Recognizing Communication Breakdown in Golf & Life
There are so many things in life and golf to be grateful for and of course so many things to be disheartened by. There are always things we are working on to fix, change, and become better at, and there are other things we have very little control over, like our club head speed, which determines our distance – it’s a physics thing you know, something we can learn to accept and embrace. New technology will take us only so far. But today I want to bring to your attention something that we all can work on that will not only change the lives of those around us but will change our lives as well. “What’s that?” you might ask. Well, I will tell you — it is the way that we communicate.
The way we ask questions, give answers, listen, and share information can make someone’s day or it can ruin it. I’m sure you had someone say something to you regarding your golf game or some other negative comment that took the spirit right out of your sails. These upsetting moments plant seeds of low self-esteem into the very fabric of our subconscious minds – before too long we begin to believe and live this lie.
Have you ever asked yourself, ‘How am I showing up on the golf course? How am I communicating with others?’ You know you can learn an awful lot about a person by playing a round of golf with them. And you can learn an awful lot about yourself. I know you’ve recognized certain empowering aspects (gratitude, focus, mental toughness, joy, love) and less than desirable traits (anger, frustration, fear, insecurity, hate) in another. Yet have you really gone inside and observed how you are showing up as well. What we do to another we do to ourselves. What we do to ourselves we do to another. Golf on the fairway of life becomes a circle. The Secret is the law of attraction. We become what we think.
I invite you to become fully present and really observe yourself in how you are communicating with yourself and with others. If you find yourself beating up on yourself just close your eyes for a moment and ask yourself, “What hidden thought or belief have I been unaware of that affects my communications?” When you get in touch with your communications and their consequences, be gentle on yourself. Beating up on ourselves will not make us better communicators. In fact, it will do just the opposite.
Begin to notice right now the communications that you have received or ones that you have delivered that no longer serve your best interest and one by one release them and be grateful in becoming a better you. If there is someone to apologize too, say you are sorry with a compassionate heart and with true intention. Finally watch and observe your thoughts and the words you speak and replace them with a new more empowering self-talk, belief and focus. Sweeten your delivery and bring more awareness to each moment like a champion – you might just end up playing like one!
Think, talk, play, and carry yourself like a champion – Today!
Rand S. Marquardt, Author
Performance Enhancement Coach
Specializing in the Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Aspects of Golf
www.golfissupposedtobefun.com
(231) 838-5433
Inspiring Excellence Within
Tiger Did It Again
“I’d say, ‘Tiger, I promise you,’” Earl says as we look upon his son’s unmistakably steely gaze, ‘“ That you’ll never meet another person as mentally tough as you in your entire life.’ And he hasn’t. And he never will.” To view this Nike TV commercial click Nike’s Website.
Tiger did it again. What an incredible show, perhaps his greatest golf tournament to date. He etched his U.S. Open victory into the laurels of all eternity to inspire all humanity throughout the world to new levels of consciousness. Nike and Pops and Michael Jordan were all correct with their thinking that Tiger will do more for the game of golf and life than Jordan did for basketball – and I thought that would be an unattainable feat, and he will do more to inspire humanity because of his golfing skills.
The good news is what lies within Tiger lies within all of us as well. Ali understood this power (I am the greatest of all time), so did Andrew Carnegie, JFK, Gandhi, and Napolean Hill – the father of personal growth, among many others like Lord Buddha, Lord Krishna, and Lord Jesus. “For you too shall do all of these things and more.” There’s only one way to go – and that’s up! We all can develop and harness this energy even more than ever before – it’s a simple matter of belief, connecting with our authentic (higher) Self, and evolving our consciousness within. Tiger understands what’s it like to be a spiritual being and so can you.
The greatest discovery in the 20th century can be summed up in five simple, yet oh so powerful words – We Become What We Think. Tiger is becoming what he thinks, and he thinks and desires to become even better. Thoughts create swings and everything else. In order to play like a champion, you’ve got to first think like one. Whatever we feed into our conscious mind (thoughts, dreams, goals, intentions), and allow to filter in, take root, and implant and imprint into our subconscious mind (our self-image belief system) becomes our comfort zone, which runs everything in our life: relationships; health; money; God (spirituality); career; fun; leisure; yes even our golf game. It is as simple and as complex as that.
Although it might appear that the rest of us mere mortals are so far behind the eight ball, after all, Tiger received this understanding right from the get-go through Mom and Pops, not to mention how gifted he is…yet we all can develop and take back our own power within. What else is there, throw in the towel and settle for mediocrity? Never. What lies within another, what you see and project in another, lies within all of us. It’s time to recreate yourself anew building a winner’s or champion’s self-image becoming the grandest version of the greatest vision ever you held about who you really are. Wake up! It all starts with a thought, an intention, a dream. Isn’t it about time to revisit your dreams and have one – ones that uplifts, inspires, and empowers you to enjoy life, to be happy now, and to play inspired golf with outrageous joy!
Learn to intuitively align yourself and connect with this Source Energy, this Well-Being stream that is always flowing to you and through you. In life we call it going with the flow. In golf we call it The Zone.
Warmly,
Rand Marquardt