HUMILITY...

Many years ago, a rider came across some soldiers who were trying to move a heavy log without success. The corporal was standing by as the men struggled. The rider asked the corporal why he wasn't helping. The corporal replied, "I am the corporal; I give orders." The rider dismounted, went up and stood by the soldiers and as they were lifting the log, he helped them. With his help, the log got moved. The rider quietly mounted his horse and went to the corporal and said, "The next time your men need help, send for the Commander-in-Chief." After he left, the corporal and his men found out that the rider was none other than George Washington.

I knew you would come...

There were two childhood buddies, Harry and Bill, who went through school and college and even joined the army together. War broke out and they were fighting in the same unit. One night they were ambushed. Bullets were flying all over and out of the darkness came a voice, "Harry, please come and help me." Harry immediately recognized the voice of his childhood buddy, Bill. He asked the captain if he could go. The captain said, "No, I can't let you go, I am already short-handed and I cannot afford to lose one more person. Besides, the way Bill sounds he is not going to make it." Harry kept quiet. Again the voice came, "Harry, please come and help me." Harry sat quietly because the captain had refused earlier. Again and again the voice came. Harry couldn't contain himself any longer and told the captain, "Captain, this is my childhood buddy. I have to go and help." The captain reluctantly let him go. Harry crawled through the darkness and dragged Bill back into the trench. They found that Bill was dead. Now the captain got angry and shouted at Harry, "Didn't I tell you he was not going to make it? He is dead, you could have been killed and I could have lost a hand. That was a mistake and not worth the risk." Harry replied, "Captain, I did the right thing and my risk was worth it. When I reached Bill he was still alive and his last words were "Harry, I knew you would come."

SMILE...

A smile costs nothing, 

but it creates much.

It enriches those who receive it 

without impoverishing those who give it.

It happens in a flash, 

and the memory of it may last forever.

None are so rich 

that they can get along without it, 

and none so poor 

that they cannot be richer for its benefits.

It creates happiness in the home, 

fosters goodwill in a business, 

and is the countersign of friends.

It is rest to the weary, 

daylight to the discouraged,

sunshine to the sad, 

and nature's best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be begged, bought, borrowed, or stolen, 

for it is something that is worth nothing to anyone 

until it is given away.

Love thy neighbour as thyself...

A man died and St. Peter asked him if he would like to go to heaven or hell. The man asked if he could see both before deciding. St. Peter took him to hell first and the man saw a big hall with a long table, lots of food on it and music playing. He also saw rows of people with pale, sad faces. They looked starved and there was no laughter. And he observed one more thing. Their hands were tied to four-foot forks and knives and they were trying to get the food from the center of the table to put into their mouths. But they couldn't. Then, he went to see heaven. There he saw a big hall with a long table, with lots of food on the table and music playing. He noticed rows of people on both sides of the table with their hands tied to four-foot forks and knives also. But he observed there was something different here. People were laughing and were well-fed and healthy-looking. He noticed that they were feeding one another across the table. The result was happiness, prosperity, enjoyment, and gratification because they were not thinking of themselves alone; they were thinking of others too. The same is true of our lives. When we serve our customers, our families, our employers and employees, we automatically win.

Crab mentality - JEALOUSY...

What is crab mentality? Do you know how they catch crabs? They put a box with one side open for the crabs to walk in. It has a base but no lid. When the box is full, they close the fourth side. The crabs could easily crawl out of the box and go free. But this doesn't happen, because the crab mentality doesn't let it happen. The moment one crab starts crawling up, the others pull it down and nobody gets out. Guess where they all end up? They all get cooked.

We see what we think...

There is a legend about a wise man who was sitting outside his village. A traveler came up and asked him, "What kind of people live in this village, because I am looking to move from my present one?" The wise man asked, "What kind of people live where you want to move from?" The man said, "They are mean, cruel, rude." The wise man replied, "The same kind of people live in this village too." After some time another traveller came by and asked the same question and the wise man asked him, "What kind of people live where you want to move from?" And the traveler replied, "The people are very kind, courteous, polite and good." The wise man said, "You will find the same kind of people here too."

What is the moral of the story?

Generally we see the world not the way it is but the way we are. Most of the time, other people's behavior is a reaction to our own.

A piano recital wins bread for Poland...

Many years ago two boys were working their way through Stanford University. Their funds got desperately low, and the idea came to them to engage Ignacy Paderewski for a piano recital. They would use the funds to help pay their board and tuition.

The great pianist's manager asked for a guarantee of $2,000.

The guarantee was a lot of money in those days, but the boys agreed and proceeded to promote the concert. They worked hard, only to find that they had grossed only $1,600. After the concert the two boys told the great artist the bad news. They gave him the entire $1,600, along with a promissory note for $400, explaining that they would earn the amount at the earliest possible moment and send the money to him. It looked like the end of their college careers.

"No, boys," replied Paderewski, "that won't do." Then, tearing the note in two, he returned the money to them as well. "Now," he told them, "take out of this $1,600 all of your expenses and keep for each of you 10 percent of the balance for your work. Let me have the rest."

The years rolled by. World War I came and went. Paderewski, now premier of Poland, was striving to feed thousands of starving people in his native land. The only person in the world who could help him was Herbert Hoover, who was in charge of the US Food and Relief Bureau. Hoover responded and soon thousands of tons of food were sent to Poland.

After the starving people were fed, Paderewski journeyed to Paris to thank Hoover for the relief sent him.

"That's all right, Mr. Paderewski ," was Hoover's reply. "Besides, you don't remember it, but you helped me once when I was a student at college, and I was in trouble."

The bumblebee...

We need to learn from nature. According to scientists, the bumblebee's body is too heavy and its wing span too small. Aerodynamically, the bumblebee cannot fly. But the bumblebee doesn't know that and it keeps flying.

False limitations...

"I'm looking for a lot of men with an infinite capacity for not knowing what cannot be done."

                                                                                                                                -Henry Ford


Henry Ford gave this world the V8 engine. He did not have much formal education. In fact, he did not go to school beyond the age of 14. He was intelligent enough to know there had to be a V8 engine but he was ignorant and didn't know how to build it. So he asked all his highly qualified, educated people to build one. But they told him what could be done and what couldn't. According to them, a V8 was an impossibility. But Henry Ford insisted on having his V8. A few months later he asked his people if they had the V8 and they replied, "We know what can be done and we also know what cannot be done and V8 is an impossibility." This went on for many months and still Henry Ford said, "I want my V8." And shortly thereafter the same people produced his V8 engine. How come? They let their imagination run beyond academic limitation. Education teaches us what can be done and sometimes also teaches us false limitations.

Wilma Rudolph's story...

Wilma Rudolph was born into a poor home in Tennessee. At age four, she had double pneumonia with scarlet fever, a deadly combination which left her paralyzed with polio. She had to wear a brace and the doctor said she would never put her foot on the earth. But her mother encouraged her; she told Wilma that with God-given ability, persistence and faith she could do anything she wanted. Wilma said, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth." At the age of nine, against the advice of the doctors, she removed the brace and took the first step the doctors had said she never would. At the age of 13, she entered her first race and came way, way last. And then she entered her second, and third and fourth and came way, way last until a day came when she came in first. At the age of 15 she went to Tennessee State University where she met a coach by the name of Ed Temple. She told him, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth." Temple said, "With your spirit nobody can stop you and besides, I will help you." The day came when she was at the Olympics and at the Olympics you are matched with the best of the best. Wilma was matched against a woman named Jutta Heine who had never been beaten. The first event was the 100-meter race. Wilma beat Jutta Heine and won her first gold medal. The second event was the 200-meter race and Wilma beat Jutta a second time and won her second gold medal. The third event was the 400-meter relay and she was racing against Jutta one more time. In the relay, the fastest person always runs the last lap and they both anchored their teams. The first three people ran and changed the baton easily. When it came to Wilma's turn, she dropped the baton. But Wilma saw Jutta shoot up at the other end; she picked the baton, ran like a machine, beat Jutta a third time and won her third gold medal. It became history: That a paralytic woman became the fastest woman on this earth at the 1960 Olympics.

Discipline...an act of love...

Discipline is an act of love. Sometimes you have to be unkind to be kind: Not all medicine is sweet, not all surgery is painless, but we have to take it. We need to learn from nature. We are all familiar with that big animal, the giraffe. A mama giraffe gives birth to a baby giraffe, standing. All of a sudden, the baby falls on a hard surface from the cushion of mama's womb, and sits on the ground. The first thing mama does is to get behind the baby and give him a hard kick. The baby gets up, but his legs are weak and wobbly and the baby falls down. Mama goes behind again and gives him one more kick. The baby gets up but sits down again. Mama keeps kicking till the baby gets on its feet and starts moving. Why? Because mama knows that the only chance of survival for the baby in the jungle is to get on its feet. Otherwise it will be eaten up by wildcats and become dead meat.

Is this an act of love? You bet it is.

A child learns from life...

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with hostility, he learns tonight.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.

If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,

he learns to find love in the world.

Self-esteem matters...

High Self-Esteem                                               Low Self-Esteem

Talk about ideas                                                                      Talk about people

Caring attitude                                                                         Critical attitude

Humility                                                                                   Arrogance

Respects authority                                                                    Rebels against authority

Courage of conviction                                                               Goes along to get along

Confidence                                                                              Confusion

Concerned about character                                                       Concerned about reputation

Assertive                                                                                  Aggressive

Accepts responsibility                                                               Blames the whole world

Self-interest                                                                              Selfish

Optimistic                                                                                 Fatalistic

Understanding                                                                          Greedy

Willing to learn                                                                          Know it all

Sensitive                                                                                   Touchy

Solitude                                                                                     Lonely

Discuss                                                                                     Argue

Believes in self-worth                                                                 Believes in net worth only

Guided                                                                                      Misguided

Discipline                                                                                  Distorted sense of freedom

Internally driven                                                                         Externally driven

Respects others                                                                         Looks down on others

Enjoys decency                                                                         Enjoys vulgarity

Knows limit                                                                               Everything goes

Giver                                                                                         Taker

My message against racism...

Against the outrageous advertisement outside a supermarket in Australia, saying Indians or Asians aren't welcome for jobs there...

Hey there, brothers & sisters from Australia. I am not generalizing you all, but I am going to give a piece of my mind to the few pathetic racists your beautiful country has given rise to. It is  matter of pride to call yourselves Australians, no doubt. But there is no pride in calling yourselves Australians having little tolerance against people from other countries. That is what illiterate people do; and after all, we know a country can't achieve 100% literacy, so we accept the few random racists out there. Always remember, we are all great people living in our great country with other great people of other great countries; we are all humans. It's true that I am proud to be Indian, but I am also privileged to be global. We are nothing without the support of our brothers and sisters; united we stand, divided we fall. Brothers and sisters out there - fight racism, if any. Racists don't fall under the category of human beings. They are born to hate as they are so insecure about their own existence and consider themselves a rung above the rest. I feel sorry to say this, but religion and racism are the primary reasons that our beautiful world is breaking up into pieces. And always remember; Indians and Asians are known for their hospitality worldwide. We warmly invite anyone from any country to visit or live among us, like our own siblings; WE DON'T TOLERATE RACISM OF ANY KIND. Individual efforts yield less, but a summation of individual efforts can lead to a revolution. I urge all my brothers and sisters, including those from Australia, to stand firmly and strongly against this social evil.

Regards,
Sourav Gangopadhyay

Kites...

A boy was flying a kite with his father and asked him what kept the kite up. Dad replied, "The string." The boy said, "Dad, it is the string that is holding the kite down." The father asked his son to watch as he broke the string.

Guess what happened to the kite? It came down. Isn't that true in life? Sometimes the very things that we think are holding us down are the things that are helping us fly. That is what discipline is all about.

Be a good parent...

There are little eyes upon you

and they're watching night and day.

There are little ears that quickly

take in every word you say.

There are little hands all eager

to do anything you do;

And a little boy who's dreaming

of the day he'll be like you.

You're the little fellow's idol,

you're the wisest of the wise.

In his little mind about you

no suspicions ever rise.

He believes in you devoutly,

holds all that you say and do;

He will say and do, in your way,

when he's grown up like you.

There's a wide-eyed little fellow

who believes you're always right;

And his eyes are always opened,

and he watches day and night.

You are setting an example

every day in all you do,

For the little boy who's waiting

to grow up to be like you.

Low self-esteem...

A young executive with poor self-esteem was promoted but he couldn't reconcile himself to his new office and position. There was a knock at his door. To show how important and busy he was, he picked up the phone and then asked the visitor to come in. As the man waited for the executive, the executive kept talking on the phone, nodding and saying, "No problem, I can handle that." After a few minutes he hung up and asked the visitor what he could do for him. The man replied, "Sir, I'm here to connect your phone."

Dignity...

A beggar was sitting at the train station with a bowl full of pencils. A young executive passed by and dropped a dollar in the bowl. He then boarded the train. Before the doors closed, something came to his mind and he went back to the beggar, grabbed a bunch of pencils, and said, "They are priced right. After all you are a business person and so am I," and he left. Six months later, the executive attended a party. The beggar was also there in a suit and tie. The beggar recognized the executive, went up to him and said, "You probably don't recognize me but I remember you." He then narrated the incident that happened six months before. The executive said, "Now that you have reminded me, I do recall that you were begging. What are you doing here in your suit and tie?" The beggar replied, "You probably don't know what you did for me that day. You were the first person in my life who gave me back my dignity. You grabbed the bunch of pencils and said, 'They are priced right. After all, you are a business person and so am 1.' After you left, I thought to myself, what am I doing here? Why am I begging? I decided to do something constructive with my life. I packed my bag, started working and here I am. I Just want to thank you for giving me back my dignity. That incident changed my life."

Internal motivation...

Internal motivation comes from within, such as pride, a sense of achievement, responsibility and belief.

There was a young boy who used to come for regular practice but always played in the reserves and never made it to the soccer eleven. While he was practicing, his father used to sit at the far end, waiting for him. The matches had started and for four days, he didn't show up for practice or the quarter or semifinals.

All of a sudden he showed up for the finals, went to the coach and said, "Coach, you have always kept me in the reserves and never let me play in the finals. But today, please let me play." The coach said, "Son, I'm sorry, I can't let you. There are better players than you and besides, it is the finals, the reputation of the school is at stake and I cannot take a chance." The boy pleaded, "Coach, I promise I will not let you down. I beg of you, please let me play." The coach had never seen the boy plead like this before. He said, "OK, son, go, play. But remember, I am going against my better judgment and the reputation of the school is at stake. Don't let me down."

The game started and the boy played like a house on fire. Every time he got the ball, he shot a goal. Needless to say, he was the best player and the star of the game. His team had a spectacular win.

When the game finished, the coach went up to him and said, "Son, how could I have been so wrong in my life. I have never seen you play like this before. What happened? How did you play so well?" The boy replied, "Coach, my father is watching me today." The coach turned around and looked at the place where the boy's father used to sit. There was no one there. He said, "Son, your father used to sit there when you came for practice, but I don't see anyone there today." The boy replied, "Coach, there is something I never told you. My father was blind. Just four days ago, he died. Today is the first day he is watching me from above."

Positive and negative motivation...

Let me tell you a story of two brothers. One was a drug addict and a drunk who frequently beat up his family. The other one was a very successful businessman who was respected in society and had a wonderful family. Some people wanted to find out why two brothers from the same parents, brought up in the same environment, could be so different. The first one was asked, "How come you do what you do? You are a drug addict, a drunk, and you beat your family. What motivates you?" He said, "My father." They asked, "What about your father?" The reply was, "My father was a drug addict, a drunk and he beat his family. What do you expect me to be? That is what I am." They went to the brother who was doing everything right and asked him the same question. "How come you are doing everything right? What is your source of motivation?" And guess what he said? "My father. When I was a little boy, I used to see my dad drunk and doing all the wrong things. I made up my mind that that is not what I wanted to be." Both were deriving their strength and motivation from the same source, but one was using it positively and the other negatively. Negative motivation brings the desire to take the easier way which ends up being the tougher way.

LUCK...

He worked by day

And toiled by night.

He gave up play

And some delight.

Dry books he read,

New things to learn.

And forged ahead,

Success to earn.

He plodded on with

Faith and pluck;

And when he won,

Men called it LUCK.

Recognizing God's help...

A flood was threatening a small town and everyone was leaving for safety except one man who said, "God will save me. I have faith." As the water level rose a jeep came to rescue him, the man refused, saying "God will save me. I have faith." As the water level rose further, he went up to the second storey, and a boat came to help him. Again he refused to go, bellowing, "God will save me. I have faith." The water kept rising and the man climbed on to the roof. A helicopter came to rescue him, but he again said, "God will save me. I have faith." Well, finally he drowned. When he reached his Maker he angrily questioned, "I had complete faith in you. Why did you ignore my prayers and let me drown?" The Lord replied, "Who do you think sent you the jeep, the boat, and the helicopter?"

It all starts with a thought...

You sow a THOUGHT, you reap an ACTION.
You sow an action, you reap a HABIT.
You sow a habit, you reap a CHARACTER.
You sow a character, you reap a DESTINY.

 It all starts with a THOUGHT.

As you sow, so shall you reap...

We must have the desire to sow. Desire is the starting point.

What we sow, so shall we reap. If we sow potatoes, we are only going to reap potatoes, not tomatoes.

We must sow before we reap. Sowing takes place before reaping; we must give before we get. We cannot expect the fireplace to give us heat before we put in the fuel.

Some people are constantly looking to get before they give. It does not work this way.

When we sow a seed, we do not reap a single fruit - our harvest is manifold. If we sow a positive seed our harvest will be manifold in the positive, and if we sow a negative one the harvest shall be manifold in the negative. It is not uncommon to see people going against nature's law.

A farmer knows that we cannot sow and reap in the same day. There is always a period of gestation.

Risk...

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.

To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.

To reach outfox another is to risk involvement.

To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self.

To place your ideas, your dreams, before a crowd is to risk their loss.

To love is to risk not being loved in return.

To live is to risk dying.

To hope is to risk despair.

To try is to risk failure.

But risks must be taken, because the greatest

hazard in life is to risk nothing.

The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has

nothing, and is nothing.

They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they

cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, or live.

Chained by their attitudes, they are slaves,

they have forfeited their freedom.

Only a person who risks is free.

A job well done...

"If a man is called to be street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well."

                                                            -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Attitude about work...

Three people were laying bricks and a passerby asked them what they were doing. The first one replied, "Don't you see I am making a living?" The second one said, "Don't you see I am laying bricks?" The third one said, "I am building a beautiful house." Three people doing the same thing gave totally different replies. The question is: did they have different attitudes? And would their attitudes affect their performance? The answer to both the questions is a clear YES.

Don't quit...

When things go wrong,

As they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit.

One man army...

The strength of an army isn't determined by number, but by courage. Follow the link given below to see how a single man is capable of stopping a number of tanks all by himself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-nXT8lSnPQ

God helps those who help themselves...

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot enrich the poor by impoverishing the rich.

You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.

You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage pay.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away a man's initiative and independence.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

       
                                                                                                           -Abraham Lincoln

Push yourself harder...

When I'd get tired and want to stop, I'd wonder what my next opponent was doing. When I could see him still working, I'd start pushing myself. When I see him in the shower, I'd push myself harder.

                                                                             -Dan Gable, Olympic gold medalist in wrestling

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 you want 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.

If you think...

If you think you are beaten, you are.

If you think you dare not, you don't!

If you like to win, but think you can't,

It's almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost;

For out in the world we find

Success begins with a fellow's will;

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,

You've got to think high to rise,

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger and faster man,

But sooner or later the man who wins

Is the man who thinks he can.

Thank God, we can start anew...

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 anew." In spite of disaster, three weeks later, he invented the phonograph. What an attitude!

Failures are the pillars of success...

Let me share someone's life history with you. There was a man who failed in business at the age of 21 ; was defeated in a legislative race at age 22; failed again in business at age 24; overcame the death of his sweetheart at age 26; had a nervous breakdown at age 27; lost a congressional race at age 34; lost a senatorial race at age 45; failed in an effort to become vice-president at age 47; lost a senatorial race at age 49; and was elected president of the United States at age 52.

This man was Abraham Lincoln.

Existence alone is not success...

Do more than exist -- live;

Do more than touch -- feel;

Do more than look -- observe;

Do more than read -- absorb;

Do more than hear -- listen;

Do more than listen -- understand.

                                                                           - John H. Rhodes

What is success?

To laugh often and love much;

To win the respect of intelligent persons

and the affection of children;

To earn the approval of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends ;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To give off one's self without the

slightest thought of return;

To have accomplished a task, whether

by a healthy child, a rescued soul, a

garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

To have played and laughed with

Enthusiasm and sung with exaltation;

To know that even one life has breathed

easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.

Born to win, but conditioned to lose...

An eagle's egg was placed in the nest of a prairie chicken. The egg hatched and the little eagle grew up thinking it was a prairie chicken. The eagle did what the prairie chickens did. It scratched in the dirt for seeds. It clucked and cackled. It never flew more than a few feet because that is what the prairie chickens did. One day he saw an eagle flying gracefully and majestically in the open sky. He asked the prairie chickens: "What is that beautiful bird?" The chickens replied, "That is an eagle. He is an outstanding bird, but you cannot fly like him because you are just a prairie chicken." So the eagle never gave it a second thought, believing that to be the truth. He lived the life of and died a prairie chicken, depriving himself of his heritage because of his lack of vision. What a waste! He was born to win, but was conditioned to lose.

The same thing is true of most people. The unfortunate part of life is as Oliver Wendall Holmes said, "Most people go to their graves, with music still in them." We don't achieve excellence because of our own lack of vision.

"When was the last time you sharpened your axe?"

Jo John, a woodcutter, worked for a company for five years but never got a raise. The company hired Bill and within a year he got a raise. This caused resentment in John and he went to his boss to talk about it. The boss said, "You are still cutting the same number of trees you were cutting five years ago. We are a result-oriented company and would be happy to give you a raise if your productivity goes up."

 John went back, started hitting harder and putting in longer hours but he still wasn't able to cut more trees. He went back to his boss and told him his dilemma. The boss told John to go talk to Bill. "Maybe there is something Bill knows that you and l don't."

John asked Bill how he managed to cut more trees. Bill answered, "After every tree l cut, l take a break for two minutes and sharpen my axe. When was the last time you sharpened your axe?"

He is too big to miss...

There was a giant called Goliath who was bullying and harassing children in a village. One day, a 17-year-old shepherd boy came to visit his brothers and asked, "Why don't you stand up and fight the giant?" The brothers were terrified and they replied, "Don't you see he is too big to hit?" But David said, "No, he is not too big to hit, he is too big to miss." The rest is history. We all know what happened. David killed the giant with a sling. Same giant, different perception.

When you don't give up, you cannot fail...

Follow the link given below to watch Derek Redmond's exemplary courage on the Olympic track...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZlXWp6vFdE

A letter from Mom & Dad...

Follow the link given below to watch one of the most touching videos you will ever see...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Z_gRbMVaE

Acres of diamonds

There was a farmer in Africa who was happy and content. He was happy because he was content. He was content because he was happy. One day a wise man came to him and told him about the glory of diamonds and the power that goes along with them. The wise man said, "If you had a diamond the size of your thumb, you could have your own city. If you had a diamond the size of your fist, you could probably own your own
country." And then he went away. That night the farmer couldn't sleep. He was unhappy and he was discontent. He was unhappy because he was discontent and discontent because he was unhappy.

The next morning he made arrangements to sell off his farm, took care of his family and went in search of diamonds. He looked all over Africa and couldn't find any. He looked all through Europe and couldn't find any. When he got to Spain, he was emotionally, physically and financially broke. He got so disheartened that he threw himself into the Barcelona River and committed suicide.

Back home, the person who had bought his farm was watering the camels at a stream that ran through the farm. Across the stream, the rays of the morning sun hit a stone and made it sparkle like a rainbow. He thought it would look good on the mantle piece. He picked up the stone and put it in the living room. That afternoon the wise man came and saw the stone sparkling. He asked, "Is Hafiz back?" The new owner said, "No, why do
you ask?" The wise man said, "Because that is a diamond. I recognize one when I see one." The man said, no, that's just a stone I picked up from the stream. Come, I'll show you. There are many more." They went and picked some samples and sent them for analysis. Sure enough, the stones were diamonds. They found that the farm was indeed covered with acres and acres of diamonds.


What is the moral of this story?
There are five morals:
1. When our attitude is right, we realize that we are all walking on acres and acres of diamonds.
    Opportunity is always under our feet. We don't have to go anywhere. We need to recognize it.


2. The grass on the other side always looks greener.


3. While we are eyeing the grass on the other side, there are others who are eyeing the grass on our 
    side. They would be happy to trade places with us.


4. When people don't know how to recognize opportunity, they complain of noise when it knocks.


5. Opportunity never knocks twice. The next one may be better or worse, but it is never the same.

Be a better person...

Someone once approached Blaise Pascal, the famous French philosopher and said, "If I had your brains, I would be a better person." Pascal replied, "Be a better person and you will have my brains."

BALLOONS

 

There was a man who made a living selling balloons at a fair. He had all colors of balloons, including red, yellow, blue, and green. Whenever business was slow, he would release a helium-filled balloon into the air and when the children saw it go up, they all wanted to buy one. They would come up to him, buy a balloon, and his sales would go up again. He continued this process all day. One day, he felt someone tugging at his jacket. He turned around and saw a little boy who asked, "If you release a black balloon, would that also fly?" Moved by the boy's concern, the man replied with empathy, "Son, it is not the color of the balloon, it is what is inside that makes it go up."

WINNERS VS LOSERS

"The Winner is always part of the answer;
The Loser is always part of the problem."

¨The Winner always has a program;
The Loser always has an excuse.

¨The Winner says, "Let me do it for you";
The Loser says, "That is not my job."

¨The Winner sees an answer for every problem;
The Loser sees a problem for every answer.

¨The Winner says, "It may be difficult but it is possible";
The Loser says, "It may be possible but it is too difficult."

¨When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong";
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, "It wasn't my fault."

¨A Winner makes commitments;
A Loser makes promises.

¨Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes.

¨Winners say, "I must do something";
Losers say, "Something must be done."

¨Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart from the team.

¨Winners see the gain;
Losers see the pain.

¨Winners see possibilities;
Losers see problems.

¨Winners believe in win-win;
Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose.

¨Winners see the potential;
Losers see the past.

¨Winners are like a thermostat;
Losers are like thermometers.

¨Winners choose what they say;
Losers say what they choose.

¨Winners use hard arguments but soft words;
Losers use soft arguments but hard words.

¨Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty things;
Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on values.

¨Winners follow the philosophy: "Don't do to others what you would not want them to do to you";
Losers follow the philosophy, "Do it to others before they do it to you."

¨Winners make it happen;
Losers let it happen.

¨Winners plan and prepare to win.
The key word is preparation.

ARE YOU GOD'S WIFE?

A boy, about ten years old, was standing in front of a shoe store, barefooted, peering through the window and shivering with cold. A lady approached the boy and said, “My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?”

“I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,” was the boy’s reply.

The lady took him by the hand and went into the store and asked for the shop assistant to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the young fellow to the back of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his feet and dried them with the towel.

By this time the shop's assistant had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy’s feet, she bought a pair of shoes for him. She packaged the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.
She patted him on the head and said, “No doubt, my young fellow, you feel more comfortable now?” As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face with tears in his eyes, answered her question with these words:

“Are you God’s wife?”

GO DIGGING FOR THE GOLD, NOT THE DIRT...

                                

As a young Scots boy, Andrew Carnegie came to America and started doing odd jobs.

He ended up as one of the largest steel manufacturers in the United States.

At one time he had 43 millionaires working for him. Several decades ago, a million dollars

used to be a lot of money; even today it is a lot of money. Someone asked Mr. Carnegie

how he dealt with people? Andrew Carnegie replied, "Dealing with people is like digging

gold: When you go digging for an ounce of gold, you have to move tons of dirt to get an

ounce of gold. But when you go digging, you don't go looking for the dirt, you go looking

for the gold."

WOMEN...

They smile when they want to scream.

They sing when they want to cry.

They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous

They fight for what they believe in.

They stand up for injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without new shoes so their children can have them.

They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.

They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about a birth or a new marriage.

Their hearts break when a friend dies.

They have sorrow at the loss of a family member, 

yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all sizes, in all colors and shapes.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world spin.

Women do more than just give birth.

They bring joy and hope.

They give compassion and ideals.

They give moral support to their family and friends.

Women have a lot to say and a lot to give.

ASK...

I asked God to take away my pain.

God said, No.

It is not for me to take away,

but for you to give it up.

I asked God to grant me patience.

God said, No.

Patience is a by-product of tribulations,

it isn't granted, it is earned.

I asked God to give me happiness.

God said, No.

I give you blessings,

Happiness is up to you.

I asked God to spare me suffering.

God said, No.

Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares

and brings you closer to me.

I asked God to make my spirit grow.

God said, No.

You must grow on your own,

but I will prune you to make you fruitful.

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.

God said, No.

I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.

I ask God to help me love others, as much as he loves me.

God said...

Ahhhh, finally you have the idea.