Food for your mind : Two Pots

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the House, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, Perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was Ashamed of its own imperfection. And miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes Water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my Flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw. So I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house?

Moral of the story: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life.

Food for your mind : LOGICAL THINKING

Many years ago in a small Indian village,
A farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.
He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.
They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag.
He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.
The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.
What would you recommend to the girl to do?
Try to answer before scrolling down.
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Well, here is what she did ....
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."
Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't attempt to think.

Food for your mind : attitude

It’s Attitude which made the difference!!! Once there was an Old man with 3 sons, he felt none of his sons are matured to be on their own legs. He owned a small land property as had became very old he want to give that to his son. But he never had a thought of splitting his property rather than he wants to give it fully to one of his son who is highly talented. So he called all his sons & gave them 10 combs each. He asked them to sell it to the Buddhist Monks in the mountain. He specified as Monks just to confuse them as actually all the monks in the mountain would be shaved headed.
But the three sons understood that his father wants them to sell those combs.
First son, He went to the mountain on the way he saw devotees coming very tiered & dull face. They refreshed themselves before starting to their home. He studied the situation & he opened a small sales point to sell the combs at the place where people used to refresh. He found very easy to sell all his combs to the devotees for Rs: 5 / comb. He returned to his Dad with total of
Second son, Went to the top of the mountain as it is a tourist place he saw many devotees taking photos on the sceneries. There was all type of shops except for combs & other make up kits .So he opened a small sales point in the top of the mountain & sold all his combs for Rs. 10/ combs. He also took additional order for another 100 combs on the next day. He returned to his Dad with total of
Third son, after his both brothers returned home with money he went to the mountain. Really it was a tough situation to sell his combs since both his brothers had used all the easy chance of selling the product. He did not give up his hope. He studied the devotee’s mindset that, they were trying to find something in the shops as a remembrance of their trip to this Mountain. So he came up with a brilliant idea of writing the golden gospel of Lord Buddha in the comb. This attracted most of the tourist and they were ready to buy that comb on any cost as a Remembrance of their trip .He sold each comb for Rs: 100 and made a grand total of
It was because of his attitude third son was able to adjusting to the situation by thinking differently. He was not only able to impress his dad but also the minds of many young aspirates Rs 50 as the first person to sell. His dad was Happy on seeing his cleverness. Rs: 100 as the second person to sell. His dad was very happy on seeing his talent. Rs: 1000 to his dad. Since his business dragged many foreigners too he had an extra order of 1000 more combs.

Food for your mind : Team work that really Matters

It is a good story for all of us to hear relating to careers and social life........ ....very true... Once upon a time a Washer man was bringing up two donkeys. Let us say Donkey-A Donkey B Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other. It always tried to pull the washer man’s attraction over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him. Innocent Donkey-B is normal, so it will walk normal, irrespective of the washer man’s presence. After a period of time, Washer man started pressurizing Donkey-B to be like Donkey-A. But Donkey-B unable to walk fast got continuous punishment from washer man. It was crying and told personally to Donkey-A "Dear friend, only we two are here, why to compete with each other....we can carry equal load at normal speed ". That made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washer man that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also. Obviously happier washer man looked at Donkey-B.., his BP raised and he started kicking Donkey-B. Next day with smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast. But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn't act that way....But the washer man was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly. Then Donkey-A felt itself as a supremo and happily started carrying more load with great speed. But now the Load of the Donkey-B is also being carried by Donkey-A., and still it has to run fast. For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it got tired and started feeling the pain. But washer man expected more from Donkey-A. It also tried best, but couldn't cope up with his owners demand. The Washer man got angry with Donkey-A also and started harassing to take more moral of the Story in Corporate and Social life is......, "Think all colleagues are same and that everyone is capable... Always share the Load equally..... Don't ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit. .. Don't feel happy when ur colleague is under pressure. " It doesn't matter if u r A or B, for the Boss you shall be always DONKEY And most importantly Never Work Hard, Work Cleverly.... .and Work as aTeam
Team work that matters 
load... Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best... But it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction. Finally the day came when due to frustration the washer man killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys. It’s an endless story....... .. But the

Food for your mind : Pencil and Eraser

Pencil and Eraser

Pencil: I'm sorry

Eraser: For what? You didn't do anything wrong.

Pencil: I'm sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you're always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.

Eraser: That's true. But I don't really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I'll be gone and you'll replace me with a new one, I'm actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad.

I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They're always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad. All my life, I've been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I'm left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have.

Food for your mind : What goes around comes around

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.

Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”

Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.

Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.

A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.

After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.

There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.”
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.

Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard….
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”

There is an old saying “What goes around comes around.”

Food for your mind : You are a masterpiece

*A plum once said, "Just because a banana lover came by, I converted myself into a banana. Unfortunately, his taste changed after a few months and so I became an orange. When he said I was bitter I became an apple, but he went in search of grapes. Yielding to the opinions of so many people, I have changed so many times that I no more know who I am. How I wish I had remained a plum and waited for a plum lover."
Just because a group of people do not accept you as you are, there is no necessity for you to strip yourself of your originality. You need to think good of yourself, for the world takes you at your own estimate. Never stoop down in order to gain recognition. Never let go of your true self to win a relationship. In the long run, you will regret that you traded your greatest glory – your uniqueness, for momentary validation. Even Gandhi was not accepted by many people. The group that does not accept you as you is not your world.
There is a world for each one of you, where you shall reign as king /queen by just being yourself. Find that world… in fact, that world will find you.
What water can do, gasoline cannot and what copper can, gold cannot. The fragility of the ant enables it to move and the rigidity of the tree enables it to stay rooted. Everything and everybody has been designed with a proportion of uniqueness to serve a purpose that we can fulfill only by being our unique self. You as you alone can serve your purpose and I as I alone can serve my purpose. You are here to be you… just you.
There was a time in this world when a Christ was required and he was sent;a time when a Mahatma was required and he was sent; a time when a J.R.D.Tata was required and he was sent. There came a time when you were required on this planet and hence you were sent. Let us be the best we can be. Don’t miss yourself and let the world not miss you.
In the history of the universe, there has been nobody like you and to the infinite of time to come, there will be no one like you. Existence should have loved you so much that it broke the mold after making you, so that another of your kind will never get repeated. You are original. You are rare. You are unique. You are a wonder. You are a masterpiece… your Master’s piece. Celebrate your Uniqueness.

Food for your mind : There is no Ctrl + Z in life

Once there was a Software Engineer who participated in a Crorepati event. He have answered 14 Questions out of 15 with a cash prize of Rs. 25,00,000 . The game had a rule as either the participant can leave the game at any point before the 15th Question & if the 15th Question challenge is accepted his prize amount will depend only based on result of that question as it is a Jackpot question which is a Yes or No type. If the answer is correct he will get "1,00,00,000 Rupees" and if incase he answered wrongly he will get "0 Rupee" . th Question 1000 times in his mind & became a mental sick on it . th Question & 0 rupee. Thinking about his yesterday he was speechless, restless, helpless. Days went but his mind & memories were still on that 15th Question lost his concentration on his work. Unfortunately he had a client visit on the upcoming days where he should take his lead role is organizing it but because of his lack of attention & responsibility a bad impression was created on him and at last he was fired. Nothing can be undone. But anything can be redone Use the Experience of today & maturity to build tomorrow as more successful .
Keep Goingggggggg !!!!!!
This Guy took the decision to accept the challenge, he got an ordinary question with medium toughness but in tension he choose a wrong option! This whitewashed his entire prize money and made it as 0 Rupee. He was totally drowned; he felt like he should not have accepted the challenge & he scolded, insulted himself for choosing wrong answer. He questioned his 15
On the very next day he reached office but with his mind on those lost minutes, his 15
"Man often squander his today by thinking about his Yesterday. He has to understand that there is No Ctrl + Z in life. Once milk spilled is spilled!! .
So Never Look back at your life & feel for your Mistakes.

Food For your mind : Dont be so fast in life

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?" The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice: Listen to the whisper ... or wait for the brick!
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!

Food for mind : Facing adversity positively

There was man who used to live with his family and a dog. The dog had been with the family for quite a long time and had grown old. With age the family had slowly began to realize that the dog was becoming useless and they now required a new dog who could serve them better.

One day the man took his dog for a walk, the street was deserted and it was getting dark. Suddenly the dog fell into an old well and started howling for help. The man looked around him and found no help. Soon enough the man realized that the dog was not worth the trouble of saving. So instead of saving the he decided to bury the dog in the well and put him out of his misery.

The man found a shovel nearby, he used it to dig dirt and throw them into the well. Initially the dog started panicking and howling even more, but sooner he realized that it was of no use. Once the dog regained its calmness a thought suddenly struck him. If only he could use the situation to his advantage he would get out of the well safe. He realized that he has to just shake of the mud over him and step on the accumulated dirt to rise up slowly.

For the whole night the man shoved mud into the well and the dog just shook them and stood on a pile of dirt. Finally at dawn break when the whole of well was covered in mud, the old dog found himself out of the well safe. Seeing his brilliance the man burst into tears and hugged the old friend.

This is life and how we face our problem and deal with it positively. No matter how much worse the situation is, being calm and having a positive attitude will ensure that we emerge victorious.

Food for your mind : 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 words, 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.
Moral of the story:
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful.

Food for your mind : This is called INNOVATION

Japanese grocery stores had a problem. They are much smaller than shops in the USA and therefore don't have room to waste. Watermelons, big and round, wasted a lot of space. Most people would simply tell the grocery stores that watermelons grow round and there is nothing that can be done about it. That is how majority of people would respond. But some Japanese farmers took a different approach. If the supermarkets wanted a square watermelon, they asked themselves, 'How can we provide one?' It wasn't long before they invented the square watermelon.  

The solution to the problem of round watermelons was not to solve as the farmers did not assume it was impossible - and simply asked how it could be done.  They found out that if you place the watermelon in a square box when they are growing, the watermelon will take on the shape of the box - and grow into a square fruit.  

  

This made the grocery stores happy and had the added benefit that it was much easier and cost effective to ship the watermelons. Consumers also loved them because they took less space in their refrigerators which are much smaller than those in the US meaning that the growers could charge a premium price for them.

DOES THIS MESSAGE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO IN LIFE?

YES!!!
DON'T ASSUME:

The major problem was that most people had always seen round watermelons so they automatically assumed that square watermelons were impossible before even thinking about the question.. Things that you have been doing a certain way your entire life have taken on the aura of the round watermelon and you likely don't even take the time to consider if there is another way to do it. Breaking yourself from assuming this way can greatly improve your overall life as you are constantly looking for new and better ways to do things.

QUESTION HABITS:

The best way to tackle these assumptions is to question your habits. If you can make an effort to question the way you do things on a consistent basis, you will find that you can continually improve the way that you work. Forming habits when they have been well thought out is usually a positive thing, but most of us have adopted our habits from various people and places without even thinking about them.

BE CREATIVE:

When faced with a problem, be creative in looking for a solution. This often requires thinking outside the box. Most people who viewed this question likely thought they were being asked how they could genetically alter water melons to grow square which would be a much more difficult process to accomplish. By looking at the question from an alternative perspective, however, the solution was quite simple. Being creative and looking at things in different ways in all portions of your live will help you find solutions to many problems where others can't see them.

LOOK FOR A BETTER WAY :

The square watermelon question was simply seeking a better and more convenient way to do something. The stores had flagged a problem they were having and asked if a solution was possible. It's impossible to find a better way if you are never asking the question in the first place. Get into the habit of asking yourself, 'Is there a better way I could be doing this?' and you will find there often is.

IMPOSSIBILITIES JUST DON'T EXIST:

If you begin with the notion that something is impossible, then it obviously will be for you. If, on the other hand, you decide to see if something is possible or not, you will find out through trial and error.

Take away the lessons from the square watermelons and apply them to all areas in your life (work, finances, relationships, etc) and you will find that by consistently applying them, you will constantly be improving all aspects of your life.

I AM SURE WE CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE IF WE REALLY WANT TO. YOU ARE WHAT YOU BELIEVE; BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. 

Food for your mind : How could you win?

Chuan and Jing joined a wholesale company together just after graduation. Both worked very hard.
After several years, the boss promoted Jing to sales executive but Chuan remained a sales rep. One day Chuan could not take it anymore, tender resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not value hard working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that Chuan worked very hard for the years, but in order to help Chuan realize the difference between him and Jing, the boss asked Chuan to do the following. Go and find out anyone selling water melon in the market? Chuan returned and said yes. The boss asked how much per kg? Chuan went back to the market to ask and returned to inform boss the $12 per kg.
Boss told Chuan, I will ask Jing the same question? Jing went, returned and said, boss, only one person selling water melon. $12 per kg, $100 for 10 kg, he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 15 kg, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.
Chuan was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Jing. He decided not to resign but to learn from Jing.
My dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, think more and understand in depth. For the same matter, a more successful person sees several years ahead, while you see only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, how could you win?
Think! how far have you seen ahead in your life? How thoughtful in depth are you

food for your mind : Power of Words

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.

Food for your mind : A Shared Vision

One day a traveler, walking along a lane, came across 3 stonecutters working in a quarry.
Each was busy cutting a block of stone.
Interested to find out what they were working on, he asked the first stonecutter what he was doing.
"I am cutting a stone!"
Still no wiser the traveler turned to the second stonecutter and asked him what he was doing.
"I am cutting this block of stone to make sure that it’s square, and its dimensions are uniform, so that it will fit exactly in its place in a wall."
A bit closer to finding out what the stonecutters were working on but still unclear, the traveler turned to the third stonecutter.
He seemed to be the happiest of the three and when asked what he was doing replied: "I am building a cathedral." Real leadership quality is demonstrated through both seeing that picture, and through ensuring others see it. By building a shared vision.

Food for your mind : Be The Coffee Beans

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 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 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. I
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, n 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 you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. 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 coffee beans
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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? were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? 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, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and 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 flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. May we all be COFFEE

Food for your mind : CONFIDENCE

Meet Terry, a high-school freshman who wanted to tryout for the boy's basketball team. He was the last guy you would wanna pick on your team. He had no ball-handle, no speed, missed most of his shots, and could not jump for anything. When he tried out, the coach told him, "Forget about basketball, try chess". Now Terry was a very confident kid who had it in his mind he would be not only make the team but be better than everyone on the team. He looked at the list to see if he made the team. Not even close. He was upset, but he knew that he had three more years to make the team and that's when he trained. When the team had practice he would watch. After they practiced he would take shots. Mostly misses. He practiced dribbling. Kept losing the ball. Frustrated but not giving up he came up with a strategy. For one year, he would dribble his ball everywhere. He would watch the great dribblers in the NBA and NCAA. He would pay attention how they shot and how they dribbled. On the court, he would play the best players. Putting himself at a disadvantage by playing one-on-two. They treated him like he wasn't even there. They beat him so bad that it was embarrassing. He didn't see it that way. He saw it as dragging a heavy weight until that heavy weight felt weightless. He played everyday and got beat everyday. He fine-tuned his game and repeated. This went on for one year.

Basketball tryouts was starting in one week. He made sure he didn't miss the chance to sign up. He played against the people that made the team the previous year. He would play one-on-twos. They would laugh at him because he was getting destroyed and tired. He still kept the "heavy weight" mentality. During tryouts, he was the fastest on defense. His defense was like a wall--hard to go through. His ball-handle was smooth. He was able to go through people with ease. His shots were dropping like rain drops in a barrel. The final day he went to the wall to see if his name was on the list. He made it! Not only made it but he was a starter. The kids that were on the team last year looked at him with much respect. He was right...he would not only make the team, but be better than the team.

He was able to accomplish all this because he already had it in his mind that he would make it. Hard work and strategy is what got him on the team as a starter. He is the prime example that confidence starts in the mind.

Food for your mind : Story of Hell or Heaven after death

There was a man who had a strong belief as there should be something after everyone’s death either Hell or Heaven, so he was good to himself and to his surroundings. When time came for him to say Goodbye to the world he was brought before the GOD. He was very curious to know where he will be send. He asked GOD "Is there really a Hell & Heaven, if so where I will be send?" .On hearing it GOD gave a big smile and he gave him a Choice to choose, he showed two houses one on his right hand side & another on his left hand side and asked him to choose. On over curiosity he said he needs to look on both the houses & then only he will decide. He assumes those two houses as one to be hell & another to be heaven in his mind.
First he went to Hell house, it was really amazing neatly furnished, with lots and lots of different variety of food items & many people were around it. The thing he noted is all the food items are kept in separate gatherings in separate tables with one person on each table. But NO ONE IS EATING, no one is happy, no one is healthy everybody was weak in that house.
Secondly he went to heaven house, it was too really amazing neatly furnished with lots of food items & many people were around it. Here all the food items are placed in a common table and all the people are together eating, singing & enjoying. Everybody looked healthy & happy in that house.
This Guy came to the GOD as he was little confused since everything was same between the two houses but in one house people was weak , sad , no one was eating or chatting but in another people where happier , healthier , eating , chatting & enjoying together .He asked the reason to GOD. For that GOD replied.
Son, you have not clearly noticed them. All those people in both the houses were tied with a 4 feet spoon & fork to their hands. In One House, people are so selfish that they want to have those food themselves so they separated, discriminated & named even the tables as their property. They tried to intake those food themselves since they can’t they are not able to eat and they were weak.
But in the another house people loved each other , so they were together .They helped the person next to him to feed hence they were eating and they were healthy, happy & enjoying .
GOD said him that HELL & HEAVEN is not something which is away from Earth .Its only up to us how we behave with our surroundings either to make your place as HELL or HEAVEN .