Positive Thinking Movie Review: Tyler: A Real Hero (1994)

 

Tyler: A Real Hero (1994)

Tyler Wilkinson is somewhat of a local folk hero in Saint George.  (click on the title, not the picture.)  This movie was made about his circumstances some years ago.  Tyler Wilkinson is a motivational speaker.   This is a story about a young man who had everything going for him, Star football player, stake champion wrestler and baseball player.  However he fell asleep at the wheel, and rolled his vehicle, which resulted in spinal cord injury and quadriplegia. 
This movie is narrated by Steve Young.  The story really begins after the accident.  It is not easy to maintain your attitude in such circumstances.  However your attitude is necessary to regain as much capacity as possible.  This movie concludes with the announcement that Tyler married his high school sweet heart, Jennifer Orton.  This couple struggled, but Tyler became an investment consultant and has a successful career.  He and his wife have five children.  I found this quote in City Lifestyle about them, "they live intentionally, striving for gratitude and a healthy sense of humor to see them through the inevitable, day-to-day challenges."  Tyler and Jennifer (Orton) frequently give speeches.  Tyler concludes his speeches by encouraging people to pass it forward.
This movie tells a great story.  I just don't know why they had to add Paul James as the announcer for the football games.  This spoils rather than adds to the story.

Smile for your Health

This poem was in an old Legacy: International Society: Daughters of Utah Pioneers.  I find it very cute, and motivational.  Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all passed on a smile or a bit of humor rather than a grumpy old face.

Smile for You

Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu,

When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin

When he smiled I realized I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile, then I realized its worth,

A single smile just like mine could travel round the earth.

So if you feel a smile begin, don't leave it undetected

Let's start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected!

Smiling won't cure everything, but I think it may make a difference.  Sometimes you have to go with the flow, and just smile.  

**Book Review: The Go-Getter: A Story that Tells You How to Be One

This book was written by Peter B. Kyne and published in 1921.
This is an old book, but its message is timeless.  It tells the story of William Peck, a discharged private form the military who lost an arm, and had one leg shortened while serving curing WWI.  However he says he can sell anything, and now that he is finally out of the hospital, he calls for his job at Pacific Coast Lumber.  He goes over the head of the managers, to the owner, who can’t turn him away.  However, much more important than this, Cappy Ricks, the owner is looking for a leader who can take over shipping operations in Shanghai.  It is interesting to note that on the day he was hired, he shares with Mr. Ricks his business card, which would have taken a couple days to print in those days.  He decides to get right to work: 
“Count that day lost whose low descending sun
Finds prices shot to glory and business done for fun.”

He quickly proves his worth as a salesman, but then Cappy has greater plans for him, and proposes the test of the “blue vase.”  This is in exercise where the individual is given and impossible task, if he completes it he will be offered a high paying job.  The task is to purchase a vase on Sunday, and bring it to Mr. Ricks.  The instructions are vague, and purposefully slow.  Additionally it is impossible to get a hold of the store own or manager.  His leg hurts, and his amputated hand itches, but he eventually gets the vase for $2000.  He doesn’t meet the train at the agreed upon time, but overtakes it before it arrives at its destination.  He explains why he completed the task, even though it seemed impossible.  His commander in the services had a motto, “It shall be done.”  It is that attitude and kept him going to surpass the odds against him.  “It shall be done.”  How many of us could use such a motto in our own lives.

**Gratitude and Health

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=1541 

As I have been studying health, it becomes clear that our attitude affects our health.  One of those attitudes is gratitude.  I am taking most of this from an article in Spark People by Ellen G. Goldman.  She describes attitude as a “personality strength.  If you possess a high level of gratitude, you often feel an emotional sense of wonder, thankfulness and appreciation for life itself.”  President Hinckley defines gratitude this way, “When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives”.

Gratitude is good for your health.  Quoting Goldman, “Individuals who exhibit the most gratitude are happier, healthier, and more energetic.  Grateful people report fewer symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, nausea, even acne, and spend more time exercising!  And the more a person is inclined towards gratitude, the less lonely, stressed, anxious and depressed he or she will be.”   

She list for things to help in practicing gratitude: Keep a gratitude journal; Express your gratitude; Look for what is right about a situation; and Practice gratitude with your family and friends.  As I look at these four goals, I see some room for self improvement.  I think the last is the area which would make the most difference in my life.  If I could practice gratitude with my family, I think it would create a much better atmosphere around home.  However, gratitude can be a habit of politeness, rather than an attitude of gratitude.  By this I mean, expressing thanks, without the feeling of gratitude behind it, will not suffice.  I think people can see when you are being false.  So the key is to actually feel grateful. 

My mother use to always quote the hymn, “Count Your Blessings” whenever I was getting down.  Sometimes it pays to stop and count blessings, really enumerate what is right in your life.

**Don’t Get Stuck on Blaming

Some ideas I gleaned from an article in the “EAP Sentry,” the Santa Clara County EAP newsletter
Don’t Get Stuck on Blaming
Blame keeps us from addressing issues, and improving ourselves.   All of us have been wronged at sometime in our life.  However “Repeated focus on how we have been wronged keeps us stuck in resentment and inaction.” 
In my case, I could focus on how I have been wronged genetically, with the short and stocky gene.  However, short and stocky would be fine, but I am on the short and fat side, or the obese side.  Which leads me to say, how screwed up the obesity chart is, but again that would not be focusing on anything I can do anything about. 
Some of the suggestions this article presents which I like are:
Forgiveness: If we can find ways to forgive others, we can move forward.  Forgiveness ultimately involves compassion and understanding.  This includes forgiving others as well as ourselves for being stuck.
Become Stronger: Become stronger physically, emotionally and socially through exercise, medication, religious or spiritual practice, engrossing hobbies, volunteer work and counseling.
Support network: Cultivate a support network of caring friends and family. 
Responsibility: Take responsibility for our own actions without blaming others.