In interviews after his spectacular unravelling at the US Masters, Rory McIlroy said a couple of things that stood out to me. Firstly, he said that it was the first time that he had been in that position. By that, he meant that it was the first time he had been in the lead at a major tournament on the last day.
Secondly, and less obviously, he stated in an interview that “you have to lose before you can win.”
Now, we all have beliefs. Some of them we know about, so they are conscious. Others are held much deeper within us at a subconscious level. The subconscious ones tend to come out in conversation and especially when someone is not thinking too much about what they are saying.
What is significant about our beliefs is that they drive our behaviours and impact hugely on the quality of our experiences.
If we believe in God, we are likely to go to church or read the bible. The belief drives the behaviour.
When someone pulls out on you in their car, if you believe that this is a sign of disrespect, you are likely to have a strong reaction to it. If you believe that it is just an innocent error of judgement, you are likely to drive away in a far more positive frame of mind.
We form our beliefs over the course of our lives and what we believe is often learned from others. If told often enough that you are stupid, you will begin to believe it.
I wonder which significant person in Rory’s life told him that he has to lose before he can win, and if this really did form a belief that caused him to blow what would have been an amazing victory.
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