Covering All the Bases
Story★★★★A little boy was overheard talking to himself as he strode through his backyard, baseball cap in place and toting ball and bat. “I’m the greatest baseball player in the world,” he said proudly. Then he tossed the ball in the air, swung and missed. Undaunted, he picked up the ball, threw it into the air and said to himself, “I’m the greatest player ever!” He swung at the ball again, and again he missed. He paused a moment to examine bat and ball carefully. Then once again he threw the ball into the air and said, “I’m the greatest baseball player who ever lived.” He swung the bat hard and again missed the ball.
“Wow!” he exclaimed. “What a pitcher!”
Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul, 74.
The point
A boy practicing baseball misses every swing but concludes 'What a pitcher!'—a humorous lesson on maintaining optimism and reframing setbacks through perspective.