Enrich Your Life and the World With the Game of Golf
Stephen A. Vigiano is merely referring to the inconsistency of golf instruction when he quotes Forrest Gump’s famous words about life being “like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.”
Perhaps the same could have been said of anyone venturing out with this PGA professional expecting only to hit the ball further and eliminate the dreaded hook. Any recipient of one his 15,000 golf lessons over 28 years would soon learn otherwise.
“Life lessons are found in golf lessons,” says Vigiano in his book, Enrich Your Life and the World With the Game of Golf (Outskirts Press). “Golf is a sport that transcends a club and a ball. It is a sport that teaches compassion for others — a key ingredient that will turn the world around … If golf is a vehicle for bringing compassion to the world, then I believe it should be part of the American fabric.”
Vigiano is either a golfer who philosophizes or a philosopher who happens to play golf. He is what his son Evan calls “a compassionate stranger” who has an acute interest in people and human relationships, and a desire to strive for a better world.
TAKING LIFE ONE STROKE AT A TIME
Vigiano uses the book to share his philosophy and show his passion for people and the world. The first step, says Vigiano, is to write down your goals and dreams on paper, to create a path to pursue perfection, whether ever attained or not. Think of life as a bogey (one shot worse than par on a given golf hole), a par, or a birdie (one shot better than par), and gradually work to improve your game — and your life — one stroke at a time.
The golf swing, Vigiano observes, has three basic components: laws, principles and preferences. The same can be said about life: “We have the laws of humanity, and we are guided to live by a set of principles handed down by generations. Then we have a preference of how we want to live our lives,” with many choices along the way.
For golfers, the book likely will reinforce many of the joys, benefits and lessons experienced each time they head out on the course. And the book might inspire non-golfers to consider Vigiano’s messages and give the game a try, or superimpose its wisdom onto the game or pastime of their choice.
“A focus on the human aspect of teaching a high level of integrity and values will lead to a better world, not just the act of playing the sport.”
The author does not lose sight of the bigger picture: “Compassion [whether learned on the golf course or anywhere else for that matter] will turn the world around. Compassion will end world wars, hunger, disease and the destruction of our planet … When life and golf revert to basic fundamentals, the world will be a better place for everyone.”
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