My favorite thing about playing tennis is the anticipation of the opponents’ serve.

Right before he lobs the ball in the air, my mind races. Races with uncertainty. “Whats going to happen? Where’s the ball going to go?” Sometimes, I have thoughts like “I’m going to fuck up and forget how to hit the ball back”.

But every single time, all of those thoughts wash away the moment the ball is barreling towards me.

My mind becomes blank. It goes into instinct mode. My only concern is hitting the ball back, and my body goes into autopilot.

I don’t think, I just “do”.

That’s why I love playing tennis. I become present without even trying. I become present out of necessity.