RetiRing AddRess: shAnnon noRRis 44 Believe <strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
Etiring AddrEss: sHAnnon norris “CHeCK Yes or no” “Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.” – Author Unknown “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” – Winston Churchill “You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you.” – Brian Tracy “Attitudes are contagious. Is yours worth catching?” – Dennis and Wendy Mannering It starts way before pre-k, Your values impact how you behave, Choices, decisions and actions, Are yours to control… so decide them right now. Life isn’t goin’ be easy, No doubt trouble will happen to you. Truth is life is what you make it, Choose to make a difference, starting with you. Will you give up? Will you try to make a change? It’s up to you. Just choose to be the best you that you can be, Check your attitude, Is it one that you are proud of, check yes or no. When I was younger, I absolutely loved to sing! My backyard was my stage, lit up with spotlights, disco balls, and people… all chanting my name, of course requesting another one of my songs. Will the real Shannon Norris please stand up, please stand up? Will the real Shannon Norris please stand up? It was during those childhood years that I truly began to value life along with a few other things such as French fries, red dirt country music, Ford trucks, and Angus cattle. Above all else, I loved hanging with my older sister. And we weren’t your typical girls growing up. In place of dresses, we wore wranglers; in place of Barbie, we had John Deere; and in place of Hannah Montana, we had Johnny Cash. One thing about my older sister; she didn’t put up with any nonsense. Any time I would get out of line, she would give me an attitude adjustment, if you know what I mean. What if we valued our attitude as much as we value other things, like those French fries? Our attitude determines the course of our life… and the coolest thing is we control our attitude. Every day, we must make a decision on our attitude. Once that decision is made, we can take action on the way we treat other people. Let’s ask ourselves… is our attitude one that we’re proud of? Check yes or no. “She’s standing on the home plate… here comes the pitch…smack… Home run! What!? Ahh! Ahh!” Brittany was a killer athlete. Between basketball and softball, sports were her life. There was no doubt that she had the talent to continue her sports career far beyond high school into college as a star softball player. But for Brittany, fifth grade was a little different than most. Her life soon became interrupted with severe seizures that would leave her unconscious and unaware of her surroundings. In January that year, CAT scans found a tumor the size of a small lemon in her brain. Two months later, when the tumor was removed, it had grown to the size of a large softball. Things rapidly changed for Brittany. For the next five years, she had to have a series of MRI scans to make sure the brain was recovering. It was no longer a good idea for Brittany to play contact sports. Imagine the things in life that you love the most. What would happen if they were abruptly taken away? People like Brittany make an impact. Brittany is an <strong>FFA</strong> member from Georgia. She makes the decision every day to take what life brings and make the best out of 45 Believe <strong>Proceedings</strong> <strong>2011</strong> it. She knows that sometimes there may be things in life that we don’t have control over, but we can control how we respond to them. Brittany had a choice. She could either “give up or get better.” Since her surgery, Brittany is limited on what sports she can play, but she has mastered electrical wiring in her Ag classroom. Like me, her coordination is weak, but Brittany has excelled in <strong>FFA</strong>’s public speaking events. Her goals and dreams may have changed, but she makes the decision every day to value what she can control… her attitude. Dr. Ernie Mendes, a professor in psychology, studied an equation that shows our response to a situation. It showed that our outcome is equivalent to any situation plus our attitude toward it. Meaning that on a scale of 1 to 10 – 10 being the greatest possible outcome in the world – if an event occurs in our life that ranks as a 1 – aka the worst possible thing that could happened to us – we can still achieve a 10 outcome if we have the attitude of a 9. 9+1=10. Attitude plus situation equals outcome. We might be thinking that because we’re not sitting down on the floor or speaking here on the stage, that we can’t make a difference. Maybe we have been hurt by a friend or a family member. Maybe we have been left out of the group. Whatever our thoughts may be, our outcome is directly influenced by our attitude. When the world gives us a one… answer back with the attitude of a nine. Our choices, thoughts and actions are ours to determine. Write a sticky note on your mirror that says, “My attitude is my choice.” Ignore pressures from peers when you know it isn’t something that you believe in. Tell a loved one thank you. Apologize. Be thankful for the blessings that you do have. Make a positive decision. Are you in control of your attitude? Check yes or no. Once we decide to control our attitude;