What Really Matters in Life?

A vacationing American businessman was standing on the pier of a quaint coastal fishing village in southern Mexico when a small boat with just one young fisherman pulled into the dock. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.
"How long did it take you to catch them?" the American casually asked.
"Oh, a few hours," the Mexican replied.
"Why don't you stay out longer and catch more fish?" the American businessman then asked.
The Mexican warmly replied, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."
The businessman then became serious, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
Responding with a smile, the Mexican fisherman answered, "I sleep late, play with my children, watch ballgames, and take siesta with my wife. Sometimes in the evenings I take a stroll into the village to see my friends, play the guitar, sing a few songs..."
The American businessman impatiently interrupted, "Look, I have an MBA from Harvard, and I can help you to be more profitable. You can start by fishing several hours longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra money, you can buy a bigger boat. With the additional income that larger boat will bring, you can then buy a second boat, a third one, and so on, until you have an entire fleet of fishing boats.
"Then, instead of selling your catch to a middleman you'll be able to sell your fish directly to the processor, or even open your own cannery. Eventually, you could control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this tiny coastal village and move to Mexico City, or possibly even LA or New York City, where you could even further expand your enterprise."
Having never thought of such things, the Mexican fisherman asked, "But how long will all this take?"
After a rapid mental calculation, the businessman pronounced, "Probably about 15-20 years, maybe less if you work really hard."
"And then what, senor?" asked the fisherman.
"Why, that's the best part!" answered the businessman with a laugh. "When the time is right, you would sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions."
"Millions? Really? What could I do with it all?" asked the young fisherman in disbelief.
The businessman boasted, "Then you could happily retire with all the money you've made. You could move to a quaint coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, play with your grandchildren, watch ballgames, take siesta with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could play the guitar and sing with your friends all you want."


The moral of the story is: Know what really matters in life, and you may find that it is already much closer than you think।

I can't hear you

A man feared his wife wasn't hearing as well as she used to and he thought she might need a hearing aid. Not quite sure how to approach her, he called the family Doctor to discuss the problem. The Doctor told him there is a simple informal test the husband could perform to give the Doctor a better idea about her hearing loss.

Here's what you do," said the Doctor, "stand about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational speaking tone see if she hears you.

If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and s o on until you get aresponse.

"That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he was in the den. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens."

Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for dinner?"

No response.

So the husband moves to closer to the kitchen, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from hiswife and asks, Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again he gets no response so,

He walks up to the kitchen door, about 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

Again there is no response.

So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for dinner?"

;

;

;

;

;

"James, for the FIFTH time I've said, CHICKEN!"

*

Moral of the story:

The problem may not be with the other one as we always think, could be very much within us..................

ANALYSE PROBLEMS TACTFULLY

Case 1

When NASA began the launch of astronauts into space, they found out that the pens wouldn't work at zero gravity (ink won't flow down to the writing surface). To solve this problem, it took them one decade and $12 million. They developed a pen that worked at zero gravity, upside down, underwater, in practically any surface including crystal and in a temperature range from below freezing to over 300 degrees C.

And what did the Russians do...??

They used a pencil.....!!!!!!

Case 2

One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the Case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest Cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent a whopping amount to do so.

But when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc., but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.

Moral: Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problems

Case 3

OTIS ....... A Lift manufacturing Giant ...... had a complaint from the customer that their lifts were very slow, and that it took a long time to go up 60 stories........ Otis Engineers were fired and asked to solve the problem at the earliest and replace all the lifts accordingly. Engineers started working on the chain mechanism, the pulley systems, the power drives, the weight to speed ratio, and other such hi tech parts...... The problem had no solution, as in increasing speed, weight had to be reduced, or the safety was an issue, or other such thing.

Moral: Always analyze the Problems from all view points.......

But, one newly appointed engineer solved the problem in 2 days. He fitted the mirror in the lifts. Suddenly the Complaints reduced drastically to 10%. The director asked for he young engineer, and asked him about this solution. The young man said, The problem is not that the lifts are slow, but that People feel that our Lifts are slow.

WINNERS v/s LOSERS

Winners have dreams; Losers have schemes.
Winners see the gains; Losers see the pain.
Winners see the potential; Losers see the past.
Winners make it happen; Losers let it happen.
Winners see possibilities; Losers see problems.
Winners make commitments; Losers make promises.
Winners are a part of the team; Losers are apart from the team.
Winners always have a program; Losers always have an excuse.
Winners say, "Let me do it for you"; Losers say, "That is not my job".
Winners say, "I must do something"; Losers say, "Something must be done".
Winners are always a part of the answer; Losers are always a part of the problem.
Winners see an answer for every problem; Losers see a problem for every answer.
Winners believe in win/win; Losers believe for them to win, someone has to lose.
Winners say "It may be difficult but it is possible"; Losers say "It may be possible but it is too difficult".
Winners make a mistake. He says "I was wrong"; Losers make a mistake; he says "It wasn't my fault".

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON ??????????

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, " How do I know if I married the right person ?"

I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, " It Depends. Is that your husband?

In all seriousness, she answered " How do you know?"Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's Weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning,you fell in love with... Your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted...their touch, and liked.... Their idiosyncrasies......Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. Infact, it was a Completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... Because it's happening...TO YOU...

People in love sometimes say, " I was swept of my feet." Think about the Imagery of that _expression. It implies that you were just standing There; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU

Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience.

But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the Natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls Become a bother ( if they come at all), touch is notalways welcome ( when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you Think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and or your spouse might start asking, " Did I marry The right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of The love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for theirUnhappiness and look outside their marriage forfulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is> The most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work,church, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage.It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You Could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because ( listen carefully to this)

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous> experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find " LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the _expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it Takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery.There are specific Things you can do ( with or without your spouse ) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), There are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise Program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your Relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable... You can " make" love.


Love in marriage is indeed a " decision"... Not just a feeling.

Lessons of Life

The following pics are of the same place but taken under different seasons

Spring & Summer Season

Autumn & Winter Season

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 fulfilment.

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, fulfilment of your fall.

Moral:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don't judgethe life by one difficult season.

Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later

The Turkey and the Bull

A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy.

"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull.

"They're packed with nutrients."

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the first branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fortnight, there he was proudly perched at the top of the tree. Soon he was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot the turkey out of the tree.

Moral of the Story: Bullshit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Opportunity

A priest was driving along and saw nun on the side of the road. He stopped and offered her a lift which she accepted. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing the habit to open and reveal a leg. The priest looks and nearly has an accident, and after changing gear lets his hand slide up her leg.

She immediately says, "Father, remember Psalm 129".

The priest says sorry and removes his hand but is unable to remove his eyes from her leg. Further on when he changes gear and has ogled at her leg for the zillionth time he lets the hand slide up the leg again.

The Nun once again says, "Father remember Psalm 129".

Arriving at the convent the nun gets out and the priest goes on his way. Once he arrives at his church he rushes to the bible and looks up Psalm 129 and it said, "GO FORTH AND SEEK, FURTHER UP YOU WILL FIND GLORY"


Moral of the Story: In your job should always be well informed or you may miss a great opportunity

How to Handle a Cheating Girlfriend

There is more to life than living out the lyrics of a country and western song. If her cheatin' heart is more than you can stand, it is time for you to change your tune or face the music.

Think about the source of your suspicion. If you "heard it from a friend who heard it from a friend who heard it from another she's been messin' around," look for more reliable information.

Make sure that jealousy and insecurity are not making you falsely accuse someone you care about.

Trust your instincts. If you think that your girlfriend is cheating on you, then ask her. If her answer is, "Oh, no honey. Of course not! How could you even ask such a thing? You know I love you and only you (kiss-kiss)," but you simply don't believe her, make sure your mistrust is based on something you witness or experience.

Noticing a change in your relationship or her behavior would make your suspicion reasonable. Seeing her with someone else, who looks clearly to be more than a friend, is pretty solid evidence.

Consider your physical health and emotional well-being. Could she be putting you at risk for sexually transmitted diseases? Can you deal with being one of many?

Think about what you would tell a sibling or a best friend to do in your situation. Is fear keeping you from following your own advice?

Discuss your feelings with your girlfriend. Tell her how her cheating is affecting you. Explain what you're looking for in this relationship.

Listen to what she has to say. Her response to your concerns should give you the information you need to do what is right for you.

Inform your girlfriend of your decision, whether it is to forgive her and start over, have a brief separation while you figure out what to do, or part ways.

Tips: This does not have to get ugly. Wait until you are able to address this issue as rationally as possible. Regardless of her cheating, remember that you cared about her once, and you still may. You don't need to console her, but you will feel better about yourself if you take the high road.

Warnings: If she cheats on you once, shame on her! If she cheats on you twice or more, well, you know the rest.

Story of the year

"A son and his father were walking on the mountains.

Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

"To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"Curious, he yells: "Who are you?

"He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!

"The voice answers: "I admire you!

"Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!

"He receives the answer: "Coward!

"He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?

"The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention.

"Again the man screams: "You are a champion!

"The voice answers: "You are a champion!

"The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.

It gives you back everything you say or do.

Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.

If you want more love in the world,

create more love in your heart.

If you want more competence in your team,

improve your competence.

This relationship applies to everything,

in all aspects of life;Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"

Socrates ...

Be sure to read all the way to the end..... it's worth!

Next time someone starts to spread gossip, think of this:

In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"

Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me I'd like you to pass a little test.It's called the Triple Filter Test." "Triple filter?" "That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my student let's take a moment to filter what you're going to say.

The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?" "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..." "All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not.

Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my student something good?" "No, on the contrary..." "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, even though you're not certain it's true?" The man shrugged, a little embarrassed. Socrates continued.

"You may still pass the test though,because there is a third filter - the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my student going to be useful to me?" "No, not really..." "Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither True nor Good nor even Useful,why tell it to me at all?"

The man was defeated and ashamed. This is the reason Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem.

p.s. It also explains why he never found out that Plato (his student) was having an affair with his wife. :):)

A lovely lesson for life!

A student asks a teacher: What is love?

The teacher said: in order to answer your question,
go to the paddy field and choose the biggest paddy and come back.

But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick.

The student went to the field, go thru first row,he saw one big paddy,but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later.Then he saw another bigger one... but may be there is an even bigger one waiting for him.

Later, when he finished more than half of the paddy field, he start to realize that the paddy is not as big as the previous one he saw, he know he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted. So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand.

The teacher told him, this is love... you keep looking for a better one,but when later you realize, you have already miss the person.

The student asked: What is marriage then?
The teacher said: In order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back.
But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick .
The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field,he has picked one medium corn that he feel satisfied, and came back to the teacher.
The teacher told him, this time you bring back a corn.... you look for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get.... this is marriage.

Life

Do not run through life
So fast that you forget
Not only where you have been,
But also where you are going
Life is not a race,
But a journey to be savored
Each step of the way.