
We often use the word "slump" to describe a period of poor performance, but in fact, it is an economic term referring to a serious decline in economic activity. The Great Depression of 1929 is also known as the Great Slump. Depending on its size and duration, such an economic phenomenon can be also called a slowdown, recession or depression. Even economists mix these terms, so the British weekly magazine Economist defined the differences between the three terms. When your neighbor loses his job, it's a slowdown, and when you are unemployed, it's a recession. When a business reporter loses his job, then it is a depression. If you and your spouse lose jobs at the same time, it is a slump.
A slump is a very serious setback. It can come to anyone anytime. Tiger Woods, the best golfers of all time, has experienced two slumps, one in 1998 and another in 2004. He won only one event in those years and was taunted as a paper tiger. Russian-French abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky fell into a deep slump. No matter how hard he tried, he could not paint a work that satisfied him. He thought he had no talent and was greatly disappointed in himself.
But a slump is only a period of preparing for a greater leap. The "tiger" roared to let the world know when he returned from his slump. In 1999, he won eight PGA titles, including six consecutive victories. He won PGA tournaments that is now known as the "Tiger Slam". In 2005, he won the Masters and the British Open and was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year.
What brought Woods out of the slump was practice.
Instead of showing off his trophies and celebrating with champagne, he hit the range to modify his swing and developed his physical strength.
That's a great post Yun Mi, I am not a believer in the addage: "practice makes perfect..." but I do believe practicing/fighting helps someone move forward and that is something we all need to do in the West during the recession.
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