May 30, 2012
Last night I was catching up on the Showtime series, The Big C. I’m not sure why I like the show but I find it fascinating. The show follows the lives of Cathy, a patient diagnosed with malignant melanoma, her family and friends. In last night’s episode, Cathy’s husband Paul (who recently died and was resuscitated) debuted as a motivational speaker. It’s all very complicated but try to stick with me; it will be worth it!
Anyway, Paul has opening night jitters and in the middle of what is turning out to be a lousy lecture, his implanted cardiac defibrillator is triggered, knocking him to the floor. Paul recovers quickly and explains to the audience how every time his heart is restarted he is reminded how important it is to truly live the life you have.
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Paul coins the phrase, “Just flip the switch,” and becomes an instant success. Paul admonishes his audience to “flip the switch” whenever they are upset by life’s usual hassles, choosing to make the best out of adversity and enjoy the life they have. I’ve adopted the phrase, “Just flip the switch” in order to be happy.
Being happy takes work, being upset is easier. It’s easy to bemoan your lousy day at work, the cost of cooling your house with this weekend’s heat wave, or the cost of gas. When you are unhappy, angry, or just upset, “just flip the switch” and be glad you have a job, that you have a working air conditioner, and a car to drive. It’s your choice, choose wisely! Being “Wellthy” means finding happiness where others may find only adversity. When your glass is half empty, “flip the switch” and realize it is really half full!
