During the second month in college, a professor gave a quiz to his students. A conscientious student breezed through the questions, until he read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the classroom?" He thought surely this was some kind of a joke.
The student had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would anyone know her name? He handed in his paper, leaving the last question blank.
Just before the class ended, the student asked if the last question would count toward the quiz grade. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'." The student learned an important lesson... he also learned that the name of the cleaning woman was Dorothy.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Eagle
Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief in ourselves. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow our will power to lift us above them.
We ourselves can enable us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that can weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.
The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.
When the storms of life come upon us - and all of us will experience them - we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief in ourselves. The storms do not have to overcome us. We can allow our will power to lift us above them.
We ourselves can enable us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives. We can soar above the storm.
Remember, it is not the burdens of life that can weigh us down, it is how we handle them.
The Acorn Planter
In the 1930s a young traveler was exploring the French Alps. He came upon a vast stretch of barren land. It was desolate. It was forbidding. It was ugly. It was the kind of place you hurry away from.
Then, suddenly, the young traveler stopped dead in his tracks. In the middle of this vast wasteland was a bent-over old man. On his back was a sack of acorns. In his hand was a four-foot length of iron pipe.
The man was using the iron pipe to punch holes in the ground. Then from the sack he would take an acorn and put it in the hole. Later the old man told the traveler, "I've planted over 100,000 acorns. Perhaps only a tenth of them will grow." The old man's wife and son had died, and this was how he chose to spend his final years. "I want to do something useful for the future," he said.
Twenty-five years later the now-not-as-young traveler returned to the same desolate area. What he saw amazed him. He could not believe his own eyes. The land was covered with a beautiful forest two miles wide and five miles long. Birds were singing, animals were playing, and wild flowers perfumed the air.
The traveler stood there recalling the desolation that once was; a beautiful oak forest stood there now - all because someone cared.
Then, suddenly, the young traveler stopped dead in his tracks. In the middle of this vast wasteland was a bent-over old man. On his back was a sack of acorns. In his hand was a four-foot length of iron pipe.
The man was using the iron pipe to punch holes in the ground. Then from the sack he would take an acorn and put it in the hole. Later the old man told the traveler, "I've planted over 100,000 acorns. Perhaps only a tenth of them will grow." The old man's wife and son had died, and this was how he chose to spend his final years. "I want to do something useful for the future," he said.
Twenty-five years later the now-not-as-young traveler returned to the same desolate area. What he saw amazed him. He could not believe his own eyes. The land was covered with a beautiful forest two miles wide and five miles long. Birds were singing, animals were playing, and wild flowers perfumed the air.
The traveler stood there recalling the desolation that once was; a beautiful oak forest stood there now - all because someone cared.
Let Go
A little child was playing one day with a very valuable vase. He put his hand into it and could not withdraw it. His father too, tried his best, but all in vain. They were thinking of breaking the vase when the father said, "Now, my son, make one more try. Open your hand and hold your fingers out straight as you see me doing, and then pull."
To their astonishment the little fellow said, "O no, father. I couldn't put my fingers out like that, because if I did I would drop my penny."
Smile, if you will--but thousands of us are like that little boy, so busy holding on to the world's worthless penny that we cannot accept liberation.
It is important at times to drop that trifle …… let go or else we lose the larger things in life.
To their astonishment the little fellow said, "O no, father. I couldn't put my fingers out like that, because if I did I would drop my penny."
Smile, if you will--but thousands of us are like that little boy, so busy holding on to the world's worthless penny that we cannot accept liberation.
It is important at times to drop that trifle …… let go or else we lose the larger things in life.
Filling a sieve with water
Once a sage gave an assignment on creative thinking to his students. The sage gave them a sieve and asked them to fill it with water at the sea, nearby.
They were gone for a long time. Finally he went down to the beach to see what they were doing, and found them seated morosely around the sieve.
They scrambled to their feet when they saw him.
“You’ve set us an impossible task, sir,” said the oldest of the disciples. “It’s just not possible to fill a sieve with full of water.”
“Are you sure?” asked the sage, picking up the sieve. “Sometimes it helps to step back and view the problem from a different angle.”
He threw the sieve far out into the sea. It sank.
“There!” said the Teacher. “It’s full of water now.”
To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.
They were gone for a long time. Finally he went down to the beach to see what they were doing, and found them seated morosely around the sieve.
They scrambled to their feet when they saw him.
“You’ve set us an impossible task, sir,” said the oldest of the disciples. “It’s just not possible to fill a sieve with full of water.”
“Are you sure?” asked the sage, picking up the sieve. “Sometimes it helps to step back and view the problem from a different angle.”
He threw the sieve far out into the sea. It sank.
“There!” said the Teacher. “It’s full of water now.”
To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Knock the "t" Off the "Can't"
Your may know of people who always say, "You can't do that!" and they believed it. Now there are some more who often say, "It can't be done!" and their negativity affects the lives of others.
If you were to take a sheet of paper and categorize people you know into two columns: "Yes people," and "No People", you would perhaps be shocked to see the length of the "No People" list.
If our friends made such a list right now, under which heading would they write our name? Would they see us as enthusiastic, affirmative and optimistic? Or do they believe we see more problems than solutions?
It's time to knock the "t" off the "can't." Each one of us is only a decision away from responding with hope instead of fear, with encouragement instead of criticism, with belief instead of despair.
It's our choice!
If you were to take a sheet of paper and categorize people you know into two columns: "Yes people," and "No People", you would perhaps be shocked to see the length of the "No People" list.
If our friends made such a list right now, under which heading would they write our name? Would they see us as enthusiastic, affirmative and optimistic? Or do they believe we see more problems than solutions?
It's time to knock the "t" off the "can't." Each one of us is only a decision away from responding with hope instead of fear, with encouragement instead of criticism, with belief instead of despair.
It's our choice!
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