|
by Alan Cohen. Energy and happiness have little to do with what is going on around you, and a lot to do with what is going on inside you. You can find yourself in ideal conditions and be miserable, and you can be in the most adverse conditions and soar. Environment and physical factors may influence us, but attitude makes or breaks us. You may not be able to change your environment, but you can always change your mind.
A Public Proposal
by Alan Cohen
It was after 11 p.m. The overbooked flight was already an hour late for
takeoff, and the crowd was getting grumpy. If ever there was a chance to
practice peace in the midst of annoyance, this was it.
Finally we were herded onto the plane and I settled into my seat, with hopes
of getting some shuteye. As soon as we reached cruising altitude, the flight
attendant's voice boomed over the P.A. system: "Ladies and gentlemen, one of our
passengers would like to request your assistance with a special event he is
planning when we land. Dave in seat 17B is going to propose to his girlfriend,
who is meeting him at the gate. He would like you to help him deliver some
flowers to her. If 24 of you would each get one rose from Dave and give it to
his lady before he gets off the plane, you can participate in his proposal. Dave
will show you a photo of Heidi . . . to make sure the right lady gets the
flowers."
Ah, what a wonderful idea! I wanted to participate, but I was seated too far
from Dave to get to a rose before the other passengers. When we landed, however,
I was one of the first off the plane, and I positioned myself off to the side to
watch the romantic spectacle.
Sure enough, there stood a lovely young woman waiting for her man. One by
one, passengers exited the aircraft, each with a red rose in hand. With a smile,
each person delivered a flower to Heidi, who shyly received them. Then the
passengers formed a semi-circle behind Heidi, waiting for Dave and the Big
Question.
Finally all the passengers had left the aircraft -- except for Dave. The
flight crew exited, but the groom-to-be was still conspicuously absent. Then the
pilot and copilot emerged. They closed the door behind them, commenting, "Well,
I guess that's it for the night." The crowd stood silently, watching, waiting,
and hoping. Had Dave chickened out?
Suddenly, with all the aplomb of a Hollywood epic, the airplane door swung
open one last time, now to reveal a handsome young man in a bright sailor suit.
Dave had arrived. The audience breathed a welcome sigh of relief.
The knight in white, carrying yet another dozen red roses, strode proudly to
his lady-in-waiting (who by now looked like Miss America, flowers piled to her
nose). Tears streamed down her cheeks as she nervously watched her man approach,
knowing full well what was about to happen.
Dave presented her with the flowers and ceremoniously dropped to one knee.
The audience was rapt. By now it was nearly 1 a.m., but no one was going
anywhere. Over 100 people fell silent and watched with awe.
Then he did it. He really did it. Dave produced a glittering gold ring and
asked Heidi, "Will you marry me?" Of course she would. She tearfully nodded, and
he slipped the ring onto her quivering fourth finger. With that, a great cheer
and burst of applause went up from the jubilant crowd. The ovation reverberated
through the silent airport, and probably still echoes today.
One by one, the group congratulated the couple and then we all made our way
toward baggage claim together. The corridor was filled with laughter, chatter,
and storytelling. People were happy.
Then something very profound occurred to me: the entire crowd had been
transformed. Over a hundred people who had been tired, impatient, and frazzled
two hours earlier, were suddenly awake, joy-filled, and playing with each other.
Such is the transformative power of one sincere expression of love.
We have been told that energy and fatigue depend on the time of day, how many
hours of sleep we have had, stress, environment, age, and many other factors.
Yet here was a group of people who had been awake for a long time, traveling
under stressful conditions in an unnatural environment, yet they had more energy
when they got off the plane than when they began!
Energy and happiness have little to do with what is going on around you, and
a lot to do with what is going on inside you. You can find yourself in ideal
conditions and be miserable, and you can be in the most adverse conditions and
soar. Environment and physical factors may influence us, but attitude makes or
breaks us. You may not be able to change your environment, but you can always
change your mind.
Joy is the wild card of life; it supersedes every other formula for success.
If you can find a way to create joy, you can rise beyond all external factors.
If you can play at whatever you are doing, you are the master of your life. And
if you should ever have the occasion to make a public proposal, you can take a
planeload of 100 bugged and weary people, and turn their evening into a party
they will never forget.
 This
article was written by the author of
Mr Everit's Secret: What I Learned from the World's Richest Man, ?2004,
by Alan Cohen.
Info/Order this book.
| Comments () >> |
 |
 |
