The Thrill of Victory, the Agony of Defeat, and the Joy of Learning:

I just got off the phone with my dear friend, Michele. We were talking about my recent writings on the journey on the road to championship. She thanked me for my writings and then concluded: “Most people don’t think that deeply about their performances–just whether they succeeded or failed.

What ensued was a beautiful discussion on how to look at a performance. We may not all think deeply about how a performance happened, but we all certainly FEEL deeply about the outcome of a performance. You can’t escape the impact of a performance one way or the other.

Hello Friends! I am excited to announce that I am on the road to championship again this year!  The very first Senior Women’s U.S. Open is taking place mid-July and I am beginning to prepare for it NOW—because I want to play in it!

What is the best way to prepare for a championship?  Perhaps yours is not about golf, but everybody has a championship, whether it is your health, career, family, or another personal goal.  What is the best way to capture the win you anticipate?

I am discovering the best path to achieving “that goal way out there” is to fully put yourself into the energy of it NOW.  Even more important than a great swing is the state of being you operate out of.  To explain:  you can have all the right mechanics, but right mechanics alone don’t score victories.  You have to be in the spirit of the thing and work at it from a cellular level.  “That thing” has to be in your cells to manifest it.

It helps to have visual reminders of your big goal.  Last year after the Florida Women’s Open, I went out and bought this trophy which I found in a beautiful gift shop in Lakeland, Florida.  I put it by my other trophies to remind myself of the fine finish and the inner victories I scored in the Florida Women’s Open.

This year I went back to the same shop and found an even bigger trophy.  The moment I looked at that thing, I felt it looking at me and declaring, “If you want to release more of your potential this year, play a bigger game.”  I knew it was calling my name and represented the level of game I wanted to be in come July—a world class tournament that was at my level.  The question became, “Was I willing to prepare AT A WORLD CLASS LEVEL NOW?”  To call myself up higher, I bought the bigger trophy to symbolize the level of preparation I’d need to engage in to be ready for the bigger game I desired.  I also bought it to meditate on a bigger prize, which the trophy represented.

That’s why I decided to tee it up early to play on the Professional Women’s Golf Tour tournament next week.  It’s a 3 day event on the same course I will be playing in the Senior Women’s U.S. Open Qualifier on.  My main goal is to “locate myself” on that course to discover what I need to work on the next four months.  My entry into this tournament is also an announcement to every cell of my being, “Get ready!  We’re playing a bigger game this year!”  I fully expect to release more of my potential because I created a challenging space for that potential to release itself.

What about you?  Do you want to release more of your potential this year?  If so, play a bigger game.  Call yourself up higher. Take the risk. Make the investment in yourself.  Connect with that person.  Act on your big idea, desire, or dream.  Get out of wish mode and into full action mode.  Possess your trophy.  Join me on the road to championship!

If you would like to engage with me and share what your championship is, please do so on my Facebook page where this writing is posted at Veronica Karaman Coaching.

Prayer Requests:

My tee time on the LGPA International Hills Course is Monday, February 5^th at 9:10 am starting on Hole #10.  Tuesday it is at 8:20 am.

Please pray for me, particularly for a strong start.

Development opportunities:

If you are interested in performance coaching, I now have my signature program, The Champion’s Way: Core Foundations for Achieving Peak Performance in Sports and Life on-line as a 12 Module Video Series.  If you are looking for a holistic system to continual advancement in your game—whether in sports or life—you will discover it here:  jointhechampionsway.com

FORE Him,

Veronica Karaman

I

I just returned from the Tennessee Women’s Open, an event that put me back “on the road to championship.”  Whether you are a golfer or not, we all have a championship.  A dream.  A goal. Okay, for some of you…a wish!  How to you go from just thinking about that thing to springing into action?

The only way is to LEAN INTO IT.  Maybe you are not convinced that thing that has been stirring around in your imagination is for you.  How will you know unless you take some action?  You can at least take a first step and LEAN INTO IT!  Take one step!  The only way to move out of the old and into the new is to take a step into what will potentially MOVE YOUR FORWARD.

I did just that with this event. I was in the middle of moving.  Yes, moving!  I found out this tournament, which I have played in before, has a Senior Women’s Division for the first time this year.  About a month out from the tournament, I found out about it.  Here’s what made LEANING INTO IT a reality and a fantastic experience:  I MADE ROOM FOR IT.  I gave it my attention, my focus.  I honored my dream of playing competitive golf even as a senior!

I discovered the tournament was two days.  You could ride a cart.  And they offered private housing to make it affordable.  It was doable for me, although I have played in maybe 6 rounds of golf this year.  I had to make room for it!  I opened up my mind to WHY I should play in it:  to get my body moving again.  To put my foot in the water of competitive golf.  To fall back into my life again—championships make me feel fully alive.  I stepped out to raise some sponsorship.  Figured out what I needed to do to prepare for my move early.  And then I just LEANED INTO IT.  I did it.

The result?  An amazing week of friendship, relationship, moving physically–all out, seeing how I still had game–and even finishing second in the pro senior division.  I played from such a spirit of victory. I located myself—all the struggles of the past season were producing something brand new in my spirit. I could taste and see that God had done something good.  No bad shot “got into me.”  It just rolled off my back.  I encouraged a player to play “from a spirit of victory, not disappointment,” when she injured her knee and didn’t think she could play.  It was marvelous!  A whole week of nothing but encouragement, affirmation, acceptance, and celebration.

What wish, dream, or championship is awaiting you?  Lean into it.  Make room for it.  And then step out and realize it!  You will be stepping out of the old and into the new when you do.  You deserve it!

Sunday nights 9 pm Eastern –  Supernatural Study Prayer Session for Students                               Follow me on Periscope:  Veronica Karaman                                                                                              It’s time to revolutionize your studies with the power of God!

I am so thrilled to share David Dean’s testimony who is a God’s Way to an A student of mine. Please join us for a weekly Supernatural Study for Students Prayer Time starting this Sunday night on Periscope.  Join us at Persicope.tv/veronicakaraman on your laptop when the session starts or follow me on your smart phone:

Here’s the AMAZING TESTIMONY:

“Last week I was in a preparatory mode for an exam in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and felt totally overwhelmed with the workload of a PhD student. I had spoken to my mother about it and she stressed the importance of getting quality sleep.

I questioned myself as to how I could get quality sleep during this period. I sought the Lord for help and then remembered reading Veronica’s book on the “Spirit Led Student” where she felt less confident before a particular exam because she had forgotten her study notes and couldn’t get them for review right before the test. She realized at that moment that God was inviting her to switch her source of confidence–from self-confidence—to having confidence in God.  The result was her making the highest grade in the class.

This led me to talk to God as a friend, saying, “You got me. I have no confidence going into this exam. Let’s do things Your way.” This was the beginning of something amazing. I felt Him saying to me, “You want to get out of this situation, look at my word in Daniel chapter 2, study it and get the meaning out of it for yourself. You will see what I am capable of.”

I spent quality time studying Daniel chapter 2: “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. “It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men And knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him” (Daniel 2:20-22 NASB).

In reading this Scripture, I saw how Daniel and his friends sought the Lord for mercy, so that they may not perish with the other wise men (vs. 18) if they could not interpret the dream of the king. Their case was more severe than mine, as they were facing death, but God delivered them. “If God delivered them, He will surely deliver me,” I said.

I made Daniel 2:18 my prayer point asking God to show mercy so that I may not perish in this exam. After my prayer for mercy and my surrender, every burden was lifted, I had the feeling that I was on another level. Glory be to God for this. Studying was just fun. The Holy Spirit was leading me on areas to focus on. The materials became easy to read. Everything just fell into place I had time to complete other things and I slept like a baby during my preparatory period.

I had experienced God’s love and I spent every prayer time thanking Him for His mercies. On the day of the exam, after doing a little revision, I told God that I cannot continue anymore that I have done my part and He should continue for me. I also said a prayer of thanks to Him for sending forth to me His ministering angels and the Holy Spirit.

During the exam, it was just non-stop joy writing. In my heart I was singing praises to God and thanking Him for His ministering angels. Suddenly I got to a question that looked familiar, but couldn’t figure it out. Rather than fretting, I knew that I was not alone writing. I skipped that question and went on to other questions while still thanking God for His mercies.

Something profound happened some minutes later. Someone had called the professor’s attention to an issue and his response left me perplexed. He gave us an additional question during the exam for bonus points equivalent to the question I was stuck on and said that it was optional to answer this question since he didn’t cover it a great deal in class. Guess what? I had covered that question’s topic during my study session and was able to answer that question completely. I said with a whispering voice “Lord, You are full of surprises.”

After I had completed the last question and thanked God for His mercies, another profound thing happened. I had a short revelation, words started pouring out from my mind. At first I couldn’t make sense of it.  So, once again I thanked God for His mercies. The words were still being said and these words made me remember myself seated at a particular location in a class, typing a lecture note related to the question I had not answered. The picture became more vivid and the answer came. I laughed, thanked the Lord for His mercies and joyfully answered that question. Finally, I reviewed my answer booklet, handed in my paper and left the room singing praises to God.

I have experienced God’s love in other things but I can say that this experience is the most revelation I have had from Him. My mark on this exam doesn’t really mean much despite how excellent it is. In other words, my excellent grade on the exam doesn’t compare to the excellence of knowing God through my exam taking! What is most profound to me was the joy of relationship with God. This experience has reaffirmed my belief that He dues care for us as His children. Hope this encourages and blesses you and helps you realize even in studying for and taking tests, we can worship God and see Him move in a miraculous ways!

I give thanks to God Almighty for His mercies and compassion towards me. The lives of Daniel and his three friends will continue to inspire and instruct me.  They will do the same for you if you choose to enter into learning as a partnership with God!”

Check out God’s Way to an A at godswaytoana.com/class and pick up Veronica’s book on Amazon:  The Spirit-led Student.

Love you with Christ’s love, 
David Dean, PhD Student

The untimely death of famed actor and comedian, Robin Williams, this past week came as a shock to us. The loss of this brilliant actor whom many described as a comedic genius left us shaking our heads in disbelief. How could such a bright and funny guy who created laughter around the world take his own life? The disparity between what he projected to the world and what he was apparently experiencing in his private life could remain a mystery, unless of course you play sports. Continue reading →

You never know how stepping out in faith to pursue a championship will end.  My quest to qualify for the Women’s U.S. Open this past week ended with a failure to qualify.  Or did it?  Even though it didn’t look like a score on the card, I did score.

For starters, my brain chemistry actually changed as I was able to walk the daunting eight miles of Carolina Trace without skipping a beat. As a result, I could no longer tell myself that I could not do something that required endurance and stamina because of a former struggle with chronic fatigue. I set a goal and went after it, and re-discovered the power of a worthy goal to accomplish something and move forward.  I learned how to overcome obstacles and keep going in a new way.  What was most outstanding about the experience, however, was the power of a caddie club to lift my spirits and to immediately wash away all defeating emotions. It was also great to see how many people became excited about golf, whether they played or not. Continue reading →

God’s way to an A has been a true blessing for me. I have always grown up in the church but I have never combined my education with my religion. I felt like they were always on two different categories. I always prayed when I needed something. For example before a test, quiz, when I was struggling in a class, but never took the time out to pray before I sat down and started studying. But God’s way to an A has taught me so much about meditating/praying before I get into my studies. I feel more relaxed and free with nothing stressful on my mind. God’s way to an A has opened up my eyes and also gave me an opportunity to read other people’s testimonies and to understand that God is everywhere. Continue reading →

The person you listen to is the most important person in your life. When you first go off to college you probably aren’t thinking about this truth. Your mind is filled with getting to class on time, finding your classes, getting used to your roommate, wondering what to do with some homesick pains, and who your new friends will be. When I first went off to Duke, I only had one friend whom I knew that went there. His advice to me was, “Just get by your first semester. Don’t worry about doing your best—just do what you need to do to get by.” I listened to him. As a result, my normal “A” grade performance slid downhill. I substituted mediocrity for excellence and I suffered. My grades went downhill and so did my expectations of myself for the next two years. Yep. Two years. Continue reading →