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Always has been…and always will be.
What is your greatest ambition in life and for your golf game?
What kind of a golfer do you know yourself to be? What do you want?
I came to this decision after years of trying very hard to work on my game – with very little to show for it. If only I could find that magic swing. If only I could drop into the slot. If only I could stay behind the ball. If only I could finish my swing; not be so nervous; remember what I’m doing; be on plane; figure this game out… If only I…
One day while in the middle of an intense internal “spiritual processing” program I announced that while I was here to work on my own internal understandings about God and about Life I also stated that it would be nice to play better golf too! It was if I was too afraid to ask to become a better golfer, ashamed of my fears – hiding behind an insecure little boy. All those years of trying so hard to figure it out – beating one range ball after another. The thought of becoming a better golfer kept coming up and I couldn’t deny it any longer. It was like, hmmm… perhaps this is another reason why I am here as well? I finally asked one of my Life Coaches about it while walking downstairs in a hotel while going to another processing program. Jim asked me what’s holding me back? I said I guess it’s my fears and afraid to play like I know I am capable of. He said, “Can you be with that?” Wow, no one ever gave me that kind of answer. Can I be with it?
As the 33 straight days of intense Life Education Program ended I came back home from my little cocoon, and gradually integrated myself back into “normal” society. Whoa, what a trip! I probably felt a little bit like Ricky Williams, the Miami Dolphins running back when he was off doing his healing and cleansing at his retreat, not too mention what Tiger is going through right now. It’s about coming clean, being authentic, and open to new understandings about life. Anyway, I took in quite a bit of stuff, to say the least. I also learned or was reminded about The Power of Intention, and to trust the power of The Universe, which at one time might have seemed more like the genie with the magic lamp – airy fairy woo-woo stuff.
After all this, I was now “ready” to put this stuff into play. It felt kind of like a test, like okay let’s give this understanding a real life experience. Let’s set a powerful intention. Let’s announce and declare, express and experience, become and fulfill who I really am. The “announce and declare” stuff is what I did. “I’m gonna be a five handicap or less by July 4th.” It stunned me to say this out loud. These are my words, my declaration, and my intention. I knew that you don’t have to know HOW, or BE READY. You just have to set the intention, commit fully, and really trust. That whole summer became an incredible roller coaster ride that tested my resolve, my fears, my acceptance, my perseverance, and my trust. I simply noticed, observed, and allowed whatever to come up, come up. Needless to say, my handicap steadily dropped from a 10 to a 7 to a 4.3 by July 4th. I then proceeded to set a new intention, “Okay Universe, awesome, I’m grateful…now I’m going to be a 2 handicap by the end of the summer.” I ended the summer at a 1.2 handicap.
The trick is learning to maintain an unwavering focus
upon your desired end result, your completed dream, the “finish line,”
without insisting upon, or even contemplating, its means of attainment,
no matter how logical, obvious, or tempting it may seem.
–Totally Unique Thoughts
This was and is my reality and my truth. What works for you, will be your reality and your truth. I’m simply inviting you to get in the game in a new way versus trying so hard to figure it out. Or perhaps you think you’ve already got it figured out? Is it working? That feeling of surrender and letting go, and letting God is what it was like for me. I tried the “I’ll figure this out path for 35 years.” Remember: The Power lies within YOU!
Three levels of awareness: I also see how this evolution and growth works in everything in life, including our golf game. Where are you?
1. Hope – I hope to make a thing happen, but it might not. I sure hope it does.
2. Belief – I have faith a thing will happen. I feel certain it will. I have faith in the outcome.
3. Knowing – I know a thing will happen. Knowing is a statement of fact. The energy of knowing is more powerful than any other energy in The Universe.
* Golf: I love it when I know I will sink this putt, stiff this shot, or hit a great drive!
Be as you wish to seem!
The 2009 Masters
What drama. What story lines. From the poor beginnings as a 10-year old caddy, Argentine Angel Cabrera emerges as The Masters Champion, his second major after winning the 2007 U.S. Open. Angel took pride in never needing a sports psychologist at his side. Instead, he opted for his trusty pack of cigarettes. There is more than one way to skin a cat. If Angel ever does get rattled it’s after some poor execution where he gets down on himself. On this day, for this occasion, he was the one left standing - for himself and perhaps - for the memory and honor of his fellow countrymen Roberto De Vicenzo.
The 2009 Masters began with some fireworks right from the get-go. The cool Texan, Chad Campbell, started off in record setting form opening with 5 straight birdies. Kenny Perry was playing on house money having accomplished more than he ever imagined with his golf. “Everything is a bonus,” he told us. He’s grateful and appreciative, a true gentlemen and sportsman. He set his goal to play in the 2008 Ryder Cup and now to win 20 times on tour and compete in majors. Everything is going along according to hoyle. It always does. The universe is always yielding to our desires and our asking; now it is up to us to allow it in. Anthony Kim found out he was taking his first round at Augusta National Golf Club way too serious. With the tragic death of Angel’s baseball pitcher, Nick Adenhart, it put it all into perspective for Kim. Life is a precious gift, “That could’ve been me,” he said with a somber heart. Kim set a Masters record with 11 birdies in his second round of golf, posting a 65.
Then came Sunday. First it was Phil to make a charge, next it was Tiger. The roars were deafening throughout the tall pines and magnolias, several groups ahead of the leaders. Everyone was following the two giants - the energy was maddening. The stage was set for a memorable Masters. Then Phil missed two short putts, and Tiger bogeyed…again. Soon after #’s 1 & 2 in the world exited the stage, three were left standing.
Besides the sheer exhilaration of just watching such an event, Nick Faldo provided extraordinary commentary into his own psyche, a past 3-time Masters Champion in 1989, 1990, and 1996. Personally, I resonate with his philosophy more than any other. On the inside I’m not too sure if Faldo’s philosophy is too much different than Cabrera’s mental mindset. It’s just a matter of what works and how we end up believing in ourselves, or not? Cabrera came from nothing but pure desire and sure will. He emerged from the caddy ranks onto the biggest stage of them all - winning a green jacket. Faldo had dreams too. He set intentions; he let his will and his belief in himself turn him into the champion that he is. He practiced training his mind. The key is to find out which way works for you.
Faldo says, “You really got to believe you will make everything. Today I will hole everything.” In order to pull off the shots you need:
Inner courage
Inner knowing
Inner self-belief
Faldo says, “What it takes is to be totally in the moment.” You need:
Creative visualization
A wonderfully def touch
And from high above the Georgia pines the golfing gods on your side
Faldo talks about meditating and how the new guys look at him and say, what’s that? He talks about how he used to meditate twice a day, which allows him to become more present, more peaceful, and helps set the tone and intention for his day and his round.
I write about all of these things in my book, The Fairway of Life: Simple Secrets To Playing Better Golf By Going With The Flow due out in mid-May. The best way is to find out what way works for you. Remember: my way is merely one-way and there are plenty of paths. Do you like what you are seeing with the results in your golf game? Are you making strides? What small action step can you take today that will make you a better you and a better player tomorrow?
Perhaps we can all agree that no matter what: life and golf is supposed to be fun!
Phil Mickelson – Practicing the Infallible Formula
In all my years in life coaching and life education: in processing, growing, and evolving, perhaps the quickest way to get you from where you are to where you desire to be is by practicing the Infallible Formula. Once you’re on your path of where you desire to be through your dreams, desires, visualizations and of course taking action, practicing the Infallible Formula will provide a new level of understanding. They say a great teacher teaches what they desire to learn or understand the most. The Infallible Formula states: cause another to become that which you desire to be your self. That’s exactly what Mickelson is doing now, and what other PGA teaching professionals have been doing all along. It’s why they get better themselves.
Phil Mickelson was interviewed this past weekend during his fine play in the 2009 CA Championship at Doral – The Blue Monster in Miami. Phil was describing the Infallible Formula in his words of how he understood that you teach what you want to be yourself. “Simplifying my techniques and to articulate and translate it so everybody can do it has forced me to simplify my own game and, consequently, I’ve never chipped or hit bunker shots as well,” said Mickelson, who added that he has never felt so good standing over a shot in his career as he does these days. Not too mention the way he’s freewheeling his Galloway FT-9 driver as well.
Mickelson recently put out a short-game video for the masses and said that has helped his own precision game get to be “as good as it’s ever been.” Gosh, here I thought he was already pretty dang good – one of the best in world. Now, he’s even better than he used to be!
Excerpts from Chapter 10 – Golf Vices of The Fairway of Life: Simple Secrets To Playing Better Golf By Going With The Flow ~.
Coaches Notes: Encourage others you play with to be there best and this will make you a better golfer. * In 2009 this formula is making Phil Mickelson a better short game player because he’s causing others to be better with their short game. Plus he articulates and practices the simplicity of his message at the same time. Isn’t it a lot more fun when the both of you are playing well? And if the other plays well enough to win the prize congratulate them on their fine play. Never root against another, never hope another misses, and never play for the money. Phil truly desires that Tiger will get back to being his best. The thrill of competition stimulates our desire to be our best. Play your game to the best of your God-given talent and perhaps you’ll inspire another to be their best as well. Remember: life is like a circle. What you do for another, you also do for yourself. And what you do for yourself, you also do for another. Do it with pureness of heart, with kind spirit, and genuine compassion, and your life will be blessed even more. And so shall it be.
You Say You Want To Become a Better Golfer?
…what are you more committed too?
You say you want to become a better golfer? Have you asked to become a better golfer? You have haven’t you? Do you really, really want it? Is thinking about it kind of scary, wondering if you really could improve? How much time, effort, and energy are you putting into it? Are you visualizing on a daily basis? Are you focusing upon what you prefer? Are you working on those areas you can improve upon? Have you set an intention? Do you have a dream? What are you more committed too? In other words, what are you really doing with your time? And I’m just not talking about your work, your family, your home, etc. I’m talking about those free moments where you could be practicing more mental techniques, more putting exercises, more visualizations, more alignment with good feeling thoughts. How committed are you? Or are you just venting?
Most likely we will find that we really aren’t as committed as we thought we were. Most likely we find that we are just venting our own frustrations with our own poor me self-judgment about ourselves. Perhaps we somehow thought we could fool ourselves? Perhaps we thought if I can only understand my swing…then perhaps I would improve? Look, it’s not my job to give you advice…I’m here to inspire and remind you that the answer and wisdom, lies within you. What do you think it takes to improve, to become better, to be what you desire to be? Here’s what I think: it takes commitment 24/7 training our subconscious minds into becoming the champion we all know ourselves to be, to keep on reaching for better feeling thoughts giving our focus and energy upon what we prefer. And this work that we do to ourselves can really be an enjoyable experience…and it’s supposed to be fun. Life and golf are supposed to be fun. Now if you are happy with where you are then so be it. Just remember nothing stays the same and becoming better, becoming what you desire to be next begins just outside the confines of our own limited and self-imposed comfort zone. We’ve settled for less. Most of us have settled for mediocrity. Ouch!
Now, if you truly desire to become a better golfer…you will be shown the way. You’ve just got to make that inspired commitment…and if your goals don’t scare you, then they are not big enough. The three steps to this process are: 1) You ask, 2) Source Energy (God) / the universe answers, and 3) You align vibrationally with your asking allowing it in and expecting it to happen. Ask and it is given…expect it to be so. You act as if it is so. It’s your work to clear the doubts, the yeah buts, ifs, and I can’t. These kinds of negative programming kill the whole deal. The way we clear our negative programming is to think new thoughts that are in alignment with what we desire - giving more airtime on this…gradually the negative will begin to fade. It’s why the Dalai Lama says, “It is essential to think strongly and forcefully, I can do it,” without boasting or fretting.
The universe always hears our asking, always answers and yes God does work in mysterious ways…most often we will be shown the awareness of the opposite of what we desire to be first. Just remember that in order to understand being calm and relaxed we must first experience being tense and uptight first. In order to understand being with an acceptable and embracing mental mindset attitude we first experience being frustrated and impatient. In order to understand joy and going with the flow, we first experience anger and struggle. How do we go about this business of changing the way we see ourselves? Life is always showing us about life itself. Are you open to hearing the message knocking on your door? The best place to begin is exactly where you are right now. Surrender to this voice, this Source Energy, God within, and let go, allow it to be, just be your self and let it be. This is the moment where things begin shifting. It’s what many spiritual beings call a paradigm shift – you see life through a new lens. The moment you understand that I’m not there yet, but I am at least pointed toward it…I am where I am…is the moment you make peace with yourself and begin your new journey of living the life of your dreams.
The formula is to first have a dream, then you take action, next you will be shown how, then you’re on your way to living the life of your dreams…from ambition and desire to meaning and manifestation. It all starts with your surrendering to your God Source within and in your commitment to playing full out. It’s really about allowing the Well-Being in, being connected, and going with the flow instead of resisting, being out of alignment, and paddling against the current. All emotion is about where you are standing in the stream of life. You are either allowing the Well-Being in or you are resisting it. It’s as simple and as complex as that!
What this takes is an awakening, an appreciation and a connection with your higher (authentic) Self. Connecting with your higher Self is what all champion’s eventually come to grips with. It’s about becoming who you really are. It’s about connecting with this incredible being that your soul already knows itself to be. It’s about getting yourself up to speed with who you are now becoming. Golf and life takes on a whole new perspective and paradigm shift once we awaken and connect more fully to this incredible power within. What is your soul after? What the soul is after is the highest expression of who you really are.
What are you more committed too? Isn’t it about time to get back in the game? I invite you to enjoy the gap from exactly where you are right now eagerly anticipating where you are going next? Begin closing that gap all the while embracing and being happy now. Reach for the best feeling thoughts you can and with enthusiasm and passion desiring to become better than you used to be. It’s about feeling good. The sooner you start feeling good without trying to control all of those exterior circumstances outside of your self, the sooner you will be on your way. So, go ahead and start feeling good right now before you even play…and all the good things in life will come into your experience. Most think that they will feel good when they play well. It doesn’t work that way. You’ve got to feel good no matter what. Soon the better it gets…the better it gets. It’s why champions are tuned in, turned on, and tapped in more often than they used to be. Be a champion! You too are meant to win just like Tiger!
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