Motivational Story - Key To Success.

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. His salary was really good and so were the working conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.

His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to fell the trees. The first day, the woodcutter brought 15 trees.

"Congratulations," the boss said, "Carry on with your work!"

Highly motivated by the words of his boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could bring 10 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he was only able to bring 7 trees. Day after day he was bringing less and less trees.

"I must be losing my strength," the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. "When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked.

"Sharpen?" I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees...."

Most of us NEVER update our skills. We think that whatever we have learned is very much enough. But good is not good when better is expected. Sharpening our skills from time to time is the key of success.

Motivational Story - Frog Who Got To The TOP !!!

Once upon a time there was a bunch of tiny frogs.... who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.

A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants....

The race began....

Honestly:
No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.

You heard statements such as:
"Oh, WAY too difficult!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."

or:

"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"

The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one.... Except for those, who in a fresh tempo, were climbing higher and higher....

The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"

More tiny frogs got tired and gave up....

But ONE continued higher and higher and higher.... This one wouldn't give up!

At the end everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog who, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!

THEN all of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it?
A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal?

It turned out....
That the winner was DEAF!!!!

The wisdom of this story is:
Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic.... because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in your heart!
Always think of the power words have. Because everything you hear and read will affect your actions!

Therefore:
ALWAYS be....POSITIVE!

And above all:
Be DEAF when people tell YOU that you cannot fulfill your dreams!

Always think:
I can do this!

Where Is God When Life Is Falling Apart?

Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though they labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls -yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
~ Habakkuk 3:17-18

Your life is falling apart and it seems that God has abandoned you. Your plans have come to nothing, bills are due and you don't have the money to pay them, your friends seem to have no time for you and your car is close to breaking down.

At times like this, it's so easy to wonder where God is and if He even cares for you. Where will the money to pay tomorrow's bill come from? What will you do if your car breaks down? What does your future hold?

Habakkuk was a prophet who lived in a time when the king of Judah was leading his people down a path of destruction and godlessness, and his world was falling apart around him. God had shown Habakkuk that Judah would soon be invaded by the Babylonians, and Habakkuk had reason to fear.

Yet, in spite of that, Habakkuk chose to trust God, to rejoice in Him in the middle of his troubles. Even when all around him seemed hopeless, Habakkuk hoped. In our lives, when all seems hopeless, we have every reason to rejoice and trust God to take care of us. Our feelings may tell
us that God has abandoned us, that He doesn't care, but our feelings are not reliable. Our feelings don't change who God is. God promised to be with us, and His promises are true - He's the same yesterday, today and forever, and He doesn't lie.

So, when you worry and struggle with fear, choose to rejoice in the Lord, to joy in the God of your salvation - He never changes, and He will never leave you or forsake you.

Empower Yourself with Inspiring Thoughts

"Life consists not in holding good cards,
but in playing those you hold well."

"Every lucky happening and every lucky break are little gifts from God
above that are ours to freely take."
~ Helen Steiner Rice

"Remember, a kind and thoughtful deed
or a hand outstretched in a time of need is the rarest of gifts,
for it is a part, not of the purse, but a loving heart."
~ Helen Steiner Rice

A foolish person knows their strengths,
a wise person acknowledges their weaknesses
and makes allowances for them,
while a godly person seeks to overcome them.

"Our plans may be interrupted by storms, but God's plans never are.
In fact, the storm is part of His plan.
If we don't abandon ship, the winds of God will blow us right
where we belong--no matter how off course we feel."
~ Ron Hutchcraft

Inspirational Story - The Kingdom Worth Dying For...

THE KINGDOM WORTH DYING FOR -----
by Max Lucado

In my closet hangs a sweater that I seldom wear. It is too small. The sleeves are too short, the shoulders too tight. Some of the buttons are missing, and the thread is frazzled. I should throw that sweater away. I have no use for it. I'll never wear it again. Logic says I should clear out the space and get rid of the sweater.

That's what logic says.

But love won't let me.

Something unique about that sweater makes me keep it. It has no tag because it wasn't made in a factory. It has no label because it wasn't produced on an assembly line. It's the creation of a devoted mother expressing her love.

And though the sweater has lost all of its use, it has lost none of its value. It is valuable not because of its function, but because of its maker.

You aren't an accident. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on this earth by the Master Craftsman.

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

In a society that has little room for second fiddles, that's good news. In a culture where the door of opportunity opens only once and then slams shut, that is a revelation.

Jesus told John that a new kingdom was coming-a kingdom where people have value not because of what they do, but because of whose they are.

Expect The Best !!!

Think on this....

"Excellence can be attained if you,
Care more than others think is wise,
Risk more than others think is safe,
Dream more than others think is practical,
and Expect more than others think is possible."
~ Author Unknown


EXPECT THE BEST

You have heard it said, "What you see is what you get."

Consider this alternative: What you expect is what you get. Expect great things of yourself.

Expect high achievement. Expect the best!

The bumble bee does not know it is aerodynamically impossible for him to fly. He simply expects it of himself!

What do you expect of yourself? Are you like the bumblebee who does not know he cannot fly? Or do you limit yourself by staying within restrictive boundaries?

Dr. Denis Waitley challenges you, "Make your goals out of reach . . . but never out of sight."

Meggido Message has said, "If you have accomplished all you planned for yourself, you have not planned enough."

Do not limit yourself by planning only that which is possible to accomplish.
Expect the best!

Achieve! Achieve!

Remember Three Things In Life

Three Things In Life:

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
Time, Words & Opportunity

Three things in life that may never be lost -
Peace, Hope & Honesty.

Three things in life that are most valuable -
Love, Faith & Prayer

Three things in life that are never certain -
Dreams, Success & Fortune

Three things that make a man -
Hard work, Sincerity & Commitment

Three things in life that can destroy a man -
Lust, Pride & Anger

Inspiring Conversation......Worth Reading.....Please Read It

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof:
So you believe in God?

Student:
Absolutely, sir.

Prof :
Is God good?

Student:
Sure.

Prof:
Is God all-powerful?

Student :
Yes.

Prof:
My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.
Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
(Student is silent.)

Prof:
You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student:
Yes.

Prof:
Is Satan good?

Student :
No.

Prof:
Where does Satan come from?

Student:
From...God...

Prof:
That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student:
Yes.

Prof:
Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student:
Yes.

Prof:
So who created evil?
(Student does not answer.)

Prof:
Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student:
Yes, sir.

Prof:
So, who created them?
(Student has no answer.)

Prof:
Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you.
Tell me, son...Have you ever
seen God?

Student:
No, sir.

Prof:
Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student:
No, sir.

Prof:
Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student:
No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof:
Yet you still believe in Him?

Student:
Yes.

Prof:
According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist.
What do you say to that, son?

Student:
Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof:
Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student:
Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof:
Yes.

Student:
And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof:
Yes.

Student:
No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student :
Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student:
What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof:
Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student :
You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof:
So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student:
Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof:
Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student:
Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof:
If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student:
Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student:
Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher? (The class is in uproar.)

Student:
Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student:
Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain,sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof:
I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student:
That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH . That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

NB: I believe you have enjoyed the conversation...this is a true story, and the student was none other than.........
APJ Abdul Kalam, the former president of India.

Simplicity That Shows Greatness

Worlds second richest man ( Interesting aspects of life -Warren Buffet...Something to think about. Many things to learn……

There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity . Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:

1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!

2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.

3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.

4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.

5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.

6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.

7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.

8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.

9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

His advice to young people :

"Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and Remember:

A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.

B. Live your life as simple as you are.

C. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which u feel comfortable.

D. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on them who really in need rather.

Warren Buffet's life is a humbling and inspiring example for everyone. He epitomises the simplicity that shows greatness. Take even a small slice of his life's ethos to see how it can make a difference to your life.

Life Is Precious. Handle It With Care !!!

Sanjay, a rich guy, loved fast cars and he did have a few in his possession. He loved to speed and could not be bothered about breaking speed limits. Many a times he was caught by the cops and speed radars, fined, but still he never bothered until. One day as he was driving at a very high speed as usual, he saw a cop following him. The cop overtook him finally and asked him to stop and checked his license. He then took out his pad and started Writing, and then handed over the sheet of paper to Sanjay. How much was this one going to cost?!!! Wait a minute. What was this???? Some kind of joke? Certainly not a ticket. Sanjay began to read:

"Dear Sanjay,

Once upon a time I had a lovely daughter. She was six when killed by a car. You guessed it - a speeding driver's car. A fine and three months in jail, and the man was free. Free to hug his three daughters. I only had one, and I'm going to have to wait until Heaven, before I can ever hug her again. A thousand times I've tried to forgive that man. A thousand times I thought I had. Maybe I did, but I need to do it again. Even now. Pray for me.. And be careful, Sanjay, my son is all I have left."

Sanjay turned around in time to see the cop's car pull away and head down the road. He watched until it disappeared. A full 15 minutes later, he too, pulled away and drove slowly home, praying for forgiveness and hugging a surprised wife and kids when he arrived.

Life is precious. Handle it with care.

"Be more concered with your character than your reputation because your character is what you really are while your reputation is nearly what others think you are."

Give Life Your Best!

Give Life Your Best!
By Fr. Brian Cavanaugh


"Give life your best. At all times and in all circumstances,
always give your best in whatever you do.

It does not matter in what place you finish if you gave
life your best.

Likewise, no matter in what place you do finish,
it doesn't matter if it is not your best.

When you give life your best,
there is no need for apologies or excuses,
so go ahead—give life your best!"

What Is Your Dream?

There were once 2 brothers who lived on the 80th level. On coming home one day, they realized to their dismay that the lifts were not working and that they have to climb the stairs home.

After struggling to the 20th level, panting and tired, they decided to abandon their bags and come back for them the next day. They left their bags then and climbed on. When they have struggled to the 40th level, the younger brother started to grumble and both of them began to quarrel. They continued to climb the flights of steps, quarreling all the way to the 60th floor.

They then realized that they have only 20 levels more to climb and decided to stop quarreling and continue climbing in peace. They silently climbed on and reached their home at long last. Each stood calmly before the door and waited for the other to open the door.

And they realized that the key was in their bags which was left on the 20th floor.

This story is reflecting on our life...many of us live under the expectations of our parents, teachers and friends when young. We seldom get to do the things that we really like and love and are under so much pressure and stress so that by the age of 20, we get tired and decided to dump this load.

Being free of the stress and pressure, we work enthusiastically and dream ambitious wishes.

But by the time we reach 40 years old, we start to lose our vision and dreams. We began to feel unsatisfied and start to complain and criticize. We live life as a misery as we are never satisfied. Reaching 60, we realize that we have little left for complaining anymore, and we began to walk the final episode in peace and calmness.

We think that there is nothing left to disappoint us, only to realize that we could not rest in peace because we have an unfulfilled dream ...... a dream we abandoned 60 years ago.

So take some time to think - what is your dream....and then follow it...whether you are 20, 40 or getting to 60, and ........

People Skills Are Having Within Themselves

Important People Skills
by Ann Landers


1. Keep skid chains on your tongue; always say less than you think.
Cultivate a low, persuasive voice.
How you say it counts more than what you say.

2. Make promises sparingly, and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs.

3. Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging word to or about somebody.
Praise good work, regardless of who did it.
If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.

4. Be interested in others, their pursuits, their work, their homes and families.

Make merry with those who rejoice; with those who weep, mourn.
Let everyone you meet, however humble, feel that you regard him as a person of importance.

5. Be Cheerful.
Don't burden or depress those around you by dwelling on your minor aches and pains and small disappointments.
Remember, everyone is carrying some kind of a load.

6. Keep an open mind.
Discuss but don't argue.
It is a mark of a superior mind to be able to disagree without being disagreeable.

7. Let your virtues, if you have any, speak for themselves.
Refuse to talk of another's vices.
Discourage gossip.
It is a waste of valuable time and can be extremely destructive.

8. Be careful of another's feelings.
Wit and humor at the other person's expense are rarely worth it and may hurt when least expected.

9. Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you.
Remember, the person who carried the message may not be the most accurate reporter in the world.
Simply live so that nobody will believe them.
Disordered nerves and bad digestion are a common cause of backbiting.

10. Don't be too anxious about the credit due you.
Do your best, and be patient.
Forget about yourself, and let others "remember."
Success is much sweeter that way.

Learning to Get Back Up

Bringing a giraffe into the world is a tall order. A baby giraffe falls 10 feet from its mother's womb and usually lands on its back. Within seconds it rolls over and tucks its legs under its body. From this position it considers the world for the first time and shakes off the last vestiges of the birthing fluid from its eyes and ears. Then the mother giraffe rudely introduces its offspring to the reality of life.

The mother giraffe lowers her head long enough to take a quick look. Then she positions herself directly over her calf. She waits for about a minute, and then she does the most unreasonable thing. She swings her long, pendulous leg outward and kicks her baby, so that it is sent sprawling head over heels.

When it doesn't get up, the violent process is repeated over and over again. The struggle to rise is momentous. As the baby calf grows tired, the mother kicks it again to stimulate its efforts. Finally, the calf stands for the first time on its wobbly legs.

Then the mother giraffe does the most remarkable thing. She kicks it off its feet again. Why? She wants it to remember how it got up. In the wild, baby giraffes must be able to get up as quickly as possible to stay with the herd, where there is safety. Lions, hyenas, leopards, and wild hunting dogs all enjoy young giraffes, and they'd get it too, if the mother didn't teach her calf to get up quickly and get with it.

The next time you "fall", remember this lesson. All great & successfull people have fallen at one point or another. The secret is to get up & move forward.

Desire is the Key to All Success and Achievement

It's Time For You To..

"Achieve Your Goals"
"Become Super-Successful"
"Live Your Dreams"

Achieving anything is not that hard. All it takes is doing what needs to be done long enough to produce results.

Drive around any city and you will see many large, expensive, custom homes with expensive cars in attractive, well-maintained front yards. Just the kind of neighborhood you would like to live in, right? It's sometimes hard to believe that there are that many people making enough money to afford to live in these exclusive, private communities.

The people who live there are a very diverse group. They are young and old, represent every religious and ethnic background and come from poor and wealthy parents.

There is very little to separate these successful people from the people who live in much smaller track homes just down the street. If you did a very complete study of the differences between these very successful people and there not so successful neighbors you would see some obvious things.

Of course you would see they have bigger and better things: back accounts, education, careers or businesses, toys, etc. You would also see that they do more things: vacations, club memberships, charity, and so on.

Having and doing these things is not what allowed the luxury of living in the exclusive neighborhood. The having and doing is a result. The results illustrates the dramatic differences between the haves and the have-nots.

It is the cause of these awesome results that is important. Here is where you will find great differences between the custom and track home owners.

It's a pretty simple difference. Successful people start to do things, figure out how to get successful results from what they are doing and they continue doing those things that get the results they want.

There can be a lot involved making that simple formula to work for you. But it all boils down to one key difference between the achievers and those that miss out. In our study of two neighborhoods the biggest difference you would find in the people would be the level of desire in the people.

At the core it is desire that fuels your effort to achieve. If your desire is not enough to drive you to success don't despair. Desire is in all of us. It is the amount that is important. If you need more I can show you how to get it. To find out how request the Free Report in the upper left hand corner of this page. It's that easy. Fill out your name and email address and click on the submit button. You will receive the Free Report on how get all the desire you need to

Live Your Dreams.

Practice Uncommon Appreciation

If asked, could you name the five wealthiest people in the world, or five people who have one the Nobel Prize, or the last five Academy Award winners for best actor and actress? The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday. When the applause dies, the awards tarnish, and achievements are forgotten, no one cares about who won which award.

But if I asked you to list five teachers or mentors who believed in you and encouraged you, five friends who have helped you through a difficult time, five people who have taught you something worthwhile, or five people who have made you feel appreciated and special - that's much easier to do, isn't it?

That's because the people who make a difference in your life aren't the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They're the ones who care. If you want to be remembered for being important to someone else's life, make them feel appreciated.

Appreciation as a Secret of Success Another important reason for being in a state of appreciation as often as possible is that when you are in such a state, you are in one of the highest emotional states possible.

When you are in a state of appreciation and gratitude, you are in a state of abundance. You are appreciating what you do in stead of focusing on, and complaining about, what you don't have. Your focus is on what you have received... and you always get more of what you focus on. And because the law of attraction states that like attracts like, the more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract to be grateful for. It becomes an upward-spiraling process of ever-increasing abundance that just keeps getting better and better.

Think about it. The more grateful people are for the gifts we give them, the more inclined we are to give them more gifts. Their gratitude and appreciation reinforces our giving. The same principle holds true on a universal and spiritual level as it does on an interpersonal level.

Keeping Score. When I first learned about the power of appreciation, it made total sense to me. However, it was still something that I forgot to do. I hadn't yet turned it into a habit. A valuable technique that I employed to help me lock in this new habit was to carry a 3" x 5" card in my pocket all day, and every time I acknowledged and appreciated someone, I would place a check mark on the card. I would not allow myself to go to bed until I had appreciated 10 people. If it was late in the evening and I didn't have 10 check marks, I would appreciate my wife and children, I would send an e-mail to several staff, or I would write a letter to my mother or stepfather. I did whatever it took until it became an unconscious habit.

And remember... take time to appreciate yourself, too!

- By Jack Canfield

Nothing Is Too Small or Insignificant To Effect Change

A panhandler shows me that nothing is too small or insignificant to effect change.
By Donna Wick

The day was Thankful Thursday, our "designated day" of service. It's a weekly tradition that my two little girls and I began years ago. Thursday has become our day to go out in the world and make a positive contribution. On this particular Thursday, we had no idea exactly what we were going to do, but we knew that something would present itself.

Driving along a busy Houston road, praying for guidance in our quest to fulfill our weekly Act of Kindness, the noon hour appropriately triggered hunger pangs in my two little ones. They wasted no time in letting me know, chanting, "McDonald's, McDonald's, McDonald's" as we drove along. I relented and began searching earnestly for the nearest McDonald's. Suddenly I realized that almost every intersection I passed through was occupied by a panhandler. And then it hit me! If my two little ones were hungry, then all these panhandlers must be hungry, too. Perfect! Our Act of Kindness had presented itself. We were going to buy lunch for the panhandlers.

After finding a McDonald's and ordering two Happy Meals for my girls, I ordered an additional 15 lunches and we set out to deliver them. It was exhilarating. We would pull alongside a panhandler, make a contribution, and tell him or her that we hoped things got better. Then we'd say, "Oh, by the way…here's lunch." And then we would varoom off to the next intersection.

It was the best way to give. There wasn't enough time for us to introduce ourselves or explain what we were going to do, nor was there time for them to say anything back to us. The Act of Kindness was anonymous and empowering for each of us, and we loved what we saw in the rear view mirror: a surprised and delighted person holding up his lunch bag and just looking at us as we drove off. It was wonderful!

We had come to the end of our "route" and there was a small woman standing there, asking for change. We handed her our final contribution and lunch bag, and then immediately made a U-turn to head back in the opposite direction for home. Unfortunately, the light caught us again and we were stopped at the same intersection where this little woman stood. I was embarrassed and didn't know quite how to behave. I didn't want her to feel obligated to say or do anything.

She made her way to our car, so I put the window down just as she started to speak. "No one has ever done anything like this for me before," she said with amazement. I replied, "Well, I'm glad that we were the first." Feeling uneasy, and wanting to move the conversation along, I asked, "So, when do you think you'll eat your lunch?"

She just looked at me with her huge, tired brown eyes and said, "Oh honey, I'm not going to eat this lunch." I was confused, but before I could say anything, she continued. "You see, I have a little girl of my own at home and she just loves McDonald's, but I can never buy it for her because I just don't have the money. But you know what…tonight she is going to have McDonald's!"

I don't know if the kids noticed the tears in my eyes. So many times I had questioned whether our Acts of Kindness were too small or insignificant to really effect change. Yet in that moment, I recognized the truth of Mother Teresa's words:

"We cannot do great things - only small things with great love."

The Power of Determination

Never Give Up! The Power of Determination
by Jack Canfield

One of the most important qualities you will need to develop in order to continue taking action is persistence.

You must be persistent in your disciplines and habits; perseverant in the face of adversity, hardship and challenge; and determined to achieve your dreams, no matter what.

There will be many times when you will want to quit, give up, and go back to doing something else, but the one quality that will guarantee your success is the willingness to stick with it, to see it through to the end -- to refuse to settle for anything less than your dream.

The longer you hang in there, the greater the chance that something will happen in your favor. No matter how hard it seems, the longer you persist, the more likely your success will be.

Adversity and Discouragement Is Inevitable No matter how well you plan and how well you execute your plan, you are bound to meet with disappointments, adversity and failure along the way to your ultimate triumph. Sometimes, you'll encounter what seem like overwhelming odds. And sometimes, the Universe will test your commitment to the goal you're pursuing.

The going may be hard, and may require you to refuse to give up while you learn new lessons, develop new parts of yourself, and make difficult decisions.

And, adversity is what gives you the opportunity to develop your inner resources of character and courage. Adversity is a great teacher. It will test you and make you stronger. But you have to hang in there and not give up!

More than 4000 years ago in China, Confucius wrote: "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

How to Deal with Obstacles Whenever you confront an obstacle or run into a roadblock, you need to stop and brainstorm three ways to get around it, over it, or through it. For every obstacle, come up with three different strategies for handling the potential obstacle. There are any number of ways that till work, but you will only find them if you spend time looking for them.

Always be solution-oriented in your thinking. Persevere until you find a way that works.

Mistakes Are an Opportunities For Learning Something New

This is a story about a famous research scientist who had made several very important medical breakthroughs. He was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter who asked him why he thought he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others?

He responded that, in his opinion, it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about two years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he lost his grip on the slippery bottle and it fell, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor-a veritable sea of milk!

When his mother came into the kitchen, instead of yelling at him, giving him a lecture, or punishing him, she said, "Robert, I have rarely seen such a huge puddle of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?"

Indeed, he did. After a few minutes, his mother said, "You know, Robert, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. So, how would you like to do that? We could use a sponge, a towel, or a mop. Which do you prefer?" He chose the sponge and together they cleaned up the spilled milk.

His mother then said, "You know, what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let's go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can discover a way to carry it without dropping it." The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!

This renowned scientist then remarked that it was at that moment that he knew he didn't need to be afraid to make mistakes. Instead, he learned that mistakes were just opportunities for learning something new, which is, after all, what scientific experiments are all about. Even if the experiment "doesn't work," we usually learn something valuable from it.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, you learn from them… however there is one thing to remember along with this great story …...try not to repeat them!

Turning Stress into Success !!!

To overcome stress, first realize that some stress is helpful. Second, be aware that stress is only troublesome when it continues for too long or if there is too much of it. And, third, recognize symptoms as early as possible.

Fourth. Identify causes. Change is one of the chief causes of stress. An accumulation of life's everyday annoyances can also build up a significant stress level--perhaps even more than one single traumatic event. As the old saying puts it:

"It's the little things that bother us,
and put us on the rack;
you can sit upon a mountain,
but you can't sit on a tack."

Whatever the cause of your stress is, identify it so you can do something about it.

Fifth. Seek a practical cure.

1. The starting point to turn stress into success is to lessen your load. Fifty percent of the cure can come from writing down all your cares and responsibilities in order of priority, then eliminating the least important.

2. Remember that Superman and Superwoman exist only in comic books and films. Everybody has a breaking point, so recognize yours and call a halt before you reach your limit.

3. With stress comes pent-up feelings. Get them "off your chest" by sharing them with a trusted friend or counselor. This brings some immediate relief and helps you to think and plan more objectively.

4. Stop fighting situations that can't be changed. As one father told his impatient teenager, "If you would only realize and accept the fact that life is a struggle, things would be so much easier for you." Learning to live with and get on top of struggles is what helps us grow and mature.

5. Try to avoid making too many major life changes during the course of a single year.

6. If you hold resentment towards another person, resolve your difference(s) right away. Never "let the sun go down with you still angry."

7. Make time for rest and relaxation. Learn to "come apart and rest awhile before you come apart."

8. Watch your diet and eating habits. When under stress we tend to overeat--especially junk food which increases stress. A balanced diet of proteins, vitamins, and fiber, without white sugar, caffeine, too much fat, alcohol and nicotine, is essential for lowering stress and its effects.

9. Get plenty of physical exercise. This keeps you healthier and helps burn up excess adrenaline caused by stress and its accompanying anxiety.

10. The ultimate answer to turning stress into success is to learn to trust God and live in harmony with his will for your daily life. As our Scripture verse for today says, "Don't worry about anything, instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand."

God's peace comes through accepting, and trusting to God, those circumstances that can't be changed, however difficult they may be. Perhaps this is what Christ meant when he spoke of taking up our cross daily and following him. Certainly he fully accepted his cross and trusted his situation to God and thereby was totally vindicated.