Finding Gold in the Most Unlikely Place

A few days ago, I was at a grocery store getting a few things for dinner that day. The store was busy and the shoppers were, as they mostly are, focused on getting their list fulfilled and getting out of the store quickly and efficiently. As I went to the checkout, I got in line, appropriately socially distanced, and waited my turn.

Somewhat tired and a bit frustrated from having to wait for so long in line, I was greeted by the young lady running the cash register with a sincere “How are you today?” and “Did you find everything you were looking for?”. It did not appear to come across as canned to recorded and the young lady seemed genuine in her concern.?I mentioned to her, how nice it was to have someone act like they genuinely cared about my experience and commented on how pleasant her demeanor was. She told me that when she wakes up each morning she decides that she is going to have a good day today as she felt it was a choice, we all have to make.

As I proceeded to the parking lot, I thought about how we can all choose to “create ourselves a good day” and it then dawned on me, that if we choose to do that, then conversely, we also choose to have a bad day. It is that simple….our days are good or bad depending on our choices. This young lady simply created her own “Great Day” each and every morning with a simple decision.

Certainly there will always be external circumstances that make it easier to go one ay or another, but in the end, we can always choose to accept one or the other. It isn’t always easy to choose to have a great day, nor is it easy to create the atmosphere around you to allow this to happen, but it is necessary as our world rarely blindly cooperates. It requires that we take ownership of our lives. On the other hand, it is easy however, to choose to have a bad day as we can always blame outside influences for them.

This reminds me of the story, first told to me by a friend and colleague, Paul McCabe, of the wise man that dreams about two dogs, one beautiful, dedicated and well mannered and the other mean, mangy and wild in its actions. The dogs continually who battle each other each and every night. When asked which dog ultimately wins the fight, he responds. “the one I feed the most”. (For the record, Paul wrote a book called "Feed the Good Dog" available on Amazon.)

My meeting with this young lady, while brief, was impactful to say the least. We often find wonderful inspirations in place we least expect it and I am grateful to her for just being who she is. Our quick exchange lead me to go back into a time when I was looking for a sense of direction and purpose. Through this search, I read many philosophical books, with the intent of discovering a new path. After all if we don’t know where we are actual going, most any road will get us there; it’s just the journey may not be as enjoyable and efficient as possible and our final destination may will likely turn out to be a place called Happenstance at best.

As I digested the thoughts of others, I wrote down my affirmation statement, in an effort to keep a level keel while navigating stressful situations. Some of it is my own and some are thoughts gleaned. If I could remember where I found them, I would certainly give credit, but at this point, I can only say if these are your thoughts that you have published, thank you for doing so…..they made a big impact on me.

To this day I try to live it, sometimes with success and other times with failure, but at least I have a measuring stick to judge myself against. As a human, I can always take solace in knowing that no one is perfect and it is the journey and the growth that goes with it that matters most.

I would like to share it with anyone who cares to read it, with the hopes that it can provide some guidance, when you are in your difficult place and are struggling to make the choice to have a good day. I hope you enjoy it and perhaps you will use similar thoughts to measure your purpose.

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I Am Responsible

?I am responsible…I am responsible for my past decisions...I am responsible for my present state…and I am responsible for my future…no one else…just me. So today I choose to make a difference.

I choose to focus on all things positive in my life and I do not allow myself to be victimized by circumstances nor do I allow myself to be dragged into negative conversations that promote an external locus of control.

I choose to control my thoughts, as a person is a product of their thoughts and I want to be happy and hopeful, not defeated and pessimistic. I do not allow myself to be consumed with self-pity, self-deprecation, anxiety or boredom.

I choose to forgive all of those, who at one time or another, for one reason or another, have not met my expectations. I understand that that they have given me their best. By forgiving, I no longer have the need or desire to dwell on how outside influences have negatively affected my life and I can move forward with a clean slate. I accept less to gain more.

I acknowledge my mistakes and errors, but do not allow those past failures to haunt me. I use those mistakes to learn, to become better and to move forward, refusing to look back and reflect on what ifs and what could have been. I find victory in my endeavors and I achieve success.

I choose to listen to what others have to say, attentively and with interest. I consider their opinions, and do not condemn their thoughts. I do not allow myself to attempt to prove falsehoods in others' opinions to simply elevate my own ego, but rather, allow others to hold onto their own thoughts as truths. These thoughts do not control my life, only theirs.

I am grateful for the time given to me today to make these choices, as time is a precious commodity that disappears continuously. I do the most difficult and disliked tasks first as that way the day gets better, not worse. I understand that living in the "now" is what counts, that I can do nothing about the past but learn from it, and I can only prepare for my future, but not change other's impact on it.

Today, I will spend time with those I love and that mean the most to me, either in person, or by thought. My connection with the most important people in my life, is what moves me forward.

Today, I choose to make a difference, to be a success, to be a better human being and to make a positive contribution to the world I live in.