life is a matter of choice

LifeisamatterofchoiceGoodevening,Ladiesandgentlemen.it'sagreathonortobehere...Lifeiscurrentlydescribedinoneoffourways:asajourney,asabattle,asapilgrimage,andasarace.Selectyourownmetaphor,butthefinishingnecessityisallthesame.Iflifeisajourney,itmustbecompleted.Iflifeisabattle,itmustbefinished.Iflifeisapilgrimage,itmustbeconcluded.Andifitisarace,itmustbewon.Whatlifeisactuallytous,ladiesandgentlemen, isjustamatterofchoice.Thestatement,spokenbyJ.RichardSneed,cametomymindwhilereadingane-mailsenttomebyafriend.It'sashortanecdotebutittellsmoreaboutlifeandourchoices.Ihavemodifiedalittlebitbutreadthestory,anyway:Aweekbeforetheircollegegraduation,sevenfriendswenttotheofficeoftheirprofessorandtalkedwithhim.Sir,oneofthemsaid,isitpossibleifeightyearsfromnowwewillmeetinyourhouseandhaveareunion?Theprofessoransweredaffirmatively.Severalyearspassedandthesevenfriendsbecameverysuccessfulintheirchosenfields.ownbusinessfirm  consultantrenownedphysicianEightyearslater,allsevengottogetherattheirprofessor'shouse.Talk,talk,talk,andmoretalk.Soon,conversationturnedintocomplaintsaboutstressinworkandlife.Offeringhisguestscoffee,theprofessorwenttothekitchenandreturnedwithalargepotofcoffeeanddifferentkindsofcups–porcelain,plastic,glass,someplainlookingandsomeexpensiveandexquisite,tellingthemtohelpthemselvestohotcoffee.Whenallthesevenstudentshadacupofcoffeeinhand,theprofessorsaid:ifyounoticed,allthenicelooking,expensivecupsweretakenup,leavingbehindtheplainandcheapones.Itisbutnormalforyoutowantonlythebestforyourselves.Andthatisthesourceofyourproblemsandstress.Whatallofyoureallywantedwascoffee,notthecup,butyouconsciouslywentforthebettercupsandareeveneyeingeachother’scups.Theprofessorcontinued:Now,iflifeiscoffee,thenthejobs,moneyandpositioninsocietyarethecups.Theyarejusttoolstoholdandcontainlife,butthequalityoflifedoesn'tchange.Sometimes,byconcentratingonlyonthecup,wefailtoenjoythecoffeeinit.Biologydefineslifeasthemetabolicactivityofprotoplasm.Buttherearetimeswhenitseemsevenworsethanthat.Afterall,lifecanbecomparedtothatofagrindstone.Whetheritgrindsamandownorpolisheshimdependsuponthekindofstuffheismadeof.Ifyouwilldietoday,willpeoplerememberyou?Andiftheydo,whatkindoflifetheywouldremember?Onemorningin1888,AlfredNobel,theinventorofdynamite,whohadamassedafortunemanufacturingandsellingweaponsofdestruction,awoketoreadhisownobituaryinthenewspaper.(Actually,itwashisbrotherwhohaddied,butareportermistakenlywroteAlfred'sobituary.)Forthefirsttime,Alfredsawhimselfastheworldsawhim:thedynamitekingandnothingmore.Nothingwasmentionedabouthiseffortsatbreakingdownbarriersbetweenpeopleandideas.Hewassimplyamerchantofdeath,andhewouldberememberedforthatalone.Alfredwashorrified.Hedeterminedthattheworldwouldknowthetruepurposeofhislife.So,hewrotehislastwillandtestamentandlefthisfortunetoestablishthemostcovetedofallprizes:theNobelPrize.Now,theworldhasforgottenhisdynamitelegacy.Thegreatuseoflifeistospenditforsomethingthatwilloutlastit,CharlesMayesreminded.Lifeiswhathappenstoyouwhileyoumakingotherplans,RobertBalzerpointedout.Don'tworryaboutthestrugglesyouwillencounterinyourdailyliving.FlorenceNightingalegivesusthisexplanation:Lifeisahardfight,astruggle,awrestingwiththeprinciplesofevil,handtohand,foottofoot.Everyinchofthewayisdisputed.Thenightisgivenustotakebreak,topray,todrinkdeepatthefountainofpower.Theday,tousethestrengthwhichhasbeengivenus,togoforthtoworkwithittilltheevening.Lifeisamatterofchoice.Therearealwaystwosidesofacoin.Leftandright.Goodandbad.Beautifulandugly.Richandpoor.Eachofusisgiventobewhatwewanttobe.Lifeisalotliketennistheonewhocanservebestseldomloses.Inancienttimes,akinghadaboulderplacedonaroadway.Thenhehidhimselfandwatchedtoseeifanyonewouldremovethehugerock.Someoftheking'swealthiestmerchantsandcourtierscamebyandsimplywalkedaroundit.Manyloudlyblamedthekingfornotkeepingtheroadsclear,butnonedidanythingaboutgettingthestoneoutoftheway.Thenafarmercamealongcarryingaloadofvegetables.Uponapproachingtheboulder,thefarmerlaiddownhisburdenandtriedtomovethestonetothesideoftheroad.Aftermuchpushingandstraining,hefinallysucceeded.Afterthefarmerpickeduphisloadofvegetables,henoticedapurselyingintheroadwheretheboulderhadbeen.Thepursecontainedmanygoldcoinsandanotefromthekingindicatingthatthegoldwasforthepersonwhoremovedtheboulderfromtheroadway.Thefarmerlearnedwhatmanyofusneverunderstand!Everyobstaclepresentsanopportunitytoimproveourcondition.Agoodchoiceyouhavemade,ladiesandgentlemen,willsignificantlyinfluenceyourlife,andofcourse,allforthebetter.Thanks, ladiesandgentlemen.