Attitude is Everything

[pk]

Attitude is Everything

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 them 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 a bad mood. The bottom line is that 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.

--Unknown

[oneinthewoods]

I love this article. I also try to live each day with a positive attitude. Did ya ever notice however, that the negative people are the ones who can't stand to be around the ones who are so happy? Why is that???? You would think we would influence those few into happiness...but they CHOOSE to be negative. :roll:

[dgridley]

Bumping this up..

[pk]

Wow, can't believe I posted this back in 07. I believed in this then and still do. Has helped me alot in the past few years.

Thanks for finding it and bumping it up again.
Enjoyed reading it.