw up in the locker room before the finals of Wimbledon.

So what’s the difference between Tiger, Ali, Pete, and you?

Tiger, Ali and Pete feel scared and nervous, but they don’t act scared and nervous. They walk on to the course, into ring or on to the court, confidently.

The rest of us act how we feel, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

The great athletes fake being confident and then they become confident.

You may not have the physical skills as the great ones, but you can have the same mindset and attitude as them…starting today.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #814 STOP TRYING…

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“When an archer is shooting for enjoyment, he has all his skill; when he shoots for a brass buckle, he gets nervous; when he shoots for a prize of gold, he begins to see two targets.”
-CHUANG TZU

Here is a phenomenon that happens in sports and life…

When people feel pressure, they begin to try harder and then they fail.

Remember, it’s not pressure, it’s perception.

The best athletes relax more and have more fun when there’s more on the line. And it’s a choice isn’t it?

Can you see pressure? No, so that means it’s only in your mind.

Relaxing more when the pressure’s on may be a paradigm shift for most of you, but try it.

When I’m practicing yoga, and I feel that I can’t hold a pose any longer, or that it is too difficult, I mindfully breathe smoother and deeper – I relax more. I sometimes even smile and then something amazing happens…it becomes easier.

Look at the bamboo tree. It is flexible in the toughest of winds. If it wasn’t, it would break.

Instead of tightening up and trying harder, loosen up and try smarter.

In relationships, if someone is arguing with you, instead of arguing back, try sending love and see what kind of results you get.

You can apply this mindset to all areas of life.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #813 MEMORIZE THIS SECRET FORMULA…

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S + D = D

Situation + Decision = Destiny

Last night I was at a local place and ordered a pizza. When the waitress brought it over, it was burnt. Now, I like my pizza well-done, but the crust on this particular pizza was black. After a few seconds of pondering, I asked if they would please make me a new one. They did. I was happy. Problem solved.

But what if the situation was different? What if I unhappily ate the burnt pizza?

There was a point when the pizza maker, who just happened to be the owner, took the pizza out of the oven, saw that it was burnt, and had to make a decision whether to toss it, give it to his employees to eat, or give it to the customer (Situation).

He chose to give it to the customer (Decision). I was fine with sending it back and getting what I wanted, but what if it was my first time there, and/or I just ate the unsatisfactory pizza? I probably wouldn’t go back there (Destiny).

Now there will come a time in your day today that you will be faced with a situation and have to make a decision.

Should I serve that burnt pizza?
Should I go to the gym?
Should I make that cold call?
Should I study?

What destiny are you creating?

You could have a new satisfied repeat customer. Or not.
You could get stronger and get the edge over your competitors. Or not.
You could make that sale. Or not.
You could get an A on that test. Or not.

You could choose to make good decisions. Or not.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #812 A FABLE…

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Once upon a time, a farmer noticed some unusual activity behind his barn which continued for several weeks. Two huge majestic birds continually circled the area, coming and going at different times. When the farmer went to investigate, he noticed a huge nest perched at the top of the barn. After a little research he realized that the birds were eagles.

One day he decided to try a little experiment. He snuck up to the nest, took out one of the eggs and placed it in one of his chicken coops with some other eggs in a hen’s nest. Two weeks passed and all the eggs in the chicken’s nest hatched, including the strange looking, larger one. All the new born chicks were then taken out by their mother to parade around the barnyard and to learn all the things that chicks need to know, i.e. how to walk like a chick, scratch for feed, peck for corn, etc. All the chicks learned their lessons well, including the huge, funny looking one that had come from that strange egg.

Months passed and the chicks grew into chickens. While they’d flap their wings and squawk a lot, they never flew because EVERYONE KNOWS that chickens can’t fly. The biggest “chicken,” which looked very much like an eagle, followed all the other chickens around, acting like a chicken, which is of course what he BELIEVED himself to be.

One day he was out in the middle of the barnyard scratching for feed when this majestic bird soared overhead. Everyone in the yard stopped to gawk. The big “chicken” who was really an eagle asked King Rooster, the wise old sage of the barn yard, what kind of bird could fly so powerfully and gracefully. King Rooster proudly replied, “That my son is an Eagle, the greatest bird of all!” The funny looking chicken, gazed wistfully up to the clouds and replied, “Oh how I wish I were an eagle so that I might fly like that”. Where upon King Rooster and everyone else listening began to laugh. “Don’t be silly, son”, the rooster advised, “You’re a chicken and everyone KNOWS that chicken CAN’T fly!”

And so for the rest of his life, the big, funny looking chicken stayed in the barn yard acting like a chicken, wishing he was an eagle and never even attempting to fly.

What limiting beliefs do you have in your life?

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #811 RISKY BUSINESS…

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“Really it comes down to your philosophy. Do you want to play it safe and be good or do you want to take a chance and be great?”
-JIMMY JOHNSON, former head coach, Dallas Cowboys

Big risk, big reward.

How many home runs did Babe Ruth hit?

714.

Pretty amazing, but what’s even more amazing is that he struck out 1,330 times.

Do you really want to go through life with your bat just sitting on your shoulder?

Swing away!

Get out of your comfort zone and do something today that scares you.

Do something today that you’ve been putting off.

Let me train you. Here’s how you do it…

Don’t think about it, just do it.

It’s as simple as that. Just put your body in motion and your emotions will follow. One of my students, the great Liz Andrews, is also a marathon runner. Liz says that the hardest part of running is putting on your sneakers.

Use the 15-minute rule. Do something for just fifteen minutes and then you can stop…but you won’t. Once you take action, you start to get into it.

This applies for working out, paying your bills, waking up in the morning, practicing or studying.

Thanks for reading