I’m def guilty of often using sports as metaphors, but Tiger’s win today is such great life metaphor for why we should stick w trying to overcome obstacles no matter how long it feels like they’re taking.
Tiger turned pro in ‘96. From then till ‘05, 281 wks were spent as the top ranked golfer in the world. ‘05 was his last Masters win before today! 14 years!!
In ‘06, the most important person in his life, his father Earl, died.
From there, we saw major fluctuations in his play; almost no consistency – despite being a physical specimen throughout.
There was a string of him caught/admitting to extramarital affairs, physical injuries, links to docs known for performance enhancing drugs, an odd accident in the middle of the night in his car w his then wife chasing him, the loss of many endorsements. In his reflection, Tiger shared the following:
“I thought I could get away w whatever I wanted to. I felt that I had worked hard my entire life & deserved to enjoy all the temptations. I was wrong. I was foolish.”
Tiger faced many physical injuries (most often back & knees). But there are stories of him winning Majors w no cartilage in those knees. When his mind was right, almost nothing could stop him.
What should be apparent is, Tiger never lost a ton in terms of physical skills. Life situations & some of his own decisions affected his MH, his focus, & his resiliency. Three things needed in the game of golf & no doubt, the game of life.
Whether you are a fan of his past decisions or not (& I can totally understand why many are not), that he could work back to this level & win on this stage, is nothing short of miraculous, & should be a sign we can all make comebacks – despite our emotional/mental challenges, when we work at them. Tiger’s worked hard w therapists & coaches on resiliency. 14 yrs & he’s back atop this perch. Some thought he’d never win again.
I’m stubborn & impatient, & I want to HEAL fully, NOW. But this is a great example – if you keep working at things, no matter how much time passes, you can return to form.