Yesterday I played golf with one of my boys. I was reminded of the power that water and hazards can have on the mind of a golfer.
It is easy to become fixated on the hazard that you are trying to avoid. You tell yourself, “Don’t hit in the water. Don’t hit it in the water.” It becomes so dominant in our mind that it almost becomes a target and our body listens. It hits the ball in the water.
Life is similar. There are hazards that we want to avoid in life. I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t be aware of them or even that we shouldn’t prepare for the hazards of life. I believe we should prepare, but I have also found that we need to be careful how much mental space that we give them.
If we focus too much on the hazards, they may actually become our target. We may start taking actions and speaking in a certain way that leads us right in to the very hazards we are trying to avoid.
So let’s prepare but then let’s spend more time focusing on the targets we want and the outcomes we want. If we do that we will increase our odds of hitting the desired targets and we will probably enjoy life more in the process.
Rich Florence 