Go ahead, try it.

 New Horizons

Yes, that’s me in the picture above taking my 1^st golf lesson.

As recent as the last few years, I swore that I would never, ever play golf.  When "Tiger Woods" mania hit the black community in 1997, I did not hop aboard.  To me the sport was boring and for old people.  When I decided to start a business, I was told by many people that I needed to take up the game because “all the deals are made on the golf course.”  I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to play golf simply to brown nose and I would make it happen without having to grab my putter.  Yet here I am, working on my swing at the driving range and looking forward to my first round of 18.  I still feel like golf is boring, mainly for old people and I won’t be conducting business while I’m playing.  So why the change?

I love my Dad.

A little more than a year ago, I was trying to find something that I can do with my Dad so that we can spend more time together.  No matter how many ideas that floated through my head, nothing came with more frequency than golf.  It’s what he loves to do the most in the world so why not try and share that with him?  Since becoming an adult, I have tried to be open to just about everything.  People that have known me when I was a teenager are probably used to a more “stubborn-set-in-his-ways” Justin that would prefer to keep things the same rather than rock the boat.  Now, I favor spontaneity over premeditation and look to try and experience as much as possible.

According to comics, the key to improv comedy is the phrase “yes and”.  Using positive responses allows the brain to flow continuously and allows new ideas to come faster.  That’s how you can get these hilarious skits to start off at the zoo and end up on Jupiter.  We should all treat our lives like improv comics and say “yes and” to more things.  Life is short so there’s no reason to miss out simply because of preconceived notions.  Leaving yourself open to new things can take you places you never thought you could reach.   With golf, I have no idea what’s going to happen but I’ve decided to say “yes and” and expand my horizons.  I may never hit the ball straight but I can be sure of one thing, I’ll be hanging with my Dad.

And that is awesome.