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The Way of the Shark: Lessons on Golf, Business, and Life
By
Greg Norman
In our journey through life, we learn many small lessons that mold us, shape us, and influence how we deal with others. But once in a while something happens that seriously alters the path on which we're headed. Such lessons stick with us like glue. We never forget them. We relive them over and over again, in our private moments, in our conversations, in our dreams. I was only eighteen years old when I experienced my first life-changing lesson. I was by myself, and it really was a pivotal moment. It turned me toward the great sport of golf.
A few years after my family moved to Brisbane (Australia's third-largest city, located on the southeastern coast of Queensland), a major cyclone swept along the shoreline a few hundred miles to the northeast and caused the ocean to produce a heavy swell. Not wanting to miss a terrific opportunity to get in some bodysurfing, I grabbed my gear and drove to Noosa Heads. Arriving by midmorning, I hiked about half a mile along the headlands to where I was sure to catch the biggest wave possible. Then I perched myself on some high rocks and studied the waves before I dove in. I knew I'd be committed once in the water because the only way out then was to make it all the way to the beach.
Instead of catching a breaker I could easily ride into the beach, I found myself in an uncontrollable dumper that quickly sucked me down, bounced me hard on the sandy bottom, and rolled me around like a rag doll. The sheer force of the water tore the flippers off my feet and ripped away my hand board. It was like being inside a washing machine. Looking back on it now, I think of it as a terrifying and humbling experience. Until then, I thought I was bulletproof. But when it was actually taking place, I had this inner calm come over me. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Rather than panic, I started thinking of a way to survive the situation. I know it sounds crazy, but the more pressure I'm under, the calmer I become. For me it has always been that way: I take stock of the situation and analyze the best way to deal with it.
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