You've got to be able to let things roll off your back, and

Hear, O children of trial and triumph, the words of Brooks Koepka, who declared: “You’ve got to be able to let things roll off your back, and you’ve got to have some patience.” These words, spoken from the crucible of competition, carry the wisdom of the battlefield of sport and of life itself. They are a reminder that burdens, insults, failures, and disappointments will always come, but they need not remain. Strength is not only in the body or the swing of the arm, but in the spirit that refuses to be weighed down by what should be cast aside.

The origin of this truth lies in the nature of golf itself, the discipline in which Koepka carved his path. In that game, as in life, perfection is fleeting. A swing may be off by a hair, a ball may veer with the wind, a putt may lip out of the hole by the smallest margin. To cling to every failure is to drown in them, but to let them roll off your back is to remain free, ready for the next moment, unshaken by what has passed. Thus Koepka’s words are not only about sport, but about the art of enduring the storms of existence without losing one’s center.

Consider, O listeners, the story of Abraham Lincoln, who endured defeat after defeat before rising to greatness. He lost elections, failed in business, suffered heartbreak and depression. Yet he did not carry each loss as a stone in his pack. He let them roll away, learned what he could, and with patience endured. In time, he became the leader who would hold a fractured nation together. His life embodies Koepka’s teaching: strength lies in releasing what could have broken him, and waiting with endurance for the moment of destiny.

The ancients, too, knew this wisdom. The Stoics of Greece and Rome taught that a man must not be ruled by the insults of others or by the misfortunes of fate. Like the rock in the sea, he must let the waves crash and foam around him, but never be broken. They counseled that anger, regret, and fear are chains forged by our own minds, and that freedom comes when we let them fall away. To let things roll off your back is to practice this ancient art of resilience, this heroic detachment that allows the soul to walk forward unburdened.

Yet Koepka also speaks of patience, for it is not enough to release burdens quickly; one must also endure the long journey. Greatness is never given swiftly. In sport, the hours of training, the years of discipline, the countless repetitions all demand waiting and perseverance. In life, too, victories come not in days but in seasons. The farmer plants in spring but must wait for harvest. The scholar studies for years before wisdom blossoms. The parent nurtures a child through countless trials before maturity is seen. Patience is the companion of resilience, the weapon that turns time into an ally rather than an enemy.

The deeper meaning, then, is this: life will test you with both sudden blows and long delays. The sudden blow you must shake off; the long delay you must endure. Both demand strength of spirit. To fail at this is to live shackled by bitterness or broken by impatience. To master this is to walk freely, calmly, steadily, toward the goal.

The lesson is clear: let go, and endure. When insult, failure, or setback comes, do not let it root in your heart—cast it aside, and turn your face forward. When waiting feels endless, do not despair—trust that the path is unfolding as it must. Practical actions flow from this truth: breathe deeply when anger stirs, and release it; when you fail, learn quickly, then move on; when the journey feels long, remind yourself that growth takes time, and continue steadily.

Thus do we honor the words of Brooks Koepka: that to let things roll off your back and to embrace patience is to walk with freedom and strength. Carry this teaching, O children of tomorrow, into your struggles, your dreams, your days. For those who release what would weigh them down, and endure with patience the trials of time, will find themselves unbroken, victorious, and at peace.