Jekyll Island trip

We just returned from a trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia where we played the Pine Lakes course. What a great evening! Beautiful weather and scenary, no one in front or behind us, the perfect afternoon for a round. I actually shot par on a couple of holes. But on many others I shot way over. I lost my temper on about the 7th hole, but I recouped with a little help from my patient, encouraging husband, and managed to enjoy the remainder of the holes.

As I mentioned in my profile, I'm currently reading "Golf and the Spirit" by M. Scott Peck. I also have recently read Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" and "The Power of Now." Peck says that golf is a spiritual practice. I get that. Golf is a way to express and refine our spiritual beliefs. I find that golf is a way to literally "practice" the spiritual concepts that will impact my life. It is a way for me to practice, over and over again, the things that I want to do in my daily family, work, and spiritual life.

For example, I know that my work is better when I am present in the current moment, when I accept a situation as it is rather than reject it, when the actions I take are initiated while in a state of relaxed awareness. The problem is that I'm so caught up in work (rather, my ego is so caught up in work) that it's difficult for me to practice these skills on a consistent basis. Usually, I only realize after the fact that I was not present when events occur and that I created the very outcome I am upset about. With golf, I can consciously practice spiritual skills in situations that feel high-stakes, but aren't really. I can think about how my state of mind creates my eventual results.

When playing, I know that I must focus on the ball and not be distracted by where I want it to go. I can get mad, stomp and snort, and curse vigorously about a poor shot or a poor lie, but if I'm going to do anything about it, I've got to settle down and accept. I can practice setting my ego-based emotions aside and focusing on my actions. And I get to practice these things for about four hours each time I hit the course.