Message-ID: <14141224.1075861213687.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 13:18:55 -0800 (PST) From: mnl@ranches.org To: bmckay@houston.rr.com, rex@arn.net, chompers@flash.net, bmckay@enron.com Subject: FW: ChoicesRead this please--it is really good--MNL Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: "Mary Nell Lemert" @ENRON X-To: Tiffany McKay-home , Rex Lemert , Jas Lemert , Brad McKay X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \BMCKAY (Non-Privileged)\Mckay, Brad\Inbox X-Origin: Mckay-B X-FileName: BMCKAY (Non-Privileged).pst You all will like this one-it reminds me of the YOU poem by Edgar A. Guest Mom(MNL) -----Original Message----- From: Glen Parkey [mailto:gparkey@arn.net] Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 6:36 PM To: Patty Schneider; nancy Roberts; Sammye Romine; Yphon LaRoche; Mary Nell Lemert Subject: Fw: Choices -----Original Message----- From: joe sanchez To: 'joe_sanchez@au.chpai.com' ; 'gparkey@arn.net' ; 'brookeb@yesmail.com' ; 'paul_parkey@abercrombie.com' Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 3:16 PM Subject: FW: Choices > > >-----Original Message----- >From: phylene@attglobal.net [SMTP:phylene@attglobal.net] >Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2001 11:23 AM >To: Bette Branson; Barbara Reynolds; Lisa Ryan; Lorraine Welch; Lori >Martin; Laurie Marino; June Smith; April Sanchez; Anne Gronning; Gunhild >Lavoll; Nancy Mekelburg >Subject: Fw: Choices > > >----- Original Message ----- >From: " Stan Hooley and Joan O'Donnell" >To: "Rovins, Betty and Bart" ; "Rinkoff, Feiga" >; "Mudgett, Carol" ; "Jacoksen, Phylene" >; "Horrigan, Kathleen" ; >"Coyle/McLoughlin, Kevin and Catherine" ; "Bombard, >Diane" ; "Beadle, Mary" >Sent: Monday, November 12, 2001 6:21 PM >Subject: Fw: Choices > > >> >> > >> > > >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 >> > >> > > >your life." >> > >> > > > >> > >> > > >I reflected on what Michael said. Soon >> > >> > > >hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my >> > >> > > >own business. We lost touch, but I often thought >> > >> > > >about him when I made a choice about life instead >> > >> > > >0f 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. >> > >> > > >> > >> > > _____________________________________________________________ >____ >> > >> > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at >http://explorer.msn.com >> > >> > > >> > >> > > >> > >> > >> > >> >> > >> _________________________________________________________________ >> > >> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com >> > >> >> > >> >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >