On 11th October 2020, World Number One golfer, Dustin Johnson tested positive for Covid.
He spent the next 11days holed up in a hotel room alone.
Now that’s enough to drive anyone a little crazy.
But, thirty five days later, Dustin pulled on his first US Masters green jacket.
Wow.
As a supreme athlete, he was lucky in that he only experienced mild symptoms, but those 11 days alone could have gone either way for him. For him it gave him time and triggered a few re-thinks on what golf – and what life is all about.
Dialled in and seeming outwardly and inwardly calm with our new way of the world, he bounced back turning his own personal Covid Challenge into opportunity – to capture his second golf major.
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm recently experienced a similar roller coaster ride – when Emotional ‘E’ power took full control. Most of us felt disappointment for our own Louis Oosthuizen who came so close to capturing his second major, but it was Jon Rahm who came flying back from Covid isolation to win the US OPEN at Torrey Pines.
On Saturday, June 5, 2021, Rahm, whilst leading the third round of the Memorial Tournament was pulled out of the tournament due to a positive Covid test. His immediate anguish was evident on television when told by the PGA Tour’s medical adviser.
He was on the verge of winning the tournament and taking home a 1.7 million dollar first prize. But, this was not his top priority. His top priority was a plan to reunite with his parents – who were yet to have met his new born son.
Suddenly he knew he was facing an uncertain period of self – isolation away from his family – and not knowing if he would be eligible to play in the upcoming US OPEN.
His emotional roller-coaster ride had begun.
“I believe from the biggest setbacks we can get some of the biggest breakthroughs.” Jon Rahm
After self isolating for a period, Rahm tested negative again, and bounced back to win the US OPEN on Sunday 20th June – Fathers Day.
His family was there.
While these two inspiring stories relate to two great athletes, one thing is for sure, and that is that Covid has consumed our lives in both professional and personal ways.
Most important is how we react to the uncertainty, fear and doubt – even loss – that becomes inevitable when a pandemic continues – and isolation and loss take a massive toll on the human psyche.
The anti dote for these negative emotions, are the positive emotions which the great champions of sport have in abundance, namely:
Faith , Confidence and Belief – called FCB.
Whatever your challenge or however high ‘the mountain‘ you may have to climb, may it be covid, cancer , depression , addiction or just the common one termed ‘burn out’ – Covid has in a different way gifted us all a lot of time to re-think our Purpose, re- fine our Priorities and re-set our Performance goals.
It’s given us the time to re- set our lives.
Those who take the time to reset and realign their own three personal P’s – will be the ones who emerge from the Covid tunnel a lot wiser and a lot stronger.
#GRABTHEOPPORTUNITY
Rob
PS: IF you would like a complimentary copy of my recently published eBook: CHAMPIONS DO MORE please send me an email request.
Or request a free copy of my eBook : NO HEALTH . NO WEALTH to find out more on health issues.
Email to : robopie@thegameplan.co.za
Read more : www.thegameplan.co.za
Rob Opie is a Brand Strategist, Keynote Speaker, Author, Performance Consultant to Business & Sports Teams – and Life Coach to those on a journey to self-actualisation.
His game- changing THE GAME PLAN METHOD, is helping both teams and individuals throughout South Africa to achieve their greatest potential.
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