My boyfriend loves golf and has recently started playing again, which means I am now learning more about the sport by necessity. While watching the U.S. Open last weekend, an announcer mentioned something about a golfer wishing he could have a Mulligan. Curious about this term, I asked my boyfriend what a Mulligan is.
Turns out a Mulligan is a second shot permitted without a stroke penalty. So, when you hit your ball into a pasture with the big, black bull or into the lake with the alligator, you get to use your Mulligan. It’s the ultimate golfers “do-over!” I must add that these shots are never given in official/professional tournaments, but they do occur in friendly every day matches.
Wow!
I can think of lots of times in my life when I would have loved to say, “Oops, my bad. Can I have a Mulligan?”
As much as we’d love to have a Mulligan when we’ve really screwed up, it’s just not going to happen. Life isn’t generally a friendly game that allows penalty free “do-overs.” However, it does allow us to learn from our mistakes so when we step up to take the next shot, we’re more prepared.
What about you?
Are there times in your life when you made a mistake for which you would have LOVED a Mulligan? If so, ask yourself the following questions:
- What happened to cause the mistake?
- What would I do differently?
- What did I learn from it?
- How can I put the mistake behind me?
I recommend writing your answers down and don’t skip that last question as it’s very important. Tiger Woods is a great golfer because he takes time to learn from his mistakes and then he lets them go. Hanging on to the memory of a mistake makes it even harder to take the next shot.
While I like the idea of Mulligans in the game of golf, I don’t believe they would make the game of life better. We are supposed to make mistakes. They are a part of life. It’s how we grow and learn. I believe we will be better players if we don’t get free shots.
