MESSAGE #996 FEAR

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

Today’s message is especially dedicated to Justin Cohen and Kristen Carlin. Happy Birthday to two peak performers.

FEAR – False Experiences Appearing Real

Have you ever feared an opponent before you even started playing?

Why would you do that?

Once we perceive our opponent as a “threat” they own our power and our energy.

Let me put it this way…

Think back to a time when you were totally “on” your game. Did you notice that everything was “just” flowing? Did you notice that you were playing with loose focus and had very little self-talk?

We play best when we “just do it” and focus on our strategy, effort and energy (controllables).

Fear to some people is excitement to others. (Think of a roller coaster).

Supposedly, when Pete Sampras was at 5-5 in a set, a time when most people tighten up, he thought to himself, “Oh yea, this is what it’s all about.” He loved the pressure.

It may take ten years (or the rest of time) to get even close to Sampras, physically, but you can be just as good as him almost instantly by having the same mindset as him.

MESSAGE #995 PERSPECTIVES

/0 Comments/in , /by

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Andrew Gong.

So I have a new puppy, Jordan (above). She’s 10 weeks old and probably only a couple of pounds. As I was on the floor, observing and playing with her, something amazing happened. I started seeing things differently. I noticed things closer to the ground, under tables and I even noticed the temperature of the floor. Neither perspective is right or wrong, they are just different. I also noticed how puppies stay in the present moment – mine loves to explore and everything is so interesting. She’s not thinking about yesterday or if she’s going to grow up to be a successful pooch.

Children have this mindset as well. Somewhere along the line, we (adults), have been conditioned to focus on the past and the future. It doesn’t have to be that way.

We have a habit of looking at things from our narrow points of view (and we think that our way is THE way), but the reality is that there are many perspectives. When you lose a match in tennis, do you look at it as failure or feedback?

Here’s your assignment for today…

Look at things from others’ perspectives today (your clients, your students, your teachers, your parents, your pets, etc). See how the world looks different from their eyes. Really put yourself in their shoes (Go ahead, get down on all fours with your puppy). Then think how you might see others and treat others differently.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #994 OPPORTUNITY

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

 

Every game is an opportunity to measure yourself against your own potential.
— Bud Wilkinson

 

MESSAGE #993 THE MENTAL GAME: A SNEAK PREVIEW

/0 Comments/in /by

There is an amazing book coming out soon and I had the pleasure of getting my hands on the first draft of the manual. The book is called Game “On”: The Flow, the Zone, & the State of “On,” in Sports and Life by Jonathan Star. Here is an excerpt…

You are not your thoughts

A major step in the mental game is coming to the understanding that you are not your thoughts (or emotions). You are not your mind or your self-image. So, the first step involves changing the relationship you have with your thoughts and emotions. (The mere fact that you have a relationship with your thoughts , and that you can change your relationship, tells us rather clearly that you are something different from your thoughts). You must make a distinction between you (the one who is aware of your thoughts) and your thoughts (which you are aware of). There is a very clear distinction between these two, yet most people are not cognizant of it; they fully identify with their thoughts and somehow believe that they are their thoughts, and that life is about reacting to every thought and emotion that comes into their awareness. This is living life like a puppet – where your thoughts and emotions pull the strings and you dance. Shouldn’t you be the one controlling the strings?

Stay tuned for more, as well as workshops with me and the great Jonathan Star.

MESSAGE #992 CAESARS TENNIS CLASSIC

/0 Comments/in /by

 

In this video blog, Ed reports from the Caesars Tennis Classic in Atlantic City, New Jersey with Andy Roddick, Marat Safin, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Pete Sampras and Venus Williams.

MESSAGE #991 A PEAK PERFORMANCE PRINCIPLE: HOW TO CREATE GREATNESS

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

Today’s message is especially dedicated to Manon Bollegraf in the Netherlands, Ash Kulkarni in New York City, Candice Carlin in Philadelphia and Kimberly Slater in Cherry Hill, NJ. Happy Birthday to you all!

 

Before you set foot onto the tennis court next time, ask yourself this question…

Am I going to let how I play determine my attitude, or am I going to let my attitude determine how I play?

Think about it – most people react to how they play, but the great ones CREATE how they want to play; it’s a choice.

Act as if it were impossible to fail.

 

For those of you going to the Caesars Tennis Classic in Atlantic City today, look for me in the press box. I will be taking photographs and shooting videos. Find me and you win a prize.

MESSAGE #990 MENTAL TOUGHNESS: BE COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , /by

Today’s message is especially dedicated to the great Diane Stevenson in the UK.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. -NEALE DONALD WALSCH

Admit it, you like to be comfortable. But if you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.

When I give mental toughness coaching sessions, I have people perform mental cross-training. For example, I had a college tennis player sing happy birthday to me at the top of his voice, in a crowded restaurant. He didn’t feel like it but did it anyway and felt great afterwards. And I do it in my own life, as well. Six hours after I solved my first Sudoku puzzle, I competed in the National Sudoku Championships (Beginner level).

The more you put yourself in uncomfortable situations, the more comfortable you will be when they arise.

Sports are mostly mental, but when was the last time you worked on that aspect of your game?

Homework: For the next week, do one thing each day that puts you out of your comfort zone.

MESSAGE #988 A PEAK PERFORMANCE POEM

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

There are two types of teammates in the world: builder-uppers and breaker-downers.

The builder-uppers are the Derek Jeters who make the rest of their team better. Michael Jordan was the same way.

The breaker-downers focus on themselves and may even put their teammates down to make themselves look better. One bad apple ruins the bunch.

This applies to sports, work, school and relationships.

Here is my favorite poem to bring the point home…

One day as I was walking around my home town,
I saw a group of men tearing a building down.

With a heave and a ho and a mighty yell,
they swung a huge steel ball and a tall building fell.

Impressed, I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled?
Should I hire them if I ever want to build?”

“Oh no,” he laughed. “Oh no, indeed!
They’re unskilled laborers–that’s all I need.”

“These men can easily wreck in a day or two,
what it takes skilled builders many years to do.”

So I asked myself as I walked away,
which one of these roles do I want to play?

Do I want to be known as one who constantly tears down?
De-energizing others as I spread negativity around?

Or do I want to be known as one who skillfully builds up with care,
enthusiastically encouraging everyone whenever I’m there?

Which type of person will you be today?

MESSAGE #987 HOW WINE CAN HELP YOU

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

Watch this great TED video where the great Gary Vaynerchuk (winelibrarytv.com) talks about doing what you love.