Consciousness and quality of life experience comes from all directions. Here’s proof in these insights from legendary professional golfer Jack Nicklaus from a terrific book, “The Power of Full Engagement,” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz:
“I am blessed with the ability to focus intensely. Nevertheless, I can’t concentrate on anything but golf shots for the time it takes to play 18 holes. Even if I could, I suspect the drain of mental energy would make me pretty fuzzyheaded long before the last putt went down.
In consequence, I’ve developed a regimen that allows me to move from peaks of concentration into valleys of relaxation and back again as necessary.
My focus begins to sharpen as I walk onto the tee, then steadily intensifies as I complete the process of analysis and evaluation that produces a clear-cut strategy for every shot I play. Ideally, my mind picture is both totally exclusionary and totally positive.
Unless the tee shot finds serious trouble, when I might immediately start processing possible recoveries, I descend into a valley as I leave the tee, either through casual conversation with a competitor or by letting my mind dwell on whatever happens into it.
I try to adhere to this pattern whether I am playing my best or worst, but obviously have to work harder when things aren’t going well.”