Rock on the sandbox

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel. In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very large.)

When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn't roll it up and over the little wall. Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the

rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved -- but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy's father watched from his living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow moved across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy's father. Gently but firmly he said, "Son, why didn't you use all the strength that you had available?"

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, "But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!"

"No, son," corrected the father kindly. "You didn't use all the strength you had. You didn't ask me."

With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.

Do you have "rocks" in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don't have what it takes to lift them? There is One who is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need.

Eagle's Peak

Behind the city of Colorado Springs, at the back of the U.S. Air Force Academy stands a mountain called Eagle Peak which is popular among local hikers, and Scouts in particular. From it's summit you can peer into the depths of the Rocky Mountains on one side or overlook the vast expanse of the Great Plains on the other. Each summer the trail leading to the peak is trod by those who've walked it's track before as well as those who make of it a new experience.

The inexperienced hiker is generally always told, if he cares to ask, that the hike will take all day to go up and back. He is told to start early and to  set a strong, steady pace for the journey will be difficult and rigorous. The inexperienced hiker who follows this advice and plans accordingly can be easily disappointed and even become angry or confused upon reaching the beginning of the trail, because he can see with his own eyes from the parking lot that the hike to the summit and back would take far less than half a day with little difficulty at even the most leisurely pace.

And so he changes his plans. He meanders up the trail wandering frequently from the path, taking numerous side-trips and detours. He stops to play and to snack on some of the supplies he had brought since he obviously won't need so much for such a short trip. He goes well out of his way to avoid some of the more difficult parts of the trail. This he does until about half way through the day when he finally climbs to the summit only to discover that it was his eyes which had deceived him and not the words of those who had gone before. For he now stands on a false summit which had blocked his view of the higher summit far above.

Realizing his lack of foresight, this hiker now quickly reevaluates his time and decides that if he pushes himself hard enough he can still make it to the summit and back before it gets too dark. And so he sets off at a frantic pace; stumbling, crashing through the brush, receiving bruises, scrapes and scratches as the sun moves steadily toward the horizon. Until at last he reaches his mark and looks up at still another summit. You see, Eagle Peak has two false summits, both of which must be travelled over before reaching the real goal. Our inexperienced hiker now sadly begins his trek back down the mountain knowing he fell short of the goal he had sought after. He will try again another day, for there are many beautiful days in Colorado Springs.

Wiser for his experience, he will doubtless reach his goal on the next occasion.

In our journey through life, however, we are not so fortunate. There are many false summits and if you strive toward only those goals which you can see, you will fall far short of the genuine goal.

Golden Buddha

The statue of Buddha of clay reached almost three meters in height. During generations it had been considered sacred by the inhabitants of the place. One day, due to the growth of the city, they decided to translate it to a more appropriate site. This delicate task was assigned to a recognized monk, who, after planning carefully, started his mission. His luck was so bad that, when moving the statue, this one slipped and fell, cracking in various parts.

Regretful, the monk and his team decided to spend the night meditating over the alternatives. They were long, dark and rainy hours. The monk, instead of despairing, focused in finding a way out. Suddenly, when observing the cracked sculpture, he realized that the light of his candle reflected through the cracks of the statue. He thought that they were drops of rain. He drew near the crack and observed that behind the clay there was something, but he was not sure what.

He consulted his colleagues and decided to take a risk that looked like a madness. He asked for a hammer and started to break the clay, discovering that below it was hidden the Buddha of solid gold of almost three meters of height. During centuries this beautiful treasure had been covered by ordinary clay. Historians found proofs that demonstrated that, at one time, the town was going to be attacked by bandits. The residents, to protect their treasure, covered it with clay to make it look common and ordinary. The town was attacked and sacked, but the Buddha was ignored by the bandits. Afterwards, the survivors thought that was better to continue hiding it behind the clay.

Over time, people started to think that the Golden Buddha was a legend or an invention of the old ones.Until, finally, all forgot the true treasure because they thought that something so beautiful could not be true.

Our treasures are our capacity to give, enjoy, give thanks, laugh, forgive, dream big, go over trivials and value in oneself and in others what is really important. Risk to see your life through the clay and you will realize that you are a treasure of riches.

Golden Buddha

The statue of Buddha of clay reached almost three meters in height. During generations it had been considered sacred by the inhabitants of the place. One day, due to the growth of the city, they decided to translate it to a more appropriate site. This delicate task was assigned to a recognized monk, who, after planning carefully, started his mission. His luck was so bad that, when moving the statue, this one slipped and fell, cracking in various parts.

Regretful, the monk and his team decided to spend the night meditating over the alternatives. They were long, dark and rainy hours. The monk, instead of despairing, focused in finding a way out. Suddenly, when observing the cracked sculpture, he realized that the light of his candle reflected through the cracks of the statue. He thought that they were drops of rain. He drew near the crack and observed that behind the clay there was something, but he was not sure what.

He consulted his colleagues and decided to take a risk that looked like a madness. He asked for a hammer and started to break the clay, discovering that below it was hidden the Buddha of solid gold of almost three meters of height. During centuries this beautiful treasure had been covered by ordinary clay. Historians found proofs that demonstrated that, at one time, the town was going to be attacked by bandits. The residents, to protect their treasure, covered it with clay to make it look common and ordinary. The town was attacked and sacked, but the Buddha was ignored by the bandits. Afterwards, the survivors thought that was better to continue hiding it behind the clay.

Over time, people started to think that the Golden Buddha was a legend or an invention of the old ones.Until, finally, all forgot the true treasure because they thought that something so beautiful could not be true.

Our treasures are our capacity to give, enjoy, give thanks, laugh, forgive, dream big, go over trivials and value in oneself and in others what is really important. Risk to see your life through the clay and you will realize that you are a treasure of riches.

I want to be mountain.

The year drew to a close. What would I accomplish in the next?

I looked up at the mountains in the distance. They were white now. Not long ago, they were brown. In the time I've lived in Idaho, I've had the opportunity watch the cycle of seasons make their changes on those mountains I never tire of seeing.

My first sight of them came in September of 2008. The sides of the mountains were painted green with the leaves of sage brush. Near the top were pines. The days moved on. The weather cooled and the rain didn't fall. The leaves browned. The mountain changed.

Fall gave way to winter. I stood in the rain and watched the top of the mountains turn a blinding white. Each week the snow crept further down the slopes and long before the first snows fell in the valley, the mountains were covered with fresh powder. The sun set; the lights on the ski slopes lit the side of the mountains a dazzling white. I'm not a skier, but I imagined the excitement of speeding down the side of those mountains - free, fast, and thrilled.

Winter turned to spring. The snow in the valley disappeared and made its retreat up the slopes until it was gone once again. The weeks passed, the green in the valley flowed steadily up the slopes like a reversed waterfall. The mountains were as I first saw them, green and lush.

On this New Years Eve, the mountains are white again. On New Years Day they will be peppered with the dark dots of the distance skiers as they daringly fall down their slopes.

I saw so many changes, but were they changes? The mountains are never changing. Like people, they only changed coats to fit the weather. They didn't allow outside influences to alter what lie beneath their coats of changing colors. They were always the same. You can have faith in them.

I'm in my third season of life. A little snow has gathered at my peak. Some of the sage brush is gone all together. My clothing changed to fit my seasons. Next year and all my years to follow, I want to be as constant as a mountain. Although my looks change, I want to be reliable. My body will change coats many times, but when my day is done, I want people to say, "No matter what the seasons of life brought, he never changed inside. He never allowed the pressures of the seasons or the weathers of life to change what he was underneath. He was a mountain you could rely on to watch over those who looked up to him."

Since I was born , whether it is at my job, at home, or with friends and family, I want to be a mountain - reliable.

The painting

Once upon a time, a wellknown painter was finishing his painting. It's an incredibly beautiful painting to be shown during Princess Diana's marriage.

The painter was consumed by and excited with his own painting that he unconsciously took a few step backward while admiring the 2 x 8 m painting. He didn't look back when he walked backward. He kept on walking backward until it was a step away from the edge of the tall building. Just one more step backward and he could get himself killed.

A man in the next room saw what the painter was doing and was about to shout at him to warn him when he realized that his shout might have surprised the painter and thus made him incidentally took one step backward and fell down. The man then took a brush and paint and began to paint on the beautiful painting until it was completely damaged.  
  
Upon realizing what's happened to his painting the painter got very angry and moved forward to hit the man. However, some other people who were also present at the vicinity held him and showed him his last position which almost made him fall.

Sometimes we have painted our future with such beauty and dreamed of beautiful days we will spend with our loved one. But then God seemed to destroy our beautiful painting when He sees what danger lies ahead of us.

Was it worth it ?

As the dream of most parents I had acquired a MBBS degree and passed PLAB to enter UK, the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in the UK, it was as if a dream had come true. Here at last I was in the place where I wanted to be. I decided I would be staying in this country for about Five years (maximum Permit Free Period) in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India.

My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat. I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald’s and chicken legs in KFC and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.

Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I have only 10 days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight. Was jubilant as I was actually enjoying shopping for gifts for all my relatives and friends back home. If I miss anyone then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going through all the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate.In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get anymore holidays soon and they cannot wait for long.

After the marriage, it was time to return to UK, after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbors to look after them, we (I was lucky and managed to get the visa of my wife early) returned to UK.

My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a week sometimes 3 times a week as she also has to call her parents. Our savings started diminishing. After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children. Every year I decide to go to India.

But part work, part monetary conditions prevented it. Years went by and visiting India was a distant dream. Then suddenly one day I got a message that my parents were seriously sick. I tried but I couldn’t get any holidays and was stuck up in the procedures and thus could not go to India. The next message I got was my parents were passed away and as there was no one to do the last rites the society members had done whatever they could. I was depressed. My parents passed away without seeing their grand children.

After couple more years passed away, much to my children’s dislike (by now nearly cocos) and my wife’s joy we returned to India to settle down. I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property prices had gone up during all these years. I had to return to the UK. My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in India.

My 2 children and I returned to UK after promising my wife I would be back for good after two years. Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to a Scottish and my son was happy living in Ireland. I decided that enough is enough and wound-up every thing and returned to India. I had just enough money to buy a decent Two-bed room flat in a well-developed locality.

Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the routine visit to the nearby place of worship.

My faithful wife has also left me.

Sometimes I wondered was it worth all this? My father, even after staying in India, had a house to his name and I too have the same, nothing more.

I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM. Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing. This damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children asking I am alright.

Well at least they remember me. Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be performing my last rites,

God Bless them.

But the question still remains ‘was all this worth it?’

Holy Man

Very long ago there lived an old man in a village close to the hills. He helped the villagers with wise words whenever they were in trouble. His fame spread far and wide.

A farmer from a neighboring village came to visit him one day.

Reaching the house of the holy man, he asked an old servant at the gate.

"I want to see the holy man," said the farmer.

The old servant took him in and then led him out in two minutes.

Shocked by his behavior, the farmer protested, "But said I want to see the holy man."

"You have already seen him. See every man you meet as a holy man; and you'll never need to travel so far to see another holy man again," said the holy man.

Note: Quite often we have a preconceived notion of things. We see the world through one jaundiced lens or the other. And consequently face failure. We must face each moment fresh and the truth will dawn on us. We think highly only of that which is grand, fantastic, well educated, beautiful, powerful and so on. We thnk that which is simple is not worth attention or respect. The simple and humble are truly the great.

I think is very simple till we start complicating things by trying to find a reason why things happen and so on. Just live life like farmers of yester years - simple, full of happiness and you'll find your self blessed.

Peak Performer

Every athlete, from Tiger Woods to a high school quarterback, uses a form of self-hypnosis to move their game to the next level. Use the Olympics to learn how to use the amazing power of your subconscious to do the same with your sport. Here are some examples of how the best of the best use the power of the mind:

During the 2004 Olympics, one of the swimmers told of how she would fall asleep each night with the picture of a clock in her mind. It was the timer’s clock she would see at the end of her Olympic swim and it always had her world record breaking time on it.

In his pre-shot routine, Tiger never varies the number of practice swings or intensity of his concentration. The pre-shot routine is always the same so that the stroke will always be the same.

Michael Phelps, American Swimming Gold Medalist, always stretches out his back and arms by swinging both arms three times before his event. Not 2, not 4: always 3. He is anchoring in his winning state of mind and state of body as well as stretching.

In athletics, an anchor is a gesture or series of gestures that put you into the frame of mind (and body) you want to be in to win. It “pairs up” the gesture with the state of being. Repetition is what makes it work. That means practice, practice, practice–with your body as well as your mind.

Begin right now creating a ritual before you exercise. Visualize yourself doing whatever you do faster, longer, higher–whatever adverb works best for your particular activity. Then begin to mentally rehearse it. See or imagine yourself–with your ideal body–doing your activity better, faster, longer, etc. Using both the power of your brain and the activity of your body, soon you will be better and fitter & will help you to create a happier and healthier you.

Simple Pleasures

ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD ZLATA FILIPOVIC, like so many girls her age, kept a diary in 1991.

“We gave ourselves a treat today,” she wrote one July day. “We picked the cherries off the tree in the yard and ate them all up. We had watched it blossom and its small green fruits slowly turn red and now here we were eating them. Oh, you’re a wonderful cherry tree!” Zlata’s words read like any young girl’s whimsical musings.

But this innocent summer activity held a much deeper meaning: Zlata wrote the diary entry in the midst of war in her hometown of Sarajevo. “I miss fruit a lot,” she continued. “In these days of war in Sarajevo, there is no basic food or any of the other things a person needs, and there is no fruit. But now I can say that I ate myself silly on cherries.”

That simple pleasure brought tremendous joy to a girl who witnessed brutality daily.

Simple pleasures can do that if we take the time to appreciate what the moment offers.

The HP way.

FEW BUSINESS LEADERS get to be highly recognized names in the world at large or even in the broadest business community like the team of William Hewlett and David Packard.

In 1938 they pooled $538 to found their namesake Hewlett-Packard in a rented garage. Hewlett focused his energy on leading the technology side of the now $31 billion high-tech leader. Packard, who died at 83, wrestled with managing the day-to-day operation.

Many believe that David Packard’s chief legacy may be his management style.

His employees awarded him a M.B.W.A.Degree—“Master By Walking Around”—for the legwork expended in his belief that upper management should remain close toworkers.

The “HP Way” also strived to maintain a small company atmosphere even as the workforce expanded to 100,000. Employees were allowed freedom, and internal competition was encouraged, while working toward a shared objective.

Packard’s commitment to employees was also legendary. In 1990 he came out of semiretirement to help manage a sweeping corporate overhaul that successfully averted the job losses that subsequently hit many other high-tech companies.

The thinking behind that 1990 effort can be tracked back to HP’s beginnings, about which Packard said: “We weren’t interested in the idea of making money. Our idea was, if you couldn’t find a job, you’d make one for yourself.”

Moral : The two hardest things to handle in life are failure and success.

Change ur belief

After 26 years in a relationship doing "our business", I found myself single again. I became a Life Coach. An integral part of becoming a Life Coach was my own personal development. I learned that you can do anything you want. You just need to have the desire.

Four of my friends were keen scuba divers. They wanted me to learn so that I could enjoy the same wonderful experiences that they did.

However, I had a "secret" which prevented me from accepting their invitation. I had an extreme fear of drowning. By way of an excuse I told them, "You've got to be kidding! I don't go into water deeper than a bathtub, don't know how to swim and can't imagine putting my head under water."

My fear (limiting thinking) controlled me so much that I had avoided going anywhere near water despite living only a few short blocks from the beach and didn't set foot in my own pool for over two years! When I finally got in I stayed in the shallow end and held on to the side. So long as I could touch the bottom I was okay. When I finally confessed my secret, my friends were dumbfounded. They all said, "But, you've been skydiving!

If you did that then anything is possible." I told them, "But I can breathe on my own when I'm skydiving! With scuba diving I have to be under water and depend on a tank." Way too scary for me!

I still had no desire to scuba dive but thought perhaps at the age of 58 I would learn to swim. I had private lessons for a whole year but I stayed in the baby pool. I refused to go into the deep water because my lack of self-belief (that is, my fear of drowning) controlled me. I kept saying I wasn't quite ready. My teacher said I was but I didn't believe her. My fear was so great.

A good friend Gayl suggested that she come swimming with me a couple days a week for practice. She didn't put up with my excuses and insisted I get into the deep pool. Gayl helped me to realize that I could do this if I set my mind to it (and I might just enjoy it). So once again I dug into all those resources deep within me and gradually overcame my fear of the water to learn to swim. Before long I was doing it and was doing a great job.

Until I changed my mindset and started believing that I could do it I wasn't ever going to learn to swim.

My first two dives after certification were in Maui in Hawaii. To hear whalesong was something I had only seen on TV and wow, now I was experiencing it firsthand. Those whales were talking to me, congratulating me for getting rid of my limiting thinking and achieving this hitherto unimaginable goal.

If I had continued my old limiting ways of thinking, I would have deprived myself of these glorious life experiences.

Quick Decisions

A game warden noticed how a particular fellow named Sam consistently caught more fish than anyone else, whereas the other guys would only catch three or four a day. Sam would come in off the lake with a boat full. Stringer after stringer was always packed with freshly caught trout. The warden, curious, asked Sam his secret. The successful fisherman invited the game warden to accompany him and observe. So the next morning the two met at the dock and took off in Sam's boat. When they got to the middle of the lake, Sam stopped the boat, and the warden sat back to see how it was done.

Sam's approach was simple. He took out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and threw it in the air. The explosion rocked the lake with such a force that dead fish immediately began to surface. Sam took out a net and started scooping them up.

Well you can imagine the reaction of the game warden. When he recovered from the shock of it all, he began yelling at Sam. "You can't do this! I'll put you in jail, buddy! You will be paying every fine there is in the book!"

Sam, meanwhile, set his net down and took out another stick of dynamite. He lit it and tossed it in the lap of the game warden with these words, "Are you going to sit there all day complaining, or are you going to fish?"

The poor warden was left with a fast decision to make. He was yanked, in one second, from an observer to a participant. A dynamite of a choice had to be made and be made quickly!

Life is like that.

Few days go by without our coming face to face with an uninvited, unanticipated, yet unavoidable decision. Like a crashing snow bank, these decisions tumble upon us without warning. Quick. Immediate. Sudden. No council, no study, no advice. Pow!

Whose problem, his or mine ?

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are." - Bernice Johnson Reagon

It is true that our experiences shape our views. My experiences made me feel my problem is bigger than yours, and you might feel the other way round.

I was exasperated because my specialist made me wait for 6 hours. But the only good thing was it gave me an idea for this story. Maybe destiny wanted me to wait for the specialist and meet Rishabh.

I had come for the post operative examination and I was under immense pain. Sitting on the chair with a bandaged foot was very uncomfortable. In short, neither could I sit nor could I walk comfortably. The idea of sitting on a wheel chair was just not accepted to me.

I was looking around when I saw an adorable child coming towards the waiting lounge. He was accompanied by his mother, a lady with a big Gucci bag and awesome accessories. She looked more worried than anyone around me. He was dragging a big bag full of toys, mainly cars.

I strongly believe destiny wanted us to meet and maybe that's why they chose to sit next to me. I wanted to pull his cheeks and kiss him on his nose. No wonder his chubby cheeks and fair complexion was a reason not to avoid him.

Soon enough I realised that his eyes were swollen and so were his cheeks. I was hesitant to ask his mother. But I was very curious to know about him. Finally, my curiosity took over my hesitation and I asked his mother, "You have a cute kid. What brings you here?"

She humbly responded, "Rishabh suffers from Nephrotic Syndrome. We have come for his routine examination. Let me explain to you about this syndrome. It is a nonspecific disorder in which the kidneys are damaged, causing them to leak large amounts of protein (proteinuria at least 3.5 grams per day per 1.73m2 body surface area) from the blood into the urine.

This generally happens to children of his age group and Rishabh is suffering from this since he was 10 months. He has been on steroids and medications since that time. The worst is that he will be on these medicines for the next 13 years till he turns 15."

He has never tasted salt as a precautionary measure... that means no chips, junk food and the most lovable thing for a kid – chocolates. At least till he turns 4 he cannot have them and then also only 25% of what a normal human being is prescribed in his daily diet."

Even before I could react they were called by the doctor and she left with Rishabh. I was thoughtless and speechless. My eyes were completely blank and so was my mind. I made a wish deep within for Rishabh to be fine like other children.

I looked at my bandaged foot and felt my discomfort is nothing in comparison to Rishabh's condition. My battle is so small. There are people going through tougher battles in life.
Problems will come and go or they might end with you but life still needs to be lived.

I have learned we should respect life and accept it the way it is gifted to us. Who knows tomorrow you may get rid of your problems so live your today with joy and happiness.

Rishabh is unaware of his problem so life is easy for him with a bag full of toys. If you be unaware of your problems you will also have a bag full of joys. Life is beautiful so why not live it beautifully.

Celebrating Failures

The Ore-Ida frozen potato company celebrates anniversaries of failure (They're the folks who make frozen cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms, French fries, etc.... and they are famous for innovative, creative ideas.) What do they do when one of those ideas bomb?  Do they blame or fire somebody No, they throw a party! Literally.

A cannon is fired and everybody stops work to commemorate the "perfect failure." together they rejoice in what they've learned. They talk about what will not work, reveling in the fact that no more time, energy, or money has to be spent on a thankless project.

You see, nothing in our lives is wasted. Not one thing that happens is without worth somewhere down the road. But we often miss it because we "travel the beaten path" and fail to open our eyes to the outlandish ways God wants to speak to us and love us and change us. We don't recognize the value in celebrating the strange twists, the difficulties, the so-called failure, when we really should.... and could. We consider or flops or hard times a defeat, but in reality they are God's greatest compliments.

Achieve Perfection

In Brooklyn, New York, Chush is a school that caters to learning-disabled children. Some children remain in Chush for their entire school career, while others can be main-streamed into conventional schools. At a Chush fund-raising dinner, the father of a Chush child delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he cried out, "Where is the perfection in my son Shaya? Everything God does is done with perfection. But my child cannot understand things as other children do. My child cannot remember facts and figures as other children do. Where is God's perfection?"

The audience was shocked by the question, pained by the father's anguish and stilled by the piercing query.

"I believe," the father answered, "that when God brings a child like this into the world, the perfection that He seeks is in the way people react to this child." He then told the following story about his son Shaya.

One afternoon Shaya and his father walked past a park where some boys Shaya knew were playing baseball. Shaya asked, "Do you think they will let me play?" Shaya's father knew that his son was not at all athletic and that most boys would not want him on their team. But Shaya's father understood that if his son was chosen to play it would give him a comfortable sense of belonging.

Shaya's father approached one of the boys in the field and asked if Shaya could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his team-mates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, "We are losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning."

Shaya's father was ecstatic as Shaya smiled broadly. Shaya was told to put on a glove and go out to play short center field. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shaya's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shaya's team scored again and now with two outs and the bases loaded with the potential winning run on base, Shaya was scheduled to be up. Would the team actually let Shaya bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shaya was given the bat. Everyone knew that it was all but impossible because Shaya didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, let alone hit with it. However, as Shaya stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shaya should at least be able to make contact.

The first pitch came in and Shaya swung clumsily and missed. One of Shaya's team-mates came up to Shaya and together they held the bat and faced the pitcher waiting for the next pitch. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly toward Shaya.

As the pitch came in, Shaya and his team-mate swung the bat and together they hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shaya would have been out and that would have ended the game.

Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman. Everyone started yelling, "Shaya, run to first. Run to first!"

Never in his life had Shaya run to first. He scampered down the baseline wide eyed and startled. By the time he reached first base, the right fielder had the ball. He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman who would tag out Shaya, who was still running. But the right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions were, so he threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second." Shaya ran towards secondbase as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home. As Shaya reached second base, the opposing short stop ran to him, turned him in the direction of third base and shouted, "Run to third."

As Shaya rounded third, the boys from both teams ran behind him screaming, "Shaya run home!" Shaya ran home, stepped on home plate and all 18 boys lifted him on their shoulders and made him the hero, as he had just hit a "grand slam" and won the game for his team.

That day," said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "those 18 boys reached their level of God's perfection."

30 Seconds Quiz

Don't bother getting a pen and paper... just read... if you can't answer them, just keep going.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.

5. Name the last five Academy Award winners for Best Actor and Actress.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They're the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Now here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. Name three teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worth while.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson?

The people who make a difference in your life aren't the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They're the ones who care.

Post it notes

The 3M Company encourages creativity from its employees. The company allows its researchers to spend 15 percent of their time on any project that interests them. This attitude has brought fantastic benefits not only to the employees but to the 3M Company itself Many times, a spark of an idea turned into a successful product has boosted 3M's profits tremendously.

Some years ago, a scientist in 3M's commercial office took advantage of this 15 percent creative time. This scientist, Art Fry, came up with an idea for one of 3M's best-selling products. It seems that Art Fry dealt with a small irritation every Sunday as he sang in the church choir. After marking his pages in the hymnal with small bits of paper, the small pieces would invariably fall out all over the floor.

Suddenly, an idea struck Fry. He remembered an adhesive developed by a colleague that everyone thought was a failure because it did not stick very well. "I coated the adhesive on a paper sample," Fry recalls, "and I found that it was not only a good bookmark, but it was great for writing notes. It will stay in place as long as you want it to, and then you can remove it without damage."

Yes, Art Fry hit the jackpot. The resulting product was called Post-it! and has become one of 3M's most successful office products.

Magical Mustard Seed

There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. In her grief, she went to the holy man and asked, "What prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?"

Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, "Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life." The woman went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed.

She came first to a splendid mansion, knocked at the door, and said, "I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place? It is very important to me."

They told her, "You've certainly come to the wrong place," and began to describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them.

The woman said to herself, "Who is better able to help these poor, unfortunate people than I, who have had misfortune of my my own?"

She stayed to comfort them, then went on in search of a home that had never known sorrow. But wherever she turned, in hotels and in other places, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune.

The woman became so involved in helping others cope with their sorrows that she eventually let go of her own. She would later come to understand that it was the quest to find the magical mustard seed that drove away her suffering.

Making Sandcastles

Hot sun. Salty air. Rhythmic waves.

A little boy is on his knees scooping and packing the sand with plastic shovels into a bright blue bucket. Then he upends the bucket on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of the little architect, a castle tower is created.

All afternoon he will work. Spooning out the moat. Packing the walls. Bottle tops will be sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A sandcastle will be built.

Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.

A man is in his office. At his desk he shuffles papers into stacks and delegates assignments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder and punches the keyboard with his fingers. Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed and much to the delight of the man, a profit is made.

All his life he will work. Formulating the plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An empire will be built.

Two builders of two castles. They have much in common. They shape granules into grandeurs. They see nothing and make something. They are diligent and determined. And for both the tide will rise and the end will come.

Yet that is where the similarities cease. For the boy sees the end while the man ignores it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches.

As the waves near, the wise child jumps to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sorrow. No fear. No regret. He knew this would happen. He is not surprised. And when the great breaker crashes into his castle and his masterpiece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He smiles, picks up his tools, takes his father's hand, and goes home.

The grownup, however, is not so wise. As the wave of years collapses on his castle he is terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he snarls at the incoming tide.

"It's my castle," he defies.

The ocean need not respond. Both know to whom the sand belongs...

I don't know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead and build, but build with a child's heart. When the sun sets and the tides take - applaud. Salute the process of life and go home.

Doing well by doing good.

There is a man who I'd like to tell you about. His name is Sandy Greenberg. In his youth, Sandy was a very good student, but he came from a poor family. And so he went to Columbia University on a scholarship and there he met his roommate who also was receiving financial aid.

Now while he was a sophomore at Columbia University, Sandy contracted an eye disease that eventually proved to be glaucoma. But the trouble was, it wasn't detected early enough, and as a result he became legally blind. I ask you all to imagine for a moment having been sighted all your life, and then all of a sudden being faced, in a very competitive school, with losing so much sight you could no longer read. This is what happened to Sandy Greenberg.

But something else happened to Sandy that may surprise you. Sandy said that when he lost his sight, his roommate would read his textbooks to him, every night.

So I'm going to put you in that position, in a competitive school like Columbia, or Johns Hopkins. If your roommate had a serious disability, would you take the time to read textbooks to him every night, knowing the more you spend time reading textbooks to your roommate, perhaps the less well you might do with your other activities? That's not as easy a question as it first appears.

But luckily for Sandy, his roommate did. And as a result, Sandy went on to graduate with honors. He got a Fulbright Scholarship, and he went off to study at Oxford. He was still quite poor, but he said he had managed to save about five hundred dollars as he went along.

His roommate, meanwhile, also went on to graduate school. One day, Sandy got a call from him at Oxford. And his former roommate said, "Sandy I'm really unhappy. I really don't like being in graduate school, and I don't want to do this."

So Sandy asked, "Well what do you want to do?"

And his roommate told him, "Sandy, I really love to sing. I have a high school friend who plays the guitar. And we would really like to try our hand in the music business. But we need to make a promo record, and in order to do that I need $500."

So Sandy Greenberg told me he took all his life savings and sent it to his roommate. He told me, "You know, what else could I do? He made my life; I needed to help make his life."

So, I hope you'll remember the power of doing well by doing good. Each of you, in your own lives, will be faced with challenges, with roadblocks, with problems that you didn't anticipate or expect. How you are able to deal with adversity will be influenced, to no small extent, by how you deal with others along the way. What you get will depend a lot on what you give. And that's the end of the story of doing well, by doing good.

Ah! I almost forgot. You probably are wanting to know who Sandy's roommate was. I think you've heard of him. Sandy's roommate was a fellow by the name of Art Garfunkel, and he teamed up with another musician by the name of Paul Simon. That $500 helped them cut a record that eventually became "The Sounds of Silence." Recently, we had the pleasure of going to Sandy's daughter's wedding, and it was Art Garfunkel who sang as Sandy walked his daughter down the aisle.

That's the day of personal reckoning. And I think the only way to face it is to consider, every day of your life: How can I do something for somebody else? How can I give back to others? It may be teaching, it may be becoming a doctor, you may be successful in business - no matter what your career path, there will always be the opportunity to give back. The chance will present itself to be giving of your time, giving of your money, but mostly, to be giving of yourselves, of your own heart and soul.

My hope today, as you commence to new beginnings, is you will always keep your eyes open for those opportunities to give and embrace them as your best sure way of doing well.

The Fog

The other day I went out on a normal kayak paddle which I try to do a couple times a week. When I got there the lake was all fogged in, and this is Lake Michigan, so a big lake.

I decided to go out still because I love paddling in the fog and I was all ready to go anyways. I got to the entrance to the lake where I usually follow the shore, but this time instead I went out of sight to land out to the lighthouse, which on any normal day could be seen clear as day. This time I followed the sound of the horn with zero visibility.

In the fog you lose track of everything, direction, sight, and thought. the water is usually dead calm so there is no concentrating on the waves. I lose myself in thought. So much comes up. I'm not concentrating on getting to a point because I can't see anything. All I know is the direction I am going. I follow my compass and get there when i get there. It could be 5 minutes. it could be 40 minutes. That is why I love the fog.

Life is like a Fog, you tend to loose directions more often, stay calm & follow your instincts & persue your goals, it may take a little shorter or longer time.