Sharpen the SAW

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter ask for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. The paid was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work.

The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees "Congratulations," the boss said. "Go on that way!" Very motivated for the boss’ words, the woodcutter try harder the next day, but he only could bring 15 trees. The third day he try even harder, but he only could bring 10 trees.

Day after day he was bringing less and less trees. "I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. "When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked. "Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."

Lesson- Invest in improving your skill


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Footprints...

Dr. Robert Atkins
December 2004


Upon the shore, I walked with Him at even
And I looked back upon the path we’d trod
And in the sand I traced our way at even
And I was glad I’d walked through life with God:
For side by side we’d journeyed through together
All through the world’s wide wilderness of care
And side by side we’d journeyed through to even:
Safe at his side the Lord my God had brought me here.

But in my joy I caught a strain of sadness
To give me pause when thinking of my way
For on the shore I saw he’d left me lonely
When I had most the need of him to stay:
When I was tried he’d left me worn and wandering,
He’d left me lone when I was fighting fears,
He’d let me tread the steepest slopes in solitude
Before he came back to my side to dry my tears.

But then the Lord drew near to me in comfort
And in his tenderness he made it plain
That in the times when dread and darkness threatened
He was my shield and shelter from the pain:
For on his shoulders he was gently bearing
And on his shoulders I from harm was free:
The single trace of footprints of the Master,
The single trace of footprints shows he carried me.

So on the shore I walk with Him at even;
I face the latter days of life secure,
For if my pilgrimage reserves me sorrow
The footprints show that He is strong and sure:
If I am near the gates of heaven weary,
No longer strong enough to stride alone
The footprints show that he is there to carry me:
The footprints show the Lord my God will bear me home.


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Are you Stressed ....?

A lecturer was giving a lecture to his student on stress management.

He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, "How heavy do you
think this glass of water is?"

The students' answers ranged from 20g to 500gm.

"It does not matter on the absolute weight. It depends on how long you
hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is Ok.

If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold
it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance.

It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it
becomes."

"If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be
able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier."

"What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before
holding it up again."

We have to put down the burden periodically, so that we can be refreshed
and are able to carry on.

So before you return home from work tonight, put the burden of work down.

Don't carry it back home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Life is short, enjoy it

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Priorities in Life

A professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" 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 in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed.

He asked his students again if the jar was full? They agreed that yes,it was.
The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life.

The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children -anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, house, or car.

The sand is everything else, the "small stuff."

"If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks.

The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.

Pay attention to the things that are Important in your life and spend time on the Important.


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The Carpenter's House

An elderly Carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front door key to the carpenter. "This is your house" he said , "my gift to you".

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house , he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none to well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at a situation we have created and find that now we are living in the house we have built. If we had realized we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter . Think about you house . Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says,"Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.


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What you...

It is not what you earn but

what you save that makes you rich

It is not what you eat but

what you digest that makes you strong

It is not what you read but

what you remember that makes you learned.

It is not what you profess but

what you practice that makes you great.


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The Camel Story

It is a conversation between a young camel and its mother.
Mother, may I ask you some questions?
Sure, why son, is there something bothering you?
Why do camels have humps?
Well son, we are desert animals, we need the humps to store water and we are known to survive without water.
OK, then why are our legs long and our feet rounded?
Son, obviously they are meant for walking in the desert better than anyone does.
OK, then why are our eyelashes long? Sometimes it bothers my sight.
My son, those long thick eyelashes are your protective cover. They help to protect your eyes from the desert sand and wind.
I see.
So the hump is to store water when we are in the desert, the legs are for walking through the desert and these eyelashes protect my eyes from the desert sand…
Just one more question
Mother…Yes, dear?
What the hell are we doing in the ZOO?!
Skills, knowledge, abilities and experiences are only useful if you are at the right place!
Where are you now?
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The Potato Story

The Potato Story...
An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work.His only son, who would have helped him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his situation:
Dear Son,
I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my potato garden this year. hate to miss doing the garden, because your mother always loved planting time. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, if you weren't in prison..............................Love, Dad
Shortly, the old man received this telegram: "For Heaven's sake, Dad, don't dig up the garden!! That's where I buried the GUNS!!"At 4 a.m.the next morning, a dozen FBI agents and local police officers showed up and dug up the entire garden withoutfinding any guns.
Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what happened, and asked him what to do next.His son's reply was: "Go ahead and plant your potatoes, Dad.......................... It's thebest I could do for you from here."
Moral:NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING DEEP FROM YOUR HEART, YOU CAN DO IT. IT IS THE THOUGHT THAT MATTERS NOT WHERE YOU ARE OR WHERE THE PERSON IS.
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My Favourite Poem


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 worn-out tools:



If you can make one heap of all your winnings


And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,


And lose, and start again at your beginnings


And never breath 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





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Never Give Up

( A mail fwd)

One day I decided to quit... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with Lord Krishna.

"God Krishna", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit"

His answer surprised me... "Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year, the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo, he said.
"In year three, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.
"I would not quit." He said.

Then, in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

"I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots"

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."

Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", Lord Krishna said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise" He asked in return.

"As high as it can" I replied.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest to bring back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that Lord Krishna will never give up on you.

Never Give up !!!


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