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MESSAGE #453 TOMORROW IS MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY…

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I can’t wait until tomorrow…

Yes, tomorrow is my birthday, but that’s not why I’m excited.

I’m excited because for every book I sell on Amazon, I am donating a book to the NJTL of Trenton, a non -profit that provides tennis, education and nutrition to children in need. I am going to sign and personally deliver the books to their office in time for the holidays. I’m not going to make money on my birthday, but I’m going to do something better…

I’m going to make a difference.

See, life is not about how much you get – life’s about how much you give.

So please buy my book tomorrow on Amazon…email all your friends, family and co-workers, post it on your status on facebook, tell everyone following you on twitter, and if you can’t afford $15, beg, borrow, but don’t steal…It will help out a child in need and it will be your way of making a difference.

“I wanted to spend my life doing something that made a difference in the lives of others.”

-Joe Holland


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #452 NEGATIVE NEGATIVE NEGATIVE…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Marc Stephens and everyone in Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity, Montclair chapter.

Recently, I was at a tennis club, observing some teaching professionals. It’s quite interesting to me how there are so many different teaching styles. There is no right or wrong way, but I have noticed a common theme.

Many coaches are negative and they use negative reinforcement.

I was watching a teaching pro work with a pretty advanced player. I noticed something scary. The only thing I heard out of his mouth and the only body language I saw was negative. I must have counted at least 34 negative comments in 30 minutes.

The boy would hit a shot and miss his target and the pro would ask, “Why are you doing that?!” Many coaches even make players run or do conditioning when they perform poorly. I don’t believe in that. I think that’s “old school” coaching.

I then looked at the boy and he just put his head down and looked at the court.

How do you think this boy performed?

How do you think this boy felt about himself?

How much fun do you think this boy had playing tennis?

*Coaches/teachers/parents/managers listen up…

You have to catch people doing something right! When you compliment someone for doing something well, even if it’s something trivial, not only will that person feel good, but they will more likely do that again. What you focus on, you will receive.

You can’t get positive results from negative thoughts.


So start making positive comments and you will start seeing positive results.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #451 MAKE IT GREAT…AND MAKE IT KNOWN

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the volunteers for Stockings with Care.

I’m giving a talk today to the business fraternity and students at Montclair State University. I am looking forward to it. Looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully motivating new people. I like to think that I’m making a difference.

Tonight, I have a meeting for the non-profit, Stockings with Care in New York City. “Stockings” provides toys, books, clothes, diapers and more for families in need. One year, a child asked for dog food so they could afford to keep their family companion. Stockings with Care sent a year’s worth of dog food. Making a difference.

I can’t tell you how much time I spend promoting my book and my motivational talks. And I can’t tell you how much of a buzz is being created around the world.

It’s not enough to be doing good things…people have to know about it. Put yourself out there.

So if you want to make more friends, go to where people are spending time.

If you want to get more clients, go to more networking events.

If you want to promote your concert at Carnegie Hall, start printing some flyers.

“It’s not only what you know, but who you know and who knows YOU.”

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #450 CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the great students and staff that I spent time with yesterday at Montclair State University.

Some people consider me successful.

Want to know a secret?

Nobody rang my doorbell and handed it to me…I took action. I created the life that I now live.

So you shouldn’t wait and “see what life brings.” Instead, figure out what you want and start taking action.

Yesterday I had a very powerful day – for many reasons.

I spoke at the great Dr. Gilbert’s class at Montclair State University with some amazing people. Coach McCarthy was there. Coach Ventre was there. Poet, Dennis Howe was there. Colbert, an up-and-coming actor from Brazil was there. Melissa Sapio (perfect 4.0 in college) was there.

After that, I attended Professor Sapio’s psychology class because they had a paper due on “Game. Set. Life.” I spoke to and received feedback from these great students. A young man named Jose said my book “rocked his world.” How can you not get energized by that?

I’m a very motivated person, but just being around these inspiring people brought me to another level. Motivation breeds motivation.

One of the things that I learned yesterday was that Emily Dickinson NEVER published her poetry! She kept her poems hidden in a closet and after she passed away, they became published.

So what are you hiding from the world? What kind of life do you want to create? Why aren’t you starting today?

Thanks for reading.

Reminder: Tell everyone you know to purchase a copy of “Game. Set. Life” on my birthday, October 26th on Amazon. Don’t do it for me…Every book I sell on that date will be matched with one donated one book to an inner-city child in the National Junior Tennis League of Trenton. Help make a difference.

MESSAGE #449 GREETINGS FROM KEAN UNIVERSITY…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the great students at Kean University.

So here I am in the computer lab in the library at Kean University. I am very excited. Excited because I love libraries – I love learning. Just being around books makes me happy.

Do you love learning?

Learning about your sport?

Your major in college?

Your job?

Your musical instrument?

Carol Dweck at Stanford University talks about fixed and growth mindsets. She says that if you have a fixed mindset, you think that there is only so much you can learn and only so good you can get.

A growth mindset means that you feel that there is NO limit as to how much you can learn and that your potential is endless.

Guess what I believe in?

Most people just learn enough to get by. The great ones keep on learning.

So, do you want to just get by, or do you want to become great?

It’s up to you.

“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.”

-Pope John XXIII

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #448 FEELINGS…NOTHING MORE THAN FEELINGS

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I don’t really feel like blogging today – it’s cold this morning…I’m hungry, maybe nobody will read my blog today.

When the curtain goes up on Broadway, the actor can’t say, “Wait a second, stop. I don’t feel like the part yet.” They have to be in the part, whether they want to or not.

Blogging, tennis, school, work, and relationships are the same way. If you read my book, “Game. Set. Life.” you would know that most people act according to how they feel, but the real winners in life act how they should act, whether they want to or not.

Do you have ANY idea what you would be capable of, if you just took the right action, instead of negotiating with yourself to do otherwise?

ME NEITHER…

“No person in a thousand has any clue of what he/she is capable of doing if they just made up their mind to do it.”


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #447 A WINNER’S PHILOSOPHY

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Judd Levi Horowitz, the youngest peak performer at 12 days old…

Are you trying your best? If you lose in sports or life, but you tried your best, how can you do any better than that? It’s not about the result, it’s about the effort. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t win.

“I don’t have a philosophy of winning – I have a philosophy of trying. If you put forth an effort that encompasses your very best – all your intensity, all your enthusiasm – then you can stop worrying about the outcome, because you’ve done all you can do. By that definition, you’re already a winner.”

-Lee Roy Selmon


Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #446 BREAK A MENTAL SWEAT…

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Athletes who improve faster than equally-prepared counterparts simply put in more mental practice time.

-Dan Millman

MESSAGE #444 AN IMPORTANT LESSON FROM CHILDREN…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to Bernie in the UK.

I have a feeling that someone reading this blog is wanting to accomplish something. REALLY wanting to accomplish something.

Perhaps it’s quitting smoking.

Perhaps it’s starting your own business.

Perhaps it’s performing in Carnegie Hall.

I can help…

Did you know that the average child falls down about 240 times when trying to walk? But that child doesn’t give up. It keeps falling down and trying again. And we encourage them to keep trying, don’t we?

Well, guess what? We, adults, should be the same way – we should have the same mindset, but DO WE?

If you want something badly enough, keep trying until you get there. I know you can do it.

Hold on until you catch on…


Thanks for reading.

“Game. Set. Life.” is now in the Princeton University Library!

MESSAGE #442 WHAT MAKES WINNERS WIN…

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Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great West Nott, assistant women’s tennis coach at the University of Southern California.

“The U.S. golfers are like thoroughbred sheep. They are tremendously bred and trained, and they run correctly, but the problem is that they are still sheep, and sheep want to be part of the flock. We need guys who are willing to say, ‘The flock is fine and it is a nice place to be and it is comfortable, and we are all very rich and enjoying the bounties of the flock. But the hell with the flock; I want to be a wolf.’ “

-Johnny Miller
Winner of 23 PGA Tour championships and winner of the 1973 U.S. Open championship

Today’s lesson? Don’t be a sheep!


Thanks for reading.