Something I like to keep in the back of my mind always….
“Right from the moment of our birth, we are under the care and kindness of our parents. And then later on in our life, when we are oppressed by sickness and become old, we are again dependent, on the kindness of others. And since at the beginning and end of our lives we are so dependent on other’s kindness, how can it be in the middle that we neglect kindness toward others?” – Dalai Lama
I came across this “lesson” in a PowerPoint presentation designed by John Bannigan. I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you.
Have you ever observed the behavior of birds in the face of adversity?
For days and days they build their nests, sometimes gathering materials brought from far away. And when they have completed the nest and are ready to lay eggs, the weather, or the work of humans, or some animal destroys it. All that they have done, with so much effort, just falls to the ground.
Do they stop, bewildered, and leave the work?
No way!
They start over. Building again until they have eggs in the nest once more.
Sometimes, before the chicks are hatched, an animal, a child, or a storm destroys the nest once more, but this time with its valuable contents.
It hurts to go back and begin again…
Even so, the birds do not stop, they continue to sing and build, and keep singing and building…
Do you sometimes get the feeling that your life, your work, your family is not what you had dreamed? Do you sometimes want to say: “Enough! It is all too much for me!”?
Are you tired of it all? Do you feel that the daily struggle is a waste of time? Your trust has been betrayed? Your goals not reached, just as you came so close?
Life strikes you down sometimes, but you go on. You say a prayer and put your faith in God. Do not worry if you get injured in the battle. That is to be expected. Gather yourself together and rebuild your life, so that it runs well again.
No matter what happens…
Do not shrink back, but move forward.
Life is a constant challenge, but it is worthwhile.
And never stop singing.
From the Be Motivated Today daily newsletter
Agree or disagree?
“The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.” – Elbert Hubbard
Develop the discipline of doing your best every day.
No matter how tired you are. No matter how boring the work is. No matter how unappreciated you feel or how little they pay you…
DO YOUR BEST!
That way you can be assured of ongoing success and regular promotion.
Become the success you were born to be.
Affirmations:
I choose to be disciplined
I choose to be the best I can be
I choose to become all I was born for
From the Be Motivated Today daily newsletter
Agree or disagree?
A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.
Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.
He said, “It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. “The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. “I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.
I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.”
One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.
Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, But Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure.
Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.
Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!
When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his youngexecutives.
Jim just tried to hide in the back. “My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown,” said the CEO. “Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!”
All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, “The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!”
When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed, Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, “Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!
His name is Jim!” Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed.
“How could he be the new CEO?” the others said.
Then the CEO said, “One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.
All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!”
* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
* If you plant hard work, you will reap success
* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.
Sent to me by a friend.
Thoughts?
Who Am I?
I am your constant companion.
I am your greatest helper or your heaviest burden.
I will push you onward or drag you down to failure.
I am completely at your command.
Half the things you do, you might just as well turn over to me,
And I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.
I am easily managed; you must merely be firm with me.
Show me exactly how you want something done,
And after a few lessons I will do it automatically.
I am the servant of all great men
And, alas, of all failures as well.
Those who are great, I have made great.
Those who are failures, I have made failures.
I am not a machine, though
I work with all the precision of a machine
Plus the intelligence of a man.
You may run me for profit, or run me for ruin;
It makes no difference to me.
Take me, train me, be firm with me
And I will put the world at your feet.
Be easy with me, and I will destroy you.
Who am I?
I am habit!
Author Unknown
From the Be Motivated Today daily newsletter.
Please take a moment to comment below.
