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Open by Andre Agassi

Open by Andre Agassi

by Parker · 38 things on NewTwos

An Autobiography
Figuring out your butterflies, deciphering what they say about the status of your mind and body, is the first step to making them work for you.
The tennis bag is a lot like your heart—you have to know what's in it at all times.
A string job can mean the difference in a match, and a match can mean the difference in a career, and a career can mean the difference in countless lives. When I pull a fresh racket from my bag and try to serve out a match, the string tension can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Because I'm playing for my family, my charitable foundation, my school, every string is like a wire in an airplane engine. Given all that lies beyond my control, I obsess about the few things I can control, and racket tension is one such thing.
Disorder is distraction, and every distraction on the court is a potential turning point.
Enjoy, savor, take it all in, notice each fleeting detail, because this could be it, and even though you hate tennis, you might just miss it after tonight.
Go kick some butt.
Never sit when cramping. Never tell your body that it's time to rest, then tell it, Just kidding! Your body is like the federal gov-ernment. It says, Do anything you like, but when you get caught, don't lie to me.
The net is the biggest enemy, but thinking is the cardinal sin. Thinking, my father be-lieves, is the source of all bad things, because thinking is the opposite of doing.
When you know that you just took the other guy's best punch, and you're still standing, and the other guy knows it, you will rip the heart right out of him.
Being inspired is the secret
God isn't mad at you all the time. God isn't yelling in your ear, harping on your imper-fections. That voice you hear all the time, that angry voice? That's not God. That's still your father.
Image is everything.
I can't promise you that you won't be tired, he says. But please know this. There's a lot of good waiting for you on the other side of tired. Get yourself tired, Andre. That's where you're going to know yourself. 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.
Fears are like gateway drugs, I said. You give in to a small one, and soon you're giving in to bigger ones.
You have to suffer. You have to lose a shitload of close matches. And then one day you're going to win a close one and the skies are going to part and you're going to break through. You just need that one break-through, that one opening, and after that nothing will stop you from being the best in the world.
When someone doesn’t understand, there’s no point trying to explain.
There’s an unwritten rule, or maybe it’s actually written, that if you leave the court with your racket, you forfeit.
I hate tennis more than ever-but I hate myself more. I tell my-self, So what if you hate tennis? Who cares? All those people out there, all those millions who hate what they do for a living, they do it anyway. Maybe doing what you hate, doing it well and cheerfully, is the point. So you hate tennis. Hate it all you want. You still need to respect it—and yourself.
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.
All these animals, beginning their day in a dangerous world, exude tremendous calm and acceptance—why can't you?
Now 1 am more nearly a grown member of the human race ... she thought that she had never be- fore had a chance to realize the strength human beings have, to endure; she loved and revered all those who had ever suffered, even those who had failed to endure.
Fear is your fire.
And if you're not sure where to hit it, here's an idea. Just hit it to the same place he hits it. If he hits a backhand crosscourt, you hit a backhand crosscourt. Just hit yours a little better. You don't have to be better than the whole fucking world, remember? You just have to be better than one guy. There isn't one shot he has that you don't have. Fuck his serve. His serve will break down when you start making your shots. Just hit. Just fucking hit. If we're going to lose today, fine, I can live with it, but let's lose on our terms. The last thirteen days, I've seen you lay it on the line. I've seen you rip it, under pressure, maim guys. So please stop feeling sorry for yourself, and stop telling me he's too good, and for the love of God stop trying to be per-fect! Just see the ball, hit the ball.
The journey is just the beginning.
If you're not moving forward, you're moving backward.
Stop thinking. Feeling is the thing. Feeling.
it's one thing not to think, but you can't then decide to feel. You can't try to feel. You have to let yourself feel.
You can't play, Gil says, unless you feel inspired. That's your nature. That's always been your nature, since you were nineteen years old. But you can't feel inspired unless the people around you are OK. I love you for that.
Always value others, Jaden. There is so much peace in taking care of people. I love you and am there for you always.
Jaden, if you ever feel overwhelmed with something like I was tonight, just keep your head down and keep working and keep trying. Face it at its worst and realize it's not so bad. That will be your chance for peace. I wanted to quit and leave and go home and see you. It's hard to stay and play, it's easy to go home and be with you. That's why I'm staying.
Weak legs command, strong legs obey
When you eat is as important as what you eat.
Even if it's not your ideal life, you can always choose it. No matter what your life is, choosing it changes everything.
The essence of good discipline is respect. Respect for authority and respect for others. Respect for self and respect for rules. It is an attitude that begins at home, Is reinforced at school, And is applied throughout life.
Do I contradict myself? Very well, then, I contradict myself. I never knew this was an acceptable point of view. Now I steer by it. Now it's my North Star. And that's what I'll tell the students. Life is a tennis match between polar op-posites. Winning and losing, love and hate, open and closed. It helps to recognize that painful fact early. Then recognize the polar opposites within yourself, and if you can't embrace them, or reconcile them, at least accept them and move on. The only thing you cannot do is ignore them.