Usable Insight – Need Some Perspective?
through the eyes of your future.
From Get Out of Your Own Way at Work…and Help Others Do the Same
by Mark Goulston, M.D. (Perigee, 2006)
Years ago I saw two 75 year old women with arthritis in my psychotherapy practice on the same day.
The first lady was quite attractive, dressed up from head-to-toe, with matching jewelry. I could barely make out her arthritis. She nevertheless complained how disfiguring it was and bemoaned the fact that she would now have to have her rings resized. It was all I could do to remain “therapeutically neutral” and demonstrate compassion when I felt that this woman’s greatest mental problem was vanity. I chided myself, “Mark, it’s not your role to judge another person’s pain as being valid or not.” Nevertheless, the session couldn’t end soon enough.
A few hours later another 75 year old woman came in with arthritis. She was however hunched over and severely deformed from it. She walked slowly across the room with the help of a cane, looking like the witch from Snow White. Yet she also had one of the most radiant smiles I had seen in some time. I couldn’t understand her expression especially after having seen the prior woman just hours before.
Puzzled I asked her, “I notice that you have severe arthritis, have difficulty walking and yet you have an amazing smile. I don’t get it. How come?”
She looked at me and said: “I was just thinking how great this cane is going to look in a couple years when I’m in a wheelchair.”
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Tags: economy, mark goulston, perspective
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:40 am
Dr. Mark,
As Debra Jones, the Motivational Speaker, taught me years ago
“Attitude is Everything!”
I think someone before Debra…
–said (or wrote) that.
Maybe…
Thanks for the uplifting words…
Phil
November 27th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
It is attitude that truly speaks about a person. Drew Berman has many interesting qualities that determine the inner qualities of a person. I think he will definitely be a perfect mentor for anyone who is need of a good motivator. As a result of his fabulous research works, his ideas will definitely be an excellent source of Motivation.
February 21st, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Yup, couldn’t agree more. And I’d like to add that you’ve got a great colour scheme on your site, I suffer with colour blindness and many webmasters don’t give us a second thought!