Saturday, October 6, 2007

On the front nine today, I had missed a short putt in an insignificant match against a club member. I was frusterated and followed the missed putt with a poor shot that left me dropping a ball in front of a pond. I was not pissed because of the poor shot results, or because I allowed one shot to influence another, but because I couldn't stand creating an opportunity for my opponent to have a chance. Following a birdie on the next hole I thought, "alright, keep battling you warrior. Dont give this guy any breathing room." It is great that competative spirit isnt just a switch that flips off and on when I arrive at a tournament. It is a constant mindset that says, "this is a battle that you love and expect to be victorious at." We can debate whether or not the idea that approaching a one vs one mentality as opposed to a one vs oneself mindset is a proper way to approach a match play situation, but regardless of that discourse, I am getting the most out of that practice experiance because I care. When you care you arent just going through the motions of a monotinous job. You care because you love aspects of your experiance. That love of the desired end result creates a love of the process and a care for every moment in it. Loving those moments I find myself in the present. Life is not lived while "you are busy making other plans" when you are in the present moment. That love creates a oneness with the present, which is where your experiance becomes the most meaningful. I went on to win the match as expected, but, at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter.

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