10 Lessons from 'Getting a Grip'

POSTED BY DAVE: Did you know Monica Seles released a memoir six years ago, in which she writes candidly about her decade-long battle with binge eating? Of course you did. Me? I had no clue, and I'm not entirely sure how that is possible. Oh, wait. I had been working on my Ph.D. during those years. Neither watching nor playing tennis due to lack of time. Spending hundreds of hours in front of a computer. Struggling to meet oppressive deadlines. And, binge eating to deal with the stress.

Oh, the irony.

Last week, I bought a copy of Monica's memoir, Getting a Grip: On My Mind, My Body, My Self. The book has been gaining renewed attention due to Monica becoming more visible in the fight against eating disorders. (See footnote below.)

I read one book per month, and Getting a Grip was my selection for March. Well, the first day of March isn't over, and I have already finished Monica's book. The memoir was that good. Or, at least that meaningful for me.

Here are 10 lessons I learned that, I promise, won't ruin the book for you, if you haven't by chance read it yet:

1. Monica must be pretty awesome.
2. Mary Joe Fernandez must be pretty awesome. (I already believed that.)
3. Martina Navratilova must be pretty awesome. (I had figured as much, but now that's confirmed.)
4. I really need to visit Italy someday.
5. Steffi Graf did, in fact, visit Monica shortly after the stabbing. (I'd always read or was led to believe that she hadn't. Steffi must be pretty awesome.)
6. A stabbing, insensitive boyfriends, lost tennis matches and even the end of a career shouldn't define your life or your self-worth.
7. Professional tennis is a business.
8. The WTA ranking system and tour demands are intense and unforgiving. The longevity of Serena and Venus Williams is kind of amazing, really. They must be pretty awesome, too.
9. Monica has shopped at a Hy-Vee grocery store. (Notable simply because the company is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Bess lives there, and I used to, as well.)
10. Losing your dad too early in life sucks.

And, yes, that's the other part of the book that really got me. I lost my dad too early, too. Monica writes about how hard it was to go on with her career and her life while her dad was battling chemo, and then especially after he was gone. I won't share more than that, but his advice to her brought tears to my eyes. I recall Mom sharing similar advice with me after Dad's funeral, in order to help me get through the remaining few weeks of my junior year in college.

If you have struggled at all in life -- and really, who hasn't? -- then treat yourself. You'll no doubt find some powerful lessons and compelling tales in Getting a Grip. The book is really pretty awesome, just like I had always imagined Seles to be. (Thank you, Monica, for such an inspiring read.)

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FOOTNOTE: Here's a link to a recent article in People discussing Monica's advocacy work with the Binge Eating Disorder Association and National Eating Disorders Association, and in partnership with the pharmaceutical company Shire. We have not received any promotional consideration whatsoever from Seles, Avery (publisher of Getting a Grip), People magazine or the other organizations mentioned here; we are simply providing the links and information for your convenience, in case you or someone you know is struggling with binge eating or any other form of eating disorder.
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