via The Inner Game of Tennis: The Classic Guide to the Mental Side of Peak Performance « karycumby.

via Success Beyond Sport for athletes, retired & current – The Inner Game of Tennis.

Tim Gallwey, who wrote “The Inner Game of Tennis,” said athletes such as Henin and Clijsters who devote their lives to sports starting as youngsters often have to get away from the game to regain control of their lives.Gallwey, 72, who was captain of Harvard University's tennis team in the 1959-60 season, said such athletes have a psychological advantage when they return from retirement.

“They’ve had time to step back out of the normal disciplines and grinds of any sport,” he said in a phone interview. “They get to come back with renewed energy and self-determination. Instead of something they have to do as a pro, it’s something they want to do. I admire them, because they’re going back with eyes open.”

via Henin Makes Australian Open Final on Own Terms – NewsFlash – MassLive.com.

I had precious little time with Carroll. I wanted to ask him about one of his favorite books, “The Inner Game of Tennis” by W. Timothy Gallwey, and why it meant so much to him.

I wanted to ask him about people who have been influential in his life such as psychologists Abraham Maslow and Carl Jung, and Buddhist meditation master Chogyam Trungpa and Zen master D.T. Suzuki. In Coach Pete, we might have a Phil Jackson on our hands.

I wanted to ask him about about being a Grateful Dead head and why Bruce Springsteen’s “Growin’ Up” made such an impact on him in the summer of 1999.

And of course, I wanted to ask about his three kids and one grandkid, his friendship with Will Ferrell and support of President Obama.

But I went with the old standby instead and asked him to tell me about his dogs. The golden was special because she was a family dog who was with the kids while they were growing up.

His wife found the border-collie mix on the Internet and she arrived at Carroll’s home with a broken leg.

“She’s got a wacked personality,” Carroll said. “She runs our life.”

As an entrepreneur you struggle with the external “game” of dealing with co-founders, employees, investors, and customers. Perhaps even more importantly, you also deal with the internal “game” existing in your head as you fight fear, anxiety, and doubt. The roller-coaster of these two games can derail you from focusing on what is truly important and be a hindrance to success. In this book, Gallwey provides you with techniques and lessons on how to balance the two games by establishing the proper mental grounding. I cannot say enough for how this book has helped to achieve clarity in thought and focus.

Also check out Galleway’s related book: The Inner Game of Work