2 posts tagged “story”

I have been a little down lately, and have dug myself a little hole. Then I get this email from one of my amazing colleagues, and the day turned. It was exactly what I needed today, and will read this little story every day for the remainder of the week at least. And I wanted to share it with you all. Hoping it could be a little inspirational to more than just me.

Thomas is the kind of guy you love to hate. He's always in a good mood, and always has something positive to say.

Whenever someone asked him how he was, He'd answer: "If I'd be any better I'd be twins!"

He's a natural inspiration. If a colleague had a bad day, Thomas was there and told the colleague how to see the positive in the situation.

I was curious about this, and one day I went up to Thomas and asked: "How do you do it?"

Thomas answered: "Every morning I wake up I tell myself: you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Every time something bad happens I can choose to be a victim or learn from it. Every time someone complains to me I can choose to accept their complaint or I can choose to focus on the positive sides to life. I choose the positive sides of life."

"Sure - but it's not all that simple" I protested.
"It is" said Thomas, "Life is about choices. When you cut away the crap, every situation is a choice. You choose how to react on the situations. You choose how people affect your mood. It is you who choose if you want to be in a good mood or a bad mood. In the end it is your choice how you live your life."

I thought about what Thomas had told me. Shortly after I left the firm to start a new business. We lost touch, but I often thought of him whenever I took a choice concerning my life instead of just reacting to it.

Many years later I heard that Thomas was involved in a serious accident with a fall of over 20meters from a radio sender. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks in the recovery room Thomas was released from hospital with support along his spine.

I met him about 6 weeks after the accident. When I asked him how he felt he answered: "If I'd be any better I'd be twins! do you want to see my scars?"
I turned down the offer of seeing the scars, but asked him what he thought during the accident.

The first thing I thought was the welfare of my daughter" Thomas answered. "So while I lay on the ground I remembered 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.

"The ambulance people were amazing. They kept saying everything will be fine. but when they rolled me into intensive care and I saw the looks of the doctors and nurses there I got terrified. Their eyes had written "He's a dead man" in them. I knew then I had to do something." Thomas said.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well - there was this big brutish kind of nurse yelling questions at me. and she asked me if I was allergic to something. I answered "yes". The doctors and nurses stopped while waiting for my answer. I took a deep breath and said: "Gravity"
Through their laughter I told them: "I choose to live. Operate on me as if I am living, not dying"

Thomas survived because of the doctor's competence, but also because of his amazing attitude. From him I learned that every day we can choose to live fully. Attitude is, after all, EVERYTHING.

I was told this is a true story, and I'd like to think it is...

WELL DONE, BRITISH AIRWAYS!

This scene took place on a BA flight between
Johannesburg, South Africa and London, England.
A white woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man.

Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air hostess.
"You obviously do not see it then?"
she responded. "You placed me next to a black man.
I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group.
Give me an alternative seat."

"Be calm please," the hostess replied. "Almost all the places on this
flight are taken. I will go to see if another place is
available."

The hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later. "
Madam, just as I thought, there are no other available seats in the
Economy Class. I spoke to the captain and he informed me that
there is also no seat in the Business Class.
All the same, we still have one place in the First Class."

Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued.
"It is not usual for our company to permit someone from the Economy
Class to sit in the First Class.
However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would
be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone sooooo disgusting."

She turned to the black guy, and said, "Therefore, Sir, if you would
like to,
please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in First Class."

At that moment, the other passengers, who'd been
shocked by what they had just witnessed, stood up and applauded.