Message-ID: <11998256.1075858126417.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Fri, 7 Jul 2000 01:46:00 -0700 (PDT) From: matthew.lenhart@enron.com To: tlenhart@corealty.com Subject: Choices Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Matthew Lenhart X-To: tlenhart@corealty.com X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Matthew_Lenhart_Jun2001\Notes Folders\Discussion threads X-Origin: Lenhart-M X-FileName: mlenhar.nsf ---------------------- Forwarded by Matthew Lenhart/HOU/ECT on 07/07/2000 08:46 AM --------------------------- Chad Landry 07/07/2000 07:23 AM To: BGuilba@aol.com, Timothy Blanchard/HOU/EES@EES, BT1329@aol.com, bcambr@lsumc.edu (Cambre, Brandon C)@ENRON, Patrick Cannizzaro @ ENRON, Danatra@aol.com, Dietz05@aol.com, DWillou925@aol.com, Dave Estorge @ ENRON, brooke.e.baiamonte@us.arthurandersen.com @ ENRON, FIJI4x4@aol.com, val.generes@ac.com, "David Greenberg" , Jennifer_Guste@breaux.senate.gov (Jennifer Guste) @ ENRON, Jessinbr@aol.com @ ENRON, Kanzelmo75@aol.com @ ENRON, Cori Landry , lcentol@lsu.edu, Sarshar Leila , Matthew Lenhart/CAL/ECT, Jonathan_Matessino@mail.bankone.com @ ENRON, "Marcantel MM (Mitch)" @ ENRON, MLandry863@aol.com, Opossum721@aol.com, jpelti@lsumc.edu (Peltier, Jacques C)@ENRON, Jennifer.Przelicki@chron.com, Rclcerf@aol.com @ ENRON, SOffner24@aol.com @ ENRON, "Casey, Ryan" @ ENRON, "Clement, Tam" , "DARRAH, SHAWN" @ ENRON, "Jambon, Kristy" @ ENRON, "Jenkins, Jeffrey" @ ENRON, "Landry, Michael D." @ ENRON, "Tankersley, Sarah A" , Amy Baier , "Ana Caputto" @ ENRON, "bguste" , Brother Harold @ ENRON, "stacey steger" , "Camila Pelaez" @ ENRON, "Chris" , Dana , "Danny Boudreaux" @ ENRON, "Dawn Willoughby" @ ENRON, "donna larmann" @ ENRON, dmayley @ ENRON, "Corinne L Giacobbe" , Jill Allen , "Ken Kilinski" , "leslie conwill" @ ENRON, Liev Thames @ ENRON, "laurie bradford" , michele beck , "Mark Landry" @ ENRON, Michol Leigh McMillian @ ENRON cc: Subject: Choices Most of you know that I very rarely send fwds, but my Dad sent me the one below ;and although I've read it, I still think its worthwhile to read again. Everyone have a good weekend. CKL READ THIS. LET IT REALLY SINK IN. >> >> > >> >> > THEN CHOOSE HOW YOU START YOUR DAY TOMORROW. >> >> > >> >> > 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, I would 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 don't get it! You can't be a positive >> >> > person all of the time. How do you do it?" >> >> > >> >> > Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, 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," 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 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 Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the >> >> > company 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 that Michael was involved in a serious >> >> > accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. >> >> > >> >> > After 18 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, I'd be twins. Wanna >> >> > see my scars?" >> >> > >> >> > I declined to see his wounds, but I 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 be born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the >> >> > ground, 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. >> >> > >> >> > Michael continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling >> >> > me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER 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 >> >> > Michael. >> >> > >> >> > "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, "Gravity." >> >> > >> >> > Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on >> >> > me as if I am alive, not dead." >> >> > >> >> > 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 >> >> > the choice to live fully. >> >> > >> >> > Attitude, after all, is everything. >> >> > >> >> > "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry >> >> > about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." >> >> > >> >> > After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. >> >> > >> >> > You have two choices now: >> >> > >> >> > 1. Delete this. >> >> > >> >> > 2. Forward it to the people you care about. >> >> > >> >> > I hope you will choose #2. I did.