A Daily Commitment
Hi Everyone. I’m Lenny Ravich and a Humorous Keynote Speaker in Hong Kong and London. I’m 86 and it’s been quite a journey, so my wife of 56 years keeps telling me. I would like to offer you a skill that I use every day to ensure maximum positive outcomes.
Lifetime Commitments
We all make commitments such to go on with our studies or not, to participate in sports in high school or college, to marry, have children and certain commitments concerning our health and safety. We also make daily commitments even though we might not be aware that we are doing so.
Daily Commitment
Here’s an example: You get up in the morning and think, “Oh, no. I’ve got such a heavy schedule, I’m not sure I can handle it.” Or, “I’ll never be able to answer all those mails.” Do you see what kind of a commitment you have made and what kind of a day you’re going to have by that one sentence?
How about making a conscious decision every day? First thing in the morning we might mindfully say, “Today’s going to be a great day” or “I’m going to meet today’s quota for sure” or “I’m going to smile and make others feel good today.” How do those commitments sound?
A Fun Day
I woke up one morning and made a commitment to have a fun day. It was the day of my heart surgery last year in November. What!? Are you kidding? A fun day on the operating table? Yep. That’s what I did. You see when we make a commitment the Cosmos rearranges itself to give us what we need in order to make our commitment stick. We just have to be super alert to grab the opportunities that present themselves.
UH, OH
Last November I started feeling sharp pains in my chest. I immediately called my cardiologist who sent me for various tests. I came back to him with the results the following week. He looked at his screen and said, “I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you have to have an angioplasty immediately, if not sooner. The good news is, at 86 you won’t die young.” Yeah, right. Thanks Doc.
He immediately called his colleague, Dr. Lazar and told him to hold everything, make sure he had an urgent place for me in his ultra-busy schedule for the next day. That’s the fun day I told you about.
My Definition of Fun Day
So what’s a fun day for me? Thanks for asking. Causing people to smile and making them feel appreciated. That’s my joy. So how do I do it? I make it my day’s commitment and then become a witness on how this phenomenon is created. By the way, according to research, by serving others and making them feel good contributes to our own wellbeing and happiness. Isn’t it fantastic how we are wired as human beings?
The night before my operation I was feeling stressed, anxious and could barely sleep. I became aware of how I was poisoning myself with negative thoughts. That’s when the idea came, “Why not commit to a fun day?” I then relaxed and fell asleep like a hibernating bear.
The Waiting Room
The next morning, I got up, took some copies my book, “Everlasting Optimism” to give gifts to my surgeon and his staff, and off to the hospital I went.
While sitting in the waiting room, I noticed a doctor in a white frock walking towards me. His tag read “Dr. Lazar”. Hey, that’s my specialist! We had never met previously, but I remember my cardiologist mentioning his name on the phone. He walked directly towards me and said, to my surprise, “Lenny Ravich! Nice to see you again.”
“What’s this again business? We’ve never met.”
“You might remember, but in the 70’s you were my high school English teacher.”
Wait a minute. I committed to having a fun day and the cosmos gives me my former high school student? I could only think “Was I nice to this guy? Did I give him a good grade?” I always tell teachers, “Be pleasant to your students because you never know if and when you have to go to court who the judge will be. “Oh, no! Not little snot nosed Nancy from the 8th grade! I failed her in algebra.”
So I asked him, with my voice shaking slightly, “Was I nice to you? Did I give you a good grade?” He chuckled, “Lenny, we all enjoyed your classes. We never learned much but I can’t say they we were not entertained.” I felt relieved and handed him my book. “Here. I want you to have this. May I autograph it for you?” He took it and said, “Autograph it afterwards.” I quipped, “If there IS an afterwards!” He was amused and looked at the title and read “Everlasting Optimism? He smirked, “You are an optimist aren’t you”. By seeing his grin, I knew we were on the way to having a fun day.
The Procedure
I was then wheeled into the operating room where I could see a blank screen. He then inserted a catheter into my artery which had a tiny camera attached to it that went up to my heart which I could then see on the display. I was awake the whole time. “You are completely blocked” he said with calmness. “That’s nothing new, Dr. Lazar. My wife tells me that every day. She claims I never listen to her, that I show zero interest in what she says…..”
“Mr. Ravich., he interrupted. “Don’t try and make me laugh. I’m in your heart.” Even though he wore a mask I felt his beam showing through. My surgeon has to beg me to stop making him laugh so he can successfully complete the operation! Am I having fun or what?
The Stents
“I’m going to have to give you three stents. One won’t suffice” he announced coldly.
Allow me to explain. A stent is a steel meshi inserted into your blocked artery to open up the swelling so the blood can flow with ease, which was not happening until this moment.
He inserted the stents, looked at the screen and exclaimed, “Look at how the blood is flowing, like an 18 year-old!”
“Thanks for saving my life Dr. Lazar. Now I can go home and die from something else.” With that his entire team relaxed, removed their masks, looked at each other and had a good laugh.
That is my definition of a fun day. Giving my books to his entire team, witnessing their appreciation, congratulations and smiles.
While preparing my presentations for my Humorous, Motivational keynotes in Hong Kong and London, and the moment I walk out on stage I make my commitment: This is going to be fun!
To what kind of a day are you going to commit? Please make it a good one.
Let me hear from you.