Quote of the Week : Learn to Surf!
More a story than a quote, it is worth reading to the end. It comes from the book Zen Golf but the message is something all athletes should remember.
My teacher, Osel Tendzin, had a favorite response when his meditation students would ask how to control their thoughts and emotions. He'd say, "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. One person will struggle with the waves and be battered about. Another person will learn to ride them. Same waves, very different experiences."
We experience waves of emotion through the course of a tournament, a round of golf, or even a single golf hole. If we can ride the ups and downs with poise, humor, and humility it makes the game more enjoyable for ourselves and our playing companions. To do so depends on perspective.
When you're in contention in a match or tournament, you're likely to feel waves of nervousness. Taking them as a bad sign will undermine your confidence. If you try to suppress them, you will make them more distracting. They become a drain on your energy. That's like trying to stop the waves.
Instead, learn to surf on the waves of nervousness.