Top Money, Top Dog

Wolf Blizter of CNN posed a question to a few million watchers: what if Tiger Woods, world renowned golf star, was given the option of either being remembered as the highest paid player in history, or alternately, the number #1 top ranked pro of all times?

The origins of golf date back to 15th century Scottland but as official record keeping only began in the late 19th century, one would need to consult the akashic records to purvey the top talent of former eras, then adjust for historical inflation. As current data keepers would not deem this a reliable inquiry, Woods could never really know the truth of his status amongst the gene pool of golf prodigies over the ages.

That aside, if one accepts current data from the number crunchers, the fame versus money question is quite interesting but hard to answer without knowing certain facts. 1) What is Tiger's net worth and is he satisfied or does he want more? 2) How much has as the richest player made to date, and what is his earnings forecast until he reaches an age too old to swing the club mightily? 3) Is Tiger as  competitive with the balance sheets of other pros as he is on the green?

For the sake of argument, let's assume that Woods already has as much money as he wants, which is an iffy assumption to begin with. It seems that money is like heroine; the more you have, the more you want - as if a fortress of gold can secure one against the calamities of life, including death.

If Woods perceives that he has "enough," then the logical conclusion would be that #1 top player of all times is the prize beyond measure. But this too is a slippery slope, as sports players tend to best those who came before them; once a goal has been achieved, it naturally sets the bar for the next one to leap over.

People often get caught between two alternatives because that's what they are given as choices. The rare being, independent in spirit, will realize there is a third choice outside of the box, where the boundaries delineated by others, fitted to cover one's own playing field, don't apply.

What if Woods chose not to compare himself to others, whether it be for the most money or the best scores ? What if he simply played golf because that's what he loves - following his path wherever it may lead?

When we simply cultivate what is uniquely ours, and develop our own authentic self, then there is no such thing as better or worse and we are simply worth what we think we are worth. Nothing more and nothing less. 

Given this truism, the possibility of self-love could be realized. So if one thinks the choice lies between money or fame, how about lifting the lid off the box and escaping into a new world of possibility: how much self-love could we generate in this one lifetime?