Great Expectations

Pete Rose, the famous baseball player, was being interviewed in spring training the year he was about to break Ty Cobb's all time hits record. One reporter blurted out, "Pete, you only need 78 hits to break the record. How many at-bats do you think you'll need to get the 78 hits?" Without hesitation, Pete just stared at the reporter and very matter-of-factly said, "78." The reporter yelled back, "Ah, come on Pete, you don't expect to get 78 hits in 78 at bats do you?" Mr. Rose calmly shared his philosophy with the throngs of reporters who were anxiously awaiting his reply to this seemingly boastful claim. "Every time I step up to the plate, I expect to get a hit! If I don't expect to get a hit, I have no right to step in the batter's box in the first place!" "If I go up hoping to get a hit," he continued, "then I probably don't have a prayer to get a hit. It is a positive expectation that has gotten me all of the hits in the first place."

Tonight is softball night. It’s the last game of the season. There is an outside chance at making it to the playoffs. My team needs a win and another team needs to lose. Given that I was a decent baseball player in high school and this is slow-pitch softball, I truly expect to get a hit every time.

But shouldn’t that be the way we approach life?

This “expectation” or philosophy can be applied to many different facets in your life. Your attitude truly makes all the difference. For me with cancer, if I don’t wake up every single day thinking that I’m going to beat this terrible disease then I don’t deserve to wake up in the first place. For the rest of you, everyday presents some type of battle. You just need to believe you are going to knock it out of the park.