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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Secret to success

A young man asked Socrates

"What is the secret to success."

Socrates told the young man:

"Meet me near the river tomorrow morning."

They met. Socrates asked the young man:

"Walk with him toward the river."

When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socratespulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked,

'What did you want the most when you werethere?"

The boy replied,

"Air."

Socrates said, "That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it." There is no other secret.

A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment. Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

The Power Within: A Balloon Seller's Lesson on Success

I recall the tale of the Balloon vendor at the beach. Whenever sales were slow, the vendor would inflate a balloon with oxygen and set it free. As the balloon soared into the sky, children playing nearby would notice it, and sales would pick up. One day, following the usual routine, the vendor released a balloon.

Observing this, a child approached the vendor and asked, "If you release a Black balloon, will it still ascend?" The balloon vendor responded to the young boy, saying, "The color of the balloon doesn't matter; what truly counts is what's inside. It's the contents that lift it up."

Similarly, what lies within individuals is what propels them towards success. It holds true regardless of their field of work, business endeavors, or place of residence. The key lies in maintaining the right attitude.

Thw Right Attitude

An old man was walking along the road when he noticed a group of people working on the roadside to construct a building. Intrigued, the old man approached the first worker he encountered and asked, "What are you doing?"

The worker, looking tired, replied, "I am making a living."

Continuing his inspection of the construction site, the old man approached another worker and posed the same question, "What are you doing?"

The worker, slightly irritated, responded, "Can't you see? I am working with the stones."

As the old man circled the upcoming building, he came across a young worker who appeared happy and enthusiastic in his tasks. The old man asked him the same question, "What are you doing?"

With a joyful and radiant expression, the young worker replied, "We are building a magnificent Church. It will be completed within a few months. You should come and visit us then. The Church building will be beautiful, and you will find many people worshiping God here. There is still a lot of work to be done."

The young man invited the old man to revisit the site after a few months and worship God together.

From this old story, we can observe the different attitudes of people working on the same project. Those with the right attitude find happiness in their work, while those lacking the right attitude struggle to find fulfillment in their lives. Although they are all working on the same project, their attitudes vary.

Some view their work as a means to earn a living, to provide food for themselves and their families. Others focus solely on the tasks they are performing, like the second worker who mentioned working with stones.

The third worker's focus lies in the outcome—an extraordinary Church. He understands his purpose and envisions the end result. At times, we may find it challenging to progress in our own lives, feeling tired and weary of our daily work.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

A Christmas Story-A True Story of a Holiday Miracle

A John Harricharan Adventure. It could be yours, too!

Long, long ago, in a small, tropical village in a country far, far away, a little boy lived with his parents in a two room house. He could not have been more than four or five years old and his entire experience of life was limited to the fishing and farming village, his neighbors and friends.

It wasn't that the little boy was unhappy. Given his situation, he was a rather cheerful, optimistic lad, but times were hard for his parents. The village was recovering from the recent floods that had wiped out his parents livelihood. And the Christmas holidays were just around the corner.

Now in this little village of long ago, people of various religions lived and worked together in harmony. Everyone enjoyed each other's religious holidays and everyone looked forward to the celebrations where Christians, Hindus, Muslims and others would gather. The parents would provide gifts for the children and little boys and little girls would squeal with delight as they played with their simple toys.

It wasn't an expensive gift by today's standards, but in that village of long ago, as Christmas approached, any gift would be considered expensive. Yes, you and I would probably smile when we realize that all the little boy wanted was a balloon -- just a simple little blue balloon.

You see, the little boy had seen pictures of brightly colored balloons and had even seen balloons that belonged to children of more affluent families. But he had never had his own balloon and so he longed for one. In the village, balloons were only sold in one shop and that shop was far from the little boy's home.

And the cost of a balloon? Just one penny! You would think that a penny was hardly anything, but in those days, literally every penny had to be used very carefully. When the little boy's parents had to choose between food and a balloon, the choice was naturally food.

The little boy was very sad. For weeks he had been thinking of the lovely, blue balloon he would get for Christmas. After another day or so, his mother, like all good mothers, determined to find her little boy a penny to get his blue balloon. Again, like most mothers, she sacrificed her own needs to get her son his wish.

Imagine how happy the little boy was! Clutching the penny tightly in his small hand, he set off for the store. He did not care that he would have to walk for more than a mile in the blazing hot, tropical sun to get his balloon. He moved as fast as his little legs would carry him -- sometimes half-running and then walking quickly. Now he would have his blue balloon.

But fate played a trick on the little boy. There was no blue balloon at the store -- only one balloon was left. And it was a drab green one, a color he didn't really like. He probably thought that a green balloon was better than no balloon at all, so he bought and paid for it. But things were to get much worse very quickly.

As he was returning home, he decided to inflate the balloon by blowing air into it. Suddenly, there was a loud sound and the balloon burst into pieces. At first, the boy couldn't believe it. He just stopped and stared at the rubbery shards in his hand. After all the trouble to get this one balloon and then, just like in life, in a split second it was gone.

He continued walking home and although he was a brave  little chap, tears streamed down his cheeks. After all, he was just four or five years old. His parents would not be able to spare another penny to buy a replacement balloon. And even if they were able to, there were no balloons left in the store. By now, his tiny feet were tired from all the walking so he sat down on a little rock at the side of the road.

That's when he saw the stranger. He wasn't quite sure why he hadn't seen the man sooner. He must have been too absorbed in his own problems to notice anything. Rarely were there strangers who came through the village. The man smiled a kindly smile and inquired of the little boy why he had tears in his eyes.

The little boy explained his plight. With a knowing wink, the man reached into a bag he was carrying on his shoulder and pulled out a small box. "I have a gift for you," he said as he handed the box to the little boy.

"Go ahead. Open it," he continued. Imagine the surprise of the little boy as he peered into the box and saw three, uninflated, beautiful blue balloons, each one with a picture of a star on it. He turned to say "thank you" to the stranger, but there was nobody there. The man was gone.

Perhaps it was an angel, thought the little boy. Or maybe the stranger just disappeared into thin air. But that would be magic, reasoned the little fellow. You see, there is magic in the heart and soul of every little boy and every little girl on Earth. They know it, but they forget the magic as they grow older.

Years have come and years have gone, but that was one of the happiest Christmas I ever spent. Every once in a while, or perhaps, even more often than once in a while, if I choose to sit quietly and revisit that scene of yesteryear, I could still see the kindness in the stranger's eyes and the beautiful stars on the blue balloons.

It was a great lesson that I learned that day. Sometimes when life takes something away from you, it is only because it wants to bring you something much better. Life took my little balloon because it wanted me to have three beautiful, bigger and better balloons.

We may not understand why things happen the way they do, but this I know: If we trust the process and we keep on keeping on, the dark valleys of life will eventually lead into beautiful fields of light and splendor. You are cared for and protected by a Force that transcends time and space -- a Force that has existed forever and that loves you unconditionally.

Last, but not least, I must tell you this before I go! If you want to help a little boy or a little girl get a toy this holiday season, I will give you a link where you can make a contribution to "Toys for Tots". Each year, my dear friend, Rick Beneteau, runs a campaign to raise funds to provide some needy children with a few precious gifts.

Rick has been doing this year after year, and in some ways, he reminds me of the stranger who walked through the little village and brought me the three beautiful, blue balloons. A contribution of any amount would be welcomed. It could be as small as a dollar or as large as you want to make it.



Friday, November 27, 2009

Seek the Giver Than the Gift

There was a king. He did many wars and conquered many territories. He had four good ministers, who did all the wars for him. The king pleased with his for ministers. One day the King decided to celebrate his victory. He arranged a grand feast and invited all the noble people for the fest. On the day of the feast in front of his guests, King decided to honor his Ministers.


King summoned his for Ministers who fought the war for him and told them that "four of you are very instrumental in winning the wars. I would like to grant you your wishes, you can ask your desire of your heart. You can ask anything. I will give it to you." In front of the guests, King announced. One by one the ministers come forward and expressed the desire of their heart.


The first one told to the King "I am from a poor family, my parents are very poor. In my childhood, I slept without having food many nights. I need money. Give me money, a lot of money. Hearing this King ordered his Servant who is in charge of his treasury to give him a lot of money which will make him rich.


The second one told to the King: I do not have a house. I want a big house just like the palace. Hearing this King ordered his servants to Make a palace for him.


The third one said to the King: I have a good house, I have money, but I do not have a good road to go to my home. If you are kind enough please build a royal path to my house in the village. King ordered to make a royal path to his Village.


Then the chance came for the fourth one. King asked what do you want. He didn't say anything. Tears welled up in his eyes. He began to sob. Seeing this Kind told him, whatever it is, you can ask. Even if it is half of my kingdom, I will give it to you. When the king insisted, the servant said while crying, "I do not want money, I do not want a big house or a royal path. I just want you, If you are kind enough, please come and stay with me and my family for a few days. King said that it is not a difficult task. I am happy to live with you and your family for a few days.


While making a plan to visit the house of his servant, the kind come to know that the servant is a poor man does not have a good house or money. To go to his house is a very difficult task as there was not a good road to his village. King ordered to build a Big house just like a palace for King's stay. Also, King ordered to send a lot of money for his stay. Kings servants made a royal path to his village for King's travel. He got everything his fellow servants got.


Moral of the story is that don't just look for the gift but seek the giver. It is better to seek God than his gifts. When Gog come to your house, everything else will follow automatically.

When you get right, the world will be ok.

Professor Jack has a three-year-old son. He is very smart and has many doubts about many things. He used to ask different wired questions. When his mother gets tired of answering the questions, she tells him to ask Papa. One fine Sunday morning as Professor Jack was preparing the lecture for the coming week, his three-year-old son came with different questions. To keep him quiet, Professor Jack was thinking ways to engage his son, so that he will keep quiet for some time.

While looking for books or magazines, professor jack found an old map of the world. An idea comes to his mind. He tore that world map into many pieces. Mix that pieces and give it to his son and asked him to rebuild the world map and return. Professor Jack was sure that his son will not disturb him for a couple of hours and continued his preparation of lecture for the next week.

To Professor's surprise, his son came within 5 minutes and asked him to look at the world map. Believing his son could not set it right, without looking at the world map, the professor said "Son, go to your room and fix it correctly and come back, I am not going to help you" But his son insisted that he fix it correctly and show it to him.

Professor Jack looked the map and found it fixed correctly. Professor asked, "who helped you to fix it. I am sure you cannot do that without someone's help.

His son replied " Papa, no one helped me. When I carefully looked at both the sides of the paper, I found on one side, body parts of a man. When I fixed the man, the world map got right by itself."

Professor looked at the back side of the map and found there is a picture of a man. When his son fixed the man, the world got corrected automatically.

The moral of the story is, when the man gets right, the world will automatically get right. Individuals are responsible for all the troubles in this world.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Story of Old Clock And The New Clock

 
Once stood an ancient church, its age surpassing a century. Due to the old priest's ailing health, the Church Committee made the decision to appoint a new clergyman. Taking charge of the church, the young priest explored the building and contemplated renovating it to enhance its allure.

With the assistance of the church committee, they embarked on numerous endeavors. They acquired new carpets, painted the walls, and replaced the ceiling, among other things. As part of the renovation, the priest considered replacing the old key-powered clock, known for its noisy mechanism, with a sleek electronic timepiece. However, out of respect for the sentimental attachment of the elderly congregation, the new clock was positioned alongside the old one, for the time being.

The new clock exuded joy and grace, each second marked by a cheerful "tick," as it leapt forward. There was vitality and enthusiasm in its movements. Simultaneously, the old clock, with great effort and the creaking of its wheels, endeavored to keep pace with the new clock. Initially, the new clock carried an air of pride and hesitated to engage with its predecessor. However, as time wore on and monotony set in, the new clock resolved to initiate a conversation.

During their exchange, the new clock inquired, "How long have you been here?" The old clock responded, its voice echoing the passing of more than a century.

Upon hearing this, the new clock fell into contemplation, attempting to calculate the number of jumps it would need to make to reach the milestone of a hundred years. One minute entailed sixty jumps, one hour required three thousand six hundred jumps, one day necessitated eighty-six thousand four hundred jumps, one month encompassed two million five hundred ninety-two thousand jumps, and one year encompassed thirty-one million five hundred thirty-six thousand jumps. Calculating the jumps for a hundred years yielded a staggering figure of three billion one hundred fifty-three million six hundred thousand jumps. Shortly after this revelation, the new clock ceased its rhythmic leaps.

Observing the silence, the old clock inquired about the reason behind it. The new clock replied, "I was calculating the number of jumps you have accomplished over the last hundred years. You have made millions of jumps. I doubt I would be able to match that magnitude. The thought of all those jumps overwhelms me, causing stress and immobilizing me. Helplessly, I find myself unable to mark even a single second. In fact, I've experienced a metaphorical 'heart attack' contemplating this."

Understanding the predicament, the old clock posed a question, "I comprehend your situation, but can you jump for just one second?" The new clock confidently responded, "That's quite simple—I can effortlessly leap for one second. It's an exceedingly easy task."

The old clock encouraged, "Then do it."

Inspired, the new clock resumed its rhythmic jumping, focusing solely on one second at a time.

The moral of this tale is to avoid dwelling on the entirety of a lifetime's tasks. Refrain from feeling overwhelmed or helpless when considering the future. Instead, concentrate on the present moment and take it one day at a time. This approach will enable us to continue our journey. At the onset of a school year, students may feel despondent while glancing at the thickness of their textbooks. By following the advice of the old clock—by focusing on one sentence or page at a time—they can complete the book within a year. Never succumb to depression or discouragement. Progressing one step at a time will lead you to your destination. Do not surrender! Refuse to be a quitter!

Do not worry about the abundance of tasks to be accomplished in a year. Simply focus on one task at a time.

Many individuals often contemplate and question how to lead a life free from sin when they dedicate themselves to Jesus. However, you will discover that it is effortless to live in the present moment without sin. By focusing on the here and now, we can strive to live a life untainted by wrongdoing.