One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

When I was young, I had so much energy. I did not always know how to manage my emotions, so sometimes I burned myself out with my own energy. Now I am 60. My emotions are calmer. I can think before I react. I can say YES when I want to, and NO when I don't. And I really like this version of myself. 😀💓💕 I still love people. I still love being playful. I still enjoy a little adventure. But now I know how to keep my balance. I can be alone. I can be with people. I can open my door a little. I can close it when I need to. I can make a mistake. I can change my mind. I can simply say, “Well, that was interesting.” 😂😁 Maybe that is why life feels more exciting these days. My life is not perfectly quiet. It moves. It surprises me. Sometimes it feels like a little roller coaster. But this time, I am not being dragged along. I am choosing to ride it. I do not need a perfect life. I just want a life that feels alive. So, today's verdict is simple. I love myself at this moment. Nobody...

I used to think that getting older meant slowing down. I thought that as I got older, I would naturally prefer quieter music, take things more slowly, and play golf a little more carefully. But now that I am 60, I am not so sure. I still love rock music. Of course, I enjoy quiet music too. There are days when I want something soft and peaceful. But sometimes, I still want a strong beat, a powerful guitar sound, and music that makes me feel alive. And golf? I definitely don't want to slow down my passion for golf. Yesterday, I practiced for about 80 minutes. My full swing wasn't working well at first. So I picked up my 7-iron and worked on my full swing for about 20 minutes. Again and again. I focused on the swing, the impact, and finishing the swing properly. Then something changed. During the last 20 minutes, my swing suddenly started feeling really good. The kind of swing I love. A sharp, clean sound came from the clubface. Crack! The impact felt great. The swing looked good....

When I first started growing vegetables, I thought it would be very simple. I thought that if I had some soil and planted some seeds, the vegetables would just grow by themselves. But I was wrong. At first, I did not even know why my vegetables were not growing well. So I bought a small hand shovel. As I dug deeper into the soil, I learned something important. Vegetables need more than just seeds and soil. The soil also needs to breathe. I had to dig the soil deeper, make it softer, and give the roots enough space to grow. Then I bought a bag of organic fertilizer. I do not use a lot at once. I spread a little at a time. Water is also very important. Especially when the weather is hot and dry, vegetables can taste different if they do not get enough water. Leafy vegetables can even become bitter when they do not get enough water. So I usually water my garden once or twice a day, and I give it a good, deep watering. And there is one more thing. Thinning. At first, I thought that if I pl...

When I was young, I lived each day with tremendous energy. I thought about the future. I thought about where I wanted to be ten years from then. I worked hard, dreamed big, and gave everything I had to the day in front of me. Even when I was tired, I pushed myself. I used every last spark of energy because I believed I was building my future. And looking back, I don't think that younger version of me was wrong. She had reasons to live that way. She had dreams to chase. And perhaps that passion helped create the life I have today. But now, at 60, the way I look at life has changed. I still think about the future. But I no longer want to spend today worrying too much about whether tomorrow will come exactly as I imagine, or whether I will feel just as healthy tomorrow as I do today. I have learned that tomorrow is not something I can control. So, when my body feels good, I move. I work. I practice my golf. I take care of my garden. I enjoy my day. And when my body says, “Not today,” ...

It had been raining for almost two days. The weather forecast said it was going to keep raining this afternoon, too, so I thought I should just stay home. But after staying inside for so long, my back started to hurt, and I felt so restless. Around noon, I took my dogs for a walk and looked up at the sky. For some reason, I had a feeling that it wasn't going to rain anymore. The forecast still said rain, but the sky looked different to me. I thought, “Hmm… I don't think it's going to rain.” So I decided to go to the driving range. I was getting so restless that I thought I was going to go crazy if I stayed home any longer. ㅎㅎ Of course, I had to be careful because of my two Jindo dogs. When I'm home, they stay inside the living room with me. But when I go out, they stay in the yard. There is a small shed where they can get out of the rain, but especially in summer, I try not to make plans when it's raining. So I told myself, “I'll go to the driving range, and if...

Today, I completed my biggest project of the year. 🌱 It wasn't a golf tournament. It wasn't a work project. It was my winter vegetable garden. 😂 Jeju has relatively mild winters, so many vegetables can grow outdoors without freezing. If I plant winter cabbage, young cabbage, lettuce, and other vegetables in the fall, I can enjoy fresh vegetables from my own garden throughout the winter. So, I finally completed everything I had planned. A week ago, I cleaned up the entire garden. Three days ago, I spent two full hours turning over the soil with a shovel. I was sweating so much that I felt like I had just come out of a sauna. 😂 And honestly, I loved it. Yesterday, I went to the local market and bought all the seeds and seedlings I needed. This morning, after walking my dogs, I looked at my garden and said: “Ready to go!” 🌱 Then I spent another two hours planting everything according to my plan. Project complete! ✅ Now I am already looking forward to the lon...

When I was younger, I made plenty of mistakes. Some decisions turned out to be the wrong ones. Some paths led me somewhere I never wanted to be. I wish I could say I always made wise choices. I didn't. Life taught me through trial and error. Looking back, however, I don't regret those years. They helped me discover who I really am. Every wrong turn taught me something. Not only about life... But also about myself. One thing I'm grateful for is this. Whenever I realized I was walking in the wrong direction, I didn't stay there for long. I stopped. I changed direction. And I found my way back to myself. I have seen people continue down a path they already know isn't right. Sometimes because they are afraid. Sometimes because they have already invested too much time. Sometimes because changing direction feels like failure. But I have learned something different. Changing direction is not failure. Sometimes it is the bravest decision we can make. Today, my life feels pe...

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...

These days, I find myself playing golf with this small group at least twice a month. If we include our 9-hole games, I sometimes see them almost once a week. I didn't plan it this way at first. Actually, when I first joined the group, I thought they were a little too loud and playful for me. I wondered, “Hmm… I wonder if I really fit in with these people.” 😂 But the more I got to know them, the more I realized something. They may joke around a lot, but they are all serious about golf. Most of us are in our early 60s, give or take a few years. We are at similar stages of life, and we have a similar love of golf. More importantly, they are good people. They have good manners. They look out for each other. Sometimes, when we run into each other at the driving range, someone will even offer me a cup of coffee. Those little things mean more to me than they might realize. Our band leader is another reason I enjoy this group. He is quick-witted, confident, and has a way of ...