Medvedev’s self-destructive beliefs

Daniil Medvedev’s press conference after his loss to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open men’s final gave me pause for reflection.  Medvedev attributed his failure to realise his dreams, to the cumulative lack of support from tennis fans in the arena.

The conference brought to mind William Ernest Henley’s poem, Invictus.

In particular, the last paragraph of the poem . . .

“It matters not how straight the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul”.

Many of us in our public performances rely on conditions external to ourselves to tell us who we are, and to give us permission to succeed.

To do this is to construct a prison for ourselves.

We are free to choose our own responses.