http://www.flickr.com/photos/thenovys/2855819349/in/set-72157606830525737/My brother has been self employed for the last 30 years - he restores old Chevy power cars from the 60s and 70s. About 6 months ago he hurt his back and hasn't been able to work. In fact, he can barely pull himself out of bed each day. It's almost unthinkable for my brother, who cheerfully works 14 hours a day,to have to resign himself to virtual inactivity. Well, I recently heard from my mother that he's taken up art -- he burns designs into weathered barn boards and plans to sell them at the same swap meets where he previously sold restored cars.
His story reminds me of the "Just for Today" tips from Dale Carnegie's book, How to stop Worrying and Start Living. I'll recap one tip each day. Here's the first:
"Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.
It's not what happens to us that makes us unhappy, it's how we think about what happens to us. We can choose to view our current situation either as a curse or an opportunity. My brother inspires me.
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