Know Your Value....!

A well-known speaker started off his public speech in a strange manner – by holding up a Rupee 1000 Note !! Holding up the Note high in the air in one of his hands, he addressed the eagerly looking curious audience, "Who would like this Rupee 1000 Note?"
With great cheers almost all of them raised their hands with the shout, "I want it", "I want it" !! He said, "Oh! that's nice. Well, I am going to give this Note to one of you... But, first let me do this." Then, he crumpled the Note in his hands vigorously & now showed the awkwardly wrinkled 1000 Rupee Note by holding up high in his hand.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
The same hands went up in the air this time too.
"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 like a mad man. It seemed he is deriving great merriment in his unusual act. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. It was so smudgy that no one could recognise it now as a 1000 Rupee Note. "Now who still wants it?" Strangly, now also, all the hands were up in the air with equal cheers & spirit.
Now he addressed his audience with great feeling. "My friends," said he, "You have all learned a very valuable lesson today. No matter what I did to this valuable Rupee Note, all of you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth the same - Rs.1000/-.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt of shame & insult by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come in 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. In the eyes of God, you are the same "most precious jewel of His".
"VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED !"

The Sculptor's Attitude

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses. Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.
Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.
What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

Have a GREAT DAY ... unless you have other plans.

Self Appraisal- 2

Once upon a time a Washer man was bringing up two donkeys.
Let us say Donkey-A and Donkey-B.
Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other. It always tried to pull the washer man’s attraction over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him.
Innocent Donkey-B is normal, so it will walk normal, irrespective of the waterman’s presence. After a period of time, Washer man started pressurizing Donkey-B to be like Donkey-A. But Donkey-B unable to walk fast, got continuous punishment from washer man. It was crying and told personally to Donkey-A "Dear friend, only we two are here, why to compete with each other....we can carry equal load at normal
speed ".
That made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washer man that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also.
Obviously happier washer man looked at Donkey-B.., his BP raised and he started kicking Donkey-B. Next day with smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast. But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn't act that way....But the washer man was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly.
Then Donkey-A felt itself as a supreme and happily started carrying more load with great speed. But now the Load of the Donkey-B is also being carried by Donkey-A., and still it has to run fast. For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it got tired and started feeling the pain. But washer man expected more from Donkey-A. It also tried best, but couldn't cope up with his owners demand. The Washer man got angry with Donkey-A also and started harassing to take more load... Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best... But it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction. Finally the day came when due to frustration the washer man killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys.

Its an endless story....... ...
But the moral of the Story in Corporate and social life is......,

"Think all colleagues are same and that everyone is capable.... Always Share the Load equally..... Don't ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit...."

Self Appraisal- 1

A little boy went into a drug store, reached for a soda carton and pulled it over to the telephone. He climbed onto the carton so that he could reach the buttons on the phone and proceeded to punch in seven digits. The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation: The boy asked, "Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your lawn? The woman replied, "I already have someone to cut my lawn." "Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price of the person who cuts your lawn now." replied boy. The woman responded that she was very satisfied with the person who was presently cutting her lawn. The little boy found more perseverance and offered, "Lady, I'll even sweep your curb and your sidewalk, so on Sunday you will have the prettiest lawn in all of Palm beach , Florida ." Again the woman answered in the negative. With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the receiver.

The store-owner, who was listening to all, walked over to the boy and said, "Son... I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job." The little boy replied, "No thanks, I was just checking my performance with the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!

The Best of BITS & PIECES

Most successful people are people who take risks -calculated risks - but nevertheless, risks.
Consider the case of the rising young executive who suddenly found himself unemployed when his company went through a downsizing.
When he asked "Why me?" the vice president, who was the young man's superior, explained that he was too conservative in the way he did his job. "Things have gotten more competitive," the VP explained. "Our people have to look at things from different angles and they have to take risks.
And when they take risks, they have to believe they'll succeed. That's where you come up short."
For six months the young man tried to get a job and failed. Then one day he met a retired circus tightrope walker. The two had something in common - time on their hands. Before long, the unemployed executive became an accomplished tightrope walker.
He became so good that he and his circus mentor were asked to participate in a televised charity event at Niagara Falls, and the young man invited his former boss to attend. "I'll show him who can take risks," he said.
All went well at the event. The young man successfully crossed the falls on the tightrope, followed by his circus mentor, who also pushed a wheelbarrow across. The vice president congratulated the young man and then dared him to cross over the falls again, this time pushing the wheelbarrow. "You can do it if you believe you can," said the vice president.
"Do you believe I can?" the young man asked his former boss.
"Yes, I do," the vice president replied.
"Okay," said the young man, "get in the wheelbarrow."
Cited in More of...The Best of BITS & PIECES

Detaching With Love

Sometimes people we love do things we don't like or approve of. We react. They react. Before long, we're all reacting to each other, and the problem escalates. When do we detach? When we're hooked into a reaction of anger, fear, guilt, or shame. When we get hooked into a power play -- an attempt to control or force others to do something they don't want to do. When the way we're reacting isn't helping the other person or solving the problem. When the way we're reacting is hurting us. Often, it's time to detach when detachment appears to be the least likely, or possible, thing to do.
The first step toward detachment is understanding that reacting and controlling don't help. The next step is getting peaceful -- getting centered and restoring our balance. Take a walk. Leave the room. Go to a meeting. Take a long, hot bath. Call a friend. Call on God. Breathe deeply. Find peace. From that place of peace and centering will emerge an answer, a solution.
Today, I will surrender and trust that the answer is near.

Christmas Quotations

"Friendship is like a Christmas tree, decorated with warm memories and shared joys. You're the slightly cracked ornament that always makes me smile."
-Unknown

"I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
-Charles Dickens

"May no gift be too small to give, nor too simple to receive, which is wrapped in thoughtfulness, and tied with love."
-L.O. Baird

"I heard the bells on Christmas Day. Their old familiar carols play. And mild and sweet the words repeat Of peace on earth, goodwill to men."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, Love Divine; Love was born at Christmas; Star and angels gave the sign."
-Christina Rossetti

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."
-W.T. Ellis

"Christmas is a season for kindling the fire for hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart."
-Washington Irving

"Dear brightest star o'er Bethlehem, O let your precious light shine in with hope and peace toward men in every home tonight."
-Swedish Carol

"When you ask God for a gift, Be thankful if he sends not diamonds, riches, nor pearls, but the love of real true friends."
-Unknown

Cracked Pot

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on an end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the masters house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his masters house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what ito perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you." "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts." the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the masters house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the Pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pots side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father's table. In Gods great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws.

Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

Guidelines for Enlightenment

1. Be a Fundamentalist--make sure the Fun always comes before the mental. Realize that life is a situation comedy that will never be canceled. A laugh track has been provided, and the reason why we are put in the material world is to get more material. Have a good laughsitive twice a day, and that will ensure regularhilarity.
2. Remember that each of us has been given a special gift, just for entering - so you are already a winner!
3. The most powerful tool on the planet today is Tell-A-Vision. That is where I tell a vision to you, and you tell a vision to me. That way, if we don't like the programming we're getting, we can simply change the channel.
4. Life is like photography. You use the negative to develop.
5. It is true. As we go through life thinking heavy thoughts, thought particles tend to get caught between the ears, causing a condition called truth decay. So be sure to use mental floss twice a day.
6. If we want world peace, we must let go of our attachments and truly live like nomads. That's where I no mad at you, you no mad at me. That way, there'll surely be nomadness on the planet. And peace begins with each of us. A little peace here, a little peace there, pretty soon all the peaces will fit together to make one big peace everywhere.
7. I know great earth changes have been predicted for the future, so if you're looking to avoid earthquakes, my advice is simple. When you find a fault, just don't dwell on it.
8. There's no need to change the world. All we have to do is toilet train the world, and we'll never have to change it again.
9. If you're looking to find the key to the Universe, I have some bad news and some good news. The bad news is: there is no key to the Universe. The good news is: it has been left unlocked.
10. Finally, everything I have told you is channeled. That way, if you don't like it, it's not my fault. And remember, enlightenment is not a bureaucracy. So we don't have to go through channels.

Follow Your Dream

I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events to raise money for youth at risk programs. The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, "I want to tell you why I let Jack use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy's high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.
"That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch.
"He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, `See me after class.'
"The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, `Why did I receive an F?'
"The teacher said, `This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you'll have to pay large stud fees. There's no way you could ever do it.' Then the teacher added, `If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.'
"The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, `Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.'
"Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, `You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream.'"Monty then turned to the assembled group and said, "I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace." He added, "The best part of the story is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week." When the teacher was leaving, he said, `Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids' dreams. Fortunately you had enough gumption not to give up on yours.'" Don't let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.

A Beautiful Story

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she said. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in," they replied. In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!," he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest."
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

Patience

A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three year old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the child asked for cookies and her mother told her "no."
The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, "Now Ellen, we just have half of the aisles left to go through; don't be upset. It won't be long."
He passed the Mother again in the candy aisle. Of course, the little girl began to shout for candy. When she was told she couldn't have any, she began to cry. The mother said, "There, there, Ellen, don't cry. Only two more aisles to go, and then we'll be checking out."
The man again happened to be behind the pair at the check-out, where the little girl immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering there would be no gum purchased today. The mother patiently said, "Ellen, we'll be through this check out stand in five minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice nap."
The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. "I couldn't help noticing how patient you were with little Ellen..."
The mother broke in, "My little girl's name is Tammy... I'm Ellen."

The Magic Pebbles

"Why do we have to learn all of this dumb stuff?" Of all the complaints and questions I have heard from my students during my years in the classroom, this was the one most frequently uttered. I would answer it by recounting the following legend. One night a group of nomads were preparing to retire for the evening when suddenly they were surrounded by a great light. They knew they were in the presence of a celestial being. With great anticipation, they awaited a heavenly message of great importance that they knew must be especially for them. Finally, the voice spoke, "Gather as many pebbles as you can. Put them in your saddle bags. Travel a day's journey and tomorrow night will find you glad and it will find you sad." After having departed, the nomads shared their disappointment and anger with each other. They had expected the revelation of a great universal truth that would enable them to create wealth, health and purpose for the world. But instead they were given a menial task that made no sense to them at all. However, the memory of the brilliance of their visitor caused each one to pick up a few pebbles and deposit them in their saddle bags while voicing their displeasure. They traveled a day's journey and that night while making camp, they reached into their saddle bags and discovered every pebble they had gathered had become a diamond. They were glad they had diamonds. They were sad they had not gathered more pebbles. It was an experience I had with a student, I shall call Alan, early in my teaching career that illustrated the truth of that legend to me. When Alan was in the eighth grade, he majored in "trouble" with a minor in "suspensions." He had studied how to be a bully and was getting his master's in "thievery." Every day I had my students memorize a quotation from a great thinker. As I called roll, I would begin a quotation. To be counted present, the student would be expected to finish the thought.
"Alice Adams - 'There is no failure except ..."
"In no longer trying.' I'm present, Mr. Schlatter."
So, by the end of the year, my young charges would have memorized 150 great thoughts. "Think you can, think you can't - either way you're right!"
"If you can see the obstacles, you've taken your eyes off the goal."
"A cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."
And, of course, Napoleon Hill's "If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it." No one complained about this daily routine more than Alan - right up to the day he was expelled and I lost touch with him for five years. Then one day, he called. He was in a special program at one of the neighboring colleges and had just finished parole. He told me that after being sent to juvenile hall and finally being shipped off to the California Youth Authority for his antics, he had become so disgusted with himself that he had taken a razor blade and cut his wrists. He said, "You know what, Mr. Schlatter, as I lay there with my life running out of my body, I suddenly remembered that dumb quote you made me write 20 times one day. There is no failure except in no longer trying.' Then it suddenly made sense to me. As long as I was alive, I wasn't a failure, but if I allowed myself to die, I would most certainly die a failure. So with my remaining strength, I called for help and started a new life." At the time he had heard the quotation, it was a pebble. When he needed guidance in a moment of crisis, it had become a diamond. And so it is to you I say, gather all the pebbles you can, and you can count on a future filled with diamonds.

"Don't fix it unless you're asked!"

Have you ever had someone tell you about a problem or concern they are having, and you're mind automatically starts thinking of a solution for them? Probably, we all have. Somehow that seems to be an automatic response for most people; especially in response to people we love and care about. Often, though, all the speaker wants (often without even knowing it) is simply to be heard and understood. It can take an act of will to notice the urge to offer a fix and hold your tongue. Next time this happens to you, don't jump right in with a solution, try listening instead and asking them if there is more they would like to say about that until they are emptied out. Then, rather than offering a solution, ask them if they would like you to hear your ideas about what they could do. People feel much better about receiving solutions and answers they have asked for.

Few Good Quotations

"If our species is to survive and enjoy a future, then we must make synonymous the words FUTURE and ETHICAL, thus turning our next grand evolutionary epoch: ETHICAL EVOLUTION."
-Eric Chaisson

"If humankind would accept and acknowledge this responsibility and become creatively engaged in the process of evolution, consciously as well as unconsciously, a new reality would emerge, and a new age could be born."
-Jonas Salk

"The third millennium will be spiritual or it will not be."
-Andre Malraux

"We have to face the fact that either all of us are going to die together, or we are going to learn to live together; and if we are to live together, we have to talk."
-Eleanor Roosevelt

"We are the protagonists and authors of our own drama. It is up to us; There is no one else to blame. Neither the system, nor the leaders, nor our parents. We can't go out and hang the first amoeba."
-Rebecca McClen Novick

Growing Good Corn

James Bender, in his book *How to Talk Well* (New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1994) relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon. One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it.

The reporter discovered that the farmer shared is seed corn with his neighbors. "How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?" the reporter asked.

"Why sir," said the farmer, "didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn."

He is very much aware of the connectedness of life. His corn cannot improve unless his neighbor's corn also improves. So it is in other dimensions. Those who choose to be at peace must help their neighbors to be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help others to live well, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others to find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

The lesson for each of us is this: if we are to grow good corn, we must help our neighbors grow good corn.

Short Christmas Story

Santa's Secret Wish On Christmas Eve, a young boy with light in his eyes Looked deep into Santa's, to Santa's surprise And said as he sat on Santa's broad knee, "I want your secret. Tell it to me." He leaned up and whispered in Santa's good ear "How do you do it, year after year?"
"I want to know how, as you travel about, Giving gifts here and there, you never run out. How is it, Dear Santa, that in your pack of toys You have plenty for all of the world's girls and boys? Stays so full, never empties, as you make your way From rooftop to rooftop, to homes large and small, From nation to nation, reaching them all?" And Santa smiled kindly and said to the boy, "Don't ask me hard questions. Don't you want a toy?" But the child shook his head, and Santa could see That he needed the answer. "Now listen to me,"He told that small boy with the light in his eyes, "My secret will make you sadder and wise. "The truth is that my sack is magic.
Inside It holds millions of toys for my Christmas Eve ride. But although I do visit each girl and each boy. I don't always leave them a gaily wrapped toy. Some homes are hungry, some homes are sad, Some homes are desperate, some homes are sad. Some homes are broken, and the children there grieve. Those homes I visit, but what should I leave?
"My sleigh is filled with the happiest stuff, But for homes where despair lives toys aren't enough. So I tiptoe in, kiss each girl and boy, And I pray with them that they'll be given the joy Of the spirit of Christmas, the spirit that lives. In the heart of the dear child who gets not, but gives. "If only God hears me and answers my prayer, When I visit next year, what I will find there Are homes filled with peace, and with giving, and love And boys and girls gifted with light from above. It's a very hard task, my smart little brother, To give toys to some, and to give prayers to others. But the prayers are the best gifts, the best gifts indeed, For God has a way of meeting each need.
"That's part of the answer. The rest, my dear youth, Is that my sack is magic. And that is the truth. In my sack I carry on Christmas Eve day. More love than a Santa could ever give away. The sack never empties of love, or of joys `Cause inside it are prayers, and hope. Not just toys. The more that I give, the fuller it seems, Because giving is my way of fulfilling dreams.
"And do you know something? You've got a sack, too. It's as magic as mine, and it's inside of you. It never gets empty, it's full from the start. It's the center of lights, and love. It's your heart. And if on this Christmas you want to help me, Don't be so concerned with the gifts `neath your tree. Open that sack called your heart, and share Your joy, your friendship, your wealth, your care."
The light in the small boy's eyes was glowing. "Thanks for your secret. I've got to be going."
"Wait, little boy," Said Santa, "don't go. Will you share? Will you help? Will you use what you know?" And just for a moment the small boy stood still, Touched his heart with his small hand and whispered, "I will."

Rules For Being Human

1) YOU WILL RECEIVE A BODY. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period this time around.
2)YOU WILL LEARN LESSONS. You are enrolled in a full-time, informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may take the lessons or think them irrelevant and stupid.
3)THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, ONLY LESSONS. Growth is a process of trial and error, experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiment that ultimately "works".
4)A LESSON IS REPEATED UNTIL IT IS LEARNED. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it then you can go on to the next lesson.
5)LEARNING LESSONS DOES NOT END. There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.
6) "THERE" IS NO BETTER THAN "HERE". When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will, again, look better than "here"
7) OTHERS ARE MERELY MIRRORS OF YOU. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.
8) WHAT YOU MAKE OF YOUR LIFE IS UP TO YOU. You have all the tools and resources you need; what you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.
9) THE ANSWERS LIE INSIDE YOU. The answers to life's questions lie inside you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10) YOU WILL MOST LIKELY FORGET ALL OF THIS.

20 Ways To Confuse Santa Claus!

1. Instead of milk and cookies, leave him a salad, and a note explaining that you think he could stand to lose a few pounds.
2. While he's in the house, go find his sleigh and write him a speeding ticket.
3. Leave him a note, explaining that you've gone away for the holidays. Ask if he would mind watering your plants.
4. While he's in the house, replace all his reindeer with exact replicas. Then wait
and see what happens when he tries to get them to fly.
5. Keep an angry bull in your living room. If you think a bull goes crazy when he sees a little red cape, wait until he sees that big, red Santa suit!
6. Build an army of mean-looking snowmen on the roof, holding signs that say "We hate
Christmas," and "Go away Santa."
7. Leave a note by the telephone, telling Santa that Mrs. Claus called and wanted to remind him to pick up some milk and a loaf of bread on his way home.
8. Throw a surprise party for Santa when he comes down the chimney. Refuse to let him leave until the strippers arrive.
9. While he's in the house, find the sleigh and sit in it. As soon as he comes back and sees you, tell him that he shouldn't have missed that last payment, and take off.
10. Leave a plate filled with cookies and a glass of milk out, with a note that says,
"For The Tooth Fairy. :)" Leave another plate out with half a stale cookie and a few drops of skim milk in a dirty glass with a note that says, "For Santa. :("
11. Take everything out of your house as if it's just been robbed. When Santa arrives, show up dressed like a policeman and say, "Well, well. They always return to the scene of the crime."
12. Leave out a copy of your Christmas list with last-minute changes and corrections.
13. While he's in the house, cover the top of the chimney with barbed wire.
14. Leave lots of hunting trophies and guns out where Santa's sure to see them. Go outside, yell, "Ooh! Look! A deer! And he's got a red nose!" and fire a gun.
15. Leave Santa a note, explaining that you've moved. Include a map with unclear and hard-to-read directions to your new house.
16. Set a bear trap at the bottom of the chimney. Wait for Santa to get caught in
it, and then explain that you're sorry, but from a distance, he looked like a bear. 17. Leave out a Santa suit, with a dry-cleaning bill.
18. Paint "hoof-prints" all over your face and clothes. While he's in the house, go out on the roof. When he comes back up, act like you've been "trampled." Threaten to sue.
19. Instead of ornaments, decorate your tree with Easter eggs.
20. Dress up like the Easter Bunny. Wait for Santa to come and then say, "This neighborhood ain't big enough for the both of us."

The Night Before Christmas For Moms!

It was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode
only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,
while visions of Nintendo 64 and Barbie, flipped through their heads.
The dad was snoring in front of the TV,
with a half-constructed bicycle on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
which made her sigh, "Now what's the matter?"
With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,
she descended the stairs, and saw the old man.
He was covered with ashes and soot, which fell with a shrug,
"Oh great," muttered the mom, "Now I have to clean the rug."
"Ho-ho-ho!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake.
Your gift was especially difficult to awake."
"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone."
"Exactly!", he chuckled, "I've made you a clone."
"A clone?" she asked, "What good is that?
Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit-chat."
The mother's twin;
Same hair, same eyes, same double chin.
"She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess.
You'll relax, take it easy, watch The Young & the
Restless."
"Fantastic!" the mom cheered. "My dream come true!
I'll shop. I'll read. I'll sleep a whole night through!"
From the room above, the youngest began to fret.
"Mommy?! I scared...and wet."
The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," the mom smiled, "She knows her part."
The clone changed the small one, and hummed a tune,
as she bundled the child, in a blanket cocoon.
"You the best mommy ever. I really love you."
The clone smiled and sighed, "I love you too,"
The mom frowned and said, "Sorry Santa, no deal.
That's my child's love, she's trying to steal."
Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear,"
Only one loving mother, is needed here."
The mom kissed her child, and tucked her into bed.
"Thank you Santa, for clearing my head.
I sometimes forget, it won't be very long,
when they'll be too old, for my cradle-song."
The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa whispered to the clone, "It works every time."
With the clone by his side Santa said, "Goodnight.
Merry Christmas, Mom, you'll be all right.

The Big Rocks

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never
forget.
As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz" and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth mason jar and set
it on the table in front of him.
He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks
would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class yelled, "Yes."
The time management expert replied, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not,"one of them answered.
"Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?" One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "that's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in
at all. What are the 'big rocks' in your life, time with loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all.
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life?
Then, put those in your jar first.

Short Moral Stories

A four-year-old was at the pediatrician for a check up. As the doctor looked in her ears and asked, "Do you think I'll find Big Bird in here?" The little girl stayed silent. Next, the doctor took a tongue depressor and looked down her throat. He asked, "Do you think I'll find the Cookie Monster down there?" Again, the little girl was silent.
Then the doctor put a stethoscope to her chest. As he listened to her heart beat, he asked, "Do you think I'll hear Barney in there?" "Oh, no!"the little girl replied. "Jesus is in my heart. Barney's on my underpants."

**************

The Most Caring Child Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he had been asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy
said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

**************************

What It Means to Be Adopted: Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different color hair than the other family members. One child suggested that he was adopted and a little girl named Jocelynn Jay said, "I know all about adoptions because I was adopted." "What does it mean to be adopted?" asked another child. "It means," said Jocelynn, "that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy."

***************************

Discouraged? As I was driving home from work one day, I stopped to watch a local little League baseball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first-baseline, I asked one of the boys what the score was. "We're behind 14 to nothing," he answered with a smile. "Really," I said. "I
have to say you don't look very discouraged." "Discouraged," the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face, "why should we be discouraged?
We haven't been up to bat yet."

**********************

Roles And How We Play Them: Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in my life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in a school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what Mom," he shouted, and then said those words that will
remain a lesson to me: "I've been chosen to clap and cheer."

A Lesson In Heart

A lesson in "heart" is my little, 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day to tell me she had competed in "field day" -that's where they have lots of races and other competitive events. Because of her leg support, my
mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement for my Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down-but before I could say anything, she said, "Daddy, I won two of the races!" I couldn't believe it! And then Sarah said, "I had an advantage." I knew it. I thought she must have been given a head start...some kind of physical advantage.
But again, before I could say anything, she said, "Daddy, I didn't
get a head start...my advantage was I had to try harder!"
Moral stories can improve our moral values.

Moral Story of Kindness

An Eye Witness Account from New York City, on a cold day in December...(Hopefully, this is the kind of thing that happens, frequently, everywhere...) A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on roadway, barefoot, 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 boys reply. The lady took him by the hand and went into the store, and asked the clerk 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, which he quickly brought to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet and dried them with a
towel. By this time the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she also purchased him a pair of shoes. After tying up the remaining pairs of socks, she gave them to him. She patted him on the head and said, "No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more comfortable now?" As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand, and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the question with these words: "Are you God's wife?
Moral Stories restore a little of our faith in human.

An Interview With God

I dreamed I had an interview with God.
"Come in," God said. "So, you would like to interview Me?" "If you have the time," I said. God smiled and said: "My time is eternity. It is enough to do everything.
What questions do you have in mind to ask me?"
I asked, "What surprises you most about mankind?"
God thought for a few moments and then answered: "That they get bored of being children, are in a rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money and then lose their money to restore their health.
That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live neither for the present nor the future.
That they live as if they will never die, and they die as if they had never lived"
God placed my hands in His and we were silent for while. Then I asked, "As a parent, what are some of life's lessons you want your children to learn?"

God replied with a smile:
"To learn that they cannot make anyone love them. What they can do is to let themselves be loved.
To learn that what is most valuable is not what they have in their lives, but who they have in their lives.
To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others. All will be judged individually on their own merits, not as a group on a comparison basis.
To learn that a rich person is not the one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love, and that it takes many years to heal them.
To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. To learn that there are persons that love them dearly, but simply do not know how to express or show their feelings.
To learn that money can buy everything but happiness.
To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it totally different.
To learn that a true friend is someone who knows everything about them...and likes them anyway.
To learn that it is not always enough that they be forgiven by others, but that they have to forgive themselves."
I sat there for awhile enjoying my visit with God. I thanked Him for His time and for all that He has done for me and my family.
He replied, "Anytime. I'm here 24 hours a day. All you have to do is ask for me, and I'll answer"
People will forget what you said.
People will forget what you did...but people will never forget how they felt when they were with you.

Barriers or Hurdles?

Children were enthusiastically rehearsing and decorating the rural school for their approaching concert. As I glanced up from my teacher's desk, Patty stood waiting to lodge her urgent request.
"Every year I g-g-g-get to do quiet stuff. The other kids are always in a p-p-p-play or something. Talking. This year, I w-w-want to do a p-p-p-poem, myself!"
As I looked into those eager eyes, all possible excuses fizzled. Patty's yearning drew from me a promise that in a day or two she would have a special part - a
"reciting" part. That promise proved to be very difficult to keep.
None of my resource books had any useful selections. In desperation, I stayed up most of the night writing a poem, carefully avoiding those letters that trick the
tongue. It was not great literature, but it was custom-tailored to cope with Patty's speech problem.
After only a few brief readings, Patty had memorized all the verses and was prepared to dash through them. Somehow we had to control that rush without shattering
her enthusiasm. Day after day, Patty and I plodded through recitals. She meticulously matched her timing to my silent mouthing. She accepted the drudgery, eagerly anticipating her first speaking part. Concert night found the children in a frenzy of excitement.
In a dither the master of ceremonies came to me, waving his printed program. "There has been a mistake! You have listed Patty for a recitation. That girl can't even say her own name without stuttering." Because there was not time enough for explanations, I brushed his objection aside with, "We know what we are doing."

The entertainment was moving well. As item after item was presented, parents and friends responded with encouraging applause. When it was time for the questionable recitation, the MC again challenged me, insisting that Patty would embarrass everyone. Losing patience, I snapped, "Patty will do her part. You do yours. Just introduce her number."
I flitted past the curtains and sat on the floor at the foot of the audience. The MC appeared flustered as he announced, "The next recitation will be by . . .um . .
. Patty Connors." An initial gasp from the audience was followed by strained silence.
The curtain parted to show Patty, radiant, confident. Those hours of rehearsing took possession of the moment. In perfect control, the little charmer synchronized her words to my silent mouthing below the footlights. She articulated each syllable with
controlled clarity, and without a splutter or stammer. With eyes sparkling, she made her triumphant bow. The curtain closed. A hushed silence held the audience. Gradually the stillness gave way to suppressed chuckles, and then to enthusiastic applause. Utterly thrilled, I floated backstage. My little heroine threw her arms around me and, bubbling with joy, blurted out,
"We d-d-d-did it!"

A Story of Moral Values

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 in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him.
God will keep us, "as the apple of His eye."

What Is Hugging?

Hugging is natural, organic, naturally sweet, free of pesticides and
preservatives. Hugging contains no artificial ingredients. It's 100%
wholesome. No calories, no caffeine, no nicotine.

Hugging is nearly perfect. There are no removable parts, batteries to wear
out, no periodic checkups. It consumes little energy, while yielding a lot.

It's inflation-proof. It's non-fattening. There are no monthly payments.
No insurance requirements. It's theft-proof, non-taxable, non-polluting, and
fully refundable. And it costs very little.

Hugging is healthy. It assists the body's immune system, it cures
depression, it reduces stress, it induces sleep, it invigorates, it
rejuvenates, and it has no unpleasant side-effects. Hugging is no less than
a miracle drug.

The smile

Many Americans are familiar with The Little Prince, a wonderful book by
Antoine de Saint-Exupery. This is a whimsical and fabulous book and works as
a children's story as well as a thought-provoking adult fable.
Far fewer are aware of Saint Exupery's other writings, novels and short
stories. Saint Exupery was a fighter pilot who fought against the Nazis and
was killed in action. Before World War II, he fought in the Spanish Civil War
against the fascists. He wrote a fascinating story based on that experience
entitled The Smile (Le Sourire).
It is this story which I'd like to share with you now. It isn't clear
whether or not he meant this to be autobiographical or fiction. I choose to
believe it to be the former. He said that he was captured by the enemy and
thrown into a jail cell. He was sure that from the contemptuous looks and
rough treatment he received from his jailers he would be executed the next
day.
From here, I'll tell the story as I remember it in my own words.
"I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous and
distraught. I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes which
had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I
could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those.
"I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me.
After all, one does not make eye contact with a thing, a corpse. I called out
to him 'Have you got a light, por favor?' He looked at me, shrugged and came
over to light my cigarette. "As he came close and lit the match, his eyes
inadvertently locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don't know why I
did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get
very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I
smiled.
In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between
our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn't want to, but my smile
leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too. He lit my
cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing
to smile. "I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a
jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension, too.
'Do you have kids?' he asked. '"Yes, here, here.' I took out my wallet
and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the
pictures of his ninos and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them.
My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I'd never see my family
again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes,
too. "Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me
out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the town. There, at
the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back
toward the town.
"My life was saved by a smile." Yes, the smile - the unaffected,
unplanned natural connection between people.
I tell this story in my work because I'd like people to consider that
underneath all the layers we construct to protect ourselves, our dignity, our
titles, our degrees, our status and our need to be seen in certain ways -
underneath all that, remains the authentic, essential self. I'm not afraid to
call it the soul. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of
me could recognize each other, we wouldn't be enemies. We couldn't have hate
or envy or fear. I sadly conclude that all those other layers, which we so
carefully construct through our lives, distance and insulate us from truly
contacting others.
Saint Exupery's story speaks of that magic moment when two souls
recognize each other. I've had just a few moments like that. Falling in love
is one example. And looking at a baby. Why do we smile when we see a baby?
Perhaps it's because we see someone without all the defensive layers, someone
whose smile for us we know to be fully genuine and without guile. And that
baby-soul inside us smiles wistfully in recognition.

Change Begins With Choice

Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to make important changes in our lives. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth.

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very own power of choice.

The Cave People

Long ago, or maybe not so long ago, there was a tribe in a dark, cold cavern.
The cave dwellers would huddle together and cry against the chill. Loud and
long they wailed. It was all they did. It was all they knew to do. The sounds
in the cave were mournful, but the people didn't know it, for they had never
known joy. The spirit in the cave was death, but the people didn't know it,
for they had never known life.
But then, one day, they heard a different voice. "I have heard your cries,"
it announced. "I have felt your chill and seen your darkness. I have come to
help."
The cave people grew quiet. They had never heard this voice. hope sounded
strange to their ears. "How can we know you have come to help?"
"Trust me," he answered. "I have what you need."
The cave people peered through the darkness at the figure of the stranger. He
was stacking something, then stooping and stacking more.
"What are you doing?" one cried, nervously.
The stranger didn't answer.
"What are you making?" one shouted even louder.
Still no response.
"Tell us!" demanded a third.
The visitor stood and spoke in the direction of the voices. "I have what you
need." With that he turned to the pile at his feet and lit it. Wood ignited,
flames erupted, and light filled the cavern.
The cave people turned away in fear. "Put it out!" they cried. "It hurts to
see it."
"Light always hurts before it helps," he answered. "Step closer. The pain
will soon pass."
"Not I," declared a voice.
"Nor I," agreed a second.
"Only a fool would risk exposing his eyes to such light."
The stranger stood next to the fire. "Would you prefer the darkness? Would
you prefer the cold? Don't consult your fears. Take a step of faith"
For a long time no one spoke. The people hovered in groups covering their
eyes. The fire builder stood next to the fire. "It's warm here," he invited.
"He's right," one from behind him announced. "It's warmer." The stranger
turned and saw a figure slowly stepping toward the fire. "I can open my eyes
now," she proclaimed. "I can see."
"Come closer," invited the fire builder.
She did. She stepped into the ring of light.
"It's so warm!" she extended her hands and sighed as her chill began to pass.
"Come, everyone! Feel the warmth," she invited.
"Silence, woman!" cried one of the cave dwellers. "Dare you lead us into your
folly? Leave us. Leave us and take your light with you."
She turned to the stranger. "Why won't they come?"
"They choose the chill, for though it's cold, it's what they know. They'd
rather be cold than change."
"And live in the dark?"
"And live in the dark."
The now-warm woman stood silent. Looking first at the dark, then at the man.
"Will you leave the fire?" he asked.
She paused, then answered, "I cannot. I cannot bear the cold." Then she spoke
again. "But nor can I bear the thought of my people in darkness."
"You don't have to," he responded, reaching into the fire and removing a
stick. "Carry this to your people. Tell them the light is here, and the light
is warm. Tell them the light is for all who desire it."
And so she took the small flame and stepped into the shadows.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.

Soar With The Eagles

There's an old fable that talks about a man who found an eagle's egg and put
it in a nest of a barnyard hen.
The eagle hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his
life, the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard
chicken.
He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he
would thrash his wings and fly a few feet in the air.
Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird
above him in the cloudless sky.
It glided in graceful majesty among powerful wind currents, with scarcely a
beat of its strong golden wings. The old eagle looked up in awe. "Who's
that?" he asked. "That's the eagle, the king of the birds," said his
neighbor. "He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth--we're chickens."
So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that's what he thought he was.
How sad when we who are children of the King live as chickens when we could
fly with the eagles.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.

Look Upon Them As Wounded

After vaccinating a young boy with an injection in the arm, a doctor
wanted to stick on a bandage. "Please put it on the other arm," the boy
pleaded. "Why do that?" the doctor asked. "This will let everyone know you have
been vaccinated and they won't hit your sore arm."
"Please put it on my other arm! Please!" the boy begged. "You don't know
the kids at my school." He couldn't show his weakness. He was afraid to let others know of his vulnerability for fear of being hurt more than he was already.
Adults, too, are pretty good at hiding pain. Not usually physical pain,
but the pain of loss or rejection or fear. They like to appear as if they are
in control; they can handle whatever life throws at them; they're on top of
it. And too often... they end up going it alone. No one understands. No one
is there to help. Susan Muto, in her book BLESSINGS THAT MAKE US BE (Crossroad, 1982), tells a story of a great ruler who needed a second-in-command to help manage
his kingdom. When he finally selected the right person, he took him outside
onto a balcony of the palace where they could gaze over all the lands under
his jurisdiction. His assistant asked the king, "Master, what must I remember
most of all if I am to carry out your wishes?"
"My son," the king replied, "there is only one directive to follow -- and
that is to look upon the people as wounded."
The wise king knew that everyone is in pain in some way. Wounds may not
show, but they are there. And those people we find particularly difficult to
relate to may actually be hurting the most.
Discover where people hurt, and you'll finally understand them. Learn
where the invisible bandages are and you'll know how to help, heal or reach
them. It makes for good leadership. But just as important, it makes for great
friendship.Moral stories can improve your moral values.

Natural Highs

Take a few minutes and read these. Think about them one at a time BEFORE
going on to the next one.........

Falling in love. Laughing so hard your face hurts. A hot shower. No lines at the Super Wal-Mart. A special glance. Getting mail. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
Hearing your favorite song on the radio. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
Hot towels out of the dryer. Finding the sweater you want is on sale for half price.
Chocolate milkshake. (or vanilla!)
A long distance phone call. A bubble bath. Giggling.
A good conversation. The beach. Finding a $20 bill in your coat from last winter.
Laughing at yourself. Midnight phone calls that last for hours. Running through sprinklers. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful. Laughing at an inside joke.
Friends. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
Your first kiss. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
Playing with a new puppy. Having someone play with your hair. Sweet dreams.
Hot chocolate. Road trips with friends. Swinging on swings.
Wrapping presents under the Christmas tree while eating cookies and drinking
eggnog. Song lyrics printed inside your new CD so you can sing along without feeling
stupid. Going to a really good concert. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
Winning a really competitive game. Making chocolate chip cookies.
Having your friends send you homemade cookies. Spending time with close friends.
Seeing smiles and hearing laughter from your friends.
Holding hands with someone you care about.
Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never
change. Riding the best roller coasters over and over.
Watching the expression on someone's face as they open a much desired present
from you. Watching the sunrise.
Getting out of bed every morning and thanking God for another beautiful day.

An Action Challenge

My friend, Cheryl Richardson, head of Oprah's coaching team, has helped
me take a very practical approach to life. Good ideas stay in the realm of
knowledge until they birth actions that affect our lives. When we act on
them, they become wisdom. This month, reflect on the Dalai Lama's three
points and then take action on at least one of them.
1. What one thing can you do that will make you a more peaceful person?
2. The average person needs 8 hours and 15 minutes sleep every night. If you
are getting less, try sleeping more. This is wisdom, not sloth. If you have
trouble sleeping, and one-third of all adult Americans do, try Harvard
researcher Gregg D. Jacobs' excellent book, Say Good Night to Insomnia.
3. Identify one area in your life that is a persistent problem, and that you
would like to solve but have given up on. It may concern a relationship, a
work issue, or even something simple like wanting to exercise but not
following through. What important vision would solving the problem fill? Give
it another try from that perspective. You have inner resources that have yet
to be tapped. Overcoming obstacles makes you stronger, and previous thwarted
attempts to solve a problem can provide insight about what may be more likely
to work.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.

Teaching Story: I Tried To Climb The Mountain Today

I tried to climb the mountain today. As I inched my way up the path, I felt
overwhelmed, so I had to turn back.
I tried to climb the mountain today. On my journey, darkness started to fall,
and I was full of fear, so I had to return to a safe place.
I was ready to climb the mountain today. But it was so hot outside, I thought
I better stay in my nice air-conditioned house and rest up for tomorrow's
attempt.
I was about to climb the mountain today. But I had so many other things to
do, so instead of climbing the mountain I took care of much more important
tasks. I washed my car, mowed the grass and watched the big game.
Today the mountain will just have to wait.
I was going to climb the mountain today. But as I stared at the mountain in
it's majestic beauty, I knew I stood no chance of making it to the top, so I
figured why even bother trying.
I had forgotten about climbing the mountain today, until a friend came by and
asked me what I was up to lately. I told him I was thinking about climbing
that mountain some day. I went on and on about how I was going to accomplish
this task.
Finally, he said, "I just got back from climbing the mountain." Astonished,
I asked him, "How did you do it?"
He replied, "For the longest time I told myself I was trying to climb the
mountain but never made any progress. I almost let the dream of making it to
the top die. I came up with every excuse of why I could not make it up the
mountain, but never once did I give myself a reason why I could. One day as I
stared at the mountain and pondered, I realized that if I didn't make an
attempt at this dream all my dreams will eventually die."
"The next morning, I started my climb." He continued, "It was not easy, and
at times I wanted to quit. But no matter what I faced, I placed one foot in
front of the other, keeping a steady pace.
When the wind tried to blow me over the edge, I kept walking. When the voices
inside my head screamed, "stop!" I focused on my goal never letting it out of
sight, and I kept moving forward.
At times, I was ready to quit, but I knew I had come too far. Time and time
again, I reassured myself that I was going to finish this journey. I
struggled to make it to the top, but I climbed the mountain!"
"I have to be going," my friend said. "Tomorrow is a new day to accomplish
more dreams. By the way, what are you going to do tomorrow?

Potatoes, Eggs and Coffee Beans

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn't know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. "Daughter, what do you see?"
"Potatoes, eggs, and coffee," she hastily replied.
"Look closer," he said, "and touch the potatoes." She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
"Father, what does this mean?" she asked.
He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity-- the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.
"Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean? " In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what happens within us. Which one are you?
Moral stories can improve your moral values.

Seek Friends Who Challenge You

The Talmud tells the story of Rebbi Yochanan, a great scholar who had a study partner named Reish Lakish. (Before becoming a rabbi, Reish Lakish was a bandit. But that's another story...) These two men studied together for many years, until one day Reish Lakish got sick and died. Rebbe Yochanan was seen walking in the street, totally depressed. His students asked him, "What's wrong?" He said, "My study partner died and now I have none." They told him, "Don't worry Rebbi, we'll take care of it." So they went and found a brilliant young man to study with Rebbe Yochanan.
Two weeks later, Rebbi Yochanan is seen walking in the street again, totally depressed. They asked: "Rebbi, what happened? Why are you so sad? We sent you the most brilliant study partner. What's the problem?"
He told them: "My new study partner is so brilliant that whatever I say, he brings 24 proofs that I'm correct. But when I studied with Reish Lakish, he showed me 24 proofs that I was wrong. That's what I miss. I don't want someone who will just agree with me; I want a partner who will challenge my position. In this way we will arrive at the truth together."
A good challenge - is that what friends are for? YES! The Sages say: "Better the criticism of a friend, than the kiss of an enemy." Your friend will tell you when you have spinach stuck in your teeth; your enemy will smirk and say you look great! The Torah speaks of Dikduk Chaverim, which literally means fine-tuning with friends. With this attitude, I see others not as adversaries, but as a welcome counterbalance to my own perspective. In choosing my friends, I want someone who will challenge me to become better in life, not just better on the tennis court.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.

How Heavy Is Your Bag?

One of my teachers had each one of us bring a clear plastic bag and a sack of potatoes. For every person we'd refuse to forgive in our life, we were told to choose a potato, write on it the name and date, and put it in the plastic bag. Some of our bags, as you can imagine, were quite heavy. We were then told to carry this bag with us everywhere for one week, putting it beside our bed at night, on the car seat when driving, next to our desk at work.
The hassle of lugging this around with us made it clear what a weight we were carrying spiritually, and how we had to pay attention to it all the time to not forget, and keep leaving it in embarrassing places. Naturally, the condition of the potatoes deteriorated to a nasty slime. This was a great metaphor for the price we pay for keeping our pain and heavy negativity! Too often we think of forgiveness as a gift to the other person, and while that's true, it clearly is also a gift for ourselves!
So next time you decide you can't forgive someone, ask yourself-- Isn't MY bag heavy enough?

A Work Of Art

Edward Fischer writes in Notre Dame Magazine (February, 1983), that a leper (or, more correctly, a sufferer of Hanson's Disease) in Fiji followed the leading of his twisted hands. He became an internationally known artist. "My sickness I see as a gift of God leading me to my life's work," he said. "If it had not been for my sickness, none of these things would have happened."
As a young girl, Jessamyn West had tuberculosis. She was so sick that she was sent away to die. During that time she developed her skill as a writer and authored numerous novels in her lifetime.
That great author Flannery O'Connor suffered numerous ailments --lupus struck her at 25 and she walked only with the aid of crutches for the final fourteen years of her life. She noted, however, that this illness narrowed her activities in such a way that she had time for the real work of her life, which was writing.
Some people succeed in spite of handicaps. Others succeed because of them. The truth is, our problems help to make us what we are. Those who suffer often learn the value of compassion. Those who struggle often learn perseverance. And those who fall down often teach others how to rise again. Our troubles can shape
us in ways a carefree existence cannot.
A story is told of an Eastern village which, through the centuries, was known for its exquisite pottery. Especially striking were its urns; high as tables, wide as chairs, they were admired around the globe for their strong form and delicate beauty.
Legend has it that when each urn was apparently finished, there was one final step. The artist broke it -- and then put it back together with gold filigree.
An ordinary urn was then transformed into a priceless work of art. What seemed finished wasn't, until it was broken.
So it is with people! Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, they can become disappointed and bitter. But when mended by a hand of infinite patience and love, the finished product will be a work of exquisite beauty and effectiveness; a life which could only reach its wholeness after it was broken.
If you feel broken remember that you are a work of art! And you may not actually be complete until the pieces are reassembled and bonded with a golden filigree of love.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.
--Steve Goodier

Weakness Or Strength

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength. Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move.
"Sensei," the boy finally said, "shouldn't I be learning more moves?"
"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament.
Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. "No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.
On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"
"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. Second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."
The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.
--Author Unknown

Anger

Anger is FUEL. We feel it and we want to do something. Hit someone,
break something, throw a fit, smash a fist into the wall, tell those bastards
off. But we are 'nice' people, and what we do with our anger is stuff it,
deny it, bury it, block it, hide it, lie about it, medicate it, ignore it.
We do everything but 'listen' to it.
Anger is meant to be listened to. Anger is a voice, a shout, a plea, a
demand. Anger is meant to be respected. Why? Because anger is a 'map.'
Anger shows us what our boundaries are. Anger shows us where we want to go.
It lets us see where we've been and lets us know when we haven't liked it.
Anger points the way, not just the finger. In the recovery of a blocked
artist, anger is a sign of health.
Anger is meant to be acted upon. It is not meant to be acted out.
Anger points the direction. We are meant to use anger as fuel to take the
actions we need to move where our anger points us. With a little thought, we
can usually translate the message that our anger is sending us.
…Sloth, apathy, and despair are the enemy. Anger is not. Anger is our
friend. Not a nice friend. Not a gentle friend. But a very, very loyal
friend. It will always tell us when we have been betrayed. It will always
tell us when we have betrayed ourselves. It will always tell us that it is
time to act in our own best interests.
Anger is not the action itself. It is action's invitation.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.
--Julia Cameron

Spirit Of Love

Henry Drummond has said, "The moments when you have really lived are the
moments when you have done things in the spirit of love."
Here is a story (possibly apocryphal, but powerful nevertheless) about a man
who acted in the spirit of love and what he consequently learned.
The story comes from Zig Ziglar's book, See You At The Top (Pelican
Publishing Co., 1982). He tells about an old man who stood on a Virginia
riverbank many years ago. He was waiting to cross the river and, since it was
bitterly cold and there were no bridges, he would have to "catch a ride" to
the other side. After a lengthy wait he spotted a group of horsemen
approaching. He let the first one pass, then the second, third, fourth and
fifth. One rider remained. As he drew abreast, the old man looked him in the
eye and said, "Sir, would you give me a ride across the river?"
The rider immediately replied, "Certainly." Once across the river, the old
man slid to the ground. "Sir," the rider said before leaving. "I could not
help but notice that you permitted all the other men to pass without asking
for a ride. Then, when I drew abreast, you immediately asked me to carry you
across. I am curious as to why you didn't ask them and you did ask me."
The old man quietly responded, "I looked into their eyes and could see no
love and knew in my own heart it would be useless to ask for a ride. But when
I looked into your eyes, I saw compassion, love and the willingness to help.
I knew you would be glad to give me a ride across the river."
The rider was touched. "I'm grateful for what you are saying," he said. "I
appreciate it very much." With that, Thomas Jefferson turned and rode off to
the White House.
Ziglar reminds us that our eyes are the windows of our souls. Then he asks a
pointed question: "If you had been the last rider, would the old man have
asked you for a ride?"
A good question! For it is said that others will know us by our love. Some
will see it in the things we do and some in the things we say. And a few
perceptive souls, like the old man, may catch a glimmer of a loving and
generous spirit in the expression of kind eyes. However it shows, may you be
known by your love.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.
--Steve Goodier

Relationship With God

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone--to have a deep soul
relationship with another--to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God
says to us: "No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and content with
being loved by Me alone--and giving yourself totally and unreservedly to
Me--to having an intensely personal and unique relationship with Me alone,
discovering that only in Me is your own satisfaction to be found, will you be
capable of the perfect human relationship that I have planned for you. You
will never be united with another until you are united with Me-exclusive of
anyone or anything else, exclusive of any desires or longings.
I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just
keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things. Keep experiencing the
satisfaction that I am. Keep listening and learning the things that I tell
you. You just wait. That's all. Don't be anxious, don't worry. Don't look
around at the things others have gotten or that I've given them.
Don't look at the things you think that you want. You just keep looking off
and away up to Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you. And then, when
you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than any you
would dream of. You see, until you are ready, and until the one I have for
you is ready, until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I
have prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that
exemplifies your relationship with Me and thus the perfect love. And, dear
one, I want you to have this wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a
picture of your everlasting union of beauty, perfection and love that I offer
you with Myself.
Know that I love you utterly, and that I am the King. Believe it and be
satisfied."
Your friend,
Moral stories can improve your moral values.
God

Wonderful Quotes

1. If you feel far away from God, guess who moved?
2. Fear knocked. Faith answered. No one was there.
3. What you are is God's Gift to you. What you become is your gift to God.
4. I am God's Melody of life and He Sings His Song through me.
5. We can never really go where God is not, and where He is, all is well.
6. No matter what is happening in your life, know that God is waiting for you with open arms.
7. God Promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
8. Do your best and then sleep in peace. God is Awake.
9. God has a Purpose and Plan for me that no one else can fulfill.
10. The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.
11. We are responsible for the effort, not the outcome.
12. We set the sail; God makes the wind.
13. Begin to weave and God will give you the thread.
14. When God says "no", it's because He has something better in store for you.
15. The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
16. Prayer: don't bother to give God instructions, just report for duty.
17. It's my business to do God's Business and it's His Business to take care of my business.
18. Serenity is not freedom from the storm, but peace amid the storm.
19. How come you're always running around looking for God? He's not lost.
20. God put me on earth to accomplish a number of things; right now I'm so far behind I will live forever.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.

Ring Out The Old

Recently I ordered a spiffy new cell phone with a fabulously low billing rate. The promotion was so popular, I was told, that there would be a 30-90 day wait for the phone. Okay, I can wait; all these years of meditation should have taught me a little patience, at least.
Eleven days later I tried to make a call from my current cell phone, and got the message, "Your phone has a verification problem. Please call the business office." God bless the phone company, I thought (not the first time).
I called the business office and the representative told me they had no clue why my phone wouldn't access. My bill was paid, and their diagnostic showed no problem. I talked to several reps, still no help. God bless the phone company.
When I arrived home I found a FedEx box sitting at my doorstep with my new phone. I plugged it in, and voila! it worked like a charm. The phone company had disconnected my old phone because it had transferred service to my new one.
In the wake of my euphoria, I recognized a powerful lesson in this experience: If the old thing isn't working any more, it will not do you any good to fight to reinstate it or keep it alive. If you have completed a career phase, level of relationship, or stage of life, the Big Phone Company in the Sky (really within you) has hooked your energy up to the next thing, and any effort to resuscitate the old will only be frustrating and wasted. Instead, focus your attention on where you are now or where you want to be going, and the object of your vision will show up without struggle or strain.
One of the basic principles of manifestation is the Law of Attraction, which denotes that everything that shows up in your life (or leaves it) comes or goes in response to the energy you are vibrating. When you are truly open and ready to receive your heart's desire, it must appear. And if you are not ready, no amount of manipulating can make it happen. So you can quit fighting to get rid of what you don't want or force what you do want; instead, line up your energy so you are thinking and feeling in harmony with your vision, and the universe will deliver it in the most amazing ways.
I know many people who participate in various dating services, place personal ads, and meet many potential mates. Many of them find something wrong with just about everyone they date, and are still looking. I also know a man who lived as a hermit in the remote Halawa valley on the sleepy Hawaiian island of Molokai. To get to John's house you had to travel hours over a long and winding road, park your car on the property of a backcountry family who for $3 would protect your car (from them), and then hike into a secluded electricity-less area so far off the grid, the zip code was 0. All kinds of dropouts lived in that jungle, some naked, many stoned, and most yet to emerge from the 60's.
Then one day John was visited by his buddy Hank, and Hank's traveling companion Cheryl. Long story short: John and Cheryl fell in love, moved back to civilization, got married, and have a pretty nice life together. No video dating, no personals, no "I have a friend I'd like you to meet." Just the Law of Attraction. When you are ready to receive what you want, it will find you.
Many people in my seminars report that they want to let go of the old but and don't know what to do until the new arrives. They feel frightened at dropping their security blanket (even though it is stale, boring, or painful) without seeing how their new security will come.
The only real security comes from following Spirit. Imagine you are a trapeze artist who got so tired of swinging back and forth on the old swing that you said, "I have to get off of this; anything has to be better than this." So you let go and you suddenly find yourself flying through the air (usually without the greatest of ease). In the distance you see another trapeze (your new and better life) maybe even with someone with outstretched hands coming toward you. But it may take a little while till you are able to fully grasp those hands. Just hang in there, remember your vision, trust, and have fun while you are flying.
We are living in a time when life is moving so rapidly that we can't afford to cling to old rocks. There is far greater wisdom (and joy) in opening to the adventure and making a game of flowing with the stream. It really is quite a beautiful ride.
Sometimes it seems that life is not working, but it is. The universe is intelligent, and our game is to remember that perfection is always unfolding, even when we do not see it in a cloudy moment. God bless the phone company.
Moral stories can improve your moral values.
--Alan Cohen

A Late Bloomer

A cactus stood all alone in the desert, wondering why it was stuck in the middle of nowhere.
"I do nothing but stand here all day," it sighed. "What use am I? I'm the ugliest plant in the desert. My spines are thick and prickly, my leaves are rubbery and tough, my skin is thick and bumpy. I can't offer shade or juicy fruit to any passing traveler. I don't see that I'm any use at all."
All it did was stand in the sun day after day, growing taller and fatter. Its spines grew longer and its leaves tougher, and it swelled here and there until it was lumpy and lopsided all over. It truly was strange-looking. "I wish I could do something useful," it sighed. By day hawks circled high overhead.
"What can I do with my life?" the cactus called. Whether they heard or not, the hawks sailed away.
At night the moon floated into the sky and cast its pale glow on the desert floor.
"What good can I do with my life?" the cactus called. The moon only stared coldly as it mounted its course.
A lizard crawled by, leaving a little trail in the sand with its tail. "What worthy deed can I do?" the cactus called.
"You?" the lizard laughed, pausing a moment. "Worthy deed? Why, you
can't do anything! The hawks circle way overhead, tracing delicate patterns for us all to admire. The moon hangs high like a lantern at night, so we can see our ways home to our loved ones. Even I, the lowly lizard, have something to do. I decorate the sands with these beautiful brushstrokes as I pull my tail along. Buy you? You do nothing but get uglier every day."
And so it went on, year after year. At last the cactus grew old, and it knew its time was short.
"Oh, Lord," it cried out, "I've wondered so long, and I've tried so hard. Forgive me if I've failed to find something worthy to do. I fear that now it's too late."
But just then the cactus felt a strange stirring and unfolding, and it knew a surge of joy that erased all despair. At its very tip, like a sudden crown, a glorious flower suddenly opened in bloom.
Never had the desert known such a blossom. Its fragrance perfumed the air far and wide and brought happiness to all passing by. The butterflies paused to admire its beauty, and that night even the moon smiled when it rose to find such a treasure. The cactus heard a voice.
"You have waited long," the Lord said. "The heart that seeks to do good reflects My glory, and will always bring something worthwhile to the world, something in which all can rejoice - even if for only a moment."
Moral stories can improve your moral values.

A Complete Genius

While meandering through a bookstore, I discovered a wealth of books for dummies and idiots. You have probably seen the many volumes directed at stupid people, such as Computers for Dummies and Complete Idiot's Guide to Dating. I even saw Complete Idiot's Guide to Near-Death Experiences! There are hundreds of titles in each of these very popular series, and the number is growing rapidly.
I was struck by how readily we identify ourselves as dummies and idiots. Obviously we think we are stupid, and these books will help. I wonder what would happen if I published a similar series for geniuses, such as Golf for Sages or The Complete Genius's Guide to Home Repair. I have a hunch they wouldn't sell very well at all. Not because we are not geniuses. Because we have been trained to regard ourselves as stupid.
When I was little, I sat on my front porch one morning and sang several rousing verses of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." A few days later I overheard my mother casually tell someone, "Alan has a foghorn voice." That idea made an impression on me, and I did not sing for many years. After all (at that age), your mother knows everything, and if she said I couldn't sing, I couldn't sing.
Perhaps you had a similar experience. Perhaps early in life you adopted a thought about yourself that defined you as small, ugly, incapable, or unlovable. Most of us did. And perhaps you went on to live as if that identity was true. And perhaps, like many, you collected a pool of tears in your heart and went through life hurting because you wished you could be more.
You are more. The genius you were born as, still lives, and can be reactivated at any moment. Genius is your reality and the dark programming is your adopted personality. When Abraham (through Esther Hicks) was challenged, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks," Abraham answered, "You have no idea what an old dog you are!" Who you were before you learned self-defeating tricks, is still very much available and eager to come forth and shine.
There is a story in the annals of education about an elementary school teacher who arrived on the first day of school and perused her class roster. Next to each child's name was the number of a very high I.Q. "126, 135, 140," Miss Everett read aloud, eyebrows raised. "Thank goodness I finally got a bright class!"
Miss Everett went on to stimulate the loftiest abilities in her wiz-kids. She gave them challenging projects, took them on field trips, and offered them leeway to explore their work in creative ways. At the end of the semester all the students earned A's and B's. The day after report cards came out, the principal called her into his office and asked, "Miss Everett, what did you do with these kids?"
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.
"You took some of the lowest-functioning students in the school and turned them into geniuses!"
"I don't understand what you're talking about," the teacher replied. "These kids were bright when I got them. Here, just look at their I.Q.'s in my roll book."
The principal scanned her roster and replied, astonished, "Miss Everett, these are their locker numbers!"
Moral stories can improve your moral values
--Alan Cohen

Where Is God?

He was just a little boy, on a week's first day.
He was wandering home from Sunday school and dawdling on the way.
He scuffed his shoes into the grass, he found a caterpillar.
He found a fluffy milkweed pod and blew out all the "filler."
A bird's nest in a tree overhead, so wisely placed on high.
Was just another wonder that caught his eager eye.
A neighbor watched his zig zag course and hailed him from the lawn;
asked him where he'd been that day and what was going on.
"I've been to Bible school" he said and turned a piece of sod.
He picked up a wiggly worm replying, 'I've learned a lot of God"..
"M'm very fine way" the neighbor said, "for a boy to spend his time."
"If you tell me where God is, I'll give you a brand new dime."
Quick as a flash the answer came. Nor were his accents faint.
"I'll give you a dollar, mister, if you can tell me where God ain't."
Moral stories can improve your moral values.