In this episode of 15 Minutes With Charlie, Charlie Mechem sits down with David Feherty. David played professional golf on both the PGA and European tours. More recently, he hosts a highly regarded TV show on the Golf Channel, which features one on one interviews with notable figures in golf. David uses his experience in the golf world to reflect on anecdotes from “Total Anecdotal: A Fun Guide to Help You Become a Better Speaker and Writer.” You can learn more about the book at charliemechem.com/book, or find it available through Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and perhaps your local bookstore.
Adaptability and Flexibility in Golf
Adaptability is incredibly important in golf. Sometimes what you have been trying isn’t working. Like your swing, David says, sometimes you need to tweak it in different ways in order to improve. If you are unwilling to adapt, there’s no way that change—either positive or negative will not occur.
Keeping Ego in Check
Talent isn’t talent without ego, but you must keep your ego in check, David advises. In the golf world, there are a lot of big egos, some people have succeeded in managing those enormous egos, while others have not.
As soon as you’ve got the answer, someone will change the question, this is something David’s father used to say. Because of this fact, communication is key. Ego must be taken into consideration in communication. A huge part of communication is being likable, and it’s hard to like someone with a big ego.
Humor is Critical
Humor should never be at the expense of others, however, it is a great tool for breaking tense situations with a good laugh.
Many people use their sense of humor as a self defense mechanism, facing difficult and high pressure situations. Growing up in an urban warfare environment in Northern Ireland in the 60s, it was compulsory to find humor in hard times.
Forecasting the Future
David recalls meeting Yogi Berra in the past, and what an extraordinary man Yogi was—and mischievous at that. He found that many of the great quotes that Yogi had were purely accidental. There is beauty in naivety, especially in children, David says, he believes Yogi kept that charming and lovable naivety his whole life.
Hard Work & Passion
Whether it’s intellectual, physical, emotional—you have to put effort in if you want to reap the rewards. Hard work is required in order to find success, it will not simply fall into your lap.
While he didn’t graduate highschool, David’s high school did invite him back several years ago to do a commencement speech. He didn’t do well in school, couldn’t pass an exam, he was a “classic ADD child”—which many around him just thought meant he was stupid. In his speech he was sure to instill the importance of working hard and having passion to the audience.
David had a passion for golf, he was supported and believed in by the people around him, and he created a goal to work toward. It is this combination of passion and hard work that ultimately aided David in making a name for himself in golf.
What’s Really Important
Keep Good Company by Seeking Positivity
Being around positive people and accepting help are crucial in life. Surround yourself with successful, hard working people who have your best interest at heart. You must be aware of the fact that you need to be around successful people, as it is successful people that do the things that unsuccessful people don’t want to do.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
You have to want to be in a place that you know you’re going to be uncomfortable. When you take a step out of your comfort zone, you can explore the things that you may have once thought impossible.
If you’d like to listen to more episodes of “15 Minutes With Charlie,” please visit the podcast page or search for “15 Minutes With Charlie” in your podcasting app. If you are enjoying the show you should check out “Total Anecdotal: A Fun Guide to Help You Become a Better Speaker and Writer.” Learn more on our book page, or find it available through Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and perhaps your local bookstore.