Lessons from Golf

“Hey buddy, what is the matter?” Abhay asked, as Jay opened the door, “You look stressed today.” Abhay had dropped in to meet his friend Jay, who was a motivational speaker and self-help coach.

“I have to deliver a lecture tomorrow for college students, and I am not able to decide what topic to speak on. Something that would interest them as well as help them grow. I have been thinking hard for past two hours, but nothing has clicked” Jay answered. “I guess you need a break”, Abhay said “How about a game of golf? Moving out in the open will refresh you.” “Well, not sure if I can afford to spend that time. Moreover, I don’t even know how to play golf,” Jay replied.

However, Abhay managed to convince Jay and they both drove to Abhay’s house to pick up the golf kit. “Those are a lot of clubs!” Jay exclaimed, “Do you need all of them to play golf?” “Oh yes, a golfer is allowed to carry 14 golf clubs into the game. Each is distinct from the other. But you use different clubs at different instances depending on what you wish to achieve. A driver, putter, wedge all serve separate purposes and they help you win only when used in the right manner.” Abhay explained.

Jay thought to himself, “In life, we too have multiple resources like time, knowledge, money, contacts etc. at our disposal but we need to use them in the right manner, at the right time. For instance, we need to be judicious about when to spend time on doing an activity ourselves versus when to spend money to get it done and utilise our time in something else which is more important.”

This seemed to be a good point he could cover in his lecture the next day, so he quickly made a note on his phone: Use the resources at your disposal in the right manner, at the right time.

They soon reached the golf course, where quite a few people were enjoying the game on that sunny evening. “Hey Abhay, while I see so many people playing out there, something strikes me”, Jay said, “Never have I seen an umpire or a referee in this game. Don’t you have those in golf?” “That is an interesting feature in this sport”, Abhay answered, “You are required to call your own penalties. A referee does not monitor you. This sport relies on your ethics. It is relatively easier to be on the wrong side and get away with it if you do not call your penalty, but the game banks on you to remain honest and showcase your integrity in each case.”

Jay pondered over this unique feature of the game as he assimilated and noted this important learning: Be honest and ethical in all your dealings to truly enjoy the sport of life.

Both started with the game and Abhay was helping Jay play his first tee shot for a long hole. “But the hole is so far away, I can’t even see it!” Jay complained, “How can I hit a target hardly few inches wide, from so long?” Abhay smiled and replied “You cannot see the hole, but you can see the flag. So you know in which direction the hole is, right? It is important to play the ball towards the hole with the first shot.”

“Ah, that is a good learning too”, Jay thought to himself, “At times, the end goal is not entirely clear at the onset. That doesn’t mean you cannot start moving towards it. The important thing is to move in the right direction such that you come closer to the goal. As you move nearer, the end goal becomes sharp and well defined.”

A quick note got appended to the list: Don’t worry if you cannot see a distant goal. Start moving in the direction of the goal.

After spending some refreshing time playing golf, Jay and Abhay headed back home. “I hope you are rejuvenated enough now to think for your topic for tomorrow”, Abhay enquired.

“I already have the topic”, Jay said with a beaming smile, “It is GOLF!”