Tiger Woods: T.I.G.E.R. by jeffrey capen

Tiger Woods: T.I.G.E.R.

T.I.G.E.R.


Why Tiger is still important, if not more important, as a role model and inspirational entity.

Given all that has gone on, or gone wrong as it were, with Tiger recently - it is important to remember two things. One, that Tiger is human. And two, that Tiger is an entertainer - not your God or your Parents.

I speak from extreme experience on this matter as a child of a father who was unfaithful. I was a about 12 or 13 when I realized that my dad was having extramarital affairs. He, as it turns, out had been cheating on my mom since a year after they had been married, and this was some 20 years into their marriage. I felt feelings that no kid should have to feel at that age and they ran the gambit from betrayal and sadness to very hateful and murderous idealizations. One night, at the age of 14, I stood over my dad with a can of gasoline and a Zippo lighter trying to decide if it was a good idea to burn him alive. After a period of time visiting with a psychologist and a lot of years suffering from addiction, I was compelled to come to grips with the anger at the core of my soul.

I hate to be the master of the obvious here, but Tiger is just a human and all that comes with that. He is a man. Man is bestowed with free will. As a result he is capable of good things and bad things. We all are. I have often led a double life. Around the age of 18 I was wrangling with my addiction and attaining the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. I was a responsible worker and face for a popular fortune 500 company and suffering from the ravages of alcoholism. I would go over the top, off the clock, to insure the best experience of a customer and drive home with a drink in body and in hand. We all are capable of doing good and bad at the same time.

Tiger is an entertainer. He is a professional golfer. I imagine that there are times he plays golf even when he doesn’t want to, or that he refuses to play because a particular tournament does not support his strategic positioning. He is expected to tow the PGA line and represent the social mores of millions of fans regardless of his true wishes. You and I go where we want, do what we want, and live how we want because we are your average “Joe”. I can spew venom about some hot topic in the news or some politician I can’t stand because we are just everyday people. Tiger must play a part. Shakespeare writes, “All the world’s a stage, and all the people merely players”. The “Tigers” of the world are on the stage for us and playing the part because we put them there.

Now, more so than before late 2009, we should be focusing on the good that Tiger is for us in our society. We must pause before casting stones and admonishing his defects of character. We must appreciate what he has brought to light about our society as a whole and what you are facing personally. Now. We must untether ourselves from this illness and focus on the solution not the pollution.
T.I.G.E.R.

Tiger the man and T.I.G.E.R. the acronym are one in the same, and don’t forget the fierce jungle cat as well

T is for TENACIOUS - stubbornly unyielding
Not being an avid golf fan until recently I am unable to site with specificity the occasions on which Tiger has pulled off seemingly insurmountable deficits to produce a win. His career speaks for itself and stands alone in the accomplishments of individual competition. His vision for himself is that of success. He has fought back to win tournaments, fought back from serious injury, and he will fight back from this off course drama. We should be inspired on all accounts to claim this principle for ourselves. We are capable of our own greatness - and don’t stop until you get it.

I is for INTENSITY - exceptionally great concentration, power, force, or feeling
I am not a Tiger fan. I respect and appreciate the exceptionally great concentration and sustained passion that is necessary to compete, and reign supreme, at the level that Tiger does. The power of his presence on the course is palpable. You and I are welcome to this same great level of achievement in our lives if we are as committed. I fight my self-diagnosed A.D.D. and wondrous daydreaming every day on my projects, but when I am working with a troubled teen or sick addict - my intensity is unmatched even by Tiger.

G is for GUARDED - marked by or given to caution
This is less about fear and more about surveying of all possible outcomes before acting or deciding. He is steady in his emotion throughout the tournament during each 18 hole outing. In my opinion he has taken a calculated approach to his infidelity. You and I have the metaphorical luxury of being jovial about one shot and throwing a club over the next. We are not faced with unfathomable financial implications by just doing what we want when faced with personal issues. I do believe that if I am calculated and use forethought about my behavior, I am likely to enjoy the same benefits as Woods.

E is for ERR - to make a mistake or be incorrect
I was going to blow off severity and chose Epicurean, but I owe it to you to provide value. Foretold is forewarned - and no one makes this point better than Mahatma Gandhi,”It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.” The value of this time in Tiger Woods’ life is yet unknown to him and us - it depends on what is done with this knowledge, which leads to the last point.

R is for RESILIENCE - the ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune
In my company we have linked ourselves to a wonderful operating philosophy, ‘Let go - or get dragged’. If you have ever been water skiing, you know the painful necessity of this statement. Small issue or life changing affair(s) - it works!
The good news for me, and my dad for that matter, is that I didn’t kill him on that foggy teenage night. I was able to understand my dad, reconcile my differences for his choices, and make amends for my actions toward him through all those years. It was 18 years later while my dad lay suffering on his death bed, that I was able to advocate for his peaceful exit strategy from this life. I pushed for a respectful and serene death so that his suffering would not be elongated. I miss my dad. There should never be a thing so bad that you are not gifted with the same broken heart that I have for my dad’s passing. In the end, he was a man. He was capable of good and bad things - and in a lifetime he provided more good than bad.

Tiger Woods is at best human and at worst human. He is a valued professional entertainer that inspires golfers everywhere. He gives hope and escape to young and old alike. Through his fortunes, he is able to provide great charitable deeds.

In the end Tiger Woods is important because he is you and he is me. He is a mirror image of our positive self and negative self. Each one of us is capable of great achievement and we are all capable hurting those close to us. When I see the negative in Tiger, I am tethered to my lower self. I am blocked by the self-righteous condemnation of another - blocked from experiencing the good and trapped by my own trespasses or defects. For me, it is more important to see the good in someone like Tiger because it is the mirror image of good in me and the inspiration to keep striving to be a greater: person, golfer, friend, writer, coach and so on.

Jeffrey Capen is the author of “The Principles Office: A Living Dictionary”,(www.theprinciplesoffice.com ) , Pres/CEO The Laughing Camel, www.thelaughingcamel.com, a Phrat Pak project. He is available for interviews, speaking engagements, and coaching by contacting jeff@thelaughingcamel.com .