CREATE YOUR OWN DESTINY

Once five men were caught in a thick forest. 

 

The first man said….I will go left. Because my intuition said so. 

 

The second one said….“I will go the right, because the right comes from the word rightness. 

 

The third one said….I will go back the way we came. 

 

The fourth one said….I will go straight. We should move forward, the forest will end and we will go somewhere new. 

 

The fifth said….You are all wrong. There is a better solution. Wait for me. 

 

He climbed the tallest tree he could find while everyone else went their own way. 

 

From above he saw the shortest way to exit. He could also see the order in which the others would exit. He understood the problem and found the best solution! 

 

He knew that he did everything right. The others were wrong. They were stubborn and they didn’t listen to him. He was the real Wise Man! 

 

But he was wrong. Everyone was right. They were all wise. 

 

The man who went to the left found himself in the thicket. He had to starve and fight with wild animals, but he learned how to survive in the forest. He became a part of the forest and could teach others the same. 

 

The man who went to the right was robbed of everything and was forced to join them. After some time, he had reminded the thieves of something they had ^ forgotten - humanity and compassion.

 

The man who went back created a trail through the forest which soon became a road for those who wanted to enjoy the forest without the fear of getting lost. 

 

The man who went straight became a pioneer. He went places where nobody else had been before and created new opportunities for others. 

 

The man who climbed the tree became a guide. People turned to him when they wanted to find the most efficient ways to deal with their problems. 

 

These five wise men created their destiny by listening to their intuition. You can create your own path.

DON'T QUIT

Mr. Peter had a job interview to attend at 10am but his wife developed complications at 9am. He decided to take the wife to the hospital and leave for the interview thereafter but on their way to the hospital, the taxi broke down. It was already 10:30am before he could get another taxi.

He arrived the hospital at 11am, dropped the wife and used the same taxi to go for the interview. He arrived the interview venue at 12noon(2hours late).

 

He rang the bell but no one opened the door. Meanwhile, earlier at 10am, the company mail delivery had rang the bell but no one opened the door too. When the door was finally opened, Mr. Peter said "I'm sorry, I came... " he wanted to apologise for coming late, but the Secretary interrupted before he could finish his statement and ushered him to the Board Room. The Secretary said, "I apologise, Mr. Peter, for keeping you waiting since 10am. We actually heard when the bell rang at 10am but we were held up in a meeting with our company suppliers.

 

However, we have sat since 8am to deliberate on your job specification, your office and the salary."

Mr. Peter was baffled and said, "Ma'am, I haven't been interviewed yet’’. The MD answered him and said, "We decided not to conduct the interview at least to save time and also save the interviewees money on transport. So we looked at the papers for the most appropriate person we wanted and we opted for you. Also, we had tested your patience this morning by keeping you waiting intentionally for 2hrs. That's part of your interview. You won't be disappointed. You’ll be shown your office, your secretary and the driver assigned to drive your company's allotted vehicle. You’ll be on probation for 2yrs."

 

He got the job!!!

On his way out, his phone rang and it was the wife. She said, "honey, I was delivered of a bouncing baby boy." It was their fifth child and the only male child. He immediately named the child 'Miracle'.

He got a double miracle same day.

 

Crab And The Wave

 

A crab was once running on the sea shore and was admiring its beautiful footprints. Suddenly a huge wave splashed and washed away the footprints.The crab said to the wave, "I considered you as one of my best friends, so what made you do this? *" The wave replied, A fisherman was following your footprints, that's why I cleared it off... "Relationships mean caring beyond imagination". Value them and don't ever doubt the intentions.

 

Be Your Brother's Keeper ..Never hurt those who value you in life.

THE BLANK SHEET OF PAPER

One day a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor handed out the question paper with the text facing down as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked his students to turn the page and begin. To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions, just a black dot in the center of the page.

 

The professor seeing the expression on everyone’s face, told them the following, “I want you to write what you see there.” The confused students got started on the inexplicable task. At the end of the class, the professor took all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of them with no exceptions described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet etc.

 

After all had been read, the classroom was silent. The professor began to explain, “I am not going to grade you on this, I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot and the same happens in our lives. We have a white paper to observe and enjoy, but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a gift given to us by God with love and care. We always have reasons to celebrate, nature renewing itself every day, our friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood, the miracles we see every day.”

 

“However, we insist on focusing only on the dark spots, the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friends etc. The dark spots are very small compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds. Take your eyes away from the black spots in your life. Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you. Be happy and live a life positively!”

The Billionaire Industrialist and the Fisherman

The billionaire industrialist was shocked to see a fisherman sitting by the side of his boat smoking a cigarette instead of catching fish.

Industrialist: why aren't you catching fish?

Fisherman: Because I have caught a lot of fish today.

Industrialist: So why aren't you catching more?

Fisherman: What will I do with more fish?

Industrialist: You can make more money, then you will have a motor boat with which you can go deeper and catch fish. You will have enough money to buy nylon nets. This will allow you to catch more fish and make more money. Soon you will own two boats with this money. You may have a fleet of private jets. Then you will become rich like me.

Fisherman: What will I do next?

Industrialist: Then sit back and enjoy life.

Fisherman: What do you think I am doing right now?

Moral: Sometimes it's wrong to think that people are lazy just because they're having a little fun. You don't know their story. Get to know people and then you will understand why they do certain things. Don't be too quick to judge.

The Five Most Ridiculous Myths About The Rich

It's time to separate fact from fiction when it comes to rich people.

While rich people only represent a small portion of society, there's no shortage of talk about them. You hear about what the rich are like in the news, on blogs, in movies and so on.

There's only one problem with these tidbits and facts: Many are completely wrong. Taken at face value, these myths give you an inaccurate idea of what it takes to be wealthy.

Let's take a look at some common myths about people with a lot of money. And set the record straight.

1. They lead humble lifestyles.

I've lost track of how many times I've read that Warren Buffett still lives in the house he bought in 1958 for $31,500. That's true, but it's a five-bedroom house, so it's not like he's living in a shack. This supposedly frugal billionaire also has his own private jet.

What about Jeff Bezos? He kept driving his Honda Accord for years after getting rich. He's also a member of the private jet club.

The idea that rich people don't spend much doesn't mesh with reality. While they save a large portion of their income, they also spend money on passions and things that make their lives easier.

2. They're all big earners.

A common refrain when talking about the wealthy is "I'd be rich too if I was making $90000000." People say this as if more income would magically change their financial habits.

Earning a lot of money certainly doesn't hurt. But it's not the key to getting rich. In Hogan's Everyday Millionaires survey, he found that 62% of millionaires had an annual household income of under $100,000.

The key isn't how much you earn. It's how much you save. Millionaires have a high personal savings rate, often exceeding 50% of their income.

3. They make money quickly through high-rise ventures.

Rich people don't just save a large portion of their earnings. They also know how to make that money grow. They don't place risky bets in hopes of getting a huge return. They play the long game. They realize that the only two things they need are a high savings rate and time.

4. They get rich off other people's hard work.

There's a popular joke I've seen on Facebook. An employee compliments his boss's luxury car. The boss replies, "If you work hard, I'll be able to buy another one next year!"

It may be a joke, but many believe that's how the world works. Supposedly, the people at the top rake in the big bucks while working-class employees do the heavy lifting.

Research tells a different tale. In his "Rich Habits" study, Thomas C. Corley found that 86% of wealthy people with full-time jobs worked at least 50 hours per week. They're willing to work hard so they can make more money. And they often sacrifice work-life balance to increase their earning potential.

5. They hit the inheritance lottery.

This one's the go-to criticism people use to denigrate rich people's achievements. "Sure, they're rich, but only because of their family."

But multiple studies have shown that most wealthy people get rich on their own.

In The Millionaire Next Door, Dr. Tom Stanley found that 80% of millionaires are the first generation in their family to be rich. Chris Hogan, author of Everyday Millionaires, found similar results: Only 21% of the millionaires he surveyed received an inheritance.

MORALS

All you need is to consistently save a portion of your income and be smart about how you invest it.

ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR HEART.

 As a child, Monty Roberts was the son of a horse trainer and moved from stable to stable, from ranch to ranch, training horses. The boy’s schooling was constantly interrupted. One day, when he was a senior, his teacher asked him to write about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He did not hesitate and wrote a seven page paper about his aim to be an owner of a horse ranch. It was a detailed paper with the location of buildings, stables and even a house plan. Two days later he received his paper back with an F on the front page.

After class he asked his teacher why he received such a low score.

The teacher told him, “This dream is unrealistic for a boy like you, who has no money, no resources and who comes from an itinerant family. There is no possibility that you will reach this goal."

Then the teacher offered him the opportunity to rewrite the paper with a more realistic attitude.

The boy went home and asked his father how he should respond.

His father told him, “This is a very important decision, so you must come to your own conclusion."

After several days, the boy brought the same paper to his teacher. No changes were made.

He told his teacher, “Keep the F and I will keep my dream."

Monty Roberts went on to own a 4000 square foot house in the middle of 200 acre horse ranch. He framed the paper he wrote and hung it over his fireplace.

MORALS

Always remember to follow your heart and never listen to those who do not believe in your ability to achieve your dreams.

The Weight of the Glass

Once upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical “glass half empty or glass half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, “How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding?”

Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds.

She replied, “From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me.”

As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, “Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed – incapable of doing anything else until you drop them.”

The moral: It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses and worries. No matter what happens during the day, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the night and into the next day with you. If you still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign that it’s time to put the glass down.

Pass or Fail Story

 Once a teacher told her students that she hadn't failed anyone in the class. A cheer went around the class. Then she told them again that she hadn't passed anyone either. And she told them that it is you, students had done it. Yes, it is true. We are the ones, who are making ourselves, pass or fail in life. No one else.

A Christmas Story-A True Story of a Holiday Miracle

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.

And it's easy to contribute through Paypal (I just made my contribution). No matter how bad things may be with us, we can always decide to help someone by giving even a small amount. For it is in giving that we are able to receive blessings beyond our fondest dreams. Here is the link for "Toys for Tots":

(InternetToyDrive.org)

I wish all of you a wonderful holiday season. It doesn't matter which holidays you celebrate or not celebrate, we are all in one great celebration, the celebration of life.

May this season and the coming new year be filled with peace, joy, prosperity and all good things for you.

Always,

John

Suspect Ultimate Chicken Story (Mind Blowing Climax)

 A farmer rears twenty-five young hens and one old cock. As he feels that the old cock could no longer handle his job efficiently, the farmer bought one young cock from the market. 

 

Old cock to Young cock : "Welcome to join me, we will work together towards productivity. 

 

Young cock : What you mean? As far as I know, you are old and should be retired. 

 

Old cock : Young boy, there are twenty-five hens here, can't I help you with some? 

 

Young cock : No! Not even one, all of them will be mine. 

 

Old cock : In this case, I shall challenge you to a competition and if I win you shall allow me to have one hen and if I lose you will have all. 

 

Young cock : O.K. What kind of competition? 

 

Old cock: 50 meter run. From here to that tree. But due to my age, I hope you allow me to start off the first 10 meters. 

 

Young cock : No problem ! We will compete tomorrow morning. Confidently, the following morning, the Young cock allows the Old cock to start off and when the Old cock crosses the 10 meters mark the Young cock chases him with all his might. 

 

Soon enough, he was behind the Old cock back in a matter of seconds. 

 

Suddenly, Bang! ...... before he could overtake the old cock, he was shot dead by the farmer, who cursed, "Hell ! This is the fifth GAY chicken I've bought this week !"

Bad Day at the Office?

 Hello

If you don't laugh out loud after you read this you are in a coma! 

 

This is even funnier when you realize it's real! Next time you have a bad day at work, think of this guy. 

 

Rob is a commercial saturation diver for Global Divers in Louisiana. He performs underwater repairs on offshore drilling rigs. Below is an E-mail he sent to his sister. She then sent it to radio station 103.2 on FM dial in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, who was sponsoring a worst job experience contest. 

 

Needless to say, she won. 

 

Hi Sue, just another note from your bottom-dwelling brother. Last week I had a bad day at the office. I know you've been feeling down lately at work, so I thought I would share my dilemma with you to make you realize it's not so bad after all. 

 

Before I can tell you what happened to me, I first must bore you with a few technicalities of my job. As you know, my office lies at the bottom of the sea. I wear a suit to the office. It's a wet suit. This time of year the water is quite cool, so what we do to keep warm is this: we have a diesel-powered industrial water heater. 

 

This $20,000 piece of equipment sucks the water out of the sea. It heats it to a delightful temperature. It then pumps it down to the diver through a garden hose, which is taped to the air hose. Now this sounds like a darn good plan, and I've used it several times with no complaints. 

 

What I do, when I get to the bottom and start working, is take the hose and stuff it down the back of my wet suit. This floods my whole suit with warm water. It's like working in a Jacuzzi. 

 

Everything was going well, until all of a sudden, my butt started to itch. So, of course, I scratched it. This only made things worse. Within a few seconds, my butt started to burn. 

 

I pulled the hose out from my back, but the damage was done. In agony, I realized what had happened. The hot water machine had sucked up a jellyfish and pumped it into my suit. 

 

Now, since I don't have any hair on my back, the jellyfish couldn't stick to it. However, the crack of my butt was not as fortunate. When I scratched what I thought was an itch, I was actually grinding the jellyfish into the crack of my butt. 

 

I informed the dive supervisor of my dilemma over the communicator. His instructions were unclear due to the fact that he, along with five other divers, were all laughing hysterically. 

 

Needless to say, I aborted the dive. I was instructed to make three agonizing in-water decompression stops totaling thirty-five minutes before I could reach the surface to begin my chamber dry decompression. 

 

When I arrived at the surface, I was wearing nothing but my brass helmet. As I climbed out of the water, the medic, with tears of laughter running down his face, handed me a tube of cream and told me to rub it on my butt as soon as I got in the chamber.

 

The cream put the fire out, but I couldn't poop for two days because my butt was swollen shut. So, next time you're having a bad day at work, think about how much worse it would be if you had a jellyfish shoved up your butt. 

 

Now repeat to yourself, "I love my job, I love my job, I love my job." Now whenever you have a bad day, ask yourself: Is this a jellyfish bad day? 

 

May you NEVER have a jellyfish bad day!!!!! 

 

Here is the link to learn how to change your day and your life for good: 

 

PS. I sent this to my sister who just learned how to scuba dive and she laughed her butt off. It feels good to make someone's day. Laughter is the key to a long life. Give the gift of life to others.

Story of Donkey

Socrates the ancient Greek Philosopher used to give public discourses about serious subjects like Life and the afterlife while standing in a big stone in the corner of the market. People in the market and the passers-by come and listen for a few minutes and then they leave when they listen to his philosophy. They did not pay 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 story. A very interesting story. And started his story. People who heard his announcement came near very eagerly to listen to his story.

He started like this. “There was a 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 daybreak. He has to cross a big mountain to reach another city. There is no other way but to climb the mountain with his goods. While he was walking he found another man with a donkey also heading to the same city the merchant was going to. They were walking together and talking to each other and become friends. Then the merchant asked the 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 audience gathered around him to listen to the story, and a lot of people forget their duty and listening to his story. People used to come and listen and leave within a few minutes also forget their business and stay back to listen to 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 in the morning. It was easy to walk in the morning. As the day progressed, it become 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 a rest.”

Socrates found a large number of people gathered around him and very eagerly listening to his story. He continued:

“It was Noon and they were tired. They decided to take a break. But there were no trees or shade where they could sit and take rest, there was only the shade of donkey who carried 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 is solely belongs to him as he is the owner. But the merchant wants to sit and take a rest so he disagrees 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.

The 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 into a fierce argument for the shade of the donkey. Both argued that it belongs to them legally.”

By this time there was a large number 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 the afterlife. But you were not paying any attention. But when I started to tell 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. You should look for important things in life, do not run after silly things like stories. Do some important things every day and pursue it.”

 

Honesty Is Still the Best Policy

Once a general manager wanted to test his people who had come from all over India, about their values of life.

He announced that in their seminar folder, there is a PVC pouch and in it, there is a seed. When they return, they must put it in good soil in a pot and look after it very well.

He would hold a competition in the next year's seminar and that the best plants would be awarded suitably.

Everyone did what was told to him. A year passed quickly. And next year in a big hall, there were hundreds of pots and a great variety of plants-a great scene.

Except for one pot in which the soil was there and no plant! The owner was standing quietly and seemingly ashamed of himself!

The general manager called him on the stage. He asked him what happened and he told him the truth. He planted the seed which he was given – and did that was to be done- but nothing happened!

The general manager declared him the winner!

Everyone was shocked. It was announced, "Gentlemen! The seeds I gave you were boiled seeds. You planted them and nothing happened! You acted smartly and used some other seeds.

This man was honest to his work and, therefore he did not cheat me or himself!"

 

The Donkey - Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered in another race and it won again.

The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in any more races.

The next day the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES THE PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey. The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline: NUN HAS THE BEST ASS IN TOWN .

The Bishop fainted.

He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the headlines read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the high plains where it could run free.

The next day the headlines read : NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

Alas... The Bishop was buried the next day.

MORAL OF THE STORY???

Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery and even shorten your life. So, be yourself and enjoy life. Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll live longer.

 

Bridge of Love - Story

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict.

It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm looking for a few days' work," he said."Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?

"Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor, in fact, it's my younger brother. Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us.

Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll go him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn?I want you to build me a fence - - an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place or his face anymore."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready, and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, nailing and hammering.

About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all.

It was a bridge -- a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work handrails and all -- and the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched."You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder.

"No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother.

"I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but, I have many more love bridges to build."

Someone Who Understands - Story Puppies for Sale

A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read: "Puppies For Sale". Signs like that have a way of attracting small children and sure enough, a little boy appeared under the store owner's sign.

"How much are you going to sell the puppies for?" he asked.

The store owner replied, "Anywhere from $30 to $50."

The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change.

"I have $2.37," he said. "Can I please look at them?"

The store owner smiled and whistled and out of the kennel came Lady, who ran out in the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind.

Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, "What's wrong with that little dog?"


The store owner explained that the veterinarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn't have a hip socket. It would always be lame.

The little boy became excited. "That is the puppy that I want to buy."


The store owner said, "No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I'll just give him to you."

The little boy got quite upset. He looked straight into the store owner's eyes, pointing his finger, and said, "I don't want you to give him to me. That little dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I'll pay full price. In fact, I'll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for."


The store owner countered, "You really don't want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies."

To his surprise, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, "Well, I don't run so well myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands."


Don't we all need someone who understands?

~"Puppies For Sale" by Dan Clark~

The Wood Cutter Story - Paying Attention

One day a woodcutter took his grandson into the forest for his first experience in selecting and cutting oak trees. These they would later sell to the boat builders.

As they walked along, the woodcutter explained that the purpose of each tree is contained in its natural shape: some are straight for planks, some have the proper curves for the ribs of a boat, and some are tall for masts.

The woodcutter told his grandson that by paying attention to the details of each tree, and with experience in recognizing these characteristics, someday he too might become the woodcutter of the forest.

A little way into the forest, the grandson saw an old oak tree that had never been cut. The boy asked his grandfather if he could cut it down because it was useless for boat building - there were no straight limbs, the trunk was, short and gnarled, and the curves were going the wrong way. "We could cut it down for firewood," the grandson said. "At least then it will be of some use to us." The woodcutter replied that for now they should be about their work cutting the proper trees for the boat builders; maybe later they could return to the old oak tree.

After a few hours of cutting the huge trees, the grandson grew tired and asked if they could stop for a rest in some cool shade. The woodcutter took his grandson over to the old oak tree, where they rested against its trunk in the cool shade beneath its twisted limbs.

After they had rested a while, the woodcutter explained to his grandson the necessity of attentive awareness and recognition of everything in the forest and in the world. Some things are readily apparent, like the tall, straight trees; other things are less apparent, requiring closer attention, like recognition of the proper curves in the limbs. And some things might initially appear to have no purpose at all, like the gnarled old oak tree.

The woodcutter stated, "You must learn to pay careful attention every day so you can recognize and discover the purpose God has for everything in creation. For it is this old oak tree, which you so quickly deemed useless except for firewood, that now allows us to rest against its trunk amidst the coolness of its shade.

"Remember, grandson, not everything is as it first appears. Be patient, pay attention, recognize, and discover."

 

Why Practice Makes You Perfect

A dramatic ballad singer student under a stern teacher who insisted he rehearse day after day, month after month the same passage from the same song, without being permitted to go any farther.

Finally, overwhelmed by frustration and despair, the young man ran off to consider another profession.

 

One night, stopping at an inn, he stumbled upon a recitation contest. Having nothing to lose, he entered the competition and of course performed the one passage that he knew so well.

 
When he had finished the sponsor of the contest highly praised his performance. Despite the student's embarrassed objections, the sponsor refused to believe he had barely heard a beginner perform. 

"Tell me," the sponsor said, "who is your master?" He must be a grand instructor. The student later become known as the leading performer.

 

In this manner, practice develops, excellently’ express the ideas that:

Practicing a lot enables us to do well.
Perfection is achieved by repeating an activity several times.
We can achieve the state of flawlessness by working hard at that thing.
It is significant to put in time and effort if we want to get good at something.

 

Encouragement: If we do not achieve such an excellent standard as we would wish the first time around, this proverb encourages us to keep trying!

Appreciating hard work: This is a great proverb to cite when we want to acknowledge how much hard work someone has put into something. Perfection is achieved through hard word. It is rare to get something perfect first time around.

Versatility:This proverb is applicable to so many diverse contexts, from professional sports to playing chess!

Accurate: All things considered, ‘practice makes perfect’ is a very accurate way of expressing what it takes to succeed in life.

A sense of achievement: With its celebration of practice and skill, this proverb encapsulates the sense of achievement that we feel when we have achieved perfection in something. Hence, we can achieve whatever we desire – as long as we practice.

Give 100% in Your Relationships

A young boy and girl were enjoying a pleasant afternoon playing outside in their neighborhood together. The boy showed the girl his collection of beautiful, unique marbles. In turn, the girl showed the boy the handful of candy that she had just gotten for her birthday. 

 

The boy proposed that the two of them switch–he would give her all of his marbles if she handed over all of her candy. The girl agreed, as she found the marbles to be beautiful as well. 

 

The boy handed over all of his marbles, but kept one–the most exquisite one of them all–in his pocket. The girl kept her promise and gave the boy all of her candy.

 

That night, the girl was happy with the exchange and peacefully went to sleep.

 

The boy, however, couldn’t sleep, as he was up wondering if the girl had secretly kept some of her candy, just like he did with the marble.

 

The Moral: If you don’t give 100% in your relationships, you will always assume your partner isn’t giving 100% either. If you want your relationships to be built on trust, you have to be a participating factor in that.

Right Environment

A mother camel and her baby were lying down, soaking up the sun. The baby camel asked his mom, “Why do we have these big bumps on our back?”

The mom stopped to think and then said, “We live in the desert where there is not much water available. Our humps store water to help us survive on long journeys. “

The baby camel then stopped to think and said, “Well, why do we have long legs with rounded feet?”

His mother replied, “They are meant to help us walk through sand.”

The baby asked a third question, “Why are my eyelashes so long?”

The mother replied, “Your long eyelashes offer you protection from sand when it blows in the wind.”

Finally, the baby said, “If we have all of these natural abilities given to us to walk through the desert, what’s the use for camels in the Zoo?”

The Moral:

The skills and abilities that you possess won’t be useful if you’re not in the right environment.