Let Go and Let God

I learned pretty early on that the harder I tried to force the issue to do well, the worse I did at the game of golf...and in life in general.

In golf, when you try to make something happen, our conscious mind conceives of this in a "life or death" kind of way.  Muscles get tight and we try to steer the result.  This is a diabolical combination in the golf swing.

Think of it this way, when we are actually in a life and death situation, our nervous system kicks in and we think in terms of straight lines and getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible to avoid whatever potential catastrophe we are involved in.   Our mind becomes very linear in its thought patterns and the body responds with tight, jerky actions to propel you in a straight line as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, there is nothing straight about the game of golf.

Golf is played on angles and is all about circular rotation.  We bend over at our hips and with our knees, the club is angled compared to our arms and we have to turn our body completely away from our intended target to hit it straight.  Basically, golf is a game that constantly holds a mirror up to any controlling instinct we have.

I believe this is true in life as well.  How often do we overreact to the situation in front of us?  How often is our nervous system reacting to banal circumstances as if we are fearing for our lives?  How often to we attempt to "will" a result and fight against all that is happening around us instead of going with the natural flow of life and seizing opportunities as they present themselves?

I believe that it is in staying relaxed and positive in our mind and body that allows optimal performance in golf and in life.  Instead of trying to "will" things forcefully to happen, we would be better served to hold our positive intentions for our golf game and our lives calmly in our minds and seize every opportunity that presents itself in the direction of our vision.  Not with the panic of a "life and death" situation but with a trusting faith that there is a higher power that is guiding the results in the optimal direction.

Stop and consider this for a second.  How much energy is wasted in our lives in the constant worrying and planning for an upcoming disaster?  How often does that disaster actually come?  If you look back on your life, how often does the result seem to just take care of itself when you are in a happy and centered place?

I am very much a Doubting Thomas and always have been in my life.  I like to have proof of something before I blindly show faith in any person, idea or principle.  So, I do not know what the force in the universe is that causes things to unfold in this way, but I am clear that there is such a force and it has been shown to me over and over again in my own life experience.

When I get centered in on what is important to my soul (the deeper, trusting, highest version of myself) the priorities and path of my life are much clearer to me.  The more I stay centered in this "soul center" I begin to notice the daily opportunities that present themselves that are in alignment with my path.  Although I may work hard, it does not seem like hard work because I am seizing opportunities that the universe is naturally presenting me with.  I take action and I move in the path of least resistance toward my soul's desire. 

Golf, with its angles, necessity to turn away and let go of the target, and its overall highly challenging nature, provides an opportunity to practice letting go in these "moments of truth".  After some time playing the game, it will surely serve as a mirror to our abilities to let go and let God.