I can't think of a better way to end 2010 and encourage you for the New Year which we are about to embark on than with this:
On December 3 Chicago lost a legend in Ron Santo, a 9-time all-star third baseman for the Chicago Cubs. When you mention the name Ron Santo you most likely associate him with the Cubs and with diabetes and his perseverance to survive. Ron Santo for years endured: diabetes, amputation of both legs, heart problems, and bladder cancer, only to succumb to all of this at the age of 70.
How many of us had to have persevere through something this past year? Whether it's a loss of job, an illness,or a death in the family, it is always a struggle to persevere and get through that difficult time. But Ron Santo had a way of dealing with his struggles in a very unique way.
First, he took his diabetes and did something with it:
His Juvenile Walk To Cure Diabetes raised over 250 million dollars alone for diabetes and Santo effortlessly raised more awareness to the disease than anyone else I could ever think of. What he did was take a negative and made a positive out of it.I believe that is the key to living, surviving, and persevering. And whether you are a spiritual person or not, making a positive out of a negative is the way to overcome and bring light into the darkness.
Secondly, Ron Santo never gave up the fight and endured with a light-hearted, winning attitude. Ron Santo was a Chicago Cubs analyst on their radio broadcasts since 1990. In the booth he was somewhat comical at times and his passion and love for the Cubs showed through his enthusiasm on the air. On the day of his passing I heard the following story on the radio from one of his co-workers who worked in the radio booth with him:
During the middle of a game one of Ron's knees was hurting and swelling up. He took off his prosthetic and there was a lot of blood. Ron wrapped it with a towel and continued working until the game ended. His co-worker, named Dave, asked Ron if he could drive him either to the hospital or home and so Ron chose home.
Ron Santo gets into the passenger seat, props his stump on the dashboard, and they begin to chat. On the ride home Dave told Ron about him being his idol growing up and how he wore his number 10 jersey to school everyday. Dave says he can't understand how Ron can handle everything he is going through: going to the doctor three times a week, losing both legs,diabetes injections everyday and being on all sorts of medication.Dave then admits to Ron Santo that he doesn't think he could handle what he goes through on an everyday basis and doesn't feel worthy of wearing Santo's number 10 jersey. Ron's simple reply was,
"Dave,you are bumming me out dude. Why are you so down? Gee wiz,the Cubs won today!"
This story exemplifies what Ron Santo was all about. Though he went through all of these health struggles for years, he kept the right frame of mind, treasured each day as if it were his last, and carried a winning attitude.
Now I could bum you out totally by having you compare your difficulty to Ron Santo's, but I won't. Instead I encourage you to tackle that circumstance you may be going through and start the new year with a more positive outlook and attitude.Take that negative in your life, build on it, and make something good out of it. I believe our attitude is what overcomes our thoughts and fears. Einstein once said,
"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."
May we all enter the New Year of 2011 with a: winning attitude,an attitude of gratitude,treasuring each day as if it were our last, and carrying an attitude of praise to whom all praise is due which is Jesus Christ.
Happy New Year!
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