#bringon2014

The people closest to me could still see the fondness I had chasing that fuzz ball around, and thanks to them, I was encouraged to take things a step further. Jumping on the pro circuit was one of the scariest endeavors I had ever embarked on, but by putting myself in the most uncomfortable position imaginable, I gave myself the opportunity to find out a lot about who I am. Along with a successful tennis fall performance (by my standards), I would deem the event of meeting Rick Limpert as one of the highlights of my year. When I was approached by him to put together the book "The Invaluable Experience," I was incredibly apprehensive and insecure of whether I was worthy of publishing a book and if it would be well received by the tennis community. Debating with myself back and forth, I then realized if I truly felt as strongly about my writing as I have conveyed in my blog, I should have the courage to put myself in that vulnerable position and publish it. I actually told no one (other than my coach and parents) about the book beforehand, because I was afraid I would come across someone that would discourage me from actually following through on something I had set myself out to do. For me personally, being brave enough to compose that book and execute with publication required a sense of conviction that I did not know I was capable of. 

Reflecting on these past 4 months, I have realized there has got to be someone upstairs looking out for me, because it is amazing how things work out. So many events had to occur at the right time for my recent good fortune to have panned out the way it did. Everything I did to lead myself astray from the path of tennis actually brought me back to it. I took two enormous leaps of faith. One regarding my own tennis and the other regarding my thoughts and perspectives of it. Seeing that the book was so well received by my audience (especially my peers) was just as warm a feeling as spectators (no matter how little) applauding me after a long hard fought match. I truly do feel like I have experienced some of the most rewarding things of my life in the past few months. To be honest, I am overwhelmed. I wish I could say I know how blessed I am, but I don't. Looking back at it all, I am even more convinced that pursuing this grind with integrity and thanking those who have boosted me along the way is the only way I can do my luck justice.