Author Unknown
We run around looking for burning bushes and we get sunrises.
We ask for Him to part the sea and He makes you shed tears of joy.
We ask Him to cause the earth to quake and He sends you someone to love.
You ask Him for nothing and He sends you a reminder that He Loves you anyway.
"Even Looking down God said to me things were looking up!"
On evening at suppertime Amanda was in the high chair and I went over to the kitchen counter to fill her plate. Her Mother had put three small crackers on her high chair tray to give her something to eat while I fixed her plate. I watched as she bowed her head and touched the first cracker with her index finger and said, "Amen cracker". She touched the next cracker and said, "Amen cracker", and then she went to the last cracker, touching it, and again saying, "Amen cracker". She thought the tiny crackers were her supper so she was saying her prayers.
Amanda has figured out that prayers have an "Amen" in them but sometimes she gets the "Amen" at the beginning instead of at the end of her prayers.
I got to thinking about the word, "Amen" and I found that in Hebrew the word "Amen" means to confirm and it is spoken to state, "so be it." When we end our prayers with "Amen" we are reaffirming our dedication to God. Sometimes church members or congregations say, "Amen," to show confirmation or agreement when something powerful is spoken from the Word of God.
Amanda's prayer might seem very simple but maybe she wasn't so far off in what she was doing because she would have been confirming her dedication to God first of all instead of at the end. At any rate, we can gain wisdom from "the mouths of babes." I learned several things from Amanda and her "Amen Crackers."
- I learned that prayer should be a priority.
- I learned that whatever is on my "plate" I should be thankful for it.
- I learned I should keep it simple and be specific.
- I learned to have faith and trust God even when all I have is three crackers.
- I learned it is best to tend to my own crackers that have been provided for me and allow God to fill my plate.
- I learned to be patient. Even if I'm sitting in a high chair, I can't see what is going on in God's kitchen from where I sit.
- I learned to thank God for the small things, and not complain, even if all I have is crackers.
- I learned it doesn't matter if you get the prayer backwards, God hears our hearts.
Have you thanked God for the crackers in your life?
Pamela Perry Blaine
'You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.' Mahatma Gandhi needs no long introduction. Everyone knows about the man who led the Indian people to independence from British rule in 1947.
So let's just move on to some of my favorite tips from Mahatma Gandhi.
1. Change yourself.
'You must be the change you want to see in the world.'2. You are in control.
'Nobody can hurt me without my permission.'4. Without action you aren't going anywhere.
'An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.'5. Take care of this moment.
'I do not want to foresee the future. I am concerned with taking care of the present. God has given me no control over the moment following.'6. Everyone is human.
'I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps.' 'It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.'7. Persist.
'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.'8. See the good in people and help them.
'I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won't presume to probe into the faults of others.'9. Be congruent, be authentic, be your true self.
'Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.'From Henrik Edberg’s book on Personal Development published on May, 2008
"Water
the world"
By Bob Perks
"It's time
to water the mailman," I said.
The
woman standing in line with me pretended not to hear me. When I turned
toward her she nervously looked out of the corner of her eye at me.
I
smiled.
"I
do it every year," I said.
She
smiled, looked at me and shrugged her shoulders.
"That's
why I'm buying this case of bottled water," I said.
"That's
nice," she finally replied.
I
was next in line so I paid for my items and said to the clerk, "This is
for my mailman."
"I'm
sure he'll appreciate it. It's going to get hot later in the week"
she said.
I
then turned toward the woman and said, "Would you like one?"
She
politely shook her head and said, "No, thank you."
As
I walked away I paused for a moment to re-adjust my grip on the case of water.
I could hear the woman say, "Is he crazy? He wants to water
his mailman?"
The
clerk who knows me very well from shopping there almost daily began to
explain, "He does this every year. He puts a few bottles out on his
porch in ice when the weather gets hot. He tells me the mailman loves
it."
"Oh,
that's what he meant. It sounded strange, "watering the
mailman" she said.
"He's
a writer," the clerk added.
"Oh,
that explains everything." the woman said laughing.
I
continued out the door and headed home.
I
thought about it for a while. I know why I do it. I feel I should
and often struggle with those times I am not at home when he comes by. I
worry he might plan on it and not find any there.
I
do it because I appreciate him...rain snow, sleet etc. ...he delivers.
Watering
the mailman. Actually, that's exactly what I do. I take care of
him. I add to his day
In
turn I have gained a friend. I think we need to do that in our
relationships. He needed to tend to those people who bring something
special to our lives. We need to appreciate the things we take for
granted.
I
remember my father inviting the coal man into our house one time when he
delivered coal to us the day before Christmas. He offered him a drink
and some snacks.
He
was "watering the coal man."
Every
time I go shopping I always make appreciative comments to the
clerks. I do it to brighten their monotonous day.
I
give a tip to the girl at the pizza shop even when I am just picking it up
myself.
Please
don't see this as bragging. I'm not full of myself. Truthfully I
even surprised myself when I began to think about all the people I fuss over.
It
doesn't call for praise. It's really something we should do all the
time. Those little things in the big picture keeps the world a little
more bearable.
I'm
not talking about the courteous people who get paid to be nice as a part of
customer service.
I'm
talking about the guy who holds the door for the next person. The woman
who stops to make a comment about a new born.
They
water the world.
The
water represents life. A tiny drop of kindness makes the world healthy,
better off and perhaps reflects hope in the eyes of the hopeless.
Yes,
that's it. All those little things, those tiny drops of water, add up to
make waves in an otherwise dry, barren life.
God
waters my soul. God fills up my cup and it overflows with millions of
tiny drops of living water. God nourishes my spirit in those dry times
by watering the gifts He has given me.
He
leaves a bottle of cleansing hope waiting for me along my path to deliver
my stories to the world.
Why
not join me. Together we can "water the world!"
The
reality of HIM......
This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and
suffering that I have seen. It's an explanation other people will
understand.
A man went to a
barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to
work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things
and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I
don't believe that God exists."
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't
exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there
be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor
pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to
start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long,
stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the
barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here,
and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if
they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards,
like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me when
they need to."
"Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too,
DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him.
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
If you think God exists, send this to other people---If you think God does not
exist, delete it!
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING
You
can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.
Charles F. Kettering
The Learning Tree
My
grandfather baited the hook with a worm. He did it slowly, allowing me to watch
and learn. He handed the rod to me, held my arms and taught me to cast my line
into the blue water. Our bobbers floated together, as we sat on the shore hoping
for a bite.
'I remember when I could sit here and watch the fish swimming in the water.'
He said. 'Sometimes, they'd jump out and land beside me. I didn't need a rod and
bait back then.' He was teasing me again. I liked it. The sun warmed us. We sat
and talked.
'We
have to be patient.' he continued. 'The fish may come or they may not. It
doesn't matter. We're out in the sun. It's a beautiful day. If it had rained, we
wouldn't be here. We're lucky to have the warmth of the sun.'
He leaned back against a tree and sighed. 'Yes, it's a great day.'
I
watched our bobbers. No fish pulled them under that day. It didn't matter. I was
with granddad. I felt grown up. Just being with him was special.
Later,
I sat in the back of the boat and watched as he rowed. His powerful muscles
rippled with each pull on the oars. I wanted to be like him when I grew up. He
was well liked by everyone. He'd struggled hard all his life for the little he
had, but he managed to find time to laugh.
Sim
was an amazing man. In the short time we had together, he taught me many things:
how to bait a hook, the love of a good laugh, the value of a good friend,
respect for my elders, to work hard and to love harder. The list is long.
He
didn't always teach me directly. I pictured him with my mom, when she was a
child, teaching and guiding her to maturity. The things he taught her would be
passed on to me.
The
family tree is a learning tree. The larger, older branches support and guide the
new smaller branches. They balance the family structure with their strength.
Over time, the branches above grow large, join with other families, and shade
the older branches below. The old branches grow weak from the lack of light, die
and fall away. The branches above take over their role on the learning tree,
supporting the new family members.
For
Closeness T-R-A-V-E-L
Inmate Mitchell
King had a visitor -- his wife. King was serving a six-year jail term in
Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery. But his wife didn't want to be away
from him for that long. So they held hands. And they stuck. She'd rubbed her
palms with Super Glue.
Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation painful. Her
technique is not one I'd recommend for a closer relationship.
But if you want more closeness; if you desire relationships that are deeper and
broader, more meaningful and longer-lasting, then remember the word
"travel."
T is for TRUST. Trust is the
glue that holds people together (not Super Glue). A relationship will go nowhere
without it.
R is for RESPECT. "Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till
they are dead; do not write them on their tombstones, speak them rather now
instead," writes Anna Cummins. It's about respecting others and letting
them know that you value them.
A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it means a touch.
Always it means kindness.
V is for VULNERABILITY. Though we may feel afraid to let another too close, no
relationship will go anywhere without risking vulnerability. Entrepreneur Jim
Rohn says, "The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep
out the joy." And the love.
E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY. Learn to be open. Learn to communicate freely. What
kinds of relationships you make are largely determined by how openly you have
learned to communicate.
L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said, "Laughter is the
shortest distance between two people." It's also the most enjoyable.
For relationships that can really go somewhere, just remember the word
"travel." Then enjoy the trip!
The
Power of Kindness
A few years ago, a fellow
I'll call Bob wrote me to explain, having just lost his bride of 42 years, how
profoundly he was helped by grand and spontaneous acts of kindness of strangers.
In one case, he was at Kinko's to make copies of the notes of love and support
he received when he was overcome with emotion. After he began to cry, a young
woman seeing his pain walked over and, without a word, hugged him until he
regained control.
Weeks later, he was at a
restaurant alone and again began to cry when he thought about his wife. A
waitress sat beside him and held his hand. As long as there are people like that
in the world, Bob concluded, there is still hope.
The great musician Pablo
Casals said, "Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he
acts on it and listens to it, he is giving a great deal of what the world needs
most. It is not complicated, but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person
to listen to his own goodness and act upon it."
Poet William Wordsworth
put it another way, declaring that the best portion of a good person’s life is
the "little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." And
novelist Henry James said, "Three things in human life are important: The
first is to be kind, the second is to be kind and the third is to be kind."
Think how much better the
world would be and how much more gratifying your own life would be if every day
each of us set out to lighten the life or brighten the day of another with
simple kindness.
I’ve
Dedicated the Season to You
I’ve
known Ron a long time. But we live in different cities, and I didn’t know
about Anthony, a young man he’s been a Big Brother to for six years. I found
out that despite Ron’s tremendous travel schedule, he’s made the time nearly
every week to be with Anthony. He wanted to tell me what just happened.
Anthony had a bitter
history of rejection and abuse, and although he’s spent a great deal of time
with Ron, he is still reserved and emotionally distant. Apparently, Anthony
recently got into a community college where he became a starter on the football
team.
Ron said he was
pleasantly surprised when Anthony invited him and his wife Sally to watch him
play. After the game, Ron rushed onto the field to congratulate Anthony for
playing well. Anthony was muddy and tired.
"Do you really think
I played well?" he asked.
"Why, that last
block saved the game. I’m proud as can be," Ron answered.
Anthony smiled broadly
and said, "That’s really good to hear because I want to show you
something."
Ron got teary when
Anthony pulled the neck of his muddy shirt aside and revealed a picture taped to
his shoulder pad. A picture of Ron and Sally. Anthony said, "I just want
you to know I’ve dedicated this season to both of you."
Yes, Ron gave Anthony a
wonderful gift, but Anthony’s present was easily as great. He gave the two the
kind of feeling you can’t get from money, status or power. He gave them
gratitude.
A Worldwide Spectacle
of Cheating and Self-Indulgent Violence
Americans were shamed by
the conduct of a few athletes at the 2006 Winter Olympics, but that was nothing
compared to what’s gone on in the past month on the international stage.
A worldwide crisis is
growing, with huge cultural and financial implications.
Other than the Olympics,
two of the biggest sporting events in the world are the Tour de France and the
World Cup. Both have been marred and mangled by illegal and unsporting behavior
that has alienated, or at least embarrassed, all but hard-core partisans.
In another doping scandal
that may eventually destroy cycling, this year’s Tour de France was decimated
when nine cyclists, including three favorites – Italy’s Ivan Basso,
Germany’s Jan Ullrich and Spain’s Francisco Mancebo – were banned from the
race because they were linked to a doping doctor in Spain.
Soccer was deeply scarred
when it was revealed that some of Italy’s top clubs paid off referees to fix
matches. The World Cup tournament itself did not restore the game’s luster.
Instead, the games featured unprecedented violence, dirty play, fakery and
unsportsmanlike behavior.
There were nearly 30
ejections in the tournament, far more than ever before, including England’s
star Wayne Rooney (for stomping a fallen opponent in the groin) and Germany’s
Torsten Fring (for punching an opponent). And many thought the game between
Portugal and the Netherlands, which broke single-game records for yellow cards
(16) and red cards (4), was one of the most despicable World Cup games ever
played.
The slide toward foolish,
uncontrolled, unsporting behavior was epitomized in the final game when French
captain Zinedine Zidane head-butted an opponent during a crucial point in
overtime and was ejected. Sadly, the reputation of one of the game’s greatest
players will be forever tainted by this lapse in professionalism.
The French team
eventually lost to Italy. The squad had every right to be frustrated and
disappointed, but as they walked from the award podium, their coach and several
team members disrespected their opponents and their sport by removing their
second-place medals in apparent disgust. What happened to the glory of honorable
competition?
Done right, sports can
uplift our spirits and showcase the best of human character, but not enough
people are doing it right.
*As if to add an exclamation point, in another part of the globe Scottish soccer star Fernando Ricksen was sent home from South Africa for drunken behavior on a plane.
Management
Maxim #1: Suitability Is as Important as Capability
A critical maxim of
management is: "Suitability is as important as capability." Capability
asks, "Can they do the job?" Suitability asks, "Are they right
for the job?"
If the job is not a good
fit, it’s not a good job.
Yes, an employee has to
have (or be able to readily acquire) the skills and knowledge required for
excellent job performance, but compatibility can be more critical than capacity.
There are three aspects
to suitability: intellect, temperament and objectives.
Intellectually, will the
employee be challenged but not overtaxed by the job? People who are
overqualified usually fail or leave because they get bored or hate being
underutilized. On the other hand, employees who must stretch mightily to do a
job often find it too stressful to do so continually.
Temperament and
personality are also important. Some people flourish while others wilt in
particular organizational cultures. Some need more authority or autonomy than a
job entails while others want closer supervision and more direction. Some love
and others hate detail work. And some rebel against too much structure while
others need orderliness and predictability.
Fit involves integration
with existing people and practices and compatibility with the style and values
of their immediate boss. An organization should encourage fresh ideas,
creativity, innovation and a willingness to challenge assumptions and
approaches, but there is a significant downside to employees who spend too much
energy trying to change their coworkers and the way things are done.
Finally, does the job
make sense given the applicant’s financial and career objectives? Despite
pledges and protests to the contrary, employees who think they are taking a step
backward in pay or prestige often find easy excuses to leave. In such cases,
it’s just like hiring a temp but without the control over timing.
A responsible manager
must be perceptive and prudent. Just as job applicants tend to say whatever they
think the employer wants to hear, employers who need to fill a job tend to
believe whatever they want to hear.
There’s no lasting
benefit when suitability gaps are filled with wishful thinking or
rationalizations.
Every Good Decision
Starts With a Stop
More often than we like,
most of us face choices that can have serious and lasting impacts on our lives.
Do we go along with the crowd? Do we tell someone off? Do we quit a job or end a
relationship? Unfortunately, these decisions are not preceded by a drumroll
warning us the stakes are high. Even worse, we often don’t have a lot of time
to figure out what to do.
It’s no surprise that
most bad decisions -- the ones that mess up our lives -- are made impulsively or
without sufficient reflection.
Ancient proverbs warn us
to "Count to ten when you’re angry" or "Think ahead." But
anger and the lack of preplanning are only two factors that can impede excellent
decision making. Fatigue, fear, frustration, stress and impatience also create
obstacles to wise choices.
Just as we learned to
look both ways before we cross the street, we can learn to systematically
analyze every important decision to allow us to arrive at effective and ethical
conclusions.
Each good decision,
therefore, should start with a stop -- a forced moment of reflection to let us
clarify our goals, evaluate the completeness and credibility of our information
and devise alternative strategies to achieve the best possible result. This stop
can also allow us to muster our moral willpower to overcome temptations and
emotions that can lead to rash, foolish or ill-considered decisions.
While it’s great to be able to "sleep on a problem" for a day or two, or even a few hours, before making a decision, many situations do not afford us that luxury. But even a pause of a few seconds can be enough.
What’s Wrong With
Plagiarism?
Plagiarism and her close
cousins, cheating and resume fraud, are much in the news these days. While many
are outraged, others are quick to excuse and shrug off such conduct.
"What’s the big deal?" they ask.
Well, first, plagiarism
is a form of lying and fraud. Often it’s a form of theft as well. But even if
the person plagiarized consents, the act is fundamentally dishonest. Those who
take credit for the writings or ideas of others victimize everyone who believes
the plagiarist’s false claims.
Second, if plagiarism and
other forms of cheating are treated lightly, more people will engage in such
conduct more often. Remember, what we allow, we encourage. Because the Internet
makes plagiarism so easy, it becomes even more important to impose consequences
on cheaters that are serious enough to deter others.
Third, the reason to
impose severe sanctions on people who lie and cheat is not so much to inflict
pain on wrongdoers as it is to honor and uphold moral principles and protect
honest people from being taken unfair advantage of. When cheaters are allowed to
prosper, we betray all those who have the virtue and courage to resist
temptation.
Finally, all forms of cheating are habit forming. What’s more, cheaters invariably lie to cover up their cheating, increasing the damage to their own credibility and generating toxic distrust and cynicism that undermines all of society.
The Red Marbles
Barbara Miller was
bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and
feature, ragged but clean, hungrily looking at a basket of freshly picked green
peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green
peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I
couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy
next to me.
'Hello Barry, how are you
today?'
'H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine,
thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas, they sure look good.'
'They are good, Barry.
How's your Ma?'
'Fine. Gittin' stronger
alla' time.'
'Good, anything I can
help you with?'
'No, Sir. Jus' admirin'
them peas.'
'Would you like to take
some home?'
'No, Sir. Got nuthin' to
pay for 'em with.'
'Well, what have you to
trade me for some of those peas?'
'All I got's my prize
marble here.'
'Is that right? Let me
see it.'
'Here 'tis. She's a
dandy.'
'I can see that. Hmmmmm,
only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one
like this at home?'
'Not zackley, but
almost.'
'Tell you what. Take this
sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red
marble.'
'Sure will. Thanks Mr.
Miller.'
Mrs. Miller, who had been
standing nearby, came over to help me.
With a smile she said,
'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor
circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes,
or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he
decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of
produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps.'
I left the stand smiling
to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado but I
never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering.
Several years went by,
each more rapid that the previous one and I had occasion to visit some old
friends and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having
his viewing that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to
accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the
relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were
three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice
haircuts, dark suits and white shirts ... all very professional looking.
They approached Mrs.
Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young
men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to
the casket.
Her misty light blue eyes
followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own
warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary
awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet
Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had told me about
the marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the
casket.
'Those three young men
who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they
appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not
change his mind about colour or size, they came to pay their debt.'
'We've never had a great
deal of the wealth,' she confided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself
the richest man in Idaho.'
With loving gentleness
she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were
three exquisitely shined red marbles.
Author
Unknown
Playing
for Someone Else
Skip Bertman, now the
athletic director at Louisiana State University, was one of the most successful
college baseball coaches ever, winning five NCAA baseball championships. He
often sent his players off to play with an inspirational story, which he ended
by invoking them to do their best and a reminder: "You represent LSU, your
family and your Maker."
Coach Bertman emphasized
the idea that his players were never simply playing for themselves. He told a
story about a young man named John who played football for Columbia University
in the 1930s. Actually, John was on the squad because he had a terrific
attitude, not because he was a good player. He was a benchwarmer who hadn’t
been in a single game.
During his senior year,
John’s father died. When he returned from the funeral, he asked his coach if
he could start in the next game to honor his dad. The coach couldn’t refuse,
but he warned John that it probably would be only for a few plays.
To the coach’s
surprise, John played so well he was declared the game’s most valuable player.
When the coach asked him how he was able to play at such a high level after just
losing his father. John said, "My dad came to every game, Coach. You
probably saw me walking with him holding his arm. That’s because he was blind.
I figure today was the first time he ever saw me play. I was playing for my
daddy."
It’s amazing how much
better all of us can be when we play for someone else.
A
Boomerang World
As I was sitting outside
this morning sipping my coffee and watching the sun climb over the horizon, I
looked down and saw a curved stick on the ground that reminded me of a
boomerang. Suddenly I was caught up in memories of me as a kid playing for hours
on end in my grandfather's backyard with a small wooden boomerang he had given
to me as a gift.
Remember when you were a
kid, how fascinated you were with boomerangs? (At least I was) You take this
flat, curved piece of wood and throw it and then watch in amazement as it curves
around in the air and comes right back to you.
As "miraculous" as
that seemed when we were kids, I've found that most of our life is like that.
Whatever we "throw" out there, comes back to us.
We live in a
"boomerang" world.
Let me explain:
If you smile at someone, in
almost every case, they will smile back.
Try it now with someone
nearby and see if it works.
If you're kind toward
someone, they will usually be kind in return.
Of course, this also works
in the other direction.
If you complain to someone,
they will "share" their complaints with you. (In fact, you may quickly
find yourself in a subtle competition to see who is more miserable.)
If you get angry at someone,
they will usually get angry with you.
And so on...
The fact is, whatever you
decide to "throw" out into the world will usually circle around and
land right back at your feet. (Much like the boomerangs we played with as kids.)
Here's what struck me this
morning.
I have a CHOICE about what I
decide to "throw" out into my world. I have a CHOICE about what I WANT
to land at my feet?
If you want more JOY - throw
it out there.
If you want more HAPPINESS -
throw some happiness out there to someone else and watch it
"miraculously" come back to you.
It even works with money.
Need money? Give some away. (Spiritual leaders from the beginning of time have
been telling us this, but most of us are afraid to believe it.)
It works in just about every
area of our life. When we give something away. When we "throw" it out
there. It comes back to us.
But here's the good news.
(And this is really the "miraculous" part) We actually get MORE back
than what we throw out there. Plant a seed and you don't just get one seed back.
You get hundreds - maybe even thousands!
So today and for as many
days afterwards as you want, make a conscious CHOICE about what you want to
"throw" out into the world. By doing this, you will be making a choice
about what is going to come back and land at your feet.
Remember the boomerang. Whatever you "throw" out there WILL come back to you many times over.
Author
Tim Wright, Ph.D.
Something similar to what Swami says:
“The world is nothing but a reflection, reaction and resound of own
thoughts, words and deeds”
