Quotes from W. Timothy Gallwey

Uncomfortable without a standard for right and wrong, the judgmental mind makes up standards of its own. Meanwhile, attention is taken off what is and placed on the process of trying to do things right.

fundamentally, experience precedes technical knowledge. We

First the mind judges the event, then groups events, then identifies with the combined event and finally judges itself.

He aims at the kind of spontaneous performance which occurs only when the mind is calm and seems at one with the body, which finds its own surprising ways to surpass its own limits again and again. Moreover, while overcoming the common hang-ups of competition, the player of the inner game uncovers a will to win which unlocks all his energy and which is never discouraged by losing. There

letting go of judgments does not mean ignoring errors. It simply means seeing events as they are and not adding anything to them.

increased his awareness of that part of his swing. When the mind is free of any thought or judgment, it is still and acts like a mirror. Then and only then can we know things as they are.

To me it makes sense to build any system of instruction upon the best possible understanding of natural learning, the learning process you were born with.

experience precedes technical knowledge.

Freedom from stress happens in proportion to our responsiveness to our true selves, allowing every moment possible to be an opportunity for Self 2 to be what it is and enjoy the process. As far as I can see, this is a lifelong learning process.

if we let ourselves lose touch with our ability to feel our actions, by relying too heavily on instructions, we can seriously compromise our access to our natural learning processes and our potential to perform.

valid instruction derived from experience can help me if it guides me to my own experiential discovery of any given stroke possibility.

The development of inner skills is required, but it is interesting to note that if, while learning tennis, you begin to learn how to focus your attention and how to trust in yourself, you have learned something far more valuable than how to hit a forceful backhand. The

skill of mastering the art of effortless concentration

I was beginning to learn what all good pros and students of tennis must learn: that images are better than words, showing better than telling, too much instruction worse than none, and that trying often produces negative results. One question perplexed me: What's wrong with trying? What does it mean to try too hard? PLAYING

Awareness of what is, without judgment, is relaxing, and is the best precondition for change

Since the mind seems to have a will of its own, how can one learn to keep it in the present? By practice.

All who enter even a little into that state of being present will experience a calmness and a degree of ecstasy which they will want to repeat. The

Once you learn how to learn, you have only to discover what is worth learning. Summarized

using awareness to "discover the technique

One thing that can be said about focus is that it is always here and now—that is, in present time and present space.

The greatest lapses in concentration come when we allow our minds to project what is about to happen or to dwell on what has already happened.

Since the mind seems to have a will of its own, how can one learn to keep it in the present? By practice. There is no other way. Every time your mind starts to leak away, simply bring it gently back.

Anxiety is fear about what may happen in the future, and it occurs only when the mind is imagining what the future may bring.

Support and encourage your Self 2, knowing that the stronger it gets, the more it will take to throw you off balance, and the quicker you can regain your balance.