Lessons From Time Immemorial

The Emperors Seed

2010-04-01T11:47:00.001-07:00

An Emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different.

He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next Emperor. I have decided to choose one of you".

The kids were shocked! But the Emperor continued. " I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed. I will then judge the plants you bring, and the one I choose will be the next Emperor!"

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully.

Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.

Seeds

By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Every one else had tall plants and trees, but he had nothing.

Ling didn't say anything to his friends. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the Emperor for inspection.

Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot but his mother said he must be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach but he knew his mother was right.

He took his empty pot to the Palace. When Ling arrived he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try".

When the Emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers have you grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next Emperor".

All of a sudden, the Emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified . "The Emperor knows I am a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!?

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling", he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The Emperor asked every one to quiet down.

He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new Emperor! His name is Ling." Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't grow his seed. How could he be the new Emperor?

Then the Emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought to me trees and plant and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.

Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the next Emperor!"

Lesson...
It pays to be honest and transparent. You can never say when it might be of use, and you might never say when you are going through an important test. Make it an habit and then, maybe, you might have nothing to lose.

Is your Life Worth Saving?

2010-02-12T07:28:00.001-08:00

A boy was drowning in a river and he shouted for help. A man passing by jumped in the river and saved the boy's life.

As the man was leaving the boy said, "Thank you". The man asked, "For what?" The boy replied, "For saving my life". The man looked into the boy's eyes and said, "Son, make sure when you grow up that your life was worth saving".

Think about this and reflect upon your life.

Little things makes a difference

2010-02-12T07:20:00.001-08:00

A man was taking a morning walk on the beach. He saw that hundreds of starfish came in with the tide, and when the tide receded, the starfish were left behind on the beach. With the sun's rays, they would die.

The tide had just gone out and the starfish were still alive. The man took a few steps, picked up one, and threw it into the water. He did that repeatedly.

Another man came along who couldn't understand what this man was doing. He asked, "What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?". The man did not reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, "It makes a difference to this one".

If everyone made a small difference, we'd end up with a bid difference, wouldn't we?

How Would You Like to be Remembered?

2010-02-12T06:56:00.001-08:00

About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The newspapers had reported his death by mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there?

When he regained his composure, his next thought was to find out what people had said about him. The obituary read, "Dynamite King Dies", and "He was the merchant of death".

This man was the inventor of dynamite and when he read the words "merchant of death", he asked himself, "Is that how I am going to be remembered?"

He decided that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started working towards peace. He, the Dynamite King, was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel Prizes.

Just as Alfred Nobel redefined his values, you should step back and do the same.What is your legacy? How would you like to be remembered? Will you be spoken well of? Will you be remembered with love and respect? Will you be missed?

The Midas Touch

2010-02-11T11:27:00.001-08:00

There was a greedy king named Midas. He had a lot of gold and the more he had, the more he wanted. He would spend his days in his vaults counting his gold.

One day a stranger appeared and told King Midas he would grant him a wish. The king was delighted and immediately said: "I would like everything I touch to turn to gold". The stranger asked the king, "Are you sure?" The king replied, "Yes". So the stranger said, "Starting from tomorrow, with the first rays of the sun, you will have the golden touch".

The king thought he must have been dreaming, that this couldn't be true. But the next day when he woke up, he touched the bed and it turned to gold. It was true- everything he touched did turn to gold. He looked out of the window and saw his daughter playing in the garden. He decided to give her a surprise and thought she would be happy. But before he went to the garden, he decided to read a book. The moment he touched it, it turned into gold and he couldn't read it. He sat down to breakfast and the moment he touched the fruit and the glass of water, they turned to gold. He was hungry and he said to himself, "I can't eat and drink gold". Just then his daughter came running into the room and King Midas hugged her and she turned into a gold statue. There were no more smiles left.

The king bowed his head and started crying. The stranger who had granted him the wish appeared again and asked the king if he was happy with his golden touch. The king said he was the most miserable man in the world. The stranger asked, "What would you rather have, food and your loving daughter or lumps of gold and her golden statue?" The king cried and asked for forgiveness. He said, "I will give up all my gold. Please give me my daughter back because without her I have lost everything worth having". The stranger said to the king, "You have become wiser than before", and he reversed the spell.

King Midas got his daughter back in his arms and the king learned a lesson that he never forgot for the rest of his life.

What lessons can be learned?

*Distorted values lead to tragedy.

*Sometimes getting what you want may be a bigger tragedy than not getting what you want.

6MG8ZEV7AADQ

Keep Your Eyes On the Goal

2010-01-28T23:56:00.000-08:00

On July 4, 1952, Florence Chadwick was on her way to becoming the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. She had already conquered the English Channel. The world was watching. Chadwick fought the dense fog, the bone-chilling cold and the shark. She was striving to reach the shore but every time she looked through her goggles, all she could see was the dense fog. Unable to see the shore, she gave up.

Chadwick was disappointed when she found out that she was only a mile to the coast. She quit, not because she was a quitter but because her goal was not in sight anywhere. The elements didn't stop her. She said, "I am not making excuses. If only I had seen the land, I could have made it".

Two months later, she went back and swam the Catalina Channel. This time, in spite of the bad weather, she had her goal in mind and not only accomplished it but beat the men's record by two hours.

Focus on Your Target

2010-01-28T23:27:00.001-08:00

An ancient Indian sage was teaching his disciples the art of archery. He put a wooden bird as the target and asked his disciples to aim at the eye of the bird. The first disciple was asked to describe what he saw. He said, "I see the trees, the branches, the leaves, the sky, the bird and it's eye".

The sage asked this disciple to wait. Then he asked the second disciple the same question and he replied, "I only see the eye of the bird". The sage said, "Very good. Now shoot". The arrow went straight and hit the eye of the bird.

Unless we focus, we cannot achieve our goal. It is hard to focus and concentrate, but it is a skill that can be learned.

The "Unknown" Horseman

2010-01-20T04:27:00.001-08:00

Many years ago, a rider came across some soldiers who were trying to move a heavy log without success. The corporal was standing by as the men struggled. The rider asked the corporal why he wasn't helping. The corporal replied, "I am the corporal; I give orders". The rider dismounted, went up to the soldiers and helped them lift the log. With this help, the log got moved. The rider quietly mounted his horse and went to the corporal and said,"The next time your men need help, send for the Commander-in-Chief".

After he left, the corporal and his men found out that the rider was George Washington.

The message is clear. Success and humility go hand in hand. When others blow your horn, the sound goes further. Just think about it! Simplicity and humility are two hallmarks of greatness.

The Sailor and the Captain

2010-01-20T04:08:00.001-08:00

There was a sailor who worked on the same boat for three years. One night he got drunk. This was the first time it had ever happened. The captain recorded it in the log, "The sailor was drunk tonight". The sailor read it , and knew this comment would affect his career, so he went to the captain, apologized and asked the captain to add that it only happened once in three years because that was the complete truth. The captain refused and said, "What I have written in the log is the truth".

The next day it was the sailors turn to fill in the log. He wrote, "The captain was sober tonight". The captain read the comment and asked the sailor to change or add to it explaining the complete truth because this implied that the captain was drunk every other night. The sailor told the captain that what he had written in the log was the truth.

Both statements were true but they convey misleading messages.

The Pound of Butter

2010-01-20T03:46:00.001-08:00

There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and found that he was not. The judge asked the farmer how he was measuring the butter he was selling. The farmer replied, "Your honor, I am primitive. I don't have a proper measure, but I do have a scale". The judge asked, "Then how do you weigh the butter?" The farmer replied "Your honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If any one is to be blamed, it is the baker".

We get back in life what we give to others.

Words are like Feathers

2009-12-12T04:34:00.000-08:00

A farmer slandered his neighbor. Realizing his mistake, he went to the preacher to ask for forgiveness. The preacher told him to take a bag of feathers and drop them in the center of town. The farmer did as he was told. The preacher asked him to go and collect the feathers and put them back in the bag. The farmer tried but couldn't as the feathers had all blown away. When he returned with the empty bag, the preacher said, "The same thing is true about our words. You dropped them rather easily but you cannot retrieve them. You need to be very careful in choosing your words".

Heaven and Hell

2009-12-12T04:16:00.000-08:00

A man died and St. Peter asked him if he would like to go to heaven or hell. The man asked if he could see both before deciding. St. Peter took him to hell first. There the man saw a big hall containing a long table, laden with many kinds of food. He also saw rows of people with pale, sad faces. They looked pale and there was no laughter. And he observed one more thing: Their hands were tied to four-foot forks and knives and they were trying to get the food from the center of the table to put in their mouths. But they couldn't.
Then, St. Peter took him to see heaven. There he saw a big hall with a long table, with lots of food. He noticed rows of people on both sides of the table with their hands tied to four-foot forks and knives also. But here people were laughing and were well fed and healthy-looking. The people were feeding one another across the table. The result was happiness, prosperity, enjoyment and gratification because they were not thinking of themselves alone; they were thinking win-win.
The same is true of our lives. When we serve our customers, our families, our employers and employees, we automatically win.

Show Consideration

2009-12-12T03:57:00.000-08:00

A ten-year-old boy went to an ice-cream shop, sat at a table, and asked the waitress, "How much is an ice-cream cone?" She said, "Seventy-five cents". The boy started counting the coins he had in his hand. Then he asked how much a small cup of ice-cream was. The waitress impatiently replied, "Sixty-five cents". The boy said, "I will have the small ice-cream cup". The boy ate his ice-cream, paid his bill, and left. When the waitress came to pick up the empty plate, she was touched. Underneath were ten one-cent coins left as the tip. The young boy had consideration for the waitress before he ordered his ice-cream. He showed sensitivity and caring. He thought of others before himself. If we all thought like the little boy, we would have a great place to live. Show consideration, courtesy and politeness. Thoughtfulness shows a caring attitude.

How we see things

2009-12-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

A wise man was sitting outside his village when a traveler came up and asked, "I am looking to move from my present village-what kind of people live in this village?" The wise man asked, "What kind of people live in your village?" The man said, "They are mean, cruel, rude". The wise man replied, "The same kind of people live in this village too". After some time another traveler came by and asked the same question, and the wise man asked him , "What kind of people live in your village?" And the traveler replied, "The people are very kind, courteous, polite and good". The wise man, "You will find the same kind of people here too." Generally, we see the world not the way it is but the way we are. Most of the time, other people's behavior is a reaction to our own. If our motives are good, we assume the motives of others are good too. If our intentions are bad, we assume that the intentions of others are bad.

Goodness Comes Back

2009-12-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

Many years ago two boys were working their way through Stanford University. Their funds got desperately low, and the idea came to them to engage Ignacy Paderewski for a recital. They would use the funds to help pay their board and tuition. The great pianist's manger asked for a guarantee of $2,000. The guarantee was a lot of money in those days, but the boys agreed and proceeded to promote the concert. They worked hard, only to find that they grossed only $1,600. After the concert the two boys told the great artist the bad news. They gave him the entire $1,600, along with a promissory note for $400, explaining that they would earn the amount at the earliest possible moment and send the money to him. It looked like the end of their college careers. "No, boys," replied Paderewski, "that won't do." Then, tearing the note in two, he returned the money to them as well. "Now," he told them, "take out of this $1,600 all of your expenses and keep for each of you 10 percent of the balance for your work. Let me have the rest." The years rolled back. World War 1 came and went. Paderewski, now premier of Poland, was striving to feed thousands of starving people in his native land. The only person in the world who could help him was Herbert Hoover, who was in charge of the US Food and Relief Bureau. Hoover responded and soon thousands of tons of food were sent to Poland. After the starving people were fed, Paderewski journeyed to Paris to thank Hoover for the relief sent to him. "That's all right, Mr Paderewski," was Hoover's reply. "Besides, you don't remember it, but you helped me once when I was a student at college and I was in trouble".

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Life is an Echo

2009-12-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

A little boy got angry with his mother and shouted at her, "I hate you, I hate you". Because of fear of reprimand, he ran out of the house. He went up to the valley and shouted, "I hate you, I hate you", and the echo returned "I hate you, I hate you". Having never heard an echo before, he was scared, and ran to his mother for protection. He said there was a bad boy in the valley who shouted "I hate you, I hate you". The mother understood and she asked her son to go back and shout, " I love you, I love you". The little boy went and shouted, " I love you, I love you", and back came the echo. That taught the little boy a lesson-that our life is like an echo: We get back what we give.

The Story of Wilma Rudolph

2009-12-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

Wilma Rudolph was born into a poor home in Tennessee. At age four, she had double pneumonia with scarlet fever, a deadly combination which left her paralyzed with polio. She had to wear a brace and the doctor said she would never put her foot on the earth. But her mother encouraged her; she told Wilma that with God-given ability, persistence and faith she could do anything she wanted. Wilma said, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth". At the age of nine, against the advice of the doctors, she removed the brace and took the first step the doctors said she never would. At the age 13, she entered her first race and came way, way last. And then she entered her second, and third and fourth and came way, way last until a day came when she came in first. At age 15 she went to Tennessee State University where she met a coach by the name of Ed Temple. She told him, " I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth." Temple said, "With your spirit nobody can stop you and besides, I will help you." The day came when she was at the Olympics and at the Olympics you are matched with the best of the best. Wilma was matched against a woman named Jutta Heine who had never been beaten. The first event was the 100-meter race. Wilma beat Jutta Heine and won her first gold medal. The second event was the 200-meter race and Wilma beat Jutta a second time and won her second gold medal. The third event was the 400-meter relay and she was racing against Jutta one more time. In the relay the fastest person always run the last lap and they both anchored their teams. The first three people ran and changed the baton easily. When it came to Wilma's turn, she dropped the baton. But Wilma saw Jutta shoot up at the other end; she picked the baton, ran like a machine, beat Jutta a third time and won her third gold medal. It became history: that a paralytic woman became the fastest woman on this earth at the 1960 Olympics. This story teaches us that successful people do succeed in spite of, not in absence of, problems.

Criminal Parents

2009-12-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

A judge, when sentencing a man for robbery, asked if he had anything to say. The man replied,"Yes your honor. Please sentence my parents to jail also". The judge asked, "Why?". The prisoner answered, "When I was a little boy, I stole a pencil from school. My parents knew about it but never said a word. Then I stole a pen. They knowingly ignored it. I continued to steal many other things from school and the neighborhood until it became an obsession. They knew about, yet they never said a word. If any one belongs in jail with me. they do".

Giving choices to children is important, but choices without direction result in disaster. Complete mental and physical preparation is the result of sacrifice and discipline.

Why Put On A Mask?

2009-12-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

A young executive with poor self-esteem was promoted but he couldn't reconcile himself to his new office and position. There was a knock at his door. To show how important and busy he was, he picked up the phone and then asked the visitor to come in. As the man waited for the executive, the executive kept talking on the phone, nodding and saying,"No problem, I can handle that". After a few minutes he hung up and asked the visitor what he could do for him. The man replied, "Sir, I'm here to connect your phone". Why pretend? What are you trying to prove? What do you want to accomplish? Why do we need to lie? Why look for feelings of false importance? All of these types of behavior comes from insecurity and poor self-esteem.

The Magic of Self-Esteem

2009-12-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

A beggar was sitting at a train station with a bowl full of pencils. A young executive passed by and dropped a dollar into the bowl, but didn't take any pencils. He then boarded the train. Just before the doors were to close, the executive suddenly exited the train and went back to the beggar. He grabbed a bunch of pencils, and said, "I will take some pencils. They are priced right. After all, you are a business person and so am I", and he dashed back on to the train. Six months later, the executive attended a party. The beggar was also there, dressed in a suit and tie. The beggar recognized the executive, went up to him, and said, "You probably don't recognize me, but I remember you." He then narrated the incident that happened six months before. The executive said, "Now that you remind me, I do recall that you were begging. What are you doing here in a suit and tie?" The beggar replied, "You probably don't know what you did for me that day. Instead of giving me charity, you treated me with dignity. You grabbed the bunch of pencils and said,'They are priced right. After all you are a business person and so am I'. After you left, I thought to myself-what am I doing here? Why am I begging? I decided to do something constructive with my life. I packed my bag, started working and here I am. I just want to thank you for giving me back my dignity. That incident changed my life.

What changed was that his self-esteem went up and so did his performance. This is the magic of self-esteem in our lives. Our opinion of ourselves critically influences everything, from our performance at work, our relationships and our role as parents, to our accomplishments in life.

Two Brothers

2009-11-29T15:35:00.000-08:00

There were two brothers. One was a drug addict and a drunk who frequently beat up his family. The other was a very successful businessman who was respected in the society and had a wonderful family. How could two brothers raised by the same parents, brought up in the same environment, be so different? The first brother was asked, "What makes you do what you do? You are a drug addict, a drunk, and beat your family. What motivates you?". He answered, "My father. My father was a drug addict, a drunk and he beat his family. What do you expect me to be? That is what I am". The second brother was asked, "How come you are doing everything right? What is your source of motivation?". Guess what he said. "My father. When I was a little boy, I used to see my father drunk and doing all the wrong things. I made up my mind that this is not what I wanted to be. Both brothers derived their motivation from the same source, but one was using it positively and the other negatively. Negative motivation brings the desire to take the easier way which ends up being the tougher way.

The Boy and His Father

2009-11-29T14:59:00.000-08:00

There was a boy who came regularly to soccer practice but never made it to the starting team. While he was practicing, his father would sit at the far end of the field, waiting for him. The matches began and for four days, the boy didn't show up for practice or the quarter or semi-finals. He appeared for the final game, went to the coach and said, "Coach, you have always kept me in the reserves and never let me play in the games. But today, please let me play". The coach said "Son, I'm sorry, I can't let you. There are better players than you and besides, it is the finals; the reputation of the school is at stake and I cannot take a chance on you". The boy pleaded, "Coach, I promise I will not let you down. I beg of you, please let me play". The coach had never seen the boy plead like this before. He said, "Okay son, go play. But remember, I am going against my better judgment and the reputation of the school is at stake. Don't let me down". The game started and the boy played like a house on fire. Every time he got the ball, he shot a goal. Needless to say, he was the star of the game. His team had a spectacular win. When the game finished, the coach went up to him and said, "Son, how could I have been so wrong? I have never seen you play like this before. What happened? How did you play so well". The boy replied, "Coach, my father is watching me today". The coach turned around and looked at the place where the boy's father used to sit. There was no one there. He said, "Son, your father used to sit there when you come for practice, but I don't see anyone there today". The boy replied, "Coach, there is something I never told you. My father was blind. Just four days ago, he died. Today is the first day he is watching me from above".

Waiting or Wishing?

2009-11-25T05:40:00.000-08:00

A flood was threatening a small town and everyone was leaving for safe ground except for one man who said, "God will save me. I have faith". As the water level rose a jeep came to rescue him, the man refused, saying, "God will save me. I have faith." As the water level rose further, he went up to the second story of his house, and a boat came to help him. Again he refused to go saying, "God will save me. I have faith". The water kept rising and the man climbed on to the roof. A helicopter came to rescue him, but he said, "God will save me. I have faith." Well, finally he drowned. When he reached his Maker he angrily questioned, "I had complete faith in you. Why did you ignore my prayers and let me drown?" The Lord replied, "Who do you think sent you the jeep, the boat and the helicopter?"

The only way to overcome a fatalistic attitude is to accept responsibility and believe in the law of cause and effect rather than luck. It takes action, preparation and planning rather than waiting, wondering and wishing, to accomplish any goal in life.

The Greedy Farmer

2009-11-25T05:18:00.000-08:00

A wealthy farmer was once offered all the land he could walk on in a day provided he returned by sundown to the point at which he started. To get a head start, early the next morning, the farmer started covering ground quickly because he wanted to get as much land as he could. Even though he was tired, he kept going all afternoon because he didn't want to lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain more wealth.
Late in the afternoon, he remembered that the condition he had to fulfill to get the land was to get back to the starting point by sundown. His greed had gotten him far from the starting point. He started his return journey, keeping an eye on how close he was to sundown. The closer it got to sundown, the faster he ran. He was exhausted and out of breath, and he pushed himself beyond the point of endurance. He collapsed upon reaching the starting point and died. He did make it before sundown. He was buried and all the land he needed was a small plot.

There is a lot of truth in this story and a lesson to be learned. Whether the farmer was wealthy or not, any greedy person would have ended the same way.

Easy Way and Tough Way

2009-11-24T06:43:00.000-08:00

Once there was a lark singing in a forest. A farmer came by with a box full of worms. The lark stopped him and asked, "What do you have in the box, and where are you going?" The farmer replied that he had worms and that he was going to the market to trade them for some feathers. The lark said, "I have many feathers. I will pluck one and give it to you and that will save me looking for worms". The farmer gave the worms to the lark and the lark plucked a feather and gave it in return. The next day the same thing happened and the day after and on and on until a day came that the lark had no more feathers. Now it could no longer fly to go hunting for worms. It started looking ugly and stopped singing and very soon it died.

What the lark thought was an easy way to get food turned out to be the tougher way after all. The same thing is true in our lives: Many times we look for the easy way, which really ends up being the tougher way.

No Free Lunch

2009-11-24T05:04:00.000-08:00

A king called his advisers and asked them to write down the wisdom of the ages so that he could pass it on to future generations. After a lot of work, the advisers came up with several volumes of wisdom and presented them to the king. The king called his advisers and said that it was too long and that people would not read it. The king told his advisers they would have to condense it. The advisers went back to work and came back with one volume. The king said it was still too long a so they came back again with one chapter; again it was too long. Even one page was too long, said the king. Finally, the advisers brought back one sentence that satisfied the king. He said that if there was one piece of wisdom that he wanted to pass on to future generations, it would be: "There is no free lunch". This basically means that you don't get something for nothing.

Play It Safe??

2009-11-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

Once someone asked a farmer if he had planted wheat for the season. The farmer replied, "No. I was afraid It wouldn't rain". The man asked, "Did you plant corn?" The farmer said, "No. I was afraid the insects would eat the corn". Then the man asked, "What did you plant?" The farmer said, "Nothing. I played it safe". What do you think would happen to the farmer. You are taking the biggest risk of all by always playing it safe and not taking any risk at all.

What Are You Doing?

2009-11-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

Three people were laying bricks. A passerby asked them what they were doing. The first one replied, "Don't you see I am making a living?" The second one said, " Don't you see I am laying bricks?" The third one said, "I am building a beautiful monument". Here are three people doing the same thing but who had totally different perspectives on what they were doing. They had three different attitudes about their work. And would their attitude affect their performance? The answer is clearly YES.

Practice, Practice,Practice

2009-11-20T15:08:00.001-08:00

Fritz Kreisler, the great violinist, was once asked,"How do you play so well?, are you lucky?" He replied, "It is practice. If I don't practice for a month, the audience can tell the difference. If I don't practice for a week, my wife can tell the difference. If I don't practice for a day, I can tell the difference".
LESSON: Don't neglect to constantly practice, practice brings out the genius within you and as long as you continue to practice you will maintain your genius.

The Secret To Success

2009-11-18T23:30:00.000-08:00

A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their necks, Socrates took the young man by surprise and dunked him under the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and held him down. When the boy started turning blue, Socrates raised the boy's head out of the water. The first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked, "What did you want most when you were under water?" The boy replied,"Air". Socrates said, "When you want success as intensely as you wanted air underwater, then you will have it" .

There is no other secret.

Tommy Edison

2009-11-18T23:21:00.000-08:00

One day a partially deaf four-year old child came home with a note in his pocket from his teacher, "Your Tommy is too stupid to learn, get him out of school". His mother read the note and answered, "My Tommy is not too stupid to learn, I will teach him myself". And that Tommy grew up to be the great Thomas Edison. Thomas Edison had only three months of formal schooling.

Failure or Success?

2009-11-18T22:43:00.000-08:00

In 1913, Lee De Forest, inventor of the triode tube, was charged by the district attorney for using fraudulent means to mislead the pub

lic into buying stocks in his company by claiming that he could transmit the human voice across the Atlantic. He was publicly humiliated. Can you imagine where we would be without this invention?

A New York Times editorial on December 10, 1903 questioned the wisdom of the Wright Brothers who were trying to invent a machine, heavier than air, that would fly. One week later, at Kitty Hawk, the Wright Brothers took their famous flight.

Colonel Sanders, at age 65, had assets of a beat-up car and a $100 check from Social Security. He realized he had to do something to improve his situation. He remembered his mother's fried chicken recipe and went out selling. How many doors

did he have to knock on before he got his first order. It is estimated that he had knocked on more than a thousand doors before he got his first order. How many of us quit after three tries, a hundred tries, and then we say we tried as hard as we could?

As a young cartoonist, Walt Disney faced many rejections from newspaper editors who said he had no talent. One day a minister at a church hired him to draw some cartoons. Disney was working out of a small rodent-infested shed near the church. Seeing a small mouse inspired him to draw a new cartoon. That was the start of Mickey Mouse.

All success stories are stories of great failures. The only difference is that every time they failed, they bounced back.

The Struggle For Life.

2009-11-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

A biology teacher was teaching his students how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. He told the students that in the next couple of hours, the butterfly would struggle to come out of the cocoon, but no one should help the butterfly out. Then he left.

The students were waiting and it happened. The butterfly struggled to get out of the cocoon and against the advice of the teacher, one of the students took pity on it and decided to help the butterfly out of the cocoon. He broke the cocoon to help the butterfly so it didn't have to struggle anymore. But, shortly afterwards, the butterfly died.

When the teacher returned, he was told what happened. He explained to the students that it is the law of nature that the struggle to come out of the cocoon actually helps develop and strengthen the butterfly's wings. By helping the butterfly, the boy had deprived the butterfly of it's struggle and the butterfly died.

Nothing worthwhile in life comes without struggle.

The Priest and The Farmer

2009-11-18T03:15:00.000-08:00

A priest was driving when he saw an exceptionally beautiful farm. He stopped at the edge of a field, got out, and stood quietly, appreciating the bountiful crop. The farmer was riding his tractor and saw the priest. He drove over to where the priest was standing. The priest said to him, "God blessed you with a beautiful farm. You should be grateful for it". The farmer replied, "Yes, God has blessed me with a beautiful farm and I am grateful for it, but you should have seen this farm when God had the whole farm to himself!"

Negative Influences

2009-11-18T02:45:00.000-08:00

An eagle's egg was placed in the nest of a prairie chicken. The egg hatched and the little eagle grew up thinking it was a prairie chicken. The eagle did what the prairie chickens did. It scratched in the dirt for seeds. It clucked and cackled. It never flew more than a few feet because that is what the prairie chickens did. One day he saw an eagle flying gracefully and majestically in the open sky. He asked the prairie chickens: "What is that beautiful bird?" The chickens replied, "That is an eagle. He is an outstanding bird, but you cannot fly like him because you are just a prairie chicken".
So the eagle never gave it a second thought, believing that to be the truth. He lived the life of and died a prairie chicken, depriving himself of his heritage because of his lack of vision. What a waste! He was born to win, but conditioned to lose.

Don't let negative people drag you down. Remember that a person's character is not only judged by the company they keep but also by the company they avoid.

What Do You Wish For?

2009-11-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

A man was washing his new car when his neighbor asked him, "When did you get the car?" He replied "My brother gave it to me". The neighbor said, "I wish I had a car like that". The man replied, "You should wish to have a brother like that". The neighbor's wife was listening to the conversation and she interrupted, "I wish I was a brother like that". What a positive way to think!

Sharpen Your Axe

2009-11-17T22:58:00.000-08:00

John, a woodcutter, worked for a company for five years but never got a raise. The company hired Bill and within a year he got a raise. Then John resented Bill's getting a raise after only a year and went to his boss to talk about it. The boss said, "You are still cutting the same number of trees you were cutting five years ago. We are a result-oriented company and would be happy to give you a raise if your productivity goes up" John went back, started hitting harder and putting in longer hours but he still wasn't able to cut more trees. He went back to his boss and told him his dilemma. The boss told him to go talk to Bill. "Maybe there's something Bill knows that that you and I don't". John asked Bill how he managed to cut more trees. Bill answered, "After every tree I cut, I take a break for two minutes and sharpen my axe. When was the last time you sharpen your axe?"

When was the last time you sharpened your axe? Past glory and education don't count for much. We have to continuously sharpen the axe.

Broad Based Education?

2009-11-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

Some animals in a forest decided to start a school. The students included a bird, a squirrel, a fish, a dog, a rabbit and a mentally retarded eel. A board was formed to determine the curriculum and it was decided that flying, tree climbing, swimming, and burrowing would give a broad-based education. All animals were required to take all subjects.
The bird was excellent at flying and was getting A's but when it came to burrowing, it kept breaking it's wings and beak and started failing. Pretty soon, it started making C's in flying and, of course, in tree climbing and swimming it was getting F'S. The squirrel was great at tree climbing, but was failing in swimming. The fish was the best swimmer but couldn't get out of the water and thus got F's in everything else. The dog didn't join the school, stopped paying taxes, and kept fighting with the administration to include barking as part of the curriculum. The rabbit got A's in burrowing but three climbing was a real problem. It kept falling and landing on it's head, suffered brain damage, and soon couldn't even burrow properly and got C's in that too.
The mentally retarded eel, who did everything half as well, became the valedictorian of the class. The board was happy because everybody was getting a "broad-based" education.

LESSON: A true broad-based education prepares students for life without losing their areas of specialization and competence.

Education and Good Judgement.

2009-11-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

There was a man who sold hot dogs by the roadside. He was illiterate, so he never read newspapers. He was hard of hearing, so he never listened to the radio. His eyes were weak, so he never watched television. But enthusiastically, he sold lots of hot dogs. His sales and profits went up. He ordered more meat and got himself a bigger and better stove. As his business was growing, the son, who had recently graduated from college, joined his father.
Then something strange happened. The son asked, "Dad, aren't you aware of the great recession that is coming our way?" The father replied, "No, but tell me about it". The son said, "The international situation is terrible. The domestic situation is even worse. We should be prepared for the coming bad times". The man thought that since his son had been to college, read the papers and listened to the radio, he ought to know and his advice should be taken seriously. So the next day, the father cut down his order for the meat and buns, took down the signs and was no longer as enthusiastic. Very soon, fewer and fewer people bothered to stop at his hot dog stand. And his sales started going down rapidly. The father said to his son, "Son, you are right. We are in the middle of a recession. I am glad you warned me ahead of time".

What is the moral of this story?

Many times we confuse intelligence with good judgment.
A person may have high intelligence but poor judgment.
Choose your advisers carefully, but use your own judgment.
Our expectations can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Selective Listening

2009-11-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

There was a medical doctor who was invited as a guest speaker to address a group of alcoholics. He wanted to make a demonstration that would be powerful enough to make people realize that alcohol was injurious to their health. He had two containers, one with pure distilled water, and one with pure alcohol. He put an earthworm into the distilled water and it swam beautifully and came up to the top. He put another earthworm into the alcohol and it disintegrated in front of everyone's eyes.
He wanted prove that this was what alcohol did to the insides of our body. He asked the group what the moral of the story was and one person from behind said, "If you drink alcohol you won't have worms in your stomach" Was this the message? Of course not. This is a perfect example of selective listening.
People always like to see what they want to see, and to hear what they want to hear.

When I Become a Big Boy

2009-11-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

There was a boy who says when he be becomes a big boy, he will do this and that and he will be happy. And when he becomes a big boy he says that when he finishes College he will be happy. And when he finishes college he says that when he gets his first job he will be happy. And when he gets his first job he says that when he gets married,then he will be happy.
And when he gets married he said when the kids get out of school he will be happy. And when the kids get out of school, he says that when he retires, he will be happy. And when he retires, what does he see? He sees life has just gone by in front of his eyes.

The Unusual Dog

2009-11-10T17:09:00.001-08:00

There was a hunter who bought an amazing bird dog. This one-of-a-kind dog could walk on water. The hunter was looking forward to showing off his new acquisition to his friends. He invited a friend to go duck hunting. After sometime, they shot a few ducks and the man ordered his dog to fetch the birds. All day long, whenever there were birds to be fetched, the dog ran on water to retrieve the birds. The owner was expecting his friend to comment or compliment him about this amazing dog, but never got one.

As they were returning home, he asked his friend if he had noticed anything unusual about his dog. The friend replied, "Yes, in fact, I did notice something unusual. Your dog can't swim".
Some people cannot help but look at the negative sides to every thing and every situation.

The Steam Boat

2009-11-10T16:47:00.001-08:00

Robert Fulton invented the steamboat. He displayed his new invention on the banks of the Hudson River. Among the crowd who had gathered around to observe the steam boat were some pessimists and skeptics. They commented that it would never start. But lo and behold, it did. As it made it's way down the river, the pessimists who said it would never start, saw it start, immediately shouted now that it would never stop.

WHAT AN ATTITUDE!

Andrew Carnegie

2009-11-10T16:38:00.001-08:00

Andrew Carnegie came to America from Scotland as a young boy. He started out by doing odd jobs and ended up as one of the largest steel manufacturers in the United States. At one time, he had 43 millionaires working for him. A million dollars is a lot of money today, but in the 1920's it was worth much more.

Someone once asked Mr Carnegie how he dealt with people. Andrew Carnegie replied, "Dealing with people is a lot like digging for gold: When you go digging for an ounce of gold you have to move tons of dirt. But when you digging, you don't go looking for the dirt, you go looking for gold".

Andrew Carnegie's reply has a very important message. Though sometimes it may not be apparent there is something positive in every person and every situation. We have to dig deep to look for the positive.

DAVID AND GOLIATH

2009-11-10T15:47:00.001-08:00

We all know the Biblical story of David and Goliath. Goliath was a giant of a man. He struck fear in everyone's heart. One day, a 17-year- old shepherd boy came to visit his brothers and asked."Why don't you stand up and fight the giant?" The brothers were terrified of Goliath and they replied. "Don't you see he is too big to hit?" But David said, "No, he is too big to miss"

The rest is history. We all know what happened. David killed the giant with a slingshot. Same giant, different perceptions.

The Man Who Sells Balloons

2009-11-10T15:34:00.000-08:00

There was a man who made his living selling balloons at a fair. He had balloons of many different colors, including red, yellow, blue and green. Whenever business was slow, he would release helium-filled balloon into the air. When the children saw the balloon go up, they all wanted one. They would come up to him, buy a balloon and sales would go up. All day, he continued to release a balloon whenever sales slowed down.

One day, the balloon man felt someone tugging at his jacket. He turned around and a little boy asked, "If you release a black balloon, would that also fly?" Moved by the boy's concern, the man replied gently, "Son, it is not the color of the balloon, it's what's inside that makes it go up".