JULY 2019 — 141IMAGE: GETTY IMAGES (PRAKASH), COURTESY PRAKASH AMRITRAJ (SERENA)
my left wrist), I decided to take a break from the game
and focus on my other passions: acting and film. But I
was leaving with my relationship to the game broken –
incomplete, unfinished and unhealthy.
It was at that personal nadir that I met Venus and
Serena Williams, and my life changed forever. Over
19 90s karaoke jams, some incredible meals, intensely
competitive games of left-handed tennis (all three of
us are right-handed!) and all-night dance-offs, I had
a FROW seat as they battled to add title after title to
their collection. I got to know the rest of their family
too, having long conversations with their lovely sisters
Isha and Lynn, as well as their mother Oracene and
their trailblazing father, Richard Williams. I began
to understand how these remarkable individuals,
who’d come from difficult circumstances in Compton,
California, had reached such dizzying heights,
completely rewriting the history books on what was
possible in terms of race, gender and the human spirit.
I found myself exploring how they approached
things versus how I did. I recall Venus once telling
Serena before a particularly high-stakes counter: “If
you don’t do it for you, do it for me... Die on the court.”
It became evident that “family” and an unshakeable
“belief in oneself ” were the paramount driving forces
of their lives. I realised how vital the latter is – so
many of us are crippled by what others think of
us. It certainly handcuffed me from reaching my
potential through my early 20s. I saw that so much
of the Williams’ fulfilment and success came from
superhuman effort, plus undying belief. That spoke to
me. Effort plus belief is how I’d achieved everything I
was proud of in my life. But could I take that further?
Venus’ words, and spending time with the Williams
family in those years, sparked off my “Code”.
Not long after, I made a comeback to the tennis
tour, fuelled by more focus and self-belief than I’d
ever had before. I found myself playing the best
tennis of my career, transforming strokes that were
once weaknesses into strengths and achieving levels
of fitness I didn’t think possible. This initial part of
my journey helped strengthen my Code, until a finalHaving a Code is what
allows you to hit
110 per cent of your
potential in every
aspect of your life:
professional,
personal and social
reconstructive shoulder surgery took me out of the
game and I jumped back into the entertainment
world – for good. But this time it was with great
satisfaction, and a healthy love for the game.
So, how does one arrive at their Code? To me,
it’s a set of foundational principles you believe in
so strongly, at the highest level, that it trickles
down into every single decision you make on a daily
basis. For me, it makes waking up at 3am to train
possible, because part of my Code is “using physical
training to grow the mind, body and spirit”, as well
as “gratitude”. Thoughts that propel me to achieve
this task are “how thankful I am to be healthy”; and
“gratitude for the sacrifices of my grandmother, who
overcame near-death and near-total paralysis to
make the dreams of her children, and grandchildren,
come true”. Suddenly it isn’t that hard to get out of
bed. Having a Code is what allows you to hit 110 per
cent of your potential in every aspect of your life:
professional, personal, social, parental.
Apart from “foundational principles”, a Code is
made up of traits in the individuals we admire, and
who motivate us. All these factors then influence a
daily structure – everyday undertakings of a physical,
mental and dietary nature, because these set the stage
for our lives. As we know, our habits make us.
Now, each person’s Code will be different – a
Rubik’s cube of our experiences, roots, beliefs, goals,
intentions and truest gut feelings. It’s a daily inner
search to refine one’s Code. But it’s a process that’s
amply rewarding.
I invite all of you to join me on this journey to
unlock your true potential. Let’s begin with identifying
one “foundational principle”. Pick something that’s
really important to you. One example is: “Surrounding
yourself with energy that uplifts you”. Then choose
a “daily task”: It could be “waking up 15 minutes
earlier”. We are going to lay the foundation of your
Code with these two bricks. And, brick by brick, like
me, you will eventually scale new heights.
Prakash Amritraj is an actor, film producer and sports broadcaster.
Follow him on Instagram @prakashamritraj