Indra's blog: About Golf and Life Lessons
- indrarampersad
- Aug 30
- 3 min read
Indra's blog: About Golf and Life Lessons
I was speaking with one of our longstanding wonderful patients about how my boys had taken up golf lessons and were really enjoying this. She told me she had actually also started some lessons at our local golf course, together with her daughter in law, as the club was promoting more women in golf and had set up a group especially with that aim.
We talked a bit more about the boys, the holidays and schools almost starting again. And in a round about way the conversation came back to golf. And she explained to me how she actually sees that golf is such a good way for children to not just learn about the game of golf itself, but also teaches some valuable lessons of life. She got me curious there.
She told me how in golf when the ball goes off course, it is one of the few games where the ball is "out" but you are allowed to hit it back on the green and even still get the put it (hit the ball in the hole). In life when things go wrong, it is not the end of it all and however not easy, you can still get to your goal if you work it the right way.
As you are required to play the ball where it lies, it mirror's the unpredictability of life with all its ups and downs that come your way.
And she also found that on a golf course the golf ball almost never follows a completely straight line on the green due to the way the course runs. And that again shows that things might not bring you somewhere directly, but in a round about way it often will.
I found these analogies so good, I just couldn't help myself but to google some more Golf as a Metaphor for Life and share these too:
Perseverance and Resilience:
Golf teaches players to endure difficult situations, adapt to bad breaks, and learn from mistakes, much like navigating life's unexpected obstacles.
Goal Setting:
The game involves setting clear goals for each shot and working to achieve them, similar to setting and accomplishing goals in other areas of life.
Responsibility and Accountability:
On the course, you must play the ball where it lies, accepting the consequences of your actions and not blaming external factors.
Focus and Mental Strength:
Golf requires intense focus on the present shot and a strong mental game to overcome self-doubt, stress, and negative emotions, which is a crucial skill in life.
And then there were some specific golf analogies explained:
The Jar of Golf Balls:
This analogy uses a jar filled with golf balls, pebbles, and sand to represent the essential aspects of life (golf balls), important but non-essential things (pebbles), and small, trivial matters (sand). The point is that if you fill your life's jar with the small stuff first, there will be no room for the truly important things.
The "Play it as it Lies" Mantra:
This is a direct quote by Bobby Jones, a legendary golfer, and a powerful life analogy. It means you must deal with your current circumstances and take your next shot from where the ball has landed, without wishing for a different lie or trying to manipulate the situation.
The Importance of the Next Shot:
Another key concept is that the most important shot is always the next one. This encourages focusing on the present and moving forward, rather than dwelling on past bad shots or future outcomes.
Of course I wouldn't be me if that did not make me think of our everyday dentistry and the work that we do. Our patients have sometimes gone 'off the green' as well and we help them back on track to their best and healthiest smile again. It's definitely not always a straight line there; We might find some bumps in the way.
However, we are not easily surprised and know how to overcome or navigate around them. But the take-away today is, that it is all in the Importance of the Next Shot: Will you make that phone call or send that email to our understanding front of house team to get you started?
Indra xx
Just a small reminder that I am training for the Great North Run. I am taking on the biggest half marathon of the North East in aid of the Sick Children’s Trust and the Tiny Lives Fund.
If you like to know more or help me support these amazing charities, you can do so here:
It is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Comments