“It is only against the big waves that he is required to use all his skill, all his courage and concentration to overcome; only then can he realize the true limits of his capacities. At that point he often attains his peak. In other words, the more challenging the obstacle he faces, the greater the opportunity for the surfer to discover and extend his true potential. The potential may have always been within him, but until it is manifested in action, it remains a secret hidden from himself. The obstacles are a very necessary ingredient to this process of self-discovery. Note that the surfer in this example is not out to prove himself; he is not out to show himself or the world how great he is, but is simply involved in the exploration of his latent capacities. He directly and intimately experiences his own resources and thereby increases his self-knowledge.” CourageProvePotentialExploreLimitObstaclePeak Book:The Inner Game of Tennis: The classic guide to the mental side of peak performance Source: The Inner Game of Tennis: The classic guide to the mental side of peak performance
“Only then does he have the chance to go beyond the limitations inherent in the various ego trips of Self 1 and to reach a new awareness of his true potential. Competition then becomes an interesting device in which each player, by making his maximum effort to win, gives the other the opportunity he desires to reach new levels of self-awareness.” EffortSelf AwarenessCompetitionPotentialLimit Book:The Inner Game of Tennis: The classic guide to the mental side of peak performance Source: The Inner Game of Tennis: The classic guide to the mental side of peak performance