SOMETIMES JUST LET IT BE.

Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers. This was in the initial days. While they were traveling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Please get me some water from that lake there”.

 

The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that some people were washing clothes in the water and, right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing the lake right at the edge of it. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?!” So he came back and told the Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink”.

 

So, the Buddha said, let us take a little rest here by the tree. After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time he found that the lake had absolutely clear water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to the Buddha.The Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said, “See, You let the water be and the mud settled down on its own. You got a clear water. It didn’t require any effort”.

 

Moral: Your mind is also like that. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. We can judge and take best decisions of our life when we stay calm.

THE BOULDER AND THE GOLD

There once was a king who decided to do a little experiment. He had a giant boulder(a very large stone) put right in the middle of the street. He then hid near the boulder to see who, if anyone, would try to move it out of the way.

First, some wealthy merchants walked by. They walked around the boulder, complaining that the king hasn’t been maintaining the roads very well.

 

Next, a peasant walked by, heading home with his arms full of food for his family. When he noticed the boulder, he put his groceries down and attempted to move it out of everyone’s way. It took him a while to move it, but he eventually succeeded.

If you’re able to push through moments that are challenging, you may end up being much better off than you were before you started trying.

 

After the peasant gathered up his groceries to carry on home, he noticed a bag lying in the middle of the road, just where the boulder once was. He opened the bag to find that it was stuffed full of gold coins, along with a letter from the king saying that the bag’s gold was a reward for the peasant to keep because he had taken the time and energy to move the boulder out of the road for the convenience of others who would be travelling the road in the future.

 

MORAL

The peasant in this story was taught by the king that every obstacle you face offers an opportunity to improve. If you’re able to push through moments that are challenging, you may end up being much better off than you were before you started trying.

 

This story also offers a lesson of personal responsibility. If you see a job ahead of you, don’t leave it for the next person to do. Rather, step up and get the job done to help the people who come after you.

THE SWITCH

A young trial lawyer developed a reputation for himself a short time of being an accomplished attorney. His opponents feared him; his clients loved him. He was sure to win each case. He began writing in law journals and invitations to speak about his techniques began to appear. After a number of these, he developed a standard lecture to be used for these audiences.

 

He travelled with his chauffeur, a bright young man who was proud to be associated with this renowned lawyer. After months of listening to the same lecture, the brash young chauffeur said that he had heard the same speech so many times that he could give it himself. It was agreed that the next time they are out of town and no one would recognize them, they would exchange duties. The lawyer dressed as the chauffeur while the chauffeur, dressed like the lawyer, was introduced to a room full of expectant lawyers.

 

The chauffeur gave the lecture, demonstrating techniques and addressing details with precision. At the end of the speech, the chauffeur was given a standing ovation. It was magnificent talk. The moderator indicated there were still a few minutes left and asked the appreciative audience if they had any questions for the honored guest.

 

One lawyer ventured to ask a question concerning the legal precedents for one of the techniques referred to earlier in the speech. The lawyer, dressed as a chauffeur, in the back of the room felt his heart sink. He could easily field the question, but there was no way to let his chauffeur no the answer. They were about to get exposed!

 

The chauffeur asked the questioner to repeat the question. After listening to the question a second time, the chauffeur chuckled. With just a slight hint of mockery, he responded, “why, that’s just a simple and well-known precedent that all of you should know! The common lay person should also know the answer. In fact, to demonstrate my premise, I’m going to let my chauffeur give you the answer.

KEEPING THE ROOTS STRONGER.

Once upon a time, there were two neighbors living next to each other. One of them was a retired teacher and another was an insurance agent who had a lot of interest in technology. Both of them had planted different plants in their garden.

 

The retired teacher was giving a small amount of water to his plants and didn’t always give a full attention to them, while the other neighbor interested in technology, had given a lot of water to his plants and looked after them too well.

 

The retired teacher’s plants were simple but looked good. The insurance agent’s plants were much fuller and greener. One day, during the night, there was a heavy rain and a wind due to a minor storm. Next morning, both of the neighbors came out to inspect the damage to their garden. The neighbor who was an insurance agent saw that his plants came off from the roots and were totally destroyed. But, the retired teacher’s plants were not damaged at all and were standing firm.

 

The insurance agent neighbor was surprised to see it, he went to the retired teacher and asked, “We both grew the same plants together, I actually looked after my plants better than you did for yours, and even gave them more water. 

 

Still, my plants came off from the roots, while yours didn’t. How is that possible?”

 

The retired teacher smiled and said, “You gave your plants more attention and water, but because of that they didn’t need to work themselves for it. You made it easy for them. While I gave them just an adequate amount of water and let their roots search for more. And, because of that, their roots went deeper and that made their position stronger. That is why my plants survived”.

 

Moral: This story is about parenting where children are like plants. If everything is given to them, they will not understand the hard work it takes to earn those things. They will not learn to work themselves and respect it. Sometimes it’s best to guide them instead of giving them

BAD COMPANY

A rich man had only one son. The son fell into the bad company. He developed many bad habits.

The man was much worried about the habits of his son. He tried his best to mend his habits but he could not succeed. One day he thought of a plan to teach his son a lesson.

 

He went to market and purchased some fresh apples and a rotten one. He came back to his home and called his son. He asked his son to put all the apples along with the rotten one in the almirah.

 

The son did the same. After some days father asked his son to bring the apples. As he opened the door of almirah he was surprised to note that all the apples had become rotten. He felt sad.

 

At this his father told him to see how one rotten apple had spoiled all the rest. In the same way one bad companion could spoil all others. The father's advice had the desired effect. The boy gave up bad company and became good again.

 

Moral:

Better alone than in bad company.

Factors That Contribute To the Development of a Successful Person

The main factors that contribute to the development of an effective and successful person are ambition, determination, self-confidence, rationality and continued learning.

 

'Ambition' means the desire to do something or succeed. 'Determination' is being serious in doing something. 'Self-confidence' is believing in one's ability to win or succeed. Self-confidence provides courage to talk to people in public, to ask questions or to say 'NO' to something that is not right. 

 

To gain self-confidence, one needs patience because without patience, self-confidence may seem like rudeness.

 

'Rationality' is using logical reasoning to solve problems. The opposite of rational thinking is using superstition and its various forms like agnosticism for solving problems. Does agnosticism help one to be successful in life?

 

'Continued learning' means learning should never stop after leaving school. Success in life depends on the amount of knowledge the person has. One must, therefore, keep on learning new things in order to be more productive.

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK

One night in July at an all-girls summer camp, the campers were gathered around in a circle for their nighttime devotions. The counselor asked if any of the girls wanted to share something that had happened that day that impacted them. One camper raised her hand and said a girl from another camp cabin had said something that hurt her feelings and she was really upset about it.

 

The camp counselor went to the bathroom to grab a tube of toothpaste. She took the tube and squeezed it just a bit so some toothpaste came out. She then tried to put the toothpaste back in the tube, but it just created a mess.Then she squeezed the tube even more, pushing more toothpaste out and creating even more of a mess, but none of it would go back into the tube.

 

The counselor then told the campers, “this toothpaste represents the words you speak. Once you say something that you want to take back, it’s impossible and it only creates a mess. Think before you speak, and make sure your words are going to good use before you let them out.”

 

MORAL

Speaking is a fundamental social skill required for living a successful life. However, many are careless with their words, but they hold so much power. They can have a direct impact on the outcome of a situation, creating a helpful or hurtful reaction in our world. The problem is, once words come out of your mouth, no amount of “I’m sorrys” will make them go back in: blurting something out and then attempting to take it back is like shutting the gate after the horse has taken off. 

 

Thinking before you speak allows you the time to consider the potential impact of your words. Be careful when choosing where and when you let your words out. You can easily hurt other people, and once you do, you can’t take it back.

Words define who we are by revealing our attitudes and character, giving people an indication of our intellect or ignorance. Stop for a minute before you speak and question yourself about why you’re saying what you are.

CHERISH YOUR STRUGGLES

One day, a girl came upon a cocoon, and she could tell that a butterfly was trying to hatch. She waited and watched the butterfly struggle for hours to release itself from the tiny hole. All of a sudden, the butterfly stopped moving–it seemed to be stuck.

 

The girl then decided to help get the butterfly out. She went home to get a pair of scissors to cut open the cocoon. The butterfly was then easily able to escape,however, its body was swollen and its wings were underdeveloped. 

 

The girl still thought she had done the butterfly a favor as she sat there waiting for its wings to grow in order to support its body. However, that wasn’t happening. The butterfly was unable to fly, and for the rest of its life, it could only move by crawling around with little wings and a large body.

 

Despite the girl’s good intentions, she didn’t understand that the restriction of the butterfly’s cocoon and the struggle the butterfly had to go through in order to escape served an important purpose. As butterflies emerge from tight cocoons, it forces fluid from their body into their wings to prepare them to be able to fly.

 

The Moral:

The struggles that you face in life help you grow and get stronger. There is often a reason behind the requirement of doing hard work and being persistent. When enduring difficult times, you will develop the necessary strength that you’ll need in the future.

 

Without having any struggles, you won’t grow–which means it’s very important to take on personal challenges for yourself rather than relying on other people to always help you.

SEEING WEALTH FROM A DIFFERENT SPECTACLE

There was once a boy who was growing up in a very wealthy family. One day, his father decided to take him on a trip to show him how others lived who were less fortunate. His father’s goal was to help his son appreciate everything that he has been given in life.

 

The boy and his father pulled up to a farm where a very poor family lived. They spent several days on the farm, helping the family work for their food and take care of their land.

 

When they left the farm, his dad asked his son if he enjoyed their trip and if he had learned anything during the time they spent with this other family.

The boy quickly replied, “It was fantastic, that family is so lucky!”

 

Confused, his father asked what he meant by that.

 

The boy said, “Well, we only have one dog, but that family has four–and they have chickens! We have four people in our home, but they have 12! They have so many people to play with! We have a pool in our yard, but they have a river running through their property that is endless. We have lanterns outside so we can see at night, but they have the wide open sky and the beautiful stars to give them wonder and light. We have a patio, but they havethe entire horizon to enjoy–they have endless fields to run around in and play. We have to go to the grocery store, but they are able to grow their own food. Our high fence protects our property and our family, but they don‘t need such a limiting structure, because their friends protect them.”

 

True wealth and happiness aren’t measured by material belongings.

 

The father was speechless.

 

Finally, the boy added, “Thank you for showing me how rich people live, they’re so lucky.”

 

Morals

True wealth and happiness aren’t measured by material belongings. Being around the people you love, enjoying the beautiful, natural environment, and having freedom are much more valuable.

 

A rich life can mean different things to different people. What are your values and priorities?

Idle Dreams and Neglected Fields: A Lesson in Proactivity

In a certain place, there resided a lazy farmer who had a strong aversion to hard work in the fields. Instead, he preferred to spend his days indulging in idleness beneath a tree. One fateful day, while he was lounging in his usual spot, a fox suddenly pursued a rabbit. With a resounding thud, the rabbit collided with the tree, meeting its unfortunate demise.

Seizing the opportunity, the farmer collected the lifeless rabbit and brought it home. This turn of events left the fox thoroughly frustrated. The farmer proceeded to cook and consume the rabbit for his evening meal, while also selling its fur at the market. In that moment, he entertained the thought, "If only I could acquire a rabbit like this every day, I would never have to toil again."

Motivated by this notion, the farmer returned to the tree the following day, eagerly anticipating another rabbit meeting a similar fate. Although he observed several rabbits, none of them carelessly collided with the tree as before. Unbeknownst to him, such occurrences were quite rare. Nevertheless, the farmer remained optimistic, thinking, "Well, there's always tomorrow."

As he fixated solely on waiting for a rabbit to meet an untimely demise, the farmer neglected his own field. Neglected and untended, weeds began to flourish in his rice field. Soon enough, hunger struck the farmer as he exhausted his rice supply without successfully capturing another rabbit.

MORAL:
This tale imparts a valuable lesson: one should not passively await good fortune without taking any action. Relying solely on luck without putting in the necessary effort for success is an unwise approach.

BE SMARTER THAN YOUR ENEMY.

 A Rabbit entered a shop and asked: "Do you have carrots?". They said, "no we don't have." The following day the rabbit came to the shop and asked again, "Do you have carrots?" They replied angrily, " We said we don't have carrots, if you come back again asking for carrots, we gonna SINK A NAIL in ur HEAD with a HAMMER!" 

 

The third day the rabbit came yet again and asked, "Do you have a hammer? They replied, "NO." He said, "What about nails?" They said, "NO." Then he calmly asked, "Do you have carrots?"

Moral:

Don't let your enemy scare you, he has nothing. His threats are just empty meant to derail you from the path leading to success. Just pursue your dreams.

Have a fabulous smiling moment.

Not all enemies are enemies.

 

When the baboons and monkeys heard that the man who used to chase them away from the maize field had died... they hysterically celebrated.

 

The following year there was no maize..that's when they painfully realised the dead man was the farmer.

 

Not all enemies are enemies.

Some came to teach us lessons.

SOAR LIKE AN EAGLE.

Did you know that an eagle can foresee when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?

 

Instead of hiding, the eagle will fly to some high point and wait for the winds to come.

 

When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind can pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle soars above it.

 

The eagle does not escape or hide from the storm instead it uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the stormy winds which others dread.

 

MORALS

When the storm of life or challenges hit us, we can rise above them and soar like the eagle which ride the winds of the storm. Don’t be afraid of the storms or the challenges in your life. Use it to lift you higher in your life.

 

THE BLIND MAN'S LOVE.

A man married a beautiful girl. He loved her very much. One day she developed a skin disease. Slowly she started to lose her beauty. It so happened that one day her husband left for a tour. While returning he met with an accident and lost his eyesight. However, their married life continued as usual. But as days passed she lost her beauty gradually. Blind husband did not know this and there was not any difference in their married life. He continued to love her and she also loved him very much. One day she died. Her death brought him a great sorrow. He finished all her last rites and wanted to leave that town.

 

A man from behind called and said, “Now how will you be able to walk all alone? All these days your wife used to help you”. He replied, “I am not blind. I was acting because if she knew l could see her skin condition due to a disease, it would have pained her more than her disease. I didn’t love her for her beauty alone, but I fell in love with her caring and loving nature. So I pretended to be blind. I only wanted to keep her happy”.

 

Moral: When you truly love someone, you will go to any extent to keep your loved one happy and sometimes it is good for us to act blind and ignore one another’s short comings in order to be happy. The Beauty will fade with time, but heart and soul will always be the same. Love the person for what he/she is from inside, not from outside.

WORDS ON MARBLE

I tasted all that is sweet, but I found nothing sweeter than good health. And I tasted all that was bitter, but nothing was more bitter than being in need of good people. 

 

And I carried both, iron, and rocks, but nothing was heavier than debt. I discovered therefore that life is comprised only of two days: A day for you and a day against you! So when it is for you, be not reckless; and when it is against you, be patient. Because both days will expire!!

 

If you can't be a bridge to connect people, then don't be a wall to separate them. If you can't be a light to brighten people's good deeds then don't be darkness covering their efforts. If you can't be water to help people's crops sprout, then don't be a pest destroying their crops. If you can't be a vaccine to give life, don't be a virus to terminate it. If you can't be a pencil to write anyone's happiness, then try to be a nice eraser to remove their sadness.

 

We can only be each others keeper.

 

TOGETHER WE ARE GREAT

BEING YOURSELF

One day King came to his garden and saw withering and dying trees, bushes and flowers.

 

An oak said it dies because it can’t be as high as a pine.

 

A pine tree was falling down because it could not give grapes like a grapevine.

Meanwhile the grapevine was dying because it couldn’t blossom like a rose.

 

But soon the King found a single plant, pleasing heart, bloomy and fresh.

 

The king asked:

All the trees and flowers here are withering, and you are flourishing, why?

 

I think it comes naturally. You have planted me, because it was Your wish and Your choice. If you would like to grow an oak, grapes or rose, you would plant them. And I cannot be anything else than what I am. So I try to develop my best qualities.

 

Look at yourself. You can be only yourself. It is impossible for you to become someone else. You can enjoy life and blossom or you can wither if you do not accept yourself.

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

One cold winter a lion was lying asleep in the sun. A mouse came out of its hole and began to jump over the body of the sleeping lion. This woke up the lion.

He caught the small creature and was going to crush it under his heavy paw. The mouse begged pardon and requested the lion to let it go. It also said that it might be of any help to him in future.

 

The lion simply laughed. He could not imagine that it could be of any help to him. He however, was moved to pity and let it go.

 

Shortly afterwards, the lion was caught in the net laid by the hunter in the forest. He tried his best to free himself from the net but all his efforts remained fruitless. So he began to lament.

 

When the mouse heard his lamentation, it came out with its young ones. They sat to work and it did not take them long to nibble at the ropes and cut them with their sharp teeth.

 

The lion became free and thanked the mouse for its timely help. Now he realized that even a small creature could be of help to the stronger and bigger animals.

 

Moral:

Kindness never goes unrewarded.

THE WISE MAN

 People have been coming to the wise man, complaining about the same problems every time. One day he told them a joke and everyone roared in laughter.

After a couple of minutes, he told them the same joke and only a few of them smiled.

 

When he told the same joke for the third time no one laughed anymore.

The wise man smiled and said:

 

“You can’t laugh at the same joke over and over. So why are you always crying about the same problem?”

 

Moral of the story:

Worrying won’t solve your problems, it’ll just waste your time and energy.

AN OPEN SECRET.

Once upon a time Sammy and his sister Marie visited their grandparents at their farm. Sammy picked up a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for the lunch. As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck.

Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly which hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the pile of woods. Marie had seen it all from the window but she said nothing. After the lunch, the next day Grandma said, “Marie, let’s wash the dishes.” Marie said, “But Grandma, Sammy told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.”

 

Then she whispered to Sammy, “Remember the duck?” Sammy got nervous knowing his sister knew about the duck and if he doesn’t obey, she may tell his grandparents about it. So without saying anything, he did the dishes.

 

Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing but Grandma said, “I’m sorry but I need Marie to help make a supper.” Marie just smiled and said, “Well that’s all right because Sammy told me he wanted to help.”

 

She whispered again to Sammy, “Remember the duck?” So Marie went fishing and Sammy stayed to help. After several days of Marie taking advantage of Sammy, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

 

Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, “Sweetheart, I know. I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Marie take advantage of you.”

 

Moral: Always confess of your mistakes. It will take away a load of guilt from your heart which will boost your conscience and no one will take an advantage of your secret mistakes! Accept your mistake, apologize and seek forgiveness politely.

THE REFLECTION OF YOUR ACTIONS.

 A man and his son were going through the forest hills. Suddenly, the boy fell down on the trail and screamed with a pain, “Aah!” Surprisingly, he heard the same voice from the mountain, “Aah!” Curiously, the boy shouted, “Who is this?” But the voice replied the same, “Who is this?” He got angry, and shouted again, “You are stupid!” And again the voice replied the same, “You are stupid!”

Annoyed By this, the boy asked his father, “Father, What is going on? Who is this?” The Father replied, “Son, Pay attention”. The father shouted, “You are very nice”. And the voice responded the same, “You are very nice!” The father again shouted, “Thank you”. And the voice again responded the same, “Thank you!” The son was very surprised but he still could not understand what was happening.

 

The father explained, “Son, people call it resonance, but this is the truth of the life. The life is a reflection of your actions. What you will give to others, you will receive the same in return.”

 

Moral: What we give to others, life gives us the same in return. Your life is not an accident or a coincidence, but it is the shadow of your actions.

Being Together

One evening, after spending several days with his new wife, a man leaned over and whispered into her ear, “I love you.” 

 

She smiled – and the man smiled back – and she said, “When I’m eighty years old and I’m thinking back on my entire life, I know I will remember this moment.”

A few minutes later, she drifted off to sleep. The man was left with the silence of the room and the soft sound of his wife’s breathing. He stayed awake, thinking about everything they had done together, from their first date to their first vacation together and ultimately to their big wedding. These were just some of the life choices that the couple had made together that had led to this very moment of silence in the presence of each other.

 

At one point, the man then realized that it didn’t matter what they had done or where they had gone. Nor did it matter where they were going.

 

The only thing that mattered was the serenity of that very moment.

 

Just being together. Breathing together. And resting together.

 

The Moral:

We can’t let the clock, calendar, or pressure from external sources take over our lives and allow us to forget the fact that every moment of our lives is a gift and a miracle – no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it is. Being mindful in the special moments that you spend in the presence of the ones that you love are the moments that truly give your life meaning.

The Power to Succeed is in Your Own Hands

A young chap went to a soothsayer to inquire about the hope of his future.

Right before his eyes, the soothsayer drew two circles. One in white and the other in black. 

 

He then put a millipede in between the circles, saying "if the millipede crawls into the white circle, your future will be bright and very great, but if it crawls into the black circle, then you are finished and doomed! No future at all!".

As soon as the insect was dropped in between the circles, it began crawling towards the white circle. 

 

This chap was super-excited. 

 

But suddenly, as it got to the edge of the circle, it turned back and began crawling away from the white circle towards the black one. 

 

The boy watched as the insect progressively moved farther away from his desire to his doom.

 

Then, just when the insect got to the edge of the black circle, this chap stretched his hands, picked it up and quickly but carefully dropped it in the white circle.

The soothsayer was in shock, never seen anyone intervenes in his own matter, watching all the while, asked the chap what he did and why he did what he did. 

 

The boy smiled and simply replied by saying "I cannot sit and watch my destiny go down the gloom doom! While I can still do something about it and to change its course. My destiny is in my hands". 

 

He got up and left." 

 

MORAL

This year, get the hell up, pick up the damn millipede and drop it where you want. The power to design and pilot your life is in your hands. You either sit down there, complain and feel someone owes you something or get up and determine the flow of your life. It's up to you.

Team Work

 

There was once a man who lived with his three sons. His sons were very hard working, but they constantly fought with each other. Even though the man continuously tried to help his sons make peace with each other, he was never successful. In fact, their fighting got to a point where their neighbors would make fun of them.

Eventually, the father became ill. He begged his sons to learn how to work together because of his impending death, but they didn’t listen. The father then decided to teach his sons a practical lesson to help his sons forget their differences and become a united team.

 

The father called his sons and said, “I’ll give you each an equal collection of sticks to break in half. Whoever breaks the sticks the fastest will be rewarded.”

After agreeing to the task, the father gave each of his sons 10 sticks and instructed them to break each stick in half. This task took the sons mere minutes to complete, but once they were finished, they started to fight about who finished first.

 

The father said, “Dear sons, the task isn’t finished. Now I’ll give each of you 10 more sticks, however, you must break the sticks in half as a bundle rather than snapping each one separately.”

 

His sons agreed and attempted to do what he had asked. They each tried their best, but none could break the bundle in half. They told their father that they had failed.

 

In response, their father said, “See, it was easy to break the sticks in half individually, but you couldn’t break all 10 of them at the same time. Similarly, if the three of you stay united as a team, nobody will be able to harm you. However, if you fight all the time, anyone will be able to defeat you. Please come together as a united team.”

 

This lesson helped the man’s sons understand the power of being a team and promised their father that, moving forward, they would work together as a team, no matter what the situation was.

 

MORALS: Strong teams are naturally aligned to work harder and support each other.

Crossing Mistakes and Moving On

During my time in primary school, when I first started using a pen, I would often strive to erase any mistakes I made before submitting my work to my teacher.

At times, I would attempt to clean my errors using chalk, only to find them reappearing later. So I resorted to using saliva, which did the trick but left unsightly holes in my books. Consequently, my teachers would scold me for being excessively messy. All I wanted to do was hide my mistakes.

Then, one day, a compassionate teacher who cared deeply for me took me aside and said, "Whenever you make a mistake, simply cross it out and move forward." He explained, "Trying to erase your mistakes will only damage your book beyond repair."

In protest, I told him that I didn't want others to see my errors. With a smile, my caring teacher responded, "Trying to erase your mistakes will only draw more attention to them, creating a lasting stigma."

Have you made mistakes in life? Cross them out and continue moving forward. Don't expose yourself by attempting to cover up your errors. There are brighter opportunities awaiting you in the future.

BAG OF COINS

Once in a village lived a very greedy man Paul. He always wanted to have lots of money and wish to own everything to himself. He used to calculate each and every small ways in which he can save and get more money.

 

He used to deceive others and many time told lies to protect his wealth. He was considered just opposite of Honesty. However one day he was taught good lesson because of his own act of greediness.

 

One day he missed a small bag of coins which contained 50 coins. He searched for it but couldn’t find it. He told his friends and neighbors and workers about his lost bag and requested them to inform him if they found it.

 

After couples of days, a little girl who used to live near Paul’s house found that bag. She told her father about it. Her father used to work in Paul’s land. He told his daughter that it was his master’s bag of coin and would return it to his master.

Despite being poor worker went to his master and returned the bag. Paul was happy to get that bag and because of his greediness decided to play a trick.

 

He shouted at his worker, “There were 75 gold coins in this bag but you gave me only 50 coins. Where are other coins? You have stolen them.!!”

 

Worker was shocked to hear that and pleaded to his master that he gave whatever her daughter found. But selfish and greedy Paul didn’t accept it and decided to take the matter to the court.

 

All went to court. Judge heard both sides and examined daughter and worker about number to coins they found and assured it was only 50.

 

Now judge cross examined Paul about coins to which he replied, “Yes lord, I had 75 coins in my bag but they gave me only 50. They have stolen my coins.”

 

Now, Judge made the judgement, “Since Paul lost a bag of 75 gold coins and bag found by girl had only 50 coins. So it doesn’t belong to Paul. So it was lost by someone else. In addition, if someone found any bag of 75 coins it would belong to Paul. There is no claims against lost of 50 coins. So i order girl and his father to accept 50 coins as token of appreciation for their honesty.”

 

MORAL

Honesty is Rewarded and Greediness is Punished. We should not be greedy and cheat others.

THE OPPRESSOR AND THE BLINDED OPPRESSED.

During the Soviet dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, he was a brutal dictator with mind of his own. On one fateful day, Stalin came to Politburo meeting with a live chicken. Standing in front of the audience, he started to pluck the feathers of the live chicken off one by one.

The chicken trembled in pain, blood tricking out of its pores. It gave out grievous cries, but Stalin being a cruel dictator continued without remorse plucking the feathers out until the chicken was completely naked. After which, he threw the chicken on the ground.

The naked chicken was staggering in pain. Stalin goes into his pocket and from his pocket, he took out some chicken food and started to throw it at the poor and hapless creature.

The poor chicken in pain started eating and Stalin started walking towards his seat. As he walked away, he kept dropping some feeds on the floor and the chicken followed him and sat feeding from his feet.

Joseph Stalin then turned to members of his political leadership. He said, "This chicken represents the people". He continued, "You must dis-empower them, brutalize them, beat them up, starve them and leave them".

"If you do this, go into your pocket and give them peanuts when they are in that helpless and desperate situation, they will blindly follow you for the rest of their life, worshiping you".

Finally he said, "They will think you are a hero forever. They will forget that you are responsible for their sorrowful situation in the first place".

MORAL: Be watchful of politicians.

 

UNNECESSARY DOUBTS.

A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of beautiful marbles. The girl had some candies with her. The boy offered to give the girl all his marbles in exchange for all her candies. The girl agreed. The boy gave all the marbles to the girl, but secretly kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble for himself. The girl gave him all her candies as she had promised. That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn’t sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some more tasty candies from him the way he had hidden his best marble.

MORAL: If you don’t give your hundred percent in a relationship, you’ll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent.

 

The fox and the grapes

One afternoon a fox was walking through the forest and spotted a bunch of grapes hanging from over a lofty branch.

“Just the thing to quench my thirst,” he thought.

Taking a few steps back, the fox jumped and just missed the hanging grapes. Again the fox took a few paces back and tried to reach them but still failed.

Finally, giving up, the fox turned up his nose and said, “They’re probably sour anyway,” and proceeded to walk away.

Moral of the story:

It’s easy to despise what you can’t have.

 

A Lesson in Forgiveness and Redemption: The Unforgettable Encounter

A young man saw his primary school teacher at a wedding ceremony.He went to greet him with all respect and admiration!! He said to him: "Can you still recognize me Sir?’ 'I don't think so!!', said the Teacher, 'could you please remind me how we met?'The student recounted:"I was your Student in the 3rd Grade, I stole a Wrist watch belonging to my then classmate because it was unique and fascinating.

My Classmate came to you crying that his Wrist Watch had been stolen and you ordered all Students in the class to stand on a straight line, facing the wall with our hands up and our eyes closed so you could check our pockets. At this point, I became jittery and terrified of the outcome of the search. The shame I will face after other Students discovered that I stole the Watch, the opinions my Teachers will form about me, the thought of being named a ' thief' till I leave the School and my Parents' reaction when they get to know about my action. All these thoughts flowing across my heart, when suddenly it was my turn to be checked. I felt your hand slipped into my pocket and you brought out the Watch. I was gripped with fear, expecting the worse to be announced. I was surprised I didn't hear anything, but Sir, you continued searching other Students' pockets till you got to the last person.

When the search was over, you asked us to open our eyes and sit on our Chairs. I was afraid to sit because I was thinking you will call me out soon after everyone was seated.

But to my amazement, you showed the watch to the class, gave it to the owner and you never mentioned the name of the one who stole the watch. You didn't say a word to me, and you never mentioned the story to anyone.

Throughout my stay in the school, no Teacher or Student knew what happened. This incident naturally taught me a great lesson and I resolved in my heart never to get myself involved in taking whatever is not mine. I thought to myself, you saved my dignity."

A young man saw his primary school teacher at a wedding ceremony.He went to greet him with all respect and admiration!! He said to him: "Can you still recognize me Sir?’ 'I don't think so!!', said the Teacher, 'could you please remind me how we met?'The student recounted:"I was your Student in the 3rd Grade, I stole a Wrist watch belonging to my then classmate because it was unique and fascinating.

My Classmate came to you crying that his Wrist Watch had been stolen and you ordered all Students in the class to stand on a straight line, facing the wall with our hands up and our eyes closed so you could check our pockets. At this point, I became jittery and terrified of the outcome of the search. The shame I will face after other Students discovered that I stole the Watch, the opinions my Teachers will form about me, the thought of being named a ' thief' till I leave the School and my Parents' reaction when they get to know about my action. All these thoughts flowing across my heart, when suddenly it was my turn to be checked. I felt your hand slipped into my pocket and you brought out the Watch. I was gripped with fear, expecting the worse to be announced. I was surprised I didn't hear anything, but Sir, you continued searching other Students' pockets till you got to the last person.

When the search was over, you asked us to open our eyes and sit on our Chairs. I was afraid to sit because I was thinking you will call me out soon after everyone was seated.

But to my amazement, you showed the watch to the class, gave it to the owner and you never mentioned the name of the one who stole the watch. You didn't say a word to me, and you never mentioned the story to anyone.

Throughout my stay in the school, no Teacher or Student knew what happened. This incident naturally taught me a great lesson and I resolved in my heart never to get myself involved in taking whatever is not mine. I thought to myself, you saved my dignity."

"Do you remember the story now Sir? You can't simply forget this story Sir!!"

The teacher replied, ' I vividly remember the story that I found the Watch in a pocket but I did not know in whose pocket the stolen Watch was found that day because I searched your pockets while I also had my eyes closed."

In life, we need wisdom for everything we do. As parents, teachers, Pastors, leaders etc... We should be able to close our eyes to some things. Not all misbehavior require punishment. Some will need encouragement, some mentoring and some monitoring.

Men have pains too

A woman said to me, 'It took me years to really know that men cry too. I took my husband for a super human. I see him leave the house everyday and come back providing for us. One day as I have left the house and he was at home, I remembered that I needed to take something along, I turned back and headed home. As I got home, I tried going through the back door which was closer to the window of our room. I heard my husband crying like a baby asking God to help me get a job so I can help him fend for the family. He has never complained to me before but that day, I broke down in tears realizing that my husband has held much of his pains alone".

Men can be financially broke and pretend to have everything.

Most men are married but they have lonely life. Sometimes, ask your husband out. Men are not always busy as women think.

You have to understand that your husband has pains and needs too. Don't judge him by things you want from him. Sometimes, your husband doesn't have things you want.

Men also have emotional needs and problems. Men still cry for love

 

Advise

Successful people have two things on their lips, "smile and silence". Smile can solve problem while Silence can avoid problems. Sugar and salt may be mixed together but ants reject the salt and carry away only the sugar. Select the right people in life and make your life better and sweeter. If you fail to achieve your dreams, change your ways not your God. Remember, trees change their leaves and not their roots. You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones to every dog that barks. Haters will see you walking on water and say its because you can't swim. Even if you dance on water, your enemies will accuse you of raising dust. Make it your ambition to live a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your own hands. Remember, don’t ever wrestle with a pig. You’ll both get dirty, but the pig will enjoy it. -- Be Inspired and have a great day.

Being and Breathing

One warm evening many years ago…

After spending nearly every waking minute with Angel for eight straight days, I knew that I had to tell her just one thing. So late at night, just before she fell asleep, I whispered it in her ear. She smiled – the kind of smile that makes me smile back –and she said, “When I’m seventy-five and I think about my life and what it was like to be young, I hope that I can remember this very moment.”

 

A few seconds later she closed her eyes and fell asleep. The room was peaceful – almost silent. All I could hear was the soft purr of her breathing. I stayed awake thinking about the time we’d spent together and all the choices in our lives that made this moment possible. And at some point, I realized that it didn’t matter what we’d done or where we’d gone. Nor did the future hold any significance.

 

All that mattered was the serenity of the moment.

 

Just being with her and breathing with her.

 

The moral: We must not allow the clock, the calendar, and external pressures to rule our lives and blind us to the fact that each individual moment of our lives is a beautiful mystery and a miracle – especially those moments we spend in the presence of a loved one