Hmm. Thinking of me, Em? LOL

that made me laugh justx.

Have you ever noticed that solving our own problems is difficult but helping someone else to solve their problems is much easier? I know I overtalk about my kids but recently my son was extremely depressed about his car. He needs it to drive about 20 miles each way to work. His car was overheating to the point he would have to stop a couple times each way to let it cool off and add more coolant. The repair shop worked on it several times to no avail. The final solution was a head gasket. He didn't know what to do because he didn't want to put any more money into the car.

Since I was a "third party" to the problem I could give him logical, unemotional advice to resolve it, such as vehix.com, get the head gasket replaced, go to this one local dealership, etc. He switched from despair to action mode. He got online and started working on it...his mindset changed to solution. A week later he got a great deal on a used car at the dealership by just walking in cold and telling them what he was looking for. It was attitude that resolved his problem.

Good post, Em.

Definitely, Rick. I am a very good teacher. I bet I could teach lots of people how to be successful, sell and make a lot of money. But I can't even leave the house to go to an appointment. I freeze. Okay - all joking aside, is attitude always voluntary? I don't want to start a Tom Cruise/Brooke Shields thing here, but remember when he said publicly that post partum depression is nonsense and that women shouldn't take anti-depressants? Maybe some people need to change their diet, exercise and also take medication if prescribed to get back on track. I agree attitude is so important. All you have to do is look at Christopher Reeve. He could have sulked and died a lonely death. Instead he reached out to people and campaigned for stem cell research and even made a tv movie when he couldn't ever breathe on his own. Here's a good poem I read one and put in my favorites written by an 8 year old blind girl:

Oh, what a happy soul am I!
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't.

rick - you taught your boys independence.
justx - love the poem.