Destiny Catalyst
You never know when a simple unscripted moment, experience, or interaction will become a destiny catalyst in your life. Today’s story from our “greatness” book was a simple moment on a blue-collar golf course long ago that changed the trajectory of my life.
“One day when I was 14 years of age I was playing a round of golf with my instructor/mentor/hero, Johnny Arreaga. I noticed that every time he hit a shot, he said “Picasso” as he replaced his club in his bag. He was on his way to shooting a 61 on that particular day. I asked him why he always said Picasso after a shot. He had just replaced his 8 iron in his bag on this par three where he had hit it in there about three feet from the pin.
He said, “Come here, Cookie.” As we stood on the tee box, he said, “Look out there and tell me what you see.” I pointed out all the trouble—lake right, bunker short, false front, weeds to the left.
“You don’t get it, do you?” he countered.
“I guess not,” I replied, “but I’d like to know what you’re wanting me to see.”
He then began to give me my first sport psychology lesson years before there was a recognized field of study for it. “You have a blank canvas in front of you. Before each shot you have a choice to paint a picture. You can paint success or failure. It’s your choice. I choose to paint a masterpiece before every shot. I create the shot I want to hit; not the shot I fear. And after I hit the shot, I simply sign the painting ‘Picasso’ as I put the club in my bag.”
- greatness, p. 67-68
Commentary:
Johnny has since passed. At his funeral many years ago, Picasso was the common theme shared by those who spoke about how he lived life and the way he performed. Who would have foreseen that Academy Award winner Robert Duvall would play the part of Johnny in the movie Seven Days in Utopia that I would write and produce almost 40 years later?
Today’s picture is of Robert Duvall playing the part of Johnny in the Picasso scene.
You may feel insignificant, but you aren’t. You may feel that life has passed you by, but it hasn’t. You may feel unnoticed but God sees you. You matter. Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy. Choose to paint a masterpiece; it is your destiny. Picasso…
“Open my eyes that I may see…”
- Psalm 118: 18
Join Dr. Cook in the locker room, behind the bench, and in the boardroom as he shares the hidden principles of greatness. This unique vantage point and the stories that unfold will inspire and equip you on the journey to your dreams. greatness is open to all but only pursued by a few. It is the space beyond success where calling and legacy meet and a noble heart is required.
Get the book for yourself or as a gift and invite your loved ones to discover the space beyond success, the place of their true calling.