Bye Bye 2014

2014: My son am tired

2015: why?

2014: My time is up, i will be going to join your forefathers

2015: I know, you have less than 1
day to live, I will miss you Dad

2014 : But let me tell you some things before I go; please when I go, make sure you take care of this person

2015: Who?

2014: The person (reading) this
conversation of ours.

2015: Okay

2014: I made some promises to this
person during my reign, I fulfilled
some but couldn’t do some others.

2015: But why couldn’t you fulfill all
Dad?

2014:Well, my son...sometimes time
and human factors affected some of
the promises

2015:But...

2014: But surely, I spoke with God on
this person's behalf, and God
granted my wish in you to fulfill the
rest promises. So these are the rest
of the fulfillment you will carry out
on this person.

2015: Go on dad.

2014: Stabilize this person's health
without cease all through your reign!
Open a direct link between our God
and this Person..

2015: Done, carry on

2014:Ensure that this Person's
dreams come to reality really soon,
give this Person wealth that will
touch lives of multitudes, make sure
that you remove all remaining
hindrances to success from their
way, I have being trying to make sure that money will never remain the priority of this Person, so keep to
that please, make sure son!

2015: I will Dad, no problem!

2014:pay more emphasis on the
advice of this Person's friends, don't
worry about that of this person's
enemies, God will take care of that!
Get it?

2015: Yes

2014:Finally, promise me that when
Your own time is up, you will instruct
that your offspring after offspring (2015, 2016, 2017.....to....2100) to keep positive fulfilments of this Person going!

2015: Yes dad, may God help me!

2014: Now I can pass to the beyond
happily!

Dear Friends, may your 2015 be prosperous and beautiful;

Happy New Year in advance!!!

THE COOKIE THIEF

A young lady was waiting for her flight in the boarding room of
a big airport.

As she would need to wait many hours, she decided to buy a book to spend her time and also bought a packet of cookies, then sat down in an armchair, in the VIP room of the airport, to rest and read in peace.

Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, a man sat
down in the next seat, opened his magazine and started reading.

When she took out the first cookie, the man took one also. She felt irritated but said nothing. She just thought

“What a nerve! If I was in the mood I would punch him for daring!”

For each cookie she took, the man took one too.

This was infuriating her but she didn't want to cause a scene.

When only one cookie remained, she
thought:

“Ah... what would this abusive man do now?”

Then, the man, taking the last cookie, divided it into half, giving
her one half..

What!
That was too much!

She was much too angry now!

In a huff, she insulted the man, took her book, her things and stormed to the boarding place.

When she sat down in her seat, inside the plane, she looked into her
bag to take her eyeglasses, and, to her surprise, her packet of cookies was there, untouched, unopened!

She felt so ashamed!

She realized that she was wrong.

She had forgotten that her cookies were in her bag.

The man had shared his cookies with her without feeling angered or bitter while she had been very angry, thinking that she was sharing her cookies with him and now there was no chance to explain herself nor to apologize.

In life, there are 4 things that you cannot recover:

1. The cake… after it's eaten!

2. The word... after it’s been said!

3. The occasion... after the loss!

4. The time… after it’s gone!

Let's be careful and watch our ATTITUDE ALWAYS.

The Two Brothers

Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into
conflict.

It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, and trading labour and goods as needed without
a hitch.

Then the long collaboration fell apart.

It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference, and finally it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence.

One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I'm
looking for a few days work," he said.

"Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there. Could I help you?"

"Yes," said the older brother.

"I do have a job for you.

Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbour. In fact, it's my younger brother.

Last week there was a meadow between us and he took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us.

Well, he may have done this to spite
me, but I'll go him one better. See that pile of lumber curing by the barn?

I want you to build me a fence - an
8-foot fence - so I won't need to see his place anymore. Cool him down
anyhow."

The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you."

The older brother had to go to town for supplies, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day.

The carpenter worked hard all that day measuring, sawing, and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job.

The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence
there at all. It was a bridge - a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other!

A fine piece of work - handrails and all - and the neighbour, his younger
brother, was coming across, his hand outstretched. "You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done."

The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in
the middle, taking each other's hand.

They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on his shoulder.

"No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother. "I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, " but I have many more bridges to build."

Everyday we have the choice of building fences or bridges. One leads to isolation and the other to openness.

The Mountain Climber

There is a story of a mountain climber who, desperate to conquer the Aconcagua, initiated his climb after years of preparation. But he wanted the glory to himself, therefore, he went up alone.

He started climbing and it was becoming later, and later. He did not prepare for camping, but decided to keep on going. Soon it got dark. Night fell with heaviness at a very high altitude. Visibility was zero.

Everything was black. There was no moon, and the stars were covered by clouds.

As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly he could only see blotches of darkness that passed.

He felt a terrible sensation of being sucked in by gravity. He kept falling... and in those anguishing moments good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought certainly he would die.
But then he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half.

Yes! Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.

In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air he had no other choice but to shout:

"HELP Me GOD. HELP ME!"

All of a sudden he heard a deep voice from heaven... "What do you want me to do?"

"SAVE ME."

"Do you REALLY think that I can save you?"

"OF COURSE, MY GOD."

"Then cut the rope that is holding you up."

There was another moment of silence and stillness.

The man just held tighter to the rope.

The rescue team says that the next day they found a frozen mountain climber hanging strongly to a rope...

TWO FEET OFF THE GROUND.

------------

How about you?

How trusting are you in that rope?

Why don't you let it go?

I tell you, God has great and marvelous things planned for you.

CUT THE ROPE AND SIMPLY TRUST IN HIM.

Your Priorities

A professor of philosophy came into his class. He brought some items with him and put them on the table. When the class began, he took a large transparent empty jar and started to fill it with rather massive stones. Then the professor asked his students: „Is the jar full?“. They confirmed that it was.

Now the professor picked up a box of small pebbles, poured them into the jar and shook it, so that pebbles filled the open areas between the rocks. He asked once again: „Is the jar full?“. They agreed that it was.

This time the professor poured a bucket of sand into the jar, and the sand filled up everything else.

„Now,“ said the professor, „I want you to see that this jar is just like your life – the stones are the most important things, your main values – your family, health, morality.

The pebbles are other things that matter – your job, house, car. The sand represents the small stuff.

So if you put the sand into the jar first, there would be no place left for pebbles and large stones. Therefore pay most of your attention to the things, that are the most important in life – spent enough time with your family, take care of your health and don‘t forget to develop spiritually – be kind, honest, sensitive, helpful. These are the things that really matter. They should be your priorities. The rest is just sand.

An Advice from a father

One day a son came to his father for an advice:

- Dad, I can’t do it, - he said, - those practices only exhaust me, and the result doesn’t change. It must be not destined for me to play football and my dream will never come true.

The father looked at his son with loving eyes and said:

- You know son, every person in life has a dream, a goal, a wish. They are the ones who make us do what we are doing, because it’s what we should do. 

We have to fight for what we believe in, what we feel. 

In other case, you will simply brake. Once - and for all. As though you were never there. 

The easiest way is to quit everything and not go until the end, because the path is difficult and we are not used to inconveniences.

 We want everything to be easy and at once. But the wishes are fleeting! This is how our dream dies, and the goal becomes unreachable. 

Gradually, life becomes a routine without depth and meaning. 

Then one day, we try to forget and start everything from the beginning, we wait for a new day to make our life different. 

But new obstacles come in our way, and we stop again. 

We become full of despair and anger for our own impotence… But you only need to remember one thing: never give up, fight, battle. 

It doesn’t matter that you have lost one battle and even dozens of battles. 

Life goes on! 

Your biggest enemies are hiding in you – laziness, fear, doubt, indecision. 

Be a warrior of your dream, a knight of your goal and a soldier of your wishes

The Chain of Kindness

A man was driving his car, when he saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road. He saw that she needed help. So he stopped his Pontiac near her Mercedes and got out.

He smiled, while he was approaching her, still she was worried, as nobody had stopped for hours. Moreover, he did not look safe, as his appearance was so poor and shabby. He could see, how frightened she was, so he tried to calm her: „ I‘m here to help you, don‘t worry. My name is Bryan Anderson“.

The tire was flat, so he had to crawl under the car. While changing the tire, he got dirty and his hands were hurt.

When the job was done, she asked how much she owed him for his help. Bryan smiled. He said: „If you really want to pay me back, the next time you see someone, who needs help, give that person the needed assistance. And think of me“.

A the same evening, the lady stopped by a small cafe. That place looked dingy. Then she saw a waitress, nearly eight months pregnant, wiping her wet hear with a towel. The waitress had a sweet friendly smile, although she had spent on her feet the whole day.

The lady wondered, how someone, who has so little, can be so kind and giving to a strange. Then she remembered Bryan.

The lady had finished her meal and paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress went to get change and when she came back, the lady was gone. She left a note on the napkin: „You don‘t own me anything. Somebody once helped me, just like now I‘m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, do not let this chain of love end with you“. The waitress found four more one hundred bills under the napkin.

That night the waitress came home earlier. She was thinking about the lady and the money she left. She was wondering, how the lady could know, how much she and her husband needed it? Especially now, when the baby will soon arrive. She knew, that her husband worried about that, so she was glad to tell him good news. Then she kissed him and whispered „Now everything will be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson“.

Find a Need, Meet the Need

The reason why you don't have a job presently is simply because you are not meeting anybody's need.

Human needs are endless..

Here are the basic ones that Abraham Maslow identified.

Self Actualization
Ego Needs
Social Needs
Safety and Security Needs
Physiological Needs.

Start any business that caters for any of these needs and you are in business.

If your business is satisfying any of this needs , then you are on a sure path to  wealth... Of course that is if you are using the right business model.

Look around you... Every big business that you see is definitely meeting one of this needs.

Let me list some..

Facebook is meeting people's Social needs, Ego need (you post pictures and wait for people to praise or like it),

Twitter is meeting all the needs met by Facebook plus self Actualization needs...

Phone manufacturers is meeting people’s communication need..

That your favourite food seller is meeting your Physiological need. 

Same as everybody you pay for services rendered to you.

So if you are presently looking for a job, I would advise you to change what you are looking for.

Start searching for a need... Then meet the need... And you are in business.

Peace...

The Echo of Life !!!

A son and his father were walking on the mountains. Suddenly, the son falls, hurts himself and screams:

"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!! "

To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain:

"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"

He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!" He receives the answer: "Coward!" He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention." And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"

The voice answers: "I admire you!"

Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"

The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE. It gives you back everything you say or do.

Our life is simply a reflection of our actions. If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart. If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life; Life will give you back everything you have given to it.

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!

~Author Unknown

The Butterfly

A man found the cocoon of a butterfly.

One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress.

It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.
Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body (or head) and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened!

In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life.

If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.
We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.

~Author Unknown

The Heavy Cross

A man once complained to God,

“This is not fair God. You’ve given me a cross too big to bear.

I have too many problems. Look at my life. Bad things just seem to happen to me.

I cannot bare my cross anymore.” God spoke, “Is there anything that I can do for you?”

The man complaining said, “Well God, I know that everyone has to bare their own cross, but you’ve given me one too big for me to bare.
I can only deal with so much.”

God replies, “My son, I will let you in the warehouse where the crosses are stored and if you find anything smaller than what you have, you can exchange your cross for it.”

The man excitedly jumps up and down. They both walk to a warehouse and the man goes inside.

In the warehouse, cross’ sizes were as big as the Empire State Building. The man looks everywhere.

Suddenly, he finds a cross that is the size of a dash of sand. He picks it up in his hand and says, “God, God, I found it. This is the cross I want to bare. There is nothing smaller than this in here.”

God replies, “My son, I can give you any other cross but that one.”

“Why?” asks the man in an upset tone. “You said I could have any cross in here.”

God replies, “My son the reason why I cannot give you that cross is because that is the same cross that you have been carrying all your life. ~Author Unknown

The Stone Cutter

There was once a stonecutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day, he passed a wealthy merchant's house and through the open gateway saw many fine possessions and important visitors.

"How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stonecutter.

He became very envious, and wished that he could be like the merchant.

That he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stonecutter.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself.

But soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants, and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession.

"How powerful that official is!" He thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!"
Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around, who had to bow down before him as he passed.

It was a hot summer day, and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair.

He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence.

"How powerful the sun is!" he thought.

"I wish that I could be the sun!" Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers.

But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below.

"How powerful that storm cloud is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a cloud!"

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone.

But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind.

"How powerful it is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be the wind!"

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him.

But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it--a huge, towering stone.

"How powerful that stone is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a stone!"

Then he became the stone, more powerful than anything else on earth.

But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the solid rock and felt himself being changed.

"What could be more powerful than I, the stone?" he thought.

He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stonecutter.

~Benjamin Hoff

Knowledge is not power

There is a common misconception that has gone on for decades that knowledge is power.

Well, here is the truth.

In this our present world, knowledge can never and will never be equal to power.

Applied knowledge is the true source of power.

The world does not pay you or care for what you know, you would only get paid for what you do with what you know.

It is what you do with what you know that generates power for you.

Applied knowledge = Power

Take Action

Don't wait for things to happen. You should go out and get them done..

Don't sit and watch life pass you by.

Don't sit and wait for job...  Start something, anything, as long as it is constructive and useful to others.

You can dream and set vision from now till the next decade.... but If you don't act, then that is what it would remain.. A DREAM.. A VISION.

You must know that Action is the bridge that links our dream and Reality together.

By all means ACT..

The Chicken

Once upon a time, there was a large mountainside, where an eagle’s nest rested.

The eagle’s nest contained four large eagle eggs.

One day an earthquake rocked the mountain causing one of the eggs to roll down into a chicken farm located in the valley below.

The chickens knew that they must protect and care for the eagle’s egg, so an old hen volunteered to nurture and raise the large egg.

One day, the egg hatched and a beautiful eagle was born. Sadly, however, the eagle was raised to be a chicken. Soon, the eagle believed he was nothing more than a chicken.
The eagle loved his home and family, but his spirit cried out for more. While playing a game on the farm one day, the eagle looked to the skies above and noticed a group of mighty eagles soaring in the skies.

"Oh," the Eagle cried, "I wish I could soar like those birds." The chickens roared with laughter,

"You cannot soar with those birds. You are a chicken and chickens do not soar."

The eagle continued staring, at his real family up above, dreaming that he could be with them. Each time the eagle would let his dreams be known, he was told it couldn’t be done.

That is what the eagle learned to believe. Soon, the eagle stopped dreaming and continued to live his life like a chicken. Finally, after a long life as a chicken, the eagle passed away.

You become what you believe you are; so if you ever dream to become an eagle follow your dreams, not the words of a chicken.

~Author Unknown

DON'T STOP

A group of skiers, who camped on a skiing camp, went all at once to ski. John, a very adventurous skier,
wanted to try a steep slope so he asked, “Does anyone want to ski down that slope?”

The entire crew looked at each other in fear and shook their heads, “Nope.” John, fearless of the steep slope, went on it for hours. One of his skies broke and it was turning dark. So he decided to walk back.

For hours he walked, but his way back he couldn’t find. He fell through a crack and wounded his arm. His blood froze like a frozen river. He walked and walked, but he wouldn’t find the camp.

He walked when he couldn’t ski, he crawled when he couldn’t walk. When his legs were numb, he dragged himself with his hands. When his hands were numb, he zigzagged his body forward like a snake.

But every move forward was painful. He wanted to give up. But he kept at it. Seventeen miles he crawled leaving a red trail from his wound.

Then he said, “I can go no further.” He lay still hopeless on the cold snow and his body froze like a piece of frozen chicken. Minutes later, he died.

Next day, the storm was clear. Skiers woke up and one step from the camp they found a body. It was John’s body.

~Told by Dr. Robert Gilbert

“No matter what circumstances you are going through, you might be a step away from attaining your dreams. Think again before giving up.”
~Andres Lara

WHAT IS DRIVING YOU???

Lucky is the man, whom the Demon of Ambition harnesses and drives through life. This wonderful little coachman is the champion driver of the entire world and of all history’’

Lucky you, if he is your driver. “He will keep you going until you do something worthwhile—working, running and moving ahead. “And that is how a real man ought to be driven.

This is the little Demon that works in men’s brains, that makes the blood tingle at the thought of achievement and that makes the face flush and grow white at the thought of failure. Every one of us has this Demon for a driver, IN YOUTH AT LEAST.

“Unfortunately the majority of us he gives up as very poor, hopeless things, not worth driving, by the time we reach twenty-five or thirty.
~Arthur Brisbane

GREAT SPEECHES (2)

“We don’t beat the reaper by living longer. We beat the reaper by living well and living fully. For the reaper is always going to come for all of us. The question is: What do we do between the time we are born, and the time he shows up? Because when he shows up, it’s too late to do all the things that you’re always gona, kinda get around to.
~Randy Pausch

“[Now] it’s time for you to move on to what’s next. But you must not let anything deter you from taking those first steps. [D]on’t spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity, that you miss the right opportunity. Recognize that there will be failures, and acknowledge that there will be obstacles. But you will learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others, for there is very little learning in success.”

“Then, as you start your journey, the first thing you should do is throw away that store-bought map and begin to draw your own. When Dell got started, it didn’t come with a manual on how to become number 1 in the world. We had to figure that out every step of the way. And with each new product and new market, the industry “experts” said we’d fail. Through the chorus of naysayers, we emerged as a world leader in servers, and we continue to gain momentum.”
~Micheal dell

The world is more malleable than you think and it’s waiting for you to hammer it into shape. … We can’t fix every problem — corruption, natural calamities are part of the picture here — but the ones we can we must. And because we can, we must. Because we can, we must. Amen!”
~BONO(U2)

“Really when I look back at it I wouldn’t change a thing. I mean it was so important to me to lose everything because I found out what the most important thing is – To be true to yourself. Ultimately that’s what’s gotten me to this place. I don’t live in fear, I’m free, I have no secrets, I know I’ll always be okay because no matter what, I know who I am.” 
~Ellen (Degenres)

“I think it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. I know that sounds completely nuts. But, since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition. There are so few people this crazy that I feel like I know them all by first name. They all travel as if they are pack dogs and stick to each other like glue. The best people want to work the big challenges.”
~Larry Page(Google)

GREAT SPEECHES

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something --your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever--because believing that  the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to  follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference.
~Steve Jobs

You might never fail on the scale I did. But some failure in life is Inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all. In which case, you fail by default.”

We do not need magic to change the world; we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.
~JK Rowling

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
~Steve Jobs

“You’re going to find naysayers in every turn that you make. Don’t listen. Just visualize your goal, know exactly where you want to go. Trust yourself. Get out there and work like hell. Break some of the rules and never ever be afraid of failure.”
~Arnold Schwarzenegger

DON'T HOPE,........... 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!”

- By Michael D. Hargrove and Bottom Line Underwriters, Inc.
Copyright 1997

LIFE!!!

Whether we like it or not, life is the way it is; at times harsh, unfair, unreasonable, or simply “difficult.”

The journey to accomplishing BIG dreams is as “difficult” as the journey to accomplishing little dreams or any dreams at all.
We could settle for a little, tiny, mediocre life or for the life we love; either way, we will pay the same price. It’s like going to an ice cream shop and buying an ice cream flavor that we dislike just because it seems cheaper. To later find out that the flavor we love was the same price.

Whether we choose BIG or small, excellence or mediocrity, life will be as “difficult.” Let’s pursue BIG dreams; they will cost as much as little dreams. Let’s not settle for anything less than the very best.

Tao Story

An old farmer plows his farm with the only ox he has. As the ox pulls the plow, it breaks its leg, which makes it useless to the farmer. “Wow you have very bad luck,” says the farmer’s next-door neighbor. The farmer replies, “Maybe so. Maybe not.” The neighbor shouts, “You must be crazy, that’s the worst thing that can happen to any farmer.” The wise old farmer once again says, “Maybe so. Maybe not.”

The next day a wild horse comes to the farmer’s farm. Since he didn’t have his ox, he decides to catch the horse to plow the soil. The farmer catches the beautiful wild horse.

With the wild horse, the work gets done 10 times faster. The farmer’s neighbor observes this and comes by to say, “You just got yourself a nice horse. You are definitely a lucky man.” The farmer once again says, “Maybe so. Maybe not.” The neighbor, upset at the farmer’s replies explodes, “You sure are an old mad man. You just got yourself a nice horse 10 times better than your old ox and you don’t consider yourself lucky. I cannot understand you.”

The next day, the farmer’s son falls off the wild horse and breaks his two legs. The neighbor comes by and says “Wow, you are definitely an unfortunate being. Your only son now has both legs broken. Who is going to help you now? You are definitely in big trouble, don’t you think old man?”

The farmer looks at his neighbor and says, “Maybe so. Maybe not.” The neighbor leaves infuriated saying “You are definitely an old mad person. You can’t admit how unlucky you are.” The next day, the country’s army shows up in town drafting every able young person for the war, including the neighbor’s only son. Yet they didn’t take the farmer’s son because of his temporary handicap.

Moral: Many times, we make quick, inaccurate conclusions about our situation. Remember, whatever we are going through is neither bad nor good. “Maybe it

Stay Calm

While some shrink and breakdown when faced with difficult times, others expand and develop.

In the middle of every difficult situation lies an opportunity. Of course not everyone can see it. Only those who quiet their inner-self when facing difficult times can see opportunities. We cannot see our reflection in running waters, for only calm waters can reflect back.

Neither can we see the reflection of opportunities when undergoing difficult times if we don’t calm our tides of complaints.

Yes, there are difficult times, but our whining won’t make it any easier. When facing difficult times, let’s remind ourselves that opportunities will only reflect back on calm waters— calm self.

"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity."
~Albert Einstein

The Carpenter

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 and 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 too 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 the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that, we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your 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". Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

~Author Unknown

QUOTES OF THE DAY

Remember that there is nothing stable in human affairs; therefore avoid undue elation in prosperity or undue depression in adversity.

No amount of money will make u happy if u aren’t happy with urself.

Without a struggle, there can be no progress
~Frederick Douglass

If my life is fruitless, it doesn't matter who praises me, and if my life is fruitful, it doesn't matter who criticizes me
~Bunyan

Don't deprive the world

Never deprive the world of your mission. There is something you and only you was meant to do.

failure to do this implies that you are depriving the world of your brain power, mental capacity and the immense deposit inside you.

The world has changed

The world as we knew it 10 years ago no longer exist. D present world is a new one.

It is a world filled with opportunities and avenues to wealth for those with their eyes wide open.

Only the bold, daring, skilled, visionary and the creative will survive in this new world.

This is no longer a world of B.Sc, MSc degrees. U must back ur degrees with those qualities mentioned above..

Or else you would find yourself irrelevant in the scheme of things.

7 deadly sins

Wealth without work

Pleasure without conscience

Science without humanity

Knowledge without character

Politics without principle

Commerce without morality

Worship without sacrifice.

~Mahatma Gandhi

Which of these 7 sins is prevalent in your society today?

Why you need a definite chief aim

Someone who does not have a life aim is wasting one of the most valuable assets any body could have.

THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND.

The moment you decide your life's aim, your subconscious mind starts to work and ensures that it brings about what you want.

It begins to open ur inner eyes to opportunities in ur chosen aim.

It then begins to connect you to people who can help u achieve it.

~I. N

An advice

Whatever you do, you need courage.

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell u
that u are wrong.

There are always difficulties arising that tempt u to believe your critics are right.

To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs.

Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.

~RWE

OUR JOY IS INSIDE US

Our joy lives inside us.

Most people expect others to give them joy or better still they expect to derive joy from things.... (Wishful thinking)

The truth is that.... Each person's joy lives in them and not in things.

Your joy begins to manifest when you start to appreciate your oneness with everything else that was created (flowers, plants, water, birds, mountains... and other humans).

Is God Real?

Many theories have been professed relating to the existence or non existence of God.

Whichever side of d divide u find urself, just av it at d back of ur mind that .... That there is an Intelligent Unseen Spirit that created u.

And if u are conscious, then whoever created you is also conscious.

Meaning, U derive ur consciousness from ur Creator.

Hence, If u are real, then God is more real.

THERE IS A SOURCE

There is a source of everything u see.

D truth and absolute truth is that nothing can exist on its own without been created.

Everything you see was created from the unseen. There is an Unseen Source from which everything in this world originated from.

This Unseen Source has been called many names but irrespective of what you call Him,  it doesn't take away the fact that....

THERE IS A SOURCE

QUOTES OF THE DAY

"Believe Big. The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief. Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success. Remember this, too! Big ideas and big plans are often easier—certainly no more difficult–—than small ideas and small plans.”

~ Culled from … The Magic of Thinking Big (A book)

QUOTES OF THE DAY

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
The key to success is not through achievement, but through enthusiasm.
~Malcolm Forbes

Success is doing, not wishing.
Take Action!
~Tom Hopkins

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
~William Feather

Inspired Nation

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines the greatness of ultimate distinction.

Be Different and Make a Difference!

~Charles K. Adams

Your time slot

All that we call "life" is simply a time slot allocated to individuals.

Don't waste yours.

Don't spend it living someone else's life.

Don't let your parents, family use your slot for you.

Don't spend your slot working for money... rather let money work for you.

Spend your time on things that truly matters

Remember, your time is already ticking from d day of ur birth.

Use it wisely ....

Designed by God

You were consciously designed and created by God. Your life is not an accident that just happened.

Your life started because God wanted you to come to the world and play your part.

There is a particular thing that only you can do and that is why there is no other person like you in the entire 6 billion world population.

Find your purpose  ... your passion... your reason for coming here...

QUOTES

“We don’t beat the reaper by living longer. We beat the reaper by living well and living fully. For the reaper is always going to come for all of us. The question is: What do we do between the time we are born, and the time he shows up? Because when he shows up, it’s too late to do all the things that you’re always gona, kinda get around to.

~Randy Pausch

COURAGE QUOTES

One of the duties of the leader is to lift up those who are not able to advance themselves.

“Courage is more exhilarating than fear, and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have the strength to stare it down.”

~Leadership in Roosevelt way

QUOTES OF THE DAY

In life, if you don’t risk anything, you risk everything.

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.

Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.

There isn’t anything noble about being superior to another person. True nobility is in being superior to the person you once were.

DOORS TO YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

There are 3 doors that God made to access the subconscious mind.

1) EYES
2) EAR
3) THOUGHTS / IMAGINATION.

Your ability to use these three doors determines where you end up in life (destiny)....the reason why pple say... (Ur destiny lies in your hands) bcos u control these 3 things.

Over the course of the coming weeks,  we would be exploring how to use these 3 doors effectively.

STAY TUNED

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“No matter how dramatic d end result, d good-to-great transformations never happened in one fell swoop. There was no single defining action, no grand program, no one killer innovation, no solitary lucky break, no miracle moment.
Rather,d process resembled relentlessly pushing a giant heavy flywheel in one direction, turn upon turn, building momentum until a point of breakthru & beyond
~Gud 2 great

QUOTES OF THE DAY

You cannot change what you refuse to confront.

Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.

Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.

Too many people buy things they don’t need with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t know.

QUOTES OF THE DAY

No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.
~Unknown

We bemoan the loss of our forests. We worry over our dwindling resources of coal and oil. We decry the waste in our factories. But the greatest waste of all, we pay no attention to—the waste of our own potential mind power.
~Professor Wm. James

A POEM BY JOHN OXENHAM

“To every man there openeth

A way, and ways, and a way.

And the high soul climbs the high way,

And the low soul gropes the low:

And in between, on the misty flats,

The rest drift to and fro.

But to every man there openeth

A high way and a low,

And every man decideth

The way his soul shall go.”

—JOHN OXENHAM.

ALWAYS LOOK UP

Always look up to the brighter side of life.

In life, you would always find one or two reasons to be sad but guess what... if you can also look carefully, you would also find one or two reasons to be happy.

~Inspired Nation

Happiness

Happiness is not determined by what’s happening around you, but rather what’s happening inside you.

Most people depend on others to gain happiness, but the truth is, it always comes from within.

QUOTES

“You can do as much as you think you can, but you’ll never accomplish more; if you’re afraid of yourself, young man, there’s little for you in store. For failure comes from the inside first, it’s there if we only knew it, and you can win, though you face the worst, if you feel that you’re going to do it.”
—EDGAR A. GUEST

QUOTES OF THE DAY

“The primary cause of success in life is the ability to set and achieve goals. That’s why the people who do not have goals are doomed forever to work for those who do. You either work to achieve your own goals or you work to achieve someone else’s goals.”

Measuring your life daily against written goals is a fundamental of success.

~Maximum Achievement (A book)

DARE TO START SMALL

Many great enterprises that can be seen around started small.
Some organizations with mighty buildings started in a tiny rented room.

Where you start never matters... What matters is the vision inside you..

Remember, your external environment MUST inadvertently shape itself to your internal environment.
It might take time depending on how big the vision you carry is but it will definitely do just as water must flow back to its source no matter how long the journey is.

So, "Never despise your days of little beginnings.... "

BE DRIVEN by PASSION

Success is rarely, if ever, an overnight phenomenon. What u see as success us d result of years of effort, failures and restarts.
The only thing that can fuel such a long drive to success are passion and commitment.

Until passion becomes your driving force in your business venture, you would find it hard to remain in business.
don't be driven by money.. If money is driving you, then you would easily become frustrated when faced with obstacles.

Excerpts from Ragged Dick

“Be sensible to know that there is something more than money needed to win a respectable position in the world…………”

“‘I hope, my lad,’ Mr Whitney said, ‘you will prosper and rise in the world. You know in this free country poverty is no bar to a man’s advancement.’”

“Whatever you do, you will be more successful if you do it with honesty, fairness, and to the best of your ability.”

QUOTES OF THE DAY

The fact that you woke up today, is a sign that your maker hasn't finished with you yet.

Every day that you see above the ground... is a good day.

Life is the best gift. It was given to you without any exchange... Enjoy the gift.. Use it wisely.

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL...