"When Serena Williams strode onto the Wimbledon grass, her legendary power was never in question. Her serve was crushing. Her backhand was unstoppable. But she wouldn't go to the net. She'd see a short ball, the kind that screams "approach," and she would hesitate to volley and miss the point. Serena was not playing at her full potential because of a story in her head."
"He decided to fight a lie with another lie. After a match, he told Serena casually, "When I see a short ball, I am so comfortable, I could sleep." Serena pushed back: " Why do you say that?" "Because you win 80 percent of the points at the net," Mouratoglou lied with conviction. That stat helped surface Serena's limiting belief. "I thought I was terrible at the net," she told the coach."
Beliefs are self-generated stories that can either liberate or limit potential. Example of Serena Williams at Wimbledon: powerful strokes but avoided approaching the net due to a limiting belief. Her coach used a deliberate false statistic to counter that belief and instill confidence; she began approaching the net more, volleying confidently, winning crucial points, and ultimately won Wimbledon while achieving the asserted 80% net-point win rate. Positive thinking alone is incomplete. An effective belief must hold up to real-world feedback, remain open to revision, and not ignore evidence. Beliefs function as mental models developed through experience and require consistent practice like physical strength.
Read at Psychology Today
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