Watching the US Open has reminded me again of the important lesson that I have learnt which I never got around to writing about it. When a player is winning, the body language is positive. Obviously, he is happy about his performance and his mind is urging him on. He would be the first to sprint out from his seat after a break. But when he is losing, perhaps one set down, facing a breakpoint, one look at his body language will let you know the state of his mind. His face looks resigned even though he knows he should not give up....shoulders are down, walks slowly out onto the court and starts having conversation with himself..or starts cursing or swearing at the crowd or himself. His coach and supporters are yelling 'come on' but his face tells everyone he is in trouble..
Basically, the difference between the top players and the thousands of wannabes is not the skills..most qualifiers can beat any seeded player on a good day..It is all in the mind...Watch when a qualifier is winning and having to serve the last set to take the match, all of a sudden, he starts to crumble...he suddenly realises the enormous thing he is about to do and his mind starts to go haywire...Notice the difference in a great champion like Roger Federer..when he is losing, he tries to stay positive, change a few things, tries something new and take it one point at a time. He keeps telling himself to stay positive and when the opportunity strikes, he would be ready to grab it and fight back...It is all in the mind...
We can learn a lot from tennis or any other sports. You cannot get to the top or be successful in what you do unless you are willing to train yourself mentally.
When I was asked to play squash for my college, I was a little afraid as I only knew badminton, tennis and ping pong. The opponent thrashed me 7-0 in the first set. The spectators were so quiet. I told myself that I got nothing to lose since everyone knows that I was going to lose anyway. So, I started hitting harder, served big shots and that surprised her. The crowd started cheering and that encouraged me to beat her. In the third match, I was beginning to tire but I saw she was also struggling and I hung in there mentally....I won and my college became the champion too.
In another ping pong competition, I was partnering a national player in the university championship. However, we were playing against the top national doubles pair from USM...I was serving for the match in the championship and if we won, my team would be going to Bangkok..my hands shook and I thot, maybe this was not going to work..I served into the net and there was a loud sigh....Luckily, we managed to get back the service and eventually, I managed to get a hold of myself and served it out. My partner smashed her way through...the crowd got wild and we all hugged each
other....Sweet memories.
I have always been an underdog in most of my life..not really good in studies nor popular with the guys as I was not pretty enough...Yet, having discovered my talents in games and music, I had become stronger and more positive...
And this is the same with life...if we cave in during difficult times, choosing to do what is easier, or choosing to run away or escape...we cannot be successful in what we do. It is easier to give up then to rough it out. It is easier to watch TV instead of reading or tackling our assignments or studies. It is easier to hang out with friends then sit on our table alone and write that book. Tough times will always come and go, but the ones who are successful are those that are strong mentally, and hang in there...I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me (phil 4:13)...It is all in the mind.
