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->>SIX GREAT LESSONS: >>The Important Things Life Teaches You... >>~ 1 ~ Most Important Question >>During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop >>quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the >>questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the >>woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had >>seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and >>in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, >>leaving the last question blank. Before class ended, one student asked >>if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," >>said the professor. "In your careers you will meet many people. All >>are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you >>do is smile and say 'hello'." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also >>learned her name was Dorothy. >> >> >>~2 ~ Pickup in the Rain >>One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing >>on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain >>storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. >>Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man >>stopped to help her - generally unheard of in those conflict filled >>1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put >>her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down >>his address, thanked him and drove away. Seven days went by and a >>knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color >>TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read: >>"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. >>The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came >>along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's >>bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and >>unselfishly serving others." >>Sincerely, >>Mrs. Nat King Cole >> >>~ 3 ~ Always remember those who serve >>In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy >>entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass >>of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" "Fifty >>cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of >>his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. "How much is a dish of >>plain ice cream?" he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a >>table and the waitress was a bit impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she >>said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. "I'll have the >>plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the >>bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, >>paid the cashier and departed. When the waitress came back, she began >>wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, >>placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies >>* her tip. >> >> >>~ 4 ~ The Obstacle in Our Path >>In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he >>hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. >>Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and >>simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping >>the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out >>of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. >>On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried >>to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and >>straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of >>vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had >>been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king >>indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder >>from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never >>understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's >>condition. >> >> >>~ 5 ~ Giving Blood >>Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I >>got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and >>serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood >>transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived >>the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the >>illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and >>asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. >>I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and >>saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liz." As the transfusion >>progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all >>did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale >>and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a >>trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the >>boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to >>give his sister all of his blood. >> >> >>~6~ I'VE 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. >> >>Work like you don't need the money. >>Love like you've never been hurt. >>Dance like nobody's watching. >> >> > >