Unlike so many of my other essays, the ones on this page are really about discipline – physical, mental, and emotional. It’s really about living well through disciplined physical practice. The recurring themes – resilience, focus, gratitude, balance, humility, and sustainable excellence – try to give these essays a coherent philosophy. My particular slant is the “aging athlete.”
ESSENTIAL READING:
- “The Mind As a Potent Weapon” — Sports as a Metaphorical Training Tool for Pursuits More Important Than Sport – Eight years after my friend’s sudden death, I reflect on how the people we love continue to shape us long after they are gone. Remembering Chris reminds me that character, friendship, and example can outlive even death itself.
- The Body Cannot Travel Where the Mind Has Never Been – I argue that athletic achievement begins long before competition, in the imagination and discipline of the mind. Our bodies usually follow where our thoughts have already learned to go.
- “A Martial Artist Without a Martial Art” – I reflect on why I continue to pursue the mindset and discipline of a martial artist even though I no longer practice a traditional fighting art. The habits we cultivate often shape our character more deeply than the labels we wear.
- Meditation in Motion: The Wall and the Way – I explain how hours spent hitting tennis balls against a wall became a form of moving meditation. Repetition, focus, and solitude often teach lessons that competition alone cannot.
- First Things First: Health and Friends – I reflect on the priorities that have become clearer as I have grown older. Good health and lasting friendships have proven far more valuable than many of the ambitions that once consumed me.
- Cross Country, the Teacher: Pain Tolerance as a Valuable Life Skill – I reflect on what years of distance running taught me about discomfort, perseverance, and mental resilience. Learning to endure temporary pain has prepared me for challenges far more important than any race.
- “Richard, Your Body is Your Friend” – I describe how my relationship with my body has changed as I have grown older. Instead of demanding perfection, I have learned to appreciate and care for the body that has carried me through life.
- The “Hard Yards” — Any Serious Endeavor Worth Doing Should Be Difficult – I explain why worthwhile achievements almost always require perseverance through long periods of effort. The difficult path often proves to be the one most worth traveling.
Tennis, Fitness, and Focus
- Using Self-Talk to Self-Manage
- I explain how the conversations I have with myself shape my attitude, performance, and resilience. Learning to direct my thoughts has become one of my most valuable life skills.
- EVERYONE LOSES
- I reflect on the inevitability of defeat and disappointment in every meaningful endeavor. Learning to lose with grace is one of life’s most important victories.
- 105 Degrees Out, Sweating Bullets, and Enjoying It
- I recount exercising in extreme heat and discovering unexpected satisfaction in embracing discomfort. Sometimes growth begins when we willingly step outside our comfort zone.
- Strong Isn’t the Same as Healthy – Attack of the “Gymfluencers”
- I question the modern obsession with looking fit while neglecting long-term health and sustainability. True fitness should help us live better for decades, not merely impress others today.
- “Nuclear Laundry”
- I use an unusual metaphor to reflect on the mental clutter that quietly accumulates in everyday life. Regular habits of reflection and renewal help keep both mind and spirit clear.
- My “Guardian Angels”
- I look back with gratitude on the people who quietly encouraged, protected, and guided me at pivotal moments in my life. Their kindness reminds me that we are often shaped as much by unexpected mentors as by our own efforts.
- Breathing Freely via Moving Meditation: Peace and Calm Through Conscious Physical Exertion
- I describe how exercise has become a form of moving meditation that quiets both mind and body. Physical exertion often brings the peace that cannot be found by sitting still.
- IF YOU HAVE A SPORT, OR SOME PASSION PROJECT, YOU ARE AHEAD OF THE GAME
- I argue that having a meaningful pursuit outside of work enriches every part of life. Passion gives purpose to ordinary days and helps sustain us through difficult ones.
- “Every morning I am out there running. Rain or shine, no matter what, I run every morning.”
- I admire the unwavering discipline of people who quietly honor their commitments day after day. Consistency, more than talent, is often the foundation of excellence.
- In Praise of “The Ojai”
- I celebrate a place that has long provided beauty, renewal, and perspective in my life. Sometimes a familiar destination becomes a sanctuary for both body and spirit.
- Community and Fellowship: Easter Weekend 2023
- I reflect on the friendships and shared experiences that make athletic communities so rewarding. Competition may bring people together, but fellowship is what keeps them connected.
- Choosing to Be Positive and to Enjoy the Day: Reflections on A Sunday Morning and “Doomerism”
- I argue that optimism is often a deliberate choice rather than a personality trait. Choosing gratitude helps me resist the constant temptation toward cynicism and despair.
- Eh, You Take the Good With the Bad
- I reflect on accepting life’s disappointments without allowing them to overshadow its blessings. Gratitude becomes easier when I remember that every worthwhile life contains both joy and hardship.
- “Daylight Savings Time” Ends: The Rhythm of the Seasons Change, but Exercise and Books Are a Constant
- I reflect on how the changing seasons remind me to appreciate life’s quiet routines rather than resist the passage of time. Books and exercise have become enduring anchors that provide meaning, balance, and continuity throughout the year.
Tai Chi and Martial Arts
- “A Martial Artist Without a Martial Art”
- I reflect on why I continue to pursue the mindset and discipline of a martial artist even though I no longer practice a traditional fighting art. The habits we cultivate often shape our character more deeply than the labels we wear.
- Not Harder, but Softer: Strength, Stability, and Sustainability Through Balance and Calm
- I explain how Tai Chi has taught me that lasting strength comes through relaxation, balance, and efficiency rather than force alone. Sometimes becoming softer is the surest path to becoming stronger.
- Drawing the Bow, Unstringing the Bow
- I reflect on the importance of knowing when to exert effort and when to let go. Real mastery requires both disciplined action and deliberate recovery.
- “Iron Sharpens Iron, and One Man Sharpens Another.”
- I celebrate the teachers, training partners, and competitors who have challenged me to become better over the years. Personal growth rarely happens alone; we improve through one another.
- When Two Tigers Clash
- I explore what happens when two determined competitors meet, each refusing to yield. Competition reveals not only skill, but also character under pressure.
USTA and 5.0 Ranking Misery
- Apocalypse Now, Tennis Version — Exiled to “5.0 Siberia”!
- I recount the frustrations and unexpected humor of being bumped into a higher tennis division. Competition is rewarding, but it also has a remarkable way of humbling us.
- “Welcome to 5.0 Tennis Siberia!”
- I describe the challenges of competing at a level where opportunities become fewer and victories much harder to earn. Sometimes progress carries its own unexpected costs.
- Waiting for the Hammer to Fall: USTA Re-Ranking December 2022
- I reflect on the uncertainty of waiting for a decision that I could neither predict nor control. Patience is often tested most severely when the outcome is completely out of our hands.
- I Slip the Noose
- I describe the relief that came when an anticipated setback failed to materialize. Sometimes we discover that the fears occupying our minds never become reality.
- Glumly Waiting for the Verdict
- I write about the uneasy days before an important decision while trying to keep events in perspective. Anxiety often grows in the absence of certainty, reminding me to focus on what I can actually control.
The Pool and Recovery Swims
- The Pool
- I reflect on the peace, rhythm, and quiet discipline I have found through years of swimming. The water has become a place where both body and mind can recover from the demands of everyday life.
- Darkness in the Evening, Light the Next Morning: A Lesson to Remember
- I remind myself that discouraging days rarely last forever and that tomorrow often brings a clearer perspective. Hope grows stronger when I remember that setbacks are usually temporary.
Bicycling and the Beach
- Back in the Saddle Again
- I describe the simple pleasure of returning to cycling after time away. Sometimes the activities we love remind us that parts of ourselves were never truly lost.
- Summer and Bike, At Long Last
- I celebrate the return of summer and the freedom that comes with long rides outdoors. Some of life’s greatest joys are also its simplest.
- Spring is Here — 2022 Edition
- I welcome the arrival of spring as a reminder that renewal is always possible. The changing seasons encourage me to begin again with fresh energy and optimism.
- Riding the Malibu Canyons Again
- I return to one of my favorite cycling routes and rediscover both its beauty and its challenge. Familiar roads often offer new perspectives when we travel them again.
- Insomnia As I Age
- I describe how aging has changed my relationship with sleep and nighttime reflection. Even unwelcome changes can teach patience and acceptance.
- Summer at the Beach in 2021 — Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
- I reflect on how time at the beach reminds me to slow down and appreciate life’s uncomplicated pleasures. Happiness often grows when we learn to want less rather than more.
- My 52nd Birthday
- On another birthday, I look back with gratitude while thinking carefully about the years still ahead. Growing older has taught me to value purpose, relationships, and each day’s opportunities more than milestones alone.