Attitude: Is Your Attitude Affected by Your Circumstances?

Joy -- (enters opposite with Liz smiling, wearing business suit, crossing to Man) Well, we finally made it. (holds up dollar, shouts) Paper.

Liz -- (enters with Joy, wearing business suit) I can't believe you're still smiling.

Man -- (sullen, shabbily dressed, carrying a stack of newspapers enters, crosses shouting) Papers. Get your papers. Hey, Papers. Get your papers.

Joy -- (hold up hand, shout) Paper. (pulls out dollar bill)

Man -- (offers paper) I ain't got no change, lady. What do you think I am, a bank?

Joy -- Keep the change then. (gives money takes paper, stops, reads headlines)

Man -- (gives paper takes dollar, sarcastic) How generous. I can now afford a vacation in Tahiti. Move along. This ain't no library, you know.

Joy -- (ignores Man, strolls) Oh, the Fed is raising interest rates a quarter per cent. Do you know what that will do to the bond market?

Man -- (continues slowly to far exit shouting) Papers. Get your papers. Hey Papers. Get your papers.

Liz -- That paper boy always treats you like dirt. How can you treat him so nicely day after day?

Joy -- (looks up from paper) Huh?

Liz -- How can you always be so cheerful? We had a flat tire this morning. Some jerk cut you off on the freeway and almost caused an accident and now this lowlife paper boy insults your generosity. How do you do it?

Joy -- I made a discovery a few years ago.

Liz -- What discovery?

Joy -- I have a choice.

Liz -- A choice.

Joy -- Yes. I can choose my attitude.

Liz -- I... I don't understand.

Joy -- It started years ago when I was in an argument with my mother. I told her "You make me mad." She said, "I can't make you clean your room. I can't make you do your homework. How is it that I can make you mad?" And you know, she was right.

Liz -- Maybe I'm not concentrating, but after a flat tire and being cut off on the freeway, if that paperboy said that to me, I'd pop him in the nose.

Joy -- If you did, you'd be letting another person control your mind.

Liz -- Whoa. That's heavy duty.

Joy -- Well, isn't it true? If you let the words or actions of a stranger push your buttons, aren't you letting him control you?

Liz -- Oh. Yeah. I suppose I am. That's, like, a major breakthrough, huh? You could write a book.

Joy -- Actually, it wasn't all that clever. My mother had been saying that to me for years. And it didn't sink in until I read a letter that Apostle Paul wrote from prison. He was about to die at the hands of the Romans, but his letter to his friends was completely free of bitterness. It was joyful and hopeful. I couldn't believe it. I thought "this guy must be faking it." But he wasn't.

Liz -- He wasn't?

Joy -- No. About a week after I read Paul's letter I read the story of Job way back in the Old Testament.

Liz -- Job.

Joy -- Yeah, Job. It's the oldest book in the Bible. Early in the story, Job's children all were killed, thieves stole his livestock, he got sick with this painful disease, but instead of crying about it, he goes on for forty chapters praising the Lord.

Liz -- No kidding.

Joy -- No kidding. I mean, the message is crystal clear. Your circumstances don't HAVE to determine your attitude. You can let people push your buttons or you can push your own.

Liz -- I'll bet it's not that easy. You should write a self-help book about it.

Joy -- (continues to opposite exit) There's already a self-help book.

Liz -- There is?

Joy -- It's called the Bible.

Liz -- (follows) The Bible! Aw, come on! That's way too simple.

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