Warm Fuzzies and Cold Pricklies

Once upon a time there was a village. All of the people in the village got along very well. There was kindness, love, compassion, and justice. Every person in the village owned a special bag. It was given to them by their parents at the age of 3. Inside this bag were hundreds of warm fuzzies. Warm fuzzies were soft, cuddly, cottony little puffs. When you gave someone a warm fuzzy, they felt warm and fuzzy inside. People in the village gave each other warm fuzzies anytime they wanted to let someone know they were loved. When someone received a warm fuzzy, they put it in their bag.

One day, an evil sorceress came to town. She saw that everyone was giving out these warm fuzzies from their bags and she didn’t like it. She went up to one villager and said, “Why do you keep giving away your warm fuzzies? Aren’t you afraid you’re going to run out? Here, take this bag of cold pricklies and give these to the people in your village instead, and keep all your warm fuzzies for yourself.” The villager took the bag because he believed the sorceress’ tale. The next time he ran into a friend, he handed him one of the cold pricklies from his new bag. A cold prickly made someone feel cold and prickly inside, like they were swallowing a pin cushion. Soon all the villagers went to the sorceress and asked for their own bag of cold pricklies since they didn’t want to be the only people handing out warm fuzzies if everyone else was going to hand out cold pricklies. Once you had a cold prickly, you wanted to give it away to someone else as fast as possible.

The sorceress was pleased. Her plan was working perfectly. Now the village was in a state of fear and panic. Everyone started avoiding everyone else so they wouldn’t be given a cold prickly. People hoarded their small supply of warm fuzzies and didn’t give them out to anyone anymore. But no one was happy anymore either.
One day a prince arrived in town and almost immediately someone handed him a cold prickly from their bag. The prince, recognizing the cold prickly, refused to take it. The villager was surprised and tried again. The prince handed the person a warm fuzzy from his bag. The villager was surprised, and a little ashamed that he had tried to give this warm prince a cold prickly and instead received a warm fuzzy. 

The prince addressed the crowd and said, “Why do you give each other cold pricklies?” One villager said, “Why should we give away all of our warm fuzzies? Shouldn’t we keep them for ourselves?” Other villagers agreed. But the prince said, “Every time you give away a warm fuzzy a new one is created in your own bag. Don’t you see? The more you give away, the more you will have.”

To demonstrate, the prince had everyone put down their bag of cold pricklies and retrieve their bag of warm fuzzies from their homes. He asked everyone to take out a warm fuzzy from their bag and hand it to a neighbor. This they did, but warily. Then the prince told them to notice that they all still had the same amount of warm fuzzies in their bags as before. People started giving away more warm fuzzies and noticed their bag was never empty. There were indeed enough warm fuzzies for everyone.

The sorceress was very upset and tried to interrupt the prince and get everyone to give out cold pricklies again. But the villagers didn’t want to listen anymore. They threw all their bags of cold pricklies into a wagon, set the sorceress inside it, and sent her out of town. 

The villagers realized they’d learned a valuable lesson. 

When you give someone a warm fuzzy, they in turn will give it to someone else. Eventually, it will come back around to you.

What do you carry in your bag?

ONE PARAGRAPH THAT EXPLAINS LIFE !!! YOU WILL NEVER ASK "WHY ME ???"

Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was a former World No. 1 professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States. Ashe, an African American, was the first black player ever selected to the United States Davis Cup team and the only black man to ever win the singles title at Wimbledon, the US Open, or Australian Open. He is also remembered for his efforts to further social causes.

In 1979, Ashe suffered a heart attack, an event that surprised the public in view of his high level of fitness as an athlete. His condition drew attention to the hereditary aspect of heart disease. Ashe underwent a quadruple bypass operation, performed by Dr. John Hutchinson on December 13, 1979.

A few months after the operation, Ashe was on the verge of making his return to professional tennis. However, during a family trip in Cairo, Egypt, he developed chest pain while running. Ashe stopped running and returned to see physician and close friend Douglas Stein, who had accompanied the family on the trip. Stein urged Ashe to return to New York City so he could be close to his cardiologist and surgeon.

Ashe was promoting heart health after his heart attack.In 1983, Ashe underwent a second round of heart surgery to correct the bypass surgery he received back in 1979.

In 1988, Ashe fell ill and discovered he had contracted HIV during the blood transfusions he had received during his second heart surgery, which ultimately led to his death.

He and his wife kept his illness private until April 8, 1992, when reports that the newspaper USA Today was about to publish a story about his health condition because of his increasingly gaunt physical appearance forced him to make a public announcement that he had the disease.

In the last year of his life, Ashe did much to call attention to AIDS sufferers worldwide. Two months before his death, he founded the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health to help address issues of inadequate health care delivery and was named Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year.

He also spent much of the last years of his life writing his memoir Days of Grace, finishing the manuscript less than a week before his death. Ashe died from AIDS-related pneumonia on February 6, 1993.

From world over, he received letters 4m his fans, one of which conveyed:

"Why does GOD hav 2 select u for such a bad disease"?

To this Arthur Ashe replied:

" All over The world, 50 million children start playing tennis, 5 million learn to play tennis,

500,000 learn professional tennis, 50,000 come to the circuit,

5000 reach the grand slam,

50 reach Wimbledon, 4 to semi final, 2 to the finals,

when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me ?'.

And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me ?'

Happiness keeps you Sweet,

Trials keep you Strong,

Sorrow keeps you Human,

Failure keeps you humble !!!

and Success keeps you glowing......!!!

But only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going. . . . . . . .

Remember Gratitude has the word attitude in it !!!

Gratitude is a form of self-expression that must be shared. We cannot have an attitude of gratitude without having an object of that gratitude.

Ice Cream is good for the Soul !

Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all!

Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said,

"I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?" my son asked.

"Cross my heart," the man replied.

Then in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment

and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her,

"Here, this is for you.Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."

THE BRIDAL DOOR

Here is a nice story, dedicated to all Daughters and Daughter-in-laws ! (considering the shocking fact that many parents still prefer boys ...for what?!)

A couple made a deal the night of their Marriage to “NOT open the door of their room to anybody who comes knocking in the morning for whatever reasons!”

In the morning the parents of the husband came & knocked on the door. Husband and wife looked at each other and as they agreed before, they didn't open the door.

After a while the parents of the bride came knocking at the door to check on them. Once again the couple looked at each other, then the bride dropped a tear and started crying and said: "I cannot keep them knocking and not open the door, I miss them already…" Husband didn't say anything and he let her open the door for her parents.

Years passed and the couple had 5 children. The first four were boys and the 5th was a girl. When she was born the father was extremely happy that Almighty blessed him with a baby girl and he threw a Huge Party to celebrate the occasion. Friends and relatives were so amazed with his joy & happiness that they asked him,“why are you so happy with her, more than with her older brothers?!”

He answered simply: "She is the one who will open the door for me!"

Never too late !

Moishe the Carpenter, returning home with his week’s wages, was accosted by an armed robber on a deserted street.

“Take my money,” said Moishe, “but do me a favour: “Shoot a bullet through my hat otherwise my wife won’t believe I was robbed.”

The robber obliged. He threw Moishe’s hat into the air and put a bullet through it.

“Let’s make it look as if I ran into a gang of robbers,” said Moishe, “otherwise my wife will call me a coward! Please shoot a number of holes through my coat.”

So the robber shot a number of holes through the carpenter’s coat. “And now…” continued Moishe.

“Sorry,” interrupted the robber. “No more holes. I’m out of bullets.”

“That’s all I wanted to know!” said Moishe. “Now hand me back my money and some more for the hat and coat that you’ve ruined or I’ll beat you black and blue!”

The robber threw down the money and ran away.

Moral:

It's never too late to use our brains to get out of a difficult situation!

Chances of Success & the Ultimate Success Formula

The down to earth mentality of a true leader !

 Leaders! Some are born, some are made. A good leader is the one who is influential enough to get others to follow him willingly. He has a vision, he has a dream and the passion to pursue it. He has analytical skills, a decision-making ability and a go-getter attitude. He dreams big and has the grit to bring it into reality. He possesses virtues like integrity, dedication, fairness and an open mind to greet new ideas and innovate. 


Are all managers good leaders? This question brings us to the concept of corporate leadership that highlights the role of effective leadership in the growth and success of an organization. Managers need to possess leadership skills like planning, organizing, delegating and effective communication. "Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things", says Peter Drucker. But when the line between the two blurs, managers become excellent leaders and leaders become effective managers. Be it a small firm of twenty employees, a multinational company of a thousand professionals or a country of millions, all are organizations. And leadership has a big role to play in directing an organization's resources on the path of progress. For this, leaders have to be created. 


Yes, leaders can be made. How? By inculcating in them, the qualities that a good leader should have. Leadership development should start from an early age. Leadership activities and team games can definitely help in introducing leadership traits to children. Activities like these help the children identify their hidden leadership traits and nurture them. 


Leadership exercises conducted at the corporate level help identify true leaders in the organization and sharpen the managerial skills they have. The future of any organization - a firm, an institute, a company or a nation, is secure only in the hands of able leaders who can influence the masses with their thoughts and actions. Effective leaders are those who have the ability to listen, think, foresee, understand and act. True leaders are those who dare to dream and live to lead.

You don't have to lead crusades or rule countries in order to be a leader. Anyone can be a leader and lead a successful life no matter where they are – whether they are at home, in the office, in the church, in school or even among friends. You can even be a leader as a humble servant!

Here are a few examples of the characteristics of leaders no matter where they are:

(1) A true leader always encourages others and brings out the best in them
Sidney Madwed quotes that the finest gift you can give is encouragement. Yet almost no one gets the encouragement they need to reach their full potential. A true leader will always work to bring out the best in their followers. They are not people who go around barking orders or criticizing their followers in order to pound them into submission. A true leader constantly gives confidence to his or her people so that they can go far beyond their capabilities.

(2) A leader who is at the top always goes down to the bottom
A true leader will always be humble and down to earth as well. They are the type of people who will fight on with the front line of the army. They will not only serve and slog within the trenches with his or her people, they will also lead by example thus showing their people that if he can do it, so can you!

(3) A leader always provides a vision for his or her people

Without vision, the people perish. The same goes for any follower without a vision. Most of the time, followers are like sheep following the shepherd. As the shepherd, your job is to lead them to the greener pastures and protect them from wolves (or in some cases, wolves in shepherd's clothing). They will not allow their followers to fall prey to bad moral values, wrong teaching and things that will lead them to ruin.

(4) A leader never is always focused!
Have you heard that if someone chases two rabbits, they will most probably lose both? Make no mistake about it,  a leader is a person who is focused. They work towards their goals with laser-targeted accuracy and they will always lead their people in the right direction. The worst thing about a bad leader is that they are not clear what they want in life and they will lead their followers down the wrong path. After all, if you don't have a good compass, you would be leading your people into a ditch.

                                                                                            

Let me show you how great I am & The Greatest Fear !!!

                                       


Let me show you how great I am: The greatest fear is not


that we are inadequate or just adequate....but that we are 


powerful beyond measure !!! 




Our Destiny is shaped in our moments of decision. 


So choose well !!!

                                   

                                      

The 10 Success Mantras !

                                                             


i. Understand that its your perception of the situation and others which determines your response therein. 

ii. Understand Responsibility......your response as per your ability. Know that you are responsible for your destiny. 

iii. Take care of your "EGO" as it is the only requirement to destroy any relationship so be the bigger person skip the 'E' and let it 'GO'. 

iv. Remember to Recharge your Soul and Brain Cells with Nature, Exercise, healthy diet and meditation for a higher EQ & IQ. 

v. DARE to DREAM and make sure to live your DREAM. DREAM is not what you see when you SLEEP. DREAM is one which won't allow you to SLEEP


vi. Remember: one has to stretch to move out of one's comfort zone to become a winner & do something better & different !!! Comfort soothes but kills innovation !


vii. The Cave you fear to enter ,holds the TREASURES you seek.


viii. Dream by Visualizing your Vision and then Mind Mapping your Success Action Plan ! Intuition and Innovation are good Partners to your Dreams !


ix. Success is not Hocus Pocus.....its always Focus Focus...!


x. ONE new perception, ONE fresh thought , ONE act of surrender , ONE leap of faith ,
can change your life forever.

                                                                

                                                                                

The LUTR Formula to Failure !!!

                                                              


The LUTR Mistake formula to Failure: L1/2 U1/4 T0 R x2 :


The greatest mistake of most human beings:                  


"We Listen   Half....


Understand Quarter....


Think Zero ...


& 


React DOUBLE" !!!

                                        

Secret to Success

                                                                  
A young man asked Socrates the Secret of Success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met.

Socrates asked the young man to walk with him towards the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The man struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until he started turning blue. The young man struggled hard and finally managed to get out and the first thing he did was to gasp and take deep breath.

Socrates asked 'What you wanted the most when you were there?'

The man replied 'Air'.

Socrates said 'that's the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted air, you will get it. There is no other secret'

                                                                  

The Star 2 Success Code

                                                                   


Its the 'I' in Commitment which realizes the Moment of 


Truth in the 'U' of 'Success' and makes it a team of 'Winners'


 which has the 'WE' code of a Star 2 Success !

                                                                  

The Three Sieves of Socrates

                                                                                 

One day, the old wise Socrates walks down the streets, when all of the sudden a man runs up to him "Socrates I have to tell you something about your friend who..."

"Hold up" Socrates interrupts him "About the story you're about to tell me, did you put it trough the three sieves?"

"Three sieves?" The man asks "What three sieves?"

"Let's try it" Socrates says.

"The first sieve is the one of truth, did you examine what you were about to tell me if it is true?" Socrates asks.

"Well no, I just overheard it" The man says.

"Ah, well then you have used the second sieve, the sieve of good?" Socrates asks "Is it something good what you're about to tell me?"

"Ehm no, on the contrary" the man answers.

"Hmmm" The wise man says "Let's use the third sieve then, is it necessary to tell me what you're so exited about?"

"No not necessary" the man says.

"Well" Socrates says with a smile "If the story you're about to tell me isn't true, good or necessary, just forget it and don't bother me with it."

PAIN

Pain is one of the blocks of life that may come naturally or can be created but endurance is a skill we are born with... It's just the choice that leaves an imprint on our physical, spiritual and mental health

P urposely 
A llowing urself to get
I nfluenced by 
N egative ENERGIES

HOPE

As I ate breakfast one morning, I overheard two oncologists conversing. One complained bitterly, "You know, Bob, I just don't understand it. We used the same drugs, the same dosage, the same schedule and the same entry criteria. Yet I got a 22 percent response rate and you got a 74 percent. That's unheard of for metastatic cancer. How do you do it?"

His colleague replied, "We're both using Etoposide, Platinum, Oncovin and Hydroxyurea. You call yours EPOH. I tell my patients I'm giving them HOPE. As dismal as the statistics are, I emphasize that we have a chance."

JUST STAY......A VERY TOUCHING STORY.

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. 

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here.

When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman's Name?

The Nurse with Tears in Her Eyes Answered, Mr. William Grey.............

The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.