MESSAGE #1107 A QUOTE FROM ARTHUR ASHE
Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is more important than the outcome.
-ARTHUR ASHE
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MESSAGE #964 WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER YOU WIN WIMBLEDON?
Do people sing to get to the end of the song?
Do people play sports to get to the end of the game?
Do people read to get to the end of the book?
No. No. No.
Life is not about doing as many things as you can. It’s not about getting to the end. It’s not even about making a lot of money (I know a lot of miserable rich people).
Life is to be lived. To do what matters to you. To do what you’re passionate about. To make a difference in the world.
We play sports because we enjoy the process. If winning was everything, wouldn’t we ONLY play people we knew we could beat? That would get old quick.
After Mats Wilander became number one in the tennis world (something he worked his whole life for), he said, “Is that it?” It got to a point where he would look forward to mowing his lawn more than playing tennis. So it’s not about the trophy. It’s not about the money. It’s not about materialistic objects.
1. Do what you love.
2. Stay in the present moment and savor it all.
3. Work hard but have fun.
4. Don’t let anyone tell you what you CAN’T do (how do THEY know?)
5. Make a difference and help others.
Think about what you want to have accomplished at the end of your life.
Now go and do it.
MESSAGE #828 A RIDDLE…
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Erin Crandall in New York. Happy Birthday to a true peak performer!
Here’s a riddle for you…
What gets wetter the more it dries?
The answer will be at the end of this message.
I love riddles – some are easy, some are difficult, some are funny and some are not.
Sport and life are the best riddles of all. You never know what is going to happen, and it helps to think outside the box.
If you’re competing in a sporting event, or in life, and the strategy you are using isn’t working, you should try a different strategy. If that doesn’t work, try another one.
The worst thing you can do is continue to do the same thing and expect a different result.
If you’re playing a tennis match, it’s probably not a good idea to be losing 0-6, 0-5, and say, “Maybe I should do something different.”
Here’s the answer to the riddle…
What gets wetter the more it dries?
Answer: A towel.
Enjoy the riddle of life today.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #773 I’M IN LOVE WITH A GIRL NAMED KIM…
“I’m not really playing for the money. I just want to go out there and have fun. I really missed it so much…”
-KIM CLIJSTERS
I’m in love with Kim Clijsters. The US Open is only the third tournament of her comeback since becoming a new mother. She last played two and a half years ago.
Now she’s back.
I wasn’t a big fan of hers before her break, but after watching her play and upset Venus Williams yesterday, I am totally in love with her. She’s doing all the right things.
She is going all out.
She is having fun.
She knows it isn’t life or death.
After the match you could see how emotional she was, but also had things in perspective. She didn’t need to win. But she wanted to win.
And Clijsters knew she had a chance. Here is her “tweet” just before her match…
“On our way to the courts now. Feeling excited! There’s been a lot of upsets in the women’s draw, hopefully I can pull one today too!”
I know it’s a bold prediction, but I think that Kim Clijsters will win the US Open.
Time will tell.
Happy Labor Day everyone!
MESSAGE #741 WHAT IT TAKES TO BE #1
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Kashka Koralewska in Burlington, Vermont.
Do you know what it takes to be #1?
It’s very simple…
Stop trying to be #1!!!
Greatness lies in your effort and attitude. If you try to be number one, you are putting too much pressure on yourself and you won’t be able to perform at a high level. Work hard and enjoy the process. If you do this, you’re already a winner.
If you do good things, good things will happen.
Focus on the end-result, and you won’t be totally focused on the task at hand, and your improvement will be limited.
And don’t worry about what others think.
Oftentimes we care too much about what others think, but remember this…
When we’re 20, we care what everyone thinks.
When we’re 40, we don’t care what anyone thinks.
And when we’re 60, we realize that nobody’s been thinking about us at all.
Focus on going all out, every day. Enjoy the process and have gratitude for all the big and little things in your life. And make sure you breathe.
It’s okay to want to be the best in the world, but it’s more important to be the best for the world.
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #588 THE POWER OF FOCUS…
Today’s message is especially dedicated to all the student-athletes trying out for high school spring sports this week.
One of my favorite things to do is study extremely successful performers – elite athletes, CEOs, musicians, presidents, doctors, and students. I have found that one thing they have in common is this…
FOCUS
Last night I was on a tele-seminar on focus with Dr. Rob Gilbert and Mike Schwartz. Physical skills take a while to develop, on the field, in the classroom and at the office, but you can instantly become better by changing your focus.
What are you focusing on?
Basketball players, while taking a foul shot, should focus on a specific part of the rim. However, the ones that miss are focusing on something else, like the crowd or that they may miss the shot.
Many people tend to focus too little and think too much. This is called paralysis by analysis.
We need to focus, but we need to focus on the right things, such as the process versus the product. The process is your effort, strategy and attitude. The product is winning.
When you focus less on winning, you actually win more.
When practicing, studying or reading, do it for 15 minutes, then take a break. Repeat. We can only focus for a certain period of time and by taking regular breaks, we can stay focused for longer periods of time.
Multi-tasking was also a topic of discussion. We can do between five to eight things at one time, but we can only do ONE thing well.
Focus on one thing. The right thing. And go all out.
So good luck to all of you trying out this week and remember what FOCUS stands for…
Follow One Course Until Successful
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #547 TODAY IS THE PRESENT…
Photos from Tocoloshi Zim’s recent trip to Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Gia Bocra Liwski.
Anyone can perform at a high level if they are “in the zone,” but it’s the great ones that can put themselves in the zone more often. And although they can not avoid slumps, they can certainly shorten their duration.
Most slumps occur because the performer (athlete, musician, actor/actress, student, employee, etc) focuses on the wrong thing at the wrong time. In most peak performances, there is very little self-talk. During a slump, on the other hand, there is much internal dialog occurring.
“I can’t believe I lost the first set!”
“What if I lose this match?!”
The problem is that during a slump, the performer is focusing on either the past or the future.
Staying in the present is one of the keys to peak performance. Concentrate on how you can do something instead of if you can.
“Guilt is in the past. Anxiety is in the future. The power is in the present.”-author unknown
Thanks for reading.
MESSAGE #488 BE HAPPY…INSTANTLY!
“If you observe a really happy man,
you will find him building a boat,
writing a symphony,
educating his son,
growing double dahlias,
or looking for dinosaur eggs in the Gobi Desert.
He will not be searching for happiness
as if it were a collar button
that had rolled under the radiator,
striving for it as the goal itself.
He will have become aware
that he is happy in the course of living life
twenty-four crowded hours of each day.”
-W. BERAN WOLFE
That’s the secret to happiness in life. Enjoying the process. Every moment. Staying in the present. Immersing yourself in everything you do.
Sports are the same way – once you start enjoying every aspect of your sport, the winning, the losing, the sun, the wind, your opponent, the hard work and performing under pressure, you will become happy and win more.
Now, I know what you’re thinking…WHY would I enjoy the sun, and wind?
Put it this way, most people hate playing in the sun and wind don’t they? Well, if you practice in those conditions, you will not only perform better when the conditions are ideal, but when there is sun and wind, you will be used to it and your opponent won’t. Advantage you.
Thanks for reading.