CHOICE

Every situation presents you with two paths. You can
choose the path of reaction or you can choose the path
of action.

The first path is not really even about choice. It is
the abdication of choice to every little event. You
might leave the headlights on overnight. Os the
photocopier jams. Or you spill ketchup on your
blouse. The first path allows these events to bring
you down, because you simply react.

The second path is the path of choice. It is about
choosing how you want to feel. Dead batteries, jams
and stains won't bring you down because they do not
factor into your choice. If you choose to be happy,
you will still be happy. These little events will
still be inconvenient, but inconvenience is not the
same thing as misery.

Which path will you take today?

I felt I needed to ask a particularly pointed question
today, by including the reference to the homeless
person.

Why?

Because most people who have a job, a home, a family,
and a country that lets you live in freedom, for the
most part don't appreciate it. You take it for
granted. And comparing yourself to someone who would
be grateful for 1/1000th of what you probably have
puts things in better perspective...

...especially when you get angry at trivial stuff that
doesn't really matter.

A perfect example...

I recently saw a movie starring Nicholas Cage and Meg
Ryan, 'City of Angels.' Cage plays an angel, Seth,
whose "job" is to take people who die onto the next
place. Ryan plays a cardiologist, Maggie, who loses a
patient on the operating table. Seth takes Maggie's
patient... ...and falls in "love" with her. First he
learns what love is, then he falls. Ultimately, he
decides to give up his place in eternity, to become
human... and to die like all humans must. Shortly
after he goes through the painful process of becoming
human, they have less than 24 hours together and she
has a tragic fatal accident.

His emotional pain is beyond description. He gave up
eternal "life" for her and now he doesn't even have
her. Soon after, his best angel friend asked him if he
knew this was going to happen, would he still have
done it?

He said, "I would rather have had one breath of her
hair, one kiss of her lips, one touch of her hand,
than an eternity without it... One."

It was at that moment that I renewed my conviction
that no matter how bad things could get, no matter
what tragedy befalls me, I'm grateful for even the
smallest of things.

But this feeling can be fleeting and of little value
unless you actually take the time to acknowledge
it....

Regularly.

To do that you must recognize what you have. If you
don't, you'll regularly go on mourning the tiniest of
inconsequential crap. And literally billions of
people do exactly that every day.

Keep in mind the homeless person and Seth.

What can you be thankful for?

Does it HAVE to be your new car?

Can't it be just a smile?

How about that dinner that was made for you last
night?

Did you shiver last night as you slept?

Many did.

Do you have a job?

Marketable skills?

A nice neighbor?

New shoes?

Any shoes?

What's all this about?

What is gratitude?

It's simply a way for us to feel good any time we
want... for free. And if we share it with others,
it's a way for them to feel good, too... any time you
want.

Can you see why Cicero has such an exalted opinion of
gratitude?

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but
the parent of all others." – Cicero

Now take a minute and find out what you have to feel
grateful for... And if it's someone else, tell him or
her.

- Extracted from the notes of Mike Brescia - Today
Is Your Day To Win …

__________________
Nivedhitha