Achieving greatness is not meaningless

Now and then, a person reaches a summit so high, a pinnacle so extraordinary, that the world can only stand in awe. That’s precisely where Scottie Scheffler finds himself today. At just 29 years old, as of this writing, he stands on the doorstep of golf immortality — on his way to four major wins, three of four legs of the career Grand Slam, the undisputed best golfer in the world, dominating tournaments with a calm and quiet excellence that many athletes only dream of.

And yet, with all of the world’s eyes watching, with the next generation of athletes listening, with young people everywhere learning what it means to strive, to set goals, to push themselves toward greatness, Scottie recently said this:

“This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart. … I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”

What’s the point?

This is incredibly irresponsible. Words have power. Leadership is influence. And when someone in Scottie’s position speaks these words into existence, it doesn’t just reflect a personal frustration; it threatens to rob the next generation of their own dreams before they’ve even had a chance to dream them.

When people achieve greatness but fail to recognize its value, it plants seeds of cynicism in those who follow. Imagine the 10-year-old kid with stars in his eyes, hitting balls at the driving range, dreaming of one day lifting a trophy at Augusta National. Now imagine that child hearing the world’s greatest player say, “What’s the point?”

The tragedy isn’t that Scottie feels empty; it’s that he’s preaching emptiness to the world.

Success without fulfillment is a human problem; we all struggle with it from time to time. But as leaders, whether you’re running a business or a household, we have a responsibility to model perseverance, growth and healthy ambition. The point is not that golf will fulfill your soul; it won’t. The point is that striving for greatness makes you better. That chasing excellence sharpens your character. That setting goals, pushing through adversity and reaching milestones teaches you life’s most important lessons.

If Scottie doesn’t understand the point, then let me explain it to him: The point is not trophies. The point is not wealth.

The point is growth. The point is service. The point is to live a life of increasing impact, to take the gifts God has given you and multiply them for good.

Greatness is not about the scoreboard; it’s about who you become in the pursuit of the best version of yourself. And if that’s not in being a professional golfer, fine.

But when you effectively say, “What’s the point of being the best?” you tell millions of people that the pursuit of mastery, the striving toward excellence, the investment in one’s own potential — none of it matters.

You may as well say learning is pointless because you’ll forget things. You may as well tell folks that hard work is meaningless because someone else might have more. You may as well tell them that loving someone is pointless because one day they'll be gone.

“What’s the point?” is a reckless message to give to a world already addicted to mediocrity and looking for an excuse to put in less effort in the first place. If you can’t feel the fulfillment, Scottie, it’s because you’re looking in the wrong place.

You should have understood by now that satisfaction doesn’t happen when you achieve the goal; it occurs when you stretch beyond who you were yesterday. The climb itself is where character is forged. The struggle is where perseverance is built. The process is where joy lives.

It may be trite to say, “The journey is the reward,” but it’s true. Even Jesus, who could have gone straight to the cross, spent three years walking with His disciples, teaching, healing and revealing God’s Kingdom.

Scottie, look, just because your journey feels heavy, don’t build roadblocks ahead of those who are just starting to run their race. Why would you do that?

Or, as you might put it, “What’s the point?”

Louis R. Avallone is a Shreveport businessman, attorney and author of “Bright Spots, Big Country, What Makes America Great.” He is also a former aide to U.S. Representative Jim McCrery and editor of The Caddo Republican. His columns have appeared regularly in 318 Forum since 2007. Follow him on Facebook, on Twitter @louisravallone or by e-mail at louisavallone@mac.com, and on American Ground Radio at 101.7FM and 710 AM, weeknights from 6 - 7 p.m., and streaming live on keelnews.com.