Previously I have talked of fear and how golf is at least as much a mental game as a physical one. Today I will be discussing perspective, both in golf and in our daily lives. Golf is, after all, a microcosm of life…and there are mutual benefits to both golf and life when you realise the connection.
If you are an athlete who aspires to achieve then this is a principle that you need to know.
We all live in our own virtual reality where our perspective of events are different to those of other competitors and indeed to spectators and commentators. The way we see things is often very different to the way others see them.
Don Luis Ruiz gives the perfect example in his book ‘ The four agreements ‘:
Imagine you walk into a movie house and you notice how there are an endless amount of theatres within the movie house. As you look around you notice that the names of the movies are the names of people who are involved in you life. You decide to go into the theatre which has your mother’s name on it. As you walk in you notice it is empty except for one person, your mother. You sit down and you start watching and you experience life through the eyes of your mother. The way she sees the world, the way she sees her family, the way she sees you. You are immediately shocked by what you have seen because what you have seen does not make sense to you, although it makes sense to your mother. You end up running out and going to the next theatre where you find your brother and once again, you simply can’t understand what is happening. Then it dawns on you, everyone has different perspectives some similar to yours, some not. You notice that you are living in your own world where your truth is different to that of others.
What you believe contradicts what others believe.
Let us take that last passage and relate it to golf. We are often criticised on the golf course by our family, friends or opponents. What they say is simply what they believe. It is their truth. That does not mean it is true for you. It often helps to listen to what others say, just never make the mistake of taking it personally. What they say is simply not your truth. Find your own truth and use the opinions of others only to add dimension and colour.
I hope this helped you gain perspective.
