Broken Wing - Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover

By Jim Hullihan

Some people are just doomed to be failures. That's the way some adults look at troubled kids. Maybe you've heard the saying, "A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high." I'm sure that T. J. Ware was made to feel this way almost every day in school.

By high school, T. J. was the most celebrated troublemaker in his town. Teachers literally cringed when they saw his name posted on their classroom lists for the next semester. He wasn't very talkative, didn't answer questions and got into lots of fights. He had flunked almost every class by the time he entered his senior year, yet was being passed on each year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn't want to have him again the following year. T. J. was moving on, but definitely not moving up.

I met T. J. for the first time at a weekend leadership retreat. All the students at school had been invited to sign up for ACE training, a program designed to have students become more involved in their communities. T. J. was one of 405 students who signed up. When I showed up to lead their first retreat, the community leaders gave me this overview of the attending students: "We have a total spectrum represented today, from the student body president to T. J. Ware, the boy with the longest arrest record in the history of town." Somehow, I knew that I wasn't the first to hear about T. J.'s darker side as the first words of introduction.

At the start of the retreat, T. J. was literally standing outside the circle of students, against the back wall, with that "go ahead, impress me" look on his face. He didn't readily join the discussion groups, didn't seem to have much to say. But slowly, the interactive games drew him in. The ice really melted when the groups started building a list of positive and negative things that had occurred at school that year. T. J. had some definite thoughts on those situations. The other students in T. J.'s group welcomed his comments. All of a sudden T. J. felt like a part of the group, and before long he was being treated like a leader. He was saying things that made a lot of sense, and everyone was listening. T. J. was a smart guy, and he had some great ideas.

The next day, T. J. was very active in all the sessions. By the end of the retreat, he had joined the Homeless Project team. He knew something about poverty, hunger and hopelessness. The other students on the team were impressed with his passionate concern and ideas. They elected T. J. co-chairman of the team. The student council president would be taking his instruction from T. J. Ware.

When T. J. showed up at school on Monday morning, he arrived to a firestorm. A group of teachers were protesting to the school principal about his being elected co-chairman. The very first communitywide service project was to be a giant food drive, organized by the Homeless Project team. These teachers couldn't believe that the principal would allow this crucial beginning to a prestigious, three-year action plan to stay in the incapable hands of T. J. Ware.

They reminded the principal, "He has an arrest record as long as your arm. He'll probably steal half the food." Mr. Coggshall reminded them that the purpose of the ACE program was to uncover any positive passion that a student had and reinforce its practice until true change can take place. The teachers left the meeting shaking their heads in disgust, firmly convinced that failure was imminent.

Two weeks later, T. J. and his friends led a group of 70 students in a drive to collect food. They collected a school record: 2,854 cans of food in just two hours. It was enough to fill the empty shelves in two neighborhood centers, and the food took care of needy families in the area for 75 days. The local newspaper covered the event with a full-page article the next day. That newspaper story was posted on the main bulletin board at school, where everyone could see it. T. J.'s picture was up there for doing something great, for leading a record-setting food drive. Every day he was reminded about what he did. He was being acknowledged as leadership material.

T. J. started showing up at school every day and answered questions from teachers for the first time. He led a second project, collecting 300 blankets and 1,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless shelter. The event he started now yields 9,000 cans of food in one day, taking care of 70 percent of the need for food for one year. T. J. reminds us that a bird with a broken wing only needs mending. But once it has healed, it can fly higher than the rest. T. J. got a job. He became productive. He is flying quite nicely these days.

The Touch Of The Master's Hand

Myra B. Welch

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer

thought it scarcely worth his while

To waste much time on the old violin,

But held it up with a smile.

"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,

"Who'll start the bidding for me?

A dollar, a dollar, then, two! Only two?

Two dollars, and who'll make it three?

Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;

Going for three . . ." 

But no,

From the room, far back, a grey-haired man

Came forward and picked up the bow;

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,

And tightening the loose strings,

He played a melody pure and sweet

As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,

With a voice that was quiet and low, said: 

"What am I bid for the old violin?"

And he held it up with the bow.

"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?

"Two thousand! And who'll make it three?

"Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice;

And going and gone."said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,

"We do not quite understand, what changed its worth?" 

Swift came the reply:

"The Touch Of The Master's Hand."

And many a man with life out of tune,

And battered and scarred with sin,

Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,

Much like the old violin.

A 'mess of potage,' a glass of wine;

A game - and he travels on.

He is 'going' once, and 'going' twice,

He's 'going' and almost 'gone'.

But the Master comes and the foolish crowd

Never can quite understand

The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought

By the touch of the Master's Hand.

You must not be scared of dying

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.

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

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

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.

How to explain God (written by an 8 year old)

How to Explain God was written by Danny Dutton, age8, from Chula Vista, California, for his third grade homework assignment"Explain God".


"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.


"God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off. "God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have." Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church."


Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind, like His Father and He told His Father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.


"His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So He did.


And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.


"You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.


"You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God.


Don't skip prayer to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.


"If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids."


But you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.And that's why I believe in God.

Failure is behind every success

All success stories are stories of great failures.  The only difference is that every time they failed, they bounced back.  This is called failing forward, rather than backward.  You learn and move forward.  Learn from your failure and keep going.

Henry Ford forgot to put the reverse gear in the first car he made.  Do you consider these people failures?  They succeeded in spite of problems, not in the absence of them.  But to the outside world, it appears as though they just got lucky.

In 1914, Thomas Edison, at age 67, lost his factory, which was worth a few million dollars, to fire.  It had very little insurance.  No longer a young man, Edison watched his lifetime effort go up in smoke and said, "There is great value in disaster.  All our mistakes are burnt up.  Thank God we can start a new."  In spite of disaster, three weeks later, he invented the phonograph.

What an attitude!

can we convert all the failures as stepping stones for success? if yes, then i am sure this tip has played a vital role in your life

GOD'S WAY OF GRANTING GRACE

There was an illustrious devotee in Guruvayur (a famous Krishna temple in Kerala, South India) by name Poonthanam, who lived in the 16th century. He was so devoted to the Lord that Lord Guruvayurappan would converse with him everyday.

In the same town, there was a man who was afflicted with a grave disease. No medicine gave him relief and he became quite depressed. One day, when the man could bear his affliction no longer, he approached Poonthanam and told him about his ill health. He requested Poonthanam to ask Sri Guruvayurappan if he would ever be cured of his disease.

That night, when Poonthanam spoke to Lord Guruvayurappan, he asked the Lord if the patient would ever be relieved from his pathetic condition. The Lord told Poonthanam that the disease cannot be cured.

The next day, Poonthanam met the ailing man and communicated the Lord’s message. No sooner did he hear of the Lord's word than the sufferer burst into tears. He cried all day lamenting that even the Lord had forsaken him.

That was when he met Kururamma, a humble devotee of the Lord who hailed from a very poor family. Although she did not have any preeminent status in the society, she possessed a special place in Sri Guruvayurappan’s heart. The Lord would talk to her as regularly as He spoke to Poonthanam.

Kururamma heard the patient’s story and assured him that she will take his case to the Lord. The very next morning, Kururamma came down to greet the sick man. She said enthusiastically, "The Lord spoke to me. When I asked Him about you, He said you should chant the Divine Names, 'Achyuta Anantha Govinda' continuously, and your disease shall be cured!”

At these kind words, the man’s joy knew no bounds. He implicitly followed the Lord's instructions, chanting the Names of the Lord with complete faith. As the Lord had predicted, the man was cured eventually.

Later on, the man went to Poonthanam’s residence and told him what had happened. He felt aggrieved that Poonthanam had advised him wrongly in such an important personal matter. ”You lied to me!” he incriminated. “Lord Guruvayurappan has indeed cured my disease!”

Though happy that the man had been cured by his Lord, Poonthanam could not bear the allegation that he had spoken untruth. He wept to the Lord, “Oh! Guruvayurappa! Was it not You who told me that the man would not be cured? Today, I am being blamed for uttering lies. Did I really speak a falsehood? Is this fair?” Poonthanam kept sobbing at the feet of the Lord.

That night, Sri Guruvayurappan spoke to Poonthanam and pacified him. He said, "Do not doubt Me, or even yourself, my son. It was indeed I who told you that the patient will not be cured. This is the truth! You had come to me and bluntly posed a question whether that ailing person will be cured or not, and I replied to you appropriately.

“But what did Kururamma do? She beseeched me, 'Oh Guruvayurappa! Today a devotee came and asked me if his disease would be cured. Lord! With Your grace, is there anything that is impossible in this world? Pray tell me what he should do to be cured!' and I told her the way!"

God undoubtedly listens to each one of us and answers our wishes when we pray to Him sincerely. So, whenever we chant the Divine Names of the Lord and say our prayers, we should be careful to ask the right thing of the Lord. There is nothing impossible for the Lord, and for us too, when we rely on His Name and His grace. Faith can indeed move mountains.

the Burning Desire

A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning.

They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water.

The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue.

Socrates pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air.

Socrates asked, 'What did you want the most when you were there?"

The boy replied, "Air." 

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


A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment.

Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results...

perfection

A gentleman was once visiting a temple under construction. In the temple premises, he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he saw, just a few meters away, another identical idol was lying. Surprised he asked the sculptor, do you need two statutes of the same idol. No said the sculptor. We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage.

The gentleman examined the statue. No apparent damage was visible. Where the damage is asked the gentleman. There is a scratch on the nose of the idol. Where are you going to keep the idol? The sculptor replied that it will be installed on a pillar 20 feet high. When the idol will be 20 feet away from the eyes of the beholder, who is going to know that there is scratch on the nose? The gentleman asked. The sculptor looked at the gentleman, smiled and said, “The God knows it and I know it ”.

The desire to excel should be exclusive of the fact whether someone appreciates it or not. Excellence is a drive from Inside not Outside.

THE MIDAS TOUCH

We all know the story of the greedy king named Midas. He had a lot of gold and the more he had the more he wanted. He stored all the gold in his vaults and used to spend time every day counting it.


One day while he was counting a stranger came from nowhere and said he would grant him a wish. The king was delighted and said, "I would like everything I touch to turn to gold." The stranger asked the king, Are you sure?" The king replied, "Yes." So the stranger said, "Starting tomorrow morning with the sun rays you will get the golden touch." The king thought he must be dreaming, this couldn't be true. But the next day when he woke up, he touched the bed, his clothes, and everything turned to gold. He looked out of the window and saw his daughter playing in the garden. He decided to give her a surprise and thought she would be happy. But before he went to the garden he decided to read a book. The moment he touched it, it turned into gold and he couldn't read it. Then he sat to have breakfast and the moment he touched the fruit and the glass of water, they turned to gold. He was getting hungry and he said to himself, "I can't eat and drink gold." Just about that time his daughter came running and he hugged her and she turned into a gold statue. There were no more smiles left.


The king bowed his head and started crying. The stranger who gave the wish came again and asked the king if he was happy with his golden touch. The king said he was the most miserable man. The stranger asked, "What would you rather have, your food and loving daughter or lumps of gold and her golden statue?" The king cried and asked for forgiveness. He said, "I will give up all my gold. Please give me my daughter back because without her I have lost everything wo rth having." The stranger said to the king, "You have become wiser than before" and he reversed the spell. He got his daughter back in his arms and the king learned a lesson that he never forget for the rest of his life.

What is the moral of the story?
1. Distorted values lead to tragedy. 

2. Sometimes getting what you want may be a bigger tragedy than not getting what you want.
3. Unlike the game of soccer where players can be substituted, the game of life allows no substitutions or replays. We may not get a second chance to reverse our tragedies, as the king did.

Life is like a coin

Life is like a coin.  You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.

For many, life is like a coin that we can toss and then tell ourselves Heads you win, Tails I lose. With an attitude like that, whatever the outcome thereafter, life will be a burden for one has reconciled to a fate of misery. Pause for a moment and see each day as a gift of a coin given by fate with no strings attached and we are free to use it any which way we want; suddenly life becomes more meaningful and delightful. Just as we can use the coin to buy an ice-cream, put it in a mite box, get a gift for a friend or family member or simply save it, life too offers us ample choices and it for us to make the best use of it.

For the average person, the 24 hours that we are gifted each day, can be broadly utilized in 3 different ways, each of approximately 8 hours each; sleep, work, personal time. It is not just we utilize the time that matters but also how and why we chose to utilize our time that has  major bearing on making that ONE precious coin we have called LIFE,  count. Just to explain further, at this point I have a choice to enjoy a favorite TV show or choose to write this blog. While I have chosen to write the blog, I am sure I would have no regrets about watching my favorite TV show, but then my blog would not get updated and that is something I may regret.

Managing our life has always posed a problem for 3 reasons. We do not know what we want from it, we are not prepared to pay a price for the things we sometimes know we want and there are too many distractions that compel us to abandon our well planned intentions. Obviously if we can try and come to grips with these 3 problems, there is a very high probability that we would find life exciting and exhilarating.

The bigger problem still remains, that of reconciling to paying a price for whatever we want from life. It is essential to remember that barring some really blessed people, the overwhelming majority of people have to always choose between two equally pleasurable alternatives or equally damning alternatives and the moment they choose they have paid a price of wondering if they have let go of the better alternative. Many a student can identify with this when an exciting live match clashes with the study time for an important exam. There is a simple rule to decide on what is the price one pays and that is choose the alternative that in the long run you will never regret. Failing an exam for example, could set you back by a year and that is something that you may regret lifelong but missing o ut on the match of a century would be a regret that you can overcome partly by seeing replays and partly by the realization that the price you paid was worth it when you do well in the exams. Remember that was the rule that I applied when writing this blog and each of the blogs during 2010 when I wrote almost every day. Yes I sacrificed a lot of my time that I could have enjoyed but then I would not have had so many posts uploaded.

If you re-read the first line of the first para, you would notice that there is a also a significant factor that influences how we lead our life and that is our attitude. If we can simply rewrite the first line to read ‘For many, life is like a coin that we can toss and then tell ourselves Heads I win, Tails I don't  lose’ every day will be a series of small and big victories, victories nevertheless.

Try this:

Remember: I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.  This makes it hard to plan the day.  

1. Make a list of the 5 things you have done that you regret the most. If you can, also analyze why you regret those actions and how you would have handled the situation differently.
2. Outline 2 social service causes that you are very interested in. How have you got involved in it? What more can you do to contribute to that cause? Do you think you are giving enough of your time and talent to the cause?
3. How would you decide on and what alternative would you choose, in the following situations.

• You have not prepared too well for your exam. However you are confident of getting reasonable marks in the exam. On attempting the paper you realize that there is a very real possibility of failing unless you can answer at least one of the mathematical questions correctly. The person sitting near you is a good friend and a class topper and there is a good chance of copying from his paper. What will you do?
• You are invited by your best friend for his bachelor’s party. You realize that on the same date and time, you have to attend your boss’s sons wedding in another city. What will you do?

My mothers eight lies

1. This story begins when i was a child. I was born the son of a poor family. We often lacked enough food. When it  was time eat, mother often gave me her share. saying "Eat this rice, son. I am not hungry" 

That was Mother’s First Lie

2. When I was growing up, my persistent mother would fish in a river near our home.  She hoped to catch fish that would give me more nutrition than rice. She would make fish soup from those she caught.  I always had an appetite for it.  While I was eating my soup, mother would sit by my side and nibble on the small pieces of fish remaining on the bones.  My heart was touched.  When I tried to give her some of my fish, she would refuse, saying “Eat the fish, son.  I really don’t like them.”

 That was Mother’s Second Lie.

3. Then, when I was in Junior High School, to pay for my school costs, Mother would find small jobs to earn money to pay for them, and to provide for our needs.  When winter came, and I would go to bed earlier, I’d waken from my sleep to see my Mother still working on the small projects that earned the money we needed.  I’d say, “Mother, go to sleep.  It’s late. Tomorrow morning you still must go for more work.  You need to rest.”  Mother would smile and say, “Go to sleep, dear.  I’m not tired.”

 That was Mother’s Third Lie.

4. At the time of my final term in school, Mother asked for a leave from her work in order to accompany me when I took my final tests. She stood in the heat of the sun, patient as always, waiting for the bell to ring signalling that the tests were over.  Mother immediately welcomed me, pouring me a cold glass of tea that she had prepared the evening before. I would say, though, that the tea wasn’t as sweet as my Mother’s love.  Seeing her covered with persperation, I’d offer her my tea to drink.  She’d say, “Drink, son; I am not thirsty!”

 That was Mother’s Fourth Lie.

5. After my father died because of a long illness, my poor mother had to play her role as a single parent. By holding onto her only job, she paid for our needs alone. Father”s death made our life more complicated. There were no times when we had no problems.  There was a nice uncle who lived nearby who helped when he could.  Our neighbors saw that our family’s life was miserable, and suggested that mother remarry.  But she was stubbofrn and said, “I don’t need love.”

 That was Mother’s Fifth Lie.

 6. After I had finished my study and got a job, it was time for my mother to retire. But she didn’t want to.  She was persistent to go to the marketplace every morning, just to sell some vegetable to fulfill our needs. I, who worked in the other city, often sent her some money to help; but she was stubborn and wouldn’t accept the money. She even sent it back to me. She said, “I have enough money.”

 That was Mother’s Sixth Lie.

  7. After I graduated from university with my Bachelor Degree, I continued my studies to earn my Master Degree. My studies were funded by a company that had a scholarship program. The degree was from a famous university in America. After my degree, I began working for that company, receiving quite a large salary.  I intended to bring my mother to enjoy her remaining life in America . But my lovely mother didn’t want to bother her son.  She said to me. “I am not used to change. Thank you, no!”

 That was Mother’s Seventh Lie.

8. After entering old age, Mother got cancer and had to be hospitalized. Though I was miles and an ocean away, I returned home to be with my Mother.  She had an operation that left her weak. She looked so old and tired.  Even though she was, she tried to smile and show her love for me. It was clear to me that even smiling was difficult because of the pain. Her body was so ravaged by the cancer.  She was weak and thin.  I looked at my Mother with tears streaming down my cheeks.  My heart was so broken seeing her in her sad condition. But my dearest Mother, despite her impossible condition said so lovingly to me, “Don’t cry, my dear.  I am not in pain.”

 That was Mother’s Eighth Lie. 

Ocean of your mind

Swamiananda, and his disciple Ranga, were strolling on the beach by the ocean. It was a cold day and the wind was blowing strongly over the ocean, raising very high waves. After walking for some time, Swamiananda stopped, looked at his disciple and asked:  "What does the choppy ocean remind you?"

"It reminds me of my mind. Of my rushing and restless thoughts", answered Ranga.

"Yes, the stormy ocean is like the mind, and the waves are the thoughts. The mind is neutral like the water. It is neither good, nor bad. The wind is causing the waves, as desires and fears produce thoughts", said Swamiananda.

"I wouldn't want to be on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, in a storm like this", said Ranga.

"You are there all the time." Responded Swamiananda and continued, "Most people are on a rudderless boat in the middle of a choppy ocean, even if they do not realize it. The mind of most people is very restless. Thoughts of all kinds come and go incessantly, agitating the mind like the ocean's waves."

"Yes", Ranga interrupted him, "You don't have to tell me. This is the reason I am with you. I want to calm down the waves of my mind."

Swamiananda looked at Ranga for a while, smiled and said:

"You don't calm the ocean by holding the water and not letting it move. What is necessary is to stop the wind. The wind is made of your thoughts, desires and fears. Don't let them rule your life. Learn to control them by controlling your attention, and then the ocean of your mind becomes calm."

"And how do I do that?"

"Suppose it is possible for the ocean to disregard the wind, what would happen then?" asked Swamiananda.

"The waves would cease. However, no one can stop the wind."

Swamiananda looked at him with a mysterious smile and said:

"Why not? The wind, the ocean, and thoughts are all within the mind. When you can control the mind, you can control everything within it. But first you have to control your mind, which means you have to control your attention."

"Yes master", said Ranga, " this is what I am trying to do. You say whoever controls his mind can also control the wind. Can you do that?"

"First learn to calm down the ocean of your mind, and then find out if you can calm down the ocean. It is better to learn to control the mind, than enjoying mental tricks. When you calm your mind, you can calm down everything."

The Magnificence of a MOTHER....

Mother  MOTHER  This is a truly BEAUTIFUL piece.  Please read this at a slow pace,  digesting every word and in leisure....  Do not hurry.....this is a treasure...  For those lucky to still be blessed with your Mom,  this is beautiful.  For those of us who aren't,  this is even more beautiful.  For those who are moms,  you'll love this.  The young mother set her foot  on the path of life.  'Is this the long way?' she asked.  And the guide said: 'Yes,  and the way is hard  And you will be old before  you reach the end of it..  But the end will be better  than the beginning.'  But the young mother was happy,  and she would not believe  that anything could be better  than these years.  So she played with her children,  and gathered flowers for them along the way,  and bathed them in the clear streams;  and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried,  'Nothing will ever be lovelier than this.'  Then the night came,  and the storm, and the path was dark,  and the children shook with fear and cold,  and the mother drew them close  and covered them with her mantle,  and the children said,  'Mother, we are not afraid,  for you are near, and no harm can come.'  And the morning came,  and there was a hill ahead,  and the children climbed and grew weary,  and the mother was weary.  But at all times she said to the children,  'A little patience and we are there.'  So the children climbed,  and when they reached the top they said,  'Mother, we would not have done it without you.'  And the mother, when she lay down at night  looked up at the stars and said,  'This is a better day than the last,  for my children have learned fortitude  in the face of hardness.  Yesterday I gave them courage.  Today, I've given them strength.'  And the next day came strange clouds  which darkened the earth,  clouds of war and hate and evil,  and the children groped and stumbled,  and the mother said:  ' Look up. Lift your eyes to the light.'  And the children looked and saw  above the clouds an everlasting glory,  and it guided them beyond the darkness.  And that night the Mother said,  'This is the best day of all,  for I have shown my children God.'  And the days went on,  and the weeks and the months and the years,  and the mother grew old  and she was little and bent.  But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And mother said, 'I have reached the end of my journey.. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them.'  And the children said, 'You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates.' And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: 'We cannot see her but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence.......'  Your Mother is always with you.... She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street; she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks; she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. She's the place you came from, your first home; and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you.  Not time, not space... not even death!

 

NO PLACE FOR GOD

A gentle and well respected old Negro one day decided that he would like to become a member of the church near his home. He called on the pastor of the old fashioned church and told him of his desire.

My dear man said the pastor with a touch of aloofness. I do not think you will be happy here though I appreciate your good intention. Really you would be most uncomfortable among my people and I am afraid it would be quite embarrassing to you and perhaps to them. I suggest you think it over and meditate and see if God does not give you some direction.

A week later, the old Negro met the pastor on the street, stopped him and said, Reverend, I took your advice and prayed and meditated and finally God sent me a message. He said I should not bother any more trying to join your church. He said that He hād been trying to get in there Himself for years without success.

You may ask where i am now and how i can meet you now.

But I am within your heart and we can meet whenever you sincerely want me


A BEAUTIFUL SONG  DEPICTING THE SAME BY BAHADUR SHAW JAFER

TUM SE HAMNE DIL KO LAGAAYA, JO KUCH HAI, SO TU HI HAI.

EK TUJHKO APNA PAAYA, JO KUCH HAI, SO TU HI HAI.


SAB KE MAKAM DIL KA MAKIM TU, KAUN SA DIL HAI JISME NAHIN TU.

HAR EK DIL MEIN TU HI SAMAAYA, JO KUCH HAI, SO TU HI HAI.

KYA MALAYAA, KYA KRISTAN, KYA HINDU, KYA MUSSALMAN,

JAISA CHAAHA SAB KO BANAAYA, JO KUCH HAI, SO TU HI HAI.

KAABA MEIN KYA, DEVAL MEIN KYA, TERI PARASTHISH HOGI SAB JAAN.

SABNE TUJHKO SIR HAI JHUKAAYA, JO KUCH HAI, SO TU HI HAI.

ARSH SE LEKAR FARSH JAMEEN TAK, AUR JAMEEN SE ARSH BAREEN TAK,

JAHAN BHI DEKHA TU HI NAJAR AAYA, JO KUCH HAI SO TU HI HAI.

SOCHA SAMJHA, DEKHA BHALA, TUJH JAISA KOI NAJAR NA AAYA.

AB YE SAMAJH ‘SADHU’ MEIN AAYA, JO KUCH HAI, SO TU HI HAI.

The house with the golden windows

The little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill – and this house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers.

And although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there.

When she got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother is she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she kept close to the house and didn’t wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill.

As she dismounted her bike and lent it against the gate post, she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house itself…and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood derelict.

So sad she didn’t go any further and turned, heart broken as she remounted her bike … As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her…there across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden …as the sun shone on her little home.

She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the ‘golden house’. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose!

Remember those who serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "50¢," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "35¢!" she brusquely replied.\

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip!

The Law Of Attraction

The Law Of Attraction
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Taming the tongue

Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young man was proved innocent. After having been released he sued the old man for wrongly accusing him.

In court the old man told the Judge: 'They were just comments, didn't harm anyone.'

The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man:

'Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.'

The next day, the judge told the old man: 'Before receiving the sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper that you threw out yesterday.'

The old man said: 'I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't know where to find them.'

The judge then replied: 'In the same way, simple comments may destroy the honour of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything.'



Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words.

Nothing is lost until you say it is.

Two frogs accidentally fell into a huge, tall bowl of cream that was kept in the floor of a restaurant. For a long time, the frogs tried helplessly jumping out of the bowl, however it was impossible for them to jump that high while swimming in the viscous, slippery cream.

Finally, the first frog said "I have tried enough. I have thought about the situation - there is no way out. We are going to die. I am going to stop struggling as it of no use. I suggest you give up too.” It gave up the struggle, became fully submerged in the cream, and soon died. 

The second frog said "I cannot see a way out of this this moment. I am however going to attempt getting out until I exhaust the last ounce of energy in my body". The second frog kept on paddling and trying to jump out of the bowl of cream.

After a couple of hours, the cream started to solidify, and it became easier and easier for the frog to swim in it. The frog's continuos paddling was starting to churn the cream into butter!! With little more effort, the frog was able to jump out, while sitting on the butter that had now completely solidified!

Moral of the story:

1) Your future may not appear bright today. You may not be able to see the light in the end of your tunnel yet. Don't lose hope too soon. Things will change for the better.

2) Give up your anxiety, fear and worry, and stay positive. Put your 100% attention to the tasks that you have currently undertaken. Things will work itself out.

3) Do not listen to the people who ask you to give up on your dreams. Listen to your inner voice instead.

4) You may be very close to success and yet not know it. Don't give up.

5) Nothing is lost until you say it is.

I AM THAT

Tatwamasi

A highly successful businessman in his late eighties, was on his deathbed. Some of his family members and close employees gathered together and came to meet him. They asked him “Sir, tell us about what you have learnt about life and business”.

The old man said :

"I was very fortunate and did very well in my early years. By my late thirties, I had built a vast business empire. At that time , I was disillusioned to think that I was the real estate that I owned, the businesses that I ran, the bank balance I had, and the exotic fleet of cars I owned and proudly drove. I could not think of myself being separate from my wealth.

Then the great depression came, and most of my fortune was wiped out in just a matter of months. I was completely disheartened - for a while it felt as if I had died. I had to begin the business again from scratch. For a few years I struggled, and then business improved slowly. In another decade, I built my entire business again, piece by piece, just like it was before the depression. And then in a few more years, things really took off, and my net-worth became twice of what it was before the depression.

It is when I lost everything and then built it up again that I came to the deep realization that I was not my bank balance, my businesses, and all my prosperity. Rather, I am that invisible force - the power that creates all the wealth outside, at my will. Although the external prosperity could be taken away in no time, the real me, that magical, creative force, can never be taken away from me, simply because I AM THAT (force)"