There was a group of friends who gather together every evening in the street corner after their day's work. They talk about different issues and problems. Do some gossip. Share their knowledge etc. One evening Mr. Albert told his friends that He knows the President and named some important figures and told that he know them very well.
While returning Mr. Bob thought that "my son has done his graduation and is jobless. My friend Mr. Albert knows the President and many important people in the society. Let me ask Mr. Albert for a favour. If he makes a request to the President, perhaps by the recommendation of President, my son could get a job in a good organization.
The other day Mr. Bob met Mr. Albert and said: "You know President and other important persons in the society very well. So could I ask you to do me a favour. My son did his graduation and jobless. I am sure, if you ask the president, he could arrange a job for my son.
Mr. Albert Replied: "My friend Mr. Bob. I know President and many influential people in the society but the truth is that they don't know me.
There are people around us who boast themselves that they have good connections with those who are in power. When you approach them for a help, they will show their helplessness. They will turn you down.
But there is one who is there to help you, who controls the universe. Who knows everything. He is God. He will not turn you down when you approach Him for a help. He will show you the way. He will guide you, lead you and counsel you.
Let us go to His feet in prayer. The help is sure.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Pandit and the Cat
There lived a Pandit (or called Poojari which means the person who perform the rituals at the temple) in a small village. One day this Pandit got a cute pet cat. Pandit loved this cute cat and decided to take it to home. This cute cat used to eat with the Pandit and sleep with him. Wherever he goes, the cat follows him. Pandit loved the cat and took care of it.
As part of the worship ritual, this pandit has to offer milk to his God in the temple. As soon as the cat sees the milk, it drank it. It was become a problem for the pandit. This cat doesn't know whether it is offered to God or not. When ever the cat sees the milk it started to lick the milk as usually pandit gave milk to the cat.
But the milk which offered to God is not for the cat. Few times the cat came and drink the milk which has to be offered to the God. To avoid such embarrassing situation Pandit started to tie the cat to a tree before he perform his worship rituals. It was his habit to tie the cat before he perform the pooja (worship). After the worship, he release the cat. Years passed and the the pandit died. His son started to perform the worship rituals. He continued the custom of tie the cat before the worship.
And it become the part of the worship ritual. Years passed and the the cat also died. Now the children of the pandit does not know why they tie the cat before the worship. They thought and felt to complete the ritual, they have to tie a cat. They couldn't find a cat in their village. They felt that their worship is not complete and did not find satisfaction. So they brought a cat from the near by village. After brining the cat, they tied it to a tree and did their worship ritual. Now they are satisfied.
We are like this. Many of us does not know why we are doing certain thing, still we do it as a ritual.
As part of the worship ritual, this pandit has to offer milk to his God in the temple. As soon as the cat sees the milk, it drank it. It was become a problem for the pandit. This cat doesn't know whether it is offered to God or not. When ever the cat sees the milk it started to lick the milk as usually pandit gave milk to the cat.
But the milk which offered to God is not for the cat. Few times the cat came and drink the milk which has to be offered to the God. To avoid such embarrassing situation Pandit started to tie the cat to a tree before he perform his worship rituals. It was his habit to tie the cat before he perform the pooja (worship). After the worship, he release the cat. Years passed and the the pandit died. His son started to perform the worship rituals. He continued the custom of tie the cat before the worship.
And it become the part of the worship ritual. Years passed and the the cat also died. Now the children of the pandit does not know why they tie the cat before the worship. They thought and felt to complete the ritual, they have to tie a cat. They couldn't find a cat in their village. They felt that their worship is not complete and did not find satisfaction. So they brought a cat from the near by village. After brining the cat, they tied it to a tree and did their worship ritual. Now they are satisfied.
We are like this. Many of us does not know why we are doing certain thing, still we do it as a ritual.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Story of Donkey
Socrates the ancient Greek Philosopher used to give public discourses about serious subjects like Life and after life while standing on a big stone in the corner of the market. Peoples in the market and the passers by come and listen for a few minutes and leave when they listen his philosophy. They never paid much attention to his philosophy. Socrates, when he found that the people are not giving much attention to his philosophy decided to do something different.
Socrates then announced to the general public that he is going to tell a very interesting story. And started his story. People those who heard his announcement came near very eagerly to listen his story.
He started like this. “There was merchant who has a lot of merchandise to sell decided to go to another city so that he could get some extra profit from the business. He packed his goods and took it on his shoulder and left for another city before the day break. He has to climb a big mountain to reach the another city. There is no other way but to climb the mountain with his merchandise. While he was walking he found another man with a donkey also heading to the same city the merchant was going. They were walking together and talking each other and become friends. Then the merchant asked the other man to rent his donkey to hold his merchandise till they reach the other city. The man agreed for a certain amount of money.”
At this point Socrates found that a large number of audience gathered around him to listen the story and lot of people forget their duty and listening his story. People used to come and listen and leave within a few minutes also forgot their business and stayed back to listen the story. Then he continued his story like this:
“They have to climb a steep mountain to reach their destination. The merchant placed his merchandise upon the donkey and they started out in the morning. It was easy to walk in the morning. As the day progressed, it became very tough for them to climb the mountain. They were sweating and become very tired. But as soon as the sun came on top of their head They decided to take rest.”
Socrates found a large number of people gathered around him and very eagerly listening his story. He continued:
“It was 12 Noon and they were tired. They decided to take a brake. But there was no trees or shade under which they could sit and take rest, there was only the shade of donkey who carrying the merchandise. Under the shade of that donkey there was space for only one man. The owner of the donkey told the other man that the shade of the donkey solely belongs to him as he is the owner of the donkey. But the merchant wants to sit and take rest so he disagree with the argument of the owner of the donkey saying that right now he hired the donkey so the shade of the donkey solely belongs to him only.
Owner of the donkey told that he only let out the donkey, not the shade. But the merchant said that when he hired the donkey, the shade also belongs to him. Both the men fell in to fierce argument for the shade of the donkey. Both argued that it belongs to them legally.”
By this time there was a large amount of people gathered around Socrates. So He climbed down from the stone where he was standing and walked away. People followed him requesting to complete the story. He paid no attention to them and continued his walking. People were following him and requesting him to complete the story all the more. They pressed him hard for the end of the story, so he stopped walking and turned to them and said. “I was talking to you people about great and serious things like life and after life. But you were not paying any attention. But when I started to telling about an imaginative story of a Donkey and it shade you are very eager to listen and want to know the end of the story. You are paying more attention to silly things and ignoring the important things in life. It is better for you to look for important things of life, do not run after silly things like stories. Do some important things every day and pursue it.”
We are also tempt to run after this kind of stories. For our generation also this story is relevant. We are also running after silly things. We must be careful about our time, money and opportunity and try to put every effort to take the best use of it.
Especially Students should make good use of their time and study well. Don't waste their time and opportunity by watching stupid TV serials and doing unworthy things. Let us be conscious about our time, money and opportunity.
Socrates then announced to the general public that he is going to tell a very interesting story. And started his story. People those who heard his announcement came near very eagerly to listen his story.
He started like this. “There was merchant who has a lot of merchandise to sell decided to go to another city so that he could get some extra profit from the business. He packed his goods and took it on his shoulder and left for another city before the day break. He has to climb a big mountain to reach the another city. There is no other way but to climb the mountain with his merchandise. While he was walking he found another man with a donkey also heading to the same city the merchant was going. They were walking together and talking each other and become friends. Then the merchant asked the other man to rent his donkey to hold his merchandise till they reach the other city. The man agreed for a certain amount of money.”
At this point Socrates found that a large number of audience gathered around him to listen the story and lot of people forget their duty and listening his story. People used to come and listen and leave within a few minutes also forgot their business and stayed back to listen the story. Then he continued his story like this:
“They have to climb a steep mountain to reach their destination. The merchant placed his merchandise upon the donkey and they started out in the morning. It was easy to walk in the morning. As the day progressed, it became very tough for them to climb the mountain. They were sweating and become very tired. But as soon as the sun came on top of their head They decided to take rest.”
Socrates found a large number of people gathered around him and very eagerly listening his story. He continued:
“It was 12 Noon and they were tired. They decided to take a brake. But there was no trees or shade under which they could sit and take rest, there was only the shade of donkey who carrying the merchandise. Under the shade of that donkey there was space for only one man. The owner of the donkey told the other man that the shade of the donkey solely belongs to him as he is the owner of the donkey. But the merchant wants to sit and take rest so he disagree with the argument of the owner of the donkey saying that right now he hired the donkey so the shade of the donkey solely belongs to him only.
Owner of the donkey told that he only let out the donkey, not the shade. But the merchant said that when he hired the donkey, the shade also belongs to him. Both the men fell in to fierce argument for the shade of the donkey. Both argued that it belongs to them legally.”
By this time there was a large amount of people gathered around Socrates. So He climbed down from the stone where he was standing and walked away. People followed him requesting to complete the story. He paid no attention to them and continued his walking. People were following him and requesting him to complete the story all the more. They pressed him hard for the end of the story, so he stopped walking and turned to them and said. “I was talking to you people about great and serious things like life and after life. But you were not paying any attention. But when I started to telling about an imaginative story of a Donkey and it shade you are very eager to listen and want to know the end of the story. You are paying more attention to silly things and ignoring the important things in life. It is better for you to look for important things of life, do not run after silly things like stories. Do some important things every day and pursue it.”
We are also tempt to run after this kind of stories. For our generation also this story is relevant. We are also running after silly things. We must be careful about our time, money and opportunity and try to put every effort to take the best use of it.
Especially Students should make good use of their time and study well. Don't waste their time and opportunity by watching stupid TV serials and doing unworthy things. Let us be conscious about our time, money and opportunity.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Calm Mind
A disciple and his teacher were walking through the forest. The disciple was disturbed by the fact that his mind was in constant unrest.
He asked his teacher: "Why most people's minds are restless, and only a few possess a calm mind? What can one do to still the mind?"
The teacher looked at the disciple, smiled and said:
"I will tell you a story. An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away once more".
This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly:
"Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you stay for a while in one place?"
The fly answered: "I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them. What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?"
The elephant stopped eating and said:
"My five senses do not rule my attention. Whatever I do, I get immersed in it. Now that I am eating, I am completely immersed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew it better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around."
The disciple's eyes opened wide and a smile rose on his face.
"I understand! If my five senses are in control of my mind and attention, then my mind is in constant unrest. If I am in charge of my five senses and attention, then my mind becomes calm".
"Yes, that's right", answered the teacher, " The mind is restless and goes wherever the attention is. Control your attention, and you control your mind".
He asked his teacher: "Why most people's minds are restless, and only a few possess a calm mind? What can one do to still the mind?"
The teacher looked at the disciple, smiled and said:
"I will tell you a story. An elephant was standing and picking leaves from a tree. A small fly came, flying and buzzing near his ear. The elephant waved it away with his long ears. Then the fly came again, and the elephant waved it away once more".
This was repeated several times. Then the elephant asked the fly:
"Why are you so restless and noisy? Why can't you stay for a while in one place?"
The fly answered: "I am attracted to whatever I see, hear or smell. My five senses pull me constantly in all directions and I cannot resist them. What is your secret? How can you stay so calm and still?"
The elephant stopped eating and said:
"My five senses do not rule my attention. Whatever I do, I get immersed in it. Now that I am eating, I am completely immersed in eating. In this way I can enjoy my food and chew it better. I rule and control my attention, and not the other way around."
The disciple's eyes opened wide and a smile rose on his face.
"I understand! If my five senses are in control of my mind and attention, then my mind is in constant unrest. If I am in charge of my five senses and attention, then my mind becomes calm".
"Yes, that's right", answered the teacher, " The mind is restless and goes wherever the attention is. Control your attention, and you control your mind".
What Will You Be Doing 7 Years From Now?
I graduated from Brazosport High School in Freeport, Texas in May 1972. Not dressed in white (honors), but I graduated.
That summer like the previous summer, I worked as a longshoreman loading corn, flour and corn sacks weighing 50 to 140 lbs. and 900 lbs. caustic soda drums on freight ships bound to other countries at nearby Brazos Harbor and Dow Chemical A2 Dock.
This was one of the better paying jobs in the area. It was grueling, hard, heavy work, but I loved it at the time. My father had been doing this job most of his life since it paid well.
Fall came around and I had already decided that I did not want to make my living as a longshoreman. Work was inconsistent and when it was there it only went to the ones with the most seniority, unless there was too much. There was very little opportunity for a better job when you got older.
I had always heard that a college education would get you a better job and decided to find out. So I went to nearby Brazosport College and set up an appointment with a counselor.
I got to his office at the appointed time and he asked me what work or profession interested me the most. I had taken Auto Mechanics I & II during my junior and senior years in high school and asked him if Brazosport College had an auto mechanics program.
He said "no." I asked him if they had anything similar to it. He said that the Machine Tools Technology program was very similar and described the program to me.
I was very interested and asked him how long it would take if I went full time. He said "4 years." I said I couldn't go full time since I am working (whenever work was available).
I asked how long would it take if I go part time? He said "7 years." I was shocked. I said, "Man, I'll be old then, I'll be 25 years old. I don't thing so."
He asked me, "what did you say you did for a living right now?"
I told him again that I worked as a longshoreman throwing bags and manhandling drums. Then he bent over his desk and looked me square in the eye and asked me the most significant words I will never forget in my life:
"IF YOU DON'T TAKE ANY CLASSES. WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING 7 YEARS FROM NOW?"
These words hit me like a ton of bricks! I sheepishly told him that I would be doing the same thing. I signed up for the classes right then and there.
These prophetic words have inspired many of my relatives and friends. The sun will rise and fall 365 days a year. What you choose to do in between will determine many things in your life.
This story alone has inspired relatives and friends to realize an age-old truth: Time will go on regardless and it waits on nobody.
Years later, I told a co-worker this story. He got inspired enough that he went on and got 3 different degrees in computers in less than 7 years! He said afterwards, "7 years ago I would've been saying to myself, 'If only I had the opportunity.'"
TIME WILL PASS REGARDLESS!
Augie Mendoza
That summer like the previous summer, I worked as a longshoreman loading corn, flour and corn sacks weighing 50 to 140 lbs. and 900 lbs. caustic soda drums on freight ships bound to other countries at nearby Brazos Harbor and Dow Chemical A2 Dock.
This was one of the better paying jobs in the area. It was grueling, hard, heavy work, but I loved it at the time. My father had been doing this job most of his life since it paid well.
Fall came around and I had already decided that I did not want to make my living as a longshoreman. Work was inconsistent and when it was there it only went to the ones with the most seniority, unless there was too much. There was very little opportunity for a better job when you got older.
I had always heard that a college education would get you a better job and decided to find out. So I went to nearby Brazosport College and set up an appointment with a counselor.
I got to his office at the appointed time and he asked me what work or profession interested me the most. I had taken Auto Mechanics I & II during my junior and senior years in high school and asked him if Brazosport College had an auto mechanics program.
He said "no." I asked him if they had anything similar to it. He said that the Machine Tools Technology program was very similar and described the program to me.
I was very interested and asked him how long it would take if I went full time. He said "4 years." I said I couldn't go full time since I am working (whenever work was available).
I asked how long would it take if I go part time? He said "7 years." I was shocked. I said, "Man, I'll be old then, I'll be 25 years old. I don't thing so."
He asked me, "what did you say you did for a living right now?"
I told him again that I worked as a longshoreman throwing bags and manhandling drums. Then he bent over his desk and looked me square in the eye and asked me the most significant words I will never forget in my life:
"IF YOU DON'T TAKE ANY CLASSES. WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING 7 YEARS FROM NOW?"
These words hit me like a ton of bricks! I sheepishly told him that I would be doing the same thing. I signed up for the classes right then and there.
These prophetic words have inspired many of my relatives and friends. The sun will rise and fall 365 days a year. What you choose to do in between will determine many things in your life.
This story alone has inspired relatives and friends to realize an age-old truth: Time will go on regardless and it waits on nobody.
Years later, I told a co-worker this story. He got inspired enough that he went on and got 3 different degrees in computers in less than 7 years! He said afterwards, "7 years ago I would've been saying to myself, 'If only I had the opportunity.'"
TIME WILL PASS REGARDLESS!
Augie Mendoza
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Pounding In and Pulling Out Nails
Pounding In and Pulling Out Nails
When I confronted my daughter after she hurt another child with a mean comment, she cried and immediately wanted to apologize. That was a good thing, but I wanted her to know an apology can't always make things better.
I told her the parable of Will, a 9-year-old whose father abandoned his mom two years earlier. Will was angry, and he often lashed out at others with hurtful words. He once told his mom, "I see why Dad left you!"
Unable to cope with his cruel outbursts, she sent him to his grandparents for the summer. His grandfather's strategy to help Will learn self-control was to make him go into the garage and pound a two-inch-long nail into a four-by-four board every time he said a mean thing.
For a small boy, this was a major task, and he couldn't return until the nail was all the way in. After about ten trips to the garage, Will began to be more cautious about his words. Eventually, he even apologized for all the bad things he'd said.
That's when his grandmother stepped in. She told him to bring in the board filled with nails and instructed him to pull them all out. This was even harder than pounding them in, but after a huge struggle, he did it.
His grandmother hugged him and said, "I appreciate your apology, and of course I forgive you because I love you, but I want you to know an apology is like pulling out one of these nails. Look at the board. The holes are still there. The board will never be the same. Your dad put a hole in you, Will, but please don't put holes in other people. You're better than that."
Michael Josephson
www.charactercounts.org
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Catching Fish In A Jar
Catching Fish In A Jar
When I was between eleven and twelve years old I decided one bright sunny day that it would be fun to go fishing. I didn't have any fishing gear and I had never done much fishing other than to play on the stream banks while my father fished. I also didn't want to "hurt" the fish I just wanted to catch them and then let them go.
I looked around the house for what I could use and I found a washed out old mayonnaise jar. You know the old style jars with the big open "mouth". I walked to a nearby pond and put the jar down in the soft dust-like mud of the water's edge with the open "mouth" of the jar facing toward the center. I then stirred the waters a little and made them cloudy so that the fish would have trouble seeing me. Then I waited hovering over the jar. Gradually, cautiously a small fish would swim up to the clear jar to investigate the disturbance and when it swam into the jar I dropped my hand into the water and over the jar mouth. I caught a fish, then another.
I just let them all go and returned my jar to the cupboard. Then I decided to use wire "box trap" to go fishing and rigged a string to the door. This way I could drop the trap in the water and not have to "hover over" it like I did with the jar. I sat very relaxed on the bank of the pond and sure enough I caught a fair sized bluegill. I took it home in a water filled plastic waste basket to show my dad and afterward returned it to the pond.
When I told people about how I had caught the fish they just paused and laughed nervously. You see unlike these people, I didn't know that you couldn't catch fish in a jar. If I would have asked them they would have scoffed and said, "You can't catch fish in a jar or a box trap!" No one in my life had ever dreamed of telling me that so my belief system did not contain these words or the impact that they would have had on my "day of fishing". Only a free minded kid could come up with an idea of using a jar or a box trap to catch fish! No one had told me that this was impossible so I just used what I was familiar with and what I had available and I succeeded.
Maybe today finds you facing a situation that seems impossible. You have a desire but no visible way of bringing it into being. You may need to find that "kid" inside you who thinks "outside the box" and the normal ways of achieving things and let him or her catch that fish in a jar! See your situation from a different angle. Start looking at the resources that you already have and the things that you are already familiar with. A fresh perspective and a childlike sense of wonder may surprise you and there's no telling what you will come up with!
Jami Sell
Catching Fish In A Jar is an excerpt from author Jami Sell's new book Thought And Belief: How To Unlock Your Potential And Fulfill Your Destiny! © 2010 All Rights Reserved. It is available at amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and in fine bookstores everywhere. Click here to: Preview Book!
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzewfwkk/thoughtandbelief/id6.html
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