In one of the busiest squares of the city, traffic was heavy again because of the subway station construction. A taxi driver taking a new customer was muttering to the customer: “People coming this square are all idiots. What kind of a person are you coming here in the middle of heavy traffic? Go home and stay there. Maybe I’m wrong, because what can you expect from an idiot?” Upon hearing the insults, the customer got furious: “You are calling me idiot? Who do you think you are? Get out of the car and I’ll show you the real idiot!”
One week later, another taxicab picked up another customer. Traffic was heavy as usual for the very same reason. In the middle of the jam, the cab driver started talking with the customer, “Sir, if someone who died in the 1980s were to be revived and come here, he wouldn’t be able to recognize this city. There is a constant progress going on around the city. The subway, once very limited and insufficient, has been extended to the airport. In a few years, the route will become a sort of sub-sea tunnel and we will be able to reach the other side of the city. You know a sub-sea tunnel was once a dream for us. The city is developing. Of course, there are some problems that have arisen out of this, but I compare them to labor pains. This traffic jam is one of the pains that the city is experiencing before giving birth to the new baby.” The customer admired the cabdriver’s mindset and gave him a tip before he got out of the cab.
Melinda was willing to take part in the audition in her college. But she had no acting experience at all. She asked the opinion of a professor, who said: “Be positive. Negative thoughts are the expression of giving up before you even fight. Those who are positive are the lucky ones, because they at least try and do their best.” Finally, she made up her mind to take part in the audition. Adriana, her friend, was also going to participate in it. She had been acting since childhood. A friend of her warned Adriana, saying, “Don’t go into that audition, because you are experienced, and if you are not chosen, everyone will make fun of you.” Despite some hesitations, Adriana also decided to give it a try. During the audition, the jury requested that the candidates sneakily steal the wristwatch placed on the table. But that was not so easy. How were the participants going to steal it while everyone’s gaze was on them? Adriana was shocked when she heard this request. For a moment, she thought of not being selected. Suddenly she decided to pretend to act like a drunk person. She couldn’t make it realistic; no matter how hard she tried because all in all she was young. She was getting anxious, but she tried to hide it. She was swaying like a drunken girl and approaching the table at the same time. She grabbed the watch, but the jury said, “We got you!” Adriana failed the audition. Now it was Melinda’s turn. She noticed Julie’s scarf. Julie was the head of the jury. “I have no chance of being selected,” said Melinda to the jury. “I have never acted on the stage. I will definitely fail here. But at least I would like to take something with me as a memoir. Can I take your scarf with me, Julie? If you don’t want to give it to me, I want to take a souvenir photo with that.” Before Julie even attempted to respond Melinda’s request, Melinda came closer to the jury’s table and started shaking as if she had an epilepsy attack and fell on the table. Everybody was shocked. Julie rushed to Melinda immediately and unbuttoned two of the buttons on her shirt. Coughing a couple of times, Melinda sat up. “I’m OK, Julie, thanks. Sorry about that. Thanks for helping. Let me have some rest in that room.” Before she left the stage, she asked, “Where should I put this watch? Or can I keep this?” It appears that Melinda approached the table while pretending to have an epilepsy attack. During that chaos, she was able to steal the watch with a sleight of hand. Having no acting experience at all, Melinda, with the help of her positive attitude, was able to pass the audition, while Adriana, with her pessimist attitude, failed to do the same.
Negative thoughts and attitudes are like taking a pill that will weaken us, while positive thoughts and attitudes are like taking a vitamin that will strengthen us.
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