Jim Abbott, the legendary one-handed major league baseball player, overcame a birth defect and earned a place in the Hall of Fame as a result of his no-hitter for the New York Yankees.
The answers to the following questions were compiled from Jim Abbott’s speech about overcoming
adversity. Visit his Web site at www.jimabbott.info.
Who/what contributed to your inner strength?
I was surrounded by wonderful people, who had the patience and creativity to help me devise the
strategies I would need to get through life. Starting of course, with my parents, teachers,
friends. If there is courage in my story, it was theirs. Their generosity of spirit gave me an
ingrained optimism that there is a solution to be found for any problem. It may take some
flexibility but it is there.
When in your life was your inner strength particularly tested and how did you deal with the incident?
In 1996 I went out and had what might be one of the worst years a pitcher can have. Two wins,
eighteen losses.
Sports had always been my crutch. For an insecure kid who wanted very much
to be accepted, success in athletics covered up a lot of hurt for a long time. But in 1996 it
all came crashing down. I was failing. As hard as I tried it would just get worse. By the end
of they year I was sent to the minor leagues for the first time in my life. I'm not going to
tell you that I handled that year with all of the grace I would have liked. All I could do was
to keep on trying. The following spring I was released from the Angels. Cleaned out my locker
in front of my friends and drove home alone through the Arizona desert. My whole world was
upside down. I missed it so much. I desperately wanted to get back, but I was also gun shy from
going through a year and a half of failure.
Inspiration can come from unexpected places. An old manager called, he told
me that he didn't think I was finished. And that's all it took, we started working.
What suggestions do you have to help people realize their capabilities?
To continue to move toward our goals we must be willing to adapt ... to change and mold ourselves
in order to meet the obstacles in our way. Using adapt as an acronym, you can put together a
powerful set of words that stand alone in their significance, but they also string together
like a chain in an amazing way. A is for “adjustability;” D is for “determination;” A is for
“accountability;” P is for “perseverance” and T stands for “trust.”
Why is it important to focus on inner strength?
Going through life with a few extra challenges has made me a better person, not better than
anyone else but better than I would have been. I've learned that sometimes adversity can be a
good thing.
What are your next goals and what positive thoughts or activities keep you striving toward your goals?
First, being a good father and husband. Second, bringing words of encouragement about
overcoming adversity to corporate America as a motivational keynote speaker.
