Who you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say

At the beginning of my 8:00 a.m. class one Monday at University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), I cheerfully asked my students how their weekend had been. One young man said that his weekend had not been very good. He’d had his wisdom teeth extracted. The young man then proceeded to ask me why I always seemed to be so cheerful. His question reminded me of something I'd read somewhere before: “Every morning when you get up, you have a choice about how you want to approach life that day,” I said to the young man. “I choose to be cheerful". “Let me give you an example,” I continued.

The other sixty students in the class ceased their chatter and began to listen to our conversation. “In addition to teaching here at UNLV, I also teach out at the community college in Henderson, about seventeen miles down the freeway from where I live. One day a few weeks ago I drove those seventeen miles to Henderson. I exited the freeway and turned onto College Drive. I only had to drive another quarter-mile down the road to the college. But just then my car died. I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. So I put my flashers on, grabbed my books, and marched down the road to the college.

“As soon as I got there I called AAA and asked them to send a tow truck. The secretary in the Provost's office asked me what had happened. ‘This is my lucky day,’ I replied, smiling. “‘Your car breaks down and today is your lucky day?’ She was puzzled. ‘What do you mean?’

“‘I live seventeen miles from here.’ I replied. ‘My car could have broken down anywhere along the freeway. It didn't. Instead, it broke down in the perfect place: off the freeway, within walking distance of here. I'm still able to teach my class, and I've been able to arrange for the tow truck to meet me after class. If my car was meant to break down today, it couldn't have been arranged in a more convenient fashion.’ “The secretary's eyes opened wide, and then she smiled. I smiled back and headed for class.” So ended my story to the students in my economics class at UNLV.

I scanned the sixty faces in the lecture hall. Despite the early hour, no one seemed to be asleep. Somehow, my story had touched them. Or maybe it wasn't the story at all. In fact, it had all started with a student's observation that I was cheerful. A wise man once said, “Who you are speaks louder to me than anything you can say.” I suppose it must be so.

Author: Lee Ryan Miller - story from his book "Teaching Amidst the Neon Palm Trees" 

A Bamboo Tree

A farmer had a cluster of beautiful bamboo trees. One day he stood before the tallest one and said, "My friend, I need you." "Sir," said the bamboo, "Use me in any way you wish, I am ready." Then the gardener's voice became serious and he said, "In order to use you, I've got to split you in half." Then the bamboo reacted, "Split me" Oh, no... I'm the nicest bamboo in this garden. Use me in any way you wish, but please don't split me in half." "Well," said the gardener, "if I can't split you, I can't use you." The bamboo went silent. Then it bowed its head and said, "Okay. If the only way you can use me, is by splitting me, go ahead." "But that's not all," said the gardener. "I am going to have to cut off all your branches." "That will be the end of my beauty," the bamboo said. "But - if that's the only way I can be of use - cut me down altogether." So the farmer cut down the bamboo, removed its branches and split it down the middle. After hollowing out its insides, he brought it to a spring of water. It became a pipe to bring water to the gardens and make them fertile and fruitful.

It gave its life to help other lives. Everyday right around us people are giving their lives that we might live... Take our parents, our teachers, ... friends. Above all Christ gave His life for us. Are you ready to sacrifice your life for others benefit? Are you ready to split yourself, cut yourself in order to enrich others?  

READ THE FOLLOWING CREED EVERYDAY WITHOUT FAIL

I believe in myself. I believe in those who work with me. I believe in my employer. I believe in my friends. I believe in my family. I believe that God will lend me everything. I need with which to succeed if I do my best to earn it through faithful and honest service. I believe in prayer and I will never close my eyes in sleep without praying for divine guidance to the end that I will be patient with other people and tolerant with those who do not believe as I do. I believe that success is the result of intelligent effort and does not depend upon luck or sharp practices or double-crossing friends, fellow men or my employer. I believe I will get out of life exactly what I put into it, therefore I will be careful to conduct myself toward others as I would want them to act toward me. I will not slander those whom I do not like. I will not slight my work no matter what I may see other doing. I will render the best service o f which I ma capable because I have pledged myself to succeed in life and I know that success is always the result of conscientious and efficient effort. Finally, I will forgive those who offend me because I realize that I shall some time offend and I will need their forgiveness. 

DETERMINATION

To persevere is always a reflection of the state of one’s inner life, one’s philosophy and one’s perspective.”

- David Guterson Snow in Falling on Cedars.

Conversation of Johnny and Mamma after having observed Fr Bartholomew Dassano.

 Johnny Bosco: “If I were a priest, I should always be in the midst of the children – calling them around me – making them love me. In their ears I would whisper a word of good advice: my whole life would be consecrated to them. Oh, how I wish I could have the consolation of speaking, if only for a few minutes, with the Parish Priest. I want him to give me just one good though; one little piece of advice. It surely could not take him more than a minute.

Mamma: “Don’t you see that he’s got sermons to preach, confessions to hear and all the others cares of the parish on his shoulders?”

Johnny Bosco: “I know all this, but surely we, boys, are also of his flock.”

Mamma: “Yes, indeed you are, but he has no time to waste on you.”

Johnny Bosco: “Then was Jesus losing time when He called the little ones to His saying, ‘Allow little children come to Me. “When I am a priest you will see that I will give myself up entirely to the children. You will not see me walking about with a serious face. But I will hasten to them and be always the first to speak to them.”

Rest of the story we all know how Johnny Bosco moves along and becomes a priest who gives his life for the poor and abandoned youth. He is able to pave the way to fulfill his dream and determination. He is ever ready to die for his boys. His motto “Give me souls, take away the rest”, summarizes his determination and the words he uttered when he had a bad experience with Fr Dassano his parish priest then.

Don Bosco did not allow the incident to go off like that but he made a firm determination that he will not be like Fr Dassano. He made use of this bad experience into something enriching for himself.

Dear friends, are we able to enrich ourselves when we come across any bad experiences in our lives? How determined are we? Have we thought of becoming someone especial? Do you want to float on the river bank or do you want to swim against the current?

Remember, the words of Abraham Lincoln;

  “Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way.”

TIME IS EVERYTHING IN LIFE,

 MAKE THE BEST USE OF IT

Time is the inexplicable raw material of everything. With it all is possible; without it, nothing. The supply of time is truly a daily miracle, and affair genuinely astonishing when one examine it. You wake up in the morning, and lo! Your purse is magically filled with twenty-four hours of the unmanufactured tissues of the universe of your life! It is yours. It is the most precious of possessions…No one can take it form you. It is unstealable. And no one receives either more or less than you receive.

In the realm of time there is no aristocracy of wealth, and no aristocracy of intellect. Genius is never rewarded by even an extra hour a day. And there is no punishment. Waste your infinitely precious commodity as much as you will, and the supply will never be withheld form you… Moreover, you cannot draw on the future. Impossible to get waste to-morrow; it is kept for you. You cannot waste the nest hour; it is kept for you.

- Arnold Bennett

Dear friends how do we make use of our time? Do we make use of it or do we waste it? Today let's make use of it to the full capacity. 

The Praying Hands

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood.

Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer, the Elder's, children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one -- no one - - ever makes it alone!

Remember to sincerely thank those who have helped you to get where you are!

Source: www.astrogemswww.astrogems.com/stories.php.com/stories.php

I was 20 and had just finished my first degree when I aksed my father's advice on how to approach the world of work. He had a long and distinguished career in the Indian Army and rose to become commander-in-chief of a million men. He was a soldier's soldier and his men adored him. His manner was strict and firm, but he was very friendly. He appreciated and trusted people and gave then freedom.

"Come and see me in my office if you want to talk to me about work" he said. So I made an appointment with his ADC and went to see him. He had a huge office and I felt very small.

"You are starting out and you will be given a lot of tasks to fulfill" he said. "The first thing is always to do something to the best of your ability. Then the second time you do it, give it that little bit extra". What he was saying was: "Take the initiative; be innovative; be creative. Always go the extra mile."

Source: Karan Bilimoria, founder and chief executive of Cobra Beer, speaking to Sheridan Winn for "Business Life".

Dear friends, even in the Gospel we come across Jesus telling His disciples to go an extra mile if somebody ask them to go with them."If someone takes your coat, give him your cloak as well; if he makes you go a mile with him, go with him two." [Mathew]  It is always good to put our energy and strength or heart fully into what we do. We can do better if we put a bit extra effort from our side. So today let's "Take the initiative; be innovative; be creative. Always go the extra mile."

Always render more and better service than is expected of you, no matter what your task may be.  -Mandino, Og

---