Window of Opportunity

There were two men sharing a hospital room and every day the man closest to the window would share an account of what was going on outside with his roommate who was confined to his bed. The man would go into great detail describing beautiful sunsets, children playing in the park and many other wonderful things. The bed-ridden man enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the outside world and soon noticed it was the highlight of his day.

When the bed-ridden patient checked in to the hospital, he was run down by the setbacks in his life and did not really care much about his declining state of health. However, his roommates accounts had given the man a new look on life. He became determined to get better so he could enjoy all the wonderful things the world has to offer.

With his new positive attitude, the bed-ridden patient began to show signs of improvement. However, the patient closest to the window suffered from complications and passed away. Grieving the loss of his friend, the other man asked the nurse if he could be moved over to the window. After the orderly began to move him, he was so excited to see the view he had heard so much about from his friend. Much to his surprise, the only thing outside the window was a dark and dirty brick wall.

The man was upset and confused about the situation and conveyed his frustration to the nurse. It was at that time the nurse informed him that his friend was blind.

Throughout my journey of self improvement, I have realized that God has given me the ability to decide how I wish to view my life. I can directly influence my attitude and reactions to life's challenges by choosing to stay positive and look for the good in every situation. If I had always lived with this mind set, I know I could have saved myself from a self induced feeling of depression that controlled my life for several years.

This story shared above goes to show that even though life can bring undesirable circumstances, it is completely up to us to see good in every situation. Our attitude and outlook can grant the power to transform even the darkest days into shiny opportunities of hope. By making the decision to be positive, we can stay happy and full of joy even if there happens to be a brick wall right outside our window.