By Wally Amos

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

Many people through the years have commented to me that being famous makes it easy for me to have a positive attitude. I explain that I am famous because of my positive attitude. It’s easy to have a positive attitude when your health is good. I have daily challenges like everyone else; however, my life is far from a struggle.

What inspires me are people with life threatening illnesses, or those who must live with a crippling illness that will never get better, and they have a positive attitude regardless. I hope the following examples of being positive inspire you as much as they did me.

My friend, Peggy Chun, who is 58, is such a person. Peggy is a very famous artist in Hawaii who has had ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, for over two years. Her mind functions perfectly, however, she is totally paralyzed and must depend on 46 volunteers around the clock for her every need. When she could no longer paint with her right hand she taught herself to paint with her left hand. When she lost movement in her left hand she painted with the brush in her mouth. When she could no longer move her head she instructed friends which way to move her head. She refuses to quit.

Peggy’s attitude is, I am living with ALS, not dying from ALS. She teaches all of us to be positive in your head even if your body is not working and she does it with joy. That’s a positive attitude!

I read a story in the LA Times of a couple, Stuart and Rebecca, he’s quadriplegic, she’s paraplegic, who are parents of infant twin boys. When people ask them how they will raise their boys, they respond, just like you do. They feel sorry for people with negative comments. Even though they will never cuddle their boys, they look for other ways to make their boys feel loved.
            In what looks like a helpless situation, they continually focus on the positive. I had the pleasure of visiting their home and it was one of the most inspirational experiences of my entire life. The Klein’s can be contacted at: srklein26
@yahoo.com.

These are just two reasons, in a sea of thousands, for us who are healthy to be positive.

Have a very positive day.

Aloha, Wally

Wally Amos lives in Lanikai. Amos is best known as the creator of the “Famous Amos” brand of chocolate chip cookie. In Kailua this August, Wally and Christine Amos are opening a retail store for “Chip & Cookie,” the literacy dolls and family reading program they created. Visit www.chipandcookie.com.