Wimbledon 2012

Wimbledon

Wimbledon is considered by many to be the world's number one tennis tournament: it's certainly the oldest, being held since 1877. Being seeded for this tournament is considered an indicator of possible success. Records show that only two unseeded men (Becker in 1985 and Ivanisevic in 2011) have been successful and no unseeded woman has ever won the title.

Wimbledon

Most of us aren't affected by seeding, whether at Wimbledon or elsewhere. The tournament in which we strive to improve our ranking is L-I-F-E-living longer, better. And this quest has been around long before tennis was first served-up in the 12th Century.

Wimbledon

Tennis players who strive to improve their rankings, and ultimate seedings for tournaments they enter, know that they must win (and continue to win) matches-especially those deemed to matter. We, too, know how to improve (and continue to improve) our ranking. And, if we're stuck for ideas, the libraries' and bookstores' shelves creak under the weight of books containing the essential how-to information.

Wimbledon

'OK', I hear you ask, 'if tennis players, Olympic athletes, and other life-participants know what's required of them, what gets-in their way of doing it?' The answer is straightforward: NOTHING! We know what do do, we just have to do it! There are even acronyms, 'DIET', for example, (Do I Eat That? or Do I Exercise Today?) to help us just do it, Carpe diem, or whatever.

Wimbledon

Success, according to Simon Leys (The Hall of Uselessness), involves skill and luck. And being highly successful requires considerably more skill and a lot more luck. So, if Leys's advice is on the ball, if a tennis player is going to improve her world ranking, she needs to improve her skills-and get lucky (hope she doesn't draw Serena Williams in the first-round). And, if I'm going to add years to my life and life to my years, I, too, need to 'up' my life-skills, and hope a bit of luck comes my way.

Wimbledon

Too bad that time and space don't provide me an opportunity to get you to the locker room at Wimbledon or to tell you how to put the wake on hold. To tide you over till another day, however, when these commodities are available, heed these words of wisdom from George Burns: The best advice we can take is our own.