There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his
position in life.
One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway,
he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that
merchant must be!" thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and
wished that he could be like the merchant.
To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more
luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by
those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a
sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating
gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the
procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could
be a high official!"
Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered
sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer
day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He
looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence.
"How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!"
Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the
fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved
between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on
everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish
that I could be a cloud!"
Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by
everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great
force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I
wish that I could be the wind!"
Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting
trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against
Something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it -
a huge, towering rock. "How powerful that rock is!" he thought. "I wish that
I could be a rock!"
Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as
he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the
hard surface, and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful
than I, the rock?" he thought.
He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.
Sunday 24 November 2013
Knowing Fish
One day Chuang Tzu and a friend were walking by a river. "Look at the fish
swimming about," said Chuang Tzu, "They are really enjoying themselves."
"You are not a fish," replied the friend, "So you can't truly know that they
are enjoying themselves."
"You are not me," said Chuang Tzu. "So how do you know that I do not
know that the fish are enjoying themselves?"
swimming about," said Chuang Tzu, "They are really enjoying themselves."
"You are not a fish," replied the friend, "So you can't truly know that they
are enjoying themselves."
"You are not me," said Chuang Tzu. "So how do you know that I do not
know that the fish are enjoying themselves?"
Is that so ?
A beautiful girl in the village was pregnant. Her angry parents demanded to
know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and
embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone
previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents
confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is
that so?"
When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was
viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of
the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as
he accepted the child.
For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter
could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real
father was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The
parents immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the baby. With
profuse apologies they explained what had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin
said as he handed them the child.
know who was the father. At first resistant to confess, the anxious and
embarrassed girl finally pointed to Hakuin, the Zen master whom everyone
previously revered for living such a pure life. When the outraged parents
confronted Hakuin with their daughter's accusation, he simply replied "Is
that so?"
When the child was born, the parents brought it to the Hakuin, who now was
viewed as a pariah by the whole village. They demanded that he take care of
the child since it was his responsibility. "Is that so?" Hakuin said calmly as
he accepted the child.
For many months he took very good care of the child until the daughter
could no longer withstand the lie she had told. She confessed that the real
father was a young man in the village whom she had tried to protect. The
parents immediately went to Hakuin to see if he would return the baby. With
profuse apologies they explained what had happened. "Is that so?" Hakuin
said as he handed them the child.
Holy Man
Word spread across the countryside about the wise Holy Man who lived in a
small house atop the mountain. A man from the village decided to make the
long and difficult journey to visit him. When he arrived at the house, he saw
an old servant inside who greeted him at the door. "I would like to see the
wise Holy Man," he said to the servant. The servant smiled and led him
inside. As they walked through the house, the man from the village looked
eagerly around the house, anticipating his encounter with the Holy Man.
Before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. He
stopped and turned to the servant, "But I want to see the Holy Man!"
"You already have," said the old man. "Everyone you may meet in life, even
if they appear plain and insignificant... see each of them as a wise Holy Man.
If you do this, then whatever problem you brought here today will be
solved."
small house atop the mountain. A man from the village decided to make the
long and difficult journey to visit him. When he arrived at the house, he saw
an old servant inside who greeted him at the door. "I would like to see the
wise Holy Man," he said to the servant. The servant smiled and led him
inside. As they walked through the house, the man from the village looked
eagerly around the house, anticipating his encounter with the Holy Man.
Before he knew it, he had been led to the back door and escorted outside. He
stopped and turned to the servant, "But I want to see the Holy Man!"
"You already have," said the old man. "Everyone you may meet in life, even
if they appear plain and insignificant... see each of them as a wise Holy Man.
If you do this, then whatever problem you brought here today will be
solved."
The gift of insults
There once lived a great warrior. Though quite old, he still was able to defeat
any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land
and many students gathered to study under him.
One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was
determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his
strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an
opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus
revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and
lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first
move.
Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly
accepted the young warrior's challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the
young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit
in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult
known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and
calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was
defeated, he left feeling shamed.
Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the insolent youth, the students
gathered around the old master and questioned him. "How could you endure
such an indignity? How did you drive him away?"
"If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it," the master
replied, "to whom does the gift belong?"
any challenger. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land
and many students gathered to study under him.
One day an infamous young warrior arrived at the village. He was
determined to be the first man to defeat the great master. Along with his
strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an
opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus
revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and
lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first
move.
Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly
accepted the young warrior's challenge. As the two squared off for battle, the
young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. He threw dirt and spit
in his face. For hours he verbally assaulted him with every curse and insult
known to mankind. But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and
calm. Finally, the young warrior exhausted himself. Knowing he was
defeated, he left feeling shamed.
Somewhat disappointed that he did not fight the insolent youth, the students
gathered around the old master and questioned him. "How could you endure
such an indignity? How did you drive him away?"
"If someone comes to give you a gift and you do not receive it," the master
replied, "to whom does the gift belong?"
Destiny
During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even
though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win,
but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at
a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin
and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we
shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself."
He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was
heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they
vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a
lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."
"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which
had heads on both sides.
though his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win,
but his men were filled with doubt. On the way to the battle, they stopped at
a religious shrine. After praying with the men, the general took out a coin
and said, "I shall now toss this coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If tails, we
shall lose. Destiny will now reveal itself."
He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was
heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they
vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious. After the battle, a
lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change destiny."
"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin, which
had heads on both sides.
Concentration
After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful
champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an
archer.
The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency
when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with
his second shot.
"There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"
Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the
young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's
intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they
reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log.
Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge,
the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a
clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back
onto the safe ground.
Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss,
the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target.
"You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament,
"but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."
champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an
archer.
The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency
when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with
his second shot.
"There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"
Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the
young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's
intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they
reached a deep chasm spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log.
Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge,
the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a
clean, direct hit. "Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back
onto the safe ground.
Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss,
the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target.
"You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament,
"but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."
Chasing two rabbits
A martial arts student approached his teacher with a question. "I'd like to
improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you,
I'd like to study with another teacher in order to learn another style. What
do you think of this idea?"
"The hunter who chases two rabbits," answered the master, "catches neither
one."
improve my knowledge of the martial arts. In addition to learning from you,
I'd like to study with another teacher in order to learn another style. What
do you think of this idea?"
"The hunter who chases two rabbits," answered the master, "catches neither
one."
The Ghost
The wife of a man became very sick. On her deathbed, she said to him, "I
love you so much! I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to betray
me. Promise that you will not see any other women once I die, or I will come
back to haunt you."
For several months after her death, the husband did avoid other women, but
then he met someone and fell in love. On the night that they we re engaged to
be married, the ghost of his former wife appeared to him. She blamed him
for not keeping the promise, and every night thereafter she returned to taunt
him. The ghost would remind him of everything that transpired between him
and his fiancee that day, even to the point of repeating, word for word, their
conversations. It upset him so badly that he couldn't sleep at all.
Desperate, he sought the advice of a Zen master who lived near the village.
"This is a very clever ghost," the master said upon hearing the man's story.
"It is!" replied the man. "She remembers every detail of what I say and do.
It knows everything!" The master smiled, "You should admire such a ghost,
but I will tell you what to do the next time you see it."
That night the ghost returned. The man responded just as the master had
advised. "You are such a wise ghost," the man said, "You know that I can
hide nothing from you. If you can answer me one question, I will break off
the engagement and remain single for the rest of my life." "Ask your
question," the ghost replied. The man scooped up a handful of beans from a
large bag on the floor, "Tell me exactly how many beans there are in my
hand."
At that moment the ghost disappeared and never returned.
love you so much! I don't want to leave you, and I don't want you to betray
me. Promise that you will not see any other women once I die, or I will come
back to haunt you."
For several months after her death, the husband did avoid other women, but
then he met someone and fell in love. On the night that they we re engaged to
be married, the ghost of his former wife appeared to him. She blamed him
for not keeping the promise, and every night thereafter she returned to taunt
him. The ghost would remind him of everything that transpired between him
and his fiancee that day, even to the point of repeating, word for word, their
conversations. It upset him so badly that he couldn't sleep at all.
Desperate, he sought the advice of a Zen master who lived near the village.
"This is a very clever ghost," the master said upon hearing the man's story.
"It is!" replied the man. "She remembers every detail of what I say and do.
It knows everything!" The master smiled, "You should admire such a ghost,
but I will tell you what to do the next time you see it."
That night the ghost returned. The man responded just as the master had
advised. "You are such a wise ghost," the man said, "You know that I can
hide nothing from you. If you can answer me one question, I will break off
the engagement and remain single for the rest of my life." "Ask your
question," the ghost replied. The man scooped up a handful of beans from a
large bag on the floor, "Tell me exactly how many beans there are in my
hand."
At that moment the ghost disappeared and never returned.
Monday 21 October 2013
Thirst
There is a legend of a man who was lost in the desert, dying of thirst. He stumbled on until he came to an abandoned house. Outside the dilapidated, windowless, weather–beaten, deserted shack was a pump. He stumbled forward and began pumping furiously, but no water came from the well. Then he noticed a small jug with a cork at the top and a note written on the side: "You have to prime the pump with water, my friend. P.S. And fill the jug again before you leave." He pulled out a cork and saw that the jug was full of water.
Should he pour it down the pump? What if it didn’t work? All of the water would be gone. If he drank the water from the jug, he could be sure he would not die of thirst. But to pour it down the rusty pump on the flimsy instruction written on the outside of the jug?
Something from inside told him to follow the advice and choose the risky decision. He proceeded to pour the whole jug of water down the rusty old pump and furiously pumped up and down. Sure enough, the water gushed out! He had all he needed to drink. He filled the jug again, corked it and added his own words beneath the instructions on the jug: "Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back."
That's why Giving is important..!!!
Should he pour it down the pump? What if it didn’t work? All of the water would be gone. If he drank the water from the jug, he could be sure he would not die of thirst. But to pour it down the rusty pump on the flimsy instruction written on the outside of the jug?
Something from inside told him to follow the advice and choose the risky decision. He proceeded to pour the whole jug of water down the rusty old pump and furiously pumped up and down. Sure enough, the water gushed out! He had all he needed to drink. He filled the jug again, corked it and added his own words beneath the instructions on the jug: "Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back."
That's why Giving is important..!!!
Learn
Yesterday morning while getting ready for office I was brushing my teeth. Without realizing my 3 years old daughter standing right behind me I moved a little backwards resulting my body hit her a little. Because my tooth brush was in my mouth so I couldn’t say sorry to her. As Hadia has recently learnt about using Thank-you and Sorry for different situations from her school teacher, she was expecting me to say sorry without understanding the fact that while brushing her father can’t do so. She waited for me for a little while to apologize which I did not. So her little heart broke and she started crying. I immediately finished my brushing and kissed her and said sorry to her. Very soon she became normal and forgot what has happened a while ago and we had a great breakfast J
Later I pondered that with friends, family and colleagues we often forget to say sorry for our mistakes which results in stiffen relationship causing brawls or complete break-up. While our loved ones give us time and expect our apologetic response, we forget to say sorry or sometimes even ignore the matter altogether considering it a minor one; whereas, it may be critically important for someone. Hence it is important for us to pay attention to this aspect and consider improving our Emotional Intelligence Skills (Managing ours’ as well as others’ emotions), enhance Empathic Skills and endeavour to develop trust with our loved ones for healthy relationships.
Later I pondered that with friends, family and colleagues we often forget to say sorry for our mistakes which results in stiffen relationship causing brawls or complete break-up. While our loved ones give us time and expect our apologetic response, we forget to say sorry or sometimes even ignore the matter altogether considering it a minor one; whereas, it may be critically important for someone. Hence it is important for us to pay attention to this aspect and consider improving our Emotional Intelligence Skills (Managing ours’ as well as others’ emotions), enhance Empathic Skills and endeavour to develop trust with our loved ones for healthy relationships.
Know your value !!!
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a Rupee 500 note. In the room of 200,
He asked, "Who would like this Rupee 500 note?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this note to one of you but first let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the note up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?"
And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty.
"Now who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money.
You still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.
But no matter what has happened or what will happen.
Never lose your value.
You are special. Don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.
"VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED"
He asked, "Who would like this Rupee 500 note?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give this note to one of you but first let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the note up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?"
And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty.
"Now who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money.
You still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.
But no matter what has happened or what will happen.
Never lose your value.
You are special. Don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.
"VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED"
Saturday 14 September 2013
Lost Watch
There once was a farmer who discovered that he had lost his watch in the barn. It was no ordinary watch because it had sentimental value for him.
After searching high and low among the hay for a long while; he gave up and enlisted the help of a group of children playing outside the barn.
He promised them that the person who found it would be rewarded.
Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and around the entire stack of hay but still could not find the watch. Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance.
The farmer looked at him and thought, "Why not? After all, this kid looks sincere enough."
So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand! The farmer was both happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed.
The boy replied, "I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in that direction."
Moral: A peaceful mind can think better than a worked up mind. Allow a few minutes of silence to your mind every day, and see, how sharply it helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be...!
After searching high and low among the hay for a long while; he gave up and enlisted the help of a group of children playing outside the barn.
He promised them that the person who found it would be rewarded.
Hearing this, the children hurried inside the barn, went through and around the entire stack of hay but still could not find the watch. Just when the farmer was about to give up looking for his watch, a little boy went up to him and asked to be given another chance.
The farmer looked at him and thought, "Why not? After all, this kid looks sincere enough."
So the farmer sent the little boy back in the barn. After a while the little boy came out with the watch in his hand! The farmer was both happy and surprised and so he asked the boy how he succeeded where the rest had failed.
The boy replied, "I did nothing but sit on the ground and listen. In the silence, I heard the ticking of the watch and just looked for it in that direction."
Moral: A peaceful mind can think better than a worked up mind. Allow a few minutes of silence to your mind every day, and see, how sharply it helps you to set your life the way you expect it to be...!
Mountain Appearance
"A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?"; And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!";The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!". He receives the answer: "Coward!". He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?". The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." Again the man screams: "You are a champion!". The voice answers: "You are a champion!".
The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life. Life will give you back everything you have given to it."
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?" He receives the answer: "Who are you?"; And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!";The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!". He receives the answer: "Coward!". He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?". The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." Again the man screams: "You are a champion!". The voice answers: "You are a champion!".
The boy is surprised, but does not understand. Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence. This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life. Life will give you back everything you have given to it."
Manage yourself
The concept here is that your first looks matter a lot. The people you meet usually make the perception about your personality up to a degree of 70%.
Perspective
But if we really stop to look at what we have...we are truly blessed. Others would only dream to have what we take for granted.
The homeless person wishes to have that little house you wish were bigger.
That mother who lost her son would do anything to deal with that defiant child.
The Father that cannot feed his three kids would love to go to the job you hate.
The woman riding her bike 10 miles to work wishes to have the car you want to trade in.
That lonely woman would love that man that forgets to take out the garbage or doesn't pick up after himself.
That orphan child wouldn't mind the mother that makes him clean his dirty room.
The crippled adolescent would love to climb that flight of stairs you dread.
The woman in the hospital dying of cancer wishes to rush home after work to cook her family a meal.
You see it's all in how we look at things.
If we start to look at our lives with the right perspective and focus on the blessings, we will be filled with gratitude. To focus on what we have and not on what we don't is the best way to live.
In the end, the biggest joy and blessing is love. If you look hard enough you'll be amazed at how much love surrounds you and how much you truly have. What you have today you will miss someday.
Never Give up !!!
Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi Banker, an Economist, founder of Grameen Bank and the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2006, said:
"Each of us has much more hidden inside us than we have had a chance to explore. Unless we create an environment that enables us to discover the limits of our potential, we will never know what we have inside of us."
Since the day a baby is born, it is the responsibility of the parents to mold the character and future of that child. No matter how we try to hide our behavior and activity at home, children can sense it; either it is positive or negative.
The biographies of great human beings, who contributed something in a positive way, have always been inspiration to many of us. By reading their trials and tribulations, we can all learn 'what needs to be followed' and 'what needs to be eliminated'.
When one is determined and focused to accomplish something worthwhile, many obstacles and challenges will arise on the way. As long as the goal is crystal clear and mind is determined to get it done, nothing can stop him or her.
I had a privilege to read the books by world famous author Orison Swett Marden while I was a young college student in Nepal. I love all his books and one of my favorite quotes from one of his books is:
"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible."
Mr. Marden had a very humble beginning, even though he was born in America but with his hard work, passion, determination and by applying a 'never give up' attitude, he became a famous author and even today, his books are being read all over the world in many different languages.
Have we ever thought about the thing that makes us think? That is our brain. Scientists have proven that our human brain does 20,000 trillion calculations per second. I have always thought about it and want to know why people cannot think about something better for their life.
This is a very serious question and many of us always make a quick remark: "I am so busy, I don't have time to think. Life is crazy, so many bills to pay, health challenges, relationship challenges, bad economy..." and the list is endless.
Why waste such a powerful machine, in doing mundane work and not being a dreamer (not just a daydreamer), and work hard as well as smart?
Even after all the tremendous blessings, why do people still forget what they can do and instead, waste their most valuable life in so many unproductive activities?
These questions always bother me when I see talented young people, with so much potential ahead of them in life, just waste their time and energy following the wrong crowd or doing the things that make no sense at the end. Many times I've wondered if it could be that they didn't have the RIGHT EXAMPLE at home or that they couldn't find and follow a true mentor in life.
Many of us already know about Thomas Alva Edison, who invented more than 1,000 useful items and is the inventor of the electric light bulb.
He had his famous quote: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
Edison never gave up on his dreams and goals.
Marie Curie is the first Scientist to win two Nobel Prizes (In Physics and in Chemistry ) even though she had been through so many challenges at home, in her childhood, in college and even after finishing college and university. She never gave up on her dream and invented Radium, the element that was used to treat cancer, known as Curietherapy or Radiumtherapy.
She said, "Life is not easy for any of us. We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."
She was told that girls could not continue their education and that they were suppose to be housewives, taking care of the family and children. She knew her heart's desire and never listened to those negative voices, either from outside sources or from inside. She knew what she wanted, in the depth of her heart, and was willing to pay the price as she never believed in overnight success or any kind of shortcuts to success.
There is no other scientist who has received a Noble Prize twice. Not only that, she was a great role model for her daughter Irene Joliot-Curie, who also received a Nobel Prize.
We have the best example of 'Never Giving Up' in American History:
Abraham Lincoln. Here is the list of his failures before he became the US President in 1860:
Lost job, 1832
Defeated for legislature, 1832
Failed in business, 1833
Elected to legislature, 1834
Sweetheart (Ann Rutledge) died, 1835
Had nervous breakdown, 1836
Defeated for Speaker, 1838
Defeated for nomination for Congress, 1843
Elected to Congress, 1846
Lost re-nomination, 1848
Rejected for Land Officer, 1849
Defeated for Senate, 1854
Defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1856
Again defeated for Senate, 1858
Abraham Lincoln was told many times that he was nobody and could be nobody in life by the committee of 'they' (those critics whose names are not found in any history books). We have not yet seen nor found the statues erected for the critics who see only the negative aspects of everything. It's just the way people look at things, either with optimism or pessimism.
Luck is defined as "Preparation meeting Opportunity". Abraham Lincoln believed in preparation before aiming at anything BIG and did whatever it took to get the dream accomplished. It is recorded in history books that Abraham Lincoln would go to schools on weekends and speak from the podium, as if the empty chairs were occupied by real people, because he was told that he needed to practice speaking in public.
Hard work as well as smart work, with a positive goal in mind, definitely brings success in any area of life.
Life is so good and beautiful. When we look around, there is so much peace, harmony, and beauty in nature that should give us a happy heart to appreciate everything. When I pause for a moment and think about so many people wasting their life in unproductive activities, it gives me so much pain that I wish I could individually sit with that person and spend some time telling him/her how valuable life is.
Sometimes I feel like shouting out loud from the tallest building and telling every human being, "You are the greatest miracle in the world. There is nothing that you can't achieve in life if you believe in it and do not waste your valuable time in destructive things. You are a walking, talking miracle. Just sit for few minutes and start counting the blessings you already have in your life, starting with: being alive, having eyes to look, a nose to breathe, ears to hear, a brain to think and the list goes on."
Here is a beautiful story I read about being remembered when one does not give up and accomplishes something useful that benefits humanity forever:
One day, a teacher was teaching a lesson to the class about never giving up and how history will remember those who never gave up.
She asked the students: "Did Abraham Lincoln ever give up?"
All the students replied, "No".
She asked them again, "Did Edison ever give up?"
Again the students replied, "No".
After mentioning couple of great heroes' names, she finally asked them, "Did Joe Doe give up?"
On that, all the students replied, "Who is Joe Doe?"
She said, "You don't know his name because he gave up."
Before we think there is nothing we can achieve that is useful, let's think twice, may be ten times, even a hundred or a thousand times and let's always remember this:
"Each of us has much more hidden inside us than we have had a chance to explore. Unless we create an environment that enables us to discover the limits of our potential, we will never know what we have inside of us."
Since the day a baby is born, it is the responsibility of the parents to mold the character and future of that child. No matter how we try to hide our behavior and activity at home, children can sense it; either it is positive or negative.
The biographies of great human beings, who contributed something in a positive way, have always been inspiration to many of us. By reading their trials and tribulations, we can all learn 'what needs to be followed' and 'what needs to be eliminated'.
When one is determined and focused to accomplish something worthwhile, many obstacles and challenges will arise on the way. As long as the goal is crystal clear and mind is determined to get it done, nothing can stop him or her.
I had a privilege to read the books by world famous author Orison Swett Marden while I was a young college student in Nepal. I love all his books and one of my favorite quotes from one of his books is:
"All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible."
Mr. Marden had a very humble beginning, even though he was born in America but with his hard work, passion, determination and by applying a 'never give up' attitude, he became a famous author and even today, his books are being read all over the world in many different languages.
Have we ever thought about the thing that makes us think? That is our brain. Scientists have proven that our human brain does 20,000 trillion calculations per second. I have always thought about it and want to know why people cannot think about something better for their life.
This is a very serious question and many of us always make a quick remark: "I am so busy, I don't have time to think. Life is crazy, so many bills to pay, health challenges, relationship challenges, bad economy..." and the list is endless.
Why waste such a powerful machine, in doing mundane work and not being a dreamer (not just a daydreamer), and work hard as well as smart?
Even after all the tremendous blessings, why do people still forget what they can do and instead, waste their most valuable life in so many unproductive activities?
These questions always bother me when I see talented young people, with so much potential ahead of them in life, just waste their time and energy following the wrong crowd or doing the things that make no sense at the end. Many times I've wondered if it could be that they didn't have the RIGHT EXAMPLE at home or that they couldn't find and follow a true mentor in life.
Many of us already know about Thomas Alva Edison, who invented more than 1,000 useful items and is the inventor of the electric light bulb.
He had his famous quote: "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
Edison never gave up on his dreams and goals.
Marie Curie is the first Scientist to win two Nobel Prizes (In Physics and in Chemistry ) even though she had been through so many challenges at home, in her childhood, in college and even after finishing college and university. She never gave up on her dream and invented Radium, the element that was used to treat cancer, known as Curietherapy or Radiumtherapy.
She said, "Life is not easy for any of us. We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."
She was told that girls could not continue their education and that they were suppose to be housewives, taking care of the family and children. She knew her heart's desire and never listened to those negative voices, either from outside sources or from inside. She knew what she wanted, in the depth of her heart, and was willing to pay the price as she never believed in overnight success or any kind of shortcuts to success.
There is no other scientist who has received a Noble Prize twice. Not only that, she was a great role model for her daughter Irene Joliot-Curie, who also received a Nobel Prize.
We have the best example of 'Never Giving Up' in American History:
Abraham Lincoln. Here is the list of his failures before he became the US President in 1860:
Lost job, 1832
Defeated for legislature, 1832
Failed in business, 1833
Elected to legislature, 1834
Sweetheart (Ann Rutledge) died, 1835
Had nervous breakdown, 1836
Defeated for Speaker, 1838
Defeated for nomination for Congress, 1843
Elected to Congress, 1846
Lost re-nomination, 1848
Rejected for Land Officer, 1849
Defeated for Senate, 1854
Defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1856
Again defeated for Senate, 1858
Abraham Lincoln was told many times that he was nobody and could be nobody in life by the committee of 'they' (those critics whose names are not found in any history books). We have not yet seen nor found the statues erected for the critics who see only the negative aspects of everything. It's just the way people look at things, either with optimism or pessimism.
Luck is defined as "Preparation meeting Opportunity". Abraham Lincoln believed in preparation before aiming at anything BIG and did whatever it took to get the dream accomplished. It is recorded in history books that Abraham Lincoln would go to schools on weekends and speak from the podium, as if the empty chairs were occupied by real people, because he was told that he needed to practice speaking in public.
Hard work as well as smart work, with a positive goal in mind, definitely brings success in any area of life.
Life is so good and beautiful. When we look around, there is so much peace, harmony, and beauty in nature that should give us a happy heart to appreciate everything. When I pause for a moment and think about so many people wasting their life in unproductive activities, it gives me so much pain that I wish I could individually sit with that person and spend some time telling him/her how valuable life is.
Sometimes I feel like shouting out loud from the tallest building and telling every human being, "You are the greatest miracle in the world. There is nothing that you can't achieve in life if you believe in it and do not waste your valuable time in destructive things. You are a walking, talking miracle. Just sit for few minutes and start counting the blessings you already have in your life, starting with: being alive, having eyes to look, a nose to breathe, ears to hear, a brain to think and the list goes on."
Here is a beautiful story I read about being remembered when one does not give up and accomplishes something useful that benefits humanity forever:
One day, a teacher was teaching a lesson to the class about never giving up and how history will remember those who never gave up.
She asked the students: "Did Abraham Lincoln ever give up?"
All the students replied, "No".
She asked them again, "Did Edison ever give up?"
Again the students replied, "No".
After mentioning couple of great heroes' names, she finally asked them, "Did Joe Doe give up?"
On that, all the students replied, "Who is Joe Doe?"
She said, "You don't know his name because he gave up."
Before we think there is nothing we can achieve that is useful, let's think twice, may be ten times, even a hundred or a thousand times and let's always remember this:
Keep on Knocking
Knowing he couldn't live on his pension, he took his chicken recipe in hand, got behind the wheel of his van, and set out to make his fortune. His first plan was to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant owners, who would in turn give him a residual for every piece of chicken they sold--5 cents per chicken. The first restaurateur he called on turned him down.
So did the second.
So did the third.
In fact, the first 1008 sales calls Colonel Sanders made ended in rejection. Still, he continued to call on owners as he traveled across the USA, sleeping in his car to save money. Prospect number 1009 gave him his first "yes."
After two years of making daily sales he had signed up a total of five restaurants. Still the Colonel pressed on, knowing that he had a great chicken recipe and that someday the idea would catch on.
Of course, you know how the story ends. The idea DID catch on. By 1963 the Colonel had 600 restaurants across the country selling his secret recipe of Kentucky Fried Chicken (with 11 herbs and spices).
In 1964 he was bought out by future Kentucky governor John Brown. Even though the sale made him a multi-millionaire, he continued to represent and promote KFC until his death in 1990.
Colonel Sanders' story teaches an important lesson: its never too late to decide to never give up.
Earlier in his life the Colonel was involved in other business ventures--but they weren't successful. He had a gas station in the 30's, a restaurant in the 40's, and he gave up on both of them. At the age of 65, however, Harland Sanders decided his chicken idea was the right idea, and he refused to give up, even in spite of repeated rejection.
He knew that if he kept on knocking on doors, eventually someone would say "yes." This is how Jesus has commanded to approach life. He said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." . It's never too late to decide to never give up. Keep on knocking. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking.
Basic Problem
One day an army came and overran the castle, making off with half the treasury. The king decided to tell the people he must increase taxes to make up for the loss. He called in one of the court wise men.
“How can I break the news without inciting a revolt?” he asked.
The wise men pondered – that’s his job – and came up with a gentle way of explaining the theft as a tragedy for the entire kingdom, imploring the people for their support. It went over well.
Time passes, and once again the neighbouring army raided the castle, this time carting away much of the food stored for the winter. Once again, the king called upon his wise man – by this time, he was known as the Director of Wisdom – and laid bare the facts.
“What can I tell my subjects this time?” the king asked. “They will lose confidence in me if I can’t defend the kingdom’s food and money.”
Again, the wise man pondered. He advised the king to be frank about the loss, but to say only that it had gone to a neighbouring kingdom that seemed to need it desperately. And the king told the people and asked them to work even harder on the year’s harvest. And they did, and all was well.
By the time, the neighbouring army was getting rather good at raids. Once again they struck, hauling away horses, hay, other foodstock, and most of the royal jewels. Once again, the king summoned his trusted advisor, the VP of Wisdom and Sagely Advice. This time, the king was despondent.
“They raid the treasury. They take our food. They steal our livestocks,” the king wailed. “And the queen’s going to kill me about those jewels. You are my most trusted advisor. What shall I do?”
The wise man hesitated. “I think,” he said. “I think the time has come for Your Highness to put the water back in the moat.”
The moral of the story is simple: solve a basic problem, and you won’t have as many public relations problems.
The boy in the window
One day while I was shopping with my mother, we were walking past a store with a big front window. In this window there was a little boy, just standing there looking back at me. He had a black eye and bruised cheek. And the look in his eyes was so sad. They were filled with so much pain and sadness that just looking into them brought tears to my eyes. And I turned away.
Some years later, while walking past the store again, I saw that same little boy. He had grown some but it was apparant that it was the same boy. He still had bruised cheeks and his nose was taped up from being broken. In his eyes I could still see all his pain, his lonliness, his sadness. Once again it brought tears to my eyes, and once again I turned away.
In my teenage years, I walked past the store again. And again the boy was there. He had grown into a tall young man. No bruises on his face this time. But his eyes had changed. They hadn't lost their sadness or their pain or lonliness, but they had taken on a hard edge. Looking into his eyes this time scared me. This time I not only turned away but I walked faster than I had before because I couldn't bear to see this boy's eyes anymore.
Since I've been a man, I haven't gone back to that store. Maybe because I'm afraid to see the man that boy has become. I was going to go once, but I decided I didn't need that in my life at this point. I mean what is he to me anyway? I don't need it. My life is happy.
Yesterday, I was in my house and I just happened to walk by a mirror. The strangest thing happened. That boy from the window, he was a man now, and he was in that mirror staring back at me. His eyes don't have that hard look to them anymore and he actually looked happy now.
When I think back to the little boy in the window, staring into his eyes, into my eyes, I can't believe I was ever that sad. And I can't believe that his eyes, my eyes, scared me so bad that I couldn't bear to look.
It shows me that anyone's life can change for the better. If that little sad boy, who turned into a hard angry teenage boy, can change into the happy man I saw yesterday... then anyone can change for the better, given the right circumstances.
Some years later, while walking past the store again, I saw that same little boy. He had grown some but it was apparant that it was the same boy. He still had bruised cheeks and his nose was taped up from being broken. In his eyes I could still see all his pain, his lonliness, his sadness. Once again it brought tears to my eyes, and once again I turned away.
In my teenage years, I walked past the store again. And again the boy was there. He had grown into a tall young man. No bruises on his face this time. But his eyes had changed. They hadn't lost their sadness or their pain or lonliness, but they had taken on a hard edge. Looking into his eyes this time scared me. This time I not only turned away but I walked faster than I had before because I couldn't bear to see this boy's eyes anymore.
Since I've been a man, I haven't gone back to that store. Maybe because I'm afraid to see the man that boy has become. I was going to go once, but I decided I didn't need that in my life at this point. I mean what is he to me anyway? I don't need it. My life is happy.
Yesterday, I was in my house and I just happened to walk by a mirror. The strangest thing happened. That boy from the window, he was a man now, and he was in that mirror staring back at me. His eyes don't have that hard look to them anymore and he actually looked happy now.
When I think back to the little boy in the window, staring into his eyes, into my eyes, I can't believe I was ever that sad. And I can't believe that his eyes, my eyes, scared me so bad that I couldn't bear to look.
It shows me that anyone's life can change for the better. If that little sad boy, who turned into a hard angry teenage boy, can change into the happy man I saw yesterday... then anyone can change for the better, given the right circumstances.
Who has given more ?
She described a situation where her son while under attack, was with his comrades moving toward their objective. Unknowingly, he stepped over an IED. He was fortunate; however his friend was not so lucky.
The impact was immediate, his pain more intense than anything he could describe. All he knew was that he was in a different place; wondering to himself, "Is this what dying feels like?" The next thing he remembered was hearing a slight groan coming from nearby. Looking over his shoulder he noticed it was his friend, lying on the ground. It seemed at the time as though lower half of his body was missing. "Could this be; am I still alive?" He thought. Rubbing his eyes, checking with every sense he could muster. Yes, it is my partner, then sudden reflexes kicked in.
Getting up quickly and anguishing over the intensity of his newly realized pain, he made his way to what he now hoped was only a bad dream. Unfortunately his friend was real; it was not a dream. Everything was in disarray; nothing made sense at all. What was part of their world just a minute before was now gone. How could this happen, it was in the flash of an eye. What went wrong he thought to himself.
As he bent over to help, the immediate fear of knowing everything was real hit. Instinct kicked in, all the years of training were paying off. He knew he was his friend's only hope. This dying soldier needed his full attention. His legs were gone; blood was rushing out of his body everywhere. It would be only minutes; maybe seconds and his life would be over.
Grabbing anything he could find which could be used as a tourniquet, he miraculously stopped the bleeding. After waiting for the gunfire to subside, he picked his friend up off the ground leaving a pool of blood where he lay. He carried him off to safety.
As this friend of mine ended her story, she shared that her son saved the life of his comrade that horrible day. He was awarded with a medal of honor and recognized for saving this soldier in record time. Oddly enough, this story, while nearly unbelievable, is not the one that has changed my understanding.
This story is about what I saw, felt and experienced as these words of praise were expressed by this loving mother. We stood face-to-face. I listened staring into her eyes witnessing a miracle. For a moment, her eyes became the window to her soul. Tears appeared creating a brilliant shimmering glow. No longer was there a physical appearance but a clear radiant projection into eternity. I could see directly into her soul; I could feel the beat of her heart!
I ask you, "Who gives more serving our country?" The brave men and women who are willingly giving the ultimate sacrifice? Perhaps, hard to argue another way, but for me I know differently now.
This mother, fully engaged in the life of her children, knows without question that her son is doing what he wants, what he believes, what is necessary. He will sacrifice all if required, knowing it is his duty, sensing it is what he was born to do. She lives for nothing more than to know of his safety. Combat and all that comes with it are a part of their lives now.
This friend and mother of a soldier lives everyday with two objectives. First, she awakes every morning offering words of prayer for the safety of those who have dedicated their lives to protect ours. Knowing now more than any other time, there is a Creator and this Divine source will help, even if it is only to comfort. Second, as she retires to bed each night, she thanks Deity for another day passing with "the black car" not driving up the driveway delivering news from the field.
We praise and honor those who serve our country. We pray for their safety and well-being. We know with certainty, it is our freedoms they protect. For me, I know now, after looking into the soul of a mother, there are some who give more. They, the mothers, will argue differently; I know better.
To the mothers of our service men and women, "Thank you!" We are with you praying for the protection of your children and for your peace and safety, hoping your rewards in life will be all that you yearn for.
May I personally acknowledge you for giving more than I could give, more than I had known possible and more than what has been described as, "the ultimate sacrifice."
I know mothers will remain noble; may peace, comfort and understanding be yours. Let those you have brought into the world receive recognition, love and respect. May the hope and inspiration we receive from you be given back tenfold; it is we who have benefited through your gift.
Seasons
It is turning into winter here now. I have travelled to the west coast and witnessed the first snow falls. Usually when I am here it is wet and cold but this week the Gods are smiling on me as the sky is cloudless and the sun reflecting on the mountain tops gives them an orange glow which is a sight to behold.
Many people have a favourite season. What is yours?
I have found that as I grow older my opinion of this changes or, as each season is in full swing I decide that this is my favourite time of year only to dismiss my comments months later when another change comes around. A few months ago autumn was in full swing and I was in awe of the magical colours of the leaves dancing in the winds. In early autumn it felt good to put a scarf on and feel the strong, fresh, cold breeze invigorate my senses and remind me that summer had ended once again.
Prior to that, summer had been a long lazy affair with trips to the beach, barbeque and beers in hand, and a good posse of friends to share it all with. The first bathing session of the summer is always good. Sometimes you can attempt this a little too early without having given the waters time to amply heat up and a sharp exit is the only solution. I love walking down the street and wearing nothing but shorts, t-shirt and flip flops. If it was warm enough for me to not wear socks every day I would gladly do it. I envy those living in all-year round warm climates where this has become the default choice of footwear.
Sometimes it is difficult to identify when spring transitions into summer (we have the calendar months but they are becoming more and more unreliable). Early spring however is clearly identifiable. The melting of the snows, the budding of flowers, longer daylight hours and rivers containing wild torrents from the flow of water from the mountain tops. We can shed the heavy wool jumpers and hats for something a little lighter and more breathable and perhaps even start eating outside again at night-time without the assistance of a blanket on the lap or a heater overhead.
And so to winter again. I can feel you asking yourself where I am going with this and the truth is that before I started writing this page I had absolutely no idea.
I have taken a little trip down memory lane however and realised that in every season I have had several moments where I have stopped to look around and appreciate how lucky I was at that point and space in time to be witnessing such beauty around me.
Perhaps sometimes we are too intent in looking around the corner to find out what is coming next without realising that it will come soon enough and will then drift of to become nothing but a memory. We should be looking to enjoy today and all the miracles it brings us. It is easy to acknowledge that miracles happen around us but recognizing these as they happen is what really awakens our mind and senses.
Take a look around, breathe it in and appreciate it. Tomorrow will be here soon enough
Many people have a favourite season. What is yours?
I have found that as I grow older my opinion of this changes or, as each season is in full swing I decide that this is my favourite time of year only to dismiss my comments months later when another change comes around. A few months ago autumn was in full swing and I was in awe of the magical colours of the leaves dancing in the winds. In early autumn it felt good to put a scarf on and feel the strong, fresh, cold breeze invigorate my senses and remind me that summer had ended once again.
Prior to that, summer had been a long lazy affair with trips to the beach, barbeque and beers in hand, and a good posse of friends to share it all with. The first bathing session of the summer is always good. Sometimes you can attempt this a little too early without having given the waters time to amply heat up and a sharp exit is the only solution. I love walking down the street and wearing nothing but shorts, t-shirt and flip flops. If it was warm enough for me to not wear socks every day I would gladly do it. I envy those living in all-year round warm climates where this has become the default choice of footwear.
Sometimes it is difficult to identify when spring transitions into summer (we have the calendar months but they are becoming more and more unreliable). Early spring however is clearly identifiable. The melting of the snows, the budding of flowers, longer daylight hours and rivers containing wild torrents from the flow of water from the mountain tops. We can shed the heavy wool jumpers and hats for something a little lighter and more breathable and perhaps even start eating outside again at night-time without the assistance of a blanket on the lap or a heater overhead.
And so to winter again. I can feel you asking yourself where I am going with this and the truth is that before I started writing this page I had absolutely no idea.
I have taken a little trip down memory lane however and realised that in every season I have had several moments where I have stopped to look around and appreciate how lucky I was at that point and space in time to be witnessing such beauty around me.
Perhaps sometimes we are too intent in looking around the corner to find out what is coming next without realising that it will come soon enough and will then drift of to become nothing but a memory. We should be looking to enjoy today and all the miracles it brings us. It is easy to acknowledge that miracles happen around us but recognizing these as they happen is what really awakens our mind and senses.
Take a look around, breathe it in and appreciate it. Tomorrow will be here soon enough
Created to soar success
Many have found that past difficulties have inspired them to their greatest achievements. For the hardships that we face can provide us with a chance to discover who we really are, what we are made of, what we're destined to become and share with others.
Thus, receptive to innovation and with an entrepreneurial spirit, the men had been envisioning, for a while, a new approach to the home-improvement field. As a result, the two men decided to join forces and formulated a plan to implement their vision.
Some critics laughed at them when they heard about their pioneering business idea; a new concept for a nationwide chain of home-improvement stores. Yet, the strong-willed men did not let other people talk them out of daring to reach for success.
I like what Ralph Waldo Emerson once inscribed, "Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them."
Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus continued to research their brainchild; superstores with a wide variety of products at low prices and excellent customer service. They applied their knowledge, and with a positive outlook and a desire to make a difference in the lives of others, enthusiastically worked toward their venture. A year later, Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus co-founded the Home Depot store chain.
Whatever you aspire to do, whatever you want to be, you can accomplish it.
Perhaps, everywhere you turn, you've been hit with ongoing troubles. But don't be swept away with the notion that, "It's over for me now," "I have missed my chance," or "I've made too many mistakes to succeed." Let go of previous disappointments and forgive those who may have hurt you. It's not too late or too early to transform your situation for the better.
A few months ago, I hurt my right shoulder lifting weights. At a routine doctor's visit, I explained to the doctor what had happened. After he examined my arm and took x-rays, I questioned, "Should I keep exercising?" The doctor replied, "Yes," and went on to say that some injuries heal quicker if you keep on moving.
I believe that the same concept holds true when we encounter setbacks. Despite what's happened, we have to keep on moving forward! So don't stop, or think a past difficulty is the end. Learn from challenging experiences and keep on moving forward. Remember, just one 'yes,' one 'opportunity' one 'idea' or one 'person,' can turn past sorrows into present joys.
Today, assess your heart's desires. What would you pursue if anything were possible?
Get a pencil and a sheet of paper and sit down and make a list of your aspirations.
Reach as high as your imagination will take you. And jot down dates in which your desired goals should be accomplished, believing and affirming daily their realization.
Just as an eagle soars far above the plains below, higher and higher into the azure sky, you have further to go on your journey. Get your enthusiasm back. God is guiding you, and there are infinite possibilities ahead. So, let them unfold. A whole, new, clear glorious life lies before you.
Don't change the world
Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather.
Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ skin, and would cost a huge amount of money. Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, “Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don’t you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?”
The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a “shoe” for himself.
Moral of the Story:
There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story: to make this world a happy place to live, you better change yourself - your heart; and not the world.
Midas touch
Distorted values lead to tragedy.
2. Sometimes getting what you want may be a bigger tragedy than not getting what you want.
3. Unlike the game of soccer where players can be substituted, the game of life allows no substitutions or replays. We may not get a second chance to reverse our tragedies, as the king did.
One day while he was counting a stranger came from nowhere and said he would grant him a wish. The king was delighted and said, "I would like everything I touch to turn to gold." The stranger asked the king, Are you sure?" The king replied, "Yes." So the stranger said, "Starting tomorrow morning with the sun rays you will get the golden touch." The king thought he must be dreaming, this couldn't be true. But the next day when he woke up, he touched the bed, his clothes, and everything turned to gold. He looked out of the window and saw his daughter playing in the garden. He decided to give her a surprise and thought she would be happy. But before he went to the garden he decided to read a book. The moment he touched it, it turned into gold and he couldn't read it. Then he sat to have breakfast and the moment he touched the fruit and the glass of water, they turned to gold. He was getting hungry and he said to himself, "I can't eat and drink gold." Just about that time his daughter came running and he hugged her and she turned into a gold statue. There were no more smiles left.
The king bowed his head and started crying. The stranger who gave the wish came again and asked the king if he was happy with his golden touch. The king said he was the most miserable man. The stranger asked, "What would you rather have, your food and loving daughter or lumps of gold and her golden statue?" The king cried and asked for forgiveness. He said, "I will give up all my gold. Please give me my daughter back because without her I have lost everything wo rth having." The stranger said to the king, "You have become wiser than before" and he reversed the spell. He got his daughter back in his arms and the king learned a lesson that he never forget for the rest of his life.
How we affect others !!!
Throughout high school I have been pretty much told what to write and what to think. I enjoyed the challenge of his vague writing assignments; it made me have to really think about what I put down on paper.
As the school year progressed I became very ill and missed several of my classes. I apologized over and over to my professors for missing their classes, and I did the assignments out of hospital rooms or between trips to specialists and weekly doctors visits. At the end of the term my medical condition had improved some and I was able to start doing some of the extra credit to make up for my daily grades. I worked double time to bring my grades up.
The day of my English final, Professor Wilcox approached me and handed me a single sheet of rose pink paper. He told me to read on my way home to Texas. I decided that I couldn't wait and the second I stepped into my dorm room I opened the paper and read aloud. He had wanted to thank me for encouraging him throughout the school year.
In his letter he described the plight of a young woman, the youngest in her class, struggling with sickness and a full class schedule that somehow managed to pull herself up by her bootstraps and muttle through the year.
The last line of his letter read as follows: "I have watched you thoroughly enjoy yourself in my class, and I have read of your struggle against all odds to stay in school. You truly personify my favorite verse in the book , Thank you for showing the world how to be brave and how to rely completely on God."
I hadn't realized it at the time but everything we do and say affects other people. My being sick had helped a professor I barely knew to get through a very trying time in his life. I just want everyone to know that even though things may seem rough, there will always be better days ahead.
Thankyou Bill
He was a good guy that I met in high school, and he introduced me to a great opportunity with a sales/and marketing company in Ohio. I didn't think I was cut out for it but I started to change, not just me but my lifestyle. I was more positive, motivated, enthusiastic and happier than I ever was before.
Then the work started to get too hard and I wanted to quit but my friend Bill said this:
"Brian do this not for me, your friends, or your family. Do this opportunity because you want to and you have to take the right path or the wrong path. The wrong path is a sunny day kind of person, one who is euphoric at the moment; one who doesn't mind taking a walk down that road if the weather is sunny or fine. But when the weather starts to get bad, they go inside and don't want to deal with the bad weather because there scared of it, and they won't stay on the right path even when the bad weather will get better. So make sure to stick with your decision, even if the path your walking on is bad weather at the moment, because if you persist through the bad weather, the good weather won't be far behind".
That meant a lot to me and after he said that I changed my attitude for life. Now I am on the right path no matter what. Thanks Bill:)
Thursday 15 August 2013
Whose problem is it ?
A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem.
The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.
Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."
That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens." Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?"
No response.
So the husband moves to closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?"
Still no response.
Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, Honey, what's for dinner?"
Again he gets no response.
So he walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?"
Again there is no response.
So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?"
"James, for the FIFTH time I've said, CHICKEN!"
The problem may not be with the other person as we always think, could be very much within us!
Why should we shout ?
A saint asked his disciples, 'Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?'
Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.' 'But, why to shout when the other person is just next to you?' asked the saint. 'Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?' Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the saint.
Finally he explained, 'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.'
Then the saint asked, 'What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why?
Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...' The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'
MORAL: When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return, not to shout.
Superman
The person who has had a significant influence in my life is Superman. Who said anything about Clark Kent? I'm talking about my dad, AKA Vuong Nguyen.
My dad is a short little man with an accent. He has been in America for eight years and he can't even speak proper English. He's one on the cheapest people I have ever known. The only place he ever does his shopping is the thrift store. He does not own anything that's anywhere close to being remotely new. Working six days a week, you would think he'd have more than two pairs of work pants. You should see him dress in the winter; he puts on anything and everything that he owns- no sense of fashion whatsoever. Everywhere we go he has to stop at every garage sale looking for deals. He just doesn't realize that someone could have seen me with him. As I've grown older, I've realized that there was more to this funny looking man than meets the eye. I discover that this is actually a hero in disguise. Let me tell you about his skirmishes with wicked Commie Dude and the diabolical Duke of Materialism.
Commie Dude was Lenin's cousin, ten times removed. His goal was to enslave the people of the world with his Communistic ideals. His favorite weapon was a sickle and his powers are most potent when the moon is crescent. Commie Dude commands an army of goons from his hide-out in Hanoi, Vietnam and wreaked havoc in this S-shaped country.
Superman didn't like that idea of everyone being the same, so he decided to join the South Vietnamese against the goons of Commie Dude. Disguised as a lieutenant, he fought for freedom. Unfortunately, the moon was in its crescent phase so Superman was captured. He was imprisoned for five years. The goons torture our hero and force him to join them. But Superman's will was made of Titanium and he held up. He escaped and took his family to the mystical, goon-free land called America.
Evil lurked in the form of Duke of Materialism in America. Getting into people's minds was what he did best. He used his telekinetic waves to turn the American dream into greed and despair.
But Superman was too smart for that trick. He went into disguise again- this time as a janitor. He recycled the villain's can with his own bare hands. The Duke's waves did little to break Superman's focus. Superman's great intensity allows him to sweep 10 miles of hallways, plunge 583 toilets and deploy 189 pounds of sawdust on puking incidents. Doing so, he is able to send his kids to Catholic schools in hopes that they will have a chance to make a difference in this chaotic world.
Superman answers to no one, except the big cheese, code name: JC. The two meet every Sunday in the Big House. JC gives Superman's soul nourishment. His faith in JC is what helps him get through tough times. Without JC there is no Superman.
Superman's only weakness is age. But fear not, he has an heir: me. His training for me began very early. I started out with potty training, recently moved to driving and eventually I too will be saving the world. But most of all, he stresses faith in JC. With all the powerful abilities Superman has entrusted to me, I will be able to carry on his legacy and make my mark on the world. So all you evil-doers out there better look out, 'Cause here comes...
Superman and Son.
Your message in bottle
am home. Seven weeks of gallivanting through Asia, three episodes of tears, two bouts of food poisoning, an extra 6.3 kilograms of new wardrobe and many new friends later, I came home on a 38 degrees (Celsius) New Year's eve to a refrigerator half filled with furry eggs, melted butter, moldy cheese and jars of everything gone bad.
As I stood before the opened fridge door, having only had three hours of sleep in the past 36 hours, the waft of stale, warm air stung my nostrils. It seemed that the fridge had broken down while I was away.
Standing there, I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. Instead I opted for a shower and a take-away Indian dinner before falling asleep at 11.30 p.m. The fridge would have to wait another day.
A few days later, I had lunch with a friend and told her about my trip - about where I had been, what I've learned, who I've met. As we talked, I couldn't help but think about a particular day that took place at T. Harv Eker's Making The Stage in Phuket so I told her about it.
I went to Phuket, thinking that I was going to refine my craft as a trainer, that I was preparing myself to embark on my new calling in life. Instead, I left with an opened Pandora box of my past, a glimpse of infinity and a discovery of my repressed fear of death. All that happened in one day.
On the third morning, when we were in the main room de-briefing after an exercise on modeling, I had asked Blair Singer a question.
"The one phrase that stuck in my mind was, 'Longevity has its place'," I said, referring to a line in Martin Luther King's speech.
"That's because you have a fear of death," he replied.
"I never thought I did," I responded after a moment's silence. What came out of my mouth following that surprised even me. "But I'm afraid I would die before I do what I'm supposed to do in this lifetime." And as I said that, tears welled up in my eyes.
Up until that point, I never knew I was afraid of dying. There were things I know I'm afraid of, dying just wasn't one of them, until then. When I was finished, I sank into my seat, grappling with that new found realization about myself. I don't remember what Blair said after that, all I remembered was hearing a lady in the audience saying, "But you are still so young."
At that point, I was still in denial. I'm more afraid that I would die being mediocre, I had thought afterwards.
When the session concluded, we went our separate ways to our day's rotation. That day, my rotation was in Blair Singer's room. We went through the Introduction template, prepared our speech and broke into smaller groups to rehearse. When it was my turn, I quickly ran out of words when I got to the part where I was supposed to tell my story. So before breaking for lunch, I asked him a question.
"I don't have a story for my ETR, what do I do? Do I just make one up?" I had asked innocently.
He looked at me and said, "If you only had ten minutes left to live and there is only one message you can give to the world, what would it be?"
Without hesitation, I had replied, "Be yourself."
As soon as those words left my lips, I felt as though a wave was coming at me, with the wall of water so fast and so high that I didn't know what I was supposed to do and where I was supposed to go. It was a feeling of being overwhelmed, a feeling that the task at hand was so mammoth, and so impossible, that I was paralyzed merely by the thought of it. Without realizing, tears started welling up in my eyes.
"You saw infinity, didn't you?" he asked then.
I nodded. I nodded because it was true - I had seen infinity and the size of it overwhelmed me and stirred up a fear within me that I had never known before.
When the feeling had subsided, and we went to lunch, I dried my tears but I still didn't have a story for my introduction.
That afternoon, when it was my turn to go on stage, I hadn't prepared myself for what was about to happen. Standing on stage in my grey shorts and black t-shirt, after I had gone through the first part of the introduction twice, told about my achievements as a three-time award winning author, I was out of words for my ETR.
He stood at the back of the room and waited. With arms folded across his chest, he finally asked me, "What happened in your childhood?"
I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and, hesitantly, I started to answer him. As I began to speak, a sour sensation rushed up my nose and tears started welling up in my eyes.
"Breathe," he said. And I did. That's when it resurfaced - the memory of all those years feeling that I didn't belong, of knowing that I wasn't good enough and of being yelled at and beaten up. It was like the ghost of Christmas past had shown up, except that it wasn't Christmas and I wasn't dreaming. It was real. And all those years - they were real too.
Those minutes on stage felt like an eternity. All I remembered was answering his questions through my sobs, repeating what he said with whatever voice I had left as he helped me through my stumbling words. Eventually it came to an end, and through my tears, I saw that everyone was standing and giving me an ovation. I didn't know what to feel.
I learned several lessons that day:
I learned not to discount my past - as painful as it may be - because it has led me to where I am today.
I learned that just because I had made peace with it doesn't mean that the lessons are no longer important.
I learned not to undermine my own achievements as an author, even if my parents didn't think anything of them.
I learned that the childhood that I had was what got me started writing in the first place. Writing was the only way I knew how to cope, and at that time, most of what I wrote was fiction.
That day, on that stage, I saw my life in two distinct parts - the first was the years I spent running away from reality by hiding in the stories that I wrote; the second part, the more recent one, was the part where I started to confront all my demons and write about life as I've experienced it. And it was in the second part that I started to heal myself. It was also in the second part, that I began to heal others.
After I got off the stage, Blair Singer had said to me, "Maybe you should write about that." It was in that moment, that the pieces of the puzzle came together, even if all they were showing was just a small part of a bigger picture that I can't yet see.
I've always believed that each of us has a message within us that we are meant to deliver in our lifetime, that we are the glass bottles holding the parchment on which the messages were written, floating on the ocean of life until such time when we arrive on a beach and the messages are ready to be read and spread widely. I didn't know what mine was until that day.
Sometimes in life, we think we know where we are going, but we don't, not really. The Universe has its way of showing us our path, and even though it may not be as straightforward as we might have liked it to be, there is wisdom and intelligence behind it.
I believe that the Universe has a plan for every single one of us. What that plan is, we don't always know. All I know is that all we need to do is to take the next step, even if we can't see the entire path from where we are standing. I know now, that my purpose for going to Making The Stage wasn't to refine my craft as a trainer - that was just a bonus. I know now, that the true purpose for me being there was so that the pieces of the puzzle could come together and I would discover the message inside me that was mine to deliver.
I feel very grateful, and very blessed for the lessons that I've learned. I feel grateful for the people that I've met, who have taught me much about life, and about myself. But most of all, I feel grateful for myself, for seeing everything that has happened as a learning opportunity and for the wisdom to know that, whatever happens, the goal was always to lead me to finding the message within so that I can deliver it to others.
My hope for you is that you'll find yours too.
To your message in the bottle,
Touchstone
When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers. The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed. It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone"! The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold. So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began testing pebbles. He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea. The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away. So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it's just as easy to throw it away.
Saturday 10 August 2013
Fruit of labour
Do you have change ?
Parables of Spoon
A holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, "Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like. "The Lord led the holy man to two doors.
He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
The Lord said, "You have seen Hell."
They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, "I don't understand."
It is simple" said the Lord, "it requires but one skill. You see, they have learned to feed each other. While the greedy think only of themselves.
Saturday 27 July 2013
Why can't I touch the sky ?
My six-year-old daughter Sophie and I were playing a rhyming game the other day and out of the blue she asked me, "Why can't I touch the sky?" I laughed inside and thought for a few moments. I tried to explain it from the Jack and the Beanstalk story, but she just looked at me funny. Then I tried the old earth space thing, but that was too technical. The more I tried, the clumsier it got when finally I realized I wasn't getting through.
Then I had a realization. What if my daughter had asked the same question to another six year old? What would the other child have said? Some six year olds think they know the answer to everything and its fun to listen to what they have to say. Something tells me her friend wouldn't have the slightest difficulty in explaining the answer. Chances are, they would have argued and discussed it until finally reaching agreement. I wished I could have turned the question over to an imaginary friend and then sit back and listen to the conversation.
That night while lying in bed, I kept thinking about her question and why I couldn't come up with a really cool answer. Was it because I had "grown up" and now used my imagination like an "adult"? As I grew, the maturation process obviously had boxed me in. And worse yet... I knew that someday, my little girl just might lose her pure and trusting imagination to adulthood and maybe stop asking these wonderfully creative questions.
I didn't feel like it was right that I progressed up the ladder of maturity only to lose what I feel is a very important concept: the ability to retain and possess a childlike quality to explore other possibilities. Where did my childlike imagination go? Why did it go? I thought I would ask Sophie this question to help me understand why some adults tend to lose sight of this magical way of thinking and why others make a living by it.
She looked at me with a puzzle on her face and then I knew. It never occurs to her that there's any other way. Why on earth would a six-year-old little girl dream she couldn't touch the sky unless somebody told her she couldn't?
I watch my little girl as she plays. She conducts an imaginary reading class and makes sure each doll pronounces the words correctly. She dresses her babies and gets them ready for they're day. Her imagination takes wing each and every day to places I'm not aware. Sometimes I can catch a glimpse of her inner world when we sit and talk about her day or what her plans are for tomorrow.
Remember when we were younger, when we used to talk about and imagine what we would become when we grew up? I wanted to be a policeman and my friends wanted to be fireman and race car drivers. We believed anything was possible and we could become whatever we wanted, never doubting the possibilities. As children, we dreamed big.
Children are visionaries, and it seems a little sad to think our childlike imagination seems to disappear as we grow older. As we age, the ever-increasing intrusions of the world on our minds seem to frighten that childlike imagination into full-blown retreat.
As we grew up, we learned why the sky really is blue, and why grass is green. Why flowers need sunlight and how birds really fly. We lose a little bit of the wonder of life around us as we schedule the next meeting or plan tomorrow's agenda.
I have my daughter to thank for asking her question. It connected me, once again, with my priorities. She made me think about my own potentiality and how I may be limiting myself. Maybe I need to reconnect with my childlike imagination and think more outside the box of adult creativity. If I do that, maybe I can explain in my own six-year-old way, why she can... touch the sky.
The Scorpion & The Turtle
A scorpion, being a very poor swimmer, asked a turtle to carry him on his back across a river. "Are you mad?" exclaimed the turtle. "You'll sting me while I'm swimming and I'll drown."
"My dear turtle," laughed the scorpion, "if I were to sting you, you would drown and I would go down with you. Now where is the logic in that?"
"You're right?" cried the turtle. "Hop on!" The scorpion climbed aboard and halfway across the river gave the turtle a mighty sting. As they both sank to the bottom, the turtle resignedly said:"Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there'd be no logic in your stinging me. Why did you do it?"
"It has nothing to do with logic," the drowning scorpion sadly replied."It's just in my nature."
In the last trembling moments of the turtle's existence, its life starts to play back like a movie in fast-forward. As the movie reaches its last frame, it freezes on the old adage "to try is to fail - not to try is to surrender" as the river swallows both of them in an inevitable act of nature and the soul of the turtle rejoins its creator.
This story reflects the destructive behaviour of living beings and illustrates how certain qualities can be very hard to change, if not impossible. Thus, if we are to succeed in life, we firstly must get to know ourselves - and be honest about our inclinations, preferences, and limitations. And, secondly, in working towards our goals should be considerate not hinder others in theirs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)