Tuesday, September 24, 2019

2019-39 - Should I Get Involved?

I was walking down a dimly lit street one evening when I heard muffled screams coming from behind a clump of bushes. Only yards from where I stood, a woman was being attacked.

I was frightened for my own safety. What if I became another statistic? Shouldn't I just run to the nearest phone and call the police?

Already the girl's cries were growing weaker. I knew I had to act fast. I could not turn my back on the fate of this unknown woman. I don't know where I found the moral, courage and physical strength, but once I had finally resolved to help the girl, I became strangely transformed.

I ran behind the bushes and pulled at the assailant. Grappling, we wrestled for a few minutes until the attacker jumped up and escaped. Panting hard, I scrambled upright and approached the girl. In the darkness, I could barely see her outline, but I could certainly sense her trembling shock.

Not wanting to frighten her any further, I at first spoke to her from a distance. "It's OK," I said soothingly. "The man ran away. You're safe now."

There was a long pause and then I heard the words, uttered in wonder, in amazement. "Dad, is that you?"

And then, from behind the tree, stepped my youngest daughter, Katherine.

~ Author Unknown




I am involved in mankind, and therefore never need to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

~ John Donne

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

2019-38 - Jewels under the Saddle...

Once a merchant purchased a fine camel after striking a hard bargain. On arriving home, he told his servant to remove the camel's saddle, but when doing so, the servant found a small pouch, filled with precious jewels.

The servant was overexcited!!! "Master you bought a camel... but see what came FREE along with it!!!" The astonished merchant looked at the jewels, but he thought, "I bought the camel, not the jewels. I must return them to the camel seller immediately!" The servant was aghast... "Master, no one will ever know." But the merchant headed right back to the market and handed over the velvet pouch back to the camel seller.

The camel seller was very happy, "I had forgotten that I hid these jewels in the saddle for safe keeping. Here, choose one of the jewels for yourself, as a reward." The merchant said "I paid a fair price for the camel and the camel only, so NO thank you, I do not need any reward." As the camel seller kept insisting, the merchant said, sheepishly smiling, "Actually I have already kept two of the most precious jewels for myself."

At this confession the camel seller quickly emptied the pouch to count the jewels and said,  "All my jewels are here. What jewels did you keep?"

The merchant responded, "The two most precious, my INTEGRITY, and my SELF-RESPECT."

~ Author Unknown




Integrity is the ability to do the right thing when you can get away with doing the wrong thing..

~ Author Unknown

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

2019-37 - Never drive in neutral...

Dad and I were in the car. I was driving.

On the route, we went through, there was a long downward slope. I shifted my car's gear to neutral. It was nice and easy and our car was automatically breezing down the slope.

"Son, never drive in neutral gear."

"Dad, but it's a downward slope. I don't need to gear up."

"You don't need to, but you should. When you don't gear up, you lose control of the vehicle."

I often hear people say things like "Let's go with the flow.", or "Take life as it happens.", or even "I'm waiting for something to happen before I begin to do something." When we say things like these, we switch our gear to neutral. Life may seem nice and you'll automatically keep going.

However, if you don't gear up, you lose control of your life. You let people, situations, and environment drive your life.

Take control of your life. Never drive in neutral. Always gear up.

~ Aman Garg




Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do over what you don't.

~ Steve Maraboli

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

2019-36 - Selflessness...

A few years ago I was walking to pick my son up from school. We lived too close for a bus pick-up. It had become a ritual for my son and I to walk home daily.

On one of those afternoons it began to rain heavily, about halfway back home. My son was sheltered by his jacket, but I was getting soaked.

When a car pulled up to the curb with a lone male driver in it, I panicked and began walking faster. The man, apparently realizing my fear, got out of the car (getting wet himself), handed me an umbrella, got back in his car, and drove off.

This small, but wonderful gesture proved to me that even with all the chaos in the world, there are still some people who will go out of their way to help others. This man was not looking for public praise, or trying to look good for anyone. He just did something nice, on his own, with no ulterior motive.


~ Author Unknown




Everywhere in life, the true question is not what we gain, but what we do.   

~ Thomas Carlyle