“Dude, it’s just tennis.”
Easy to say for someone who has been playing tournaments for the past decade. It’s been 8 years since I last played in a competitive tennis match, and I felt it. My heart was beating out of my chest. I had trouble breathing. I’m surprised I didn’t throw up.
Even though I lost 0-6, 3-6, I entered my name and showed up.
That’s an accomplishment.
Sometimes, we just have to throw our name into the hat, unprepared, at a disadvantage, and outmatched, simply to prove to ourselves that we can. I met my lowest expectations (threefold) and was able to mentally keep it together, which is a huge win for me.
Winning is secondary to showing up. At least that’s what a solid and confident loser would say!