Last night, I attended the first Rose Café I’ve been to this year. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in–maybe a canned motivational speech, maybe discussion about tennis that I would barely be able to follow. But Silviu Tanasoiu proved me wrong. Firstly, he had an air of humbleness, yet self confidence about him that made me really listen to his story instead of writing him off as a typical coach. His appreciation of the sacrifices that his family and coaches have made for him made him stand out as a speaker, especially when he talked about how honored he was to be speaking last night. I feel like almost all the motivational speakers I’ve ever heard talk a lot about their own hard work and only mention a little about the sacrifices that people have made for them to get there, and Silviu clearly has not forgotten his blessings which made the overall talk all the more fascinating to listen to.

He discussed how adversity breeds success and how the student athletes must be strong of mind as well as of body if they want to be successful. They must follow their schedules religiously and ensure that they don’t focus on the outcomes, whether those relate to prelims or matches. I have so much respect for student athletes–they work so hard and have many more responsibilities than many college students, and they still manage to get everything done. That kind of work ethic is really inspiring to hear about, and it was clear that Silviu is truly proud of his team for being of strong character as well as great athletes.

I think the idea of not focusing on outcomes is definitely a motto that I try to live by. I had a mentor when I was younger who always reminded me that often, things happen in a way that will protect us from other possible outcomes. She always told me that anything we encounter can be a lesson, and everyone we encounter in life will teach us something. That tied in strongly to what Silviu talked about yesterday about how adversity breeds success–it’s definitely tough, but if we can keep in mind during the bad times these lessons, then we can definitely overcome those obstacles and succeed.