Excalibur Delusion

When my left hand first felt the rubbery grip of a 5 iron, I felt hopeful anticipation. When my right hand encircled the grip and intertwined with my left, I felt formidable. Excalibur was surely gripped by King Arthur in a similar way. The weight. The force. The imminent glory. With my burnished club and my preordained athleticism, I was confident I would conquer the course before me. How difficult could it possibly be? Softball, tennis, racquetball, croquet, badminton, and pickle ball were all vanquished with relative ease. Golf would be added to my conquests.

I stood over the ball, brought the club back and pointed it to the heavens and then swung it down toward the ball with vigor and might. Yet, the ball remained perched on the tee, indifferent to my prior victories. Humbled, I thoughtfully assessed the situation and came to a profound conclusion.

I was suffering from Excalibur Delusion: The unrealistic belief that one may have preordained gifts and achieve greatness with little to no effort. That is a glorious and entertaining thought, but it can evoke a premature sense of defeat and justify retreating.

Instead of indulging in the Excalibur Delusion, I must embrace the Excalibur Reality: The realistic belief that with a firm grip on excellent resources, one can achieve greatness through repeated and consistent effort.

King Arthur had his sword. I have my club. Like Arthur, I will wield it with nobility, but I’ll need to swing it frequently to become a legend. Even if it’s just in my own mind.