生活充满选择(Choose life)

　　迈克尔是那种你真想恨一恨的家伙，他总是乐呵呵的，总是说些积极上进的话。如果有人问他近况如何，他会这样回答：“如果我还能再好，我就成双胞胎了!”他生来就会让人积极进取。

　　if an employee was having a bad day， michael 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 michael and asked him， "i don' t get it。 you can' t be positive all the time。 how do you do it?"

　　如果哪位雇员有天过得很糟糕，迈克尔会告诉他如何看待问题的积极一面。他的这种方式着实让我好奇，所以有一天我找到迈克尔问：“我真弄不明白。你怎么能总是那样积极乐观?你是如何做到这一点的?”

　　michael replied， each morning i wake up and say to myself 'mike， 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 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。"

　　迈克尔回答说，“每天早晨醒来时我对自己说，‘迈克，今天你有两种选择。你可以选择心情愉快，你也可以选择心情恶劣。’我选择心情愉快。每次什么不愉快的事情发生时，我可以选择成为一个牺牲品，也可以选择从中吸取教训。我选择从中吸取教训。每次有什么人找我来抱怨，我可以选择接受他们的抱怨，也可以选择向他指出生活的积极面。我选择指出生活的积极面。”

　　"yeah， right。 it isn't that easy。" i protested。

　　“是的，不错。可并不那么容易呀。”我表示异议。

　　"yes it is， " michael 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 is: it's your choice how you live life。 " i reflected on what michael said。

　　“其实很容易，”迈克尔说。“生活就是选择。从每一事物剔除一切枝节后剩下的都是一种选择。你选择如何应付生活中的种种情形。你选择他人会怎样影响你的情绪。你选择是心情愉快还是心情恶劣。说到底：如何生活是你自己的选择。”我琢磨着迈克尔的这席话。

　　soon thereafter， i left the big enterprise that i had worked in for years to start my own business。 we lost touch， but i often though about him when i made a choice about life instead of reacting to it。 several years later， i heard michael was involved in a serious accident， falling off 60 feet from a communications tower。

　　那以后不久，我离开了工作数年的大企业去创建自己的公司。我们失去了联系，但当我对生活做出一种选择而非对它做出反应时，我时常想起迈克尔。几年之后，我听说迈克尔遭遇一场恶性事故，从一座通讯大楼的60英尺高处掉了下来。

　　after l8 hours of surgery， and weeks of intensive care， michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back。 i saw michael 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 accident took place。

　　在经历了18个小时的手术和数周的精心护理之后，迈克尔出院了，背部装有金属杆。大约事故半年之后，我见到了迈克尔。当我问他怎么样时，他回答，“如果我还能再好，我就成双胞胎了。想看看我的伤疤吗?”我拒绝看他的伤痕，但的确问了他事故发生时他是怎么想的。

　　"the first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon-to-born daughter，" michael replied。 "then， as i lay on the ground， remembered 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。 michael continued， "。。。 the paramedics were great。 they kept telling me i was going to be fine。 but when they wheeled me into the operation room and i saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses， i got really scared。 in their eyes， l 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 michael。 "she asked me if i was allergic to anything。 ‘yes，’ i said。 the doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply。 i took a deep breath and yelled"， ‘gravity’” over their laughter， i told them， 'i'm choosing to live。 operate on me as if i am alive， not dead'。"

　　“我首先想到的是我那即将出世的女儿的幸福生活，”迈克尔答道。“当时我躺在地上，我记起我有两种选择：我可以选择活着，也可以选择死。我选择了活。”“你难道不害怕吗?你失去知觉了吗?”我问。迈克尔接着说，“……那些护理人员棒极了。他们不停地告诉我我会好的。但当他们把我推进手术室，我看到医生和护士脸上的表情时，我真是吓坏了。在他们的眼里，我读出了‘他是个死人。’我知道我应该采取行动。”“你采取了什么行动?”我问道。“有一位人高马大的护士大声冲我问问题，”迈克尔说。“她问我是否对什么过敏。‘是的，’我说。医生和护士都停下手中的活儿等我回答。我深吸一口气大声说出，‘万有引力。’他们的笑声未了，我告诉他们，‘我选择活着。把我当活人而不是死人来做手术。”’

　　michael lived， thanks to the skill of his doctors， but also because of his amazing attitude。 i 1eamed from him that every day we have a choice to live fully。 attitude is everything。

　　迈克尔活了下来，这要感谢他那些医生的高明医术，但也要归功于他那令人赞叹的态度。我从他那里学到了我们每天都有机会充实地活着，关键是态度。