I was conducting my regular rounds of the hospital when I chanced upon a 92 year old, petite, well-poised and proud lady who while patiently waiting for many hours for her room was talking to a nurse. From their conversation, I learned that she was blind and her husband who was a regular patient of ours recently passed away.

She was in for dialysis treatment which required her long stay in the hospital so the nurse was providing her a visual description of how her room looks. She then stated with enthusiasm..."I love it".

The nurse then said, "but madam, you haven't seen the room...just wait." She then replied "that doesn't have anything to do with it." "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged...it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up."

She further said... "I have a choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the part of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away...just for this time in my life."

As I got back to my office, I started reflecting and I realized that what she said is truly right. Life is like a bank account...you withdraw from what you've put in. So we have to deposit a lot of happiness in our bank account of memories.

Here are 5 simple rules to be happy that I try very hard to apply as I go through life everyday:
1. free your heart from hatred
2. free your mind from worries
3. live simply
4. Give more
5. Expect less

To my loving family & dear friends, thank you for your part in filling my Memory Bank. Up to this day, I am still making deposits.