"Judge Yourself"

Once upon a time there was a painter who had just completed his course. He took 3 days and painted beautiful scenery. He wanted people's opinion about his caliber and painting skills. He put his creation at a busy street-crossing. And just down below aboard which read -"I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. Please put a cross wherever you see a mistake."

While he came back in the evening to collect his painting he was completely shattered to see that whole canvass was filled with Xs (crosses) and some people had even written their comments on the painting. Disheartened and broken completely he ran to his master's place and burst into tears.

This young artist was breathing heavily and master heard him saying, "I'm useless and if this is what I have learnt to paint I'm not worth becoming a painter. People have rejected me completely. I feel like dying"

Master smiled and suggested "My Son, I will prove that you are a great artist and have learnt flawless painting. Do as I say without questioning it. It WILL work."

Young artist reluctantly agreed and two days later early morning he presented a replica of his earlier painting to his master. Master took that gracefully and smiled.

"Come with me." master said.

They reached the same street-square early morning and displayed the same painting exactly at the same place. Now master took out another board which read -"Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. I have put a box with colors and brushes just below. Please do a favor. If you see a mistake, kindly pick up the brush and correct it."

Master and disciple walked back home. They both visited the place same evening. Young painter was surprised to see that actually there was not a single correction done so far. Next day again they visited and found painting remained untouched. They say the painting was kept there for a month for no correction came in!

Moral of the story:

It is easier to criticize, but difficult to improve! So don't get carried away or judge yourself by someone else’s criticism and feel depressed. Judge yourself! You are your best judge!

"Why walk when you can fly"

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, "May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer."

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this miracle."

The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting."

We are all made to fly -- to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling.

So let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight.

"The Call !!!"

A software engineer calls his friend

Hello,
plss.. talk to me... y u r not picking up the call ?????"

Friend: "everything is alright?"

"wat alright.. noting is alright.. see the time.. its 11pm.. n I m
coming now from office..no food for me today also.. now I will cook...
From the past 3 days..I m eating only maggie... n my PM eating only
me..see the price hikes, everything is 2/- more frm yesterday.. except
my salary...I think the begger in front of my office.. earns more than
me.. wat shud I do..."

"wat happened.. wat r u talking"

"wat i m talking???? no, I m not talking.. Manager dont allow anyone to
talk except the client.. who always talks something.. from past 3 months
i didnt take any leave..now from 3 weeks.. i m just begging for one dam
leave.. n wat response i got....'why u want to waste an important day of
ur life??'

i now finalize one more time... yes..i m gonna quit.. this project...
but, i cant. no, i can.. but i wont..uh..."

"ok.. now Relax..."

"How can i relax... for relaxation ppl do yoga, but its night so i cant,
then else they watch movies... but see, in every channel all bogus
movies r repeating, same.. 'Welcome', 'Suryavansham',Govinda's movies...
it really irritates... everyone is faking in TV, fake news, fake
stories, fake swaynwars, fake reality...ah see the movies u will get to
know... In "Rock-on" last scene... Arjun Rampal's wife says to taxi
driver, that "hurry up, we r going late for Airport..." Airport...??? I
dont understand, how can thought he find a job in Cruze.. not
Airlines..

In 3 Idiots... starting scene... Madhvan does the drama to leave his
flight, then what happened to his luggage??
In same movie... Kareena is a doctor.. that too a surgeon.. to bcame a
surgeon.. It requires atlest 5[MBBS]+3[MS] years..
so she shud be 28... n Aamir as a student.. only 18 or 20 ?? then after
10 years they decide to marry.. means she is 38 ??
I dont understand, how can spiderman reach to the church-bell in part-3,
when he lost all his power ??
I dont understand, how Balakrishna can send a train back just by Hitting
his thighs, when I cant ??
I still dont understand how could Rajnikanth fly without wings ?? i just
dont....."

"hey stop it now.."

"am I a train who will stop it, by pulling chain... ohh train.. I dont
understand, how can I didnt see one in last 3 months... how will i see
?
All the time monitor is in front of me.. in night also wen I open my
eyes, I find my username and password window..
I need to cool down..

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

but someone tell me howw.. everytime there is a powercut here..
except wen i m not in home.. home, wat rubbish,its a dam single room..
where i m living alone with my pillow..

I also want girlfriend yaar, like my rivals have..
smita, rashmi, priti, sruti, madhu.. anyone frm my odc is ok, but they
all r engaged, u know y ?
Bcoz their boyfriends do not work in IT companies, outside girls do have
chat wid me but only on my salary day..
I got rejected 31 times.. u know y ?? each time I propose them, they ask
where do u live..
I say in my Cubicle.. Bcoz thats the only place u can find my soul all
the time.."

"hey man, u better take rest, we will talk in Morning"

" Morning.. are u talking the same morning.. Sun rises, bird flies,
omlette fries, employee cries... dam , i didnt see the Sun,from 3
years.. how it looks like... every morning I catching shuttle, reaching
my birthplace 'cubicle' working n working n leaving when Sun uncle is
not there... i will hit my room-owner some days, every morning he used
to cry for increasing room rent, I will always tell him to go n meet my
Manager... I dont understnd how can i be so nice to my colleagues..
Each time they want leave, they repeat the same old dialogue... "my
sister's marriage".. my colleague's 9 sisters got married,
3 times grandpa expired,
5 times frnd went to ICU.. but my colleague is fine..
and his favorite dialog "i need to drop a frnd to hospital, as he is not
feeling well" later i find movie tickets in his purse... then my pm's
motivational speech.. 'u will work.. u will grow'.. means if i wont
work.. i will shrink or what...

when I need hike, I m junior.. still need to grow.. when I do mistakes..
comon man u r senior now, u can not do mistakes.. ahhh God gimme some
power to understand the greatness of a super natural person known as PM
in this world.."

"ok enough now, i m disconnecting"

"wait.. i called you.. n u r disconnecting.. u know previously i was
normal, when i was in college, i used to talk continuosly watever i
want, now i m talking only this much... 'yaa its done', 'that work is
completed', 'Please..', 'Good Morning','Lunch','Tea','Snacks'..

I dont know wat i m talking abt, i shud b happy.. i have saturday n
sunday..
Saturday to recover from the disaster been made from monday to friday..
Sunday to think about upcoming disaster from monday to friday.. cool
naa..

you heard that in 2012 earth will end.. then also my ODC and my cubicle
will remain as it is.. u know why ??
because that's not a part of earth.. n we employees are not human
beings... we are aliens, so better before u start getting headache... go
have a nice dream.. me, I will again start my day tomorrow like I m
starting everyday..
good night..."

beeeeeeeeep...beeeeeeeeeep...beeeeeeeeeep
**********************************************************

Next Day, in office:-

Manager: "Dude, Please come here"

"Yes sir.....!!"

M: "I approved your leaves.. i think you should go and have some fun"

I happily came out, and checked my phone Dialled calls..

"Ohhh my God, yesterday I called my PM instead of my friend...!!!"

"Have you been labeled at Work ?"

You know why label makers didn’t go away, they just became better? Because people are label-crazy. Labeling is how they make sense of things. They separate the world into categories so they can understand it more easily.

The bad part of this is that people like to label other people as much as they like to label objects. I’m not saying somebody’s going to slap a plastic sticky label on your forehead sometime soon, but, rest assured, you will be labeled in some way. If you’re labeled as a person who gets things done, then that’s great. But what do you do if the label is wrong and/or negative?

If the label is bad, it’s very hard to get rid of. At work, it can cost you business opportunities and job promotions.

Here are some ways to deal once you suspect you have inadvertently earned a label at work:

1. Assess the substance of the bad reputation. Is there any truth to it? Or are you the victim of jealousy or whiners?
2. Seek a second or third opinion from trusted colleagues to determine if there is any validity to your bad reputation.
3. Reconsider your managerial style if you are in a position of leadership. Could you make subtle changes? Are you a good communicator and listener? Do you give clear instructions? Are raises overdue?
4. If you determine that you need to improve a personal attribute, make a commitment to yourself to change your ways. Perform one act every single day that counteracts your bad reputation.


Takeaway: People like to label things and other people. It helps them organize and simplify their worlds. But having a label at work can be damaging.

"The Seven wonders of the world"

Once in a school a group of students was asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World.

Though there was some disagreement, the following marvels got the most votes-
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet.
So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, 'Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."
The girl hesitated and then read, “I think the Seven Wonders of the World are - 1. To touch; 2. To taste; 3. To see; 4. To hear." She hesitated a little, and then added, "5. To feel; 6. To laugh; 7. And to love."

The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop. Those things we overlook as simple and 'ordinary' are truly the real wonders of our life and of course of this world.

Let’s spread these wonders across to all those we cherish the most in our lives.

"The good you do, comes back to you"

A woman baked bread for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra bread on the window-sill, for whosoever would take it away. Every day, a hunch-back came and took away the bread. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way: "The evil you do remains with you: the good you do, comes back to you!" This went on, day after day. Every day, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: the good you do, comes back to you!" The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude", she said to herself... "Everyday this hunch-back utters this jingle! What does he mean?"

One day, out of desperation, she decided to do away with him. "I shall get rid of this hunch-back", she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the bread she prepared for him! As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?", She said. Immediately she threw the bread into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window-sill. As usual, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and muttered his usual jingle. The hunch-back proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman. Every day, as the woman placed the bread on the window-sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had no news of him. She prayed for his safe return.

That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway. He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so hungry that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunch-back passed by. I begged of him for a small part of his food, and was kind enough to give me whole bread. "As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!" As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale and red. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned bread that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: the good you do, comes back to you!"


Moral: Do good and don't stop doing good, even if it's not appreciated at that time.

"The burnt biscuit"

Mom liked to make dinner with extra care. And I remember one night in particular when she had made it after a long, hard day at work. That evening, mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed.

All dad did was reach for his biscuit, smiled at mom and asked me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and ate every bite.

When I got up from the table, I remember hearing mom apologize to dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: Honey, I love burned biscuits.


Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else.

What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others' faults - and choosing to celebrate each other’s differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

Because in the end, you are the master of your own life, to be happy or unhappy, to be positive or negative.

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship , be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship.

Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own.

So please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine...

Moral of the story – No one is perfect in this world. To build and maintain a relation it is important to appreciate the positives and ignore the negatives.

"The Next CEO"

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, ‘It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO.
I have decided to choose one of you.’ The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. ‘I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you.
I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.’ One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.
Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn’t have a plant and he felt like a failure. Six months went by — still nothing in Jim’s pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn’t say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil – He so wanted the seed to grow.
A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.
When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful — in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him! When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. Jim just tried to hide in the back.
‘My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,’ said the CEO.’ Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!’ All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, ‘The CEO knows I’m a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!’ When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed – Jim told him the story.
The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, ‘Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!’ Jim couldn’t believe it. Jim couldn’t even grow his seed. ‘How could he be the new CEO?’ the others said.
Then the CEO said, ‘One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.
All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another Seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.
Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!’

Moral -
• If you plant honesty, you will reap trust
• If you plant goodness, you will reap friends
• If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
• If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment
• If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective
• If you plant hard work, you will reap success
• If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation
So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

"Sleeping through the Storm"

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the old man's response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, and he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Moral:

The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. When you're prepared, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?