• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Self Help Daily

Inspirational and Self Help Blog with a Save the World Complex...

  • Home
    • Tour Self Help Daily
    • Self Help Daily’s Archives
    • Privacy
      • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Contact
  • Inspirational Quotes
  • Self Help
    • Positive Thought
    • Health
    • Mental Fitness
    • Relationships
    • Self Growth
    • How to Be Happy
  • Book Reviews
You are here: Home / Archives for baseball

baseball

A Couple of Lessons We Can Learn from Jose Reyes

June 30, 2011 by Joi 4 Comments

New York Mets - Jose Reyes 2011 Action

New York Mets -Jose Reyes
Buy This at Allposters.com

Are you familiar with Jose Reyes? He plays shortstop for the New York Mets and happens to be one of the most exciting baseball players in the game right now.  I’m a diehard St. Louis Cardinals fan, but the Mets are my second favorite team – and Jose Reyes is one of the reasons.  He’s currently one of my favorite players and the reasons actually have nothing to do with his ridiculously high level of skill and athletic ability.

The things that make Jose Reyes a favorite in my book are simple:

  1. He enjoys the game.
  2. He’s a grinder.

Lesson #1: Enjoy Life and Never Stop Having Fun

Jose Reyes is almost always smiling and having fun. Shouldn’t we all go through life the same way? Like the St. Louis Cardinal’s phenomenal catcher, Yadier Molina, when the camera finds Reyes, more times than not he’s wearing a huge smile.  If a camera followed us throughout the day, as we go about our jobs and duties, could the same be said of us?  Would viewers think, “He/She is such a happy person and obviously just loves life.”  Or would they think, “What a sour puss! If life’s that unpleasant for them, why do they even bother getting out of bed?”

I’ve watched Mets games when they were winning and I’ve watched Mets games when they were losing.  I’ve watched Jose Reyes having one of those games when everything went right and I’ve watched Jose Reyes have one of those games when nothing went right.  The smile?  Always there.  The guy simply loves the game, loves what he does, and (from all clues) loves life.  When his teammates do well, he’s the first one there to congratulate them and offer high fives.  He has an obvious passion for life and it’s contagious. When he’s playing the game and enjoying it so much, you can’t help but smile, yourself.

Again, shouldn’t we have the same effect on others? Whether our day is going our way or headed in the complete opposite direction, isn’t life worth living and isn’t it worth loving?  The obvious answer is YES, but you couldn’t tell it by some people’s faces.  Smile more! Enjoy life… it only comes around once.

Lesson #2: Grind it Out!

One of my favorite quotes to use on myself, as well as on those around me is, “Grind it out.”  Ever since I heard an announcer praise a player who made it to first base, on an infield hit, by “grinding it out,” I’ve had a crush on the phrase and the philosophy.  I first really paid attention to the phrase during a St. Louis Cardinal’s ballgame, when one of our players, somehow, beat out a throw to first.  He should have, by all accounts, been the third out. I was even beginning to get up for a kitchen run when I had to sit back down. He grinded it out, regardless of how dire things looked.  I can’t even remember who the player was, to be honest.  He was one of those players who come up from AA, then head back down, then get their call again, etc.  He was the kind you’d expect to grind it out on every play because he was trying to earn a spot.

However, with Jose Reyes, the details are insanely different.  Players like Reyes, Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday, Derek Jeter, Chris Carpenter, etc. have earned their spot.  There are no buses leaving for AA in the parking lot for these guys.  Yet they still grind it out as though their spot depended on it.

Just last night, Jose Reyes grinded it out on the bases like he was auditioning for a spot on the team. Why? He loves the game and wants to give it his all.

If we were to take this philosophy and apply it to our own lives, I have a feeling magic would happen.  If we approached each day with everything we had in us and did the things that needed to be done even when we didn’t want to…. even when we didn’t feel entirely on our game, we’d have a lot more wins and a lot fewer losses.

  • Think of how our health and fitness would improve if we walked 15 minutes longer than normal – grinding it out instead of phoning it in.
  • How much more money could we make if we “showed up” earlier and “clocked off” later – even if it’s just a matter of minutes?  Many times, it’s the mindset that makes the difference.
  • Our relationships could even become sweeter if we put more thought and energy into them.

When we’re feeling low on energy and/or incentive, if we remind ourselves to “Grind it out!,” I think we’ll begin to see changes that will rock our world.

But don’t underestimate  Lesson #1: Enjoy Life and Never Stop Having Fun.  I listed it first for a reason.  The fact is, I think his attitude is the key to Jose Reyes’ success.  Yes, he has wicked athletic skills and a great mind for the game.  He’s head to toe talent. The thing is, many players are talented and many have crazy athletic skills.  My husband and I watched the College Baseball world series and saw endless talent and skills, but many of these kids won’t make it to the big leagues or achieve superstar status.  I believe a person’s attitude is their secret weapon.  Some people, such as Jose Reyes, simply have such a positive attitude and outlook that it gives them a potent weapon!

I don’t think life is fun for Jose Reyes because he’s good at what he does – I think Jose Reyes is good at what he does because he has fun with life.  Anyone who watches his games will know what I mean when I say that I’m certain this young man would wear the same smile if he was in A, AA, AAA or nowhere near the game of baseball.   He has the secret 1-2 punch that would grant him success anywhere in life:

  1. He loves life.
  2. He’s a grinder.

Make each moment count double and never leave home without your smile!

 

Filed Under: General, Positive Thought Tagged With: attitude, baseball, love life

A Baseball Adage Worth it’s Weight in Gold

November 5, 2006 by Joi 1 Comment

I’m still somewhere over the moon over my beloved St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series.  It’s such a complete surprise – not because I didn’t expect it from the team.  You gotta love the chances of a team with Albert Pujols, Jim Edmunds, Scott Rolen, Chris Carpenter, and MVP David Eckstein.  Especially when they’re coached by a baseball guru like Tony La Russa.

No, I’m totally surprised because of the year I’d been having – I never expected or hoped for anything good to come out of it…. I didn’t think it was capable of anything right or good.  It’s just been one of those One D—… years – you know, one d— thing after another.  Forgive my language – I’m not a cusser except for the most extreme of circumstances, but some years beg for it.

This one did.

So how had 2006 been treating me? My mom moved on to Heaven without asking me (guess she knew what my answer would have been), we had a few shake-ups and near melt-downs in our home businesses, we lost two beloved cats, another one went missing for nearly a week, my van decided running wasn’t in its best interest, the dryer thought that looked like a sweet idea and followed the van’s lead, then – of course – there are the crazy little things that happen on the norm. The type of things you come to expect when you have a large family.

And a year without a sense of humor.

Last night – after the pit bull incident – I figured it out.  Life has simply forgotten how to be reasonable!  And a quick look at the news lets me know that it isn’t just my life – it’s life in general.  So if any of us look around for or long for that thing called normal, we’ll be sorely disappointed.

We’d be twice as likely to find the Easter Bunny.

I’ve been reading an amazing book by Buzz Bissinger.  It’s called Three Nights in August: Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager and it’s about the guru I mentioned earlier, Tony La Russa.  Kind of takes place inside his mind.  It’s a great, great book and I’d say so even if I didn’t bleed St. Louis Cardinal red.

At one point, Coach La Russa is talking about his line-up.  Due to a torn hamstring, the Cardinal’s gold glove winning Fernando Vina was sidelined for months. The Cards had to call up a young man named Bo Hart.  He filled in and did his best – his “heart” made Hart a fan favorite.  But he wasn’t Vina…. he was, well, far from it.

At the time the book was written, the Cards had an upcoming series with their rival, the Chicago Cubs.  The Cubbies had a really strong team led by Sammy Sosa who was still at the top of his game.

La Russa knew that Vina’s absence in the line-up, and on the field, was going to hurt.  Hart had no shortage of heart and determination, but he did lack Vina’s talent and experience. Which could be said of a lot of players. Vina was one of the best second basemen to ever play.

In one of the more telling paragraphs of the book, a lesson was given to all of us:

“….it’s another La Russa adage that you can’t dwell on what you don’t have and can take advantage of only what you do have, so Hart is starting and batting second.”

Spoken like a champion.

After the final game, as the celebration was taking part on screen and in our living room, I realized something pretty cool.  After my dad passed away, his favorite team in the world (and one of his reasons for getting out of bed in the mornings) the UK Wildcats won the championship the following season. I got my ridiculously HUGE love for the UK Wildcats from my dad and I know he would have been crying tears of joy just as I was.

My mom loved the Cardinal’s and she knew baseball terminology inside and out – she knew all the players and had a really good idea about their averages.  She also had a pretty healthy crush on Rolen.  And just like my dad, her beloved team won the very first season she was in Heaven.

And just like I did with my dad, I got to thinking, “What a shame she isn’t here to see it…”  – only to realize she had the best seat in the world.

Life goes on, doesn’t it? “You can’t dwell on what you don’t have… and can only take advantage of what you do have.”

Golden, Coach. Golden.

3 Nights in August

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Books I Love, Positive Thought, Self Help Tagged With: baseball, inspiration, inspirational quotes

Primary Sidebar

Self Help Blog

Cat on Pine Mountain , Kentucky

Welcome to Self Help Daily, a blog devoted to helping you get the most from life by getting the most from yourself!

Read the story behind the picture above in How to Live in the Moment.

Positive Affirmation Cards


Positive Affirmation Cards (Amazon)

Contact Joi

My name is Joi (“Joy”)! I am the animal lover behind Self Help Daily.

To contact me, please do so through e-mail (joitsigers @ gmail.com). Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you! ~ Joi

Self Help Blog Updates

  • Becoming A Nutritionist: 4 Key Things To Consider
  • 7 Things To Start Today That Your Future Self Will Thank You For
  • 10 Surprising Ways to Improve WorkPerformance
  • 4 Powerful Self Development Tools To Transform Your Life
  • Christian Book Review: Before Amen by Max Lucado
  • Fixing Your Underbite: A Practical Guide
  • Five Ways That You May Be Affecting Your Brain Health Without Realizing It
  • Create a Zen Room in Your Home (Perfect for Creating a Home Sweet Haven)

Featured Quote Graphics

Don't Quit Quote Graphic

Dr. Seuss Quote About Being Who You Are

Booker T. Washington Quote About Hate

Wayne Dyer Quote About Karma

Quote About Habits

Footer

Inspirational Quotes

  • Abraham Lincoln Quotes
  • Billy Graham Quotes
  • Booker T. Washington Quotes
  • Dale Carnegie Quotes
  • Maya Angelou Quotes
  • Mark Twain Quotes
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes
  • Norman Vincent Peale Quotes

More Inspirational Quotes

❖ Self Help Daily Updates



Overcoming Empty Nest Syndrome

One of the questions I hear the most from my readers is, "How can I cope with empty nest syndrome?" I'll try to deal with this sensitive subject as often as possible. If you have any suggestions, I hope you'll contribute to the conversations!

  • Coping With Empty Nest Syndrome
  • Don't Just Cope in an Empty Nest, Thrive!
  • How to Be Happy in an Empty Nest
  • Overcoming Empty Nest Syndrome
Copyright Self Help Daily 2021