Page 103 - The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin_Neat plip book

Ultimately we should learn how to use the lessons from thi s type of
experience without needing to get injur ed: a basket bal l pl ayer sho ul d pl ay lefty

for a few months, to even out his gam e. A soccer pl ayer who favors hi s right leg
should not take a right-footed shot for an extended period of time. If di rty
opponents inspire a great competitor to raise hi s game, he sho ul d learn to raise
his game without relying on the ugl y rus es of hi s oppo nen ts (see Making

Sandals, in Part III). Once we learn how to use adversity to our adv antage, we
can manufacture the helpful growth oppo rtuni ty witho ut actua l da nge r or
injury. I call this tool the internal solution—we can notice external events that
trigger helpful growth or performance oppo rtuni ties, and then interna lize the

effects of those events without their actual ly happen ing. In thi s way, adv ersity
becomes a tremendous source of creative inspi ration.