14 fabulous lessons from the book 'Open' by Andre Agassi

 

The book explores Agassi's journey from a financially disadvantaged upbringing to becoming a successful tennis player. It details his relationships, intense training regimen, which he initially resented. The book also describes his personal struggles; the effects of relationships, particularly with actress Brooke Shields and fellow tennis player Steffi Graf; and the transformative experience of fatherhood.

Read on...

From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, this is a beautiful, haunting autobiography. 

Lonely, scared, a ninth-grade dropout, he rebels in ways that will soon make him a 1980s icon. He dyes his hair, pierces his ears, dresses like a punk rocker. By the time he turns pro at sixteen, his new look promises to change tennis forever, as does his lightning-fast return. 

And yet, despite his raw talent, he struggles early on. After stumbling in three Grand Slam finals, Agassi shocks the world, and himself, by capturing the 1992 Wimbledon. Overnight he becomes a fan favorite and a media target. 

After having read the book page by page, I, hereby, list down the 14 fabulous lessons from this awesome book.

These are the examples that stuck with me. 
These learnings are worded and appended in a way that makes it easier for most of us to understand and absorb.

If you are interested in reading about such learning from other all-time best-selling books, you may click here.

For now, if you wish to know about "Open", and what I learned from it, here you go...

1/ What you feel is irrelevant. It's what you do that makes you brave.

2/ You can't dwell on tomorrow any more than you dwell on your yesterday.

3/ Thinking is a cardinal sin. Because when you are thinking, you are not doing anything. Thinking is the opposite of doing, and doing can only fetch you your goals.

4/ You need talent + fire in the belly + luck for success.

5/ You can live with failure if you had put in your ultimate best, but tough if you just relied on luck and hope.

6/ A win doesn't feel as good as the loss feels bad. And the good feeling doesn't last as long as the bad, not even close.

7/ Knowing your opponent is a super advantage.

8/ Don't try to be perfect. Be like gravity - consistent, solid, focused.

9/ Remove shackles that exist, not for you, but for the world, for your image. Be yourself in front of the world. You will feel liberated. And then the world will learn to deal with the new you.

10/ Helping others is the only thing that has lasting value and meaning. That's why we are here - to support each other.

11/ You may not like or even hate what you do for your living. But still, doing it anyways, doing it well and cheerfully - that's the point. Hate it all you want but still doing it respectfully is vital.

12/ Have a purpose that's bigger than you, and still closely connected to what you do. Work for a big purpose, a mission.

13/ If you lose, it's perfectly fine. But always go down with all guns blazing, go down at your own terms.

14/ If you are not moving forward, you are moving backwards.

Hope these 14 fabulous lessons will help shape up your thought process to some extent and help you appreciate life much better.

Don't have time to read the entire book? 

Then, you can read the crux of some of the best-selling books ever written.
If you are interested in reading about such learning from other all-time best-selling books, you may click here.

Regards

Manoj Arora
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