Are you there?

Yes, we are here.

So, as you know, I am a tennis fan.

As are we.

Wait. You are tennis fans?

Of course. Why do you find that so surprising?

I guess I don’t think of all of you as having an interest in something like sports.

Why not? Do you think we are focused on the physical plane simply to address your personal issues and concerns?

Aren’t you? I mean, no, of course not. It’s just that you are my guides and it’s funny to me that you would be interested in something like tennis.

To some degree, we are interested in tennis because you are interested in tennis. In the same way that we enjoy classic Hollywood films because you enjoy classic Hollywood films. These activities have great meaning for you. So, when you are excited, we choose to get excited as well.

Does that apply to other activities on the physical plane as well?

Yes, of course. All experience is based on choice. And all beings, whether physical or non-physical, have the freedom to choose where they want to focus and what they want to create. We are no exception. At this time, we have chosen to focus our attention on you and on the physical plane because we are interested in human persons and their everyday activities, and because it brings us joy and pleasure. If that were not true, we would not have chosen to work with you as your guidance. We would be off doing something else. Trust us when we say that not every non-physical being is interested in the physical plane. To put it in Earthly terms, “they couldn’t care less.” But for us, how human persons spend their time, what kinds of experiences they create for themselves, how they journey from forgetting to remembering, all of that is a point of intense fascination and interest for us. This fascination and interest lies at the very heart of our purpose and is nothing but a labor of love for us.

And does that love extend to activities like tennis?

Yes, of course. Again, why not? It only makes sense. As your guides, we are deeply, intimately connected to you, not only to your physical side, but also to that part of you that remains focused in non-physical. So, it would only follow that what you find enjoyable, we would also find enjoyable, and that holds true for most things. When you watch tennis, your vibration rises, and when that happens, it brings us great joy.

Just out of curiosity, how do you “watch” a sporting event?

We could say that we see it through your eyes, your human eyes, but that would not be strictly accurate. We do not actually “see” as a human person with physical eyes would see. It is more of a vibrational vision, if that makes any sense. When you watch sports, particularly tennis, we are attuned to your vibrational frequency, and that is basically how we see. We could explain it to you in metaphysical terms, but we would be here all day and into the night just explaining the basic mechanics.

Understood. What I would like to talk about today are the feelings I experience when I am watching sports.

An excellent topic for discussion.

Over the years, I have come to understand that feelings and emotions constitute the essential element of all experience. Obviously, that would hold true for sports as well. For sports fans, emotions can range anywhere from elation to despair, depending on how their player or team is performing.

Go on.

If my player or team is winning, I get very excited. All I want is for my player to win. However, if my player or team is losing, I can become very anxious and distraught, almost desperate at times, as if winning is the most important thing in the world. Most sports fans feel this way and that is part of the appeal of competitive sports, I suppose, this incredible shift of emotions from “the thrill of victory” to “the agony of defeat.” But recently I have been watching a lot of tennis and I realize that I am becoming less and less comfortable with my thoughts and feelings around winning and losing. I do not want to give up watching tennis, or any sport for that matter. I just want to enjoy a match without all of the angst and the anxiety that often accompanies competitive sports. I know it is possible. I have experienced it when, for example, I am watching a tennis match where I do not care about the outcome, where neither of the players is a favorite, and at those times, I find that I enjoy the match more because I am more relaxed and more open to the sport itself, regardless of who wins.

We understand. Please continue.

But then I watch a tennis match with one of my favorite players and I become so involved in what the outcome might be that I sometimes need to stop watching because I don’t want to see my player lose.

Turning off a match in which your favorite player is competing would seem to defeat the purpose of watching the match in the first place.

Exactly. I know that the desire to win drives all sporting events. That’s what makes sports competitive. At the same time, I have begun to see that the desire to see my player win sometimes overshadows the joy and pleasure to be found in simply watching the game.

We understand your dilemma. You have become aware that the feelings you are experiencing during what should be a pleasurable experience are perhaps, at times, not all that pleasurable, and you are wondering if there is another way to experience an event without any investment in the outcome.

That sounds about right.

We would suggest that your dilemma regarding expectation and how it intersects with joy and pleasure applies to almost any experience you may choose to have as a human person.

Yes, of course. That is an excellent point and one that we should definitely explore. I hate to stop here in the middle of this discussion, but given how long this posting is already, I suggest we split it into two parts and pick things up again next time. Do you agree?

Yes, of course. Whatever you desire.

Thank you all.

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