Life is Like a Game of…
Football, tennis, bowls, darts, cricket… how about golf?
Sport, games, competition; call them what you want. When we are involved in these activities, and we want to perform at our highest level, often we find that trying harder does not necessarily mean getting a better result.
Think about activities like sprinting or weightlifting. Straight away you may think that the more you “try”, i.e., the more effort you put in. The better you will do.
The problem is that the more you focus on trying, the less you focus on the end result. You are actually aiming to achieve a state of trying really hard rather than achieving your goal. One does not naturally lead to the other.
Golf is an absolute killer for this.
One Sunny Day
I remember one particular round I played, it actually ended up to be my final round of that particular season…
I rocked up all super relaxed and thought I am just going to chill and have some fun. Playing through holes 1-3, I was hitting some beautiful shots. Everything was flowing naturally and I was actually playing some of my best golf ever.
I stepped up to the third tee and got ready to tee off with my driver… boom… a massive slice and the ball ended up in a bush, on the fairway of a different hole!
I thought to myself: “hang on a minute, I am just having a chilled round here and not trying, stop trying and have another go”.
Another ball was placed down and I tried a much more relaxed swing…. Boom… a massive hook and the ball ends up in the lake.
“Oh my god, what is happening” The clouds descended….
For the next 15 holes I mentally tortured myself and tried as hard as I could to not try!
Glory descended in to misery and to top it all off, I lost my mobile phone somewhere part way through the round and did not realise until the end! AAAHHHHH!!!!
Such a kick in the dick that I could not face golf again that season.
Trying to not Try
Since that turbulent round I have played much more golf and I actually look back on it with a smile.
It was a necessary part of my journey to learn that lesson.
Not trying and letting things flow is all about focusing on the end result, clearing your mind and taking action. Not thinking about the process and just letting things unfold.
Trying to not try is still trying!
When we try to not try, our focus is placed on the effort going in to the task at hand. As such, we are separating ourselves within that moment and observing our actions. Monitoring how much we are trying.
Whenever our focus is split like this, so too is our energy.
How can you ever expect to reach new heights of achievement if you are not focusing all of your energy on the goal?
Such is Life
I have found the more I focus on the end result in life, the more the end result manifests in to reality. This is founded on trust in myself and trust in the natural order of things. The more I put in, the more I get out. I don’t need to try, that is just how the game works.
Doing not trying. Taking action one moment at a time, and trusting that each step up the mountain pathway will reveal itself when the time is right.
Golf – A great way to ruin a walk or an interesting way to learn about the natural order of things?
One for you to decide.
Enjoy, for now.