One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

After playing golf for a long time, I think every golfer has had this thought at least once: “I think I've finally figured out my swing.” I did, too. For a while, I was playing pretty well even without practicing much. My shots were good, my swing felt comfortable, and I started to become a little too confident. At one point, I honestly thought: “Maybe I've conquered my golf swing.” Now that I think about it, that's hilarious. 😂 I mean, I'm an amateur golfer! If Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, or Adam Scott had heard me say, “I think I've conquered golf,” I wonder what they would have thought. They might have looked at each other and said, “You conquered golf?” 😳 And then quietly thought, “This woman must be joking.” 😂😂😂 The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it sounds. But that ridiculous thought taught me something important. Golf is not an easy sport to conquer. When I stopped practicing regularly, my shots slowly became less consisten...

I Dreamed of Becoming Capable Enough to Protect My Own Life and Kind Enough to Help Others Along the Way. When I was younger, I worked hard. Like many people, I wanted to succeed. I wanted to learn, grow, and become better at what I did. Over the years, I worked in different roles, met different people, and experienced different challenges. Looking back, however, I realize something important. I never dreamed of becoming powerful. I was not chasing status for its own sake. I was not trying to become someone important. What I truly wanted was much simpler. I wanted to become capable enough to protect my own life. I wanted the freedom that comes from competence. The ability to solve problems. The confidence to stand on my own feet. The wisdom to make decisions without constantly depending on others. Perhaps that was why I worked so hard during those years. Not because I wanted power. But because I wanted independence. Today, my life looks much quieter. I spend time with my two dogs. I pl...

I recently started a very important project. Project: Flat Belly. 😂 And there is actually a reason why I started it. Ever since I started my blog, I've been taking a lot more photos of myself. Golf photos. Walking photos. Everyday life photos. Pictures with friends. Pictures of me doing all kinds of things. And when I started looking at all those photos… I noticed my belly. 😂 Not in the mirror. In the photos. Apparently, cameras are much more honest than mirrors. 🤣 At first, I thought, “Hmm… maybe it's just the angle.” Then another photo. And another. And another. Okay. Maybe it isn't the angle. 😂 So I decided to do something about it. I'm giving myself about six months to work on my posture and gradually make my belly flatter. I'm not adding another workout to my already busy routine. I already play golf, swim, walk my dogs, and stay active in my everyday life. Instead, I'm paying more attention to my posture and the way I use my body throughout the day....

There was a time when I thought my most exciting years were already behind me. After turning sixty, I imagined my life would become quieter and more predictable. I thought most of my important chapters had already been written. But life quietly smiled and said, "Not yet." This year, something unexpected happened. New golf friends with kind hearts came into my life. I have played golf with many people over the years, but this year, I felt something different. I met people who brought warmth, kindness, and positive energy into my everyday life. I also received more golf invitations from wonderful people, and those moments reminded me how precious human connections are. I realized something: New happiness does not always come from big changes. Sometimes, it comes from new relationships, simple conversations, and ordinary days that suddenly feel special. When I started writing my blog, I never planned to find something extraordinary. I just wanted to record my thoughts about golf...

To be honest, when I first started this blog, I had a simple goal. I wanted to become a popular blogger. There is nothing wrong with that. We all enjoy knowing that our stories are being read and appreciated. But somewhere along the way, something quietly changed inside me. These days, I no longer write to become popular. I write because I enjoy it. Writing has become a conversation with myself, almost like keeping a journal. Instead of trying to create impressive stories, I simply write about whatever feels real that day. Some days it's golf. Some days it's English. Some days it's just an ordinary moment that makes me smile. I've realized that forcing a story never feels as satisfying as letting one naturally appear. Maybe that also reflects my personality. I've always enjoyed laughing, finding small joys, and keeping life lighthearted. So I decided to stop trying to write the "perfect" blog post. I would rather write an honest one. At sixty, becoming a f...

Lately, there is one thing I keep noticing whenever I look at my photos. **My belly. **(smile) The rest of my body seems fine, but why is my stomach getting a little bigger these days? So this morning, I sat down and really thought about my eating habits. And I think I found the answer. But first, I have to admit something. I really, really love food. I have always had a good appetite. I remember one time when I was in college and living with my older sister. One day, I suddenly couldn't stop thinking about jajangmyeon, Korean-Chinese black bean noodles. I told my sister, "I really want jajangmyeon." It was raining, but we actually went to a Chinese restaurant together to eat it.   That's the kind of person I am. When I want a certain food, I usually know exactly what I want. I enjoy buying good ingredients, making the food I want, and sitting down to enjoy it by myself. And even when I get sick, my appetite hardly changes. Usually, when people catch a cold or get sic...

For a long time, I thought I knew myself quite well. I knew my strengths. I knew that I was good at negotiating and mediating between people. Even when I was working, I often thought, “If you need someone to find a middle ground, I can probably do that well.” But as I get older, I have realized that knowing my abilities is not the same as truly understanding myself. Sometimes, life has to happen first. Only then do we understand why we behave the way we do, what truly matters to us, and what kind of person we have been trying to become all along. Recently, I discovered something about myself that I had never clearly understood before. When I was young, there was one thing I wished for. “Please let me become someone who can help other people.” Looking back, that simple wish explains a lot about me. I have never had a strong desire for expensive things or luxury. Of course, I would be grateful if someone gave me something nice. But my first feeling would often be, “I hope I don't bec...

Today was the first day of my summer vacation. I had a 9-hole golf gathering at 6:30 in the morning, so I woke up around 4 a.m. I took Ruby and Rich for their morning walk, got ready, and drove about 30 minutes to the golf course. It might sound a little crazy to get up that early just to play golf, but during the hot summer, early morning is actually the most comfortable time for me to play. So when I have the chance, I don't hesitate. When I arrived, the band leader was already there. We were divided into two groups of three. But I wasn't placed with my usual friends. Instead, I was paired with two men I had never met before. Since we were strangers, we started our round rather quietly. At the first tee, I stood there with my ball and tee and asked, “May I tee up first?” One of them smiled and asked, “Do you play from the white tees?” That's a question female golfers often get. They kindly let me go first. So I put my tee into the ground and hit my first drive. And… It we...