Life is Like Tennis
In this age of the pandemic so many aspects of everyday life have changed or vanished. The one place where things are still “normal” is the tennis center and I have been spending a lot of time there on the pickleball and tennis courts. I know I am blessed to have the flexibility in my schedule and the ability to be there but the tennis center has not escaped various issues plaguing our world today.
Some people are isolating, so we don’t see them. Others are dealing with job losses, frustrations over the lack of student participation at school, political concerns – the list of issues is long and similar to what is seen across society today. But how are we handling the related stress?
I see some players who swing hard and fast at every ball that comes their way to the point of endangering the players on the other side of the net. Some want to establish rules for who can play when. Sharing with other players what they have done wrong is another approach. Making questionable calls is another thing that seems to be happening more frequently. Friendships that used to be enjoyed have become strained and people aren’t spending time on the courts together.
What is motivating this behavior? Like the actions themselves, there are likely a variety of unspoken motivations fueling the behaviors. Winning – we all like that don’t we? The need to be right, the desire to excel – none of these are bad things in and of themselves. But how are we achieving them? Are we doing it fairly and treating others with respect in the process? Or is it at someone else’s expense?
Life, like tennis needs to be played in relationship with others in order to be fully experienced and enjoyed. You can’t play a tennis match alone. You can both play tennis and walk through life with people you don’t care for or about but that diminishes the experience. How do we go about winning at the experience of tennis and life?
For me, that involves being selective about who I share my time and heart with. My friends on and off the courts are those who play fair, encourage me, don’t try to hurt me, who make me laugh and are people who pray. We are competitive on the court – we all want to play well and win, yet, we complement our opponents on good shots and when they beat us. We laugh and have fun on the court. If we get angry it is only at ourselves if we underperform against our own expectations. The only thing we throw is a party – no rackets. At times when there is something important on our hearts such as a family member in the hospital, important decisions to be made, or a baby about to be born, we pause to pray right there on the court. We leave the courts not winners and losers but competitors and friends who can’t wait for the next match. We seem to be attracting others who want to play with us so maybe there is something to the approach we are taking.
How are you approaching relationships and winning during this season of life?
Blessings,
Vicki
© Chateau Life Coach