I was reading an interview with the late and great sport psychologist, Ken Ravizza. He was certainly a master in the field and he appeared to be a very down-to-earth guy. I wish I could have met him while he was still with us. Listed below is an excerpt from the interview. It is a good reminder for all of us that we count too! I’d say not only participants on a field of play but also off the field of play in life.
His quote below came from the website www.mentalgamevip.com
Million Dollar Question
What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
“The second thing that’s been very important is that as teachers and coaches we give so much to other people that it becomes important that you’ve got to do some of those things for yourself and take care of yourself as you’re doing the work with others. That’s very, very important. I can’t emphasize that enough and that’s something that I constantly have to deal with. At my desk at home, I have a little sign that says, ‘Take care of me.’ Sometimes I’m so busy taking care of everyone else. The caring is important, but you’ve also got to take care of yourself.”
Maybe when people we admire are gone their message becomes that much more important. During the hectic tennis seasons I try to make sure I get in some exercise. I’ll play tennis, swim one or two times a week, do a land workout at the gym, or ride my bike. I’m a gigantic sports fan so reading the sports pages on www.stltoday/sports is very relaxing and often inspiring when the Cardinals or Blues win!
Develop a game plan for yourself to create balance in your life if you are either in a stressful job or you inherently bring stress onto yourself.