Three Ounces

by Ron White

I love baseball.

I love going to a game alone, with friends or watching it on TV. I can talk baseball for hours, and even reading about it is interesting for me. Therefore, it should be no surprise that I’ve played on a softball team. I am a decent fielder; however, I take tremendous pride in my hitting. One season, there was only one at-bat that I did not get on base. In other words, I either received a walk or made a hit 29 out of 30 at-bats. At the risk of sounding boastful, that is an extremely impressive statistic!

However, as sometimes occurs in every aspect of life, I went into a slump the very next season. During this season, I went six consecutive at-bats without a hit or a walk. I even struck out once swinging! It was very frustrating for me. I quickly became the worst hitter on the team. I was embarrassed and didn’t know what to do, and then I remembered Ernie Banks....

Ernie played baseball in the 1950s, and he lightened his bat by 3 ounces. He went from hitting 19 home runs to 45 home runs—all because of 3 ounces! So I took a cue from Ernie Banks and I lightened my bat by 3 ounces. It was amazing! I began clobbering the ball all over the field. I finished the season on a hitting tear.

How much is 3 ounces? Very little—but also a lot. Is your life in a slump? If it is, my guess is that you don’t need a major overhaul. Ninety-five percent of the time, dramatic changes can be seen with just minor tweaking. The difference between $50,000 and $500,000 a year may be the result of minor improvements. If you are not getting your desired result, ask yourself, “Is there
anything that I can change just a little in my daily routine to see dramatic results?” Perhaps, a 20-minute daily workout, better time management, reading a book a week or some other idea.

Sometimes a small change is all that it takes. You may be surprised how much 3 ounces is!

—Ron White