It’s Tough to Give Up Old Ways!
A few months back my buddy had a heart attack. It was pretty serious and it was touch and go for a while there. He has always been a hard worker, with a bit of a short fuse, but all in all a great friend.
What I’m getting at is that for years he was completely focused on his immediate goals and needs. Rarely had time to visit his kids; worked hard dawn til dusk and pushed himself intensely.
Well, I had the opportunity to spend time with him over the past week and while he’s still the same great friend – the heart attack has changed him and it’s a good thing.
He told me he’s no longer going to bust his butt for an extra buck in the bank, he’s going to appreciate life for what it has to offer. He’s going to be more available for his family and he’s going to enjoy each day to the best of his ability. AND he’s doing it!
BUT the coolest part was watching his self discipline and emotional control. The doctors told him not to push his heart over 90 BPM, so every time it reached that level no matter what he was doing he stopped. He accepted the doctor’s advice and he works with it – not against it. He also controls his emotions by accepting the frustration that his normal speed of 200 MPH is no longer attainable or at least right now and he lives with it and doesn’t fight it.
In any case, if you think that this type of behavior is easy to attain or is an obvious forgone conclusion that everyone just does it because they need to – just look in the cemetery. It’s tough to give up old ways regardless of what the implications might be.