Seven lessons from golf: (4) You are not alone who feels this way.

However common-sense idea this may sound, it's very often neglected. The way you feel is most of the time normal. It may include feeling and thoughts such as:

• I feel so tired, I really need a nap. (even though you should work)

• Today it's raining, I really don’t want to go to the golf course, I would rather wait for another day. (even though you can play when it rains)

• It's so cold outside, I would like to wait for better weather and then I might go. (you know it's just an excuse)

• I feel exhausted with head over heels in work, I would rather take a nap than to go to the golf course. (even though you know that taking a nap will last much longer)
• I will embarrass myself. (even though you know it's an irrational fear of something no one really  cares about.)

Try to:

Talk about your feelings with someone you can trust.

You would be surprised that many people feel the same way as you do. Therefore it's a good idea to talk about your feelings, share them with someone you an trust and try to discuss how to make it better. What has worked for him or her might work for you too. It's sometimes the very simple thing that will make a difference between misery and happiness.

Shared happiness is doubled, shared misery is halved.

It's really hard to open your heart. Say what you want to say, tell others that you have weak points, that there is something that you don’t know how to do. It’s hard to be human these days.  Why is that? It's because the more advanced society we live in, the more pressure is put on us with the feeling that we should be perfect. Because so many services, goods and products are getting better, almost perfect, it puts even more pressure which holds us back to be proactive and creative.

To be creative, you need to be playful, you need to be sincere to yourself and others. You have to leave the image of perfection behind you. I can tell you how I feel every time before I play golf: strange, uncomfortable, feeling that golf wasn’t in the cards for me.

And I can tell you how I feel every time after I play golf: cheerful, excited and happy.

It's every time the same. I would sincerely like to tell you that I feel great every time I go to the golf course and back, but it's not true. I feel awful going there, and feel great coming home.

I believe that many people feels that way. That's why so many prefer to stay at home, stay In bed, sleep instead of doing something creative. Now I'm sitting on the bus back home and trust me, it would be much easier to watch a movie, sleep, listen to music or spend the hour and a half watching outside the window.

I don't write because I have to. I don't write because I feel great and enjoy every sentence born under my fingers, but I do it because I choose to. I remind myself the long-term goal I have decided for myself.  And I remind myself that most of people feel the same when they start doing something creative.

To put it clearly, if you are tired and fi you would like to rather have to have a nap than to do something, the odds are that you are pretty normal. It's a great excuse our brain sends us. But we can choose not to listen.