Overcoming Adversity

Overcoming Adversity

Greetings Golfers,

My plan was to write about overcoming adversity. A few days ago I read that overcoming adversity was the key to becoming a man.

It’s definitely one of the keys to becoming a mature adult.

So - as I was starting to write - I received an email that Chi Chi Rodriguez had passed away. Well … Chi Chi died over a year ago … he would have turned 89 next week.

Yet … a golf blog about overcoming adversity … who better to write about than Chi Chi? His story is unbelievable!

Chi Chi was born to a poor Puerto Rican family … his father made $18 a week cutting sugar cane. Chi Chi helped him as a kid … but could make money money as a caddy … so he took up golf. He made a golf club out of a stick and used crushed cans as balls. Seriously. 

Also, he was only 5’7” … and skinny because he’d been really sick as a kid.

And became one of the best players in the world.

Talk about overcoming adversity!

And … outside of golf … he was known for his tireless philanthropy. He was a kind, helpful and highly ethical person. He had every excuse to be the opposite.

And this morning … Harvey Mackay’s blog headline is “Doing The Right Thing Is Never Wrong”. He then talks about how business has become focused on short-term goals that have led to unethical business practices.

Then he quotes Australian businessman Kerry Stokes: “Ethics or simple honesty are the building blocks upon which our whole society is based, and business is part of our society, and it’s integral to the practice of being able to conduct business, that you have a set of honest standards. And it’s much easier to do business with someone when you look them in the eye and say, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’ and you understand what you each mean, and you can go away and get it done.”

What I’m trying to say is that I think at the heart of overcoming adversity is the drive to do the right thing. Maybe full-blown evil people are driven by bad motives … but I think for most people … the drive to overcome comes from deeply held good motives … otherwise the drive fades out.

And as always … it comes back to golf.

Hit it - find it - deal with it.

Overcome the adversity.

Cheers!

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com