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By Orukotan Ayomikun Samuel
Tiger Woods
-Once upon a time, there was and still a man. He loves golf a lot, he took the game of golf as a calling, he had talent that was like an electricity. He doesn’t understand electricity but yet he was using it to write a name for himself. It was a mere aptitude, it was not something he learnt in the university but his talent won games for him. His talent never had substitute but a day came in the life of the man. It was a day he fell gallantly from the top to the bottom of the standing.
Who is this man? He is Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods was a black man in a white world, definitely not a preference in the land of reference; he went through hell when he surrendered his coveted position in 2010. He was faced with a lot of adversity and ill lucks. During his time in the wilderness, he had to battle the demons that assailed him when he suffered a hip injury, a drastic drop in form and a public demystification that ended in a costly divorce. He has attained some height before now in his profession but he lost his position. He had garnered enormous fame and fortune but he crashed morally, socially and emotionally. The one the cerebral competent will call “THE PETER PAN COMPLEX.” He became butts of local and international jokes because he had to issue three public apologies in the space of few weeks for the wrongs he couldn’t write right. He lost most of its endorsements and public support; his caddies who were supposed to be close friends nit-picked him publicly. This is indeed trying times in the life of a man that has tasted glory, honour and respect but he never took the easy way, he never consulted the much easier way of withdrawing when the noise of his critics was already overwhelming the voice of his remaining dogged followers. He never withdrew back to his shell to say “to hell with the rest.”
Many thought his glory days were over; even his faithful who has been accustomed to his winning streak began to doubt its capacity and flair. Tiger woods’ had the talent, he had the aptitude and ability but yet he was dethroned of his position in the game of golf.
What was the cause? Was it because he believed so much in his talent and he patiently rested on his laurels? Was it because he surrendered to the voice of critics?
These were questions popularly raised in some quarters during this dilemma but in the middle of these persistent problems, he had four things: resilience, focus, hard work and self-belief.
After his game and personal life plummeted in the fall of 2010, he bounced back with two PGA titles last year (2012) and five titles in 2013 and we are still counting. So whatever respect Tiger Woods garnered over the years, he had to earn it by being consistent with his game on course and by carrying himself with the dignity of it not minding the cost. A man initially seen as an intruder to the game of golf as history suggests. A man whose colour was never an advantage, a man who went through sixes and sevens, a man who battled injuries like a chronic disease came back from zero (58TH in the world) to hero (1st in the world) courtesy of resilience, focus, hard work and self-belief. The very one I call “the four ingredients combined with a tested and trusted talent.” Tiger Woods embarked on a long and lonely road, those roads where you don’t see commuters, pedestrians and even passers-by to interact with, he went on this journey all alone, there was noise at the back, trouble plenty at both sides, he could only forge-ahead, he was able to do the incredible when he rediscovered and redefined his life.
However, the life of Tiger Woods teaches us three important lessons.
First, he showed us the immutability of destiny.
Second, he taught us that it is not life that matters but the courage you bring to bear on it.
Third, he never lost focus while the ovation was on a low-key instead he reminded himself of the vision and mission statements, he reminded himself of where he was coming from and that kept him on track even while everything was like a monsoon or a ferocious tornado threatening to crush everything on his path. He stood solid like a rock, firmly anchored on the lofty ideals of humanity. Today, we are remembering a legend that fell down many times but got back up strong.
Your talent will not get you far without the long-grinding hours you need to put in, you need to go through the pain and monotony of repetitions to hone and polish your skills. My cronies, talent is like a flower, it will wither away, if you don’t water it, that water my friend is your sweat. The thicker the sweat, the bigger the sweet. To all my esteem readers who had been following my articles since I began public writing, I am very grateful for the consistency, encouragement and mirth that brought hope. This might definitely be my last article for the year except the otherwise happens needing my attention but I must also underscore here that it has been challenging sometimes but I had already taken it as a chore and responsibility. While I take my short tether, I am wishing all, a very prosperous Christmas and resounding New Year celebrations. Till then, I will continue to do the work of him that called me.
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