Ordinary Souls

Most of us have a strong tendency to think that only a very spiritually elevated person can teach us about higher truth. In fact you learn more about higher truth through everyday contacts. We tend to invalidate what we learn from these people simply because we believe that they are ordinary humans. The danger of this influence is that you may over-idealize the so called ‘spiritual’ person, especially those who have made a profound impression upon you. You may regard them as spiritually and morally superior to any of your relatives, friends, colleagues whom you may neglect as a result. The important point here is that though these day to day people in your life are human also, they may still have something to teach you.

All you need to do is to become sensitive to the feelings of other people. Become aware, at least on a subliminal level of the deeper and more complex attributes of relatives, friends, neighbors colleagues and those around you. Learn to act toward others with much less ego involvement, be less selfish and not so concerned with getting your own way. With this new changed perception, persons whom you have taken for granted now assume a very different look as you go below their surface appearance and look into their hearts. Thus you are able to be much more compassionate and giving to those around you. In fact, you will end up acting more selflessly and with greater understanding.

And with this new changed attitude, don’t be surprised how someone ORDINARY enters your life in very casual guise who will show you deep spiritual truths.

Eskimos... No problem... Short and Simple Story

Eskimos who live in poles always lead a life of happiness and they never say there is a problem in their life, feeling jealous of this, the people living in nearby towns pledged to make an Eskimo say he has a problem.
They kidnapped an Eskimo and tied his eyes with black cloth and took him to a steep hill and at the peak removed the black cloth.

When the Eskimo tried to find out where he was standing he could find a deep valley in front of him and found himself at the tip of the deadly point. People behind him then asked him if he is now in a problem but the Eskimo said no. They then told him if he is prepared to accept there is a problem they will release him failing which they will push him into the deep valley and he had no chance of survival.

The Eskimo again replied that he had no problem. When they asked how he could say this when his life is at danger, the Eskimo replied "if i am pushed into the valley i am going to die and i will have no problem. If you change your decision and leave me free , i will be back to my place and i will have no problem"

The villagers found the reality of life and let him go!!

Help others win

A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100 yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times and began to cry.

The other eight heard the boy. They slowed down and looked back. They all turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.” All nine linked arms and walked across the finish line together. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes.

Friends Are Like Sand

A few years ago, I had a friend who felt like he was losing his best friend. He was very sad and confused about the situation and could not find anyone who could help him. One day, I had asked him why he wasn't acting like his normal self and he told me that he could not figure out why his friend was slipping away like he was.

In previous years, I have gone through similar problems with my friends. There had been not fights or arguments between us and, in my mind, they were just slipping away for no reason. Meaning that we still had the same interests and everything. It was because of this that I told him I would do my best to help him get his best friend back.

The first step to finding any solution to a problem is to figure out the base of the problem. In this case, it took a couple of days before I was finally able to give my friend the advice he needed.

At first, I had thought that he had been "letting the string slip away", like my personal quote warns about. ("Friends are like balloons; if you don't hold on to the string that keeps you together, then they will float away." ~ My Personal Quote. Also see my poem "Balloons & Friends".) The things that he told me had been happening at first told me that maybe the "string" that had been holding them together was slipping from his fingers due to their interests or hobbies changing. When I suggested this, though, he told me that he had been spending a lot of time with his best friend doing things that they both enjoyed.

Upon hearing that information, I was stuck as to how to help him. I had forgotten another saying that I remembered the next day. "Friends are like sand, the tighter you hold on, the more they slip away." That is the saying that solved the problem in the end. My friend had been holding on too tightly to his friendship with his best friend, causing his friend to slip away because he wanted a break for a few days.

After telling my friend what I had figured out, he said that he would lay off for a while and not insist that they spend a whole bunch of time together. About a week later, he told me that it had worked and that his best friend was hanging out with him like they had before.

A man and what he sees

In my life, I see so many beautiful things. I see the birds singing and flying around with great ease. I see the bluest of blue skies, sometimes coupled with white clouds floating like cotton balls in the sky. I see beautiful people all around me, smiling at me, and wanting to help me.

At night, I can see the beautiful sky, lit up with amazing stars that glow in the midnight hour. When I am enjoying the beautiful ocean, I can see the large foamy crests on top of the waves, as they crash down onto a wonderful beach, full of the finest tan sand.

In the spring, I see the fields full of rain and mud in the month of April, that make possible the blossoming of the most beautiful colorful flowers that are so picturesque when the golden rays of the sun shine down on them in the month of May.

Summertime is lots of fun for me. Mostly every day, I see the sun and its pretty yellow color, shine down on me, and turn my skin a light shade of brown and sometimes red, if I stay out in it too long. The sun tends to dry up the little pond in my backyard and turns it into a barren, weed filled circle. Thank goodness I got my beautiful gold and white fish into the house before they pass from lack of water.

In the fall, I see the trees turning an assortment of exquisite colors ranging from a red hue, all the way to yellow and brown. As the leaves fall from the trees, and I watch them float to the ground, I sometimes see a speckle of small snowflakes accompany them on a cloudy brisk afternoon. I can tell when it is going to snow out, because the clouds appear to be fluffy and gray.

Boy do I love the snow... So many young children in the neighborhood come to my house because I have an extremely large front yard. They come to my house to build snowmen and they dress them up like Frosty the Snowman. They put the coal for his eyes, and they make sure that the top-hat is on firmly, for winter time usually gets a little windy. The corn cob pipes are rather large and sometimes fall out of his mouth, so I give the children some of my smaller pipes to use.

I am very fortunate that I have the ability to see everything in my life through my heart and mind. You see, I am a blind man, and have been blind from birth.

I see more good in my life, on a daily basis, than some people that can really see.

I let nothing stop me from seeing the beautiful and the wonderful. I let nothing get in the way of my happiness and completeness.

I may be a blind man, but I will not be blind.

Make everything in your life beautiful and happy. Never let anything or anyone stand in your way. Never let something sidetrack you from what you really should see - the good in everything and everyone.

A Letter From Mom And Dad

Please watch this video, your eyes may fill in after watching this video, but still I would request you to do so?... The letter is so touching. Most of you have seen this already, but some might need to be reminded. Our parents deserve love and respect, and they deserve to be taken care of. At least old age orphanage would reduce, increasing day by day. So friends, please show your parents how much you love them, and please give back to them, before it’s too late. You might not have another chance.

Giving when it counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.

The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”.

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Remember those who serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “50¢,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. “35¢!” she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

Respect People who spare their time for you

ANGELS

Barefoot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by. She never tried to speak, she never said a word. Many people passed, but never did one person stop.

Just so happens the next day I decided to go back to the park, curious if the little girl would still be there.

Right in the very spot as she was yesterday she sat perched on high, with the saddest look in her eyes. Today I was to make my own move and walk over to the little girl. As we all know a park full of strange people is not a place for young children to play.

As I began walking towards her I could see the back of the little girl’s dress indicated a deformity. I figured that was the reason the people just passed by and made no effort to help. As I got closer, the little girl slightly lowered her eyes to avoid my intent stare. I could see the shape of her back more clearly. It was grotesquely shaped in a humped over form. I smiled to let her know it was ok, I was there to help, to talk.

I sat down beside her and opened with a simple Hello. The little girl acted shocked and stammered a "hi" after a long stare into my eyes. I smiled and she shyly smiled back. We talked ’til darkness fell and the park was completely empty. Everyone was gone and we were alone. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little girl looked at me and with a sad face said “Because I’m different.”

I immediately said “that you are!” and smiled. The little girl acted even sadder, she said, "I Know".

“Little girl,” I said, “you remind me of an angel, she stood to her feet, and said, “Really?”

“Yes, ma’am, you’re like a little guardian angel sent to watch over all those people walking by.” She nodded her head yes and smiled, and with that she spread her wings and said with a twinkle in her eye, “I am.” I was speechless, sure I was seeing things. She said, “And since you thought of someone other than yourself, my job here is done.”

Immediately I stood to my feet and said, “Wait, so why did no one stop to help an angel?” She looked at me and smiled, “You’re the only one who could see me, and you believe it in your heart.” And She was gone. And with that my life was changed dramatically.

So, when you think you’re all you have, remember, there is an angel always watching over you.

Pass this to everyone that means anything at all to you…. to let them know you’re glad they care about you… like the story says we all need someone.

Unknown Author

LIFE

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, to serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson, or to help you figure out who you are or who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be – a roommate, a neighbor, a professor, a friend, a lover, or even a complete stranger – but when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment they will affect your life in some profound way.

Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but in reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential, strength, willpower, or heart.

Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life, and the success and downfalls you experience, help to create who you are and who you become. Even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are sometimes the most important ones.

If someone loves you, give love back to them in whatever way you can, not only because they love you, but because in a way, they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart and eyes to things.

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again. Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and listen to what they have to say.

Let yourself fall in love, break free, and set your sights high. Hold your head up because you have every right to. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself, for if you don’t believe in yourself, it will be hard for others to believe in you.

You can make anything you wish of your life. Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.

And if you love someone tell them, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store.

Learn a lesson in life each day that you live!

Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday.

Think About it? Was it worth it?

Juggle Balls - A Great thought from Bryan Dyso, CEO of Coca Cola

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

• Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

• Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

• Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

• Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

• Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

• Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us each together.

• Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

• Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.

• Don’t forget that a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

• Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

• Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way.

Always remember “Value has a value only if its value is valued” respect them…

The important ________ in life

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your family, Partner, Play with your children, respect them. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.

Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

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A Great thought from Bryan Dyso, CEO of Coca Cola

"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air.

You name them - Work, Family, Health, Friends and Spirit and you're keeping all of these in the Air.

You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball.

If you drop it, it will bounce back.

But the other four Balls - Family, Health, Friends and Spirit - are made of glass.

If you drop one of these; they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered.

They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for it."

The Little Boy and the Vase

There is a beautiful story about a child playing with a vase his mother had left on the table for a few moments. When the mother turned at the sound of her son crying she saw that his hand was in the vase and apparently stuck. She tried to help him and pulled and pulled until the child cried out in pain but the hand was stuck fast.

How would they get it out? The father suggested breaking the vase but it was quite valuable And the child's hand might be cut in the process. Yet he knew that if all else failed there would be no other alternative so he said to the boy, NOW, let's make one more try. Open your hand and stretch your fingers out straight like I'm doing, and then pull

"But Dad," said the boy, "If I do that I'll lose my penny.
The boy had a coin in his hand all the time and was holding it securely in his tight little fist.

He wasn't prepared to open his hand and lose the penny,

but once he opened his hand His hand came out of the vase easily. What are you holding onto so tightly as to hinder your walk with Jesus

That vase can be likened to the entrance to the kingdom of GOD. It is narrow, but quite easy to pass in.

First you must "OPEN" your hand to GOD and allow earthly things to fall. If we keep our fists closed and hold fast to what we have, and keep it for ourselves we will be unable to take hold of the "Hand of GOD".

We arrived with nothing and will depart the same way.
Jesus told the parable of the rich man who wanted to build bigger barns to store his grain and goods, but God said to him,
You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you.

Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?
We need to be on guard or the things we own will begin to own us. It is our own clenched fist that makes us a prisoner

Open your hand to the hand of God. Everyone needs recognition for his accomplishments, but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy who told his father he didn't want to lose his penny

Horse Sense

Just up the road from my home is a field, with two horses in it. From a distance, each looks like every other horse. But if one stops the car, or is walking by, one will notice something quite amazing.

Looking into the eyes of one horse will disclose that he is blind. His owner has chosen not to have him put down, but has made a good home for him. This alone is amazing.

Listening, one will hear the sound of a bell . Looking around for the source of the sound, one will see that it comes from the smaller horse in the field.

Attached to her bridle is a small bell. It lets her blind friend know where she is, so he can follow her.
As one stands and watches these two friends, one sees how she is always checking on him, and that he will listen for her bell and then slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray.

Like the owners of these two horses, God does not throw us away just because we are not perfect or because we have problems or challenges.

He watches over us and even brings others into our lives to help us when we are in need.

Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by God and those whom he places in our lives.
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others to see God.

"Good friends are like stars.....You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.

- - - Unknown