It's all about attitude...

I've got a good friend who suffered a very debilitating stroke a few weeks ago. Quite honestly, I didn't give him a whole lot of "credit" towards recovery. From the first time I got to see him in the hospital, it just plain didn't look good.

Unfortunately, other than an oblique contact now and again, I hadn't been able to check in on him personally until today. All I can say is WOW!

Today when I walked in the room, a quick smile crossed his face (BOTH sides equally!). When I reached to shake his hand, I went toward his left hand, since the stroke and caused a loss of motor function on his right side. He just looked up from his wheelchair, grinned his sly grin, and said "wait"....and ever so slowly got his right hand up under it's own power to shake mine. Amazing.

We visited for a little while, and his high spirit was simply energizing. He told me that in addition to the prescribed therapy he's receiving, he's working hard on his own towards recovery. Just plain cool....

Why this story? Well, something he told me...it's all about attitude. He could have literally given up and been satisfied to sit idly by and be waited on for the rest of his life. He told me that wouldn't be his outcome. He wanted to get better, he wants to be better, and isn't going to let anything like a stroke get in his way.

ATTITUDE people! Half of our problems right now, socially speaking, can be traced to "victimhood"...ohh poor me, it's someone else's fault that I'm in the condition I'm in....yadda yadda yadda.

Get up off your duffs and do something to make YOUR world what YOU want it to be. Just play nice, don't hurt anyone in the process, and love & appreciate people and what you have.

Good luck Doc, and thanks for the life lesson from a wheelchair.....