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Beating the Odds

Stop Bashing 2016!

Enough! Bashing 2016 has become the National Pastime, especially in these last few days.

People say it’s been terrible. Granted, too many of those whom we love and admire have passed on. Just as in other years, there has been no shortage of sad news. And in the passionately fought presidential election, half the country would have been bitter no matter whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump won.

But as my friend and mentor Rob Gilbert said in his nationally renowned Success Hotline phone message, the election didn’t make 2016 a terrible year. The election made 2016 a terribly interesting year.

Let’s think about it.

Do you still have hopes dreams, energy? Do you plan to go back to work with renewed passion for what you love? No year can rob you of that. To paraphrase a quote of Eleanor Roosevelt, no one can rob you of your dreams without your consent.

So 2016 was not a terrible year if:

Someone loves you today.
If you love someone.
You can see this world in color.
You can see it all.
A rainbow or a butterfly makes you pause to ponder.
You can serve someone else.
You can receive someone else’s gift with gratitude.
You love being alive.

This year, a very wise woman named Lisa Sargese helped me take a new look at Mondays. Mondays aren’t blue, she said. Mondays are joy. They are a chance to start over. Mondays mean that I made it through the weekend. No everyone can say that.

By Lisa’s definition, 2016 was a great year for me.

I did lose Carl McGown, a beloved friend and mentor. He died two days before 2017. But in 2016 I had the privilege of asking for and receiving advice from him. I got a chance to ask him about his garden, his golfing, his skiing, and his coaching.

So stop bashing 2016. Life is not what happens to you; it’s how you react to what happens to you.

You’re here. You can read, think, create, learn. Sounds pretty good to me.

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Thank you for visiting Total Game Plan. If your team, group or business needs a motivational speaker, please email coachtully @ totalgameplan.com. Here are some other resources for your success:

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Do you coach females? Are you a female athlete, or the parent of one? Here’s “Was It Something I Said? A Guide to Coaching Female Athletes” by Vanessa Sullivan and Mike Tully

Need some motivation? Everyone needs it now and then. Open any page of “Thank God You’re Lazy! The Instant Cure for What’s Holding You Back” by Dr. Rob Gilbert and Mike Tully.

Are you a teacher, boss or sports coach? Here’s “Ten Things Great Coaches Know” by Mike Tully and Gary Pritchard.

Want to have your best basketball season ever? Here’s “Basketball: What Great Players Know that You Don’t Know,” by Mike Tully and Gio Grassi.

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