It’s really a privilege to be the target speaker of the Division Toastmasters Evaluation Contest. When I accepted this role, it became my problem yet I considered it as an opportunity. After I delivered the speech, I received beautiful feedback from the Evaluation Contestants and people who were present at that event. But the most inspiring comments that I received are from the leaders of our club – Mangaf Communicators – especially from our outgoing and incoming presidents. I am a team player and it’s always my joy to contribute good things to our team.
Project Title: Eyes on the ball
Do you like having problems? Your reactions might be No way! Nobody likes problem. I will tell you that there are. There are people who look at problems as opportunities, not as obstacles. And these are the people who are successful in their own fields!
Search for the synonyms of the word problem and you will find all the ugliness of that word. It may the reason why many don’t like it. However, if we only know how to handle it, we could see the beauty that lies on it.
For almost 20 years as a player and a coach, I found that the 3 common mistakes in playing tennis are the same mistakes we need to avoid in handling our personal problems. Allow me to explain each one.
First, evading the ball.
I could not forget my first double-match with my coach as my partner. He instructed me to position near the net while he did his first serve. When the ball landed in the serving area, our receiving opponent swung his racket wide and hit the ball hard! I heard the sound “TAK” and saw the ball moving toward me. I did not wait to be hit by the ball, I ran outside the court. My coach smiled. He approached me and said, there was no need for you to run. You have the racket, what you must do is “eyes on the ball” and hit it back.
It was fear that dictates me to run and not to hold my ground. It is the same fear that tells us to evade when we are confronted with a problem. My colleague told me that he had a friend in college who never took a licensure examination because of fear of failing the exam. If he only knew that the best way to overcome fear is to face it, then probably he passed that exam.
Second, ignoring the ball.
I am a double player and I played always at the net. One time, our opponent hit the ball high. I thought it was out and so I ignored it. It was too late for me to react when the ball landed inside our court. What I supposedly was done was to quickly move into the baseline, then “eyes on the ball”. In that way, I either smash or just hit the ball back into opponent’s court.
How many of us just ignore our problems thinking that they would just go away on the next day? Until then, we realized that the problems are still there – days, weeks and even months had passed. We need to be proactive and always be prepared.
Third, getting distracted.
My skills and confidence in playing tennis were improved, I started to participate double tournaments. It was a championship match and the score was so close. I was on the net when our opponent returned a short ball. I was about to hit the ball but someone from the audience shouted: “SMASH IT!”. I was so distracted. I hit the ball out from the court and we lose the championship. If only I executed what I believed to be the best action, my partner and I could have won the match.
To sum up my points; evading the ball, ignoring the ball and getting distracted are the three common mistakes in tennis. These are the same mistakes we need to avoid in order to solve our personal problems.
If we want to overcome any obstacle in our life, we need to face whatever trials and difficulties that come on their way, concentrate on the solutions and avoid getting distracted by other issues. Problems are everywhere and they are not easy to face, but if we have the right attitude and strategy, we can become successful in whatever we do.
As what I have learned from playing tennis, there is beauty in every problem if we know how to handle it.
