Tee2Green

REFLECTION

In order to play golf well you must have your mind in the present moment. A golfer can not reflect on the last or next shot, they must remain in the present and execute the task at hand, the present shot.

Life for those of us that struggle with various “issues” often times have a difficult time staying in the present. Our minds wander and we are often dwelling on things in the past that we can not change or we are dreaming about the future and things we want. Neither of these are the present.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to participate in a member / guest golf tournament. It was a lot of golf packed into two days and the majority of the participants were partying hard.
I knew most of participants pretty well and they all, on the surface, are perfectly happy living in the chaos in which they live. I asked one of the guys, after the matches on Sunday, if he had any vices? I said, you know something in your life that is not necessarily good for you that you can not quit. He looked me straight in the eyes and replied “dipping”. I chuckled.

This coming from a guy that by Sunday afternoon around 4:30 PM had played over 60 holes of golf in the last 3 days and had probably consumed more drinks than he had played golf holes and he said “dipping” was his only vice. Amazing, yet, reflecting I probably would have said the same thing 3 years ago.

Today, I have so much to be grateful for. I no longer live in the chaos of my friend. I celebrated 3 years of sobriety last week and even though it was gloomy outside I was beaming inside with an attitude of gratitude. God’s grace has brought me out of a very dark place where I lived for over 25 years. The place where my friend is living in today, but he does not even know it. If anyone were to ask him, he would tell you his life is great. Today, I’m free from the bondage of self. Sober living really is a better way to live and I’m blessed to have been given this gift. I have so many special people in my life to thank for sticking with me the last 15 years and supporting me in this journey

Today, I sort of feel like George Bailey "It's a wonderful life and I'm the luckiest guy in the world".

Keep it in the fairway!

Chris