I have been taking some time away from the game of golf, not due to injury or any mental fatigue, simply because sometimes life demands your attention elsewhere. During this time away however, I have thought about the game daily, and what it means to me.

Everyone has their own sanctuaries in life. These are places that bring comfort to your mind. Some are shared places, some are solitary, but we all have them. Clearly, one of mine is the golf course, but it was not always so. Growing up, I played many sports, where the passion was derived from the fleeting, yet burning fire possessed by youth, followed by the egotistical competitiveness of late adolescence, both of which evolved into the stage I am currently in. In my early twenties, I remember watching professionals with a feeling of failure and shame. I was such a good athlete, what a waste of talent. What was it all for?! were all thoughts running through my head. And it was true, I was a good athlete, and if I had the right frame of mind at the age I was peaking, along with immaculate luck, then who knows? Maybe things would’ve turned out different. But they didn’t, and it has taken me years to understand the Why? aspect of my circumstances, and another few years to accept it, and even more time to move on with my life and learn from my past.

Which leads me to here: What makes me motivated, and enthusiastic to play any game/sport anymore? How can I make this fun, again? The key for me is finding purposeful mindfulness. That might sound like some hippie newspeak, but it’s valid if you consider it. In the past I have played sports with the goal to win, or get a new personal record, or beat a despicable rival, and gaining these accomplishments gave me gratification. This is easy for someone who lives in a simpler world, without the gravity of life weighing them down. Unfortunately, once the bigger picture is hung on the wall, you will never have the strength again to take it down. The gratification once received from those old concepts of victory doesn’t satiate the mind anymore, and games become meaningless. The question of fun turns into, is it worth it?

Golf is the theme and the example, so let us imagine you are going out to play a round of golf with your hypothetical friends. You have lost your competitive spirit long ago, but you keep interest in the sport because of the social aspects of the game. However, you know by hole 8 that your frustration will get the better of you, or that your interest is simply lost because of purposelessness, or any other negating effect reminding you that you are an adult with real responsibilities and this is just a game. This is where you need to use your brain, to trick your brain. When I am out golfing, in my sanctuary, I fully understand that the sport is a fictional concept, in an environment that was created based off another person’s fictional concept. The only real thing about golf is that it was designed by humans for pleasure, or entertainment: essentially designed for releasing serotonin, like oh-so-many other things. Honestly, I focus on that fact, and it breeds a different set of purposefulness that is akin to the gratification I was receiving in my youth.

Releasing serotonin is good for your health. It can make you more focused, happier, calmer, and can combat anxiety. Maybe golf isn’t one of your sanctuaries, but whatever is floating your boat, knowing that thing/activity/place can help you balance your bodily chemistry IS mindfulness, and we can implement the old reverse catch-22. The knowing that you are doing something that could potentially release serotonin, potentially releases serotonin itself (not a doctor, just utter speculation based on personal experience, see Intro for disclaimer). Combine that with some fading nostalgia, and the potential for gratification is higher. Whoever first said “Ignorance is Bliss” never knew where bliss comes from.