生活充滿選擇

佚名等

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing， he would reply， “If I were any better， Id be twins！” He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day， Michael 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 Michael and asked him， “I dont get it. You cant be positive all the time. How do you do it？”

Michael replied， “Each morning I wake up and say to myself， ‘Mike， 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 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 isnt that easy.” I protested.

“Yes it is，” Michael 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 is： Its your choice how you live life.” I reflected on what Michael said.

Soon thereafter， I left the big enterprise that I had worked in for years to start my own business. We lost touch， but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later， I heard Michael was involved in a serious accident， falling off 60 feet from a communications tower.

After l8 hours of surgery， and weeks of intensive care， Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was， he replied， “If I were any better， Id be twins. Wanna see my scars？” I declined to see his wounds， but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

“The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-born daughter，” Michael replied. “Then， as I lay on the ground， I remembered I had two choices： I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live.” “Werent you scared？ Did you lose consciousness？” I asked. Michael continued， “The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the operation room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses， I got really scared. In their eyes， I read ‘Hes 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 Michael. “She asked me if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes， I said. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled， ‘Gravity. Over their laughter， I told them， ‘Im choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive， not dead.”endprint

Michael lived， thanks to the skill of his doctors， but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have a choice to live fully. Attitude is everything.

邁克爾是那種你真想恨一恨的家伙，他總是樂呵呵的，總是說些積極上進的話。如果有人問他近況如何，他會這樣回答：“如果我還能再好，我就成雙胞胎了！”他生來就會讓人積極進取。

如果哪位雇員有天過得很糟糕，邁克爾會告訴他如何看待問題的積極面。他的這種方式著實讓我好奇，所以有一天我找到邁克爾問：“我真弄不明白，你怎么能總是那樣積極樂觀？你是如何做到這一點的？”

邁克爾回答說：“每天早晨醒來時我對自己說：‘邁克，今天你有兩種選擇。你可以選擇心情愉快，你也可以選擇心情惡劣。我選擇心情愉快。每次有什么不愉快的事情發生時，我可以選擇成為一個犧牲品，也可以選擇從中吸取教訓。我選擇從中吸取教訓。每次有什么人向我抱怨，我可以選擇接受他的抱怨，也可以選擇向他指出生活的積極面。我選擇指出生活的積極面。”

“是的，不錯，可并不那么容易呀。”我表示異議。

“其實很容易。”邁克爾說，“生活充滿選擇，每一事物剔除一切枝節后剩下的都是一種選擇。你選擇如何應付生活中的種種情形，你選擇他人會怎樣影響你的情緒，你選擇是心情愉快還是心情惡劣。說到底：如何生活是你自己的選擇。”我琢磨著邁克爾的這席話。

那以后不久，我離開了工作數年的大企業去創建自己的公司。我們失去了聯系，但當我對生活作出一種選擇而非對它作出反應時，我時常想起邁克爾。幾年之后，我聽說邁克爾遭遇一場重大事故，從一座通訊塔的60英尺（約18米）高處掉了下來。

在經歷了18個小時的手術和數周的精心護理之后，邁克爾出院了，背部裝有金屬桿。大約事故發生半年之后，我見到了邁克爾。當我問他怎么樣時，他回答：“如果我還能再好，我就成雙胞胎了。想看看我的傷疤嗎？”我拒絕看他的傷痕，但的確問了他事故發生時他是怎么想的。

“我首先想到的是我那即將出世的女兒的幸福生活。”邁克爾答道，“當時我躺在地上，我記起我有兩種選擇：我可以選擇活著，也可以選擇死。我選擇了活。”“你難道不害怕嗎？你失去知覺了嗎？”我問。邁克爾接著說：“那些護理人員棒極了。他們不停地告訴我說我會好的。但當他們把我推進手術室，我看到醫生和護士臉上的表情時，我真是嚇壞了。在他們的眼里，我讀出了‘他是個死人。我知道我應該采取行動。”“你采取了什么行動？”我問道。“有一位人高馬大的護士大聲沖我問問題。”邁克爾說，“她問我是否對什么過敏。‘是的。我說。醫生和護士都停下手中的活兒等我的回答。我深吸一口氣大聲說出：‘萬有引力。他們的笑聲未了，我告訴他們：‘我選擇活著。把我當活人而不是死人來做手術。”

邁克爾活了下來，這要感謝那些醫生的高明醫術，但也要歸功于他那令人贊嘆的態度。我從他那里學到了我們每天都有機會選擇充實地活著，關鍵是態度。endprint