Do you really love to play golf? Does playing golf bring you joy every time you play?<\/p>\n
Your state of mind is your mood or mental state at a particular time.\u00a0Our emotional states dictate how we feel. The lowest energy level of emotions that upset us are anger, fear, frustration, guilt, etc. At the highest energy level, the emotions that make us feel good are love, joy, care, compassion, etc.<\/p>\n
Most golfers believe that when they play well they will be happy. And when they aren\u2019t playing well they experience anger and frustration. To be successful requires a paradigm shift in the thoughts that cause your emotions. It is important to remain in a state of loving the experience of playing golf no matter what the results are. Albert Schweitzer explained it simply as:<\/p>\n
\u201cSuccess is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success.<\/em><\/p>\n If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.\u201d <\/em>– Albert Schweitzer\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n How do you change your stressful state<\/em><\/strong>?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n We become stressed when our performance doesn\u2019t meet our expectations and we don\u2019t manage our emotional reaction.<\/p>\n To change your emotional state, reframe the situation that upsets you. There is always another way of looking at a situation and reacting to it. For example:<\/p>\n You hit a perfect shot over a sand bunker to a pin cut in the front of a green. Your shot falls just short and imbeds under the lip of the bunker. Amid the frustration and disappointment, remember why you love golf. It\u2019s a game where one-half inch can be the difference between perfection and disaster. Chasing perfection and avoiding disaster is the challenge that makes the game so captivating.<\/p>\n If you only love to play golf when the half-inch works in your favor, you will be frustrated and angry often on the golf course.<\/p>\n To change your state of mind and body when things don\u2019t go your way, smile at adversity and be surprised rather than angry that it didn\u2019t happen the way you expected. The more you repeat changing your state in this way the easier it will become to access and stay \u201cin the zone.\u201d<\/p>\n Play \u201cIn the Zone\u201d With Joan<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Entrain Your Heart & Mind for Peak Performances<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n If this article is helpful to you, and you want to learn more about developing a strong mental game, call Joan for a complimentary 15-minute consultation.\u00a0\u00a0She can be reached by phone at 828-696-2547, or by\u00a0email at pmi4@bellsouth.net<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Self-empowering mental golf CDs are available on the Positive Mental Imagery\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Do you really love to play golf? Does playing golf bring you joy every time you play? Your state of mind is your mood or mental state at a particular time.\u00a0Our emotional states dictate how we feel. The lowest energy … Continue reading