martinzoo

My friend, Wendy, sent this story to me and I was really inspired by it. I get lots of these kind of emails, and I read them and then think a little about them, then I delete them. This one had a bit more impact. I want to be like this old man. I want to decide to be happy. AND I want people around me to try it also. Just think what kind of world we would live in if we were all happier. Ok, I’ll get off my soapbox and get on to the story. Thanks Wendy!

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed
each morning by eight o’clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and
shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing
home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move
necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the
nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.
As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual
description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been
hung on his window.
“I love it,” he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having
just been presented with a new puppy.
“Mr. Jones, you haven’t seen the room; just wait.”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he replied.
“Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my
room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged … it’s how
I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. “It’s a decision I make
every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in
bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no
longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I’ll focus on the new
day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away. Just for this time in
my life.

Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.