Optimism - Part III

Usually, no one starts out at the top of his or her profession. Life is a journey, after all. A positive attitude always makes the journey more meaningful and enjoyable. To illustrate this, I want to share with you the story of three bricklayers busily working at their trade. A man stopped by and asked each of them what they were doing. “I’m laying bricks,” the first man said without ever taking his eyes from his work. “I’m putting up a wall,” the second man said. But the third man, with enthusiasm and pride, said, “I’m building a cathedral!”

When you rule your mind, you really do rule the world because the world you live in is the world you perceive. “Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” said a Zen master. When asked to explain, he added, “A man cheerfully observed a religious fast seven days a week. His neighbor starved to death on the same diet.”

Excerpt from 'LifeManual' by Peter H. Thomas. www.lifemanual.com. Copyright 2005, 2006. All rights reserved.

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