Attitude, Difference Maker: USATF National Podium Education Project

Sport Psychology at the USATF 2007 National Podium Education Project – Las Vegas.

In the presentation on Sport Psychology, there was a handout given called “The Difference Maker”. It had the quote called Attitude.

I had posted the quote “Attitude” by Charles Swindoll in my meeting with American Decathlete Dan O’Brien back in 1993. (Remember, he didn’t come top 3 in the 1992 USATF trials, but went on to win in the trials and the Gold medal in 1996.)

Attitude – by Charles Swindoll.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.

It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.

It will make or break a company – a church – a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.

We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude!

I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you – we are in charge of our Attitudes!

In addition, the handout quoted:

The desire to change is the key to growth in all areas of life. Ironically, most people desire improvement yet at the same time they resist change. The problem is that you cannot get one without having the other. Change is possible, but only if you want it badly enough.

As Fred Smith observed,

“You are the way you are because that’s the way you want to be. If you really wanted to be any different, you would be in the process of changing right now.”

I really don’t think I have to add more to these statements. We just have to apply it. We all know what to do, but often we don’t do what we know”?