Your attitude is the single most important element of your happiness.
There, I said it. Again.
Why? Because how you choose (note the word “choose”) to react to the events in your life determines how well you tolerate your life. I have been harping on this for years, and when I come across someone with an inspiring attitude I like to share it with you, and this time I have a doozy!
Before I can tell you, though, I have to lay some groundwork.
I recently went to Tahiti to see a total eclipse of the sun. (It was my sixteenth eclipse; I admit I’m a bit nutty about it but that's another article.) The trip involved a two hour drive to the airport, three hours of checking in, security, and waiting at the gate, followed by 8 1/2 hours in the plane. Our group stayed at a hotel in Papaette, the capital of Tahiti, for several days before the eclipse, and then on eclipse day here is what we had to do: leave for the airport at 2:00 a.m. (yes, in the morning--that’s not a typo), wait for our 4:00 a.m. flight, fly 2 1/2 hours to Hao (a remote atoll in the Pacific), spend about four hours at the airport in Hao to observe the eclipse and all of the various phases, then fly 2 1/2 hours back to Papaette.
We’re almost there; bear with me.
Half of our group went to a different atoll: same procedure, but a different atoll. Both groups arrived back at the hotel at about the same time and excitedly compared notes. Sadly, while we had clear skies and an excellent view, the other group had cloudy skies and saw nothing. (Clouds are the nemesis of eclipse chasers, which is why we are careful about where to choose to go to see them. Even so, it’s always a crap shoot.)
Now I can tell you about the wonderful attitude! One of the group that was clouded out was Debbie, a woman who I had met earlier in the trip who was there for her fourth eclipse. Think about it; she went through everything I just described about getting to Tahiti and then to the atoll (not to mention the expense), only to have cloudy weather and miss the very event that was the purpose of the trip! Can you imagine how you would feel?
I told her how sorry I was that she missed it. Here’s what she said: “I just feel sorry for the people who have never seen an eclipse before. How disappointing for them!”
I was blown away. She felt bad for the others, not herself. I consider myself to have a pretty good attitude, but believe me when I tell you that I was not that charitable the two times I was clouded out on previous eclipse trips, one of which was to Mongolia!
Debbie had an aura about her of peace and tranquility; with an attitude like that it’s not surprising is it? I have no doubt that that aura is due to the attitude, not the other way around.
I hope that you find her attitude inspiring; I certainly did.
The next time your gut reaction is to get angry about something, think of Debbie and go for the peace and tranquility instead.
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