One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

Small Things, Big Smiles This morning started with a few very ordinary things, but somehow, they made me really happy. 😂 1. Fixing My Golf Watch Band ⛳⌚ Yesterday, while I was playing golf, my golf watch band suddenly came off. Because it was so hot and I was sweating a lot, I should have wiped the band after playing. But I simply charged the watch and kept using it without thinking much about it. After about a year, the band finally gave up. 😂 Luckily, it came off right when I was sitting in the golf cart. Talk about bad luck turning into good luck! I carefully put it in my golf bag and decided to replace it this morning. Fortunately, there was an extra band in the box. But then… “How am I supposed to replace this?” YouTube to the rescue! I put on my glasses and wrestled with it for more than 30 minutes. And finally… Done! I replaced it myself! 😂👏 It was such a small thing, but I felt strangely proud of myself. 2. The Six-Meter Clothesline That Was One Meter Too Short 😂 My outdo...

Some people think my study abroad journey was supported by my parents. It wasn't. After graduating from university, I worked for many years and saved my own money.  In my late twenties, I once asked my father if he could send me abroad to study. He said something I still remember. "I have six children. If I send you, your younger siblings may want the same opportunity, and I can't do that for everyone. But if you want to go to graduate school in Korea, I will support you." At the time, I simply said, "I understand." I went on with my life, worked hard, and even completed my Korean MBA supported by company while working full-time. But some dreams don't disappear. The dream of studying in the United States stayed quietly in my heart for many years. Eventually, I decided to go. I paid for my study abroad with the money I had earned myself—almost 120 million KRW in total. Because I was older than many international students, I made a promise to myself before...

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...