Speed of Light

His spiritual progress continued as he developed better meditation techniques. Music was particularly useful. He used the sounds as a mantra, getting lost within the rhythms, letting a lyric drag his mind in a particular direction, or just following his own train of thought. Music allowed him to create a single-mindedness and concentrate on God, which for Doug was expressed through the universe, love, nature.

Doug studied the teachings of many religions, but developed more of a world spiritual view free of ideology or dogma. Still, although he was getting to know himself better and better, there was something missing from his spirituality, some fundamental guiding principle or understanding.

That's when he found Bill Stanley.

Stanley's improbable tale begins in West Texas, where he became the greatest seller of floor-finishing products the industry had ever seen. He made so much money that he quit to teach sales seminars to other businesses across the country. Stanley's motivational techniques revolve around the concept that the key to better sales is becoming a better person, physically and mentally. This soon segued into teaching people about personal and spiritual growth, about how there is power within everyone to achieve their dreams. His contacts led him to work with the University of Tennessee football team for a year, helping Coach Johnny Majors improve the Volunteers' record from 2-9 to 10-2 the next season. He helped tennis player Bill Scanlon rise from the 90th-ranked player in the world to ninth. He dumbfounded Dallas Mavericks like Derek Harper and Detlef Schrempf with his uncanny three-point shooting. He amassed goo-gobs of money.

The problem with teaching spiritual growth in a corporate or athletic setting is that the word "God" is pretty much off-limits. And the power of God, which according to Stanley resides in your unconscious mind, is the key to any kind of success in life. So Stanley labeled God and the subconscious mind "the magic genie" in order to make it palatable to everyday folks. The better you understand your "magic genie" -- and, unavoidably, yourself -- the more it will help you.

Doug, who was living in Dallas at the time, was introduced to Stanley at the North Dallas Athletic Club, where the 60-something-year-old Stanley gives talks and performs the regimen that keeps him looking about 40. About a year after their meeting, Stanley mentioned to Doug that he had worked with pro athletes and had a tape that might prove useful. Stanley talked about playing in the subconscious mind, which sounded pretty enticing to a guy as introspective as Doug. He took the tape home and put it on his sound system.

Stanley's animated voice came on, talking about how the magic genie, a.k.a. God, a.k.a. your subconscious mind, can be programmed to help you do better at work, sports, life, or anything else. How the only barrier to unleashing this power within is belief. How understanding and listening to your self will give you the power to achieve your dreams.

Doug stopped the tape and began to cry. He had found the answer.

No dogma, no ritual, no doctrines -- just forging a direct link between yourself and God. "It painted an understanding of how I can create anything I want," Doug says. "In the two and a half years since then, I haven't had a down day. I was always a pretty happy guy, but it's on another level now. It's in the spiritual realm."

Stanley has taught thousands upon thousands of people in his seminars. Maybe 50 have applied the lessons from his lectures and tapes to real life. Two weeks after he gave Doug the tape, he ran into him at the club.

"He looked like somebody had stuck him in the butt with a fork," Stanley says. "He said, "My God, my whole life has changed.'"

One of Bill Stanley's fundamental teachings is "sit down, shut up and get quiet." Doug, already into meditation, used this technique to great effect. Back when he first started meditating, Doug's mind would jump around like a drunken monkey leaping from limb to limb -- my leg itches, I have to change the oil in my car, I met this great girl yesterday, is my racquet restrung? Now he began to develop the ability to focus his mind completely on God and love.

It made Doug feel empowered. It made him feel high. It made him an even better racquetball player.

At the top levels of racquetball, where Doug was now competing, every player knows how to perform geometry at 200 miles per hour (Pete Sampras' serve, by comparison, travels about 140) inside a 40-by-20-foot glass box. They all can hit great shots from any angle. They all are in great condition and can withstand the bumping and jostling for position, the constant contact with elbows and shoulders and floors and walls. They all know where to hit the ball in what situation. The winner is the one who can stay focused.

At the 1999 U.S. Championships, Doug lost focus in the quarterfinals, let some bad calls penetrate his cocoon of serenity. So he went to work with Stanley on mastering that magic genie, harnessing its power, making it his total and obedient servant.