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#MondayMotivation: 10 Pieces of Wisdom on Optimism From Baseball Players

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Yesterday marked Opening Day, the first day of the MLB season, and the last day every baseball fan starts off their morning filled with hope. Traditionally, by the end of the day, some of the more Eeyore-like fans have transitioned from, “Maybe this is our year,” to, “This year will be an epic disaster.” You’re more likely to be one of those if your team lost one of the three games played yesterday, but it’s not impossible to develop a glass-half-empty approach even if they didn’t play at all. Trust me on this: I’m from Boston.

As much fun as it is to be a cynic, too much pessimism isn’t really good for you. Concentrating on the negative can impact your health, happiness, and even your career. Fortunately, baseball offers a cure, as well as means to develop the disease.

babe ruth

(Photo Credit: Jim, the Photographer/Flickr)

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For an antidote to productivity-killing pessimism, look no further than the wise words of professional baseball players throughout the years:

“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” – Babe Ruth

“I became an optimist when I discovered that I wasn’t going to win any more games by being anything else.” – Earl Weaver

“Baseball is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.” – Yogi Berra

“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.” – Bob Feller

“A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.” – Wade Boggs

“There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens.” – Tommy Lasorda

“If you have a bad day in baseball, and start thinking about it, you will have 10 more.” – Sammy Sosa

“Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it’s business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don’t love what you’re doing and you can’t give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You’ll be an old man before you know it.” – Al Lopez

“In baseball, my theory is to strive for consistency, not to worry about the numbers. If you dwell on statistics you get shortsighted, if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end.” – Tom Seaver

“It ain’t over till it’s over.” – Yogi Berra

Sources: BrainyQuote, ThinkExist, Investors.com, BabeRuth.com

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Jen Hubley Luckwaldt
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