I found this story about a positive attitude and I think everyone can learn from it. I do not know who the author is.
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. 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 your life." I reflected on what Michael 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 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 would be twins! Want to 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. 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." After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
I hope we all take a lesson from this story and put it to use. I think we can all use a positive attitude in our every day lives. We'll all feel better.
Thank you. We all need a positive and uplifting story.
Mindset is huge especially in this kind of market.
Brigita, thank you for such an inspiritng story that really speaks to me. I had a former colleague with a positive attitude that literally ran off the charts. Unfortunately, he passed away at age 60 from cancer. However, his legacy to friends, students, colleagues and family is exactly what you captured in your posting. I, too, pledge to CHOOSE LIVING- even though it gets tough sometimes. As REALTORS, we need, as Dave asserted avove, to keep a positive mindset in this topsy-turvy market.
Brigita, it has been a while since I have read this story. It takes me back. I want to share an exertion from an email that I received recently from a guy 2 years my junior. We went to school together and and every since he was in the 7th grade he hung around all of us even though we were 2 years higher. I will let his email tell the rest of the story.
" In 90 I found out I had Muscular Dystrophy, I'm now in a wheelchair fulltime...boo-hoo-hoo...BS, I'm so happy, married a wonderful girl in 95 & now have a awesum 12yo son. I'll never complain! I look back @ my HS yrs & present life, there r sooo many ppl that have it worse! So many kids on drugs, abused, in pain...I'm great!"
Kathy:
We certainly do! I'm tired of hearing the negative.
Brigita
Dave:
Many don't seem to realize how much the mind actually controls.
Brigita
Roseann:
There is way too much negativity around these days. We all need to stay positive. This is what prompted me to write this post. I'm tired of hearing about doomsday. It's time we all started looking on the brighter side.
Of course, a sense of humor helps. :-)
Brigita
Danny:
That is great! It is so true. There will always be someone that is worse off than you. We have to make the best of every situation.
Time to start reporting the good things in life. :-)
Brigita
That was an uplifting story. It's so nice to be reminded of what a difference a positive attitude can make. Some times it really is a life or death difference. Thanks for putting a smile on my face going into the weekend.
a positive attitude makes a world of difference. thank you for sharing this story Brigita
Very uplifting. A perfect way to start my Monday morning.
Thank you!
Beth:
I think we all need to be reminded every so often. Being positive does make a difference.
Gene:
Now if we can convince the media about positive attitudes. . . . . .
Brigita
Craig:
Couldn't agree with you more! Have a great week!
Brigita
Thank you so much for sharing this story. I thought you were talking about me when you first started because I too choose to be happy and not miserable, but I think even I would have had my doubts if I just fell off of a tower. Amazing how our minds can control our bodies!
Michael:
I tend to be positive. About 4 months ago, I had an accident where I fell on my elbow. It was broken and dislocated. When I was in the ER, the nurse was amazed how I was able to tolerate the pain. Yes, it ws painful, but thinking positively made it less painful. The mind seems to control a lot more than we know.
Brigita
what a nice story, I try to be positive but sometimes it is very hard those times I am going to remember this story.
Shobha
Shobha:
I agree. Sometimes it is hard to be positive. You just need to keep looking on the bright side and keep going forward.
Brigita