GLASS OF WATER

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it.
He held it up for all to see; asked the students,’ How much do you think this glass weighs?’
‘50gms!’ …. ‘100gms!’ ……’125gms’ ……the students answered.
‘I really don’t know unless I weigh it,’ said the professor, ‘but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?’
‘Nothing’ the students said.
‘Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?’ the professor asked.
‘Your arm would begin to ache’ said one of the students.
‘You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?’
‘Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress; paralysis;
Have to go to hospital for sure!’ ventured another student; all the students laughed.
‘Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?’ asked
The professor. ‘No’ the students said.
Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?’
The students were puzzled.
‘Put the glass down!’ said one of the students.
‘Exactly!’ said the professor.’ Life’s problems are something like this.
Hold it for a few minutes in your head; they seem OK.
Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache. Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.
It’s important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but
EVEN MORE IMPORTANT to ‘put them down’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep.
That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!’
Remember to ‘PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!

Thank you Sir

This article of mine is not just a story… neither a hoary tale but an experience…an experience which changed my life for good…




Something that I didn’t wanted… something I didn’t dream of … but something that just happened and I had very less control of…



But now when I look back at my past … I am glad it happened…



It was when I was in 8th and I appeared for the entrance exam of the coveted and most prestigious school of my beautiful state himachal Pradesh…



My parents… rather my mother didn’t want to send me to the armed forces but still intended me to study in sainik school…all went well and I got selected… and now I had to make a transition from the modern and happening school at Delhi to the remote and tough school at sujanpur tihra…



I didn’t know what to expect… but one thing I knew was that it was a tough nut to crack…



And the D-thing at Sainik School was “RAGDA”…or in simple English we can say that hard as well as harsh physical punishment…



Now the students who joined there in 9th were called the “new comers”…



So I among six others who joined school was labeled the new comers.



Anyways school life started…waking up in the morning at 5am going for p.t. … and running two rounds before exercises in the historical ground called chaugan which itself is the biggest single ground in hp… with a circumference of about more than 1.8 km .



Now that was a hell lot for me but slowly I adapted…



I didn’t knew what was restored for me in the future… life became tough…” the daily dose of ragda become a regular routine… the first day of ragda and It was like 45 min in cock position with jumping… and when the seniors left us my classmates who were there from 6th said …thank god that the left us early today… it was so hot and I was like what???? Are you nuts??? That’s early… come on even if a real cock had to jump for 45 min it would have fainted man…



The seniors used to devour giving “ragda”



But this was a glimpse of what all can follow…



I and my room mates where from different place… had different appearances and attitudes…



One of them was abhinav…



It appeared that he used to fritter away all his pocket money yet there was no dearth of it…



He used to eat ice creams ….daily…and chocolates and the entire lovely and mouth watering stuff…



We thought he must be very rich till but one day he told that he used to have all the goodies when there was a rush at canteen and didn’t pay for them … he just had them for free…and as he begin to get success in doing so… it became from occasional to a regular affair… his image become more of a thug and a wicked person…although he was very nice to us…



Now at the time of classes we all had a horrific time. We were teased, disturbed and teased and virtually our own classmates on the pretext that they are senior … that they have joined the school 3 years before us in 6th rather than we joining them directly in 9th and saving ourselves from the more tough time of the school being the junior most from 6th to 8th! Come on! That’s not fair! They used to steal all our stationeries without even us getting to know when it happened and who did it! You will not believe me they were like magicians… if we had our eyes off our pen for a second and it was gone… and we had no clue who took it! They had mastered this art! It became a costly affair for us as 2-3 pens daily was a normal affair…It was sickening… and the only positive we could take from it was that thank god the juniors who are junior as per the standard we are studying but senior based on the number of years spent in the school didn’t rag us! The senior and junior relation was very strict!!Juniors had to do anything and everything for the seniors without and complaint otherwise a thrashing of a life time awaited…



Now to make things worse… one day one of my roommate couldn’t find his hundred rupee note…it was a new note with new design so he kind of remembered it…he began to cry and told me and my friend vinay that he had a doubt an abhinav… we without giving much thought told him to check abhinav’s wardrobe if he can find it when he was gone..He checked and found a new 100 rupee note there and begins to swear that he recognizes the note and it was the same very note! We were astonished…but he was so convincing that it was hard to doubt him…we told him that you can take the note and we will not tell anybody ,this way abhinav will also be saved from humiliation…things move don…



abhinav didn’t notice the note missing and it was all well at this front…back to school there were great expectations from me as everybody knew I came from Delhi! The capital the big thing!



Putting more pressure on me…



Then came the class of math’s… the subject I wished I could have erased permanently from the history and bestow to my fellow future generation who hate math’s a cleaner simpler and math’s free environment and become a legend! Sounds nice … and comical… but things weren’t so nice ahead… the math’s teacher went out of the class and asked the monitor to write the names of the students who talk… I was quite…the atmosphere was too hostile for the new comers…but the so called old comers of my batch were up to the trick… they wrote my roll no and gave it to sir! He called me and without asking any question begin his famous practice …In his famous style….called nothing as such but enjoyed by everyone around…



He told me to come near me…he adjusted my face to suit his stance and told me to look at the tube light above I was dead scared…I began to look at the light and in anticipation to his hand near my right cheek ..Kept my hands near the cheek in order to weaken the impact and also because I was not that strong enough to have a slap boldly… I have never had one … it was natural… but guess what was restored for me … instead of slapping my right cheek… the sir slapped me on the left with his left hand and caught me unalarmed… and that was his famous deceptive style… I was made a laughing stock… and everyone enjoyed it for sure…but to be frank it wasn’t very funny at my side… it was humiliating… it was insulting and somewhere inside it sparked the feeling of revenge and hatred…I committed myself that I will take revenge for sure…



Time passed and our 1st term exam …I scored 53% with 24 in math’s the sir told my marks and laughed out loud… Try to pass at least once…its vey enjoyable” and again it began to increase my hatred and feeling of revenge exponentially. Began to study hard…coz that was the only way I can prove him wrong…



Then one day he asked the class to prepare a chapter and he would ask question from anyone… this was my chance…I knew… I toiled hard and prepared the chapter perfectly…and waited for the moment to come…



The moment arrived soon and as was expected I was asked to solve a question… I was little tense and looked wobbly and afraid , but the fire to prove him wrong was more intense …I quickly noted the question and solved it…I was confident but it appeared correct… I checked again I was correct… but the look on my classmates appeared pejorative..but what is happening… the teacher called me and began his famous ceremony again…stripping away my confidence and my pride this time I stood still and bang… I got the reward…it was painful… I couldn’t cry…but I felt as if I died…I was shocked and mute for days to come… all alone..



And although I realized later that I had copied the values wrong…but it hardly mattered now



And to add to it my mother mailed me stamps worth 200 and also inserted a 100rupee note in the letter! You know how nice and emotional mothers are was expecting the letter to reach me within a week from dispatch from home.and one day I received it… but somehow it was already opened and the stamps and currency was missing! It further disheartened me… and I got very said… all things began to accumulate and I did the most common mistake that we generally make when we confront a tough time … we remember the happier times and feel more sad .. More disheartened…



Now in the hostel my friend vinay began to blackmail vishal by threatening that he will tell abhinav and all that u took that money! Vishal succumbed to his demand… and I realized I had done a mistake believing him… he was guilty and that’s why he was doing whatever vinay told him to do so… from small treats to personal work like getting water etc…once in a while I also got some work done from him but sporadically…but vinays demand grew day by day and vishal got frustrated…he once when I and vinay were not around confessed after the other 5 roommates that he took the money from abhinavs wallet…but with a twist to save himself… he told that I forced him to take it… and I told him that abhinav must have done it and created an image that I was the main person behind the scene…I don’t know why?? But somehow everyone believed him… somehow vinay got away …initially we were together blamed… but as time passed by vinay somehow managed to escape it by doing a sort of confession but …but…making stories that made him look the less culprit…



They didn’t listen to me much… the believed what vishal told them…blindly I can say…they were of the impression that he confessed and he was blackmailed so he must be right…



Somehow I was left alone…to live a sedentary life…



They all began to mentally torture me…they began to call me a thief… they began to sing songs like” kar lo sab darwaze band… dekho aye aye chor” from the movie mohabbatein whenever I was around…the told our other classmates and they began to torture me too… I was left alone and tattered …totally shattered…no one was willing to listen to me… I felt that the whole universe has conspired against me…I was taunted in class… in hostel… in mess and everywhere I was not alone… I began to isolate myself…I began to sleep early in order to avoid the comments of room mates… they never stopped as if they were destined to make me mad. to inject pain in me…as if I had killed somebody…and vishal was treated with respect…oh my god…what worse can happen…believe me ii was a hello of a ride through a hell of a time and made a hell of an impact in my life… and I pray that it doesn’t happen to anyone…and I being shy…never shared anything with my parents….



So I was alone…beaten…down…



And to add to it… one day before our exam… I laid on my bed early….and tried to sleep to avoid comments…but couldn’t sleep somehow…after nearly half an hour…my roommates began to start conversion that they will tell our warden Madame all about it… they began …



Scene one: vishal…a meek and simple boy who has come from the simple town of solan arrived to sainik school and meet this guy arun…who was from Delhi…as cleaver as fox…coaxed vishal to steal and then blackmailed him…vishal was caught in the web …he got tortured… his guilt grew beyond what his heart could hold… he did the right thing and confessed…and did a favor to us by letting us know that arun was a devil in disguise..



Then one of them told that we will systematically blame arun for some other thefts and things that had happened but were not solved…



And when the majority will say so… it’s sure that he will be deemed guilty and punished severely …that would be a lesson to him…



And when I heard these words… my heart broke….I couldn’t imagine that they can go so low… creating imaginary stories…I cried inside… I died inside…I lost hope…I lost vision …I lost myself… I lost everything…



I faced death while I was alive… for what… a 100 rs … a fib …



Next day I went to warden and told her everything that had really happened… I made a confession… I accepted the fact that my responses to the situation were jejune…I cried my heart out… I told her how I was tortured… day and night…I didn’t knew whether she would believe me…but I just wanted to say my heart out…fortunately…when my roommates were cooking the story they got a bit louder than normal and warden madam was on the round of hostel… she somehow had listened there entire conversation.. I couldn’t believe…I was glad it happened… she called all my roommates and before the could perceive what had happened… told them everything what I said… they began to defend themselves …and started to blame me…but when madam told me that she heard there conversation that day they were shocked .. there well planed script turned into a gaffe ..And after many talks there was a compromise…



But things were almost the same … only that the taunts by the roommates were now no more . I began to retrospect … I realized how preposterous was i…..and I remained isolated… then one day I wrote to my parents that I was not happy here… I told about getting low scores in math’s and the theft of stamps as being the reason…



And life continued…



But a few days later our principal Col. H.S. BHANDAL a person who was respected by everyone in the school. He had a great personality…he had a great spirit… and under his able leadership our school had reached great heights…and there were no doubts whatsoever that he was doing a yeoman’s service for the institution … he was simply an ideal for most of us…



He came to me and asked “cadet arun pandit” I replied “yes sir”!



Your father has sent me a fax from Delhi… he told me that you were unhappy and sad here…due to some problems and incidences…



I didn’t say anything … he took me with him on a stride and told me…



Son life is tough … but you have to be tougher…look in to my eyes…I hesitated but slowly made eye contact with him… he told me…till now you were living in the sconces of your parents…but things are different now…life is not always fair…you may think that you are very unlucky and unfortunate…that you have got all the troubles in the world …



You are young son… you are bound to think that way…its natural … rather it is nothing to do with the senescence… Even the older ones think this way…i don’t blame you…



but son remember nothing great is ever achieved without struggle…the life of great people remind us of the fact that they faced heart breaking failures in there life… they failed many times …



But they never gave up! They lost but they got up! At times they lost hope…lost confidence…lost belief…lost everything…but they got up…they failed to accept defeat…they fought against all odds…and proved there critics wrong…they proved there worth and proved that nothing is impossible!



These sublime souls…



They went from the lowest low….the nadir…. to the highest high…



From extreme darkness to light…



From ordinary to extraordinary…



Facing and overcoming there fears and failures made them immortal… made them an inspiration…



You have to be tougher…I am your father here and you can come to me anytime for any kind of help or problem…together we will overcome them…



Cadet Arun pandit I want to see you as person who is remembered, respected and appreciated by everyone …I want you to be a force to reckon with… a juggernaut …I want you to carry the sujanian spirit everywhere you go…



In pursuit of excellence…



In know you will never let me down…



These words changed my life… it bestowed in me belief… faith…and the “DON’T GIVE UP!”



Spirit… fail! Fall! Cry! Even die….



But don’t give up!



Because impossible is nothing…



The teachers have got the power to mould the student’s future … not just studies… not just sports…



I don’t know whether you believe in pantheism or not…



But one thing is true…



A person who tries his best doesn’t require a placard to prove his worth.



But to develop the attitude…to develop the faith…to bring out the best in them…believe me if someone you respect puts faith in you and pushes you to reach the limits and beyond…it’s hard to fail…



I had problems even after talking to sir …but I never went to him again… his words always supported me and pulled me up! I never gave up… I failed many a times…but I got up and won…



I got 90+ in final exams in maths…I stood 2nd in 10th board… I went on to become the school literary captain…the states best declamation speaker…DG NCC scholarship winner… etc… and most importantly…



I became a man…I realized that there is no ersatz to hard work and struggle…



I reached greater heights … a loss became a motivation to win bigger more difficult battles of life…



And although I have got a lot to achieve… a lot to prove…and I have not reached the level he wanted me to attain…but I am sure very soon I will do it…even surpass it…



And for this …from the bottom of my heart I would like to say…



Thank you sir…



By Arun Pandit@dontgiveup

Adulteration of the mind

Recently I was talking to my uncle .he told me a story of his friend.his friend went to london for studying .he rented an apartment at an old ladys place in london.one day while he was coming back after classes ,he saw his landlady a bit sad…he asked..what happened madam..she replied that today her cow gave half a kg less milk !he replied ‘no problem!just ‘ add water into it. he said jokingly !but to his astonishment she got serious and immediately asked him to leave his house.she said that r u teaching me adulteration!get out!I don’t want you at my place.not only did she let him out but also informed the whole neighborhood and no one rented him a room in the locality..


this is the attitude we should learn if we want to make our nation develop and progress.the change should be from the inside and from the people.a nation is n0t meagrely a large chunk of land seperated by other land masses by man made boundaries.it is what its people are and what they do!no nation is perfect my dear friend…but every nation must be made perfect by the actions and attitude of its people.so friends lets follow what the great mahatma gandhi said…you have to be the change you want to see in this world…so lets change our attitude for good..lets be more responsible and little less selfish..and believe me the world will be a much better place to live in…

the window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.




The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.



The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.



One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should hehave all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn’t seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window – and that thought now controlled his life.



Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence–deathly silence.



The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away–no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.



Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.



Moral of the story:



The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice…it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful. If we wait for them to get just right, we will never find lasting joy.



The pursuit of happiness is an inward journey.. Our minds are like programs, awaiting the code that will determine behaviors; like bank vaults awaiting our deposits. If we regularly deposit positive, encouraging, and uplifting thoughts, if we continue to bite our lips just before we begin to grumble and complain, if we shoot down that seemingly harmless negative thought as it germinates, we will find that there is much to rejoice about.

story

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For


many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s

showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told

him that was all he wanted.



As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited

signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the

morning of his graduation his father called him into his private

study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine

son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son

a beautiful wrapped gift box.



Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man

opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily,

he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you

give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy

book.



Many years passed and the young man was very successful in

business.

He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his

father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He

had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make

arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had

passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He

needed to come home immediately and take care things.

When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and

regret filled his heart.



He began to search his father’s important papers and

saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With

tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he

read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope

taped behind the Bible.

It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the

sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation,

and the words…PAID IN FULL.



How many times do we miss God’s blessings because they are not

packaged as we expected?

THE BRICK

About ten years ago, a young and very successful executive named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his sleek, black, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.




He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child darted out, but a brick sailed out and – WHUMP! – it smashed Into the Jag’s shiny black side door! SCREECH..!!!! Brakes slammed! Gears ground into reverse, and tires madly spun the Jaguar back to the spot from where the brick had been thrown. Josh jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, “What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing?!” Building up a head of steam, he went on. “That’s my new Jag, that brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?”



“Please, mister, please. . . I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!” Pleaded the youngster. “I threw the brick because no one else would stop!” Tears were dripping down the boy’s chin as he pointed around the parked car. “It’s my brother, mister,” he said. “He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up.” Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, “Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”



Moved beyond words, the young executive tried desperately to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapes and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.



It was a long walk back to the sleek, black, shining, 12 cylinder Jaguar XKE -a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. . . Some bricks are softer than others. Feel for the bricks of life coming at to you. For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has positive answers.

DON’T WE ALL

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come


from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.

Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would

consider a bum.

From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no

money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times

that you just don’t want to be bothered. This was one of those “don’t

want to be bothered times.”

“I hope he doesn’t ask me for any money,” I thought.

He didn’t.

He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn’t look

like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke.

“That’s a very pretty car,” he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly

blond beard keep more than his face warm.

I said, “thanks,” and continued wiping off my car.





He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never

came.

As the silence between us widened something inside said, “ask him if

he needs any help.” I was sure that he would say “yes” but I held true

to the inner voice.

“Do you need any help?” I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.

We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from

those of higher learning and accomplishments.



I expected nothing but an

outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

“Don’t we all?” he said.



I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum

in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge

shotgun.

Don’t we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I

needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus

fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those

three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter

how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you

have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or

a place to sleep, you can give help.



Even if it’s just a compliment, you can give that.

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.

They are waiting on you to give them what they don’t have. A different

perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from

daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe

he was more than that.



Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and

wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.



Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, “go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help.”

Don’t we all?

VALUE

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 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 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 all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still the hands went into the air.



“My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. 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. You are special – Don’t ever forget it!

THE OBSTACLE IN OUR PATH

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.




Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one’s condition

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.



stoneHe 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 asy to fail to recognize an opportunity when it is in hand and it’s just as easy to throw it away.

THE STORY OF THE BUTTERFLY

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.


One day a small opening appeared.

He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours

as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.

Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.



ButterflySo the man decided to help the butterfly.

He took a pair of scissors and

snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.

The butterfly emerged easily but

it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.



The man continued to watch it,

expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge

and expand enough to support the body,

Neither happened!

In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life

crawling around.

It was never able to fly.



What the man in his kindness

and haste did not understand:

The restricting cocoon and the struggle

required by the butterfly to get through the opening

was a way of forcing the fluid from the body

into the wings so that it would be ready

for flight once that was achieved.



Sometimes struggles are exactly

what we need in our lives.

Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.

We will not be as strong as we could have been

and we would never fly.

Shake It Off And Step Up

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule ‘braying’ — or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer felt sorry for the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened and asked them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.




Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back: he should shake it off and step up! This is what the old mule did, blow after blow. “Shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up… shake it off and step up!” he repeated to encourage himself.



No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought “panic” and just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up! You guessed it! It wasn’t long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him, actually end up blessing him. All because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

Hospital Windows

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.




The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.



And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.



The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.



As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.



One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it in his mind’s eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.



Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.



As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.



WindowHe strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, “Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.”

Paid In Full

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.




Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box. Curious, and somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man’s name embossed in gold. Angry, he shouted at his father and said “with all your money, you give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house.



Many years passed and the young man had become very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father now was getting old, and thought perhaps he should go see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.



Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.



When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father’s important papers and saw the still gift-wrapped Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages.



His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt.7:11, “And if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?” As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had wanted. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words PAID IN FULL.

SAND AND STONE

two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.” They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: “TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.” The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?” The other friend replied: “When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.” LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND, AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE

BUILDING YOUR HOUSE

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.




The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.



When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house… my gift to you.”



The carpenter was shocked!



What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.



So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.



But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!

ALEXANDER FLEMING

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to eke out a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow


and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

“I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.”

“No, I can’t accept payment for what I did,” the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel.

“Is that your son?” the nobleman asked. “Yes,” the farmer replied proudly.

“I’ll make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education.

If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll grow to a man you can be proud of.”

And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming’s son graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the nobleman’s son was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved him? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.

His son’s name? Sir Winston Churchill.



Someone once said what goes around comes around.

THE FOUR WIVES

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.




He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He’s very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.



He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant’s confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.



Now, the merchant’s 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.



One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, “Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I’ll be alone. How lonely I’ll be!”



Thus, he asked the 4th wife, “I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” “No way!” replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.



The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant’s heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, “I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I’m dying, will you follow me and keep me company?” “No!” replied the 3rd wife. “Life is so good over here! I’m going to remarry when you die!” The merchant’s heart sank and turned cold.



He then asked the 2nd wife, “I always turned to you for help and you’ve always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?” “I’m sorry, I can’t help you out this time!” replied the 2nd wife. “At the very most, I can only send you to your grave.” The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.



Then a voice called out : “I’ll leave with you. I’ll follow you no matter where you go.” The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, “I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !”



Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives



a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it’ll leave us when we die.



b. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.



c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we’re alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.



d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.



Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it’s a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we’re on our deathbed to lament

WOODEN BOWL

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year old grandson. The old man’s hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather’s shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. “We must do something about grandfather,” said the son. I’ve had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather’s direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, “What are you making?” Just as sweetly, the boy responded, “Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up.” The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather’s hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day that building blocks are being laid for the child’s future. Let us all be wise builders and role models. Take care of yourself, … and those you love, … today, and everyday!

Blessing or Curse

Joan and Natty were two young mothers who lived across the street from each other. From their living room windows, each woman was able to observe the activities of the other woman’s family.




One day, Joan confessed that she’d been watching what went on in Natty’s front garden and that she envied her. I don’t know what you mean, Natty said with puzzled look on her face.



Well, I often see your husband out in the front mowing your lawn, and I wish my husband would do the same thing, Joan said. Your garden is beautiful!



Natty laughed and then made her confession. I have been doing the same thing, Joan, she said. I watch your husband in your front garden – and I have envied you! Joan shook her head with disbelied. What on earth do you mean She asked.



Natty replied, I see your husband playing ball with your toddler so nicely. How I wish Keith, my husband, would do the same thing! He never wants our boys in the way when he mows.



Be honest Joan. Would you rather have your husband play with your son than have a well-manicured lawn?



I had not thought of that before, but your right Natty. I may have tall grass, but Eric, my husband is right about playing with little Johnny, Joan concluded.



Very often we are blind to our own Blessings that are so obvious to others. Let us cultivate the habit of concentrating on our several blessings rather than brooding over what we perceive as Curses.