It Is All About Attitude

I want to say good-bye to the month of June, 2008, with this entry. It has been a great month, a very special month. June came in with gloom and left with a heat wave here in San Diego. There is something beautiful about a gloomy day. There is something beautiful about a sunny, breezy day. There is something beautiful about a cold, or wet day. It is all beautiful. Every day is beautiful. Every day is beautiful as long as I am alive : Living, loving, thinking, walking, talking, enjoying, planning, working and just plain relishing. Yesterday I heard something I have never heard before, and probably will never hear again. I told someone: "It is a beautiful day as long as we are alive." "It is a beautiful day even if we are dead," he responded. He went on to explain that the real beauty is on the other side. Of course, to talk like that takes faith. Faith operates. Faith creates a good attitude; or at least it should. If a person is wealthy but has a poor attitude, he will get less benefit from his wealth. If a person is educated but has a poor attitude, he will get less benefit from his education. If a man is intelligent, witty, handsome and healthy; a poor attitude can diminish all of the aforementioned. It is all about attitude. I have seen great athletes that were never able to realize their potential; all because of a poor attitude. What a shame. What a waste. Attitude is every thing. In the NBA, NFL, and MLB there are great athletes who will never ever wear a championship ring. Just playing at that level of competition proves that they are extraordinary. No ring. Why? Poor attitude. A poor attitude is an invading spirit. It invades excellence. It invades determination and discipline. It corrupts cooperation and teamwork. It attacks the team's intangibles because a poor attitude is an invader. If a great athlete cannot "kick the habit" of having a poor attitude; he needs to become a tennis player, golfer, or boxer. Even those sports demand a certain amount of cooperation with others, however. When I coached baseball, I remember discussing a particular player with another coach. He told me : "yeah, he's a great athlete, but who wants him? You can never win with a guy like that." It is all about attitude.