They come in every format — from a word or two, a quote or a religious reading. Sometimes, they’re just a feeling or an attitude. But nearly everyone has a philosophy they apply to how they live their life, a form of faith to what guides them in family, work and play. In 16 years of interviewing athletes, I have always asked the questions, “How does faith factor into your life?” Or, “do you have a philosophy by which you live your life?” Some answers are immediate — with an ownership and confidence that reflect how they’ve thought about this before. Other times, there’s some pondering, a processing, almost as if the question is pushing them to articulate something they either haven’t thought about before, or just had’t had to put into words! Either way, it comes from within, from their heart and their mindset.
Listen now to several MLB players answer the question, and perhaps it will offer some insight to both how they approach life and the game, and maybe even get you thinking about your personal philosophy.
Along with my faith, two practical sayings have guided me since I was a child. My mother’s mantra: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” And my father’s practical nature encouraged us to “Don’t wait. Anticipate.”