La bonne humeur , le bon choix

Michael was 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 were having a bad day, Michael would tell 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. Life is all about choices. You choose how you respond 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'd be twins." I asked 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, and I got really scared. 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 answer. 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, and not dead.'" Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that each and every day we all have to make the choice as to how we respond to the events of that day.