WPSU's This I Believe
Attitude is Everything
- Contributor: Matt Shetler
Town: State College, PA
County: Centre County
Heard on NPR's Weekend Edition on September 4, 2008
If it is to be, it’s up to me. That’s a quote my father ingrained in my head as a child. It’s one I will never forget.
In everything you do, there can a positive or a negative outcome. In a competition—like the recent Olympics--you might come in first, or you might take last place. In a negotiation, you might get what you want—or you might not. But I don’t view outcomes as a zero-sum game. I believe that attitude is everything. Your attitude can take any situation and ensure a positive outcome.
When I was growing up, my father constantly made me aware of my attitude. In high school I played basketball for State College Area High School. He’d encourage me to improve my mind-set, saying “Don’t shake your head out there on the court.” As a 6- foot power forward, I was undersized. My dad knew attitude was key in defending 6’6’’ players from the opposing team.
Although my Dad has really been important in shaping my belief that attitude can create positive outcomes, my ongoing “battle” with diabetes has influenced my outlook more than anything else.
I was four when I got the diagnosis. Since then I’ve wondered,” What would life be without these constant hassles?” Type 1 diabetes has been a part of my life for the last 19 years. It’s made me a little different from other kids. I couldn’t eat birthday cake at my friends’ birthday parties. My mom had to come to school at lunch time to give me injections. I constantly have to prick my fingers to test my blood glucose levels. I can’t count the number of times over the years where I almost folded.
You’ve seen this cartoon cliché: a guy with an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other. That’s how I feel sometimes. My “demon’s” happiest days are when I’m feeling frustrated by constant visits to the doctor, when I’m reckless about my care, when my attitude is “Why me?.” But by seeking out the “angel”, I’ve found 19 years with diabetes have taught me a lot.
Checking my blood sugar up to 6 times a day has taught me discipline. Being continually aware of what I eat has taught me self-control. Living on my own with Diabetes has taught me independence.
Now I know that I can make a conscious effort to pull something positive from every situation—but it depends on the attitude I bring to the table. Concentrating on the positives in my life makes all the difference.
As time goes by and I mature, I’ve been able to pass along what I’ve learned about a good attitude—just like my Dad taught me. For three years, I was a middle school basketball coach. I used a lot of the same principles I try to live by in my coaching strategies. I’ve also had a chance to mentor other people diabetics over the years. At the end of each day I believe that I am who I am because of my attitude.
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