Last week I went to the driving range for the first time in five years.  Before that, it was eleven years and before that seven.  Thus, I have been to the range twice in nearly twenty two years.  Thus I had some trepidation.  To enlighten those of you who do not know, golfers practice their swing at these ranges.  I polished my slice.  This is when your ball swings out and to the left and then to the right, also known as the “banana ball” due to this profile.   

Nonetheless, a close friend of mine and minister invited me to go.  Luckily for me, and unluckily for him, he injured his bicep in the first twenty minutes.  This gave him the opportunity to give me some pointers.  It was quite fun for me.  For in less than one hour he successfully improved my stroke immeasurably.  So much so that I plan on finally taking lessons again. 

The true measure of the change, is how I felt after he helped me.  Rather than feeling stress, trepidation and apprehension, I felt love, joy and excitement.  Just the change in my posture alone added this.  Instead of trying to tower over the ball and dominate my will upon it, I scooted up close to it to loft it high.  My change in posture adjusted my feeling to less of driving and more of lofting. 

This reminds me so much of how my attitude and life has changed.  As a child my mind matured much faster than the rest of me.  Yet emotions and physical skills lagged behind.  This imbalance often reinforces itself to the point where the highly intellectual often stunt their own physical and emotional growth. 

Aggressive socialization processes further teach the child that he needs to push harder, further, faster.  It encourages the youth to become more intense with each failure.  Eventually the strong may succeed by sheer force of will, though at what cost?  I became a competent triathlete, soldier, engineer, and divorcee.  Each time I found something too difficult to get on the first try, I stoked my furnace and burned my fuel. 

Eventually I torched a hole in my colon and burned out my adrenals.  In Chinese five element theory, I boiled the water right out of my kidneys.  Regardless of how you classify my condition, too much vata and pitta in ayurveda, I was beaten.  MORE of anything would not solve my condition.  More relaxation, more mediation, and more contemplation all sound good.  But they were not the fix. 

Less was the more that I needed. 

Instead of trying to tower over and dominate the little white ball, I squatted low and sidled up to it.  Everyone who has ever tried golf knows that domination never works over the tiny white spirit.  One needs to smoothly and gracefully work with it.  My friend called it rhythm like a pendulum.  To me it definitely became a dance rather than a fight.   The change in my position changed my position. 

Or more clearly, the change in posture changed my posture.  Er, uh, the change in my stance changed my stance. 

Sheesh! 

Let me try to say this clearly!  I changed the way I stood over the ball and this changed my entire feeling.  Suddenly I started giggling and laughing.  I was no longer angry and frustrated without even swinging the club.  Changing my philosophy inspires all that I now do.  The world is not my enemy.  If I do not get something on the first try, I use flow.  Swimming, rowing, dancing, running, thinking, reasoning, relating, they all have a rythym amd flow.