Integrity in the game of golf is such that even if no other player happened to be in view of the clump of nettles, meaning no other player would see you if you sneakily retrieved your ball, you would still take your next shot from the middle of that clump of nettles. Fishing the ball out with your club before taking your next shot would make life much easier and improve your score for your round – and, after all, no one would actually know you’d fished it out except you – but, if you want to call yourself a golfer, you’ll continue to play that shot from where it lies. If you move it, you’re cheating. In the current sports climate of mandatory drug testing for performance enhancing drugs, this mental attitude, and willingness to play the game by the rules, speaks volumes about the psychology of those who make it to the top.

“Play it as it lies is one of the fundamental dictates of golf. The other is, wear it if it clashes”

- Henry Beard

Be true to yourself

Some might say that cheating in golf, or any other sport, is only cheating if you get caught but when you play golf, you not only play against other players, you play against the course and you play against yourself. Even if no one caught you cheating by fishing your ball out of the nettles, you’d still be cheating yourself. Of course, it’s not actually against the rules to move your ball in order to make it more playable – your ball may land in the branches of a tree for example – but moving your ball must then be marked on your card as a shot taken.

Top golfers don’t get to the top by not marking their cards. The score on their card at the end of a round must always be a true reflection of their golfing ability. If they don’t like that score, they’ll get back out on the course and practice their skills until they achieve a score they like: then they’ll go back out again and see if they can improve some more. Top golfers are not content with a win over other players on a course, they are only content with a mastery of each course they play. In sports psychology terms, top golfers are motivated by mastery orientated goals: top golfers play to win but they always play against ‘old man par.’

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For many people the meaning of life is a question that prompts them to turn to religion and faith.  After all, religion and faith often provides people with a context which they exist within.  And it’s this context that gives situations and circumstances meaning.

For myself personally, I believe life for us is a platform of self-discovery.  Life is all about experiences.  Human beings choose what they want to do – or experience – with their lives. They create the life they want for themselves.

And in the process, we discover who we really are.

Life has this innate ability to teach us so many lessons – and it’s far more effective than the learning we’re likely to experience in a classroom.

That’s because life is all about the practical, rather than the theory.  It’s all about the doing and experiencing, rather than simply passively reading about it.

We learn so much more from our own experiences, rather than the experiences we read or hear about, as lived by other people.

We’ve all heard the saying, “He will have learn the hard way” or “She will have to learn the hard way.”  This saying itself reflects the fact that our own life lessons are so much more powerful and effective than those we hear about.

As James Gardner once said, “Life is an endless process of self-discovery.”  I couldn’t agree with him on that point anymore than I do myself.

We’re here on earth to experience whatever it is in life that we WANT to experience – and we’re here to learn along the way.  And in this process, we learn about who we really are. Take a look back at your life to date and in no time, you’ll be able to identify the lessons in life that have helped you become who you are today.  Life really is our greatest classroom!

When you feel GREAT about your goal, you go a long way to materializing it!
There’s a great quote that was in that famous film and book, “The Secret” that was spoken by W. Clement Stone when he was alive. He said – and it is quoted in “The Secret” that,
“Whatever the mind…can conceive it can achieve.”
Now what an amazing, amazing quote that is!
If we can actually see an outcome – no matter how great or out of this world it is – in our minds, then we can actually achieve that in REAL LIFE!
That’s because we are emitting if you like – energy – that attract to us the circumstances and the people that help us bring that wonderful visualization to life but more importantly we notice opportunities to provide great service to others !
The more amazing and passionate we feel, the stronger that magnetic energy…
Now that’s got to give you something to get really, really excited about!
Feeling great about a goal isn’t just nice warm and fuzzy feelings. It’s actually a very powerful and real force that brings everything we need into our lives, to turn our goals into realities!
So pay close attention to all those wonderful goals you have…and feel great about them, and most importantly take action on them now! Because when you do that, an amazing journey unfolds!

Further reading: I can make you rich by Paul McKenna
How to make one hell of a profit and still go to Heaven Dr John F Demartini

Please watch this great clip from Byron Katie

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s78jm5PIUDI]

Sometimes modern life with its pace, demands and the expectations we place on ourselves can lead you to seek in the future something that is available in the present. And I dont know which “state” you would like more of now, love, happiness, freedom but what I do know is that they are all there within you as you read this blog.

Coaching question: What do I love to do that brings me alive ?

Further Reading: “Suffering is Optional” Cheri Huber

Every human being who has walked the earth and will ever walk the earth has the infinite ability within them to create the life they want.
And success really is the achievement of that. It’s the reality of living your ideal life and being happy.
When we are happy, we are healthy and rich. So we were made to be happy – to be successful ! This is our default position which we sometime forget .
So when you do something – with the full intention of achieving the happiness you aspire to – believe that you CAN achieve it!
Know that you CAN do it!
And when that voice of negativity comes into your mind, you can tell it to “Take a hike! “Or just notice it for what it is..” a passing thought” and let it go…
You can respond to the negativity with a positive affirmation of “I CAN” and “I WILL” or a “I WANT TO”. And feel the feelings of being able to do just that.
When you affirm that you can and you will, you are actually giving yourself strength both mentally and physically.
And that puts you in a really good position to go out there and grab success with both hands or let success be a natural outcome of your happiness.
Try it today, remember you have a choice!

Start believing that you are made for success and claim it today for yourself!
A little self-confidence really does go a long, long way – as you will see when you start implementing this valuable lesson in your own life.

Re-create the life you really want!

Let’s face it! There aren’t too many people out there that don’t want to achieve success in their lives. Whether that’s success in personal areas such as relationships or success in professional areas involving career and promotion, we all want our piece of it!
One thing though that holds so many people back is that negative voice inside our head that critiques us on absolutely everything we do. That not so quiet voice that issues the cant, wont, no point in trying type commands…
It can be debilitating…but there is hope!
After all, for many of us, that voice of negativity has been there ever since childhood. Like the critical teacher looking over our shoulder, endlessly criticizing the work we do.
We certainly can be our very worst critic, but we need to understand and believe that success is within reach!
If we want success, if we are willing to go out there and grab success and its opportunities with both hands, we will.
In his “Inspiration a Day” mailing list, Josh Hinds said: “When you do a thing, know that success is within your grasp! All too often we are our own worst enemies. The bottom line is you were made for success!”
It’s true!
You were made for your success !