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MESSAGE #1432 I’M A SALESPERSON

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Did you know, in addition to coaching, speaking and writing, I am in sales?

I actually have the most difficult sales job—I sell people on themselves.

Let me explain…

I feel that the biggest sickness in this country is low self-esteem. Many people don’t believe in themselves, or feel that success is possible.

“I can’t beat that player.”

“I can’t start my own business.”

“I can’t get good grades.”

I was coaching a high school tennis player the other day and by the end of the lesson, he was a totally different player.

Guess what?

I didn’t work on his technique much at all.

I worked on his attitude, effort and reactions to situations. I was selling him on himself.

In my recent TEDxPrincetonLibrary talk, I spoke about the greatest joke.

The greatest joke is the one-liner we keep telling ourselves. A limiting belief.

You can only become as good as your self-image.

What’s YOUR self-image?

For a free 10-minute peak performance consultation, call 609.558.1077 or email .

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1413 A QUOTE FROM “GAME. SET. LIFE”

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Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Work is the most fun of all. —author unknown

MESSAGE #1412 LESSONS FROM AN NCAA CHAMP

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Recently, Lauren Embree clinched the NCAA title for the University of Florida Gators women’s tennis team. She beat Mallory Burdette, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (6) after losing a 5-1 lead in the first set and overcoming a 0-4 deficit in the final set.

I caught up with Embree after her incredible win.

“I had different thoughts racing through my mind when I was down 4-0 in the third. I kept fighting. I knew I still had a chance no matter what the score was.”

“I just told myself, ‘one point at a time,’ ”

“I kept telling myself positive thoughts.”

Embree’s goal was to fight her way back and instead of focusing on the situation, she focused on the process and just tried to get the ball back deeper.

So what did Embree do?

1. She went all-out.
2. She played in the present moment (not the past or the future).
3. She told herself affirmations to keep her performance, focus and energy levels high.

She could have easily fallen apart after losing the lead in the first set, but she didn’t—she fought back. Even when she was down 0-4 in the final set, she went all-out until the very end.

And we can all do that…it’s a choice.

You may not be an NCAA champion, but you can use Embree’s strategies to succeed in sports, sales or school. And you can begin today.

Thank you Lauren and congrats again.

MESSAGE #1411 ROGER, OVER AND OUT!

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Today, in the French Open Men’s Final, Roger Federer was leading his nemesis, Rafael Nadal 5-2 in the first set and ended up losing the set, 7-5. All he had to do was hold serve once and the set was his. Instead, Nadal won seven games in a row and gained a tremendous amount to momentum, and eventually won, 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1.

This happens all the time in sports.

Recently, I began giving one-on-one mental toughness sessions to a competitive female tennis player. One of her biggest challenges is that she cannot close out a set or match. When she has a lead, she tends to ease up, lose focus, and/or celebrate victory before it actually happens.

What happened to Roger Federer today?

Only Roger knows that.

But, for the most part, there is no excuse when you lose a 5-2 lead.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Most people play better when they are losing, so…pretend that the score is 2-5.
2. Focus on your strategy (placement, effort), not your situation (so close to winning the set).
3. Play one point at a time.
4. If you feel the momentum shifting to your opponent, SLOW the game down; take your time between points to minimize the length of the rally for your opponent.
5. Go all-out and do what got you to 5-2.

Is finishing a set or match simple?

Yes.

Is it easy?

No.

You cannot control results, but you can certainly do things to help put yourself in the best possible position to win. Focus on those things and you should be pleased with the results.

MESSAGE #1410 A MESSAGE FROM A YANKEE

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Recently, I was talking to Dellin Betances, the #3 Yankees prospect (above). He is currently having a great season at Double-A Trenton and I asked him what the secret was to staying focused and consistent. “You just have to keep working on the things you need to work on. Now is the time for me to do it, not when I get called up to the majors.”

It’s true, most people like to work on things they are already good at, which leaves their weaknesses, well…weaknesses. If you don’t work on them in practice, when will you work on them, in competition? Remember the quote from former US Navy SEAL, Stew Smith? “Work on your weaknesses so much that they are as close to a strength as possible.”

If you think it would be difficult to work on your weaknesses, IMAGINE how difficult it would be to compete against someone who IS, when you’re not.

Can you apply this to sales, school or music?

MESSAGE #1398 CAN VS WILL

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Recently, I was teaching a young boy and at the end of the session, I asked him, “Did you give a full effort today?”

He responded, “Not exactly.”

“Could you have?” I asked.

“I don’t think so,” he said.

Then I asked him the million dollar question…

“What if, at the beginning of the lesson, I said, ‘I’ll give you a million dollars if you give it your full effort today.’ Would you have been able to give a full effort then?”

My student enthusiastically responded, “Oh YES!”

We both laughed.

I told him that effort is a choice. It’s not a question of CAN you, it’s a question of WILL you?

Lesson learned.

Ed Tseng
Director of Mental Conditioning
Monroe Sports Center
609.558.1077

MESSAGE #1387 HAPPINESS IN SPORTS AND LIFE

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“Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them”
-JACKSON BROWN

Happiness in sports is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them.

Anyone can deal with playing well, but most athletes cannot deal with playing poorly. But most people don’t get it—it’s not about getting rid of problems/challenges, but how we react.

How we make adjustments.

The next time you are in a tough situation, think NOT of the situation, but HOW you are going to react.

Then just do it.

MESSAGE #1384 BASKETBALL PHENOM TURNED AMPUTEE

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Yesterday, I talked about one of my she-roes, my mother.

Today, I want to talk about another one of my she-roes, the great Rayna DuBose (ABOVE at the Sports Legends Museum in Baltimore with yours truly).

For those of you who complain about the little things in life, after reading today’s message, there’s a good chance you will never complain again.

From Rayna’s website:

What started as a dream in 2001 quickly turned into a disaster for Rayna DuBose, a highly recruited student who was granted a full athletic scholarship to play Division I Women’s Basketball at Virginia Tech. Rayna entered Virginia Tech in 2001 as a part of the women’s team which was in the Big East Conference at the time. By the time April 2002 had approached, Rayna was struck with a deadly bacterial disease known as meningococcal meningitis, which then led to 96 days in the UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville, Virginia, with collapsed organs, non-functioning kidneys which had her on dialysis, in a coma, liver problems and worst of all no blood circulation to her hands. She was a vegetable fighting for her life. Soon enough the day came when all four of her limbs were amputated and she became a bi-lateral amputee.

After the pain, therapy and what seemed like torture, Rayna returned back to Virginia Tech in the summer of 2003 to return to her normal college life as if nothing had ever happened. With a year off from school in 2002 she still remained active, taking on-line classes and staying a part of the Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball team by serving as a Student Assistant Coach, still traveling and being a part of the team. In 2003 she received the Most Courageous Award at the Men’s Final Four in New Orleans. In 2005 she received the Wilma Rudolph Award. She was also given the 2009 National Ethnic Coalition Organization Congressional Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and was the 2009 McDonalds Athlete of the Day for the Military Paralympics. Rayna has also made appearances on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, CBS Sports, the CBS Early Show, Cayman Islands news, and local news stations. Just recently completed the USA a2 sitting volleyball training camp.

I caught up with my inspirational friend earlier today on Facebook (Yes, she uses Facebook—in fact Rayna and I text all the time).

The first time I met Rayna, I asked her what she did first thing in the morning.

She said, “Put on my arms and legs.”

Anyone feel like complaining about the fact that it’s “Monday”?!?

Today, Rayna told me, you have to appreciate what you have because you never know what can happen. She has actually said that becoming an amputee was the best thing that ever happened to her because now she is helping others.

Wow.

DuBose also said that the secret to life is to love yourself. I like that.

I asked Rayna if she thought anything was possible.

“EVERYTHING is possible depending on how bad you want it and how hard you will work for it.”

That’s mental toughness.

Rayna does not feel that she is handicapped. It just takes her a little longer to do some things. She even drives when she goes out with her friends!

Sports and life is not about what happens to us, it’s all about how we respond.

So the next time you feel like complaining or feel that you can’t do something, remember Rayna’s words.