THE PENCIL

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

"There are 5 things you need to know," he told the pencil, "Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be."

"One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand."

"Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil."

"Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make."

"Four: The most important part of you will always be what's inside."

"And Five: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write."

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.


Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.

Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.

Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

Four: The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.

And Five: On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.

Author Unknown

STONE SOUP

Many years ago three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a small village. The villagers, suffering a meager harvest and the many years of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the village square, wringing their hands and bemoaning the lack of anything to eat.

The soldiers spoke quietly among themselves and the first soldier then turned to the village elders. "Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have: the secret of how to make soup from stones."

Naturally the villagers were intrigued and soon a fire was put to the town's greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. "Now this will be a fine soup", said the second soldier; "but a pinch of salt and some parsley would make it wonderful!" Up jumped a villager, crying "What luck! I've just remembered where some's been left!" And off she ran, returning with an apronful of parsley and a turnip. As the kettle boiled on, the memory of the village improved: soon barley, carrots, beef and cream had found their way into the great pot.

They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast and their new-found friends. In the morning the three soldiers awoke to find the entire village standing before them. At their feet lay a satchel of the village's best breads and cheese. "You have given us the greatest of gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones", said an elder, "and we shall never forget." The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said: "There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing that we may make a feast". And off the soldiers wandered, down the road.

-Author Unknown-

THE HOUSE OF 1000 MIRRORS

Long ago in a small, far away village, there was place known as the House of 1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit.

When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the House, he thought to himself, "This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often."

In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself, "That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again."

All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see in the faces of the people you meet?

THE REAL MEANING OF PEACE

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist
who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them.


One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

"Because," explained the king, "peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace."

THE APPLE TREE

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it every day. He loved the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow...He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by.......

The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday. One day the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad. "Come play with me," the tree asked the boy. I am no longer a kid, I don't ' play around trees anymore." The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them." "Sorry, but I don't have money.....but you can pick my apples and sell them. Then you will have money." The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me" the tree said. I don't have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me? "Sorry but I don't have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house." So the boy cut all the branches off the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then.

The tree was lonely and sad. One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was so delighted. "Come and play with me!" the tree said. "I am so sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat? " "Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy." So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a very long long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy, but I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for yo u...." the tree said". "I don't have teeth to bite" the boy replied. "No more trunk for you to climb on" I am too old for that now" the boy said. "I really can't give you anything.....the only thing left is my dying roots" the tree said with tears. "I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years." The boy replied "Good! Old Tree Roots is the best place to lean and rest on." "Come, come sit down with me and rest " The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

This is a story for everyone. The tree is our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad...When we grew up, we left them...only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they can to make you happy. You may think the boy is cruel to the tree but that is how all of us are treating our parents.

Love your parents, no matter where they are.

KIDS USUALLY EXPECT THE BEST!

A little girl walked daily to and from school. Though the weather this particular morning was questionable and clouds were forming, she made her trek to the elementary school. As the afternoon progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning.

The child's mother, concerned that her daughter would be frightened and possibly harmed by the storm got into her car and drove along the route to her child's school.

As she did so, she saw her little daughter walking along happily but at each flash of lightning the child would stop, look up, and smile.

Stopping the car, the mother called to the child to get in with her. As they drove toward school, the girl continued to turn toward each lightning flash and smile.

The Mother asked, "What are you doing?"

The child answered, "Well, I must do this, God keeps taking pictures of me."

THE MUSTARD SEED AND SORROW

Once there was a woman whose only son had died. In her sorrow she went to ask a wise holy man is there a way to bring her son back to life. “Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to bring your son back to life.” He said to her instead of sending her away or try reasoning with her.

At once she quickly set off looking for that elusive mustard seed. The first place she came to is a huge mansion. Knocking on the door, she asked “I am looking for a house that has never known suffering. Is this the place? It is very important to me.”

“You have come to the wrong place” they told her. They begin to pour out all the tragic things that have befallen upon them.

“Who is better to be able to help these poor unfortunate souls than I who has experience sadness and can understand them?” she thought. Therefore she stayed behind and consoled and comforted them before going to another house that has never known sorrow before.

However, wherever she goes, from huts to palaces, there is never one without tales of sadness and misfortunes. In time to come, she became so involved in listening to other people’s sad stories that she forgot about her quest for that elusive mustard seed. By listening to other people, she had actually driven the grieving out of her life.

-Author Unknown-

A LEGACY OF LOVE

What should be our legacy of love be? Here is something for you to ponder about.

As a young man, Al was a skilled artist, a potter. He had a wife and two fine sons. One night, his oldest son developed a severe stomachache. Thinking it was only some common intestinal disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously.
But the malady was actually acute appendicitis, and the boy died suddenly that night.

Knowing the death could have been prevented if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al's emotional health deteriorated under the enormous burden of his guilt. To make matters worse his wife left him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son. The hurt and pain of the two situations were more than Al could handle, and he turned to alcohol to help him cope. In time Al became an alcoholic.

As the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he possessed - his home, his land, his art objects, everything. Eventually Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room.

When I heard of Al's death, I reacted with the same disdain the world shows for one who ends his life with nothing material to show for it. "What a complete failure!" I thought. "What a totally wasted life!"

As time went by, I began to re-evaluate my earlier harsh judgment. You see, I knew Al's now adult son, Ernie. He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known. I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free flow of love between them. I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere.

I hadn't heard Ernie talk much about his father. It is so hard to defend an alcoholic. One day I worked up my courage to ask him. "I'm really puzzled by something," I said. "I know your father was basically the only one to raise you. What on earth did he do that you became such a special person?"

Ernie sat quietly and reflected for a few moments. Then he said, "From my earliest memories as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, `I love you, son.'"

Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to judge Al as a failure. He had not left any material possessions behind. But he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest legacy of love, a most giving man I have ever known.

-Author Unknown-

LAUGHTER

Many years ago, Norman Cousins was diagnosed as "terminally ill." He was given six months to live. His chance for recovery was one in 500.

He could see the worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to, and perhaps helped cause, his disease. He wondered, "If illness can be caused by negativity, can wellness be created by positivity?" He decided to make an experiment of himself.

Laughing was one of the most positive activities he knew. He rented all the funny movies he could find - Keaton, Chaplin, Fields, the Marx Brothers. (This was before VCRs, so he had to rent the actual films.) He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something funny.

His pain was so great he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the pain for several hours so he could sleep. He fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy, healthy and productive years. (His journey is detailed in his book, Anatomy of an Illness.) He credits visualization, the love of his family and friends, and laughing for his recovery.

Some people think laughing is a waste of time. It is a luxury, they say, a frivolity, something to indulge in only every so often. Nothing could be further from the truth. Laughing is essential to our equilibrium, to our well-being, to our aliveness. If we're not well, laughing helps us get well; if we are well, laughing helps us stay that way.

Since Cousins' ground-breaking subjective work, scientific studies have shown that laughter has a curative effect on the body, the mind and the emotions. So, if you like laughing, consider it sound medical advice to indulge in it as often as you can. If you don't like laughter, then take your medicine - laugh anyway.

Use whatever makes you laugh - movies, sitcoms, Monty Python, records, books, New Yorker cartoons, jokes, friends.

Give yourself permission to laugh - long and loud and out loud - whenever anything strikes you as funny. The people around you may think you're strange, but sooner or later they'll join in even if they don't know what you're laughing about.

Some diseases may be contagious, but none is as contagious as the cure. . . laughter.

THE MONK AND THE BABY

Once there was a monk who lived in a village. One day a young village girl became pregnant and was unmarried. She did not want to expose her boyfriend. Out of fear when her parents asked her who is responsible, she pointed her finger to that monk.

Her parents were infuriated. The next day, the whole village turned up to blame the him. “How could you?” “You dirty old man!” “You are a disgrace!” “Get out of our village, you hypocrite!” Some villagers even threaten the his life.

After listening to all the accusations, what he said was “Is that so?” and went back to meditate. Months went by; the young girl gave birth to a baby. The parents of the young girl were forced to find a father for the child. The parents and the villagers went up to approach him saying “You are responsible for this baby; therefore you should bring up the baby!” Once again, he said “Is that so?” He took the young baby in his arms and went back.

By this time the he has lost his reputation but it did not trouble him. He took very good care for this baby and he manages to obtain milk and everything the child needed from his neighbors.

After a year, he young girl felt ashamed and guilty and wanted to see her baby. She finally told the real story to her parents. When all the villagers came to know the truth, they all felt ashamed of having wrong him. So all of them gathered and went to the monk asking for forgiveness. Once again, after listening to them said “Is that so?” He handed the baby back to the young girl.

When you are right, one thousand angels swearing that you are wrong does not matter. But when you are wrong, ten thousand angels swearing that you are right will not make any difference.

THE CHICKEN

Once upon a time, there was a large mountainside, where an eagle’s nest rested. The eagle’s nest contained four large eagle eggs. One day an earthquake rocked the mountain causing one of the eggs to roll down the mountain, to a chicken farm, located in the valley below. The chickens knew that the must protect and care for the eagle’s egg, so an old hen volunteered to nurture and raise the large egg.

One day, the egg hatched and a beautiful eagle was born. Sadly, however, the eagle was raised to be a chicken. Soon, the eagle believed he was nothing more than a chicken. The eagle loved his home and family, but his spirit cried out for more. While playing a game on the farm one day, the eagle looked to the skies above and noticed a group of mighty eagles soaring in the skies. "Oh," the Eagle cried, "I wish I could soar like those birds."

The chickens roared with laughter, "You cannot soar with those birds. You are a chicken and chickens do not soar." The eagle continued staring, at his real family up above, dreaming that he could be with them. Each time the eagle would let his dreams be known, he was told it couldn’t be done.

That is what the eagle learned to believe. The eagle, after time, stopped dreaming and continued to live his life like a chicken. Finally, after a long life as a chicken, the eagle passed away.

The moral of the story: You become what you believe you are; so if you ever dream to become an eagle follow your dreams, not the words of a chicken.

-Author Unknown-

THE WISE MAN AND THE YOUNG MAN

There was once an old wise man who live on top of a mountain. (I don’t know why the wise men always like to stay on top of mountains.) Whenever the villagers had a problem, they would climb up the mountain and ask the old man for advice.

One day a young man decided to climb up and ask the old man a question.

“Wise man,” he asked, “What makes a man truly great?”

The old man looked at him and said, “Do you sincerely want to know?”
“Yes, yes!” the young man replied the wise man.

“Well,” the wise old man said to him, “Let me tell you in the form of a story”

There was once a Greek man who suffered from a deadly disease. Knowing that he will die soon, he was the first to join the army when his country was in a battle with the enemy. Hoping to die in battle, he would fight in the front line, exposing himself without any worry for his life. Eventually they won the battle and he was still alive. His general was so impressed with his bravery which contributed much to the victory.

The general decided to promote him and award him with medals of bravery and honor. On the day of presentation, he was looking very down and sad. Curiously, the general asked him the reason why and was told of his deadly disease. “How could I let such a brave soldier die?”, the general thought. So the general hired the best physician and finally cured the soldier. But from that day onwards, the once valiant soldier was no longer seen at the front. He would always avoid danger and tries his best to avoid danger and protect his life.

“Young man”, he wise man said, “if you want to be truly great, you must not be scared of dying, you must be daring.”

- Author Unknown-

COMMIT TO BE HAPPY

Today, I reaffirmed a personal commitment to be happy, in spite of what life hands me. I've decided that there are too many things over which I have no control, and the only thing I can do is to stop allowing them to make dents in my spirit.

Happiness is not something that others can take from me. It's something that I would have to throw away on my own.

There will be times when things don't turn out the way I want them to. My best friend at work may turn out to be a power-hungry corporate animal that backstabs me at every opportunity. The promotion I worked so hard for may go to someone else. My partner might decide to leave me, a day before we are due to go for a vacation together. I may lose most of my savings in a market crash.

These are things that can happen to the most loving, compassionate, careful and reasonable person. But after the initial pain and shock, the decision whether or not to let myself languish in despair is entirely up to me. I can allow misfortune to form the bulk of my life, or I can choose to leave what's past in the past, and move on.

One's friendly and caring behavior towards others should not be motivated by the thought of equally kind and affectionate responses. You understand yourself best, and regardless of how reasonably and responsibly you live your life, there will be people who won't see your point of view or share your motivations.

People have the right to act in any way they see fit. I don't have the right to judge whether their behavior is acceptable or not. They have to bear the responsibility for their own actions, and so do I. By feeling sorry for myself, I am simply continuing the work for them, long after they've dealt their blow. I've decided that, as far as possible, I will not allow these people to disturb my mind.

There are many things for which I can be grateful. There are yet unexplored experiences in which I can find enrichment and meaning. There are yet others who will like me for who I am, and in spite of who I am. If I spend my time being resentful and miserable, I'm denying myself the satisfaction of enjoying what this life has to offer.

There are enough unhappy people in this world who punish themselves and others constantly in a bid to find redress and compensation. But there is no satisfaction in retaliation and revenge. It's a waste of time and spirit.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT LIFE?

You may not be a grey-haired sage of 80, but the truths of life are revealed throughout your lifetime. Although no one can claim to know all there is to know about life, you must have some idea.

Well, here's what someone learnt about life:

Don't go for looks. It can deceive. Don't go for wealth, for even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile, because only a smile can make a dark day seem bright.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it. But it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably does hurt the person too.

A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck a life. A timely word may level stress. A loving word may heal and bless.

Love is when you take away the feeling, the passion, and the romance, and you find that you still care for that person.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that comes their way.

Sometimes, the most extensive article may say very little or nothing to you, but a short and simple phrase says it all.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

Have you ever been tempted to cut a corner or to take the easiest route, though you know it may not necessarily be the best one? Or have you ever made a decision because it was quick and simple, knowing that it might come back to bite you later?

I appreciate a parable Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard told about the dangers of taking the easy route. It is a story about a wild duck. Though life was difficult at times, the beautiful creature loved the boundless heavens and the endless stretches of wilderness. Soaring about treetops and towns, the duck symbolized to its tame counterparts, who could not fly, the epitome of freedom.

One evening during fall migration, he chanced to light in a barnyard where a farmer was feeding his ducks. The beautiful creature ate the corn the farmer sprinkled about and liked it so much that he stayed the night in a bed of warm straw. He ate the duck's corn again the next day. And the next. And the next....

When spring came, he heard his old companions flying overhead and an almost forgotten yearning awoke deep within him. The duck had all but squelched his instinct for freedom over the comfortable and easy winter. But now he yearned to join his comrades in the sky. He flapped his stretched wings as he strained toward the flock, but he had grown fat and indolent and unable to fly. The wild duck had become a tame duck.

The easy way through our problems, though appealing, may not be the best way. (Remember...the only place you will find success before work is in the dictionary!). It's always easier to borrow than to save; easier to jump in now than to do the hard work of planning; easier to postpone confronting a situation than to remedy it; easier to cut corners than to do it right; easier to remain the same than to make changes.

If you want to fly, you may have to pay a price. But freedom is worth it -- at any cost!
Are you ready to soar?

THE TOUCHSTONE

When the great library of Alexandria burned, the story goes, one book was saved. But it was not a valuable book; and so a poor man, who could read a little, bought it for a few coppers. The book wasn't very interesting, but between its pages there was something very interesting indeed.

It was a thin strip of vellum on which was written the secret of the "Touchstone"! The touchstone was a small pebble that could turn any common metal into pure gold. The writing explained that it was lying among thousands and thousands of other pebbles that looked exactly like it. But the secret was this: The real stone would feel warm, while ordinary pebbles are cold. So the man sold his few belongings, bought some simple supplies, camped on the seashore, and began
testing pebbles.

He knew that if he picked up ordinary pebbles and threw them down again because they were cold, he might pick up the same pebble hundreds of times. So, when he felt one that was cold, he threw it into the sea. He spent a whole day doing this but none of them was the touchstone. Yet he went on and on this way. Pick up a pebble. Cold - throw it into the sea. Pick up another. Throw it into the sea.

The days stretched into weeks and the weeks into months. One day, however, about midafternoon, he picked up a pebble and it was warm. He threw it into the sea before he realized what he had done. He had formed such a strong habit of throwing each pebble into the sea that when the one he wanted came along, he still threw it away. So it is with opportunity. Unless we are vigilant, it's easy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it's just as easy to throw it away.

-Author Unknown

THE MOUNTAIN STORY

A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain:

"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"

He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"

He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."

And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"

The voice answers: "I admire you!"

Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"

The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do. Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.

If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!

-Author Unknown

DADDY CAN I HAVE AN HOUR OF YOUR TIME?

The man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son waiting for him at the door.

"Daddy, may I ask you a question?"

"Yeah sure son, what is it?" replied the man.

"Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?"

"That's none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily. "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy.

"If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour."

"Oh," the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?"

The father was furious. "If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you're being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don't have time for such childish games."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy's questioning. 'How dare him ask such questions only to get some money!' After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00, and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

"Are you asleep son?" he asked.

"No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.

"I've been thinking," he said to his son. "Maybe I was too hard on you earlier. It's been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here's that $10.00 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. "Oh, thank you Daddy!" he yelled.

Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more crumpled up bills. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at the man. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, "Why did you want more money if you already had some?" the father asked.

"Because I didn't have enough yet," he said, "but now I do."

"Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?"

- Author Unknown

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN

There was a man walking on the beach who looked up and saw the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He was awe struck, captured, stunned by her beauty. He could do nothing but forget everything and follow her. He was so intrigued by her beauty that he followed her for hours on the beach.

For a long time she did not notice him following, but eventually the beautiful woman turned around and asked the man who he was, and why he was following her. The man explained that he was so captured by her beauty, that he had never seen any woman as beautiful as she was, that he could not help but to follow her, that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and would she be his.

The woman replied, "I am very flattered at such a compliment, but surely this cannot be true, for if you had turned to look behind you, you would have seen my sister who has been following you, and she is ten times more beautiful than me."
The man turned to look, and saw a homely looking girl behind him. He turned to the other woman and said, "I'm confused, your sister is not more beautiful than you. Why would you tell me that ? You lied to me."

The woman looked at him and said, "And you lied also, for you turned your head."

-author unknown-

HAPPINESS IS A CHOICE

The basis of your life is choice; the purpose of your life is happiness.

You can choose to discover what makes you happy or you can choose a to go down a path of misery. If you should choose to discover happiness, your happiness will allow you to find peace and you will spread joy around you. If you should choose a life of confusion and misery, you will grow, but the growth will be in despair and you will spread this despair to those around you.

Happiness is a choice. You can chose to be happy or you can chose to be angry. The choice is always yours. It is as easy to be happy, as it is easy to be angry. All you have to do is make the choice as to the path you will take.

Imagine happiness and it will be yours. Ask yourself what makes you happy and then think why you want it. When you do this the essence of your desire will be activated. You will start to uncover inner feelings about yourself. Listen to your inner voice. You will start to understand your desires and you will be able to act on them. Remember never to assume anything. You do not know what others think and 9 out of 10 you will be wrong. Being judgement only leads you to judge yourself. All of those imperfections that you see in others are only reflections of what you fear yourself to be. This only leads to anger and resentment

Anger, resentment, despair, all of these things need to be let go. These feelings will do you no good and only bring you misery. Try to look at everything in life in a positive way. Believe it or not, there is always something positive in anything we deem negative.

Give yourself a chance to be happy. Love yourself, be kind to yourself, and remember everyone deserves to be happy.

-author unknown-

HOME REMEDIES FOR THE SOUL

When I was young my mother would look for remedies to cure my hurts and sickness. Some of these remedies worked while others did not. Among all of the home remedies she tried, the ones that seemed to work best were the ones that made me feel loved, important and wanted. There was just something about feeling loved and knowing I was important that made all of my problems seem to go away. The best home remedy for the soul I have ever encountered is knowing how much my life mattered, knowing that I was important and someone cared.

Unfortunately as I grew older I felt my life did not matter. The pressures of life left me feeling that I was no good, not important, and not needed. Self-doubt filled me; thoughts of not being good enough consumed me. I longed for someone to prove to me that I was worth living. My soul ached for the remedies I knew as a child, and I thought I would never see them again.

Fortunately the human spirit has a resolve that can be found in the darkest despair. If you look hard enough within, you will meet the person who will show you the reason you are here. It will not come from a place you expect, but rather a quiet inner voice of someone familiar. If you listen, you will discover that it is not someone else who will remedy your soul, just you.

Once I discovered that feeling needed and wanted had to come from within first, I was able to move on with my life. I met someone who could understand me and made me feel wanted. I married and had children of my own. Looking inside myself I discovered that what I was looking for was already inside me. I did not have to look to others to find love or feelings of being needed. They were there inside of me all along. As I spend time trying to find remedies that would cure my own children's sickness. I find again that love and making them feel wanted seems to be the best medicine for any hurt.

Of all the things I have experience in life; I have learned that life is much easier when you know you matter, but first you have to matter to yourself. To find remedies for the soul you could try going to others, buy it in a bottle, but relying on other devices to make you feel good will not lead you to find true happiness. First you must look deep into yourself. There you will discover the best home remedy for the soul there is, you. Love yourself, take care of yourself, be persistent, and remember you are special there is no one else quite like you.

Taken from this link.

THE JOURNEY

Time, how we all wish we could have more time. Ultimately, this is the single most important commodity in life. Among all of the things we value most, time is the only thing that can never be regained or replaced once it has been spent. Life is a hard teacher. It shows us that we can have anything we want, but not everything we want.

Physically each of us can only put his or her body in one place at one time. There are only 24 hours per day, 365 days per year and each of us only have an allotted number of years to do what we want in life. These are real limits that we cannot change. These time limits are also compounded by the fact that we are forced to spend most of our time taking care of ourselves; like eating, sleeping, washing, and of course making money to take care of ourselves. When you think about it, you could ask how we have any time to spend on anything else. Since our time here is limited it is important that we use this time well. Life provides no dress rehearsals; each one of us gets only one chance at this life.

The best thing we can do for ourselves is to carefully choose how we spend our time, right from the beginning, and if we make mistakes, we should learn from them and rectify them if possible. Once we are sure of our choices, then we should commit to them, act on them, and never look back. We can have anything but not everything. We should not look back. This is the past and you cannot change the past. Looking back provides nothing of value, and only makes you second guess the future. I believe that we are doing the best we can with the knowledge we have.

It is important to remember that life is a succession of choices. Many of us avoid risks that are involved in moving toward what we want. We do this to be safe and stay comfortable. The fear of finding ourselves outside of our comfort zones only leads to more fear. We will find ourselves trapped in lives that we do now want and doing things we really do not want to do. If we should chose to fight the fear we have inside, we will end up doing something new, something different, and maybe something hard, but we will conquer that fear and move ahead. If we go outside of our comfort zones enough, we can gradually overcome the fear of attempting the unknown. Helen Keller wrote that "life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing." Think about that.

You fight your fears; you feel them and act on them. When this happens it is called courage. Some of the choices you have made and will make may be difficult. Remember to have faith in yourself that you will make the best decision you can at the time. Do not regret what you cannot change. Remember life is a journey, enjoy the scenery along the way. Love yourself, respect yourself, and believe in yourself for this will make the journey fun, exciting and worth the trip.

Have courage, be strong, and always look ahead. The future is waiting.

-author unknown-

IT MUST BEGIN WITH ME

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But, it too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed my self first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

Words written tomb of an Anglican Bishop, Westminster Abbey London

POSITIVE THINKING

Do you ever just stop for a moment and clear your mind? Try it. Think of nothing, let everything go. Let go of your anxieties. Let go of your troubles, even if it is just for a moment.

Now look around you. You will see that the world exists without your troubles. Every blade of grass, each cloud in the sky, each person that passes you by, they do not share your troubles. So let your troubles go, even if it is only for a moment. Your soul will appreciate the break.

Remember life keeps going, even when you think you can't. Do not be so hard on yourself or others, everyone tries the best they can. So stop to take in the beauty around you. There is beauty in everything if you know how to look for it.

Look at the beauty in the world. The world is filled with all kinds of possibilities. Every moment you clear your mind a dream is being born. Every dream is a window to opportunity. Do not let your anxieties and troubles tear the beauty of the world apart. You have the power to create. Try it, follow your heart.

Remember these things:
There is still love in the world.
There is still goodness and joy.
Know you are wanted and needed.

And most importantly of all, enjoy being alive.

-author unknown-

OUR LIVES IN MONEY

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up.


He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the $20 dollar bill up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well", he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson", he said, "No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.


Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.... and especially to those who love you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

"You are special - Don't EVER forget it."

-author unknown-

I CAN OR I CAN"T???

Donna's fourth grade classroom looked like many others I had seen in the past. The teacher's desk was in front and faced the students. The bulletin board featured student work. In most respects it appeared to be a typically traditional elementary classroom. Yet something seemed different that day I entered it for the first time.

My job was to make classroom visitations and encourage implementation of a training program that focused on language arts ideas that would empower students to feel good about themselves and take charge of their lives. Donna was one of the volunteer teachers who participated in this project.

I took an empty seat in the back of the room and watched. All the students were working on a task, filling a sheet of notebook paper with thoughts and ideas. The ten-year-old student next to me was filling her page with "I Can'ts". "I can't kick the soccer ball past second base." "I can't do long division with more than three numerals." "I can't get Debbie to like me." Her page was half full and she showed no signs of letting up. She worked on with determination and persistence. I walked down the row glancing at student's papers. Everyone was writing sentences, describing things they couldn't do.

By this time the activity engaged my curiosity, so I decided to check with the teacher to see what was going on but I noticed she too was busy writing. I felt it best not to interrupt. "I can't get John's mother to come for a teacher conference." "I can't get my daughter to put gas in the car." "I can't get Alan to use words instead of fists."

Thwarted in my efforts to determine why students and teacher were dwelling on the negative instead of writing the more positive "I Can" statements, I returned to my seat and continued my observations.

Students wrote for another ten minutes. They were then instructed to fold the papers in half and bring them to the front. They placed their "I Can't" statements into an empty shoe box. Then Donna added hers. She put the lid on the box, tucked it under her arm and headed out the door and down the hall.

Students followed the teacher. I followed the students. Halfway down the hallway Donna entered the custodian's room, rummaged around and came out with a shovel. Shovel in one hand, shoe box in the other, Donna marched the students out to the school to the farthest corner of the playground. There they began to dig. They were going to bury their "I Can'ts"!

The digging took over ten minutes because most of the fourth graders wanted a turn. The box of "I Can'ts" was placed in a position at the bottom of the hole and then quickly covered with dirt. Thirty-one 10 and 11 year-olds stood around the freshly dug grave site. At this point Donna announced, "Boys and girls, please join hands and bow your heads." They quickly formed a circle around the grave, creating a bond with their hands.

They lowered their heads and waited. Donna delivered the eulogy.

"Friends, we gathered here today to honor the memory of 'I Can't.' While he was with us here on earth, he touched the lives of everyone, some more than others. We have provided 'I Can't' with a final resting place and a headstone that contains his epitaph. His is survived by his brothers and sisters, 'I Can', 'I Will', and 'I'm Going to Right Away'. They are not as well known as their famous relative and are certainly not as strong and powerful yet. Perhaps some day, with your help, they will make an even bigger mark on the world. May 'I Can't' rest in peace and may everyone present pick up their lives and move forward in his absence. Amen."

As I listened I realized that these students would never forget this day. Writing "I Can'ts", burying them and hearing the eulogy. That was a major effort on this part of the teacher. And she wasn't done yet.

She turned the students around, marched them back into the classroom and held a wake. They celebrated the passing of "I Can't" with cookies, popcorn and fruit juices. As part of the celebration, Donna cut a large tombstone from butcher paper. She wrote the words "I Can't" at the top and put RIP in the middle. The date was added at the bottom. The paper tombstone hung in Donna's classroom for the remainder of the year.

On those rare occasions when a student forgot and said, "I Can't", Donna simply pointed to the RIP sign. The student then remembered that "I Can't" was dead and chose to rephrase the statement. I wasn't one of Donna's students. She was one of mine. Yet that day I learned an enduring lesson from her as years later, I still envision that fourth grade class laying to rest, "I Can't".

*Sent to me by Angela

TO ENCOURAGE YOU

Don't spend major time with minor people.
If there are people in your life who continually disappoint you, break promises, stomp on your dreams, are too judgmental, have different values and don't have your back during difficult times...that is not friendship.


To have a friend, be a friend.
Sometimes in life as you grow, your friends will either grow or go. Surround yourself with people who reflect values, goals interests and lifestyles.


When I think of any of my successes,
I am thankful to God from whom all blessings flow, and to my family and friends who enrich my life.


Over the years my phone book has changed because I changed, for the better.
At first, you think you're going to be alone, but after awhile, new people show up in your life that make it so much sweeter and easier to endure.


Remember what your elders used to say,

"Birds of a feather flock together.
If you're an eagle, don't hang around chickens:
Chickens can't fly!"

RAIN

-Author Unknown-

She had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Wal-Mart.


We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories were a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day.

Her voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in, "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said. "What?" Mom asked. "Let's run through the rain!" She repeated. "No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied. This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain." "We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said. "No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm.

"This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet?" "Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!" The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes.

Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith. "Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said. Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing.

Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. A friend sent this to me to remind me of life.

I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Keep in touch with your friends; you never know when you'll need each other.

-author unknown-