This post is my summary of a book, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra which I have read two or three times already.  The book which contains what at first seems to be ideas which are a bit ‘out there’, but soon make sense when you take the time to think about them.  There are seven “laws” which are summarised here with some questions to provoke thinking.

Law of Pure Potentiality

This law describes pure potential as being our essential nature.  When our internal reference point is to ourselves rather than to objects or other people, we can tune in to our spirit.  If we are referring to objects, people or power then it is our ego which is the source of the referral.  This is usually a fear-based referral.

Tapping into this law requires spending time in silence, meditation or time in nature.

I would suspect most golfers are ego bound and refer to others; either comparing themselves, seeking approval or hoping to be better than them.  While the competitive spirit is present in hoping to beat another person, it can interfere with achieving your potential and is separate from the golfing cliché ’I’m only playing against myself’.

Law of Giving and Receiving

The book describes we humans – and everything else in the universe – as being made up of matter and information.  This being the case, we are constantly interacting and influencing each other and everything around us; the body, mind and universe are in constant exchange.

This idea is that our actions, behaviours and even our thoughts and intentions don’t occur in isolation.  The idea of giving and receiving is that we should constantly be giving gifts such as caring, appreciation, affection, love, joy, happiness and laughter.

In golfing terms adhering to this is avoiding becoming bitter or resentful of others’ good fortune (or talents).  It is also accepting an outcome and being happy for a winner.

Law of Karma: cause and effect

This law states that ‘every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in kind’; nothing happens in isolation and nothing happens without consequence.  It is in the moment of choice that we have some control over this idea.

We are all making choices all the time; some of them are conditioned reflexes while others are conscious choices.  What are the consequences of any choice you make?

In golfing terms this can be as simple as making the choice to go to the gym or stay in bed; to practice even if it is raining or go to the movies; or to take a courageous leap in competition or play it safe (different to being reckless).

Law of Least Effort

This is largely about acceptance of the things that are outside of our control.  It is also about avoidance of being driven by ego, which wastes energy.  When the ego is involved there is often energy wasted in justifying or defending a point of view.

In golf, this is about accepting responsibility for things being the way they are. The way things are is the way they are meant to be, but not that they should stay that way.

Law of Intention and Desire

The universe being made up of matter and information means that even a thought can influence energy.  We can accept the present as it is and intend for the future to be different for us.  At the same time, we don’t want to become attached to the outcome of a future desire.  This is having a goal and desiring its outcome and letting the process take care of the rest. If there is no attachment to the outcome it is easier to have a focus which doesn’t allow obstacles (of thought) to interfere.  These obstacles are there because of fear and attachment to the outcome.

To build this law, when you are in silence, remind yourself of your goals and desires, relinquish any attachment to the outcome and let them come to fruition through your work.

For golfers this means having challenging goals and pursuing them with a trust that you will achieve them through diligent work. You will realise any adjustments that need to be made along the way.  It also means staying in the present; not caring for past or future.

Law of Detachment

This picks up on an earlier idea of releasing attachment to anything we desire.  The attachment is based in fear and insecurity.  The detachment is based on the belief in the power of your ‘self’ and the meanings in the other laws.  This also means that you are free to look for the excitement of what might occur at any time.

As golfers we are motivated by improving; lowering handicaps, shooting low scores or winning tournaments.  Allowing ourselves to become detached from the outcome is like another cliché: let’s focus on the process and the outcome will take care of itself.

Law of Dharma: Purpose in Life

This law has three components.

1. That we are here to discover our higher/spiritual self.

2. We need to express our unique talents

3. We are here to serve humanity.

This is a law of contribution to people and things other than ourselves.  For most of us, this law is the one we tend to put off; our need to contribute might be strong, but the needs of our daily lives take precedence.  Often this is because the plans we harbour for contribution may be grand and take a lot of time; small contributions are also valuable and are an immediate way to serve this law.

I highly recommend reading the book as there is a chapter devoted to each of the laws, rather than the paragraph or two in which I have attempted to summarise the valuable messages in Chopra’s book.

Thought Provokers

• To the coaches and athletes reading this blog: how do the ideas resonate with you?

• Have you been able to find a balance in your sport of the ideas here?

• What have you noticed as a result of acting with the intention of fulfilling these laws?