True Love

I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me.
Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool,
she filled the palm of her hand with some water and held it before me, and said this:
"You see this water carefully contained on my hand?
It symbolizes Love."
This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there,
it will always be there.

Moral Stories

Life is Like An Echo

A little boy came running excitedly to his mother saying: "Mom, there is a boy out there in the woods who is mocking me. Everything I say he says after me. If I say: "Hello," he says: "Hello." When I say "Who are you?" he says: "Who are you?" "So I got mad and jumped over the fence and went into the woods to find him. But he wasn't anywhere. So I yelled, "I'll punch you in the nose." And he said the very same thing, exactly as I had said it." The boy's mother told him, "That is only an echo answering you Billy. If you had said: 'I love you,' it would have said the same to you." There is a similar story about a dog who went into a room full of mirrors. He eventually died of exhaustion trying to fight his mirrored 'enemies.' If he had only wagged his tail once, he would have had all of them wagging their tails in friendship.

Life is like an echo or a mirror: we get out of it what we put in. 

 

Life Is Reflection!!!

Echo

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears a voice repeating: "AAAhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks at his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
And the father screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Again 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 an ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply 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.
This relationship applies to everything in all aspects of life.
Life will give you back everything you have given to it.

Your life is not a coincidence. It's a reflection of you!

Burning Hut

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small,uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened: Everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger.
“God, how could you do this to me?” he cried.

Early next morning, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him.”How did you know I was here?” asked the weary man of his rescuers. “We saw your smoke signal,” they replied.

    It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we
    shouldn’t lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in
    the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little
    hut is burning to the ground–it just may be a smoke signal that
    summons the grace of God.

Boy Who Lost His Temper

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 43 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.

He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence... The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But it won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

GOD Has Plan For U

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. 
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Wait For The Brick!!!!

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. 

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?
Just what the heck are you doing?
That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.
Why did you do it?"
 

The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded.
"I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."
 

With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
"It's my brother," he said.
 

"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
 

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.

Hate N Love

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one, who had been slapped, got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After the friend recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"

The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND, AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE

An Old Man

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.
The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often 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 at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate 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 from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents 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.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day that building blocks are being laid for the child's future.

Let us all be wise builders and role models. Take care of yourself, ... and those you love, ... today, and everyday!

Building Your House...

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you."

The carpenter was shocked!

What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.

But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project.

" Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!"

 

3 Dolls!!!

Priya was the cynosure of everyone’s eyes. Her parents favourite and her grandmothers special. Everyone loved Priya, her relatives, her teachers, the shopkeepers, the maid servant, everyone.

Because Priya was a very humble girl who gave love and respect to all whom she mingled with. She had no bias for dark and fair, rich and poor. She loved them all and she spoke with them all. Spoke to everyone – that, was the only cause of uneasiness her parents shared about Priya. She could talk to just about anyone at length, she would talk about the sun and the moon, the stars and the sky. She could talk for hours unending.

Priya would treat everyone equal, she had created no stereotypes. But this also proved to be a disadvantage as she could not distinguish between good and bad. Either she would end up giving a few more rupees to the market vendor or be robbed by an urban beggar.

But Priya’s mother was furious of the encounter. She had lost her patience with the girl who spoke too much to anyone and lost her belongings. Outraged she raised her hand on Priya but only Grandma’s interference stopped her short.

Broken from within, Priya stepped into her grandmother’s room. Why is mama so annoyed with me, she asked. I do not mean to hurt her, yet she is so cross with me. Grandma brought out 3 dolls and gave it to Priya. She asked her to pass a thread through the ears of the dolls.

Priya actioned it right away. To her surprise the thread passed through and through the ears of the first doll. This is the type of person who listens from one ear and lets it pass from the other. Now try the next one said grandma. The thread went through the ear and curled outside the mouth. This is the type of person that speaks whatever he heard. Priya was anxious to know what happened to the last doll. Curiosity bounced back in her face because the thread just did not come out from the doll. This is the type of person that only listens and seldom speaks.

Then what kind of person is the best human being asked perplexed Priya? Grandma brought out a fourth doll. Priya forced in the thread though the ear, it popped out from the other. Try again said grandma. Priya inserted the thread through the ear again, it came out form the mouth. Once more said grandma, so Priya shipped the thread through the ear and it did not come out at all.

This is the best kind of a person said grandma. One who knows when to hear, when to talk and when to keep silent. Grandma starred at Priya and there was a moment of silence. Priya’s eyes twinkled as she got the message her grandmother was trying to tell her.

From that day on Priya spoke only when required, kept strangers at bay and lost nothing to anyone anymore.

Moral : one must know when to speak, when not to. What to hear and what not to.

Break Off Bad Habit

Shri Nagari lived a simple life. He woke up early. Brought milk home on his usual morning walks and then set off to work with his pocket size tiffin. He was married for 30 years now and had a decent living yet people pitied him. Why you may wonder?

It was because he had borne a stain in his life. Varyu, his eldest son. 25 years of age and a complete drunk. He would seldom work and drink most of time. He changed jobs every six months and fell in love with a new lady every six months. His deteriorating language filled with swearing and cursing brought fistfights to the threshold of Shri Nagori.

Wrought with his son’s viscous ways, Shri Nagori wept every night. He had done everything he could to change the ways of his son. He got him a job, arranged his marriage, took him to the temple, but Varyu broke away from everything. Values meant very little to him, all he wanted to do was enjoy his life.

Shri Nagori prayed fervently to God every morning on his usual morning walk. Looking at his tensed face, the temple sage asked him what worried him so inherently, that it even pulled his muscles even while praying. Tight lipped Nagori walked away, thinking his burdens were his own and could not be shared with anyone. Everyday Shri Nagori prayed and dodged the sage, so as not to answer him.

But one day when Varyu had to be carried home in a sloshed state by complete strangers, Nagori sobbed at the sage’s feet. What have I done asked Nagori to deserve a son like Varyu.

The gentle sage stretched out his hands and calmed Nagori. Do not let this break you, he said. Send your son to me tomorrow. I need to speak to him.

Surprisingly Varyu turned up sober. He asked the sage why he wanted to meet him. Let’s go for a walk, said the sage and took him to the woods. Nobody said anything for a while. Pull out that twig said the sage to Varyu and Varyu just broke it and handed it to the sage. Pull out that plant from the ground said the sage and

Varyu followed suit.

After some forceful pulling the plant yielded in his hands. A few yards away, the sage asked Varyu to put out a small tree. Varyu smiled, thinking it would be a piece of cake like his earlier well accomplished feats. But to his dismay, the stubborn tree did not yield.

Varyu put in all his might, but in vain. Ultimately he gave up. The sage smiled and said that bad habits were just like that tree, once they are deeply rooted, it is almost impossible to give them up. In the beginning you rule your body, but when bad habits take over, they rule your body. So if you want to control your body, the time is now.

Touched by the wise teachings of the sage, Varyu returned home transformed for good.

Moral : Do not let bad habits command your body.