Weekend Reading

Thanks to Janakiraman S Don't Change the World Once upon a time, there lived a king who ruled over a prosperous country. One day, he had to visit a distant part of his country. When he returned to his palace, he complained that his feet hurt very badly, as it was the first time that he had gone on such a long trip, and the path that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road in the entire country with leather. Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a huge amount of money. Then one of his wiser servants dared to tell the king, "Why do you have to spend such a large sum to cover the roads ? Why don't you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?" The king was surprised, but he agreed - to make a "shoe" for himself. There is actually a valuable lesson for life in this story: To make this world a happy place to live in, you better change yourself - your he...

Thanks to Indubala Sobhana Thanks for your time...   It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.   Over the phone, his mother told him, "Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday." Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.   "Jack, did you hear me?"   "Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It's been so long since I thought of him. I'm sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago," Jack said ..   "Well, he didn't forget you. Every time I saw him he'd ask how you were doing. He'd reminisce about the many ...

Thanks to Rathnakar Raghunath Diamond Message   Once a king called upon all his wise men and asked them "Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time? Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me. Tell me is there any mantra?" All the wise men were puzzled by the king’s question. One answer for all questions?  Something that works everywhere in every situation?  In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought.   After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him a piece of paper. But the condition was that the king should not look at it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way out, should he see it. The King put the paper under his diamond ring.   After a few ...

Thanks to Aakriti Rana Life Together   One fine day, an old couple around the age of 70, walks into a lawyer's office. Apparently, they are there to file a divorce.   Lawyer was very puzzled, after having a chat with them, he got their story....This couple had been quarreling all their 40 over yrs of marriage nothing ever seems to go right.   They hang on because of their children, afraid that it might affect their up-bringing. Now, all their children have already grown up, have their own family, there's nothing else the old couple have to worry about, all they wanted is to lead their own life free from all these years of unhappiness from their marriage, so both agree on a divorce....   Lawyer was having a hard time trying to get the papers done, because he felt that after 40 yrs of marriage at the age of 70, he couldn't understand why the old couple would still want a divorce..   While they were signing the papers, the wife told the husb...

Thanks to Rohit S Butterfly A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for...

Thanks to Gayatri Hosangadi Money has no memory. Experience has it.   You will never know what was the total cost of your education, but for a lifetime you will recall and relive the memories of schools and colleges. Few years from now, you will forget the amount you paid to settle the hospitalization bill, but will ever cherish having saved your mother's life or the life you get to live with the just born. You won't remember the cost of your honeymoon, but to the last breath remember the experiences of the bliss of togetherness. Money has no memory. Experience has.   Good times and bad times, times of prosperity and times of poverty, times when the future looked so secure and times when you didn't know from where the tomorrow will come… life has been in one way or the other a roller-coaster ride for everyone. Beyond all that abundance and beyond all that deprivation, what remains is the memory of experiences. Sometimes the wallet was full… sometim...

Thanks to Jasmin Shah The Legend of the Cherokee Indian ! Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night, the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.  It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He h...