I spent yet another weekend in bed. I’ve been battling some kind of crud going on five months now, but that isn’t the point of my blog today. One of the many movies I watched was The Legend of Bagger Vance, a movie from 2000 staring Will Smith and Matt Damon. Will Smith plays Bagger Vance, a golf caddy who just shows up out of the blue just when a shell-shocked war veteran (Matt Damon) is asked to enter a golf tournament that is supposed to save the town from ruin (post-depression era).
The movie has multiple story lines, but the one that fascinated me the most was the healing of the war veteran. It truly wasn’t about golf, but golf was a great metaphor. I believe Will Smith represents God, and He comes to help this man fight his demons by guiding him to his authentic swing.
No one ‘swings’ like you
You see, as Bagger Vance explains, we each are given our own, unique authentic swing. It is ours and ours alone. No other swing is like it, and we don’t chase it—it comes to us. We must clear out the clutter, the noise, and the distractions to let it reveal itself to us. Unfortunately, many of us get impatient and try to find our swing by forcing it. This results, as we see in the movie, is your golf ball ending up at the bottom of the lagoon!
Don’t change your ‘swing’ for others
As I look back on my twenty years of being in business on my own, I realize I have forsaken my authentic swing numerous times. I listened to and gave way too much weight to other’s opinions of how I should swing, and I ended up in the sand trap. Most advice was well intended, but it was not right for me and how God made me. Instead of proudly swinging my way, I morphed and attempted to mimic someone else’s swing.
In recent years, I have been clearing the clutter, the noise, and the distractions to listen carefully for and patiently wait for my authentic swing to return. I see glimpses now and then, and it is like seeing an old friend. We are comfortable together and fit like hand and glove. I trust the more I let go, the more I will get into the swing of it.
What’s your authentic swing?
Would you even recognize it if you saw it? Have you gotten lost in the weeds by trying to swing like someone else? Clear the green and focus forward. Don’t worry about how you get the ball to hole but rather let your authentic swing get you there. Regardless of how many attempts it takes, you will be aligned with your authentic swing and at peace, which is what Matt Damon’s character finally finds.
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