What gets your passion firing?

I started playing tennis as soon as I could walk...

I got my first racket when I was 1 and I still have it (to look at)

I would annoy anyone to throw a ball to me.

 

When I was 4,5,6 I would have my grandfather hand a hose across the back yard and hit balls.

 

When I was 8,9,10 I would stay at his place almost every Friday night and do 4 or 5 hours of lessons on Saturday morning at his place (he was a coach)

As I grew up we had a court and I would play with Dad's mates while dad was finishing off work at the home office...

 

I would play mum and one day beat her... I can still remember the last point and one close line call... the ball landing just outside the line...

We had a synthetic grass court and I can still feel the underside of my feet burning as I would play barefoot and slide on the sand...

 

As I got older I would join with dad and his mates and then start to give them a run for their money.

 

As I got older I was training 3,4 hours a day, 5-6 days a week.

When there was no one to play with I would serve baskets of balls and target practice by hitting anything in the service box...

 

I would wear out a pair of shoes within 2 weeks. Blown a hole through to my socks.

I would need to restring my rackets at least weekly. I had training shoes and match shoes...I had lucky towels and a lucky cap...I would watch matches over and over and make a pump up tape by editing with 2 VHS machines to have a highlight reel of winning points, shots and the final point of a grand slam...

 

One match in a tournament I did not lose one point... Not one mistake... 6-0 6-0 and each game was to love. It was a challenge to myself to keep that going for a whole 2 sets... I still remember the court and the nerves of that goal...I put everything into my tennis…I ended up training full time tennis while also doing a Bachelor Of Information Technology full time too…

 

I then travelled to Europe in my early 20’s playing tennis funded by selling software I had written to Pharmacies in Australia…As an individual sport I LOVED the ownership of the RESULTS...When you WON it was your SUCCESS When you LOST it was your LOSS too...No one else to blame... Just you, your mind, the court and the ball...Eventually I realised the opponent didn't matter as much.My MIND was HARDER to BEAT than the OPPONENT...Yes, I'll say that again...I WAS HARDER for me to beat than my opponent...Yep!

 

On the tennis court I was the guy who used to smash rackets, yell and scream and the whole tennis centre would stop and look at me...However I worked out...The longer I held onto that state the MORE it cost me. Points, games, the set and maybe the match / tournament. It also showed my hand to the opponent… Which gave them more confidence…Lots of working it out by myself…

 

But the biggest things was FULL RESPONSIBILITY for your RESULTS…

And

LUCK was something you MAKE

And

OPPORTUNITIES are things you TAKE!!!

So, how did I control myself in these states of rage…

Yep

I got to the point where I could go from 10/10 rage state to calm 2/10 in ONE BREATH...

So many people see me as the calm buddha type of guy…

Or recently comments on how I handle stress well….

Or how I can sit in a doctors office and look normal, while my heart rate is over 100 and not coming down… and this is with a doctor I know so well and spent a lot of time with, including nude swims in waterfalls!

 

So… yep…

Controlling our mind… To make clear decisions under pressure…

Owning full 100% responsibility of what you are passionate about…

 

I am SO SO SO grateful that I grew up as an athlete, especially in an individual sport…

 

It has certainly sculpted who I am today and how I show up in any situation…

How my mind shows up in business, relationships, new sports and LIFE…

My mind is my friend… Seriously… I could hang out all day with my mind… I love the world and find people, the human body and experiencing nature so so amazing!!!

 

Enjoy this magical thing we call LIFE!!! What gets your passion firing? and do you like handing out with your mind?