Meaningful stories

Xavier SG

An old story tells of an unhappy and discontented stonecutter. One day
he came upon a merchant and was awe-struck by all of the marvelous
goods the man had for sale. "I wish I were a merchant," said the
stonecutter and, quite amazingly, his wish was granted.

Not long afterward he saw a parade pass his little shop. Spying a
prince dressed in splendor such as he had never before seen, he said,
"I wish I were a prince." And he became one.

But it wasn't too many days later that he stepped outside and felt the
discomfort of the hot summer sun beating down upon his head. "Even a
prince cannot stay cool in the sun," he said. "I wish I were the sun."
This wish, too, was granted.

He was happy being the sun until, one day, a cloud came between him
and the earth. "That cloud overshadows me," he said. "I wish I were a
cloud."

Again, his wish was granted and he was happy until he came to a
mountain that he could not rise above. "This mountain is greater than
I," he said. "I wish I were a mountain."

As a tall and mighty mountain he looked down upon the affairs of
humans and felt that he was finally happy. But one day a stonecutter
climbed up his side and chipped away at rock and there was nothing he
could do about it. "That little man is more powerful than I," the
mountain said. "I wish I were a stonecutter."

So the circle was completed and now the stonecutter knew that he would
always be happy just being himself. He would never dress like a
prince, shine like the sun nor rise as tall as a mountain, but he was
happy to be who he was.

A sure way to unhappiness is to compare yourself to others. Like
someone aptly said, "The grass may be greener on the other side of the
fence, but it still has to be mowed." You are who you are and that is
to be celebrated.

topazz SG

"one night, a thief broke into a house successfully, without anyone noticing.

so he did it again on the second night, then again, and again and again, until one fine day, the father noticed that their TV is gone, and so on the same night, the family caught the thief red handed and was about to call the police.

The thief complained, "I would have no objections if u caught me on my first or second night, but now this is my 10th trip to this house and I've sucessfully took away your high fi, your video, your jewels etc and none of u ever notice the diff , so how do i know the TV is so important to u? i'm NOT going to the police becos of a stupid TV!!!"

********************************
[color=indigo]A senior manager(he) sitting near me was using this analogy when another dept head(she) refused to amend an error because the latter angrily claimed that since the error is not spotted during UAT, her dept should therefore not responsible to fix the bug. when he finished the story, everyone started laughing including her, and everything ended peacefully.

Xavier SG

The Emperor's Seeds
An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said,
"It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued.
"I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by-still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends,
however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.

When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful-in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said,
"Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back.
"My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified.
"The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name.
"My name is Ling," he replied.
All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd,
"Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!"
Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor? Then the emperor said,
"One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"

If you plant honesty, You will reap trust
If you plant goodness, You will reap friends
If you plant humility, You will reap greatness
If you plant perseverance, You will reap victory
If you plant consideration, You will reap harmony
If you plant hard work, You will reap success
If you plant forgiveness, You will reap reconciliation
If you plant openness, You will reap intimacy
If you plant patience, You will reap improvements
If you plant faith, You will reap miracles

But

If you plant dishonesty, You will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, You will reap loneliness
If you plant pride, You will reap destruction
If you plant envy, You will reap trouble
If you plant laziness, You will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, You will reap isolation
If you plant greed, You will reap loss
If you plant gossip, You will reap enemies
If you plant worries, You will reap wrinkles
If you plant sin, You will reap guilt

So be careful what you plant now,
It will determine what you will reap tomorrow the seeds you now scatter,
Will make life worse or better your life or the ones who will come after.
Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits,
Or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

Xavier SG

Your Inspiration: The Trouble Tree

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work & his electric drill quit, his ancient one ton truck refused to start. As I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. Upon opening the door he had undergone an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do at the little tree.
"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again. Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

MadGoat SG

"There was an old man who used to live by the beach, one day as he was sitting on his deck chair by the beach, he saw this little boy throwing back into the sea starfishes that were washed up on the beach.Everyday as the old man sit on the chair, everyday he saw the young boy doing the same thing.

On of the day the old man went up to the young boy and asked him: "why did you do such a silly thing as that?...Everytime you throw one back into the sea another gets washed up..."

The youg boy picked up another and threw it back into the sea.. and said.. "Well, it made a difference to that one..."
"
Maybe you all may find the story not really that motivating or touching...but it's just to say that everything you do..it made a difference to someone somehow someway...

Well, I guess most of you had heard it before...the 1st time i heard it was during my JC time during the 1st week of orientation and it was written on my autograph book by a new found friend (now i dunno where she is or how she looks oso.. Laughing )....but all that is left is jsut like what states in the story the memories and the difference she made in each and everyone's life in the orientation group....CJC-John III '96...

MadGoat SG

Another to ponder upon....

A girl, lost her favourite watch and she was very unhappy, she even fall sick because of that. A priest came to visit her while she was sick and asked her,
"If one day you accidentally dropped one hundred thousand dollars, would you accidentally dropped another two hundred thousand dollars again?"
"Of course not." The girl replied.
"If that is the case," the priest said again, "why did you let yourself
lose two weeks of happiness after you have lost your watch? And also went on to let yourself lose two weeks of health?"
The girl was suddenly enlightened and jumped out of bed. She said,
"You are right. I refuse to lose more than what I did. From today onwards, I will earn back the money I need to buy myself another watch."

Life is full of winning and losing and also full of challenges. It
doesn't matter if you lose, if you live for yourself, then that is truly
LIFE.

Some people refuse to accept the truth and to start again, thus they end up losing more and more in life and end up nothing can be done to bring back what they lost.

If you are losing in your life now, don't continue letting yourself lose
more than what you did. Put a stop to that situation and do not be afraid to start from scratch.

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, it is the realisation of how much you already have."

MadGoat SG

There was this guy who loved two gals at the same time but he didn't know which one he loved more. Someone taught him.

Ask yourself this question and answer it honestly :When you are happy, which gal would you want to share your happiness with?" The one you think of is someone you love.

Ask yourself another question and answer it honestly : "When you are sad, which gal you want to share your burden with?" The one you think of is also someone you love.

If you think of the same gal when you are happy & sad, that's the most perfect. But if you don't think of the same gal, I would advise you to chose the one you are willing to share your sadness with.

In life, there are more sorrows than happiness. There are too many people that u meet that u can share your happiness with, not necessary your lover. If you live your life happily, you can also enjoy it alone. In sadness, however, there are not many people willing to share your burden with you. If you are willing to tell
someone your happiness, I am sure that person has got
to be someone close & an understanding person to you. But it shouldn't stop there. If that person only thinks of you when she is happy, but looks for someone else when she is sad, this lover is too unstable, she doesn't treat you as someone she can spend the rest of her life with. Of course, I will be very happy if I am the first person to share her happiness. But, if she is sad, I will be too willing to stay by her side & ease her pain. Only then, will I believe that I hold a very important position in her heart. If you are sad, who comes to your mind first? ********************

Friendship is a strange thing.
We find ourselves telling each other the deepest details of our lives...things we don't even share with the families who raised us. But what is a friend? A confidant? A shoulder to cry on? An ear to listen? A heart to feel? A friend is all these... and more.

No matter where we met, no matter how long we've been together... I call you friend. A word so small, yet so large in feeling, a word filled with emotion, a word overflowing with love. Truly great things come in small packages. Once the package of friendship has
been opened, it can never be closed. It is a constant book always waiting... waiting to be read... and enjoyed. We may have our disagreements... we may have our disappointments... we may argue... we may have concern for one another... friendship is a unique bond that lasts through all tribulations. A part of each of
us goes into our friendships... our humor... our experiences... our tears. Friendships are foundations... necessary for life... and love.
Friends... you and me... you brought another friend and then we were three... we started our group... our circle of friends... there is no beginning... there is no end.

Sometimes God wants us to meet many wrong people So that when the right one comes along, we will appreciate that person more.

MadGoat SG

What's The Rush???

hey there...long time no see.. how's life going? shall we sit and haf a chat? Oh, u've no time and got to rush? i'll see u then, some other dae, somehow. but as u rush by and i continue my way, i wonder when we might meet again. perhaps tmr, perhaps a week later...perhaps a month, perhaps a year...perhaps... perhaps...

dun u realise? it's hard to say when we'll meet again and when we do get to meet somedae... u'll still be u and i'll still be mi... but time has slipped by and we've lost contact... and i lose my tongue on wat to say to u... perhaps u too feel the same...but i'll neva noe... cos somehow we neva seem to tok animore...and suddenly i realised,all tat i've said to u tis while is "hey, i gotta go.." and "i'm sorrie but i'm in a rush..."

but there's something i realli wan to tell u...yet i cant realli say what it is...something intangible it seems to me... perhaps i jus wan to tok to u...to tell u how i miss the good old times...but all that happened in the past...and things are kinda different now...somethings are better left unsaid, or so they say...cos wat's the pt of telling u when we are still the same, but our positions haf changed?our frenship hasnt soured, but it has grown stagnant...which is worse... aint it?

i wan to reach back but it's hopeless...i ask miself, will we ever return to the time when we cld tok freely,stand ard and chat for fun...instead of rushing for time?it's impossible, i dun even haf to prove it... it's obvious...aint it?

some ppl say old frens are like treasures...cos u've shared some times tgt...be it happie or unhappie times...wat's impt is, there's the common time and bond shared...the point i'm making is it takes time to make new frens...and sometimes time jus isnt on our side...
u r rushing and i'm rushing...i can wait but wld u stop to catch ur breathe?and when u do, i'll be on the move, rushing off on my way...but tat doesnt mean we cant make new frens...jus tat we gotta slow down and realise "hey, wat's the rush???"

perhaps tat's y ppl treasure the past...but tinking of the past makes the reality hit even harder back on u...tat's y we are constructed to remember the good old times...at least they let u drift away frm reality, frm the cold...perhaps tat's y ppl haf short term memory these days...they tend to 4get things and dull their brains...an escape frm reality? perhaps...i'm not so sure...some ppl r veri lucky...and veri smart...they dun seem to be bothered by such things, and they dun bother to be bothered to reflect on such reality/ past/ illusion kind of things...they deserve to be envied though...cos being able to dislocate frm such complexities is a bliss...perhaps they do tink abt it...but realise there's realli no point dwelling on it...cos in the end, u'll reach no where...it's like a circle..u end up where u started...and then u see? it's all jus a waste of time and effort...hey, isnt this mail jus the same?...
we go back to where we started where u go ur way and i go mine...
i wonder whose fault this is, realli...urs or mine? or is it time's?
i guess it doesnt realli make a diff..cos u'll be rushing and so will i...
though i do hope our paths wld cross somehow...how abt we meet somedae?Oh, u've no time and got to rush?alrite then,
i'll see u ard, some other dae...some other time, Somehow.
but realli, my fren...wat's the rush?

~*~*~* We just seem to get nostalgic about a lot of things
we weren't so crazy about the first time round. *~*~*~

MadGoat SG

This is not realli a story..but just a short passage i read in a newsletter before...Can't realli remember the full thing...but the main idea is there..I jsut changed it into my own way of putting ti across...

"Everyday, I would have to wait at the bus stop for my bus to get to work. And everyday, day in day out rain or shine without fail, I can't help but notice these small movement on the wall behind the bus-stop...when you take a closer look it's those red ants that are moving twigs, food, leaves around into their nest. Of course many times we would ask, what so interesting about these small little insects? Therefore many of us pay no need or attention to them... I too did thot of them the same way...

But until one of these days when I was not rushing for bus, I left the house earlier, I just stood there for 15 mins looking at the ants... Probably you would have thot that I was very boliao at that time...but actually a lesson was learnt here.... I looked at this paritcular ant that was carrying a piece of dead leave abt 2 times it's size dragging and dragging it across the route to get to it's nest... And after a long tedious route...it finally made it to the nest... But here came the big problem... The entrance to the nest was too small for the leave to go in...It tried several times, several angles...but it still won't budge in....And it jsut did a simple thing... It just left the leave at the side of the nest and went away...looking for another...."

Probably this story may be boring to some of you..but the lesson I learnt from there is...there are things which you took great pain to bring it to what it is todae...but eventually, if it not meant to be like tat or in the way you want...just let it go.....life still goes on...

I have been stuck in one such suitation for very long...I can understand things are not easy to let go..but I am trying too...so do hope that we can learn from the ant... Wink

Xavier SG

Mrs Jones is 92 years old, petite, well-poised, and proud. She is fully
dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed,
and her makeup perfectly applied, in spite of the fact she is legally blind.

Today she has moved to a nursing home. Her husband of 70 years recently
passed away, making this move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home,
where I am employed, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As
she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description
of her tiny room, including the eyelet curtains that had been hung on her window.

"I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room...just wait," I said. Then she spoke
these words that I will never forget:"That does not have anything to do
with it," she gently replied.

"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room
or not does not depend on how the furniture is arranged. It is how I
arrange my mind. I have already decided to love it. It is a decision I make
every morning when I wake up. I have a choice. I can spend the day in bed
recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer
work, or I can get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do work.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I will focus on the new
day and all of the happy memories I have stored away...just for this time
in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you
have already put in."

Xavier SG

My mother used to ask me what is the most important part of the
body.

Through the years I would take a guess at what I thought was
the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought sound was
very important to us as humans, so I said, 'My ears, Mommy.'
She said, 'No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking
about it and I will ask you again soon.'

Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making
my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer. So
this time I told her, 'Mommy, sight is very important to
everybody, so it must be our eyes'. She looked at me and told me,
'You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because
there are many people who are blind.'

Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over
the years, Mother asked me a couple more times and always her
answer was, 'No. But you are getting smarter every year, my
child.'

Then last year, my grandpa died. Everybody was hurt.
Everybody was crying. Even my father cried. I remember that
especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry. My
Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to
Grandpa.

She asked me, 'Do you know the most important body part yet,
my dear?' I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always
thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the
confusion on my face and told me, 'This question is very
important. It shows that you have really lived in your life.
For every body part you gave me in the past, I have told you
was wrong and I have given you an example why. But today is
the day you need to learn this important lesson.'

She looked down at me as only a mother can. I saw her eyes
well up with tears. She said, 'My dear, the most important
body part is your shoulder.' I asked, 'Is it because it holds up
your head?' She replied, 'No, it is because it can hold the head
of a friend or a loved one when they cry. Everybody needs
shoulder to cry on sometime in life, my dear.

I only hope that you have enough love and friends that you
will always have a shoulder to cry on when you need it.' Then and
there I knew the most important body part is not a selfish one. It
is sympathetic to the pain of others. People will forget what you
said.......People will forget what you did........ But people will
NEVER forget how you made them feel.

Xavier SG

A delightful story is told about a young man who applied for a job as
a telegraph operator. He answered an ad in the newspaper and went to
the telegraph office to await an interview. Though he knew Morse Code
and was qualified in every other way, seven other applicants were also
waiting in the large, noisy office.

He saw customers coming and going and heard a telegraph clacking away
in the background. He also noticed a sign on the receptionist's
counter instructing applicants to fill out a form and wait to be
summoned to an inner office for an interview. He filled out the form
and sat down to wait.

After a few minutes, the young man stood up, crossed the room to the
door of the inner office, and walked right in. Naturally the other
applicants perked up, wondering why he had been so bold. They talked
among themselves and finally determined that, since nobody had been
summoned to interview yet, the man would likely be reprimanded for not
following instructions and possibly disqualified for the job.

Within a few minutes, however, the young man emerged from the inner
office escorted by the interviewer, who announced to the other
applicants, "Thank you all very much for coming, but the job has just
been filled."

They were all confused and one man spoke up: "Wait a minute -- I don't
understand. We've been waiting longer than he and we never even got a
chance to be interviewed."

The employer responded, "All the time you've been sitting here, the
telegraph has been ticking out the following message: 'If you
understand this, then come right in. The job is yours.' So you see,
all of you were summoned, but HE heard and understood!"

This man knew a valuable life-lesson that most people miss: Wherever
You Are, Be There. You're there physically, be there emotionally. Be
there mentally. Be there attentively. Be there as fully as you can.

Wherever you are, be there. When you're completely present, you'll
make the most of every minute. And minutes lived fully add up to a
life lived magnificently.

Xavier SG

> > >A frail old man went to live with his son,
> > >daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old
> > >man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred,and his
> > >step faltered.
> > >
> > >The family ate together at the table. But the elderly
> > >grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made
> > >eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the
> > >floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the
> > >tablecloth.
> > >
> > >The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the
> > >mess. "We must do something about Grandfather," said
> > >the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy
> > >eating, and food on the floor."
> > >
> > >So the husband and wife set a small table in the
> > >corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of
> > >the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had
> > >broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden
> > >bowl.
> > >
> > >
> > >When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction,
> > >sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.
> > >Still, the only words the couple had for him were
> > >sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled
> > >food.
> > >
> > >The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One
> > >evening before supper, the father noticed his son
> > >playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the
> > >child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly,
> > >the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for
> > >you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up."
> > >
> > >The four-year old smiled and went back to work.
> > >
> > >The words struck the parents so, that they were
> > >speechless. Then tears started to stream down their
> > >cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must
> > >be done.
> > >
> > >That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and
> > >gently led him back to the family table. For the
> > >remainder of his days he ate every meal with the
> > >family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife
> > >seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped,
> > >milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
> > >
> > >On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what
> > >happens how bad it seems today, life does go on, and
> > >it will be better tomorrow.
> > >
> > >I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by
> > >the way he/she handles three things: a rainy day, lost
> > >luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
> > >
> > >I've learned that, regardless of your relationship
> > >with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone
> > >from your life.
> > >
> > >I've learned that making a "living" is not the same
> > >thing as making a "life."
> > >
> > >I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second
> > >chance.
> > >
> > >I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a
> > >catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to
> > >throw something back.
> > >
> > >I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will
> > >elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your
> > >friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the
> > >very best you can, happiness will find you.
> > >
> > >I've learned that whenever I decide something with an
> > >open heart, I usually make the right decision.
> > >
> > >I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have
> > >to be one.
> > >
> > >I've learned that every day, you should reach out
> > >and touch someone.
> > >
> > >I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
> > >
> > >I've learned that you should pass this on to
> > >everyone you care about. I just did.
> > >
> > >People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm
> > >hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
> > >
> > >Sometimes they just need a little something to make
> > >them smile. People will forget what you said ...
> > >people will forget what you did, but people will never
> > >forget how YOU made them feel. Smile

CloneMe72 SG

Five Great Lessons
1 - Most Important Lesson Everyone is significant
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one:
What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
Absolutely, said the professor. In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say hello.
I have never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2 - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the mans door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.
A special note was attached. It read:
Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husbands bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
How much is an ice cream sundae? he asked.
Fifty cents, replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream? he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
Thirty-five cents, she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
Ill have the plain ice cream, he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he could not have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson - The Obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the kings wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying,
Yes, Ill do it if it will save her.
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice,
Will I start to die right away?
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. You see, after all, understanding and attitude, are everything.

Life will be easier if you
Work like you dont need the money.
Love like youve never been hurt.
And dance like you do when nobodys watching.

Xavier SG

An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted to spade his potato
garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, who would have helped him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and
mentioned his predicament.

Dear Son,
I am feeling pretty bad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant
my potato garden this year. I hate to miss doing the garden, because your mother always loved planting time. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, if you weren't in prison.
Love, Dad

Shortly, the old man received this telegram:

For Heaven's sake, Dad, don't dig up the garden! That's where I buried the GUNS!"

At 4 A.M. the next morning, a dozen FBI agents and local police
officers showed up and dug up the entire garden without finding any guns. Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what happened, and asking him what to do next. His son's reply was,
"Go ahead and plant your potatoes, Dad. It's the best I could do for you at this time."

CloneMe72 SG

In the winter of 1990, I was asked to appear on a television talk show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At the end of our first day of taping I was on my way back to my plush, high-rise, cable-TV, twenty-four-hour room service hotel, when I saw something I had never seen before. Lying on the sidewalk against a building in four inches of snow was a man sleeping with only a cardboard blanket to keep him from being completely exposed to the freezing cold. What really broke my heart was when I realized that he wore no shoes or socks. I thought to stop and help him but was not quite sure what to do. As the traffic light turned green, it seemed life was demanding that I move along. So I did. Back in the "anything I wanted was mine" environment of my hotel, I promptly forgot about the man on the street.

Several days later, prior to the morning taping, I was having coffee and Danish in the green room at the station. All of the "important" people had left the room and it was just me and the janitor remaining. I had seen him quietly go about his business every day while I was there, and he never said a word except "Good morning" or "Can I get anything for you, sir?" He always had a smile to give to everyone. When I asked him how he was feeling today, he told me that he had been having to ride his bike to work in the snow and that he had been feeling rather sorry for himself... that is, until he saw a man sleeping down on the corner of Yonge Street and Bloor with just a piece of cardboard for covering from the cold and no shoes.

I almost choked on my Danish as I heard him go on to relate how he was so moved with compassion for the man that he went around the corner to a store and bought the man a pair of socks and shoes. As I heard his story, I saw in my mind a poster that used to be in an old friend's bedroom when I was a teenager. It was a picture of a child handing someone a flower and the caption read:

"The smallest deed always exceeds the grandest of intentions."

I stood there wishing it was me who had bought the shoes and socks for the man, when they called my name to come to the set. As I got to the studio, they were just concluding an interview with a social worker who specialized in benevolence for eastern Ontario. The social worker relayed a story about Mother Teresa, who when asked once how she had accomplished such great things in her life responded,

"None of us can do anything great on our own, but we can all do a small thing with great love."

When I went home that day, I looked for the man on the street. He was gone, but I knew it would not be long before someone took his place.
By Michael Peterson from Chicken Soup for the Country Soul
Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Ron Camacho

Garfielle SG

Something about love, which I personally believe it so... Very Happy

1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you

2. No man is worth your tears, and the one who is won't make you cry.

3. Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

4. They say love hides behind every corner, then I must be walking in circles.

5. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.

6. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them, knowing you can't have them.

7. Never frown, even when you're sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.

8. To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world.

9. Don't waste your time on someone who isn't willing to waste their time on you.

10. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to feel greatful.

11. Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened.

12. There's always going to be people that hurt you, so what you have to do is to keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust the next time around.

13. Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.

14. Don't try so hard; the best things come when you least expect them to.

~ Author Unknown~

jAnY SG

The Healing Poison

A long time ago, a girl named Li-Li got married and went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.

Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly. Days passed days, and weeks passed weeks. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting.

But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing the poor husband great distress.

Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it. Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr Huang who sold herbs.

She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could
solve the problem once and for all. Mr Huang thought for a while, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you". Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do".

Mr Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some meat or chicken and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen".

Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law.

Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.

After 6 months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found she had almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument in six months with her mother-in-law, who now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.

The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was her best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.

One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again.

She said, "Dear Mr Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her".

Mr Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to be worried about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been washed away by the love which you gave to her".

MORAL: Friends, have you ever realized that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? In China it is said: The person who loves others will also be loved.

Xavier SG

This is a true story that happened in Japan.

In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan tear open the wall.

Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls.When tearing down the walls, he found that there is a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside got stuck into one of its feet. He sees this, feels pity and at the same time curious, as when he check the nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built.

What happened?

The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years! In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving, it is not an easy task. Then he remembered, how this lizard survived for 10 years without moving a single step - the feet was nailed!

So he stop the work and observe the lizard, what is it eating? Later, don't
know fom where appears another lizard, with food in its mouth...

AHHH! He is stunted. What kind of love is this? For the lizard that was stuck by a nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years ..

I am touched when I heard this story. And stop wondering the relationship between them: family, friends, lovers, brothers, sisters......

As the technology advances, our access to information became faster and faster. But the distance between the human beings, is it getting closer as well?

NEVER ABANDON YOU LOVED ONES.

sgboy2004 SG

very educational...mi like

_____________
i am a gentleman
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