Don’t let emotions ruin the moment. I’m an emotional person. I have no problem admitting that, and emotions can be a fabulous part of who we are, if used correctly. If emotions are steering the course, though, the outcome is normally not the best. When I am golfing and I allow my emotions to take control, my focus is in the wrong place and what I set out to achieve normally falls short.
I encourage you, to keep your emotions in check (good and bad), as you work towards what you’re trying to achieve. That doesn’t mean to not have any emotions, but as they say, you have to keep your head in the game.
You will have plenty of time to rejoice later, or to possibly feel bad over what could have been, but at least you’ll know that you gave it your all.
While one is doing what must be done, take time to enjoy the view. One of the big reasons that I love golf is getting to be outdoors. I love seeing God’s creation. It’s absolutely amazing! Most of the time, as I am at work, at home, at the store, at church, at the gym, or wherever, I’m indoors. Golf gives me the chance to be outside! It’s awesome.
So, as I end this blog series, let me encourage you, one last time. As you believe in yourself, follow through, try to improve, pay attention to the details, work through your plan and not let your emotions ruin all you’ve done, take the time to look around. What’s the point of the journey, if you missed out on all the great points of interest along the way? The end goal is necessary, but life is lived in the seconds and minutes. Make the best of them.
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One may have the best of intentions, but without a plan of action and a means of executing that action, those intentions are going nowhere. When I set up to hit a golf ball, I have the best of intentions. I have a goal in mind that I aim for, I think through my movements and placement (most of the time anyway), and I do the best I can to recall and repeat what has worked before. However, I admit that I don’t practice enough, and I don’t look enough at those who know what they’re doing, so I can improve more quickly.
So my intentions may be fantastic, but if I don’t have a plan of action, what do my intentions matter? Like with any sport, I need to plan out what I’m going to do, if I plan to have more success. This is so true to life, as well. How many times have you heard someone say they were going to do something, and you know they had every intention of doing it, but they failed to plan it out?
You know what happens to those who fail to plan. It’s great to have a positive attitude and want the best, but success doesn’t usually just happen. If it is worth it, then it is worth taking the time to plan out how to reach that goal.
When facing a tough situation, go into it prepared.
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Each moment is another opportunity to be better than you were before. One of the reasons I enjoy golf is because even though you are playing with others, your real competition is yourself. You’re typically not part of a team, like in baseball or basketball. Your level of achievement is truly measured by knowing how you’ve done before, and comparing yourself at that moment to what you did the last time and who you were before.
With the help of my husband, I spend time analyzing what I’m doing well and what still needs work. Though I need to do this more, I stop to watch others achieve what I’m trying to do, as a means of learning. I know that the next time I face the same hole, I can do what I may not have been able to do the last time. Even if I have been stuck in neutral, on a specific hole of the golf course, as I learn more, I have a new chance to improve. That’s pretty awesome!
I know that life isn’t always easy. However, each day is a fresh start, another chance to improve upon the person who went to bed the night before. Mistakes can be learned from. Achievements already made allow us to know what’s working, so we can continue in the right direction. New experiences can be had.
Really, it’s kind of exciting to know that yesterday wasn’t the end. As long as we have breath, we have the opportunity to improve upon ourselves. We live in a country with many opportunities afforded to us, no matter where we came from or what lies people may have tried to get you to believe about yourself. Seize the day! Heck, seize the moment! I promise you that it will be worth the effort.
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Lately, I’ve gotten back into playing golf. I’m not saying that I’m all that good at it, but I do my best and I enjoy it very much. As I’ve been playing, life lessons have seemed to surround me. Even if you’re not into golf, these can apply to anyone.
Ability can only take you so far. Believability will get you where you need to go. Whether I’m hitting the ball, or my husband is, this has proven true. Whatever our ability is, it means nothing if we don’t believe we can do what we set out to do.
Don’t you find that true in life, too? Think about all of the people you may know, you may even be one of them, who have so much potential, but who doesn’t seem to achieve as much as those around them know they could. So much of what we accomplish in life starts in our own heads. We may know what we need to do, we may even know how to do what we need to do, but if we can’t envision ourselves at the end of the finish line, all of that ability and knowledge means nothing. But, when we can see ourselves crossing that finish line, even if you don’t end up coming in first, you begin to realize that anything is possible!
What have you been wanting to do, but you stop yourself before you even begin? What dream do you wish you could accomplish, but your past attempts have failed? As long as you have breath, and especially if you have the ability, you need to start believing and do it!
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If people are honest, most want to be known, but are also afraid for too many to fully know them. Seems kind of odd, but really, it makes sense. For some people, they are afraid of revealing too much and not being liked. For others, they’re afraid of someone getting too close and then getting hurt by them, because it has happened before. Whatever the reason, every single one of us is known and loved.
Some of you may be reading this and thinking, “Yeah, right.” But, it’s true. Our Creator knows us better than we know ourselves. God loves us, even when we act or do things that others may find unlovable. Even when Christ was looking down upon those who despised Him, He looked up and cried to His Father, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:24) That is beyond our comprehension to look at others and feel such immense love, even when they feel none in return, but God feels that way about us.
In fact, even before you were born, you were seen by Him and loved dearly. “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” (Psalms 139:13-18 NLT)
There’s a story in the book of Genesis about a servant of Abram (later Abraham) and Sarai (later Sarah), named Hagar. God told Abram and Sarai that they were going to conceive, but when it took too long, Sarai decided to take matters into her own hands. She gave Sarai to Abram, so they could have a child. Then, what does she do? After Hagar became pregnant, Sarai became so bitter with her that she treated her cruelly, to the point that Hagar left.
At one point, in the midst of fleeing, God sent an angel to speak directly to Hagar. In Genesis, 16:11-14, we learn, “And the angel also said, ‘You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress. This son of yours will be a wild man, as untamed as a wild donkey! He will raise his fist against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live in open hostility against all his relatives. Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’So that well was named Beer-lahai-roi (which means ‘well of the Living One who sees me’). It can still be found between Kadesh and Bered.”
A woman, who is never mentioned as knowing God, is not only shown that He saw her and He cared about her and even her unborn son. Likewise, no matter where you find yourself in life, and no matter what you have ever done, God sees you. He knows you. He loves you.
If you don’t know Him and would like to, please feel free to leave me a message. Having a relationship with God is one that will never fail you. If you already know Him, but still struggle with the idea of others fully knowing you, ask God to help you. You are His precious creation and worth being known.
Are there those who will desire to hurt you? Always, but there are also those who desire and will love you, for who you are, imperfections and all. Those are the people who look at you, and see all the amazing things you have to offer others and to the world.
You are here for such a time as this (Esther 4:14), because God has a purpose, a plan for you and your life (Jeremiah 29:11). This requires you to be known by others. Why? Because as they get to know, His desire is that they will see Him in you and want to know more about Him.
As my final word on this subject today, please check out this terriifc video that really shows the relationship God wants with us. It comes from the story of the woman at the well, in John 4:
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Rachel's Reflections 