TWO FOGS :

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them
fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit
was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The
two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit
with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop,
that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took
heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down
and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again,
the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He
jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the
other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to
them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the
entire time.
This story teaches two lessons:
1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging
word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it
through the day.
2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes
to kill them.
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your
path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand
that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak
words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in
difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time
to encourage another.
Sand and Stone
A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point
of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the
face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the
sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath.
The one, who had been slapped, got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but
the friend saved him. After the friend recovered from the near drowning, he wrote
on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you,
you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?"
The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us, we should write it down in
sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does

something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase
it."
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND, AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN
STONE
A BOX FULL OF KISSES
The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for
wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated
when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and
said, "This is for you, Daddy."
The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again
when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know,
when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The
little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not
empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for
her forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her
father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was
discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the
child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold
container filled with unconditional love and kisses... from our children, family
members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could
hold, more precious than this.
Peaceful Way Of Changing the World by Sheoli Makara
Last Saturday as part of the trip the captain asked me if the group would be OK with trying
to find the Navy LFAS vessels so we could swim in the waters and possibly halt the testing. I
knew that would be OK with me and possibly with the others.
But nature and the whales had another vision on store for us. Instead we were shown the
richnss of the whales in their natural habitat. In fact their demonstration of life was
unbelievably incredible.
We left Kona and headed north and as soon as we exited the harbor we saw a whale breach.
As we headed north we came across and mother and a calf breaching. It was as though she
was teaching her new one the joy of rising out of the water and taking a look around. After
watching them play for an hour or more we saw two whales on the horizon breachig time
after time. We headed off towards them and their behaviour changed to one of courtship
and mating with their long fins slapping time and time again into the water.
By this time we realized the water was full of whales that day!
We lowered a hydrophone into the water listened to their sounds and possibly for the LFAS
sound. But we only heard the whales whelping and hooting. I had decided to go for a swim
with a couple of my friends and we slipped into the water knowing that there might be a

whale close by.

The previous week we had gone out and hardly saw any whales. At one point we lowered
the hydrophone into the water and there were two males singing the most beautiful song.
We recorded their song while we took a swim and I was playing diving down deep and
floating to the top with my arms outstretched and my heart open. It was beautiful and the
photographs came out perfect!
Any way as we slipped into the water we swam in formation with our hearts open and full.
We were about 25 feet away from the boat when suddenly a whale breached and arched her
back with her fins wide open her heart towards us and the boat behind. We, however, did
not see anything as she came up once and then came up again as if to say your heart is
open I can feel you, my heart is open I acknowledge you. Our friends on the boat were
besides themselves, not with fear but with happiness and joy. We had been preparing in
meditation and healing sessions for this encounter, and we were rewarded. We have yet to
see if the photos came out!
Later in the day we saw two males doing their territorial thing and as it were wrestling with
the other. They breached out of the water and back in again jostling the other of their
kingdom.
I learnt... or relearnt something very important. I had become burnt out from working the
web site for the LFAS and trying to stay abreast of all that was going on.
I was reminded that there is a peaceful way of changing our world.
Mountain Story - An interesting short story
"A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain:
"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it."
YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"

Puppies For Sale

A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the 4
pups. And set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving
the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down into the
eyes of a little boy. "Mister," he said, "I want to buy one of your puppies."
1 ngi nng dn c vi ch ch con cn bn. ng lm 1 ci bng qung co v
chng v bt u ng tm bng vo 1 cy ct cnh sn nh. Khi ng ang
ng cy inh cui cng vo cy ct, ng cm thy c ai ang git lin tc vo
o mnh. ng ci xung nhn v bt gp nh mt ca 1 cu b. cu ni : ng i,
chu mun mua 1 con ch of ng "
"Well," said the farmer, as he rubbed the sweat of the back of his neck, "These
puppies come from fine parents and cost a great deal of money." The boy dropped
his head for a moment. Then reaching deeply into his pocket, he pulled out a
handful of change and held it up to the farmer. "I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that
enough to take a look?"
Ngi nng dn lau m hi sau gy v tr li ah, nhng con ch ny c sinh ra
t b m tt ging v c bn gi cao. ". Cu b gc u xung 1 lt , ri thc
su tay vo ti qun, cu li ra 1 nm y nhng ng tin l v a n cho ngi
nng dn , chu ch c 39 xu, c ngm chng 1 cht ko ah?

PUPPIES FOR SALE( cont)

"Sure," said the farmer. Then he let out a whistle and called "Here, Dolly!" . Out
from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur.
The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with
delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something
else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, this one was
noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner,
the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up....

A Happy Marriage
There was once a man and woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They
had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no
secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the
top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her
about.
For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the
little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In
trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoebox and
took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know
what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted doilies and a
stack of money totaling $25,000.
He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my

grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told
me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a
doily." The little old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two
precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in
all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness."Honey," he
said, "that explains the doilies, but what about all of this money? Where did it
come from?" "Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the doilies.

A Prayer:
Dear Lord, I pray for Wisdom to understand my man; Love to forgive him; And
Patience for his moods; Because Lord if I pray for Strength I'll beat him to
death. Amen

PUPPIES FOR SALE( cont)

"I want that one," the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down
by the boy's side and said, "Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able
to run and play with you like these other dogs would." With that the little boy
stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began rolling up one leg of his
trousers. In doing so he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg
attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said,
"You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who
understands." With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the
little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy. "How much?" asked
the little boy. "No charge," answered the farmer, "There's no charge for love."
The five boons of life^^
I
In the morning of life came the good fairy with her basket and said:
Here are gifts. Take one, leave the others. And be wary, choose wisely; oh, choose wisely!
for only one of them is valuable.
The gifts were five: Fame, Love, Riches, Pleasure, Death. The youth said, eagerly:
There is no need to consider; and he chose Pleasure.
He went out into the world and sought out the pleasures that youth delights in. But each in
its turn was short-lived and disappointing, vain and empty; and each, departing, mocked
him. In the end he said: These years I have wasted. If I could but choose again, I would
choose wisely.
II
The fairy appeared, and said:
Four of the gifts remain. Choose once more; and oh, remembertime is flying, and only
one of them is precious.
The man considered long, then chose Love; and did not mark the tears that rose in the
fairys eyes.
After many, many years the man sat by a coffin, in an empty home. And he communed with

himself, saying: One by one they have gone away and left me; and now she lies here, the
dearest and the last. Desolation after desolation has swept over me; for each hour of
happiness the treacherous trader, Love, has sold me I have paid a thousand hours of grief.
Out of my heart of hearts I curse him.
III
Choose again. It was the fairy speaking.
The years have taught you wisdomsurely it must be so. Three gifts remain. Only one of
them has any worthremember it, and choose warily.
The man reflected long, then chose Fame; and the fairy, sighing, went her way.
Years went by and she came again, and stood behind the man where he sat solitary in the
fading day, thinking. And she knew his thought:
My name filled the world, and its praises were on every tongue, and it seemed well with me
for a little while. How little a while it was! Then came envy; then detraction; then calumny;
then hate; then persecution. Then derision, which is the beginning of the end. And last of all
came pity, which is the funeral of fame. Oh, the bitterness and misery of renown! target for
mud in its prime, for contempt and compassion in its decay.
IV
Choose yet again. It was the fairys voice.
Two gifts remain. And do not despair. In the beginning there was but one that was
precious, and it is still here.
Wealthwhich is power! How blind I was! said the man. Now, at last, life will be worth
the living. I will spend, squander, dazzle. These mockers and despisers will crawl in the dirt
before me, and I will feed my hungry heart with their envy. I will have all luxuries, all joys,
all enchantments of the spirit, all contentments of the body that man holds dear. I will buy,
buy, buy! deference, respect, esteem, worshipevery pinchbeck grace of life the market of
a trivial world can furnish forth. I have lost much time, and chosen badly heretofore, but let
that pass; I was ignorant then, and could but take for best what seemed so.
Three short years went by, and a day came when the man sat shivering in a mean garret;
and he was gaunt and wan and hollow-eyed, and clothed in rags; and he was gnawing a dry
crust and mumbling:
Curse all the worlds gifts, for mockeries and gilded lies! And miscalled, every one. They
are not gifts, but merely lendings. Pleasure, Love, Fame, Riches: they are but temporary
disguises for lasting realitiesPain, Grief, Shame, Poverty. The fairy said true; in all her
store there was but one gift which was precious, only one that was not valueless. How poor
and cheap and mean I know those others now to be, compared with that inestimable one,
that dear and sweet and kindly one, that steeps in dream-less and enduring sleep the pains
that persecute the body, and the shames and griefs that eat the mind and heart. Bring it! I
am weary, I would rest.
V
The fairy came, bringing again four of the gifts, but Death was wanting. She said:
I gave it to a mothers pet, a little child. It was ignorant, but trusted me, asking me to
choose for it. You did not ask me to choose.
Oh, miserable me! What is there left for me?
What not even you have deserved: the wanton insult of Old Age.
Mark Twain

For love and friendship........

1. The spaces between our fingers were made so another persons fingers could fill them
2. If i had to chose 2 love u or to breathe i would choose to take my last breath to say i love
you
3. To LOVE is one thing, to be loved is another, but to be loved by the one you love, is
everything.
4. When I saw you I was afraid to meet you , When I met you I was afraid to kiss you,
When I kissed you I was afraid to love you, Now that I love you, Im afraid to lose you.
5. Gravity is not responsible for people falling in love. - Albert Einstein
6. Everyone hears what you say. Friends listen to what you say. Best friends listen to what
you dont say.
7. A friend is someone who, knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when
you have forgotten the words.
8. We started our group.Our circle of friends.And like that
circle.There is no beginning or end.

Just 3 Words
There are many things that you can do to strengthen your relationships. Often the most
effective thing you can do involves saying just three words. When spoken sincerely, these
statements often have the power to develop new friendships, deepen old ones and even
bring healing to relationships that have soured.
The following three-word phrases can be tools to help develop every relationship.

1. Let me help
Good friends see a need and then try to fill it. When they see a hurt they do what they can
to heal it. Without being asked, they jump in and help out.

2. I understand you.
People become closer and enjoy each other more when the other person accepts and
understands them. Letting your spouse know - in so many little ways - that you understand
them, is one of the most powerful tools for healing your relationship.
And this can apply to any relationship.

3. I respect you
Respect is another way of showing love. Respect demonstrates that another person is a true
equal. If you talk to your children as if they were adults you will strengthen the bonds and
become closer friends. This applies to all interpersonal relationships.

4. I miss you.
Perhaps more marriages could be saved and strengthened if couples simply and sincerely

said to each other "I miss you." This powerful affirmation tells partners they are wanted,
needed, desired and loved. Consider how important you would feel, if you received an
unexpected phone call from your spouse in the middle of your workday, just to say "I miss
you."

5. Maybe you're right.

This phrase is very effective in diffusing an argument. The implication when you say "maybe
you're right" is the humility of admitting, "maybe I'm wrong." Let's face it. When you have
an argument with someone, all you normally do is solidify the other person's point of view.
They, or you, will not likely change their position and you run the risk of seriously damaging
the relationship between you. Saying "maybe you're right" can open the door to explore the
subject more. You may then have the opportunity to express your view in a way that is
understandable to the other person.

6. Please forgive me
Many broken relationships could be restored and healed if people would admit their
mistakes and ask for forgiveness. All of us are vulnerable to faults, foibles and failures. A
man should never be ashamed to own up that he has been in the wrong, which is saying, in
other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.
7. I thank you.
Gratitude is an exquisite form of courtesy. People who enjoy the companionship of good,
close friends are those who don't take daily courtesies for granted. They are quick to thank
their friends for their many expressions of kindness. On the other hand, people whose circle
of friends is severely constricted often do not have the attitude of gratitude.

8. Count on me
A friend is one who walks in when others walk out. Loyalty is an essential ingredient for true
friendship. It is the emotional glue that bonds people. Those that are rich in their
relationships tend to be steady and true friends. When troubles come, a good friend is there
indicating "you can count on me."

9. I'll be there
If you have ever had to call a friend in the middle of the night, to take a sick child to
hospital, or when your car has broken down some miles from home, you will know how
good it feels to hear the phrase "I'll be there." Being there for another person is the greatest
gift we can give. When we are truly present for other people, important things happen to
them and us. We are renewed in love and friendship. We are restored emotionally and
spiritually. Being there is at the very core of civility.

10. Go for it
We are all unique individuals. Don't try to get your friends to conform to your ideals.
Support them in pursuing their interests, no matter how far out they seem to you. God has
given everyone dreams, dreams that are unique to that person only. Support and encourage
your friends to follow their dreams. Tell them to "go for it."

11. I love you

Perhaps the most important three words that you can say. Telling someone that you truly
love them satisfies a person's deepest emotional needs. The need to belong, to feel
appreciated and to be wanted. Your spouse, your children, your friends and you, all need to

hear those three little words: "I love you." Love is a choice. You can love even when the
feeling is gone.
The Wooden Bowl
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year old grandson. The
old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate
together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing
sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped
the glass often milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated
with the mess. "We must do something about grandfather," said the son. I've had enough of
his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small
table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner
at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a
wooden bowl. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear
in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp
admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in
silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.
He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded,
"Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up."
The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they
were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was
spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand
and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason,
neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled,
or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their
ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us
patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that
attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day that building
blocks are being laid for the child's future.

For a better life^^

1. What lies before us, and what lies behind us are tiny matter compared to what lies within
us.
2. We make a living out of the things we get, but we make a life out of what we give.
3. Good things come to those who wait. (Correct ! in Counter-Strike, who camping and
waiting can kill too many people )
4. Enjoy the little things, for one day you will look back on your life and realize they were

the big things.

5. Theres a little bit of bad in the best of us, and a little bit of good in the worst of us. So
none of us, bad or good, have any right to say anything about any of us.
6. People usually ignore the things you say, but when you show them what you mean,
everything changes.
7. Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see shadows.
8. A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each
othermaybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, maybe foreverbut it
will happen.
9. You never stop loving someone you truly loved, you just learn how to live without them.
10. Love is like playing the piano. First you must learn to play by the rules; then you must
forget the rules and play by heart.
11. To find out things we ask, to share we help
12. You never know what you have until it is gone.
13. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.
If you find out more, just post them here to share with everyone.

Love and Time

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings
lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One day it
was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left.
Except for Love.
Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment.
When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.
Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat.
B]Love[/B] said, "Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no
place here for you."
Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please
help me!"
"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.
Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"
Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear
when Love called her.
Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and
overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at
dry land, the elder went her own way. Realizing how much was owed the elder,
Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"

"It was Time," Knowledge answered.

"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"
Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of
understanding how valuable Love is."
Your choice^^
Do you want to be miserable today? If so, youll find plenty of opportunities for making
yourself so.
Or would you prefer to be joyful and effective throughout the entire day? If so, then youll
find an opportunity for such in each and every moment.
Being miserable is a choice. When you make that choice, all sorts of things will come your
way to reinforce what you have chosen.
Being positive, joyful and effective is a better choice. And when you make that choice,
events and circumstances will follow right along.
Your perspective and attitude are what give meaning to the moments of life that come your
way. Choose, then, to give those moments a positive, purposeful meaning.
Choose joy, choose life, choose fulfillment, purpose and effective effort. And see how great
it can make your day.
Building Your House
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to
leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his
extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They
could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more
house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his
heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials.
It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he
handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you."
The carpenter was shocked!
What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it
all so differently.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the
building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we
could do it over, we would do it much differently.
But, you cannot go back. You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a

board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude,
and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore,
Build wisely!

STEPS TO HAPPINESS
Everybody knows : You cant be all things to all people. You cant do all things at once. You
cant do all things equally well. you cant do all things better than everyone else's. Your
humanity is showing just like everyone's else
So : You have to find out who you are, and be that. You have to decide what comes first ,
and do that. You have to discover your strengths, and use them. You have to learn not to
compete with others, cause' noone else is in the contest of being you
Then : You will have learnt to accept your own uniqueness. You will have learnt to set
priorities and make decision. You will have learnt to live with your limitations. You will have
learnt to give yourself the respect that is due
Life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish. and you'll be able to stay one up on what
used to get you down.

The Window
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit
up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs. His bed was next to the
room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their
jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every
afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time
by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be
broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans
played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid
flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view
of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all
this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and
imagine the picturesque scene. One warm afternoon the man by the window described a
parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his
mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of
seeing everything while I never get to see anything?
It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days
passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned
him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that
window --- and that thought now controlled his life.

Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He
was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the
struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across
the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the
nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the
sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence-deathly silence.
The following morning the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found
the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital
attendant to take it away-no works, no fuss.
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window.
The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left
him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look.
Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out
the window beside the bed...........
It faced a blank wall.

Super Hero
Nathaniel Bronner Jr.
Dr. Marilyn spoke at our staff meeting. She took us through exercises as she worked to get
our minds and spirits adjusted to a more positive direction.
"Close your eyes and think back to when you were small. What did you want to be? What
were your dreams? What did you want to do? Close your eyes and think back." she
instructed.
I closed my eyes and thought back. I remembered what I wanted to be.
Dr. Marilyn then told of her early beginnings as a writer. She told of the articles and the
publishing successes that she experienced but so many of them were punctuated by, "I
didn't get paid for that."
Her words struck me.
I worked in a corner drug store when I was very small. I was below the age limit to work
but the store made an exception. My father owned the store, thus the exception.
I worked long and hard. I treasured my lunch breaks. Not so much for the food or the rest,
it was what I did during my lunch breaks that I treasured. I read comic books. I read the
action books, not the romance or the comedies, action, pure action.
When I closed my eyes and thought back, I knew instantly what I had aspired to be.
A Super Hero!
Superman, Batman, Spiderman and Ironman were some of my heroes.
Super Hero (con)
In all of the action comics that I read, there were two distinct patterns. Those two patterns
were in every action comic book that I can recall.
First, there was always a battle between good and evil. The battle was always tough. The
battle was always a close call. No matter how strong or how many powers the Super Hero

had, evil pushed him to the very limit and most times almost defeated him.
Second, the Super Hero was never paid for his contribution to society; he always earned his
living in his alter ego.
Superman made money as Clark Kent, a newspaper reporter.
Batman made money as Bruce Wayne, a rich industrialist.
Spiderman made money as Peter Parker, a photographer.
Ironman made money as Tony Stark, owner of Stark Industries.
None of them were paid for being a Super Hero and the contributions they made as Super
Heroes.
As I listened to Dr. Marilyn state how she had never been paid for many things, a light
popped on in my mind.
"The real Super Heroes don't get paid for the Super Hero stuff!"
I pastor a church and have never accepted a salary or taken up love offerings for myself.
It's correct to be fairly compensated but I, like Paul, simply choose not to.
I am the editor of MountainWings and the AirJesus.com websites, and I dont get any
money for that either.
I realized as my eyes were closed that it is Super Hero stuff and my dream has been
realized.
You've got Super Hero stuff too.
Parenting
Volunteering
Helping a stranger or friend in need
Doing anything beneficial that takes time, effort, energy or resources and where you expect
no monetary return is Super Hero stuff.
Use your powers well.

THE EMPEROR' S SEED

Once there was an emperor in the Far East who was growing old and knew it was coming
time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or one of his own
children, he decided to do something different.
He called all the young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It has come time
for me to step down and to choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a
seed today. One seed. It is a very special seed. I want you to go home, plant the seed,
water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one
seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring to me, and the one I choose will be the
next emperor of the kingdom!"
There was one boy named Ling who was there that day and he, like the others, received a

seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the whole story. She helped him get a
pot and some planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he
would water it and watch to see if it had grown.
After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the
plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept going home and checking his seed, but
nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by. Still nothing.
By now others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a
failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.
Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his
friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor
for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she
encouraged him to go, and to take his pot, and to be honest about what happened. Ling felt
sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by all the other youths.
They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many
of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just
tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said
the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He
ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a
failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All
the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down.
He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name
is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new
emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to
take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled
seeds which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and
flowers. When you found that the seed would not grown, you substituted another seed for
the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot
with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
How Old Are You?
(By Catherine Pulsifer )
If we did not know our age, some of us would appear to be very young, and some of us
would seem very old.
Sometimes, people use age as a convenient excuse. "I'm too old to start something new",
or, "I couldn't learn that at my age." Other people, though, go on to achieve their greatest
accomplishments in life in later years.
Take, for example, Colonel Harland Sanders who started franchising his chicken outlets
when he was 65 years old. Up to the age of 90 years old he traveled 250,000 miles a year
visiting KFC franchises. He not only overcame personal and business adversities, but more
importantly, he didn't let age stand in his way!
Feelings lead to attitudes, attitudes become beliefs, and beliefs become the basis for
actions.

It is not important how old you are;

it is how you feel, how you think,
and what you do that is important.
How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was
FOR SOMEONE WHO LOVES PETS
Lucky's Greatest Treasure
Mary and her husband Jim had a dog named 'Lucky.' Lucky was a real character. Whenever
Mary and Jim had company come for a weekend visit, they would warn their friends to not
leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy.
Inevitably, someone would forget and something would come up missing.
Mary or Jim would go to Lucky's toy box in the basement and there the treasure would be,
amid all of Lucky's other favorite toys. Lucky always stashed his finds in his toy box and he
was very particular that his toys stay in the box.
It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Something told her she was going
to die of this disease...in fact, she was just sure it was fatal. She scheduled the double
mastectomy, fear riding her shoulders.
The night before she was to go to the hospital she cuddled with Lucky. A thought struck
her...what would happen to Lucky? Although the three-year-old dog liked Jim, he was Mary's
dog through and through. If I die, Lucky will be abandoned, Mary thought. He won't
understand that I didn't want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of
her own death.
The double mastectomy was harder on Mary than her doctors had anticipated and Mary was
hospitalized for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the little
dog just drooped, whining and miserable.
Finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so
exhausted she couldn't even make it up the steps to her bedroom. Jim made his wife
comfortable on the couch and left her to nap.
Lucky stood watching Mary but he didn't come to her when she called. It made Mary sad.
but sleep soon overcame her and she dozed.
When Mary woke, for a second she couldn't understand what was wrong. She couldn't move
her head and her body felt heavy and hot. But panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary
realized the problem. She was covered, literally blanketed, with every treasure Lucky
owned!
While she had slept, the sorrowing dog had made trip after trip to the basement bringing his
beloved mistress all his favorite things in life. He had covered her with his love.
Mary forgot about dying. Instead, she and Lucky began living again, walking further and
further together every day.
It's been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer-free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and
stashes them in his toy box but Mary remains his greatest treasure.
----> DOG IS THE MOST LOYALT FRIEND OF MAN

Tomorow could be too late

This is a story that makes you see why you should live each day as if it were your last...

There was a teenager with terminal cancer. He was 17 years old and could die at any
moment. He was always at home, under his mother's care.
One day he decided to go out, even if it was just once. He asked his mother for permission
and she agreed. Walking down his block he saw many stores. Stopping at a music store he
looked in and saw a very pretty girl of his own age, it was love at first sight and he walked
in.
He walked up to the counter were the girl was. She smiled at him and asked "Can I help you
with anything?" The guy could only think that it was the most beautiful smile he had ever
seen and stuttered "Well, ummm, I'd like to buy a CD". He grabbed the first one he saw and
gave her the money. "Do you want me to wrap it?" the smiling girl asked. The guy said yes
and the girl went into the back room to wrap it. The guy took the wrapped CD and walked
home.
From that day on he visited the music store everyday, and each day he bought a CD. And
each day the girl wrapped them up and the guy stored them unopened in his closet.
He was a very shy boy, and although he tried he couldn't find the nerve to ask the girl out.
His mother noticed this and encouraged him.
The next day the guy set out for the store with a determined mind, like the previous days
he bought a CD and the girl wrapped it as usual. While she was busy he left his telephone
on the counter and rushed out of the store.
The following day the guy didn't visit the store, and the girl called him. His mother answered
the phone, wondering who it could be. It was the girl from the music store! She asked to
speak with her son and his mother started crying. The girl asked her what was the matter.
"Don't you know? He died yesterday." There was a long silence on the phone...
Later that afternoon the guy's mother entered his room to remember her son. She decided
to start with his closet, and to her surprised she saw a big pile of unopened CDs wrapped in
festive paper. She was curious because there were so many of them, and she opened one.
As she tore open the package she noticed a slip of paper that said: "Hi! You're cute, I would
love to meet you. Let's go out sometime. Sophie"
The mother started crying as she opened another. And another, and another. Every single
CD contained a slip of paper that said the same.
Moral: That's the way life is, don't wait to show those special people the way you
feel, tomorrow could be too late.
A Samurai and a Zen Master,
A samurai, a very proud warrior, came to see a Zen Master one day. The samurai was very
famous, but looking at the beauty of the Master and the Grace of the moment, he suddenly
felt inferior.
He said to the Master, "Why am I feeling inferior? Just a moment ago everything was okay.
As I entered your court suddenly I felt inferior. I have never felt like that before. I have
faced death many times, and I have never felt any fear -- why am I now feeling
frightened?"
The Master said, "Wait. When everyone else has gone, I will answer. "
People continued the whole day to come and see the Master, and the samurai was getting
more and more tired waiting. By evening the room was empty, and the samurai said, "Now,
can you answer me?"
The Master said, "Come outside."

It was a full moon night, the moon was just rising on the horizen. And he said, "Look at
these trees. This tree is high in the sky and this small one beside it. They both have existed
beside my window for years, and there has never been any problem. The smaller tree has
never said to the big tree, 'Why do I feel inferior before you?' This tree is small, and that
tree is big -- why have I never heard a whisper of it?"
The samurai said, "Because they can't compare."
The Master replied, "Then you need not ask me. You know the answer."
Life Struggles - Author Unknown
A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the
moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched
the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole.
Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it
could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness,
decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of
the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily.
But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth
because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able
to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth
spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled body and
shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon
and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of
forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight
once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the
struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life
without any obstacles, we would be crippled.
We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance,
leave no room for regrets.

Broken Wing
Some people are just doomed to be failures. That's the way some adults look at troubled
kids. Maybe you've heard the saying, "A bird with a broken wing will never fly as high." I'm
sure that T. J. Ware was made to feel this way almost every day in school.
By high school, T. J. was the most celebrated troublemaker in his town. Teachers literally
cringed when they saw his name posted on their classroom lists for the next semester. He
wasn't very talkative, didn't answer questions and got into lots of fights. He had flunked
almost every class by the time he entered his senior year, yet was being passed on each
year to a higher grade level. Teachers didn't want to have him again the following year. T. J.
was moving on, but definitely not moving up. I met T. J. for the first time at a weekend
leadership retreat. All the students at school had been invited to sign up for ACE training, a

program designed to have students become more involved in their communities. T. J. was
one of 405 students who signed up. When I showed up to lead their first retreat, the
community leaders gave me this overview of the attending students: "We have a total
spectrum represented today, from the student body president to T. J. Ware, the boy with the
longest arrest record in the history of town." Somehow, I knew that I wasn't the first to
hear about T. J.'s darker side as the first words of introduction.
At the start of the retreat, T. J. was literally standing outside the circle of students, against
the back wall, with that "go ahead, impress me" look on his face. He didn't readily join the
discussion groups, didn't seem to have much to say. But slowly, the interactive games drew
him in. The ice really melted when the groups started building a list of positive and negative
things that had occurred at school that year. T. J. had some definite thoughts on those
situations. The other students in T. J.'s group welcomed his comments. All of a sudden T. J.
felt like a part of the group, and before long he was being treated like a leader. He was
saying things that made a lot of sense, and everyone was listening. T. J. was a smart guy
and he had some great ideas.
The next day, T. J. was very active in all the sessions. By the end of the retreat, he had
joined the Homeless Project team. He knew something about poverty, hunger and
hopelessness. The other students on the team were impressed with his passionate concern
and ideas. They elected T. J. co-chairman of the team. The student council president would
be taking his instruction from T. J. Ware.
When T. J. showed up at school on Monday morning, he arrived to a firestorm. A group of
teachers were protesting to the school principal about his being elected co-chairman. The
very first communitywide service project was to be a giant food drive, organized by the
Homeless Project team. These teachers couldn't believe that the principal would allow this
crucial beginning to a prestigious, three-year action plan to stay in the incapable hands of T.
J. Ware.
They reminded the principal, "He has an arrest record as long as your arm. He'll probably
steal half the food." Mr. Coggshall reminded them that the purpose of the ACE program was
to uncover any positive passion that a student had and reinforce its practice until true
change can take place. The teachers left the meeting shaking their heads in disgust, firmly
convinced that failure was imminent.
Two weeks later, T. J. and his friends led a group of 70 students in a drive to collect food.
They collected a school record: 2,854 cans of food in just two hours. It was enough to fill
the empty shelves in two neighborhood centers, and the food took care of needy families in
the area for 75 days. The local newspaper covered the event with a full-page article the
next day. That newspaper story was posted on the main bulletin board at school, where
everyone could see it. T. J.'s picture was up there for doing something great, for leading a
record-setting food drive. Every day he was reminded about what he did. He was being
acknowledged as leadership material. T. J. started showing up at school every day and
answered questions from teachers for the first time. He led a second project, collecting 300
blankets and 1,000 pairs of shoes for the homeless shelter. The event he started now yields
9,000 cans of food in one day, taking care of 70 percent of the need for food for one year. T.
J. reminds us that a bird with a broken wing only needs mending. But once it has healed, it
can fly higher than the rest. T. J. got a job. He became productive. He is flying quite nicely
these days.
Jim Hullihan

It's As Plain As The Nose On Your Face!

A pretty rare old man appeared on a popular TV program. He received a prize for having
won a contest And he stole the whole show with his exuberant spirit and quick wit.
"It's easy to see," remarked the admiring master of ceremonies, "that you are a very happy
man. What's the secret of being as happy as you are? Let us in on it."
"Why son," the old man answered, "it's as plain as the nose on your face. When I wake up
in the morning, I have two choices. One is to be unhappy; the other is to be happy.
"And I want you to know, son, that I'm not as dumb as I may look. I'm smart enough to
choose happiness. I just make up by mind to be happy that's all there is to it."
~By Norman Vincent Peale~
Bn dch ca TNK:
IU Y R NH BAN NGY
Mt c gi c tui th kh him xut hin trong mt chng trnh Ti Vi nhiu ngi a thch.
C nhn c mt gii thng v thng mt cuc thi V c chim c chng trnh bng
s h hi v u c d dm nhanh nhy ca c.
Ngi iu khin chng trnh khm phc nhn xt: "Tht d thy c l mt ngi rt hnh
phc. iu b mt c hnh phc nh c l g ? Xin c ni cho mi ngi bit".
C gi tr li:"Con trai ca ta i, iu r rnh rnh thi. Bui sng khi ta thc dy, ta c
hai s la chn. Mt l au kh v mt l hnh phc".
"V ta mun chu bit l ta khng ngc nh b ngoi ca ta u. Ta thng minh chn
s hnh phc. Ta ch cn quyt nh s hnh phc ch c vy thi".

The House of 1000 Mirrors

Long ago in a small, far away village, there was place known as the House of
1000 Mirrors. A small, happy little dog learned of this place and decided to
visit. When he arrived, he bounced happily up the stairs to the doorway of
the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his
tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise, he found himself
staring at 1000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as fast as
his. He smiled a great smile, and was answered with 1000 great smiles just
as warm and friendly. As he left the House, he thought to himself, "This is a
wonderful place. I will come back and visit it often."
In this same village, another little dog, who was not quite as happy as the
first one, decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung
his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1000 unfriendly
looking dogs staring back at him, he growled at them and was horrified to
see 1000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left, he thought to himself,
"That is a horrible place, and I will never go back there again."
All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see in
the faces of the people you meet?
(by: Author Unknown, Japanese folktale)

Bn dch ca TNK:

NGI NH C 1000 CHIC GNG

Ngy xa mt ngi lng nh rt xa xi c mt ni c gi l ngi nh c
1000 chic gng. Mt ch ch con vui tnh nghe ni v ni ny v quyt
nh n thm. Khi n n, n vui v nhy ln nhng bc thang dn n ca
vo nh. N nhn vo bn trong, tai vnh cao v vy ui lia la. N rt ngc
nhin thy mnh ang nhn 1000 con ch con vui v khc cng ang vy
ui nhanh nh n. N mm ci tht ti v c p li bng 1000 n ci
ti nht cng nng nhit v thn thin nh vy. Khi n ri khi ngi nh,
n t bo mnh:y l mt ni k diu. Mnh s tr li v thm ni ny
thng xuyn.
Cng trong ngi lng ny, mt con ch con khc, khng c vui tnh nh
con ch th nht, quyt nh n thm ngi nh. N chm chp leo ln
nhng bc thang, u ci thp trong khi n nhn vo bn trong. Khi n thy
1000 con ch con khc vi v mt khng thn thin ang nhn n, n gm
g vi chng v s hi khi thy 1000 con ch con gm g li vi n. Khi n
b i, n ngh: l mt ni kinh khng, v mnh s khng bao gi tr li
na.
Tt c nhng gng mt trn th gii u l nhng chic gng. Bn mun
nhn thy nhng hnh nh phn chiu no trn gng mt ca nhng ngi
bn gp?
(Tc gi: khuyt danh, truyn dn gian Nht Bn)

It All Begins In The Mind

If you ever feel overwhelmed with the volume of the literature out there on self
improvement and goal achievement, know that everything you learn hinges on this single
fact; that everything begins in the mind. Anything you want to achieve begins in the mind
and then manifests itself on the outside. Your thoughts determine your actions, which then
determine the life you create for yourself.
Environment is not a factor. People often point to external circumstances and use it as an
excuse not to achieve. For example, you hear people say To make money, you need
money. Ok then, whos going to get the money you need in the first place? Thats going to
be you. It is YOU, more specifically your thoughts which lead you to take the necessary
actions to get the money you need in the first place.
I want to give you a quote from James Allens Book As A Man Thinketh (free download for
newsletter subscribers). James Allen has an eloquent way of writing that I can only dream
of doing and I think he sums up perfectly the point I want to make with the following words.
Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not remain so if you only perceive
an ideal and strive to reach it. You cant travel within and stand still without.
Here is a youth hard pressed by labor and poverty. Confined long hours in an unhealthy
workshop; unschooled and lacking all the arts of refinement. But he dreams of better
things. He thinks of intelligence, or refinement, of grace and beauty. He conceives of,
mentally builds up, an ideal condition of life. The wider liberty and a larger scope takes
possession of him; unrest urges him to action, and he uses all his spare times and means to

the development of his latent powers and resources. Very soon so altered has his mind
become that the workshop can no longer hold him. It has become out of harmony with his
mind-set that it falls out of his life as a garment is cast aside. And with the growth of
opportunities that fit the scope of his expanding powers, he passes out of it altogether.
Years later, we see this youth as a grown man. We find him a master of certain forces of the
mind that he wields with worthwhile influence and almost unequaled power. In his hands, he
holds the cords of gigantic responsibilities; he speaks and lives are changed; men and
women hang upon his words and remold their characters. Sun-like, he becomes the fixed
and luminous center around which innumerable destinies revolve. He has become the vision
of his youth. He has become one with his ideal.
Now take a look at the kind of childhood that Oprah Winfrey had to go through and youll
develop a new appreciation for the simple fact that environment and circumstances are
nothing compared to the power you wield inside your own mind.
Most people focus on the things they dont want and blame it on the environment, hence
giving away their power of control and choosing to replace it with incredible focus on the
things they dont want, which just results in them taking actions that are conducive to those
exact same thoughts that result in the exact same things that they dont want to see in
their environment. It also brings along with it a host of other problems such as depression
and hopelessness because they feel as if theyre not in control.
You are always in control. ALWAYS. Take back your power to control your thoughts and then
focus on the things you do want. Keep on doing that and youll find yourself taking the
correct actions to get to your ideal life.
Realize the significance of your thoughts. Many people dont realize how powerful a role
their thoughts play in their lives because they fail to link up the effect their thoughts have
on their actions due to the time lag in between them.
Weve been conditioned to only see cause and effect when it happens instantaneously. Push
a button on the remote (cause) and the TV will turn on (effect). Open up Internet Explorer
(cause) and youll have access to mounds of information at your fingertips (effect). Stub
your toe on a chair (cause) and experience pain (effect).
We fail to see how our thoughts influenced our very actions to get to where we are today.
There is a time delay between your thoughts and actions and that delay truly serves you.
Can you imagine if your thoughts resulted in actions instantaneously? The world would be a
very interesting and dangerous place.
The time delay between thoughts and actions serves to reward the ones who desire true
change, because they are the ones who will recognize this simple fact and subsequently
hold a long term view while endeavoring to change their thoughts.
In due time, their long term thoughts will influence their actions, and these very same
people will then find themselves in the situation they were imagining in and come to realize
the domino effect that ensued to get them there.
They dont realize the power of their thoughts until they are in that moment and it is in that
precise moment, where they truly understand how significant a role their thoughts play in
creating the life they imagine, not just at the conscious level, but at the core level of their
being.
I know Ive stated this concept many times before, but it has to be repeated. Youll find that
the most important things in life are repeated for a reason and that is to ingrain the
important facts within us as they can easily get lost in the myriad of things we deal with on
a day to day basis.
It all begins in the mind, with time. From there, everything will come about. You need
nothing else.

Cure for Sorrow

There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died. In her
grief, she went to the holy man and said, "What prayers, what magical
incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?"
Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, "Fetch me
a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to
drive the sorrow out of your life." The woman went off at once in search of
that magical mustard seed.
She came first to a splendid mansion, knocked at the door, and said, "I am
looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place? It is
very important to me."
They told her, "You've certainly come to the wrong place," and began to
describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them.
The woman said to herself, "Who is better able to help these poor,
unfortunate people that I, who have had misfortune of my my own?"
Shestayed to comfort them, then went on in search of a home that had
never known sorrow. But wherever she turned, in hovels and in other places,
she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune. She became so
involved in ministering to other people's grief that ultimately she forgot
about her quest for the magical mustard seed, never realizing that it had, in
fact, driven the sorrow out of her life.
by: Brian Cavanaugh
Bn dch ca TNK:

CHA TR BUN RU
Mt ph n Trung Hoa c a con trai duy nht va mi cht. B bun ru
n gp mt ngi sng o v hi:" ng c li cu nguyn no, cu thn
ch no lm con trai ti sng li khng?"
Thay v ui b i hay gii thch cho b, ng ni vi b: "Hy mang cho ti
mt ht ging m tc t mt ngi nh cha bao gi bit n bun ru.
Chng ta s dng n ui ni bun ra khi cuc sng ca b. Ngi ph
n lp tc i tm ht ging m tc .
u tin b n mt ta nh lng ly, g ca v ni: "Ti ang tm mt ngi
nh cha bao gi bit n bun ru. y c phi l ni khng? iu
rt quan trng i vi ti".
H ni vi b: "Chc chn b n lm ch" v bt u k li nhng iu
au kh xy ra vi h gn y.
Ngi ph n thm nh: "Ai c th gip nhng ngi khng may ny tt hn

l ti, ngi gp bt hnh?" B li an i h ri ra i tm mt ngi nh

cha bao gi bit n bun ru. Nhng bt c ni no b n, nhng tp lu
lp xp v nhng ni khc, b cng gp mt ngi khc ang bun ru v
au kh. B tr nn quan tm gip n nhng ngi ang au kh khc
n mc cui cng b qun i vic tm kim ht ging m tc v khng bao
gi nhn ra rng qu tht vic gip ngi khc xua ni bun ra khi
cuc sng ca b.

The Right Thoughts Riding in My Mind

When I started riding a bike a couple of years ago, I didn't think my involvement would ever
be more serious than the occasional short ride. But as I built strength, my friends
encouraged me to step up my training and try some longer trips. The first one to come
along was a 150-mile trek, the MS-150, an annual event that raises money to fight multiple
sclerosis.
When I registered, the idea seemed terrific - support a worthy cause while going for the
distance - and I trained with enthusiasm. But as the time for the ride approached, my selfdoubts gained ground over my endurance. I still wanted to raise money for the charity, but I
didn't really want to bike all those miles for two days straight.
The ride began on a beautiful Sunday morning in the tranquil Georgia countryside, and for
the first few hours I felt wonderful. This was just the experience I had imagined, and my
spirits were high. But by the end of the day, I felt tired and irritable.
If the body is connected to the mind, here was proof in action. Every excuse my brain
pushed out seemed to travel right down to my legs. "I can't handle this," became a leg
cramp, and "everyone else is a better rider" translated into shortness of breath. I was sure
I'd have to quit.
As I topped the crest of a hill, the magnificent sunset kept me going for a few minutes
more. Then in the distance, silhouetted against the bright red sun, I saw a lone rider
pedaling very slowly. I noticed that the person looked different in some way, but I couldn't
tell why. So I pushed myself to catch up. There she was, peddling along slowly but steadily,
with a slight and determined smile on her face - and she had only one leg.
My focus changed in that instant. For a whole day I'd been doubting my body. But now I
knew - it wasn't the body, but the will that would help me reach my goal.
It rained all the second day. I never saw the one-legged biker again, but I pushed on
without complaining, knowing she was out there with me somewhere. And at the end of the
day, still feeling strong, I completed the 150th mile.
Kathy Higgins
Bn dch ca TNK:

P I, PHA TRC C MT TRI...

Khi ti bt u i xe p cch y vi nm, ti khng ngh rng mnh s tham gia nhiu hn
vi chng ng ngn. Nhng v ti ang rn luyn sc khe, bn b khuyn khch ti tng
cng rn luyn v th i nhng chuyn di hn. Chuyn i u tin l mt khong ng
di mt trm nm mi dm, mt cuc thi hng nm gy qu chng s x cng bp tht.
Khi ti ng k, tng c v th v- c mt l do xng ng i xa v ti ho hng rn
luyn. Nhng khi sp n lc khi hnh, ti nghi ng kh nng chu ng ca mnh. Ti vn
mun gp tin cho cng vic t thin, nhng ti tht s khng mun p xe mt trm nm
mi dm trong hai ngy lin.
Chuyn i bt u vo mt bui sng ch nht p tri min qu Georgia yn tnh, v
trong my gi u ti cm thy rt tuyt. iu ny ng nh iu ti tng tng v ti
rt phn khi. Nhng n cui ngy, ti cm thy mt v cu knh. Nu th xc gn lin vi
tm hn th y l mt bng chng. Mi li xin li pht ra trong c ti hnh nh chuyn
thng xung chn ti. Ti khng lm ni mt chn b chut rt, v mi ngi khc l mt
ngi i xe p gii hn c dch ra thnh nhng hi th hn hn. Ti chc chn mnh s
phi b cuc.
Khi ti p xe ln nh mt ngn i, cnh mt tri ln p lng ly khin ti p tip thm
vi pht na. Ri ng xa, nghing bng in ln mt tri rc r, ti thy mt ngi i xe
p n c ang p rt chm. Ti nhn thy ngi c v g khc l, nhng ti khng
th ni c l iu g. Nn ti p dn ln theo kp. C y ang p chm nhng bn b,
vi mt n ci nh v kin quyt trn mt, v c ch c mt chn. Suy ngh ti thay i
ngay tc th. Trong c mt ngy ti nghi ng c th ca mnh. Nhng by gi ti bitkhng phi l c th m chnh l ch s gip ti t c mc ch.
Tri ma sut ngy th nh. Ti khng bao gi thy li ngi bn i xe p mt chn, nhng
ti tip tc p khng h than phin, bit rng c y vn p xe cng vi ti mt ni no
. V n cui ngy, vn cm thy khe khon, ti hon thnh mt trm nm mi dm.
(ta ca bo NL)

Advantages
A lesson in "heart" is my little, 10 year old daughter, Sarah, who was born with a muscle
missing in her foot and wears a brace all the time. She came home one beautiful spring day
to tell me she had competed in "field day"-that's where they have lots of races and other
competitive events.
Because of her leg support, my mind raced as I tried to think of encouragement for my
Sarah, things I could say to her about not letting this get her down- but before I could get a
word out, she said, "Daddy, I won two of the races!" I couldn't believe it! And then Sarah
said, "I had an advantage."
Ahh. I knew it. I thought she must have been given a head start... some kind of physical
advantage. But again, before I could say anything, she said, "Daddy, I didn't get a head
start... My advantage was I had to try harder!"
Dr. Stanley Frager

Golden Windows
There was a small boy living on a farm which seemed like so far away from
every where. He needed to get up before sunrise every morning to start his
chores and out again later to do the evening ones.
During sunrise he would take a break and climb up on the fence so in the
distance he could see the house with golden windows. He thought how great
it would be to live there and his mind would wander to imagine the modern
equipment and appliances that might exist in the house. "If they could afford
golden windows, then there must have other nice things." He then promised
himself, "Some day I will go there and see this wonderful place."
Then one morning his father told him to stay at home and his father would
do the chores. Knowing that this was his chance, he packed a sandwich and
headed across the field towards the house with the golden windows.
As the afternoon went on, he began to realize how he misjudged the
distance and something else was very wrong. As he approached the house,
he saw no golden windows but instead a place with in bad need of a painting
surrounded by a broken down fence. He went to the tattered screen door
and knocked. A small boy very close to his age opened the door.
He asked him if he had seen the house with the golden windows. The boy
said "Sure, I know." and invited him to sit on the porch. As he sat there, he
looked back from where he just came where the sunset turned the windows
on his home to Gold.
Bn dch ca TNK:

Ngi nh c ca s bng vng

C mt cu b sng mt nng tri cch xa mi ngi. Cu phi dy trc
khi mt tri mc mi sng lm cng vic nh v sau ra ngoi lm vic
cho n chiu. Khi mt tri ln, cu thng ngh mt v leo ln hng ro
nhn mt ngi nh c nhng ca s bng vng. Cu ngh c sng
chc l rt tuyt vi v thng tng tng n nhng dng hin i
trong nh .
Nu h c th mua nhng ca s bng vng, bn trong nh chc phi c

nhng c rt p. Ri cu t ha vi mnh s c ngy mnh n v

nhn tn mt ngi nh k diu . C mt bui sng, cha cu bo cu nh
v ng s lm nhng vic khc. Nhn ra y l c hi, cu gi bnh
sandwich v bng qua nhng cnh ng i v pha ngi nh c ca s vng.
n cui bui chiu, cu bt u ngh cu tnh lm khong ng i v
lm mt iu g khc. Khi cu n gn ngi nh, cu khng thy nhng ca
s vng, thay vo l mt ngi nh cn sn li vi mt hng ro xiu vo
bao quanh. Cu n trc cnh ca c nt v g ca. Mt cu b trc tui
cu m ca.
Cu hi cu b c thy ngi nh c ca s vng hay khng. Cu b ni: C
ch, ti bit v mi cu ngi trn bc ca. Trong khi ngi , cu nhn li
con ng i v thy nh hong hn bin nhng ca s ca nh cu
thnh mu vng nh ngi nh m chiu chiu cu vn m c c nhn tn
mt.
(Bo NL thm mt cht vo cu cui cho r ngha cu truyn hn)

The Salty Coffee.

( I sure that most of u have read this story in Vnese many times). It's really a good story,
isn't it?
He met her on a party, she was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was
so normal, nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have
coffee with him. She was surprised, but as he was polite, she promised. They sat in a nice
coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, She felt uncomfortable, she thought,
"please, let me back home".
Suddenly he asked the waiter: would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my
coffee. Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still, he put the salt in
his coffee and drank it.She asked him curiously: Why you have this hobby? He replied:
when I was a little boy, I was living near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the
taste of the sea, salty and bite, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have
the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my
hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there. While saying that, tears
filled his eyes. She was deeply touched. That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his
heart.A man who can tell out his homesick, he must be a man who loves home, cares about
home, has responsibility of home. Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway
hometown, her childhood, her family.
That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date. She found actually he was a man who meets all her demands: he
had tolerance, was kind hearted, warm, careful...he was such a good person but she almost
missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love
story: the princess married to the prince, then they were living the happy life... And, every
time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee as she knew that's the way he
liked it.
After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said: "My dearest, please forgive me,
forgive my whole life lie. This was the only lie I said to you----the salty coffee. Remember
the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I
said salt. It was hard for me to change so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be
the start of our communication! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was
too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything. Now I'm dying, I
afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad
taste. But I have the salty coffee for my whole life since I knew you, I never feel sorry for
anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life. If I
can live for the second time, I still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even
though I have to drink the salty coffee again." Her tears made the letter totally wet.
Someday, someone asked her: what's the taste of salty coffee? It's sweet. She replied.
SOMETIMES YOU FEEL YOU KNOW THE PERSON MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE... BUT ONLY
TO REALISE THAT YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE PERSON WERE NOT AS YOU DESCRIBED.
JUST LIKE THE INCIDENT OF THE SALTY COFFEE... LOVE MORE AND HATE LESSER...
CAUSE' SOMETIMES SALT TASTES BETTER THAN SUGAR...
Vi bn no cha c bn dch ting Vit th mi c bn sau, (TNK tm thy trn Internet
thi).

Tch c ph mui
Anh gp nng trong mt ba tic. Nng v cng xinh xn v d thng... Bit bao chng
trai theo ui nng trong khi anh ch l mt g bnh thng chng ai thm . Cui ba
tic, ly ht can m, anh mi nng i ung cafe. Ht sc ngc nhin, nhng v php lch s
nng cng nhn li.
H ngi im lng trong mt qun cafe. Anh qu run nn khng ni c cu no. C gi bt
u cm thy tht bun t v mun i v... Chng trai th c loay hoay mi vi cc cafe,
cm ln li t xung... ng lc c gi nh ng ln v xin php ra v th bt cht chng
trai gi ngi phc v: "Lm n cho ti t mui vo tch cafe". Gn nh tt c nhng ngi
trong qun nc u quay li nhn anh... C gi cng v cng ngc nhin. Nng hi anh ti
sao li c s thch k l th.
Anh lng tng mt lt ri ni: "Ngy trc nh ti gn bin. Ti rt thch n a vi sng
bin, thch ci v mn v ng ca nc bin. Vng, mn v ng - ging nh cafe cho thm
mui vy... Mi khi ung cafe mui nh th ny, ti li nh qu hng v cha m mnh da
dit...". C gi nhn anh thng cm v dng nh nng rt xc ng trc tnh cm chn
thnh ca anh. Nng thm ngh mt ngi yu qu hng v cha m mnh nh th hn phi
l ngi tt v chc chn sau ny s l mt ngi chng, ngi cha tt... Cu chuyn ci
m hn khi nng cng k v tui th, v cha m v gia nh mnh...
Khi chia tay ra v, c hai cng cm thy tht d chu v vui v. V qua nhng cuc hn h
v sau, cng ngy c gi cng nhn ra chng trai c tht nhiu tnh tt. Anh rt chn thnh,
kin nhn v lun thng cm vi nhng kh khn ca c. V... nh bao cu chuyn kt thc

c hu khc, hai ngi ly nhau. H sng rt hnh phc trong sut cuc i. Sng no
trc khi anh i lm, nng cng pha cho anh mt tch cafe mui...
Nhng khc nhng cu chuyn c tch, cu chuyn ny khng dng . Nhiu nm sau,
i v chng gi i, v ngi chng l ngi ra i trc... Sau khi anh cht, ngi v tm
thy mt l th anh li. Trong th vit: "Gi ngi con gi m anh yu thng nht! C
mt iu m anh khng can m ni vi em. Anh la di em, mt ln duy nht
trong cuc i... Thc s l ngy u tin mnh gp nhau, c ni chuyn vi em l nim
sung sng i vi anh. Anh rt run khi ngi i din em... Lc anh nh gi ng
cho tch cafe nhng anh ni nhm thnh mui. Nhn i mt em lc , anh bit mnh
khng th rt li li va ni nn anh ba ra cu chuyn v bin v cafe mui. Anh khng
h thch v cha bao gi ung cafe mui trc ! Rt nhiu ln anh mun ni tht vi em
nhng anh s... Anh t ha vi mnh l ln u v cng l ln cui anh ni di em.
Nu c lm li t u, anh vn s lm nh vy... c c em v c ung tch
cafe mui em pha hng ngy sut cuc i anh... Anh yu em!".
Mt ngi v nha i khi c n nhng dng cui l th. B gp bc th li v chm chm
ng ln, i pha cho mnh mt tch cafe mui... Nu by gi c ai hi b cafe mui c v
nh th no, b s tr li: N rt ngt.

Don't Give Up
I hope this story will encourage you to keep trying and don't give up because time is
slipping by.
A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. All
the other frogs gathered around the pit. When they saw how deep the pit was, they told the
two frogs that they were as good as dead.
The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all of their
might.
The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.
Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell
down and died.
The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.
Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die.
He jumped even harder and finally made it out.
When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them
that he was deaf.
He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.
This story teaches two lessons. There is power of life and death in the tongue.
An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it
through the day.
A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.
Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path.
The power of words...You need to understand that an encouraging word can go a long way.
So from this day forward,
Think before you speak.
And be careful of what other frogs tell you.
Bn dch ca TNK:

NG U HNG

Ti hy vng rng cu chuyn ny s ng vin bn tip tc c gng v khng u hng mc

d thi gian ang tri qua.
Mt by ch ang i qua rng. Hai con ri xung mt ci h su. Tt c nhng con ch
khc bu chung quanh ming h. Khi chng thy h su qu, chng bo hai con ch l chng
nn chu cht.
Hai con ch b qua nhn xt v c ht sc nhy khi h.
Nhng con ch khc tip tc bo chng dng li v nn chu cht.
Cui cng mt trong hai con ch nghe li nhng con ch khc v chu thua. N ri xung v
cht.
Con ch cn li tip tc nhy cao ht sc mnh. Mt ln na, m ch li ku to bo n hy
ngng lm au mnh v chu cht. N cng nhy cao hn v cui cng ln c khi h. Khi
n thot c ri, nhng con ch khc hi: " Anh khng nghe chng ti ku sao?"
Con ch gii thch l n b ic. Sut thi gian n tng chng ang khuyn khch n.
Cu chuyn cho chng ta hai bi hc:
Trong nhng li chng ta ni c c sc mnh ca s sng v ci cht.
Mt li ni ng vin ni vi ngi ang tuyt vng c th gip ngi ng ln v vui v
c ngy.
Mt li ni lm xung dc tinh thn vi ngi ang tuyt vng c th l iu cn git h.
Hy cn thn khi ni. Hy ni mang li cuc sng cho nhng ngi bn gp.
Sc mnh ca li ni Bn cn hiu rng mt li ng vin c th i c mt on ng
xa.
Cho nn t ngy ny tr i,
Hy ngh trc khi ni.
V hy cn thn v nhng iu nhng con ch khc ni vi bn.

Felling Trees
In the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific some villagers practice a unique form of logging.
If a tree is too large to be felled with an ax, the natives cut it down by yelling at it. (Can't
lay my hands on the article, but I swear I read it.) Woodsmen with special powers creep up
on a tree just at dawn and suddenly scream at it at the top of their lungs. They continue
this for thirty days. The tree dies and falls over. The theory is that the hollering kills the
spirit of the tree. According to the villagers, it always works.
Ah, those poor naive innocents. Such quaintly charming habits of the jungle. Screaming at
trees, indeed. How primitive. Too bad thay don't have the advantages of modern technology
and the scientific mind.
Me? I yell at my wife. And yell at the telephone and the lawn mower. And yell at the TV and
the newspaper and my children. I've been known to shake my fist and yell at the sky at
times. Man next door yells at his car a lot. And this summer I heard him yell at a stepladder
for most of an afternoon. We modern, urban, educated folks yell at traffic and umpires and
bills and banks and machines--especially machines. Machines and relatives get most of the
yelling.
Don't know what good it does. Machines and things just sit there. Even kicking doesn't
always help. As for people, well, the Solomon Islanders may have a point. Yelling at living
things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but
words will break our hearts....
Bn dch ca TNK:

N CY
Trn qun o Salomon pha nam Thi Bnh Dng, mt s lng c mt cch n cy l
thng. Nu mt cy qu ln khng th cht bng ru, nhng ngi bn x n n xung
bng cch qut tho n. (Ti khng c c bi bo , nhng ti c th th rng ti c
n.) Nhng ngi tiu phu c sc mnh hn ngi leo ln cy ngay khi tri va sng v t
ngt ht ln bng tt c sc lc H tip tc nh vy trong ba mi ngy. Cy cht v ng
xung. L lun ca h l nhng ngi la ht git linh hn ca cy. Theo dn lng, cch
lm ny lun lun c kt qu.
i , nhng ngi ngy th v ti ng thng. Nhng thi quen ng yu k quc ca rng
gi. La ht vi cy, tht vy. Tht u tr bit bao. Tht t l h khng c nhng thun li v
k thut hin i v u c khoa hc.
Ti th sao? Ti qut tho vi v ti. V qut tho vi in thoi v my ct c. V qut tho
vi TiVi v t bo v cc con ti. Thnh thong ngi ta thy ti gi nm m ln tri v
qut tho bu tri. Ngi n ng nh k bn qut tho rt nhiu vi chic xe hi ca ng
ta. V ma h ny ti nghe ng ta qut tho v mt ci thang gn ht mt bui chiu.
Chng ta - nhng ngi dn thnh ph c hc thc, hin i - qut tho v xe c, trng ti,
ha n, ngn hng v my mc, c bit l my mc. My mc v nhng ngi thn b
qut tho nhiu nht.
Ti khng bit nh vy th c li g. My mc v vt ch nm ra . Thm ch c
chng cng khng gip c g. Cn v con ngi, , nhng ngi dn o Salomon c th
ng mt im. Qut tho nhng sinh vt qu tht c khuynh hng git cht linh hn
ca chng. Gy gc v c th lm chng ta gy xng, nhng nhng li ni s
lm tim chng ta tan v