I am not a strong golfer.

I certainly enjoy getting out when I can, and love the comradery of the game. But, having taken it up later in life, I am in no danger of breaking any course records. And, many times, I am in no danger of breaking 100!

So, in the rare instance when I am on the green in regulation, it’s highly likely I will be putting for money.

Last Friday, I was fortunate enough to play with three friends a caddie. What a treat! And in a crucial point in the match, where we needed to turn the momentum, I found myself on the green putting for birdie. Opportunity knocks!

As I walked up to my 12-foot putt, I saw the line to the hole perfectly. I am not a magician with the flat stick, but I was certain it broke off a slight hill right to left. Worst case scenario, I would be in for par.

As I stood over the ball, the caddie pointed to a spot that was the exact opposite of where I saw the line. Huh?

“Are you sure?”

He was insistent. I hesitated.

My gut told me it was the wrong move. But eventually, I conceded that he was the expert and perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me.

I gave it a good run and the ball broke away and ended up 10 feet to the left of the hole! 

He gave me the wrong read.

From here, I think we all know how the story ends (Humphrey Bogart and a push).

A slow burn welled up inside me. Not because we didn’t win the hole. Not because I didn’t perform. But because I didn’t trust my gut in a crucial situation.

And how many of us could benefit by trusting our own gut when the money is on the line?

We Need to Take Ownership

In our everyday lives, we are surrounded by experts. We have consultants who can help us run our business and offer unbiased advice. We have stockbrokers who can navigate the markets and advise us on complex transactions. We have doctors who have intimate knowledge of medicine and offer opinions with our best interests at heart.

These are trained professionals who can guide in our moment of need. We are wise to heed their advice and counsel. But they are not foolproof. If we see something differently, we can’t always defer to their judgment. There are times we need to step up and take ownership of our own lives. Guidance is one thing. Blind faith is another.

We need to pay attention to our gut feeling. That little voice inside our head is right more than it’s wrong.

Decisions Come From Within

And the same goes for all aspects of our lives. If a relationship doesn’t feel right, we need to trust our instincts and proceed with caution. If a place doesn’t feel like the right fit, we need to pull up stakes and get out. If we are not executing on our goals, we can’t look elsewhere for the blame.

No one can live our lives for us. We need to take control. We need to own the final decision. We need to be responsible for our own success and happiness.

If We Go Down, We Go Down Swinging

But what happens when we get great advice and we ignore it? What happens when our gut lets us down? Experts are experts for a reason. They are right most of the time. Won’t we feel foolish for not capitalizing on their knowledge?

Of course.  It is always a body blow when we own a decision and it ends in failure. But think about the alternative. We are much better off going down in flames on our own terms than failing on someone else’s terms. At least we have gone down swinging. At least we have actively participated in determining our fate.

Our regret is muted when we trust our gut and live with the consequences.

Trust Your Own Voice

If I had ignored the caddie, trusted my gut, and still been wrong on the read, it would have hurt. I may have questioned why I was so stubborn. I may have felt foolish. But it would have paled in comparison to the feeling of regret I had for not trusting my gut.

We all have difficult decisions to make in life. And we can all benefit from expert advice and wisdom. But ultimately, we have to live with the consequences of our decision. We have to be strong enough to trust our own instincts at crunch time.

When it comes right down to it, there is no more powerful a voice than the one inside our own head.

Trust your gut. Sink the putt. Walk away with peace of mind.

Until next week, keep smiling!