To still the mind one must learn to put it somewhere. It cannot just be let go; it must be focused. You’ve probably heard the phrase: What we resist persists. The questionis: Okay, I’ll stop resisting… now what? ETA: My husband's Goodreads account is inexplicably linked to mine. So when he finishes a book, his review shows up here. I have not read this book but I trust the reviewer. He's pretty keen. ;) It is impossible to judge one event as positive without seeing other evens as not positive or as negative. Gallwey, W. Timothy. (2009). The Inner Game of Stress: Outsmart Life's Challenges, Fulfill Your Potential, Enjoy Yourself. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6791-6.

The goal is thus to play without thinking too actively or “over trying.” Good players of course still have to exert significant effort on the court, but there’s a difference between this and trying too hard, which almost always involves getting angry at yourself. As an old professor of mine used to say: Falling off the wagon isn’t the problem; it’s the wallowing around in the mud that kills you.Cultivate awareness of your own self-talk so you can nip it in the bud. On Bad HabitsThe Inner Game of Tennis has got to be one of the strangest books on personal growth and success I’ve ever encountered.

The Inner Game of Performance is a program specifically designed re-define the landscape of what has become known as a “learning organization” or a “high performance culture” into a lived reality where what is called “work”: is an increasingly human-centred environment, where enjoyment, learning and excellence in performance are the three parts of one whole. Tools, understanding, and insights are offered to facilitate such a transition that becomes the fulfilment of personal and professional achievement. In this program, any individual who has the courage and commitment to learn about what it takes to become an extraordinary source of high performance will also recognize some of what it takes to fill their own deepest needs as human beings. As tennis players we tend to think too much before and during our shots; we try too hard to control our movements; and we are too concerned about the results of our actions and how they might reflect on our self-image. In short, we worry too much and don’t concentrate very well. Then, begin to think about desired outcomes: Ask your body for the results you want, the form it should move in, and the qualities you see in others that you want. You won’t reach all of this right away, but remember not to pass judgment, and let your body learn what it does not know and complete what it does know. You’ll realize that without this judgment, a lot of your mechanics will fix themselves naturally. From this discovery came Gallwey’s first book, The Inner Game of Tennis, which has sold over two million copies. Other books in the Inner Game series include applications to Golf, Skiing, Music, Work and Stress.Each of these adds up to the idea of “relaxed concentration,” which is the Platonic ideal of a successful tennis player—fully in control and fully relaxed at the same time. Understanding Self 1 and Self 2 For the sake of your mental health and your productivity, practice holding your attention in the here and now. On Control