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ATTITUDE
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August 2012
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by Greg Girard
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Category: Letter From The Editor
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Like most of us, I had a few issues with authority growing up. Nothing major but I did have some know-it-all phases where a teacher or parent just didn't have a clue and so I felt it my duty to set them straight. As you can imagine, my efforts never went over very well and often I would hear the phrase "Watch your attitude" followed by "kid" or "son" or "punk," depending on whom I was trying to straighten out.
The phrase was meant to put me in my place, and it usually did, but I never thought much more about it. As I've grown older, though, and slightly wiser, I've found myself using that phrase more as a guide to life.
I can't quite pinpoint when I started to realize the importance of attitude. It probably took on new meaning as I transitioned into a husband, a father, and even a coach. I suddenly had to set an example. Now, though, it's the first thing I think of when facing any sort of task. If I'm positive, I feel I'm already 60 percent closer to my goal than if I'm negative. It seems a bit simple but I've had too many instances proving it true.
Mid-season NASCAR review (Page 28) has a lot to do with the right attitude. Only a person with a Herculean attitude can persevere like Dale Earnhardt Jr. As the perennial fan favorite and face of NASCAR, Earnhardt Jr. struggled through a four-year losing streak under one of the brightest media spotlights in sports, until his win at Michigan. And through the endless questions from reporters and exhaustive analyses from experts, his attitude was inspirational. Now another NASCAR star, Jeff Gordon, is having a test of his nerves after a string of awful luck this year. How he survives the adversity will have a lot to do with his attitude.
Mallory Weggemann (Page 38) certainly has the right attitude, although I don't think anyone would blame her for being angry and bitter after walking into the hospital only to leave in a wheelchair. Her determination and persistence to live every moment of life no matter the cards dealt has her poised to win gold at this month's Paralympic Games in London.
Maintaining the right attitude is like everything else in life - difficult. It doesn't come automatically and having a positive attitude doesn't immediately turn everything bad to good. And really, the people that are always positive can grate on your nerves. But like any muscle, the more you work on your attitude, the stronger it will get. Then you'll start to see the positives of life first.
Maya Angelou, the author and poet, said, "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." Not bad advice for us all. Safe driving.
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