Lessons of Life.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.

The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come sometime or later.

ACHIEVING HAPPINESS WITH SELFISHNESS

There is this story of a man who had a dream one night. He dreamed that he died and found himself immediately in a large room. In the room there was a huge banquet table filled with all sorts of delicious foods. Around the table people were seated who were hungry but the chairs were five feet from the edge of the table and people apparently could not get out of the chairs and their arms were not long enough to reach the food. In the dream there was a single large spoon, five feet long. Everyone was fighting, quarreling, and pushing each other, trying to grab hold of that spoon. Finally in that awful scene, one strong bully got hold of the spoon. He reached out, picked up some food, and turned it to feed himself. Only to find out that the spoon was so long that as he held it out he could not touch his mouth. The food fell off. Immediately someone else grabbed the spoon. Again, the person reached far enough to pick up the food, but could not feed himself. In the dream, the man was observing it all said to his guide, “this is hell-to have food and not be able to eat it”.

The guide replied, “Where do u think u are? This is hell. But this is not ur place. Come with me.”

And they went into another room. In this room things were the same as the previous room. People were not able to reach food coz of the same reasons. Yet they had a satisfied, pleasant look on their faces. Only then the visitors see the reason why. Exactly as before, there was only one spoon. It, too, had a handle five feet long. Yet no one was fighting for it. In fact, one man, who held the handle, reached out, picked up the food, and put it into the mouth of someone else, which ate it and was satisfied. That person then took the spoon by the handle, reached for the food from the table, and put it back to the mouth of the man who had just given him something to eat. And the guide said, “This is heaven”.

People who try to achieve happiness with selfishness end up it in a hell on earth. If u live by the laws of God and choose to look for people who have burdens, you might be able to help them. But if u look for ur own happiness, ignoring the needs of those around u, u will lose out altogether.

Live Life to the Fullest...

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” ~ Maya Angelou

We all have our stories, don’t we?

Some stories merely create a ripple in our lives, while others go deeper. So much so that they can change the course of our lives.

Dramatically.

When something unexpected comes your way, take a step back, take a look around at the whole picture, and decide how you’d like to respond.

Choose to lead a purposeful life, one that is enriching and filled with meaning. And take the steps to create that life.

Be brave…

…about discovering who you are. Many of us have our lives totally mapped out—this is how many children I’ll have, this is where I’m going to live, this what work I want to do—to the point where we may not question whether it’s what we truly want.

So when something unexpected happens that changes our life plans, it can shake us to the core. We become vulnerable, unsure of ourselves, and unsure of what to do—and this can feel very uncomfortable. Be brave and ride those feelings out, because you may just discover what it is that you are truly in search of.

Be honest…

…with yourself. Even though life hasn’t turned out the way you had planned, it does not mean that you have failed. There’s no need to make excuses, judge yourself, or shy away from this truth.

And it’s okay to feel angry and hurt; these are natural feelings and are a part of being honest with yourself. But acceptance is necessary. Accept what is. The sooner you realize this, you will be able think clearly and take steps in the right direction with a positive mindset.

Be open…

…to a different life and to new experiences. There’s no point hanging on to what could’ve been, because it can make us bitter and resentful.

With an open heart and mind you can truly let new experiences into your life. You never know what exciting events may come your way, but that’s the beauty of it.

Be gentle and kind…

…with yourself. Whether you believe what’s happened in your life is your fault or not, you must be gentle with and forgive yourself. It serves no one, especially not you, if you don’t “talk” to yourself lovingly.

To create a life of purpose, we must first love ourselves, because only then can our actions come from the heart. And when your actions come from the heart, you see clearly, feel strong, and are sure of your choices.

Be trusting…

…of yourself and the universe. All you can do is your best and go with the flow—and trust that your life is turning out as it should be.

Going with the flow can be challenging, especially if you’re someone who likes to be in control.

So remind yourself constantly that even when you try so hard to create a life that you want, the universe may decide otherwise. And how you choose to respond to it is what matters—that’s really what life’s all about.

Flow with the nature of life and you will have the strength to handle everything that comes your way.