Powerful. Confident. Intelligent. Ambitious.
All these describe the best female tennis player of all time, and 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, Serena Williams. With her powerful style of play and unparalleled athleticism, she’s gained attention and admiration worldwide. It’s safe to say that no matter who the top seed is going to be in the future, Serena will always be a benchmark for the sports of tennis.
I was privileged to hear Serena speak at the SheKnows Media’s BlogHer 2017 in Orlando, Fla., and she was pregnant at the time. She looked amazing!
Serena is a tremendous inspiration for people around the world. Here are five life lessons from Serena Williams to inspire you to succeed in life.
1. “Believe in yourself even when no one else does.”
You may be put in a situation where what you want and what other people want are two different things. In some cases, people will doubt you, which can cause self-doubt because it’s only natural to want people’s approval.
In Serena’s case, people were skeptical about her return to tennis after giving birth. What she did was ignore other people’s opinions, because you only have to believe in yourself when no one else does.
{Source: Huffington Post; Credit: Norma Jean Roy}
2. “Dare to try to chase your dreams.”
In celebration of her comeback to the court after giving birth to her first child, Nike released a video ad of Serena training with her father and coach when she was a child. Serena then reposted the ad on Instagram with the caption: “If you don’t dare to try to chase your dreams, you’ll rob yourself of the joy of doing it. Don’t just dream it.”
3. “A real champion is defined not by their wins, but by how they can recover when they fall.”
We have a mindset that champions are winners. If you win, then people will see you as a champion. It’s partly correct because winning means defeating all odds. However, the focus shouldn’t solely be on the glory of winning but on the tenacity and skill that allowed a person to recover from a fall.
{Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe}
A true champion experiences failures just like any human being, but like Serena, your desire to win should always be stronger than anything else.
4. “Don’t stop until you get it right.”
In 1998, Serena qualified for the Australian Open for the first time and was matched with then sixth seed, Irina Spirlea. She lost the first match but fought through it. In an interview with GQ Sports, she stated that she had a mindset that when she goes down a set, she doesn’t think much of it as she’s still in the game and it’s not yet over.
You have to focus and stay present. This kind of winning mentality was apparently effective in Serena’s 2-1 win.
Failure is part of the game, whether it’s in sports, life, or getting your business to thrive. The important thing is to learn from your mistakes, have a fresh perspective and condition your mind to focus on the present.
5. “Every woman’s success should be an inspiration to another. We’re strongest when we cheer each other on.”
Serena reiterates that success isn’t achieved by tearing each other down, but through building each other up. The sporting field is very competitive, especially for women who need to work past gender stereotypes. Statistics showed that people perceived women’s sports as less exciting than men’s. However, Serena Williams proved that this is not the case as she’s able to draw 50 percent more viewers than Men’s Finals. It’s more than gender issues, it’s about giving people a great match to watch.
The best matches come from people who have an equal understanding of the sport and equal respect for each other. It’s more exciting to watch a match between players who encourage higher standards of skills and achievements. This doesn’t just apply to tennis or sports in general, but in life as well.
{Source: Glamour Magazine}
Wrapping Up
Serena Williams has always been different. From her game style to her fits on and off-court as well.
From her outfits being banned (we’re talking about the Nike bodysuit she wore in the 2018 French Open – see above photo) to defending her points, Williams proved that it doesn’t matter where you come from, what you’re wearing, or the color of your skin. All that matters is that you’re kicking ass when it’s game time.
Whether you’re rocking a plain women’s tee and jeans, or a pantsuit — be focused, be yourself and stay confident.
Yours Truly,
Vanessa
{Feature Image Source: Tennis World}