Jean Bell Mosley planted seeds that last forever

I didn't ask my wife's permission to print the following, but I believe Wendy's note to Steve and Viney Mosley the day of Jean Bell Mosley's death captured the essence of Jean Bell's influence and inspiration to many.

Dear Steve and Viney,

Gary and I were sad to learn of Jean Bell's death.

What a joyful vision of living she gave to us all. Really, she made a map for us to follow for a heavenly existence here on Earth in her columns and books. She taught us to treasure the simple things of life by making them meaningful in the grandest sense of the whole. How grateful we are for her perceptions of the changing seasons of life and nature through the beauty of her faith. God gave her a beautiful mind, and she shared it. She planted seeds that will live forever. One wants to celebrate her life by wanting to do one's best every day.

We're very grateful to have a small crocheted cross given to our family some 30 years ago at Christmas to hold in hand and a friendship box from her 80th birthday party that I'm now beginning to fill with cherished memories and inspirations she has given to us over the years. She made life good.

How proud she was of her family. What joy you brought to her life. How grateful we are she shared that joy with all of us. She is deeply missed, but in her words, Rejoice!

Wendy Rust

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The follow is a nice story shared over the Internet that shows the power of positive thinking:

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say.

When someone would ask how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today.

You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I started my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be-born daughter," Michael replied.

"Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Michael continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes,' I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity.!' Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.'"

Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. Enjoy each day, each breath and mostly -- each and every friend."

Gary Rust is the chairman of Rust Communications.