When You Choose Your Attitude, You Choose Your World

The following is an excerpt from The Stonecaster by Dillon W. Buck.

James couldn’t sleep that night.

The sirens still echoed in his mind. The image of the boy lying on the playground floor replayed behind his eyelids in looping silence.

He hadn’t meant for it to happen. He had wanted to help, to protect, to do good.

And yet, somehow, his hands had still caused harm. In his palm, the stone glowed faintly red, pulsing like a wounded heart.

He stared at it, tears blurring his vision. “Why?” he whispered. “Why do I keep messing everything up?” He didn’t expect an answer. But when he finally drifted into restless sleep, he found himself once more in that other world. Light, peace, and soft wind calmed his mind.

This time, the mountains were cloaked in mist. The sun hovered low, as if uncertain whether to rise or fall. The air shimmered with colors he had no name for. The Old Man was waiting by the water’s edge.

“You’ve come back,” the man said, smiling.

“I didn’t mean to hurt him,” James blurted. “I just wanted to help.”

The Old Man nodded, as though he already knew. And yet, the water rippled red.

James looked down. The surface of the lake reflected not the sky, but scenes from his day. His anger at breakfast, his silence on the bus, the push, the fall, the ambulance. Every moment bloomed and faded across the water like living memory.

“I don’t understand,” James said. “It’s not fair. I try to be good, but people hurt me. And when I finally stand up for myself, I’m the one who ends up wrong.”

The Old Man picked up a pebble and tossed it into the lake. The ripples shimmered outward, bright and endless.

“Life,” he said quietly, “is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you respond. The world will always send waves your way, James. But whether you drown or dance upon them is your choice.”

James frowned. He thought about how infrequently his responses yielded anything he could be proud of. “So...it’s my fault?”

“No,” said the man gently. “But your reaction is your responsibility. The same wind that extinguishes a candle can also fuel a fire. The question is not what the wind does; it’s what you do with the flame. The choice is yours James, and you get to own it either way.”

The words lingered in the air, slow and steady, until the meaning began to take root in him.

“So the stone,” James said, looking at it in his palm, now glowing faintly blue again, “it shows how I’m reacting?”

The Old Man’s eyes softened. “It does more than that,” he said. “It reflects the state of your heart. When you feel gratitude, peace, or compassion, it shines blue because your heart is clear. When anger and blame take hold, it burns red. That is the color of resistance. The colors you see in the stone are the same colors rippling outward.

“Your state of being will always influence the state of those around you. The stone is not judging you, James. It is simply showing you a mirror of your own energy. When it turns red, do your best to release the emotional poison you carry. If you resist it, the friction will remain. But when you recognize it, accept it, and consciously choose to course correct, you begin moving in a direction few ever do. That conscious step made consistently makes you a Stonecaster. You have the stone, James. But to become a true Stonecaster, you must be intentional with how you cast it. The ripples you see in the water here in your dreams are just as real when your eyes are open.”

James gazed into the water again. In the reflection, he saw himself—not as he appeared, but as he felt. The blue of calm, the red of rage, and the purple of confusion all swirled through him like paint in water.

“I just wish people were kinder,” he said softly.

The Old Man smiled, eyes twinkling with knowing. “Then be the kindness you wish they were. The world reflects what you radiate, just as this water reflects your soul.”

A gentle breeze stirred the lake, scattering his reflection into ripples of light.

“Remember this,” the Old Man said, his voice fading with the wind. “When you choose your attitude, you choose your world.”

And then, as the sky flared gold, James felt himself pulled backward—through mist, through light, through the echo of his own heartbeat—until he opened his eyes in his own bed once more.

…

For more advice on choosing your response and owning your attitude, or to follow the rest of James’ story, you can find The Stonecaster on Amazon.

Dillon W. Buck, host of The Elevators Podcast, has spent his adult life as a student of human behavior. His focus is on helping people master sales while strengthening the mindset and character required to achieve meaningful goals. He’s a leadership coach, entrepreneur, and author known for blending performance psychology with practical wisdom, guiding others to step into their highest potential. Through his writing, Dillon invites readers to slow down, look inward, and rediscover the power of intention, accountability, and presence. He lives with his wife, Courtney, and daughter, Blake, and remains passionate about helping people create ripples that make tomorrow better.

(Royalty free image: https://www.pexels.com/photo/fog-above-the-surface-of-the-water-18386434/, Credit: Kimmo Vainio)