How do you define mental health?

“How do I define mental health? This isn’t a very good answer, but like it’s just how you define health except for mental and emotional processes... Like taking care of your mental health just means taking care of the way your mind thinks and the things that you think of and what you give energy to. That is a hard question…”

Yeah. People talk about it or don’t talk about it, but you never something you stop and think like what even iis that.

“Yeah. I think that’s what I’m saying is however you would define health except in your mind and your mental processes...but just feelings of longevity, I think, is a word that comes to mind. Like being able to sustain behavior in the long term and being content and happy about it. Overall."

Okay great. Then how would you define self love?

“The first word that comes to mind is forgiveness because I think it's shallow to just like love yourself regardless. You have to acknowledge that you’re not a perfect person and I think for me with self love is acknowledging that you're not a perfect person and forgiving yourself for that and like working towards trying to be better."

That’s interesting to hear because I hadn’t thought about forgiveness...

“Yeah I think it’s easy to practice self-love when everything is good and everything is great, but I think where people struggle is self love in harder times and that’s why that word of forgiveness comes in my head because that’s what you have to do when you make mistakes. And that’s not to say that you let yourself be a not cool person, but forgive yourself."

Right okay. So is mental health an aspect of your life that you choose to focus on?

“ Yes. I definitely do focus on mental health. I think it’s super important especially just like I think it should be a part of taking care of your health which I think is super important. I’m a big believer that stress causes a lot of physical illnesses, so taking care of the way that you think and what you give energy to will help your overall health."

Have you ever had struggles with your mental health that you would be willing to share?

“Oh absolutely. Yeah in my high school I was really struggling with my mental health in terms of performance in golf and just like again that’s probably why forgiveness comes to my head because there are certain things you can’t control. No matter how much you want to control you can't and just being able to be patient with yourself and just know that what you’re doing is going to get you where you want to be. That’s something I really focus on. I’m not a super patient person with myself and I've been really working on that. Again it’s a continuous journey, but definitely there are moments where I get impatient with myself and I need to check that out."

I think it’s funny to hear you say ‘with yourself’ because knowing you, you are an extremely patient person with other people, but that’s not always how we are with ourselves. We don’t always treat ourselves how we treat other people...Okay, but what makes you most happy?

“Two things: I love people. I love meeting people and I love talking to people. And second of all I love making people happy. Like I love seeing happiness. Like it’s hard to look at someone...that’s not true. I was gonna say it’s hard to look at someone really happy and not be happy yourself and I do know that that’s hard for some people so. But for me, if someone is having the time of their life like I am happy for them and it will make me happy too."

You are so like that. That is so you. I love it. What’s a moment in your life that you look at with happiness?

  “It’s interesting because like...there’s never been a moment in my life where i have been like wow that was a really unhappy time in my life. Like I have had really tough times obviously, but whenever I look back on it there is always light shining through in some aspect. So when you ask me when is a time in your life when you are happy like I don’t know. I make it a point to be happy so even when there are really terrible things happening around me, I think it’s really important, it’s so cliche, to be grateful for what you have and what is in front of you that is good. But if you want one singular answer, then my time at Michigan. I think that is some of the happiest I have been."

That’s awesome, okay. What is a moment In your life that you look at with sadness? You kind of hit on this.

“Definitely my high school golf career. Just because I look back on it now with a much different lens and I remember feeling such unhappiness at those times, for example, coming in second at big tournaments which now looking back is like great, but at those moments I felt so terrible. The unhappiness I feel looking back is more of like I wish 15, 16-year-old me knew how great that was. That that was really great already."

Well you’re leading into the next question which is if you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?

“I mean, enjoy it I think. Golf is such a big part of my life, so I definitely don't think I enjoyed my younger golf career as much as I should have. The opportunities I got from it, everything was about results. Even with decent results I was just never satisfied with it. And I guess that’s what made me so much better, but I would also just go back and be like ‘dude, relax’ (Chuckling) Everything will be okay."

It’s ingrained in us...we have to be so result oriented sometimes. So I can relate to that as well...we’ve talked about that...it’s not the end of the world.

“It’s really not. And this is a two-sided coin right? I think that’s what made us good, not being satisfied, but I wish I took five minutes in the day to just accept and be happy where I was, just for a second, every day which I don't think I did. So I would tell my younger self to do that."

What is one thing you would change about yourself?

“Um. I think it’s changing, so it’s an ongoing thing, but I wish I was more accepting of my own emotions. Like I think I preach a big game, like ‘emotions are valid,’ and ‘talk to someone,’ but when the time comes that I am going through a hard time I find it very difficult to talk to someone. So I do wish I was better at that."

Okay. Easier said than done.

“Everything is.”

(Laughing) Okay the last question. What is your favorite thing about yourself?

“I do enjoy the fact that I can see positives very easily. One thing I really like about myself is that I make a conscious effort to really show the positivity to other people."

100%. Again knowing you, you are the best person I know at that for sure. It’s SO admirable.

(Chuckling, modestly) “Yeah.”