What We Want In Life

The American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. 

The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while. The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish. 

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. 

The American then asked, "but what do you do with the rest of your time?" 

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor." 

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise." 

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, 15-20 years. 

"But what then, senor?" 

The American laughed and said "that's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions." 

"Millions, senor then what?" 

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar."


Moral of the Story:
Too often we run around chasing things we don't know what our aim in life is. Satisfaction can be found in the simplest form of life.

Triple Filter Test for Truth

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”

“Triple filter?”

“That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”

“No,” the man said, “Actually I just heard about it and...”

“All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t really know if it’s true or not. Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?”

“No, on the contrary...”

“So,” Socrates continued, “You want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true. You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?”

“No, not really...”

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “If what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

Tapping Your Superconscious Mind

By: Brian Tracy

You have available to you, right now, a power like a supercomputer that can enable you to solve any problem, overcome any obstacle and achieve any goal you can set for yourself.

This power has been used throughout history to take people from rags to riches, from poverty and obscurity to success and fame, from unhappiness and frustration to joy and self-fulfillment. And it can do the same for you.

This power has been called many things by many people in many places. It is the fundamental principle of most religions, philosophies and metaphysical teachings. It underlies much of psychology and is the cornerstone of all success and achievement. In its simplest terms, it is called the “subconscious mind,” although this is a misunderstanding because the true subconscious mind is merely a memory bank of senses and impressions that reacts automatically based on your previous experiences.

It has also been called the “universal subconscious mind” and the “collective unconscious.” The great Austrian psychoanalyst, Carl Jung, referred to this as the “superconscious mind.” He felt that the collective wisdom and knowledge of all the ages was contained in this superconscious mind and was available to everyone.

Ralph Waldo Emerson referred to it as the “oversoul” and wrote that, “We live in the lap of an immense intelligence that, when we are in its presence, we realize that it is far beyond our human mind.” Emerson, the great American transcendentalist, felt that all power and possibility for the average person came from using this mind on a regular basis.

Napoleon Hill, perhaps the greatest researcher on success of the 20th century, called this power the “infinite intelligence.” After spending more than 20 years interviewing 500 of the most successful men and women alive in America at that time, he concluded that, without exception, their ability to tap into this higher form of infinite intelligence was the primary reason for their great success in life.

Whatever you choose to call it, this power is as available to you at this very minute as it ever has been to anyone, anywhere. I refer to it as the “superconscious mind,” the mind that is above and outside all other minds or intelligences.

The superconscious mind is the source of all examples of pure creativity. It is the superconscious mind that is functioning at the creation of anything that is completely new in the universe. The superconscious mind was tapped into and used by all the great inventors, writers, artists and composers of history on a regular basis, right up to the present day. Every great work of art or creativity is infused with superconscious energy.

Thomas Edison used his superconscious mind regularly to come up with hundreds of brand new ideas and inventions, more than 1,000 of which completely transformed America at the beginning of the 20th century. More recently, William Gates came up with an idea for a basic operating system for the early computers, which he called “MS-DOS.” It was so unique and revolutionary that he and Paul Allen were actually writing the program on the airplane as they flew to their meeting with their first customer. Today, Bill Gates is the world’s richest man, and it all came from a superconscious flash of insight. Bach, Beethoven and Brahms tapped into the superconscious mind regularly to write some of the finest music ever heard. Mozart was so finely tuned into his superconscious mind that he could both see and hear the music in his head and was then able to write down some of the most beautiful music of the ages, note perfect, the very first time he put pen to paper.

Whenever you see, read, listen to, or experience a great achievement of any kind that touches something deep inside you, you are witness to a superconscious creation.

Your superconscious mind can access every piece of information stored in your conscious and subconscious minds. It can also access data and ideas outside your own experience, because it actually lies outside your human mind. This is why it is called a form of universal or infinite intelligence.

You will often get ideas that come to you from far beyond you. It is not unusual for two people separated by thousands of miles of distance to come up with the same idea at the same time. When you are well-attuned to another person, such as your spouse or mate, you will often have thoughts identical to him or her at the same time during the day, and you will only find out that you had reached the same conclusion when you compare notes hours later. This is an example of your superconscious mind at work.

Sometimes when you are with other positive, goal-oriented people, your combined superconscious minds will form a higher mind that you can all tap into. This is why, when you are involved in a conversation or listening to a lecture, ideas and inspirations will often leap into your mind that have no direct connection to what is being discussed. But those ideas and inspirations may be exactly what you need at that moment to move you forward on your journey. Your superconscious mind is capable of goal-oriented motivation. When you are working determinedly toward a goal of your own choosing, your superconscious mind will generate a continuous flow of ideas and energy to help you move onward. In fact, your superconscious mind is a form of “free energy.” This free energy becomes available to you when you become excited or inspired about achieving something that is really important to you. You seem to be able to continue hour after hour without fatigue. Sometimes you even forget to eat, and you need far less sleep than you would normally. After you have achieved your goal, you may collapse in exhaustion, but while you are moving toward it, you seem to be flowing with continuous energy and enthusiasm. Your superconscious mind automatically and continually solves every problem on the way to your goal, as long as your goal is clear. Your superconscious mind will also give you the lessons and experiences that you need to succeed, in the form of setbacks, problems, frustrations and temporary failures.

Your superconscious mind will also bring you the exact answer you require to solve your problem or achieve your goal, exactly when you are ready for it. When your superconscious mind gives you a hunch or an inspiration, remember, this is time-dated material. You must act on it immediately.

I’ve had many experiences of wrestling with a problem that I have been unable to resolve until the last minute. Then, right when I need it, the answer becomes perfectly clear. This will happen to you as well when you use the power of your superconscious mind.

The critical factor in using your superconscious mind is your attitude. Your superconscious mind functions best with an attitude of calm, confident expectations. When you adopt an attitude of faith and acceptance, when you confidently accept and believe that everything that is happening to you is moving you progressively toward the achievement of your goal, your superconscious mind seems to come alive, like all the lights have been turned on in a room. This is why successful people seem to have tremendous clarity concerning what they want, along with tremendous calmness and confidence regarding their ability to achieve it. This combination of attitudes will throw the power switch on your superconscious abilities.

Because of your superconscious powers, anything that you can hold in your mind on a continuing basis, you can have. Emerson wrote, “A man becomes what he thinks about, most of the time.” Earl Nightingale wrote, “You become what you think about.” In the Bible it says that, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that also shall he reap.” And this law of sowing and reaping refers to mental states; to your thoughts. Of course, there is a potential danger in the use of your superconscious mind. It is like fire¾a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. If you use it improperly, and think negative, fearful thoughts, your superconscious mind will accept your thoughts as a command and go to work to materialize them into your reality. What is the difference between successful people and unsuccessful people? It is as simple as this: Successful people think and talk about what they want, and unsuccessful people talk about what they don’t want.

So here is a 10-step plan for plugging into your superconscious power to get what you truly want in life. Make this plan a regular habit, and you will be astonished at the results.

1. Decide exactly what you want. This is usually the biggest problem that people have. They don’t know what they want and then they’re surprised when they don’t get it.

2. Write your goal clearly in every detail. A goal that is not written down is merely a wish. When you write it down, you signal to your superconscious mind that you really want to accomplish this particular objective.

3. Write your goal in simple, present tense words on a three-by-five index card and carry it with you to read and re-read throughout the day whenever you get a chance.

4. Make a list of everything you can think of that you can do that will move you toward your goal. Making a list intensifies your desire and deepens your belief that the attainment of the goal is possible for you.

5. Organize the list by priority. What is more important and what is less important?

6. Resolve to take action every day on one of the items on your list. Do something every day that moves you toward your goal so that you can maintain your momentum.

7. Visualize your goal repeatedly. See it in your mind’s eye as though it were already a reality. The more clear and vivid your mental picture of your goal, the faster it will come into your life.

8. Get the feeling of pleasure and enjoyment that you would have if your goal were realized at this very moment. Create the emotion of happiness, satisfaction, and pleasure that you would have if you really achieved your goal.

9. Confidently behave as if your superconscious mind were bringing your goal into reality. Accept that you are moving toward your goal and it is moving toward you.

10. Release your goal completely to your superconscious mind. When you turn your goal over to the power of the universe and just get out of the way, you will always know the right actions to take at the right time.

Starting today, try this power of yours, your superconscious mind, on one goal or idea, and practice it continually until you succeed in achieving that goal. By doing so, you will move from the “positive thinking” of the hopeful person to the “positive knowing” of the totally successful person.

There's An Artist In All Of Us

by: Marguerette Gilmore
Reprinted from Reader's Digest, July 1983

       One afternoon when my husband and I were living in a little town, a friend looked out from our kitchen window and remarked, "Not much to see from here, is there?"
       The area is mostly plains, but I was surprised by her remark: I loved the view from that window. I tried to look at it with my friend's eyes – a straight-line horizon, a water tower, dozen cottonwood trees, a few houses and an expanse of wheat field covered with stubble. That was all. And yet, from the moment I first saw it, that scene had held grandeur and endless inspiration for me.
       With the bright afternoon sun shining, the wheat field was a  sea of silver ripples: cotton-candy clouds floated in an immensity of blue, and mosaics of yellows and nut-browns ringed the cottonwoods. By evening the scene would shift into sundown colors, the houses would send rays of warmth from lighted windows and the water tower, splendid at any time, would be more magnificent, holding a red light to guide the passing planes.
         I thought of all I had viewed from that window, the visual magic that had enhanced my life. Early spring would drape the  cottonwoods in wispy chartreuse, enabling July mornings to sift through bright summer-green leaves. The fields would melt into oceans of emerald and wait out the months for molten gold, all the time providing lush nesting places for meadowlarks, brown thrashers and turtledoves. The lemon-yellow moons of spring would swing from pearly-plated evening skies, and then at harvest time rich, orange ones would lurk low on the horizon.  Every day and night I would find myself fascinated by the subtle changes across the vista, like pages turning slowly toward the fall and on into winter's silent scenes of white.
          I had reaped endless inspiration from one simple  landscape, and yet my friend found it uninteresting. After she left, I thought about this difference in viewpoints. I wondered just how true is the statement, "You take the beauty to the roses."
          I know I am far from being alone in my appreciation of the  natural elegance and charm of this earth, but I wonder how many people find beauty in the usual, normal scenes, the so-called drab, monotonous ones. It is easy to appreciate the scenes that are too wonderful to ignore. But how many people feel their daily surroundings are dull and that only at vacation time or at other rare times, can they enjoy true beauty?
          It is essential, I feel, to find beauty in the ordinary settings in which we live. Great painters know this. Henri Matisse once told a friend, "I grow artichokes. Every morning I go into the garden and watch these plants. I see the play of light and shade on the leaves and I discover new combinations of color and fantastic patterns. They inspire me. Then, I go back into my studio and paint."
          The appreciation of symmetry and grace, of color combinations and aesthetic qualities in ordinary scenes, comes as a built-in feature – not only for a few chosen ones like the painters, the writers, the musicmakers and dreamers. It is a part of everyone and can be awakened so that each person, no matter how humble the surroundings, can have an abundance of it in his or her life.
           If you want more of this radiance in your life, start looking at  everything with new eyes. Think beauty, expect beauty, take beauty wherever you go. As the French writer Joseph Joubert said, "You won't find poetry (or any other form of art) unless you bring some with you." Every landscape has something to offer, even on a cloudy day in the dreariest month of the year.
           When you are tired or lonely or bored – or in a mood to experience something truly uplifting, look out the window or take a walk. Hunting the beautiful is like truly collecting paintings or  jewels of great worth, except that the intangible treasures cost you nothing – but giving of self and can never be taken from you.
            When you get started on this hunt you will make many unusual finds – an old fence draped with ivy, a slice of sunshine on a shadowy field, a sturdy banyan stretched on a purple sky. Or maybe just a path lined with pebbles becomes a wonder of shapes and designs that will intrigue the imagination. Courtless simple scenes become many-faceted diamonds spread along  your way to enrich the mind and soul.
            As you become more observing, more appreciative, new and unexpected vistas will open up. Your world will never again  seem drab. You will have discovered your own artistic self, and life will become more rewarding when you really see and appreciate the loveliness around you. When you no longer label any scene as ordinary, when you can describe a gray day a gray scene in terms of beauty, you are an artist in your own right.
            You may never write or paint or compose a song on paper  but in your heart and mind and life you will create a change that will equal nothing less than a masterpiece.

Reflections...

Battled with the thoughts of what’s will be like in the future, I started thinking back yesteryears of my profession. I started counting the opportunities which I was supposed to grab, but lost. I realized to my chagrin that at this stage of my life, something fell behind my back. I was caught flat-footed by the nimble change of events sometimes beyond my expectations. 

“What in the world you are doing Angelito.” Seems the idea of blaming myself is almost dominating my system for a moment. (I’m still in my mind anyway).

Past is past, I can’t bring it back no matter what. I don’t want to call it late, probably it’s not. Sometimes, facing other opportunities beyond your chosen career, actually have a bearing in person’s personality. Even if you didn’t level-up in position, at least you progress mentally and emotionally. 

I am not calling it as disappointment, nor vexation to my spirit. Life is sometimes like that. Things will not come as always in conformity with yours. I already learned the lesson, “something you miss in the past, sometimes your dream in the future.” 

I f ever I will seize every opportunity along the way, how sad I would be if the road I chose became the road not taken by others. I'd better walk this way.

As we seek new opportunity, keep in mind that “the sun does not usually reappear on the horizon where last seen.” 

Life after death...

Life is so short for all of us

So why waste our precious time

Sharing and giving, one noble deed

For people who mind life after death.

A kind of life without end

Awaits everyone without exemption

But life with endless happiness

Requires a lot of sacrifices

Our time is but a small moment

Compared to heavenly beings

Worthwhile activities count the most

We write it in our books.

When the final judgment came

The book of life will be open

The great man will judge us all

We cannot lie after all.

We prove our worthiness before

That’s why we’re here in this world

So let’s cling to the rod

To be exalted is the best reward.

Pick your battles...

If you’ve spent any time on this earth, you know that life contains conflict. There are times in our lives when we need to fight. But if we fight all the time, we can wear ourselves out.  That’s why it’s important to pick our battles.
To gain a better perspective on when to fight back and when to “let it go,” John Maxwell suggested  the following disciplines:
1. Spend time with people who are different from you. This helps you appreciate and understand how others think and work. You will be less inclined to judge or battle them.
2. In matters of personal preference or taste, give in. Keep the main thing the main thing. If you don’t save your energy for what really matters, you’ll wear yourself out and wear out your welcome with others.
3. Don’t take things too personally. In general, hurting people hurt people. And they’re also easily hurt by others. Keep that in mind when you’re on the receiving end of someone’s anger.
4. Practice the 101% Principle. Whenever possible in a difficult situation, find the 1% that you do agree on and give it 100% of your effort.
5. Be a servant leader. If your mindset is to serve rather than be served, you will be less likely to encounter resistance.
The best team doesn’t always win;
it’s usually the team that gets along best.

After all those years....

Late night,I was browsing the net and doing one of my favorite hobby, looking for some inspirational quotes. I came across of the literary piece which had been very familiar to me, twenty five years ago!

I can't help myself controlling the sleepiness that I felt during that time but to my surprised, my favorite piece flashes in the screen of my computer and in an instant, my sleepiness had gone. The long forgotten thing has been restored!

Here it is:

 Desiderata (by: Max Ehrman)

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

When applying the principles of motivation, the primary consideration would be those person looking for inspiration. This literary piece is considered as "the wind beneath our wings" for it can blast the crater in our mind toward being a better person. After all, we are optimistic people with faith in the Almighty. We just need  to follow it through. 

May we always look at the bright side of things even during the worst times. Our ability to survive is in fact heavily rooted on the faith that tomorrow will be better than today.

A place of refuge...

~ Angelito G. Belmonte

Things get tougher everyday

Challenges keeps blocking our way

Sometimes we tend to give up

And forget the blessings from above.

Whenever problems come along

Our reaction is to get rid, not too long

‘Cause we afraid of the consequences

But sometimes these came from our follies.

If only we can recall

What God gave us all

Beautiful things around the world

For us to wonder and behold.

Life is a wonderful journey

As suggested by everybody

We all just need to be aware

Experiences taught us well.

A place of refuge, we need to have

For us to have peace inside

Just look from the heaven above

Things manifested in us.

A place of refuge is within

Just be sensitive in our feelings

Blessings of serenity is within

Its ourselves, place like heaven.

The Elephant and The Rope

Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt.

As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

How many of us are being held back by old, outdated beliefs that no longer serve us? How many of us have avoided trying something new because of a limiting belief? Worse, how many of us are being held back by someone else's limiting beliefs?
Whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve!

So make an attempt to grow further.... Why shouldn't we try it again?

The Emperor and the Seed

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 after 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. 3 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. "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.

Dreams

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and share a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. "You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dean and don't even know it!"

"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change."

"Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing The Rose. She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the years end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

If you read this, please send this peaceful word of advise to your fiends and family. We send these words in loving memory of ROSE.

Remember, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY, GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

Our Lives...

How many times in our life we feel as if we are worthless? Sometimes we even questioned our existence in this mortal world. The worst is, some people have the tendency to end their precious lives just by the problems and challenges which they think unbearable.

We are a children of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; we have the right to be here. We just need hope. Our ability to survive is in fact heavily rooted on the faith that tomorrow will be better than today.  

The following story somehow will give us a very good lesson in our life. 

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 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 $20 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 crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson", he said, "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. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.... and especially to those who love you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or whom we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

Do Not Hurt Yourself

One night a snake while it was looking for food, entered a carpenter’s workshop.

The carpenter, who was a rather untidy man, had left several of his tools lying on the floor. One of them was a saw.

As the snake went round and round the shop, he climbed over the saw, which gave him a little cut.

At once, thinking that the saw was attacking him, he turned around and bit it so hard that his mouth started to bleed.

This made him very angry. He attacked again and again until the saw was covered with blood and seemed to be dead.

Dying from his own wounds, the snake decided to give one last hard bite then turned away. The next morning the carpenter was surprised to find a dead snake on his doorstep.

Lesson to Learn: Sometimes in trying to hurt others, we only hurt ourselves.

(Source: pravsworld)

Sharks in Our Lives

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan have not held many fish for decades.

So to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not like the taste.

To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price.

So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks. After a little thrashing around, the fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive. Unfortunately, the Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for days, they lost their fresh-fish taste.

The Japanese preferred the lively taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish. So how did Japanese fishing companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan? How Japanese managed to keep the fish fresh?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state. The fish are challenged.

Have you realized that some of us are also living in a pond but most of the time tired & dull, so we need a Shark in our life to keep us awake and moving? Basically in our lives Sharks are new challenges to keep us active and taste better….. The more intelligent, persistent and competent you are, the more you enjoy a challenge.

If your challenges are the correct size, and if you are steadily conquering those challenges, you are Conqueror. You think of your challenges and get energized. You are excited to try new solutions. You have fun. You are alive!

"Things Aren't Always What They Seem"

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room.

Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.

When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears.

Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel "How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him. she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die."

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.

"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it". He continued, "Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage.

You might not know it until some time later