If

 

 

If you can keep your head when all about you
   Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
   But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
   Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don’t give way to hating,
   And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
   If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
   And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
   Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
   And stoop and build ’em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
   And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
   And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
   To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
   Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
   Or walk with kings—nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
   If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run—
   Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son

 

- Rudyard Kipling

ACT OF VALOUR

I saw you thinking of me, a helpless creature residing within, living rent-free. Conceived  of misleading trust and corrupting passion, still holding onto a thread of compassion. I saw you, an imperfect being with bruised ego, a tear-stained face regretting action. With a heavy heart, once the cradle of mesmerising aspirations, just took the wrong course. On the edge of an unsheathed sword, bearing the fresh wound of a broken promise, a forfeited applause. A victim of spite and condemnation, a marred reputation. My embryonic spirit sank in the river of your unending tears, with blurry forecasts, uncertain future, tinged with awkward confrontations. I saw you thinking of me, dark thoughts hovering over a caring heart, the host of a special artifact, an unadorned art.

I saw you placing a hand over me to feel that, that rhythm of hope. The faint glow in depressing darkness, the seed from which beautiful tomorrows grow, that seed of hope. Remembering that the verdict of time always favours the innocent, the wrongfully damned, the neglected heroes. In that uncertain time, you cherished those inherited values, believing in the undying soul, knowing life is just a game of shadows. If only you could feel the peaceful thoughts I oozed forth, a barren attempt to calm a weary mind. I relished in that bubble of anticipation, wishing you gave me an opportunity to see the sunshine. 

Now I see you looking at me, the sanctuary of unconditional affection, evidence of a heart that loved. The umbilical chord was just a physical significance, an emotional necessity. But what we share now, no stainless steel blade can severe, that desire for mutual welfare. A mother's LOVE lights up any runway. 

Breathing Underwater

A boy once asked a wise old man what the secret to success is. After listening to the boy’s question, the wise man told the boy to meet him at the river in the morning and he would be given the answer there.

In the morning, the wise man and the boy began walking toward the river. They continued on into the river, past the point of the water covering their nose and mouth.  At this time, the wise man ducked the boy into the water.

As he struggled to get out, the wise man continued to push him further down. The boy felt a fish slip by his leg and squirmed to get up even harder. The man eventually pulled the boy’s head up so he could get air. The boy gasped as he inhaled a deep breath of air.

The wise man said, ‘What were you fighting for when you were under water?” The boy replied, “Air!” The man said, “There you have the secret to success. When you want to gain success as much as you wanted air when you were under water, you will obtain it. That’s the only secret.”

Sweat Dreams

A young boy and girl were enjoying a pleasant afternoon playing outside in their neighborhood together. The boy showed the girl his collection of beautiful, unique marbles. In turn, the girl showed the boy the handful of candy that she had just gotten for her birthday.

The boy proposed that the two of them switch–he would give her all of his marbles if she handed over all of her candy. The girl agreed, as she found the marbles to be beautiful as well.

The boy handed over all of his marbles, but kept one–the most exquisite one of them all–in his pocket. The girl kept her promise and gave the boy all of her candy.

That night, the girl was happy with the exchange and peacefully went to sleep.

The boy, however, couldn’t sleep, as he was up wondering if the girl had secretly kept some of her candy, just like he did with the marble.

When you don't give your all in relationships, you believe everyone is holding back as well.

The Wise Man's Joke

A wise man once faced a group of people who were complaining about the same issues over and over again. One day, instead of listening to the complaints, he told them a joke and everyone cracked up laughing.

Then, the man repeated the joke. A few people smiled.

Finally, the man repeated the joke a third time – but no one reacted.

The man smiled and said, “You won’t laugh at the same joke more than once. So what are you getting from continuing to complain about the same problem?”

You’re not going to get anywhere if you keep complaining about the same problem but do nothing to fix it. Don’t waste your time complaining, expecting other people to continue to react to your complaints. Instead, take action to make a change.

The Price of Salt

Che had gathered his friend for supper and was brewing a juicy piece of meat. Suddenly, he noticed they were out of salt.

Che called his son. “Go to the village and buy salt. But pay the fair price for it; neither pricier nor cheaper.”

His son was surprised. “I understand I shouldn’t pay more, father. But if we can bargain a little, why not save some money?”

“In a large city, this is advisable,” he said. “However, in a small city as ours, the entire village will notice it.”

His guest overheard their conversation and wanted to know why one shouldn’t buy salt for less.

Che answered, “Those who sell underpriced salt, do it in a desperate need for money. Those who take advantage of the situation, show disrespect for the sweat and battle of a man that worked to produce something.”

“But that is too little to destroy a village.”

“In the beginning of the world, injustice was scant as well. But everyone that came afterward added something, thinking it was not important, and see where we got today.”

The Cheapest Room

Love sometimes wants to do us a great favor: hold us upside down and shake all the nonsense out.

Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.
I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in the darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.

There are different wells within your heart.
Some fill with each good rain,
Others are far too deep for that

Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.

Remember

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.

She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."

It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!

Quote of the day

"You don't rise by pulling down
You don't fly by holding on
You don't climb by tearing down
Mind the foundation you build on"

- Palle Oswald

What's For Dinner?

A husband notices his wife’s hearing is deteriorating and decides to visit her doctor for advice. “I can’t speak to my wife directly as she might find it offensive, given our old age,” he says to the doctor.

“There’s a simple trick you can try to determine her hearing,” explains the doctor. “Simply ask her a question at a distance and if she doesn’t hear you, move slightly closer and ask again until she does.”

That night, the husband arrives home and sees his wife in the kitchen cooking. He thinks this will be the perfect opportunity to test her hearing.

He stands in the doorway of the kitchen and promptly asks: “What’s for dinner honey?”

No answer. He moves closer. “What’s for dinner honey?”

Still no answer. He moves even closer.

“What’s for dinner honey?”

Still his wife doesn’t answer. He now sees how serious her hearing problem is. At this point, he is stood right next to his wife.

“What’s for dinner honey?”

The wife swings around and yells: “FOR THE FOURTH TIME WE’RE HAVING CHICKEN!”

The Cure

A man says: “Doctor, I don’t know what to do. Every day my wife seems to lose her temper for no reason. It scares me.”

The doctor says: “I have a cure for that. When it seems that your wife is getting angry, just take a glass of water and start swishing it in your mouth. Just swish and swish but don’t swallow it until she either leaves the room or calms down.”

Two weeks later the man comes back to the doctor looking fresh and reborn.

The man says: “Doctor that was a brilliant idea! Every time my wife started losing it, I swished with water. I swished and swished, and she calmed right down! How does a glass of water do that?”

The doctor says: “The water itself does nothing. It’s keeping your mouth shut that does the trick.”

Three Men and a Genie

Three men are stuck on an island. One day, the three of them are walking along the beach and discover a magic lamp. They rub and rub, and sure enough, out pops a genie.

The genie says: “Since I can only grant three wishes, you may each have one.”

The first says: “I’ve been stuck here for years. I miss my family, my husband, and my life. I just want to go home.” Poof, he’s gone!

Then the second says: “I’ve been stuck here for years as well. I miss my family, my husband, and my life. I wish I could go home too.” Poof, he’s gone!

The third man starts crying uncontrollably. The genie asks: “My dear, what’s the matter?”

The man whimpers: “I wish my friends were still here.”

Character of the week

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system. Here are some of his famous quotes.

“The present is theirs; the future, for which I really worked, is mine.”

“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.”

“Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more.”

“The scientists of today think deeply instead of clearly. One must be sane to think clearly, but one can think deeply and be quite insane.”

“I do not think you can name many great inventions that have been made by married men.”

“The spread of civilisation may be likened to a fire; first, a feeble spark, next a flickering flame, then a mighty blaze, ever increasing in speed and power.”

Character of the week

Helen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Here is some of the wisdom she left us.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

“Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.”

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.”

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.”

“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.”

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”

Quote of the day

"He that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom."

- Gandalf (Lord of the Rings)

Circle of Happiness

And old story tells that one day, a countryman knocked hard on a monastery door. When the monk tending the gates opened up, he was given a magnificent bunch of grapes.

– Brother, these are the finest my vineyard has produced. I’ve come to bear them as a gift.
– Thank you! I will take them to the Abbot immediately, he’ll be delighted with this offering.
– No! I brought them for you. For whenever I knock on the door, it is you opens it. When I needed help because the crop was destroyed by drought, you gave me a piece of bread and a cup of wine every day.
The monk held the grapes and spent the entire morning admiring it. And decided to deliver the gift to the Abbot, who had always encouraged him with words of wisdom.
The Abbot was very pleased with the grapes, but he recalled that there was a sick brother in the monastery, and thought:
“I’ll give him the grapes. Who knows, they may bring some joy to his life.”
And that is what he did. But the grapes didn’t stay in the sick monk’s room for long, for he reflected:
“The cook has looked after me for so long, feeding me only the best meals. I’m sure he will enjoy these.”
The cook was amazed at the beauty of the grapes. So perfect that no one would appreciate them more than the sexton; many at the monastery considered him a holy man, he would be best qualified to value this marvel of nature.
The sexton, in turn, gave the grapes as a gift to the youngest novice, that he might understand that the work of God is in the smallest details of Creation. When the novice received them, he remembered the first time he came to the monastery, and of the person who had opened the gates for him; it was that gesture which allowed him to be among this community of people who knew how to value the wonders of life.
And so, just before nightfall, he took the grapes to the monk at the gates.
– Eat and enjoy them – he said. – For you spend most of your time alone here, and these grapes will make you very happy.
The monk understood that the gift had been truly destined for him, and relished each of the grapes, before falling into a pleasant sleep.
Thus the circle was closed; the circle of happiness and joy, which always shines brightly around generous people.

Spirits in the Lake

Cain and Abel came to the banks of an enormous lake. They had never seen anything like it.

“There’s something inside it,” said Abel, looking into the water, not knowing that it was his reflection. Cain noticed the same thing, and raised his staff.

The image did the same thing. Cain stood waiting for the blow; his image did the same. Abel studied the surface of the water. He smiled, and the image smiled. He laughed out loud, and saw the other imitating him. As they walked away, Cain thought:

“How aggressive those creatures are who live in there.”

And Abel told himself:

“I’d like to return, for I met someone both handsome and in good humor.”