Pure Love is Incomparable

Marriage provides an ideal setting for overcoming any tendency to be selfish or self-centered. … Pure love is an incomparable, potent power for good and the foundation of a successful marriage. - Richard G Scott

Post by Richard G Scott.

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Everyone Can Dream

Some years ago I took on an assignment in a southern county to work with people on public welfare. What I wanted to do was show that everybody has the capacity to be self-sufficient and all we have to do is to activate them. I asked the county to pick a group of people who were on public welfare, people from different racial groups and different family constellations. I would then see them as a group for three hours every Friday. I also asked for a little petty cash to work with as I needed it.

The first thing I said after I shook hands with everybody was, "I would like to know what your dreams are." Everyone looked at me as if I were kind of wacky.

"Dreams? We don't have dreams."

I said, "Well, when you were a kid what happened? Wasn't there something you wanted to do?" One woman said to me, "I don't know what you can do with dreams. The rats are eating up my kids."

"Oh," I said. "That's terrible. No, of course, you are very much involved with the rats and your kids. How can that be helped?"

"Well, I could use a new screen door because there are holes in my screen door."

I asked, "Is there anybody around here who knows how to fix a screen door?"

There was a man in the group, and he said, "A long time ago I used to do things like that but now I have a terribly bad back, but I'll try." I told him I had some money if he would go to the store and buy some screening and go and fix the lady's screen door. "Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes, I'll try." The next week, when the group was seated, I said to the woman, "Well, is your screen door fixed?"

"Oh, yes," she said.

"Then we can start dreaming, can't we?" She sort of smiled at me. I said to the man who did the work, "How do you feel?"

He said, "Well, you know, it's a very funny thing. I'm beginning to feel a lot better."

That helped the group to begin to dream. These seemingly small successes allowed the group to see that dreams were not insane. These small steps began to get people to see and feel that something really could happen. I began to ask other people about their dreams. One woman shared that she always wanted to be a secretary. I said, "Well, what stands in your way?" (That's always my next question.)

She said, "I have six kids, and I don't have anyone to take care of them while I'm away." "Let's find out," I said. "Is there anybody in this group who would take care of six kids for a day or two a week while this woman gets some training here at the community college?"

One woman said "I got kids, too, but I could do that." "Let's do it," I said. So a plan was created and the woman went to school.

Everyone found something. The man who put in the screen door became a handyman. The woman who took in the children became a licensed foster care person. In 12 weeks I had all these people off public welfare. I've not only done that once, I've done it many times.

- Virginia Satir

Source:
http://www.101inspirationalstories.com/2014/11/everybody-has-dream.html

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Wealth, Success and Love

A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them.

Then she said, "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."

"Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No," she said. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in," they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. So, he said, "Go tell them I'm home, and invite them in!"

The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a house together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One of the old men explained. "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and pointing to another one he said, "This man is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now, go and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was over-joyed. "How nice!" he said. "Since that's the case, let us invite in Wealth. Let him come in and fill our home with wealth!"

His wife disagreed. "Why don't we invite Success?" But, their daughter was listening from the corner of the room. She jumped in with her own suggestion. "Wouldn't it be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"

The wife agreed. "Then, let us heed our daughter's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love in to be our guest."

The woman went out and asked the three old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. Then the other two also got up and followed him.

Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success, "I only invited in Love, as you directed. Why are you all coming in?" The old men replied together, "If you had invited only Wealth or Success, the other two of us would have stayed. However, since you invited Love... wherever He goes, we go with him... because wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!"

- Author Unknown

Source:
http://www.101inspirationalstories.com/2014/09/wealth-success-and-love.html

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A Million Dollar Lesson

A cab driver taught me a million dollar lesson in customer satisfaction and expectation. Motivational speakers charge thousands of dollars to impart his kind of training to corporate executives and staff. It cost me a $12 taxi ride.

I had flown into Dallas for the sole purpose of calling on a client. Time was of the essence and my plan included a quick turnaround trip from and back to the airport. A spotless cab pulled up. The driver rushed to open the passenger door for me and made sure I was comfortably seated before he closed the door. As he got in the driver's seat, he mentioned that the neatly folded Wall Street Journal next to me was for my use. He then showed me several tapes and asked me what type of music I would enjoy. Well! I looked around for a "Candid Camera!" Wouldn't you? I could not believe the service I was receiving! I took the opportunity to say, "Obviously you take great pride in your work. You must have a story to tell."

"You bet," he replied, "I used to be in Corporate America. But I got tired of thinking my best would never be good enough. I decided to find my niche in life where I could feel proud of being the best I could be. I knew I would never be a rocket scientist, but I love driving cars, being of service and feeling like I have done a full day's work and done it well. I evaluate my personal assets and... wham! I became a cab driver. One thing I know for sure, to be good in my business I could simply just meet the expectations of my passengers. But, to be GREAT in my business, I have to EXCEED the customer's expectations! I like both the sound and the return of being 'great' better than just getting by on 'average'"

Did I tip him big time? You bet! Corporate America's loss is the travelling folk's friend!

Source: Petey Parker
http://www.101inspirationalstories.com/2015/01/a-million-dollar-lesson.html

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Cranky Old Man

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM!
The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart!

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Google Wants Pinoys Abroad to #MissNothing

Google has made their presence felt by becoming more relevant to Filipinos ever since they opened their office in Philippines. We’ve seen a variety of campaigns from them and their latest one is a certified tear-jerker.

Google uploaded a beautiful and touching video made for Pinoy overseas workers (OF/OFWs). If you’re Pinoy it’s definitely worth watching and sharing. Check it out below!

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‘Inspirational’ 92 Year Old Comes Out of Retirement for Job He Started in His Teens

A Washington man’s love of cars started at age 15 when he bought a Ford Model T convertible for $15. Lloyd Ness of Bothell, Wash., would go on to fix up cars and begin selling them. Now, after more than a decade retired from the sales industry, Ness is returning to the showroom floor at the call of his former employer who needed help.

Earlier this month, the Bothell Reporter painted a picture of Ness’ more than 70-year love affair with cars and speed.

As a teen in the 1930s when his dad thought he was taking the bus to school, Ness told the newspaper he was “buying cars for $10, fixing them up and driving them to school.” He’d then turn around and sell them for $15.

Ness also admitted to the Reporter he engaged in illegal street racing — and got caught. Ness was fined and went 40 days without his license.

Although he said it “proves I wasn’t afraid of the law,” he got “more serious about my future” afterward. It was a future that would, of course, include cars.

Ness would later go on to work at a car dealership in  in Grand View, Wash., eventually ending up at Brooks Biddle Automotive where he would stay for three decades before retiring at 78 years old.

After than a decade in retirement, Ness told the Reporter he missed selling cars. So, when Brooks Biddle Automotive President John Biddle called Ness for help earlier this month, the man who will turn 93 on Jan. 2 was more than happy to oblige.

According to the Reporter, Ness has sold at least one car each day since he returned.

“People just love him,” Biddle told the newspaper. “He’s always helping others. He’s just an inspirational character for our city.”

His secret to selling a set of wheels?

“I think I am successful because I have never tried to oversell anyone or misrepresent a car,” Ness said. “I tell it like it is.”

Watch Ness talk about his love of cars and work as a salesman in KCPQ-TV’s report:

“I can’t wait for tomorrow, because you never know what tomorrow brings. It’s these little things you learn as you cruise through life,” Ness said in KCPQ’s report, smiling at his play on words.

Read the Bothell Reporter’s full feature on Llyod Ness and the job he loves.

Ness isn’t the only car salesman who is still going at 93 years old. Bob Soell of St. Louis told KDSK-TV earlier this year said he has no intention of retiring because “I’m just getting my second wind.”

Original Post:

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/12/30/inspirational-92-year-old-comes-out-of-retirement-for-job-he-started-in-his-teens/

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The Longest Married Couple - Inspiring Story

John and Ann Betar eloped on November 25, 1932 - because Ann's father had planned to marry her off to a man 20 years older. But she was in love with the boy who lived across the street, who drove her to school every day.

And on Monday, they'll celebrate their 81st anniversary and become the "the longest couple" in America.

The day the couple tied the knot, the Great Depression was in full swing, "king Kong" hadn't hit movie theaters yet, and future U.S. President John F. Kennedy was just a high school student.

Now, the Betars have 14 grandchildren and 16 great grand children. So what's the key to their happy marriage?

john Betar says: "They Key is to always agree with your wife".

-- Sounds good! :P

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A Driver's Retirement Plan - Motivational story for future retirees

My driver Bernard (for the past 24 years) is turning 60 this year. He has been driving for me for over 20 years now and has been exposed to many of my projects, knows many of my friends and colleagues, and is almost the telltale sign that “I am probably in the area” when our employees see him waiting in the parking area or near the store or office.

He recently went to Cebu to attend his son’s college graduation and found some time to visit his wife’s birthplace and hometown. In this small town near the sea, he enjoyed deep sea fish, freshly-caught and simply grilled to preserve its inherent sweetness. He cooked and ate corn grits instead of rice, and found out he did not become hungry as fast as when he ate white rice. It must be the kind of sugar there is in native corn as opposed to white rice, its glycemic index or it probably also is all “in the mind”.

He observed that in that town, older men in their late 70s still fetched water and were still able to carry the jerrycans or containers on their shoulders. “They may be old,” he says, but “they looked healthier”.

For two weeks he ate vegetables they picked near their piece of property, they gathered coconuts and ate its meat and drank coconut water. He could catch fish ,too, if he had more time. But the day’s catch is available at a price almost anyone can afford, he says.

So, he wonders why he and his wife never thought of just retiring in her hometown. Well he did not think of it ..until today. So, I assured him that I would let him retire at 65 if he wanted to. This gives him a few more years to fix his house in Cavite, so he could rent it out and live on the rental income. He also has worked long enough to fully-pay his humble home and be debt-free.

So as we were planning his rental income, he added that he also wanted to buy a coffee maker and some equipment to even put up a café for tourists. Oh, Bernard, my lessons did not go in vain or fall on deaf ears. He has been listening all this time when people ask me for advice on what to do upon retirement. And he listened well.

He reminds me of the chauffeur in the movie “The American President” where he listened to his master’s advice and tips for the stock market and bought when his master did, and sold when the master sold his holdings.

Well, at least he has his retirement all figured out. To plant his own food in their piece of property. To fish when he can or to enjoy whatever the sea has to offer. And most of all, he has a regular income from his house to be rented out in Cavite. And let us not forget his plan to open a little café.

I am no Suze Orman but I think Bernard learned many lessons from my conversations with friends, colleagues, NGO people and even government officials.
He knows the mayors I have met, has traveled to many coffee farms and towns, and has been a part of my advocacy the past twenty years.

Retirement does not mean stopping to work. I think it only means doing what we love to do, eating what is good for us, spending less on city life and spending time with our loved ones while we are still healthy and wise. Being wealthy helps I am certain. But that is something people aspire for and sometimes never get to. And in the process of chasing all that wealth we forget why we were chasing it in the first place.

Maybe it was to buy a farm near the sea. So we could fish and plant our own food. And enjoy retirement while we still can.

For Bernard and his wife, they had it all along. That piece of land by the sea. But it took a few good working years for him to appreciate that this piece of land is his perfect idea of retirement. And now to also add the idea of having a coffee shop ,too.

All will be perfect for him as he retires in five years. We all need to do something even when we retire. For some it only means the beginning of a new, relaxed but more fruitful phase in life.

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Retiring at 27: Ambitious, Lazy or Crazy? - Inspiring Story

I don't know why the word "lazy" gets such a bad rap -- I'm a big fan of lazy.

Here's why: Lazy is a smart man's motivation to get from point A to B as quickly as possible. A lazy person knows there's lots of life and fun to be experienced, so finding the shortcuts through the slough just makes a lot more sense than dragging your feet down a long road.

Lazy can help you build a multi-million dollar business in a few short years and reach retirement in your 20s. At least, that's how I decided to do it.

Everyone has their own version of what happens after we die. Mine is simple: you are dead. You are dirt. The end. Game over. Thank you and goodbye.

To some, this could be very troubling, and if you're not careful, you could misinterpret this belief and make it an excuse to do nothing. It's all futile anyways, right? Absolutely not.

Believing I only have one shot, I could not be more motivated to craft the exact life I want to live. I mean, what did I have to lose?

With retirement as my starting point, I decided $7 million after tax was the number and age 27 would be the deadline.

I was 21 at the time with only one year of operating my own thriving business, Renters Warehouse, under my belt.

The numbers for my property management company were already looking good and the trajectory was definitely heading towards my seemingly lofty ambitions. It was time to walk the walk.

I meticulously set forth to build a business that I could exit when the time was right, with employees and management that were just as vested in the long-term vision as I was.

With my self-imposed retirement goal nipping at my heels, I focused on building "bench strength" at Renters Warehouse. This meant having a president groomed to be CEO, an office manager capable of becoming my operations manager and a litany of cross-trained employees that were hungry for professional growth.

Transparency being paramount, I empowered key executives by giving them full access to the books, called on them for crucial management decisions and made sure they had a hand in the branding, funding and hiring decisions early on.

Woven into our company culture was the idea that leadership comes from all corners. It wasn't long before the encouragement to step up would inch me closer and closer to stepping down.


After talking such a big game for seven years, the time came to meet this retirement I had envisioned for myself. It didn't come with that big blast of confetti you might have imagined. If anything, the dawning of this new era came with apprehension, and of course, a little fear.

By 2013, I had built a business I was proud of and now had a net worth of just under $20 million. Months past my 27th birthday, I was on vacation with my wife in the Virgin Islands. Caught working with my laptop, a very important interrogation took place: "Didn't you say you were going to retire when you were 27?"

It was time to move on.

You can imagine that telling people you're planning to retire after less than a decade of work can get you some disapproving looks. I probably couldn't sound lazier if I tried.

All too often, people associate retiring to handing in the office keys for hammocks and golf courses. What about those who grow to love their office just as much as a golf course? I refuse to believe it has to be all or nothing.

Retirement means I can choose when I want to work and when I want to golf. Maybe next week I venture off to Peru and the following week I plan a media tour to expand our franchise awareness. Designing each day of your life is a privilege. It's a privilege earned through the proficiency in which you design your team and your company's culture.

Call me lazy or ambitious, just don't call me on vacation -- or my wife might have a few words for you. Who knows, it might be just what you need.

Original post:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230991

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The Golden Box From a Daughter - Discovering A Response To Unconditional Love

One day a man punished his young daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he
was furious when the child tried to decorate a box.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He yelled at her, "Don't you know when you give someone a present, there's supposed to be something inside it?

His daughter looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty, I blew kisses into the box.  All for you, Daddy."  The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later and it is told that the man kept that gold box by his bed for many years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember
the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love--love and kisses
from our children, our friends, our family and from God - despite how we have behaved toward them.

What must we do in order to truly express our response to such gifts? Share it with us by commenting below.Thanks!

Original Article:
http://www.consciouslivingfoundation.org/InspireStory.htm

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Family Love & Acceptance

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco. “Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve got a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring with me.” “Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.” “There’s something you should know,” the son continued, “he lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go and I want him to come live with us.” “I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.” “No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.” “Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was a suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know. Their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

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Changed Lives

In 1921, Lewis Lawes became the warden at Sing Sing Prison. No prison was tougher than Sing Sing during that time. But when Warden Lawes retired some 20 years later, that prison had become a humanitarian institution. Those who studied the system said credit for the change belonged to Lawes.But when he was asked about the transformation, here’s what he said, “I owe it all to my wonderful wife, Catherine, who is buried outside the prison walls.”

Catherine Lawes was a young mother with three small children when her husband became the warden. Everybody warned her from the beginning that she should never set foot inside the prison walls, but that didn’t stop Catherine!

When the first prison basketball game was held, she walked into the gym with her three beautiful children and she sat in the stands with the inmates.

Her attitude was: “My husband and I are going to take care of these men and I believe they will take care of me! I don’t have to worry!” She insisted on getting acquainted with them and their records.

She discovered one convicted murderer was blind so she paid him a visit. Holding his hand in hers she said, “Do you read Braille?” “What’s Braille?” he asked. Then she taught him how to read.Years later he would weep in love for her.

Later, Catherine found a deaf-mute in prison. She went to school to learn how to use sign language. Many said that Catherine Lawes was the body of Jesus that came alive again in Sing Sing from 1921 to 1937.

Then, she was killed in a car accident. The next morning Lewis Lawes didn’t come to work, so the acting warden took his place. It seemed almost instantly that the prison knew something was wrong.

The following day, her body was resting in a casket in her home, three-quarters of a mile from the prison. As the acting warden took his early morning walk, he was shocked to see a large crowd of the toughest, hardest-looking criminals gathered like a herd of animals at the main gate. He came closer and noted tears of grief and sadness. He knew how much they loved Catherine.

He turned and faced the men, “All right, men you can go. Just be sure and check in tonight!” Then he opened the gate and a parade of criminals walked, without a guard, the three-quarters of a mile to stand in line to pay their final respects to Catherine Lawes.

And every one of them checked back in. Every one!

Original article:
https://inspirationalstories.wordpress.com/2007/09/26/changed-lives/

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Newbie Employee's Response To His Angry Boss Is Perfect

Everyone usually has a hard first day at a new job, and it's no different for the kid in this fun fictitious story.  When his manager comes to check on him after his first day, he is disappointed by the number of people the kid has made sales to.  Check out the story to see how the kid replies to his boss's outburst.

A young guy from North Dakota moves to Florida and goes to a big "everything under one roof" department store looking for a job.

The manager says, "Do you have any sales experience?"

The kid says, "Yeah. I was a vacuum salesman back in North Dakota."

The manager was unsure, but he liked the kid and figured he'd give him a shot, so he gave him the job.  "You start tomorrow. I'll come down after we close and see how you did."

His first day on the job was rough, but he got through it. After the store was locked up, the manager came down to the sales floor to check on how the kid did on his first day.  "How many customers bought something from you today?"

The kid frowns and looks at the floor and mutters, "One".

The manager replies, "Just one?!!? Our employees average sales to 20 to 30 customers a day.  That will have to change and soon if you'd like to continue your employment here. We have very strict standards for our sales force here in Florida. One sale a day might have been acceptable in North Dakota, but you're not on the farm anymore, son."

The kid took his beating, but continued to look at his shoes. The manager felt kind of bad for chewing him out on his first day. He asked (semi-sarcastically), "So, how much was your one sale for?"

The kid looks up at his manager and says "$101,237.65".

The manager, astonished, says, "$101,237.65?!? What the heck did you sell?"

The kid says, "Well, first, I sold him some new fish hooks. Then, I sold him a new fishing rod to go with his new hooks. Then, I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast, so I told him he was going to need a boat. We went down to the boat department, and I sold him a twin engine Chris Craft. Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to the automotive department and sold him that 4x4 Expedition."

The manager said "A guy came in here to buy a fish hook, and you sold him a boat and a TRUCK!?"

The kid said, "No, the guy came in here to buy tampons for his wife, and I said, 'Dude, your weekend's shot, you should go fishing.'

Original post:
http://humor.sfglobe.com/2014/12/03/kids-response-to-his-angry-boss-is-perfect

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How to Become More Certain About the Future

I had a client last week who was uncertain about a career change that she wanted to make.

She had been fascinated by real estate for years and had earned her accreditation, but still wasn’t sure if it was the right decision.

She still had a few questions:

“What if I can’t do it?”

“What if I don’t like it?”

“What if no-one gives me a chance?”

She was unsure about the future and wanted certainty before she took the next step.

So I asked her to imagine a deep swimming pool.

She may be unsure about the temperature in the middle.

She may be unsure if she could swim.

She may be unsure if she would even enjoy swimming.

She could dip her toe in at the edge, but that alone won’t fully answer the questions that she has.

She needs to jump in.

She needs to immerse herself.

Then, and only then, will her questions be answered.

The only way to become certain about the future is to experience it.

In doing so, she may realise that she hates working in real estate.  At least she knows it and doesn’t have to wonder for the rest of her working life.

She may find it difficult to get her first opportunity, but by giving it a go, she has a chance to gain valuable feedback, learn from the experience, keep honing her skills and find out what she needs to do get a break in the industry.

Of course, she may become a great real estate agent and find that she absolutely loves it.  What a great outcome that would be!

But she won’t know until she tries.

If you’re uncertain about the next step of your life, you can ask a lot of questions and do a lot of research, but never be certain until you jump right in.

Original Post:

http://betterlifecoachingblog.com/2014/04/02/how-to-become-more-certain-about-the-future/

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The Unhappy Farmer – A Story About Contentment

Career expert, Dan Miller recently shared this story on his blog about a farmer who grew discontent with his farm.

The farmer complained about the lake on his property that always needed to have the fish thinned out.  The rolling hills made it more difficult for him to run the fence rows.  Sometimes he couldn’t even see his cows because they had so much territory to cover.  At night it was so dark it was hard to walk from the barn back to his house.

He decided to sell the place and move somewhere really nice.  He called a real estate agent and made plans to sell his property.

A few days later he picked up the local paper, looking for a new place to live.  His eye caught an ad for a lovely country home in an ideal location – quiet and peaceful.

It had soft rolling hills; a pristine lake stocked with bass, a classic barn surrounded by natural flowers and soft grass, and came complete with a wonderful herd of Black Angus cows.  It was just close enough to a small town to be convenient but far enough out to be uncluttered by city lights, traffic and noise.

He read the ad a second and then a third time before realising the real estate agent had given her description of the place he currently owned.  He called her and told her to cancel the ad.  He said, “I’ve changed my mind.  I’ve been looking for a place like that all my life.”

It’s easy to complain about your current situation, but how would your life look to an outsider?

Is your job really that bad?

Are your kids that annoying?

Is your financial situation as dire as you really think it is?

Sometimes, just like the farmer, we need a new perspective on our circumstances to understand that our lives aren’t as bad as we sometimes believe.

Source:

http://betterlifecoachingblog.com/2014/10/24/the-unhappy-farmer-a-story-about-contentment/

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The Retiring Carpenter – A Story About the Life We Build for Ourselves

An elderly carpenter was due to retire.

He told his employer of his plans to leave the business and start a life of leisure with his wife and extended family.

He would miss the money, but the time was right and he was ready to hang up his hammer.

His boss was disappointed as the carpenter had been a loyal and diligent worker for many years, so he was sad to see him go.

He asked for one last favour, requesting that the carpenter could build one last house before retiring.

The tradesman agreed, but it was soon clear that his heart wasn’t in it.

He took shortcuts, used inferior materials and put in a half-hearted effort.

In the end the final product was well short of his usual standards, a disappointing way to end his career.

When the job was finished, the employer came to inspect the work.  After taking a look around, he handed the keys to the carpenter and said, “This is your house, it’s my gift to you.”

The carpenter was shocked and embarrassed.

If only he had known, he would have made sure that everything was perfect.

If he had known the consequences, he would have demanded excellence from himself.

We’re not that different.

We go about our business, working as we see fit.

Some with passion, some without caring.

Some with excellence, some with low standards.

Some with diligence, some without effort.

We are all in the process of building our own lives.

If you’re not happy with what you see, perhaps it’s a direct consequence of what you’ve been building over the years.

Build wisely!

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Sally Quinn On Her Husband'sFinal Days

Legendary Washington Post Editor Ben Bradlee rose to prominence for exposing the Watergate scandal, for publishing the Pentagon Papers and for guiding the paper to 23 Pulitzer Prizes during his tenure. He died Tuesday at age 93 in his Washington, D.C. home. He had Alzheimer’s disease.

In September, Bradlee’s wife, Sally Quinn, spoke to C-SPAN’s Brian Lamb about her husband’s health and her own transitions as a caregiver. She moved from thinking his dementia wouldn’t be so hard, to witnessing its ravages, to facing it realistically and ultimately finding peace with the disease and her role.

“A certain peace has come over me,” she said. “Caretaking has become almost sacred… I don’t think we have ever been as loving with each other as we are now.”

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A Father And His Son

There was a small child who was brought up by his father. His father was a highly successful and extremely bright business man. He was about 50 years old with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. He was a very neat man but he rarely smiled. He was strict, impatient, quick with anger and very passionate. These attributes all contributed to his great success in business life, but at the same time the same qualities led him become a not very pleasant father. He drove the newest Mercedes and had the fanciest suits. He was incredibly wealthy. As he traveled a lot he didn't spend a lot of time with his son. But this boy was compensated with expensive presents and private schooling. This was the way his father expressed his love for him. The son got used to getting everything he wished for.

When he turned 21 he was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful black sports car in a dealer's showroom and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted. He went to see the car everyday for weeks. He took the car for a test drive, he smelled the leather seats, imagined buying it and taking it home for the first time. He took pictures of it and put them all out on his wall.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. He was full of excitement like a little child. He had absolutely no doubt of getting what he wished for. Finally after days of waiting impatiently, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. He sat him down on a designer brown leather chair and looked deep into his son's eyes and said: "I am very proud to have such a fine son and for the first time he said: "I love you". His son not even hearing the words waited impatiently for his present. After all, he was used to expensive presents but his father expressing his feelings were unknown for him. Finally, the father handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. The son held his breath back while quickly opening the box. He had his dream car floating before his eyes. As he opened the box he found a book called "Put Your Dream to the Test". He was disappointed almost shocked. He threw the book on the floor. Angrily he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a book?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the book behind. He moved out of the house immediately and went on his own way.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business just like his father. But business was not all he took after his father. He was as strict and impatient with his own children as his father was with him. He had a beautiful home somewhere in the countryside.

One day the man realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. They hadn't even spoken a word since then. The father hadn't even met his grandchildren. Although the son decided to contact his father he kept putting it off. Many times he walked to the phone, took it up, sat down on the white leather sofa in his living room, looked at his wife for support and dialed holding his breath back and shaking all over. But before the phone could ring he hung up. This went on for weeks until one day he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to him. He needed to go home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He went into his father's study where they last spoke and thought about the last words he heard from his father. He began to search his father's important papers and in one of his drawers he found the still new book, just as he had left it years ago. He sat down on the same chair he was sitting those years before and recollected his memories of the situation that had separated them. With tears rolling down his face, he read the title: Put your dreams to the test. Then he opened the book and began to turn the pages. After the third page he saw a hole in the book with a car key in it. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the black sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words…

"WITH LOVE TO MY PRECIOUS SON WHO MADE ME SO PROUD TODAY."

Many times we prejudge people we meet and things we experience in life because they are not packaged as we expect them. We make drastic choices based on misunderstandings or simple ignorance and let the emotions resulting from these guide us. My advice to you is to stop for a moment and think before you make overall conclusions of a person or a situation and most importantly learn to forgive yourself and others!

Read more at 
http://www.sunnyskyz.com/feel-good-story/1092/A-Father-And-His-Son#A3yLPy58zXXsLJbo.99

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Married Or Not... You Should Read This Husband's Story

When I got home that night my wife served dinner. I held her hand and said, "I've got something to tell you." She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking about divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, "Why?"

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, "You are not a man!"

That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore, I just pitied her.

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it to pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources, and energy but I could not take back what I had said. I loved Jane now.

Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came home late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast after an eventful day with Jane. When I woke up, she was still at the table writing.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions. She didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month, we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple; our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me, but she had something more. She asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day. She requested that every day for the month's duration, I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy, but just to make our last days together bearable, I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. "No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce," she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any physical contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, "Daddy is holding Mommy in his arms."

His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the living room and to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, "Don't tell our son about the divorce."

I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying. Our marriage had taken its toll on her, and for a minute, I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me. On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, "All my dresses have grown bigger." I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, and that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me. She had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, "Dad, it's time to carry mom out." To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the living room, and to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, just like on our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, "I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy."

I drove to office, jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind. I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door. "Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore."

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. "Do you have a fever?" she replied.

I moved her hand off my head. "Sorry, Jane," I said. "I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day, I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart."

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away. At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The saleswoman asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, "I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart."

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face. I ran up the stairs only to find my wife in the bed – dead. My wife had been fighting cancer for months, but I was too busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and wanted to save me from any negative reaction from our son, in case we push through with the divorce. At least, in the eyes of our son, I'm a loving husband.

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It's not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. 

These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves.

So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Have a real happy marriage!

Read more at 
http://www.sunnyskyz.com/feel-good-story/1125/Married-Or-Not-You-Should-Read-This-Husband-s-Story#xKQhRguR3OdKS18v.99

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