A truly inspirational story.

I was reading on my cousin Becca's blog this morning and came across this story.

A few years ago, I had just come back from Christmas break and was sitting in the first fast and testimony meeting of the semester in my ward. An amazingly jolly guy got up to bear his testimony, and told of how excited he was for the resurrection because, for the first time in his life, he had realized how awesome it would be. He had lost his right hand just two days previously in a fireworks accident on New Years Eve, but decided to come back to school anyway and continue with his life as normal. I was able to get to know him better over the semester and subsequent semesters, and was sincerely astounded at his positive attitude. He was always happy! He wanted to be a chiropractor, and although that's a profession you'd think would require two hands, he knew there was a way to do it. He'd tell me about his phantom pain and about feeling like he could still wiggle the fingers he no longer had- but instead of being depressed (like, hello, most of us would, I assume), he'd laugh about it. He'd joke with people about how he lost his hand, claiming a dolphin had bitten it off at Sea World, and to get revenge, he'd eat tuna with dolphin chunks in it. He eventually got a hook, and to celebrate, threw a pirate party, costumes and all. :) I remember thinking he'd marry a very lucky girl.

Craig drowned last Saturday in Utah lake while boating with his family. Sometimes I wonder if I would die in this moment, how prepared I would be, but I think Craig was completely prepared. The kind of life he lived, the way he handled his accident, and his refusal to get discouraged set him up to be in a perfect place when he was taken. The people around him had only wonderful memories, and he had affected so many lives. His funeral is tonight in Utah.

Losing his hand probably made him look inward at what he was really made of. He wrote and talked a lot about the way that experience shaped him, and ended up compiling this list of personal rules/goals:

1. People are always more important.
2. Do what you need to do when you need to do it whether you want to or not.
3. I am not a victim, ever.
4. Purity is power.
5. Leave it better than when you found it.
6. Life is a joy, a journey in becoming like my Heavenly Father.
7. Live with purpose.
   
   
   I have already written them down and posted them on my fridge. I would like to be like this some day ( more sooner than later).  I'm glad I came across this story this morning. Attitude is absolutely   EVERYTHING!