Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had 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 unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry 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 Jerry and asked him, “I don’t get it! You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, “Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, 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,” Jerry 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 will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It’s your choice how you live life.”
I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business: he left the back door open one morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. I saw Jerry 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 did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, 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. Jerry continued, “The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room 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 Jerry. “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, ‘Bullets!’ Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.”
Jerry 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.
By Francie Baltazar-Schwartz
Let this really sink in-
then choose how you start your day tomorrow.
{ 175 comments… read them below or add one }
It is very nice story. With positive attitude we can achieve any thing out of this life.
This is amazing, I was suffering from lots of problems but now I have a chose problem or solution?
Thanks, it helped me in my school elocution contest.
Beautiful story, it helped me to take the imp decision of my career…. It’s really very inspiring.
It is a good story. I learned a lot from this. Really amazing. Thanx for this nice story.
Awesome! Coz it adds positive energy.. I’ll surely pass it on to the ones I care.
It is a very interesting and inspiring story to me and for all.. there is a very positive point that have to adapt by us in our life.
This story helped me to think positive and be happy.
Tears in my eyes when I am reading this story…
Amazing…
I just try to live like Jerry…
I would love to be like him …
I want to live like Jerry.
Lovely sayings… Love and help others make you feel happy forever as I do.
Wow, it was in the middle of a concert, I was sitting in my dressing room with my laptop – read the story, really touching.
Nice story…it gives a positive outlook
Really nice story. Good for so many people with depressed & negative mind.
Long live the Jerry-like! May they infect our society.
Nice story… I’m motivated about it..
So inspired story…thanks for sharing this..
Thank you I…feel different now just by reading this =)
This is very good to read and we want to follow.
Nice…Story
It was a gud morale story. , . . . Finaly i got a reason to live ma life in a better way
Nice and motivative too
I know positive thinking does work in tricky situation.
Nice story
very nice story……….
hey thanx for this story …
Hey! That is great. I loved the story and it was motivational too.
Really inspirational. Got to have that attitude.
Ya super and great story… it is very good example to motivate our self… I really enjoy and realise this story.
Fully attitude and positively moral.
This story is very nice and practically very tough.
Positive attitude should be maintained until death……. very very very nice story…
This story has helped me change the way I think a great deal.
Nice story ….. I am motivated though that…….this story brings change in my thinking.
You saved me !!!!!!!!!!
Very good story, it creates a positive energy …….
Just went through the story and love it. I hope this will work on me too…
Very useful story please follow this moral in daily life
VERYYYYYYYYYYY NICE STORY
I liked the idea behind the story. I personally have decided to take up Jerry’s strategy in life.
Ya i learned to stay still in confusing path of life or do and go ahead which i am going to do from now on wards after i finished this such a wonderful truth of way of living life…Hat’s off to the writer
Awesome story. The attitude we have is all that matters.
great !!
oh… wow… super story to motivation….. great…..
Wow… very interseting story.
Interesting story
Great Great story highly motivational…..
Teached me the best way to remain positive….
It moved me to my core….
Really got inspired from this story
Woow! It has really inspired me. Today I was feeling so low & discourage. Thanks. I believe I will see the positive side of things & not the negatives.
Hmmm…. That’s interesting story…
People should really live their lives as per the character (Jerry). It’s something inspirational lesson to us to learn to keep our mind in good mood whatever the condition is.
I liked this story very much. Keep posting such inspirational stuff.
Attitude is showing your willpower, nothing become something if we think possitive everyday in life. In fact every moment in life.
Such a nice story… Attitude is everything…true..
Really inspiring and motivating story. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing this. I chose to think positively.
Its really Nice story……..
Very inspiring story to live a life in fullest.
Bravo.. Good One..
Motivator
Thank you so much. It makes u feel better inside.
Very nice story. It has made me to choose how I should live now.
Awesome story. Thank you so much.
Good story regarding to the consequences of your way to thinking……..thanx
Ultimate truth of life…positive thinking is all which can make our life.
Good story yaar…..
Awesome story I will write in my english homework. First time i have heard such a nice story lovely one muah !!
I will share it with my friends
<3
WITH POSITIVE THINKING EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE IN LIFE
Great story, changed my life
I think positive thinking affirmations are a great way to access the subconscious mind and improve the way we think about life.
Really lovely and beautiful story.
Positive attidude people would never understand the magnitude of a bad situation.
Great, be positive & productive. Negative thinking will waste the energy.
The stories were really very nice. Infact they all were just awesome.
Very nice story.
I have kept this story for years and always hand it out to people who I think could benefit from it. I always try to be like Jerry every day, I always chose to be positive. Great story.
Wow full on positive attitude… things keep on moving ahead whatever is the situation.
Salute to Jerry….:)
A story with full of positivity….
Really nice story, and also we have to make ourselves very flexible and live with this positive attitude. So we never got any bad days in our life… agree or not.. and to live with this attitude will have to say “Jo hota hai vo bhale ke liye hota hai”.
Binding my energy towards positiveness………
Really a great story provide love & help.
Always B POSSITIVE
Nice story, it prevails postiveness in all over the world.
Beautiful story! Truly it can awaken a weakened heart, God bless us..
Really superb story… It changed my life and thought…before reading this story I was very worried about one incident happened in my life but now I choose the positive side from that. This story helped me to live my life happily. Thanks a lot.
Awesome story. I don’t have any words to describe the story, it helped me a lot to find passage for my elocution.
My teachers liked this and now I choose to win and not to lose. I hope I win this elocution!!! Fingers crossed!!!
Indeed it’s a superb story especially for since I have come to foreign country to work and earn, however things going difficult may cos it’s just the second day… but I’ll read this everyday to inculcate this in my routine life… it’s difficult but not impossible
It’s really a worthy story to follow. I will be following this to live happily
Amazing…. wonderful story it gave more enthusiasm to me…
Nice oneeeeeeeee
Wow…nice.. I want to be like him..
Wonderful
Really a great & inspiring story………If each personson could be like jerry then then their will be no problem rather then a solutions
This kind of articles help us in our life. Request every1 to read it, understand and apply in ur life. THANKS SO MUCH
Very nice story.
Nice, inspiring story…thanks
Really I was inspired after going through this positive story.
Really, I like this motivational & inspirational story.
Nice one, attitude and perception are the two main key things in life!
A gr8t one, I choose, I choose, I choose 2 live.
It’s Great loving positive story..thanks..
Great positive attitude you have Jerry… very impressed and motivated tooo.
I would like to be like Tom and Jerry.
This story is like oxygen to the dying motivation
Very awesome………..
Positive and Inspirational..
Have a positive attitude in life, things will automatically turn the positive way.
Love the story, hard to live such life, but not impossible.
I like this story very much. It changed my life and thought.
This is a great story! Nice …………………….
Would like to meet Jerry
Or a person like him in this world
Thank you for posting this very uplifting story..:) Yes it’s true life is a matter of choices..
Great story! It really helpled me. Life is really a matter of choice, my own choice and no one else’s
Great Story!!!!!!!!
The positiveness awarded to this story wasn’t enough. To me, I call wonders of the minded, how I wish I could think like my dear friend Jerry, he is a positive thinker indeed.
Ya….very nice… I think positive thoughts are very powerful for life!!!
I must choose the positive side of my life! With God’s guidance, I can do it!!!
Nice story and Jerry is lucky to be alive, also I like to be positive in life with the help of this morning prayer.
I can do all things through Christ who strenghten me.
Very nice story to think enthusiastically with positive approach….!!!!!
Nice story. Always think positive.
great….
Choice is essential to living…..LOL…..
Many thanks for your stories !
Live life to the fullest… but always choose to be in a good mood always.
Truly amazing story, it can change your thought process
It’s so interesting & awesome story if we read dis story anyone can easily inspired thanks a lot.
Really we should think positively in our life…
This is really an inspiring story. I loved this story. Thanks to Francie Baltazar-Schwartz
Very very thanks to you for such an inspirational story, I really love it.
Super!!!
I pray to God to make me and people around me like Jerry.
ALAS! I really think positive after reading this story. I’ll never forget this story. Thank you !
Its all about attitude – Easy said but difficult to follow
Bottom line, we all need to have a positive attitude for ourself and everyone around us.
The best is set an example
It is truly fantastic story. I have learned my life’s most important thing today! Really made my day positive.
There are two ways: positive and negative. We are proud by choosing the positive way.
Very nice and motivational stories I read in this site..very nice, I loved it, I learned my life’s most important thing.
Nice. It’s a very inspirational story ♥☺
It is a nice story but it happens to less than 1% of people.
Simply amazing!
I’ll chisel this in my head and in my heart.
Thank you!
I really get more knowledge from your story, thanks.
It is a very inspirational story. I want to improve positive attitude.
Hi. It’s really good, it helps me to give good interview in positive thinking.
Super like….It is really a grt motivational story i ever heard
Right now I have two choises with me — to change my way of thinking by following the footsteps of Jerry — or to be myself…
I prefer to be myself by following the principles of Jerry…
THINK DIFFERENT….
Positive thinking is very important in life.
I am so happy and inspired. Thank you.
Superb motivation.
Highly motivational story. One should practice this idea.
A good life to leave on.
Think positive…..be happy and make dem happy…….
and keep smiling…………….:):)
It is a very inspiring story .. hoooh ..! da best ..
Am more happy.. I got a initiation..thnx
Excellent story on Positive Attitude
Touched..really a great inspiring story.
Superb!
I hope it will be a very good change in my life.
Very good story…….I really inspired from this story.
I relly like this story very much and I want to make my attitude same ..
Story was awsome, I learned from the story that every day we have the choice to live fully. Just leave the Junk and be positive, success will be on the way.
There should be inspiring upbeat stories like this in the press each day!
Such an inspiring story I must say… !!!
It’s a really good story!
It has helped me change the way to see the things and become more positive!
Yeah!
It’s too nice to read… wonderful thanks dude…
Positive thought habit makes your heart courage
Really it made me happy after I read this lesson. It is a great story for everyone.
It’s a very nice story. It teaches me a good lesson indeed so I think it’s fantastic excellent ….
A beautiful piece, to give peace
Wow. Very nice story. I m feeling very good. Great story!!
Vary nice and inspiring story….
This is a very nice story, I read it, it gave to me motivation now I am very happy.
Nice story…. I was really motivated by this story. I think that positive attitude is the solution of all the problems we face in our daily life.
Jerry is wise guy!!
He’s an optimistic person!
Keep it up….
I feel good after reeding this story.
Great motivator
Really worth reading and important is to follow. I will follow the two ways of handling any situation (to be on the positive note)
Really Motivating story.
Its truly inspiring..