MESSAGE #935 A POEM

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream–and not make dreams your master,
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

–Rudyard Kipling

(Thanks to the great Jake Putnam in Boise, Idaho for sharing)

MESSAGE #923 DO LESS, ACCOMPLISH MORE…

I have a new favorite author, Leo Babauta. I am currently reading his amazing book, The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential, in Business and in Life.”

Here are his thoughts on how to slow life down, from his website, ZenHabits.

  1. Do less. Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. Focus not on quantity but quality. Pick 2-3 important things — or even just one important thing — and work on those first. Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day, but give yourself time to focus.
  2. Have fewer meetings. Meetings are usually a big waste of time. And they eat into your day, forcing you to squeeze the things you really need to do into small windows, and making you rush. Try to have blocks of time with no interruptions, so you don’t have to rush from one meeting to another.
  3. Practice disconnecting. Have times when you turn off your devices and your email notifications and whatnot. Time with no phone calls, when you’re just creating, or when you’re just spending time with someone, or just reading a book, or just taking a walk, or just eating mindfully. You can even disconnect for (gasp!) an entire day, and you won’t be hurt. I promise.
  4. Give yourself time to get ready and get there. If you’re constantly rushing to appointments or other places you have to be, it’s because you don’t allot enough time in your schedule for preparing and for traveling. Pad your schedule to allow time for this stuff. If you think it only takes you 10 minutes to get ready for work or a date, perhaps give yourself 30-45 minutes so you don’t have to shave in a rush or put on makeup in the car. If you think you can get there in 10 minutes, perhaps give yourself 2-3 times that amount so you can go at a leisurely pace and maybe even get there early.
  5. Practice being comfortable with sitting, doing nothing. One thing I’ve noticed is that when people have to wait, they become impatient or uncomfortable. They want their mobile device or at least a magazine, because standing and waiting is either a waste of time or something they’re not used to doing without feeling self-conscious. Instead, try just sitting there, looking around, soaking in your surroundings. Try standing in line and just watching and listening to people around you. It takes practice, but after awhile, you’ll do it with a smile.
  6. Realize that if it doesn’t get done, that’s OK. There’s always tomorrow. And yes, I know that’s a frustrating attitude for some of you who don’t like laziness or procrastination or living without firm deadlines, but it’s also reality. The world likely won’t end if you don’t get that task done today. Your boss might get mad, but the company won’t collapse and the life will inevitably go on. And the things that need to get done will.
  7. Start to eliminate the unnecessary. When you do the important things with focus, without rush, there will be things that get pushed back, that don’t get done. And you need to ask yourself: how necessary are these things? What would happen if I stopped doing them? How can I eliminate them, delegate them, automate them?
  8. Practice mindfulness. Simply learn to live in the present, rather than thinking so much about the future or the past. When you eat, fully appreciate your food. When you’re with someone, be with them fully. When you’re walking, appreciate your surroundings, no matter where you are.
  9. Slowly eliminate commitments. We’re overcommitted, which is why we’re rushing around so much. I don’t just mean with work — projects and meetings and the like. Parents have tons of things to do with and for their kids, and we overcommit our kids as well. Many of us have busy social lives, or civic commitments, or are coaching or playing on sports teams. We have classes and groups and hobbies. But in trying to cram so much into our lives, we’re actually deteriorating the quality of those lives. Slowly eliminate commitments — pick 4-5 essential ones, and realize that the rest, while nice or important, just don’t fit right now. Politely inform people, over time, that you don’t have time to stick to those commitments.

We control our destiny (for the most part), so be sure to make good decisions today. And do less.

Thanks for reading.

MESSAGE #921 PRACTICE DOES NOT MAKE PERFECT


In this video blog, Ed Tseng talks about how to practice perfect, and shares tips for athletes who are trying out for their school teams in a few weeks. https://www.edtseng.com

MESSAGE #916 WHAT ARE YOU DOING BEFORE BED??

“Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours.”
-Swedish proverb

I normally sleep pretty well. My routine is to meditate and visualize as soon as I get into bed at night. I take some deep breaths, cultivate gratitude and reflect on my day. I then visualize the things that didn’t go so well and imagine that they went perfectly. I also create positive images for the next day’s events. As a result, I wake up ready to go.

Recently, I made the mistake of watching the news right before bed. They were showing footage in Haiti, and talking about violent crimes in the tri-state area.

Well guess what?

I actually had some bad dreams that night. Coincidence?

I think not.

I once taught a little girl about nine years old and during her first lesson, she kept saying, “I can’t.”

Well, she didn’t.

I pretty quickly said, the rule on my court is that you are not allowed to use the word “can’t.”

She had to stop herself a couple times, but then she started saying, “I can!” with a smile.

She ended up playing exponentially better. She even started walking more confidently.

We, as coaches, players, students, parents, teachers and friends, need to be our own inner coaches, not our own inner critics.

Homework: Tonight, before bed, instead of just crashing or watching the evening news, read a motivational book, do a little meditation, or just visualize that you are already the person you want to be.

Your mind is a powerful thing – feed it properly.

MESSAGE #873 ED TSENG ON DEREK JETER…


Ed Tseng talks about Derek Jeter being named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, from Joe Guido’s barber chair. https://www.edtseng.com

MESSAGE #870 HOW TO USE YOUR STRENGTH…

“There are two ways of exerting one’s strength:
one is pushing down,
the other is pulling up.”
-BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

I’ve seen a countless number of athletes in my life, and I’ve observed many of them putting others down to make themselves look good.

This usually results from insecurity, or large ego.

The great athletes don’t push others down, they pull them up.

These are the leaders.

They compliment and encourage. They help others play better.

If you are a builder-upper instead of a breaker-downer, you will help your team (and world) become better.

MESSAGE #856 IF SHE CAN DO IT, YOU CAN DO IT…


Ed Tseng interviews one of his she-roes, Jennie Murphy, a student-athlete who is legally blind. https://www.edtseng.com

MESSAGE #855 SOPRANOS “MYSTERY MAN” INTERVIEW


Ed Tseng interviews Paolo Colandrea, the “Mystery Man” from the final episode of The Sopranos at his restaurant in Penndel, Pennsylvania. https://www.edtseng.com