Can attitude really make all the difference in life?

[lacychef]

So, with all the mixed feelings around here lately, I thought I'd share this email I just got from a cluster-mate of mine. It's wonderful & I hope everyone reads it! :chef:


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 s erious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

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.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.
After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

You have two choices now:
01. Delete this
02. Forward it to the people you care about.

 

[pamperedlinda]

Thanks so much for posting this Lacy. DH and I were just talking about attitude. FIL has had a gloom & doom one since MIL was diagnosed with cander last week - DH and SIL have been trying to tell him that his attitude reflects on MIL and her prognosis. I sent this to DH in hopes he can share it with his dad (or at least the sentiment of it).

I also read something that I'm trying to remember, I think it might have been in someone's signature. Something about (and I'm paraphrasing here). instead of saying 'if only' say 'next time' - anyone know the real phrase? I'd appreciate it. Thanks again!

 

[Addie4TLC]

I had seen this before, very touching and inspirational.... On the radio yesterday I was stuck in traffic (California nightmare)... anyway listening to NPR they interviewed a young man who had been imprisoned in Irac suspected of helping "the Americans" He talked about how he was severley beaten and how others were killed right in front of him. This included an 11 year old charged with the same crime, the talked about how that memory haunts him and how the little boy would be beaten (not as severely as the adults, but still) and how all he would do is cry. I found myself crying in my car, relieved that my son was at home safe (he is 11 years old too) and that I was sitting in traffic. We have to be thankful for what we have because we have sooo much more than most.

 

[dannyzmom]

Thanks so much for posting this Lacy. DH and I were just talking about attitude. FIL has had a gloom & doom one since MIL was diagnosed with cander last week - DH and SIL have been trying to tell him that his attitude reflects on MIL and her prognosis. I sent this to DH in hopes he can share it with his dad (or at least the sentiment of it).

I also read something that I'm trying to remember, I think it might have been in someone's signature. Something about (and I'm paraphrasing here). instead of saying 'if only' say 'next time' - anyone know the real phrase? I'd appreciate it. Thanks again!

To be happy, drop the words "if only" and substitute
"next time."
-- Smiley Blanton

 

[pamperedlinda]

Thanks Carolyn!

Send me some warm sunny south Florida heebeejeebees will ya. I've got 2 shows this weekend and we are expecting a 'wintry mix' this weekend.......aiyaiyai! Hello, it's double points, I don't have time for snow and ice - no matter how much DS wants to play in it!

 

[dannyzmom]

Thanks Carolyn!

Send me some warm sunny south Florida heebeejeebees will ya. I've got 2 shows this weekend and we are expecting a 'wintry mix' this weekend.......aiyaiyai! Hello, it's double points, I don't have time for snow and ice - no matter how much DS wants to play in it!

No no no snow! Warm sunny vibes coming your way - get those double points girlfriend!!!!

 

[raebates]

The funny thing is that a positive attitude is actually annoying to some people. I tend to choose to focus on the positive. I once worked with a very negative woman. One day she came to me and said, "You won't believe what happened to me this morning. And, if you make something positive out of it, I'm going to smack you."It's the only time I can remember being threatened with bodily harm because of my tendency to see the bright side.

 

[pamperedlinda]

No no no snow! Warm sunny vibes coming your way - get those double points girlfriend!!!!

Your heebeejeebees weren't strong enough! It's snowing now. Show is cancelled for today :cry: , hopefully rescheduled for next weekend :chef: . As of now tomorrow's show is still on.....fingers crossed please.

 

[DebbieJ]

Thanks Lacy!

 

[Jules711]

I love to be positive too. I didn't really realize that I did the positive spin until a few people kept saying that I always look at things in a positive way.Now, I also have a slight sarcastic side and have done my share of venting, but in the end, taking responsibility and being happy even when life isn't going "your way", is so much better! Of course, I always have God on my side so why wouldn't I be happy? He deals with all of the difficult things for me.Positivity is threatening to many. It's easier to be negative b/c it seems you have to choose to be positive. It's actually seen as weak to be happy and sometimes like you aren't living in reality. Yet being content is the best feeling! But, again, I don't need to be tough with God behind me. I can just be blessed.Thank you for this post b/c it's nice to be reminded. Choose happy, but also kindness! I think everytime I'm in a traffic jam or something doesn't work the way I want, it's possible I'm being protected from something. I don't stress about things not working out the way I want b/c I don't know everything.Okay...procrastination is a problem I have. Time to go clean my office since it's too cold to be outside even though I really want a lovely mocha this morning!

 

[chefmeg]

Positivity is threatening to many. It's easier to be negative b/c it seems you have to choose to be positive. It's actually seen as weak to be happy and sometimes like you aren't living in reality.

I never looked at it this way! Thanks for your insight and thanks Lacy for that wonderful story!

I have joined a training team to walk a 10K in April. Now, if you have seen me, you would think "WHAT??? She is too overweight to pull off something like that...." and I thought that myself! BUT, I have changed my way of thinking about it....NOBODY BUT ME....NOBODY BUT ME is what I say over & over each time I am walking for either the homework or the training with the team. That is because there is no one that will do this for me...IT IS REALLY nobody but me! I have since (3 weeks training now) started to see this mantra in all aspects of my life-example: nobody but me can mother my children, be a good wife to my DH, work my PC business, lose ALOT of weight, get in shape, you get it, right?!
It is all in the CHOICE I have made! Imagine what a better world we would live in if each day, when we wake up, we say "today, nobody but me is going to be the best me"

 

[sfdavis918]

NOBODY BUT ME....NOBODY BUT ME is what I say over & over

Thanks Meg! I have just found my new mantra too! What a small but powerful statement!

 

[lacychef]

You're all welcome~~glad you all liked it

Meg, I like your thinking!