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How to Win

Loving What You Do

Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter is once again going to play in baseball’s annual All-Star Game.

This marks his 11th trip to the Midsummer Classic. When asked how he felt about going this time, Jeter mentioned his eagerness to see the new ballpark in St. Louis, where the game will be held.

That simple remark explains a lot about how Jeter has managed to achieve success. He loves the game. After more than 2,000 big-league games and six appearances in the World Series, Jeter still gets excited by the prospect of seeing a new stadium.

You often hear fans get excited about the chance to visit a new ballpark, but you don’t necessarily hear it from ballplayers. It’s routine to them. Not Jeter. No wonder he manages to play so well in pressure situations. He enjoys the game.

If you can find something that you can love as passionately as Jeter loves baseball, you too can enjoy great success. Passion helps you through the obstacles that come with every endeavor. In fact, you can think of it as an equation: The more you love something, the smaller the problems seem. The less you enjoy something, the bigger the problems seem.

Anyway, this year marks the first time the All-Star Game has taken place in St. Louis since 1966. It was 106 degrees in brand new Busch Stadium that day, prompting Casey Stengel’s classic answer when asked what he thought of the ballpark. “Well,” he said, “It certainly holds the heat well.”

Chances are Jeter would have found something to enjoy, even on a day like that one.

Discussion

One comment for “Loving What You Do”

  1. Jeter loves and respects the game
    and that is why he is as a total package -on and off the field-
    as good as it gets

    Posted by Kevin Reilly | July 16, 2009, 8:16 pm

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