Stan, The Man

I have a man crush on Stan Wawrinka. First, I love his oney ( one handed backhand) It is so long, so loose, so dirty. And his shockingly ugly shorts (now retired!) But more than that, I love the way he has gone about his career. Different than every other player. He had the extreme misfortune, as a Swiss tennis star, to come along at the same time as another Swiss, ( who I also am a rabid fan of) who happens to be The GOAT! (greatest of all time) So Stan flew under the radar for a very long time. In fact, he was 29 before his first monster breakthrough winning the Aussie open in 2014. Then, he neatly tucked away another Grand Slam title at the French in 2015.

But this post isn't really about his play or his accomplishments, Its about mental toughness. Stan does a great job with this, but I really want to talk about his tattoo. Have you ever noticed the tattoo on his left arm? It's written in French, and in cursive so it may be tough to read. But this is what it says:

"ever tried, ever failed, no matter.

Try again, fail again, fail better"

To me, this is the most complete statement of understanding about commitment and true understanding of the mental side of competition. It is not about winning, but about trying to win. It's not about trophies, titles, or cash. It is definitely not about fear of losing, but about having the courage to lose - because what the whole pursuit of excellence is really about? Is getting better. Its about testing yourself, and finding a way to be better at it (anything) than the last time you tested yourself. it is about an uncommon work ethic with one lofty goal in mind: get better.

That quote on Stan's left arm should be one of our core values or key concepts. It is a clear explanation, and a guide, for why we do what we do, and how we should keep a healthy view of our milestones and progress.

Read it, and read it again. Think about what it means. Find a way to put the concepts of " try again", and" fail better" at the top of your priority list. When you understand it, and begin to live it, you will know. And you will fail better, and you will thrive- knowing that that state of failing better is what success actually is,