I’ll Have an O, Please

Yes, some things happen to us in life that we do not choose.  However, when you take your last breath, what you experienced on Earth will largely be due to the choices you made and the choices you didn’t make.

Being upbeat, positive, and optimistic is a choice.  Your thoughts are also a choice.  You can choose to be empowered or dis-empowered, positive or negative—to be a gift or a cancer to the world.  You have it within your own power to self-generate positivity whenever you choose.

Dr. Dennis Charney is the dean of Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  He has examined more than 700 Vietnam War veterans who were held for more than five years as prisoners of war (POWs).  Even though the men endured torture and solitary confinement, they did not develop depression or post-traumatic stress disorder once released.

Why?  Once out of captivity, Charney interviewed the men and identified 10 characteristics that enabled them to emerge from the experience in better condition than most POWs.  The No. 1 characteristic was optimism, followed by altruism (the unselfish regard for or the devotion to the welfare of others), humor, and having a meaning in life.

So what’s it going to be?  Glass half full or glass half empty?  Pessimism or Optimism?  Think carefully before you decide, as it’s a decision that will reverberate and seal the quality of your life.  The choice is yours…