At Camp Highlander, we know that the most important lessons our campers learn each summer don’t come from an activity or a skill—they come from within. Lessons like understanding that while most things in life are beyond our control, attitude is always our choice.
This morning at our first Reflect at the Rock for Session C, I spoke to our campers about the power of attitude. I shared with them one of my favorite quotes from Charles Swindoll, and I’d like to share it with you as well:
“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home (or a camp). The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
I shared this message with our campers and staff today because attitude is truly at the heart of the camp experience. When campers arrive at camp, everything feels new, whether it’s your first summer or fifth. Campers are living with new people, being led by new counselors, trying new activities—and their adjustment to camp life isn’t always easy.
It’s completely normal for campers to have moments when they miss home, feel frustrated with a cabinmate, or aren’t excited about the day’s schedule. It’s in these hard moments where choosing their attitude matters most. I reminded them that while they can’t control every situation or person, they can always control how they respond to the people and things happening around them.
At Highlander, we talk often about choosing to engage, choosing to participate, and choosing to have fun. While camp is filled with incredible activities and friendly people, the real magic happens when campers choose to put themselves out there and embrace the adventure before them with a positive attitude.
Because what makes Camp Highlander so special isn’t what we’re doing—it’s who we’re doing it with. The cabin unit and friendships made at camp turn simple activities into lifelong memories. And today, I watched our campers learn that lesson firsthand. From skipping across the land sports field to getting soaked with a bucket at riverball - when they brought their 90% positive attitude to their cabins and activities, it didn’t matter what they were doing—they were 100% loving camp alongside their friends, and it was fantastic!
As parents, I want to encourage you to be patient and positive as your camper adjusts to camp life. I know that this is hard for you too, but don’t give up on them. It can take time for them to settle in and choose that positive attitude consistently. But I promise—we’re here to support them every step of the way. Because learning to choose your attitude isn’t just a camp skill—it’s a life skill that will serve them for years to come.
Favorite Details of the Day
- Meals: For breakfast we had french toast sticks, scrambled eggs, bacon and fruit and yogurt. For lunch we had french dip po-boys, tater tots and a salad and sandwich bar. For dinner we had chicken fajitas, black beans, cilantro lime rice, homemade guacamole, chips, salsa and queso. It was delicious. We also had a salad and sandwich bar. After dinner, the disco ball went off, and Bryan cranked up the Cupid Shuffle. We all got up and danced in the dining hall before enjoying our cinnamon and sugar churros for dessert.
- Weather: We were blessed with beautiful weather today. The sun was shining most of the day. We had a brief 20 minute pop-up shower around 4:00 today that cooled down the mountain before bringing more sunshine to our evening.
- EP: Tonight’s EP was Cabin Challenge and the theme was time travel. Cabins came dressed as grandmas in nightgowns, the Flinstones, Men in Black, Smurfs, “Travelers” (Tourists) and more. Cabins competed against other cabins in games like jousting, scrabble, limbo, trivia climb, battle crabs, grand prize game, bat ball and hula hoop lasso. In the finale, Cabin 6 and 33 competed in ultimate tin- can alley and Cabin 33 took home the trophy. It was a super fun night!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
