More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
May 21 - November 9, 2024
Our desire that things be different from what they are pulls our minds into an unreal world, and consequently we are less able to appreciate what the present has to offer. Our minds leave the reality of the present only when we prefer the unreality of the past or future.
It’s difficult to have fun or to achieve concentration when your ego is engaged in what it thinks is a life-and-death struggle.
Many start tennis as a weekend sport in the hope of getting exercise and a needed relief from the pressures of daily life, but they end by setting impossible standards of excellence for themselves and often become more frustrated and tense on the court than off it.
Do we really think the value of a human being is measurable? It doesn’t really make sense to measure ourselves in comparison with other immeasurable beings. In fact, we are what we are; we are not how well we happen to perform at a given moment.
“Then what do you really want?” The answer was quite unexpected. What I really wanted, I realized, was to overcome the nervousness that was preventing me from playing my best and enjoying myself.
Some never find the time or inclination to appreciate the beauties of nature, to express their deepest feelings and thoughts to a loved one, or to wonder about the ultimate purpose of their existence.
I played sincerely.
Winning is overcoming obstacles to reach a goal, but the value in winning is only as great as the value of the goal reached.
I arrived at the startling conclusion that true competition is identical with true cooperation.
In true competition no person is defeated.
This desire for the ball to land inside the line helps you to achieve a better mental state for returning it. You tend to react faster
You don’t have to become a killer to be a winner; you merely have to realize that killing is not the name of the game.
Maximum effort does not mean the super-exertion of Self 1. It means concentration, determination, and trusting your body to “let it happen.” It means maximum physical and mental effort. Again competition and cooperation become one.
When I’m concerned only about winning, I’m caring about something that I can’t wholly control.
When one is emotionally attached to results that one can’t control, one tends to become anxious and then try too hard.
One can always do the best one can at any given moment.
the energy which would otherwise have gone into the anxiety and its consequences can then be utilized in one’s effort to win the point. In this way one’s chances of winning the outer game are maximized.
it is not necessarily true that all great effort leads to greatness.
The third type of person, before deciding to overcome the obstacle, tries to find a viewpoint where what is on the other side of the obstacle can be seen. Then, only if the reward is worth the effort, does that person attempt to overcome the obstacle.”
This requires the learning of several inner skills, chiefly the art of letting go of self-judgments, letting Self 2 do the hitting, recognizing and trusting the natural learning process, and above all gaining some practical experience in the art of relaxed concentration.
practice tennis to improve their focus.
It should be recognized that both the inner and outer games go on simultaneously, so the choice is not which one to play, but which deserves priority.
the inner obstacles come from only one source and the skills needed to overcome them remain constant.
every inner gain applies immediately and automatically to the full range of one’s activities.
Inner stability is achieved not by burying one’s head in the sand at the sight of danger, but by acquiring the ability to see the true nature of what is happening and to respond appropriately.
The need to trust oneself and grow in understanding of our true selves will never diminish.
The need to let go of the lenses of “good–bad” judgment of ourselves and others will always be the doorway to the possibility of clarity. And the importance of being clear about one’s priorities, especially the first priority in your life, will never become less important while you still have life.
The cause of most stress can be summed up by the word attachment.
Freedom from stress does not necessarily involve giving up anything, but rather being able to let go of anything, when necessary, and know that one will still be all right.
Freedom from stress happens in proportion to our responsiveness to our true selves, allowing every moment possible to be an opportunity for Self 2 to be what it is and enjoy the process. As far as I can see, this is a lifelong learning process.
the cornerstone of stability is to know that there is nothing wrong with the essential human being.
The ability to focus the mind is the ability to not let it run away with you.
Stability grows as I learn to accept what I cannot control and take control of what I can.
Apparently, letting go of my grip on life released an energy that paradoxically made it possible for me to run with utter abandon toward life.
“Abandon” is a good word to describe what happens to tennis players who feel they have nothing to lose. They stop caring about the outcome and play all out. It is a letting go of the concerns of Self 1 and letting in of the natural concerns of a deeper and truer self. It is caring, yet not caring; it is effort, but effortless at the same time.
Self 1, in fact, has come a long way if it has gotten to the point where it can admit, and mean it, that it doesn’t know and never will. Then the individual has more of a chance to feel the need of his own being, to follow the inner thirst, and to discover what is truly satisfying. That my Self 2 will be the only one who knows—that there will be no external credit or praise—is something I greet with relief.
It is not for me to have a vision for it; it has its own vision.
the will to win is a desire to fully engage in the present moment: to give our best effort and learn from every experience, with joy, love, and gratitude, for the universal gifts of life.
There is nothing like being alive, especially as we become increasingly aware of the importance of choosing what we value. The knowledge of the heart is so often forgotten, yet, in my experience, exploring it gives me the most joy and the most sense of fulfillment. That is what winning is all about.
His books have led many to realize that the Inner Game holds the key to the outer game of their lives.
