Would You Prefer Your Life to Feel Like a “Walk in the Park?”

Do you ever feel fear or frustration unnecessarily? Maybe even lack of fulfillment when you could feel otherwise, simply by changing your mindset.

I have, too, and recently found a surprising remedy.

It was a beautiful day taking a “walk in the park,” as some golfers like to call it.

Even if you care nothing about the game of golf, it is a game like any other so I hope you can apply the opportunity for ease to a situation in your life.

I had staved off a flu bug a few days earlier and still felt the remnants in my body, so did not feel my full strength but wanted to enjoy the experience as much as possible. We were here. We had devoted the time. So I picked up my bag and walked. Jim walked beside me.

As we strolled, I focused on looking at the trees, the birds, the blue sky, felt the warm sun on my skin, the occasional breeze.

When I had a thought – which was rare – it was mostly gratitude: Gratitude for being out there. A look at Jim and I was grateful for being there with him, us strong, able to walk this way together. And I was grateful for all of this beauty…

When Jim and I first started taking these “walks in the park” together several years ago, I would often feel frustrated or even fearful. Was I “good enough” to do this? Other people were watching. How would I do? Frustrated when I didn’t do well yet seeking to remember this was just a “walk in the park” with the man I love.

What was different now? I had developed a simple routine to stay present. * And this seemed to make all the difference.

When I faltered, I returned to my presence routine, and re-set. Fear and frustration were now gone. A feeling of fulfillment from the experience existed, regardless of the outcome.

And the outcome?

Just months since our cycling crash, Jim said the next morning:

“I kept thinking about your swing. I wish I had that swing.”

Jim uncharacteristically continued complimenting: Describing its “authentic movement – not professionally taught but natural – like a cat leaping onto a wall; that grace.” He said, “Mine, on the other hand, is like a truck twisting itself in half and flying apart in pieces.” I love that man. 

As I heard his words, the only explanation for my swing was The Power of Presence, as Eckhart Tolle calls it; allowing me to play beyond my “abilities.” Jim has played golf for 25 years. I am a beginner and have only taken a few lessons. Jim watches the Golf Channel, studies technique, reads articles and is a good, strong athlete in many sports.

Even veteran golfers say golf is a hard game.

That I consistently outdrive Jim (me from the women’s tees, Jim from the men’s) and would sometimes beat him, he says, if we kept score, is a simple testament to the gift that presence is to us.

3 suggestions to sustain your path:

1. Find your “pre-shot routine” for practicing presence, and stick with it until it’s automatic. For example, mine is to set my Intention, get Still, feel Aliveness within my body, and then Move (IS/AM for short). I do this on the golf course, and off, to cultivate presence. What is a practice you could begin or master? You will see many suggestions in this blog. I invite you to try different ones. Like starting with this IS/AM practice. Experiment. Play. Find one you like and stay with it until it’s integrated. Then you will find others to enrich the experience and continually keep it fresh.
2. Practice consistently. Like anything, the more you practice presence, the better you’ll become at it. Don’t let a day go by without practicing it, at least for a moment. The results could be magic.
3. Remember, practice can turn “hard” into “easy,” “difficulty” into “grace.” When something feels hard and people may tell you it’s hard, it can feel easier with a consistent presence practice.

We think we have to “muscle” through things. Yes, it’s valuable to prepare. And presence, true presence, can propel us beyond what “we” – alone – can do. Presence transcends our own limited powers; we tap into something much greater, which delivers us new, and often, unexpected “Magic.”

Thank you for liking, commenting or sharing this blog with anyone who you’d like to enjoy more magic or mindfulness in their life.

Until next time, when we continue our adventure.

~Jillian

Jillian Robinson is on a mission! To have personal development taught as commonly as math and science. If there’s anything Jillian can do with your organization or if you or your organization can aid in this mission, please email Jillian@JillianRobinson.com.What would your life look like if personal development had been taught when you were growing up? Your life, family, school, work, relationships? It’s never too late to study! Jillian advances this mission through media production, speaking and certified high performance coaching. Thank you for being an important part of this mission!