'You cannot buy a tradition, nor you can accelerate it. Tradition is the transmission of knowledge that leads to the formation of what is now the rarest. The values we cherish and respect, values which we give from generation to generation. It is important to place the emphasis on every single thing you do, on every detail. Create all with passion and devotion to the resulting work: the only way to create true essence. Few of us can do it. But if it succeeds, you create something that is just hard to beat. What does not lose its value, but on the contrary, it strengthens and persists forever. Something that can not be grasped, but lives forever in us.'

'BEYOND MOUNTAINS, THERE ARE MOUNTAINS'  (old Haitian proverb)

As soon as you solve problem, another will arise. It does not get easier as your progress in sports, school, and life. This Academy, and others like it, will help you build the capacity to endure hard things. There is joy in the execution of all the special challenges that come your way. As long as you accept them, stand up, and put one foot in front another, you will keep moving forward in unique ways. You will keep writing your own story instead of letting others write it for you. That is the way of the champion and the exceptional team-mate.

Observe  a young child and an adult skiing down a hill. Notice how each handles a fall, the child rolls with the direction of force, while more often than not an adult will stiffen , desperately trying to resist the inevitable. The child then laughs, gets up, and continues down the slope, the adult waits for a stretcher.

What we are suggesting is that you flow with the way things are meant to be.

• Errors, mistakes, setbacks and failures cannot be avoided. They are teachers helping us to grow, expand, and learn.
• Change is constant, nothing remains the same. Life is up and down, sad and happy, fluidity and stiffness in turn.
• Karma is real. What goes around, comes around.
• Aging is a natural process, with each stage giving you an opportunity for growth.
• Happiness is ephemeral. It comes and goes.
• Letting go and detachment are essential to happiness. When a person does not cultivate awareness of when letting go is necessary and act on it, the result is suffering.
• Impermanence is real. Like it or not, nothing last forever.
• Patience, humility, gratitude, and faith are virtues in harmony with natural law that make the journey easier.

THE SOUND OF ONE HAND CLAPPING

Timeless lessons to connect, compete and lead in sports and life. Begin to listen to the way of Nature. Observing and obeying Nature's laws teaches you to develop unlimited personal power. There are no mistakes on this path, just lessons.

• Rather than be connected about how others are advancing, focus instead on yourself and how you are moving forward in your sports and life.
• Although we all make mistakes and end up doing the wrong thing and hurting others, if you atone for your past and do good deeds, you'll be admired for your true intention and character.
• Whether you believe you can, or believe you can't, you're probably right. It's all about the power of belief.
• Killing life, killing time. Those who speak out against killing and who wish to spare  the lives of all conscious being are right. It is right to protect even animals and insects. But what about people who kill time, what about those who destroy wealth, and what about of those who destroy political economy? They should not be  overlooked. Beyond that, what about those who preach without having experienced enlightenment? It is wrong to kill no matter what that relates to , whether it's the life or a sentient being or the life of a day.
• Our thoughts dictate how we feel. They have an energy of their own and affect how we feel, behave, and perform. (Everything is an objectification of the mind)
• Let go of what you cannot control, like the future outcomes.
• Do the right thing, even when you think no one is watching, because at the same point, your behavior will be discovered.
• You may fell secure in what you know and what you can do, but it is equally important to be prepared when others are not. Be aware of all that surrounds you in the present moment.
• The treasure is already inside. Oftentimes we seek the good outside when indeed we already have it within us but fail to notice its presence.
• Sometimes our perception of things are just stones we make up when indeed  the truth is quite different.
• In the moment. Regardless of the past and the dangers the may loom in the future, it is important to stay present and live in the moment, appreciating what is sweet in the present.
• Letting go of the emotional weight of guilt and moving on, especially if your intention is pure.
• To be true to your word, live with integrity, and stand up and be counted when it matters, regardless of consequences.

In conclusion, we have one more story to leave with you, once again from the sixth-century storyteller Aesop.

An old man had a set of sons who were always fighting with one another. As he neared death, he summoned his sons to give them some parting advice and ordered his servants to bring in a bundle of sticks wrapped together. He commanded his eldest son to break it. The son strained with every muscle, but with all his efforts he was unable to break the bundle. He asked the same of each son, but none of them were successful. Next, the old man untied the bundle and handed each son a stick. 'Now break them' he requested, and each son was able to easily break his stick. 'You see my meaning?' said their father. 'Individually, you can easily be conquered, but together, one mind, one soul, you are as this bundle. You are unbreakable'.

This holds true for the old man's sons, and for you and your team. Never forget that.