"Two Choices"
Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had 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 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 of 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 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 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 gun point 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 said, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him 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.
From India, Mumbai
12Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had 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 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 of 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 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 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 gun point 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 said, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"
I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him 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.
From India, Mumbai
Sunayna, that's an excellent story.
Ironically enough, I also was in the restaurant business, and had a friend that was shot...unfortunately, he did not survive. My friend--who lost his life--has served, however, in a role--as an example--that I have shared with literally hundreds of potential victims over the years of training I have offered.
If Pat's loss saved one life, he'd be thankful.
Take a look at the webpage tied to my book, Psyched for Life.. The book is available through and you can read my notes on each of the Corollaries of Life at http://www.PsychedForLife.com. Perhaps you will find a nugget or two that are beneficial to you. I sincerely hope so.
We're now licensing the IP available in the book, and Licensees are presenting seminars based on the book in North America and Europe. I'm just happy that people find it to be of some value. That's a blessing to me.
Thanks for the story. I'd like to meet your friend some day. He sounds very special, indeed.
All the best.
Alan Guinn, Managing Director
The Guinn Consultancy Group, Inc.
From United States, Bluff City
Ironically enough, I also was in the restaurant business, and had a friend that was shot...unfortunately, he did not survive. My friend--who lost his life--has served, however, in a role--as an example--that I have shared with literally hundreds of potential victims over the years of training I have offered.
If Pat's loss saved one life, he'd be thankful.
Take a look at the webpage tied to my book, Psyched for Life.. The book is available through and you can read my notes on each of the Corollaries of Life at http://www.PsychedForLife.com. Perhaps you will find a nugget or two that are beneficial to you. I sincerely hope so.
We're now licensing the IP available in the book, and Licensees are presenting seminars based on the book in North America and Europe. I'm just happy that people find it to be of some value. That's a blessing to me.
Thanks for the story. I'd like to meet your friend some day. He sounds very special, indeed.
All the best.
Alan Guinn, Managing Director
The Guinn Consultancy Group, Inc.
From United States, Bluff City
HELLO AGUINN
thnk u
it is really ironical.....well truth is stranget thn fiction
i got this story thru a friend, il ask him if its true or he too got it as a fwd.
n for ur site.....its not opening,,,,cld u retype the add or send me the direct link to ur webpage plz :D
From India, Mumbai
thnk u
it is really ironical.....well truth is stranget thn fiction
i got this story thru a friend, il ask him if its true or he too got it as a fwd.
n for ur site.....its not opening,,,,cld u retype the add or send me the direct link to ur webpage plz :D
From India, Mumbai
Feel free to visit the Psyched for Life site, Sunayna.
the URL is: Psychedforlife.Com
When the underlined sentence at the bottom appears after the flash page has loaded, click on the underlined sentence and the pages will open.
Thanks!
Alan Guinn, Managing Director
The Guinn Consultancy Group, Inc.
From United States, Bluff City
the URL is: Psychedforlife.Com
When the underlined sentence at the bottom appears after the flash page has loaded, click on the underlined sentence and the pages will open.
Thanks!
Alan Guinn, Managing Director
The Guinn Consultancy Group, Inc.
From United States, Bluff City
Hi! that was an emaging story. ya it’s difficult to be positive in whole life. but if a person wants he can be.
Dear friends,
Namaskar.
What mr. Suraj Singh says is the crux of the point. To achieve this end i organised a group discussion of a batch of experienced trainees on "constructive empowerment". After discussion every one had to make 5 suggestion on what should be life like. The suggestions are compliled and edited. Then in a check list form the list is circulated among the trainees for endorsement. The items on which there was 100% agreement, constituted the final list of mantras. The participants now are supposed to get by heart the mantras to redesign their lives.
In subsequent batches the final list is again circulated for endorsement and the items in which they had 100% agreement became the mantras for their lives. This is a get going exercise for change.
The bargaining proposition is- whether you wish or not you will change. This is the natural law. Then why not towards better?
Regards,
jogeshwar.
From India, Delhi
Namaskar.
What mr. Suraj Singh says is the crux of the point. To achieve this end i organised a group discussion of a batch of experienced trainees on "constructive empowerment". After discussion every one had to make 5 suggestion on what should be life like. The suggestions are compliled and edited. Then in a check list form the list is circulated among the trainees for endorsement. The items on which there was 100% agreement, constituted the final list of mantras. The participants now are supposed to get by heart the mantras to redesign their lives.
In subsequent batches the final list is again circulated for endorsement and the items in which they had 100% agreement became the mantras for their lives. This is a get going exercise for change.
The bargaining proposition is- whether you wish or not you will change. This is the natural law. Then why not towards better?
Regards,
jogeshwar.
From India, Delhi
yes....change to think positively is hard
but not impossible.
u know the best thing to do to keep a positive attitude is to find just one good thing in every problem n focus on it (it sounds simple....try iy out.....its easier said thn done.all the best )
tc everyone....
From India, Mumbai
but not impossible.
u know the best thing to do to keep a positive attitude is to find just one good thing in every problem n focus on it (it sounds simple....try iy out.....its easier said thn done.all the best )
tc everyone....
From India, Mumbai
Dear sunayna,
namaskar.
You are true that attitude change is hard but not impossible. That is why we are discussing the way out.
the type of person you have described in your opening post is exemplary and exceptional creation of nature. If I say some one-here is the model. redesign yourself like this. I think this this will be an impossible assignment. Even you and me can not do that. So my focus is on the ethos of the organisational system itself.
Regards,
Jogeshwar
From India, Delhi
namaskar.
You are true that attitude change is hard but not impossible. That is why we are discussing the way out.
the type of person you have described in your opening post is exemplary and exceptional creation of nature. If I say some one-here is the model. redesign yourself like this. I think this this will be an impossible assignment. Even you and me can not do that. So my focus is on the ethos of the organisational system itself.
Regards,
Jogeshwar
From India, Delhi
dear Dr. Jogeshwar mahanta
namaskar....kaise hain aap?
for once i totally agree with u. such a guy wld be exceptional no doubt. dont u think someone like him is there in all of us, in varying quantities ofcourse...
but we dont let him come out bcoz we are scared of wt others will think, or fear of losing our loved ones...or maybe something else.
i think u r right wen u say we shd try to redesign ourselves to become something like him :D
From India, Mumbai
namaskar....kaise hain aap?
for once i totally agree with u. such a guy wld be exceptional no doubt. dont u think someone like him is there in all of us, in varying quantities ofcourse...
but we dont let him come out bcoz we are scared of wt others will think, or fear of losing our loved ones...or maybe something else.
i think u r right wen u say we shd try to redesign ourselves to become something like him :D
From India, Mumbai
"dont u think someone like him is there in all of us, in varying quantities ofcourse... "
Dear Sunayna,
namaskar.
Thanks for asking my welfare. I am strong and stout. fit and fine. All the time. From your posts i find that you are very jovial. Aap kaise hain?
I agree 100% with your above statement. Also I agree with you about the hindrances you have mentioned. That is why my approach is to generate vicarious effect. As we know 1 and 1 make 11 and 1 and 1 and 1 make 111 and so on. I get continuous encouragement in my approach.
Regards,
Jogeshwar.
From India, Delhi
Dear Sunayna,
namaskar.
Thanks for asking my welfare. I am strong and stout. fit and fine. All the time. From your posts i find that you are very jovial. Aap kaise hain?
I agree 100% with your above statement. Also I agree with you about the hindrances you have mentioned. That is why my approach is to generate vicarious effect. As we know 1 and 1 make 11 and 1 and 1 and 1 make 111 and so on. I get continuous encouragement in my approach.
Regards,
Jogeshwar.
From India, Delhi
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