BADMINTON & SPIRITUALITY

In my ongoing effort to improve my game, I have subscribed to “Badminton Secrets,” a weekly email newsletter by Robert G. Johns. Last Thursday, I was rather surprised to receive what seemed to be more of a spiritual lesson for abundant living than a tip on how to play better badminton.

He calls it "Five Words That Can Change Your Life." He even recommends that we all “should write down, memorize, in fact etch onto our brain” this lesson, because it may just turn out to be, as he claims it, “the best, most rewarding way of achieving anything.” And he means anything.

Supposedly, these five words had rewarded many people with more love, success and happiness than they could possibly have imagined. And that these five words have been handed down from generation to generation; making a significant difference to whoever heeds them, as well as positively affect the rest of the world too.

And what are these five words?

“Give and ye shall receive.”

However, Johns argues that it isn’t about giving and then expecting something back in return; rather, it’s about giving without any expectation of being reciprocated. Essentially, it’s about giving unconditionally. Undoubtedly, this is a well-known universal truth — that whatever you give whole-heartedly comes back to you tenfold. But what does giving have to do with playing better badminton?

To experience the rewards of this truth, Johns suggests for any player to now switch his thinking from “how can I play better badminton” to “how can I give to other people in badminton.”

And he had listed a couple of scenarios to drive home his point:

- Someone gives their time by staying behind and coaching some juniors free of charge. The juniors tell their regular coach, and he invites that person to a session where they pick up a whole host of tips and techniques.

- One too many people have been booked to play in a match. The player who offers to stand down is then included in the next match, against the league leaders that helps take that person's game to a new level.

According to this universal law, Johns argues not only will you get more back than you ever give, but other people will immeasurably benefit from your kindness!

He also recommends the following:

- Never give bad line calls on purpose.

- Encourage or praise other players, even if they might be your nearest rivals.

- When you notice your rival has a tell-tale sign that they are going to play a certain shot, tell them!

The bottom line here is this: by completely trusting and applying this principle, we allow the universe to reward us by creating opportunities for us to achieve whatever it is we dream of.

And as if to underscore Johns’ message, that following Sunday, Cathy_bythesea, a journalist for Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) by profession, posted an entry, “Blogging and Writing for God, in which she made mention of her article published on that same day by PDI.

Her article was about an interview she conducted with Kay Warren — teacher, author, speaker and wife of Rick Warren, author of the New York Times bestseller “The Purpose Driven Life.” The interview centered on Kay Warren’s talk entitled “Finding Joy, No Matter What” — five practical ways to lead a joyful life. And one of those was about becoming a giver.

Having been reminded about the immeasurable joys of giving by two respected sources made me think that perhaps, my guardian angel must really want me to embody this spiritual lesson in order to attain a more joyful, fulfilling life. Okay, I’m game!