Category: Golf

What A Saturday It Was!

7/14/2019

This past Saturday, July 13 was a great day for two distinct reasons. It all has to do with people that I am blessed to have in my life.

First was an early morning golf outing benefiting a scholarship fund at Lake Shore High School. This was not just any scholarship, it was the Austin Lipscomb Memorial Scholarship fund named after a great kid that lost his life a few years ago. Another key connection is that his dad is a coworker and a good friend of mine. Craig is the backbone of this incredible outing. He is the one, along with family and great friends, who take the time to put this all together. It's always a lot of fun and this year was the same - a lot of fun with awesome people. I got the honor of playing with coworkers & good friends of mine - Todd, Paul and the one and only Dr. Jeff Lip - which by the way was his first time playing golf. He was asking a lot of questions, he hit some really great shots too and of course there was a lot of laughter coming from all of us today. What a great honor it was to raise some money for a great scholarship.

The day capped off with a wedding. Not just any wedding mind you, but one that brought together two more of my coworkers. Donna and Rich got married and what an emotional night it was. These two people are just so down to earth, great friends. Rich was a major difference maker in my life when he introduced me to some fantastic people that taught me a ton about life and leadership. He's been there for me through a lot during the years. A true difference maker for me and really has helped improve me as an educator, coach, husband, heck, as a person. Donna - I've known her from day one when I got to Lake Shore. She's one of the few people there that has been there longer than I have. She has helped me countless times along with (not kidding here) every person in the building, just about every year. You see, for both of them this is there 2nd marriage and they had alot of family there to celebrate with them. The happiness that I saw there, simply brought me to tears. It's what life is all about. Great people celebrating BIG with some amazing people.

The entire day - the long day - was great. It reminded me how blessed I am to have the life that I have. The golf was a lot of fun. We didn't win mind you, but for us, that was not the reason we were playing anyway. My wife looked great for the wedding, so it was a fantastic "date night" that we got to have. Moments like this will stay with me for life. It's all about people and I hope you realize that too. Life's all about relationships and the positive interactions that you can have and the difference you can make for others too.

0 Comments

Wise Thoughts From The King Himself - No, It's Not Elvis or LeBron.

9/27/2016

0 Comments

"Success depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character." -- Arnold Palmer

We all lost a great American on Sunday September 25. Arnold Palmer of course meant a lot to the golfing world, but it should really go way beyond that. He was really the first one that tied in sports to the business world. Every professional athlete no matter the sport can point to him as being the reason why there are the business connections to athletics today.

Arnold also made a difference with people in general with his charities, connections to hospitals, etc., he was really one for the common working men and women in our country and around the world. He came from a working class family and it showed in everything he did. This quote of his is directly connected to why I think he was so successful throughout life and not just in golf.

Our state of mind is one of the foundation blocks of whatever success we want to have in our lives. I’ve told my students over the years along with trying to remember it myself: The most valuable space in the world is the space between our ears. We have to guard what goes in it along with what we think about too. We are what we think – we’ve heard that over and over again throughout our lives. Mr. Palmer was there as proof. He worked very hard at thinking about the right things to do in life and then he went out and did them. I think #1 on his list was how he treated people. Looking them in the eyes, being honest, spending his time with others, etc.

Character is also a huge building block in success. He was a great model for how important character comes into play. I think the game of golf, played the right way of course, helps with showing us all about character in life. Who better to show us about character and golf than “the King” himself. Without character, it’s been said, nothing great happens. If things do happen without it, it probably won’t last too long. What Arnold Palmer built in his lifetime, won’t easily be knocked over. There’s too much character and a positive mindset behind it all.

0 Comments

Always Look To Learn - You Don't Know It All!

4/12/2015

0 Comments

“Don't be too proud to take a lesson. I'm not.” ~ Jack Nicklaus

As I sit here on my traditional Saturday morning with my coffee and getting some work done I was drawn to this thought from the great golfer Jack Nicklaus. Now first of all, Mr. Nicklaus is not only a great golfer, in my opinion he’s an even great human being. His love for people is very evident any time you listen to him along with his great respect for the game of golf.

To read and think about his point about him not being too proud to take a lesson, brings up the reminder for all of us. He’s not really even talking about golf – he’s talking about life. He has been a life-long learner about life, about people, about business, and yes about golf too.

This also connected to me as I’ve been focusing on taking “lessons” recently. My lessons have consisted from learning from others. Recently Lauren Hill (college basketball player who had been diagnosed with brain cancer and went out and made A HUGE DIFFERENCE with sharing her message, raising over a million dollars for cancer research, etc. – well, she passed away this week). I posted online about when I heard the news, I was moved to tears. I just sat there for a few moments and cried when I heard the news and I remember crying when I first heard about her story. It got me thinking about all that she was accomplishing while going through her battle with cancer, and here I am struggling at times doing what I have to do. Her lesson of making a difference during her struggles has re-inspired me to do more of making a difference with others in my life, and doing it right now – not waiting anymore.

Sam Crowley of everydayissaturday.com has connected with me for years from his book, his podcasts, his message of hope and getting up off my butt to actually do something towards accomplishing my goals- he too has taught me many lessons. His story of what him, his wife and his family have been going through with their daughter Susan – born at just 24 weeks and all the roller-coaster moments of all that they had to go through, and still are going through.

I got to spend some time with my parents recently going out to their house and spending the night. Just sitting and talking with them, listening to them, sharing meals with them, etc., tons of lessons for me to learn from. We spoke about my cousin Dave who recently passed away last fall – all the lessons from him and that experience. I told my mom that I think about him often. She said we all do. I also drove through my old neighborhood. All the great memories came flooding back to me. All the friends I grew up with. The heart-aches and the good times we had. You know what – there were tons of lessons there too. The lessons from my past that has affected my todays. I try not to dwell on those memories, but I do use them to inspire me for today and my future. I’ve heard it before and I’ll share it always; don’t ever forget where you came from.

When it comes down to it – be a learner, be a student. Don’t you dare think that you don’t need to learn new things. Don’t ever think that you know everything, that you have arrived, that you don’t need others to help you, we all need others in our lives. So as the sun comes through my doorwall here, I am reminded that today is a new beginning where I will learn new things and new lessons. It’s up to me to apply those lessons to get better and do more. What will you do with the lessons you get to learn from today?

0 Comments

Quote of the Week - April 8, 2013

4/7/2013

0 Comments

"The harder I work, the luckier I get" - Gary Player

With the greatest sporting event in the world coming up this week, The Masters, this quote fits in just right this week. Not only is this quote have something to do with golf, but it also (and more importantly) has something to do with life. Gary Player, the South African golfer who won 3 Masters titles along with 165 total tournaments from around the world, hit this quote just right with golf's connection to life. Actually this holds true for any sport, but the key is we don't have to be any kind of athlete at all to have this work for us in our regular lives.

From what I heard and read about Gary Player, he was a tireless worker in everything he did. To make it all work even better, he was a true gentlemen in all that he did as well. The sooner that we realize that life is all about hard work, and then when we put in that extra effort into the right things in our lives, it's then that we will see a few more opportunities come our way. It's time to figure out how to not only work harder at some things that we got going on in our lives, but also look to work smarter too. As always, it helps to be passionate about what you are doing in your life too. That's another thing to figure out - what fires you up? What do you wake up thinking about every morning that you can't wait to get started on? If you don't have that yet - find it! It makes Gary's quote that much more important to get going on too. What's going on in your life now where you can start working harder and making your own luck? Even if you are at a place where you may not be happy doing what you are doing, figure out some things that you would rather be doing with your life and then work hard to get there. As always, share any thoughts you might have, for it will not only help me, but yourself and others too.

0 Comments

Games and Life - part 2

6/22/2011

0 Comments

Games and Life – part 2
By Coach John Daly
Re-printed from 2009 posting on my former blog

Picking up from part 1….

The other part of my story with playing golf the other day with my dad happened even before I even got out to his house.

When I was leaving that morning, I stopped at 7-11 for some coffee. As I was getting mine, a lady came in and was upset that they changed her favorite flavor of the cappuccino.   She walked out disgusted and I thought as to what her day was going to be like.

How could she get so upset because of her coffee?    I kind of chuckled to myself quietly.

I love coffee… at times I think it’s too much. But I know that would not really be a reason for me to get too upset and have it ruin my day!  I really felt sorry for the people that she was going to be around today.

I mentioned something to the clerk about it and he said,“that’s nothing, awhile ago, we had a guy come in and yell at the owner because we did not have any of the chocolate creams for his coffee!”

Can you believe that? I guess if we think about it, sad to say, we have all run into someone like this.

Of course this drove home the memory of me being like this at times in my life, yuk, I don’t want to go back to being that kind of person.

The clerk and I both agreed that there are far more important things in life to get worked up about compared to coffee.

I know most people see lessons like that all the time in our day-to-day activities and travels. There are constant lessons for all of us to learn from, every day, wherever we go. It’s just so important for us to pick up on those lessons.

Like I tell my kids, students and players – watch, look and listen.

You can learn so much from others and that means that we don’t have to make the same mistakes we see others making. I know you are thinking of at least one example right now that just came to you about this one.

By the way, the clerk greeted me with a very positive attitude and a “good morning – how are you doing?”  So I knew that he caught the same thing that I did.

I retold the story to my dad as we were playing the 10thhole.  We had both lost a couple of shots– I lost 2 balls and he lost 1. We both had to use the drop area then we both proceeded to miss the green.

Another lesson hit me again. As frustrating as golf is (for me at least), it’s a great, great game.  Not only can anyone play the game, really at any age; but it offers such great life lessons. This time it got me thinking the best way to approach playing golf is just like life.

You have to have a humble attitude along with watching your ego. Golf is very humbling. It teaches you to not get too worked up about little things (like coffee or a bad shot). It’s a learning experience – just as life is.

We should learn from our mistakes on the course and in life. If I ever get to thinking that,“hey, this game isn’t so tough” or “hmm… I’m pretty good at this game”.  The game, just as life, will bring you to your knees.

That must be where my bad knees come from.

My dad and I agreed that we both understood that point.  We also agreed that it was a good thing we enjoyed the company we were playing with too. Remember, who we hang out with in life, does matter.

Do what you can to learn from wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Learn from others.

Keep in mind things that are really important in life. Look for these little success and leadership principles in your day. No matter what’s going on in your life right now, there are lessons to be learned.

Remember, when those brick walls and frustrating moments come up in our lives; two things to think about.

As Dr. Randy Pausch said “those brick walls are there to see how bad we want what we are going after in life.”

The other point to remember is that those are the moments where we can learn the most by the way we handle the brick wall or frustration.

I’m always repeating that great quote that was given to me from a friend – “Don’t play small in life”, someone needs your help.

Get in touch with me to share your stories so you can do just that. Your stories can help someone for sure.
© Copyright , 2011   http://coachtoexpectsuccess.weebly.com

0 Comments

Games and Life (part 1 of 2)

6/20/2011

0 Comments

Games and Life

By Coach John Daly
Reposted from August 2009 - Another in a series of older articles and blog postings from a former website of mine.

Misty rain and around 60 something degrees, a perfect way to start an early morning of golf.

But it was perfect, even before I hit my first shot.
I got to play with my dad.
He taught me about the game and we always have a great time.

We don’t always play great, but there are always a few great shots here and there. Just enough to keep us coming back for more.

You got to remember, with a name like John Daly, I get it all the time about playing golf.

I live roughly an hour away from my parents and with an early morning tee time getting up around 5 a.m. was the order of the day. Not a problem as I’m really a morning person to begin with.  Plus, like I told my dad, I had trouble sleeping.

Do you ever get excited for something coming up the next day that you have trouble sleeping? Funny, it’s still like that for me with Christmas.

I was excited and not just for the breakfast he was making for me when I got to his place at 6:30. I kept waking up since I was afraid that I was not going to hear my alarm and get a late start to see my dad. (Not hearing my alarm has come up a few times in the past.)

I’m sure it’s happened to you too.

You see, it’s easy to get excited over something that is in your heart. That is one of the lessons here that the sooner we learn that, the better our life can be.

I’m just getting into learning that fact. I truly wish I had that huge nugget sooner in life.

Wow! Ding, Ding, Ding – Read that one again.

This is an important part of finding a successful and meaningful life - Finding a passion in life to connect to. If you are able to find a passion and get paid for that passion – holy cow… that is rare company if you are there.

Look around you. How many people have that going for them in their lives??

Might not be too many?

The second point today is another wake up call for me.

First, I got to spend some great time with my dad on the golf course. Saw my mom too along with 2 of my nephews. My son was there too, spending a week with my sister’s family to babysit his two cousins.

I know I need to take more time to do things like this. Time is a funny thing.

We all have the same amount.  But look how we spend it.

Those people that are successful spend it differently than those that are not so successful. That is a huge point towards success for anyone, in any area they want to achieve it.

You want to know something – you can be one of those same people!

How I spend my time has been a huge battle over the years. I’m getting tired of having the same results with spending my time as I have always done.

Hence, the reason I’m finally off of my lazy butt and doing something I’ve been talking about for the last few years.

Part of that for me, is to make sure I spend more time with the people that I love.

Who are those important people in your life?  Do you know?

Have you told them that they are important to you and that you love them?

We don’t have as much time as we think do to the things that are truly important. We see examples of that all the time. It’s just that it hurts more when the examples happen to us and / or the people that we love.

Take a look at these two points in your life. Think about them, write down your thoughts if you need to.

Drop me a note if you have some thoughts. You can leave a comment here on my blog or go to my home page and at the bottom, there is a place to send me your comments, thoughts, ideas and questions.

Better yet, let me know if you’d like to be working towards finding passions in your life along with spending your time better too.Maybe I can help.

Remember this too. The more you invest in helping yourself become better, all those important people that you’re thinking about – they will be better for it too.

Look for part 2 of the story coming soon….

©Copyright 2011  Coach John Daly http://www.coachtoexpectsuccess.weebly.com

0 Comments

What A Saturday It Was!

Wise Thoughts From The King Himself - No, It's Not Elvis or LeBron.

Always Look To Learn - You Don't Know It All!

Quote of the Week - April 8, 2013

Games and Life - part 2

Games and Life (part 1 of 2)

Coach John Daly

Archives

Categories