Quote of the day

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome."

By Booker T. Washington

Quote of the day

"We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there, too."

By Kristin Martz

I WISH YOU ENOUGH

Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport as the daughter's departure had been announced. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said:

"I love you and I wish you enough."

The daughter replied, "Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom." They kissed and the daughter left.

The mother walked over to the window where I sat. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry.

I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, "Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?" "Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking but why is this a forever good-bye?"

"I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is the next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.

When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, "I wish you enough." May I ask what that means?"

She began to smile. "That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone." She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more.

"When we said 'I wish you enough' we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them". Then turning toward me, she shared the following, reciting it from memory,

"I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.

I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.

I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.

I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.

I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.

I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.

I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye."

She then began to cry and walked away.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person. An hour to appreciate them. A day to love them. And an entire life to forget them.

WHAT IS YOUR NATURE?

A wise old man was sitting at the river bank when he saw a cat that had fallen into the river struggling to save itself from drowning. The man decided to save the cat. He stretched out his hand towards the cat but the cat scratched him. He pulled his hand back in pain.

However, a few minutes later he stretched out his hand again to save the cat, but it scratched him again, and again he pulled his hand back in pain.

A few minutes later he was again trying for the third time!!

A man, who was nearby watching what was happening, yelled out, "O wise man, you have not learned your lesson the first time, nor the second time, and now you are trying to save the cat a third time?"

The wise man paid no heed to that man's scolding, and kept on trying until he managed to save the cat.

He then walked over to the man, and patted his shoulder saying:, "My son... it is in the cat's nature to scratch, and it is in my nature to love and have sympathy. Why do you want me to let the cat's nature overcome mine?_
"My son, treat people according to your nature, not according to theirs, no matter what they are like and no matter how numerous their actions that harm you and cause you pain sometimes. And do not pay heed to all the voices that loudly call out to you to leave behind your good qualities merely because the other party is not deserving of your noble actions. So never regret the moments you gave happiness to someone, even if that person did not deserve it."

Some things you just can't explain

A farmer was sitting in the neighborhood bar getting drunk. A man came in and asked the farmer, "Hey, why are you sitting here on this beautiful day, getting drunk?" The farmer shook his head and replied, "Some things you just can't explain."
"So what happened that's so horrible?" the man asked as he sat down next to the farmer.
"Well," the farmer said, "today I was sitting by my cow, milking her. Just as I got the bucket full, she lifted her left leg and kicked over the bucket."
"Okay," said the man, "but that's not so bad." "Some things you just can't explain," the farmer replied. "So what happened then?" the man asked. The farmer said, "I took her left leg and tied it to the post on the left."
"And then?"
"Well, I sat back down and continued to milk her. Just as I got the bucket full, she took her right leg and kicked over the bucket."
The man laughed and said, "Again?" The farmer replied, "Some things you just can't explain." "So, what did you do then?" the man asked.
"I took her right leg this time and tied it to the post on the right."
"And then?"
"Well, I sat back down and began milking her again. Just as I got the bucket full, the stupid cow knocked over the bucket with her tail."
"Hmmm," the man said and nodded his head. "Some things you just can't explain," the farmer said.
"So, what did you do?" the man asked.
"Well," the farmer said, "I didn't have anymore rope, so I took off my belt and tied her tail to the rafter. In that moment, my pants fell down and my wife walked in ... Some things you just can't explain."

Quote of the day

"Look for wealth in happiness, and not happiness in wealth."

By Palle Oswald

The Mother With One Eye

My mother had only one eye. When I was growing up, I hated her for it. I hated the uninvited attention it got me at school. I hated how the other children stared at her and looked away in disgust. My mother worked two jobs to provide for the family, but I was just embarrassed by her and didn't want to be seen with her.

Every time my mother came to visit me at school, I wanted her to disappear. I felt a surge of hatred towards the woman who made me the laughing stock of the school. In a moment of extreme anger, I even once told my mother I wanted her to die. I was completely unconcerned about her feelings.

As I grew up, I did whatever was in my power to distance myself from my mother. I studied hard and got a job overseas so I wouldn't have to meet her. I got married and started raising a family of my own. I got busy with my job and family and with providing a comfortable life for my beloved children. I didn't even think about my mother anymore.

Out of the blue, my mother came to visit one day. Her one-eyed face scared my young children and they started crying. I was angry at my mother for showing up unannounced and I forbid her to ever return to my home and new family life. I yelled and screamed, but my mother quietly apologized and left without saying another word.

An invitation to a high school reunion took me back to my hometown after decades. I could not resist driving past my childhood home and stopping by the old shack. My neighbors told me my mother had passed away and left a letter for me.

"My dear child:

I must begin by apologizing for visiting your home unannounced and frightening your beautiful children. I am also deeply sorry that I was such an embarrassment and source of humiliation to you when you were growing up.

I have learned that you may be coming back to town for your reunion. I may no longer be there when you come, and I think it is time to tell you an incident that happened when you were a young child. You see, my dear child, you were involved in an accident and lost one eye. I was devastated at the thought of my beloved child growing up with only one eye. I wanted you to see the beautiful world in all its glory, so I gave you my eye.

My dear child, I always have and always will love you from the bottom of my heart. I have never regretted my decision to give you my eye, and I am at peace that I was able to give you the ability to enjoy a complete life.

Your loving mother."

Quote of the day

“Don’t be intimidated by other people’s opinions. Only mediocrity is sure of itself, so take your risks and do what you really want to do.”

― Paulo Coelho

Quote of the day

“The two hardest tests on the spiritual road are the patience to wait for the right moment
and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter.”

― Paulo Coelho, Veronika Decides to Die

Moses and the burglar

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables, and when he picked up a CD player to place in his pack, a strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus is watching you."

He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight out, and froze. When he heard nothing more after a bit, he shook his head, promised himself a vacation after the next big score, then clicked the light on and began searching for more valuables. Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard,

"Jesus is watching you." Freaked out, he shone his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot. "Did you say that?", he hissed at the parrot.

"Yep," the parrot confessed, then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you."

The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?"

"Moses," replied the bird.

"Moses?" the burglar laughed. "What kind of people would name a bird Moses?"

"The kind of people that would name a Rottweiller Jesus."

Rumi

Lord, said David, since you do not need us,
why did you create these two worlds?

Reality replied: O prisoner of time,
I was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity,
and I wished this treasure to be known,
so I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart;
its darkened back, the world;
The back would please you if you’ve never seen the face.

Has anyone ever produced a mirror out of mud and straw?
Yet clean away the mud and straw,
and a mirror might be revealed.

Until the juice ferments a while in the cask,
it isn’t wine. If you wish your heart to be bright,
you must do a little work.

By Rumi, Persian poet. (1207-1273)

Quote of the day

"Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will."

By Suzy Kassem

Quote of the day

"Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter."
-- Francis Chan

Quote of the day

"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."

William Shakespeare

Quote of the day

"Find happiness in the journey, it isn't guaranteed at the destination."

- Palle Oswald

Knowing Where To Tap

The engine of a giant ship failed to start.

The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure out how to fix the engine.

Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed!

A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

"What?!" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!"

So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemized bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap $ 9998.00

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort makes all the difference!

Quote of the day

"Two things to remember in life. Take care of you thoughts when you are alone and take care of your words when your are with people."

- Unknown

Quote of the day

"Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness."

Alejandro Jedorowski

The Thinking Parrot

A lady walked into a pet shop demanding for a parrot.

The owner: "We have 2 kinds: one repeats everything you say and the other thinks for itself."

"I think I'll like the one that thinks for itself," replied the lady.

The owner brought out her choice and told her to quiz the parrot.

"How do I look?" asked the lady.

"Like a prostitute!" replied the parrot.

"This parrot is rude. I won't buy it," said the lady.

"Please give me a moment," replied the owner as he walked towards the backyard with the parrot.

He dipped the parrot into a bucket full of water and warned the parrot: "If you are rude to that lady one more time I will drown you in this bucket."

When the man came back to the counter he told the lady: "Now ask the parrot anything you wish and I assure that he will be polite."

CONVERSATION

Lady: "If I come home at night with a man, what'll you call this man?"

Parrot: "Your husband."

Lady: "Good. What if I come home with two men?"

Parrot: "Your husband and your in-law."

Lady: "Good. Good. What if I come home with three men?"

Parrot: "Your husband, your in-law and your brother."

Lady: "Gooood! What if I come home with four men?"

The parrot looked back at the owner and said: "Please just drown me. I said it earlier that this woman is a prostitute!"

The Honest Judge

Judge to the court at the start of a case: "I have to declare an interest in this case. Last week, the plaintiff sent me a check for $10,000 to find in his favor. Two days later, I received $20,000 from the defendant to find in his favor. I have therefore sent $10,000 back to the defendant and can try the case without bias."

Quote of the day

"If you are the one perfect person in an imperfect world, you are flawed."

By Palle Oswald.

The story of the pencil

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:
‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’
‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’
‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’
‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’
‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’
‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’

By Paulo Coelho

Quote of the day

"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. Do you understand?"

- Captain Jack Sparrow

What Might Have Been

I held a moment in my hand,
Brilliant as a star,
Fragile as a flower,
A shiny silver out of one hour.
I dropped it carelessly.
Oh God! I knew not
I held opportunity.

By Hazel Lee

Carry on!

It's easy to fight when everything's right,
And you're mad with the thrill and the glory;
It's easy to cheer when victory's near,
And wallow in fields that are gory.
It's a different song when everything's wrong.
When you're feeling infernally mortal;
When it's ten against one, and hope there is none,
Buck up, little soldier, and chortle:

Carry on! Carry on!
There isn't much punch in your blow.
You're glaring and staring and hitting out blind;
You're muddy and bloody, but never mind.
Carry on! Carry on!
You haven't the ghost of a show.
It's looking like death, but while you've a breath,
Carry on, my son! Carry on!

And so in the strife of the battle of life
It's easy to fight when you're winning;
It's easy to slave, and starve and be brave,
When the dawn of success is beginning.
But the man who can meet despair and defeat
With a cheer, there's a man of God's choosing;
The man who can fight to Heaven's own height
Is the man who can fight when he's losing.

Carry on! Carry on!
Things never were looming so black.
But show that you haven't a cowardly streak,
And though you're unlucky you never are weak.
Carry on! Carry on!
Brace up for another attack.
It's looking like hell, but - you never can tell;
Carry on, old man! Carry on!

There are some who drift out in the deserts of doubt,
And some who in brutishness wallow;
There are others, I know, who in piety go
Because of a Heaven to follow.
But to labor with zest, and to give of your best,
For the sweetness and joy of the giving;
To help folks along with a hand and a song;
Why, there's the real sunshine of living.

Carry on! Carry on!
Fight the good fight and true;
Believe in you mission, greet life with a cheer;
There's big work to do, and that's why you are here.
Carry on! Carry on!
Let the world be the better for you;
And at last when you die, let this be your cry:
Carry on, my soul! Carry on!

By Robert W. Service

The Godfather

A mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper, Guido, has cheated him out of $10,000,000. His bookkeeper is deaf. That was the reason he got the job in the first place. It was assumed that Guido could hear nothing so he would not have to testify in court.
When the Godfather goes to confront Guido about his missing $10 million, he takes along his lawyer who knows sign language.
The Godfather tells the lawyer, "Ask him where's the money?"
The lawyer, using sign language, asks Guido, "Where's the money?"
Guido signs back, "I don't know what you are talking about."
The lawyer tells the Godfather, "He says he doesn't know what you are talking about"
The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to Guido's temple and says, "Ask him again!"
The lawyer signs to Guido, "He'll kill you if you don't tell him."
Guido signs back, "OK.! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase buried behind the shed at my cousin Bruno's house."
The Godfather asks the lawyer, "What did he say?"
The lawyer replies, " He says you don't have the balls to pull the trigger. Go fuck yourself."

Pirate Tales

A pirate has hostages tied on the deck of a captured ship.
Pirate: Come here, I will kill you all one after the other. What is your name?
Female hostage: Katherine.
Pirate: I had a sister named Katherine but she died of sickness. I will let you live in her honour.
*pirate moves on*
Pirate: What is your name.
Male hostage: Gary but my friends call me Katherine.

Quote of the day

"Logic will take you from point A to point B. Imagination will take you everywhere."

By Albert Einstein

Designated Decoy

One night, a police officer was stalking out a particularly rowdy bar for possible violations of the driving under the influence laws. At closing time, he saw a fellow stumble out of the bar, trip on the curb, and try his keys on five different cars before he found his.

Then, he sat in the front seat fumbling around with his keys for several minutes. Everyone left the bar and drove off. Finally, he started his engine and began to pull away.

The police officer was waiting for him. He stopped the driver, read him his rights and administered the Breathalyzer test. The results showed a reading of 0.0.

"How is this possible?" asked the puzzled officer.

The driver replied, "Tonight, I'm the Designated Decoy."

The Magic Kitchen

Atongo is a house boy who drinks his boss' wine with impunity then adds water to cover up his tracks. His boss became suspicious and decided to buy pasties (a French wine that changes color if you add water; just like dettol).

Unaware of this, Atongo drank from the wine as usual and topped it up with water. Immediately he added water, the pasties became milky and he knew he was in trouble. When the boss came back and saw the changed pasties, he knew he had nailed Atongo. Atongo knowing he was in trouble decided to stay in the kitchen when his boss came home. The boss having told his wife what he had observed now swung into action.

"Atongo!" he called from the living room.
"Yes, Boss".
"Who drank my pasties?".
Atongo: No answer.
The boss asked again: still no answer. Then the boss went to the kitchen to meet him there. "Are you insane or what? When I called, you said "yes boss" but when I asked a question you don't answer me?"

Atongo retorted, "Hmmm oga, when you are in the kitchen you don't understand anything at all, except your name".
"Is that so?" asked the boss. "Okay, go to the bar and stand beside Madam, while I go into the kitchen, and then, you ask me a question."
Atongo accepted.

When his boss was in the kitchen he shouts, "Boss".
"Yes, Atongo" the boss answers.
Atongo then asks, "Who goes into the maid's bedroom when Madam is not at home?"
No answer.
He shouted again: "Boss, I say who sneaks into the maid's room when Madam is not in the house?" No answer.
The boss runs back from the kitchen shouting, "Wonders shall never cease! Atongo, it is true. When you are in the kitchen, you do not hear anything, except one's name."
The wife now very angry, interrupted, "That's nonsense. It's a lie!"

Without argument, Atongo asked if she'll enter the magic kitchen to be tested. She agreed. Atongo asked Madam, "Who is junior's biological father? Me or the boss? "
Madam rushed out of the kitchen immediately. "This kitchen needs to be renovated...