The Power of Belief amidst Adversity
Hugh Anthony, PhD
Public Speaker | Keynote Storyteller | Mental Fitness Coach | Leadership & Culture Advisor | LinkedIn Public Speaking Voice
Congratulations to Tiger Woods on his most recent accomplishment! Winning his 5th Masters and wearing the 'Coveted Green Jacket' yet again. It feels like twenty-two years ago when he won his first title at 21 years old. This amidst the cacophony of vitriolic narratives and memes, as 'fans and foes have applauded the golfer for beating the odds and rising up to take the victory despite his personal strife, health issues and career lows' shares Jessica Levitt, Sunday Times. The headlines are in..of course,...on Tiger Woods: here are some of the major ones:
Tiger Woods claims first Masters win since 2005 - Global News ...... www.globalnews.ca
Masters 2019: Tiger Woods wins 15th major with thrilling Augusta ... www.bbc.com/sports
Tiger wins 15th major title with spectacular Masters victory - Rappler.. www.rappler.com
Redemption! - Tiger Woods ends 14-year wait for ... - Jamaica Gleaner ... www.jamaica-gleaner.com
The exemplary and stellar display of self-belief, focus, grit and determination by Tiger Woods catapulted him to win his 5th Masters (The Coveted Green Jacket) and his 15th major championship amidst the adversities he experienced.
Fuelled by the power of belief in self, Tiger Woods reminded us that amidst the setbacks, you need to harness the best that's inside of all of us with the power of belief. Greatness is inside of all of us, not just some of us and I am reminded that no one ever said that life was going to be easy. The timeless proverb "when life gets tough, the tough get going” resonates so powerful and true in Tiger Woods' resilience to overcome the hardships, adversities and the setbacks to win yet another championship.
Image Courtesy of Reuters/Lucy Nicholson
One might ask, what is it that Tiger Woods have that I don't, that allows him to thrive so valiantly through adversity and the competition to win this championship? The answer might be in his challenge to turn the negative experiences in his life into positive ones through resilience. As Joshua D. Margolis and Paul Stoltz, PhD noted in their Harvard Business Review article How to Bounce Back from Adversity it is about psychological resilience. "[It] is the capacity to respond quickly and constructively to crises. It’s a central dynamic in most survival stories, such as those of the shell-shocked individuals."
Never stop chasing your crazy dream. - Tiger Woods/Nike
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Tiger Woods knew that the adversities he faced could plummet his career. However, he believed it would be crazy to give up, because he knew his dream and he had to keep chasing it - "I am gonna beat Jack Nicklaus". So through the highs and lows he understood that he had to 'just do it'. The triumphant win is an inspiration to all of us; it’s indescribably phenomenal and he knew the challenges, experiences and the setbacks faced can hold him back from his dream. However, sometimes when we face?adversities and challenges that hold us back from our dreams, it is the power of belief that can shape our response to the bigger vision that we hold for ourselves.
Amidst the criticisms and the naysayers, Tiger Woods reminded us and himself that our failures, setbacks and traumas are pains we encounter. There is purpose in our pain and there is strength in our struggles; he knew what mattered and so he focused on that. He surrounded himself with the people who mattered - his family, his team - and of course, his dream. See the Tiger Woods Greatest Ever Nike commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odODIippd7k.
The greatest thing about tomorrow is I will be better than I am today. - Tiger Woods
The essence of one's existence is not predicated on people's opinions or perspectives about who you are. What really and truly matters is that amidst the adversities, you have the power to re-affirm self-love, self-belief, self-awareness and be deeply connected to the vision of your greater self and trust the process. Katherine Seifert, PhD in Psychology Today highlights that "while we all face varying levels of hardship, there must be a counterbalance of positives in our lives so that we may continue to grow and succeed." Tiger Woods rather than breaking, knew he had to turn around his fortunes to keep his dream alive, by turning his adversities into a catalyst for the journey - his dream. It was about making meaningful decision, deepening his relationship with self through the power of belief, being present for those who mattered, his family members and know that the future is now - the dream.?
You can always become better. - Tiger Woods
So he knew he had to be attuned to his craft, stay focused, emotionally wired and remain authentic by taking ownership for himself and his dream. No one but Tiger, knows the journey he is on, and being resilient is a critical success factor in life's journey to bouncing back. We all?strive?for resilience, noted Marianna Pogosyan, PhD and of interest, who wouldn't want the ability to meet life’s inevitable challenges with grace, which Tiger did, nurturing strength and amidst adversity.
Tiger Woods win his 5th Masters at Augusta National - Image courtesy of SkySports
To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. - Anatole France
The power of belief helps to shift our attention back to our dreams, when we are intentional even when we are distracted or led away from our dreams through adverse events. However, by remaining positive and staying the course we can move towards a more positive outcome.?Individuals can be led to the realization that amidst the onset of adversity as highlighted in Harvard Business Review by Joshua D. Margolis and Paul G. Stoltz, PhD they can shift from cause-oriented thinking to response-oriented thinking, and their focus is strictly forward. Tiger Woods know his dream and like him, no one but you know the journey you are on. Keep believing, stay focused, stay the course (even though you may take different paths), stay mindful and just do it. Tiger did it, so can you. Keep on believing in the champion that you are and manifest it!
++++ OVER TO YOU: How do you harness the power of belief amidst adversity?
?Hugh Anthony
Yes indeed, against all the odds and challenges believe in self. That was instilled in Tiger's head by Lt. Colonel Earl Woods Us Army when he was a child. I guess Tiger has not departed from his father's words.
CEO Scientist Farmer| Award winning research scientist| On a mission to decolonize our Agriculture Food and Healthy System in the Caribbean
5 年Can you survive defeat when the entire world is watching, commenting, predicting your fate?? Not many of us ever had to deal with the public spectacle of wining and losing, BIG!? We can think of many greats who were not able to recover from the scorn of public failure. The most awe inspiring part of Tiger's Story is that he continued to believe in himself and never gave up under the electron microscope of a cynical world.? We are still trying to own him and his victory!? It belongs to him and the FEW people around him who never gave up on him. ? Sure, we can all learn from his failure and triumphs.? I hope that we take away the right lessons.
Visionary Leadership Architect | Podcast Coach & Consultant | 7X Author | Speaker | Leadership Events Creator | Founder/CEO at Grace to Grow Mentorship & Training Limited
5 年Tiger's story is nothing short of amazing
President & CEO at Allvista Investment Management | Editor-in-Chief (CWAN)
5 年I really enjoyed reading this story, Hugh. Thank you!
Team building Expert | LinkedIn Top Voice | Forbes featured | I help executives manage change, foster innovation, & boost their bottom line ???? ???? Actress ?? Writer ?? ???
5 年There are so many lessons to be learned from Tiger's story. It's a cautionary tale about the importance of character but ultimately it is of great inspiration to anyone? who is in need of a comeback.?