Tiger Woods: Does Fame And Fortune Limit Your Ability To Love?

I was told that often the very rich are burdened with having so much stuff to take care of that they are not free to enjoy their lives. They lose a sense of who their friends are.
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

I did envisage being this successful as a player,
but not all the hysteria around it off the golf course.

Tiger Woods

At a conversation over supper recently with friends who captain and crew luxury yachts for the super rich, I asked the question: Does a lot of money really make for unhappiness? And if so, why and how? And why should I care? It is less that I care, but more that I am curious. Does the human spirit gets lost in the pursuit and possession of considerable material wealth?

I was told that often the very rich are burdened with having so much stuff to take care of that they are not free to enjoy their lives. They lose a sense of who their friends are. There is always another deal to be made, an investment of some kind, not the pleasure of being with someone simply to enjoy their company. A preoccupation clouds their sun on a summer day.

Tiger Woods' meteoric rise to fame and fortune put him way ahead of the hopes and expectations of ordinary people. It has given him new opportunities.

If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it
because you can influence a person's life in a positive light, and that's what I want to do.
That's what it's all about.

Tiger Woods

The willingness to be a role model invites exposure, and potentially loneliness. Who would not want to experience a little of Tiger Woods' success? For many years now, the parallel between success in sport and the success in business and corporate life has been drawn. Visions, goals, objectives, targets, focus, determination, persistence, single-mindedness of purpose and intention are lauded and applauded. But there is more.

I get to play golf for a living.
What more can you ask for - getting paid for doing what you love.

Tiger Woods

Recently, I wrote an article: What Is The Real "More" For You?

The healthy human spirit is naturally acquisitive, curious and expansive. Through each experience, you gain something. These gains are recorded as riches in your spirit. Have you ever noticed the eyes that sparkle in a wise older person; the lines that reveal pleasure on a mature face, revealing inner treasures amassed through a life well lived? A life well loved.

Love cannot be bought by the coin in your purse. Love grows from the inside out.
Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles

My main focus is on my game.
Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods has been an inspiration to me. I appreciate him for what he has contributed to the game of golf all over the world, to sport as a whole, and for his efforts to assist young people aspiring to do their best. He has paid the price for fame and fortune with dedication, commitment, hard work, talent and enthusiasm.

Could it be that the game for Tiger Woods has just grown larger, to embrace much more than golf alone? Perhaps you too are having to expand your "game". In this evolving world, you may be digging deeper into your reserves of courage, compassion, understanding and empathy; of creativity and innovation; of trust and confidence in yourself and others close to you.

You can always become better.
Tiger Woods

No matter how your present circumstances may be, the light of your loving will show you a way to improve some aspect of your life. You can accept yourself, and forgive any shortcomings. You can love yourself through your challenges. Learn from the past and let go of it. You may see yourself for the goodness you truly are. Celebrate your inner strengths and qualities. You can choose a new start. You need never limit your ability to love.

I wish you a very happy, rewarding and fulfilling 2010 - and new decade!

As you evaluate and complete the past year, what achievements have you celebrated during 2009? What have you learnt from your errors and mistakes, and how have you been enriched through them? What "more" would you like to experience in 2010?

Please feel free to leave a comment below, or contact me at anne@annenaylor.com
Re-tweet or pass to friends who may benefit from this post.

For updates on The New Wealth Book, click here: The New Wealth Book blog. The latest: New Year - New Wealth

For information on my future blogs, click on Become A Fan at the top.

Popular in the Community

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE