There are few things that inspire the rebirth of optimism in the New England golfer more than the Masters when hope springs eternal. With their commercials in early March, CBS starts to hypnotically puff the sweet, soft, and salubrious sounds of the Masters theme song in our ears. Dormant golf balls begin to sprout in living rooms, rusty wedges bounce off thawing lawns and new found ambition ignites in the soul. It is a time of year when thoughts about “what could have been” have faded and hopes about “what could be” pulse through our minds.
As defined by the Oxford dictionary hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen”. If we want to be great, we need hope. Hope is critical to development. It promotes a growth mindset in that it teaches us to live into possibility and to not be resigned to our limitations. Hope gives us motivation to work hard and fosters resilience in that we know something positive and meaningful will be at the end of our efforts.
The Masters epitomizes hope. There’s probably no other tournament in the world that fuels desire and expectation the way the Masters does. It is the ultimate challenge of resilience and perseverance and those who are best able to fend off resignation most often rise to the top.
So, When you tune into the tournament this weekend, pay attention to why you are watching. What is it about the experience that inspires you? For me, watching the Masters reminds me of who I need to be to achieve my greatness: tough, determined, curious, unafraid of failure, creative, and most of all, hopeful.
