Story Of The Starfish

There was a young man walking down a deserted beach
just before dawn. In the distance he saw a frail old man.

As he approached the old man, he saw him picking up
stranded starfish and throwing them back into the sea.

The young man gazed in wonder as the old man again and again threw the small starfish from the sand to the water.

He asked, "Old man, why do you spend so much energy doing what seems to be a waste of time."

The old man explained that the stranded starfish would die
if left in the morning sun.

"But there must be thousands of beaches and millions of starfish!" exclaimed the young man. "How can you make any difference?"

The old man looked at the small starfish in his hand
and as he threw it to the safety of the sea, he said,

"It makes a difference to this one!"

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TAKE HOLD OF EVERY MOMENT

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up  a silk paper wrapped package:

"This," - he said - "isn't any ordinary package."
He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the  box.

"She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years  ago. She has never put it on. Was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it. " 

He got near the bed and placed the gift  box
next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral parlour.

His  wife had just died.

He turned to me and said:

"Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your  life is a special occasion".

Now I read more and clean less.
I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.
I spend more time with my family, and less at work.
I understood that life should be a source of experience to be  lived up to, not survived through. I no longer keep anything.

I use crystal  glasses every day. I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if i feel  like it.
I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it  whenever I want to. The words "Someday..." and "One Day..." are fading away  from my dictionary. If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to  see, listen or do it now.

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done  if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell. I  think
she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd  like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food.

It's  these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.
I would regret it, because I would no longer see the friends I  would meet, letters... letters that i wanted to write "One of this days".

I would regret and feel sad, because I didn't say to my brothers  and sons, not times enough at least, how much I love them.

Now, I try not to delay, postpone or keep anything that could  bring laughter and joy into our lives.

And, on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a  special day.

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

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The Wolves Within

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice,
"Let me tell you a story.... I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."
He continued,
"It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm.
He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offence when no offence was intended.
He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
But... the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will send him into a fit of temper.
He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great.
It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.
Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked,
"Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said,
"The one I feed".

Author Unknown

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"If I feel depressed I will sing. If I feel sad I will laugh. If I
feel ill I will double my labor. If I feel fear I will plunge ahead.
If I feel inferior I will wear new garments. If I feel uncertain I
will raise my voice. If I feel poverty I will think of wealth to
come. If I feel incompetent I will think of past success. If I feel
insignificant I will remember my goals. Today I will be the master of
my emotions" -- Mandino, Og

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'The kindest word is the unkind word, unsaid' - Mahatma Gandhi

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You must be the change you want to see in the world – Mahatma Gandhi

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…life either shrinks or expands according to ones courage - Anais Nin

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Desiderata

Go placidly amidst 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 the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater or 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 aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginations, 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 aright to be here and whether it is clear or not to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you perceive him to be and whatever your labours and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul with all it’s sham drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann

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Stop worrying so much about what you're trying to say, and listen for a while. Though it may seem strange, one very effective way to express yourself is by listening.
Listen, carefully, lovingly and attentively to the world around you. Listen to others and listen to life.

Let go of your assumptions about what you expect to hear. Listen not only with your ears, but also with your heart and spirit.

Pay attention to what life has to say to you. There is no end to the valuable lessons you can learn.

When you think you know it all, you deny yourself the opportunity to learn new things. When you interact with others only to impress them with how much you know, they'll soon understand that you know very little.

The more you listen, observe and learn, the more powerfully you'll be able to express yourself. Take heed of what life has to say, and what you learn will carry you far.

-- Ralph Marston

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The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

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May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.

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In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer

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When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

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Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who have tried, for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives.

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 Always put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too

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" I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination" ~ James Dean

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Sharpen Your Hook!

There is an ancient Chinese proverb that says: "Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he eats for a lifetime."

Told in another way, the story goes that a man approached a fisherman and begged for a fish. The old man responded by saying, "Instead of giving you a fish and feeding you for one meal, wouldn’t it be better if I showed you how to fish? In that way, you could feed yourself ." The man replied that he had no interest in learning how to fish. The hunger that raged within his stomach well overpowered any desire to search for knowledge.


The same story is told in still another fashion. It takes place along a great river where a huge tree had fallen into the rushing waters. So large was this tree that a man could walk onto it and fish for his meal. And it came to pass one day that a great sage decided to sit upon this log to collect his ration of food for the day.


After fishing for a long period of time, the sage finally caught a fair-sized fish. With great satisfaction, he placed it carefully on the log beside him. A young man who was passing by with his wife and two children saw this and guardedly approached the sage. He asked for the fish explaining that his family was in need of food.


The old sage happily offered to teach the man how to catch his own fish, but he was quickly rebuked for his offer. The man was not interested in learning a skill. He merely wanted some food.
The old sage remained fast in his resolution to offer only his teachings and sent the man on his way. All the while, he continued to fish. Soon, the sage caught another larger fish. Seeing this, the young man hurried back onto the log. He beseeched the sage to give him a fish, as he surely had more than enough for himself.


The sage grew perplexed, wondering if it made sense to give this young man a fish. After all, he really did have more than enough.


As the sage contemplated this dilemma, a light appeared at the end of the fallen tree. At first, the greatness of this light frightened the sage for he had only heard of such manifestations in ancient stories handed down by his teachers. The light began to overwhelm him with an energy he had never before experienced. Filled with awe, the old sage heard a booming voice addressing him. The light spoke to him with such calm and beauty that the sage immediately knew he was in the presence of a great and wondrous teacher.


And the light spoke.
"Old sage, allow me to express a thought. If you choose to build upon it, it will change your life for all time to come.


"First, take from your pocket the sharpening file that you have carried with you for so long. While we speak, begin to sharpen the hook that you have tied to your line. Sharpen the hook like no other in the world. Make it so sharp that when the fish takes it in its mouth, it feels no pain. Then, when you are ready, pray with me the following:


I call on the Creator to help me search out the oldest fish in the river that is ready to leave this dimension, for it has experienced all it came to experience. In that Light, guide it to my line. Knowing the fish’s life plan is complete and that I have sharpened my hook so well, we join together to fulfill our journeys.

When the light finished speaking, the sage cast his newly sharpened hook into the water. Moments later, he caught a fish of the greatest proportions. But before the old sage could begin to celebrate his newfound clarity, the light spoke again.


"If you look on the shore, you will find a string of lighter weight. If you attach your hook to this lighter string, the hook will reach deeper parts of the river. This will allow you to catch even larger fish."


The old sage did as the light suggested. His efforts were rewarded again by landing a fish ever so large. Then another fish, and yet another.


He thought this was as good as it might get, until the light offered still more guidance. The light told him to concentrate on his wrist. By flexing his wrist more when casting his line, he could send the hook out even farther.


All too soon, the pile of fish was so large that the sage felt fulfilled in his accomplishment. He set aside the fish for his meals that day. The others, he released back in the water.


Then the sage recalled the young man who had asked for a fish. He noticed that the young man was on the shore not far away. Surely, he thought, the man will ask for a fish again.


To his wonderment, he saw that the young man was busily sharpening his own hook.

The Moral

The moral, is to never teach another person something that he or she already knows on some level. Focus instead on sharpening your own hook. By perfecting the art of what you already know, you will most certainly enhance the world in your own way.
Be not the teacher, but the student. Rather than tell others what to do, focus on perfecting your own journey. In this way, you remain the consummate learner. As you do so, all those around you who seek wisdom will experience the same learning. They will be inspired to perfect their own journeys.


So concentrate solely on sharpening your own hook. Sharpen it so well that those needing the light of knowledge on their path will enter into your light. They will learn from one who chooses to learn through experience.


Apply this in your own life, and your knowingness is truly awakened.

Words from an Anonymous Samaritan

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.

His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."

I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.

My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives." He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!" There was a big smile on his face.

It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.

I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private
school before now.

I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books. He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my
friends. He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors, we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation.

I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high
school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.

Boy, sometimes I was jealous.

Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.
"Thanks," he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story."

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.

He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."

I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.

I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.

the moral of this tale?

Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life.

For better or for worse.

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The Importance of Humour in All Things!

Spirit has a great sense of humour.
Humour is a very important key to life happiness.
When was the last time you really laughed with your whole body and heart? Til the tears flowed and you felt helpless with happy?

Seeing humour in life will help get you through unhappier times. The journey of life on earth is only as serious as you want it to be.

Remember it is your free will that shapes how life goes and how you roll with the blows.

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Choose to be Happier!

Happiness is a state of being that you choose.

No one can force you to feel that way.
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, it is a choice to feel this way...or not.

Sometimes, people cause us to feel upset due to what they said or did to us.
When this happens, you have a right to feel hurt.
However, you must not allow yourself to be in that pain for a long period of time.
Learn from the experience and LET IT GO.

No matter how cruel, selfish, ignorant or cold the person that hurt you,
whether intentionally or unintentionally, the event happened for you to learn and grow from.
Staying in pain inside yourself will age you beyond your years and cause illness and suffering to yourself. Nothing will change what happened.

Nothing will change the other person until they experience the same pain they caused.

What goes around comes around, as they will learn one day...

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YOU choose your feelings, your friends, your job, your home, your clothes, your food,
your pets, your hobbies.
What do you choose your future to be?

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Are you living the life you deserve?

What has to happen for you to have it?
The "secret" to living the life you deserve is:

Believe you deserve it.

Make the choices that give you the fulfillment and happiness you seek.

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Life is two simple words:

CHOICES and CONSEQUENCES.

If you don't like your consequences,

MAKE NEW CHOICES.

Read this over and over until you get it. Understanding the depth of this concept, will change your entire life.
Apply it to everything you say and do for the next week. See the difference it makes when you consciously
choose every single aspect of your life, every moment of every day.

No more excuses or reason for depression,
or anger or fear. Your life, your health, your relationships, your happiness, is YOUR responsibility, YOUR choice.

Your life is not God's responsibility, or your best friend's, or your parent's, or your child's,
or your partner's, or your doctor, or your religion, or your culture, or your government.

It is YOURS.

You are NOT responsible for the way other people choose to feel or for how they live or for what they say and what they do.

Taking responsibility for other adults, disempowers them and teaches them to continue their bad behaviour, actions and habits.

Choose your future with care, love, honesty, integrity and passion.

Choose wisely, follow your heart.

Change "I can't" to "I MUST".

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YOU BECOME WHO YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH

Create a dream team of loving, supportive, empowering people, who support your strengths and not your weaknesses.

Who do you admire and trust?

Friends and family are powerful mentors and teachers.
They mirror back to us parts of ourselves that we love, parts we wish to become, and parts we need to let go of.

Take a look at the people in your life.....
Do these people really reflect who you are or wish to be?
Are they honest, strong, inspiring, loving, caring and supportive?
Do they speak the truth to you? Do you to them?!

Sometimes, we need to let go of people who are not for our highest good.

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If any people or situations cause you to feel pain, anger or frustration, know that your higher Spirit self planned this test before you started your life here.

These problems are placed for you to learn and grow from as you travel on your chosen path.

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Your life is what YOU make of it.

Live it fully, with dignity, passion, honesty, love, common sense, integrity, truth, and lots and lots of laughs!

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Judging others says more about you then it says about them.
Everyone has the right to their own beliefs, choices and perceptions.

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THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FAILURE,

only experiences and lessons .

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Consciously, you do not always choose the events of your life.
Subconsciously, you do.

Look at your lifestyle, your thoughts, your beliefs, who you surround yourself with, where you choose to be and go and do.

Take responsibility for your life, your happiness and let go of control.
Some things were decided before this lifetime and some you created by choice, during this one.

Yes, this is a painful and difficult concept to understand, but...no matter what,

IT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU BUT WHAT YOU DO ABOUT IT!!!

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THERE IS A TIME AND A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING

For joy, for grief. A time limit for pain as there is for happiness.
Wisdom comes when you understand the time has changed. The time limit is up.
Letting go is the most difficult mental and emotional action, for every human being, in every corner of this planet.
It is the greatest lesson you will ever have to grasp.
There is no hurry. Life is not a race.
All that is required is decision and commitment.

How you interpret the experiences of your life, determines your feelings and outcomes.

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Sometimes it feels easier to stay in that rut than committing to the challenge of climbing out of it.
Have you become comfortable being sad, being angry, being violent, being sick, being addicted,
being depressed, being dependant, settling for less than you know you deserve and can be?

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If you keep on giving and giving to someone,
you are preventing them from giving back to you.

Think about this carefully.

The person you constantly give to, will eventually take you for granted, lose respect for you and walk away.

You will be left alone wondering what on earth you did "wrong"!
You cannot buy love. You cannot make anyone love you.

No one can complete you, you can only find that within yourself.
Everyone spends their life looking for the "perfect" relationship. There is no such thing.

People change. People grow. People move on, even soul mates sometimes.
Letting go is inevitable whether you want to or not.

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If man hasn't discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.
~ Martin Luther King, June 23, 1963

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Five lessons in life to make you think about the
way we treat people.
  
1 - First Important Lesson
  
During my second month of college, our professor
gave us a pop quiz.I was a conscientious student and had breezed through
the questions until  I read the last one: "What is the first name of the
woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the
cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her
50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the
last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the
last question  would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet
many people. All are significant. They deserve your
attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello".  I've never
forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.
  
  
2 - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
  
One night, at 11.30 p.m., an older African American woman was
standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a
lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a
ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white
man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled
1960s.

The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her
into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his
address and thanked him.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door.
To his surprise, a giant console colour TV was delivered to his
home A special note was attached.. It read:  "Thank you so
much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain

Drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away.

God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs Nat "King" Cole.
  
  
3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those
who serve…
  
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy

entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of

water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents,"  replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. 

"Well, how much is a plain dish of  ice cream?" he inquired. By now more

people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.

"Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and

walked away.  The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and
left.
When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down

the table.

There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five
pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to
have enough left to leave her a tip.
  
  
4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path
  
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway, then
he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.
Some of the King's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came
by and simply walked around it.
Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear,but
none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon
approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to

move the stone to the side of the road.

After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying
in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many

gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the
person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant
learned what many of us never understand!

"Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition".
  
  
5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts

  
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare &  serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood
to his sister.   I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a eep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the colour returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.
  
These stories made me think, and I hope they have the same effect on you !

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'Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state.' Gandhi

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Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards.....AND in high heels!

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Native American Wisdom

The following are a selection of quotes from www.whitebison.org

"No individual or group can block another individual's path or change it against what fits his nature and his purpose. It might be done for a time, but in the end it won't work out."
--Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE
Every person is born for a purpose. We may know our purpose very early in our lives, or it may take us some time. Very often we need to experience many things before our purpose is clear to us. Sometimes we pick our goals to please others. Sometimes others pick our goals to make themselves happy. Often this makes us unhappy. We need to pray to the Creator and ask Him what our purpose is. When we live outside our purpose, our path is full of obstacles. When we live inside our purpose, our path is smooth. When we are aligned to our purpose, we are happy and content.

Great Spirit, whisper to me, in terms I can understand, what You would have me do and I will do it.

www.whitebison.org

"So, with the Native way, it's not whether people find out about what you've done or not... that's not nearly as strong as having your source of morality within you, having your morality arise out of an inner perception of what is wrong, ridiculous, or shameful. You are your own judge."
--Eunice Baumann-Nelson, Ph.D., PENOBSCOT
Inside each of us is a voice. It is a quiet voice. It is a guiding voice. If we listen for it, it will guide us, and help us avoid disaster. It is especially active when we are afraid, when we are in doubt, when we are scared, when we need help, and when we get angry. If we are excited emotionally, it is hard to hear this voice. If we are angry, it's hard to hear this voice because it is usually quiet. The best thing we can do is to practice getting quiet. If we don't get quiet, there is another voice called the judge. It tells us to attack or say bad things to other people or to judge ourselves. This voice is loud and usually gets us into trouble.

Creator, Great Mystery, help me listen for the quiet voice. Let me know this voice of Yours. Your ways are gentle. Guide me with this voice. Thank you.

www.whitebison.org

The voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of the birds, the rippling of mighty waters, and the sweet breathing of flowers. If this is Paganism, then at present, at least, I am a Pagan.
Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (Zitkala-Sa) (1876-1938) Dakota Sioux.

"Sometimes dreams are wiser then waking."
--Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa), OGLALA
The Great Spirit has many ways of communicating with the human being. He talks to us through the five senses-sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. For example, we can observe nature and see a lesson or get an answer. These five senses function primarily in the physical world. But we also have the ability to receive communication from the Unseen World. To do this we have a sixth sense. It comes in the form of dreams, imagination, intuition, inspiration or a hunch. Along with the dream or intuitive thought there is a feeling, a knowing. We just know it's true without the need for proof. We need to pay attention to our dreams and intuition. Don't cast them off as being silly or useless. Be respectful to our dreams and feelings.

Creator, if you speak to me through dreams, let me know it in terms I can understand.

"Life, the circle, a measurement with no beginning and no end."
--Phillip Deere, MUSKOGEE-CREEK
The circle teaches us how the Creator made things and how to live. It teaches us how we should look at creation. Life travels in a circle. In the East is the baby, to the South is the youth, in the West is the adult and in the North is the Elder. Then we return to the Earth Mother to start the cycle again. We observe what is `around us' from the center of the circle. This develops our point of view. We must be careful not to become self-centered.

Great Spirit, let me observe life from the circle's point of view.
www.whitebison.org

"People say that crisis changes people and turns ordinary people into wiser or more responsible ones."
--Wilma Mankiller, CHEROKEE
There is a saying, conflict precedes clarity. The Medicine Wheel teachings say, in order for something to change it must first go through a struggle. When a crisis enters our lives, other powers are there to help us. We will learn some lessons. Will I honor and respect the next crisis?

Great Spirit, if a crisis occurs today, let me learn the lessons of wisdom.

www.whitebison.org

"All of us begin to rethink what is good about ourselves - put the past where it belongs - and get on with the possibilities of the present!"
--Howard Rainer, TAOS PUEBLO-CREEK
There is a saying, you move toward and become that which you think about. So the question for today is, what are you thinking about? Are you thinking bad things about yourself or are you thinking good things about yourself? Are you thinking about a worldly life? Are you thinking good things about people or are you gossiping about people? Are you focusing on past things or are you living in the future? We need to bring our thoughts into the NOW, right here.

Great Spirit, let me experience living in the present moment.

www.whitebison.org

"Men and women have an equal responsibility to restore the strength of the family, which is the foundation of all cultures."

--Haida Gwaii Traditional Circle of Elders

The family is the heartbeat of strength of the culture. The grandfathers and grandmothers taught their children; they in turn had children who taught their children. If the family isn't taught the culture, then the children become adults and the adults become the grandfathers and grandmothers and the result is the culture becomes lost. This is how language is lost; this is how dances are lost; this is how knowledge is lost. We need to listen to our Elders, today, before it's too late.

Great Spirit, teach me the culture so I can teach the children.

"I think that's what unity is - knowing one another and coming together and working with no conflict."
--Chief Alan Wilson, HAIDA
When we are aligned with spiritual values, we cannot be in fear or conflict. When we are aligned to spiritual values, we have the Creator whispering solutions in our ears. Unity is one of the spiritual values. When we value unity we value solutions. If we think this way, then we have no conflict within ourselves.

Great Spirit, let me see through Your eyes.

www.whitebison.org

"You can't just sit down and talk about the truth. It doesn't work that way. You have to live it and be part of it and you might get to know it."
--Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE
We all read books that have much information in them. Often we pick up on little sayings that we remember. Inside of us is the little owl, the owl of knowing. It talks to us- guiding us and nurturing us. Often when we get information, it's hard to live by, but it's easy to talk about. It's living the Red Road that counts-Walk the Talk. If we really want freedom in our lives, if we really want to be happy, if we really want to have peace of mind, it's the truth we must seek.

My Creator, help me in my search for the truth today.

www.whitebison.org

"Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood and so it is everything where power moves."
--Black Elk (Hehaka sapa), OGLALA SIOUX
In these modern times it is difficult to understand why we should think circles and seasons. People and society are always moving, through distance, over yonder, going here and going there-hurry up, grow up, be successful, climb the ladder of success, etc. The Elders tell us to slow down, to be patient, pray and think circles. Circle thinking applies to relationships, business and every area of our lives. We need to teach our awareness to look for seasons and cycles.

My Creator, teach me the seasons of growth.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?

Seek and you will find. ask and you will receive. The spirit world is only a thought away, you can go there in the blink of an eye. try it. what a wonderfull place it is.

"Things would go well for us if we would think positively about everything."
--Mary Hayes, CLAOQUOT
Each of our thoughts are like individual seeds. These thoughts will plant our life garden. Whatever our thoughts, they grow in our gardens. Each day we will process about 50,000 thoughts or thought seeds. Positive thoughts will produce positive results. Have you ever been aware of what you are thinking about during the day? Of the possible 50,000 thoughts in one day-if the positive thoughts were flowers and the negative thoughts were weeds-how would your garden look at the end of the day?

Great Spirit, let me plant positive seeds.
www.whitebison.org

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"We all have a limited number of heartbeats,"
 Neil Armstrong

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Why Women Cry - Author Unknown

(please let me know as I want to credit her work!)

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman," she told him.

"I don't understand," he said. His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"

"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry..

Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"

God said: "When I made the woman she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort.

I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.

I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."

"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides."