Do what is right

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I heard this story once about a teacher who let a fish out of its bowl & left a classroom of children as it flopped around. Telling them that if anyone left their seat, they would be expelled.

All of the children sat and watched as this fish flopped gasping for air, not wanting to get up in order to avoid getting in trouble.

Finally, a girl sprang up from her seat & ran to the fish, placing it back in the bowl.

Ultimately, she was the only one who refused to watch the fish die.

When the teacher returned, he told the class that this was a lesson.

That the fear of getting in trouble should never stop you from doing what is right. That sometimes you may have to oppose authority & group think, simply because it's the right thing to do.

It is not just enough to know what is the right thing to do, one must also have the courage to do it. It isn't always easy, many a times its real hard, but thats the way it is. Doing the right thing is always right. 

 (WhatsApp forward)

To all the wonderful moms:

We tend to care a lot and hence want to decide everything for our family members. Sometimes it stresses us too. This mom teaches us how to overcome it.

LESSON FOR LIFE💝

My mom felt exhausted. She was irritable and grumpy, until one day, suddenly, she changed.

One day my dad said to her:  I'm going to have a few beers with friends.

My mom replied:  Okay.

My brother said to her:  I'm doing poorly in all subjects in college.

My mom replied:  Okay, you will recover, and if you don't, you repeat the semester, but you pay the tuition.

My sister said to her:  I smashed the car.

My mom replied:  Okay, take it to the car shop & get it fixed.

All of us were worried to see these reactions coming from mom. We suspected that she had gone to the doctor and was prescribed some pills called "I don't give a damn”.

We then proposed to do an "intervention" with my mother to remove her from any possible addiction she had towards some anti-tantrum medication.

But then mom gathered us around her and explained:

"It took me a long time to realize that each person is responsible for their life. It took me years to discover that my anguish, anxiety, my depression, my courage, my insomnia & my stress, does not solve your problems but aggravates mine.

I am not responsible for the actions of anyone and it’s not my job to provide happiness.

Therefore, I came to the conclusion that my duty to myself is to remain calm and let each one of you solve what corresponds to you.

I have taken courses in yoga, meditation, miracles, human development, mental hygiene, vibration and neuro linguistic programming and in all of them, I found a common denominator.

I can only control myself, you have all the necessary resources to solve your own problems despite how hard they may be. My job is to PRAY for you, LOVE you, ENCOURAGE you, but it’s up to YOU to solve them and find your happiness.

I can only give you my advice if you ask me and it depends on you to follow it or not. There are consequences, good or bad, to your decisions and YOU have to live with them.”

Everyone at home was speechless.

From that day on, the family began to function better because everyone in the house knew exactly what it is that they needed to do.

Do not Quit

Author Unknown

A dramatic ballad singer studied under a strict teacher who insisted that he rehearse day after day, month after month the same passage from the same song, without being permitted to go any further.

Finally, overwhelmed by frustration and despair, the young man ran off to find another profession.

One night, stopping at an inn, he stumbled upon a recitation contest. Having nothing to lose, he entered the competition and, of course, sang the one passage that he knew so well.

When he had finished, the sponsor of the contest highly praised his performance. Despite the student’s embarrassed objections, the sponsor refused to believe that he had just heard a beginner perform.

“Tell me,” the sponsor said, “who is your instructor? He must be a great master.” 

The student later became known as the great performer Koshiji.

Story Courtesy: https://academictips.org/blogs/practice-makes-perfect-dont-quit/

Education and Experience

Unknown Author

There is a difference between education and experience.

Education is what you get from reading the small print.

Experience is what you get from not reading it! 

But isn't it true that great learning comes from both education and experience? 

Let me tell you a parable:

A young school teacher had a dream that an angel appeared to him and said, "You will be given a child who will grow up to become a world leader. How will you prepare her so that she will realize her intelligence, grow in confidence, develop both her assertiveness and sensitivity, be open—minded, yet strong in character? In short, what kind of education will you provide that she can become one of the world's truly GREAT leaders?"

The young teacher awoke in a cold sweat. It had never occurred to him before —any ONE of his present or future students could be the person described in his dream. Was he preparing them to rise to ANY POSITION to which they may aspire? He thought, 'How might my teaching change if I KNEW that one of my students were this person?'  

He gradually began to formulate a plan in his mind:

·         This student would need experience as well as instruction.

·         She / he would need to know how to solve problems of various kinds.

·         She / he would need to grow in character as well as knowledge.

·         She / he would need self assurance as well as the ability to listen well and work with others.

·         She / he would need to understand and appreciate the past, yet feel optimistic about the future.

·         She / he would need to know the value of lifelong learning in order to keep a curious and active mind.

·         She / he would need to grow in understanding of others and become a student of the spirit.

·         She/ he would need to set high standards for herself and learn self discipline, yet  would also need love and encouragement, that they might be filled with love and goodness.

His teaching changed. Every young person who walked through his classroom became, for him, a future world leader. He saw each one, not as they were, but as they could be. He expected the best from his students, yet tempered it with compassion. He taught each one as if the future of the world depended on his instruction.

After many years, a woman he knew rose to a position of world prominence.  He realized that she must surely have been the girl described in his dream. 

It turned out she was not one of his students, but rather his daughter. For all the various teachers in her life, her father was the best. 

I've heard it said that "Children are living messages we send to a time and place we will never see." But this isn't simply a parable about an unnamed school teacher. It is a parable about you and me —whether or not we are parents or even teachers.

And the story, OUR story, actually begins like this:

"You will be given a child who will grow up to become...."  You finish the sentence.

If not a world leader, then a superb father?

An excellent teacher?

A gifted healer?

An innovative problem solver?

An inspiring artist?

A generous philanthropist?

Where and how you will encounter this child is a mystery. But believe that one child's future may depend upon influence only you can provide, and something remarkable will happen. For no young person will ever be ordinary to you again. And you will never be the same.

Sensible teamwork

Once there was a family of mother, father, their 4 sons and the 4 daughters-in law all living together.

All 4 daughters-in law were good but there was always clash--whose responsibility it is to do what house work.

One day the mother-in law decided to end this problem by assigning proper responsibilities. So she called all 4 of them and said:
“I know you are all very good and you don't shy from responsibilities; but since the responsibilities are not clear, you have misunderstanding. Lets now define the responsibilities.

One of you – will prepare the food
2nd one – will arrange the dining table
3rd one – will serve the food
4th one – will clean the utensils and dining table

When each one of you finished your job you will announce so that the next person will do the next job.

And every week we will rotate these responsibilities.”

All of them said it is good idea and agreed.

The next day :
The first daughter in law prepared the food and when she finished she informed, “food is prepared.”

The second daughter in law arranged the food in the table and announced, “food is arranged in table and everybody come to eat.”

The 3rd daughter in law started serving the food and she announced, "food is served.”

The 4th daughter in law collected all the plates and utensils from the table and cleaned them and said, “the utensils and dining table is cleared.”

The mother-in law was dumb stuck.

Though all of them performed their duties and responsibilities, the end result was no one ate anything and the food was a complete waste.

Lesson? It is not just adequate to divide the responsibilities but sensible teamwork is very important to make things work.

Learn the facts before you assume

Author Unknown, Found at http://academictips.org/blogs

When I was in elementary school, I got into a major argument with a boy in my class. I have forgotten what the argument was about, but I have never forgotten the lesson I learned that day.

I was convinced that “I” was right and “he” was wrong – and he was just as convinced that “I” was wrong and “he” was right. The teacher decided to teach us a very important lesson.

She brought us up to the front of the class and placed him on one side of her desk and me on the other. In the middle of her desk was a large, round object. I could clearly see that it was black. She asked the boy what color the object was. “White,” he answered.

I couldn’t believe he said the object was white, when it was obviously black! Another argument started between my classmate and me, this time about the color of the object.

The teacher told me to go stand where the boy was standing and told him to come stand where I had been. We changed places, and now she asked me what the color of the object was. I had to answer, “White.”

It was an object with two differently colored sides, and from his viewpoint it was white. Only from my side it was black.

Sometimes we need to look at the problem from the other person’s view in order to truly understand his/her perspective.

Discovering a new way of life

In the mid 1970s, when he was about to complete his doctorate in physics, the scientist Stephen Hawking - who was already carrying the disease that would gradually paralyse all his movements - heard a doctor say of him that he had only two more years to live.

‘Right then,' he thought to himself. 'now that I don't need to worry about things like pensions or paying the bills, I can concentrate on trying to understand the Universe.'

Since the disease was progressing rapidly, he was forced to come up with ways of explaining his ideas as simply and as briefly as possible.

Two and a half years went by, twenty years went by, and Hawking is still alive.
He can communicate his highly abstract ideas through a tiny computer hooked up to his wheelchair and which has a vocabulary of only 500 words. He wrote his classic "A Brief History of Time" and was responsible for creating an entirely new vision of modern physics.

Rather than leading him into a life of complete disability, the illness forced him to discover a new way of thinking.

Hawking has achieved success with works of popular science in which he discusses his own theories and cosmology in general; his "A Brief History of Time" stayed on the British Sunday Times best-sellers list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. Hawking has a motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a condition that has progressed over the years. He is almost entirely paralysed and communicates through a speech generating device.

Attack a problem head on

A Grand Master and the Guardian shared the administration of a Zen monastery.

One day, the Guardian died and a replacement had to be found. The Grand Master gathered together all the disciples in order to decide who would have the honour of working at his side.

'I am going to set you a problem,' said the Grand Master.

'And the first one to solve that problem will be the new Guardian of the temple.'

Once this briefest of speeches was over, he placed a small stool in the middle of the room. On it stood a priceless porcelain vase containing a red rose.

'There is the problem,' said the Grand Master.

The disciples looked in some perplexity at what was there before them: the rare, sophisticated designs on the porcelain vase and the elegance of the flower. What did it represent? What should they do? What did this enigma mean?

After a few moments, one of the disciples got to his feet and looked at the master and at his fellow students. Then he walked resolutely over to the vase and threw it to the ground, shattering it.

'You are the new Guardian,' the Grand Master said to the student.

And as soon as the student had returned to his place, he explained.

'I made myself perfectly clear. I said that there was a problem to be solved. Now it does not matter how beautiful or fascinating a problem might be, it has to be eliminated. And so I shattered the vase.’

A problem is a problem. It could be a very rare porcelain vase, a delightful love affair that no longer makes any sense, or a course of action that we should abandon……

There is only one way to deal with a problem: attack it head on. Running away from a problem only increases its distance from the solution. The easiest way to escape from a problem is to attack it.

Criticism as an useful tool

Ole Bull was the famous Norwegian violinist of the past century.

His father, a chemist, sent him to the University to study for the ministry and forbade him to play his beloved violin. He promptly flunked out and devoted all his time and energy to the violin.

Unfortunately, though he had great ability, when he started his first concert tour he wasn't well prepared.

In Italy a Milan newspaper critic wrote: "He is an untrained musician. If he be a diamond, he is certainly in the rough and unpolished."

There were two ways Ole Bull could have reacted to that criticism.
1.He could have let it make him angry or
2. he could learn from it.

Fortunately he chose the latter. He went to the newspaper office and asked to see the critic. The astounded editor introduced him to the old man. Ole spent the evening with the 70-year-old critic, asked about his faults, and sought the older man's advice on how to correct them.

Then he cancelled the rest of his tour, returned home, and spent the next six months studying under really able teachers. He practiced hours upon hours to overcome his faults.

Finally, he returned to his concerts and, when only 26, became the sensation of Europe.

How a person reacts to criticism often means the difference between success and failure. Dealing with criticism positively is an important life skill.

How do we do it?
Lets first understand that there are two types of criticism –
1. constructive & valid and
2. destructive & unjustified. 

Learning to recognise the difference between the two can help us deal with any criticism that we may receive.

Destructive or unjustified criticism, as the name suggests itself, is aimed to hurt you. Its often insensitivity of the person who criticizes and gives rise to anger and belligerence on the one criticized. It does not give any positive feedback and puts down the one criticized.

Constructive or valid criticism, on the other hand, can be construed to be a useful feedback. No doubt it can also hurt you but its easier to accept because it is aimed not only to point out your mistakes but also show you where and how improvements can be made. It can help you improve yourself rather than put you down.

"He has the right to criticize, who has the heart to help," Abraham Lincoln

The key is to have confidence in your abilities. With self-confidence, criticism isn’t a threat. It’s a useful tool.

We are all made to fly

Author Unknown

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons. 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.”

Life brings obstacles and difficulties. They do not come to stop or hinder progress. They can strengthen and help in bringing progress with more experience. To understand this is to keep advancing. Understanding this aspect means to know that it is not always necessary to find a solution, it is enough to keep moving forward, leaving the obstacle behind.  Let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight! 

Celebrate the gifts you have been given

Adapted from http://cathytaughinbaugh.com/fathers-story-addiction-and-a-promise-for-the-future/  Excerpts from David Cooke’s book, Behind the Dumpster. 

It is the story of a father, who after eighteen months of living with the hurt, pain, confusion, and chaos caused by his son’s heroin addiction, realized that every day the son enabled his addiction related life it was destroying his..

His health, his business, his relationships and his psyche were systematically falling apart as a result of his commitment to save his son even though the son wasn’t ready, interested in, or willing to do it for himself. It took him a long time to come to the realization there was nothing he could do to save his son until, or unless, he was willing to commit to saving himself, first.

So, what did he do?

Please welcome David Cooke! In his own words…

“In an ironic and twisted way, my son’s addiction, as painful as it has been for me, is also the gift that completely changed my life.

Three years ago I embarked on an adventure that completely changed my life for the better. On this definitive morning I began a new journey in a quest to reclaim my life and define a new path for success despite this adversity in my life.

I committed to riding my bicycle for at least one hour a day for one hundred consecutive days. Though I did not know where this would lead me, the focused commitment associated with this challenge took me on a new path and a different mindset that ended up being exactly the transformational journey I needed in my life.

From that very first ride, I found inspiration, energy, and opportunity in distancing myself from my son’s addiction. Though the pain and the hurt never really went away – it never does – I discovered a sense of confidence, clarity, and purpose for MY existence in those early morning meditational rides.

When I returned from that first ride, I was inspired by this thought that I came to me on that very first morning bike ride. 'No matter how dark the present appears, I live for the promise of the future, celebrating the opportunities created through my passion and my gifts.'

This is how I live and celebrate my life, in my daily recovery from my son’s addiction. Though I still suffer from the pain and the hurt of the struggles my son faces in his addiction, it does not define who I am, what I have been called to do, or the gifts I have been given to accomplish it.

Today, I celebrate my son’s one hundred and fiftieth day of recovery. I pray that it lasts long after I am gone and I hope that he stays on this path of progress and opportunity.

In the meantime, I am celebrating over eleven hundred days of my own recovery – the day I regained control over my life and gave myself the opportunity of strength, courage, joy, and peace in the face of those things that trouble and pain me most.

My advice to parents who are suffering, hurting, and lamenting the experiences of addiction in their lives and in their family is to find your recovery.

Your ability to live your life, celebrate the gifts you have been given, and to find peace in the chaos gives you the strength, clarity, and purpose to endure and grow.

Hopefully your child will find their way back to you where you will celebrate your ability to be there for them.

If you allow their addiction to destroy you, there is nothing left for them to hang on to when they need you.

The best gift you can give, besides your unconditional love, is to be strong for them when they are present and stronger for yourself when they are not!”

How do you respond to adversity?

Author Unknown

A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he laded the coffee out and placed it in a mug.

Turning to her, he asked: "Darling, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. 

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

She humbly asked. "What does it mean, father?"

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" he asked his daughter, "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?" 

Become What You Want to Be

Author: Unknown

Let me tell you about a little girl who was born into a very poor family in a shack in the Backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of 22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever - a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in having a mother who encouraged her.

Well, this mother told her little girl, who was very bright, that despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence, courage and an indomitable spirit.

So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally. In four years, she developed a rhytmic stride, which was a medical wonder. Then this girl got the notion, the incredible notion, that she would like to be the world's greatest woman runner. Now, what could she mean - be a runner with a leg like that?

At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last - way, way last. She entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last. Everyone begged her to quit! 

However, one day, she came in next to last. And then there came a day when she won a race. From then on, Wilma Rudolph won every race that she entered.

Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained her so well that she went to the Olympic Games.

There she was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, a German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in the 100-meter dash, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the 200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olimpic gold medals.

Finally came the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once again. The first two runners on Wilma's team made perfect handoffs with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma, she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! 

Wilma Rudolph had earned three Olympic gold medals. 

Challenge the impossible

Author Unknown

A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move.

"Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"

"This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.

This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

"No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion.

On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind.

"Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"

"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grasp your left arm."

The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

Take risks to enjoy the fruits

Two monkeys, a father and his young son, were sitting in a large tree together.

The son turned to his dad and said, “I’m hungry, can you get me some leaves to eat?”

The father looked at his son and smiled, “Well, then you had better get some yourself.”

“But I don’t know how.” the son protested.

“You have a choice,” responded the dad. ”You can pick the dry, unpalatable leaves that are found near the trunk or you can go to the edge of the limbs and choose the freshest, most delectable leaves.”

“That’s not fair, why can’t the nicest leaves be found where everyone can get to them easily?”

“That’s just the point. If everyone could get to them, they wouldn’t be so fresh.”

“But it’s risky to go out on the smaller branches. They could break or I could lose my grip and fall!”

“Son, listen closely. If you remember this, you’ll be successful in everything that you do and will always have the nicest leaves to eat. When you take a risk and go out on a limb, the fall isn’t nearly as bad as it looks.”

“But why doesn’t every monkey go and get the fresh leaves?” asked the son.

“Because fear of perceived danger is a powerful motivator and too many monkeys would rather eat rubbish and complain about it than take a risk and go for what they really want. The challenges are out there son, go face them!”

Concentration

by Unknown

After winning several archery contests, the young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull's eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot. "There," he said to the old man, "see if you can match that!"

Undisturbed, the master did not draw his bow, but rather motioned for the young archer to follow him up the mountain. Curious about the old fellow's intentions, the champion followed him high into the mountain until they reached a deep gap spanned by a rather flimsy and shaky log. 

Calmly stepping out onto the middle of the unsteady and certainly perilous bridge, the old master picked a far away tree as a target, drew his bow, and fired a clean, direct hit. 

"Now it is your turn," he said as he gracefully stepped back onto the safe ground. 

Staring with terror into the seemingly bottomless and beckoning abyss, the young man could not force himself to step out onto the log, no less shoot at a target.

"You have much skill with your bow," the master said, sensing his challenger's predicament, "but you have little skill with the mind that lets loose the shot."

Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.

Awakening

The renowned master, Hasan of Basra, teased a child who was lighting a candle. "Little one, tell me where did this magical flame come from?"

The child instantly blew out the candle and asked, "You tell me, where did the flame go?"

This awakened something deep in him.

The little child, he said, was a big teacher.

Do not quit

Unknown

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–

You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out–
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

A sharp and witty mind

Emperor Akbar was in the habit of putting riddles and puzzles to his courtiers. He often asked questions which were strange and witty. It took much wisdom to answer these questions.

Once he asked a very strange question. The courtiers were dumb folded by his question.

Akbar glanced at his courtiers. As he looked, one by one the heads began to hang low in search of an answer. 

It was at this moment that Birbal entered the courtyard. Birbal who knew the nature of the emperor quickly grasped the situation and asked, "May I know the question so that I can try for an answer".

Akbar said, "How many crows are there in this city?"

Without even a moment's thought, Birbal replied "There are fifty thousand five hundred and eighty nine crows, my lord".

"How can you be so sure?” asked Akbar.

Birbal said, "Make your men count, My lord. If you find more crows it means some have come to visit their relatives here. If you find less number of crows it means some have gone to visit their relatives elsewhere".

Akbar was pleased very much by Birbal's wit.

Face the world Head-on

An eight-year-old boy went to his grandfather and proudly announced, “I am going to be very successful when I grow up. Can you give me any tips on how to get there?”

The grandfather nodded, and without saying a word, took the boy by the hand and walked him to a nearby plant nursery.

There, the two of them chose and purchased two small saplings.

They returned home and planted one of them in the back yard.

The other sapling was placed in a pot and kept indoors.

“Which one do you think will be the most successful in the future?” asked the grandfather.

The boy thought for a moment and said, “The indoor tree. It’s protected and safe while the outdoor one has to cope with the elements.”

The grandfather shrugged his shoulders and said, “We’ll see.”

The grandfather carefully tended to both plants and in a few years, the boy, now a teenager came to visit again.

“You never really answered my question from when I was a young boy. How can I become successful when I grow up?” he asked.

The old man showed the teenager the indoor tree and then took him outside to have a look at the towering tree outside.

“Which one is greater?” the grandfather asked.

“The outside one. But that doesn’t make sense, it has to cope with many more challenges than the inside one.”

The grandfather smiled, “Yes, but the risk of dealing with challenges is worth it as it has the freedom to spread its roots wider and its leaves towards the heavens. Boy, remember this and you be successful in whatever you do; If you choose the safe option all of your life you will never grow and be all that you can be, but if you are willing to face the world head-on with all of its dangers and challenges, the sky’s the limit.”

The young man looked up at the tall tree, took a deep breath and nodded his head, knowing that his wise grandfather was right.