I admit it, I’m a big NASCAR fan. As much as I get psyched up about the hard driving action, Nascar driver attitudes on and off the track can be offensive. Over at LisaM321’s blog, she’s worried that Kyle Busch’s post-race win boasting will lead to Tony Stewart bad attitude traits. And NASCAR is notably littered with bad attitude rockstars. They can’t control their temper. They make crazy moves on the track.

Do you have to act like a jerk to lead and win races? Do you have to be a driver that fans love to hate?

Maybe not. Danica Patrick believes the “right attitude” allowed her to become the first woman to win an IRL IndyCar race in the male-dominated world of motor racing. And a ton of folks are saying that NASCAR needs Danica Patrick. FOX race analyst Jeff Hammond led Darrell Waltrip to two of DW’s three Winston Cup championships as his crew chief. And he has recently reported on Darrell racing at Darlington, suggesting that the intriguing and challenging racetrack “is all about attitude.”

Taking the checkered flag in NASCAR and in life requires a positive attitude. And demonstrating self-control requires good emotional management. I’m not suggesting that you suppress your negative emotions. I’m only suggesting that you relieve your negative emotions in a more constructive way. It can help you prevent a disastrous finish. A few tips for NASCAR drivers and for everyday folks like you and me:

• Practice Patience
• Recognize the elements that push our buttons (change, challenges, unexpected events, negative people) and inspire us to respond
• Let it go, and choose to make every situation better
• Renew your mind and body so you can get to a place where your thinking is better
• Don’t sweat it. You can always rally to overcome an early spin that could have knocked you out of contention

well..i almost forgot I had a blog.  its about 9pm in dallas airport waiting to fly to portland.  I should be at my hotel by 1am and up and ready to go by 6am.  thtas life on the road.  th fall is upon us and the leaves are changing in chicago.  I have a new puppy…boxer…her name is lilly.  the vikings are off to a tough start but we think they will turn it around.  my tip for the day before I board my flight is if you bake fish in the oven…dont forget about it.  pay attention to your actions.  I forgot about the fish and turned dinner into a burnt mess.  not even ketchup could help.  but the pizza hut guy did. sometimes we forget or lose focus…be mindful of your actions.  until next time

I am so excited about the release of my new book, A Kick in the Attitude. It’s been over four years since I have written much of anything, so this is a special moment. I will toot my own horn on this one: it’s a dynamic book! Attitude is that one string that plays a tune in every aspect of our lives. And one day it hit me. I was having a down day. I am human and have tough moments when I have to put my own message into action. Sometimes it’s really hard. During moments like that, which we all have, we all need a good kick in the attitude. What that really means is that adversity and stress have knocked the kick– which is our enthusiasm, sense of humor, courage, and overall best attitude– out of us, and we need a jolt or kick to restore our best attitude. Our attitude is either working for us in a positive way or against us in a negative way, and we always determine which. My hope is that you will help me spread the message of “The Kick.” The kick is about breaking the chains of self-imposed limitations, gaining a deeper sense of confidence in yourself, learning to lighten up, and having that overall awareness that your attitude is a dynamic force within you. If you know how to use this attitude power within yourself, your life, work and relationships will attract experiences that make life worth living! I truly believe that deep down we all desire that. And that’s the message of “The Kick!”

Talk to you soon!

Sam Glenn

Today I had an interesting experience. A flat tire. I normally would accept the situation, deal with it and move on, but I had a flat tire on the same car yesterday. What is going on?! Here I am now at the car dealership waiting close to two hours. There is no telling when I might get out of there. I sat outside the waiting room in a chair by the glass windows in the showroom. As I gazed outside at a dewy meadow of Chicago traffic, many thoughts raced through my mind about this situation. Did I drive over a family of nails? Was there a reason I had to spend all this time at the dealership? I made the choice to make the best of it. I began to make phone calls to friends and family who I hadn’t talked to in a while. The time flew right by. Then something purposeful happened in the midst of my adversity. A salesman, rather elderly looking, dressed very nicely, walked over to say hi. He was filled with an energy and enthusiasm that you could feel across the room. He shook my hand and said, “How you doing today, young man?” “Okay,” I responded. “I got a flat tire today. I’m just waiting for it to be fixed. How is your day?” “My day is great! When you are almost 90 years old, every day is a great day. In one year, I will be 90 years old.” “Wow. That’s great! Any advice you can give me?” “Just make the most of it!” I got goose bumps, ‘cause I had just told myself this less than an hour ago. I believe we are surrounded with purposeful moments just waiting to fill our lives with understanding, guidance and wisdom. I found the opportunity in my adversity. It’s hard to see when you are frustrated, but if you relax a bit, purpose will present itself.