Motivational and Inspirational Pieces

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbours to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.
Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbours continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a steppingstone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up. Rise above your enemies and your troubles.

Replies

  • CE Designer
    CE Designer
    The Trouble Tree

    I hired a carpenter to help me restore an old farmhouse. He had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, the electric saw quit and now his ancient pickup refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me to meet his family.
    As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands.
    When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.
    Afterwards he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.
    "Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."
    "Funny thing is," he smiled, " when I come out in the morning to pick "em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."
  • Dancer_Engineer
    Dancer_Engineer
    THE OTHER SIDE
    "A Father was reading a magazine and his little daughter every now and then distracted him. To keep her busy, he tore one page on which was printed the map of the world.

    He tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again.
    He was sure she would take the whole day to get it done.
    But the little one came back within minutes with perfect map.

    When he asked how she could do it so quickly, she said, 'Oh Dad, there is a man's face on the other side of the paper. I made the face perfect to get the map right."" she ran outside to play leaving the father surprised.."
    Moral : There is always the other side to whatever we experience in this world.
    This story indirectly teaches a lesson..whenever we come across a challenge or a puzzling situation, look at the other side.
    You will be surprised to see an easy way to tackle the problem.

  • PraveenKumar Purushothaman
    PraveenKumar Purushothaman
    One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

    My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches!

    The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

    My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

    So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

    This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

    He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets.
  • Dancer_Engineer
    Dancer_Engineer
    Education does not mean good judgement!

    There is a story about a man who sold hot dogs by the roadside. He was illiterate, so he never read newspapers. He was hard of hearing, so he never listened to the radio. His eyes were weak, so he never watched television. But enthusiastically, he sold lots of hot dogs. His sales and profit went up. He ordered more meat and got himself a bigger and a better stove. As his business was growing, the son, who had recently graduated from college, joined his father.
    Then something strange happened. The son asked, "Dad, aren't you aware of the great recession that is coming our way?" The father replied, "No, but tell me about it."
    The son said, "The international situation is terrible. The domestic is even worse. We should be prepared for the coming bad time." The man thought that since his son had been to college, read the papers, and listened to the radio, he ought to know and his advice should not be taken lightly. So the next day, the father cut down his order for the meat and buns, took down the sign and was no longer enthusiastic. Very soon, fewer and fewer people bothered to stop at his hot dog stand.
    And his sales started coming down rapidly. The father said to his son, "Son, you were right. We are in the middle of a recession. I am glad you warned me ahead of time."
    Negative motivation brings the desire to take the easier way which ends up being the tougher way.
  • PraveenKumar Purushothaman
    PraveenKumar Purushothaman
    I had read this some day before... Seriously felt like murdering that idiotic son!!! 😔
  • CE Designer
    CE Designer
    A professor stood before his philosophy class
    and had some items in front of him.


    When the class began, wordlessly,

    he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
    and start to fill it with golf balls.

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


    The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
    it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
    The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

    He then asked the students again

    if the jar was full. They agreed it was.


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

    He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
    With an unanimous 'yes.'


    The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
    and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
    filling the empty space between the sand.
    The students laughed.


    'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
    'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.



    The golf balls are the important things - God, family,
    children, health, friends, and favorite passions
    Things that if everything else was lost
    and only they remained, your life would still be full.

    The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and 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 golf balls.
    The same goes for 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.

    So...


    Pay attention
    to the things that are critical to your happiness.
    Play with your children.

    Take time to get medical checkups.

    Take your partner out to dinner.


    There will always be time
    to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

    'Take care of the golf balls first --

    The things that really matter.

    Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'


    One of the students raised her hand

    and inquired what the coffee represented.


    The professor smiled.


    'I'm glad you asked'.


    It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
    there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'
  • lovejeet
    lovejeet
    A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you?
    Just what the heck are you doing?
    That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money.
    Why did you do it?"
    The young boy was apologetic. "Please mister ... please, I'm sorry... I didn't know what else to do," he pleaded.
    "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..."
    With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car.
    "It's my brother," he said.
    "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

    Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."
    Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

    "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.
    Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!

    God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.
    It's our choice: Listen to the whisper ... or wait for the brick!

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