Chapter 14 - The Trolley Ride

Riding a trolley back to the beach house while vacationing in Estero Island (part of Fort Myers, Florida), what appeared to be a homeless man got on. He had been a frequent rider of the "Uber of Vacationers" for quite some time because the driver called him by name and asked, "How ya doin'?" The rider quickly responded, "I've been better, but I still live on an island, so it's ok!" 
I thought, "wow, what a great outlook for someone in his situation." Today, April 14, has been one year since my mastectomy surgery. I've been told many times in the past year that I, too, have a "great outlook considering my situation," I have come to realize the over-arching theme the past year has been all about "outlook." 
Now, a meteorologist can give a ten-day outlook on the weather, and CNBC can share their perspective of the stock market... even though we think what they say are the be-all and end-all...sometimes they are WRONG. Take, for example, the weather. We watch the forecast, and the outlook looks perfect; 80 degrees and sunny as far as the eye can see...we feel great; our outdoor excursions will be perfect, and the top can go down on the convertible. THEN...it happens...the weather forecasts change, and it messes up all our plans. "These weather people don't know anything; they are always wrong!" 
Our outlook can be great, and we can spend time focusing on the positive, but it can change in an instant. We can sit there and complain, or we can accept it. The glass-half-full guy on the trolley has all the reason to have a positive outlook about living on an island...after all, he could be homeless on the island of Más a Tierra (yes, you didn't know where the heck that island is because NOBODY LIVES THERE). But instead, he lives on a warm island with 75-cent trolley rides to anywhere he really needs to go and miles of white sand beaches...but hey, it's all about the outlook. Your outlook can be great, but like I found, it can change at the drop of a hat (or a weird lump on your breast). I didn't have a double mastectomy and multiple surgeries planned in my year...it threw me off my track of positivity for sure. Accepting it as part of my new outlook was the key. 
I started reading a book in Florida called "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***"...are you laughing? One of the significant points was that EVERYBODY has problems. Some are better problems than others, but we all have them. Problems always stay the same; they just get exchanged or upgraded. "Happiness comes from solving problems,'' says the author. You must be active in gaining happiness...just like people say, happiness doesn't grow on trees, money can't buy you happiness, etc. Actively solving your problems is a constant work in progress. Keeping my original outlook pre-cancer would have made new problems, but changing my outlook to accept the unique circumstances solved the problem of having such an unexpected bump in the road. I adjusted my outlook on reality. I solved the problem by accepting it. My current outlook: 80 degrees and sunny with the convertible top down, driving on an island! 

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