so many of us, Tiger had unconsciously replicated the most painful
and worst habits of his parents.
Some have looked at those fruitless years after Tiger’s return to
golf as evidence that the selfishness of his previous life helped his
game. Or that somehow the work he did in rehab opened up wounds
better left bound up.
As if Tiger Woods, a human being, did not deserve happiness and
existed solely to win trophies and entertain us on television. “For
what is a man profited,” Jesus asked his disciples, “if he shall gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul?”
It’s a question we must ask ourselves. Cheating and lying never
helped anyone in the long run, whether it was done at work or at
home. In Tiger’s case, it was that he was so talented, he could get
away with it... until he couldn’t.
Eventually one has to say the e-word, enough. Or the world says it
for you.
In one sense, his father’s training had succeeded. Tiger Woods
was mentally tough. He was cold-blooded and talented. But in every
other part of his life, he was weak and fragile—bankrupt and
unbalanced. That stillness existed only on the golf course;
everywhere else he was at the mercy of his passions and urges. As he
worked to crowd out distractions—anything that would get in the
way of his concentration addressing each shot—he was also crowding
out so many other essential elements of life: An open heart.
Meaningful relationships. Selflessness. Moderation. A sense of right
and wrong.
These are not just important elements of a balanced life; they are
sources of stillness that allow us to endure defeat and enjoy victory.
Mental stillness will be short-lived if our hearts are on fire, or our
souls ache with emptiness. We are incapable of seeing what is
essential in the world if we are blind to what’s going on within us. We
cannot be in harmony with anyone or anything if the need for more,
more, more is gnawing at our insides like a maggot.
“When you live a life where you’re lying all the time, life is no
fun,” Tiger would say later. When your life is out of balance, it’s not
fun. When your life is solely and exclusively about yourself, it’s worse
than not fun—it’s empty and awful. Tiger Woods wasn’t just a
barry
(Barry)
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