Welcome to the Commune podcast. My name is Jeff Krasnow. How many of you may receive my weekly

Sunday commusing article where I address a breath of issues from the spiritual to the physiological

to the sociopolitical. And on occasion, I will also record an audio version

of these articles and release it here as a bonus episode.

So many of you may know that I'm a dedicated

and competitive tennis player,

have been for most of my life.

And while I certainly didn't pick up tennis

to prolong my lifespan, now that I'm 53 and into this stuff,

the data that demonstrate that tennis players enjoy longer and more vibrant lives are compelling.

Indeed, players of all racquet sports live on average 9.7 years longer than non-players.

So there are myriad reasons for this extended longevity of tennis players. Being outside and in community, moving your body, and aligning

intention and action all play a part. But there's another aspect to playing tennis at a high

level. You must be an optimist. That's right.

A tennis tournament has as many as 128 participants. There is only one solitary winner. Everyone else is a loser. One winner, 127 losers. And even the athlete who

hoist the trophy overhead wins only approximately 55% of the points, barely more than half.

Tennis is about losing.

It's about moving on, staying present,

and constantly believing in yourself.

And all these qualities can be equally applied to life.

Okay, without further delay,

here's today's episode titled, Tennis Anyone? I did everything right. I was patient and constructed the point meticulously. I kept the ball deep with heavy topspin and cross court patiently waiting for the moment to pounce.

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