Thought 18MAR2010

POINTS TO PONDER
by Lord Chesterfield
Knowledge is a comfortable and necessary retreat and shelter for us in an advanced age; and if we do not plant it while young, it will give us no shade when we grow old.
Extracted from Reader's Digest, November 1995 - Points to Ponder
Id-dbielet twal ikarkru t-trab, imma d-dbielet qosra jkarkru l-erwieh / Long skirts carry dust, but short skirts carry away souls - Maltese Proverb

Thought 17MAR2010

POINTS TO PONDER
by Ulysses S Grant
One of my superstitions has always been when I started to go anywhere, or do anything, never to turn back or to stop until the thing intended was accomplished.
Extracted from Reader's Digest, November 1995 - Points to Ponder
Boghod mill-ghajn, boghod mil-qalb / Far from the eye far from the heart - Maltese proverb

Thought 16MAR2010

POINTS TO PONDER
by Edwin Diamond
The true role of management is to make risk-taking possible. Executives can't order their staffs to be creative - they have to provide the conditions where creativity flourishes. Such conditions include strong staff morale, the feeling that someone is listening and the conviction that good work will be rewarded.
Extracted from Reader's Digest, November 1995 - Points to Ponder
Il-flus ghandhom il-gwienah / Money has wings - Kurdish Proverb

Thought 15MAR2010

THE COOKIE THIEF
A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shop,
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,
hat the man beside her, as bold as could be,
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,
Which she tried to ignore, to avoid a scene.

She read, munched cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy "cookie thief" diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I'd blacken his eye!"

With each cookie she took, he took one too.
When only one was left, she wondered what he'd do.
With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other.
She snatched it from him and thought, "Oh brother,
This guy has some nerve, and he's also rude,
Why, he didn't even show any gratitude!"

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate,
Refusing so look back at the "thieving ingrate."

She boarded the plane and sand in her seat,
Then sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her luggage, she gasped with surprise.
There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes!"

If mine are here," she moaned with despair,"
Then the others were his and he tried to share!"
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief!
Valerie Cox - extracted from 'a 3rd serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul', Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen, Health Communications, Inc; 1996
Hay mas felicidad en dar que en recibir / It's more blessed to give than to receive - Spanish Proverb

Thought 12MAR2010

THE TOOTH FAIRY
As parents, we always hope to develop character traits in our children that will enhance their success in life. When our daughter Meegan, the eldest of five children, lost her front tooth at the age of six, we found the following note wrapped around the tiny tooth: "Der Tooth Fary. Pleze leve me yor majik wand. I can help. I want to be a tooth fary too." Luv, Meegan.

Recognizing potential leadership skills, precious opportunity and the teachable moment, the "Tooth Fary" left the following note for little Meegan: "Dear Meegan, I have worked hard to be a good Tooth Fairy and I love my job. You are too young for the job now, so I cannot give my wand. But there are something's that you can start to do to prepare yourself for the job: 1) Always do your best in every job that you do. 2) Treat all people as you wish to be treated. 3) Be kind and helpful to others. 4) Always listen carefully whenever people speak to you. I will interview you one day when you are older and ready for the job. Good luck, Meegan - The Tooth Fairy.

Meegan was thrilled at the response from the Tooth Fairy. She took the message to heart and carefully followed the instructions. always working to improve as she grew. Her character, her strength and her leadership skills grew right along with her. After graduating magna cum laude from college, Meegan accepted a challenging management position. She excelled and by age 27, she was the top manager of the company. One day Meegan and I were talking about her success. She told me that the company president had once asked her what influences had motivated her towards success. "What did you tell him?" I asked. She replied, "My parents, my teacher and my friends. And, of course, the Tooth Fairy!"
Suzanne Moustakas - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff, Health Communications, Inc; 1997
Il-grazzja aqwa mill-gmiel / Charm is stronger than beauty - Maltese Proverb

Thought 11MAR2010

HOW TO TELL WHEN YOU'RE RICH
When I was a kid in Minnesota, watermelon was a delicacy. One of my father's buddies, Bernie, was a prosperous fruit-and-vegetable wholesaler, who operated a warehouse in St. Paul. Every summer, when the first watermelons rolled in, Bernie would call. Dad and I would go to Bernie's warehouse and take up our positions. We'd sit on the edge of the dock, feet dangling and lean over, minimizing the volume of juice we were about to spill on ourselves. Bernie would take his machete, crack our first watermelon, hand us both a big piece and sit down next to us. Then we'd bury our faces in watermelon, eating only the heart - the reddest, juiciest, firmest, most seed-free, most perfect part - and throw away the rest.

Bernie was my father's idea of a rich man. I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman. Years later, I realized that what my father admired about Bernie's wealth was less its substance than its application. Bernie knew how to stop working, get together with friends and eat only the heart of the watermelon. What I learned from Bernie is that being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to eat only the heart of the watermelon. Others are rich without ever being more than a paycheck ahead.

If you don't take the time to dangle your feet over the dock and chomp into life's small pleasures, your career is probably overwhelming your life. For many years, I forgot that lesson I'd learned as a kid on the loading dock. I was too busy making all the money I could. Well. I've learned it. I hope I have time left to enjoy the accomplishments of others and to take pleasure in the day. That's the heart of the watermelon. I have learned again to throw the rest away. Finally, I am rich.
Harvey Mackay - 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
Quddiem il-mewt kulhadd xorta / We are all equal before death - Maltese Proverb

Thought 10MAR2010

BIG FEET - BIGGER HEART
It was an unseasonably hot day. Everybody it seemed, was looking for some kind of relief, so ice cream store was a natural place to stop. A little girl, clutching her money tightly, entered the store. Before she could say a word, the store clerk sharply told her to get outside and read the sign on the door and stay out until she put on some shoes. She left slowly and a big man followed her out of the store.

He watched as she stood in front of the store and read the sign: No Bare Feet. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she turned and walked away. Just then the big man called to her. Sitting down on the curb, he took off his size-12 shoes and set them in front of the girl saying, "Here, you won't be able to walk in these, but if you sort of slide along, you can get your ice cream cone."

Then he lifted the little girl up and set her feet into the shoes. "Take your time." he said, "I get tired moving them around and it'll feel good to just sit here and eat my ice cream." The shining eyes of the little girl could not be missed as she shuffled up to the counter and ordered her ice cream cone. He was a big man, all right. Big belly, big shoes, but most of all, he had a big heart.
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 Communication Inc, 1997
Meta ddahhal ic-curkett tat-tieg, tghaddas rasek ghal kull m'hu mehtieg / Once you put on the wedding ring you must submit to all that is necessary - Maltese Proverb

Thought 09MAR2010

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS NOT A MICKEY MOUSE AFFAIR
Not too long ago, a guest checking out of our Polynesian Village resort at Walt Disney was asked how she enjoyed her visit. She told the front-desk clerk she had a wonderful vacation, but was heartbroken about losing several rolls of Kodak colour film she had not yet developed. She was particularly upset over the loss of the pictures she had shot at our Polynesian Luau, as this was a memory she especially treasured. Now, please understand that we have no written service standards covering lost luau snapshots. Fortunately, the hostess at the front desk understood Disney's philosophy of caring for our guests. She asked the woman to leave her a couple of rolls of fresh film, promising she would take care of the rest.

Two weeks later, this guest received a package at her home. In it were photos of the entire cast of our luau show, personally autographed by each performer. There were also photos of the parade and fireworks in the theme park, taken by the front-desk hostess on her own time, after work. I happen to know this story because this guest wrote us a letter. She said that never in her life had she received such compassionate service from any business establishment. Heroic service does not come from policy manuals. It comes from people who care - and from a culture that encourages and models that attitude.
Valerie Oberle, Vice President Disney University Guest Programs - extracted from 'Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work', Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss, Health Communications, Inc., 1996
Min ihobb ibati / He who loves suffers - Maltese Proverb

Thought 08MAR2010

PASSING ON SMALL CHANGE
The pharmacist handed me my prescription, apologized for the wait and explained that his register had already closed. He asked if I would mind using the register at the front of the store. I told him not to worry and walked up front, where one person was in line ahead of me, a little girl no more than seven, with a bottle of Children's Motrin on the counter. She clenched a little green and white striped coin purse closely to her chest.

The purse reminded me of the days when, as a child, I played dress-up in my grandma's closet. I'd march around the house in oversized clothes, drenched in costume jewelry and hats and scarves, talking "grownup talk" to anyone who would listen. I remembered the thrill one day when I gave a pretend dollar to someone and he handed back some real coins for me to put into my special purse. "Keep the change!" he told me with a wink. Now the clerk rang up the little girl's medicine, while she shakily pulled out a coupon, a dollar bill and some coins. I watched her blush as she tried to count her money and I could see right away that she was about a dollar short. With a quick wink to the checker, I slipped a dollar bill onto the counter and signaled the clerk to ring up the sale. The child scooped her uncounted change into her coin purse, grabbed her package and scurried out the door.

As I headed to my car, I felt a tug on my shirt. There was the girl, looking up at me with her big brown eyes. She gave me a grin, wrapped her arms around my legs for a long moment then stretched out her little hand. It was full of coins. "Thank you." she whispered. "That's okay," I answered. I flashed her a smile and winked, "Keep the change!"
Nancy Mitchell - 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
Piensa mal y acertaras, (aunque alguna vez te equivocaras) / If you think the worst, you won't be far wrong - Spanish Proverb

Thought 05MAR2010

POINTS TO PONDER by Philip K Howard
Smart people spend time alone. They don't fill their days with appointments from 8.00 am to 10.00 pm as many politicians and executives do. Great science does not emerge from hard logic and grinding hours. It comes from the mysterious resources of the human brain and soul. Inspiration is nurtured by activities like chopping wood and raking leaves, preparing dinner and reading to the kids. These activities soften the rigid pace of the day's pursuits and allow all our God-given intuition to work its illogical magic. Only then can we reach our fullest potential. Only then can we leap from thinking to understanding.
Extracted from Reader's Digest, November 1995 - Points to Ponder
Lo poco agrada y lo mucho enfada / A constant guest is never welcome - Spanish Proverb