Keep a Positive Attitude
THE BASICS
When A Door Closes
Keep a Positive Attitude
Motivational speaker Dennis S . Brown said , “ The only differ‐ ence between a good day and a bad day is your attitude .” By working to maintain a positive attitude , we can help create our good fortune .
It is usually possible to find a positive way to deal with diffi‐ culties we might encounter in our lives . For instance , if we fail a test we can view it as a learning experience , which helps improve our subsequent academic achievements .
An 11-year-old patient recently challenged this assertion . “ Suppose you develop cancer in 20 years . How could you look at that with a positive attitude ?”
I responded that if the cancer was thought to be curable , I would be thankful that a cure exists , and work hard to achieve that outcome . If the cancer was said to be incurable , I would keep in mind that sometimes miracles do happen .
THE BASICS
What Does " Self Help " Mean ? I hope I would be thankful that the knowledge of my terminal illness would give me a chance to put my life in order and perhaps check some items off my bucket list . I hope that this knowledge would also help me focus on living in the moment and enjoying every single day to the best of my ability .
Further , I shared with my patient that I have told my children that if I die suddenly someday ( hopefully not for a long while ) that they should be happy for me as I might have been spared the difficulties and suffering that sometimes occur in old age . Thus , I suggested that even in the face of death a positive attitude can help .
When A Door Closes
When we are confronted by a bad event , we have a choice . We can lament our loss , or we can look for how we can best move forward . Inventor Alexander Graham Bell said , “ When one door closes , another opens . However , sometimes we stare so longingly at the closed door that we miss seeing the open one .
When I turned 50 years old , I was diagnosed with type II diabetes , which was caused by my obesity . Instead of being upset that I appeared to be saddled