Once upon a time, there was a Kingdom. The king there only had one leg and one eye, but he was very intelligent and kind. Everyone in his kingdom lived a happy and a healthy life because of their king. One day the king was walking through the palace hallway and saw the portraits of his ancestors. He thought that one day his children will walk in the same hallway and remember all the ancestors through these portraits. But, the king did not have his portrait painted. Due to his physical disabilities, he wasn’t sure how his painting would turn out. So he invited many famous painters from his and other kingdoms to the court. The king then announced that he wants a beautiful portrait made of himself to be placed in the palace. Any painter who can carry out this should come forward. He will be rewarded based on how the painting turns up. All of the painters began to think that the king only has one leg and one eye. How can his picture be made very beautiful? It is not possible and if the picture does not turn out to look beautiful then the king will get angry and punish them. So one by one, all started to make excuses and politely declined to make a painting of the king. But suddenly one painter raised his hand and said that I will make a very beautiful portrait of you which you will surely like. The king became happy hearing that and other painters got curious. The king gave him the permission and the painter started drawing the portrait. He then filled the drawing with paints. Finally, after taking a long time, he said that the portrait was ready! All of the courtiers, other painters were curious and nervous thinking, How can the painter make the king’s portrait beautiful because the king is physically disabled? What if the king didn’t like the painting and gets angry? But when the painter presented the portrait, everyone in the court, including the king, left stunned. The painter made a portrait in which the king was sitting on the horse, on the one-leg side, holding his bow and aiming the arrow with his one eye closed. The king was very pleased to see that the painter has made a beautiful portrait by cleverly hiding the king’s disabilities. The King gave him a great reward. Moral: We should always think positive of others and ignore their deficiencies. We should learn to focus on the good things instead of trying to hide weaknesses. If we think and approach positively even in a negative situation, then we will be able to solve our problems more efficiently.

Once there was a bird called “Tailor” who lived on a big mango tree. “Tailor” was a busy little bird who took good care of his family. He was always moving in and out of his cozy little nest looking for insects to feed his little ones or collecting grass to strengthen his nest from the approaching winter. In the same tree, there was a crow called “Crook” who was very lazy and spent all his time sleeping or gossiping with the other birds in the neighborhood. Many times Tailor advises Crook, “Please repair your nest. The monsoon is soon approaching and the heavy winds could blow it away”. “Crook” would say “You worry too much Tailor”. You must learn to enjoy life. I can get it done immediately. After all, it is a small hole. As the days went by, the hole in “Crook’s” nest grew bigger and bigger and it was in danger of falling apart. One day there was heavy thunder and lightning and it started raining. It was then that “Crook” realized that his family was in great danger. “Crook” flew from tree to tree looking for twigs and tiny sticks to repair his nest, while “Tailor” sat comfortably in his nest. He flew here and there to save his home and almost collapsed in exhaustion. Finally, “Tailor” also gave a helping hand and helped “Crook” rebuild his nest. “Crook” realized his foolishness and promised-never again postpone any work that required immediate attention. Thereafter, the crow “Crook” did all those things which required immediate attention and action. Both “Tailor and Crook” lived happily as friends.

There was once a man who walked his dog every Sunday morning around a lake near his house. Week after week, he saw the same elderly woman sitting at the edge of the water with a small metal cage next to her. The man’s curiosity finally got the best of him and he approached the woman one day. He noticed that the cage was actually a small trap and she had three small turtles in it. In her lap, there was a fourth turtle that she was carefully wiping down with a sponge. The man greeted her and said, “If you don’t mind my asking, what do you do with these turtles every week?” She smiled and explained to him that she was cleaning their shells because any algae or scum that builds up on a turtle’s shell reduces its ability to absorb heat and slows down their swimming. It can also corrode their shell and weaken it over time. The man was impressed as the woman continued, “I do this every Sunday morning to help the turtles.” “But don’t most turtles live their entire lives with algae on their shells?” the man asked. The woman agreed that was true. He replied, “Well then, you’re kind to do this, but are you really making a difference if most turtles don’t have people around to clean their shells?” The woman laughed as she looked down at the small turtle on her lap. “Young man, if this little turtle could talk, he would say I’m making all the difference in the world.’” The Moral: “To the world you may be one person; but to one person you may be the world.” — Dr. Seuss Just because you may not be able to change the world or help everyone, you can still make a huge difference in one person’s life by offering them any help that you can. Don’t choose to not do anything because you can’t do everything. The actions of one person can make a world of difference to someone else. When you see someone in need, you may never know how much of a difference your help can make in their life.

A consultant was hired to help a team of high-achieving executives develop more work-life balance. He brought in a one-gallon glass jar and filled it with large stones. He asked the group if the jar was full. The group agreed that the jar was pretty full.Focus on the big things However, he pulled out a bag of smaller pebbles like you would see in a fish tank, and poured them in as well. As he shook the jar, the smaller pebbles fell into the spaces between the large rocks. Again he asked, “So, is the jar full?” The group was more hesitant, now, though. So, they waited to see what he would pull out next. Not to disappoint, he pulled out a bag of sand, and poured it into the jar as well. “Now is the jar full?” One of the high-achievers in the front row, learning his game said, “No, you can still pour water into the jar.” Of course, he did. The same woman in the front row then said, “I get it. The point is that no matter how busy our schedule is, you can always cram something else in, right?” The consultant smiled at her and said, “Not exactly. My point is that the big items only fit into the jar at all because we put them in first. If you don’t focus on the big things like, spending time with your family and having a strong spiritual life, the little things will always seep in and take up all the space.” Use the Rocks in a Jar Time Management parable to encourage people to focus on the most important things in life.

Once upon a time, a number of disciples went to Buddha and said, “Sir, there are living here in Savatthi many wandering hermits and scholars who indulge constant dispute, some saying that the world is infinite and eternal and others that it is limited and not eternal, some saying that the soul dies with the body and others that it lives on forever, and so forth. What, sir, would you say concerning them?” And the Buddha answers: “Once upon a time, there was a certain raja who called to his servant and said, ‘Come, good fellow, go and gather together in one place all the men of savatthi who were born blind. And show them an elephant.” “Very good, sir,’ replied the servant, and he did as he was told. He said to the blind men assembled there, ‘here is an elephant,’ and to one man he presented the head of the elephant, and to others it’s ears, and to another task, and to another the trunk, the foot, the back, the tail, and tuft of the tail, saying to each on that that was the elephant. “When the blind man felt the elephant, the raja went to each of them and set to each, ‘well, blind man, have you seen the elephant? Tell me, what sort of thing is an elephant?” Thereupon the man who was presented with the head answered, ‘sire, the elephant is like a pot.’ and the man who had observed the ear replied, ‘An elephant is like a winnowing basket.’ Those who had been presented with a tusk said, ‘sire it is like a plow!’ others said the body was a grainery; the foot, a pillar, the back, a mortar; the tail, a pestle, the tuft of the tail, a brush. “Then they begin to quarrel, shouting ‘yes it is! ‘no, it isn’t!’ ‘An elephant is not that!’ ‘yes, it’s like that!’ and so on, till they came to blows over the matter. “Brethren, the raja was delighted with the scene.”  Just so are these preachers and scholars holding various views blind and unseeing, In their ignorance, they are by nature quarrelsome, wrangling, and disputatious, each maintaining reality is thus and thus.” Then Buddha rendered these meanings by uttering this verse of uplift: “o how they cling wrangle, some who claim For preacher and monk the honored name. for, quarreling, each to his view they cling. Such folk see only one side of a thing” You see in life, everyone sees this world through his own eyes hears the world through is own ears smells the worlds through his own nose, and feels the world through his own skin, each to his own we mustn’t quarrel about the definition and whatnot, because the sake of an argument, is not the argument but the enlightenment. So say no to those who just come for a quarrel, say no to those who don’t want to understand that each has his own different view. And respect that.

A Little boy went to a telephone booth which was at the cash counter of a store and dialed a number. The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation. Boy: “Madam, can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?” Woman: (at the other end of the phone line) “I already have someone to cut my lawn.” Boy: “Madam, I will cut your lawn for half the price than the person who cuts your lawn now.” Woman: “I’m very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting the lawn.” Boy: (with more perseverance) “Madam, I’ll even sweep the floor and the stairs of your house for free.” Woman: “No, thank you.” With a smile on his face, the little boy put the receiver down. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy. Store-owner: “Son….I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job.” Boy: “No thanks.” Store-owner: “But you were really pleading for one.” Boy: “No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!” This is called “Self-Appraisal” Give your best and the world comes to you !!

Many many years ago two wood cutters  Sandy and John went into a forest for firewood. They started chopping trees , after some time sandy looked at John’s pile … it was much bigger than his and John leaning towards is pile and this made sandy jelous. Resolving to chop more wood than John .. he worked tirelessly without stopping. Around lunch time he put down his axe and stopped to eat, as he sat down he looked at John’s pile.. it is still larger than his, this annoyed him so much that he decided not to eat but to continue chopping, more determined to out to John, he started chopping trees continuously without having food and water. In the evening when it is getting dark, and Sandy was keen to see if he had managed to cut more wood than John, again he was vexed to notice John has chopped a very large pile of wood, far more than all the wood he had cut. Now, Sandy marched against John and asked to know how he had cut more wood, especially when he had noticed John resting more frequently. John smiled at Sandy and asked him to calm down. He told Sandy that he had mistaken him for resting, it appeared him to be resting … actually he was sharpening his axe. The moral of the story is that there is always time for everything in life. Learn to prioritize important tasks like health, work, family and pay attention to things that are significant in our life.

What’s Prettier than Freckles?
An elderly woman and her little grandson, whose face was sprinkled with bright
freckles, spent the day at the zoo. Lots of children were waiting in line to get their
cheeks painted by a local artist who was decorating them with tiger paws.

“You’ve got so many freckles, there’s no place to paint!” a girl in the line said to
the little fella.

Embarrassed, the little boy dropped his head. His grandmother knelt down next
to him. “I love your freckles. When I was a little girl, I always wanted freckles,”
she said, while tracing her finger across the child’s cheek. Freckles are
beautiful.”

The boy looked up, “Really?

“Of course,” said the grandmother. “Why just name me one thing that’s prettier
than freckles.”

The little boy thought for a moment, peering intensely into his grandma’s face
and softly whispered, “Wrinkles.”

An eight-year-old boy went to his grandfather and proudly announced, “I am going
to be very successful when I grow up. Can you give me any tips on how to get
there?”
The grandfather nodded, and without saying a word, took the boy by the hand and
walked him to a nearby plant nursery.
There, the two of them choose and purchased two small saplings.
They returned home and planted one of them in the garden.
The other sapling was placed in a pot and kept indoors.
“Which one do you think will be the most successful in the future?” asked the
grandfather?
The boy thought for a moment and said, “The indoor tree. It’s protected and safe
while the outdoor one has to cope with the elements.”
The grandfather shrugged his shoulders and said, “We’ll see.”
The grandfather carefully tended to both plants and in a few years, the boy, now a
teenager came to visit again.
“You never really answered my question from when I was a young boy. How can I
become successful when I grow up?” he asked.
The old man showed the teenager the indoor tree and then took him outside to
have a look at the towering tree outside.
“Which one is greater?” the grandfather asked.
“The outside one. But that doesn’t make sense, it has to cope with many more
challenges than the inside one.”
The grandfather smiled, “Yes, but the risk of dealing with challenges is worth it as
it has the freedom to spread its roots wider and its leaves towards the heavens.
Boy, remember this and you be successful in whatever you do; If you choose the
safe option all of your life you will never grow and be all that you can be, but
if you are willing to face the world head-on with all of its dangers and
challenges, the sky’s the limit.”
The young man looked up at the tall tree, took a deep breath and nodded his
head, knowing that his wise grandfather was right.
The same is true for all of us.
If you choose the safe, well-worn path, then a life of mediocrity awaits.
But if you have the courage and capacity to live in the elements, you give yourself

a great chance of reaching your full potential and being successful in your chosen
field of endeavour.
God created trees to grow outside.
He created people to live lives of significance.

Recently Steve had a car accident. So he put his car in the garage to carry out the
repair work. Since he had to go to the job daily, he decided that until the car is
ready, he will travel by the metro train. One day, he noticed a homeless guy at the
train station at night. He felt pity for him, so he gave him some change from his
pocket.
The homeless guy thanked him for it. Next day again, he noticed the homeless
guy at the same place. This time Steve though to get him something to eat, so he
went outside the station and brought him a meal. The homeless guy thanked him
for his kindness. But Steve got curious and asked him, “How did you get to this
point?”
The homeless guy looked up at him and with a smile, he said, “By Showing Love.”
Steve didn’t understand it, so he asked him, “What do you mean by that?” The
homeless guy replied that “Throughout my whole life, I made sure that everyone
was happy. No matter what was going right or wrong in my life, I always helped
everyone.”
Steve asked him, “Do you regret it?” To which the homeless man replied, “No, It
just hurts my soul that the very people I gave the shirt off my back to wouldn’t give
me a sleeve of that same shirt when I was in need. Son, It is better to build your
own house and invite someone in for shelter than to hand them your bricks while
you are building yours. Because one day you will turn around and look at the spot
where you had planned to build your house. It will be an empty lot. Then you are
the one looking for bricks.”
Steve understood what the homeless guy meant and thanked him for the good
advice.
Moral: Helping others is not a bad thing at all. But sometimes, while we are
helping others, we forget our own problems and needs. One must remember that
sometimes sharing is better than giving away. You can do a lot more by being in a
strong position instead of bringing yourself into a weaker situation.