The Worst Day Ever?
Recently I went to a professional gathering and casually said to a close friend I was attending with that I thought the meeting was going to be a waste of time. My wise friend responded, "I'm sure with that attitude you're right, and you'll probably also end up finding everything possible to validate your assumption." I knew he was right, and though I didn't change my attitude completely, I did soften it enough to enable myself to experience a few significant learnings at the event.
As we head into the holiday season, which is also the snowy season here in the north, our attitudes about both will be tested and revealed. There is a clever poem, written a few years ago by a high school student in Brooklyn, New York student named Chanie Gorkin, that serves as a good reminder of how much our perspectives shape our experience. The assignment she was given in her English class was to write a poem about her worst day ever. She completed the task in a most creative manner.
Read Chanie's poem below, first from top to bottom, to get one perspective. Next, read it from the bottom up, and you will get an entirely different perspective.
Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don't try to convince me that
There's something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don't last.
And it's not true that
It's all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be obtained
Only if one's surroundings are good
It's not true that good exists
I'm sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It's all beyond my control
And you'll never in a million years hear me say that
Today was a good day
Next, read from bottom to top.
Now take a moment to reflect on how your attitude and outlook might be shaping what you are currently experiencing.
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