Rec'd in Email

[Janet]

I rec'd this and just wanted to share...it's one of those things you read that makes you want to try harder.

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with his hair fashionably coifed and shaved perfectly, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description
of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets 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; just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," he replied.

"Happiness is something 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 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 the 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. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.

So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories! Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.

" Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.

2. Free your mind from worries.

3 Live simply.

4.. Give more.

5. Expect less.

[SweetCuteness]

Wow, that's a great message!!

[Tink]

Thanks for sharing this Janet.
I know I've seen it before, but it IS a message worth repeating and remembering.
We're about as happy as we decide to be... we just have to remember that and make it a consious choice.

[DianaB]

Wise words to live by. Happiness is a choice and as Tink said "a message worth repeating and remembering".

[Janet]

Originally Posted by Tink

Thanks for sharing this Janet.
I know I've seen it before, but it IS a message worth repeating and remembering.
We're about as happy as we decide to be... we just have to remember that and make it a consious choice.

Someone famous made that same quote...something like:

"A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be"

I thought it was Abe Lincoln or Mark Twain, but couldn't find it when I looked it up. I think they are very wise words.

[Marilyn]

Janet, with all your smilies, it looks like you're well on your way to being positive!!

[Tink]

You're right Janet, it was Abe Lincoln.

"People are as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abe Lincoln

[Janet]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

Janet, with all your smilies, it looks like you're well on your way to being positive!!

Ha ha I'm trying Marilyn. It's too much work to be negative. I am really a happy person for the most part and I love to laugh. There are times I let things bring me down and sometimes it's hard to get back up. This new year I'm gonna try my best to not let that happen as much. Life is way too short.