When we plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice that it is small, but we do not criticize it as 'rootless and stemless'. We treat it as a seed, giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed. When it first shoots up out of the earth, we don't condemn it as immature and underdeveloped; nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand in wonder at the process taking place and give the plant the care it needs at each stage of its development. The rose is a rose from the time it is a seed to the time it dies. Within it, at all times, it contains its whole potential. It seems to be constantly in the process of change; yet at each state, at each moment, it is perfectly all right as it is.
Similarly, the errors we make can be seen as an important part of the developing process. In its process of developing, our tennis game gains a great deal from errors. Even slumps are part of the process. They are not 'bad' events, but they seem to endure endlessly as long as we call them bad and identify with them.
The Inner Game of Tennis, W. Timothy Gallwey
8 comments:
oh psyche...
this is just what i needed today. (or, all week).
thanks again for an inspiring post.
besos.
I'm very glad it helped!
It's a great book. It has a lot to say to us dancers. There'll probably be more excerpts as I work my way through.
That's very good. Beautifully put and true.
That's a beautiful quote. Having spent years in the garden learning the mysteries of growing roses, this quote is especially wonderful for me.
Thank you for this! It's made my weekend.
Glad you liked it!
This is really good stuff. I've thought of his books (this one, and "Inner Skiing" which I read years ago...) on occasion over the past few years - as being very applicable to tango. I might just have to buy it.
Thanks for sharing! If you don't mind, I would like to repost with credit to you...
Of course I don't mind!
I really do recommend it - it's helping me a lot. I think it would be a really valuable read for tango teachers, too, because it's so much about how to work with our natural learning processes instead of against them.
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