It's a Pleasure to Introduce Rose Freedman
2002 Boaz Rauchwerger
I saw a wonderful documentary the other day called "Three Miracles." It was a part of a series entitled The Living Century. The series features people who were over 100 years of age and had lived through the entire Twentieth Century.
Rose Freedman was born in Austria in 1893 and her family was Jewish. She immigrated on a ship, with her parents, to the United States when she was 15. She passed away last year at the age of nearly 108. Up to the time of her death, she was spry, active, vibrant, enthusiastic and full of life!
What was most incredible about this delightful woman, and the reason she attributed to her long life, was her positive attitude. She realized that stress and resentment would shorten her life.
Let me tell you about her three miracles. As a young lady, she worked in a sweatshop in the garment district of New York City. The conditions were deplorable. The doors to the sweatshop were often locked in order to make sure that none of the young ladies would leave before their long day of work was over. One day a fire broke out. 146 women perished in that fire. Rose was the only survivor.
A few years later, on a visit to Austria with her mother, Rose found herself unwittingly hiding a friendly spy as World War I broke out. Had that spy been found in the home of Rose's relatives, all of them would have been shot. He was not and his family was very grateful for Rose's compassion.
Her third miracle occurred when two of her children contracted polio in the early fifties. She kept her positive spirits, nursed them along and they recuperated completely.
As I watched this intriguing biographical documentary profile of the remarkable life of Rose Freedman, I was struck by her spirit. It reminded me so much of my dearly departed Jewish mother. Rose said, "Life is a series of ups and downs. You just have to look for the best in every situation." What a simple philosophy. My mother jokingly said, "The first 100 years are the roughest."
Rose reminded me of another documentary I saw a few years ago. Hugh Downs was interviewing people who had lived a long life. He was scheduled to interview twin sisters who were 90 years old. The day before the interview, one of them died. The next day, the surviving sister went on with the interview. Hugh asked her why. She responded by saying that she and her sister had lived a long life because they simply kept going without letting turmoil set them back. "It's what my sister would have expected me to do," she said. "We keep appointments, you know!"
Take a look at your own attitude. Any time you make a mountain out of a molehill, the moments of stress you're creating are taking moments away from the end of your life. Let's look for the good and, as much as possible, disregard the bad. Rose did that.
When Someone Asks, How Do You Respond?
When someone asks, "How are You?" how do you respond? Do you say, "Fine" or "OK?" Is that how you want your life to be? Just fine? Or just OK? Not for me. I want my life to be terrific!
So, when people ask how you are, why not say, "Tremendous" or "Outstanding." Even if it isn't that way yet, let's pretend until it is. What's the alternative? To see life from a point of resentment?
When people ask how I am, my response is: "Tremendous, andI'll get better!" That response always puts a smile on their face, whether in person or on the phone. If I'm not feeling good, I do it anyway. Just pretending makes me feel better.
In business situations, the "tremendous, and I'll get better" response gives the other person the impression that things are going well. People like dealing with successful people. Do this on a regular basis and you'll see how well it works. You are tremendous! And I know you'll get better!
A Daily Attitude Affirmation
I look for the best in every situation.
Article reproduced with permission from Boaz Rauchwerger. You may reprint any of these articles in any publication or Web site so long as you credit Boaz Rauchwerger as the author and include this Web site address, www.Boazpower.com.