Hi everyone,
It has been quite a while since I last wrote a blog, but I’m up for it again! There are a few topics I’d like to address and ideas I’d like to share.
A lot has happened since my last blog and I cannot possibly summarize it all, so I will just start right in the middle of what’s in my heart: being true to myself and to everyone around me.
There are many aspects of being true, some of which I’m better at than others. One of the ways I promised myself to stay true to is by listening to my body and mind when they tell me I need to rest.
Playing on tour, we all work really, really hard, not just at golf, but at fitness, overall health, mental game, media obligations and other projects such as charity events or other businesses. At the end of the day, we all need time out for ourselves. So I’ve decided to listen more to my body and rest before I get exhausted. It sounds so simple, but sometimes it’s not. I’m learning to listen to that voice within me that nudges me to do things from a place of love, instead of listening to the voice that comes from fear. Anytime I feel like I should do something, because it sounds right, I stop to think twice. Feeling like you should do something, because everyone else is doing it, or because someone told you to do it, is not a good reason to act. And while the voice of love might not have any reason at all for its ideas and proposals, its truth resonates within me. I don’t know where it comes from or where it’ll lead me, but I do know that it wants the best for me and ultimately others as well.
It is the voice that told me to start my charity event in 2015. It’s the one that nudged me to take a longer break in the beginning of this year and skip my first two events in order to get ready. Sometimes it tells me to take it easy and rest, while most of the time it kicks me in the butt and tells me to go practice more.
Speaking of practicing and being true to myself, I came across a few (granted, very few) comments on my social media lately, which made me very mad – and I don’t get angry often at all. Some people suggested I need to practice more or focus on winning, instead of posting pictures from off the golf course. Let me just make one thing clear: Instagram or any other social media is not real life. It does not represent my life or the hours I spend on and off the golf course grinding to be the best I can be. I just had to get this off my chest.
So as much as I try to be true and authentic in my social media posts, some parts of my life will just not be represented. We all go through many highs and lows in our lives and I decided to not share all the lows – because my job is to uplift people, not bring them down. Occasionally I might share a struggle, just to shatter the myth of having a “perfect” life. But when looking at the big picture, my struggles are nothing compared to people struggling for food and shelter.
Back to my
inner voice. Recently, this voice has also been pushing me towards veganism. I have been on and off meat and dairy products for the last couple of years and I keep researching and learning how to implement this diet into my lifestyle. Even though I can’t label myself a vegan, I am very conscious of what I consume. My three main reasons to go vegan all the way are:
1) compassion for animals
2) health of the planet
3) personal health.
Some of the people that inspired me to commit to this lifestyle are Paul and Stella McCartney, 2018 Olympic medalist Meaghan Duhamel and food blogger EarthyAndy just to name a few.
I haven’t bought anything made of leather during the last two years (except for my golf equipment), and when I ate meat or fish I made sure it was sustainably sourced and organic whenever possible. But I don’t feel right when I start eating some fish or meat because I know now how the meat gets to the table. Even if the label says organic, that doesn’t mean it is cruelty-free. How can I enjoy eating something that has suffered for me? Not to speak of the absolutely inhumane ways mass produced animals are being bred, fed, held captive and slaughtered. Not to mention the fact that the meat industry is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
If you have read this far, thanks for staying with me. I am not trying to make you a vegan, but maybe going meatless one day a week is something you can do. Just give it a try. For me, for all animals, for the health of yourself and the planet.
So take it or leave it, but I’ll keep sharing what’s in my heart. Coming from a place of love, I hope that you too will find your own ways to stay true to yourself as well.
Cheers 🙂
Sandra