Inspiration

So I was reading this article about Rocco Mediate (for those of you who don't remember, he is the one who lost to Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open last year). The article was talking about how you would never know this was the man that lost because he handled it so well. Since that day, he has received floods of emails, but this was his favorite:

Rocco:

On May 30, 2008, my youngest daughter, Allison, was on the way home from [high school] graduation practice when she was involved in a wreck. I forever lost her that day. Friends and family who had come to see a joyous event … ended up attending a funeral.

Losing a child is every bit the hell people say it is. The days that followed were the darkest of my life. I stayed at home … and I found myself watching the [golf] tournament for some unknown reason.

Slowly, I became captivated. I found myself pulling for you—and I had never even heard of you. I got something out of the way you handled the outcome that I'll never forget. It's something that helps me to this day. You showed me that it is possible to lose and yet not be beaten.

I have lost and lost big, but I am not licked. That Monday was a big day for me. I picked something up that helped me get back on my feet that I still lean on. It was not only what you did but how you did it—with grace, poise, dignity and charm. Watching the highlights made me remember and prompted me to say thank you.

--John Ray, Longview, Texas


This is a perfect and powerful example of what I mentioned in an earlier post about being able to choose your attitude in any situation. Even when it seems we are in the worst possible situation, you always have control over how you choose to respond.


Here is the link to the article on Rocco if you are interested.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=4226689