As the sun rises above the horizon, I appreciate the opportunity to live a brand new day! The events that happened yesterday are in the past. My only options are to evaluate and learn from those previous experiences OR to ignore its very existence.
In golf, only the current shot matters! How you arrived at the current ball location becomes irrelevant because your next shot is the only important thing to focus upon. However you hit the shot, it will still count as ONE stroke on the scorecard. The outcome will depend upon your current and present state of mind as you position your body, the club, and your stance. Commitment is the key to making a great swing for a positive desired outcome! When your mind wanders back to “how” you arrived at this current shot (good or bad), your focus is not entirely true to your mental capacity at-hand. Oh yes, there’s the question of whether you have the correct club for this current shot and that depends upon the uncontrollable elements around you such as the landscape of where the ball lies (rests on the ground) and the current surroundings that nature provides (wind, sunlight, haze, rain, etc). One may believe that one is in TOTAL control of their shot when in fact, there are hidden elements that will alter the decision-making process.
Such is life (IMHO)!
How you arrived at your current day does not always rest upon the decisions you made yesterday. Time moves on without you so you may as well enjoy the ride. Unfortunately, you can’t change yesterday but you can focus on today. Your mental capacity will depend upon how you approach this day that you have been blessed with! Commitment is the key to making today a wonderful day. The uncontrollable elements in your life will occur as you step out the door. Maybe for some, it’s as soon as they get out of bed. It’s only uncontrollable if you fight against it – others choose to blend into these elements so that it becomes part of their fluid and ever-changing resolution to life.
An experienced golfer would acknowledge their uncontrollable elements and adjust their club selection, stance, swing, and mental capacity to accommodate this added element. A person who chooses to love his/her life will do the same – make adjustments throughout their day.
The other day, I had the privilege of saying “goodbye (for now)” to a dear friend who passed away suddenly on January 4th (in her sleep). We have known each other since 1986, lost contact in the early 90’s, and reunited only in the past few years. Though time has aged us a bit, our personalities were the “backspin” that rekindled our friendship and made us appreciate our past experiences. We have similar stories as we both have lose our spouses almost about the same time. It was sad to receive the news of her passing but we have the assurance that we’ll be reunited again someday. That uncontrollable circumstance, the sudden death, didn’t stop me from living. I will miss our conversations on the phone and will feel compassion for her adult children but my hope is that I can encourage them to live on as their mother would have wanted them to do.
My book, “Every Day Passes Is One Day Closer“, was originally targeted for one type of audience but I can see now that those who have lost loved ones could also benefit from my story as well. I choose to have the courage to live another day as I’m sure my friend would have wanted that.
What are the uncontrollable elements in your life and how are you incorporating them into your present day existence to ensure that those elements will not defeat you but will make you stronger? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
