Where do you find solace when you’re at your wit’s end? Does it come from long walks? Do you find it from being around the ones you love? Is it in the books you read, or in the ideas of others? What is the place you retreat to when life has you feeling overwhelmed? I always retreated to the golf course.…
Category: Personal Growth
Inspiring Others
If you have been following my posts the last few days you will probably have noticed how many times I’ve referenced Steven Pressfield’s book, The War of Art. Inside the pages of this book are more profound statements and points of inspiration than any I’ve read in my life. The wisdom he expounds has inspired me to write in ways I never…
What is the Thing You Hate the Most?
For me, it was writing. I have always despised writing. As Steven Pressfield says in The War of Art, “There’s a secret real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.” That’s what frightened me the most: sitting down, staring at a blank screen with that…
The Amateur Vs. The Professional
In golf, the amateur plays for the love of the game. The professional plays for the money. That has been the common conception for a long time now, but from my own experience, I find it rings hollow. I’ve played in many tournaments, ranging from local club venues to USGA qualifiers, to State Opens with professional fields, and I can tell you…
Innovator?
“The counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.” From The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. I have always been a confident person, especially when it comes to things I’m good at. Learning where to draw the line between confidence and cockiness is something I developed in my golf game, helping me play my best. The two may get confused by those on…
Balance and Fighting The Resistance
Balance is the most important fundamental in golf. I have been able to play some excellent rounds by swinging off-balance and using my hand-eye coordination to square the club at the last second, but the results have been erratic. To be able to build a repeatable golf swing, everything relies on your discipline to stay balanced from takeaway to follow-through.…
Delivering
Delivering multiple projects in a timely manner at the end of every week has challenged me in many ways. The process of starting with a blank page and creating something is intimidating. I have found that once you are able to get that first thought down though, the process of transforming it into something tangible begins and you can’t get…
Here’s What You Should Know About Me
I am Luke Ruffing and this is my story. From the time I was 4 years old, it became rather apparent that I was not destined for a traditional childhood. I would not be getting on the bus each morning for the next 13 years of my life. Nor would I spend the four “free” years after that at the…
My Mental Map
I’ve always had a hard time getting ideas from my head onto paper. When faced with a blank page, I freeze. I get overwhelmed and want to quit before I start. Mind mapping, for me, is a way to draw the ideas from my head and have them jump onto the paper. By taking away that overwhelmed feeling of having to get everything done in one…
Constant Reinvention
The constant reinvention of myself is something that I am able to see better than anyone else. I notice the subtle and not-so-subtle changes that occur in my daily life. I’m not even close to the same person that I was yesterday, let alone a month ago. Sure, I may look the same to some, but the difference in how…