Finding Inspiration on the Golf Course

After a bad day on the golf course, a chance encounter delivers a powerful reminder of the importance of attitude – in business, and in life.

I could no longer stand looking out the window at the perfect weather in Scottsdale one recent Tuesday, so I powered down the Mac, played hooky and escaped the office for a round of golf.

I had no idea how inspirational the afternoon would turn out to be.

Missed putt

Robert Joselyn

Trust me, the inspiration had nothing to do with my game. In fact, I was on my way to scoring 13 strokes higher than the week before, reminding me why the Scots also invented whiskey.

It was while grumbling about my last missed putt that I noticed a golfer walking down an adjacent fairway wearing a backpack. It struck me as odd, and the thought occurred to me that some people simply are not patient enough to wait for the beverage cart (read: beer) to come around.

Later, as I was heading up the stairs to the parking lot, I looked up and ahead of me was the fellow with the backpack – struggling, huffing and puffing with each step.

Turns out it wasn’t a backpack. It was an oxygen tank, with clear plastic tubes leading to the man’s nose.

You just never know when or where an inspirational moment will happen.

A new hero
I couldn’t help myself. I came up beside him and said, “Hi, I’m Bob Joselyn, and you are my hero today.” He turned, smiled broadly, and replied, “You made my day.”

He told me his name was Will Harmon. “I’m 82, and I have this lung condition. When I wake up in the morning, all I want to do is to stay in bed all day, but I love golf.”

How embarrassing to think that just an hour earlier I was lamenting a missed shot.

Will Harmon reminded me that no matter how significant our daily challenges – personally or in business – others are overcoming far greater challenges, and with a can-do attitude.

The lesson for travel sellers
We all face business challenges every day, whether from the competition, supplier actions, economic conditions, government regulations, volcano eruptions and more.

These things are beyond our control. But our attitude in dealing with them is not.

So, remind yourself today about the things you love to do.

Corny? Perhaps.

Still, I couldn’t help but recall that old saying (this time particularly apt) – “Where there is a Will, there is a way.”

Dr. Robert W. Joselyn, CTC is President & CEO of Joselyn, Tepper & Associates, Inc., a travel agency consulting firm, and of TAMS, LLC (Travel Agency Management Solutions).