A shot that goes in the cup is pure luck, but a shot to within two feet of the flag is skill.
Ben HoganRead
You only hit a straight ball by accident. The ball is going to move right or left every time you hit it, so you had better make it go one way or the other.
Interpretation
Success often requires intentional action rather than passive waiting.
Ben Hogan's quote highlights the importance of actively guiding our efforts towards a goal. It suggests that, just like a ball can veer off course, our paths in life may not always be straightforward, and thus we must take decisive action to influence the outcome instead of relying on chance.
In practice
This quote is perfect for a motivational speech at a team-building event.
A shot that goes in the cup is pure luck, but a shot to within two feet of the flag is skill.
As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.
Golf is not a game of good shots. It's a game of bad shots.
I see no reason that a golf course cannot be played in 18 birdies. Just because no one has ever done that doesn't mean it can't be done.
Every day that you don't practice is one day longer before you achieve greatness
Every day you miss playing or practicing is one day longer it takes to be good.
To invest successfully, you need not understand beta, efficient markets, modern portfolio theory, option pricing or emerging markets. You may, in fact, be better off knowing nothing of these. That, of course, is not the prevailing view at most business schools, whose finance curriculum tends to be dominated by such subjects. In our view, though, investment students need only two well-taught courses - How to Value a Business, and How to Think About Market Prices.
My advice for an entrepreneur just starting out is to differentiate yourself. Why are you different? What’s important about you? Why does the customer need you?
Talent without effort is wasted talent. And while effort is the one thing you can control in your life, applying that effort intelligently is next on the list.
Your chances of success are directly proportional to the degree of pleasure you desire from what you do. If you are in a job you hate, face the fact squarely and get out.
You can't win if nobody catches the ball in the outfield. You're only as good as the team you have behind you.
Whatever you got you have to accentuate. I ran my female card up and down the ladder my whole career, because I was in a man's world. It was worked by women but owned by men. I was the only female owner in my field at that time.
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