Contents The last ride I wanted to change the world The law of the garbage truck The two

two hospital patients The tiger's whisker The hedgehogs The fence Your influence on the universe A turn of the screw Every bucket counts Two frogs in the milk A story for Passover Piece of mind Jumping the ueue !nowledge and wisdom The starfish The American dream Ale"ander and #iogenes Testing for gossip $afting The mouse trap A foot has no nose %rom $ussia with love &irtually no competition The little wave 'elieve what you feel Everyone can play I must at least try !ing Arthur and the witch (elping hands The teacher and the taught )oing the e"tra mile *ho you are #ifferent perspectives The eagle The three races The obstacle in our path 'ad by name+ bad by nature, Everyone is important The carrot- the egg- and the coffee bean The two wolves The great fire and the little water A sense of a goose The seeker of truth A meeting of minds .hopsticks The problem with dandelions In the same boat The frogs and the tower The international food shortage The Japanese master The secret of happiness The house with the golden windows

/othing is written The .hinese farmer !ing 0olomon and the baby The wise teacher and the 1ar 2istening 3 at .hristmas and always

The last ride 'Just a minute'- answered a frail- elderly voice4 I could hear something being dragged across the floor4 After a long pause- the door opened4 A small woman in her 56s stood before me4 0he was wearing a print dress and a pillbo" hat with a veil pinned on it- like somebody out of a 7586s movie4 'y her side was a small nylon suitcase4 The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years4 All the furniture was covered with sheets4 There were no clocks on the walls- no knickknacks or utensils on the counters4 In the corner was a cardboard bo" filled with photos and glassware4 '*ould you carry my bag out to the car,' she said4 I took the suitcase to the cab- then returned to assist the woman4 0he took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb4 0he kept thanking me for my kindness4 'It's nothing'- I told her4 'I 1ust try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated4' '9hyou're such a good boy'- she said4 *hen we got in the cab- she gave me an address and then asked- '.ould you drive through downtown,' 'It's not the shortest way'-' I answered uickly4 '9h- I don't mind-' she said4 'I'm in no hurry4 I'm on my way to a hospice4' I looked in the rear3view mirror4 (er eyes were glistening4 'I don't have any family left'- she continued in a soft voice4 'The doctor says I don't have very long4' I uietly reached over and shut off the meter4 '*hat route would you like me to take,' I asked4 %or the ne"t two hours- we drove through the city4 0he showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator4 *e drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds4 0he had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl4 0ometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness- saying nothing4 As the first hint of sun was creasing the hori:on- she suddenly said- 'I'm tired4 2et's go now'4 *e drove in silence to the address she had given me4 It was a low building- like a small convalescent home- with a driveway that passed under a portico4 Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up4 They were solicitous and intent- watching her every move4 They must have been e"pecting her4 I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door4 The woman was already seated in a wheelchair4 '(ow much do I owe you,' 0he asked- reaching into her purse4 '/othing'- I said 'You have to make a living'she answered4 'There are other passengers'- I responded4 Almost without thinking- I bent and gave her a hug4 0he held onto me tightly4 'You gave an old woman a little moment of 1oy'- she said4 'Thank you4' I s uee:ed her hand- and then walked into the dim morning light4 'ehind me- a door shut4 It was the sound of the closing of a life4 I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift4 I drove aimlessly lost in thought4 %or the rest of that day- I could hardly talk4 *hat if that woman had gotten an angry driver- or one who was impatient to end his shift, *hat if I had refused to take the run- or had honked once- then driven away, 9n a uick review- I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life4 *e're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments4 'ut great moments often catch us unaware 3 beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one4 Author; /ew York .ity ta"i driver I wanted to change the world *hen I was a young man- I wanted to change the world4 I found it was difficult to change the world- so I tried to change my nation4

*hen I found I couldn't change the nation- I began to focus on my town4 I couldn't change the town and as an older man- I tried to change my family4 /ow- as an old man- I reali:e the only thing I can change is myself- and suddenly I reali:e that if long ago I had changed myself- I could have made an impact on my family4 <y family and I could have made an impact on our town4 Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world4 Author; unknown monk around 7766 A#

The law of the garbage truck 9ne day I hopped in a ta"i and we took off for the airport4 *e were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car 1umped out of a parking space right in front of us4 <y ta"i driver slammed on his brakesskidded- and missed the other car by 1ust inches= The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us4 <y ta"i driver 1ust smiled and waved at the guy4 And I mean- he was really friendly4 0o I asked- '*hy did you 1ust do that, This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital=' This is when my ta"i driver taught me what I now call'The 2aw of the )arbage Truck'4 (e e"plained that many people are like garbage trucks4 They run around full of garbage- full of frustrationfull of anger- and full of disappointment4 As their garbage piles up- they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you4 #on't take it personally- 1ust smile- wave- wish them well- and move on4 #on't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work- at home- or on the streets4

The two hospital patients Two men- both seriously ill- occupied the same hospital room4 9ne man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs4 (is bed was ne"t to the room's only window4 The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back4 The men talked for hours on end4 They spoke of their wives and families- their homes- their 1obs- their involvement in the military service- where they had been on holiday4 And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up- he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window4 The man in the other bed began to live for those one3hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside4 The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake4 #ucks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats4 Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every colour of the rainbow4 )rand old trees graced the landscape and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance4 As the man by the window described all this in e" uisite detail- the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the pictures ue scene4 9ne warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by4 Although the other man couldn't hear the band 3 he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words4 #ays and weeks passed4 9ne morning- the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window- who had died peacefully in his sleep4 0he was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away4 As soon as it seemed appropriate- the other man asked if he could be moved ne"t to the window4 The nurse was happy to make the switch and- after making sure he was comfortable- she left him

alone4 0lowly- painfully- he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside4 %inally- he would have the 1oy of seeing it for himself4 (e strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed4 It faced a blank wall4 The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window4 The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall4 0he said- >Perhaps he 1ust wanted to encourage you4>

The tiger's whisker 9nce upon a time- a young wife named Yun 9k was at her wit's end4 (er husband had always been a tender and loving soulmate before he had left for the wars but- ever since he returned home- he was cross- angryand unpredictable4 0he was almost afraid to live with her own husband4 9nly in glancing moments did she catch a shadow of the husband she used to know and love4 *hen one ailment or another bothered people in her village- they would often rush for a cure to a hermit who lived deep in the mountains4 /ot Yun 9k4 0he always prided herself that she could heal her own troubles4 'ut this time was different4 0he was desperate4 As Yun 9k approached the hermit's hut- she saw the door was open4 The old man said without turning around; >I hear you4 *hat's your problem,> 0he e"plained the situation4 (is back still to her- he said- >Ah yes- it's often that way when soldiers return from the war4 *hat do you e"pect me to do about it,> ><ake me a potion=> cried the young wife4 >9r an amulet- a drink- whatever it takes to get my husband back the way he used to be4> The old man turned around4 >Young woman- your re uest doesn't e"actly fall into the same category as a broken bone or ear infection4> >I know>- said she4 >It will take three days before I can even look into it4 .ome back then4> Three days later- Yun 9k returned to the hermit's hut4 >Yun 9k>- he greeted her with a smile- >I have good news4 There is a potion that will restore your husband to the way he used to be- but you should know that it re uires an unusual ingredient4 You must bring me a whisker from a live tiger4> >*hat,> she gasped4 >0uch a thing is impossible=> >I cannot make the potion without it=> he shouted- startling her4 (e turned his back4 >There is nothing more to say4 As you can see- I'm very busy4> That night Yun 9k tossed and turned4 (ow could she get a whisker from a live tiger, The ne"t day before dawn- she crept out of the house with a bowl of rice covered with meat sauce4 0he went to a cave on the mountainside where a tiger was known to live4 0he clicked her tongue very softly as she crept up- her heart pounding- and carefully set the bowl on the grass4 Then- trying to make as little noise as she could- she backed away4 The ne"t day before dawn- she took another bowl of rice covered with meat sauce to the cave4 0he approached the same spot- clicking softly with her tongue4 0he saw that the bowl was empty- replaced the

empty one with a fresh one- and again left- clicking softly and trying not to break twigs or rustle leaves- or do anything else to startle and unsettle the wild beast4 0o it went- day after day- for several months4 0he never saw the tiger ?thank goodness for that= she thought@ though she knew from footprints on the ground that the tiger 3 and not a smaller mountain creature 3 had been eating her food4 Then one day as she approached- she noticed the tiger's head poking out of its cave4 )lancing downward- she stepped very carefully to the same spot and with as little noise as she could- set down the fresh bowl and- her heart pounding- picked up the one that was empty4 After a few weeks- she noticed the tiger would come out of its cave as it heard her footsteps- though it stayed a distance away ?again- thank goodness= she thought- though she knew that someday- in order to get the whisker- she'd have to come closer to it@4 Another month went by4 Then the tiger would wait by the empty food bowl as it heard her approaching4 As she picked up the old bowl and replaced it with a fresh one- she could smell its scent- as it could surely smell hers4 >Actually>- she thought- remembering its almost kittenish look as she set down a fresh bowl- >it is a rather friendly creature- when you get to know it4> The ne"t time she visited- she glanced up at the tiger briefly and noticed what a lovely downturn of reddish fur it had from over one of its eyebrows to the ne"t4 /ot a week later- the tiger allowed her to gently rub its head- and it purred and stretched like a house cat4 Then she knew the time had come4 The ne"t morning- very early- she brought with her a small knife4 After she set down the fresh bowl and the tiger allowed her to pet its head- she said in a low voice; >9h- my tigermay I please have 1ust one of your whiskers,> *hile petting the tiger with one hand- she held one whisker at its base and- with the other hand- in one uick stroke- she carved the whisker off4 0he stood up- speaking softly her thanks- and left- for the last time4 The ne"t morning seemed endless4 At last her husband left for the rice fields4 0he ran to the hermit's hutclutching the precious whisker in her fist4 'ursting in- she cried to the hermit; >I have it= I have the tiger's whisker=> >You don't say,> he said- turning around4 >%rom a live tiger,> >Yes=> she said4 >Tell me>- said the hermit- interested4 >(ow did you do it,> Yun 9k told the hermit how- for the last si" months- she had earned the trust of the creature and it had finally permitted her to cut off one of its whiskers4 *ith pride she handed him the whisker4 The hermit e"amined it- satisfied himself that it was indeed a whisker from a live tiger- then flicked it into the fire where it si::led and burned in an instant4 >Yun 9k>- the hermit said softly- >you no longer need the whisker4 Tell me- is a man more vicious than a tiger, If a dangerous wild beast will respond to your gradual and patient care- do you think a man will respond any less willingly,> Yun 9k stood speechless4 Then she turned and stepped down the trail- turning over in her mind images of the tiger and of her husband- back and forth4 0he knew what she could do4 0ource; !orean fable The hedgehogs It was the coldest winter ever4 <any animals died because of the cold4

The hedgehogs- reali:ing the situation- decided to group together to keep warm4 This way they covered and protected themselves+ but the uills of each one wounded their closest companions4 After awhile- they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die- alone and fro:en4 0o they had to make a choice; either accept the uills of their companions or disappear from the Earth4 *isely- they decided to go back to being together4 They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others4 This way they were able to survive4 The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people- but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person's good ualities4

The fence There once was a little boy who had a bad temper4 (is father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper- he must hammer a nail into the fence4 The first day the boy had driven AB nails into the fence4 9ver the ne"t few weeks as he learned to control his anger- the number of nails hammered dailygradually dwindled down4 (e discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence4 %inally the day came when the boy didnCt lose his temper at all4 (e 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 temper4 The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone4 The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence4 (e said Dyou have done well- my son- but look at the holes in the fence4 The fence will never be the same4 *hen you say things in anger- they leave a scar 1ust like this one4E You can put a knife in a man and draw it out4 It wonCt matter how many times you say ICm sorry- the wound is still there4 <ake sure you control your temper the ne"t time you are tempted to say something you will regret later4

Your influence on the universe I read the first chapter of >A 'rief (istory 9f Time> when #ad was still alive- and I got incredibly heavy boots about how relatively insignificant life is- and how- compared to the universe and compared to time- it didn't even matter if I e"isted at all4 *hen #ad was tucking me in that night and we were talking about the book- I asked if he could think of a solution to that problem4 >*hat problem,> >The problem of how relatively insignificant we are4> (e said- >*ell- what would happen if a plane dropped you in the middle of the 0ahara #esert and you picked up a single grain of sand with twee:ers and moved it one millimetre,> I said- >I'd probably die of dehydration4> (e said- >I 1ust mean right then- when you moved that single grain of sand4 *hat would that mean,> I said- >I dunno- what,> (e said4 >Think about it4> I thought about it4 >I guess I would have moved a grain of sand4> >*hich would mean,> >*hich would mean I moved a grain of sand,> >*hich would mean you changed the 0ahara4> >0o,> "So?" 0o the 0ahara is a vast desert4 And it has e"isted for million of years4 And you changed it=> >That's true=> I said- sitting up4 >I changed the 0ahara=> >*hich means,> he said4 >*hat, Tell me4> >*ell- I'm not talking about painting the Mona Lisa or curing cancer4 I'm 1ust talking about moving that one grain of sand one millimetre4>

>Yeah,> >If you hadn't done it- human history would have been one way 444> >Fh3huh,> >'ut- you did do itso 444,> I stood on the bed- pointed my fingers at the fake stars- and screamed; >I changed the universe=> >You did4> 0ource; >E"tremely 2oud G Incredibly .lose> by Jonathan 0afran %oer

A turn of the screw There was an industrialist whose production line ine"plicably breaks down- costing him millions per day4 (e finally tracks down an e"pert who takes out a screwdriver- turns one screw- and then 3 as the factory cranks back to life 3 presents a bill for H76-6664 Affronted- the factory owner demands an itemised version4 The e"pert is happy to oblige; >%or turning a screw; H74 %or knowing which screw to turn; H5-5554> Author; 9liver 'urkeman in >The )uardian *eekend>- 7A August I677

Every bucket counts 9nce day- having learned that the !ing of %e: was hunting lions in the neighbourhood- they decided to invite him and his court- and killed a number of sheep in his honour4 The sovereign had dinner and went to bed4 *ishing to show their generosity- they placed a huge goatskin bottle before his door and agreed to fill it up with milk for the royal breakfast4 The villagers all had to milk their goats and then each of them had to tip his bucket into the container4 )iven its great si:e- each of them said to himself that he might 1ust as well dilute his milk with a good uantity of water without anyone noticing4 To the e"tent that- in the morning- such a thin li uid was poured out for the king and his court that it had no taste than the taste of meanness and greed4 0ource; >2eo The African> by Amin <aalouf

Two frogs in the milk This is the story of two frogs4 9ne frog was fat and the other skinny4 9ne day- while searching for food- they inadvertently 1umped into a vat of milk4 They couldn't get out- as the sides were too slippery- so they were 1ust swimming around4 The fat frog said to the skinny frog- >'rother frog- there's no use paddling any longer4 *e're 1ust going to drown- so we might as well give up4> The skinny frog replied- >(old on brother- keep paddling4 0omebody will get us out4> And they continued paddling for hours4 After a while- the fat frog said- >'rother frog- there's no use4 I'm becoming very tired now4 I'm 1ust going to stop paddling and drown4 It's 0unday and nobody's working4 *e're doomed4 There's no possible way out of here4> 'ut the skinny frog said- >!eep trying4 !eep paddling4 0omething will happen- keep paddling4> Another couple of hours passed4 The fat frog said- >I can't go on any longer4 There's no sense in doing it because we're going to drown anyway4 *hat's the use,> And the fat frog stopped4 (e gave up4 And he drowned in the milk4 'ut the skinny frog kept on paddling4

Ten minutes later- the skinny frog felt something solid beneath his feet4 (e had churned the milk into butter and he hopped out of the vat4 Author; <elissa # Jartman A story for Passover A good Passover story should always involve cakes4 Austrian baker <anfred !laschka is the sub1ect of this yearCs story4 (e was in the news because of his most recent catalogue of cake designs+ !laschka is a pastry specialist4 9f course- Austrian pastries are famous the world over4 /ow- pastry baker <anfred !laschkaCs most recent catalogue of such tasty delights was in the news this week because it included cakes decorated with swastikas K as well as one with a baby raising its right arm in a /a:i salute4 (err !laschka insists he is not a /a:i4 After the news story broke- he even met with a (olocaust awareness group- and apologi:ed for what he had done- and he then baked a cake to say he was sorry K a cake with Jewish and .hristian symbols4 The point of the story K the bit I found interesting K is (err !laschkaCs e"planation for what he did4 >I see it was a mistake- anyone who knows me knows what kind of person I am4 I am no /a:i>- said !laschka- who had earlier said he was 1ust a pastry maker fulfilling his customersC wishes4 %ulfilling his customersC wishes, There is a market in Austria in I677 for cakes with babies raising their arms in /a:i salutes- cakes with swastikas on them, There are parties where people serve such cakes, <aybe birthday parties for babies, 9f course there are such people- and there are such parties- and because of that- there is a market K there is consumer demand K for swastika cakes4 *hich is why (err !laschka was happy to bake them4 And not only in Austria4 You may remember the case of the .ampbell family from /ew Jersey4 *hen !urt *aldheim was e"posed as a war criminal his popularity rose4 The neo3/a:i %reedom Party headed by the late Jorg (aider- won IBL of the vote in the I666 elections and became part of the coalition government K the first time since 758M that /a:is had sat in a European government4 'ut this never happened in /ew Jersey K which is why I want to talk about the .ampbell family4 The .ampbell family in /ew Jersey made the news back in I66N when they tried to get a birthday cake made for their son O they have a son and two daughters O at the local 0hop $ite in (olland Township4The store refused their re uest4 And the reason was that <r4 .ampbell wanted the cake to read >(appy birthday Adolf (itler>4 'ecause- you see- his sonCs name was Adolf (itler .ampell4 9ne of the daughters is named is named Joyce2ynn Aryan /ation .ampbell4 *ell- you get the point4 *hen I read about the Austrian baker <anfred !laschka- I thought K here was a marketing opportunity for him4 (e would have happily baked a cake for the .ampbell family4 0o what does all this have to do with Passover, This week- when we are forbidden to eat 0achertore or 2in:er tort or even the delightfully named Punschkrapfen- we might want to pause and think about something we say every year at the Passover seder; 'In every generation it is the duty of man to consider himself as if he had come forth from Egypt'4 'ecause in this generation- as in all others- there are those who order custom3made swastika cakes4 There are those who name their children after Adolf (itler4 And there are others who fire anti3tank missiles at school

busses with Jewish children in them4 'ecause there are those who are building nuclear weapons- having told the world that their intention is to wipe the Jewish state off the face of the earth4 'ecause people like that make Pharaoh look like a nice guy4 'ecause getting out of the house of bondage- out of slavery in Egyptwas not the end of the story for the Jewish people- but was the beginning4 It is a story of a never3ending struggle for freedom- for dignity- for respect- for human rights- that has universal resonance and meaning O for all people- everywhere- always4 0ource; Eric 2ee

Peace of mind 9nce 'uddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers4 This was in the initial days4 *hile they were travelling- they happened to pass a lake4 They stopped there and 'uddha told one of his disciples- DI am thirsty4 #o get me some water from that lake there4E The disciple walked up to the lake4 *hen he reached it- he noticed that some people were washing clothes in the water and- right at that moment- a bullock cart started crossing through the lake4 As a result- the water became very muddy- very turbid4 The disciple thought- D(ow can I give this muddy water to 'uddha to drink=E 0o he came back and told 'uddha- DThe water in there is very muddy4 I donCt think it is fit to drink4E After about half an hour- again 'uddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink4 The disciple obediently went back to the lake4 This time he found that the lake had absolutely clear water in it4 The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had4 0o he collected some water in a pot and brought it to 'uddha4 'uddha looked at the water- and then he looked up at the disciple and said- D0ee what you did to make the water clean4 You let it be 444 and the mud settled down on its own K and you got clear water444 Your mind is also like that4 *hen it is disturbed- 1ust let it be4 )ive it a little time4 It will settle down on its own4 You donCt have to put in any effort to calm it down4 It will happen4 It is effortless4E *hat did 'uddha emphasi:e here, (e said- DIt is effortless4E (aving 'peace of mind' is not a strenuous 1ob+ it is an effortless process4 *hen there is peace inside you- that peace permeates to the outside4 It spreads around you and in the environment- such that people around start feeling that peace and grace4

umping the !ueue Today- a true tale of heroism that takes place not in a war :one- nor a hospital- but in &ictoria station in 2ondon in I66B- during a tube strike4 9ur hero K a transport 1ournalist and self3described >big- stocky bloke with a shaven head> named )areth Edwards- who first wrote about this e"perience on the community blog metafilter4com K is standing with other commuters in a long- snaking line for a bus- when a smartly dressed businessman blatantly cuts in line behind him4 ?Behind him; this detail matters4@ The interloper proves immune to polite remonstration- whereupon Edwards is sei:ed by a magnificent idea4 (e turns to the elderly woman standing behind the ueue31umper- and asks her if she'd like to go ahead of him4 0he accepts- so he asks the person behind her- and the ne"t person- and the ne"t K until P6 or B6 people have moved ahead- Edwards and the seething ueue31umper shuffling further backwards all the time4 The bus finally pulls up- and Edwards hears a shout from the front of the line4 It's the elderly woman- addressing him; >Young man= #o you want to go in front of me,> Author; 9liver 'urkeman in >The )uardian *eekend>- IN August I676

"nowledge and wisdom There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom4 !nowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit not a vegetable4 *isdom is knowing not to include it in a fruit salad4

The starfish 9nce a man was walking along a beach4 The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day4 9ff in the distance he could see a person going back and forth between the surf's edge and and the beach4 'ack and forth this person went4 As the man approached- he could see that there were hundreds of starfish stranded on the sand as the result of the natural action of the tide4 The man was stuck by the the apparent futility of the task4 There were far too many starfish4 <any of them were sure to perish4 As he approached- the person continued the task of picking up starfish one by one and throwing them into the surf4 As he came up to the person- he said; >You must be cra:y4 There are thousands of miles of beach covered with starfish4 You can't possibly make a difference4> The person looked at the man4 (e then stooped down and pick up one more starfish and threw it back into the ocean4 (e turned back to the man and said; >It sure made a difference to that one=>

The American dream An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal <e"ican village when a small boat with 1ust one fisherman docked4 Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna4 The American complimented the <e"ican on the uality of his fish4 >(ow long did it take you to catch them,> the American asked4 >9nly a little while> the <e"ican replied4 >*hy don't you stay out longer and catch more fish,> the American then asked4 >I have enough to support my family's immediate needs> the <e"ican said4 >'ut> the American then asked- >*hat do you do with the rest of your time,> The <e"ican fisherman said; >I sleep late- fish a little- play with my children- take a siesta with my wife<aria- stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos4 I have a full and busy life- senor4> The American scoffed; >I am a (arvard <'A and could help you4 You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you could buy a bigger boat and- with the proceeds from the bigger boat- you could buy several boats4 Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats4 Instead of selling your catch to a middleman- you would sell directly to the consumers- eventually opening your own can factory4 You would control the product- processing and distribution4 You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to <e"ico .ity- then 2A and eventually /Y. where you will run your e"panding enterprise4> The <e"ican fisherman asked; >'ut senor- how long will this all take,>

To which the American replied; >7M3I6 years4> >'ut what then- senor,> The American laughed and said; >That's the best part4 *hen the time is right- you would announce an IP9 3 an Initial Public 9ffering 3 and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich4 You would make millions4> ><illions- senor, Then what,> The American said slowly; >Then you would retire4 <ove to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late- fish a little- play with your kids- take a siesta with your wife- stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos444>

Ale#ander and $iogenes /ow when Ale"ander Qthe )reatR appeared before the )reek leaders in .orinth they greeted him warmly and paid him lavish compliments3 all of them- that is but one4 A funny fellow- a philosopher named #iogenes4 (e had views not unlike those of the 'uddha4 According to him- possessions and all the things we think we need only serve to distract us and get in the way of our simple en1oyment of life4 0o he had given away everything he owned and now sat- almost naked- in a barrel in the market s uare in .orinth where he livedfree and independent like a stray dog4 .urious to meet this strange fellow- Ale"ander went to call on him4 #ressed in shining armour- the plume on his helmet waving in the bree:e- he walked up to the barrel and said to #iogenes; 'I like you4 2et me know your wish and I shall grant it4' #iogenes- who had until then been comfortably sunning himself- replied; 'Indeed- 0ire- I have a wish4' '*ell- what is it,' 'Your shadow has fallen over me; stand a little less between me and the sun4' Ale"ander is said to have been so struck by this that he said; 'If I weren't Ale"ander- I should like to be #iogenes4' 0ource; >A 2ittle (istory 9f The *orld> by E4(4 )ombrich

Testing for gossip In ancient )reece- 0ocrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem4 9ne day an ac uaintance met the great philosopher and said- >#o you know what I 1ust heard about your friend,> >(old on a minute>- 0ocrates replied4 >'efore telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test4 It's called the Triple %ilter Test4> >Triple filter,> >That's right>- 0ocrates continued4 >'efore you talk to me about my friend- it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say4 That's why I call it the triple filter test4 The first filter is Truth4 (ave you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true,> >/o->-the man said- >Actually I 1ust heard about it and 444> >All right>- said 0ocrates4 >0o you don't really know if it's true or not4 /ow let's try the second filter- the filter of %oodness4 Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good,> >/o- on the contrary4>

>0o>- 0ocrates continued- >you want to tell me something bad about him- but you're not certain it's true4 You may still pass the test though- because there's one filter left; the filter of &sefulness4 Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me,> >/o- not really4> >*ell>- concluded 0ocrates- >if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful- why tell it to me at all,>

'afting 'y good fortune- I was able to raft down the <otu $iver in /ew Jealand twice during the last year4 The magnificent four3day 1ourney traverses one of the last wilderness areas in the /orth Island4 The first e"pedition was led by >'u::>- an American guide with a great deal of rafting e"perience and many stories to tell of mighty rivers such as the .olorado4 *ith a leader like 'u::- there was no reason to fear any of the great rapids on the <otu4 The first half day- in the gentle upper reaches- was spent developing teamwork and co3ordination4 0trokes had to be mastered- and the discipline of following commands without uestion was essential4 In the boiling fury of a rapid- there would be no room for any mistake4 *hen 'u:: bellowed above the roar of the wateran instant reaction was essential4 *e mastered the <otu4 In every rapid we fought against the river and we overcame it4 The screamed commands of 'u:: were matched only by the fury of our paddles- as we took the raft e"actly where 'u:: wanted it to go4 At the end of the 1ourney- there was a great feeling of triumph4 *e had won4 *e proved that we were superior4 *e knew that we could do it4 *e felt powerful and good4 The mystery and ma1esty of the <otu had been overcome4 The second time I went down the <otu4 the e"perience I had gained should have been invaluable- but the guide on this 1ourney was a very softly spoken !iwi4 It seemed that it would not even be possible to hear his voice above the noise of the rapids4 As we approached the first rapid- he never even raised his voice4 (e did not attempt to take command of us or the river4 )ently and uietly he felt the mood of the river and watched every little whirlpool4 There was no drama and no shouting4 There was no contest to be won4 (e loved the river4 *e sped through each rapid with grace and beauty and- after a day- the river had become our friend- not our enemy4 The uiet !iwi was not our leader- but only the person whose sensitivity was more developed than our own4 2aughter replaced the tension of achievement4 0oon the uiet !iwi was able to lean back and let all of us take turns as leader4 A uiet nod was enough to draw attention to the things our lack of e"perience prevented us from seeing4 If we made a mistake- then we laughed and it was the ne"t person's turn4 *e began to penetrate the mystery of the <otu4 /ow- like the uiet !iwi- we listened to the river and we looked carefully for all those things we had not even noticed the first time4 At the end of the 1ourney- we had overcome nothing e"cept ourselves4 *e did not want to leave behind our friend- the river4 There was no contest- and so nothing had been won4 $ather we had become one with the river4

It remains difficult to believe that the e"ternal circumstances of the two 1ourneys were similar4 The difference was in an attitude and a frame of mind4 At the end of the 1ourney- it seemed that there could be no other way4 )iven the opportunity to choose a leader- everyone would have chosen someone like 'u::4 At the end of the second 1ourney- we had glimpsed a very different vision and we felt humble 3 and intensely happy4

The mouse trap A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package4 >*hat food might this contain,> the mouse wondered4 (e was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap4 $etreating to the farmyard- the mouse proclaimed the warning; >There is a mousetrap in the house= There is a mousetrap in the house=> The chicken clucked and scratched- raised her head and said ><r4<ouse- I can tell this is a grave concern to you- but it is of no conse uence to me4 I cannot be bothered by it4> The mouse turned to the pig and told him >There is a mousetrap in the house= There is a mousetrap in the house=> The pig sympathi:ed- but said >I am so very sorry- <r4<ouse- but there is nothing I can do about it but pray4 'e assured you are in my prayers4> The mouse turned to the cow and said >There is a mousetrap in the house= There is a mousetrap in the house=> The cow said >*ow- <r4 <ouse4 I'm sorry for you- but it's no skin off my nose4> 0o- the mouse returned to the house- head down and de1ected- to face the farmer's mousetrap alone4 That very night a sound was heard throughout the house 3 like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey4 The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught4 In the darkness- she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught4 The snake bit the farmer's wife4 The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever4 Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup- so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient4 'ut his wife's sickness continued- so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock4 To feed them- the farmer butchered the pig4 The farmer's wife did not get well+ she died4 0o many= people came for her funeral- the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them4 The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness4 0o- the ne"t time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you- remember; when one of us is threatened- we are all at risk4 *e are all involved in this 1ourney called life4 *e must keep an eye out for one another and make an e"tra effort to encourage one another4 Each of us is a vital thread in another person's tapestry4

A foot has no nose 9f the many interactions I had with my mother those many years ago- one stands out with clarity4 I remember the occasion when mother sent me to the main road- about twenty yards away from the homestead- to invite a passing group of seasonal work3seekers home for a meal4 0he instructed me to take a container along and collect dry cow dung for making a fire4 I was then to prepare the meal for the group of work3seekers4 The thought of making an open fire outside at midday- cooking in a large three3legged pot in that intense heat- was sufficient to upset even an angel4 I did not manage to conceal my feelings from my mother and-

after serving the group- she called me to the veranda where she usually sat to attend to her sewing and knitting4 2ooking straight into my eyes- she daid >Tsholofelo- why did you sulk when I re uested you to prepare a meal for those poor destitute people,> #espite my attempt to deny her allegation- and using the heat of the fire and the sun as an e"cuse for my alleged behaviour- mother- giving me a firm look- said >>2onao ga lo na nko> 3 >A foot has no nose>4 It means; you cannot detect what trouble may lie ahead of you4 (ad I denied this group of people a meal- it may have happened that- in my travels some time in the future- I found myself at the mercy of those very individuals4 As if that was not enough to shame me- mother continued; ><otho ke motho ka motho yo mongwe>4 The literal meaning; >A person is a person because of another person>4 0ource; >African *isdom> by Ellen !4 !u:wayo

(rom 'ussia with love *hen the 0oviet Fnion collapsed in 7557- the communications trade union for which I then worked received several delegations from the emergent nations and we ran courses for them on how market economies operated and how free collective bargaining was conducted4 As is my practice when lecturing to foreign audiences- I had my visual aids translated into the vernacular- so I used overhead slides in $ussianalthough of course I spoke in English and had an interpreter4 I cannot read the cyrillic alphabet and know very little $ussian- so I 1ust worked through my slides in order4 (owever- there came a point when I could tell from the statistical data on the latest slide that- for the previous ten minutes- I had been speaking to the wrong slide4 'ritish students would have pointed this out in seconds- but none of the $ussians had said a word4 I was perple"ed and asked why nobody had told me that I had been speaking to the wrong slide4 Eventually one brave soul volunteered an answer and the interpreter translated; >In our country- no one challenges the teacher>4 Author; $oger #arlington

)irtually no competition *hile professional soccer is still struggling to find a firm foothold in the Fnited 0tates- in the 75B6s the /orth American 0occer 2eague marked the brave first attempt to introduce the game to American sports fans4 *hile most teams had only limited success at best- one did manage to break through to genuine mainstream popularity 3 the /ew York .osmos4 It was the brainchild of 0teve $oss- a passionate soccer fan who was also a ma1or e"ecutive at *arner .ommunications4 <a" $oss told his son 0teve; >In life there are those who work all day- those who dream all day- and those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfil those dreams4 )o into the third category because there's virtually no competition>4 0ource; >9nce In A 2ifetime 3 The E"traordinary 0tory 9f The /ew York .osmos> by )avin /ewsham

The little wave

The story is abut a little wave- bobbing along in the ocean- having a grand old time4 (e's en1oying the wind and the fresh air 3 until he notices the other waves in front of him- crashing against the shore4 ><y )od- this terrible>- the wave says4 >2ook what's going to happen to me=> Then along comes another wave4 It sees the first wave- looking grim- and it says to him; >*hy do you look so sad,> The first wave says; >You don't understand= *e're all going to crash= All of us waves are going to be nothing= Isn't it terrible,> The second wave says; >/o- you don't understand4 You're not a wave- you're part of the ocean4> 0ource; >Tuesdays *ith <orrie> by <itch Albom

*elieve what you feel 9n this day- <orrie says that he has an e"ercise for us to try4 *e are to stand- facing away from our classmates- and fall backward- relying on another student to catch us4 <ost of us are uncomfortable with this- and we cannot let go for more than a few inches before stopping ourselves4 *e laugh in embarrassment4 %inally- one student- a thin- uiet- dark3haired girl whom I notice almost always wears bulky- white fisherman sweaters- crosses her arms over her chest- closes her eyes- leans back- and does not flinch- like one of those 2ipton tea commercials where the model splashes into the pool44 %or a moment- I am sure she is going to thump on the floor4 At the last instant- her assigned partner grabs her head and shoulders and yanks her up harshly4 >*hoa==> several students yell4 0ome clap4 <orrie finally smiles4 >You see>- he says to the girl- 'you closed your eyes- That was the difference4 0ometimes you cannot believe what you see- you have to believe what you feel4 And if you are ever going to have other people trust you- you must feel that you can trust them too 3 even when you're in the dark4 Even when you're falling>4 0ource; >Tuesdays *ith <orrie> by <itch Albom

Everyone can play At a fundraising dinner for an American school that serves learning disabled children-the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended4 After e"tolling the school and its dedicated staff- he offered a uestion; >*hen not interfered with by outside influences- everything nature does is done with perfection4 Yet my son- 0hay- cannot learn things as other children do4 (e cannot understand things as other children do4 *here is the natural order of things in my son,> The audience was stilled by the uery4 The father continued4 >I believe-that when a child like 0hay- physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world- an opportunity to reali:e true human nature presents itself- and it comes- in the way other people treat that child4>Then he told the following story; 0hay and his father had walked past a park where some boys 0hay knew were playing baseball4 0hay asked->#o you think they'll let me play,> 0hay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like 0hay on their team- but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play- it would give him a much3needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps4

0hay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if 0hay could play- not e"pecting much4 The boy looked around for guidance and said- >*e're losing by si" runs and the game is in the eighth inning4 I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning4> 0hay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his %ather had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart4 The boys saw the father's 1oy at his son being accepted4 In the bottom of the eighth inning- 0hay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three4 In the top of the ninth inning- 0hay put on a glove and played in the right field4 Even though no hits came his way- he was obviously ecstatic 1ust to be in the game and on the fieldgrinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands4 In the bottom of the ninth inning- 0hay's team scored again4 /ow- with two outs and the bases loaded- the potential winning run was on base and 0hay was scheduled to be ne"t at bat4 At this 1uncture- do they let 0hay bat and give away their chance to win the game, 0urprisingly- 0hay was given the bat4 Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because 0hay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly- much less connect with the ball4 (owever- as 0hay stepped up to the plate- the pitcher- recogni:ing the other team putting winning aside for this moment in 0hay's life- moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so 0hay could at least be able to make contact4 The first pitch came and 0hay swung clumsily and missed4 The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards 0hay4 As the pitch came in- 0hay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher4 The game would now be over- but the pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman4 0hay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game4 Instead- the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman- out of reach of all team mates4 Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling- >0hay- run to first= $un to first=> /ever in his life had 0hay ever ran that far but made it to first base4 (e scampered down the baseline- wide3eyed and startled4 Everyone yelled- >$un to second- run to second=> .atching his breath- 0hay awkwardly ran towards secondgleaming and struggling to make it to second base4 'y the time 0hay rounded towards second base- the right fielder had the ball- the smallest guy on their team- who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time4 (e could have thrown the ball to the second3baseman for the tag- but he understood the pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third3baseman's head4 0hay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home4 All were screaming- >0hay- 0hay- 0hay- all the *ay 0hay> 0hay reached third base- the opposing shortstop ran to help him and turned him in the direction of third base- and shouted- >$un to third= 0hay- run to third> As 0hay rounded third- the boys from both teams and those watching were on their feet were screaming>0hay- run home= 0hay ran to home- stepped on the plate- and was cheered as the hero who hit the >grand slam> and won the game for his team4 That day- said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face- the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world4 0hay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter- having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day= 0ource; $abbi Paysach !rohn- a popular lecturer and best3selling author of the Art0croll <aggid series of short stories

I must at least try

In June 75NM- two 'ritish mountaineers Joe 0impson and 0imon Yates made the first3ever climb of the *est %ace of the I7-666 foot snow3covered 0iula )rande mountain in Peru4 It was an e"ceptionally tough assault 3 but nothing compared to what was to come4 Early in the descent- 0impson fell and smashed his right knee4 Yates could have abandoned him but managed to find a way of lowering him down the mountain in a series of difficult drops blinded by snow and cold4 Then 0impson fell into a crevasse and Yates eventually had no choice but to cut the rope- utterly convinced that his friend was now dead4 In his subse uent book on the climb entitled >Touching The &oid>- Joe 0impson wrote; "As I gazed at the distant moraines, I knew that I must at least try. I would pro a ly die out there amid those oulders. !he thought didn't alarm me. It seemed reasona le, matter"o#"#a$t. !hat was how it was. I $ould aim #or something. I# I died, well, that wasn't so surprising, ut I wouldn't ha%e &ust waited #or it to happen. !he horror o# dying no longer a##e$ted me as it had in the $re%asse. I now had the $han$e to $on#ront it and struggle against it. It wasn't a leak dark terror any more, &ust #a$t, like my roken leg and #rost itten #ingers, and I $ouldn't e a#raid o# things like that. My leg would hurt when I #ell and when I $ouldn't get up I would die." The survival of Yates himself was e"traordinary4 That 0impson somehow found a way of climbing out of the crevasse after 7I hours and then literally crawled and dragged himself si" miles back to camp- going three days and nights without food or drink- losing three stone- and contracting ketoacidosis in the processwould be the stuff of heroic fiction if it was not so true4 Indeed- si" operations and two years later- he was even back climbing4 All because- against all the odds- he tried 444 0ource; >Touching The &oid> by Joe 0impson

"ing Arthur and the witch Young !ing Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom4 The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals4 0o- the monarch offered him his freedom- as long as he could answer a very difficult uestion4 Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and- if after a year- he still had no answer- he would be put to death4 The uestion,4444*hat do women really want, 0uch a uestion would perple" even the most knowledgeable man- and to young Arthur- it seemed an impossible uery4 'ut- since it was better than death- he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end4 (e returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone; the princess- the priests- the wise men and even the court 1ester4 (e spoke with everyone- but no one could give him a satisfactory answer4 <any people advised him to consult the old witch- for only she would have the answer4 'ut the price would be high+ as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the e"orbitant prices she charged4 The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch 0he agreed to answer the uestion- but he would have to agree to her price first4 The old witch wanted to marry 0ir 2ancelot- the most noble of the !nights of the $ound Table and Arthur's closest friend= Young Arthur was horrified4 0he was hunchbacked and hideous- had only one tooth- smelled like sewage- made obscene noises- etc4 (e had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life4 (e refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden+ but 2ancelot- learning of the proposal- spoke with Arthur4 (e said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the $ound Table4 (ence- a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's uestion thus; *hat a woman really wants- she answered4444is to be in charge of her own life= Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the

witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared4 And so it was- the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and 2ancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding4 The honeymoon hour approached and 2ancelot- steeling himself for a horrific e"perience- entered the bedroom4 'ut- what a sight awaited him4 The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed4 The astounded 2ancelot asked what had happened The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch- she would henceforth- be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half4 *hich would he prefer, 'eautiful during the day444or night, 2ancelot pondered the predicament4 #uring the day- a beautiful woman to show off to his friends- but at night- in the privacy of his castle- an old witch, 9r- would he prefer having a hideous witch during the daybut by night- a beautiful woman for him to en1oy wondrous intimate moments, /oble 2ancelot said that he would allow (E$ to make the choice herself4 Fpon hearing this- she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life4

+elping hands A mother- wishing to encourage her son's progress at the piano- bought tickets to a performance by the great Polish pianist Ignace Paderewski4 *hen the evening arrived- they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the ma1estic 0teinway waiting on the stage4 0oon the mother found a friend to talk toand the boy slipped away4 At eight o'clock- the lights in the auditorium began to dim- the spotlights came on- and only then did they notice the boy 3 up on the piano bench- innocently picking out >Twinkle- Twinkle 2ittle 0tar4> (is mother gasped in shock and embarassment but- before she could retrieve her son- the master himself appeared on the stage and uickly moved to the keyboard4 (e whispered gently to the boy- >#on't uit4 !eep playing4> 2eaning over- Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in the bass part4 0oon his right arm reached around the other side and improvised a delightful obligato4 Together- the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmeri:ed with their blended and beautiful music4 In all our lives- we receive helping hands 3 some we notice- some we don't4 E ually we ourselves have countless opportunites to provide helping hands 3 sometimes we would like our assistance to be noticedsometimes we don't4 2ittle of what we all achieve is without learning from others and without support from others and what we receive we should hand out4

The teacher and the taught A young teacher from an industrial city in the north of England had accepted a temporary 1ob teaching a class of four3year3olds out in one of the most isolated- rural parts of north *ales4 9ne of her first lessons involved teaching the letter 0 so she held up a big colour photograph of a sheep and said; >/ow- who can tell me what this is,> /o answer4 Twenty blank and wordless faces looked back at her4 >.ome on- who can tell me what this is,> she e"claimed- tapping the photograph determinedly- unable to believe that the children were uite so ignorant4 The I6 faces became apprehensive and even fearful as she continued to uestion them with mounting frustration4

Eventually- one brave soul put up a tiny- reluctant hand4 >Yes=> she cried- waving the snap aloft4 >Tell me what you think this is=> >Please- <iss-> said the boy warily4 >Is it a three3year3old 'order 2eicester,> 0ource; >)uardian>- I /ovember I66M

%oing the e#tra mile I was I6 and had 1ust finished my first degree when I aksed my father's advice on how to approach the world of work4 (e had a long and distinguished career in the Indian Army and rose to become commander3in3chief of a million men4 (e was a soldier's soldier and his men adored him4 (is manner was strict and firm- but he was very friendly4 (e appreciated and trusted people and gave then freedom4 >.ome and see me in my office if you want to talk to me about work> he said4 0o I made an appointment with his A#. and went to see him4 (e had a huge office and I felt very small4 >You are starting out and you will be given a lot of tasks to fulfil> he said4 >The first thing is always to do something to the best of your ability4 Then the second time you do it- give it that little bit e"tra>4 *hat he was saying was; >Take the initiative+ be innovative+ be creative4 Always go the e"tra mile4> 0ource; !aran 'ilimoria- founder and chief e"ecutive of .obra 'eer- speaking to 0heridan *inn for >'usiness 2ife>4

,ho you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say At the beginning of my N;66 a4m4 class one <onday at Fniversity of /evada- 2as &egas ?F/2&@- I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been4 9ne young man said that his weekend had not been very good4 (e'd had his wisdom teeth e"tracted4 The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful4 (is uestion reminded me of something I'd read somewhere before; >Every morning when you get up- you have a choice about how you want to approach life that day>- I said to the young man4 >I choose to be cheerful>4 >2et me give you an e"ample>- I continued4 The other P6 students in the class ceased their chatter and began to listen to our conversation4 As soon as I got there- I called AAA and asked them to send a tow truck4 The secretary in the Provost's office asked me what had happened4 >This is my lucky day>- I replied- smiling4 >Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day,,> 0he was pu::led4 >*hat do you mean,> >I live 7B miles from here>- I replied4 ><y car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway4 It didn't4 Instead- it broke down in the perfect place; off the freeway- within walking distance of here4 I'm still able to teach my class- and I've been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class4 If my car was meant to break down today- it couldn't have been arranged in a more convenient fashion4> The secretary's eyes opened wide- and then she smiled4 I smiled back and headed for class4' 0o ended my story to the students in my economics class at F/2&4 I scanned the P6 faces in the lecture hall4 #espite the early hour- no one seemed to be asleep4 0omehow- my story had touched them4 9r maybe it wasn't the story at all4 In fact- it had all started with a student's observation that I was cheerful4 A wise man once said; >*ho you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say>4 I suppose it must be so4 Author; 2ee $yan <iller 3 story from his book >Teaching Amidst the /eon Palm Trees> 3 for whose website click here4

$ifferent perspectives The <inister travelled for days by train and car and boat to one of the furthest islands in the nation4 As he surveyed the bleak but inspiring landscape- he turned to a local villager and said; >You're very remote herearen't you,> 0he responded; >$emote from what,>

The eagle 9nce a farmer found an abandoned eagle's nest and in it was an egg still warm4 (e took the egg back to his farm and laid it in the nest of one of his hens4 The egg hatched and the baby eagle grew up along with the other chickens4 It pecked about the farmyard- scrabbling for grain4 It spent its life within the yard and rarely looked up4 *hen it was very old- one day it lifted up its head and saw above it a wonderful sight 3 an eagle soaring high above in the sky4 2ooking at it- the old creature sighed and said to itself- >If only I'd been born an eagle>4 0ource; an adaptation from an Anthony de <ello story

The three races In old times- fable retells the story of the young athletic boy hungry for success- for whom winning was everything and success was measured by such a result4 9ne day- the boy was preparing himself for a running competition in his small native village- himself and two other young boys to compete4 A large crowd had congregated to witness the sporting spectacle and a wise old man- upon hearing of the little boy- had travelled far to bear witness also4 The race commenced- looking like a level heat at the finishing line- but sure enough the boy dug deep and called on his determination- strength and power 44 he took the winning line and was first4 The crowd was ecstatic and cheered and waved at the boy4 The wise man remained still and calm- e"pressing no sentiment4 The little boy- however4 felt proud and important4 A second race was called- and two new young- fit- challengers came forward- to run with the little boy4 The race was started and sure enough the little boy came through and finished first once again4 The crowd was ecstatic again and cheered and waved at the boy4 The wise man remained still and calm- again e"pressing no sentiment4 The little boy- however- felt proud and important4 >Another race- another race=> pleaded the little boy4 The wise old man stepped forward and presented the little boy with two new challengers- an elderly frail lady and a blind man4 >*hat is this,>- ui::ed the little boy4 >This is no race> he e"claimed4 >$ace=>- said the wise man4 The race was started and the boy was the only finisher- the other two challengers left standing at the starting line4 The little boy was ecstatic- he raised his arms in delight4 The crowd- however- was silent showing no sentiment toward the little boy4 >*hat has happened, *hy not do the people 1oin in my success,> he asked the wise old man4 >$ace again>replied the wise man- >444this time- finish together- all three of you- finish together> continued the wise man4 The little boy thought a little- stood in the middle of the blind man and the frail old lady- and then took the two challengers by the hand4 The race began and the little boy walked slowly- ever so slowly- to the finishing line and crossed it4 The crowd were ecstatic and cheered and waved at the boy4 The wise man smiled- gently nodding his head4 The little boy felt proud and important4 >9ld man- I understand not= *ho are the crowd cheering for, *hich one of us three,>- asked the little boy4 The wise old man looked into the little boy's eyes- placing his hands on the boy's shoulders- and replied softly 44 >2ittle boy- for this race you have won much more than in any race you have ever ran before- and for this race the crowd cheer not for any winner=>

Author; #arren Edwards

The obstacle in our path In ancient times- a !ing had a boulder placed on a roadway4 Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock4 0ome of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it4 <any loudly blamed the !ing for not keeping the roads clear- but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way4 Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables4 Fpon approaching the boulder- the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road4 After much pushing and straining- he finally succeeded4 After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables- he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been4 The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the !ing indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway4 The peasant learned what many of us never understand= Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition4

*ad by name- bad by nature. #uring /elson <andela's 75 years imprisoned on $obben Island- one particular commanding officer was the most brutal of them all; >A few days before 'adenhorst's departure- I was called to the main office4 )eneral 0teyn was visiting the island and wanted to know if we had any complaints4 'adenhorst was there as I went through a list of demands4 *hen I had finished- 'adenhorst spoke to me directly4 (e told me he would be leaving the island and added; 'I 1ust want to wish you people good luck'4 I do not know if I looked dumbfounded- but I was ama:ed4 (e spoke these words like a human being and showed a side of himself we had never seen before4 I thanked him for his good wishes and wished him luck in his endeavours4 I thought about this moment for a long time afterwards4 'adenhorst had perhaps been the most callous and barbaric commanding officer we had had on $obben Island4 'ut that day in the office- he had revealed that that there was another side to his nature- a side that had been obscured but still e"isted4 It was a useful reminder that all men- even the most seemingly cold3blooded- have a core of decency and that- if their hearts are touched- they are capable of changing4 Fltimately- 'adenhorst was not evil+ his inhumanity had been foisted upon him by an inhuman system4 (e behaved like a brute because he was rewarded for brutish behaviour4> 0ource; >2ong *alk To %redom> by /elson <andela

Everyone is important #uring <ark's first month of college- the professor gave his students a pop ui:4 (e was a conscientious student and had bree:ed through the uestions- until he read the last one; >*hat is the first name of the woman who cleans the school,> 0urely this was some kind of 1oke4 (e had seen the cleaning woman several times4 0he was tall- dark3haired and in her M6s- but how would he know her name, (e handed in his paperleaving the last uestion blank4

Just before class ended- one student asked if the last uestion would count toward the ui: grade4 >Absolutely-> said the professor4 >In your careers- you will meet many people4 All are significant4 They each deserve your attention and care- even if all you do is smile and say 'hello'>4 <ark never forgot that lesson4 (e also learned her name was #orothy4

The carrot/ the egg/ and the coffee bean A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her4 0he did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up4 0he was tired of fighting and struggling4 It seemed that- as one problem was solved- a new one arose4 (er mother took her to the kitchen4 0he filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire4 0oon the pots came to a boil4 In the first- she placed carrots- in the second she placed eggs- and in the last she placed ground coffee beans4 0he let them sit and boil- without saying a word4 In about twenty minutes- she turned off the burners4 0he fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl4 0he pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl4 Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl4 Turning to her daughter- she asked- >Tell me- what do you see,> >.arrots- eggs- and coffee-> the young woman replied4 The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots4 0he did and noted that they were soft4 0he then asked her to take an egg and break it4 After pulling off the shell- she observed the hard3boiled egg4 %inally- she asked her to sip the coffee4 The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma4 The daughter then asked- >*hat does it mean- mother,> (er mother e"plained that each of these ob1ects had faced the same adversity 3 boiling water 3 but each reacted differently4 The carrot went in strong- hard and unrelenting4 (owever- after being sub1ected to the boiling water- it softened and became weak4 The egg had been fragile4 Its thin outer shell had protected its li uid interior4 'ut- after sitting through the boiling water- its inside became hardened= The ground coffee beans were uni ue- however4 After they were in the boiling water- they had changed the water4 >*hich are you,> the mother asked her daughter4 >*hen adversity knocks on your door- how do you respond, Are you a carrot- an egg- or a coffee bean,> Think of this; *hich am I, Am I the carrot that seems strong but- with pain and adversity- do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength, Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart- but changes with the heat, #id I have a fluid spirit but- after a death- a breakup- or a financial hardship- does my shell look the same- but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart, 9r am I like the coffee bean, The bean actually changes the hot water- the very circumstance that brings the pain4 *hen the water gets hot- it releases the fragrance and flavour4 If you are like the bean- when things are at their worst- you get better and change the situation around you4 *hen the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest- do you elevate to another level, (ow do you handle adversity, Are you a carrot- an egg- or a coffee bean,

The two wolves A /ative American grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt4 (e said- >I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart4 9ne wolf is the vengeful- angry- violent one4 The other wolf is the lovingcompassionate one4> The grandson asked him- >*hich wolf will win the fight in your heart,> The grandfather answered; >The one I feed4>

The great fire and the little water

Among the A:tec people of <e"ico- it is said that a long time ago there was a great fire in the forests that covered our Earth4 People and animals started to run- trying to escape from the fire4 9ur brother owlTecolotl- was running away also when he noticed a small bird hurrying back and forth between the nearest river and the fire4 (e headed towards this small bird4 (e noticed that it was our brother the Suet:al bird- Suet:altototl- running to the river- picking up small drops of water in his beak- then returning to the fire to throw that tiny bit of water on the flame4 9wl approached Suetsal bird and yelled at him; >*hat are you doing brother, Are you stupid, You are not going to achieve anything by doing this4 *hat are you trying to do, You must run for your life=> Suet:al bird stopped for a moment and looked at owl- and then answered; >I am doing the best I can with what I have4> It is remembered by our )randparents that a long time ago the forests that covered our Earth were saved from a great fire by a small Suet:al bird- an owl- and many other animals and people who got together to put out the fire4 0ource; >Turning To 9ne Another> by <argaret *heatley

A sense of a goose /e"t Autumn- when you see geese heading south for the winter- flying in a >&> formation- you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way4 As each bird flaps its wings- it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following4 'y flying in a >&> formation- the whole flock adds at least B7 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own4 'eople who share a $ommon dire$tion and sense o# $ommunity $an get where they are going more (ui$kly and easily, e$ause they are tra%elling on the thrust o# one another. *hen a goose falls out of formation- it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and uickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front4 I# we ha%e the sense o# a goose, we will stay in #ormation with those people who are heading the same way we are. *hen the head goose gets tired- it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies point4 It is sensi le to take turns doing demanding &o s, whether with people or with geese #lying south. )eese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed4 )hat message do we gi%e when we honk #rom ehind? %inally 3 and this is important 3 when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshot- and falls out of the formation- two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection4 They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies+ and only then do they launch out on their own- or with another formation to catch up with their own group4 I# we ha%e the sense o# a goose, we will stand y ea$h other like that.

The seeker of truth After years of searching- the seeker was told to go to a cave- in which he would find a well4 'Ask the well what is truth'- he was advised- 'and the well will reveal it to you'4 (aving found the well- the seeker asked that most fundamental uestion4 And from the depths came the answer- ')o to the village crossroad; there you shall find what you are seeking'4

%ull of hope and anticipation the man ran to the crossroad to find only three rather uninteresting shops4 9ne shop was selling pieces of metal- another sold wood- and thin wires were for sale in the third4 /othing and no one there seemed to have much to do with the revelation of truth4 #isappointed- the seeker returned to the well to demand an e"planation- but he was told only- 'You will understand in the future4' *hen the man protested- all he got in return were the echoes of his own shouts4 Indignant for having been made a fool of 3 or so he thought at the time 3 the seeker continued his wanderings in search of truth4 As years went by- the memory of his e"perience at the well gradually faded until one night- while he was walking in the moonlight- the sound of sitar music caught his attention4 It was wonderful music and it was played with great mastery and inspiration4 Profoundly moved- the truth seeker felt drawn towards the player4 (e looked at the fingers dancing over the strings4 (e became aware of the sitar itself4 And then suddenly he e"ploded in a cry of 1oyous recognition; the sitar was made out of wires and pieces of metal and wood 1ust like those he had once seen in the three stores and had thought it to be without any particular significance4 At last he understood the message of the well; we have already been given everything we need; our task is to assemble and use it in the appropriate way4 /othing is meaningful so long as we perceive only separate fragments4 'ut as soon as the fragments come together into a synthesis- a new entity emerges- whose nature we could not have foreseen by considering the fragments alone4

A meeting of minds <artin was returning to work in his 2ondon office after spending two weeks with his brother over in /ew York4 (e was coming back with a heavy heart4 It was not 1ust that it was the end of a wonderful holiday+ it was not 1ust that he invariably suffered badly from 1et lag+ it was that <onday mornings always began with a team meeting and- over the months- he had grown to hate them4 <artin was aware that colleagues approached these meetings with hidden agendas+ they indulged in game3 playing+ and he knew that people were not being honest and open4 The meetings themselves were bad enough 3 but then there was all the moaning afterwards4 "!he usual people saying the usual things". "I $ould ha%e impro%ed on that idea, ut I wasn't going to say". "I was thinking o# making a suggestion " ut I $ouldn't e othered". As this morning's meeting began- <artin braced himself for the usual moroseness and monotony4 'ut- as the meeting progressed- he became aware of a strange background noise4 At first- he thought that he was still hearing the engine noise from the aircraft that had brought him back to 2ondon 3 he had had to sit over the wing and the droning was terrible4 'ut- as he concentrated on the noise- it became a little clearer4 (e realised 3 to his ama:ement 3 that he could hear what his colleagues were thinking as well as what they were saying4 As he concentrated still harder- he found that he could actually hear what they were thinking at the same time as they were speaking4 *hat surprised him- even more than the ac uisition of this strange power- was that he discovered that what people were saying was not really what they were thinking4 They were not making clear their reservations4 They were not supporting views which they thought might be unpopular4 They were not contributing their new insights4 They were not volunteering their new ideas4 <artin found it impossible not to respond to his new knowledge4 0o he started to make gentle interventionsbased more on what he could hear his colleagues thinking than on what he could hear them saying4 "So, *ohn are you really saying .." "Susan, +o you really think that ," "!om, -a%e you got an idea on how we $ould take this #orward?" (e was aware that his colleagues were unsettled by how insightful were these interventions4 They looked at him mystified4 In truth- he felt rather proud of his newly3ac uired talent4 Emboldened now- <artin forgot his usual misery at participating in such meetings and began making comments of his own4 (owever- he became aware that some of his colleagues were looking at him

ui::ically4 9ne or two even had a gentle smile playing on their lips4 9nly gradually did it dawn on him 3 they could hear his thoughts and he was not really saying what he was thinking4 As the meeting progressed- <artin became aware of changes to the tone and style of the event4 It was clear to him now that- one by one- each member of the meeting was learning how to hear the thoughts of all the others and this was subtly changing how they inter3acted with one another4 The game3playing started to fall away+ people started to speak more directly+ views became better understood+ the atmosphere became more open and trusting4 The meeting ended4 As people left the room- <artin found that he could still hear what they were thinking4 "!hat was the est meeting we'%e e%er had." "All meetings should e like that." "In #uture, I'm going to say what I think". Author; $oger #arlington

Chopsticks A woman who had worked all her life to bring about good was granted one wish; >'efore I die let me visit both hell and heaven4> (er wish was granted4 0he was whisked off to a great ban ueting hall4 The tables were piled high with delicious food and drink4 Around the tables sat miserable- starving people as wretched as could be4 >*hy are they like this,> she asked the angel who accompanied her4 >2ook at their arms-> the angel replied4 0he looked and saw that attached to the people's arms were long chopsticks secured above the elbow4 Fnable to bend their elbowsthe people aimed the chopsticks at the food- missed every time and sat hungry- frustrated and miserable4 >Indeed this is hell= Take me away from here=> 0he was then whisked off to heaven4 Again she found herself in a great ban ueting hall with tables piled high4 Around the tables sat people laughing- contented- 1oyful4 >/o chopsticks I suppose-> she said4 >9h yes there are4 2ook 3 1ust as in hell they are long and attached above the elbow but look444 here people have learnt to feed one another>4

The problem with dandelions A man who took great pride in his lawn found himself with a large crop of dandelions4 (e tried every method he knew to get rid of them4 0till they plagued him4 %inally he wrote to the #epartment of Agriculture4 (e enumerated all the things he had tried and closed his letter with the uestion; >*hat shall I do now,> In due course- the reply came; >*e suggest you learn to love them4>

In the same boat Two men were out on the ocean in a boat4 9ne of them began drilling in the bottom of the boat- and the other- aghast said >*hat are you doing, 0top drilling=>4 And the first man replied; >It's all right4 I'm only drilling on my side4>

The frogs and the tower There once was a bunch of tiny frogs444 444 who arranged a running competition4 The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower4 A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants444 The race began444 (onestly- no3one in crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower4 You heard statements such as; >9h- *AY too difficult==> >They will /E&E$ make it to the top>4 >/ot a chance that they will succeed4 The tower is too high=> The tiny frogs began collapsing4 9ne by one444 444 E"cept for those who in a fresh tempo were climbing higher and higher444 The crowd continued to yell >It is too difficult=== /o one will make it=> <ore tiny frogs got tired and gave up444 444'ut 9/E continued higher and higher and higher444 This one wouldn't give up= At the end- everyone else had given up climbing the tower4 E"cept for the one tiny frog who- after a big effort- was the only one who reached the top= T(E/ all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it, A contestant asked the tiny frog how the one who succeeded had found the strength to reach the goal, It turned out444 That the winner was deaf4

The international food shortage $ecently- a worldwide survey was conducted and the only uestion asked was; >*ould you please give your honest opinion about the solution to the food shortage in the rest of the world,> The survey was- not surprisingly- a huge failure4 'ecause; In Africa they didn't know what >food> meant4 In Eastern Europe they didn't know what >honest> meant4

In *estern Europe they didn't know what >shortage> meant4 In .hina they didn't know what >opinion> meant4 In the <iddle East they didn't know what >solution> meant4 In 0outh America they didn't know what >please> meant4 And- in the F0A they didn't know what >the rest of the world> meant4

The apanese master A great Japanese master received a university professor who came to en uire about wisdom4 The master served tea4 (e poured his visitor's cup full- and then kept on pouring4 The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself4 'It is overfull4 /o more will go in=' '2ike this cup-' the master said'you are full of your own opinions and speculations4 (ow can I show you wisdom unless you first empty your cup,'

The secret of happiness A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world4 The lad wandered through the desert for 86 days- and finally came upon a beautiful castle- high atop a mountain4 It was there that the wise man lived4 $ather than finding a saintly man- though- our hero- on entering the main room of the castle- saw a hive of activity; tradesmen came and went- people were conversing in the corners- a small orchestra was playing soft music- and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world4 The wise man conversed with everyone- and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man's attention4 The wise man listened attentively to the boy's e"planation of why he had come- but told him that he didn't have time 1ust then to e"plain the secret of happiness4 (e suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours4 ><eanwhile- I want to ask you to do something>- said the wise man- handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil4 >As you wander around- carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill>4 The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace- keeping his eyes fi"ed on the spoon4 After two hours- he returned to the room where the wise man was4 >*ell>- asked the wise man- >#id you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall, #id you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create, #id you notice the beautiful parchments in my library,> The boy was embarrassed- and confessed that he had observed nothing4 (is only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him4 >Then go back and observe the marvels of my world>- said the wise man4 >You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house>4 $elieved- the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his e"ploration of the palace- this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls4 (e saw the gardens- the mountains all around him- the

beauty of the flowers- and the taste with which everything had been selected4 Fpon returning to the wise man- he related in detail everything he had seen4 >'ut where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you,> asked the wise man4 2ooking down at the spoon he heldthe boy saw that the oil was gone4 >*ell- there is only one piece of advice I can give you>- said the wisest of wise men4 >The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon>4 Author; Paul .oelho in >The Alchemist>

The house with the golden windows The little girl lived in a small- very simple- poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill 3 and this house had golden windows- so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers4 And although she loved her parents and her family- she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and e"citing it must feel to live there4 *hen she got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence- she asked her mother is she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane4 After pleading with herher mother finally allowed her to go- insisting that she kept close to the house and didn't wander too far4 The day was beautiful and the little girl knew e"actly where she was heading= #own the lane and across the valley- she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill4 As she dismounted her bike and lent it against the gate post- she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house itself444and was so disappointed as she realised all the windows were plain and rather dirty- reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood derelict4 0o sad she didn't go any further and turned- heart broken as she remounted her bike 444 As she glanced up she saw a sight to ama:e her444there across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden 444as the sun shone on her little home4 0he realised that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the 'golden house'4 Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose=

0othing is written <y all3time favourite film is >2awrence 9f Arabia> and- if I have a favourite scene from the movie- then I guess it is the one of 2awrence's triumphal return from the /efud desert- having gone back to rescue the Arab )asim4 The crossing of the /efud desert is considered impossible- even by the local Arabs- but 2awrence persuades them that- in this way- they can take the Turkish port at A aba from the rear4 (aving carried out the superhuman feat of traversing this furnace- it is discovered that one of the Arabs)asim- has fallen off his camel and is no doubt dying somewhere back in the desert4 2awrence is told that any idea of rescue is futile and- in any event- )asim's death is >written>4 *hen 2awrence achieves the impossible and returns with )asim still alive- 0herif Ali admits to him; >Truly- for some men nothing is written unless they write it>4

As an impressionable teenager when this film was first released- I was stunned by 2awrence's courage and unselfishness in going back into the hell of the /efud to attempt to find a man he hardly knew among the vast e"panse of a fiery terrain and I was so moved by the sense of purpose of a man who is determined to take nothing as >written> but to shape his own destiny4 This sense of anti3determinism and this belief that anything is possible has stayed with me always and continues to inspire me in small ways and large4 Author; $oger #arlington

The Chinese farmer There is a .hinese story of an old farmer who had an old horse for tilling his fields4 9ne day the horse escaped into the hills and- when all the farmer's neighbours sympathised with the old man over his bad luckthe farmer replied- ''ad luck, )ood luck, *ho knows,' A week later the horse returned with a herd of wild horses from the hills and this time the neighbours congratulated the farmer on his good luck4 (is reply was- ')ood luck, 'ad luck, *ho knows,' Then- when the farmer's son was attempted to tame one of the wild horses- he fell off its back and broke his leg4 Everyone thought this very bad luck4 /ot the farmer- whose only reaction was- ''ad luck, )ood luck, *ho knows,' 0ome weeks later the army marched into the village and conscripted every able3bodied youth they found there4 *hen they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg they let him off4 /ow was that good luck, 'ad luck, *ho knows,

"ing 1olomon and the baby 9ne day- the wise !ing 0olomon was approached by two women arguing over a baby4 Each claimed the child was hers4 Fnable to 1udge- !ing 0olomon thought up a plan 3 he offered to cut the baby in half- giving half to the one and half to the other4 The first women agreed with the !ing; >2et the baby be neither mine nor hers- but divide it4 If I can't have the child>- she cried- >she can't have it either>4 The second women pleaded with 0olomon not to hurt the child4 >)ive her the baby4 I'd rather lose the child that see it slain>4 0olomon knew immediately that this was the rightful mother4 (e returned the baby to her4

The wise teacher and the 2ar There was once a very wise teacher- whose words of wisdom students would come from far and wide to hear4 9ne day as usual- many students began to gather in the teaching room4 They came in and sat down very uietly- looking to the front with keen anticipation- ready to hear what the teacher had to say4 Eventually the teacher came in and sat down in front of the students4 The room was so uiet you could hear a pin drop4 9n one side of the teacher was a large glass 1ar4 9n the other side was a pile of dark grey rocks4 *ithout saying a word- the teacher began to pick up the rocks one by one and place them very carefully in the glass 1ar ?Plonk4 Plonk4@ *hen all the rocks were in the 1ar- the teacher turned to the students and asked'Is the 1ar full,' 'Yes-' said the students4 'Yes- teacher- the 1ar is full'4 *ithout saying a word- the teacher began to drop small round pink pebbles carefully into the large glass 1ar so that they fell down between the rocks4 ?.lickety click4 .lickety click4@ *hen all the pebbles were in the

1ar- the teacher turned to the students and asked- 'Is the 1ar now full,' The students looked at one another and then some of them started nodding and saying- 'Yes4 Yes- teacher- the 1ar is now full4 Yes'4 *ithout saying a word- the teacher took some fine silver sand and let it trickle with a gentle sighing sound into the large glass 1ar ?whoosh@ where it settled around the pink pebbles and the dark grey rocks4 *hen all the sand was in the 1ar- the teacher turned to the students and asked- 'Is the 1ar now full,' The students were not so confident this time- but the sand had clearly filled all the space in the 1ar so a few still nodded and said- 'Yes- teacher- the 1ar is now full4 /ow it's full'4 *ithout saving a word- the teacher took a 1ug of water and poured it carefully- without splashing a drop- into the large glass 1ar4 ?)loog4 )loog4@ *hen the water reached the brim- the teacher turned to the students and asked- 'Is the 1ar now full,' <ost of the students were silent- but two or three ventured to answer- 'Yes- teacher- the 1ar is now full4 /ow it is'4 *ithout saying a word- the teacher took a handful of salt and sprinkled it slowly over the top of the water with a very uiet whishing sound4 ?*hish4@ *hen all the salt had dissolved into the water- the teacher turned to the students and asked once more- 'Is the 1ar now full,' The students were totally silent4 Eventually one brave student said- 'Yes- teacher4 The 1ar is now full'4 'Yes-' said the teacher 'The 1ar is now full'4 The teacher then said; 'A story always has many meanings and you will each have understood many things from this demonstration4 #iscuss uietly amongst yourselves what meanings the story has for you4 (ow many different messages can you find in it and take from it,' The students looked at the wise teacher and at the beautiful glass 1ar filled with grey rocks- pink pebblessilver sand- water and salt4 Then they uietly discussed with one another the meanings the story had for them4 After a few minutes- the wise teacher raised one hand and the room fell silent4 The teacher said; '$emember that there is never 1ust one interpretation of anything4 You have all taken away many meanings and messages from the story- and each meaning is as important and as valid as any other'4 And without saying another word- the teacher got up and left the room4 And another %ersion o# the same story 444 A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him4 *hen the class beganwordlessly- he picked up a very large and empty 1ar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls4 (e then asked the students if the 1ar was full4 They agreed that it was4 0o the professor then picked up a bo" of small pebbles and poured them into the 1ar4 (e shook the 1ar lightly4 The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls4 (e then asked the students again if the 1ar was full4 They agreed it was4 The professor ne"t picked up a bo" of sand and poured it into the 1ar4 9f course- the sand filled up everything else4 (e asked once more if the 1ar was full4 The students responded with a unanimous >Yes4> The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the 1ar- effectively filling the empty space between the sand4 The students laughed4 >/ow>- said the professor- as the laughter subsided- >I want you to recogni:e that this 1ar represents your life4 The golf balls are the important things 3 your family- your children- your health- your friends- your favorite passions 3 things that- if everything else was lost and only they remained- your life would still be full4 The pebbles are the other things that matter like your 1ob- your house- your car4 The sand is everything else 3 the small stuff4 If you put the sand into the 1ar first> he continued- >there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls4 The same goes for life4 If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff- you will never have room for the things that are important to you4 Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness4 Play with your children4 Take time to get medical checkups4 Take your partner

out to dinner4 There will always be time to clean the house- and fi" the rubbish4 Take care of the golf balls first- the things that really matter4 0et your priorities4 The rest is 1ust sand>4 9ne of the students raised her hand and in uired what the beer represented4 The professor smiled4 >I'm glad you asked4 It 1ust goes to show you that- no matter how full your life may seem- there's always room for a couple of beers>4

3istening 4 at Christmas and always A few years after I left my secondary school in <anchester- I was invited to help out with the school's .hristmas %air and I decided to have a go at being %ather .hristmas4 I had recently grown my first full beard and thought that I would enter into the role by rubbing flour into my growth4 Though I say it myself- I looked rather splendid and certainly I attracted lots of custom4 I was en1oying myself enormously- bringing a sense of magic to so many young children- but I was mystified by one young boy who paid for a second visit and then astonishingly for a third4 The presents on offer were really pretty pitiful- so I asked him why he was coming to see me so often4 (e answered simply; >I 1ust love talking to you>4 It was then that I realised that- in many households- parents do not encourage their children to talk and really listen to them4 This was a lesson that I have taken with me throughout my life4 0o- at home- at worksocially- always encourage family- friends- colleagues to talk about themselves and their feelings 3 and really listen4 Author; $oger #arlington

Children's Stories
by Margo Fallis

A Change of Pace Ali, the big gray elephant, ripped a few leaves off a baobab tree with his long, thick trunk and then put the leaves into his mouth, chomping them hungrily. He stood, munching away, his eyes wandering around the landscape. He gazed up at the azure sky, then over to a herd of water buffalo standing around a shrinking pond, each fighting for a spot to get a drink. He turned his head and looked in the other direction. He saw a pride of lions, lazily lying in the tall grasses. A few hyenas ran past them, but none of the lions seemed to care; it was too hot and they were just too tired. None of the other animals ever bothered Ali. He was so big that none of them dared to get in his way. he sun was hot and beating down on Ali!s tough gray hide. He began to feel bored. He wanted to do something different. He wanted to see something different. He "uickly made up his mind, ripped off a few more leaves from the baobab tree and then walked towards the rising sun. He walked and walked and walked, all day long. he tall savannah grasses felt soft under his heavy feet. He enjoyed the way they swayed back and forth in the gentle breeze. #y the time the sun was ready to set that night, Ali found himself at the banks of a great river. $t was very wide and the deep blue water was flowing fast. He stuck his trunk in and gathered water. He then raised it high above his head and sprayed the water all over his body. $t felt refreshing to the tired elephant. He gulped down gallons or water and walked into the river until it was up to his neck. $t felt so good. He stood, enjoying the coolness as the river swirled around his big gray body,

washing all the dirt and dust off his tough hide. He looked all around him. here were tall reeds lining the banks, many waterfowl flying overhead and some bobbing up and down on the gentle waves. Ali smiled. He knew that he was going to like it here. he trees lining the river were filled with bright, colorful flowers. here were no lions, no water buffalo and no hyenas. He felt very happy. He decided that he just might stay at the river for a while. %eeling content, he shut his eyes and fell asleep. he midnight sky was filled with stars and a bright, glowing moon. Ali woke up to some grunting noises behind him. He turned his big gray body around. here were several wild pigs standing in the mud. hey dropped into the mucky mess and started rolling around in it. hey were soon covered with thick black mud. Ali couldn!t even tell what color the hair on their bodies was. here was so much mud. &uddenly he started laughing. 'hat a sight that was to see all those dirty pigs. He filled his trunk up with water and blew it onto the wild pigs. he mud washed off of them. he pigs weren!t happy. hey snorted and grunted angrily and ran off into the bushes. Ali laughed as they disappeared from his view. As he followed the running pigs with his eyes, he noticed something dark olive green moving in the reeds. He climbed out of the river and moved towards the bank. He saw that it was a crocodile. $t was yawning and Ali saw its sharp, pointed teeth. 'arning bells went off inside his head. (rocodiles were dangerous. He stood and watched with relief as the crocodile slipped silently into the water, slithering off into the deep river. Ali continued up the bank. He passed a flowering jacaranda tree and several eucalyptus trees. He reached up and ripped a few leaves off both trees. He didn!t like the taste of them. His tummy started to rumble. He was beginning to get hungry. 'hat was he going to eat) He found a few acacia trees. He ate some of the leaves and enjoyed the taste. He ripped off some more and some more until there was none left on the empty branches. Ali was still hungry. He couldn!t see any more acacia trees and wondered what he was going to eat now. He stomped along the banks of the river a little further. here were several hippos in the river, swimming around. He stopped and watched them for a little while. &ome of them were eating vegetation off the bottom of the river. heir mouths opened wide and their huge teeth looked dangerous. Ali didn!t think he!d like river plants. He stuck his trunk down to the river bottom and yanked a few plants off. He lifted them to his mouth and munched them down. He didn!t like them at all. He walked on. All day long he looked for food but found nothing. hat night when he lay down to sleep, his tummy growled and groaned with hunger. he ne*t morning, after the sun had risen over the horizon, Ali was starving. His tummy was making loud hungry noises. He decided that even though it was boring where he lived, at least he had food. He went down to the river and drank a few gallons of water, then headed back home. He found a few leaves to nibble on during his journey. $t took him all day to get there. he first thing he did was go to the biggest baobab tree and rip some tender leaves off. +ummy; they were delicious. He munched and chomped until he was full. He looked around him. He smiled when he saw the water buffalo at the water hole. here were no crocodiles and no hippos. He

smiled when he saw the pride of lions and the hyenas. He was home, and he actually felt happy and content, and very glad to be back where he belonged.

Be The Change

Be the change you want to be, Be the change in all you see, Rather than wanting to make things new, Improve them by the things you do, In lifes seas, ya going to drowned, I promis you can turn it round, At every turn, a battle new, Hit it head on and see it through, Hiding your head wont help you out, Nor standing still to just let out a shout, o for the life you want to see, Be the change you want to be!
Johnny Eardley