ABOUT WORLD CLASS ZEN
World Class Zen represents a personal + lifelong pursuit to find purpose and meaning in life while discovering and maintaining a sense of inner peace and appreciation.
What you’ll find here is a collection of stories + content covering topics of personal and spiritual growth with applications for performance in any field, but specific to my experience as a tennis coach and player.
My hope with this project is to share my experiences, perspective and enthusiasm for constant growth so that others may find inspiration and value for themselves and be able to level up their own lives on and off the court.
ABOUT JEFF
Born and raised in New Orleans and now based in Northern California, Jeff is an athlete, coach, content creator and self experimenter.
He has a deep love of fitness, holistic health, the outdoors, cooking, writing and connecting with people.
He is on a journey to find deeper presence and meaning in life and to add value to others any way he can.
Read more about his journey below:
MY STORY
I grew up in New Orleans and spend my childhood in the city before going to college at LSU.
I was a shy, yet enthusiastic kid who never seemed to be able to sit still and honestly not much has changed. I’ve always dealt with some level of anxiety and continue to experiment with ways to improve my presence and reduce and release the chatter in my head.
I find great joy in physical pursuits, creativity, a love of nature and exploration and a desire to connect deeply with everyone I come across.
In my free time, I love to be active and outside. My first love is tennis, which I’ve played since I was a kid and continue to play competitively today. Tennis got me through some of my darkest days and has connected me with the some of my most cherished friends and I feel honored to give back to a sport that has given me so much. I feel a sense of purpose and gratitude to be able to offer the gift of tennis and pickleball to others and to pay forward any or all of the wonderful things this sport has given me over the years.
Any sport that immerses me in nature is one I’ll dig. I love mountain biking, rock climbing, sailing, paddleboarding and hope add surfing to that list. I ride motorcycles and have an affinity toward activities that garner presence through focus and fun.
I’ve always been a foodie and growing up around the plethora of cuisines in New Orleans I’ve found that one of my life’s great pleasures is good food. As I’ve continued on my journey ‘good food’ has changed over the years and I am now focused on living a healthier lifestyle that combines my love of flavor with foods that truly nourish me.
PROFESSIONAL
I’ve worked many jobs in search of my calling, and while I am still not sure what my calling is, I know continuing to explore and saying yes to the next right opportunity has always served me well in the past and will lead me wherever I am meant to go. I am currently lucky enough to be a Director of Instruction, teaching both tennis and pickleball to all ages and levels of players.
It took me awhile to find coaching as a career, but I am moved by being able to connect and help others so this chapter of my life has been deeply satisfying for me.
I’ve had an eclectic array of jobs along the way. I’ve worked in kitchens, catering, gardening, analytics, retail sales and management, storage management, event planning, marketing, publishing, and as a freelance writer.
SPIRITUAL
A few years ago, after struggling with substance abuse for most of my adult life, I got sober. While this blog isn’t explicitly about sobriety or recovery, getting sober was the foundation for me to build a life I didn’t think I could live and it connected me with a strong desire to be of service to others in any way I can. It has also put me on a more spiritual journey than I ever imagined and that helped me find joy in the simplest things, when only a few short years prior, I felt like disappearing.
I define spirituality simply as feeling connected to something bigger than myself. Most often, I find that connection in nature, but through consistent practice, I am learning to slow down and be more mindful through meditation and breathing techniques both of which have significantly improved the overall quality of my life.
I am not here to tell anyone how to live. I simply want to share my stories and what works for me in the hopes that it might be of value to others. I believe in the live and let live philosophy, but have a strong drive to try and live a better life each day.
If you would like to connect with me directly, please contact me through the site and if you enjoy the content consider subscribing to see my latests posts.
ROUTINE + LIFESTYLE
I try to live my life and build my days around certain values. After years of experimenting, tracking and reflecting, I’ve noticed that there are certain categories that came up over and over again and all contribute to a better quality of life and I try to include each of them in every day. I use a tracking journal to make sure I get something in each day.
BUILDING BLOCKS OF A GREAT DAY:
ZEN | ACTION | CONNECT | PLAY | CARE
ZEN
How can I slow down?
As someone who runs around nearly all the time, I almost have to force myself to slow down. Finding stillness is vital for me to connect with myself and the present moment and a morning “zen” practice of yoga, meditation and breathing exercises followed by journaling has been key in improving my mental health and helps me cultivate inner peace on a daily basis.
ACTION
What are the steps I need to take today to move my life forward?
I try to live what I say and I believe that showing up is most of the battle. Action to me is simply showing up and doing the next right thing that moves me closer to my goals. This could be putting in hours at work, creating content, meeting new people, exercising, doing chores, whatever moves me forward, I try and put my head down, let go of how I feel about it and do the work. When you do the thing you don’t want to do, you prove to yourself that you are capable of more than you thought. That work ethic has always paid off for me.
CONNECT
How can I be helpful and listen more?
While I cherish time alone to sit, think and write, I come alive when I am around other people. One-on-one interaction is by far my favorite kind of flow state. I love meeting people and getting to know them on a deeper level. I feel truly purposeful when I can show up with encouragement and positivity for someone; it is one of the ways I feel most authentic. I try and make sure to check in with my people everyday, but to go out and be a friend to the world. When I show up with that attitude, I am always pleasantly surprised by just how wonderful people can be.
PLAY
How can I stay fit and have fun?
My personal motto is “Play Everyday”. I love being active and try to do one sport or fun activity a day. I never really liked exercise, but I could always show up to play. My main forms of play these days are tennis, mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, paddleboarding and rowing and I try and to squeeze one or two of those in a day. I also try and bring a playful attitude to what I do. I like to spread good vibes and keep things light and fun, mostly because I am no good at being serious.
CARE
How can I take better care of myself?
This practice is sort of a catch-all for healthy and kindness. Care to me, means self care as well as caring for others. It could look like a physical recovery practice of yoga, foam rolling, massage, saunas and cold plunges/showers. Care means giving myself a break. I have been told my whole life that I am too hard on myself. I used to say that I just had high standards, but it took me a long time to not treat myself so maliciously and learning to be a better friend to myself has made a huge difference in my life. Care also extends to what I put in my body. I try to find a way to eat that fuels, nourishes and satisfies everyday…some days that’s tacos.
If I can make these a priority and create a day that answers those questions, I am on my way to living my best life one day at a time.