Remain United

A farmer who had a quarrelsome family called his sons and told them to
lay a bunch of sticks before him. Then, after laying the sticks
parallel to one another and binding them, he challenged his sons, one
after one, to pick up the bundle and break it.

They all tried, but in vain. Then, untying the bundle, he gave them
the sticks to break one by one. This they did with the greatest ease.

Then said the father, "Thus, my sons, as long as you remain united,
you are a match for anything, but differ and separate, and you are
undone.

A Speeding Ticket

A police officer pulls a guy over for speeding and has the following exchange

Officer: May I see your driver's license

Driver: I don't have one. I had it suspended when I got my 5th DUI.

Officer: May I see the owner's card for this vehicle

Driver: It's not my car. I stole it.

Officer: The car is stolen

Driver: That's right. But come to think of it, I think I saw the
owner's card in the glove box when I was putting my gun in there.

Officer: There's a gun in the glove box

Driver: Yes sir. That's where I put it after I shot and killed the
woman who owns this car and stuffed her in the trunk.

Officer: There's a BODY in the TRUNK!!

Driver: Yes, sir.

Hearing this, the officer immediately called his captain. The car was
quickly surrounded by police, and the captain approached the driver to
handle the tense situation

Captain: Sir, can I see your license

Driver: Sure. Here it is.

It was valid.

Captain: Who's car is this

Driver: It's mine, officer. Here's the registration.

Captain: Could you slowly open your glove box so I can see if there's
a gun in it

Driver: Yes, sir, but there's no gun in it.

Sure enough, there was nothing in the glove box.

Captain: Would you mind opening your trunk I was told you said there's
a body in it.

Driver: No problem.

Trunk is opened; no body.

Captain: I don't understand it. The officer who stopped you said you
told him you didn't have a license, stole the car, had a gun in the
glove box, and that there was a dead body in the trunk.

Driver: Yeah, I'll bet he told you I was speeding, too.

Archives : http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

Its Only A Quarter

Several years ago a preacher moved to Houston, Texas. Some weeks after he arrived, he had occasion to ride the bus from his home to the downtown area. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change.

As he considered what to do, he thought to himself, you better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it. Then he thought, Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount Anyway the bus company already gets too much fare; they will never miss it. Accept it as a gift from God and keep quiet.

When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, Here, you gave me too much change.

The driver with a smile, replied, Aren't you the new preacher in town I have been thinking lately about going to worship somewhere. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you too much change.

When my friend stepped off the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, and held on, and said, O God, I almost sold your Son for a quarter.

Our lives are the only book some people will ever read.

What Is Success

All our lives we have been told that we must work toward something. Whether it be good grades, a career, our goal has always been to make it happen and growing up, we have been groomed to chase the dream. Let's be honest! Nobody's mother ever told them, "Honey I want you to waste away your life watching the grass grow."
I grew up with wanting success just as much as the next person only I thought I knew what the word success meant. I realize now that I had not the slightest clue what success meant.
We have all defined success by the jobs we hold, the money we make, most importantly the things we own have defined us at some point in our lives. I am still chasing the dream but in a different way.
SUCCESS to me is not what I make - it is what I leave behind.
I want to stand for something and make a difference where it counts. I realize that personal growth is not ABOUT ME.
I am a wife and a mother and I realize that I grow everyday in the smallest way. I watch my child, this extraordinary miracle that I was blessed with, and clarity comes to me like a slap in the face. I no longer mope around the house thinking I am useless to the world because I am not at work making money. I am doing what every mom wishes she could - being an active participant in my daughter's life! I walked into this situation blindly but I am not blind to it. I remind myself that I am blessed everyday. THIS IS SUCCESS TO ME.
I look at my husband, when he does not know I am watching, and it amazes me how much in love with him I am. Never has a day gone by that I have not learned something from him. I know that I have found my soul mate and I will never be alone again! THIS IS SUCCESS TO ME.
Success is doing what you love the most. Success IS personal growth. Success is the knowledge that YOU are NOT alone in the world. It is a loving family and friends. Success is health - to be able to do the simple things in life like BE HAPPY, TAKE A WALK, BREATHE…
I know that I am not done learning to be successful. As I grow, my definition of success will grow with me and it is within my power to DEFINE success. SUCCESS is in my knowledge that I DONT HAVE TO FOLLOW ANYONE ELSE'S PATH.
Life is my lesson and I am it's humble student.

No Problem

An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted to
spade his potato garden,
but it was very hard work. His only son, who
would have helped him, was in prison. The old man
wrote a letter to his son
and mentioned his situation:
Dear Son,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't
be able to plant my
potato garden this year. I hate to miss doing the
garden, because your mother always loved planting
time. I'm just getting
too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were
here, all my troubles
would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me,
if you weren't in
prison. .............................Love, Dad
Shortly, the old man received this telegram: "For
Heaven's sake, Dad, don't
dig up the garden!! That's where I buried the GUNS!!"
At 4 a.m. the next morning, a dozen FBI agents and
local police officers
showed up and dug up the entire garden without finding
any guns.
Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son
telling him what
happened, and asked him what to do next.
His son's reply was: "Go ahead and plant your
potatoes,
Dad.......................... It's the best I could do
for you from here."
Moral:
NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE
DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING
DEEP FROM YOUR HEART , YOU CAN DO IT. IT IS THE
THOUGHT THAT MATTERS NOT
WHERE YOU ARE OR WHERE THE PERSON IS.

Contributed By: Prashant Maheshwari

 

Archives

You Can Be Whatever You Want To Be

There is inside you
all of the potential to be whatever
you want to be
all of the energy to do whatever
you want to do.

Imagine yourself as you would like to be,
doing what you want to do,
and each day, take one step
towards your dream.

And though at times it may seem too
difficult to continue,
hold on to your dream.

One morning you will awake to find
that you are the person
you dreamed of
doing what you wanted to do
simply because you had the courage
to believe in your potential
and to hold on to your dream.

Lunch With God

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cupcakes, several cans of root beer and started on his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed the lady looked hungry so he offered her a cupcake. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him. Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he offered a root beer as well. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without saying a word.

As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to go home. He got up to leave but before he had gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman, giving her a big hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy arrived home his Mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked, What has made you so happy today. He replied, I had lunch with God. Before his mother could respond he added, you know what She's got the most beautiful smile in the whole world!

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face. He asked, Mother, what has made you so happy today She replied, I ate cupcakes in the park with God. And before her son could reply, she added, You know, he is much younger than I expected.

Too often we under estimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring; all of which have the potential to turn life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime....

Click Here For Archives 

Nice Thoughts

Time is valuable, if u ever give time to someone....plz reach on time
For ur friends, most important thing is , if thr friends r coming to meet u... than u should not insult ur friend's friend... ur friend can get hurt of it

 

Contributed By: Joy Chakraborty

Life

"A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

Contributed By: Sameer Sood

The Carpenter

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer- contractor of his plans to leave the house- building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter.

This is your house, he said, my gift to you.

The carpenter was shocked! What a shame!

If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much differently. But we cannot go back.

You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Life is a do-it-yourself project, someone has said. Your attitudes and the choices you make today, build the house you live in tomorrow. Build wisely!

Don't Abandon Your Dream

There were once 2 brothers who lived on the 80th level. On coming home one day, they realized to their dismay that the lifts were not working and that they have to climb the stairs home.
After struggling to the 20th level, panting and tired, they decided to abandon their bags and come back for them the next day. They left their bags then and climbed on. When they have struggled to the 40th level, the younger brother started to grumble and both of them began to quarrel. They continued to climb the flights of steps, quarreling all the way to the 60th floor.

They then realized that they have only 20 levels more to climb and decided to stop quarreling and continue climbing in peace. They silently climbed on and reached their home at long last. Each stood calmly before the door and waited for the other to open the door.

And they realized that the key was in their bags which was left on the 20th floor

This story is reflecting on our life...many of us live under the expectations of our parents, teachers and friends when young. We seldom get to do the things that we really like and love and are under so much pressure and stress so that by the age of 20, we get tired and decided to dump this load.

Being free of the stress and pressure, we work enthusiastically and dream ambitious wishes.

But by the time we reach 40 years old, we start to lose our vision and dreams. We began to feel unsatisfied and start to complain and criticize. We live life as a misery as we are never satisfied. Reaching 60, we realize that we have little left for complaining anymore, and we began to walk the final episode in peace and calmness.

We think that there is nothing left to disappoint us, only to realize that we could not rest in peace because we have an unfulfilled dream ...... a dream we abandoned 60 years ago.

So what is your dream?

Follow your dreams, so that you will not live with regrets.

 

Generosity

Mahatma Gandhi went from city to city, village to village collecting funds for the Charkha Sangh.

During one of his tours he addressed a meeting in Orissa. After his speech a poor old woman got up. She was bent with age, her hair was grey and her clothes were in tatters.

The volunteers tried to stop her, but she fought her way to the place where Gandhiji was sitting. "I must see him," she insisted and going up to Gandhiji touched his feet. Then from the folds of her sari she brought out a copper coin and placed it at his feet.

Gandhiji picked up the copper coin and put it away carefully. The Charkha Sangh funds were under the charge of Jamnalal Bajaj.

He asked Gandhiji for the coin but Gandhiji refused. "I keep cheques worth thousands of rupees for the Charkha Sangh," Jamnalal Bajaj said laughingly "yet you won't trust me with a copper coin."

"This copper coin is worth much more than those thousands," Gandhiji said. "If a man has several lakhs and he gives away a thousand or two, it doesn't mean much. But this coin was perhaps all that the poor woman possessed. She gave me all she had. That was very generous of her. What a great sacrifice she made. That is why I value this copper coin more than a crore of rupees."

Hope

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

 Never talk defeat. Use words like hope, belief, faith, victory. -- Norman Vincent Peale

 Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit. -- Norman Vincent Peale

 

Hope is always available to us. When we feel defeated, we need only take a deep breath and say, "Yes," and hope will reappear. -- Monroe Forester  We live by admiration, hope and love. -- William Wordsworth  We judge of man's wisdom by his hope. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson  Man is a creature of hope and invention, both of which belie the idea that things cannot be changed.-- Tom Clancy  The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that  hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof. -- Barbara Kingsolver  Hope is the last thing that dies in man; and though it be exceedingly deceitful, yet it is of this good use to us, that while we are traveling through life it conducts us in an easier and more pleasant way to our journey's end. -- François de la Rochefoucauld

 He who does not hope to win has already lost. -- Jose Joaquin Olmedo

 When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.--Pauline R. Kezer

 "Hope" is the thing with feathers-- That perches in the soul-- And sings the tune without the words-- And never stops--at all-- Emily Dickenson

 

Contributed By: Rakesh IC

A Man Was Complaining

Oh Lord, please have mercy on me, I work so hard, mean time my wife stays at home, I would give anything if you would grant me one wish "switch me into my wife" she's got it easy at home I want to teach her a lesson of how tough a man's life is.

As God was listening he felt sorry for this soul and granted his wish. Next morning the "new woman" wakes up at dawn, makes lunch boxes, prepares breakfast, wakes up the kids for school, puts a load of clothes in the washer, takes the meat out of the freezer, drives the kids to school, on his way back stop at the gas station, cashes a heck, pays the electricity and phone bills, picks up some clothes from the cleaners, goes through the carwash, drops the overdue movies off @ blockbuster, and quickly goes to the market.

It was 1: 00 o'clock already, he made the beds, took the clothes out of the washer and put another load in, he vacuumed the house, mopped up the Kool-Aid, cleaned the bathrooms, made the beds, made some rice, and went to pick up the kids from school & had an argument with the kids on the way home.

As soon as he got home he gave the kids a snack, washed the dirty dishes, he folded the clothes he had washed. He helped the kids with their homework, listened to the TV while he ironed some clothes, prepared dinner, washed the dinner dishes, gave the kids a bath, cleaned their rooms, and put them to sleep.

At 9:00 o'clock he was so tired and he went to bed. Of course there was some more duties and somehow he managed to get them done and finally fell asleep.

The next morning he prays to God once again:
Oh Lord, what was I thinking when I asked you to grant my wish, I can't take it anymore. I beg you please switch me back to myself, please oh please.

Then he heard God's voice speaking to him, saying:
Dear son of course I'll switch you back into yourself but there's one minor detail, you will have to wait 9 months because last night you got pregnant.

 

Do You Still Have Hope

If you can look at the sunset and smile,
then you still have hope...

If you can find beauty in the colors of a small flower,
then you still have hope...

If you can find pleasure in the movement of a butterfly,
then you still have hope...

If the smile of a child can still warm your heart,
then you still have hope...

If you can see the good in other people,
then you still have hope...

If the rain breaking on a roof top can still lull you to sleep,
then you still have hope...

If the sight of a rainbow still makes you
stop and stare in wonder,
then you still have hope...

If the soft fur of a favored pet still
feels pleasant under your fingertips,
then you still have hope...

If you meet new people with a trace of excitement and optimism,
then you still have hope...

If you give people the benefit of a doubt,
then you still have hope...

If you still offer your hand in friendship to others
that have touched your life, then you still have hope...

If receiving an unexpected card or letter still brings
a pleasant surprise, then you still have hope...

If the suffering of others still fills you with pain and frustration,
then you still have hope...

If you refuse to let a friendship die, or accept that it must end,
then you still have hope...

If you look forward to a time or place of quiet and reflection,
then you still have hope...

If you still buy the ornaments, put up the Christmas tree
or cook the turkey, then you still have hope...

If you still watch love stories or want the endings to be happy,
then you still have hope...

If you can look to the past and smile,
then you still have hope....

If, when faced with the bad, when told everything is futile, you can still look up and end the conversation with the phrase... yeah....BUT.. Then you still have hope...

Hope is such a marvelous thing. It bends, it twists, it sometimes
hides, but rarely does it break... It sustains us when nothing else can... It gives us reason to continue and courage to move ahead, when we tell ourselves we'd rather give in...

Hope puts a smile on our face when the heart cannot manage... Hope puts our feet on the path when our eyes cannot see it... Hope moves us to act when our souls are confused of the direction....

Hope is a wonderful thing, something to be cherished and nurtured, and something that will refresh us in return... And it can be found in each of us, and it can bring light into the darkest of places...
Never lose hope...

Our Expectations

A turtle family went on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outings. Finally the Turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found it. For about six months they cleaned up the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements.

Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell.

He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left. Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years, Six years... Then in the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and began to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, "SEE I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt."


Lesson Learned:
Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we don't do anything ourselves.

The Starfish

An old man was walking along the beach, when he came upon a part of the sand where thousands of starfish had washed ashore. A little further down the beach he saw a young woman, who was picking up the starfish one at a time and tossing them back into the ocean. "Oh you silly girl," he exclaimed. "You can't possibly save all of these starfish. There's too many." The woman smiled and said, "I know. But I can save this one, " and she tossed another into the ocean, "and this one", toss, "and this one..."

Enjoy Where You Are

There is nothing which is intrinsically enjoyable. What one person enjoys, another person will despise. Enjoyment comes from your attitude toward a particular situation, not the situation itself.

Too many people search in vain for enjoyable activities, enjoyable relationships, enjoyable environments, enjoyable entertainment. A much more successful strategy would be to stop searching and start enjoying.

The enjoyment is not in the activity. The enjoyment is in you. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, find a way to enjoy it. Sure, it's great when you aspire to bigger and better things. But don't fool yourself into thinking that they'll come pre-packaged with their own enjoyment. That is up to you.

Perhaps you didn't choose to be where you are, and it's great that you're committed to getting somewhere else. Yet while you're here, accept it and enjoy it. Enjoying where you are right now will take you a long way toward wherever else you wish to go.

21 Rules of Life

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.

2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.

3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.

6. Be generous.

7. Have a grateful heart.

8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.

9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.

10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.

12. Commit yourself to quality.

13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationship with people you love and respect.

14. Be loyal.

15. Be honest.

16. Be a self-starter.

17. Be decisive even it it means you'll sometimes be wrong.

18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.

19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.

20. Take good care of those you love.

21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

Don't Be Afraid To Fail

You've failed many times, although you may not remember.
You fell down the first time you tried to walk.
You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn't you
Did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat
Heavy hitters, the ones who hit the most home runs, also strike out a lot.

R.H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York caught on.
English novelist John Creasey got 753 rejection slips before he published 564 books.
Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times, but he also hit 714 home runs.

Don't worry about failure.
Worry about the chances you miss when you don't even try.