Motivate others

  Some years ago the following exchange was broadcast on a TV program.

 An interviewer was talking to production-line worker in a biscuit factory. The dialogue went like this:

Interviewer: How long have you worked here?

Production Lady: Since I left school - about 15 years.

Interviewer: What do you do?

Production Lady: I take packets of biscuits off the conveyor belt and put them into cardboard boxes.

Interviewer: Have you always done the same job?

Production Lady: Yes.

Interviewer: Do you enjoy it?

Production Lady: Oooh Yes, it's great, everyone is so nice and friendly, we have a good laugh.

Interviewer (with a hint of disbelief): Really? Don't you find it a bit boring?

Production Lady: Oh no, sometimes they change the biscuits...

Reminding you not to assume that what motivates you is what motivate others. It is also important to recognize that sources of happiness may vary widely between people

Your words & Your Dreams

Your words, your dreams, and your thoughts have power to create conditions in your life.

What you speak about, you can bring about!
If you keep saying you can't stand your job, you might lose your job.
If you keep saying you can't stand your body, your body can become sick.
If you keep saying you can't stand your car, your car could be stolen or just stop operating.
If you keep saying you're broke, guess what? You'll always be broke.
If you keep saying you can't trust a man or trust a woman, you will
always find someone in your life to hurt and betray you.
If you keep saying you can't find a job, you will remain unemployed.
If you keep saying you can't find someone to love you or believe in
you, your very thought will attract more experiences to confirm your beliefs.
If you keep talking about a divorce or break up in a relationship, then you might end up with it.

Turn your thoughts and conversations around to be more positive and power packed with faith , hope , love and action . Don't be afraid to believe that you can have what you want and deserve.

Watch your THOUGHTS, they become WORDS.
Watch your WORDS, they become ACTIONS.
Watch your ACTIONS, they become HABITS.
Watch your HABITS, they become CHARACTER.
Watch your CHARACTER, for it becomes your DESTINY.
The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settle for.

Thought I would share this with you -
In the search for ME, I discovered TRUTH.
In the search for TRUTH, I discovered LOVE.
In the search for LOVE, I discovered GOD.
And in GOD, I have found EVERYTHING.

Watch how your circumstances and situations begin to change when you
change the way you speak.

"Life is like melted butter. . .once things cool down, it can be
reshaped!" Be blessed.

Power of Positive Talk

 A man was lost while driving through the countryside. As he tried to reach for the map, he accidentally drove off the road into a ditch. Though he wasn’t injured, his car was stuck deep in the mud. So the man walked to a nearby farm to ask for help.

 “Warwick can get you out of that ditch,” said the farmer, pointing to an old mule standing in a field. The man looked at the decrepit old mule and looked at the farmer who just stood there repeating, “Yep, old Warwick can do the job.” The man figured he had nothing to lose.

 The two men and the mule made their way back to the ditch. The farmer hitched the mule to the car. With a snap of the reins, he shouted, “Pull, Fred! Pull, Jack! Pull, Ted! Pull, Warwick!”

 And the mule pulled that car right out of the ditch. The man was amazed. He thanked the farmer, patted the mule, and asked, “Why did you call out all of those names before you called Warwick?”

 The farmer grinned and said, “Old Warwick is just about blind. As long as he believes he’s part of a team, he doesn’t mind pulling.”

Self-confidence

 A business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench , head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

 Suddenly an old man appeared before him. “I can see that something is troubling you,” he said. After listening to the executive’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.” He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time.” Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

  The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world! “I can erase my money worries in an instant!” he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the un-cashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought.

 With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again. Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the un- cashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared.

 But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man. “I’m so glad I caught him!” she cried. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you. He’s always escaping from the rest home and telling people he’s John D. Rockefeller. ” And she led the old man away by the arm.

 The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he’d been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.

 Suddenly, he realized that it wasn’t the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around.It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after.

Its You

  One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on the door on which it was written: ‘Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym’.

 In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.

 The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up. Everyone thought: ‘Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!’.One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.

There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: ‘There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU. 

 You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself.

 Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.

‘The most important relationship you can have is the one you have with yourself’

 Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don’t be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your reality.It’s the way you face Life that makes the difference.

Lesson about Gratitude

 According to legend, a young man while roaming the desert came across a spring of delicious crystal-clear water. The water was so sweet he filled his leather canteen so he could bring some back to a tribal elder who had been his teacher.

 After a four-day journey he presented the water to the old man who took a deep drink, smiled warmly and thanked his student lavishly for the sweet water. The young man returned to his village with a happy heart.

 Later, the teacher let another student taste the water. He spat it out, saying it was awful. It apparently had become stale because of the old leather container. The student challenged his teacher: "Master, the water was foul. Why did you pretend to like it?"

 The teacher replied, "You only tasted the water. I tasted the gift. The water was simply the container for an act of loving-kindness and nothing could be sweeter."!!!  

 We may understand this lesson best when we receive innocent gifts of love from young children. Whether it's a crushed paper painting or a clay figure, the natural and proper response is appreciation and expressed thankfulness because we love the idea within the gift.

 Gratitude doesn't always come naturally. Unfortunately, most children and many adults value only the thing given rather than the feeling embodied in it. We should remind ourselves and teach our children about the beauty and purity of feelings and expressions of gratitude. After all, gifts from the heart are really gifts of the heart!! Also, when we express our gratitude,we must never forget that the highest of appreciation is not to utter mere words, but to live by them.

 The essence of all beautiful art, all great art is gratitude! Gratitude is the sign of noble souls and the memory of it is stored in the heart and not the mind! The next time you receive any gifts from anyone, no matter however small it may be, remember the love behind and dont judge the gift with its appearance!

Have a deep sense of gratitude for whatever you receive in life in whatever form it may be.

The Stranger in The Garden

 Once upon a time there was a man who had a big garden. He had planted many fruit trees andcared for them till they bear fruits. Now he wanted to pick up the fruits and sell them to make money for his family.

 One fine day while picking fruits with his son, the man saw a stranger sitting on the branch of a tree and picking the fruits. This man become angry and shouted, “Hey you! What are you doing on my tree? Aren’t you ashamed of stealing fruits in the day time?”

 The stranger on the branch just looked at the gardener but didn’t reply, and continued picking the fruits. The gardener was very angry and shouted again, “For a whole year I have taken care of these trees, you have no right to take the fruits without my permission so come down at once!”

The stranger on the tree answered, “Why should I come down? This is the garden of God and I am the servant of God, so I have the right to pick these fruits and you should not interfere between the work of God and his servant.” The gardener was very surprised at this answer and thought of a plan.

 He called his son and said, “go bring a rope and get this man down from the tree.” His son brought the rope and the gardener ordered him to tie the stranger to the tree. The gardener then took a stick and started to beat the stranger. The stranger began to scream. “Why are you beating me? You have no right to do this.”

The gardener paid no attention and continued beating him. The stranger screamed, “Don’t you fear God, you are beating an innocent man? The gardener answered, “Why should I fear? This wood in my hand belongs to God and I am too the servant of God, so I have nothing to fear, and you shouldn’t interfere with the work of God and his servant.”

 The stranger hesitated and then spoke, “Wait don’t beat me, I am sorry for taking the fruits. This is your garden and I should seek your permission before taking the fruits. So, please forgive and set me free.”

 The gardener smiled and said, “Since you have now realized your mistake, I will forgive you but remember that God has given all his servants brains so every person’s deeds are in his own hands.” Then the gardener untied him and let him go free.

The Butter in The Milk

  The young daughter had gone to her village home for the first time from her city-dwelling. At night before retiring to bed, her mother opened a pot in which there was good cow's milk and poured a little buttermilk.

 The girl asked her mother: "Mother, that was butter milk; and why have you mixed it with Milk? The milk may be spoiled!"
"Child," answered the mother, "that is the way to prepare the milk in order that we might get butter out of it."
"But where is butter in it, mother?"
"It is in every drop of the milk, dear; but you can't see it now. I will show you in the morning."

 In the morning the daughter saw that what was liquid the night before had become solid overnight. Mother put a churning rod into it and started churning the curd vigorously. Butter began to float on the surface of the curd. Then she gathered it all up and presented it to the astonishment of the daughter.

 The mother explained: "The addition of the buttermilk curdles the milk. Milk is transformed into curd. Then you have to churn it. By this process the butter which was all-pervasively hidden in the milk is obtained. At first you were not able to see it; it was hidden. From where has it come now? From the milk only. Therefore you understand now that it was there all the time. It awaited the process of churning to reveal itself to your great joy."  The daughter, too, followed the same process and got the butter, for herself.

Similarly, a worldly man approaches a Mahatma and asks him: "O Sadhu, why have you renounced the world, and poured this new element into your life? Why don't you let the life take its natural course?"

The Sadhu replies: "Brother, I do so in order to realise God?"
"Where is God?"
"He is all-pervading."The worldly man does not see and is not convinced.

The Sadhu then explains how the inner personality which is fickle and outflowing should be made solid and firm. Then the churning rod of one-pointed concentration and meditation should be taken hold of, and this solid inner soul should be very well churned. Then God is realised. He is all-pervading, in every atom of creation. But He is not visible to the naked eye nor is He realisable by a man except through his inner mind.

The Painter

 
 Once upon a time there was a painter who had just completed his course under disciple hood of a great painter. This young artist decided to assess his skills of skills so he decided to give his best strokes on the canvass. He took 3 days and painted beautiful scenery.

 Suddenly an idea flashed in his mind and he decided to display it on a busy street-square of that small town he was resident of. He wanted people's opinion about his caliber and painting skills.

 He put his creation at a busy street-crossing. And just down below a board which read-"Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. Please put a cross wherever you see a mistake."

 While he came back in the evening to collect his painting he was completely shattered to see that whole canvass was filled with Xs (crosses) and some people had even written their comments on the painting.

 Disheartened and broken completely he ran to his master's place and burst into tears. Sobbing and crying inconsolably he told his master about what happened and showed the pathetic state of his creation which was filled with marks everywhere. Such was the state that colors were not visible, only things one could see were crosses and correction remarks.

 This young artist was breathing heavily and master heard him saying "I'm useless and if this is what I have learnt to paint I'm not worth becoming a painter. People have rejected me completely. I feel like dying"

 Master smiled and suggested "My Son, I will prove that you are a great artist and have learnt a flawless painting." Young disciple couldn't believe it and said "I have lost faith in me and I don't think I am good enough. Don't make false hopes..."

 "Do as I say without questioning it. It WILL work." Master interrupted him.

 "Just paint exactly similar painting once again for me and give it to me. Will you do that for your master?" Master instructed.

 Young artist reluctantly agreed and two days later early morning he presented a replica of his earlier painting to his master. Master took that gracefully and smiled.

"Come with me." master said.

 They reached the same street-square early morning and displayed the same painting exactly at the same place. Now master took out another board which read -"Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. I have put a box with colors and brushes just below. Please do a favor. If you see a mistake, kindly pick up the brush and correct it." Master and disciple walked back home.

 They both visited the place same evening. Young painter was surprised to see that actually there was not a single correction done so far. But master wasn't satisfied as yet and he told his disciple "May be one day was too little a time for people to come up with ideas and take out time out of their busy schedules to correct it so let us keep it here for one more day. Tomorrow is Sunday, so we can expect some corrections coming in."

 Next day again they visited and found painting remained untouched. They say the painting was kept there for a month for no correction came in!

 It is easier to criticize, but difficult to improve. If you want to help people improve their behavior it is worth investing your effort in learning how help people change their behaviors, attitudes and skills.

Yesterday's Food

 Once there was a very rich merchant, doing well in business. His wife died long ago. He had one married son. His daughter-in-law was very wise and expert in house hold works. He was very much proud of her. Once he was having lunch at his verandah when a monk came to his door asking for some food. The merchant didn't pay attention as he never used to give anything to such kind of people. The monk asked again and didn't get any reply. As he was asking third time, the daughter-in-law replied politely - "Dear babaji, go to next door. My father-in-law is himself having yesterday's food. He will not be able to give you anything."

 The monk understood and went ahead. But as the merchant heard these words spoken by the girl, he became very much angry with her. He was the richest person in the village. Why would he eat yesterday's food? The girl must have become insane - he thought. As he was very much proud of her wise ness, so his anger was even greater. How did it come he didn't realize this girl's insanity? He summoned panchaayat (village court) and girl's father that the girl was out of her mind and his son would break this marriage tie.

 As people gathered in panchaayat, he told the event and asked for justice which was to untie the marriage in his point of view. The girl's father was also present. He said-" I know my daughter is wise enough not to speak any meaningless words. But I am unable to understand its meaning. So I would request her to come and explain why she said so. It is not wise to give a decision without hearing her."

 The panchaayat agreed on it and the girl came to panchaayat. She said -" I know my father-in-law is the richest and most respected person in this village. What I wanted to say that he has done much good deeds in his previous lives that is why he got these wonderful blessings from GOD which he is enjoying now. In this way it is his yesterday's earned food. But he is not doing any good deeds in this life, but only earning money for himself. I love him very much and want him to enjoy these blessings forever. I wanted to tell him this truth that is why I said so. I knew he would be angry and would like to get an explanation, and then maybe I will be able to tell him."

 The merchant understood the real meaning of the words and felt very much ashamed to bring his wise daughter-in-law in court. He apologized and started doing some actual good deeds for others.

 It is general practice that people either enjoy their present blessings or they feel inferior while seeing others having more possessions in life. People always think why other has more wealth, why they are more intelligent. They forget that each and everything is our own earning. Whatever we earned, we are eating now. And whatever we are doing will come to us in future, be it material treasures or spiritual.

 In the same way people enjoy their current position. They laugh at others who don't have intellect, money and other thing. They enjoy even their spiritual status, but they forget that if they will not work at present, their current treasure would be slowly spent.

We should work for tomorrow while we are enjoying present.

You are wonderful

 The following true story captured our heart. It happened several years ago in the Paris opera house. A famous singer had been contracted to sing, and ticket sales were booming. In fact, the night of the concert found the house packed and every ticket sold.

 The feeling of anticipation and excitement was in the air as the house manager took the stage and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your enthusiastic support. I am afraid that due to illness, the man whom you've all come to hear will not be performing tonight. However, we have found a suitable substitute we hope will provide you with comparable entertainment."

 The crowd groaned in disappointment and failed to hear the announcer mention the stand-in's name. The environment turned from excitement to frustration.

 The stand-in performer gave the performance everything he had. When he had finished, there was nothing but an uncomfortable silence. No one applauded.

 Suddenly, from the balcony, a little boy stood up and shouted, "Daddy, I think you are wonderful!" The crowd broke into thunderous applause.

 We all need people in our Lives who are willing to stand up once in a while and say, "I think you are wonderful. "

Four Frogs

 
Four frogs sat upon a log that lay floating on the edge of a river. Suddenly the log was caught by the current and swept slowly down the stream. The frogs were delighted and absorbed, for never before had they sailed. At length the first frog spoke, and said, "This is indeed a most marvellous log. It moves as if alive. No such log was ever known before."

 Then the second frog spoke, and said, "Nay, my friend, the log is like other logs, and does not move. It is the river that is walking to the sea, and carries us and the log with it."

 And the third frog spoke, and said, "It is neither the log nor the river that moves. The moving is in our thinking. For without thought nothing moves." And the three frogs began to wrangle about what was really moving.

 The quarrel grew hotter and louder, but they could not agree.Then they turned to the fourth frog, who up to this time had been listening attentively but holding his peace, and they asked his opinion.

 And the fourth frog said, "Each of you is right, and none of you is wrong. The moving is in the log and the water and our thinking also." And the three frogs became very angry, for none of them was willing to admit that his was not the whole truth, and that the other two were not wholly wrong.

 Then a strange thing happened. The three frogs got together and pushed the fourth frog off the log into the river.

Story of A Lizard

 
 A story from Japan. In order to renovate the house, someone in breaks open the wall. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the 2 wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was lizard stuck there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curiou, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built !!

What happened?The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years!In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, it is impossible and mind-boggling.

Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 10 years. Without moving a single step--since its foot was nailed!

So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating.

Later, not knowing from where it came, appears another lizard, with food in its mouth. Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stuck by nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years...Imagine? it has been doing that untiringly for 10 long years, without giving up hope on its partner.

Think, will u do that to your partner? Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can't.

As information and communication technology advances, or access to information becomes faster and faster.

But what about the distance between human beings?

Story of a Squirrel

 A squirrel joined the service of the King of the Forest, the lion. He did whatever work was given him, quickly and well. The lion became fond of him. "I promise you a cartload of almonds as pension when you retire".

 The squirrel envied the other squirrels in the forest because of their carefree life. He longed to run up and down trees and leap from branch to branch like them. Yet in pride, he loved to move with courtly dignity and boasted about his royal career. He often kept proclaiming thus. "I cannot leave the king's side even if I wish."

 He consoled himself with the thought that at the end of his career, he would receive a cartload of almonds, a food that few squirrels got to taste in their lifetime. "They will envy me then," he would tell himself. The years passed. The squirrel became old and then it was time for him to retire.

 The king gave a grand banquet in his honour and at the end of it, presented him with a cartload of almonds as he had promised. The squirrel had waited so long for this day but when he saw the almonds, he was seized with sadness. He realised they were of no use to him now. He had lost all his teeth.

The Plan

 A pretty woman was serving a life sentence in prison. Angry and resentful about her situation, she had decided that she would rather die than to live another year in prison.

 Over the years she had become good friends with one of the prison caretakers. His job, among others, was to bury those prisoners who died in a graveyard just outside the prison walls. When a prisoner died, the caretaker rang a bell, which was heard by everyone. The caretaker then got the body and put it in a casket. Next, he entered his office to fill out the death certificate before returning to the casket to nail the lid shut. Finally, he put the casket on a wagon to take it to the graveyard and bury it.

 Knowing this routine, the woman devised an escape plan and shared it with the caretaker. The next time the bell rang, the woman would leave her cell and sneak into the dark room where the coffins were kept. She would slip into the coffin with the dead body while the caretaker was filling out the death certificate. When the care-taker returned, he would nail the lid shut and take the coffin outside the prison with the woman in the coffin along with the dead body. He would then bury the coffin. The woman knew there would be enough air for her to breathe until later in the evening when the caretaker would return to the graveyard under the cover of darkness, dig up the coffin, open it, and set her free.

 The caretaker was reluctant to go along with this plan, but since he and the woman had become good friends over the years, he agreed to do it.The woman waited several weeks before someone in the prison died. She was asleep in her cell when she heard the death bell ring.

 She got up and slowly walked down the hallway. She was nearly caught a couple of times. Her heart was beating fast. She opened the door to the darkened room where the coffins were kept. Quietly in the dark, she found the coffin that contained the dead body, carefully climbed into the coffin and pulled the lid shut to wait for the caretaker to come and nail the lid shut.

 Soon she heard footsteps and the pounding of the hammer and nails. Even though she was very uncomfortable in the coffin with the dead body, she knew that with each nail she was one step closer to freedom. The coffin was lifted onto the wagon and taken outside to the graveyard. She could feel the coffin being lowered into the ground. She didn't make a sound as the coffin hit the bottom of the grave with a thud.

 Finally she heard the dirt dropping onto the top of the wooden coffin, and she knew that it was only a matter of time until she would be free at last. After several minutes of absolute silence, she began to laugh. She was free! She was free! Feeling curious, she decided to light a match to find out the identity of the dead prisoner beside her.

To her horror, she discovered that she was lying next to the dead caretaker.

Many people believe they have life all figured out..... But sometimes it just doesn't turn out the way they planned it.

The Ego

There was once a learned scientist, who after a lot of practice and efforts developed a formula and learned the art of reproducing himself. He did it so perfectly that it was impossible to tell the reproduction from the original. One day while doing his research he realized that the Angel of Death was searching for him. In order to remain immortal, he reproduced a dozen copies of himself. The reproduction was so meticulous that all of them looked exactly like him.

 Now, when this Angel of Death came down, he was at a loss to know which of the thirteen before him was the original scientist, and confused, he left them all alone and returned back to heaven.But, not for long, for being an expert in human nature, the Angel came up with a clever idea. He said to the scientist addressing all thirteen of them, 'Sir, you must be a genius to have succeeded in making such a perfect reproductive formula of yourself. However, I have discovered a flaw in your work, just one tiny little flaw.' The scientist immediately jumped out and shouted, 'Impossible! Where is the flaw?' 'Right here!' said the Angel, as he picked up the scientist from among the reproductions and carried him off.

 The whole purpose of the scientist and his formula of reproduction failed as he could not control his pride and lost his life. While Knowledge and Skills take one to the top of the ladder and make one successful; the three letter word 'EGO' will pull one down immediately.
So, Let go - the Ego.

The Lock in Mind

 
Houdini was a master magician as well as a fabulous locksmith. He boasted that he could escape from any Jail cell in the World in less than an hour, provided he could go into the cell dressed in street clothes. Houdini became very famous.

A small town in the British Isles built a new Jail, which they were extremely proud of. They issued Houdini a challenge. "Come give us a try", they said. Houdini loved the publicity and the money attached with it, so he accepted.

The day of the challenge came. By the time Houdini arrived, excitement was at a fever pitch. Houdini rode triumphantly into the town and walked into the cell. He proudly walked into the cell and the Big Iron door was closed. Houdini took off his coat and went to work. Secreted in his belt was a flexible tough and durable ten-inch piece of steel, which he used to work on the lock. At the end of 15 minutes his confident expression had disappeared. At the end of 30 minutes he was looking confused. At the end of an hour he was drenched in perspiration.

After two hours...Houdini literally collapsed against the door - which opened...!

Yes, it had never been locked.........except in his mind..........where he viewed it was as firmly locked as if a thousand locksmiths had put their best efforts in making the lock for it. One little push and Houdini could have easily opened the door..........But he didn't.

Many times a little extra push is all you need to open your opportunity door. In the game of life you will discover, as you set your goals and unlock your mind, that the world will unlock its own treasures and rewards to you. Realistically, Most locked doors are in our minds.

Unlock your Mind...Think Great Thoughts...Do Great Things...

The Red Rose & The Cactus

 
 One beautiful spring day a red rose blossomed in a forest. Many kinds of trees and plants grew there. As the rose looked around, a pine tree nearby said, "What a beautiful flower. I wish I was that lovely."

Another tree said, "Dear pine, do not be sad, we cannot have everything."

The rose turned its head and remarked, "It seems that I am the most beautiful plant in this forest."

 A sunflower raised its yellow head and asked, "Why do you say that? In this forest there are many beautiful plants. You are just one of them." The red rose replied, "I see everyone looking at me and admiring me."

 Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, "Look at that ugly plant full of thorns!" The pine tree said, "Red rose, what kind of talk is this? Who can say what beauty is? You have thorns too."

The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said, "I thought you had good taste! You do not know what beauty is at all. You can not compare my thorns to that of the cactus."

"What a proud flower", thought the trees.

The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things, like: This plant is useless? How sorry I am to be his neighbor."

 The cactus never got upset and he even tried to advise the rose, saying, "God did not create any form of life without a purpose."

 Spring passed, and the weather became very warm. Life became difficult in the forest, as the plants and animals needed water and no rain fell. The red rose began to wilt. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed.

This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing. The pine tree explained that the birds got water from the cactus. "Does it not hurt when they make holes?" asked the rose.

"Yes, but the cactus does not like to see any birds suffer," replied the pine.

The rose opened its eyes in wonder and said, "The cactus has water?"

"Yes you can also drink from it. The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help."

 The red rose felt too ashamed of its past words and behavior to ask for water from the cactus, but then it finally did ask the cactus for help. The cactus kindly agreed and the birds filled their beaks with water and watered the rose's roots.

Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by their appearance again.

From Candles to Soaps

 In 1879, Procter and Gamble's best seller was candles. But the company was in trouble. Thomas Edison had invented the light bulb, and it looked as if candles would become obsolete. Their fears became reality when the market for candles plummeted since they were now sold only forspecial occasions.

 The outlook appeared to be bleak for Procter and Gamble. However, at this time, it seemed that destiny played a dramatic part in pulling the struggling company from the clutches of bankruptcy.

 A forgetful employee at a small factory in Cincinnati forgot to turn off his machine when he went to lunch. The result? A frothing mass of lather filled with air bubbles. He almost threw the stuff away but instead decided to make it into soap. The soap floated. Thus, Ivory soap was born and became the mainstay of the Procter and Gamble Company.

 Why was soap that floats such a hot item at that time? In Cincinnati, during that period, some people bathed in the Ohio River. Floating soap would never sink and consequently never got lost. So, Ivory soap became a best seller in Ohio and eventually across the country also.

 Like Procter and Gamble, never give up when things go wrong or when seemingly unsurmountable problems arise. Creativity put to work can change a problem and turn it into a gold mine.

The Horse

 
A cosmic god had a horse. The horse was beautiful and also it had many good qualities. But it wanted to be more perfect in every way. It especially wanted to become beauty unparalleled.

One day the horse said to the cosmic god, "Oh Lord, you have given me beauty. You have given me other good qualities. I am so grateful to you. But how I wish you could make me more beautiful. I would be extremely, extremely grateful if you could make me more beautiful."

The cosmic god said, "I am more than ready to make you more beautiful. Tell me in what way you want to be changed." The horse said, "It seems to me that I am not well proportioned. My neck is too short. If you can make my neck a little longer, my upper body will be infinitely more beautiful. And if you can make my legs much longer and thinner, then I will look infinitely more beautiful in my lower body."

The cosmic god said, "Ok" Then immediately he made a camel appear in place of the horse. The horse was so disheartened that it started to cry, "Oh Lord, I wanted to become more beautiful. In what way is this kind of outer form more beautiful?"

The cosmic god said, "This is exactly what you asked for. You have become a camel." The horse cried, "Oh no, I do not want to become a camell I wish to remain a horse. As a horse, everybody appreciated my good qualities. Nobody will appreciate me as a camel."

The cosmic god said, "Never try to achieve or receive more than I have given you. If you want to lead a desire-life, then at every moment you will want more and more. But you have no idea what the outcome will be. If you cry for a longer neck and legs, this is what will happen. Each thing in my creation has its own good qualities. The camel is not as beautiful as you are, but it carries heavy loads and has a tremendous sense of responsibility.

Two Friends

Two friends were on the way. As they were moving across the nasty place filled with prostitutes, one of them had a desire to spend a night indulging himself in physical pleasure. The other one was given this idea to which he denied, and told his friend not do so.

They both parted, one going with a prostitute, the other with anger and resentment in his mind, decided to visit a temple and read a holy scripture. Along the way thoughts of comparison and how lowly his friend was dominated his mind.

The first one, as he moved with the prostitute began to have resentment on what he was doing. His mind was engrossed in how great his friend was, who decided to visit the temple and read a spiritual book. He was greatly started t miss that.

The other with the religious book in his hand and siting in the temple, was engrossed in the thought f his lowly friend.

An earthquake struck claiming many lives, both the friends included.The officers from heaven and hell were busy with their work. The first one was taken by the officers of heaven, and could see at distance his friend being ruthlessly driven by the officers from hell.

'There must be some mistake', he said, 'According to what we were doing I deserve to be there and that friend of mine deserves to be graciously led by you to the heaven.'
'We are following the orders, and there is no mistake,' the officer from the heaven said.

The first one demanded and explanation for what had happened in the heaven. 'Your mind was engrossed in how your great your friend was, and was on the temple and sacred text, while your friend's mind was dwelling in how lowly the other was filled with deep resentment.' came the answer.

'Thinking of others as low and self higher is the door to hell.' the voice continued.

The Silversmith

One lady proposed to visit a silversmith and begged the silversmith to tell her about the process of refining silver. After he had fully described it to her, she asked, "But Sir, do you sit while the work of refining is going on?"

"Oh, yes madam," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured."

The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

God sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure.

Before she left, the lady asked one final question, "When do you know the process is complete?"

"Why that is quite simple," replied the silversmith. "When I can see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished."

Favorite Piece

There was a couple who had celebrated their golden anniversary with a big party. Presents were exchanged, and congratulations were expressed before they got in their car and drove home.

When they got home the woman made her way into the kitchen. As was her custom, she brewed some tea, and took out a loaf of bread. She had baked one daily for years. She cut off the heel, warmed it, and buttered it for her husband before cutting another slice for herself. Then she served him the warm bread.

Now, this guy who had been married for fifty years loved his wife greatly, but the stress of the day had taken its toll. And he blew up.

He said, "Honey I love you. You know that. But quite frankly this is it. For more years than I can even count, you have baked bread for me every day. But you always give me the heel. You always pass off that crusty piece of bread, that heel on me. I have had it! I won't take it anymore!"

And this is true - she looked at him, blinked back the tears and said, "But honey, that's my favorite piece."

The Rose & The Thorn

"It always happens this way', the Sun told the Wind. "What does?" The Wind, as usual, was curious."Thorns and roses - they always co-exist." "But their outer self is in such irony to the inner self."The Sun gave the Wind a blank look.

Summarising the hint, the Wind chose to clarify further.

"Yesterday when I was blowing, I overheard the rose talking to itself…"

The Rose: "I don't know why the hell people smile when they see me. I look so pathetic. All my life I simply exist being a sharp and pointed thing, good for nothing except hurting people. Or maybe they feel better about themselves after seeing my silly and ugly existence!"


The Wind sighed and continued. "I overheard the thorn too..."

The Thorn:"I don't know why people are afraid of me. Some even ask their children to maintain a safe distance from me whereas I think I am one of the most beautiful things ever created. My petals, my design, my color, my softness, my aura, my romance...where else would they get such an austere mix? And yet...still, I thank God for the way he made me and no matter what others think or do to me, I would rather prefer to remain happy forever as in the end there are so few things in this world which are as beautiful as I am."

"So", this time the Sun sighed, "the rose is unhappy for it assumed itself - probably looking at the thorn all its life - to be just a thorn and thus ignored the happiness that it deserved all these years. While on the other hand the thorn assumed itself to be a rose and thus enjoyed happiness ever since."The Wind nodded.

"It always happens this way", the Sun said."What does?" asked the Wind.

"Happiness can definitely follow us wherever we go and whatever we do ... only if we know what we are and what actually we are looking at."

The King and the Sage

Once there was a king who was always fighting. One day he was badly wounded in a battle. A sage passed by and touched him, and the king was cured. He wanted to give the sage a reward for saving him, but the sage didn't want anything.

The king said, "I don't want to be indebted to you."The sage said, "In the future I'll ask for something. I don't need anything now, but one day I'll come."

Months passed and the sage was praying to God one day for peace, light and bliss, when a desire entered his mind. For the past few months his cow had not been producing milk. "She's old," he said. "I'll ask the king for a new cow."

He went to see the king and found him in a temple. He was praying for more wealth and more fame. The sage said to himself, "I won't ask him for a cow. He's a beggar like me." And he turned to leave.

The king stopped him and said, "Sage, you saved my life. Please tell me what you want. I'll give you anything."

The sage said, "I pray to God and meditate. He is all I need. I don't want to take anything from anyone in need. You told me you took an oath that you would not be indebted to anyone. I, too, have taken an oath. My oath is that if anyone is in need, then I won't take anything from that person. That's why I won't take anything from you. You're praying to God for material things. You're begging for God to give you wealth and fame. So how can I ask anything of you? God has shown me that everyone is a beggar. So if I need something, I'll get it from Him."

The Pawn

Once there was a pawn who wanted to be independent. He was sad, and chafed against his limitations. These rules are so unfair, said the little pawn. I can only move forward, and then only one space at a time, except for my first move.

Furthermore, complained the little pawn, I cannot attack an opponent directly in front of me, nor beside me, nor behind me. I can only attack at the front angle to the right or left. This is s-o unfair!

How the little pawn pined and longed to be a bishop or a knight. Sometimes, he even longed to be a rook. It was just so irritating to have to be linked to other pawns to have any strength. The little pawn wanted to be able to stand on his own and have an impact on the contest, instead of being a disposable, lowly pawn.

As the game progressed, the little pawn advanced and advanced. He helped his team by holding his spot. For, as lowly as he was, no other stronger piece in the opponent's team cared to be sacrificed for a mere pawn. Such strength! To be so lowly the enemy would not attack the little pawn for fear of its losses.

Finally, the little pawn was standing on the 7th rank. Suddenly, the chessmaster spoke to the little pawn: you will now bring victory for our team. For of ALL the pieces on the board, only the insignificant, lowly pawns have the potential to become the strongest of them all, a queen!

We are all like pawns: in the greater overall events of the world and history, we are insignificant. And, we all lean upon something. Some lean upon alcohol. Some lean upon material possessions. Some lean upon prozac.

But to become a victor in this life, the only true leaning post is Almighty God. The peace of God is found in fulfilling the created purpose of God for our lives: Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

The Echo of Life

A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, the 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?"

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."

And then he screams to the mountain, "I admire you!"
The voice answers, "I admire you!"

Again the father 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.Your life is not a coincidence. It's a reflection of you!"

The Story of Two Teardrops

 
Two little teardrops were floating down the river of life. One drop said to the other, "I am the teardrop of a girl who loved a man and lost him." Who are you? "Well, I am the teardrop of the girl who won him."

Love is very strange. Love is unconditional commitment to an imperfect individual. You need it but when you love, it's like destining yourself for pain. You become addicted and dependent on the person. You become strong and at the same time, you open yourself up to being hurt.

Love can make you bear any kind of pain and any kind of sacrifice. It can also make you feel stupid and act stupidly. Sometimes when you love and end up giving so much of yourself, subconciously you only discover how much you've given when the person you love hurts you or has to say goodbye.

 Then you realize, an important part of yourself is already with that person. It goes away when he leaves and you are left with a sickening, empty feeling inside. Tears are bound to shed from your eyes no matter how you force yourself to keep them in. Most teardrops ever shed on this earth have been for love or lack of it. When tears dry, a silent loss sticks to your heart for a long, long time.

Well, that's what you get for caring so much about someone. But how can you regret it? To give yourself freely and lovingly is the most beautiful thing you can do. Loving makes you real. Loving also makes you cry.

An Elephant & A Fly

 A disciple and his teacher were walking through the forest. The disciple was disturbed by the fact that his mind was in constant unrest. He asked his teacher: "Why most people's minds are restless, and only a few possess a calm mind? What can one do to still the mind?"

 The teacher looked at the disciple, smiled and said: "I will tell you a story. An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away once more".

 This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly: "Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you stay for a while in one place?" The fly answered: "I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them. What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?"

 The elephant stopped eating and said: "My five senses do not rule my attention. Whatever I do, I get immersed in it. Now that I am eating, I am completely immersed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew it better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around."

 Upon hearing these words, the disciple's eyes opened wide and a smile appeared on his face. He looked at his teacher and said: "I understand! If my five senses are in control of my mind and attention, then my mind is in constant unrest. If I am in charge of my five senses and attention, then my mind becomes calm".

"Yes, that's right", answered the teacher,"The mind is restless and goes wherever the attention is. Control your attention, and you control your mind."

The Genghis Khan & His Hawk

 
 One morning Genghis Khan, the great king and warrior, rode out into the woods to have a day's sport. Many of his friends were with him. They rode out gayly, carrying their bows and arrows. Behind them came the servants with the hounds.

 It was a merry hunting party. The woods rang with their shouts and laughter. They expected to carry much game home in the evening. On the king's wrist sat his favorite hawk, for in those days hawks were trained to hunt. At a word from their masters they would fly high up into the air, and look around for prey. If they chanced to see a deer or a rabbit, they would swoop down upon it swift as any arrow. All day long Genghis Khan and his huntsmen rode through the woods. But they did not find as much game as they expected.

 Toward evening they started for home. The king had often ridden through the woods, and he knew all the paths. So while the rest of the party took the nearest way, he went by a longer road through a valley between two mountains.

The day had been warm, and the king was very thirsty. His pet hawk left his wrist and flown away. It would be sure to find its way home. The king rode slowly along. He had once seen a spring of clear water near this pathway. If he could only find it now! But the hot days of summer had dried up all the mountain brooks.

 At last, to his joy, he saw some water trickling down over the edge of a rock. He knew that there was a spring farther up. In the wet season, a swift stream of water always poured down here; but now it came only one drop at a time. The king leaped from his horse. He took a little silver cup from his hunting bag. He held it so as to catch the slowly falling drops. It took a long time to fill the cup; and the king was so thirsty that he could hardly wait. At last it was nearly full. He put the cup to his lips, and was about to drink.

 All at once there was a whirring sound in the air, and the cup was knocked from his hands. The water was all spilled upon the ground. The king looked up to see who had done this thing. It was his pet hawk. The hawk flew back and forth a few times, and then alighted among the rocks by the spring.

The king picked up the cup, and again held it to catch the trickling drops. This time he did not wait so long. When the cup was half full, he lifted it toward his mouth. But before it had touched his lips, the hawk swooped down again, and knocked it from his hands.And now the king began to grow angry. He tried again, and for the third time the hawk kept him from drinking.

The king was now very angry indeed. "How do you dare to act so?" he cried. "If I had you in my hands, I would wring your neck!" Then he filled his cup again. But before he tried to drink, he drew his sword. "Now, Sir Hawk," he said, "that is the last time." He had hardly spoken before the hawk swooped down and knocked the cup from his hand. But the king was looking for this. With a quick sweep of the sword he struck the bird as it passed.

The next moment the poor hawk lay bleeding and dying at its master's feet. "That is what you get for your pains," said Genghis Khan. But when he looked for his cup, he found that it had fallen between two rocks, where he could not reach it. "At any rate, I will have a drink from that spring," he said to himself.

 With that he began to climb the steep bank to the place from which the water trickled. It was hard work, and the higher he climbed, the thirstier he became. At last he reached the place. There indeed was a pool of water; but what was that lying in the pool, and almost filling it? It was a huge, dead snake of the most poisonous kind.

The king stopped. He forgot his thirst. He thought only of the poor dead bird lying on the ground below him. "The hawk saved my life!" he cried, "and how did I repay him? He was my best friend, and I have killed him."

He clambered down the bank. He took the bird up gently, and laid it in his hunting bag. Then he mounted his horse and rode swiftly home. He said to himself,

"I have learned a sad lesson today, and that is, never to do anything in anger."

Morality

"Morality may consist solely in the courage of making a choice. Wickedness is always easier than virtue, for it takes a short cut to everything. But over time you learn, you can't make wrong work."

"There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy. And your only reward is that it's easy. You cannot do wrong without suffering wrong."

"Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results."

"You can never lose anything that really belongs to you, and you can't keep that which belongs to someone else."

"You always experience the consequences of your own acts. If your acts are right, you'll get good consequences; if not, you'll suffer for it."

The Jack Fruit Tree

 A big jack-tree in a man's courtyard was laden with fruits. From the very bottom of the trunk up to the top most branch it was dotted with fruits.

 As though one possessed with an evil spirit, the man rushes out towards the fruit several times. He touches the jack-fruit, but the surface is uninviting. He abandons it in disgust.

 Far away from home he had seen one palm tree. Walking in the hot sun several miles, he stands near the tree. His craving had reached its zenith. The few small fruits that hung on the top of the tree tempt him.

 He rushes forward. He falls on the bush of prickly pears and gets injured by the thorns all over the body. Not discouraged by this he tries to climb the tree. The scales that cover the trunk are hard and knife-like. They hurt him. But he does not mind.

 As he climbs, a swarm of poisonous ants that sting like devils, sting him all over the body. He has somehow managed to reach the top; such is his mad passion for the little fruits. The fruits are surrounded by hundreds of bees. When he lays his hands upon them, the bees angrily sting him.

 In spite of this, he tries to grab the fruits. Then and there he drops more than half the catch. With the remainder, he tries to climb down. Several fruits drop off his hand before he reaches the ground. He sits himself down to enjoy the few fruits left with him.

 To his horror he discovers that the major portion of these little fruits is hard nut; and then even the skin has to be thrown away. There is little pulp in the fruit. In disgust he throws the fruits away.

  Instantly he comes back to his senses, and begins to suffer with agony. The pain of the thorns, the bites of the poisonous ants, the stings of the bees, and the cuts produced on his body by the sharp scales of the tree - these seem to torment him all at once.

 It is now past several days since he left home. With his tattered clothes and bleeding body, he runs home .... to find that his father had been waiting for him with the delicious jack-fruit.

 The young man stumbles into the house and falls at the father's feet. Without asking a question, the father gives him new clothes, pulls out the thorns from his body, dresses up the wounds, all the time feeding him with the honey-like jack-fruit. The young man's happiness is now complete. Peacefully he sleeps on his father's lap.

 Similarly, man ignores the fountain of Eternal Bliss that is within the core of his own heart. He is frightened away by the apparent initial difficulties to reach God. He does not care to cut open this rough exterior and enjoy the highest bliss. He is hungry. He runs away from home and from this tree that yields the best fruit. Here he falls into the thorny bush of dishonour; there he knocks against the rock of failure. Lured by illusory pleasure he succumbs to passion.

The Rich man & The Poor man

A weak and starving dervish once begged at the door of a rich man.'Away with you' said the wealthy man in proud anger, you will get nothing from me!'

How the dervish's heart bled at this. 'It's astonishing that such a man should be so severe', he said. 'It is obvious that he has had no experience of begging.'

'Is he gone?' shouted the rich man to his slave. 'If not, go and clear him from my door.' The slave came out and drove the dervish away.

The rich man behaved like that, because he was not truly grateful to the one who pervades all. Circumstances soon changed for the rich man. His fortunes altered dramatically and suddenly and he was ruined. He was not even left with an ass upon which he could carry his personal belongings - which was perhaps as well because he hadn't any.

Then he sat in a dusk, naked, with an empty purse at is feet. The slave was sold to another master. The new master who was also rich but there the similarity to his old master ended, for this one was old and generous to all, rich in goods and in heart. When he saw a poor man, he rejoiced at the opportunity to be generous. He was delighted t give as the poor man was to receive.

One night he herd a cry at the door. 'A morsel, please I beg, one morsel!' 'Slave', said the kind man, ' Take that tray from the table. Go and gladden the beggar's heart..'

The slave did as he was ordered. He returned with tears flooding down his cheeks. 'What is the matter?' the master asked. 'It is the beggar.' the slave cried. ' I have just recognized him. He was my old master.. He once owned vast property, silver and gold. But now, look at him, a destitute beggar.'

'Don't be distressed, my son', said the master.. 'You see here two examples of how in the course of time, no one is treated unfairly. You recognized your master. Do you not also recognise in me the starving dervish whom he once ordered to be thrown out into the street?'

The Mask

Don't be fooled by the face I wear, for I wear a thousand masks, And none of them are me. Don't be fooled, for goodness sake, don't be fooled.

I give you the impression that I'm secure, that confidence is my name and coolness is my game, And that I need no one. But don't believe me.

Beneath dwells the real me in confusion, in aloneness, in fear. That's why I create a mask to hide behind, to shield me from the glance that knows, But such a glance is precisely my salvation.

That is, if it's followed by acceptance, if it's followed by love. It's the only thing that can liberate me from my own self-built prison walls. I'm afraid that deep down I'm nothing and that I'm just no good, And that you will reject me.

And so begins the parade of masks. I idly chatter to you. I tell you everything that's really nothing and Nothing of what's everything, of what's crying within me.

Please listen carefully and try to hear what I'm not saying. I'd really like to be genuine and spontaneous, and me. But you've got to help me. You've got to hold out your hand.

Each time you're kind and gentle, and encouraging, Each time you try to understand because you really care, My heart begins to grow wings, feeble wings, but wings.

With your sensitivity and sympathy, and your power of understanding. You alone can release me from my shallow world of uncertainty.

It will not be easy for you. The nearer you approach me, The blinder I may strike back.But I'm told that Love is stronger than strong walls, And in this lies my only hope.

Please try to beat down these walls with firm hands, But gentle hands, for a child is very sensitive.

Who am I, you wonder. I am every man you meet, and also every woman that you meet,And I am you, also.

Clay Balls

A man was exploring caves by the seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake.

They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.

He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock. Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found very precious jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left. Then it struck him.

He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of amounts in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!

It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it. We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to
find the treasure hidden inside that person.

There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth.May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay.

Four People In Your Life

Life is the process of finding love; every person will need to find four people in their life.
First person is you, Second person is the one you love most, Third person is the one who love you most, And the fourth is the one you spend the rest of your life with.

In life, firstly you will meet with the one you love most, and learn how love feels. Because you know how love feels, so you can find the person who loves you most. When you have experienced the feeling of loving others and being loved, you will then know what it is you need most. Then you will find the person who is most suitable for you, to be able to spend the rest of your life with.

Sadly, in real life, these three people are usually not the same person.
The one you love most doesn't love you. The one, who love you most, is never the one you love most. And the one you spend your life with, is never the one you love most or the one who love you most. He is just the person who happens to be at the right place at the right time.

Which person are you in other people's life?
No person will purposely have a change of heart. At the point in time when he loves you, he really loves you. But when he doesn't love you anymore,he really doesn't love you anymore. When he loves you, he can't pretend that he doesn't. Same goes, when he loves you no more, there's no way he can pretend he loves you.

When a person doesn't love you and wants to leave you. You must ask yourself if you still love him, If you also don't love him anymore, do not keep him just to save your pride. If you still love him, you should wish him happiness, and hope that he will be with the one he loves most, not stop him from it. If you stop him from finding true happiness with the one he loves, it shows you already don't love him, And if you don't love him, what rights do you have to blame him for a change of heart?

Love is not possessive, If you like the moon, you can't just take it down and put it in your basin, But the moonlight still shines upon you. In other words, when you love a person, you can use another method of possessing the person. Let him become a permanent memory in you life. If you really love a person, you must love him for what he is. Love him for his good points, and the bad, You can't wish for him to become like what you like him to be just because you love him. If he can't change to become what you like him to be, you don't love him anymore.

When you really love a person, you cannot find a reason why you love him, You only know that no matter when and where, good mood or bad mood, you will wish to have this person be with you. Real love is when two people can go through the toughest problems without asking for promises or listing criterias. In a relationship, you have to put in effort and give in at times, not always be on the receiving end. Being away from each other is a type of test, If the relationship isn't strong, then you can only admit defeat. Real love will never become hate.

When two people are in love, they love to ask each other to swear, to make promises. Why do they ask each other to swear and promise? Because they don't trust each other, they don't trust their lover. These swear and promises are useless; Till the sky falls, till the ocean dry, my love for you will never change! We all know that the sky will never fall; the ocean will never dry, Even if it does happen, are we still alive by then?

Be careful when making promises; don't make promises that you cannot keep.Swear by things that can never happen, because it can never happen, so no harm just saying it casually.

Remember, swearing by things that can never happen are the most touching!!
In a relationship, what you say is one thing, but what you do is another; The one saying, doesn't believe; the one listening, also doesn't believe.

Ears- A Story about Love

"Can I see my baby?" the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window.

The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. "A boy, a big boy...called me a freak."

He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. "But you might mingle with other young people," his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart.


The boy's father had a session with the family physician..."Could nothing be done?" "I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured" the doctor decided. Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man.

Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, "You're going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it's a secret," said the father. The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.

Later he married and led the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, "Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her." "I do not believe you could, "said the father, "but the agreement was that you are not to know...not yet."

The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come. One of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother's casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears. "Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut," his father whispered gently, "and nobody ever thought mother less beautiful, did they"?

Remember...
Real treasure lies not in what can be seen, but what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known. Love sometimes no need to say much.

Song In The Night

 Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the world's greatest musicians, was born into a musical family in Germany. As a child he spent many lonely hours practicing his music every day.

 By the age of eleven he was already composing his own music and conducting an orchestra. In his late teens he went to Vienna for further study. There he reached fame though not fortune.

 One evening as he was out walking he passed a cobbler's house where he heard someone inside practicing one of his compositions. As he stopped to listen he overheard a girl say that she wished she could hear a real musician play it properly.

 Beethoven went into the house and, noticing the young lady at the piano was blind, offered to play the piece for her. He did so for her for more than an hour and while he did, darkness fell and the lone candle in the room had gone out.

 Outside in the night sky the moon shone brightly and sent its radiant beams glistening into the room where Beethoven sat playing beautiful music. He was so inspired by the appreciation of his music by the young lady and the beauty of the atmosphere in the room that he composed his famous "Moonlight Sonata."

 Do you ever feel that your dreams have been shattered and you feel all alone in the darkness of despair?

 However when God is working in us to give us more understanding of life and compassion for others and in time will bring back the music into our life.

The Feathers

 
 There was a man who slandered a friend, all because of the envy he had on him for the success he had reached.Time after, he repented of the ruin he brought with his calumnies on that friend, and he visited a highly wise man to whom he said,"I want to fix all the evil I did to my friend, how can I do it?"

 To what the man responded, "Take a sack full of small and light feathers and get one loose on any place you go."The man very happy for that so easy thing took the sack full of feathers and at the end of one day he had turned them all loose. He returned to the sage and said, "I have finished. "

 To this the sage answered," That is the easiest part. Now you have to go back to fill the sack with the same feathers you've got lost. Go the the road and search for them."The man felt very sad since he knew what that meant and could not find almost anything.

 When returning, the wise man said to him,"As you could not get again the feathers which flew with the wind, likewise the evil you did flew from mouth to mouth and the damage is already done."

So forgiveness is the only thing that will make your sack filled with feathers again!

The Telegraph

 
 Back when the telegraph was the was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator.

 Answering an ad in the newspaper, he went to the office address that was listed. When he arrived, he entered a large, busy office filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background.

 A sign on the receptionist's counter instructed job applicants to fill out a form and wait until they were summoned to enter the inner office.The young man filled out his form and sat down with the seven other applicants in the waiting area.

 After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other applicants perked up, wondering what was going on. They muttered among themselves that they hadn't heard any summons yet. They assumed that the young man who went into the office made a mistake and would be disqualified.

 Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, "Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled."

 The other applicants began grumbling to each other, and one spoke up saying, "Wait a minute, I don't understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That's not fair!"

 The employer said, "I'm sorry, but all the time you've been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: 'If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.' None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his."

 We live in a world that is full of busyness and clatter, like that office. People are distracted and unable to hear the still, small voice of God. Friends,can you hear the messages from God?

The Carpentry Work

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

 The Hammer was named Director of Debates, but the assembly notified him that he had to resign: The cause, he was too noisy! And he was spending his time pounding.

 The Hammer accepted guilty, but asked that also were expulsed The Screw, he said that they had to do him make many turns to make him serve of something. Before the attack The Screw accepted too, but at the same time asked the expulsion of the Sand Paper. He made them see that she was very rough in the treatment of others and always had frictions with the other ones.


And the Sand Paper agreed, on condition that were expulsed The Tape that always spend the time measuring others according to his measure, as if he were the only one perfect.

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

 When the carpentry was again alone, the assembly restarted its deliberation, it was then when The Saw took the floor and said: Gentlemen, it was demonstrated that we have defects, but the carpenter works with our qualities. That makes us valuable.

 So let's stop thinking on our bad points and let's concentrate in the usefulness of our good points. The assembly then found that The Hammer was strong, The Screws joint and gave reinforcement, The Sand Paper was special to polish and file down roughness and observed that The Tape was precise and exact.

The Golden Buddha

  This is a story about a Buddha statue.This statue of Buddha of clay reached almost three meters in height. During generations it had been considered sacred by the inhabitants of the place.

 One day, due to the growth of the city, they decided to translate it to a more appropriate site. This delicate task was assigned to a recognized monk, who, after planning carefully, started his mission. His luck was so bad that, when moving the statue, this one slipped and fell, cracking in various parts.

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

 He consulted his colleagues and decided to take a risk that looked like a madness. He asked for a hammer and started to break the clay, discovering that below it was hidden the Buddha of solid gold of almost three meters of height. During centuries this beautiful treasure had been covered by ordinary clay.

 Historians found proofs that demonstrated that, at one time, the town was going to be attacked by bandits. The residents, to protect their treasure, covered it with clay to make it look common and ordinary. The town was attacked and sacked, but the Buddha was ignored by the bandits. Afterwards, the survivors thought that was better to continue hiding it behind the clay.

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

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

Furnitures

 Oneday a rich man visited a wise man's house . He was astonished to see the wise man's house consisted simply of a room crammed with books. The only furniture was a table and a bench.

"Where is your furniture?" asked the rich man.

"Where is yours? " asked wise man.

"Mine? I am only a visitor... I am here just passing by."

"Same with me." said the wise man.

 Detachment is a quality of those that know we are here passing by and who are free without clinging to things. If you appreciate more the inner riches that the exterior ones you live simply and live deeply.

 We are pilgrims. We advance much more when we walk light of luggage.

The Seed

 Two boys, who were walking through a field and found some corn seeds scattered across the ground. They each took one of the seeds home and planted it.

 When the first boy didn't see a tiny sprout after the second day, he dug up the seed to see if it had sprouted. Each day he dug up the seed and replanted it, but the corn would not grow. The seed had germinated; yet the boy had not allowed it to maintain contact with the soil, take root, and obtain nutrients. So, it died.

 The second boy planted his seed and left it alone. He imagined a tall stalk of corn where he had planted the seed. He waited patiently as rains came and sunshine bathed the ground with warmth. In ten days, a small sprout had broken through the ground, its curled leaves reaching toward the sky.

 Achieving any desire, whether large or small, begins with a seed sown in the mind. That seed is the vision of its fulfillment. It also requires the commitment to allow the vision to grow—the faith in God to do His part through storm, rain, and sunshine.

 Commitment in daily life allows life's storms to strengthen resolve. Resolve allows us to nurture a new dream, improve an existing dream, or even begin over if necessary. Faith allows acceptance of any circumstance as God's blessing for ultimate growth.

 A seed sown must be nourished with faith and belief. When you hold a picture of the final creation in your mind, you hold and maintain faith. You honor God's desire to create something wonderful, and you honor His choice of your hands to help do the job.

 How often do we plant the seed of a beautiful dream in the fertile soil of our minds, and then dig it up? What could you achieve if you allowed your seed to grow, continuing to focus your spiritual eyes on the harvest?

 If it were not possible for you to achieve a dream, God would not have placed it in your heart and mind. Sow your seed, allow it to grow, and see an abundant harvest.

Why People Yell?

  A sage asked his mandalies the following,"Why people yell at each other when they are upset?"

 The men thought for a while,"Because we loose our calmness," said one. "we yell for that."

 "But, why to yell when the other person is at your side?" asked the sage. " Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you yell at a person when you're angry?"

  The men gave some other answers but none satisfied the sage. Finally he explained,"When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must yell, to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to yell to hear each other through that great distance."

 Then the sage asked," What happens when two people fall in love? They do not yell at each other but talk softly, why?Their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small."

 The sage continue, "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."

 Then the sage said, "When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, it will come a day when the distance be so great that you will not find the path to return."

The Violin Player

  It happened in Paris, in a centric street although secondary. This man, dirty and smelly, played an old violin. Before him and on the floor he placed his beret, with the hope that the passers-by had pity of his condition and threw some coins to take home.

 The poor man tried to bring forth a melody, but it was impossible to identify it at all due to the out of tune of the instrument, and the unpleasant and boring way he played that violin.

  A famous concert performer, who along with his wife and some friends was coming out of a nearby theater, passed in front of the musical beggar. All wrinkled the face to hear those so discordant sounds. And could not help but laugh heartedly.

  The wife asked the concert performer to play something. The man took a look at the few coins inside the beret, and decided to do something.

 He requested the violin. And the musical beggar lent it with certain reticence.At first the concert performer did was to tune its strings. And then, vigorously and with great mastery he drew a fascinating melody from the old instrument. His friends started to applaud and the passers-by started to gather around to see the improvised spectacle.

 After listening to the music, people of the nearby main street came too and soon there was a small multitude listening in rapture to the strange concert. The beret got full not only of coins, but of many bills of all denominations, while the maestro played melody after melody, with so much joy.

 The musical beggar was even happier to see what was going on, and did not cease to jump up and down in joy and proudly reaping to all, "That is my violin!!, That is my violin!!". Which is, of course, rigorously true.

 In life we all have "a violin". It is our knowledge, our abilities and our attitudes. And we have the absolute freedom to play "that violin" as we please.

 It was said to us that God concede upon us free will, say, the faculty to decide what we will do with our life. And this, of course, is both a marvelous right, as well as, a formidable responsibility.Some, by laziness, not even tune that violin. They do not perceive that in the present world you have to prepare yourself, learn, develop abilities and constantly improve attitudes if we want to perform a good concert.

 They want a beret full of money, and what they deliver is a discordant melody that nobody likes. That is the people who do their job in the form, "here it goes..." Who think in terms of "it costs me...", and that believe that humanity has an obligation to pay for their bad performance, covering all their needs. It is the people that think only of their rights, but feel no obligation to own them.

 Truth, as harsh as it may seem to us, is otherwise. You and I, and any other person, have to learn sooner or later, that the best places are for those that not only tune well that violin, but who learn over time to play it with mastery too. That is why we are willing to do well in our daily job, whatever it may be. And to always aspire to prepare ourselves to be able to accomplish other things we would like.

 History is full of examples of people that even with initial difficulties became good concert performers with their violins (their lives). And also, unfortunately, it registers cases of many others, that having great opportunities, decided with that violin, to become music beggars.

 The truth is that God bestowed upon us "free will". You can do something great with your life, or make of it a misery. That is your personal decision.
God loves you and wishes the best for you.