Listen & Understand

A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Laiq asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"Within a few seconds Laiq replied confidently, "Four!"

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated, "Laiq, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"

Laiq had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four…"

The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that Laiq liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"

Seeing the teacher happy, young Laiq calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Laiq enquired, "Three?"

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"

Promptly Laiq answered, "Four!"

The teacher was aghast. "How Laiq, how?" she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.

In a voice that was low and hesitating young Laiq replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."

"When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect don't think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined notion."

A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Laiq asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"Within a few seconds Laiq replied confidently, "Four!"

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated, "Laiq, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"

Laiq had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four…"

The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that Laiq liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"

Seeing the teacher happy, young Laiq calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Laiq enquired, "Three?"

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"

Promptly Laiq answered, "Four!"

The teacher was aghast. "How Laiq, how?" she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.

In a voice that was low and hesitating young Laiq replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."

"When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect don't think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined notion."

Paid in Full, With One Glass of Milk

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from my heart. ”As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk”

— Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.

Happiness

A man asked the Lord Buddha  "I want Happiness"

The Lord Buddha said  "First remove 'I' That's ego"

"Then remove 'Want' That's desire"

"See now you're left with only 'Happiness' "

Expectations

A family of tortoise went on a picnic.

They packed food and set out to a place they had selected behind the hills.

 When they reached the spot,

they unpacked their picnic basket.

They realized they had forgotten to bring salt. Food without salt is tasteless.

They had a conference to decide who should go back and get salt.

 After a lot of discussion,

the youngest tortoise was chosen,

as he was faster than the others.

The youngest objected on the ground that before he could come back the others might eat the snacks.

But they assured him they would wait for him to come back with salt. 

Six months passed,

but the youngest tortoise did not turn up.

So the rest of the family decided to open the basket and eat the snacks.

When they opened the snack basket,

the little tortoise jumped out of the bushes and screamed,Look,

 I knew you would not wait till I came back.

 For six months I have been hiding in these bushes to make sure you would not eat without me. Now my suspicion has been confirmed,

and I am not going to get the salt.

Some of us are exactly like our suspicious tortoise : we waste our own time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. Instead of doing the right thing ourselves, we wait for others to act in ways we expect them to. We waste our time waiting for others to live according to our expectations.

Lunch with God

Take 60 seconds to read this wonderful story. It will give you time

to settle your brain, gather your thoughts, calm down and be blessed.

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where

God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a

six-pack of juices and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old man. He was

sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down

next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink

from his juices when he noticed that the old man looked hungry, so

he offered him some chips. He gratefully accepted it and smiled at

him.

His smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he

offered him juice. Again, he smiled at him. The boy was

delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got

up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned

around, ran back to the old man, and gave him a hug. He gave him his

biggest smile ever..

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his

mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked

him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could

respond, he added, "You know what? He's got the most beautiful smile

I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old man also radiant with joy, returned to his home.

His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked,

"dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?"

He replied "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before

his son responded, he added, "You know, he's much younger than I

expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word,

a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring,

all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime!

Embrace all equally!

Have lunch with God.......bring chips.

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL

"Hi handsome, my name is Rose"

The first day of school professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. 

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being.. 

She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?' 

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and she gave me a giant squeeze.. 

'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked. 

She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids...' 

'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. 

'I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!' she told me. 

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. 

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.. 

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up. 

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. 

 Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.' 

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. 

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. 

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it! 

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. 

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. 

Anybody! Can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets. 

The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets..' 

She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.' 

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those months ago. 

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. 

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be. 

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it! 

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE. 

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.