One of the greatest golf books ever written is Zen Golf by Dr Joseph Parent. It is strange for a golf book in that it hardly gives any physical tips at all, choosing instead to focus on the mental side of the game.
If you are a golfer then I highly recommend this book, if you take in all that is in there it will take two to four shots off your game.
However as Dr Joe himself says, the most gratifying thing for him is when a student turns round to him and says; "Wait a minute Doc. This has to do with a lot more than golf, doesn't it?"
So let us now see what life lessons we can derive from looking at the game of golf, by first looking at the four cups.
The Upside Down Cup
The first cup is upside down, this represents a student that is supposedly there to learn but pays no attention.
- Zen Golf
Unfortunately this stance is all too prevalent in society today, Parent likens it to when you're reading a book and you get to the bottom of the page and you realise that even though your eyes were looking at the words, you were in fact daydreaming.
The upside down cups among us are growing in number because of our lack of focus, bringing a disciplined way of thinking back into your life will prevent you from becoming the upside down cup.
Simple meditation can help, however the first thing you must do is to rid yourself of the things that most distract you.
If you have a smartphone that you find yourself fiddling with at any spare moment you have. Then get rid of all the games and social media apps, instead get into being alone with your own thoughts.
The Hole In The Cup
The second cup is the right way up, but has a hole in it, we hear what is being taught but we forget all too soon.
-Zen Golf
It is not only in study that many of us take this stance, in our everyday lives there are many situations whereby we are simply not paying attention when we should be.
Paying attention is simply another way of saying; staying focused, mindfulness meditation can really help with increasing attention span.
Before playing a shot in golf Dr. Joe advises using mindfulness to bring yourself back into the moment. You can do a similar thing in everyday life when you feel that your mind is drifting and you need to concentrate on what you're doing.
You can bring yourself back to the moment by simply paying attention to your body state and your surroundings.
So for instance you may be working on something on your laptop and are finding it hard to concentrate. In that scenario you can pause to take in what's going on around you.
First anchor yourself to the moment by paying attention to the sounds you can hear outside the window. Also pay particular attention to how your feet are feeling inside your shoes, or if you're barefoot, how they fell on the floor.
This simple exercise will rid your mind of distraction and you can carry on with the task at hand.
The Dirty Cup
The third cup is the right way up and doesn't have a hole in it, but the inside is covered in dirt. When the clear water of instruction is poured in, the dirt makes it cloudy.
- Zen Golf
We see this happen not just when receiving instruction, but in instances when you are seeking advice. Have you ever asked for advice from a friend or a family member, and then ignored the advice given?
Then instead you keep on asking different people until one of them tells you what you want to hear?
This is the equivalent of the dirty cup, you believe something to be true and you will only listen if your preconceived beliefs are confirmed.
To avoid such situations you need to be honest with yourself before asking the advice, taking the course, or whatever it may be.
You have to ask yourself if you actually want new information, or you simply need confirmation of something you already believe. If it is the former, then you need to clear your mind and tell yourself that you are ready for new information, even if it is opposite to your current belief system.
The Fourth Cup
The fourth cup represents the ideal way to be a student. It is upright, receiving what is taught. It has no holes, retaining what is taught. It is clean, open to learning something new. To whatever extent you can, be like the fourth cup.
- Zen Golf
In order to be like the fourth cup, you must practice meditation and mindfulness. Learn to concentrate on your breath and be aware of your surroundings.
Most of all, you must learn to be curious about things outside your frame of knowledge and comfort. Find out about things you would usually avoid, seek debate both internally with yourself, and externally with others.
By doing this you are turning your cup the right way up, filling in any holes, and giving it a good clean.
Remember, be like the fourth cup.
WHICH CUP ARE YOU MOST LIKE? IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY DO YOU SEE YOURSELF 'BECOMING' THE FOURTH CUP? IF YOU ARE A GOLFER; HAVE YOU READ ZEN GOLF, AND IF SO WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT IT?
AS EVER, LET ME KNOW BELOW!
Title image: Tyler Lastovich on Unsplash