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We all have what I call an inner game thermostat. It governs your inner game temperature, so to speak. Your comfort zone is like a climate controlled room. If it gets too cool then it's time to heat up. If it gets too hot the air conditioner turns on to cool things down.
Your inner thermostat does exactly what it is preprogrammed to do - bring your game back to *normal*! How By producing what appears to be the "wrong swing at the wrong time". Yet in reality it is actually the "right swing at the right time!" Your inner game thermostat calmly runs beneath your conscious awareness. Perfectly controlling your game.
The same goes for when you are approaching your personal low score. Yet there's something funny about the settings on the low side of our comfort zone... The thermostat seems to kick in with even more certainty!
(Have you ever noticed that even though your scores might be climbing and you are not happy about it, it feels easier and somehow more acceptable than going really low I'm not saying you don't want to go low. I'm saying that you are *familiar* with shooting higher scores because you've done this more often than shoot really low scores. comfortzone ).
comfortzone As you get nearer to breaking your personal best it kicks on and returns your game to "normal". How You card a couple bogies in a row and guess what You magically shoot within the range of scoring your unconscious has hardwired for you! Your comfort zone is maintained*. . . The strange thing is there's nothing comfortable about it at all! We are comfortable because of only one thing: we have made it a habit.
Comfort zones are a long and slow death to any hopes you have of reaching your potential. I don't care what kind of goal setting plan, or mental game worksheet you follow or how much you practice. Your internal setting for what you "believe" about your game is what calls the shots. Pun fully intended. 
There are specific strategies for creating new settings on your inner game thermostat. Nothing complicated yet they are extremely powerful and effective. But hey, only you know how much you want to break out of your comfort zone.
...it's kind of like the proverbial frog in a pot of water. Set the frog in a pot of water and slowly bring it to a boil and the frog stays there because it is comfortable along the way...
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Australia prides itself with a diverse wildlife: kangaroos, koalas, possums, wallabies, potaroos, dugongs, kookaburras, arowana fishes, Tasmanian tigers, emus, platypus, spiders, scorpions, octopus, wobbegong shark, barracuda, jellyfish, stonefish, and stingrays--the name-dropping can go on forever.
Yes, the Aussie wildlife is indeed endlessly fascinating. Take note though that we're talking wild creatures here, and many an Outback casualty have something to do with animals.
Snakes in your Tent Don't worry, snakes don't usually wander into peoples' tents; after all they are every bit afraid of humans as we are of them. comfortzone It should interest you to know though that Australia is renowned for having the most species of poisonous snakes in the world. And the venomous variety in Australia outnumbers its non-venomous ones.
In case of a snakebite, it is most important that you stay still so the venom doesn't spread. Apply pressure to the bitten area, preferably with firm bandages, about as tight as you would bind a sprained ankle. Do not apply a tourniquet. Splint the whole area to immobilise. Then have someone drive you to the nearest hospital or doctor as quickly as possible. Remember, in Australia, the number for emergency services is -000'.
Crocodiles Waterholes or -billabongs' that you may come across in your travel might look inviting especially in the sweltering sun, but unless you want to be buddy-buddy with crocodiles, DO NOT GO IN THE WATER. Australia's Saltwater Crocodile is the largest of its species and yes, they can and do kill humans. On the other hand, freshwater crocs rarely bother humans.
In any case, signboards will warn about the presence of crocodiles in billabongs, lakes, and other bodies of water, but don't always count on them. It's best not to go there for even a quick dip. Your travel guide should know about the safest swimming holes to go to.
Furry Animals Sure, Taz of Looney Tunes, and cartoonized kangaroos, and other furry animals may seem cute and harmless on TV, but beware of them in real life. Kangaroos, for one, can pack a mighty kick with those back feet. And yes, they're handy with their paws as well. (No wonder they're often depicted wearing boxing gloves.)
And then, there are the dingoes. They may look sweet, but they're still untamed, so have second thoughts when you feel tempted to pet them.
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| We've been conditioned to equate favorable circumstances with God's favor and unfavorable ones with evil. Yet God uses both the good and the bad in our life to accomplish his purpose in the world as well as our lives.
I've heard numerous times that God uses setbacks as setups. He knows that as long as things stay the same, so will we. But it's only through circumstances that stretch us, and move us out of our comfort zone, that motivates us to change or take a new course of action.
I can reflect on numerous crisis in my life that I thought while I was going through them that the world would end. comfortzone But in hind sight, what I thought was the end of the world turned out to work in my favor, and was just what I needed to received God's blessing or move to the next level in my Christian walk.
I remember when I had my first real elementary school teaching job and the principal basically fired me. The week prior to my evaluation and possible rehire, everything, I mean everything, was going wrong. Literally, it was like invisible forces were setting me up to fail. During my evaluation the principal told me that I should look for a different profession and that I wasn't cut out to be a teacher. I was devastated by her comments; however, within one week of substituting I was hired on permanently at another school that happened to be open year around. This turned out to be a tremendous blessing because I could do my student teaching there and saved thousands of dollars in tuition. I also didn't have to take out any loans for living expenses. This would not have been possible at the previous school. I ended up teaching 10 more years before leaving the profession altogether.
Then there was the time that my relationship ended with the man who I though was the man of my dreams. This caused me to spiral down into years of depression. And although I know it wasn't God's perfect will for me to wallow in depression, he used it to catapult me into my Christian meditation business and ministry that has literally reached thousands of people worldwide. Through my heartache and pain, I discovered the transformative power of dwelling in God's presence as well as low to bring every thought under the authority of Christ through meditation.
Like me, I'm sure you can reflect upon similar situations in your life where God took what was meant for evil and used it for your good. Romans 8:28 declares, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
All things meaning, our pain, tribulations, crisis, death, tragedy, illness, lack, obstacles, mountains, setbacks, trials, disappointments, and temptations. No experience we face is wasted if we will trust God and believe that He has our back.
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we will be free from pain and suffering. In fact, Hebrews 5:8 says that Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered. But God doesn't want us to fixate on the problem or our suffering; he wants us to keep our eyes on Him. Isaiah 26:3 declares, "You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee." We will all face the storms of life, but as long as we stay centered in God, in the eye of the storm, we will come through safely and victoriously.
We must rely on God's promise that says, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard the things that God as prepared to those who love him." We should meditate on this often and get it rooted deeply in our heart.
2 Corinthians 4:17 says, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." As Christians we often forget that our time on this earth is temporary. Everything shall pass away. We're just passing through. Too often we get caught up with the affairs of this life and to our own detriment. Jesus told us to be in the world but not of the world. When we measure our success and happiness by the worldly standards, we set ourselves up for disappointment. As Christians, we can't serve both God and money.
1 Peter 4:12 declares, Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trials you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
God uses circumstances to grow and mature us, fulfill his purpose, move us in new directions, and stretch our faith. When things begin to stir in our life, it is usually an indication that transition is coming. That God has something better in store for us. Just think if you had a 25-year old son who slept until noon, watched television to early evening, played basketball for several hours, and then came home, showered, and left until the wee hours in the morning, and this son lived with you! Let's say he's been doing this for the past year and feels no need or urgency to change. For him all is well. But on the other hand, you know he needs a job, responsibility, and to make a life for himself. Yet, if you take no action, your son will stay right where he is until something causes him to change is mind or alter his behavior. That something might very well be you. He wakes up one day to find out he must now pay you rent, that he must do certain chores, that he has a curfew and can no longer sleep past 8a. m. Well from the son's perspective all hell has broke loose. comfortzone He is under fire. But as his parents you see the big picture, even if he can't.
God sees the big picture too. Just like in the above illustration, when we think the ship is sinking, God may saying, I'm got to move my child to the next level; I've got to move him or her into her purpose; I've got to get them walking in a new direction; I need to get them setup for my blessings; or I need to change their perspective about this life."
God may be thinking, I want to do exceedingly abundantly above what they could ask for imagine or think, but it will never happen as long as they stay on that job, stay in that relationship, live in that house, stay at that church, keep those same habits, hang around that friend, or live in that city. God has to get us out of our bed of security and pull that teddy bear right out of our hands to get us to move.
So whatever you're going through today, what whatever you are suffering through, although it may be difficult, even unbearable, try to see it as just one piece or your puzzle and not the whole picture.
God is lord over everything. He allows it to rain on the just as well as the unjust but God doesn't do things happenstance. Today, try to look beyond the trees right in the midst in an effort to see a glimpse of the forest ahead and meditate on the possibilities ahead of you!
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I have had quite a few comments (mainly congratulations) about the photos of Mike and the trophy he got for winning the ITF junior event in Spain a couple of weeks ago. And the number 1 question and comment is whether I could put my finger on any secret to this success
Well, first off let me say that he is not there yet and has a long way to go we are not talking about Pete Sampras (a model we used), Roger Federer or Rafa Nadal at the moment, but having said that his development has been great.
Now I know exactly where everybody is coming from with their questions. They are really asking is there anything that you did with Mike that could help me
In terms of the secret, if I had to single out anything in particular it would be his ability to play good matches that was a big factor.
Since I saw and started working with him at the age of 6 or 7 when he stood out (along with several other kids I might add) as being a good striker of the tennis ball, we started working on (at a low level because of his age) simple strategies that were designed to cause his opponents problems.
Simple things like identifying spaces on the court and hitting the ball to those spaces were fundamental building blocks for him at 8 years old.
Obviously this is only one example but whatever we did had one overall aim to take whoever he was playing OUT of their comfort zone.
Because lets face it if you are given a chance to play a match playing on your terms/in your comfort zone, hitting the shots you want to, when you want to hit them you must rate your chances of winning that match as AT LEAST pretty good.
goal setting So we worked on trying (as much as possible) to get Mike into this position whilst getting his opponents not hitting their favorite shots etc. (out of their comfort zone), because the bottom line is this - If he was able to do this, his chances of winning were INCREASED!
Well, I dont have some laboratory somewhere with spare arms and legs lying around waiting to be attached in a Frankenstein styled attempt to build tennis players (now theres a thought!!), but the one thing that was a conscious action was to implant the basic matchplay strategies that would hopefully allow him to win matches when all else was equal (shots etc).
At the end of the day, tennis is a win or lose sport. There are no draws.
To improve your ranking or rating you have to win tennis matches!
To get promoted in your division or ladder league you have to win tennis matches.
So if there is one thing to look at and take away from what was a story about one boys ITF triumph in a foreign country it would be this Learn more about the process behind winning tennis matches!
You can learn the exact system I used with Mike by going to and looking for the Special Report - Beat All The Tennis Players You Want.
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| How important is airplane comfort to you Imagine being on a plane for several hours, traveling overseas - is airplane comfort something high on the agenda or is your main focus just getting to your destination If one has spent several hundred dollars or more to travel anywhere - comfort should be a priority. comfortzone Picture several things that can make your flight a living nightmare: crying babies (not the good ones, just the ones that won't stop screaming), seats that are so close that if the person in front of you reclines - they are practically in your lap, how about a cold plane with no blanket, better yet a three hour flight with only peanuts and no pillows, and although this happens in the end - the loss of your luggage -- this just throws all other comforts that you may have experienced right out of the window.
Since we know now what airplane discomfort is let's see how we can get to the comfort zone: practice how to sit for hours without talking -- what would you do To resolve this issue take along some crossword puzzles or if it truly is a long flight some airlines offer music with headphones/earpieces or even movie or TV clips that you can watch comfortzone. This is a real plus because if you find the right music or right movie this helps time to go by fast and it is definitely an item that can put you in a real comfort zone. Depending on the type of work you do - you may be able to get some work done. Although this can be a positive being that it is so quiet keep in mind that others do sit next to you - so keep personal things out of sight and be careful of food and drinks that can spill over during a rocky flight. It is also equally important to move around when on a long flight.
Comfort tips not mentioned above: bring your own pillows - maybe the kind that are adjustable or the massage therapy pillow that vibrates and massages the neck and shoulders, maybe take some of your own snacks in case you dislike what the airline has to offer, and when booking your flight - ask about the seating arrangements and where your seat is located. You want to purchase a really comfortable seat maybe even by a window so that you can watch the stars if traveling at night - just something to focus on and dream about without focusing on how long your flight is. The most important thing to remember is that airplane comfort means no stressing over anything - use earplugs if babies are crying and tune out any distractions comfortzonebook. This is your time to indulge and take advantage of the quiet personal time that one cannot get quite often -- so enjoy to the fullest!
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