I'm reading a lot lately and really trying to improve the quality of my daily life. One author that has really influenced me is Robin Sharma. He's written several books, and this is a story from one of his books called, Who Will Cry When You Die?. The chapter is called "Maintaining Your Perspective."
"One day, according to an old story, a man with a serious illness was wheeled into a hospital room where another patient was resting on a bed next to the window. As the two became friends, the one next to the window would look out of it and then spend the next few hours delighting his bedridden companion with vivid descriptions of the world outside. Some days he would describe the beauty of the trees in the park across from the hospital and how the leaves danced in the wind. On other days, he would entertain his friend with step-by-step replays of the things people were doing as they walked by the hospital. However, as time went on, the bedridden man grew frustrated at his inability to observe the wonders his friend described. Eventually he grew to dislike him and then to hate him intensely.
One night, during a particularly bad coughing fit, the patient next to the window stopped breathing. Rather than pressing the button for help, the other man chose to do nothing. The next morning, the patient who had given his friend so much happiness by recounting the sights outside the window was pronounced dead and wheeled out of the hospital room. The other man quickly asked that his bed be placed next to the window, a request that was complied with by the attending nurse. But as he looked out the window, he discovered something that made him shake; the window faced a stark brick wall. His former roommate had conjured up the incredible sights that he described in his imagination as a loving gesture to make the world of his friend a little better during a difficult time. He had acted out of selfless love."
The specific chapter is just about shifting your perspective, "are your troubles really that big?" Read Robin Sharma's books, read the books he recommends. So far, they have all moved me and improved my way of thinking and nearly all aspects of my daily life.
I just think that with the bitterness and pain that is sometimes felt on Pet Talk, it's a good reminder to keep things in perspective. I know it's something I have to remind myself of constantly. EDITED TO SAY: not because of pet talk, as I don't get bothered by stuff here, but in every day life away from the computer!
Anyway, enjoy the day!
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