I started golfing less than a year ago. I'm surrounded by friends who are not only great golfers, but also good teachers. They've helped me come a long way. Last week, I was told I'm part of a "team".
"What team?" I asked
"Golf team, to compete in a championship," my friend's wife said.
"You got to be kidding me!" I said. "Are you serious?"
"This is no joke. You will be competing in a Golf championship this Sunday," she said.
"And we'll give you a ceremonial Indian battle send-off before you go out to compete," my wife joined in.
I felt a little weak, and my anxiety level inched upwards.
"And instead of the traditional sword, we'll give you golf-clubs," my wife said, smiling.
"The sword might be a better option," I muttered. "At least I can scare some competitors away."
I practiced a bit for the next few days. The big day finally arrived. The organizers did a wonderful job at the Goose-Creek golf club, looking out for every little detail. And then I was fortunate to witness some spectacular golf played by the veterans in our team, who were incidentally, the defending champions from last year. There was some powerful hitting and some exquisite chip shots. And on top of that there was some unbelievable "putting" by a certain physician turned golfer! Although I was the weakest member of our team, I was never made to feel that way. "There's no 'I' in team," our team captain said. Anyway, our team won the tournament by five strokes. But there was still more to come. The tournament organizers also had a raffle. As the the winning ticket for the grand-prize (a wedge set) was being pulled out of the bucket, one of the stars in our team suddenly developed a sixth sense. He started from his seat. "That's mine," he said.
"We haven't even looked at the ticket yet," the official said.
"Well, go ahead and look. It has my name on it," our team member said.
The official looked at the ticket, and indeed, it was his name!! And I have no explanation for how that happened.
Extrapolating this to the real world, it is so much easier to navigate life, with all its trials and tribulations, if we work as a team with people that surround us. And this is true in our professional, social and personal lives.
"If we know we have people by our side with whom we share implicit trust, we meet life honestly, courageously and with integrity. That is how character is built." ~ Eleanore Roosevelt
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