Thought 30APR2009

LOVE CAN LAST FOREVER
I can honestly say it was the best of times and the worst of times. I was joyfully expecting my first child at the same time that my once-energetic, zestful mother was losing her battle with a brain tumor. For ten years, my fiercely independent and courageous mother had fought, but none of the surgeries or treatments had been successful. Still, she never lost her ability to smile. But now, finally, at only fifty-five, she became totally disabled - unable to speak, walk, eat or dress on her own. As she grew closer and closer to death, my baby grew closer and closer to life inside me. My biggest fear was that their lives would never connect. I grieved not only for the upcoming loss of my mother, but also that she and my baby would never know each other.

My fear seemed well-founded. A few weeks before my due date, Mother lapsed into a deep coma. Her doctors did not hold any hope; they told us her time was up. It was useless to put in a feeding tube, they said; she would never awaken. We brought Mother home to her own bed in her own house, and we insisted on care to keep her comfortable. As often as I could, I sat beside her and talked to her about the baby moving inside me. I hoped that somehow deep inside, she knew. On February 3, 1989, at about the same time my labor started, Mother opened her eyes. When they told me this at the hospital, I called her home and asked for the phone to be put to Mom's ear.

"Mom - Mom - listen. The baby is coming! You're going to have a new grandchild. Do you understand?" "Yes!" What a wonderful word! The first clear word she'd spoken in months! When I called again an hour later, the nurse at her house told me the impossible: Mom was sitting up, her oxygen tubes removed. She was smiling. "Mom, it's a boy! You have a new grandson!" "Yes! Yes! I know!" Four words. Four beautiful words. By the time I brought Jacob home, Mom was sitting in her chair, dressed and ready to welcome him. Tears of joy blocked my vision as I laid my son in her arms and she clucked at him. They stared at each other. They knew. For two more weeks, Mother clucked, smiled and held Jacob. For two weeks she spoke to my father, her children and grandchildren in complete sentences. For two miracle weeks, she gave us joy.

Then she quietly slipped back into a coma and, after visits from all her children, was finally free of the pain and confines of a body that no longer did her will. Memories of my son's birth will always be bittersweet for me, but it was at this time that I learned an important truth about living. For while both joy and sorrow are fleeting, and often intertwined, love has the power to overcome both. And love can last forever.
By Deb Plouse Fulton - from A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul, Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff
It is honourable to be accused by those who deserve to be accused - Latin Proverb

Thought 29APR2009

CROSSING OVER
It was a cool autumn day. Clouds overshadowed the canopy of blue, as if God wanted to hide the sun's great splendor. The winds whispered by as leaves rustled to the ground. A day to remember, that was. The day young women everywhere wait their whole lives for, and I knew in my heart I would treasure those moments forever. Before me stood a young man with whom I had shared my vast secrets and enchanted moments. I had whispered promises in his ear and did my best to fulfill them. I had never trusted anyone with the key to my heart until he entered my life. Now, I knew the only safe place for this key to remain was with him.

This was a first for both of us. We gazed nervously in each other's eyes, waiting for the other to make the first move. I was unsure if we were ready for this. Making a hasty decision like this could be so devastating to our lives. We stood there in silence for what seemed an eternity. Echoes from the past rang endlessly in my mind. The laughter and tears we had shared will forever be held in a special place in my heart. My emotions were so vulnerable at that point. Part of me wanted to run and hide, and the other said, "Go ahead. It's time."

Then just as if he were reading my mind, he gently grasped my hand, sending a cold chill up my spine and erasing all my doubt. With his soft voice, he whispered, "It's time." I stood back to take one last glance at him to remember how he looked before we took this major step. Never again would I look at him as I do now. Things would be different once we crossed over; we couldn't look back. Once again our eyes met. If only we could cease time and steal those moments away in our hearts forever. Neither he nor I would ever feel as we did then. There's only one first time for everything, and this was it.

I wrapped my arms around him and playfully kissed the tip of his nose, then I whispered softly in his ear, "I love you." Then it happened - the moment we both had been waiting for. I'll never forget that day or the silly grin on his face afterward. Tears streamed down my face as he crossed the street to step onto the big yellow school bus. Then he turned to me and said, "Bye, Mommy. I love you."
By Angela Martin - from A 6th Bowl of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Copyright 1999 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen
Peace is costly, but it is worth the expense - Kenyan Proverb

Thought 28APR2009

RICH BEYOND MEASURE
Today I feel rich beyond measure. What began as a new idea for my department’s celebration of the holiday season has become a very moving and enriching experience. I was tired of the usual "draw names and buy a joke gift for under $15" way of holiday celebration, so I proposed that we try something different. "How about giving each other the gift of acknowledgment?" I asked. Everyone agreed; they were even enthusiastic. A few days before Christmas, six of us gathered in my office. To start, I asked that we all observe a few ground rules. The person whose turn it was to be acknowledged could only say "thank you." I also pointed out that it might be natural to feel uncomfortable giving and receiving acknowledgment, but if some people were truly uncomfortable, they could ask for their acknowledgment in private. Silence and pauses were deemed to be all right. They were probably just opportunities to let the good stuff sink in.

As we began our process, it struck me that the tribes and communities that pass their cultures along through storytelling are very wise people. Invariably, whoever was speaking would tell a story that illustrated the acknowledgment he or she wanted to make. Each of us started our communication by saying to our colleague, "(Name), the gift you give me is ..." As each group member spoke to the person being acknowledged, I began to see sides of my colleagues of which I wasn’t aware. One male staffer acknowledged another male for his state of grace that shone through. Another said, "I rest easy knowing you are the one in your position." Other comments included: "You give me the gift of your patience," "You listen to me," "I knew the moment I met you that I belonged here," and so on. It was a privilege to be there.

The spirit and connectedness we shared for those 60 minutes became bigger than we were. When we finished, no one wanted to speak; we didn’t want to break the spell. It had been woven with heartfelt, authentic, simple truths that we had shared with each other. We were all humbled and enriched by it. I believe we will always treasure the gifts we gave each other that day. I know how priceless my own acknowledgments were for me. It cost each of us nothing but our willingness to see the gifts in others and to speak it out loud.
By Christine Barnes - from Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work - Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss
If you kick a stone in anger, you'll hurt your own foot - Korean Proverb

Thought 27APR2009

FOREVER YOUNG
Something very strange has happened over the course of my twenty-six-year marriage. My parents have grown older. Our children are ready to leave the nest. But I have not aged. I know the years have passed because I can feel the losses. Gone are the size-twelve jeans and platform shoes. Gone is the eager face of a young girl ready to meet any challenge. But somehow, like Tinkerbell, I have been suspended in time. Because in the eyes and soul of my husband... I am still, and will always be... eighteen, as carefree and whimsical as the day we met. He still calls me his "cutie." He takes me to scary movies, where we sit in a theater filled with screaming teenagers. We hold hands and share popcorn, just as we did so many years ago. We still chase fire engines and eat at diners and listen to sixties rock and roll.

"You would look good in that" he says, pointing to a beautiful girl walking in the mall. She has blond hair flowing down the middle of her back and is wearing a tank top and short-shorts. Did I mention she's about twenty? I want to laugh out loud, but I know better. He's serious. Every July, he takes me to the county fair. On a hot summer night, we stroll across dusty fairgrounds taking in the sights and sounds. We eat corn on the cob, and he buys me tacky souvenirs. Pitchmen call out to us from booths along the midway. He throws darts at a board of balloons, trying year after year to win the giant stuffed bear. While others our age are stopping to rest on benches, we're riding the rides. Up, down and around, we're holding on tight as the creaking wheels of the roller coaster make their final loop. As the evening hours come to an end, we're at our favorite place, high on top of the Ferris wheel, sharing pink cotton candy and looking out at a sea of colorful neon lights below.

Sometimes I wonder if he realizes that I have passed four decades. That the children I bore could have children of their own. Doesn't he notice the beginning gray hairs? The lines around my eyes? Does he sense my insecurities? Hear my knees crack when I bend? I watch him... watching me... with young, playful eyes, and know that he does not. In four more decades, I often wonder where we will be. I know we'll be together, but where? In a retirement home? Living with our children? Somehow, these images do not fit. Only one picture is constant and clear. I close my eyes and look far into the future... and I see us... and old man and his cutie. I have white hair. His face is wrinkled. We are not sitting in front of a building watching the world go by. Instead we are high atop a Ferris wheel, holding hands and sharing pink cotton candy under a July moon.
By Shari Cohen - from Chicken Soup for the Couple's Soul, Copyright 1999 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Barbara De Angelis, Mark Donnelly and Chrissy Donnelly
He who refuses to obey cannot command - Kenyan Proverb

Thought 24APR2009

RITES OF PASSAGE
Some of the most poignant moments I spend as a veterinarian are those spent with my clients assisting the transition of my animal patients from this world to the next. When living becomes a burden, whether from pain or loss of normal functions, I can help a family by ensuring that their beloved pet has an easy passing. Making this final decision is painful, and I have often felt powerless to comfort the grieving owners. That was before I met Shane. I had been called to examine a ten-year-old blue heeler named Belker who had developed a serious health problem. The dog’s owners - Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane - were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane could learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me - I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long."
By Robin Downing, D.V.M. - from Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul - Copyright 1998 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Marty Becker and Carol Kline
What you don't see with your eyes, don't invent with your mouth - Jewish Proverb

Thought 23APR2009

SUSPICIONS
One of the earmarks of a good manager is the ability to keep suspicion and rumours to a minimum. Both can be costly - they hurt production and lower morale. Sometimes all it takes to arouse suspicion is a few unexplained facts. Once suspicions are aroused, it's amazing the things people can imagine. To suspicious individuals, two and two invariably add up to a good deal more than four. Unfortunately, people rarely keep their suspicions to themselves. Something that started as speculation may be further enlarged and distorted as it passes along the grapevine. You've seen it happen right in your own organization.

How can you avoid it? The first thing to do is conduct yourself in an open and aboveboard manner. A smart supervisor never acts secretive. The second is to always keep people well informed of what's going on. The supervisor who does this regularly will find people far less susceptible to speculation and rumour. The third thing is to be constantly alert for things that might be misunderstood or misinterpreted and explain them before suspicion and rumour can get started. With a little imagination - and by keeping in close touch with everyone - a supervisor can usually spot incidents that need prompt explanation.

As long as humans are humans, no one can stop suspicion and gossip completely. There will always be a grapevine of one sort or another. Good supervisors, though, can do a great deal to keep suspicions and rumours from developing. They can minimize the damage even though they can't prevent it entirely. And don't forget - you may occasionally be suspicious, too. Nobody's immune. Suspicions can twist your thinking the same way they twist the thinking of the people who work for you. When you're suspicious about something - whether it concerns the people who work for you of the people you work for - don't speculate. Go directly to the people concerned and get the facts. It saves time, worry and ulcers.
Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid
Not to have felt pain is not to have been human - Jewish Proverb

Thought 22APR2009

ZIG ZIGLAR SAYS
"When you turn to God you discover he has been facing you all the time." "You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want." "Make failure your teacher, not your undertaker." "Where you start is not as important as where you finish." "Inject people with hope." "The difference between a big shot and a little shot is that a big shot's just a little shot that kept on shooting." "Failure is the line of least persistence." "All happy, successful, long-term relationships are built on trust. That's why character is so important, so build a character base and I will see you at the top!"
"The message is clear. It is not what is happening `out there.' It is what is happening between your ears. It's your attitude that counts. There is nothing you can individually do about the national economy, but there is a lot that you can do about your personal economy. Get your attitude right, and chances are dramatically higher that your economic condition will be good."
From Zig Ziglar Newsletter
Make sure to be in with your equals if you're going to fall out with your superiors - Jewish Proverb

Thought 21APR2009

BIRD CAGE
Most creative people are not happy unless they are trying to solve a problem. They can't look at anything without wondering how it might be changed, improved, adapted, modified, or otherwise tinkered with. Charles F Kettering, the inventor who contributed so much to the auto industry, was that kind of a man. He compared this kind of creative thinking with hanging bird cages in the mind. Kettering once bet a friend that if he were given a bird cage and hung it up in his house, that the friend would, sooner or later, have to buy a bird. The friend took the bet.
"I got him an attractive bird cage made in Switzerland," said Kettering, "and my friend hung it near his dining room table. Of course, you know what happened. People would come in and say, "Joe, when did your bird die?" "I never had a bird," Joe would say, "Well, what have you got a bird cage for?" people would ask. Finally, my friend Joe said it was simpler to buy a bird than to keep explaining why he had an empty bird cage. "If you hang bird cages in your mind," said Kettering, "eventually you get something to put into them".
Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid
If the rich could hire the poor to die for them, the poor would make a very nice living - Jewish Proverb

Thought 20APR2009

THE CHICKEN
Once upon a time, there was a large mountainside, where an eagle's nest rested. The eagle's nest contained four large eagle eggs. One day an earthquake rocked the mountain causing one of the eggs to roll down the mountain, to a chicken farm, located in the valley bellow. The chickens knew that they must protect and care for the eagle's egg, so an old hen volunteered to nature and raise the large egg. One day, the egg hatched and a beautiful eagle was born. Sadly, however, the eagle was raised to be a chicken. Soon, the eagle believed he was nothing more than a chicken. The eagle loved his home and family, but his spirit cried out for more. While playing a game, on the farm one day, the eagle looked to the skies above and noticed a group of mighty eagles soaring in the skies. "Oh", the eagle cried, "I wish I could soar like those birds". The chickens roared with laughter, "You cannot soar with those birds! you are a chicken and chickens do not soar". The eagle continued staring, at his real family up above, dreaming that he could be with them. Each time, the eagle would let his dreams be known, he was told it couldn't be done and that is what the eagle learned to believe. The eagle, after time, stopped dreaming and continued to live his life like a chicken. Finally, after a long life as a chicken, the eagle passed away.
You become what you believe you are, So if you ever dream to become an eagle follow your dreams not the words of a chicken.
Source Unknown
He that can't endure the bad, will not live to see the good - Jewish Proverb

Thought 17APR2009

LIFE IS LIFE
When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread. But a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out of society that spiritual poverty is much harder to overcome. Those who are materially poor can be very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition. I told the Sisters : "You take care of the other three; I will take care of the one who looks worse." So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said one word only : "Thank you" and she died. I could not help but examine my conscience before her. And I asked : "What would I say if I were in her place?" And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said : "I am hungry, I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something.
But she gave me much more - she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. Then there was the man we picked up from the drain, half eaten by worms and after we had brought him to the home, he only said, "I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die as an angel, loved and cared for." Then, after we had removed all the worms from his body, all he said with a big smile, was : "Sister, I am going home to God" - and he died. It was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that without blaming anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel - this is the greatness of people who are spiritually rich even when they are materially poor... Life
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is costly, care for it.
Life is wealth, keep it.
Life is love, enjoy it.
Life is mystery, know it.
Life is a promise, fulfil it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
Mother Teresa
First mend yourself, and then mend others - Jewish Proverb

Thought 16APR2009

I WAS DYING
First I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work. And then I was dying to retire.
And now, I am dying ... and suddenly I realise I forgot to live.
Anonymous - Submitted by Nicole Zablocki - extracted from "A 4th course of Chicken Soup for the Soul", Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty and Meladee McCarty; Health Communications, Inc., 1997.
Don't look for more honor than your learning merits - Jewish Proverb

Thought 15APR2009

TIME OUT
He was the president of a major advertising firm and I was a very young management consultant. I had been recommended to him by one of his employees who had seen my work and thought I had something to offer. I was nervous. At that stage in my career, it wasn't very often that I got to talk to the president of a company. The appointment was at 10.00 am, for one hour. I arrived early. Promptly at 10.00, I was ushered into a large and airy room, with furniture upholstered in bright yellow.
He had his shirtsleeves rolled up and a mean look on his face. "You've only got 20 minutes," he barked. I sat there, not saying a word. "I said, you've only got 20 minutes." Again, not a word. "Your time's ticking away. Why aren't you saying anything?" They're my 20 minutes," I replied, "I can do whatever I want with them." He burst into laughter. We then spoke for an hour and a half. I got the job.
Martin Rutte - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work' by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss, Health Communications, Inc., 1996.
Ask about your neighbors, then buy the house - Jewish Proverb

Thought 14APR2009

NOT TO REPLACE
When Thomas Jefferson presented his credentials as U.S. minister to France, the French premier remarked, "I see that you have come to replace Benjamin Franklin.""I have come to succeed him," corrected Jefferson. "No one can replace him."
Source Unknown - Extracted from 'Bits & Pieces', The Economic Press, Inc., Fairfield New Jersey. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid
As you teach, you learn - Jewish Proverb

Thought 13APR2009

MY MOTHER'S HANDS
A few years ago, when my mother was visiting, she asked me to go shopping with her because she needed a new dress. I don't normally like to go shopping with other people, and I'm not a patient person, but we set off for the mall together nonetheless. We visited nearly every store that carried ladies' dresses, and my mother tried on dress after dress, rejecting them all. As the day wore on, I grew weary and my mother grew frustrated. Finally, at our last stop, my mother tried on a lovely blue three-piece dress. The blouse had a bow at the neckline, and as I stood in the dressing room with her, I watched as she tried, with much difficulty, to tie the bow. Her hands were so badly crippled from arthritis that she couldn't do it. Immediately, my impatience gave way to an overwhelming wave of compassion for her. I turned away to try and hide the tears that welled up involuntarily. Regaining my composure, I turned back to tie the bow for her. The dress was beautiful, and she bought it. Our shopping trip was over, but the event was etched indelibly in my memory.
For the rest of the day, my mind kept returning to that moment in the dressing room and to the vision of my mother's hands trying to tie that bow. Those loving hands that had fed me, bathed me, dressed me, caressed and comforted me, and, most of all, prayed for me, were now touching me in the most remarkable manner. Later in the evening, I went to my mother's room, took her hands in mine, kissed them and, much to her surprise, told her that to me they were the most beautiful hands in the world. I'm so grateful that God let me see with new eyes what a precious, priceless gift a loving, self-sacrificing mother is. I can only pray that some day my hands, and my heart, will have earned such a beauty of their own.
By Bev Hulsizer - from Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, Copyright 1997 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Patty Aubery and Nancy Mitchell
A mother understands what a child does not say - Jewish Proverb

Thought 10APR2009

DAMAGING RESEARCH
A study by the National Parent-Teachers Organization revealed that in the average American school, eighteen negatives are identified for every positive that is pointed out. The Wisconsin study revealed that when children enter the first grade, 80 percent of them feel pretty good about themselves, but by the time they get to sixth grade, only 10 percent of them have good self-images.
Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994
A bird that you set free may be caught again, but a word that escapes your lips will not return - Jewish Proverb

Thought 09APR2009

DOOR OF HAPPINESS
When one door of happiness closes, another opens. But often we stare so long at the closed door that ... We'll soon realize that the open door, for however long it was opened, is now closed too.
Lawrence Douglas Pulliam
When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends - Japanese Proverb

Thought 08APR2009

YOU ARE UNIQUE
Think what a remarkable, unduplicatable, and miraculous thing it is to be you! Of all the people who have come and gone on the earth, since the beginning of time, not ONE of them is like YOU! No one who has ever lived or is to come has had your combination of abilities, talents, appearance, friends, acquaintances, burdens, sorrows and opportunities. No one's hair grows exactly the way yours does. No one's finger prints are like yours. No one has the same combination of secret inside jokes and family expressions that you know. The few people who laugh at all the same things you do, don't sneeze the way you do. No one prays about exactly the same concerns as you do. No one is loved by the same combination of people that love you - NO ONE! No one before, no one to come.
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE! Enjoy that uniqueness.

You do not have to pretend in order to seem more like someone else. You weren't meant to be like someone else. You do not have to lie to conceal the parts of you that are not like what you see in anyone else. You were meant to be different. Nowhere ever in all of history will the same things be going on in anyone's mind, soul and spirit as are going on in yours right now. If you did not exist, there would be a hole in creation, a gap in history, something missing from the plan for humankind. Treasure your uniqueness. It is a gift given only to you. Enjoy it and share it!

No one can reach out to others in the same way that you can. No one can speak your words. No one can convey your meanings. No one can comfort with your kind of comfort. No one can bring your kind of understanding to another person. No one can be cheerful and lighthearted and joyous in your way. No one can smile your smile. No one else can bring the whole unique impact of you to another human being. Share your uniqueness. Let it be free to flow out among your family and friends and people you meet in the rush and clutter of living wherever you are. That gift of yourself was given to you to enjoy and share. Give yourself away! See it! Receive it! Let it tickle you! Let it inform you and nudge you and inspire you!]

YOU ARE UNIQUE!
Source Unknown
One kind word can warm three winter months - Japanese proverb

Thought 07APR2009

ENCOURAGEMENT
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the famous 19th-century poet and artist, was once approached by an elderly man. The old fellow had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Rossetti to look at and tell him if they were any good, or if they at least showed potential talent. Rossetti looked them over carefully. After the first few, he knew that they were worthless, showing not the least sign of artistic talent. But Rossetti was a kind man and he told the elderly man as gently as possible that the pictures were without much value and showed little talent. He was sorry, but he could not lie to the man.
The visitor was disappointed, but seemed to expect Rossetti's judgement. He then apologized for taking up Rossetti's time, but would he just look at a few more drawings - these done by a young art student? Rossetti looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately became enthusiastic over the talent they revealed. "These," he said, "oh, these are good. This young student has great talent. He should be given every help and encouragement in his career as an artist. He has a great future if he will work hard and stick to it."
Rossetti could see that the old fellow was deeply moved. "Who is this fine young artist?" he asked. "Your son?" "No," said the old man sadly. "It is me - 40 years ago. If only I had heard your praise then! For you see, I got discouraged and gave up - too soon."
Anonymous - From Brian Cavanaugh's The Sower's Seeds - extracted from a 4th course of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Hanoch McCarty and Meladee McCarty, Health Communications, Inc.,1997.
The reverse side also has a reverse side - Japanese Proverb

Thought 06APR2009

ON DESIRE
Desire alone is not enough. But to lack desire, means to lack a key ingredient to success. Many a talented individual failed because they lacked desire. Many victories have been snatched by the underdog because he wanted it more. So if you desire intensely and you act upon it, then everything stands within your reach.
Anonymous - Extracted from 'Speaker's Sourcebook II', Glen Van Ekeren, Prentice Hall, 1994.
Never rely on the glory of the morning nor the smiles of your mother-in-law - Japanese Proverb

Thought 03APR2009

ON FAILURE
"I want to remind you that failure is an event - it is not a person. Yesterday really did end last night. Today is a brand new day. That simply means that you can fail in an event, but by no stretch of imagination does that make you a failure as a person."
From Zig Ziglar Newsletter
In a quarrel, the higher voiced person will win - Japanese Proverb

Thought 02APR2009

NO CHARGE

The famous painter, Picasso, wanted a special piece of furniture made for a large room. He went to a cabinetmaker and, to make his wishes clear, sketched on a piece of paper exactly what he wanted. When he finished, he asked what the price would be."No charge," said the wily craftsman, "just sign the sketch."

Extracted from Bits & Pieces, The Economics Press, Inc., Fairfield, New Jersey, USA. From the Library of Puan Hajah Zaihani Abdul Hamid
If you believe everything you read, better not read - Japanese Proverb