Attitude is a crucial element to Elegant Simplicity - the Art of
Living Abundantly. We can see the
glass half-full or half-empty - it is our choice. Studies indicate that
stress levels are lower among people with more positive attitudes.
Sometimes, as the following story illustrates, it means life - or death.
Michael 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, Michael 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 to Michael and
asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the
time. How do you do it?"
Michael 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," Michael 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 life."
I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, 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 Michael was involved in a serious accident,
falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.
After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released
from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I
saw Michael 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, " Michael 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.
Michael 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
Michael. "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."
Michael 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.
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