By Andre Agassi
Too many hours on a soft mattress causes agony
I hate tennis, hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have
Hate brings me to my knees, love gets me on my feet
My whole body is at war with itself
Soon the pain felt wonderful, almost sweet, because it was the kind of pain that you van tell precedes relief
I see that golden-haired boy who hated tennis, and I wonder how he would view this bald man, who still hates tennis and yet still plays
Control what you can control
I’m calmed, grounded, inspired by watching a craftsman. It reminds me of the singular importance in this world of a job well done.
Disorder is distraction, and every distraction on the court is a potential turning point
A child who hits one million balls each year will be unbeatable
When I do something perfect, I enjoy a split second of sanity and calm
We stare at Michelangelo’s ceiling and learn from the tour guide that he was a tormented perfectionist eaten up with rage whenever he discovered that his work had the tiniest flaws
To be inspired, that’s the secret
I wonder what I could do in tennis if I could access that rage and aim it across the net
The four surfaces of tennis are like the four seasons. Each asks something different of you
There are times when there is nothing to say, nothing to do, but to wait for the fire to burn out
If I must play tennis, the loneliest sport, thenI’m sure as hell going to surround myself with as many people as I can off the court. And each person will have his specific role
I’ll be firm, but fair. I‘ll lead, never push
There’s a lot of good waiting for you on the other side of tired
A win doesn’t feel as good as a loss feels bad, and the good feeling doesn’t last as long as the bad. Not even close
I marvel at how unexciting it is to be famous, how mundane famous people are
Know exactly what you want
No man is an island
You don’t have to be the best in the world every time you go out there. You just have to be better than one guy
Get the odds in your favor
It takes 21 sets to win a slam. That’s all. Focus on that number, and you won’t go wrong. Simplify.
You just need that one breakthrough, that one opening, and after that nothing will stop you from being the best in the world
Simply knowing your enemy is a powerful advantage
Define the goal, draw up a battle plan
Pride is bad, stress is good. I don’t want to feel confident. I want to feel rage.
Consider the rubicon
The next six months will tell. To which of us does that dire statement not apply?
Decisions, especially bad ones, create their own kind of momentum, and momentum can be a bitch to stop
Part of my discomfort with tennis has always been a nagging sense that it’s meaningless
This is why we’re here. To fight through the pain and, when possible, to relieve the pain of others
My primary concern is children at risk. Adults can always ask for help, but children are powerless, voiceless.
No matter where you are in life, there is always more journey ahead
I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul
We must care for ourselves, which means we must be careful in our decisions, careful in our relationships, careful in our statements. We must manage our lives carefully, in order to avoid becoming victims
There is clarity and nobility in just being a journeyer
Fear is your fire
It’s time for my mind to be a river– raging, channeled, and therefore pure
Scaling down the task makes it seem manageable
Something works, you don’t change
We can’t build a fire in the rain
The many years pay concentrated dividends
Though much is taken, much abides; and though we are not that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are. One equal temper of heroic hearts,
made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield
Always, always, always, go down with both guns blazing
The same court on which you suffer your bloodiest defeat can be the scene of your sweetest triumph
Time and practice equal achievement
Even if it’s not your ideal life, you can always choose it. No matter what your life is, choosing it changes everything
Stop thinking, start feeling I enjoy that sense we all seek, that knowledge we get only a few times in life, that the themes of our life are connected, the seeds of our ending were there in the beginning, and vice versa
I hope it helps you avoid some of the traps I walked right into
