The official holiday season in the USA begins tomorrow, November 26th with our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. It is a national holiday when we give thanks for all the blessings in our lives. Thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation are positive feelings of the heart acknowledging what we have received or what we are going to receive.
Practicing being grateful can lead to increased happiness and a feeling of well-being. Having an “attitude of gratitude” on the golf course brings you into a higher vibration that moves you past any negative situation and attracts more of the best in your game.
Gratitude leads to lower levels of stress hormones
Gratitude is a state of being. It is a feeling in your heart that can transform your thinking and your physicality. This state of gratitude is how you can balance the ups and downs in your golf game. Take the time to find the balance between your heart and your will to make things happen. Remember why you love to play golf.
If you are criticizing, you are not feeling grateful. If you are blaming, you are not feeling grateful. If you are complaining, you are not feeling grateful. If you are feeling anxious, you are not being grateful. If you are afraid, you are not being grateful. If you are angry, you are not feeling grateful.
Practicing gratitude can make you happier
Studies show that practicing gratitude can increase your happiness levels by about 25%.
It’s easy to become negative when your golf game isn’t what you expect. If you have a tendency to look at your golf game with a critical eye and only notice what didn’t happen as you wanted, it is time to look at the successes that you have had.
No golfer’s game is all good or all bad. Writing down what you enjoyed will bring back memories of the good times you had on the golf course. Be aware of how this makes you feel different.
Build your gratitude list with a sincere ”thank you” for every compliment you receive from your golf partners. Receive the compliment with gratitude for the gift that was given to you without judging the content or the giver. In this way, giving and receiving are the same and both parties are rewarded with good feelings instead of bad ones. Your glass is then half full instead of half empty.
Be thankful for all your golf experiences
Happiness is an attitude you can create in every moment. A key to feeling happy is gratitude. When you are thankful for whatever experience you are having, your whole being energetically opens to the possibility of feeling happiness.
It is not happy people who are thankful,
It is thankful people who are happy.
Like every aspect of your golf game, repetition is necessary for success. Decide to spend time being grateful in every moment. The more you practice being grateful, you will develop an awareness of appreciating the small successes in your golf game.
Here is a poem about gratitude that can apply to your golf game as well as to your everyday life.
BE THANKFUL
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something for it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times. during those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings.
—Author Unknown
Play “In the Zone” With Joan
Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances
Be sure to check the PMI website and Blog for previous mental golf tips. For more in-depth information about how to play “in the zone,” call Joan at 828-696-2547 for a complimentary 15-minute personal consultation.
To train your brain to play your best golf, listen to the Positive Mental Imagery guided imagery CDs, available at www.pmi4.com/cart
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