The Important Things in Life A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table

in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous Yes. Now, said the professor, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things your family, your partner, your health, your children things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else. The small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the rocks first the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

The story of a blind girl

There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend. One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, now that you can see the world, will you marry me? The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying: Just take care of my eyes dear. This is how human brain changes when the status changed. Only few remember what life was before, and whos always been there even in the most painful situations. Life Is A Gift Today before you think of saying an unkind word think of someone who cant speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food think of someone who has nothing to eat. Before you complain about your husband or wife think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion. Today before you complain about life think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before you complain about your children think of someone who desires children but theyre barren. Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didnt clean or sweep think of the people who are living in the streets. Before whining about the distance you drive think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet. And when you are tired and complain about your job think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job. But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker. And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down put a smile on your face and thank God youre alive and still around. Life is a gift Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, and Fulfill it. Face difficulties positively

This parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmers well. The farmer heard the mule praying or whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together, told them what had happened, and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, HE WOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow. Shake it off and step upshake it off and step upshake it off and step up! He repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed, the old mule fought panic and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! It wasnt long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well! What seemed like it would bury him actually helped him . . . all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. THATS LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity.

Daily Mentoring Quotes

"Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." - Mother Teresa "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own." - Benjamin Disraeli "Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction." - John Crosby "A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could." - Unknown "One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people." - Dick Gregory "We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." - Winston Churchill "Every Timothy needs a Paul; Every Ruth needs a Naomi." - Pastor Aaron Williams (Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Seattle WA) "One of the most valuable things we can do to heal one another is listen to each others stories." - Rebecca Falls "We're here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark." - Whoopi Goldberg "One thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve." - Albert Schweitzer "Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can." - John Wesley Mentoring Quotations ~ Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction. ~ John Crosby ~ We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. ~ Winston Churchill ~ Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. ~ Mother Teresa ~ Be the change you want to see in the world. ~ Gandhi ~ One thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. ~ Albert Schweitzer

~ One of things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people. Dick Gregory ~ You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~ I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~ Maya Angelou ~ The unselfish effort to bring cheer to others will be the beginning of a happier life for ourselves. ~ Helen Keller ~ In every art beginners must start with models of those who have practiced the same art before them. And it is not only a matter of looking at the drawings, paintings, musical compositions, and poems that have been and are being created; it is a matter of being drawn into the individual work of art, of realizing that it has been made by a real human being, and trying to discover the secret of its creation. ~

January 2011 Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Dont wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether its at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored. Earl Nightingale, Radio Announcer, Author and Speaker The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. Mark Twain, American Writer Do something every day towards your intention, however remote your goal may have to be. Dorothea Brande, Wake Up And Live! February 2011 To succeed, planning alone is insufficient. One must improvise. Salvor Hardin (Character in Foundation by Isaac Asimov) Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature nor do the children of man as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. Helen Keller Take the first step in faith, you dont have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. Martin Luther King Jr. March 2011 It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action and discipline that enabled us to follow through. Zig Ziglar, American author, salesperson, and motivational speaker

If you run after two hares, you will catch neither. Thomas Fuller I will laugh at the world. And with my laughter all things will be reduced to their proper size. I will laugh at my failures and they will vanish in the clouds of new dreams; I will laugh at my successes and they will shrink to their true value. I will laugh at evil and it will die untasted; I will laugh at goodness and it will thrive and abound. Each day will be triumphant only when my smiles bring forth smiles from others. Og Mandino, The Greatest Secret In The World April 2011 The abundant life does not come to those who have had a lot of obstacles removed from their path by others. It develops from within and is rooted in strong mental and moral fiber. William Mather Lewis When we give from a place of love, rather than from a place of expectation, more usually comes back to us than we could ever have imagined. Susan Jeffers, Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway May 2011 The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. J. Martin Kohe Even a relatively minor action, if undertaken with conscious awareness of how imprints make us see an otherwise neutral or empty world as we do, will lead to tremendous results. Geshe Michael Roach, The Diamond Cutter June 2011 Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You dont fail overnight. Instead, failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day. Jim Rohn July 2011 You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired of doing nothing. Get interested in something! Get absolutely enthralled in something! Get out of yourself! Be somebody! Do something! The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have. Norman Vincent Peale, Pastor, Speaker and Author August 2011 By being discontented, the spirit searches for ways to improve its condition and for a better channel for expressing itself. This sense of discontent is the engine that drives all creativity and innovation Our blue moments are a necessary part of our human evolution. Chin-Ning Chu, Working Womans Art of War September 2011 Every super successful [professional] is constantly working to improve skills. Why? You must be a perpetual student to become a master in any field. Those who never achieve their potential

in life simply do not exercise their innate capacity to learn and grow. Ted Nicholas, Magic Words That Bring You Riches We are all connected and operate within living fields of thought and perception. The world is not fixed but is in constant flux; accordingly, the future is not fixed, and so can be shaped. Joseph Jaworski, Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership October 2011 True effectiveness is a function of two things: what is produced (the golden eggs) and the producing asset or capacity to produce (the goose). Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People November 2011 By looking carefully at things that excite us we can train our eyes to see what others may not notice. David Finn, How To Look At Everything December 2011 Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as you can. John Wesley (1703-1791), Founder of the Methodist Church

Helpless Love

Once upon a time all feelings and emotions went to a coastal island for a vacation. According to their nature, each was having a good time. Suddenly, a warning of an impending storm was announced and everyone was advised to evacuate the island. The announcement caused sudden panic. All rushed to their boats. Even damaged boats were quickly repaired and commissioned for duty. Yet, Love did not wish to flee quickly. There was so much to do. But as the clouds darkened, Love realised it was time to leave. Alas, there were no boats to spare. Love looked around with hope. Just then Prosperity passed by in a luxurious boat. Love shouted, Prosperity, could you please take me in your boat? No, replied Prosperity, my boat is full of precious possessions, gold and silver. There is no place for you. A little later Vanity came by in a beautiful boat. Again Love shouted, Could you help me, Vanity? I am stranded and need a lift. Please take me with you. Vanity responded haughtily, No, I cannot take you with me. My boat will get soiled with your muddy feet. Sorrow passed by after some time. Again, Love asked for help. But it was to no avail. No, I cannot take you with me. I am so sad. I want to be by myself. When Happiness passed by a few minutes later, Love again called for help. But Happiness was so happy that it did not look around, hardly concerned about anyone. Love was growing restless and dejected. Just then somebody called out, Come Love, I will take you with me. Love did not know who was being so magnanimous, but jumped on to the boat, greatly relieved that she would reach a safe place. On getting off the boat, Love met Knowledge. Puzzled, Love inquired, Knowledge, do you know who so generously gave me a lift just when no one else wished to help? Knowledge smiled, Oh, that was Time. And why would Time stop to pick me and take me to safety? Love wondered. Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and replied, Because only Time knows your true greatness and what you are capable of. Only Love can bring peace and great happiness in this world. The important message is that when we are prosperous, we overlook love. When we feel important, we forget love. Even in happiness and sorrow we forget love. Only with time do we realize the importance of love. Why wait that long? Why not make love a part of your life today?

Everyone has Problems

A mother who had lost her only son went to the man of religion in her village and said: "Is there anything you can give me to reduce the pain that I feel?" "Yes," he said. "There is a wonderful thing you can do. I want you to go and get me a mustard seed from a home that has no problems. Such a mustard seed can ward off all problems. When you find it, bring it to me and I will use it to relieve your pain." So the mother started out and came to a big mansion. Nothing could possibly be wrong here! She knocked on the door, told what she was looking for, and they answered, "You've come to the wrong house." And then they told her all their problems. As she was listening to their problems, she thought, "I know something about problems... Maybe I can help these people with theirs." So she listened to them; and this helped people. She kept on searching for her magic mustard seed. But no matter where she went, she could not find that seed. Everyone everywhere had some kind of troubles. But she really did find the magic mustard seed, because in trying to help others solve their problems, she forgot all about her own