Old, But Still Relevant: Half Full or Half Empty?

I was blessed to become acquainted with a woman who survived the attack on the World Trade Center. She was staying in the hotel located between the Twin Towers and experienced the collapse of her own building and the horror of people throwing themselves from the upper floors of the Towers. She saw the collapse of the Towers, up close and very personal. Stampeding crowds fleeing the conflagration trampled her while feeling the site. Covered with dust and debris, looking like a zombie, she was denied entry into other hotels. She finally found a hotel that would admit her, and at 3:00 o’clock in the morning, on September 12, 2001, she was sitting on a park bench, overlooking the river, in shock and wondering what was going to become of her.

In the months that followed, she returned to her native Brazil and tried to put her life back together. However, the PTSD that she was suffering manifested itself in ways that might seem strange to some people. She wouldn’t sleep anyplace other than the first floor of her home. She would sleep fully clothed, including shoes. Her purse with identification and money were always within immediate reach. Several operations to repair her damaged back, ribs, and teeth followed.

Today, this woman posts on Instagram every day. And, her posts are always positive, encouraging, and uplifting. Few would blame her for feeling anger or hatred toward the ones responsible for her suffering. However, as she has worked through her traumas and memories, struggling constantly toward the light, she has chosen to view the world as a place where good people live, where there are more good people than bad, where as long as there is life, there is hope.

The world can be a hard place, and suffering seems to be a standard part of the human condition. But, staying stuck in suffering is a choice. No matter how bad the circumstances, as long as we’re drawing breath, a way can be found to improve our situation. And, at the bottom of our ability to overcome circumstances is our attitude: Do we see the glass as half full or half empty?

Shakespeare said something like “nothing is good or bad, but that the mind of man make it so.” If we choose to see the world as a place of goodness, possibilities, supportive, and eager to help us, then that is what we will find. Our expectations will always color our outcomes.

Last point. A wise man once said, “Obstacles are what we see when we take our eyes off the goal.” So, set goals; set them high, and keep looking at the things that stand in the way as nothing more than a sign that the glass is already half full, and filling up even further!