You Were Made For This

4/3/25

“At the start of the week, you would have given everything to be right here, right now, doing exactly this.”

That’s the essence of what Rory McIlroy’s caddie said to him as they walked up the 18th fairway for a sudden death playoff at the Masters. Rory had just missed a short putt to win it outright. He was disappointed. He was full of doubt. That walk up the fairway could’ve been a downward spiral—but instead, it became a reset. His caddie helped him reframe the moment: not failure, but opportunity.

If you’ve ever stepped up to do something big—lead a team, build a family, start a business, push a dream forward—you’ve had that kind of walk too. It’s not as public, but it’s just as real. The moment after the mistake. The silence after the letdown. That stretch of space where disappointment creeps in and self-doubt gets loud.

That’s the moment.
That’s the metaphor.
The long walk is where leadership lives—and gets discovered.

It’s where you decide who you’re going to be.
You can’t avoid failure. You can’t avoid disappointment. You only get two choices:
Quit and shrink, or keep going and grow.

Rory had someone beside him who knew what to say.
Someone who knew the work he’d put in, the journey he’d taken, and who reminded him of who he was—and what he was capable of.

We all need that.
And we need to be that—for ourselves and for others.
Steady. Clear. Encouraging.

Because the reality is:
You’re not failing. You’re learning.
You’re not behind. You’re climbing.
You’re not broken. You’re becoming who you’re meant to be.

So if you’re in that moment, doing something that matters—feeling unsure, maybe even like it’s slipping away—pause and remember:

You’ve made it further than you thought you could.
You’ve overcome more than anyone knows.
And you’re not done yet.

Take a breath.
Trust your training.
Gather yourself. Set your posture.
You were made for this.

Now go take that next swing.