Customer delight

How far would you go to serve your customers? This is one real story that sets the benchmarks of great customer service...

A man was en route from a business trip in L.A. to his daughter’s home in Denver to see his three-year-old grandson for the last time. The boy, beaten into a coma by his mother’s live-in boyfriend, was being taken off of life support at 9 p.m. that evening so his organs could be used to save other lives.

The man’s wife called Southwest to arrange the last-minute flight and explained the emergency situation. Unfortunately, the man was held up by L.A. traffic and long lines at LAX and didn’t make it to the gate on time.

When he finally made it there 12 minutes after the plane was scheduled to leave, he was shocked to find the pilot waiting for him. He thanked the pilot profusely, and the pilot said, “They can’t go anywhere without me, and I wasn’t going anywhere without you. Now relax. We’ll get you there. And again, I’m so sorry."

You can read more such true stories here: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/120126

Read More...

Summary only...

Trouble Tree

We all have storms come through our lives, but one thing is for sure—we have no right to make everyone else miserable with our own unhappiness. No need to rain on others' parades. A simple story illustrates this point:

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pick up truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.

On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with both hands.

When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles, and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree, and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again.

"Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

I don't know who first told this story—no one seems to know—but he or she must have been a very wise person. Putting boundaries around our problems is a really good idea—it prevents our difficulties from spilling over onto other people (especially our loved ones), who can't do anything about our problems. Why burden them if they can't help us?

So, plant yourself a trouble tree outside your front door—or a potted trouble plant, if you live in an apartment—and use it whenever you come home. Be grateful that you have loved ones to go home to, even if your loved one is simply your beloved dog or cherished cat or prized goldfish. And when you pick up your troubles on the way out each morning, be grateful that they're not as heavy as they were the night before.

Shared from the book 'Dance in the rain'; contributed by my friend Sunny

Read More...

Summary only...

King Solomon’s Ring

This is a popular Jewish wisdom folktale. It contains a very important lesson that relates to the Buddhist concept of “impermanence.”

“One day Solomon decided to humble Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, “Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for Sukkot which gives you six months to find it.”

“If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty,” replied Benaiah,

“I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?” “It has magic powers,” answered the king. “If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy.” Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister a little taste of humility.

Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the night before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day’s wares on a shabby carpet. “Have you by any chance heard of a magic ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?” asked Benaiah.

He watched the grandfather take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile. That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity.

“Well, my friend,” said Solomon, “have you found what I sent you after?” All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled. To everyone’s surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, “Here it is, your majesty!” As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: gimel, zayin, yud, which began the words “Gam zeh ya’avor” — “This too shall pass.” At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.”

The lesson of King Solomon’s story is impermanence; nothing remains forever, everything is passing, rising and decaying, appearing and vanishing in this whirlwind of space-time. King Solomon, after being presented with the ring, realizes this lesson is true for all of life’s conditions – not just the fluctuating, and sometimes unpredictable arousal of mental feelings such as happiness and sadness – but also the impermanence of physical beings as well, including our own possessions and body.

Read More...

Summary only...

Fishing for more

A father and his son went fishing on a small boat, hungry.

The father helped his son reel in his first fish, and it was a beauty.

“Great catch, son,” the father said.

“Yes, but I’m worried I’m missing out on better fish,” the son said. “What if I could catch a bigger, tastier fish?”

“Maybe you should try,” the father said.

And the son did, catching an even bigger fish an hour later. “A real beaut,” the father said.

“But what if there are better fish out there?” the son asked.

“Maybe you should try,” the father said.

And the son did, catching a bigger fish, then wondering if there were better fish, catching another, and so on.

At the end of the day, the son was exhausted. The father asked, “How did the fish taste?”

The son hesitated. “I’m not sure. I was so busy looking for better fish that I didn’t taste any of them.”

The father smiled contentedly, patted his belly. “Don’t worry. They were delicious.”

We are all of us like the son. We all worry, at some time or other, that we’re missing out on things.

It’s why we’re so busy — we take on so much because we don’t want to miss out. We take on dozens of goals and aspirations, because we don’t want to miss out.

But here’s the bare truth: we will miss out, no matter what. It’s inevitable. We cannot do or try everything in the world, even with lives twice as long. We cannot see every town and city, read every interesting book, watch every important film. We will always, always miss out.

What you’re doing right now is all that matters. Let the rest go, and enjoy the fish you’ve already caught.

Read More...

Summary only...

Beggar lady, and the clown

The first time I saw the old lady at the tollbooth, I thought to myself she must be miserable. I paid her the $1.00 toll. Whereas most of the toll takers in New Hampshire are friendly, saying “Good Morning,” “Thank-you,” or “Have a nice day,” this lady gave nothing, not even a smile. She simply took my dollar.

I drove off, polluted by her negative energy, and spent the rest of the day trying to shake off her bad karma. The next day, having forgotten about The Mean One, I drove through that tollbooth again.  To my disappointment, there she was, again. This time, I gave her a 20 dollar bill and she actually sneered at me. I could see her talking to herself under her breath, “why do people give me 20 dollar bills, can’t these stupid people just give a dollar so I don’t have to make change?”

Commuting to and from work every day, I learned over time that she normally works on the north bound side during my evening drive, but doesn’t work every night.

A week or two went by without a single sighting, and then one evening, there she was. I made a quick mental note not to go through lane 2 in the future. In fact, I avoided lane 2 for quite some time, noticing that lane 1 always seemed to be busier than her lane.  I wondered, “Am I not the only one who despises and avoids her?”

Then one day it dawned on me. I was once a real bonafide clown.  I graduated from Clown College in 1982 and worked with several famous names in the circus. If anyone could make the old lady at the tollbooth smile, I could. So, I made it my mission.

I decided to go through her lane every night.  There she was, my captive audience. Instead of my being her victim, she was going to be a victim of my clowning skills. So, as I gave her my dollar bill, I slowed down enough, and I mustered up the biggest clown smile I could give her. She looked at me strangely.  Clearly, I had caught her off guard. The look on her face said, “who is this guy smiling at me and why?”

The following night, another big smile….and so it went on, without uttering a word. Finally she caught on. I was no longer a faceless commuter going through her booth, but a friendly face.  In time, she smiled back, said “hello,” and even asked me how I was. One time when she asked after me, I admitted to feeling grumpy and miserable. She smiled and with a gentle laugh she said “me too.”

Since I took matters into my own hands, I no longer despise my toll booth lady. Instead, we smile at each other and exchange pleasantries.  Maybe she just needed a friendly face….and I needed a reminder that I am a Clown.

Story shared by Craig Ruben.

Read More...

Summary only...

Don't Hope Friend... Decide

While waiting to pick up a friend at the airport in Portland, Oregon, I had one of those life changing experiences that you hear other people talk about, the kind that sneaks up on you unexpectedly.

This one occurred a mere two feet away from me. Straining to locate my friend among the passengers deplaning through the jet way, I noticed a man coming toward me carrying two light bags. He stopped right next to me to greet his family.

First he motioned to his youngest son (maybe six years old) as he laid down his bags. They gave each other a long, loving hug. As they separated enough to look in each other's face, I heard the father say, "It's so good to see you, son. I missed you so much!" His son smiled somewhat shyly, averted his eyes and replied softly, "Me, too, Dad!"

Then the man stood up, gazed in the eyes of his oldest son (maybe nine or ten) and while cupping his son's face in his hands said, "You're already quite the young man. I love you very much, Zach!" They too hugged a most loving, tender hug.

While this was happening, a baby girl (perhaps one or one-and-a-half) was squirming excitedly in her mother's arms, never once taking her little eyes off the wonderful sight of her returning father. The man said, "Hi, baby girl!" as he gently took the child from her mother. He quickly kissed her face all over and then held her close to his chest while rocking her from side to side. The little girl instantly relaxed and simply laid her head on his shoulder, motionless in pure contentment.

After several moments, he handed his daughter to his oldest son and declared, "I've saved the best for last," and proceeded to give his wife the longest, most passionate kiss I ever remember seeing. He gazed into her eyes for several seconds and then silently mouthed, "I love you so much!" They stared at each other's eyes, beaming big smiles at one another, while holding both hands. For an instant they reminded me of newlyweds, but I knew by the age of their kids that they couldn't possibly be.

I puzzled about it for a moment then realized how totally engrossed I was in the wonderful display of unconditional love not more than an arm's length away from me. I suddenly felt uncomfortable, as if I was invading something sacred, but was amazed to hear my own voice nervously ask, "Wow! How long have you two been married?"

"Been together fourteen years total, married twelve of those," he replied, without breaking his gaze from his lovely wife's face.

"Well, then, how long have you been away?" I asked.

The man finally turned and looked at me, still beaming his joyous smile.

"Two whole days!"

Two days? I was stunned. By the intensity of the greeting, I had assumed he'd been gone for at least several weeks, if not months. I know my expression betrayed me, I said almost offhandedly, hoping to end my intrusion with some semblance of grace (and to get back to searching for my friend), "I hope my marriage is still that passionate after twelve years!"

The man suddenly stopped smiling. He looked me straight in the eye, and with forcefulness that burned right into my soul, he told me something that left me a different person. He told me, "Don't hope, friend...decide!"

Then he flashed me his wonderful smile again, shook my hand and said, "God bless!" With that, he and his family turned and strode away together. I was still watching that exceptional man and his special family walk just out of sight when my friend came up to me and asked, "What'cha looking at?"

Without hesitating, and with a curious sense of certainty, I replied, "My future!"

By Michael D. Hargrove

Read More...

Summary only...

Strategy vs. Tactics!

Ahmed and Hamid are both beggars at several motorway services in England.

Ahmed drives a Mercedes, lives in a mortgage free house and has a lot of money to spend.

Hamid only brings in 2 to 3 pounds a day.

Hamid asks Ahmed how he manages to bring home a suitcase full of £10 notes every day?!

Ahmed says, "Look at your sign. It says, 'I have no work, a wife and six kids to support.' Britons who see that do not feel as if they have accomplished anything by giving you money. You will still have no job and a large family! Now look at my sign."

So Hamid looks up and Ahmed's sign reads: "I only need another £10 to move back to Pakistan"

Let this be another lesson in thinking out of the box to solve your everyday 'problems'.

Read More...

Summary only...

The Man and the Eagle

There was once a man who had never seen an eagle.

One day a magnificent eagle landed on his windowsill, and when he saw it, he exclaimed, “Oh! What an ugly creature it is! You can look much better, Mr. Eagle”, he said and pulled it into his house.

“First, I’m going to fix that curved beak of yours.” He used a file to remove the hook in the eagle’s beak. “Those claws are vicious looking,” the man said as he clipped the eagle’s claws until there was little left. When he finished, the man said, “There, now you look better”, and he put the bird back on his open windowsill and shooed it away. The eagle pulled its wings in pain and dragged itself into the sky. The man was happy to see a new beautiful reformed creature enjoying the flight.

But alas!

Moments later, the bird collapsed of its handicaps. It couln't survive the wild for long.

Nature has created all of us unequal, not because one is better than the other, but because each being has its own purpose in life. So many times, we, as teachers, parents, bosses, and well-wishers, attempt to reform others to our liking. We impose our goals on them, give them advice that worked for someone else, or push them to do things that are 'in-demand' currently.

Instead, what we should do, is to discover the true potential of people around us, and respect them for the way God has created them to be.

Read More...

Summary only...

How is Norma?

A sweet grandmother telephoned St. Joseph 's Hospital.

She timidly asked, "Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing?"

The operator said, "I'll be glad to help, dear. What's the name and room number of the patient?"

The grandmother in her weak, tremulous voice said, "Norma Findlay, Room 302."

The operator replied, "Let me put you on hold while I check with the nurse's station for that room."

After a few minutes, the operator returned to the phone and said, "I have good news. Her nurse just told me that Norma is doing well. Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back normal and her physician, Dr. Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged tomorrow."

The grandmother said, "Thank you. That's wonderful. I was so worried. God bless you for the good news."

The operator replied, "You're more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter?"

The grandmother said, "No, I'm Norma Findlay in Room 302. No one tells me anything."

Read More...

Summary only...

Zero attendance

Once a student's HOD caught him and took him to Principal's office. The complaint was that this kid was not attending any lectures on any subject.

Zero Attendance.

The Principal asked, "What have you joined the University for? To appear in the exam, you will need atleast 75% attendance and this way you are not going to make it to exams. I in any case would not support you to get that 75% attendance."

The student thought for a while and replied, " Sir do you want to know  where do I spend my time? If I satisfy you and you have no arguments then you will see to it that I get 100% attendance, will you?"

The Principal nodded, almost taken aback at his confidence. The principal followed as the student took him to the university library. He asked the librarian to tell the Principal how often he visited the library.

"Sir, this boy comes daily to library, right from the time it opened and keeps on reading till it closes. There were many instances when we even had to tell this boy to go since it was time to close. Even on holidays he came and if the library was closed would sit in the garden and read!"

The kid looked at the Principal, "Sir, your professors don't teach anything new. They teach from these same books. So I thought it better to directly refer to the books rather then having a second-hand knowledge. Ask any professor if he has anything new to offer which is not mentioned in these books and I will be the first one to attend their session."

The Principal stood speechless at the stark truth, finally gave in, and did mark 100% attendance for his brilliant performer.

So many times, our false beliefs push us towards the self-fulfilling prophecy that we are more knowledgeable since the day we got those degrees. The truth is that people who are practically on the job, who've learned their lessons through life's hardships, can shake our mis-beliefs any day of our life.

Read More...

Summary only...

Design of new temple

The story goes like this:

In Burma, one Buddhist monk was ordered to make a design for the new temple,  particularly for the gate. So he was making many designs. He had one very talented disciple, so he told that disciple to be near him. While he made the design the disciple was simply to watch, and if he liked it he had to say that it was okay, it was right. If he didn’t like it then he had to say no. And the master said, ‘When you say yes, only then will I send the design. If you go on saying no, I will discard the design and will create a new one.’

Hundreds of designs were discarded in this way. Three months passed. Even the  master became afraid, but he had given his word so he had to keep it. The disciple was there, the master would make the design, and then the disciple would say no. The master would start another one.

One day the ink was just about to be finished, so the master said, ‘Go out and find more ink.’ The disciple went out. The master forgot him, his presence, and became effortless. His presence was the problem. The idea was constantly in his mind that the disciple was there, judging. He was constantly wondering whether he was going to like it or not, whether he would discard it again. This created an inner anxiety and the master could not be spontaneous.

The disciple went out. The design was completed. The disciple came in and he said ‘Wonderful! But why couldn’t you do it before?’

The master said, ‘Now I understand why – because you were here. Because of you – I was making an effort to get your approval. The effort destroyed the whole thing. I couldn’t be natural, I couldn’t flow, I couldn’t forget myself because of you.’

The whole thing hinges on one thing – when your effort drops and you become spontaneous, your act becomes your being.

Read More...

Summary only...

Burglar father-son duo

A notorious burglar once took his growing up son also along with him for training in burglary.

Night time, pitch dark, they reached a bungalow, jumped over the compound and neared the building stealthily. Father burglar scanned & identified the spot for stealing. He lifted his son and dumped him through the window to reach the spot.

The son was silently stealing. He was about to finish when the father created a loud thud by pushing an object to the ground! Hearing the noise the inmates of the bungalow were alarmed of thieves and all lights were put on. The son burglar was frightened. He expected his father to rescue him, but was shocked to find his father taking to his heels!

Frustrated, frightened, and disappointed by his father’s attitude at the time of difficulty, the son decided to find his own way & at last wisely escaped from there.

Straight he came home & fought with his father & ridiculed his cowardice.

“My son", father explained "I was the one who made the noise to alarm the inmates when I found you were successful in your job. I deliberately ran out of the place leaving you alone so that you would find your own way of escaping. Had I helped, you would have been dependent on me when difficulties come. Now you have proved to yourself that you are capable of handling the situation alone. Even if you were caught they would have only beaten you & not put to death. If that be so I would have certainly helped you. Good job done my son!”

Only when things go wrong if one has the guts & grit to find ways to succeed, then success is worth its name.

Read More...

Summary only...

The real Miss India World 2009

Meera Chopra, mother of Pooja Chopra, lived through abuse, poverty and some tough choices to make her once-unwanted girl child, Pooja Chopra, the Pantaloons Femina Miss Pooja Chopra. And when I read her narration, I couldn't afford to miss showcasing here this magnificant example of strength, determination and character of a woman. You'll not be left untouched I promise. Here's her dramatic story:

I don't know where to begin... they were terrible times. My husband was well-placed, but the marriage had begun to sink almost as soon as it began. Like most women do, I tried to work against all the odds.

My in-laws insisted everything would be alright if I had a son. My first child was a daughter, and that didn't do me any good... but I couldn't walk out. I had lost my father, my brother was in a not-so-senior position in Bata. I didn't want to be a burden on my family and continued to live in my marital home in Kolkata.

I looked after my mother-inlaw, who was suffering from cancer, and while bathing her, I would tell myself she would bless me and put things right.

I don't know how I tolerated it all. The least a man can do, if he must philander, is to not flaunt his women in his wife's face. Then began the manhandling. I still wanted my marriage to survive. I was a pure vegetarian and learnt to cook non-vegetarian delicacies thinking it would please him.

Then, I was pregnant again. When Pooja was eight months in my womb, my husband brought a girl to the house and announced he would marry her. I thought of killing myself. I hung on the slight hope that if the baby was a boy, my marriage could be saved.

When Pooja was born a girl, for three days, nobody came to the hospital. There was a squadron leader's wife on the opposite bed, who was kind enough to give me baby clothes for Pooja to wear. When she was 20 days old, I had to make a choice. I left the house with my girls ' Pooja and Shubra, who was seven then. I haven't seen my husband since. I promised myself, even if we had just one roti, we would share it, but together.

I began life in Mumbai with the support of my mother, brother, who was by then married. It wasn't th e ideal situation, especially when he had children ' space, money, everything was short. I began work at the Taj Colaba and got my own place. How did I manage' Truth be told, I would put a chatai on the floor, leave two glasses of milk and some food, and bolt the door from outside before going to work. I would leave the key with the neighbours and tell the kids to shout out to them when it was time to leave for school.

Their tiny hands would do homework on their own, feed themselves on days that I worked late. My elder daughter Shubhra would make Pooja do her corrections... This is how they grew up. At a birthday party, Pooja would not eat her piece of cake, but pack it and bring it home to share with her sister. When Shubhra started working, she would skip lunch and pack a chicken sandwich that she would slip in her sister's lunchbox the next day.

I used to pray, 'God, punish me for my karma, but not my innocent little kids. Please let me provide them the basi cs.' I used to struggle for shoes, socks, uniforms. I was living in Bangur Nagar, Goregaon. Pooja would walk four bus stops down to the St Thomas Academy. Then, too little to cross the road, she would ask a passerby to help her. I had to save the bus money to be able to put some milk in their bodies.

Life began to change when I got a job for Rs 6,000 at the then Goa Penta. Mr Chhabra, the owner, and his wife, were kind enough to provide a loan for me. I sent my daughters to my sister's house in Pune, with my mother as support. I spent four years working in Goa while I saved to buy a small one-bedroom house in Pune (where the family still lives). I would work 16-18 hours a day, not even taking weekly offs to accumulate leave and visit my daughters three or four times a year.

Once I bought my house and found a j ob in Pune, life began to settle. I worked in Hotel Blue Diamond for a year and then finally joined Mainland China ' which changed my life. The consideration of the team and management brought me the stability to bring them up, despite late hours and the travelling a hotelier must do.

Shubhra got a job in Hotel Blue Diamond, being the youngest employee there while still in college, and managed to finish her Masters in commerce and her BBM. Today, she is married to a sweet Catholic boy who is in the Merchant Navy and has a sweet daughter. I continue to finish my day job and come home and take tuitions, as I have done for all these years. I also do all my household chores myself.

Through the years, Shubhra has been my anchor and Pooja, the rock.. Pooja's tiny hands have wiped away my tears when I broke down. She has stood up for me, when I couldn't speak for myself. Academically brilliant, she participated in all extra-curricular activities.. When she needed high heels to model in, she did odd shows and bought them for herself.

When I saw Pooja give her speech on TV, I knew it came from her heart. I could see the twinkle in her eye. And I thought to myself as she won 'My God, this is my little girl.' God was trying to tell me something.

Today, I've no regrets. I believe every cloud has a silver lining. As a mother, I've done nothing great.

Pantaloons Femina Miss India Pooja Chopra's mother promised 'One day, this girl will make me proud'. Pooja speaks on fulfilling that promise:

'I won due to my mother's karma. When I was 20 days old, my mother was asked to make a choice. It was either me 'a girl child, or her husband. She chose me. As she walked out she turned around and told her husband, 'One day, this girl will make me proud'. That day has come. Her husband went on to marry a woman who gave him two sons. Today, as I stand here a Miss India, I don't even know if my father knows that it is me, his daughter, who has set out to conquer the world, a crown on my head. Our lives have not been easy, least so for my mother. Financially, emotionally, she struggled to stay afloat, to keep her job and yet allow us to be the best that we could be. I was given only one condition when I started modelling ' my grades wouldn't drop.

All the girls in the pageant worked hard, but my edge was my mother's sacrifice, her karma. Today, when people call to congratulate me, it's not me they pay tribute to, but to her life and her struggle. She's the true Woman of Substance. She is my light, my mentor, my driving force. My win was merely God's way of compensating her.'

Simply amazing.

Read More...

Summary only...

The cleaning lady

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 40s, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely, " said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "Hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

What about you? Do you know the name of that security guard or that housekeeper who doesn't fail to wish you 'Goodmorning Sir' every single day?

Read More...

Summary only...

4 puppies and the little boy

A farmer had four puppies he needed to sell, so he painted a sign and started nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail in to the post, he felt a tug on his trouser, and saw a cute little boy standing next to him with a question in his eyes.

'Mister,' he said, 'I want to buy one of your puppies.'

'Well,' said the farmer,as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, 'These puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.'

The boy dropped his head for a moment.Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer.

'I've got thirty-nine cents. Is that enough to take a look?'

'Sure,' said the farmer. And with that he let out a whistle. 'Here, Dolly!' he called. Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur.

The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring in side the doghouse.

Slowly another dog appeared, this one noticeably smaller, it slid in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began struggling toward the others doing its best to catch up.

'I want that one,' the little boy said, pointing to the runt. The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, 'Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would. He is handicapped.'

With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and rolled up one leg of his trousers. He had a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said,

'You see sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands...'

With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup. Holding it carefully he handed it to the little boy.

'How much?'

'No charge,' the farmer choked while saying this, 'there's no charge for love!'

The world is full of people who need a special someone who understands. May you be that special someone to them.

Read More...

Summary only...

Divorce after 35 years

An elderly man in Mumbai calls his son in New York and says, 'I hate to ruin your day son, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are getting a divorce; 35 years of marriage... and that much misery is enough!'

'Dad, what are you talking about?!' the son almost jumps on his feet.

'We can't stand the sight of each other any longer,' the old man says. 'We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Hong Kong and tell her.'

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. 'Like heck they're getting divorced,' she shouts, 'I'll take care of this.'

She calls Mumbai immediately, and screams at her Dad, 'You are not getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then , don't do a thing, do you HEAR?' and she hangs up frantically.

The old man puts his phone down and turns to his wife 'Okay, it's all set. They're both coming for our anniversary and paying their own airfare!'

You are not busy in this world all 365 days.. the sky is not going to fall down if you take time out to meet your dear ones... 'coz money making is certainly not EVERYthing in life.

Read More...

Summary only...

Nothing left to live

A depressed man once told a holy man that he had nothing left to live for.

"Everything is gone, life is hopeless," the man went on saying, "I'm living in the depths of darkness. In fact, I've lost heart in life altogether." The holy man said sympathetically, "I understand son, but let's take a look at your situation, shall we.." On a sheet of paper he drew a vertical line down the middle, and instructed "list on the left side the things you have lost, and on the right, the things you still have left with you".
Have you?

Read More...

Summary only...

Sweets and the marble

In a small farmland, once upon a time, a boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles and the girl had some sweets with her. After looking at them for a while, the boy couldn't resist the temptation of sweets, and had to ask the girl if she will give him all her sweets in exchange for his marbles.

Well, to his surprise, the girl readily agreed!

Smart -- that's what he thought he was -- so he hid the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl.

On the other side, the girl gave kept his promise and gave him all her sweets as promised. That night, the girl slept peacefully as always, but the boy couldn't close his eyes. He kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble!

If you don't give your hundred percent in a relationship, you'll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her hundred percent. This is applicable for any relationship be it at home or work -- give your hundred percent to everything you do and sleep peacefully.

Read More...

Summary only...

Painting on the wall

There was a king who was a great admirer of art. He encouraged artists from all over his country and gave them valuable gifts.

One day an artist came and said to the king, "Oh King! Give me a blank wall in your palace and let me paint a picture on it. It will be more beautiful than anything you have ever seen before. I promise you shall not be disappointed. "

Now, the king happened to be constructing a big hall at the rear end of the palace. So he said, "All right you may work on one of the walls in the new hall." So the artist was given the job and he was very pleased indeed.

Just then, another young man said, "Oh King! Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I too am an artist." The king said, "What would you like to make?"

The man said, "My Lord, I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, I shall do so, without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so that either of us cannot see the other."

Now, that was a tall statement. Everyone in the king's court, including the king and the first artist were intrigued. But the King loved surprises and he decided to give the young fellow a chance.

The following day a thick curtain was put into place and both the artists got to work.

The first artist brought in a regular supply of paint, oil, water etc. The second one would come with a cloth and a bucket of water every day.

After a month the first artist told the king that his work was complete and he would like to show it to the king. The king sent for the second artist and asked him, "Young man, when would your work be ready? I am coming to see the first wall this evening." The man said, "My Lord, my wall is ready too!"

The king went to see the first artist's wall. He was very, very impressed with the painting and gave a hefty sum as a reward to the artist. He then asked for the curtain to be opened up. The same painting was to be seen on the opposite wall too! Amazing! But true! Each line, each minor detail was exactly as it was on the first wall. But this man had not been seeing what was going on, on the other side of the curtain. So how had he done it?

The king wanted to know the secret. He gave a double reward to the fellow. Then he said, "Young man, I am indeed very happy with your work. But you must tell me; how did you do it?"

The man said simply, "It's very easy! I just polished the wall every day! It was a wall made of white marble! The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror. The reflection of the painting across the room, showed up in it! "

That is what it means to polish yourself, for when we polish our hearts and souls, we see God's reflection within. Whatever you are, the world will seem to be that too. If you are sad, jealous, dejected, angry, restless... that is what the world will seem to be! If you are happy, the world will seem to be paradise -- it is you who decide how you want your world to look.

Read More...

Summary only...

The coldest winter

It was autumn, and the tribals asked their new chief if the winter was going to be cold or mild.

But since he was a chief in a modern society, he had not much wisdom to predict what the weather was going to be unlike his wise ancestors. So to be on the safe side, he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the village should collect wood to be prepared.

But also being a practical leader, after several days he got an idea.

He went to the phone booth, called the National Weather Service and asked 'Is the coming winter going to be cold?'

'It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold indeed,' the weather man responded. So the chief went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood. A week later, he called the National Weather Service again.

'Is it going to be a very cold winter?'

'Yes,' the man at National Weather Service again replied, 'It's definitely going to be a very cold winter.'

The chief again went back to his people and ordered them to collect every scrap of wood they could find.

Two weeks later, he called the National Weather Service again.

'Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?'

'Absolutely,' the man replied, 'It's going to be one of the coldest winters ever.'

'How can you be so sure?' the chief asked.

The weatherman replied, 'The tribals are collecting wood like crazy!'

A lot of phenomena happens like this in real world as well, and the lesson in this story should teach us one simple thing: It is good to believe the trends, consult 'experts', but in the end.. there's no subsitute for the wise man sitting inside of you.

Read More...

Summary only...