Back in my high school days, I played basketball for our school. We were on the road to play at another school, which had an old basketball court that needed repair. The floor had many loose tiles and one of the baskets was crooked and leaned to one side. All the referees’ calls went against me, and I was not playing my best.
At a “time out,” I vented all these frustrations to my coach. He looked at me and calmly said something I have carried with me the rest of my life: “Ira, the good player adjusts!” He was right. I had to make the best I could out of a difficult situation. Complaining did no good.
I’ve found that life is much the same. We can complain all we want about how poorly life may treat us, but this does not bring success. Adjusting will. The only thing you can change is yourself, and that’s hard enough. You can’t change the behavior of others.
The good player adjusts. The poor player complains.
Ira
A Life Lesson from My High School Basketball Coach