I have been a bowler since I was little. It's my favorite sport, and it's undoubtedly my favorite sport.
With school keeping me so busy, though, I haven't been able to go much. So when I went last week to practice some, I became subsequently elated and angry during my second game.
In the 7th or 8th frame, after a run of 5 strikes, I missed my board by literally about 0.5 of an inch. This caused the ball's impact to be about 3" off, losing the 6th strike and causing me to get a 3 pin split.
"Why does that matter?" you ask. Well, that 0.5" caused me to go from a max of about 260 (which would have been a new high game for me) down to a max of about 230.
I got in my own head, missed the spare, and only got one more strike, which resulted in a 208 as my final score.
"A 208 is amazing! I can barely get a 108, stop complaining."
That's not the point, but just in case you said this, I'll quickly address it.
A 208 was average for me (when I used to bowl weekly), so it disappointed me. It's just one of my talents, plus I practiced for years. There is something you can do that I couldn't even do in my wildest dreams, just keep that in mind.
Anyway, I caused myself to lose focus on the endgame, and only focus on the fact that I messed up by a tiny bit, which lost me the new high score.
I feel like we do this in life situations all the time. We focus on the 0.5" that we messed up by, and lose the ability to grab the trophy that God laid before us. In the self-reflection I do while I write, I realized I do this a lot.
Especially in bowling, if I mess up one tiny part, I get inside my own head and talk down to myself, going on and on about how I messed it up. In reality, I should be able to shake it off, and finish the game strong, correcting the mistake immediately.
Being able to see the mistake and learn from it rather than hurt from it isn't something that most people can do right off the bat. It takes practice and patience in order to reach that moment of realization that you are more than your mistake, so don't be upset if you can't get there immediately.
It's not about the 0.5", guys. It's about getting your focus back and continuing on to complete the goal.
No matter what the situation is, do not focus on the half inch. Focus on the goal and completing it next the time that you try, because if you only look at the past mistakes, you won't be able to correct them and move forward.
Keep practicing your swing until you hit that mark every single time, and if you can't do it alone (hint: you probably can't), ask God for help. The Bible says that He is willing and able to help those that call on Him.
Next time you miss the mark, stop and think about this post. I guarantee it'll help.
