He Was Fired Unexpectedly, But Never Thought It Would Lead To This

Roughly 12 years ago, while sitting in my boss’ office being told that they were discontinuing my employment, I could do nothing but stare at a small word plaque he always had on his desk. I’d seen it hundreds of times over the last 5 years, and read it but never really read it.

It was a quote by Charles R. Swindoll about “Attitude”. It reads:

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company … a church … a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude … I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you … we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

I read it for the first time in that moment. Immediately, I stopped feeling sorry for myself, stood up, shook his hand and said “Thank you for the opportunity over the last 5 years.”

I walked out the door, calmly.

As I got into my beat up Subaru and pulled out of the parking lot for the last time, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was genuinely happy for the first time in my adult life.
I’d always struggled with low self esteem, self-loathing etc…

But somehow that previously insignificant paperweight etched into my brain. That moment was literally a defining moment, and turning point in my life.

My perspective changed. I thank God every day for what I have, and worry not about what I don’t have. If I have no control over something, I let it go (as my wife loves to sing to my daughter). I have the option to want and constantly seek more, and to be negative, to not appreciate what I have………or I have the option to be thankful, happy, and stay in control of my attitude.

I’ve developed a motto since that day: Every day I wake up on the green side of the grass is a good day. Everything else is trivial.

Now here I am…..34, married to a woman who’s positively out of my league with a beautiful daughter who thankfully looks like my wife, I’m successful…..but most of all, I’m happy. Genuinely happy.