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| | Post New Topic | | Attitude Is Everything | Views: 98 | | Oct 29, 2009 11:51 am | | Attitude Is Everything | # | 
Charlie Brown | |
Attitude Is Everything...Your Choice
Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something to 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 unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry 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 Jerry and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, 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.” Jerry said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to the situations. You choose how people will 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 Jerry said.
Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start on my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.
I saw Jerry 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 did ask him about what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place, “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door.” Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, 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. Jerry continued, “The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room 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 Jerry. “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, ‘Bullets!’ Over their laughter, I told them,” I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”
Jerry 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.
The Choice Is Yours...Nuff Said.
Your friend and network member Charlie Brown.
Private Reply to Charlie Brown | | Oct 29, 2009 12:04 pm | | re: Attitude Is Everything | # | 
Angie Baker | | Love this Charlie!
I choose to live! Enjoy the day all Suggestion Box members.
Remember to let your business shine in 2009! Only a couple of months left to this great year!
Smiles,
Angie
Angie Baker of AngBkr Dzigns.
Visit http://angbkrdzigns.com/default.aspx Jewellery is what we do!
Private Reply to Angie Baker | | Oct 30, 2009 2:42 am | | re: Attitude Is Everything | # | 
Gery DiMarco | | I always enjoy this story, Charlie, and any time I see it I read it all the way through even though or perhaps because the ending, give or take a word is always the same.
Don't you just love consistency? Jerry's outlook and doing the right things consistently over a long enough period of time breathes success into the life of every business.
On a side note the first time I heard this story I chuckled because “Fantastic...If I were any better, I’d need to be twins.", is a response I often used, and still do, to respond to the "How are you?" inquiry.
Gery DiMarco
Also on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/gery.dimarco
Private Reply to Gery DiMarco | | Oct 31, 2009 5:16 pm | | re: re: Attitude Is Everything | # | 
Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605 | | Charlie,
That's a wonderful story. Did you personally know this Jerry guy or are you simply passing the story along? I think the story is powerful - whether you personally know Jerry or not. That story is really a "wake up" call for a lot of people. I include myself in that crowd.
My sister started a nonprofit organization that works with critically ill children and encourages them to leave a positive legacy for future generations. For some folks finding out their life is going to suddenly be cut short makes their final days very difficult. My sister's program was initially designed to help ease the pain of those final days for children. But, for some children something remarkable has occurred. Just being in the program, has changed the outcome. Imagine that.
Imagine you are a young kid. One day you are told by a doctor you have cancer and nothing can be done for you. But, you are put into a program that encourages you to have "hope" regardless of the circumstances, and write a legacy for for future generations. Then, a few months later when you should be dead, you are still alive. Doctors examine you and the cancer is gone. Why is it gone? No radiation therapy, no surgery. Nothing. Just a change in attitude.
Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!
Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605 | | Oct 31, 2009 8:33 pm | | Attitude Is Everything | # | 
Mike Fesler | | Thanks for sharing !!
When someone asks how am I doing?
One of my favorite reply is;
Me?
I'm finer than Frog Fur.
When you think about it is pretty fine indeed. ;-)
It stems from this story.
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All the other frogs gathered around the pit.
When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their might. The other frogs kept yelling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were shouting and gave up. He fell down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out.
When he got out, the other frogs said, "Didn't you hear us?"
The frog explained to them that he was hard of hearing and thought they were cheering him on the whole time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.
It's sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can lift people to once thought unreachable height.
Hope everyone is well and on a great path !!
Blessings,
M.
Private Reply to Mike Fesler | | Nov 01, 2009 12:03 am | | re: Attitude Is Everything | # |
Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605 | | Mike,
I could not agree more. Lifting up people is good for your business as well as theirs. It's not easy to stay perky and upbeat. But, it definitely makes a difference - not just in your business life, but your physical health as well. I used to think it didn't matter. But, it does...it really does.
Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!
Private Reply to Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605 | | Nov 01, 2009 9:30 am | | re: Attitude Is Everything | # |
Charlie Brown | |
Thanks to all for your great comments. This story always seems to bring positive feedback.
I was given my version, hard copy many many years ago. Their are many different versions by different people. However I still pass it on to friends and associates when I get a chance to help give them a positive feel good uplifting attitude towards life.
PS Mike, thanks for your "Finer Than Frog Fur" encouraging word story, pretty fine indeed.
Your friend and network member Charlie Brown.
Private Reply to Charlie Brown | | Nov 01, 2009 9:58 am | | re: re: re: Attitude Is Everything | # |
Charlie Brown | |
Lamar, thanks for the "Wake Up Call" story.
Your Sisters non profit organization is a true testament of ones selfless caring for those in dyer need.
With the World being what it is today we could all use more Angels like your Sister.
"Attitude Is Everything"
Your friend and network member Charlie Brown.
Private Reply to Charlie Brown | | Nov 01, 2009 10:59 am | | re: re: re: re: Attitude Is Everything | # | 
Walter Paul Bebirian | | Jerry was right - he and most people are allergice to bullets - so pointing that important fact out to the people in the Emergency Room helped them focus on the necessity of them removing what he was allergic to from his body -
we are also - each and everyone of us human being - allergic to negative thoughts - if you think of it this way you will see both the necessity as well as the urgency of removing them from you entire being!
thank you!
Walter :-)
http://www.575488trillion.com
http://bebirianart.com
http://bebirianart.blogspot.com/
http://www.greenschild.com
Private Reply to Walter Paul Bebirian | | Nov 01, 2009 10:26 pm | | re: re: re: re: re: Attitude Is Everything | # |
Lamar Morgan 707-709-8605 | | Walter,
Great thought - "we are all allergic to negative thoughts."
Thanks for pointing that out.
Lamar Morgan
CDMM - Synergistic Business Marketing
(707)709-8605
Need PR?...Call Lamar!
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