My wife enjoys watching a reality television program called “The Little Couple.” It is about a couple in their 30s, the husband is 4 feet tall and the wife is 3 feet 2 inches. The program centers around their day-to-day life and the interesting circumstances which come into play.
Honestly, I usually don’t watch this type of programming and rather ignored it until this month when I actually sat down and watched an episode. What I found incredibly interesting about them is not only how they lived, but their careers. The wife is a doctor who specializes in pediatric intensive care. During each episode she explains how she chose this line of work. She wanted to be a doctor and yet working with larger individuals seemed impossible so she chose to work with babies.
As I watched I realized how incredible her actions really were. At some point in her life she made a very critical decision. She acted positively when others might have considered her apparent limitations and discouraged her from becoming a doctor. We have heard it said we can look at life as a glass half full or half empty. This sounds trite, but carries with it a lot of truth in how we address our day-to-day circumstances. Success and failure can often be reduced to reexamining any given situation and striving to find the positive rather than always dragging out the negative.
Corrie Ten Boom found herself in a German concentration camp during World War II. Yet with all the tragedy and horrors she found an opportunity to find joy in the smallest plant and give hope and joy to others, even though her sister died in the same camp. Most likely, several people owe their lives to this lady.
It is a common truth that how you respond to others is often mirrored back to you. This month when you are tempted to complain or participate in negative discussions, stop yourself and decide to speak only positively about your situation and the people you work with. Be a leader in bringing hope to people rather than despair and stress. We have enough of that to go around. You may be surprised to find out that the good will you start comes back to you many times.