Mindset is the most powerful tool we have on the golf course and in life. It has the power to create happiness and also take it away. It has the power to manipulate our movements, sway our viewpoints, sabotage our progress and lead us on a path to greatness or to disaster.
It is a complex, yet simple idea, but it's power and influence is endless.
So what is mindset? Well it comes down to how we view, perceive, interpret a situation or outcome, either as an expectation or a result.
It's attached to the little voice in our head saying I can do this. Or I always mess up and can't do anything right. Or I'm never going to get better at golf. Or I am such a great putter.
As we tell ourselves these different ideas, our mind blindly believes them, without fact checking the content. As our mind accepts these ideas, our body language follows suit.
With a positive mindset open to possibilities, we get excited about playing golf. Our chest is out, posture tall and strong, muscles are loose and ready to move.
A negative mindset closes us to any possibilities. It creates a feeling of hopelessness and even fear of failure. Our muscles become tense and restricted, our shoulders slouch, our posture loses its form. We become fatigued.
All this happens from a simple little thought.
Once we understand how powerful the mindset is, we give ourselves the knowledge and tools to influence and improve it. To manipulate it to better serve our golf game, our life and our happiness.
Regaining control of our mindset is not an easy feat, but it is worth every bit of effort to do so. As we regain control of our mindset, we regaining our freedom, our ability to expand and improve and our happiness.
Conceptually we might think we are in control, the commander of our thoughts, feelings and emotions. But when that shot falls into the lake or we lip out that putt, we have a tendency to lose that control, opening the floodgates of negativity, self doubt, and self criticism.
Whatever the shot might be, when the result does not meet our expectations and desires our mindset takes a hit, sometimes even a beating.
BUT, We have the choice in that moment...
To believe the negative rhetoric or LET IT GO. To pull in the reins of our mindset or feed that flame of negativity, resulting in tension build up, self doubt, and a downward spiral of unwanted golf shots. To brush it off, chalk it up to being a part of the game or a part of life and bringing ourselves right back to the peace and openness that is the present moment.
We have the choice, but that does not necessarily make it easier to make that change.
Luckily there is a tool we can use to help us. Going back to the reins analogy, let's look at that idea a little further. Imagine our mind is attached to reins, like a horse pulling a buggy. That horse and our mind/thoughts will run, walk, jump in any and every direction without those reins. They are meant to help steer and guide the buggy in the direction we want to go.
We can also create figurative reins to help steere and guide our mindset where we want it to go.
So the next time we start mentally moving in a direction we do not want to go, we need to imagine ourselves grabbing a hold of those reins and steer us back to the present, back to openness and acceptance, back to positivity and excitement.
Those reins will be the most powerful tool we have for a while as we practice retaking control of our mindset and steering it in the direct we choose to go.
Remember, it's not about how we play golf or how we live life, how we hit the ball, what we wear, do or say. It's about how we exist in those moments. It's about staying positively open in all situations and maintaining a mindset of expansion, growth, encouragement, and love.
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