Change Your Thinking 

Dear friends, read this and change your thinking. 

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. 
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid 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..
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 window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. 

Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color 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 details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this 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.
Days, weeks and months passed. 
One 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 sleep. 

She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. 
As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other 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 at the real world outside. 
He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed. 
It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. 
She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.' 

Epilogue: 

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled. 
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.
'Today is a gift, that is why it is called   The Present.'

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 her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.

It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," the young woman replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened! The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" the mother asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" Think of this: Which 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? Did 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? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

The wise teacher and the jar

There was once a very wise teacher, whose words of wisdom students would come from far and wide to hear. One day as usual, many students began to gather in the teaching room. They came in and sat down very quietly, looking to the front with keen anticipation, ready to hear what the teacher had to say.

Eventually the teacher came in and sat down in front of the students. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. On one side of the teacher was a large glass jar. On the other side was a pile of dark grey rocks. Without saying a word, the teacher began to pick up the rocks one by one and place them very carefully in the glass jar (Plonk. Plonk.) When all the rocks were in the jar, the teacher turned to the students and asked, 'Is the jar full?' 'Yes,' said the students. 'Yes, teacher, the jar is full'.

Without saying a word, the teacher began to drop small round pink pebbles carefully into the large glass jar so that they fell down between the rocks. (Clickety click. Clickety click.) When all the pebbles were in the jar, the teacher turned to the students and asked, 'Is the jar now full?' The students looked at one another and then some of them started nodding and saying, 'Yes. Yes, teacher, the jar is now full. Yes'.

Without saying a word, the teacher took some fine silver sand and let it trickle with a gentle sighing sound into the large glass jar (whoosh) where it settled around the pink pebbles and the dark grey rocks. When all the sand was in the jar, the teacher turned to the students and asked, 'Is the jar now full?'

The students were not so confident this time, but the sand had clearly filled all the space in the jar so a few still nodded and said, 'Yes, teacher, the jar is now full. Now it's full'.

Without saving a word, the teacher took a jug of water and poured it carefully, without splashing a drop, into the large glass jar. (Gloog. Gloog.)

When the water reached the brim, the teacher turned to the students and asked, 'Is the jar now full?' Most of the students were silent, but two or three ventured to answer, 'Yes, teacher, the jar is now full. Now it is'.

Without saying a word, the teacher took a handful of salt and sprinkled it slowly over the top of the water with a very quiet whishing sound. (Whish.) When all the salt had dissolved into the water, the teacher turned to the students and asked once more, 'Is the jar now full?' The students were totally silent. Eventually one brave student said, 'Yes, teacher. The jar is now full'. 'Yes,' said the teacher 'The jar is now full'.

The teacher then said: 'A story always has many meanings and you will each have understood many things from this demonstration. Discuss quietly amongst yourselves what meanings the story has for you. How many different messages can you find in it and take from it?'

The students looked at the wise teacher and at the beautiful glass jar filled with grey rocks, pink pebbles, silver sand, water and salt. Then they quietly discussed with one another the meanings the story had for them. After a few minutes, the wise teacher raised one hand and the room fell silent. 

And without saying another word, the teacher got up and left the room.

The teacher said: 'Remember that there is never just one interpretation of anything. You have all taken away many meanings and messages from the story, and each meaning is as important and as valid as any other'. 

The mouse trap 

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. "What food might this contain?" the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap. 

Retreating 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 "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it." 

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 sympathized, but said "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers." 

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 "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." 

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone. 

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever. 

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer's wife did not get well; she died. So many! people came for her funeral; the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. 

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness. So, the next 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 risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another. Each of us is a vital thread in another person's tapestry.

Dear friends in our life  we too may be like that chicken, cow or the pig who do not bother what others say to us. We may think that is not my concern or my cup of tea. But it is good to know something is happening around. It is good to be aware of the events and warnings that comes on our way by the passing comments or remarks of our friends and companions. We live in families and communities and every concern of the other is the concern of the community and vice-versa. We need to take step and concern in matters which affects everyone of us. So let us not be negligent in our attitudes and thinking pattern but be more of a person who is there for the welfare of all. 

Unconditional Love - motivating story

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.

"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."

"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."

"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."

Dear friends as we are in the midst of FRIENDSHIP week this story tells us about an attitude of a real friend. We do have lots of friends with whom we walk, talk, eat but do we have the courage like the soldier who was willing to bring his injured friend to his home to live on with him? 

Remember, 

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Enjoy the Friendship week with your friends.

 

A TEACHER’S SURVIVAL KIT FOR EVERYDAY LIVING

Dear friends in our life we have to take the role of a teacher in one way or the other. As parents, elder brothers, sisters, friends, coach and so on we have to help out others in their growth and life. Life itself is a teacher and teaches us great lessons. But we need to remind ourselves of certain elements which will enable the students to come up in their life and to cope up with their life. If we see in today’s post-modern era teachers are more of money minded and result oriented. They look at students as objects or machines which can be fed in what the teacher want and they in return want the best result or product. We become too strict and demanding and we punish our students. In this process we teachers can forget about the human aspect of the student.

Off late I saw a movie entitled “School of Life”, where we can see the difference between two teachers. One is more worried to win the Best Teacher Trophy which his father has been getting for the past 25 yrs. He is more worried after his father dies to continue the history. On the other hand a young teacher is not worried about it but he is more interested in building his relationship with his students and helping out in their life. All the students love him and they do well. To cut the long story short, the former teacher finds out that the later teacher was about to die since he was suffering from cancer. It is at this moment he changes his approach and begins to be like the young teacher. These are the few things which the movie portrays in a strong way.

So let’s have a look at the survival kit of the teacher in order to build our relationship with our students. Let each item remind us of something about ourselves and about our students. What matters is not the result but how we deal with our students and also what kind of relationship we strike with them. The - Original Author is Unknown, later on Charles Nelson and his fellow teachers adapted for the teachers in South Carolina

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1. Rubber Band: It reminds the teachers that they have to be flexible. Things don’t always go the way we plan. But flexibility will help to work it out.

  

2. Band Aid: It reminds the teachers that sometimes we do more than teach. That we help heal hurt feelings, broken dreams, and lend an ear to a problem.

3. Pencil: It reminds us to be thankful and we should list our blessing daily. But also encourage our students to list their blessings and to be proud of their accomplishments.

4. Eraser: It reminds us to allow students to know we are human and make mistakes just like they do, and its ok. We must all be able to learn from our mistakes.

5. Chewing Gum: It reminds us to stick with it and encourage our students to do like wise. Even the impossible task or assignments can be accomplished by sticking to it.

6. Mint: It reminds us and our students we are worth a mint. We may not be paid a mint, but are worth one.

  

7. Candy Kiss: It reminds us that everyone needs a hug, kiss, or warm fuzzy everyday. All teachers, students, parents and even administrators.

8. Tea Bag: It reminds us we need time to relax, go over our blessing, and take time for others. Family, husbands, wives, friends, children need quality time together.

9. Toothpick: It reminds us to look for the good qualities in our students. You may be the only teacher who says something positive to them that day.

       A teacher must be willing to show their students how much they care!!!

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

Success is speaking words of praise

In cheering other people’s ways;

In doing just the best you can;

With every task and every plan.

It’s silence when your speech would hurt,

Politeness when your nieghobur’s hurt.

It’s deafness when scandal flows;

Any sympathy with other’s woes.

It’s loyalty when duty calls

It’s courage when disaster falls,

It’s patience when the hours are long;

It’s found in laughter and in song.

It’s in the silent time of prayer

In happiness and in despair,

In all of life and nothing less

We find the things we call success.

-UNKNOWN

So dear friends, do you think you are successful after having read the above statements? If not why don't we give a try to become a success by following some of the statements. I am sure you and I will be a successful person if we follow the above sayings. So let's give a try and see whether we can find the things we call success.