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The role of motivation in sport
The role of motivation in sport
The role of motivation in sport
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Keeping an Optimistic Attitude in Life
Optimistic and pessimistic attitudes constantly affect the outcome of people's lives. In my life, I try to keep an optimistic attitude about the things I do because I know it will help lead me to more desirable ends. There have been many situations in which optimism has helped me through difficult times. Two areas in particular have provided me optimistic experiences: athletics and academics.
First, optimism was very apparent while I was the co-captain of my high school soccer team. I was captain during my senior year, perhaps the year we had the best team since I had begun playing in eighth grade. Right from the start of the season I had to show leadership and bring improvement in skill among the younger players. I worked side by side with my coach and the other co-captain to lead the team into what was to be a successful season. Also, in addition to working to improve the skills of the younger players, I had to increase the desire they had in their hearts to be on the field and play to the best of their abilities. This involv...
When I found out that I was one of the captains of the Varsity Sideline team, I had a beaming smile and felt satisfied with my achievement. As captain, cheerleaders on the varsity and the JV squads come to me with questions and small issues, and I enjoy the opportunity to help them. I have become even more organized and mature because the coach looks to me for help. Being selected as lead captain has had many rewards, it gave me a boost of confidence and inspired me to campaign for other leadership
In life, it is important to be optimistic, and see the glass as half full. Being optimistic means to look at things in a positive way. And it is important to stay optimistic in life. Being an optimist can also be thought of as having lots of hope for the future. Sometimes it is hard to be optimistic when other things in your life are going wrong. But, you have to look past the negatives, and try to see the best in things and keep hope. Penelope and I are both similar because we both stay optimistic in life.
There’s optimism in all literature known to man if not optimism then it would be pessimism. They are the basis of any literature work. It’s found in many books and poems today. In the novel Fahrenheit451 by Ray Bradbury evaluates the theme of optimism. The author Ray Bradbury writes about a guy named Montag who is in a society where firemen burn houses instead of putting fires out. Montag seeks out the good in the books which are banned in this dystopian society where knowledge is forbidden to rise from society. He and other literature seekers pave the way for him to learn knowledge and the freedom of thinking which is against the law in this society. Montag falls in love with books so much that he tries to find someone who can teach him about the books and how important they are to life. The world would fall apart without knowledge no one would have a clue on what to do or how to eat since they don’t have that knowledge at hand. Optimism can also be found in the William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus”, Freedom to Breathe” by Alexander Solzheitsynand and in the speech “The Nobel acceptance by Elie Wiesel.
Ever since I was little I wanted to be a captain just like my older sister. Back then I thought it was just a cool label, but in my past three years as a TCHS cheerleader I have quickly learned the amount of dedication and hard work this position entails. I qualify for being a captain because I have a good attitude, work well with others, and always put in an effort to work hard.
Optimism is a hopefulness for the future. People who are optimistic generally expect the best from situations. Overall, optimists tend to be healthier than pessimists. Optimism can aid in maintenance of psychological health when faced with physical health problems. This claim is evident with Bob Salvini in the Young at Heart film. Bob, having looked death in the eyes multiple times, managed to pull through when the odds were against him. Bobs strong will and optimism for live and his situation helped him live happily for as long as he did, before he unfortunately died in May of 2006. While still in the ICU, Bob stayed positive and was determined to make the show in less than three weeks. Sadly, Bob passed away the night before the show (Walker & George,
The importance dispositional optimism as a facilitator of well-being, positive health, flourishing, and quality of life has been documented in the positive psychology literature. Dispositional optimism evaluated by the LOT-R is a positive personality trait characterized by favorable personal future expectation (Scheier et al., 1994). It has been emphasized that optimism is a malleable personality trait and that pessimists can become optimists by utilizing techniques such as positive psychology interventions (Carver et al., 2009; Seligman, 2011). In contrast to traditional psychological interventions, positive psychology interventions have a strong focus on cultivating positive personality traits including dispositional optimism.
Optimism was attractive to many because it answered a profound philosophical question that mankind had been grappling with since the beginning of faith: if God is omnipotent and benevolent, then why is there so much evil in the world? Optimism provides an easy way out of this philosophical dilemma: God has made everything for the best, and even though one might experience personal misfortune, God (via your misfortune) is still helping the greater good.
When one has a positive outlook in difficult circumstances, it is the most important predictor of resilience; how quickly people recover from adversity. People who are resilient tend to be more optimistic and positive compared to less-resilient people. Resilient people are capable of preserving their optimism and controlling their emotions through some of the most difficult circumstances ("The Benefits of Optimism"). The dean of Mount Sinai School of Medicine Dr. Dennis Charney found resilience in 750 Vietnam War veterans. He examined these war veterans who were held as prisoners of war for six to eight years. These 750 men were remarkably resilient throughout these tortured years. Unlike many of their fellow veterans, they did not develop depression or PTSD after they were released. Even though they experienced enormous stress, they kept a positive attitude. It was found that their secret was ten characteristics that distinguished them from the other men; and the top one was optimism ("The Benefits of Optimism"). These men endured painful conditions and could have ended up with a l...
Optimism is applicable to both crises and normal living. It has been shown how optimism brings about the good life amidst catastrophe, but what happens between major life events? One cannot live the good life without a sense of purpose. Optimism encompasses both goals and one’s hope in their accomplishment, giving one a sense of purpose and an anticipation of happiness in times of comfort or distress and keeping the individual progressing within their life story. Thus, a positive view of the future is critical to the good life in adversity or
“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you're not, pretend you are.” - Muhammad Ali. When we pretend we are successful the brain conditions itself to become successful. When we develop the mind-set of a champion we persuade our brains that we are champions. Acting as champions can persuade our brains that we are champions well before we achieved the goal of becoming a champion. When we see ourselves as champions, we ignore the failures in our lives. Ali's quote is one that motivates us to remain optimistic. Some artistic works that express optimism are the movies, The Pursuit of Happyness and Soul Surfer, as well as the songs, Roar by Katy Perry and A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke.
While the notion of optimism is seldom brought to attention on a daily basis, it is actually an integral part of the human experience, even among those who claim to be particularly rational. In fact, it serves as a sort of Chicken Soup for the Soul, for society. Of course, rather than being a series of inspirational books, optimism quite literally gives off the comfort of warm soup on a cold and dreary day- wafting in the possibility of hope and the sentiment that this is the “best of all possible worlds.” It is this comfort that people cling to in times of strife, be it a death of a loved one, or even something as typical as a missed bus. The prevalence of optimism began in 1710, when Gottfried Leibniz asserted that the actual world was as
I believe that leadership is an important skill to have, especially when teamwork is involved. Over the many years that I have played, I wanted the team to be really close. I thought that in order to be successful we must all treat each other like we wanted to be treated. The experience of being around the girls and coaches on my team made me feel like they were my second family. I would spend almost the same amount of time around them as I would my own family at home. I am extremely thankful that I have friends on the team and it is an honor for me to be one of their leaders.
The captain has the potential to effect more results than the assistant coach and/or even the head coach. Captains leave effects on others on every level and interact with everyone; they have the capability of influencing the coach and teaching other players. Captains must ensure that they never step out of line and must keep his or her team in order. They have to have his or her mind on the sport constantly, and always be aware of what they are doing. Captains will always have a lot on their shoulders and coaches should look for more in a captain than just athletic ability. They should also look for commitment, confidence, and intelligence to ensure they choose the best person to lead their team to the championship.
Sweeny, K., Carroll, P. J., & Shepperd, J. A. (2006). Is Optimism Always Best? [Abstract]. Current Directions In Psychological Science, 15(6), 302-306. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8721.2006.00457.x
Findings consistently related higher hope to better outcomes in physical health, psychological adjustment, psychotherapy, athletics and academics. Individual combinations of pathways demonstrate different degrees of robustness between high and low-hope persons. Individuals with high degrees of hope are adept at exploring plausible alternate routes, whereas, low-hope individuals are less flexible and unlikely to produce alternate routes. The positive psychology model demonstrates benefits, from tracing the source of positive emotion, as theory applied in therapy suggests emotions are the key to locating underlying sources of feelings. Snyder suggested positive emotions usually flow from perceptions of successful goal pursuit and overcoming problems, finding consistent support for positive emotions occurring in both unimpeded and impeded circumstances. Future research is encouraged in regard to human strengths engendering hope and how people rebound from problem exposure. Snyder viewed Hope as critical for enhancing quality of life and predicting positive outcomes. If the premise of hope were applied, it would allow more people to experience the full range of goal pursuits in