One Swing Philosophy — What Golf Taught Me About Life

These days, I sometimes feel a quiet happiness even when nothing special happens. I spend an ordinary day in Jeju. I look at Ruby and Rich and find myself smiling for no particular reason. When I practice golf and discover a movement I did not understand before, I feel excited. I also enjoy sitting down and writing about the things that happened during my day. Then, one day, a thought came to me. I am living my life well. And as I thought about it a little more, another feeling came to my heart. I have lived my life well so far, too. The person I am today did not appear overnight. The years I spent working, the time I spent studying in a new place, the life I built after moving to Jeju, and all the days I made my own decisions and took responsibility for them have brought me here. Of course, not every day was good. I made choices I sometimes regretted. There were difficult times, and there were moments when things did not go as I had hoped. Sometimes, my body needed a rest, and I had t...

I started this blog in late February 2026, the year I turned 60. Before that, I had never even used ordinary social media. I had no particular plan to become a blogger, attract readers, or build an audience. I simply wanted a place to record my everyday life. My life in Jeju was already full of little things I enjoyed: golf, my two dogs, Ruby and Rich, the changing seasons in my garden, teaching English, and discovering what it means to live well after 60. So I started writing. Some days, I wrote about golf and the small things I was learning about my swing. Other days, I wrote about living alone, taking care of my dogs, enjoying an ordinary afternoon, or finding a new perspective on life. I never thought these everyday stories would attract much attention. But recently, something unexpected has been happening. My daily visitors have been steadily increasing. And today, when I saw the number suddenly reach 938, I was genuinely surprised. I was getting close to 1,000 visitors a day. For...

This morning, I played nine holes of golf. After lunch, I went to the driving range and practiced gently for almost an hour. Then I received a delivery message. My order had arrived! I had ordered two long wall panels two days earlier. For about two years, I had wanted to change the wall behind my sofa. It was not an urgent job, so I kept putting it off. Then, while watching YouTube, I found an idea I liked. 'This is it!' My curtains are ivory, so I thought light wood-colored panels would look good with them. As soon as I received the delivery message, I could no longer concentrate on my practice. I left the range and went straight home. I did not even take a shower before starting the job. But it was not as easy as I had expected. The panels were slightly curved, and I had to attach two large pieces, one above the other. If they were not level or if the edges lifted, I could ruin the whole job. I might even have to throw the panels away. 'I wish someone were here to hold o...

Have you ever noticed that some people can become completely absorbed in something they love? I am one of those people. (Smile!) But I didn't realize this was one of my strongest characteristics until recently. Looking back at my life, I can see a pattern. Whenever my heart tells me, "I really want this," and I make up my mind, I go after it. I don't always know how things will turn out. I don't even need to be sure that I will succeed. If I truly want something, I want to give it a try. And once I start, I naturally become deeply involved. First, English and Education English became a big part of my life. I spent many years working in a global company, studied for my MBAs, and even went to the United States to study. Learning was never just something I had to do. When I became interested in something, I wanted to understand more, learn more, and experience it for myself. Apparently, my brain doesn't always know when to stop! (Smile!) Then, Love Love was anoth...

I think life is better when we live with people rather than completely alone. During COVID, many of my relationships naturally became distant. In some ways, that was a good experience for me. I learned that I could enjoy being alone. I learned that I could spend quiet days by myself and still be perfectly fine. But after a while, I realized something very simple. I actually like people. Maybe I have always been that way. I enjoy living alone, and I love my quiet time. But warm conversations, laughter, sharing a meal, playing golf together, or simply having a small connection with someone are still precious parts of my life. I just had to learn a different way of being with people. For a long time, I think I was a little bit of a dictator. ㅎㅎ Especially with my family. Because I was older and had experienced many things, I sometimes thought I knew more. So I would say, “Let's do this together.” “Let's go there.” “This will be fun!” And then I would organize all kinds of family e...

When I was young, I often said things like, “Without you, I can’t live.” I heard those words in songs, poems, and love stories. And honestly, I probably believed them, too. But after living for 60 years, I have come to see life a little differently. Life is my own stage. Without me, nothing matters at all. I don't mean that the world cannot exist without me. I mean that my life cannot have meaning if I am not taking care of myself and living my own life. I often tell my students this when they don't study very hard. Before telling them to study more, I want them to know something more important: You are important. You are the main character in your own life. Your health is for you. Your education is for you. Your dreams are for you. And I think the most basic way to take care of yourself is surprisingly simple. Eat well. So this morning, I made a really good breakfast. I cooked a pot of mixed-grain rice with beans and other grains, and I was happy to eat it while it was still w...

These days, I am trying to find my golf swing again. I had my own basic swing. But because I wanted to become a better golfer, I started learning from other people’s swings. There is nothing wrong with learning good things. The problem was that I mixed too many things together. A little movement from this golfer. Another movement from that golfer. Before I knew it, my swing was no longer really mine. And it was not really theirs, either. 😂😀 Now I am slowly finding my original swing again. It is not 100% back yet, but at least I know which direction I should go. And that made me think about life. Maybe everyone has their own swing. And maybe everyone has their own way of living, too. I have actually tried many things in my life. I have driven nice cars. I have driven a sports car. I once even lived at the InterContinental Hotel in Gangnam, Seoul, for a whole month. The first week was wonderful. It was comfortable, convenient, and a little exciting. But after that? I was so bored and f...

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...