I was lucky enough to get out and play yesterday. I am truly grateful for opportunities to get out and play during the week. And since I ended up going solo and practicing during the round, and because weather conditions were on the edge (windy, rain threatening, etc.), I ended up calling it a “practice round.” No big deal, right?

But then, thanks in part to some nudging from a buddy, I realized that I was being something of a SAP (Seriously Addicted to Performance, a term I learned at the Extradinary Golf school). Even tho I know that the score is just part of the fabric of playing the game of golf, and not really my true purpose in playing it, scoring well still takes up far too much psychic space in my mind. I actually felt a little guilty that I didn’t post my 100. Silly, eh?

Just like the Buddhists say, “The journey is the reward.” And, as much as I know that it’s true that “it’s always more fun when you win,” it’s also a great privilege to just get out into the fresh air, to feel the wind, to hit a few good shots, and most of all just to play. Actually, for me, it’s more than a privilege: It’s a true joy. A real pleasure. A remarkable learning environment. An important something that helps to make my life a fun thing to live. Honestly. How great is that?

So, thank you, golf, for the reminder that my purpose being out there on the golf course (and in being alive) is to have fun, to play, to learn and to connect with my true nature. What a blessing that is when I remember it. That is a true joy (when I remember it.)