Ignite Your Fire

To truly make a change for the better, you need to have a fire burning in your belly—a desire so strong that you're willing to adjust, push yourself, and do things differently to get different results.

Change usually happens when we're uncomfortable and want to make things better or when we find inspiration. There’s often a pain point that sparks the desire for change. If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you can expect the same results. It takes extra effort—a shift in how you approach things to create real progress.

I was fortunate to have an instructor early on who encouraged me to put myself out there and sign up for as many tournaments as possible. I was reluctant because I knew I wasn’t ready—I didn’t want to fail miserably and embarrass myself.

One of my first tournaments was a local city event. At the time, it felt like a big deal. I was paired with a young player who was preparing to turn professional. I remember being in awe of her ball striking and course management. We were playing on my home course, but I had never seen another female play it like that. It was inspiring to see what was possible. I vividly remember thinking, “I want to do that.” I had found my inspiration.

A year or two later, my handicap was low enough to sign up for my first US Women’s Mid-Am Qualifier. I knew I wasn’t ready to qualify, but I wanted to see what it looked like from inside the ropes—to understand firsthand the level of play required to qualify for a USGA event.

I practiced and tried to prepare, but I still ended up failing miserably and embarrassing myself. I will never forget the horrified feeling of shanking my way around the course, just wanting to walk off and hide.

In retrospect, having the guts to be vulnerable like that is what actually jumpstarted my progress. I remember saying to myself as I drove out of the parking lot, “I don’t ever want to feel like that again.” I went back to my instructor and told him that. He said, “Okay, let’s get to work.” That failure didn’t deter me—it fueled me. It created a fire in my belly to dig deeper, learn more, figure it out, and succeed next time.

The most valuable lessons often come from experiences that don’t go as planned. If you have the awareness to reflect on what happened and why, you’ve just leapfrogged up the learning ladder. Every experience teaches you something about yourself—your mindset, preparation, determination, skill set, and self-belief. Today, I’m grateful for those early tough experiences. They taught me how to be a better player. Every tournament I’ve prepared for and played in has taught me what it takes to play my best—or at least try to.

Over the years, after qualifying for and playing in more tournaments, the fire in my belly shifted into a deep curiosity and desire to see how far I could take this. I wanted to know my true potential—to see how far I could push the boundaries of possibility. I’m still searching for that. I still have a burning desire to do more with golf. There’s so much to learn. So much to experience.

Why are you motivated to get better?
What is your inspiration?
What’s in your belly?