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Between tennis sets, my friend remarked upon the little boy of about six who was in the midst of a rigorous practice session with his father on the adjacent court.
“He’s really good!” she said. “But wow...his father is kind of harsh.”
“Yeah,” I said, thinking about the many years’ worth of parent-child dynamics I witnessed as an educator. “Sometimes that level of performance carries a cost.”
Read MoreI have kept a diary for many years.
That enables me to go back at regular intervals to find out what I was doing and thinking in the past.
Often, I have looked up how things were “a year ago today.” The conceit is that I can marvel at the progress that I have made in that time.
Read MoreThis week, Ashleigh Barty, the number-one ranked women's tennis player in the world, announced her retirement from the sport at age twenty-five.
It made international headlines. Who quits at the top?
Barty said that she knows all too well what it takes to bring out her best, and she doesn't want to do it anymore. She doesn't have the drive.
Read MoreOkay, this is weird, but I think it's a useful ability of mine: I know what it's like to be successful without actually having to go to the trouble.
I mean really successful, like number one record, eight-figure income, bestselling novel successful.
I haven't been there, but I know. I can experience it without experiencing it. I know that when you reach that level, you aren't any different inside than you were before, and if how you felt inside was inadequate and unworthy, you will still feel that way.
Read MoreWhy have some of the most wealthy and famous people in history been so miserable?
It's possible that they spent their lives chasing money or fame when what they really wanted was love, joy, freedom, or peace.
Maybe they wanted to be respected for their art, but all they got was admiration for their beauty. Life is rough, isn't it?
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