Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
I read a review of Jon Gordon’s book, The Energy Bust. He is a consultant to business leaders and numerous professional sports teams and has appeared on the Golf Channel. Gordon offers a “one great golf shot theory.” I thought it might be an interesting read, and was it ever!
In his book, Jon Gordon suggests applying his best shot theory to life since people frequently think about the things that go “south” during their day. He proposes that thinking about one great thing that happened that day… that one great meeting, that one great conversation, that one great accomplishment… will inspire us to look forward to creating more success tomorrow. According to the book cover, it will “help you get addicted to life.”
I saw this theory play out with some buddies after a round we had just completed. The table talk wasn’t about the bad shots we hit; rather, we reminisced about the good shots, the amazing shots we had made. Those highlights can be summarized by the tee shirt I saw once: “I Hate this Game! I Hate this Game! I Hate this Game! Nice Shot. I Love this Game! I Love this Game! I Love this Game!”
If golfers average 70-100 shots but talk about that one great shot, how it felt, and how they want to play again, then we should adopt that same mindset with the experiences we have every day. Why not focus on the great things that happen rather than the plain or even negative things that are part of our day?
Gordon’s analogy of golf and life was a reminder of what Scripture teaches. The Message paraphrases Philippians 4:8 this way: Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
It’s remarkable how, even on a really bad day, there is always something good that happens to us. On a given day, when we think about all that transpires, there are probably a lot more success moments than failure moments.
Just as you reflect on your good shots during a round, try to find those good experiences in your day and reflect on them. I’ve started to ask those close to me about the best moments they’ve had in their day. Doing so demonstrates that I care about them. I’ve also found that their “great shot” moments inspire and challenge me to find my good moments.
After discussing our best shots, as we stood up to leave the table, my friend said, “Playing with you guys was the best part of my day.”
Prayer: Lord, sometimes I choose to focus on the negatives instead of what you’ve called me to focus on. Help me take the words of Philippians 4:8 to heart.