EDITOR'S PAGE

"Focus, intention and desire"

During a brisk walk with my friend and neighbor Bill, he casually mentioned that his friend, Larry Miller, had written a book I may be interested in for the SpirituallyFit site.  Bill had met Larry through a mutual friend, Tony, and they golfed together.  Larry was supposedly a professional golfer and his book was apparently selling very well.  I hadn't heard of Larry Miller or his book, Exploring the Zone.  I was familiar with the term "the zone", but, that's about it.  Not being a golfer, and especially not being particularly fond of golf courses, I thanked Bill for the suggestion then tossed the tidbit into the recesses of my mind.

Shortly afterwards I received permission to use anything I wanted to from Larry's book.  Great news but, still I thought, "How does golf tie in with being spiritually fit?  And, how can I feature something about a sport that costs so much for the participants, the players wear funny-looking socks, and the "playing field" is perfectly green all year round, while my own lawn is straw-brown as I attempt to conserve water?  So, over six months ago, the offer was accepted in gratitude while I still wondered if I could really use this material on my site.  

Then, all of the sudden my life became "golf-challenged".  Golfers were coming into my life, or at least admitting they were golfers, even people I knew and loved.  Before I knew it, I found myself hitting golf balls at lunch at the driving range with the guys.  I had owned golf clubs once in my life, used them when necessary for special corporate "meetings", and gave them away about 5 years ago.  Those clubs represented "my other life" and I was not going back.  To my chagrin I actually started looking forward to  these pleasant lunches spent outside, not exactly wilderness-outdoors, but, at least it was outside and out of the office.  And, although it was somewhat physical (I had the blisters of a novice to show for it!), the most enjoyable aspect of these golf outings was socializing and talking with my colleagues. 

One by one I discovered that people close to me, that I really liked, loved and respected, LOVED golf!  I was intrigued and my inquisitive nature set me off on an obsessive quest to better understand golf or convert these lost souls to partake in REAL sports, like hiking and kayaking.  After all, sports requiring you to commune with nature and lacking competition or scorekeeping, are the ONLY sports which are conducive to spiritual fitness, right?   

That's when I started debating with people about the environmental issues surrounding golf courses.  When I learned that potable water was used to keep the greens looking perfect, the chip on my shoulder lightened up somewhat.  In studying about the origin of golf in Scotland I learned that the original intention of golf course design was to resemble and blend with nature as much as possible. There was almost a Feng Shui flavor to this original intent  (whether or not golf course design has adhered to this original intent is another issue I will not get into here).  I also happened upon the video "The Legend of Bagger Vance", a heartwarming movie about golf.   Without boring you with months of debating and research I came around to believing golf and golf courses had a place on this earth and at that point I decided to pick up Larry Miller's Exploring the Zone and learn more about this sport I once referred to as a sure cure for insomnia (Note: With all respect, I still believe TV golf serves as an effective means to inducing a good nap on the couch).   

This SpirituallyFit issue is not really about golf at all but, it does feature an element of golf, and other sports,  which Larry Miller and Andrew Cooper (author of Playing in the Zone - Exploring The Spiritual Dimensions of Sports) address in each of their books.  After reading both of these books, then analyzing the similarities and differences between them both, this issue's theme really started taking shape.  It is not the absolute truth that I did not believe in the merit of golf or "mainstream" sports as a means to a spiritual path, but, it just had not been so clear until now.    Being an athlete and team player most of my life I have experienced those magical moments of feeling like I was in "the zone" so reading about these various theories on what "the zone" really is and how to call upon its powers when needed proved very intriguing.

Until this theme of "the zone" felt right in my gut I felt blocked from creating this issue.  I realized that I myself had to get into "the zone" to facilitate the work that needed to be done.   When I did finally get into "the zone", everything flowed and fell into place.  Ironically, my biggest challenge was ignoring the fact that it was summer and I could be hiking, kayaking or working in the garden instead of sitting at this computer.  Summer activities were winning the battle but, while on a beautiful hike and reflecting on this summer's theme I had a vision of what this issue would look like then I was excited and felt the need to start writing.

I needed to remove myself from distractions and focus, remember my intention to inspire readers with stories about spiritual fitness, and feel that passion and desire to publish this issue from that place down deep which called me to create this webzine in the first place.  Like cooking an interesting, flavorful one-pot stew this issue has its main ingredient flavored with just the right complementary spices: some stories about sports, a success story and recipes from an Italian cook, stories and poems about nature and this planet's precious elements, questions to make you go "Hmmm..", laugh, or groan, and delightful stories from the mouths of babes.

I thank Bill for that walk almost seven months ago and unknowingly nudging me down a path of discovery and ultimately to the publication of this issue.  To me, "the zone" is basically about being conscious about and having a heightened awareness of powers and energies larger than us, and recognizing the little things as potential messengers for big messages!   In everyday terms, it just means to pay attention to what's happening around you and remember not to dismiss anything as a gift, blessing or a miracle. You never know where the most seemingly inconsequential happening  will lead you!

Once again, bringing you these stories is a blessing in itself.  My wish is that these stories will inspire and speak to your soul.   Enjoy!

Peace, 

Chief Editor, SpirituallyFit.com

We enjoy hearing from you and reading your stories.   If you have submitted your stories we will notify you if your story has been selected.  We have received stories which will be used in future issues so don't lose heart if your story has not yet been published.  Use our submission form and keep us all inspired by your stories!  Email us with your comments or send us suggestions.  

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SpirituallyFit.com Staff

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Volume 2, Issue 3