Swing, Scribe, and Savor: Golf and Gratitude

I recently posted my intention to take a break from tournament golf. It was heartwarming to get messages from friends wishing me well. In the post, I cited my bad performance and not being in a good mental space. A lot has happened, losing my grandfather and feeling like a lack of control over things. I finally had a chat with Theo Bezenhuidt, long-awaited. I thought to share.

For those who might not know, I have gone through a performance slump in my golf game. And often my golf game helps me in my personal mindfulness journey. When I experience such a low, I am fortunate to call Theo to help me sort out my thoughts and rethink things. Golf to me is a sport, unlike many others. It’s a microcosm of life and thus a yardstick for measuring more than my fitness but my quality of life too. In my recent chat with Theo, we worked out a new program to help me exercise my mind as intentionally as my body. The program calls for me to spend more time meditating, visualizing, and journaling. Each has its benefits, both in golf and my immediate life and career. I have heard of various forms of visualizing (vision boards) and the like. I am a believer in meditation and have practiced it as part of my preparation for tournaments. The only thing I had not yet understood was how to journal. Journaling in its simplicity is a way of taking score as the name suggests, but more. It's a practice that encourages self-reflection, identifies patterns, set goals, and tracks progress. This much like anything driven by metrics goes without saying. In my context journaling, was for gratitude. An instrumental tool for me in cultivating gratitude in my daily life. When I sit down to write, it's an opportunity for me to reflect on my experiences, interactions, and the countless blessings I encounter each day.

Gratitude journaling, in particular, has allowed me to shift focus from what's going wrong to what's going right. By jotting down the things I'm grateful for, I'm training my mind to seek out and recognize the positive.

This practice also extends to my performance on the golf course. When I journal about my golfing experiences, I don't note the areas I need to improve. I make it a point to acknowledge my progress, the good plays, the successful shots, and the lessons I learn from my misses. This act of acknowledging the positive, of expressing gratitude for my abilities. The opportunity to play, and the joy and fulfillment it brings.

In essence, journaling has allowed me to weave a thread of gratitude into the fabric of my everyday life. It's a gentle but constant reminder to appreciate the journey, with its highs and lows, both on the golf course and off it.

In wrapping up, it's clear how the game of golf offers us far more than the joy of a well-struck drive or the thrill of a putt sinking into the hole. It's a journey of self-discovery, a mindfulness exercise, and a playground for life's many lessons. Just like our lives, every golf course is unique, with its challenges and rewards, peaks and valleys, and opportunities to rise above.