Dear Friends,
I recently watched Tiger Woods’ acceptance speech into the PGA Hall of Fame. I enjoyed hearing about his humble beginnings and so much of what he shared resonated with me. I was reminded about the different lenses in which we all live.
I related with Tiger as he explained the racism he experienced as he worked on mastering his craft and the wisdom his father, Earl, imparted to him in those formative years. One thing in particular he shared was how his father told him to“work hard, fight easy.”
I pondered this for a few days. I never had a Dad to impart wisdom to me like Tiger did. In fact, I don’t remember anyone in my life that gave me such sage advice. I realized that what was modeled to me was to “work hard and fight hard.”Sheesh! No wonder life has been harder than it really should have been.
As I get older I have become so much more introspective. I’m so appreciative to live in a world where others are willing to share their wisdom and experiences. It’s also interesting to hear how different people interpret different things.
My husband says he interpreted that saying as to work hard at whatever it is you’re intending to master and when the time comes to “compete” you won’t have to fight hard because you’ve put in all of the hard work ahead of time that you will only need to fight easy – essentially, let your hours of preparation “fight” for you.
For me, I interpreted it the same way yet described it a little different. To work hard at what’s in front of you and when you’re faced with challenges you needn’t fight hard because your work will speak for itself. Unfortunately, the majority of my life I fought hard, and when faced with challenges or contention, I fought harder because I believed I had to just because of how I looked which, ultimately, made life much, much harder for me than I think it had to be. What a relief to hear others’ viewpoints to give us a distinct perspective to live life differently and without so much contention.
Now, as I grow older, I intend to work hard at my craft and let my knowledge, my heart, professionalism, and care speak for itself. Candidly, I don’t think I have the stamina to fight hard anymore so this is a huge relief for me.
Be kind to yourselves, friends, and remember to “work hard and fight easy.”
~Earl Woods
With love & gratitude,
Rica
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