P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331 Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418 E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Attitude is a Choice

A 92-year-old, slightly framed, dignified and pleasantly independent man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably styled and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife, to whom he had been married 70 years, recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the reception area of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready. As he manoeuvred his walker to the nearby lift, a staff member provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the colourful curtains 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 yet; just wait." "That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness 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 have 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 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." Friend, as you reflect on this story I've just shared with you, I hope that it might bring to your mind the truth that old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from it what you've put in. So my advice to you today, is to deposit a lot of happiness in your bank account of memories! And you would do well to remember the five simple rules to be happy: Free your heart of hatred Free your mind from worries Live simply Give more One final thought, if you're a senior citizen, it's not your age that's important. It's your mental attitude. So never stop dreaming! Never stop believing! Never stop expecting! If you would like for me to send you a small booklet titled "I'm Getting Old", which reinforces the truth that inner security and happiness, at any age, comes from a sense of one's own worth and dignity, I'd be pleased to do so. Just send your request to P.O. Box 1540, Albany, W.A. 6331. You can also phone/fax us on: (08) 9841 8418. Or you may Email us at: abl-alb@omninet.net.au Have a great day!

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