Positive Attitude or Negative Attitude

Joe Cheray

I have been absent for a couple of weeks trying to get things settled with the car accident I was in the first part of October as well as dealing with the theft of my books and my sons video games not less than two weeks after the accident.

We have been talking this week in psychology of sport and fitness about how attitude affects recovery in athletic injuries. This can apply to day to day life as well. I didn't think about this until just now actually. How a persons attitude can affect how well they recover from life events can either make or break them. I am a walking testament to this especially this year. I have had so many obstacles this year and I could have adopted the defeatist attitude and succumbed to the depression. Instead I chose to do what I always do and that is push through and move past each obstacle thrown in my path. Now that does not go without saying that I thought about dropping out of school this year, but I didn't drop out because I look where I am versus where I have been in regards to school and I have come too far to back out now. I am going to be done with my fourth year of college at Washburn University in May.

People with high levels of stress have more sport and exercise related injuries, This applies to the non athlete or fitness professional as well. People who are more stressed out or have a type A personality are more prone to hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, ulcers, cancers, long term infections and so on. Unless they learn how to manage and cope with the stressors in their lives they will run a significant chance of having a decreased life expectancy as opposed to those who can get past life's ups and downs.

Also it is important to note that there are people who find comfort in their pain as it is a way for them to get attention from others that they may not normally get. Now I am not that way even though I do like the familiarity of the health care setting as I was once a certified nurse aide and miss that line of work and being able to work in a hospital setting the way I wanted to. I do not use my pain to be in that environment vicariously.

Through the last four years of dealing with my hand injury I have been through several tests, various physical therapy sessions, and countless doctors appointments. I am in pain every day of my life due to the complications the root injury has subsequently caused. I have shoulder pain, elbow pain and hand pain. I have to deal with protecting my hand from extreme temperature as well as being hit. As I am typing this for publication I am only able to use the index finger, middle finger and thumb on my right hand to type. I had to relearn how to use my hand to type, hold utensils as well as even brush my teeth. By the way I now have to use a Crest Spin Brush power toothbrush that has a large base. With that being said this injury whether it seems small has impacted every area of my life. Have I let it beat me? No! I choose to get up every day and challenge it and push myself.

I want to point out that you have to set small goals and give yourself positive self talk to move through an injury so that you recover more quickly and to the best state that you can possibly attain. You also need to do that with life obstacles too, such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, dealing with difficult people and so on. It is how you choose to deal with issues that makes or breaks the outcome. If you have a bad attitude the outcome will be so much worse for you then it will if you have a positive attitude.

When I had my wreck I was also arrested for a couple of city warrants. I immediately went into the thought process that I could act like a jerk and things could maybe not go as well or I could act compliant and things will go so much smoother for me. I chose the latter. Consequently I got off easier then I would have if I acted belligerent. I went before the judge and was released on a $250 bond. I go to court this week. What was I arrested for? Failure to pay a couple of parking tickets.

The whole point is attitude. You have a good one more things are possible then if you always have a bad one.