---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The one thing I learned about myself…"
description: "\"The one thing I learned about myself going back and watching tapes of all the losses that we've had is that I'm physically capable of doing this and do..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/lisa-leslie-17216_age_the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-goi_3139033.jpg"
---

#  The one thing I learned about myself going back and…

![“The one thing I learned about myself going back and watching tapes of all the losses that we've had is that I'm physically capable of doing this and dominating the game, but the mental part was not there. I don't know if it comes with age, but I had to learn to be mentally tough.” quote by Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/lisa-leslie-17216_age_the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-goi_3139033.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/lisa-leslie-17216_age_the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-goi_3139033.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/lisa-leslie-17216_age_the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-goi_3139033.jpg)

> “The one thing I learned about myself going back and watching tapes of all the losses that we've had is that I'm physically capable of doing this and dominating the game, but the mental part was not there. I don't know if it comes with age, but I had to learn to be mentally tough.”

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Physical ability alone isn’t enough; mental toughness is essential for sustained success in sport and life.

**In simple terms:** Physical skill needs mental strength.

Key Takeaway

Develop mental resilience.

Themes

sports mental health performance growth resilience

Mood

determined reflective

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- competitive athletics
- career setbacks
- personal development
- team leadership

Key Concepts

psychology mindset self‑discipline

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you train mental toughness like a muscle?
- What mental barriers limit your performance?

A Different Perspective

Mental toughness can be harder to cultivate than physical skill.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Basketball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basketball/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Mentally tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentally-tough/)

## Related quotes

> [We're so trained to be 'mentally tough,' in sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mardy-fish/we-re-so-trained-to-be-mentally-tough-in-sports/)

[Mardy Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mardy-fish/)

> [We have mentally tough players coming out of Villanova.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donte-divincenzo/we-have-mentally-tough-players-coming-out-of-villanova/)

[Donte DiVincenzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donte-divincenzo/)

> [A lot of people don't realise how mentally tough the Premier League is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deandre-yedlin/a-lot-of-people-don-t-realise-how-mentally-tough-the-premier-league-is/)

[DeAndre Yedlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deandre-yedlin/)

> [I went from being one of the best players, batting .550, to not being able to do it mentally, hitting .200. I thought I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weddle/i-went-from-being-one-of-the-best-players-batting-550-to-not-being/)

[Eric Weddle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weddle/)

> [When you know where you want to go, you're mentally tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-gobert/when-you-know-where-you-want-to-go-you-re-mentally-tough/)

[Rudy Gobert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-gobert/)

> [If you look at anyone at the top of their profession, there has to be something a little bit different. You have to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-owen/if-you-look-at-anyone-at-the-top-of-their-profession-there-has-to-be-2/)

[Michael Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-owen/)

> [I understand it's our job to win and to entertain. I understand that. But in terms of the commentary or the negativity, if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tomlin/i-understand-it-s-our-job-to-win-and-to-entertain-i-understand-that/)

[Mike Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tomlin/)

> [I think I was as mentally tough as I've ever been. I felt like I handled the situation both on and off the court…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lleyton-hewitt/i-think-i-was-as-mentally-tough-as-i-ve-ever-been-i-felt-like-i/)

[Lleyton Hewitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lleyton-hewitt/)

> [I know that if I'm 100% mentally on, I'm tough to beat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-monfils/i-know-that-if-i-m-100-mentally-on-i-m-tough-to-beat/)

[Gael Monfils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-monfils/)

> [Tennis is a tough sport - a long year, a lot of matches, a lot of travelling. It's not easy so being mentally tough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-de-minaur/tennis-is-a-tough-sport-a-long-year-a-lot-of-matches-a-lot-of/)

[Alex de Minaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-de-minaur/)

> [If you're not mentally tough, If nerves undo you instead of focus you, If you don't have the inner arrogance That you absolutely have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-sanders/if-you-re-not-mentally-tough-if-nerves-undo-you-instead-of-focus-you/)

[Summer Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-sanders/)

> [The best way to become a mentally tough runner is to believe that you're a mentally tough runner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-hall/the-best-way-to-become-a-mentally-tough-runner-is-to-believe-that-you/)

[Ryan Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-hall/)

> [You've got to be mentally tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-elkins/you-ve-got-to-be-mentally-tough/)

[Darren Elkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-elkins/)

> [Bavaro's probably as tough of a - physically and mentally as tough a football player as I've ever coached. So, I would put him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-belichick/bavaro-s-probably-as-tough-of-a-physically-and-mentally-as-tough-a/)

[Bill Belichick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-belichick/)

> [“Being mentally tough means you can keep calm during tough times, make decisions, and stay focused on what truly matters for your long-term success.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glody-kikonga/being-mentally-tough-means-you-can-keep-calm-during-tough-times-make/)

[Glody Kikonga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glody-kikonga/)

## More by Lisa Leslie

> [Boys have a tendency to jump around a lot more than girls. Boys have that desire to want to dunk way more than girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/boys-have-a-tendency-to-jump-around-a-lot-more-than-girls-boys-have/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [You just don't want to get pigeon-holed into one position. That's why even though I start out at center, I may play small forward,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/you-just-don-t-want-to-get-pigeon-holed-into-one-position-that-s-why/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [I think it's great for the women to show that they are women and be feminine. And that's something that I've always promoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/i-think-it-s-great-for-the-women-to-show-that-they-are-women-and-be/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [I played on an all-boys team in the 8th grade, but they wouldnt throw me the ball even though I was on their team.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/i-played-on-an-all-boys-team-in-the-8th-grade-but-they-wouldnt-throw/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [I encourage girls to play sports and play hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/i-encourage-girls-to-play-sports-and-play-hard/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [Until now, until I actually got into law class, I just never thought of it as being an interest for me, but it's really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/until-now-until-i-actually-got-into-law-class-i-just-never-thought-of/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [If, by the way I play, I can be a role model or encourage someone else, that would be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/if-by-the-way-i-play-i-can-be-a-role-model-or-encourage-someone-else/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [Right now I'm 185, which is really good for me yet very hard for me to maintain. My weight seems high for the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/right-now-i-m-185-which-is-really-good-for-me-yet-very-hard-for-me-to/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [My success has surpassed my childhood dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/my-success-has-surpassed-my-childhood-dreams/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [I'm probably taller than 90% of the men I meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/i-m-probably-taller-than-90-of-the-men-i-meet/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [Well, the first quality of being a good leader is you have to be able to follow. See, a good leader cant just be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/well-the-first-quality-of-being-a-good-leader-is-you-have-to-be-able/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [It's really not about the money. It's just about educating yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/it-s-really-not-about-the-money-it-s-just-about-educating-yourself/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [Manu Ginobili is just a baller dude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/manu-ginobili-is-just-a-baller-dude/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [I've grown so much since 1996. I think that was the turning point of when I started to go to church every Sunday and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/i-ve-grown-so-much-since-1996-i-think-that-was-the-turning-point-of/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [I've never proclaimed myself to be a shooter. But I am definitely a scorer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/i-ve-never-proclaimed-myself-to-be-a-shooter-but-i-am-definitely-a/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

[Explore all 37 Lisa Leslie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The one thing I learned about myself going back and watching tapes of all the losses that we've had is that I'm physically capable of doing this and dominating the game, but the mental part was not there. I don't know if it comes with age, but I had to learn to be mentally tough.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lisa Leslie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-going-back-and-watching-tapes-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-going-back-and-watching-tapes-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/lisa-leslie-17216_age_the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-goi_3139033.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/lisa-leslie-17216_age_the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-goi_3139033.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4bf/lisa-leslie-17216_age_the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-goi_3139033.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The one thing I learned about myself going back and watching tapes of all the losses that we've had is that…” — Lisa Leslie",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Lisa Leslie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The one thing I learned about...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-going-back-and-watching-tapes-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/the-one-thing-i-learned-about-myself-going-back-and-watching-tapes-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
