Three Bricklayers

The story of the three bricklayers has been around for many years. The reason it continues to be told is the messages that the story tells. The following is the story of The Three Bricklayers:

"Once there were 3 bricklayers. Each one of them was asked what they were doing.
The first man answered gruffly, 'I'm laying bricks.'
The second man replied, 'I'm putting up a wall.'
But the third man said enthusiastically and with pride, 'I'm building a cathedral.'" --Author Unknown

This story clearly reveals two secrets of success:
1. Attitude - Your attitude towards whatever you are doing determines your ultimate level of success. Having enthusiasm and pride in what you are doing will show in your work. Your attitude is one of the most important things that you control. You choose your attitude each and every day.And the choice you make will determine your success.

2. Ability to See the Bigger Picture - Being able to see the end result, rather than just the task, eliminates obstacles, focuses your energy, and provides motivation to excel. At times our focus is only on the immediate task. When we change our focus on the bigger picture or the end result it provides motivation to continue, it inspires solutions to challenges.

To summarize, when you face challenges, when you feel discouraged, when you feel like you will never reach success, remember the story of The Three Bricklayers and look at your attitude and visualize your end result!

A Story about Happiness

This story is about a beautiful, expensively dressed lady who complained to her psychiatrist that she felt that her whole life was empty; it had no meaning. So the counsellor called over the old lady who cleaned the office floors, and then said to the rich lady, "I'm going to ask Mary here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is listen."

So the old lady put down her broom and sat on a chair and told her story: "Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later my only son was killed by a car. I had nobody... I had nothing left. I could'nt sleep; I couldn't eat; I never smiled at anyone, I even thought of taking my own life. Then one evening a little kitten followed me home from work. Somehow I felt sorry for that kitten. It was cold outside, so I decided to let the kitten in. I got it some milk, and it licked the plate clean. Then it purred and rubbed against my leg, and for the first time in months, I smiled. Then I stopped to think; if helping a little kitten could make me smile, maybe doing something for people could make me happy. So the next day I baked some biscuits and took them to a neighbour who was sick in bed. Every day I tried to do something nice for someone. It made me so happy to see them happy. Today, I don't know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I've found happiness, by giving it to others."

When she heard that, the rich lady cried. She had everything that money could buy, but she had lost the things which money cannot buy.

Unconditional Love

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after havingfought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.

"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friendI'd like to bring home with me.

""Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost anarm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live withus."

"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."

"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."

"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking.Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere withour lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy.He'll find a way to live on his own."

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the SanFrancisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, theywere told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify thebody of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they alsodiscovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to lovethose who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like peoplewho inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are.Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are,and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!! There's a miracle called Friendship That dwells in the heart You don't know how it happens Or when it gets started But you know the special lift It always brings And you realize that Friendship Is God's most precious gift! Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile andencourage you to succeed They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

The Broken Painting

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

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

A man saw what the painter was doing and was about to shout at him to warn him when he realized that his shout might have surprised the painter and thus made him incidentaly took one step backward and fell down. The man then took a brush and paint and began to paint on the beautiful painting until it was completely damaged.

Upon realising what's happenned to his painting the painter got very angry and moved forward to hit the man. However, some other people who were also present at the vicinity held him and showed him his last position which almost made him fall.

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

Sometimes we are angry and annoyed by what God has done to us, or we get angry to our superior in our workplace. But one thing we have to keep in our mind: God provides only the best for us, His children