The Hidden Emptiness Behind the Win
What Scottie Scheffler reminded us about success and fulfillment
The Moment of Truth
The number one golfer in the world, Scottie Scheffler, dropped a surprising and powerful truth during a recent live press conference.
He pointed to the thing most of us are chasing—something we’ve been running after since we were too young to remember—and named what so few of us are willing to admit:
Even when you achieve it at the highest level, it’s unsatisfying.
And worse—it’s fleeting. Gone in minutes.
What Was He Talking About?
Winning.
In his case, winning at golf.
But in truth, it applies to just about everything in life that centers on achievement and success:
Win the game.
Close the deal.
Make the money.
Buy the house.
Drive the car.
Take the vacation.
Get the followers.
Climb to the top.
But for what?
Scottie Scheffler—age 29, world #1, 16 career wins, 3 major championships, millions earned—is already asking the question most of us avoid:
“Why do I want to win this tournament so badly?
Because if I win… it’ll feel awesome for about two minutes.”
Two minutes. That’s the high.
Then what?
Back to the grind.
Back to the hunger.
Back to the emptiness.
Success ≠ Fulfillment
Scheffler went further:
“This is not a fulfilling life.
It’s fulfilling from a sense of accomplishment,
but not from the deepest places of your heart.”
That’s the part that hit me the hardest.
Because he’s naming something most high achievers quietly suspect—but rarely voice:
No amount of winning will ever make you feel like you’re enough.
What if the thing we’re really after isn’t the rush of the win…
but the relief that comes when we finally stop trying to prove ourselves.
The scoreboard might validate you for a moment.
The world might applaud.
You might feel momentarily at peace from the relief of the burden.
But if you don’t remember what that relief is pointing to—if you don’t recognize it as a glimpse of who you are without all the striving—you’ll go right back to chasing the next win, hoping it lasts longer this time.
Perhaps the Whole Game Is Off
So what if the entire path we've been walking—the striving, the performing, the proving—is built on a flawed assumption?
What if true fulfillment isn’t at the top of the next mountain...
but already within you?
Peace.
Joy.
Contentment.
Love.
These aren’t trophies you earn through sacrifice and suffering.
They’re the blue sky—always there, even when clouds roll in.
And like the sky, they don’t need to be found.
They just need to be remembered.
A Different Kind of Game
The only thing standing in the way is the belief that you must achieve before you can feel worthy.
But what if you stopped playing to win…
and started living to feel?
To connect.
To remember who you already are.
Scottie’s words weren’t about golf.
They were about life.
And they were a reminder worth hearing:
You can be the best in the world and still feel unfulfilled.
You can have all the success and still be searching.
You can win—and still wonder if you’re losing something more important.
The deeper truth?
You don’t need to prove anything to be at peace.
You just need to stop chasing what was never going to deliver it.
What If You Didn’t Have to Do It Alone?
If you’ve been chasing wins and still feel like something’s missing—like the victories don’t touch the deeper parts of your heart—you’re not alone.
This isn’t a flaw in you.
It’s a flaw in the game we were taught to play.
I work with high-achieving leaders who are ready to stop performing, start feeling, and reconnect with what truly matters.
If you’re tired of doing it all on your own, and ready to explore what a more grounded, fulfilling life could look like— click here to book a conversation.
No pressure. Just an honest, human conversation.
Let’s talk.
—Andy
P.S. If this resonated, hit reply, or leave a comment. I read everything.