Playing Ball

*
Tonight after dinner, my friend and I were joined by another friend who, to say the least, is a pretty successful baseball coach. Well, he's more than pretty successful, he is at the top.

Unsurprisingly, we were talking baseball.

And we were talking about how his teams are known for being able

to win on the road.

"What is that all about?", I said.

He said that he takes the reward out of the game for his players.

"What do you mean?"

We don't go out on the field to win.

We go out on the field to be our best, to play at our level of genius.

Our concern is that we concentrate on applying our best efforts, our best focus, and our best attention to what we are doing. That way, we are not trying to win the title, the game, or the favor of our fans.

And in an odd way, that takes the pressure off.

We just want to be on the field, to be present, and to do our very best.

If we do that.

We will probably win,

and then we can win anywhere, at home or on the road.

Pretty obviously,this secret to successful play can be applied

well beyond baseball.

Being present,

Being in the moment,

is the door to opening up your full potential as you participate

in the creation.

Like the real estate broker standing next to us said,

"If you are thinking about the commission you are going to make,

You may not close the deal."

It reminded me of this piece from a book called Beyond Windows.

Every moment is precious. Every encounter is full of infinite possibilities. Every second we participate in this great realm of consciousness is a blessing. Granted, it is very, very hard to get there when you have a headache or a heart ache, or even when you feel great.

What ever you do. Do it with consciousness. Cook you dinner thoughtfully. Wait at the red light thoughtfully. Find that place where the magic begins to take over. Because it will, and you will know it when it comes.

Practice, as the Buddhists say, "Mindfulness.”

Practice when you pay the sweet man in the box who is collecting money, at close to the minimum rage, for the multinational corporation who owns the parking garage.

Practice when you order your food. For really good practice, be as “good as you can be” after waiting in line at the Post Office to pick up some kind of awful certified mail for no good reason.

You will fail. We all fail. You will fail miserably. We all do. You will get disappointed.

Then, you will be looking out the window and you will see some birds hopping around on the ground, pecking on the seemingly bare concrete. They will chirp and hop and two more will join them. The wind will move the vine on the fence and a seed pod will drop, hit the concrete, and explode with food. You will suddenly see the perfection, the beauty and breath of it all.

It's like that sack that floated around in front of the brick wall in American Beauty. What is mundane becomes magic. Because, you see, it is magic.

Find that space and breathe with it. Don't think too hard; just be there. Find the tranquility and the peace. Listen to the wind. Feel the beat of the City. Hear the sirens in the city and the grumble of the highway. Hear the rattle of the weighted windows and the chimes on the porch in the apartment across the way. Settle in to the moment. Unleash your potential. Don't think or even plan, just be. Be a human, being.

The moment will stretch like a rubberband. It will grow larger and longer and fuller and more pregnant until you feel like you have taken some kind of mind drug. You will not be anxious. You will not be angry with your boss or your wife.

Imagine the earth turning towards the east. Feel the turning. Know that the moon is moving around the earth but very slowly. Know that you are on this big ball of condensed energy being afforded a complete view of the entire creation every twenty four hours, if you only would only look.

Feel a tingle come up your spine. Move your muscles and give it a channel. Let it settle in the valleys of your muscles and the mountains of you mind. Don't think about it. Feel it.

Relax your face. Feel the tightness dissolve. Forget about the laundry for now. Listen.

Watch.

Become Still.

Become Alive.

Knock and the Door will open.

Practice being Here. "

Because you are.

Play ball.

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"Here and Now" courtesy of Wis - Wieslaw Sadurski