Seeing Them Like Beach Balls

Imagine a large beach ball floating toward you. You are armed with a sturdy cricket bat. Not lethargically heavy in your hands yet light and manoeuvrable like a toy sword. As the ball nears a perfect trajectory you swing the bat across and make perfect connection in the middle of the inflated sphere. The beach ball because of its design doesn’t travel far but the connection was pure. Unavoidable. You couldn’t have missed the target if you tried.

There is a term predominantly used in cricket circles, seeing them like beach balls. It refers to a batsman who is playing well but specifically making great connection and hitting the much smaller, quicker, and elusive cricket ball with ease. He or she is in a zone so to speak. Playing at will with no fear of losing their wicket or succumbing to a tricky delivery.

Tim Ludeman was born and raised nearby. A gun junior cricketer he went on to play for South Australia and in the Big Bash for the Adelaide Strikers and Melbourne Renegades. On December 18, 2014, Ludeman smacked his way into the record books with an outstanding 92 runs off 44 balls in a Big Bash game. At the time it was the fastest 50 runs in BBL history and one that stood for years to come. I caught up with Tim to determine what it was about that innings that produced such an outcome.

“Everything came together….a good morning, good breakfast, a sleep before the game” he recalled. “The first ball I hit for 4 and thought right I’m on today. Go with the flow. Ride the wave go with the momentum don’t bunker down. It gets you in a good mindset. I hit a few boundaries in the first few balls and just thought right I’m running with this and yeah you do see them like beach balls.”

I had a few days recently where I felt I was seeing life in a similar way. I was seeing life like a beach ball. I couldn’t miss. I felt I had the Midas touch. Everything was in order. Not in an arrogant way. Just effortlessly doing the right thing at the right time. No overwhelm. No stress. Just aware of the obstacle, the job at hand and executing without fuss but with almost a twinkle in my eye.

“Being a lesser-known player, the pressure then came to perform.” Ludeman continued. “That was the hard bit. It can turn quickly so you ride the momentum when you have it and cash in, I suppose. You really need to lessen the troughs and make a more even playing field. Expectation comes but you must be realistic and remind yourself that you can reach those highs but understand you can’t be there every day of your life. There’s got to be an even balance there somewhere.”

Naturally life is not always easy. Like the cricket analogy most if not all batsmen will have a period where they are struggling to make runs let alone see the ball in a way that allows them to make great connection. As Ludeman explained finding the balance is the challenge.

Similarly, I wouldn’t suggest the period since my beach ball streak has been as fluent. A giant 24-hour event dubbed Christmas and all its pre and post activity didn’t necessarily help. Then my turn to host the dreaded Covid-19 and isolate in my own bedroom for a week.

What does a batsman do when he isn’t seeing them like beach balls anymore?

What do we do when life isn’t as clear?

Routine and ritual are my best tools to getting back on track. Early starts. Commitment to Body, Mind & Soul are key ingredients. Generally, though its switching on the positive mindset. Delving into my heart space and living with compassion for anything and anyone in front of me.

Quality Mind is a program I have been a part of for the best part of 18 months. In its entirety the program has allowed me to extinguish limiting beliefs, let go or improve relationships and remove stress. It has helped me set goals and achieve them and at times has had me feeling indestructible. It has been the most important investment I have made to date in my life. When I am consistent with my QM work there are more beach balls.

I try to be as transparent as I can with my thoughts so I can combat it with a pre prepared power statement designed below. Furthermore, at days end I can probe further by interrogating whatever it is that may have brought a negative experience through the day. We become or abide by the beliefs and soundtrack we repeat in our heads. A familiar mantra that pecks away in your mind. Morbidly I used to have one such pattern that would suggest after a run of positive and great events a more humbling experience was due to derail the dopamine train I was aboard. Have you ever heard yourself or anyone else for that matter grumble “It happens in 3’s!” Normally airborne when a couple of things have gone astray and again we are mentally queued for the 3rd bout of doom.

The following 10 are my antiballistic missiles ready to intercept and destroy those negative vibes.

I accept what is and strive to live constantly in the present

I focus on being just as much as doing

I ignore distractions and focus on the essential

I am our families rock, and they are my universe. They come first on every occasion

I control what I can and take action and win

I appreciate everything around me and choose happiness at every moment

More often than not I am the best I can be

I have conviction and purpose

My discipline delivers huge reward

I dream big and achieve

Not a bad arsenal. A good bag of tricks. An awesome mental playlist.

A really trusty cricket bat to keep swinging with.