Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

I’ve always been a pretty positive person.

Looking at the bright side or seeing the glass as half full has rarely been an issue for me.

Over the past month I have had what I always believed to be an impervious personal positivity tested like never before.

There is no other way to say it.

At times during the current pandemic I’ve felt that instead of choosing if the proverbial glass is half empty or half full, I’m left trying to determine if one final sip remains.

Maintaining a positive attitude during these times of uncertainty is no easy task but I’ve found a way to keep myself up beat.

I look for the positives.

Again, I’ve almost always been the type of person that finds the silver lining in a situation but over the last month I have looked harder.

To my surprise, more times than not, the positives are there.

It’s easy to get hung up on all the things that have been taken away by the pandemic like activities, sports, gathering with friends and family and many, many more.

Instead I’ve tried to focus on the things I’ve been given the chance to improve on over the past month like growing as a family, engaging more with my kids, becoming a more attentive husband or a better son.

I look for the positives.

I’ve been able to do work around the house and yard, take on some projects and spend more time exercising.

Since COVID-19 turned the world upside down there have been moments where my positivity meter veered sharply toward empty.

Almost amazingly every time that has happened, I’ve had someone or something refill my positive energy tank almost immediately.

That is no coincidence I’m surrounded by great family and friends that are always looking out for one another.

However, looking for the positives helps.

The announcement on April 17 that prep sports were cancelled for the spring was one of those low points for me.

My heart broke for the area athletes, especially the seniors, that were holding on to any hope of a spring sports season.

That news came like a punch to the gut. Selfishly, I thought of myself and my work. I was down.

In the hours after that news broke I talked to several high school athletes, all seniors that excelled in a spring sport that wouldn’t be played.

Those interviews boosted my positivity instantly.

The perspective of high school students like Gabbi Bullard, Nick O’Connor, Micah Frisbie and Brandon McCarty was an instant shot of positivity for me.

My positivity had nearly evaporated by the next morning which was my daughter’s birthday.

No kid wants to turn 10 while stuck in quarantine and I was nervous it would be a day she remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Instead my positivity was lifted again.

It was lifted my friends who drove by to wish a happy birthday, family that went above and beyond to make her day and my daughter herself who never looked at the day as anything but a perfect birthday.

She looked for the positives.

Others have filled my positivity tank over the past few weeks.

The stranger that waves while I’m out for a jog, the coach that thanks me for the call or the story and the random text from a friend that makes me laugh.

There are going to be more tough days ahead but remember to look for the positives. They are certainly out there.

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by becoming a member.