John is the kind of guy you love to hate.
He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"
He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood."
"Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it."
"Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."
"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.
"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood."
"You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."
I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.
I saw him about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."
"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.
He continued, "..the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."
"What did you do?" I asked.
"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."
Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."
He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
Attitude, after all, is everything.There is nothing like the power of positive thinking. So although I woke up feeling like I've been hit upside the head...despite the overcast sky, I am determined that TODAY will be a GREAT Day!
Since it is MY choice whether I LET it be a good day or bad and TODAY I CHOOSE GREAT!!! I'm going to watch the raindrops and marvel at the prisms of light they create. I'm going to look for the rainbows. I'm going to hug my kids and tell them I love them. I'm going to bake a whole box of goodies for my husband and his crew to pass on my GREAT Day.
Although I originally posted this back in November of 2006, I still need to drag it out every once in a while just to remind myself. You also should go read Roses over at Ack! Thbbbt! as she had a wonderful addition to this advice.
QOTD: "A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." Herm Albright (1876-1944)
Thank you. thank you. I don't know if you read my mind today - but I needed this reminder to decide whether I was cranky or in a good mood. thanks.
ReplyDeleteLAW
totally unrelated, I get a craving for that cupcake on the right every time I come to this blog. Makes me think I need a lemon custard cupcake. And being that I'm pregnant I probably do.
ReplyDeleteThe other side of the coin to persistently looking at the good is that people tend to take advantage of your good nature (I know, I'm one of those chronic optimists). It's taken me 52 years to finally make a stand. But I did it in a nice way :) Really! I did.
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Also, that quote at the end is just awesomeness. :)
ReplyDeleteI've seen this one a number of times over the years (periodically making the email rounds). I may not always be postive - but I do choose to laugh. ;-)
ReplyDeleteLAW - I have to take it out every once in while to get back on track. Despite what he says, it IS harder than he makes it sound but I forgive myself because I am a work in progress. :o)
ReplyDeleteSara - Yeah, I look at it and wonder how long it would take to make some and then where could I find room in my copious amounts of free time... (OR if I could just bring my laptop down to the local bakery and beg for them to make me some JUST like it...)
ReplyDelete:o)
Tink - Yeah? REALLY NICELY?
AFW - I LURV that quote! :o)
ReplyDeleteTeresa - I have a hard time being positive so I really have to pay attention to everything that goes on in our family so that I can find and remember all the silver linings.
I think I've heard that story before and it's a great motivator. Thanks for posting.
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