Wednesday, November 09, 2011
A Great Artist.
Once there was a great and wise king who loved roosters. He was so inspired by their majestic fierceness, their flashing colors, their every graceful move, that he commissioned hundreds of artists to draw him giant paintings of roosters to hang on the wall of his palatial throne room. But to his dismay, none of the portraits were to his liking. He invited greater artists, and then even greater ones, but was left unsatisfied.
So he sent invitations to three of the greatest artists in the world along with fine presents and promises of fame and fortune. Each would receive fifty thousand gold pieces in addition to a fine house with servants and all their needs for one year, and at the end of that time the king would pay one million gold pieces for any picture that found favor in his eyes. The year passed swiftly and word of the three pictures spread throughout the kingdom.
The day of the unveiling arrived. A massive stadium, built especially for the occasion by the king's orders, was packed with thousands of noisy people. On the stage were the three huge canvases each covered with its own ornate curtain.
The crowd fell silent as the first artist approached his canvas, hesitated a moment, took hold of the cord that opened the curtain, and turned to face the king. The king nodded, and the artist, without even turning around, triumphantly pulled the cord and a hum went out from the crowd. It was a masterpiece.
The king rose from his royal seat, walked to the picture, examined it from near and from afar, and announced. "It is truly a work of genius, but... it is not exactly what I want".
The crowd was abuzz as the king returned to his seat and motioned for the second artist to approach. The same scene repeated itself: silence, tension, the victorious pull of the cord. This time when the painting was uncovered, shouts of ‘Bravo!' were heard. But the king, although he admitted that the picture was exquisite, was still not satisfied.
Finally the third artist approached and stood by his picture. Again the king nodded. But the artist, before he pulled the cord, made a request. "Your Majesty, I humbly ask that you make no judgment of my work until fifteen minutes after it is unveiled." An unusual request, but the king nodded in agreement. The artist pulled the cord and revealed -- the crowd gasped -- an empty canvas!
"What is the meaning of this?!" shouted the king, but remembering his promise he fell silent. The artist, meanwhile, had paid no attention to the King's outburst. He was concentrating on the empty canvas before him, palette in one hand and brush in the other. Suddenly he began to paint.
The colors flowed from his very being, the lines danced, changing like fire, like a rushing river, like a field of wheat, like the eyes of a child, of a king.
And then, after ten minutes the picture was finished and the artist turned to face the king.
Everyone was so silent you could hear only the wind; everyone was frozen as though hypnotized.
Then someone broke the spell and began clapping, then another and another, until the crowd was like thunder, on their feet whistling, clapping and shouting "Bravo! Bravo!" The king rose from his seat with open arms, walked to the artist and embraced him with tears in his eyes. "This is what I have been seeking!" The other two artists raised his arms in victory and were weeping with emotion.
Birds of Paradise.
Many wonderful things were said in praise of the Jewish people by our own holy prophets and sages. Yet, every morning, we begin our prayers with the words of the evil prophet Balaam, a man who would have cursed the nation for gold and silver, had G-d only allowed. Some explanation is needed. And so, we have this story, which I heard from my teacher, RabbiElimelech Zwiebel:
In another dimension of time, in a world beyond ours, is a forest filled with magnificent creatures. Of all the creatures there, the birds are the most spectacular, and of all the birds, the tzidikel bird is more beautiful than them all. And of all the tzidikel birds, one stands out with dazzling beauty, beyond anything words can describe.
Every morning in this splendorous forest, the creatures gather before sunrise about the tree of the tzidikel bird. As the sun reaches the tops of the trees, its rays shine down through the canopy and the tzidikel opens its wings in full glory. A panorama of colors glisten and sparkle in its feathers, dancing in the sunlight like so many magical stars and fairies to entertain the bird's delighted audience. Each morning is a more glorious spectacle than the day before. Each morning all the creatures ahhh and ooh in wonder.
All this occurred every day within that dimension of time, until, one year, a new bird came to the forest. Soon enough, the creatures began to gather at the roost of this new bird each morning, leaving the tzidikel all but alone.
"Is she then more glorious than I?" demanded the tzidikel of her few remaining faithful. "How could this be? There are no colors left in the universe that I do not possess!"
"But she," her faithful muttered, their heads hanging from shame, "she has no colors. She is black."
The fury of the tzidikel knew no bounds. She was the perfection of the art of beauty, and if black was to be beautiful, then there was no beauty at all. In rage, she tore herself from her branch and flew to see her rival.
There stood the creatures of the forest in silent wonder. Perhaps it was the oils of the black bird's feathers that refracted the light of the sun as a prism into so many rainbows. Perhaps it was the mystery of her absolute blackness, or the contrast she held against the bright morning sky. All that could be said is that it was an intangible beauty, not of something that could be painted, or described or known in any way. It was beauty as indefinable as black is dark.
"Is she then more glorious than I?!" screamed the tzidikel from her perch above the crowd.
"We cannot tell," the animals explained, trembling. "For it is no longer dawn."
"Very well then," cried the tzidikel. "We will have a contest at dawn! But who will be the judge?"
No creature dared volunteer for such a task. And neither could the two birds themselves come to a consensus. So it was decided that the two would appear at dawn at a position known only to them and the first creature to appear would adjudicate their contest.
All night they prepared their feathers and rehearsed their movements, all night at their secret post in the forest. And as the sun began to rise, they ruffled their feathers and then with a dramatic swoosh spread them wide in the most glorious scene ever to come to the most glorious of forests. Yet there was no witness to that scene, none but the two birds themselves.
Until, from behind the bushes below, a sound was heard that almost toppled the tzidikel from her tree in horror. It was the grunt of a wild boar.
Covered in mud and smelling of its own excrement, the boar appeared, and yes, even he was delighted with the beauty that encountered him. And the two birds, surrendered to the fate of their contest, both spread their feathers and turned elegantly, displaying their pride to the pig below.
He grunted, he snorted, he coughed. He asked for a replay again and again. And after an hour or so, he finally set forth his verdict: The black bird was the most beautiful of them all.
"If so," cried the tzidikel, "my beauty is not beauty. There is no place left for me." And she flew away from the forest, never to be heard of again.
The tzidikel is the light G-d brings into His creation. Through miracles, through tzaddikim, through righteous acts that have no tint of personal motives. The black bird is the darkness. But when the darkness is turned to beauty, it is a beauty so great that light is dim and impotent before it.
As for the pig, it is this lowly world, the world of action, which the Creator Himself has declared the final judge of truth and beauty.
Life after Death.
Life After Death |
Man has had an abiding faith in a world beyond the grave. The conviction in a life after death, improvable but unshakeable, has been cherished since the beginning of thinking man's life on earth. It makes its appearance in religious literature not as fiat, commanded irrevocably by an absolute God, but rather arises plant-like, growing and developing naturally in the soul. It then sprouts forth through sublime prayer and sacred hymn. Only later does it become extrapolated in complicated metaphysical speculation. The after-life has not been "thought up"; it is not a rational construction of a religious philosophy imposed on believing man. It has sprung from within the hearts of masses of men, a sort of consensus Pentium, inside out, a hope beyond and above the rational, a longing for the warm sun of eternity. The after-life is not a theory to be proven logically or demonstrated by rational analysis. It is axiomatic. It is to the soul what oxygen is to the lungs. There is little meaning to life, to God, to man's constant strivings, to all of his achievements, unless there is a world beyond the grave. The Bible, so vitally concerned with the actions of man in this world, and agonizing over his day-to-day morals, is relatively silent about the world-to-come. But, precisely, this very silence is a tribute to the awesome concept, taken for granted like the oxygen in the atmosphere. No elaborate apologia, no complex abstractions are necessary. The Bible, which records the sacred dialogue between God and man, surely must be founded on the soul's eternal existence. It was not a matter of debate, as it became later in history when whole movements interpreted scripture with slavish literalism and could not find the after-life crystallized in letters and words, or later, when philosophers began to apply the yardstick of rationalism to man's every hope and idea and sought empirical proof for this conviction of the soul. It was a fundamental creed, always present, though rarely articulated. If the soul is immortal then death cannot be considered a final act. If the life of the soul is to be continued, then death, however bitter, is deprived of its treacherous power of casting mourners into a lifetime of agonizing hopelessness over an irretrievable loss. Terrible though it is, death is a threshold to a new world-the "world-to-come." |
Rocks and Diamonds.
It was a wintry Friday night in Brooklyn. A roomful of Jewish college kids in the 60's, challenging the young rabbi chairing the roundtable: How can you believe in G-d when science has proven...? Why keep kosher in an age of government inspection and refrigeration? Isn't it racist to speak of the chosen people? The rabbi was doing his best.
Sitting in the audience was an elderly rabbi, long black coat, elegant white beard. He rose to speak.
"The questions you are asking are good questions, but for this you don't need to come to Chabad. Anyone who has learned Torah can tell you these answers. But you came to Chabad; now let me tell you why you came."
Everyone there was surprised he could speak English; the rabbi with the immaculate black coat and long white beard began his story.
A little boy was walking with his father down a steep hill in the heat of the day. They saw a man coming up the hill towards them, sweating, with a heavy sack on his shoulders weighing him down. When the man reached them the little boy asked what he had in his sack, why he was going up the hill, why he was working so hard.
The man told the little boy that his oven had broken and he had to come down to the valley to get more stones to build himself an oven.
Why not get more stones, asked the little boy, and build a bigger oven that will keep you warmer and you can have more food -- there must be more stones still in the valley?
Oh, you little boy, said the man, you don't yet know what it means to have to work, how hard it is to schlep. He put his free hand on the little boy's shoulder. When you'll be big like me you'll be happy with a little oven too.
The little boy and his father continued down the hill.
They saw another man coming up the hill towards them. Same size man, same size sack, but this man didn't seem so weighed down.
What have you in the sack, the little boy wanted to know, is it stones, are you going to build yourself a small oven?
Oh no, the man smiled broadly, no oven building for me! See, I was down in the valley digging for turnips and I hit a treasure. Diamonds! Rubies! Pearls! I have two daughters, two weddings to make, I'm going to open a store and stop peddling from town to town, build myself a house with wooden floors and...
Why not get more diamonds, interrupted the boy, there must be more left in the valley?
Son, said the old man putting his free hand on the little boy's shoulder, believe me, I searched the valley clean. I don't think there is another diamond down there.
The little boy and his father continued down the hill.
You see, said the little boy's father, when you're carrying diamonds they're never too heavy. The first guy may have had diamonds too, but he didn't know what they were.
The old rabbi with the long white beard looked at the college kids.
"You see what the father was telling the boy? A mitzvah is a diamond. Every mitzvah that we do is a precious, precious thing. This is why you come to Chabad; not just to learn a mitzvah but to learn that it is a diamond. When you know they are diamonds then most of your questions will be answered."
I heard this story on a wintry Friday night in Brooklyn. A roomful of Jewish college kids in the early 80's, challenging the rabbi chairing the roundtable. The questions had shifted with the times: why do we need mitzvahs when we can meditate instead?
A man got up and told this story that he had heard twenty years earlier on a cold wintry night a few blocks from where they were now. He told the story well and ended with the words, "It's been twenty years since Rabbi Kazarnovsky stood up that night to tell that story. I could tell you dozens of experiences I've had since then, but to you it would be meaningless."
I jolted. It was just four weeks since my grandfather died. Rabbi Kazarnovsky was my grandfather.
I type the story with pride and awe. Pride because he was my grandfather; awed because he was my grandfather.
Passion, demands the parshah. You can't be Jewish out of a sense of duty. An observant Jew? an unsatisfying label. Like an obedient child, a dutiful husband, a law-abiding citizen, an "observant Jew" accepts obligations - yet keeps on trudging. I know we're the Chosen People, moans Tevye, but isn't it time you chose someone else?
Duty and diligence are not calculated to inspire, they're heavy rocks. But when duty and diligence are born of passion they are tough as steel and as brilliant diamonds. A heavy load? Maybe, on the scales: but not on my back.
"You have to be a rabbi," a friend told me when I was seventeen, "it's expected of you, it's even in your genes." A duty, he was saying. And I thank a rabbi with an immaculate, long, black coat and an elegant, long, white beard, for showing me it's a diamond.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Dirt Roads...
What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.
There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn't be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride.
That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.
We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.
And there were no drive by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse!
People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust & bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt Roads taught patience.
Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk.
For your mail, you walked to the mail box.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.
At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.
Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.
At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini.
At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road!
There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn't be remedied, if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.
People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride.
That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it, if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.
We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.
And there were no drive by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse!
People did not worship their cars more than their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust & bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt Roads taught patience.
Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk you walked to the barn for your milk.
For your mail, you walked to the mail box.
What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.
At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.
Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.
At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini.
At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out.
Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road!
Yesterday and Tomorrow.
There are two days in every week about which we should not worry.
Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares,
Its faults and blunders, Its aches and pains.
Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.
We cannot undo a single act we performed.
We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow.
With its possible adversities, Its burdens,
Its large promise and poor performance.
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
Tomorrow's Sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds,
but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.
This just leaves only one day . . . Today.
Any person can fight the battles of just one day.
It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternity's -
yesterday and tomorrow that we break down.
It is not the experience of today that drives people mad.
It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday
and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
Let us therefore live but one day at a time.
Two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.
One of these days is yesterday with its mistakes and cares,
Its faults and blunders, Its aches and pains.
Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back yesterday.
We cannot undo a single act we performed.
We cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone.
The other day we should not worry about is tomorrow.
With its possible adversities, Its burdens,
Its large promise and poor performance.
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.
Tomorrow's Sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds,
but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in tomorrow, for it is yet unborn.
This just leaves only one day . . . Today.
Any person can fight the battles of just one day.
It is only when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternity's -
yesterday and tomorrow that we break down.
It is not the experience of today that drives people mad.
It is the remorse or bitterness for something which happened yesterday
and the dread of what tomorrow may bring.
Let us therefore live but one day at a time.
Dance like no one is WATCHING.
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are.
After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with, we will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza.
He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way, so, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time... and remember that time waits for no one.
So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy... Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So, Work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt and Dance Like no one's watching.
After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with, we will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.
We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when?
Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza.
He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way, so, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time... and remember that time waits for no one.
So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy... Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So, Work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt and Dance Like no one's watching.
Friday, September 23, 2011
"Be not afraid of anything. You will do marvellous work. The moment you fear, you are nobody. It is fear that is the great cause of misery in the world. It is fear that is the greatest of superstitions. It is fear that the cause of oue woes, and it is fearlessness that brings heaven even in a moment. Therefore, 'Arise, Awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.'"
Never underestimate anyone.
A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his Customer, "This is the dumbest kid in the world. Watch while I prove it to you."
The barber puts a five rupee coin in one hand and two one rupee coins (1+1=2) in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, "Which do you want, son?"
The boy takes the two one rupee coins and leaves.
"What did I tell you?" said the barber. "That kid never learns!"
Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store.
"Hey, son! May I ask you a question?
Why did you take two one rupee coins instead of five rupee coin?"
The boy licked his cone and replied,
"BECAUSE THE DAY I TAKE THE FIVE RUPEE COIN, THE GAME IS OVER"
The barber puts a five rupee coin in one hand and two one rupee coins (1+1=2) in the other, then calls the boy over and asks, "Which do you want, son?"
The boy takes the two one rupee coins and leaves.
"What did I tell you?" said the barber. "That kid never learns!"
Later, when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy coming out of the ice cream store.
"Hey, son! May I ask you a question?
Why did you take two one rupee coins instead of five rupee coin?"
The boy licked his cone and replied,
"BECAUSE THE DAY I TAKE THE FIVE RUPEE COIN, THE GAME IS OVER"
:: Moral of the Story ::
When you think the other person is dumb, you are making a fool of yourself
When you think the other person is dumb, you are making a fool of yourself
Be Enthusiastic!
"Nothing great is ever achieved without enthusiasm." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Enthusiasm and success go hand in hand, but enthusiasm comes first. Enthusiasm inspires confidence, raises morale, builds loyalty! and is priceless. Enthusiasm is contagious. You can feel enthusiasm by the way a person talks, walks or shakes hands. Enthusiasm is a habit that one can acquire and practice.
Many decades ago, Charles Schwab, who was earning a salary of a million dollars a year, was asked if he was being paid such a high salary because of his exceptional ability to produce steel. Charles Schwab replied, "I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among the men the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement."
Live while you are alive. Don't die before you are dead.
Enthusiasm and desire are what change mediocrity to excellence.
Water turns into steam with a difference of only one degree in temperature and steam can move some of the biggest engines in the world.
That is what enthusiasm helps us to do in our lives.
Enthusiasm and success go hand in hand, but enthusiasm comes first. Enthusiasm inspires confidence, raises morale, builds loyalty! and is priceless. Enthusiasm is contagious. You can feel enthusiasm by the way a person talks, walks or shakes hands. Enthusiasm is a habit that one can acquire and practice.
Many decades ago, Charles Schwab, who was earning a salary of a million dollars a year, was asked if he was being paid such a high salary because of his exceptional ability to produce steel. Charles Schwab replied, "I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among the men the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement."
Live while you are alive. Don't die before you are dead.
Enthusiasm and desire are what change mediocrity to excellence.
Water turns into steam with a difference of only one degree in temperature and steam can move some of the biggest engines in the world.
That is what enthusiasm helps us to do in our lives.
Different Things Motivate Different People
There was a young boy who used to come for regular practice but always played in the reserves and never made it to the soccer eleven. While he was practicing, his father used to sit at the far end, waiting for him.
The matches had started and for four days, he didn't show up for practice or the quarter or semifinals. All of a sudden he showed up for the finals, went to the coach and said, "Coach, you have always kept me in the reserves and never let me play in the finals. But today, please let me play."
The coach said, "Son, I'm sorry, I can't let you. There are better players than you and besides, it is the finals, the reputation of the school is at stake and I cannot take a chance."
The boy pleaded, "Coach, I promise I will not let you down. I beg of you, please let me play."
The coach had never seen the boy plead like this before. He said, "OK, son, go, play. But remember, I am going against my better judgment and the reputation of the school is at stake. Don't let me down."
The game started and the boy played like a house on fire. Every time he got the ball, he shot a goal. Needless to say, he was the best player and the star of the game. His team had a spectacular win.
When the game finished, the coach went up to him and said, "Son, how could I have been so wrong in my life. I have never seen you play like this before. What happened? How did you play so well?"
The boy replied, "Coach, my father is watching me today."
The coach turned around and looked at the place where the boy's father used to sit. There was no one there. He said, "Son, your father used to sit there when you came for practice, but I don't see anyone there today."
The boy replied, "Coach, there is something I never told you. My father was blind. Just four days ago, he died. Today is the first day he is watching me from above."
The matches had started and for four days, he didn't show up for practice or the quarter or semifinals. All of a sudden he showed up for the finals, went to the coach and said, "Coach, you have always kept me in the reserves and never let me play in the finals. But today, please let me play."
The coach said, "Son, I'm sorry, I can't let you. There are better players than you and besides, it is the finals, the reputation of the school is at stake and I cannot take a chance."
The boy pleaded, "Coach, I promise I will not let you down. I beg of you, please let me play."
The coach had never seen the boy plead like this before. He said, "OK, son, go, play. But remember, I am going against my better judgment and the reputation of the school is at stake. Don't let me down."
The game started and the boy played like a house on fire. Every time he got the ball, he shot a goal. Needless to say, he was the best player and the star of the game. His team had a spectacular win.
When the game finished, the coach went up to him and said, "Son, how could I have been so wrong in my life. I have never seen you play like this before. What happened? How did you play so well?"
The boy replied, "Coach, my father is watching me today."
The coach turned around and looked at the place where the boy's father used to sit. There was no one there. He said, "Son, your father used to sit there when you came for practice, but I don't see anyone there today."
The boy replied, "Coach, there is something I never told you. My father was blind. Just four days ago, he died. Today is the first day he is watching me from above."
The Ice Princess
A Victorian cottage, a bottle of wine, a roaring fire - all the elements for romance. Yet how could Kate feel anything but contempt for her husband after seeing him locked in a passionate embrace with a woman young enough to be his daughter?
It was a winding road that led to the tiny Victorian cottage, tucked into a hill. Katy watched Vance with gilded eyes, scanning the handsome face, the bold 'Stewart' nose, finally resting on the inset dimple locked into his rugged right cheek.
"Maryland is gorgeous this time of year, eh Kate?" he queried, glazing his lips with a charming smile as he addressed her. "Almost perfect, wouldn't you say?"
Kate reverted her attention to the lovely drive, trying to focus on anything other than her unrequited lover. How could he just sit there so cool? So collected? Five years she'd given him. It deeply grieved her to know that he had casually tossed those wonderful years away for that-that rag muffin of a girl. Rather, Lani Darling, as she'd overheard Vance refer to her.
Three months ago, she would have trusted him with her life. Of course, all that had been washed away. The first encounter occurred when she had paid a surprise visit to Lance's office, hoping they could enjoy a romantic lunch together. There was an Italian 'hole-in-the-wall' that she'd went to with a friend one day, and the establishment served the best rosemary bread she'd ever tasted.
There, on the side of his desk, had rested Lani Darling in a red, low-cut dress supporting a silk scarf that Kate wanted to strangle the woman with. She had been whispering to Vance, and Kate could never erase the disturbed reaction on his face if she lived to be a thousand!
Oh, but Vance was slick. He had nonchalantly soothed over the moment, passing Lani off as a business acquaintance. Like an idiot, Kate had swallowed his ludicrous story, hook, line and sinker.
One month later, upon visiting that out-of-the way Italian restaurant, she caught them huddled together in a dark corner, their hands locked beside a wax-coated bottle, only the light of the flickering candle illuminating Vance's face as Kate slowly made her way to the table.
Awkwardly, he had attempted to explain the cozy situation, failing miserably. Lani had discretely vanished. Two weeks later, Vance had her eating out of his hand again, Kate feeling ridiculous and childish for ever believing he could cheat on her.
But everything changed last week. Kate made a decision to postpone her business trip and surprise Vance at home. He'd been so wonderful to her lately, especially by planning the romantic trip to a lovely Victorian cottage in Maryland.
Kate hurried home that day, pausing at the market to gather some fruit, cheese and wine. Vance and her were going to have the most romantic weekend!
She remembered everything. That's how it always is in the end. One takes in every sight, every sound, every movement...
She had turned her key in lock of the quaint manor which she and Vance called home, then she had quietly entered, the pungent smell of roses mingling with the air. Laughter, from the den. Then silence as Kate had made her way towards her worst fears. The kiss, Vance, Lani.
She had turned, unnoticed, slipped out the door, then had vanished into the fog of the early evening, a million thoughts circling in her head.
"Kate? Katy!"
Kate heard herself ease out a painful groan, then looked at Vance as he drew her back to the present.
"Darling, you're crying," Vance observed, his brow tensed in confusion.
Vance felt utterly helpless. She was doing this again, this new crying saga that had seemed to become her familiar stage these days. Hell, what was wrong with her? Hormones? She was too young to be experiencing 'the change'. Wasn't PMS either. Well, whatever it was he wished to God that the Kate he knew and loved would soon resurface.
Surely she wasn't still obsessing over Lani? Jealously wasn't a 'Kate trait'. Besides, Lani was young enough to be his kid sister.
He reached over to clasp her hand, shocked when she suddenly pulled away.
Grimacing, he eased out, "My dear Kate, you're becoming the perfect ice maiden. It seems that every time I touch you..."
"Look, we're almost there," she jerked out, whisking away her tears and pointing to the lovely cottage in the distance. She needed to focus on something other than Vance right now. Besides, he couldn't possibly care why she was crying.
How romantic... A line of blue clouds surrounded the cottage, the elegant windowpanes mirroring the rays of the evening sun. A beautiful herb garden rested beside the house, the towering lavender waving in the cool breeze spun by the north wind.
Vance and Kate spent the next couple of hours settling into the cottage, both feeling acutely miserable. The owner of the cottage had set out a beautiful basket of fresh fruit. In the refrigerator a meal of chicken a la orange, baked potatoes, and julienne beans had been prepared for their evening meal. Homemade bread rested on a wooden board to accompany the romantic meal. However, at this point, neither Vance nor Kate felt like eating.
Vance had started a warm, cozy fire in the small den, asking Kate to join him. At his request, they settled in front of the fire and she tensed as he eased out thoughtfully, "There's a reason I brought you here, Kate. This seemed like the perfect spot and as we can both see, the brochure did not lie."
My God, he was going to do it! He was going to tell her about his rendezvous with that Lani slut. Suddenly, she could see, hear, smell, feel everything about her so intensely for this was the end - the flickering fire, the wood as it drifted up through the chimney shaft - her heart wildly quaking as it suddenly felt close to shattering…
She inwardly reeled as Vance continued his stabbing words, rising to collect something as he spoke to her. "Kate, this may not be the moment to do this, because I feel there's something askew in our relationship. Perhaps, it's a phase. Perhaps you don't love me anymore."
How could she not love him? He was like "Sara Lee" - nobody didn't like Vance Stewart!
"Nonetheless, my surprise can't wait a moment longer," he continued, collecting a rather large sealed package as he spoke that Kate hadn't noticed until now.
He drug the object over to their 'sitting' place, the fire being their only light.
"For you, my darling," he eased out with a twisted smile.
Kate shook her head, mystification meshing with her confusion.
"Well, open it, darling! Hurry, or I'll have to do it for you!" Vance laughed, encouraging her as he beckoned her.
Kate's hands shook. She was confused. What could this be? Vance was going to end their marriage, right?
Carefully, she eased away the packing, an exquisite full-length painting surfacing into view. Gracing a glance over the face of the portrait, Kate reeled. My God! It was her - Kate!
Her gaze flew to Vance, his deep wonderful laugh filling the room. "I do hope you like it, darling? Lani has indeed performed a masterpiece, don't you agree?"
Lani? Kate's eyes filled with tears, the situating dawning on her. My, all this time Vance had been meeting with Lani to secure this painting of her! This wonderful painting!
Vance was immediately beside her, taking her sobbing form into his arms. "Darling," he sighed, uncertain as to what to do. "Please, tell me what's wrong? I just want things to be like they were before. I feel as if I can't do anything to help. I-I feel so lost, so helpless without you."
He had to strain his ears as she jerked out between sobs, "Oh, darling, I thought you were... you-you were having an affair with her."
Vance tensed his brows together, his face lined with confusion. "Her? My God, surely not Lani?"
Then he eased out a mocking laugh and continued, "Kate! She's young enough to be my kid sister."
Kate sniffed, then corrected, "She's young enough to be your daughter, darling. However, I must admit that I assumed you were cheating. I-I thought I caught you kissing her-"
Vance instantly cut her off. "That's because you did, darling."
"What?"
"You did. Oh, don't look so shocked, you conniving little Kate thing. And you're wondering what gave you away, eh?"
She nodded rather innocently and he continued, "I didn't see you, but I did take in an intense whiff of your perfume that evening. Actually, until this moment, I thought I had imagined that. But you were there, weren't you? In the wings, nosing around."
He paused, taking time to wipe away one stray tear. "Kate, I understand everything so clearly now. This would have been a lot simpler if you'd just come to me. Nonetheless, when I saw what a wonderful masterpiece that Lani had created, yes - I grabbed her and kissed her cheek! You must have saw, right?"
"Yes, I've been so...so naughty, darling. Oh, how could I? I-I love you so much, words just aren't enough."
"Ssshhh," Vance told her, placing an index finger over her warm lips. "I love you too, darling. I must admit, you had me worried. I thought my fair maiden had turned into an ice princess."
"Yes, darling, I did. But see these tears? You've melted all the coldness away."
The warm fire crackled beside them but it could not match the warmth they felt for one another.
It was a winding road that led to the tiny Victorian cottage, tucked into a hill. Katy watched Vance with gilded eyes, scanning the handsome face, the bold 'Stewart' nose, finally resting on the inset dimple locked into his rugged right cheek.
"Maryland is gorgeous this time of year, eh Kate?" he queried, glazing his lips with a charming smile as he addressed her. "Almost perfect, wouldn't you say?"
Kate reverted her attention to the lovely drive, trying to focus on anything other than her unrequited lover. How could he just sit there so cool? So collected? Five years she'd given him. It deeply grieved her to know that he had casually tossed those wonderful years away for that-that rag muffin of a girl. Rather, Lani Darling, as she'd overheard Vance refer to her.
Three months ago, she would have trusted him with her life. Of course, all that had been washed away. The first encounter occurred when she had paid a surprise visit to Lance's office, hoping they could enjoy a romantic lunch together. There was an Italian 'hole-in-the-wall' that she'd went to with a friend one day, and the establishment served the best rosemary bread she'd ever tasted.
There, on the side of his desk, had rested Lani Darling in a red, low-cut dress supporting a silk scarf that Kate wanted to strangle the woman with. She had been whispering to Vance, and Kate could never erase the disturbed reaction on his face if she lived to be a thousand!
Oh, but Vance was slick. He had nonchalantly soothed over the moment, passing Lani off as a business acquaintance. Like an idiot, Kate had swallowed his ludicrous story, hook, line and sinker.
One month later, upon visiting that out-of-the way Italian restaurant, she caught them huddled together in a dark corner, their hands locked beside a wax-coated bottle, only the light of the flickering candle illuminating Vance's face as Kate slowly made her way to the table.
Awkwardly, he had attempted to explain the cozy situation, failing miserably. Lani had discretely vanished. Two weeks later, Vance had her eating out of his hand again, Kate feeling ridiculous and childish for ever believing he could cheat on her.
But everything changed last week. Kate made a decision to postpone her business trip and surprise Vance at home. He'd been so wonderful to her lately, especially by planning the romantic trip to a lovely Victorian cottage in Maryland.
Kate hurried home that day, pausing at the market to gather some fruit, cheese and wine. Vance and her were going to have the most romantic weekend!
She remembered everything. That's how it always is in the end. One takes in every sight, every sound, every movement...
She had turned her key in lock of the quaint manor which she and Vance called home, then she had quietly entered, the pungent smell of roses mingling with the air. Laughter, from the den. Then silence as Kate had made her way towards her worst fears. The kiss, Vance, Lani.
She had turned, unnoticed, slipped out the door, then had vanished into the fog of the early evening, a million thoughts circling in her head.
"Kate? Katy!"
Kate heard herself ease out a painful groan, then looked at Vance as he drew her back to the present.
"Darling, you're crying," Vance observed, his brow tensed in confusion.
Vance felt utterly helpless. She was doing this again, this new crying saga that had seemed to become her familiar stage these days. Hell, what was wrong with her? Hormones? She was too young to be experiencing 'the change'. Wasn't PMS either. Well, whatever it was he wished to God that the Kate he knew and loved would soon resurface.
Surely she wasn't still obsessing over Lani? Jealously wasn't a 'Kate trait'. Besides, Lani was young enough to be his kid sister.
He reached over to clasp her hand, shocked when she suddenly pulled away.
Grimacing, he eased out, "My dear Kate, you're becoming the perfect ice maiden. It seems that every time I touch you..."
"Look, we're almost there," she jerked out, whisking away her tears and pointing to the lovely cottage in the distance. She needed to focus on something other than Vance right now. Besides, he couldn't possibly care why she was crying.
How romantic... A line of blue clouds surrounded the cottage, the elegant windowpanes mirroring the rays of the evening sun. A beautiful herb garden rested beside the house, the towering lavender waving in the cool breeze spun by the north wind.
Vance and Kate spent the next couple of hours settling into the cottage, both feeling acutely miserable. The owner of the cottage had set out a beautiful basket of fresh fruit. In the refrigerator a meal of chicken a la orange, baked potatoes, and julienne beans had been prepared for their evening meal. Homemade bread rested on a wooden board to accompany the romantic meal. However, at this point, neither Vance nor Kate felt like eating.
Vance had started a warm, cozy fire in the small den, asking Kate to join him. At his request, they settled in front of the fire and she tensed as he eased out thoughtfully, "There's a reason I brought you here, Kate. This seemed like the perfect spot and as we can both see, the brochure did not lie."
My God, he was going to do it! He was going to tell her about his rendezvous with that Lani slut. Suddenly, she could see, hear, smell, feel everything about her so intensely for this was the end - the flickering fire, the wood as it drifted up through the chimney shaft - her heart wildly quaking as it suddenly felt close to shattering…
She inwardly reeled as Vance continued his stabbing words, rising to collect something as he spoke to her. "Kate, this may not be the moment to do this, because I feel there's something askew in our relationship. Perhaps, it's a phase. Perhaps you don't love me anymore."
How could she not love him? He was like "Sara Lee" - nobody didn't like Vance Stewart!
"Nonetheless, my surprise can't wait a moment longer," he continued, collecting a rather large sealed package as he spoke that Kate hadn't noticed until now.
He drug the object over to their 'sitting' place, the fire being their only light.
"For you, my darling," he eased out with a twisted smile.
Kate shook her head, mystification meshing with her confusion.
"Well, open it, darling! Hurry, or I'll have to do it for you!" Vance laughed, encouraging her as he beckoned her.
Kate's hands shook. She was confused. What could this be? Vance was going to end their marriage, right?
Carefully, she eased away the packing, an exquisite full-length painting surfacing into view. Gracing a glance over the face of the portrait, Kate reeled. My God! It was her - Kate!
Her gaze flew to Vance, his deep wonderful laugh filling the room. "I do hope you like it, darling? Lani has indeed performed a masterpiece, don't you agree?"
Lani? Kate's eyes filled with tears, the situating dawning on her. My, all this time Vance had been meeting with Lani to secure this painting of her! This wonderful painting!
Vance was immediately beside her, taking her sobbing form into his arms. "Darling," he sighed, uncertain as to what to do. "Please, tell me what's wrong? I just want things to be like they were before. I feel as if I can't do anything to help. I-I feel so lost, so helpless without you."
He had to strain his ears as she jerked out between sobs, "Oh, darling, I thought you were... you-you were having an affair with her."
Vance tensed his brows together, his face lined with confusion. "Her? My God, surely not Lani?"
Then he eased out a mocking laugh and continued, "Kate! She's young enough to be my kid sister."
Kate sniffed, then corrected, "She's young enough to be your daughter, darling. However, I must admit that I assumed you were cheating. I-I thought I caught you kissing her-"
Vance instantly cut her off. "That's because you did, darling."
"What?"
"You did. Oh, don't look so shocked, you conniving little Kate thing. And you're wondering what gave you away, eh?"
She nodded rather innocently and he continued, "I didn't see you, but I did take in an intense whiff of your perfume that evening. Actually, until this moment, I thought I had imagined that. But you were there, weren't you? In the wings, nosing around."
He paused, taking time to wipe away one stray tear. "Kate, I understand everything so clearly now. This would have been a lot simpler if you'd just come to me. Nonetheless, when I saw what a wonderful masterpiece that Lani had created, yes - I grabbed her and kissed her cheek! You must have saw, right?"
"Yes, I've been so...so naughty, darling. Oh, how could I? I-I love you so much, words just aren't enough."
"Ssshhh," Vance told her, placing an index finger over her warm lips. "I love you too, darling. I must admit, you had me worried. I thought my fair maiden had turned into an ice princess."
"Yes, darling, I did. But see these tears? You've melted all the coldness away."
The warm fire crackled beside them but it could not match the warmth they felt for one another.
Freedom : Parrot
A man, a great man, a fighter for freedom was traveling in the mountains. He stayed in a caravanserai for the night. He was amazed that in the caravanserai there was a beautiful parrot in a golden cage, continually repeating "Freedom! Freedom!" And it was such a place that when the parrot repeated the word "Freedom!" it would go on echoing in the valleys, in the mountains.
The man thought: "I have seen many parrots, and I have thought they must want to be free from those cages... but I have never seen such a parrot whose whole day, from the morning to the evening when he goes to sleep, is spent in calling out for freedom." He had an idea. In the middle of the night, when the owner was fast asleep, he got up and opened the door of the cage. He whispered to the parrot, "Now get out."
But he was very surprised that the parrot was clinging to the bars of the cage. He said to him again and again, "Have you forgotten about freedom? Just get out! The door is open and the owner is fast asleep; nobody will ever know. You just fly into the sky; the whole sky is yours."
But the parrot was clinging so deeply, so hard, that the man said, "What is the matter? Are you mad?" He tried to take the parrot out with his own hands, but the parrot started pecking at him, and at the same time he was shouting "Freedom! Freedom!" The valleys in the night echoed and re-echoed, but the man was also stubborn; he was a freedom fighter.
He pulled the parrot out and threw him into the sky; and he was very satisfied, although his hand was hurt. The parrot had attacked him as forcefully as he could, but the man was immensely satisfied that he had made a soul free. He went to sleep.
In the morning, as the man was waking up, he heart the parrot shouting, "Freedom! Freedom!" He thought perhaps the parrot must be sitting on a tree or on a rock. But when he came out, the parrot was sitting in the cage. The door was open.
The man thought: "I have seen many parrots, and I have thought they must want to be free from those cages... but I have never seen such a parrot whose whole day, from the morning to the evening when he goes to sleep, is spent in calling out for freedom." He had an idea. In the middle of the night, when the owner was fast asleep, he got up and opened the door of the cage. He whispered to the parrot, "Now get out."
But he was very surprised that the parrot was clinging to the bars of the cage. He said to him again and again, "Have you forgotten about freedom? Just get out! The door is open and the owner is fast asleep; nobody will ever know. You just fly into the sky; the whole sky is yours."
But the parrot was clinging so deeply, so hard, that the man said, "What is the matter? Are you mad?" He tried to take the parrot out with his own hands, but the parrot started pecking at him, and at the same time he was shouting "Freedom! Freedom!" The valleys in the night echoed and re-echoed, but the man was also stubborn; he was a freedom fighter.
He pulled the parrot out and threw him into the sky; and he was very satisfied, although his hand was hurt. The parrot had attacked him as forcefully as he could, but the man was immensely satisfied that he had made a soul free. He went to sleep.
In the morning, as the man was waking up, he heart the parrot shouting, "Freedom! Freedom!" He thought perhaps the parrot must be sitting on a tree or on a rock. But when he came out, the parrot was sitting in the cage. The door was open.
Land of Truth
A certain man believed that the ordinary waking life, as people know it, could not possibly be complete. He sought the real Teacher of the Age. He read many books and joined many circles, and he heard the words and witnessed the deeds of one master after another. He carried out the commands and spiritual exercises which seemed to him to be most attractive.
He became elated with some of his experiences. At other times he was confused; and he had no idea at all of what his stage was, or where and when his search might end.
This man was reviewing his behavior one day when he suddenly found himself near the house of a certain sage of high repute. In the garden of that house, he encountered Khidr, the secret guide who shows the way to truth.
Khidr took hihm to a place where he saw people in great distress and woe, and he asked who they were. "We are those who did not follow real teachings, who were not true to our undertakings, who revered self-appointed teachers," they said.
Then the man was taken by Khidr to a place where everyone was attractive and full of joy. He asked who they were. "We are those who did not follow the real Signs of the Way," they said.
"But if you have ignored the Signs, how can you be happy?" asked the traveler.
"Because we chose happiness instead of Truth," said the people, "just as those who chose the self-appointed chose also misery."
"But is happiness not the ideal of man?" asked the man.
"The goal of man is Truth. Truth is more than happiness. The man who has Truth can have whatever mood he wishes, or none," they told him. "We have pretended that Truth is happiness, and happiness Truth, and people have believed us, therefore you, too, have until now imagined that happiness must be the same as Truth. But happiness makes you its prisoner, as does woe."
Then the man found himself back in the garden with Khidr beside him.
"I will grant you one desire," said Khidr.
"I wish to know why I have failed in my search and how I can succeed in it," said the man. "You have all but wasted your life," said Khidr, "because you have been a liar. Your lie has been in seeking personal gratification when you could have been seeking Truth."
"And yet I came to the point where I found you," said the man, " and that is something which happens to hardly anyone at all."
"And you met me," said Khidr, "because you had sufficient sincerity to desire Truth for its own sake, just for an instant. It was that sincerity, in that single instant, which made me answer your call."
Now the man felt an overwhelming desire to find Truth, even if he lost himself.
Khidr, however, was starting to walk away, and the man began to run after him.
"You may not follow me," said Khidr, "because I am returning to the ordinary world, the world of lies, for that is where I have to be, if I am to do my work."
And when the man looked around him again, he realized that he was no longer n the garden of the sage, but standing in the Land of Truth.
He became elated with some of his experiences. At other times he was confused; and he had no idea at all of what his stage was, or where and when his search might end.
This man was reviewing his behavior one day when he suddenly found himself near the house of a certain sage of high repute. In the garden of that house, he encountered Khidr, the secret guide who shows the way to truth.
Khidr took hihm to a place where he saw people in great distress and woe, and he asked who they were. "We are those who did not follow real teachings, who were not true to our undertakings, who revered self-appointed teachers," they said.
Then the man was taken by Khidr to a place where everyone was attractive and full of joy. He asked who they were. "We are those who did not follow the real Signs of the Way," they said.
"But if you have ignored the Signs, how can you be happy?" asked the traveler.
"Because we chose happiness instead of Truth," said the people, "just as those who chose the self-appointed chose also misery."
"But is happiness not the ideal of man?" asked the man.
"The goal of man is Truth. Truth is more than happiness. The man who has Truth can have whatever mood he wishes, or none," they told him. "We have pretended that Truth is happiness, and happiness Truth, and people have believed us, therefore you, too, have until now imagined that happiness must be the same as Truth. But happiness makes you its prisoner, as does woe."
Then the man found himself back in the garden with Khidr beside him.
"I will grant you one desire," said Khidr.
"I wish to know why I have failed in my search and how I can succeed in it," said the man. "You have all but wasted your life," said Khidr, "because you have been a liar. Your lie has been in seeking personal gratification when you could have been seeking Truth."
"And yet I came to the point where I found you," said the man, " and that is something which happens to hardly anyone at all."
"And you met me," said Khidr, "because you had sufficient sincerity to desire Truth for its own sake, just for an instant. It was that sincerity, in that single instant, which made me answer your call."
Now the man felt an overwhelming desire to find Truth, even if he lost himself.
Khidr, however, was starting to walk away, and the man began to run after him.
"You may not follow me," said Khidr, "because I am returning to the ordinary world, the world of lies, for that is where I have to be, if I am to do my work."
And when the man looked around him again, he realized that he was no longer n the garden of the sage, but standing in the Land of Truth.
Shake it off and take a step behind.
They all grabbed shovels, and began to shovel dirt into the well. All the other farm animals were very upset about this, because the donkey was their friend. But they discovered there was nothing they could do to help him. At first, when the donkey realized what was happening, he cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well, and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off, and take a step up on the dirt as it piled up. As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well, and trotted off!
:: Moral of the Story ::
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. But each trouble can be a stepping stone. What happens to you isn't nearly as important as how you react to it. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not giving up!
Do not afraid of any bad situations or problems in your life... Do not Give Up... Just try to find out solution.
Shake it off, and take a step up!
Struggle everyone! :p
Maggie wasn't rich like a millionaire or poor in a manner of being homeless. She was living an average comfortable life. It was made even better when a beautiful baby girl came her way. She and her husband made sure their daughter had her needs met and they were still able to take a yearly vacation by the beach.
Maggie was a partner in her husband's business. They both had a different set of duties which kept everything in balance. One day a devastating blow came to her husband's business, and over a three year period the business dropped out of site. Her husband had to totally reinvent himself and was yearning to fulfill a dream with a new vocation. She was happy for him and supported him fully, but still the money was not coming in.
Maggie began to feel guilty that she wasn't contributing with any kind of income. It had been a long time since she had worked outside the home and had to work for someone else. Needless to say she was scared but still had faith that everything would be okay. She began job hunting and found filling out applications somewhat difficult, especially the part asking for job references. Keep in mind that she was self-employed with her husband for almost 20 years. It felt as though that didn’t count for anything as she was never called for an interview.At the time she was job hunting her mom became more ill than she had been and ended up in the hospital for a week. Once Maggie’s mom returned home she became her mom’s helper one day a week. She did the shopping, changed sheets, vacuumed and did other things that her mother was not able to do anymore. Of course her mom would pay her for her time and labor but she still felt she needed to find another source of income.One of the first applications she had filled out finally came through. She passed the interview with flying colors and was told she was "exactly" what they were looking for. Although it was only part time it was exactly what she wanted. It was important for her to be home when her daughter arrived home from school. She was told they would be in touch when the schedule was ready. Knowing she had the job made her feel contented and productive again.Within a few weeks though, she received an e-mail saying that the company had changed the job into a full time position and she was not qualified. Maggie was devastated. She felt betrayed and felt she had been lied to. That evening she was alone as her husband and daughter had gone out for the night. She welcomed the aloneness and wanted to drown her sorrows in a hot tub of bubbles.As she knew she would, she began to cry, softly at first just from the sheer pain of being rejected. Three long years of struggle had finally caught up with her. Then she became angry; angry at everything from the circumstances that got her there, to God himself. She cried harder and yelled, "What do you want me to do?" She really felt that God had abandoned her.
When she was able to cry no more, she became exhausted and gave up. It was at that moment that a silent idea came to her to offer other elderly people home care assistance.
Using another talent for computers she printed off some flyers and cards and distributed them to her church, grocery stores and even placed a small ad in the newspaper. Within a week she had procured two new clients.
Now, even though she's not a CEO of a major company or a power player she feels happy and productive again. So, had God really abandoned her? Let's look at nature for the lessons and the answer.
Maggie was a partner in her husband's business. They both had a different set of duties which kept everything in balance. One day a devastating blow came to her husband's business, and over a three year period the business dropped out of site. Her husband had to totally reinvent himself and was yearning to fulfill a dream with a new vocation. She was happy for him and supported him fully, but still the money was not coming in.
Maggie began to feel guilty that she wasn't contributing with any kind of income. It had been a long time since she had worked outside the home and had to work for someone else. Needless to say she was scared but still had faith that everything would be okay. She began job hunting and found filling out applications somewhat difficult, especially the part asking for job references. Keep in mind that she was self-employed with her husband for almost 20 years. It felt as though that didn’t count for anything as she was never called for an interview.At the time she was job hunting her mom became more ill than she had been and ended up in the hospital for a week. Once Maggie’s mom returned home she became her mom’s helper one day a week. She did the shopping, changed sheets, vacuumed and did other things that her mother was not able to do anymore. Of course her mom would pay her for her time and labor but she still felt she needed to find another source of income.One of the first applications she had filled out finally came through. She passed the interview with flying colors and was told she was "exactly" what they were looking for. Although it was only part time it was exactly what she wanted. It was important for her to be home when her daughter arrived home from school. She was told they would be in touch when the schedule was ready. Knowing she had the job made her feel contented and productive again.Within a few weeks though, she received an e-mail saying that the company had changed the job into a full time position and she was not qualified. Maggie was devastated. She felt betrayed and felt she had been lied to. That evening she was alone as her husband and daughter had gone out for the night. She welcomed the aloneness and wanted to drown her sorrows in a hot tub of bubbles.As she knew she would, she began to cry, softly at first just from the sheer pain of being rejected. Three long years of struggle had finally caught up with her. Then she became angry; angry at everything from the circumstances that got her there, to God himself. She cried harder and yelled, "What do you want me to do?" She really felt that God had abandoned her.
When she was able to cry no more, she became exhausted and gave up. It was at that moment that a silent idea came to her to offer other elderly people home care assistance.
Using another talent for computers she printed off some flyers and cards and distributed them to her church, grocery stores and even placed a small ad in the newspaper. Within a week she had procured two new clients.
Now, even though she's not a CEO of a major company or a power player she feels happy and productive again. So, had God really abandoned her? Let's look at nature for the lessons and the answer.
:: Moral of the Story ::
Before a butterfly can emerge out of it's chrysalis it has to go through a lot of struggling. Yes, struggling. Each time it lunges out to escape, acids are being removed from its wings. If someone were to come along and break the chrysalis open for it then the butterfly would die from those acids. In essence the struggle is necessary for the butterfly to survive. Then in the stillness, when the struggle is over, the butterfly can come out and share its beauty with the world.
We as humans are not any different. There are times that we need to struggle, to rid ourselves of the acids that make up sadness, fear, and anger. It is only at this time when we are exhausted and still that we begin to hear the Universe whisper to us.
Before a butterfly can emerge out of it's chrysalis it has to go through a lot of struggling. Yes, struggling. Each time it lunges out to escape, acids are being removed from its wings. If someone were to come along and break the chrysalis open for it then the butterfly would die from those acids. In essence the struggle is necessary for the butterfly to survive. Then in the stillness, when the struggle is over, the butterfly can come out and share its beauty with the world.
We as humans are not any different. There are times that we need to struggle, to rid ourselves of the acids that make up sadness, fear, and anger. It is only at this time when we are exhausted and still that we begin to hear the Universe whisper to us.
Student and Professor Conversation :)
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.
He asks one of his new students to stand and .....
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?
Student does not answer.
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
GOT THIS FROM A VERY REALISTIC PERSON. :)
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.
He asks one of his new students to stand and .....
Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?
Student does not answer.
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
GOT THIS FROM A VERY REALISTIC PERSON. :)
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.
Living in ALPHABET.
B - Believe in Yourself.
C - Consider things from all angles.
D - Don't Give up or Give In.
E - Enjoy Life Today. Tomorrow may not come.
F - Family and Friends are Hidden Treasures. Gift of God to you.
G - Give more than you Planned to Give.
H - Hang on to your Dreams.
I - Ignore those who Discourage you.
J - Just Do it!
K - Keep doing no matter how hard it seems! It will become easier.
L - Love yourself First and Most.
M – Make it Happen.
N - Never Lie, Cheat or Steal. Always strike a fair deal.
O – Own up your Mistakes. That is the least you can do.
P – Practice makes you Perfect.
Q – Quitters Never Win and Winners never Quit.
R – Read, Study and Learn everything Important in your Life.
S – Stop Procrastinating.
T – Take Control of your Destiny.
U – Understand yourself better to understand others.
V - Visualize It!
W - Want it more than anything.
X – Xcellerate your efforts.
Y – You are Unique of God’s Creation. Nothing can Replace you.
Z – Zero in your target and Go for it.
Being Happy.
Happiness is not dependent on your circumstances or your bank balance.
Being happy can be hard work sometimes.It is like maintaining a nice home - you’ve got to hang on to your treasures and throw out the garbage.
Being happy requires looking for the good things. One person sees the beautiful view and the other sees the dirty window. Choose what you see and what you think.
Key to Happiness
The key to happiness is not that you never get upset, frustrated or irritated. It is how quickly you decide to snap out of it.
Life, Love, Money, and Time.
A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.
SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.
SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "If you must know, I make RM.100 an hour."
SON: "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow RM.50?"
The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that RM.50 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep, son?" He asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier" said the man. "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the RM.50 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.
"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have RM.100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.
It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.
Do remember to share that RM.100 worth of your time with someone you love.
If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.
But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family.
SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.
SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "If you must know, I make RM.100 an hour."
SON: "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: "Daddy, may I please borrow RM.50?"
The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior."
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that RM.50 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep, son?" He asked.
"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier" said the man. "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the RM.50 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.
"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied. "Daddy, I have RM.100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.
It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.
Do remember to share that RM.100 worth of your time with someone you love.
If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.
But the family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family.
Poor or Rich?
One day a father and his rich family took his son to a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"Very good Dad!" replied his son.
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon."
When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.
His son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"
"Very good Dad!" replied his son.
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden; they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon."
When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.
His son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are!"
:: Moral of the Story ::
Our outlook on life depends on the way you look at things. What one may think as riches, others may want.
The most important things in life are your friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude towards life. If you have these then you have everything.
Our outlook on life depends on the way you look at things. What one may think as riches, others may want.
The most important things in life are your friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude towards life. If you have these then you have everything.
Be deaf to Negativity.
Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.
The race began...
Honestly, No one in crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. crowd yelled statements such as:
"Oh, WAY too difficult!!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."
"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"
The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one. Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher.
The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up. But ONE continued higher and higher and higher. This one wouldn’t give up!
At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top! THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?
A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal? It turned out. That the winner was DEAF!!!
:: Moral of the Story ::
Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic. because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you — the ones you have in your heart!
Always think of the power words have. Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions! Therefore, ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!
Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams! Always think: God and I can do this!
The race began...
Honestly, No one in crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. crowd yelled statements such as:
"Oh, WAY too difficult!!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."
"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"
The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one. Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher.
The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up. But ONE continued higher and higher and higher. This one wouldn’t give up!
At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top! THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?
A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal? It turned out. That the winner was DEAF!!!
Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic. because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you — the ones you have in your heart!
Always think of the power words have. Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions! Therefore, ALWAYS BE POSITIVE!
Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams! Always think: God and I can do this!
Diamond's are everywhere!
One day a wise man came to him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along with them.
The wise man said, "If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city. If you had a diamond the size of your fist, you could probably own your own country." And then he went away.
That night the farmer couldn't sleep. He was unhappy and he was discontent. He was unhappy because he was discontent and discontent because he was unhappy. The next morning he made arrangements to sell off his farm, took care of his family and went in search of diamonds.
He looked all over Africa and couldn't find any. He looked all through Europe and couldn't find any. When he got to Spain, he was emotionally, physically and financially broke. He got so disheartened that he threw himself into the Barcelona River and committed suicide.
Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran through the farm. Across the stream, the rays of the morning sun hit a stone and made it sparkle like a rainbow. He picked up the stone and put it in the living room.
That afternoon the wise man came and saw the stone sparkling. He asked about farmer. The new owner said, "No, why do you ask?"
The wise man said, "Because that is a diamond. I recognize one when I see one."
The man said, no, that's just a stone I picked up from the stream. Come, I'll show you. There are many more."
They went and picked some samples and sent them for analysis. Sure enough, the stones were diamonds. They found that the farm was indeed covered with acres and acres of diamonds.
:: Moral of the Story ::
When our attitude is right, we realize that we are all walking on acres and acres of diamonds.
Opportunity is always under our feet. We don't have to go anywhere. All we need to do is recognize it.
When people don't know how to recognize opportunity, they complain of noise when it knocks.
The same opportunity never knocks twice. The next one may be better or worse, but it is never the same one.
Be Creative...!
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.
What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it."
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the beauty of the day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind. The first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
:: Moral of the Story ::
Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently. THERE IS ALWAYS A BETTER WAY!
Be thankful for what you have. Someone else has less. Help where you can and make it great for the needful.
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