Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDLXXXVIII

When I first started my business, a lady in a neighboring showroom at the Dallas Apparel Mart told me she wanted to speak to me about something. The gist of what she had to say was that her territory with a few of the lines she was carrying included Louisiana and Mississippi, and since she was Dallas based, she just couldn't get to those states as often as needed, due to her busy schedule. She wanted to know if I was interested in covering those two states for her. That was just the boost I needed to get my business up and running, so we made a deal. The arrangement worked well for both of us for three or four years until my own business had grown to the point to where I just didn't have time to do her lines justice, so I resigned. We parted ways as friends, and have remained so down through the years, although our respective businesses have taken different turns, and I just don't see her as often. Well, yesterday I saw her, so I sat down with her and her husband to "catch up" on what has been going on in each others' lives. I left feeling depressed. Things have taken a downward turn for her, and I've never heard such negative talk coming from her in the nearly thirty years of our acquaintance. I tried to encourage her, but I felt awkward and didn't really know what to say. One of the hardest things to do is to keep a positive attitude when life throws us lemons, and I'm speaking with the voice of experience. However, an upbeat frame of mind is vital to get us back on our feet and back into the victory column. I've seen it work both ways in sports. Joe Montana was a master at it. I don't know how many times I've seen him down by as much as twenty-one points late in the game, yet he never gave up and never stopped believing he could pull out a win....and so many times he did just that. I've also seen the dejected looks on the faces of players who were behind, and every time I've seen those looks, they lost. When things are spiraling downward, a negative attitude only hastens our demise. Our attitude also affects those around us. Several years ago, my wife discovered just how contagious her attitude could be. When she walked into her office on Monday morning with a frown on her face, talking about how much she was dreading that day and week, it wouldn't be long until the entire office staff had the same frame of mind, and sure enough, it was a bad week. However, there were other days, when even though they knew they had a hard week ahead, if she walked in with a smile on her face and talked about how she was ready for the week's challenges, soon the entire staff would be laughing, and that tough week ended up not being so bad after all. A few weeks ago I mentioned a friend who is going through a divorce, yet every time I see her, she has a smile on her face. Trust me, she is feeling pain, but I have a good feeling about her future, all because of the positive way in which she is dealing with her problem. Whatever my situation is today, it's gonna change. Nothing ever stays the same. Without a doubt, I have problems in my future that at this point I can't see coming. I'm not worrying about them, though, because I know I will get through them. And again, I'm speaking with the voice of experience. Preston