HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

Around a hundred years prior, a man took a gander at the morning daily paper and amazingly and loathsomeness, read his name in the tribute section. The news papers had reported the demise of the wrong individual by mix-up. His first reaction was stun. Am I here or there? When he recaptured his self-restraint, his apprehension was to figure out what individuals had said in regards to him. The tribute read, "Explosive King Dies." And additionally "He was the shipper of death." This man was the designer of explosive and when he read the words "trader of death," he made an inquiry, "Is this how I will be recollected that?" He contacted his emotions and chose that this was not the way he needed to be recalled. From that day on, he began moving in the direction of peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is recollected today by the immense Nobel Prize.

Generally as Alfred Nobel reached his sentiments and reclassified his qualities, we ought to venture back and do likewise.

What is your legacy?

How might you want to be recollected?

Will you be commended?

Will you be recollected with affection and admiration?

Will you be missed?

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Short Motivational story:Potatoes, eggs, and coffee beans

Sabaiikura:Potatoes, eggs, and coffee beans

Sometime in the distant past a little girl grumbled to her father that her life was hopeless and that she didn't know how she was going to make it. She was burnt out on battling and battling constantly. It appeared to be exactly as one issue was unraveled, another soon taken after. 

Her father, a gourmet specialist, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and set each on a high fire. Once the three pots started to bubble, he set potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee seeds in the third pot. 

He then let them sit and bubble, without saying an expression to his little girl. The girl, groaned and anxiously held up, pondering what he was doing. 

Following twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and put them in a dish. He hauled the eggs out and set them in a dish. 

He then spooned the espresso out and put it in a glass. Turning to her he asked. "Little girl, what do you see?" 

"Potatoes, eggs, and espresso," she quickly answered. 

"Look closer," he said, "and touch the potatoes." She did and noted that they were delicate. He then requested that her enjoy an egg and reprieve it. In the wake of pulling off the shell, she watched the hard-bubbled egg. At last, he requested that her taste the espresso. Its rich fragrance brought a grin to her face. 

"Father, what does this mean?" she asked. 

He then clarified that the potatoes, the eggs and beans had each one confronted the same adversity– the bubbling water. 

In any case, every one responded in an unexpected way. 

The potato went in solid, hard, and persistent, however in bubbling water, it got to be delicate and feeble. 

The egg was delicate, with the slender external shell ensuring its fluid inside until it was placed in the bubbling water. At that point within the egg got to be hard. 

Be that as it may, the ground beans were exceptional. After they were presented to the bubbling water, they changed the water and made something new. 

"Which are you," he asked his little girl. "At the point when affliction thumps on your entryway, how would you react? Is it true that you are a potato, an egg, or a coffee seed? " 

Moral: 

In life, things happen around us, things befall us, yet the main thing that positively matters is the thing that happens inside us. 

Which one would you say you are??

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A short very motivational story:The Elephant Rope

Sabaiikura:The Elephant Rope

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.

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A short motivational story:Everyone has a Story in Life

Sabaiikura:Everyone has a Story in Life

A 24 year old kid seeing out from the train's window yelled…  

"Father, look the trees are going behind!" 

Father grinned and an adolescent couple sitting adjacent, took a gander at the 24 year old's whimsical conduct with compassion, 

abruptly he again shouted…  

"Father, look the mists are running with us!" 

The couple couldn't avoid and said to the old man…  

"Why not take your child to a decent specialist?" 

The old man grinned and said…  

"I did and we are simply originating from the healing center, my child was visually impaired from conception, he simply got his eyes today. 

Each and every individual on the planet has a story. Don't pass judgment on individuals before you genuinely know them. The truth might surprise you.

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LOVE STORIES-Falling in love at first sight.

LOVE STORIES-Falling in love at first sight

Falling in love at first sight is one of the best experiences of a life time for anyone. It feels so magical and strange. When you face that moment, not only your mind, but also your body feels strange. But, is that feeling really a love?

Suppose, you go to a party and just sitting around. all of a sudden  someone is beside you, and offering to get you a drink. Then you feel strange comfort and begin to talk. Here after  you're struck by the emotional feeling that, you have just found Mr. Right. Or you see a nice girl staring at you with a innocent catchy smile, you think you just found the Miss. Right for you.   But that's crazy, isn't it? Or is it? But this happens most of the time. And it is ended up with long lasting wild romance perhaps. So…fist site love is that much strong sometimes.

Hence…Many think that is the real love. Because, when we just saw a person on the very first time, we don’t know anything about them. Do they educate or do they have money or at least Do they like us? How old are they? We don’t know anything, but we feel love about them. So it’s only love. Nothing is there, in between us only a feeling of love. So, isn’t it real love? 

But few think, it’s not real love at the very first sight, but it’s only a desire, about that person. If you think deeper about this, can this handsome, deep-voiced, well-dressed strange man or pretty lady with the perfect figure, give you what you really want for your life? Because we don’t know anything about them, they don’t know who we are? They don’t know anything about us. But still we love means, only a feeling of desire about that person. Desire is not the true love, perhaps if we get to know about theses starngers some, maybe we escape from them. 

  

Beside all of the above, its better to see whether, “is there any mechanism for this love at first site?” Not all of us fall in love within few seconds. In one survey by Ayala Malach-Pines, PhD, of Ben-Gurion University in Israel, only 11 percent of the 493 respondents said their long-term relationships started that way. Further, it has been seen in studies that men are more likely to falling in love immediately than women. It seems like men are more stimulated by visual appeal than women. On the other hand, women experience romantic chemistry a lot better than men. It means, Men know they like a woman the very second they see her. But in the case of women, they usually fall in lovewith someone after the one or two conversations. And, Do you know that your first kiss also affect your love? Studies have shown that the exchange of saliva can also be a test for love. When you kiss, genes of major histocompatibility complex get exchanged between two persons, and if your genes share too many similarities, you might actually get turned off and lose the attraction, says Dr. Claus Wedekind at the University of Edinburg. And it’s not just the kisses, your body odor too can predict whether you will experience love at first sight.

So what do you think? Falling in love at first sight is real love? 

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True Lies…

What went wrong? was all she could think that day. Sitting on her bed, with tears in her eyes Madhuri was contemplating her future. She couldn’t live that. Not with this man who is in love with somebody else. She was heartbroken but she didn’t had any choice. Each day was like a torture to her. She couldn’t see straight. How can her Ajay to do this to her. She had no proof but she knew she was right about this.

The time was running out. She knew she had to do something about this. But she was too paralyzed to think anything. Tears in her eyes would just don’t stop. From the time that Ajay left for the office, she was all tears. She loved him too much. She gave him all her love and support. Then why? Why did he do this to her? Suddenly she felt all alone. She had no one. She could tell none about this.

What would her friends think, if she told all this about Ajay to them? They would probably just call him names and advice her to divorce him and get out of this messy 10 years long marriage. Or they would call him up and fight for her. Or they would make plans to make things better between them. Or they would make plans to get that B****… that girl out of his life. Yes, that was what her friends would do. But does she want all that drama in her life. No, she didn’t. She had enough drama in her life to last for the lifetime. She would never want all this to happen.

What if she tells all this to her parents or his family? What would they do? Her parents, she knew would be devastated. Afterall, she was their only child and who would want all this to happen to their only child. Yes, they would just breakdown. But she still isn’t sure what they would do to him. They might march to her in laws house and asks for explanation or they would just silently ask for a divorce. Yes, her parents would do just that, ‘cos she their daughter but what about her in laws? Would they believe her, if she tells the whole story to them? She knew, they loved her just like their daughter ‘cos they had none but would they trust her? Afterall, it was their son, she was talking about. Would her brother-in-law believe her? They might or they might not. And even if they believe, she has no clue as to what step they would take.

But can she tell them anything about this? to her parents? to her in laws? or to her friends? No. She just can’t. And if she could, what would she tell them? That her husband is in love with someone else. Afterall, what proof she has about all the things she is saying. None. Would anyone believe her, if she tells them that she knows he loves another girl, cos she has seen him texting her all day and that she has read those texts but she cant show it to anyone cos he deletes those texts the very next day. Would anyone believe her when she would tell them that she has seen him talking to her secretly at night, thinking that she is asleep beside him. No. None would believe her. They would just say that she is imagining things.

Yes, they would say just that. Afterall, why would they think otherwise. He has made his image as a perfect husband for the world. And she agrees to some point that yes, he is a loving and caring husband but she also thinks that whatever hunch she is having about her husband is correct. Her husband is cheating on her. But how would she prove it? She has no means and no proof to prove this.

But suddenly she remembered, she does have one proof. A proof that would prove her right in front of everyone. A proof that would prove that her Ajay is indeed cheating on her. All of a sudden she stopped crying. She became very excited to remember this one proof that would change her life for better. But as she got up from her to search for that one proof, she heard a knock at the door.

‘Who is it?’

‘Mommy it’s me, can I come in?’

‘Come in dear.’

‘What are you doing mommy?’

‘Oh nothing beta. Writing my next novel,’ I said looking at my beautiful 7 years old daughter.

‘Which story are you writing this time?’ she asked me sitting on the chair next to me and peeking at my laptop screen.

‘This time I am writing a story about a wife, whose husband is cheating on her and how she proves her husband’s guilt and copes with all this,’ I said closing my laptop and taking my sweet little daughter in my arms.

‘But mommy, that doesn’t happen in real life na? I mean I can’t imagine daddy ever cheating on you.’

‘I know sweety. I know…’ I looked at her big round innocent eyes and wondered how should I tell her that sometimes, fictional life is based on real life. Sometimes, what I write is what I feel. Sometimes, there’s just true lies. .

__END__

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First Love : Girls Side – Love Short Story

I was in standard 7th when I 1st came across the feeling of skipping a heartbeat after looking at someone. My heart felt like it would jump out of my chest and fall in his hands.

Being a good girl I had never spoken to boys even though I studied in a co–ed school until the day I saw him. Vihaan!!!

Imagine someone who never knew anything about attraction getting magnetically pulled towards something which her mom has told her to stay away from. How does it sound. Funny, strange, right, wrong???

Mixed emotions.!!

1st time in 7 years of schooling my friend avani and me were not in the same class. We both had already sulked a lot over it in the summer vacation and finally we decided that recess time we would spend together. So as soon as the bell rang I rushed out of my class towards avani’s class and there he was at the door of avani’s class.

The 1st words that came of my mind for the 1st ever guy I liked were “ooh la la” accompanied with a broad and the brightest smile on my face. He was standing near the door chatting with his male pals and probably missed all of this (thank god for that) but as avani came to me the 1st question was-

“Who is he? Never seen him before?”

Avani answered my queries that his name is vihaan and he was forever in our school only.

Of course my entire 20 minute recess went in staring at him occasionally and talking to avani. I felt all the more sad that I am not in avani’s class.

The next few days passed in admiring vihaan beauty. His complexion was fair, nice black hair cut into short the most awesomest smile and his lips were the high light of his face. Was well built not more then 5 feet 3 inches.

Avani kept on updating me that he was average in studies and good in elocutions. He played guitar and had also been elected as the class monitor. That was the time I started thinking he was way out of my league because probably he was one of the most popular guy in our batch and even though I was equally hot I never realized my worth till I graduated.

I know all the guys would love this part – after knowing that he is Mr.popular even a girl tries to take all the effort to come in his eyes and so did I. I started doing yoga and dieting (although it wasn’t needed) .

Finally the day of my heart break came after a month when avani informed me that vihaan had a girlfriend.

I was shattered by the thought of it, obviously cursed that girl but at the same time I backed out. If he has a girl I don’t wana disturb their story.

That day I asked avani to introduce me to vihaan so that atleast I could be there in his life as a friend and so she did.

The more close I got to vihaan the more I fell for him, the more I admired god’s creation. Even though boys are not termed beautiful I loved each and everything about vihaan. His lips as I have already mentioned were yumm even more better when having a closer look, his eyes were dark brown and kept me completely mesmerized in themselves, his touch was warm and smooth (I wished the handshakes never ended), his voice was like sweet melody to my ears, he had a sarcastically good sense of humour, he sung too good as well. There was nothing about him that I dint like and above all he was the 1st guy or man in my life and my guru to teach me all double meaning talks and their meaning (even after a decade I call him GURU at times.)

1 year later

On the day of our class 7th result I came to know that vihaan broke up with his girl I felt sad as he was sad but at the same time all my hopes got back in action.

__END__

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TRUE LOVE NEVER FAILS

This story is about my classmate who was the topper of the class. She used to spend time more on learning like a book worm with less concentration towards games, extra curriculars etc. She was not so beautiful. She was from a Orthodox family. Days passed by and she was still in her books studying and studying, she reached 6th Std.

And one fine day a new boy joined the same class. Soon he became her neighbour too. They just met for doubt clarifications about classes and mostly about studies. As days went, they started moving together as thick friends. Once the girl went to her native and the guy missed her so much and once she came back, he immediately proposed her.

And the girl who was waiting for these words, said OK immediately. It was 10th Std now and the parents of both of them were strict in scoring good marks. So they stopped meeting for many days. But during exams one day, both of them met and bad luck of that day that the guy’s mom saw them being close. They were seperated. The guy for his mother’s wish studied well, stpooed talking to the girl but the girl who was the topper in the class missed concentration. RESULTS ARRIVED. The girl scored less marks with an average % but the guy was under Distinction. He became the topper. Both passed school and went to college. The guy kept up his promise with his mom and cut the relationship with the girl. But the girl was mad in love with the guy, so tried getting information about the guy and the college he studied.

Months passed. One day the guy got a call in his boy’s hostel. It was 3pm. He was blank as his mom never used to call him by 3pm but she calls only by night. He said HELLO over the phone and the other side was just silence for a moment and then said HELLO in a sweet voice. The guy felt so guilty. He knew it was she who called but he dropped of the phone saying dont call me again.

Then he received calls frequently and the guilty consious felt that he has spoiled the life of a girl and started talking again as a friend with limits. But the girl was the same. She loved him a  lot. Days passed and they became 30yrs but still unmarried trying to convince their parents for their marriage.

ITS ONLY BECAUSE OF THE GIRL”S TRUE LOVE AND EMOTION THAT THE GUY CHANGED AND UNDERSTOOD HER AND HER LOVE

TRUE LOVE NEVER FAILS…..

__END__

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Angel sprinkles

Hi

I wanted to share this angel story with you.

I had put a package of the angel sprinkles (the small gold colored foil angels) in my purse after one of the Psychic Fairs. The package was opened and the angels fell out into my purse. When I discovered what had happened, I put the loose angels into my coin purse. (a little change purse - inside my purse.)

On the way home, I was at the store paying for something and change was required. I dug in, got the change, gave it to the sales person. I did not realize that there were also angels stuck in with the money!

Well she said: "Oh angels for me! Thank you! Come back and see me anytime!"

This happened to me several times that day, with almost the same reaction at different places, with different people. So now I keep the angels in there and always dispense them with the change.

This little practice has led to some interesting conversations - for instance, when I did go back to the same store that the lady received the first angels. She told me how much she treasured them and kept them by her bed. She said she gave one to her daughter too.

She then told me about her personal healing experience. She said: "I don't usually tell people this but, I was paralyzed as a child. I could not walk or talk. My grandparents were very devout and my grandfather told me that if I really believed in God and Holy Mother Mary that I would be healed. He said that God was inside me and if my faith was strong enough I would be well.

Well, I believed him, he was my grandfather.

I started praying, I really believed. Within a year I was totally healed!

I am so grateful to God for this healing!"

I then gave her some more angel sprinkles, and again she acted like I had given her a million dollars! She also told me that the first time she saw me that she thought that I was an angel! (blush.....) She said that she could feel the energy and it made her turn around and look at me. I told her that if she felt anything through me - that it was God; I was only the instrument.

What a lovely experience!

I plan on always keeping the little gold angels in my change purse and dispensing them everywhere. When I do, I don't say anything, I just give them with the change.

Rev. Mary

Lesson: always keep room for a little magic in your relationships

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The sleepless saint

The sleepless saint

Seven years ago, I visited the place called Dharansala, home of the Dalai Lama. The hillside town is seven thousand feet up the Himalayan Mountains. This town attracts many seekers. "The Traveler’s Hotline" assured us that the person to see was this legendary 24-hour lama. A Buddhist monk who had gone without sleep for several years, he had achieved this remarkable feat by the simple technique of meditating instead of taking his "beauty sleep."

"He must be a wise person," I thought as I set off for a 5-hour trek to a remote monastery where their 24-hour man resided. I figured that since he had so much time on his hands, maybe he would grant me an audience. Six hours later, I was ushered into a Spartan cell, where sat the man who had not dreamt in years. I was astounded by the Buddha-like tranquility he seemed to emanate. I felt humbled in the presence of this sublime being.

The friendly English-speaking monk, who had found him for me, whispered, "Make your offering, maybe Lama give your blessing."

I decided I’d make a dash for wisdom and ask a question, instead of a blessing. The monk whispered into Mr. Tylenol Nightmare’s ear, "What question would you like to ask?"

"How do I best progress spiritually?"

More whisperings in a dark, exotic language...My translator friend announced, "Lama say, don’t leave on Saturday." The 24-hour lama nodded in my direction and then carried on beaming.

I was furious! A 5-hour trek, a rucksack full of goodies to take as offerings – and now a 5-hour walk back down a treacherous Himalayan trail. I was in a reflective mood: maybe I’d expected too much. What did I want from him? Instant enlightenment? Some wisdom would’ve been nice, but "Don’t leave on Saturday"?! Maybe this was some kind of Zen Buddhist paradox within this mundane phase that contained some great gem of wisdom, but dammit! He was a Tibetan Buddhist!!

On Sunday morning, waiting at the coach station for the bus that would take an arduous, 10-hour journey down the vast mountain, my traveling companion stormed up to me and furiously exclaimed, "Bloody great! A 3-hour delay! I just chatted with that policeman over there...he reckons Saturday’s coach had crashed with 14 people dead...The road’s blocked with rescue vehicles...Good thing we didn’t leave yesterday, like we wanted."

I was in a state of shock. My mind raced back to the beaming Buddha. I was filled with wonderment and joy. He had given me the perfect answer to my question. Had I left Saturday, there would have been no more spiritual progression. The mundane answer to my oh-so-important question was stunning in its magnificence.

Lesson: What is necessary for spiritual progress is perhaps not what you think

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Pickup in the Rain

Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 pm, an older African-American woman was standing on the side of a Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her-generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She seemed to be in a big hurry! She wrote down his address, thanked him and drove away. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant combination console color TV and stereo record player were delivered to his home. A special note was attached. The note read:

Dear Mr. James: Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes but my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

Lesson: Be good for everyone.

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The obstacle on our path

The obstacle on our path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand. 

Lesson: Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

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Giving blood

Giving blood

Many years ago, when I worked as a transfusion volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a disease and needed blood from her five-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save Liza."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"

Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.

Lesson: True brother love exists.

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Is your jar full?

Is your jar full?

A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front
of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and
empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then
asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
full. They agreed it was.

The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar
was full. The students responded with an unanimous "Yes."

The Professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the Professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - your family, your children, your
health, your friends, your favorite passions - things that if everything
else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,
your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff."

"If you put the sand into the jar first", he continued, "there is no room
for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all
your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the
things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are
critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get
medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There
will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of
the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand."

When he had finished, there was a profound silence. Then one of the
students raised her hand and with a puzzled expression, inquired what the
beer represented.

The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no
matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of
beers."

Lesson: When things in your life seem almost to much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar......and the beer.

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The chef cook and his daughter

The chef cook and his daughter

A daughter complained to her father about life and how things were so
hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted
to give up. She was tired of struggling. It seemed that as soon as one
problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with
water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In
one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he
placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a
word.
The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he
was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished
the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and
placed them a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a
bowl. Turning to her he asked. "What do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.
He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and
noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break
it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.
Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its
rich aroma.

She said, "What's the point?"
He explained that each of the items had faced the same adversity -
boiling water - but each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong and hard. But after being subjected to the
boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid
interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became
hardened.
The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the
boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your 
door, how do you respond? Do you become weak, like a carrot, hard on the 
inside, like an egg, or do you change the circumstances, like the coffee beans?" 

Lesson: There are different ways to react to hardship. Don't be weak or suppress things - change circumstances from within. 

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Two wolves

Two wolves

A Cherokee elder sitting with his grandchildren told them, "In every
life there is a terrible fight - a fight between two wolves.

One is evil: he is fear, anger, envy, greed, arrogance, self-pity, resentment,
and deceit.
The other is good: joy, serenity, humility, confidence,
generosity, truth, gentleness, and compassion."

A child asked, 
"Grandfather, which wolf will win?" The elder looked him in the eye. 
"The one you feed." 


Lesson: Development of good character depends on everyday choices one makes.

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The stonecutter

The stonecutter

There was once a stonecutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day, he passed a wealthy merchant's house and through the open gateway saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stonecutter. He became very envious, and wished that he could be like the merchant. Then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stonecutter.
To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. But soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants, and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!"
Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around, who had to bow down before him as he passed. It was a hot summer day, and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. "How powerful the sun is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the sun!"
Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and labourers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. "How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"
Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. "How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!"
Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it -- a huge, towering stone. "How powerful that stone is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a stone!"
Then he became the stone, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the solid rock and felt himself being changed. "What could be more powerful than I, the stone?" he thought. He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stonecutter.
(Benjamin Hoff from The Tao Of Pooh) 

Lesson: We don't know the extent of our own personal power. And, sometimes, the most insignificant seeming people among us are those most able to effect great change.

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A Message from Mrs. Leonard

A Message from Mrs. Leonard
By Mary Ann Bird

I grew up knowing I was different, and I hated it. I was born with a cleft palate, and when I started to go to school, my classmates-who were constantly teasing- made it clear to me how I must look to others: a little girl with a misshapen lip, crooked nose, lopsided teeth, and hollow and somewhat garbled speech. I couldn't even blow up a balloon without holding my nose, and when I bent to drink from a fountain, the water spilled out of my nose.
When my schoolmates asked, "What happened to your lip?" I'd tell them that I'd fallen as a baby and cut it on a piece of glass. Somehow it seemed more acceptable to have suffered an accident than to have been born different. By the age of seven I was convinced that no one outside my own family could ever love me. Or even like me.
And then I entered the second grade, and Mrs. Leonard's class. I never knew what her first name was -- just Mrs. Leonard. She was round and pretty and fragrant, with chubby arms and shining brown hair and warm dark eyes that smiled even on the rare occasions when her mouth didn't. Everyone adored her. But no one came to love her more than I did. And for a special reason.
The time came for the annual "hearing tests" given at our school. I was barely able to hear anything out of one ear, and was not about to reveal yet another problem that would single me out as different. And so I cheated. I had learned to watch other children and raised my hand when they did during group testing. The "whisper test" however, required a different kind of deception: Each child would go to the door of the classroom, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, and the teacher would whisper something from her desk, which the child would repeat. Then the same thing was done for the other ear. I had discovered in kindergarten that nobody checked to see how tightly the untested ear was being covered, so I merely pretended to block mine.
As usual, I was last, but all through the testing I wondered what Mrs. Leonard might say to me. I knew from previous years that she whispered things like "The sky is blue" or "Do you have new shoes?"
My turn came up. I turned my bad ear to her plugging up the other solidly with my finger, then gently backed my finger out enough to be able to hear. I waited and then the words that God had surely put into her mouth, seven words that changed my life forever.
Mrs. Leonard, the pretty, fragrant teacher I adored, said softly, "I wish you were my little girl."

Lesson: Love heals. A small expression of love goes a very long ways.

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The travelling monks at the river

The travelling monks at the river
Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman. Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across. One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed.
As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried her!"
"Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are still carrying her."

Lesson: The practice of one's belief is more important than rigid adherence to a belief in one's practice. 

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Maybe. A Chinese story, kind of a Taoistic story about a philosophic farmer

Maybe. A Chinese story, kind of a Taoistic story about a philosophic farmer. 

One day, the farmer's horse ran away, and all the neighbors gathered in the evening and said ‘that’s too bad.’ 
He said ‘maybe.’ 
Next day, the horse came back and brought with it seven wild horses. ‘Wow!’ they said, ‘Aren’t you lucky!’ 
He said ‘maybe.’ 
The next day, his son grappled with one of these wild horses and tried to break it in, and he got thrown and broke his leg. And all the neighbors said ‘oh, that’s too bad that your son broke his leg.’ 
He said, ‘maybe.’ The next day, the conscription officers came around, gathering young men for the army, and they rejected his son because he had a broken leg. And the visitors all came around and said ‘Isn’t that great! Your son got out.’ 
He said, ‘maybe.’

Lesson: you never really know in which direction progress lies. Life unfolds not always as we expect it to.

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