I hope you will consider the way a sport you love relates to the spiritual life.
5. Live Life One Shot
At A Time
“Everybody talks about
how you have to stay focused ONE SHOT AT A TIME. Well, here’s how you do that,
Jack. You break the golf course into pieces. And claim ownership of it one
piece at a time” (80)
“I don’t think in this
life it is what it is. I think it is
what you make it” (318)
I’ve quoted one of the more beautiful and
thoughtful notes I’ve ever received below. It reinforces this idea: to live in
the moment. While it’s prudent to plan for the future, the future shouldn’t
come at the expense of allowing life to pass you by.
Yes, sacrifices must be
made at the present to achieve our goals. But we cannot dwell on the what-ifs. We
have to accept our situations at the present and devote our concentration and
energy to doing the best we can now. And when another opportunity arises, we
can make the appropriate choice that is best for us at that moment. However,
the key is not to get carried away with our desires at the present. Because a
failure to delay gratification, to always desire more at the present, only draws
our energy away from the here and now. From what we can
control at the present. And that is what we must not forget.
“In a world full of
opportunities, it’s nearly impossible to ignore the “what-ifs” and to live life
with both feet firmly planted where you are. There’s an unlimited amount of
doors we can open and close, but by choosing one, we lose the option to go
through the others that are present at that time. And seeing them and wondering
what lies behind them is difficult because surely they contain good things,
surely you would benefit from wandering down whatever path lies within their
stoop. But while we can’t have them all, we can give our all to whatever way we
do choose - and follow it to our next set of doors where we can pick once again
from a set of opportunities that are fitting for our current stage. And the
beautiful thing is that there is no “wrong” door. Yes - there are some that
will push us, pain us even, and those we cannot run through quickly enough, but
through each of those doors lies a chance for growth and a chance to become
that person we idealize ourselves to be.”
7. Bear Witness To
The Beauty
“I’m going to start
not taking myself so seriously. I’m going to bear witness to the beauty
instead” (160)
How easy is it for us to get wrapped up in the “what-ifs” of
life? Or to project and plan so far ahead that we lose sight of what’s
important at the moment? We let our thoughts wander so far ahead that we let
the beauty of the present become distorted by our desires or dreams. Surely
dreams are good to have. Dreams push us, grow us, and make life worth living.
But we can’t ignore the beauty in every day.
 |
| Beautiful Muirfield Golf Club in Scotland, site of the 2013 British Open. It wasn't as green this year! |
Snyder writes of one caddy’s
attitude when preparing to head out onto the links in Scotland in treacherous
and miserable conditions. While some of the caddies complained about the
weather, he provided a little perspective: “It ain’t Normandy” (193). We’re
blessed with the people around us and the opportunities that we have. Sometimes
we fail to see that.
There’s plenty in this world to laugh at, smile at, and
joke about. In fact, beauty is everywhere if you take the time to look for it. Sometimes,
like the wise caddy’s advice, it’s just a matter of perspective.
Charles Dickens
said, “Reflect upon your present blessings – of which every man has many – not
on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” My favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life. In the final scene, George Baily makes the choice
to cherish the love of his friends and family instead of worrying about his
other problems.
“Isn’t it wonderful, I’m going to jail!” he exclaims. His financial problems
are insignificant when compared to his love for his family and friends. This
year, I put a sign up in my room that said, “What are you thankful for today?”
And it helped me recognize even the smallest piece of goodness that found its
way into my day. That’s what we’re constantly called to do – to bear witness to
beauty.
 |
| Jason Dufner blows the PGA Championship Title in 2011 |
10. Have Faith: Be Not
Afraid
“You only get once
chance.”
“Not if there’s still
one person left who believes in you” (143)
“Though the game of
golf is played on magnificent ground, it is perfected inside the mind.” (172)
Sometimes we pass up opportunities. Sometimes we fall short.
But as long as there is forgiveness, as long as there is a deeply held belief
in us, we are always given another opportunity to grow, change, and chase our
dreams. How many times do we find ourselves asking for God’s forgiveness? Without
fail, He will welcome us back with open arms. He will always work to find the
lost sheep – He never gives up on us. As long as we accept responsibility for
our failings and shortcomings, we are always welcomed back. I went to a talk in
Dallas this past year sponsored by a group called Young Catholic Professionals.
The speaker was Mr. James Moroney, CEO of the Dallas Morning News. He provided a valuable reminder for all
present that night about the value of faith:
“A clever person once
said that the key to managing your life well was akin to juggling balls, some
of which were rubber and some of which were made of glass. He said the trick was to never drop the ones
made of glass. So, FYI, there are only three made of glass. Faith. Family. Friends. Don’t get confused and think your work is one
of those made of glass. If you do, I can almost guarantee you that your focus
on your work will cause you to drop one of those balls that are really made of
glass. And when your faith is broken,
when your family is broken, when your relationship with your friends is broken,
you are broken, whether you know it or not.
And if you don’t know it, that’s the worst of all.”
 |
| Victory is sweet! J-Duf wins the 2013 PGA Championship |
Our lives, our decisions, our actions are all a result of
our faith. In Matthew 9:20, Jesus heals a woman who has been subject to bleeding
for twelve years and tells her: “Take heart, daughter, your faith has healed
you.” We are called to daily live our faith through all of our actions, and
most importantly, through prayer and the sacraments. To some extent, what we
think, we become. Having a strong prayer life can help us become closer to God
and give us the strength to help others. Prayer is a fantastic way to express
gratitude daily and develop spiritually. If we have faith first, the other
aspects of our lives will flourish.
If you would like to read Kyle Smith's full reflection, please let me know and I will send a PDF copy of it.
Photo Credits
J-Duf wins
Muirfield
Dufner collapse
