“Your Choice: Good Mood or Bad Mood” by Joan Y. Edwards
Since 2002 or before, “Michael Is the Guy You Love to Hate” story has been going around the internet. I received it in an email from from Joan Allison Hyatt, my roommate at Western Carolina College in 1960, who sent me funny stories and stories with good spiritual messages. We were friends for over 50 years. She died a few years ago. I miss her. May God rest her soul. Here’s the story. I hope you enjoy it.
“Michael Is the Kind of Guy You Hate” (Author unknown)
Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say.
When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, “If I were any better, I would be twins!”
He was a natural motivator.
If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.
Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?”
Michael replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or … you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.
Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or…I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.
Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or… I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.
Yeah, right, it’s not that easy,” I protested. “Yes, it is,” Michael said. “Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live your life.”
I reflected on what Michael said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.
Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. “If I were any better, I’d be twins. Wanna see my scars?” I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.
“The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon to be born daughter, ” Michael replied. “Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or …I could choose to die. I chose to live.”
Weren’t you scared? Did you lose consciousness?” I asked. Michael continued, “…the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read he’s a dead man.” I knew I needed to take action.” What did you do?” I asked.
Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me,” said Michael. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. Yes, I replied.” The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, “Gravity.”
Over their laughter, I told them, “I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”
Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude.
I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own. After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
You have two choices now:
1. Ignore this and forget about it.
2. Take it on board and make tomorrow the next day of a more fulfilling life!
Resources There are many sites that posted this story. Below is one of them.
“Michael Is the Kind of Guy You Hate.” https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/11/archives/michael-murphy-actor-plays-guy-you-love-to-hate-complexity-is-added.html
Stay safe.
Be well.
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
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There used to be a fellow near where I live. He was diagnosed with advanced cancer and told he had 6 months to live. He’d always wanted to do hang gliding, but was afraid to give it a go.
Now, he said, “What the heck, if I fall, so what.”
He jumped off a tower on a nearby mountain, and went hang gliding for many over 100 mile trips.
The cancer did eventually kill him — over 3 years later. They were the best 3 years of his life.
🙂
Dear Bob,
Thank you for writing and sharing the story of the fellow who went ahead and did hang gliding in spite of the fact that doctor’s had given him his death decree. I love that he had the gumption to enjoy life as long as he lived. Indeed other people give us reasons to never give up by their example.
Thank you for being a good example for us and helping us to never give up.
I hope you
Never Give Up
Be safe.
Be well.
Sincerely,
Joan
Joan,
What an awesome and amazing story. I don’t recall ever hearing it before. So glad I have. Now to do my best to live this approach to life. I want it! Thanks so much for sharing.
Dear Linda,
Thank you for writing. I’m glad you thought Michael’s story was amazing and awesome. I did, too. I believe you already have this approach to life, Linda. It is amazing what you do to help others and to live life as God wants you to live it.
Never Give Up
Be well.
Be safe.
Sinerely,
Joan
Thanks for another inspirational story, Joan. I shall use it in our parish newsletter when space permits,
Dear Ken,
Thank you for writing. I’m glad that you found Michael’s story inspirational. It’s great that you are going to share it in your parish newsletter when you get space enough for it. I hope that it helps all who read it find the energy and wisdom to love living a little more.
Never Give Up
Joan
We have choices every minute of the day. By God’s Grace, Lord help us make the right ones!
Dear Carol,
Thank you very much for writing. You are exactly right; we have choices every minute of the day. God gives us the grace to get through the most difficult experiences because of his grace, we see things in a different light. That enables us to get through them with a good attitude.
Never Give Up
Joan
Joan very timely for today as we make many choice every day. Thanks for what you do! God Bless stay safe.
Jim
Dear Jim,
Thank you for writing. I love hearing from you. You are right. We do make choices every day. I think this story is indeed relevant today. I saved it in 2002-2003 because it meant a lot to me. Now it is even more meaningful because of the COVID-19. It certainly has us thinking and pondering about God and others. God is good to me. He gives me friends like you to travel life’s road. Thank you.
Never Give Up
Be Safe.
Be Well.
Joan
A bit late to the party, but I made it here to comment. The post is so relevant to what the world is going through at the moment. Scary times for sure, and it’s something we’ve never seen in our lifetimes, and I, for one, hope to never again.
I’m working from home three days a week and am quite enjoying it. But for writers, being alone is what we’re used to.
Dear Melanie,
Thank you for coming. You’re not late to the party. You’re right on time. It’s a drop in anytime of day. Thanks for writing. You’re right. Michael’s story is very relevant to today’s times. I like you, hope we never see this again. Glad you are able to work from home three days a week. I hope you remain safe and well. Thanks for being my friend on our journey.
Never Give Up
Be safe.
Be well.
Joan