5 “Swing Thoughts” for a Half Full Life
by Starbucker on June 5, 2008
I had the opportunity to play the famous Pebble Beach golf links in Monterey, California the other day, and it was an awesome experience, even though I really don’t play a lot of golf these days.
It was awesome because of:
- The incredible scenic beauty, and
- A reminder that life, like golf, is about proper preparation
Look at the picture above – there I am, about to hit my 3rd shot on one of the most beautiful finishing holes in all of golf. I’m mentally preparing my “swing thoughts” before I try to execute the shot. My aim. My tempo. Where I need to position my head, and my hands. I try to relax, and focus. Then, and only then, I step up and hit the shot.
As I was doing this for a golf shot, I realized that good preparation also works well in life , especially for someone who wants to live a Half Full life.
Nearly two years ago I posted a little mental “swing thought” checklist for a Half Fuller. I know that if I can think about these 5 things every morning, I can significantly increase my chances of having a fantastic day.
I repeat them here:
“Get off of the ground, but stay out of the clouds” – Be able to take a step back occasionally and get a good perspective on what is happening in your life so those “little things” are marginalized, but be careful you don’t get so far up and away from that you lose track of any lessons to be learned or changes in direction that should occur.
“Open mind, open skies” – An open mind is critical to keeping a positive perspective; it creates a feeling of freedom that keeps you soaring in the open skies instead of being stuck in the fishbowl.
“No brain pain, no net gain” – You must keep constantly learning to keep the glass half-full; see my post on Joyful Jubilant Learning about how it works for me.
“Stay away from absolutes, absolutely“ – One of my earliest mentors forbid the word “can’t” from ever being uttered in his presence, and the meaning of that prohibition had a profound effect on me, in that I realized that absolutes tend to stifle optimism. They leave no room for possibilities. A half-fuller needs possibilities like a fish needs water.
“Just say no to naysayers” – Surround yourself with other Half-Fullers, and you’ll surely pick up the vibe. Visit anyone on my blogroll and you’ll see what I mean- I was pretty solidly in the Half-Full camp before I started blogging, but my experience with like-minded individuals in the blogosphere has only made me more determined to stay this way. Beware of the opposite effect of hanging with naysayers – there’s an “Under Toad” there that can pull you straight under.
So how did my third shot at Pebble Beach turn out?
7 Iron to about 15 feet. One of my better shots of the day. Because I did a great job with my swing thoughts.
Of course, I missed the putt. But I had a fantastic time (that’s where the Half Full preparation came in handy). 
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Terry – As a fellow golfer and half fuller my congratulations on playing Pebble Beach – what a fabulous experience.
I’ve played a few championship courses in the UK – the home of Golf – but nothing quite like Pebble Beach I’m sure.
I remember about 10 years ago as I drove to my club to play in the ‘May Cup’ individual competition tournament which was one of our major tournaments each year. I kept telling myself on the way in the car – ‘You are going to win this Trevor’ …. On the 4th hole I got a 9 and it looked like curtains but I kept telling myself ‘You are going to win this’
I played the best round of my life and ended up with a net 62 which was enough to take the trophy by two clear shots.
I was absolutely flabbergasted. I swear to this day that it is hard evidence that seeing the glass as half full really works.
Of curse as a golfer you will know Terry that one cannot play that well every week but I am convinced if we think we can play well and we focus totally on positive thought then we are more likely to do the business.
Great post – thanks my friend – and I have to say I didn’t normally play that well!
Great post, Terry! Thanks for all of the little reminders – especially about staying open to all of the possibilities out there.