There was a time in my life when I wanted to learn to play golf. Not because I enjoyed the game, but because my adorable, supportive, and sports-addicted husband really wanted me to be a partner out where he spends so many hours. So I invested in lessons by golf pro Mike Hebrons who espouses, "The inside moves the outside." Of course, in golf this essentially means the center of one's body - the core - must wind up and release first in order for the shoulders, arms and ultimately the club shaft and head to gather energy, speed and power to send the dimpled little ball where it needs to go. But it means more than that in golf and in life.
I never could get the hang of golf, but decades later I am still happily married. Partly because I took away from those hot days on the driving range perhaps the most important underlying lesson Hebron was offering. The head and the heart are just as important as any muscle in our body when we are looking for success. Concentration and intention. Desire and planning. These are the powers that get us where we want to go.
I may not love golf, but I do love my honey. I won't stand out in the sun with him for hours on end, but I won't stand in his way either. I concentrate on win-win and enable his hobby. I plan to see his smile when he unwraps a new club on his birthday. I help him pack for four days of golf with his brother and friends because I value his pleasure as much as my own. I listen to his tales of pride and woe upon returning from each and every round. And so our hearts remain entwined although we spend our days at arms length from one another. It's what's inside that counts.
