Slow It Down

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
-Lao Tzu

I was walking behind the goal of a soccer field. The goalie missed blocking a shot and the ball was speeding right at me, just skimming the grass… 

In that instant two things happened simultaneously. I recalled the image of a pro-level soccer player kicking a spectacular goal. The ball deflected off the bottom of the top of the goal, to score.

I remember thinking that looked intentional.

The second thing—immediately upon seeing the ball speeding toward me, I heard a soft inner voice: slow it down. I looked right at the ball and it changed from a blur of white to a slow motion spin… I kicked it—it hit the bottom edge of the top of the goal, and deflected in to score. The goalie stuck both arms up and yelled “nice shot!”

Although I’d never played soccer, it felt as if slow it down instantly summoned The Zone.

Slow it down is now my all-day, every day mantra.

By default, I was always in a hurry. When I want to perform to my ability, it’s a tendency I must reverse. In life, slow it down works for me.

Looking through some old notes, I saw: greed is the inability to accept our ability. I ponder that when I catch myself rushing.

I had quite a few zone experiences while competing, but they all occurred spontaneously and were marked with a complete lack of caring or trying anything whatsoever. 

Slow it down. In calm observation, appropriate, flawless responses are your reward.

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Comments are welcome, and all questions will be answered.

A new topic will arrive each Friday afternoon, in one of two categories. One will be on shooting, and the other will be on living. Or: how I learned to live from what I learned by competing.

Thanks for coming in.