InspirEmail

The whole world saw what the Black Saturday bush fires did to the state of Victoria, Australia on Saturday, February 7, 2009. Being a resident of the Northern Suburbs in Melbourne, I am close to some of the bush fire affected areas. In fact, I lived in the municipality of Whittlesea, where the bush fire victims from Kinglake (one of the hardest hit towns in Victoria) had been given shelter.

A week after the bush fires, I was in the town of Whittlesea to drop off pet food that my friends and I had donated to the local veterinary clinic. My dog goes to this particular vet, where they had been caring for many of the burned, injured, and homeless animals.

Driving back from the veterinary clinic, I was deep in thought as I had seen such suffering. So many people had been affected by the bush fires. On a brighter note, the overwhelming show of support and generosity from the general public was inspiring. 

I was listening to the radio, when a lady who had been affected by the bush fires called in. She was expressing her gratitude towards the generous offers of donations that had been flooding in since the disastrous fires had struck, a few days earlier.  When asked by the radio program host how she was feeling, her response was very powerful. She replied, 'Well, I have got two options, I can either be bitter or I can be better. I choose to be better.'

What an empowering statement this lady had made. She had lost every material possession; yet, she felt empowered and was looking at the bright side of life. I could only imagine what trauma she had initially gone through.

She probably knew people who had lost their lives, yet, she was expressing gratitude for the fact that she was still alive. She saw this as an opportunity, not an adversity. She went on to say that she would move back to her home and rebuild. Now, that is a true definition of courage!

What a wonderful lesson for everyone. I can say with certainty that her empowering attitude must have been beneficial and inspirational towards the people around her, whose predicament was the same as hers.

There are two types of people in the world - those who do not give up against adversity, and those who give up once they face adversity. The difference between these two individuals is their attitude. The successful person has a 'never say die, don't give up' attitude and this drives him to success eventually. Whereas the one who gives up has an attitude of 'I am faced with a challenge that is too difficult. I will not be able to do this.'  

These two individuals could be equally talented, equally equipped with the necessary requirements and equally skilled.  However, one of them has an empowering attitude and the other does not.

Everyone has the ability to choose their attitude. We can choose our attitude carefully and wisely, and then our attitude chooses the circumstances.  Faith is greater than fear.  Have faith in your attitude and let the faith overcome any fears you may have about reaching your goals.

Your attitude is one of the greatest and most potent weapons at your disposal. You can have an empowering attitude. Just remember, it takes work and the work is greatly rewarded! 

Written by Ron K Prasad

Ron is a Life Coach, Certified Mastermind Executive Coach and Inspirational Speaker who is based in Melbourne, Australia. He publishes an e-newsletter 'Ideal Insights' which provides encouragement and assistance for people who are looking to make a positive difference in their lives.  You can subscribe to his e-newsletter at . . . Ideal Insights >>>