THINKING MAKES IT SO

The Master was certainly no stranger to what goes on in the world. When asked to explain one of his favorite sayings,
"There is no good or ill
but thinking makes it so,"
this is what he said:
"Have you ever observed that what people call congestion in a train becomes atmosphere in a nightclub?

HOW THE PATH WAS FORGED

One day, a calf needed to cross a virgin forest in order to return to its pasture. Being an irrational animal, it forged out a tortuous path full of bends, up and down hills.

The next day, a dog came by and used the same path to cross the forest. Next it was a sheep’s turn, the head of a flock which, upon finding the opening, led its companions through it.

Later, men began using the path: they bent down, deviating obstacles, complaining and cursing – and quite rightly so. But they did nothing to create a different route.

After so much use, in the end, the path became a trail along which poor animals toiled under heavy loads, being forced to go three hours to cover a distance which would normally take thirty minutes.

Many years passed and the trail became the main road of a village, and later the main avenue of a town. Everyone complained about the traffic, because the route it took was the worst possible one.

Meanwhile, the old and wise forest laughed, at seeing how people tend to blindly follow the way already open, without ever asking whether it really is the best choice.

JOHN F KENNEDY’S HIGH VISION—‘WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON’

In a speech to a Houston College in September 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered his memorable ‘We choose to go to the Moon’ address, stating that humankind will be on the moon before the end of the decade.

The speech had strong tones of national one-upmanship and the need to put stakes in space before other countries do but it also demonstrates the power of a grand vision.

He said: “But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas?”

“We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too….”

“Many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, ‘Because it is there.’”

“Well, space is there, and we're going to climb it, and the moon and the planets are there, and new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And, therefore, as we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.”

COMMUNICATING WITH GOD


One day a construction supervisor from 6th floor of a building was calling a worker working on the ground floor. Because of construction noise, the worker on the ground floor could not hear his supervisor calling.

Then to draw the attention of the worker, the supervisor threw a 10 rupee note from up, which fell right in front of the worker. The worker picked up the 10 rupee note, put it in his pocket & started his work.

Again to draw the attention of the worker, the supervisor now threw a 500 rupee note. The worker picked up the 500 rupee note, put it in his pocket & continued doing his job.

... Now the supervisor picked a small stone & threw it on the worker to draw his attention. The stone hit the worker exactly on his head. This time the worker looked up & the supervisor communicated with him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This story relates to our life in a similar manner:
Our God wants to communicate with us, but we are busy doing our work. God gives us small gifts & we happily keep it. Then God gives us bigger amounts/gifts & and we take it for granted without even acknowledging or thanking God. We just say we are LUCKY!

Then when we are hit with what we call 'problems', we look up & communicate with God.

So every time you get a gift or get saved by His divine grace......acknowledge His blessings, and don't wait till you are hit by a problem to communicate with God....

NUMBER GAME

The Governor announced that he was coming to see a monastery bush that was full of exotic roses.

When he got to the monastery garden he found there was only one rose on the bush. When he learnt that the Master had cut all the roses, he demanded to know why.

"Because", said the Master, "had I left them on the bush you would not have seen even one of them."

Then, after a pause he added, "You have grown accustomed to multitudes, my friend. When did you last see a person?"

At ten minutes to seven on a dark, cool evening in Mexico City in 1968, John Stephen Arkwari of Tanzania painfully hobbled into the Olympic Stadium – the last to finish the marathon.

The winner had already been crowned, and the victory ceremony was long finished. So the stadium was almost empty as Arkwari, alone, his leg bloodied and bandaged struggled to the finish line. The respected documentary maker, Bud Greenspan, watched from a distance. Then intrigued, Bud walked over to Arkwari and asked why he had continued the grueling struggle to the finish line.

The young man from Tanzania answered softly, “My country did not send me nine thousand miles to start the race. They sent me nine thousand miles to finish the race.”

WEARING A DIFFERENT SHIRT

A woman from Detroit once shared: “I’m working with children who are dying of leukemia. I was working with Jim who was eleven years old and Jim got very sick and he said, ‘When I die, cast my ashes on Lake Michigan.’”

“Well Jim died and his parents and Charlie, Jim’s five year old brother, went out on Lake Michigan. They had a nice, old, green boat with a motor and they cast Jim’s ashes.”

“Jim’s mother said, ‘Look at that butterfly! Isn’t that colourful? That’s Jim!’”

“They went out again and the Mother said, ‘Oh, it’s a monarch butterfly. It’s Jim!’”

“Another time they were on the beach and Charlie, the five year old had a stick and Charlie was stirring up the sand and an old grey moth flew up and he said, ‘Look! That’s Jim but he’s wearing a different shirt!’”

“What an image for death—wearing a different shirt!”

This story was told on National Public Radio and Jim’s Dad called and he said, ‘You know, when Charlie said, He’s wearing a different shirt that was the beginning of a long process of healing."

FLINGING YOUR HAT OVER THE WALL

Two intrepid Irish boys used to spend their days exploring the rolling countryside.

They journeyed over rivers and through valleys, past farms and flocks. When they got hungry, they’d help themselves to what God offered them through the unwitting generosity of local farmers.

One day, the boys came upon a high wall that guarded an orchard and blocking their path. It seemed impassable. For a moment, they considered turning back and ending their journey. Then, in a flash of unspoken agreement, they took their caps off their heads and flung them over the impassable wall. Now they had no choice but to continue.
-------------------------------
Sometimes when you reach a dead end, maybe a high wall in what you are trying to achieve, do you give up or do you throw you cap over the wall and seek to continue?