The mind is a terrible thing to clog up

Have you ever felt like you needed a mental timeout? Every so often you look up and realize that you haven't taken a mental break in what seems like forever. For me, there are a handful of things that I can do to give my mind a reset and refocus.

Months ago there was this thing called Lazy Sunday's I used to do with someone. It didn't involve any one particular thing and could range from laying in bed all day to taking a drive to vegging on Pizza Hut boneless wings. It allowed me to take a break from the grind of work or the physical exertion of sports and just relax for one day. It also reinforced the connection I had with that person and slowed down the highway that operated inside my head.

Massages are one of those things that allows me to push out all my stress and worry and give my mind a venue for complete ease. There's nothing better than a deep tissue massage with soothing melodies filling the air. I always fall asleep and the total release I feel after I'm done puts me in a place saturated with calm and peace.

Shooting Pool, although not physically rewarding in a relaxing sense, allows me to focus all my attention on geometry and physics (math and physics being my two favorite subjects) and centers my thoughts. I walk into a pool hall, put my ear buds in my ear, set my iPhone on random smooth music (Jazz, Classic R&B, etc) and let the music and my pool abilities put everything in perspective. Pool is my counselor, when those close to you let you down or abandon you. It helps me forgive, heal and accept people for who they are. See, each ball on the table has a purpose; much like each person in your life serves a purpose for you and you for them. Just like in life when that purpose has run its course you have the option of keeping that ball on the table or trying (and sometime failing) to remove that person from your life and moving on to the next purpose. Every so often a single person has multiple purposes in your life, and even though you thought that by sinking that "cut shot" that balls' purpose had run it's course, you realize that the ball was just one of many steps in the course that is that persons purpose for being in your life; maybe the majority of the balls on the table are all linked to the same person as well. This is how pool clears my head. It puts life into perspective. If a single purpose can be associated with a ball, then for each game there are many purposes for potentially many people. But if you think about it, there are times when a pool game ends and there are balls remaining on the table. Perhaps these are purposes that last beyond the scope of just one part of your life. In that case, focusing on what a person means to you will make it easier to determine whether or not that person should be in your life or not; ultimately, whether to put that purpose in the pocket and move on or not.

Golf has become my mental escape and motivator at the same time. I now golf more than any activity I do (yes, including that activity LOL - but that is more due to not taking the opportunity for other activities than not having opportunity at all). Golf has challenged me athletically in ways I haven't been challenged since high school. Sports come easy to me. Like my professional life, I'm good at what I do. Speed, game smarts, sport-specific talent; I possess them all. But golf isn't about how athletic you are. It's about how mentally tough you are. It only takes one hole to turn a great round into a crappy round. You can go into a hole 5-under par, make one mistake and find yourself 4-over par 4 holes later. In poker its called, "being on TILT". In golf, its what causes you to miss 4 foot birdies and slice tee shots in the water. Golf is a game of focus, endurance and skill. I can find myself physically exhausted but mentally energized after a round of golf because of the focus and dedication needed to be successful.

This weekend, I will be employing all of the activities I've mentioned except Lazy Sunday will have slight changes to it. It's important to give your mind a mental recharge; a straight line to walk on a sober night. Daily ups and downs, emotional stresses, relationship difficulties, life decisions and more all cloud your mind and slowly transform you away from who you are and what's most important to you - you. Refocus your mind any and every chance you get.

Go EAGLES!!! :-)