Transformation

A poor boy once approached a Zen monk and said "Master my name is Joe", I want to be richest & most successful man, but I come from a poor peasent family, I have no formal education , my parents don't have enough money to provide proper food and clothing. I want to rise to great heights in life, but everyone says that my family has been always like this and I am destined to be a failure all my life. O Learned One, please tell me , will I ever succeed in

transforming myself ?

Joe waited impatiently for the master to answer, but there was no response. The master summoned three of his most trusted disciples and whispered something in their ears. The disciples went away. A few minuted later the first

disciple came back. He carrying a small pot with some water in it. The water was crystal clear.

After sometime, the second disciple came back he too was carrying a small pot of water but it was dirty water,

Everybody was confused, they had no idea what the master was upto, but the master said nothing and indicated that

In the open ground outside the room the disciples made 3 piles of wooden logs & set the 3 pots on the fire, the

Everybody looked in silence, unsure of what they were witnessing. Joe did not know what to say. After few hours, the master asked disciples to extinguish the fire, he walked towards Joe and asked "what do you seee in the first pot",

Joe replied "It's empty", the master asked "how", Joe replied " the water was transformed to vapour"

"Good", replied the master & what happened to the water in second pot ?, Joe replied " That too became empty due to

Zen said " any human will be transformed if you heat him, all that you need is burning desire,", transformation is a

All the three water in the pot had their destiny of staying crystal clear, dirty or from sewage, but immaterial from where they had come , they all vapourised.

In entire world our birth is destiny in whichever background we belong to but the process of transformation is not related to destiny & it applies uniformly to everyone.

process which is not dependent on any element.vapourisation"master again asked " Joe the third pot ? ", again the reply came "That too turned in vapour & is empty"water started boiling.Joe and other disciples should walk out of the room.Finally the third disciple came, in one hand he was carrying a small pot of water & by second hand he covered his nose. As he entered the other disciples moved back since from the pot came the most disguisting stink of sewage water.

Free Hug

Juan Mann returned to Sydney, Australia in 2004, after living in Europe for several years. He was depressed over his parent's divorce. Most of his friends had moved on. It was just him. He sat for months.

Alone and depressed, Juan decided to make a difference and reach out. He made a sign that read, Free Hugs, and stood at the Pitt Street Mall -- one of the busiest streets in the center of Sydney. He put his arms anyone who accepted his offer.

At first, he left his wallet at home, had a friend watch over him, and expected to be ridiculed. After fifteen minutes, a woman approached him.

"My dog died today," she said. "It's also the first anniversary of my only daughter's death. I could use a hug."

Juan was quoted as saying, "That first woman, it was more than a hug. It meant something to her."

Others joined Mann. They opened their arms to others. His message spread across the city. Afraid of lawsuits, officials banned the free hug movement. But the people protested and more than 10,000 people signed a petition to allow him to continue his mission.

Shimon Moore, the lead singer of The Sick Puppies happened to see Juan. They hugged and became friends. Moore borrowed a video camera and filmed Juan giving hugs. When Mann's grandmother died, Moore put the video together with his band's song called, All The Same, and posted the video on YouTube with the following caption:

"Sometimes, a hug is all we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, a man whose sole purpose mission was to reach out and hug a stranger, to brighten up their lives."

The video was a hit. It spread around the world. Juan has appeared on Oprah and several other major television shows. His idea continues to gain support and grow.

After his first day on Pitt Street, Juan wondered if others were doing the same. He found Amma, The Hugging Saint of India. Jason Hunter in Atlanta, Georgia, and Jayson Littman in New York.

Jayson started his hugging campaign the same year as Juan. They both felt a need to reach out to humanity. A financial analyst in Manhattan, Jayson believed New Yorkers could use a hug. From 2004 to 2006, he spent one weekend afternoon a month holding his Free Hugs sign in his hands and opened his arms to anyone who needed human comfort.

Since then, Jayson's mission has been taken over by others who believe -- hugs for all.

On the last Saturday afternoon of the month, you'll find them gathered in Union Square in Lower Manhattan. They hold their signs high and offer their open arms to all who need a human touch.

I am flying !!!

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was raised in an orphanage.

The little boy had always wished that he could fly like a bird. It was very difficult for him to understand why he could not fly. There were birds at the zoo that were much bigger than he, and they could fly. "Why can't I?" he thought. "Is there something wrong with me?" he wondered.

There was another little boy who was crippled. He had always wished that he could walk and run like other little boys and girls. "Why can't I be like them?" he thought.

One day the little orphan boy, who had wanted to fly like a bird, ran away from the orphanage. He came upon a park where he saw the little boy, who could not walk or run, playing in the sandbox.

He ran over to the little boy and asked him if he had ever wanted to fly like a bird.

"No," said the little boy who could not walk or run. "But I have wondered what it would be like to walk and run like other boys and girls."

"That is very sad," said the little boy who wanted to fly. "Do you think we could be friends?" he said to the little boy in the sandbox.

"Sure," said the little boy.

The two little boys played for hours. They made sand castles and made really funny sounds with their mouths. Sounds which made them laugh real hard. Then the little boy's father came with a wheelchair to pick up his son. The little boy who had always wanted to fly ran over to the boy's father and whispered something into his ear.

"That would be OK," said the man.

The little boy who had always wanted to fly like a bird ran over to his new friend and said, "You are my only friend and I wish that there was something that I could do to make you walk and run like other little boys and girls. But I can't. But there is something that I can do for you."

The little orphan boy turned around and told his new friend to slide up onto his back. He then began to run across the grass. Faster and faster he ran, carrying the little crippled boy on his back. Faster and harder he ran across the park. Harder and harder he made his legs travel. Soon the wind just whistled across the two little boys' faces.

The little boy's father began to cry as he watched his beautiful little crippled son flapping his arms up and down in the wind, all the while yelling at the top of his voice,

"I'M FLYING, DADDY. I'M FLYING!"

A Lesson in Life.

Many of us who are adults have passed through many stages in our life some of which have made an impact at one point in time, and others that we fail to notice or have become too routine in our daily lives. For far too many of us, we are constantly looking for the next stimulation that can distract us from our normal life, or, at the very least, allow us to have a few moments where we dream of a much different life.

Part of experiencing life and what it has to offer, is often forgotten amidst the stress and turmoil that seems to be a daily diet in modern society. And, while many us know how to push these events to the background of our consciousness, many carry these burdens wherever they go whether that is out with friends, to a movie, or to a child’s recital at school.

Some people, on the other hand, devote part of their time to changing a little piece of life for the better knowing that change comes in small increments and is usually not an all at once event. Such was the case of a friend of mine who laboured long hours at work but found the time to give his time and talents to a community group. This group had many projects in mind that would help others but only a few could be done at anyone time. One major project was finding the funding to help build a hospice for dying cancer patients.

With the help of a lot of local businesses and fund raising events, this project was actually completed and even the land donated by a local church. My friend didn’t stop there either. The building and the services they offered to those people who were approaching death by cancer or other terminal illnesses were absolutely wonderful. A very caring staff was always on duty and volunteers were present throughout the establishment to help in any way they could.

No one, who was close to my friend, had any idea that this much needed and gracious service would ever be used by any of his family, but fate had another twist to unveil. Several years after the hospice was open, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. And, unfortunately, her condition worsened over the next several years to the point where she couldn’t be cared for any longer at home.

I think you probably know what happened next. She was admitted to a hospice for continued care and it was the very hospice that my friend and his colleagues worked so hard to ensure its services were available to those who needed it.

One never knows what small changes we make over time that can benefit many others. Sometimes, it is little more than a friendly gesture to help someone who is struggling at work and who goes on to achieve great things. Sometimes, it is a lending hand through being a volunteer, or a fundraiser that helps hundreds of needy families. A twist of fate can happen to any of us, and one never knows when your own good deeds come back in the most unusual ways.

3 Powerful words

A funny story is told about General George Patton from his World War II days.

He once accepted an invitation to dine at a press camp in Africa. Wine was served in canteen cups but, obviously thinking he was served coffee, Patton poured cream into his cup. As he stirred in sugar, Patton was warned that his cup contained red wine and not coffee.

Now, General Patton could never, never be wrong. Without hesitating
he replied, "I know. I like my wine this way." And he drank it!

I relate this story because I see something of myself, and perhaps most of us, here. It is difficult to admit mistakes. It is hard to admit when we are wrong. Three of life's most difficult words to say are, "I was wrong."

But they are also three of the most powerful words we can utter. "I was wrong" breaks down barriers between people. It brings estranged people together. And it creates a climate where intimacy and love may flourish. You may be surprised at how positively many people respond to the words, "I was wrong"!

Naturally, it is a risk. But to admit when you are wrong is not to confess that you are a "bad" person. Simply an honest one and true friends will appreciate you for it.

Whole and happy lives are built by people who have learned the power of intimacy, in part, through the use of the words "I was wrong."

Maths Teacher

One day Maths teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name. Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down.

It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire class was smiling. “Really?” she heard whispered. “I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!” and, “I didn’t know others liked me so much,” were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn’t matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students who joined the Army was killed in action and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never attended Funeral of a serviceman before. He looked so handsome, so mature.

The place was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk. The teacher was the last one to bless. As she stood there, one of the pallbearer came up to her. “Were you Sanjay’s math teacher?” he asked.
She nodded: “yes.”
Then he said: “Sanjay talked about you a lot.”

After the funeral, most of Sanjay’s former classmates were there. Sanjay’s mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak with his teacher.
“We want to show you something,” his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket “They found this on Sanjay when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it.”

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Sanjay’s classmates had said about him.

“Thank you so much for doing that,” Sanjay’s mother said. “As you can see, Sanjay treasured it.”

All of Sanjay’s former classmates started to gather around. Arjun smiled rather sheepishly and said, “I still have my list. It’s in the top drawer of my desk at home.”

Prithwiraj’s wife said, ” Prithwiraj asked me to put his in our wedding album.”

“I have mine too,” Rashmi said. “It’s in my diary”

Then Deepali, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. “I carry this with me at all times,” Deepali said and without batting an eyelash, she continued:

“I think we all saved our lists” .

That’s when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Sanjay and for all his friends who would never see him again.

The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will end one day. And we don’t know when that day will be.

So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special and important. Tell them, before it is too late.

2 Headed Bird

Something unique, is characteristic of this world. And so was Malya and Salya, the two headed eagle that lived atop the highest peak in the Aravalli range. It soared the cool mountains while its sight panned more than a single headed bird.

Malya and Salya were very complacent with each other. They had got over the weirdness of their physical body and so paid less heed to fun poked at them by their peers. They could do everything the other birds could. There was no deficiency, only two heads popped at you whenever you called to any one of them.

Malya and Salya soon got married and lived with their family in a hay-stacked nest. They would lace the sky with their wide spread wings and bring home some food for their lovely wife and birdies.

Once Mallya found a delicious fruit, he pecked on it and relished its sweet taste and smell. As he pigged on it further with utter fulfilment on his face Salya requested a bite. But Malya flatly refused. Why do you want to taste it, Mallya asked after all whatever I eat will go into one stomach. So let me eat it and the rest I will give it to our wife.

Salya was deeply disturbed by Malya’s action. He wanted to taste that fruit so much. From that day on he kept a grudge on Malya and waited patiently to get back at him.

One day Salya found a strange looking fruit. He pecked on it and found it sour and bitter at taste. Yet he went on pecking at it with disguised fulfilment on his face. What are you relishing and eating asked Malya, but Salya turned away, pecking on the fruit.

But soon their stomachs began to churn, acute pains began to hit their abdomen and they died instantly.

The fruit was no other that poison fruit. Had Salya to tell Malya that it was bitter and not eat it, both would have lived.

Moral : Keeping grudges is unhealthy for mind and body. One should learn to forgive and forget.

Do only things that make you proud.

Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards was Britain's only hope for a medal in ski jumping in the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. On the day of the event, the winner jumped 403 feet. Eddie the Eagle, in a borrowed ski suit and goggles held together with tape, jumped 238 feet. He finished 56th in a field of 56. For a while he was a laughingstock. Television commentators poked fun -- reporters tried to make him look foolish. But Eddie refused to be embarrassed. "This is the best day in my life. I'm representing Britain in the Olympics," he said -- " I just jumped 72 meters through the air -- that's a hard thing to do." Eddie was having a great time. Then somebody noticed that Eddie, was the first Olympic ski jumper that Britain had ever had. He had, by default, stumbled off with the British jumping record. Eddie became the darling of the public.

Eddie got rich over the next few years, giving endorsements. But then things went bad. He lost his money in bad investments, he was barred from the 1992 Olympics and he crashed in a post Olympic jump. "Broke me collarbone, fractured me skull, tore ligaments in me knee, damaged me kidney... And cracked me ribs."

The last I heard of Eddie, he was practicing on a jump simulator in his apartment, more than a thousand miles from the nearest real jump. And what does he say about his brush with glory now that the cameras have turned elsewhere?

"Calgary? Oh, it was brilliant. That was my dream since I was 8. Life since has been great. I've had a wonderful time, been all over the world. Been to lots of interesting places, done lots of interesting things, met lots of interesting people. I wouldn't give that up for the world."

What I learned from the bet, and what I want to tell you tonight, is what Eddie the Eagle seemed to know all along: There are times when you are going to do well, and times when you're going to fail. But neither the doing well, nor the failure is the measure of success. The measure of success is what you think about what you've done. Let me put that another way: The way to be happy is to like yourself and the way to like yourself is to do only things that make you proud

The way to be happy is to like yourself. That’s the real reason not to lie or cheat or turn away in fear. There’s that old joke, not very funny, that goes "no matter where you go, there you are." That’s true. The person who you’re with most in life is yourself and if you don’t like yourself you’re always with somebody you don’t like.

Ok, here’s the part of the talk that will be on the test: There are many people around you today who have great hopes for your future. I myself, have three hopes for you:

First, there is going to come a time in your life when in order to succeed you will have to trust -- when you will have to make a big leap of faith -- and when that time comes I hope you will swallow your fear and get into the wheelbarrow.

Second, whatever strong belief you now hold about what it means to be successful, I hope you will stay open to the possibility that you’ve got it all wrong and graciously accept your new awareness when it comes, with gratitude and humility.

And third, my dear friends, I hope you'll always be like Eddie the Eagle and only do things that make you proud so that you can truly be your own hero.

Well that's pretty much all I have to tell you. Go get started on all of the successes and failures and all of the other great things that you will do in your life. But when, in the course of some business or social ski jump, you come in dead last, remember to smile for the cameras -- And be sure along the way to become so proud of yourself that when the cameras turn to away you can go home alone and say to yourself. "Oh it was brilliant."

Zen & Samurai

A samurai, a very proud warrior, came to see a Zen Master one day. The samurai was very famous, but looking at the beauty of the Master and the Grace of the moment, he suddenly felt inferior.

He said to the Master, "Why am I feeling inferior? Just a moment ago everything was okay. As I entered your court suddenly I felt inferior. I have never felt like that before. I have faced death many times, and I have never felt any fear -- why am I now feeling frightened?"

The Master said, "Wait. When everyone else has gone, I will answer. "

People continued the whole day to come and see the Master, and the samurai was getting more and more tired waiting. By evening the room was empty, and the samurai said, "Now, can you answer me?"

The Master said, "Come outside."

It was a full moon night, the moon was just rising on the horizen. And he said, "Look at these trees. This tree is high in the sky and this small one beside it. They both have existed beside my window for years, and there has never been any problem. The smaller tree has never said to the big tree, 'Why do I feel inferior before you?' This tree is small, and that tree is big -- why have I never heard a whisper of it?"

The samurai said, "Because they can't compare."

The Master replied, "Then you need not ask me. You know the answer."

Appreciation

My friend, Bob Danzig, has an amazing story. Simple words of appreciation and encouragement changed his life. Bob was in five foster homes during his youth, and said he spent his childhood trying to find someone to love and appreciate him.

When he was nine years old, he had a new social worker. He said after she had done all the paperwork to move him to yet another foster home, she sat him down, looked him directly in the eyes, and said, "Bobby, I want you to always remember these words: YOU ARE WORTHWHILE!"

Bob says that no one had ever said anything like that to him, and each time they met, she repeated those words. They became an affirmation of appreciation that he heard over and over again in his head.

Bob graduated at sixteen, not because he was smart, he says, but because he got mixed up in the system! He soon took a job at the Albany New York Times as a copy boy, and his very first boss was a woman named Margaret.

After he had worked there about six months, Margaret called him into her office one day and asked him to sit down. He thought for sure he was going to be fired! She looked him right in the eyes and said to him, "I have been the office manager for 15 years – I have been observing you – and I believe YOU ARE FULL OF PROMISE."

Those words, on that day, gave him permission to aspire.

Those two positive messages of appreciation played over and over again in his head and ultimately gave him the courage to be the very best he could be. Sixteen years later he became the Publisher of the Albany New York Times, and seven years after that, he became CEO of Hearst Newspapers, one of the largest newspaper companies in the world-and he credits it all to those simple words of appreciation and love.

What a wonderful example of how little gifts of appreciation can make such a difference in a life!

Zig Ziglar had this to say: "You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life."

Clean Water

Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers.  While they were traveling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Go and get me some water from that lake there.”

The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!”

So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.” After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake.

This time too he found that the lake was muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same. After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back. The disciple reached the lake to find the lake absolutely clean and clear with pure water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,” See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be…. and the mud settled down on its own – and you got clear water. Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.

Inner Voice

My day started just like all the other days for the past 15 years where I get up, make some coffee, shower, get dressed and leave for the train station at preciously 7:35 A.M. to arrive at work by 8:30. While on the train I would always choose a seat away from the crowd so I can read the newspaper in peace and quiet. At work I am always being bombarded with questions from coworkers, suppliers, telephone and then those dreaded meetings so the last thing I need is some stranger to sit beside me and make small talk.

I don’t know why but for some reason when I got on the train today it was unusually full, something I don’t recall ever happening in the past. With hesitation I sat down in the only seat available beside a middle aged man that had his head down and seemed to be lost in his thoughts. I was glad that he didn’t notice when I sat next to him as he just continued to look down towards the floor.

Shortly after the train left for my 30 minute ride downtown I found myself wondering what this man was thinking about. What could be so important that he didn’t even see me sit next to him? I tried to forget about it and started to read my paper. However, for some strange reason this “inner voice” kept prompting me to talk to this man. I tried to ignore the “voice” as there was no way I was starting a conversation with a complete stranger.

As you probably guessed I eventually broke down and came up with an excuse to ask him a question. When he raised his head and turned his eyes towards me I could see that he must have been really upset as he had red eyes and still had some tears rolling down the side of his face despite his feeble attempt to wipe them away. I can’t describe the sadness I felt seeing someone in so much pain.

We talked for about 20 minutes and in the end he seemed to be doing better. As we were leaving the train he thanked me profusely for being an angel by taking the time to talk. I never did find out what was making his heart so heavy with pain but was glad I listened to the “voice” that day.

Several weeks had passed when I noticed an envelope on my desk after returning from lunch. It was not addressed to anyone and only had the word “Angel” written on it. My receptionist attached a note saying a gentleman dropped it off saying he did not know my name but had described me well enough that the receptionist knew it was for me. When I read the note inside the envelope I was so filled with emotions that I couldn’t contain myself. It was a letter from the man I met on the train thanking me again for talking to him and saving his life that day.

Apparently he had some very hurtful personal problems that were so overwhelming he was planning to take his life that day. In his letter he went on to explain that he in desperation screamed out to God that if God really cared about him he would send someone to prevent him from taking his life. In his eyes I was that someone, that Angel sent by God.

I don’t know what that “voice” was that made me take a chance and talk to a stranger but I do know that it made a difference in someone’s life that day. So the next time you feel prompted for no apparent reason to talk to a friend, relative, neighbor or even a complete stranger please remember my story. You just may make a difference in someone’s life when you listen to your inner voice.

Everyone has dreams

It was way back in the year 1982. I remember as a young marketing person in this Multi national company in Chicago, I had a very senior colleague named Paul, who taught me not only to handle marketing effectively but also to deal with life cheerfully.

It was one of those hectic days... management meeting, sales calls, planning my travel schedule, booking hotels, arranging appointments and the list was endless. By the end of the day, I was not only exhausted but was getting irritated with myself and everyone around me. It was at this time that Paul invited me to his house for a quiet "chill out".

We made our way to Paul's house, although tired, I was all excited to chat up with Paul and share and learn through his rich experiences in Marketing. As we entered through the main door to his house, Paul started singing that ABBA's all time favorite: I have a dream, a song to sing, to help me thru' in everything... and so on. I was in no mood to listen to his song; I wanted to hear about how he handled tricky sales calls!

As I leaned over Paul's shoulder to tell him just that, I was totally awe stricken at what I saw next. Two young girls, aged between 17 & 20, walked over to Paul and hugged him. They couldn't walk steadily, neither could they talk properly; their faces were full of smiles but they too sang a song: No mummy's kisses only Daddy's smiles, nobody wants us, Daddy hug us tonight.

I was still standing and watching all that was going on, totally lost in the beautiful singing, when Paul tapped me on my shoulder and asked me to sit down. Curious to know, I asked Paul who these girls were. I knew that Paul lived in that house but I had never seen these girls.

Over a much refreshing cup of tea and sandwiches, Paul went on to explain:

"I too have a dream, a dream to make these girls happy. They are my daughters and they were born as "Special children" (mentally challenged). And he further added, "They don't have a Mother. My wife died when they were very young", and that he is both Mother & Father to these beautiful daughters.

I could barely control my emotions and was moved to tears. In the office, no one knew what Paul was going through in his personal life. He never, ever, looked for "special privileges" from his higher ups or any sympathy from his friends and colleagues. In fact, he always helped us at the office and being the Head of the Department, always motivated us to move forward in life.

Paul's life has been an inspiration to me. If a man can smile through these so called troubles in life and yet excel in Corporate world, was there something that was keeping Paul happy and smiling inspite of his hectic schedule?

Probing a little further, I found that every night after the daughters were put to sleep, he would spend "silent time" with God, who not only strengthened him and gave him the courage but also helped him to move forward in life with a smile on his face.

I finished my tea and made my way out, when Paul said to me, "All of us have dreams, and sometimes shattered ones. If you take it to God in prayer, He will make your dreams whole."

How true, I said to myself. I had seen that today!

As he bid me good bye and I turned to walk away from him, I heard in that distant night Paul's voice once again singing that song to his daughters: I have a dream, a song to sing, to help me through in everything...

... and then the daughters singing to Paul: No mummy's kisses only Daddy's smiles, nobody wants us, Daddy can you hug us tonight?

The song faded as my cab moved away into the dark and lonely streets of Chicago.

The painting.

There was a king who was a great admirer of art. He encouraged artists from all over his country and gave them valuable gifts.

One day an artist came and said to the king, "Oh King! Give me a blank wall in your palace and let me paint a picture on it. It will be more beautiful than anything you have ever seen before. I promise you shall not be disappointed."

Now, the king happened to be constructing a big hall at the rear end of the palace. So he said, "All right you may work on one of the walls in the new hall."

So the artist was given the job and he was very pleased indeed.

Just then, another young man said, "Oh King! Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I too am an artist."

The king said, "What would you like to make?"

The man said, "My Lord, I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, I shall do so, without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so that either of us cannot see the other."

Now, that was a tall statement. Everyone in the king's court, including the king and the first artist were intrigued. But the king loved surprises and he decided to give the young fellow a chance.

The following day a thick curtain was put into place and both the artists got to work. The first artist brought in a regular supply of paint, oil, water etc. The second one would come with a cloth and a bucket of water every day.

After a month the first artist told the king that his work was complete and he would like to show it to the king.

The king sent for the second artist and asked him, "Young man, when would your work be ready? I am coming to see the first wall this evening."

The man said, "My Lord, my wall is ready too!"

The king went to see the first artist's wall. He was very, very impressed with the painting and gave a hefty sum as a reward to the artist. He then asked for the curtain to be opened up

Lo and behold! The same painting was to be seen on the opposite wall too!

Amazing! But true! Each line, each minor detail was exactly as it was on the first wall. But this man had not been seeing what was going on, on the other side of the curtain.

So how had he done it? The king wanted to know the secret.

He gave a double reward to the fellow. Then he said, "Young man, I am indeed very happy with your work. But you must tell me; how did you do it?"

The lad said simply, "It's very easy! I just polished the wall every day!"

It was a wall made of white marble! The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror. The reflection of the painting across the room, showed up in it!

That is what it means to polish yourself. For when we polish our hearts and souls, we see God's reflection within.

It is said that the world is a reflection of you. Whatever you are, the world will seem to be that too. If you are sad, jealous, dejected, angry, restless ... that is

what the world will seem to be!

If you are happy, the world will seem to be paradise.

You decide how you want your world to look...

A Glass of milk.

 One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost  his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

 She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He  drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

 "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never
 to accept pay for a kindness."

 He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

 Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of  the hospital to her room.

 Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best  to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval.

 He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

 She read these words....."Paid in full with one glass of milk"
 (Signed)
 Dr. Howard Kelly.

 Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed:"Thank You, God, that your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."
 

A boy who wanted to meet god.

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God
lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack
of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in
the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and
opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he
noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She
gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered
her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They
sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a
word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to
leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran
back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile
ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother
was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you
do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But
before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the
most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her
son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother,
what did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied! "I ate potato
chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added,

"You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,
all of Which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime!

Embrace all equally!

Golden Box

It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.

Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday."

Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.

"Jack, did you hear me?"

"Oh sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said.

"Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many days you spent over 'his side of the fence' as he put it," Mom told him.

"I loved that old house he lived in," Jack said.

"You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man's influence in your life," she said.

"He's the one who taught me carpentry," he said. "I wouldn't be in this business if it weren't for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important... Mom, I'll be there for the funeral," Jack said.

As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser's funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.

Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time.The house was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture... Jack stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong, Jack?" his Mom asked.

"The box is gone," he said.

"What box?" Mom asked.

"There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he'd ever tell me was 'the thing I value most,'" Jack said.

It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.

"Now I'll never know what was so valuable to him," Jack said. "I better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom."

It had been about two weeks since Mr. Belser died. Returning home from work one day Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. "Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days," the note read.Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention.

"Mr. Harold Belser" it read.

Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack's hands shook as he read the note inside.

"Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It's the thing I valued most in my life." A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.

Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found these words engraved:

"Jack, Thanks for your time! -Harold Belser."

"The thing he valued most...was...my time."

Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. "Why?" Janet, his assistant asked.

"I need some time to spend with my son," he said. "Oh, by the way, Janet... thanks for your time!"

Taking the right step

"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move." --- Benjamin Franklin

Much of our selling life is like climbing a mountain. Each year we have a new mountain to climb to reach our goals and we struggle to meet progress expectations each month. We have a choice, we can grumble about how unfair it is to be forced to start over from the bottom of the mountain or we can just get busy.

Sometimes, we stumble on the way up and lose ground.We have a choice. We can stop at the end of the secured rope and grumble at what progress we have lost ... or we can plant our stake and begin the climb again.

We can't start from where we were, we start from where we are or we spend the rest of our lives looking up at where we used to be.... never reaching that height again, much less climbing to our original goal.

Many will waste time worrying, "Can I reach my ultimate goal?"

That's not the question, the question is, "Can I take the next step in the right direction?"

One step at a time. Set your sights today on the next goal that will take you in the direction of your ultimate dream.

That's life.

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 a.m., when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him look at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his

wound.

On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation.  I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer' s Disease .

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are? "

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, " She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."  I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life."

True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

Cookies

A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in an airport shop, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop. She was engrossed in her book but happened to see that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. He grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene. So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye." With each cookie she took, he took one too. When only one was left, she wondered what he would do. With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half. He offered her half, as he ate the other. She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother! This guy has some nerve and he's also rude. Why he didn't even show any gratitude! She had never known when she had been so galled and
sighed with relief when her flight was called. She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane and sank in her seat, and then she sought her book, which was almost complete. As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes. If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his,and he tried to share.

Too late to apologize, she realized with grief that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief. How many times in our lives, have we absolutely known that something was a certain way, only to discover later that what we believed to be true ... was not?

I do what I can with all my heart and soul.

Roger Crawford had everything he needed to play tennis - except two hands and a leg. When Roger’s parents saw their son for the first time, they saw a baby with a thumb-like projection extended directly out of his right forearm and a thumb and one finger stuck out of his left forearm. He had no palms. The baby’s arms and legs were shortened, and he had only three toes on his shrunken right foot and a withered left leg, which would later be amputated.

The doctor said Roger suffered from ectrodactylism, a rare birth defect affecting only one out of 90,000 children born in the United States. The doctor said Roger would probably never walk or care for himself.

Fortunately Roger’s parents didn’t believe the doctor. “My parents always taught me that I was only as handicapped as I wanted to be,” said Roger. “They never allowed me to feel sorry for myself or take advantage of people because of my handicap. Once I got into trouble because my school papers were continually late,” explained Roger who had to hold his pencil with both “hands” to write slowly. “I asked Dad to write a note to my teachers, asking for a two-day extension on my assignments. Instead Dad made me start writing my paper two days early!”

Roger’s father always encouraged him to get involved in sports, teaching Roger to catch and throw a volleyball, and play backyard football after school. At age 12, Roger managed to win a spot on the school football team. Before every game, Roger would visualize his dream of scoring a touchdown.

Then one day he got his chance. The ball landed in his arms and off he ran as fast as he could on his artificial leg toward the goal line, his coach and teammates cheering wildly. But at the ten-yard line, a guy from the other team caught up with Roger, grabbing his left ankle. Roger tried to pull his artificial leg free, but instead it ended up being pulled off. “I was still standing up,” recalls Roger. “I didn’t know what else to do so I started hopping towards the goal line. The referee ran over and threw his hands into the air. Touchdown! You know, even better than the six points was the look on the face of the other kid who was holding my artificial leg.”

Roger’s love of sports grew and so did his self-confidence. But not every obstacle gave way to Roger’s determination. Eating in the lunchroom with the other kids watching him fumble with his food proved very painful to Roger, as did his repeated failure in typing class. “I learned a very good lesson from typing class,” said Roger. “You can’t do everything - it’s better to concentrate on what you can do.”

One thing Roger could do was swing a tennis racket. Unfortunately, when he swung it hard, his weak grip usually launched it into space. By luck, Roger stumbled upon an odd- looking tennis racket in a sports shop and accidentally wedged his finger between its double-barred handle when he picked it up. The snug fit made it possible for Roger to swing, serve and volley like an able-bodied player. He practiced every day and was soon playing - and losing - matches.

But Roger persisted. He practiced and practiced and played and played. Surgery on the two fingers of his left hand enabled Roger to grip his special racket better, greatly improving his game. Although he had no role models to guide him, Roger became obsessed with tennis and in time he started to win. Roger went on to play college tennis, finishing his tennis career with 22 wins and 11 losses.

He later became the first physically handicapped tennis player to be certified as a teaching professional by the United States Professional Tennis Association. Roger now tours the country, speaking to groups about what it takes to be a winner, no matter who you are.

“The only difference between you and me is that you can see my handicap, but I can’t see yours. We all have them. When people ask me how I’ve been able to overcome my physical handicaps, I tell them that I haven’t overcome anything. I’ve simply learned what I can’t do - such as play the piano or eat with chopsticks - but more importantly, I’ve learned what I can do. Then I do what I can with all my heart and soul.”

Apple Story

Once there was a small kid on earth.

One fine day it came to know that god is distributing apples to humans in his place at heaven. The kid was so happy to receive that news and it went with lot of enjoyment to heaven to get the apple from god.

There was a big queue standing to get apple from god and this kid also joined in that queue. While it was standing, it was fully excited and thrilled for the fact that it is going to receive in person from god's hands.

Its turn too came and the kid showed its both the hands to receive apple.

God gave the apple but unfortunately the tiny hands couldn't hold that big apple. Apple fell down and got wasted in mud.

The kid got so disappointed.

The ministers near the god informed that if the kid likes to have an apple from god again then it has to again follow the queue. Having waited for so long the kid didn't want to return back to earth with empty hands so it decided to wait again in the queue. This time the queue has become even longer than the previous one. While waiting in queue, the kid could see lot of people who returns back with apple in hands and utmost satisfaction on their faces.

The kid was so much disappointed and thought why me alone didn't get the apple in hand when all others were easily able to get it.

What is the sin I did that I alone should suffer like this. Now the kid was so scared that it should not miss the apple again. Again its turn came and god gave the apple to the kid's hands and after giving the apple god spoke to the kid.

"My dear child, last time after giving you the apple only I noticed the apple I gave to you was a rotten apple and that's why I made that to fell down from your hands.

Having given you a rotten apple, I felt bad for you and I wanted to give you the best apple in the farm and that time the best apple in the farm was growing

 and that's why I made you to wait such a long time in the queue.

Here it is. Now the apple that you have in hand is 'The Best' apple in the farm till to date. Enjoy."

So, friends, sometimes it happens as even after we put our 100% dedication and commitment things may get delayed or things may go wrong.

Believe that god has something great for us and that's why this has happened.

Always say, 'Gratitude is absolutely the best way to bring more in one's life'.

Believe this and see the world... Your world will look brighter and better..

Capentry Assembly

It was told that at one time there was a strange assembly in a carpentry. It was a meeting of tools to fix their differences.

The Hammer was named Director of Debates, but the assembly notified him that he had to resign: The cause, he was too noisy! And he was spending his time pounding. The Hammer accepted guilty, but asked that also were expulsed The Screw, he said that they had to do him make many turns to make him serve of something. Before the attack The Screw accepted too, but at the same time asked the expulsion of the Sand Paper. He made them see that she was very rough in the treatment of others and always had frictions with the other ones. And the Sand Paper agreed, on condition that were expulsed The Tape that always spend the time measuring others according to his measure, as if he were the only one perfect.

At that moment came in the carpenter, put on the apron and started his work. He used The Hammer, The Sand Paper, The Tape, and The Screw. Finally, the initial rustic wood was transformed into a pretty furniture.

When the carpentry was again alone, the assembly restarted its deliberation, it was then when The Saw took the floor and said: Gentlemen, it was demonstrated that we have defects, but the carpenter works with our qualities. That makes us valuable. So let's stop thinking on our bad points and let's concentrate in the usefulness of our good points. The assembly then found that The Hammer was strong, The Screws joint and gave reinforcement, The Sand Paper was special to polish and file down roughness and observed that The Tape was precise and exact.