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. 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. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in," replied the husband.
The woman went out and invited the men in.
"We don’t 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. Then he said, pointing to another one, "He is Success and I am Love." Then he added,
"Now go in 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 overjoyed. "How nice!" he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth."
His wife disagreed, "My Dear, why don’t we invite Success?"
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion, "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will be filled with love."
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love 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. The other two also got up and started following him.
Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success, "I only invited Love, why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together, "If you had invited Wealth or Success the other two of us would’ve stayed out. Since you invited Love, wherever he goes we go with him. Wherever there is love there is also wealth and success!"
Month: July 2011
Food For Thought for July 22nd, 2011
| Busy by Stephen Covey
Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter ask for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. The paid was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work. The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees “Congratulations,” the boss said. “Go on that way!” Very motivated for the boss’ words, the woodcutter try harder the next day, but he only could bring 15 trees. The third day he try even harder, but he only could bring 10 trees.Day after day he was bringing less and less trees. “I must be losing my strength”, the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. “When was the last time you sharpened your axe?” the boss asked. “Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees…” |
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Food For Thought For July 21st, 2011
In 1982 Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He was out of the shipping lanes and floating in a life raft, alone. His supplies were few. His chances were small. Yet when three fishermen found him seventy-six days later (the longest anyone has survived a shipwreck on a life raft alone), he was alive — much skinnier than he was when he started, but alive.
His account of how he survived is fascinating. His ingenuity — how he managed to catch fish, how he fixed his solar still (evaporates sea water to make fresh) — is very interesting.
But the thing that caught my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when there seemed no point in continuing the struggle, when he was suffering greatly, when his life raft was punctured and after more than a week struggling with his weak body to fix it, it was still leaking air and wearing him out to keep pumping it up. He was starved. He was desperately dehydrated. He was thoroughly exhausted. Giving up would have seemed the only sane option.
When people survive these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in similarly desperate circumstances give in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the guts to carry on in spite of overwhelming odds.
“I tell myself I can handle it,” wrote Callahan in his narrative. “Compared to what others have been through, I’m fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over, building up fortitude….”
I wrote that down after I read it. It struck me as something important. And I’ve told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed far off or when my problems seemed too overwhelming. And every time I’ve said it, I have always come back to my senses.
The truth is, our circumstances are only bad compared to something better. But others have been through much worse. I’ve read enough history to know you and I are lucky to be where we are, when we are, no matter how bad it seems to us compared to our fantasies. It’s a sane thought and worth thinking.
So here, coming to us from the extreme edge of survival, are words that can give us strength. Whatever you’re going through, tell yourself you can handle it. Compared to what others have been through, you’re fortunate. Tell this to yourself over and over, and it will help you get through the rough spots with a little more fortitude.
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Thursday, July 21st: Anil Pujara & Rahul Khanna presents…
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Begin forwarded message:
From: The Conga Room <CongaRoomLive@gmail.com>
Date: July 20, 2011 12:14:12 PM PDT
To: sanjay@zibabeauty.com
Subject: Thursday, July 21st: Anil Pujara & Rahul Khanna presents…
Reply-To: Anil Pujara <Anil@CongaRoom.com>
Hi Facebook Friends, Twitter Followers, Google+ Circlers, and Family Members,
Happy Summer!!! We want to start by thanking everyone who recently came out to Jay Dabhi,
Cheb I Sabbah Fundraiser and the AR Rahman Concert at Hollywood Bowl.As we hit the midpoint of the summer, we thought we’d give everyone
a break from all the email blasts and facebook messages the last couple of weeks.But now its time to remind you that we’re having our next event Thursday night, July 21st
6th Edition of Bollywood Bhangra at Conga Room LA LIVE
featuring Dhol Beat International straight in from Texasfamous for making the Absolut Bhangra & Dance Radio Asia soundtracks
Check out a clip of their remixes below.
Highlights of the Night Will Include:
*BJ Josan and Amar Sandhu will be your 1:2 punch for the night
*Free giveaways from Ziba Beauty, BodyKits.org
*Free CD giveaways from Dhol Beat International
*Free Henna Tattoos by Wedding 24 from 9-11pmAnd now for the details:
Conga Room is the #1 destination for South Asian entertainment in L.A. Don’t miss out!
:: The Premiere Bollywood Bhangra Party in L.A.
For Bottle Service, Advance Tickets, and RSVP: (323) 362-6450
—–
For Advance Tickets, click here:
http://congaroom.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=380071
Discounts Codes Available from Your Favorite Local DJ/Promoter!Sincerely,
Anil Pujara
Rahul Khanna
The Conga Room is located at 800 W. Olympic Blvd at LA LIVE
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Dhol Beat International – Thursday, July 21st CLICK TO BUY ADVANCE TIX ONLINE
Food for Thought for Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Sacrifice
…What we’re willing to give up in the pursuit of a dream.
Food For Thought for Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
There once was a fellow who, with his dad, farmed a little piece of land. Several times a year they would load up the old ox-drawn cart with vegetables and go into the nearest city to sell their produce. Except for their name and patch of ground, father and son had little in common. The old man believed in taking it easy. The boy was usually in a hurry – the go-getter type. One morning, bright and early, they hitched up the ox to the loaded cart and started on the long journey. The son figured that if they walked faster, kept going all day and night, they’d make the market by early the next morning. So he kept prodding the ox with a stick, urging the beast to get a move on.
"Take it easy, Son," said the old man. "You’ll last longer."
"But if we get to the market ahead of the others, we’ll have a better chance of getting good prices," argued the son.
No reply. Dad just pulled his hat down over his eyes and fell asleep on the seat. Itchy and irritated, the young man kept goading the ox to walk faster. His stubborn pace refused to change.
Four hours and four miles down the road, they came to a little house. The father woke up, smiled and said, "Here’s your uncle’s place. Let’s stop in and say ‘hello.’"
"But we’ve lost an hour already," complained the hotshot.
"Then a few more minutes won’t matter. My brother and I live so close, yet we see each other so seldom," the father answered slowly.
The boy fidgeted and fumed while the two old men laughed and talked away almost an hour. On the move again, the man took his turn leading the ox. As they approached a fork in the road, the father led the ox to the right.
"The left is the shorter way," said the son.
"I know it," replied the old man, "but this way is so much prettier."
"Have you no respect for time?" the young man asked impatiently.
"Oh, I respect it very much! That’s why I like to look at beauty and enjoy each moment to the fullest."
The winding path led through graceful meadows, wildflowers and along a rippling stream – all of which the young man missed as he churned within, preoccupied and boiling with anxiety. He didn’t even notice how lovely the sunset was that day. Twilight found them in what looked like a huge, colorful garden.
The old man breathed in the aroma, listened to the bubbling brook, and pulled the ox to a halt. "Let’s sleep here," he sighed.
"This is the last trip I’m taking with you," snapped his son. "You’re more interested in watching sunsets and smelling flowers, than in making money!"
"Why, that’s the nicest thing you’ve said in a long time," smiled the dad. A couple of minutes later he was snoring – as his boy glared back at the stars. The night dragged slowly, the son was restless.
Before sunrise the young man hurriedly shook the father awake. They hitched up and went on. About a mile down the road they happened upon another farmer – a total stranger – trying to pull his cart out of a ditch.
"Let’s give him a hand," whispered the old man.
"And lose more time?" the boy exploded.
"Relax, son… you might be in a ditch yourself. We need to help others in need – don’t forget that." The boy looked away in anger.
It was almost eight o’clock that morning by the time the other cart was back on the road. Suddenly, a great flash split the sky. What sounded like thunder followed. Beyond the hills, the sky grew dark.
"Looks like big rain in the city," said the old man.
"If we had hurried, we’d be almost sold out by now," grumbled his son.
"Take it easy… you’ll last longer. And you’ll enjoy life so much more," counseled the kind old gentlemen.
It was late in the afternoon by the time they got to the hill overlooking the city. They stopped and stared down at it for a long time. Neither of them said a word. Finally, the young man put his hand on his father’s shoulder and said, "I see what you mean, Dad."
They turned their cart around and began to roll slowly away from what had once been the city of Hiroshima.