I read as many books as I could on the subject and history of golf and what the Masters of the
game had to say. I quickly discovered
what they were saying paralleled In The
Zone performance principles.
I was off and
running. All I had to do is create a
plot, develop an imaginary golf course and feature In The Zone principles within the context of a sport psychology novel.
It seems people learn better when exposed to stories and I
wanted this story to reflect the mentality of regular, ordinary people on and
off the course. I wanted to present how playing the game of golf has direct
relevance to how we live our lives no matter where we are. If you are out of control, angry and stressed
while playing golf, this is predictive of how you live your life off the course.
In short, I wanted the reader to learn how In The Zone principles
of elite performance apply to all aspects of our lives. I had come full circle, back to Tension Management & Relaxation: An
Approach to a Balanced Way of Living. I was pleased to see how the basic ideas had remained
unchanged over the years. Teaching
performance principles has been a good strategy.
I am reminded of the
words of Miyamota Musashi, the greatest of Japanese swordsmen
FROM ONE THING, KNOW TEN THOUSAND THINGS
FROM ONE THING, KNOW TEN THOUSAND THINGS
When you learn basic performance skills with application to diverse
performance challenges, you acquire self-confidence and an anchored sense of
self. This is much of what this Blog is
about and acquiring Relaxation Skills is a significant step in this direction.
If you are a golfer, you may want to check out the Audio CD,
TRUST YOUR SWING: THE
POWER OF THE PENDULUM AND RHYTHMIC FLOW. It is yet another expression of how
Relaxation Skills can enhance your athletic performance.
Remember, you ARE what you think. You BECOME what you do.
Dr. Ray