Life is a drag without inspiration

Some of us are talented. We are gifted in art, music, literature etc. We are successful in our works and we contribute much for the well-being of the world we live in.



Some of us are less talented and we yearn for more inspiration. Inspiration can help us produce exciting new ideas and make us want to create something new, better or different.

Some have resorted to dreams for a rich source of inspiration. Others have relied on music. A visit to the theater can also inspires us. And sometimes certain people in our social groups also spur us on to create and do something.

We all need inspiration to face our daily activities. When we are inspired, a sudden brilliant and timely idea triggers in our mind. We feel better and want to be successful. We have the desire, confidence and enthusiasm to do something well in our life.

Inspiration can also affect others. The role we play in the society can give others confidence and loyalty toward us. We can influence others to work better, produce better results and improve their lifestyles.

Life is a drag without inspiration. Are you inspired today?

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Living In Peace And Harmony

Living in peace and harmony has become a luxury today. Many of us just refuse to live together.

Many of our spouses no longer respect, love and be loyal to one another. They readily divorce each other and split the family, leaving the children to suffer.

Many of our children no longer respect, honor and treasure their parents anymore. Many of our old men are neglected, ill-treated and thrown into old folks home.

Many of our parents no longer have the welfare of their children in their hearts. They don't even speak to one another anymore.

Many have fewer friends and neighbors as time goes by. We can't tolerate others when they don't see things our way. We become self-centered and self-pleasing. We only want friends of common interests.

Today, we have more and more conflicts and wars. Today, we have more and more misunderstandings and arguments. Today, we no longer love, respect and trust one another.

And we can't even live with the nature. We have to destroy our surroundings in order to develop our world. And we pollute them all.

And now we have economic crisis. We have unemployment and social unrest. We have conflicts and wars. We have natural disasters around the world.

O, what have we done, "civilized" people in a "developed" world?

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Echo

A son and his father are walking on the mountains.

Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain, "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Curious, he yells, "Who are you?"

He receives the answer, "Who are you?"

And then he screams to the mountain, "I hate you!"

The voice answers, "I hate you!"

Angered at the response, he screams, "Coward!"

He receives the answer, "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks, "Daddy, what is going on?"

The father smiles and says, "My son, pay attention."

The man screams, "You are a champion!"

The voice answers, "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains, "People call this echo, but really this is life.
It gives you back everything you say or do.

Lessons

• Our life is a reflection of our actions.
• If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
• If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.

Life will give you back everything you have given to it.

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River Of Life

I love to sit on the river bank and stare down at the water. To me, the never-ending river brings me peace, joy, and love. The river also teach me patience and hope.

No matter how we stir up the water, the river never ceases to calm down and continues its flow. Nothing seems to disrupt its journey. Even if we build a dam to contain it, it seeks to calm down and remain unperturbed, and continue to flow if an outlet is found.

The river continues to be a fountain of love. All things thrive well when they come near the river. No matter how arid is the place and how scorching is the heat, the river remains a blessing to all.

Oh, how I desire to have the peace, the joy, the love, and the patience like the river.

Let us also be a people of hope, doing things constructive and beneficial to ourselves and others.

May the Lord God continues to be gracious and merciful to us all in this New Year 2009.

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A Hiding Place

Everyone needs a hiding place. Some of us need a quiet room to meditate and pray to God. Others need a corner to be alone to examine progress and to solve problems in life. Some desire to have companies to laugh and jeer, and to forget or reduce stress. Still others want a place to stare at something to calm down after having a sudden or intense quarrel. Some just go to sleep. Many get drunk and smoke too much. Others prefer to have peace marveling at God's creation.

We cannot deny the fact that we all need to find somewhere or someone to share our problems, loneliness, disturbances, distress, love, joy, peace or whatsoever. Whatever we do, let us not do any harm to ourselves and others.

My resolution for the New Year 2009 is to calm down and to do things constructive and beneficial to all, that I may worship and enjoy God to the fullest. Amen.

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A Positive Wish

Once I went out to have lunch with my partner. We went to a restaurant where they serve the best chicken rice in town.

As we walked towards the restaurant, we noticed more and more people walking in the same direction. My partner said, "I hope the place isn't crowded today!"

Conscious of the power of our words, my partner and I decided to express what we did want. "We will have a table, in a nice spot, and we will have it right away", we said believing so.

When we arrived at the restaurant, there was only one table available, next to the window, in one of the nicest spot of the restaurant. We took it, smiling in amazement at how our words have come true.

Sometimes a positive wish can bring wonderful outcome.

The Mind and the Stormy Ocean

A wise man and his disciple were strolling on the beach by the ocean. It was a cold day and the wind was blowing strongly over the ocean, raising very high waves.

After walking for some time, the wise man stopped, looked at his disciple and asked: "What does the choppy ocean remind you?"

"It reminds me of my mind. Of my rushing and restless thoughts", answered the disciple.

"Yes, the stormy ocean is like the mind, and the waves are the thoughts. The mind is neutral like the water. It is neither good, nor bad. The wind is causing the waves, as desires and fears produce thoughts", said the wise man.

"I wouldn't want to be on a boat, in the middle of the ocean, in a storm like this", said the disciple.

"You are there all the time." Responded the wise man and continued, "Most people are on a rudderless boat in the middle of a choppy ocean, even if they do not realize it. The mind of most people is very restless. Thoughts of all kinds come and go incessantly, agitating the mind like the ocean's waves."

"Yes", the disciple interrupted him, "You don't have to tell me. This is the reason I am with you. I want to calm down the waves of my mind."

The wise man looked at his disciple for a while, smiled and said: "You don't calm the ocean by holding the water and not letting it move. What is necessary is to stop the wind. The wind is made of your thoughts, desires and fears. Don't let them rule your life. Learn to control them by controlling your attention, and then the ocean of your mind becomes calm."

"And how do I do that?"

"Suppose it is possible for the ocean to disregard the wind, what would happen then?" asked the wise man.

"The waves would cease. But no one can stop the wind."

The wise man looked at him with a mysterious smile and said: "Why not? The wind, the ocean, and thoughts are all within the mind. When you can control the mind, you can control everything within it. But first you have to control your mind, which means you have to control your attention."

"Yes master", said the disciple, "this is what I am trying to do. You say whoever controls his mind can also control the wind. Can you do that?"

"First learn to calm down the ocean of your mind, and then find out if you can calm down the ocean. It is better to learn to control the mind, than enjoying mental tricks. When you calm your mind, you can calm down everything."

Lesson: In any and every situation, we must always learn to control our mind and calm the wind of thoughts in submission to God and men.

The Miserable Club-99

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.

One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked.

This fascinated the King. Why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy?

The King asked the servant, "Why are you so happy?"

The man replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."

The king was not satisfied with that reply.

Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor.

After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not joined Club-99."

"Club-99? What exactly is that?" the King inquired.

The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what Club-99 is, place 99 gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep."

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When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house.

When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!

He began to count them.

After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins.

He wondered, "What could have happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!" He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive.

Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.

From that day, the servant's life was changed.

He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled.

When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined Club-99."

He continued, "Club-99 is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented. They're always yearning for more and striving for that extra 1 gold coin. They always tell themselves that they must get that final coin before they can be happy for life."

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives.

But the moment we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, and we hurt the people around us.

All these and much more are the price for our growing needs and desires as we join the miserable Club-99.

Being Positive Makes You Lucky

Lucky people meet their perfect partners, achieve their lifelong ambitions, find fulfilling careers, and live happy and meaningful lives. Their success is not due to them working especially hard, being amazingly talented or exceptionally intelligent. Instead, they simply appear to have an uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time and enjoy more than their fair share of lucky breaks.

Lucky people do four things that unlucky people don’t. They:

Maximise Chance Opportunities

Lucky people are skilled at creating, noticing and acting upon chance opportunities. They do this in various ways, including networking, adopting a relaxed attitude to life and by being open to new experiences.

Listen to Lucky Hunches

Lucky people make effective decisions by listening to their intuition and gut feelings. In addition, they take steps to actively boost their intuitive abilities by, for example, meditating and clearing their mind of other thoughts.

Expect Good Fortune

Lucky people are certain that the future is going to be full of good fortune. These expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies by helping lucky people persist in the face of failure, and shape their interactions with others in a positive way.

Turn Bad Luck to Good

Lucky people employ various psychological techniques to cope with, and often even thrive upon, the ill fortune that comes their way. For example, they spontaneously imagine how things could have been worse, do not dwell on the ill fortune, and take control of the situation.

So how can you become lucky at work? By being more positive and optimistic - Seeing the good in a bad situation, expecting good things to happen etc.

It Could Be A Coincidence

At a certain time of my life I worked for an important organization. This organization received external visitors daily, for whom there was catering.

There were always food leftovers. One day, about midday, I got a banana out of the leftovers and I kept it to eat it later.

The day went on and I didn't eat the banana. Rather than let it go to waste, I left it on my table before leaving with a note: "Help yourself".

Just five minutes later and when I was already leaving, a work colleague, Maria, came to tell me how the whole day she had been wanting a banana, and then... there it was, the banana on my table, like a gift from the universe to her.

She couldn't be more surprised and pleased as this "coincidence" had brightened her day.

Think Positive;
You May Yet Help Another Friend.

Be Optimistic

John was busy preparing his thesis for a higher degree, and worked as a customer service agent to pay the bills. His end goal was to obtain a post at the university he was doing the research for.

One day he got fired from his job. He couldn't really understand why, as he thought he had always done a good job, so he asked his manager. His boss explained that John was definitely a very good customer service agent, but due to company regulations they had to fire a number of people. It really hadn't anything to do with him.

John felt quite let down by the company and "the system", and questioned whether it was worth to keep on writing his thesis. He lost his motivation for a while.

At that time he was also reading some positive thinking books, and chose to change his point of view about the whole event. He decided that it was not so bad that he was fired. He had gained good experience in the field of customer service and could look for a better job with something to show in his CV.

Furthermore, he realized that until he got another job he would have more time for his thesis, which would push him closer to what he really wanted. John actually decided to see the event of being fired as a very good thing, and kept on even more motivated to reach his goal.

The best thing was that within three weeks he was called from the same job for a permanent position. He decided to see that in a positive way, too.

Positive thinking gives rise to positive attitude.

The Swamis and the Mysterious Light

A long time ago, there were two swamis who lived in two neighboring caves. They spent most of their time in deep meditation, except the time they ate or were visited by devotees. The people who came to visit them revered the two swamis, and enjoyed listening to them and being in their proximity. They sought their company, since they always felt more peaceful and happy when near them, and also for a long time after they went away.

One cave was dark, as caves usually are, but in the other one there was sometimes a peculiar golden light illuminating the cave. It was not strong, but enough to be noticed and to mildly illuminate the cave. The phenomenon of the light bewildered the visitors, but they could not come to an agreement about the causes of the light. Both swamis were rather silent most of the time, and did not want to discuss the phenomenon of the light.

The company of the swamis aroused calmness and peace in the visitors. Their minds slowed their incessant chatter, and they experienced a pleasant inner peace and inner happiness. The visitors admired both swamis, but believed that the one living in the illuminated cave possessed supernatural powers and was more advanced. He certainly appeared to them as a mysterious person.

One day a great sage was passing by a near village, and being recognized by the villagers, one of them approached him and said: "Great master, we have a question to ask. There is a mystery which you might solve for us."

"I will be glad to help you, if I can", answered the sage.

"There are two swamis living here on the hill...", the villager started to recount.

"Yes, I know", answered the sage, "and you inquire about the light in the cave."

"Yes, great master, that is true. It is something that has been a riddle for us. Can you please tell us also, if the swami in the lighted cave is more advanced, and if he really possess supernatural powers?"

"Pay attention to your inner self and not to outer phenomena. The outside world always changes, but inner self is constant. When in the presence of a teacher, listen to what he says and be aware of the influence of his words on you. Watch yourself, and see whether under his influence you become calmer and more peaceful, and your thoughts, at least for a while, slow down their mad race."

"Yes most revered master", said one of the devotees, "but please enlightens us on the mysterious light."

The sage sat down, and started to explain: "Sometimes, when one works intensively on the spiritual path, and concentrates and meditates a lot, various phenomena may occur around him, such as lights, sounds or visions. This is not supernatural. The mind has a creative power, and when concentrated, can produce various phenomena even unintentionally."

"It does not mean that one is more advanced than the other. Not all minds produce these things. Some do, and some don't."

"Some of the people who produce these lights may be aware of the light, and some may not. It depends on their psychic sensitivity. So it is also with the people who watch them. Not all see this light. In any case, it has nothing to do with whether one swami is more advanced or less advanced than the other one."

"Thank you great master, you have solved for us this great mystery", exclaimed the devotees of the swamis, who were standing by, deeply relieved and happy to understand the mystery that has been troubling them for a long time.

Pay More Attention To Inner Virtues

The Power of Thoughts

One day, a yogi and his disciple arrived to the big city. They had no money with them, but they needed food and a place to stay. The disciple was sure that they were going to beg for their food, and sleep in the park at night.

"There is a big park not far from here. We can sleep there at night", said the disciple.

"In the open air?" Asked the yogi.

"Yes", responded the student.

The yogi smiled and said: "No, tonight we are going to sleep in a hotel and eat there too".

The student was amazed. "How?"

"Come and sit down", said the yogi.

They both sat down on the ground and the yogi said: "When you focus your mind intently on any subject, it comes to pass."

The yogi closed his eyes and started to meditate with full concentration. After about ten minutes he got up and started to walk, with his disciple following him. They walked through several streets and alleys, until they arrived to a hotel.

"Come, let's enter inside", the yogi said to his disciple.

They just set foot in the entrance, when a well-dressed man approached them.

"I am the manager of this hotel. You look like traveling swamis and I believe you have no money. Would you like to work in the kitchen, and in return I'll give you food and a place to stay?"

"Fine", responded the yogi.

The disciple was perplexed and asked the yogi: "Did you use any magic? How did you do that?"

The yogi smiled and said, "I wanted to show you how the power of thoughts works. When you think with full and strong concentration about something that you want to happen, and your mind does not resist the subject of your thought, your thought materializes."

"The secret is concentrating, visualizing, seeing details, having faith and projecting mental and emotional energy into the mental scene. These are the general prerequisites. When your mind is empty from thoughts, and only one single thought is allowed to enter, it gains a very great power. One should be very careful with what he thinks. A concentrated thought is powerful, and exerts a very strong influence."

The disciple looked at his teacher and said: "I see that I have to sharpen my concentration in order to be able to use this power."

"Yes, this is the first step", responded the yogi.

The Power Of Concentrated Thought Has A Special Application.

The Villager and the Happy Man

In a small village in the valley, there lived a man who was always happy, kind, and well disposed to everyone he met. He always smiled and had a kind and encouraging word to say whenever necessary. Everyone who met him left feeling better, happier and elated. People knew they could count on him, and regarded him as a great friend.

One of the village dwellers was curious to know what his secret was, how could he be always so kind and helpful? How is it that he held no grudge towards anyone and was always happy?

Once, upon meeting him in the street he asked him: "Most people are selfish and unsatisfied. They do not smile as often as you do; neither are they as helpful or kind as you are. How do you explain it?"

"When you make peace with yourself, then you can be in peace with the rest of the world. If you can recognize the spirit in yourself, you can recognize the spirit in everyone, and then you find it natural to be kind and well disposed to all. If your thoughts are under your control you become strong and firm. The outer mask of the personality is like a robot programmed to do certain tasks. Your habits and thoughts are the programs. Be free from these programming and then the inner good that resides in you will be revealed."

"But a lot of work is necessary. Good habits have to be developed. The ability to concentrate and to control the thoughts has to be strengthened. The work is difficult and endless. There are many walls that need to be to climbed. It is not an easy task." Lamented the villager.

"Do not think about the difficulties, otherwise that are what you will see and experience. Just quieten your feelings and thoughts and try to stay in this peace. All the abilities and powers awaken spontaneously. You do not work on them directly. They are by-products of your peace of mind. Just try to be calm and do not let yourself be carried away by your thoughts."

"Is that all?" Asked the villager.

"Try to watch your thoughts and see how they come and go. Stay in the quietness that arises. The moments of peace will be brief at first, but in time they will get longer. This peace is also strength, power, kindness, and love. When you realize that you are one with the Universal Power, you begin to act from a different dimension, not from the selfish, small, and limited ego."

"I will try to remember your words," said the villager and continued, "there is another thing that I am curious about. You do not seem to be influenced by the environment. You have a kind word to everyone and are helpful. Yet people do not exploit your goodness, and they treat you well."

"Goodness and being kind do not necessarily point to weakness. When you are good you can also be strong. People sense your strength and do not impose on you. When you are strong and calm inside, you help people because you can and you want to. You then act from strength and not from weakness. Goodness can also go with power and strength, it is not a sign of weakness as some people erroneously think."

"Thank you very much for your advice", said the villager and went away happy and satisfied.

Inner Calm Gives You Complete Control Over Your Emotions

The Tiger

A teacher and his student were walking from one village to another, when they suddenly heard a roar behind them. Turning their gaze in the direction of the roar they saw a big tiger following them. The first thing the student wanted to do was to run away, but as he has been studying and practicing self-discipline, he was able to halt himself, waiting to see what his teacher was going to do.

"What shall we do, Master?" Asked the student.

The teacher looked at the student and answered in a calm voice, "There are several options. We can fill our minds with paralyzing fear so that we cannot move, and let the tiger do with us whatever pleases it. We can faint. We can run away, but then it will run after us. We can fight with it, but physically it is stronger than us."

"We can pray to god to save us. We can choose to influence the tiger with the power of our mind, if our concentration is strong enough. We can send it love. We can also concentrate and meditate on our inner power, and on the fact that we are one with the entire universe, including the tiger, and in this way influence its soul."

"Which option do you choose?"

"You are the Master. You tell me what to do. We haven't much time", responded the student.

The master turned his gaze fearlessly towards the tiger, emptied his mind from all thoughts, and entered samadhi (a kind of trance). In his consciousness he embraced everything in the universe including the tiger. In this deep meditation the consciousness of the teacher became one with consciousness of the tiger.

Meanwhile the student started to shiver with fear, as the tiger was already quite close, ready to make a leap at them. He was amazed at how his teacher could stay so calm and detached in the face of danger.

Meanwhile the teacher continued to meditate without fear. After a little while, the tiger gradually lowered its head and tail and went away.

The student asked his teacher in astonishment, "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I just cleared all thoughts from my mind and united myself in spirit with the tiger. We became united in peace on the spiritual level. The tiger sensed the inner calmness, peace, and unity and felt no threat or need to express violence, and so walked away."

"When the mind is silent and calm, its peace is automatically transmitted to everything and everyone around, influencing them deeply", concluded the teacher.

The Overruling Power Of Your Inner Calm.

The Naval Stand-Off Story

This story is an 'alleged' transcript of an actual radio conversation between a US naval ship and Canadian maritime contact off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995. The tale, in various versions and featuring different nationalities, has circulated widely in emails and in books for many years, and has been used by numerous speakers and writers to illustrate lessons relating to negotiation, making assumptions, and related themes. Unfortunately it is not true, but it is nevertheless a great story. If using this as a teaching analogy, you will probably be forgiven for not revealing the truth of the matter until after telling the story.

Americans: "Please divert your course 15 degrees North to avoid a collision."

Canadians: "Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees South to avoid collision."

Americans: "This is the captain of a US navy ship; I say again divert your course."

Canadians: "No. I say again, you divert YOUR course."

Americans: "THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP."

Canadians: "We are a lighthouse; your call."

Don't Think So Much Of Yourself That You Underestimate Others.

The Young Officer

Once Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar was proceeding to a neighbouring village to deliver an address. People used to gather in large numbers to listen to his lectures. A young officer, who wanted to listen to Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar's lecture, got down from a train with a bag to go to the Lecture-hall.

Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar also got down from the same train. The young officer was calling for a porter to carry his bag. Iswar Chandra went to him and said: "Why do you need a coolly to carry this small bag? Can't you carry it yourself and save the money?" He replied: "It is not in keeping with my dignity to carry my bag. I am an educated person." Iswar Chandra told him: "The hallmark of education is humility, not pride. If you cannot carry your own bag, how are you carrying your body? If, however, you cannot carry your own bag, I shall do so." And Iswar Chandra carried the officer's bag. He acted on the motto: "Plain living and high thinking." The young man wanted to offer money to his 'porter'. Iswar Chandra told him: "To serve you is my reward".

The young officer left and was later proceeding to the venue of the meeting. There people were offering garlands to Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar to welcome him to the meeting. The young officer realised that the man who had offered to carry his bag at the station was none other than the respected speaker of the evening, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar. He felt ashamed that he had made such a great man carry his bag. He reflected: "What is his education and what is mine? I am like a glow worm before the sun."

Education Alone Does Not Make One Better Than Anyone Else.

Lateral Thinking

Many years ago, when a person who owed money could be thrown into jail, a merchant in London had the misfortune to owe a huge sum to a money-lender.

The money-lender, who was old, ugly and wicked, fancied the merchant's beautiful teenage daughter. He proposed a bargain.

He said he would cancel the merchant's debt if he could have the girl instead. Both the merchant and his daughter were horrified at the proposal.

So the cunning money-lender proposed that they let Providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money-bag and then the girl would have to pick out one of the pebbles. If she chose the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be cancelled. If she chose the white pebble, she would stay with her father and the debt would still be cancelled.

But if she refused to pick out a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail and she would starve. Reluctantly, the merchant agreed.

They were standing on a pebble-strewn path in the merchant's garden as they talked and the money-lender stooped down to pick up the two pebbles.

As he picked up the pebbles, the girl, sharp-eyed with fright, noticed that he picked up two black pebbles and put them into the money-bag. He then asked the girl to pick out the pebble that was to decide her fate and that of her father.

Imagine that you are standing on the path in the merchant's garden. What would you have done if you had been the unfortunate girl?

Refuse to take a pebble?

Point out that there are two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat?

Take a black pebble and sacrifice yourself in order to save your father from prison?

None of the suggestions in this situation is very helpful, for if the girl does not take a pebble, her father goes to prison, and if she does take a pebble, then she has to marry the money-lender.

NOW, Think laterally! What do you think the girl did??

The girl in the pebble story put her hand into the money-bag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall to the path, where it was immediately lost among all the others.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said, "but never mind - if you look into the bag you will be able to tell which pebble I took by the colour of the one that is left."

Since the remaining pebble is of course black, it must be assumed that she had taken the white pebble, since the money-lender dare not admit his dishonesty.

In this way, using lateral thinking, the girl changes what seems an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one!

Most of the complex problems in life do have a solution.

It will only become a problem if we don't attempt to think.

So start thinking.

Weakness or Strength

A boy 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.

But 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.

Surprisingly, 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 outmatched.

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. And 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.

"Sometimes we feel that we have certain weaknesses and we blame God, the circumstances and our self for it but we never know that our weakness can become our strength one day.

Each of us is Special and Important,
So Never think you have any Weakness,
Never think of Pride or Pain,
Just Live your Life to its fullest and
Extract the best out of it!"

Eagles In A Storm

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?

The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come.

When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm.

While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.

The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.

When the storms of life come upon us, we can rise above them by setting our minds and our belief toward God.

The storms do not have to overcome us.

We can allow God's power to lift us above them.

God enables us to ride the winds of the storm that bring sickness, tragedy, failure and disappointment in our lives.

We can soar above the storm.

Remember,

It Is Not The Burdens Of Life That Weigh Us Down,
It Is How We Handle Them.