Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One
man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain
the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only
window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The
men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and
families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military
service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon
when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass
the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see
outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods
where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the
activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park
with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on
the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked
arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old
trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline
could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all
this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room
would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade
passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he
could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window
portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien
thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of
seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem
fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first.
But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy
eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to
brood and found himself unable to sleep.
He should be by that window --- and that thought now controlled his
life. Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by
the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs.
The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man
by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening
from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button
which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five
minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound
of breathing. Now, there was only silence-deathly silence.
The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for
their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the
window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take
it away-no works, no fuss. As soon as it seemed
appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the
window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure
he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his
first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself.
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.....
It faced a blank wall.
-Author Unknown-
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive
attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets
delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through
the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small
part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right,
we will never find lasting joy.
The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey. Our minds are like
programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank
vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive,
encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips
just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that
seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will
find that there is much to rejoice about.
If by the mere fact, you are healthy, and can read this;
consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Smile...be
positive...make other's smile...and pass on your good fortune. This
world is for those who are confident and possess a positive energy.
So remember, it is when you see your cup half full instead of
half empty that the world and those in it come along and fill your cup
to the brim for you!
alx