From Grief to Gratitude: Embracing Positivity with LITSG
I got in my car and just started crying. It took me a while to leave his hospital bed. I left and walked to the elevator and walked back. I did this a few times until I finally said goodbye and left the hospital.
But I wasn’t done. I sat and stared over the steering wheel and cried. I couldn’t leave. I got back out of my car and returned to the foot of my uncle’s bed. As I stood there, the weight of signing hospice paperwork felt surreal, a stark, numb acknowledgment of farewell.
Descending to the lobby after this heart-wrenching moment, a starkly contrasting scene unfolded. A couple, radiating new-parent joy, cradled their newborn. Just a few floors below saying my last goodbye to my beloved uncle, I smiled as I saw a new beginning.
As the elevator door closed, I reoriented my perspective and started laughing a bit as I watched this couple delicately try to get a jacket on their tiny newborn. I reflected for a moment on my first days as a father when I too handled my daughter as if her head or arm might spontaneously detach from her body.
As I got to the car the second time, I was smiling and laughing. I knew I said my last goodbye to my uncle, but now I was focused on the family I just encountered in the lobby. A new beginning with great joy.
One of the core principles of LITSG is Choose Your Attitude… Own It! I chose to reorient my perspective to focus on the positive rather than dwell on the negative. Same building, same day, two different families experiencing vastly different stories. Attitude is Everything – The Power of Positivity quickly reminded me to find the positives in the world around me. I laughed at how the parents held that child as Funny Things are Everywhere.
The beauty of the LITSG philosophy lies in its natural, effortless resonance. Positivity found me in an unexpected moment of joy amidst sorrow. I encourage you: whatever challenges you face today, embrace positivity. Seek out moments of laughter and joy. Cherish each minute, strive to make today the best day ever. No matter how bad it might seem, something positive is right in front of you. Find it.
The LITSG Road Show Continues
My passion is to continue spreading the LITSG message and making the world happier one smile at a time. Most recently I was a guest on the Be Better Podcast. Check out the episode at Be Better Podcast.
I have also been presenting keynotes and hosting Happiness Workshops across the country. Last week I helped the members of the YPO-Manhattan chapter build their Happiness Strategies. Reach out if your company or team can use a jolt of positivity.