Andre Agassi hated playing tennis. The world knows this now, because of his autobiography, “Open,” the book in which he tells the truth.
“Open” is about telling the truth; what happens when you do, and what happens when you don’t.
Before penning this essay, I looked up the current mens all-time tennis rankings. At the end of his career, Agassi faced both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, two of the great champions of the sport (he also briefly coached Novak Djokovic, perhaps the best of all time). And yet his own rankings, while still impressive, are not what they might be.
He was a phenomenal tennis player who rose to the top of the sport as a teenager, crashed, and then returned with a late great period. He is famous for his tennis, but he is also well-known for his personal troubles, particularly the ones he brought on himself.
Reading this book, two things become clear: when hatred and loathing of your inner and outer world are your motivators, no matter how much talent you have, you will not achieve what you could. Agassi was great, but he have been better. He was capable of beating the players he lost to. How do I know?
Because when he got honest with himself about his game, his life, his relationships, and his fuel, when he discovered what inspired him and propelled him to move beyond his self-absorption, he came back and won, despite the physical limitations that accrue to an older athlete in any sport.
What if his talent had been his friend, and not his enemy? What might the record books show? Is it possible that he would have started slower, or later? We won’t ever know, but his father’s obsession to force tennis forward at all costs set him up for many years of suffering before he figured it out. Surely there is an easier way.
Is this essay about homeopathy? Well, that depends. Is it about potentized remedies? No. But if the healing agent is similar in character to the suffering (hitting rock bottom because you’ve been telling yourself, your whole life, that you aren’t worthy of true success, for instance), and you make the choice to take responsibility for where you are and do whatever painful work is required to get better, that is a homeopathic process.
Agassi’s physical issues were a way his body was telling him he was out of integrity, out of alignment. Playing at that level, especially with a spinal defect, takes a toll, but the larger price comes from forcing the body to plow ahead when the heart is opposed. The symptoms of the body will reveal the disconnect, and show where the growth is trying to occur. The pain is the path, a neon sign that something is being ignored, overridden, or denied.
Does that mean we will be free of all pain when we find healing? Sometimes, but not always. There are no guarantees on this journey. Agassi found his path in the end, and his body bears the trophies of his contests with himself. There are no magic bullets.
But when you get the message, get started. When something asks for healing, get help. The keys to your greatest achievements are contained in this parcel of pain, but you have to unwrap it. Once it has done its job, you can set it free.
What holds you back from starting?
.
Don’t forget to schedule and INFO (homeopathy) or EMBARK (homeopathy+shamanic coaching) call, or renew your care, before February 1, to look in 2023 prices. All new Healing Journey Shamanic Coaching clients receive a home remedy kit to help you through acutes. Book NOW!
Click HERE for your FREE Embark on Healing call, if you’d like to learn more about my Navigating Your Healing Journey shamanic coaching program of homeopathy-driven healing, growth, and self-discovery, and how you can gain greater access to your intuition and true path. I am offering you the Irresistible Invitation to Surrender. Will you accept it?