planting the correct seed

About 9 years ago, when I was still undergoing intensive squash training, I remember how much I used to get so much problems even learning and getting the drop shots right. It either I hit it one inch below the tin or a whole one foot above the tin. Either way, no one could call it a good drop shot.

Calling it was frustrating would be an understatement because I used to put in back breaking hours after back breaking hours to try to get it right. It reached a point when I got so fed up with getting it wrong so often I used to break my racquet by smashing it on the ground or the wall out of pure frustration and anger. Thank God, racquets at that time were either free or subsidized.

There was one evening when I just threw the racquet on the ground, looked at my coach and said, "I don't think I am ever going to get the damn drop right!".

He let out a sigh and then said, "That's probably why you are not getting the shot right."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Before you have even taken the shot, you are already telling yourself you are not going to get it right."

"That's just what's going on in my mind. Doesn't necessarily translates into my actions."

"Really? What part of your body sends the signal to your hand to control the racquet then?"

"My brain."

"So now do you think what you think translates into what you do and who you are?"

I kept quiet and bitterly knew he made sense and was probably correct.

He broke the silence and said, "Look, I know you are frustrated with learning the drop. Its never easy for someone like you has a natural upper body swing for squash because that means you naturally put in a lot of power into your shots, which is good for drives but then becomes unnatural for drop shots simply because your follow through is too strong.

But at the end of the day, no one is perfect. Even professionals make mistake at their level but they probably put in double the time you are working on your drop shots to get their drops inch perfect. Jonathan Power, the former world number 1 had a 2 to 4 hour sessions specially to work for his drop shots.

At the end of the day, you have to keep telling yourself that it can be done. If pros can do it, I can do it, other people can do it, why can't you? There has to be a reason - technique. And that's the very same reason why I am your coach - to correct those mistakes no matter how long it took me so that I can make you a stronger player.

You have all the power needed to hit the ball hard and straight but you still need a soft side for the game if you are going to win games without putting too much strain on you body.

But right now, before I can start fixing your technique, you need to change your mindset. Right now, even before you play the drop shot, you are already telling yourself that it is going to go wrong and trust me, it will go wrong because the very seed planted in your mind is for it to go wrong.

If you want to your shot right, you going to have to start planting the right seed in your mind. What I mean is that you have to start imagining yourself lunging for the ball, feet planted solid on the ground, imagine the feel of the ball bouncing of your racquet face and seeing the ball bouncing of the front wall inch perfect!

All you need is some believe in yourself....... plant the right seed and eventually you'll get it right..."

I took it all in, continuously trying to believe in myself. Eventually I got it right..... Now, I ironically find myself telling some of my colleagues the same thing in the context of work and to those who ask me to coach them at squash.

Simple as it seems, planting the right seed from the beginning can make a hell of a difference.

rainbows!

I remember when I was a kid, I used to wait impatiently for the rain to stop so that I could search out a rainbow in the sky. It was a beautiful sight to see the red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. AS a kid, it was something really worth waiting for and when I finally spotted the rainbow, I'd go "waaahhhh......." from its beauty.

Then as I grew up, I never even took notice of any rainbow. Not until a little boy showed me a rainbow that could be found in a place I never knew could create a rainbow. The best part about this rainbow is that you don't even need it to rain for the rainbow to appear. I hope I have piqued your interest! =0)

This rainbow appeared in the place you'd least expect it to appear. The rainbow appeared one morning when my friend wanted to feed his 3 year old son some cereal. As he was about to spoon feed his kid, his son suddenly looked at time wide-eyed and went, "Pa Pa, rainbow! Rainbow!" while pointing at my friend's forehead.

The rainbow the 3 year old was referring to were the wrinkles on my friend's forehead as he lifted his eyebrows to keep his spectacles from falling own as he spoon fed his kid. That's when I knew rainbows don't just come out after the rain!

It was funny and cute when I saw that little kid go "Pa Pa, rainbow! Rainbow!". It wasn't just about a little kid imagining a rainbow on his dad's forehead. It showed me that even the simplest of things like lines on skin can become something creative.

It was refreshing because it goes to show how differently a little kid like him views the world around him. Looking at something that is already beautiful and saying it's beautiful is merely stating the obvious like telling me A B C is A B C. But to look at something ordinary and to find beauty in it. That's something out of the ordinary.

I guess that's how famous painters paint a simple subject that is yet beautiful and eye catching. The same can be found in photographs taken by photographers, where you find the simplest of subjects like a man sitting on a walkway or a bird on a tree but yet when you look at the picture, it tells a compelling story.

It's about looking at things from a different perspective. You can still find rainbows even if it doesn't rain!