I am not much of a TV watcher, and when I do tune in, I’m usually half-watching, half-working on something else. But sometimes you learn things from unexpected places, and it so happens that a recent Gatorade commercial grabbed my attention.

The ad shows some of the world’s best athletes, like Michael Jordan and Peyton Manning, remarking on their failures—Jordan’s inability to make his high school varsity team, Manning’s abysmal rookie season—and how those defeats redoubled their drive.

What a powerful message. Even Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan makes an appearance, acknowledging his team’s mind-blowing, fourth-quarter Super Bowl fall to the Patriots in 2017 and implying that he, too, would grow from the experience.

This is the time of the year when we think about recharging, renewing and redefining ourselves. People this month will do anything, from joining a gym to embarking on a spiritual retreat.

“Whether you are 15 years old or 50, your outlook toward life is always under construction.”

These are worthy endeavors, but there’s a more life-altering change we can make in the mode of those superstar athletes. What each of them has done is adjust their attitudes. They see life through a positive lens, no matter what it throws their way. That optimism fuels them, focuses them, and allows them to put setbacks in perspective.

Attitude can be our best friend or worst enemy, the librarian of our past, the speaker of our present and the prophet of our future. In short, I believe attitude is the biggest determinant of our quality of life….

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton