Hall of Fame baseball player Reggie Jackson once said, “As long as you have a bat in your hand, you can write the story.”

Jackson certainly did that in the 1971 All-Star Game, when he smashed a ball off a transformer on the right field roof. He also wrote many a story in the World Series, hitting enough home runs to be nicknamed “Mr. October.”

But his quote goes far deeper than just baseball. It goes to the heart of action and power. In Jackson’s world, people can control their destiny. He did it with a bat; others can do it with whatever skills they possess.

This belief certainly resonates in the current economic recession, where a feeling of helplessness can be paralyzing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. I recently read a quote from an entrepreneur who said, “I refuse to participate in the recession.” He was saying that, regardless of the business climate, there were opportunities out there, and he was determined to find them.

Jackson’s outlook can certainly apply to coaches and athletes, especially when the odds grow long and the outlook dim. That is the time for action, not for self-pity.

“As long as you have a bat in your hand, you can write the story.”