This past summer, Bethel College Director of Athletics Tim Swartzendruber attended the annual National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA) convention in Orlando, Florida. The event brings together athletic directors from colleges and universities across all levels, featuring daily sessions and keynote speakers.

One of the keynote speakers was John Jacobs, co-founder of Life is Good. He shared the story of how he and his brother, Bert, started the company nearly 35 years ago with the belief that "you have a choice each day and that choosing optimism is powerful and can lead to a better life." Jacobs emphasized, "the whole idea of being a rational optimist is that you don't ignore that there are obstacles in the world; you overcome the obstacles with opportunities."

Following the convention, each member of the Bethel College athletic staff selected a shirt from the Life is Good catalog. The company donates 10% of its profits to the Life is Good Kids Foundation, which supports charities focused on childhood trauma.

"When I heard John Jacobs speak, I knew I wanted to pass along this story to our staff," said Swartzendruber. "It is an incredible story and one which all of us should study. Each of us tells our own story and by being optimistic and choosing to see challenges as opportunities, I believe we can all make our life a good one. Our coaches have a chance to make an impact on many student-athletes each year, and I believe being optimistic in how they approach their team and challenges will allow our student-athletes to have a great experience at Bethel College."