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ANOTHER
LESSON IN LIFE
A while back I read about
an expert on subject of time. One day the expert spoke to a group of business
students and, to drive home a point, used the following illustration.
As this man stood in front
of the group he said, "Okay, for a quiz." Then he pulled out a
one-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar and set it on a table in front of him. Then
he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a
time, into the jar.
When the jar was filled to
the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar
full?"
Everyone in the class
said, "Yes."
Then he said,
"Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of
gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel
to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
Then he asked the group
once more, "Is the jar full?" By this time the class was onto him.
"Probably not,"
one of them answered. "Good!" he replied.
He reached under the table
and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in and it went
into all the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked
the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class
shouted.
Once again he said,
"Good!" Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in
until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked up at the class and asked,
"What is the point of this illustration?"
A student raised his hand
and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try
really hard, you can always fit some more things into it!"
"No, you are
wrong." the speaker replied, "That is not the point at all. The truth
this illustration teaches us is this. If you don't put the big rocks in first,
you'll never get them in at all."
What are the "big
rocks" in your life?
A project that you want to accomplish?
Time with your loved ones?
Your faith, your education, your finances?
A cause?
Teaching or mentoring others?
Remember to put these BIG
ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all.
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If
If freckles were lovely, and day was night,
And
measles were nice and a lie wasn't a lie,
Life
would be a delight,--
But
things couldn't go right
For
in such a sad plight
wouldn't
be
If
earth was heaven and now was hence,
And
past was present, and false was true,
There
might be some sense
But
I'd be in suspense
For
on such a pretense
You
wouldn't be you.
If
fear was plucky, and globes were square,
And
dirt was clean and tears were glee
Things
would seem fair,--
Yet
they'd all despair,
For
if here was there
We
wouldn't be we.
by e.e. cummings
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Sorrowful
Lesson
By: James A. Kisner
The mall was over crowded, shoppers rushed from store to store.
Nobody paid
attention, as she crouched there on the floor.
She didn't
look in trouble, and she didn't seem afraid.
Apparently,
she stopped to rest, she did not need my aid.
A little girl of 8 or 9, and cute as she could be.
I wondered
should I stop and ask if she needs help from me?
I wondered
if her mother, had just left her there alone,
I thought,
as I walked by her, in my haste to get back home.
As I left the mall, I could not get her off my mind.
Did that
little girl need help? Was I just acting blind?
It bothered
me so much, I had to go back in the mall.
I have to
get this settled, in my mind, once-in-for-all.
The mall began to close, I heard some chain doors coming down.
But, as I
looked, the little girl was no where to be found.
Is it...my
imagination, that again is running wild?
Thinking I
had lost my chance, to help this poor lost child.
I guess she must be fine, or she would still be sitting here.
I get way
too emotional at Holiday time each year.
I had to
leave and get back home, where it is safe and warm.
The weather
forecast for that night, 'a chilling winter storm.'
Late that night it happened, as the weather station said,
Frigid cold
and heavy snow, while I was snug in bed.
In the
morning, I awoke to winter's nasty caper.
The only
place I'd go that day, was out to get my paper.
Cozy in my kitchen, with my news and cup of tea,
But, as I
saw the front page, it just devastated me.
On the
front page, down below, a little headline read,
'At the
local shopping mall, a little girl found dead.'
It was 4 A.M. this morning, when police received the call,
The caller
said, "A little girl, was dead behind the mall."
It was the
chilling element, that brought her close to death,
As she lay
down, she fell asleep, and breathed her final breath.
I could not read the rest of it, as I began to weep.
While I
slept safe, a little girl had frozen in her sleep.
Many years
have passed by now but, it still haunts my dreams,
Was the
little girl they found, the same one I had seen?
I can't forget that little girl, no matter how I try,
But, now
when someone seems in need, I never pass them by.
The lesson
I have learned from this was difficult, but true.
The last
chance that someone may have, could very well be you.
James Kisner's poems
are copyrighted by Fleeting Moments Publishing
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"The Awakening" by Virginia Marie Swift
A time comes in your life when you finally get it . . . when, in the midst of
all your fears and insanity, you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the
voice inside your head cries out . . . ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying and
blaming and struggling to hold on.
Then, like a child quieting down after a tantrum, you blink back your tears and
begin to look at the world through new eyes.
This is your awakening.
You realize it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for
happiness, safety and security to magically appear over the next horizon.
You realize that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings, and
that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you . . .
and in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.
You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will
always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are ... and that's OK.
They are entitled to their own views and opinions.
You learn the importance of loving and championing yourself . . . and in the
process a sense of new found confidence is born of self-approval.
You stop complaining and blaming other people for the things they did to you -
or didn't do for you - and you learn that the only thing you can really count on
is the unexpected.
You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say and
that not everyone will always be there for you and that everything isn't always
about you.
So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself . . . and in the
process a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance.
You stop judging and pointing fingers and you begin to accept people as they are
and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties . . . and in the process
a sense of peace and contentment is born of forgiveness.
You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin
reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really stand for.
You learn the difference between wanting and needing and you begin to discard
the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to
begin with.
You learn that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you
stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your
next fix.
You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated
ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon
which you must build a life.
You learn that you don't know everything, it's not your job to save the world
and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn that the only cross to bear is
the one you choose to carry and that martyrs get burned at the stake.
Then you learn about love. You learn to look at relationships as they really are
and not as you would have them be. You learn that alone does not mean lonely.
You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn to
distinguish between guilt and responsibility and the importance of setting
boundaries and learning to say NO.
You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things
over and ignoring your needs.
You learn that your body really is your temple. You begin to care for it and
treat it with respect. You begin to eat a balanced diet, drink more water,
and take more time to exercise.
You learn that being tired fuels doubt, fear, and uncertainty and so you take
more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul. So
you take more time to laugh and to play.
You learn that, for the most part, you get in life what you believe you deserve,
and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy.
You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing
for something to happen is different than working toward making it happen.
More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction,
discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone, and
that it's OK to risk asking for help.
You learn the only thing you must truly fear is fear itself. You learn to step
right into and through your fears because you know that whatever happens you can
handle it and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your
own terms.
You learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of
impending doom.
You learn that life isn't always fair, you don't always get what you think you
deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people . . .
and you learn not to always take it personally.
You learn that nobody's punishing you and everything isn't always somebody's
fault. It's just life happening. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to
build bridges instead of walls.
You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy and resentment must be
understood and redirected or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison
the universe that surrounds you.
You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we
take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream
about: a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot
shower.
Then, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make
yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less
than your heart's desire.
You make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every
wonderful possibility.
Finally, with courage in your heart, you take a stand, you take a deep breath,
and you begin to design the life you want to live as best you can.
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