Balance your Life! - To stay on a Hammock, you have to relax and keep your balance.

Ain't got time...
The secret of happiness

The secret of happiness

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world .The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

“rather than finding a saintly man, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man’s attention.

“The wise man listened attentively to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the place and retune in two hours.

“Meanwhile, I want you to do something, ‘said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil,’ As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.’

“The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

“well.’ asked the wise man,’ did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master Gardner ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”

“The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

“then go back and observe the marvels of my world,’ said the wise man, ‘you cannot trust a man if you don’t know his house.’

“Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all the works of art on the ceiling and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

“’but where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?’ asked the wise man.

“Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

“’Well, there is only one piece of advice I give you,’ said the wisest of wise man. ‘The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.’”

Ain't got time.

A Youngman walking through a forest came upon an older man busily sawing a giant tree with a rusty saw. He watched the man get nowhere for a while and then went on his way. On his return trip. He again passed the old man still sawing away at the same tree. Finally, he shouted.” Hey. Old man. You aren’t getting anywhere. You need to stop and sharpen the saw.” The old man looked up, sweat pouring from his cheeks, and yelled back,”

Ain’t got time, son, ain’t got time.”

We all need to take time to stop and sharpen our saw, not just hack away at the world. This might mean taking a seminar, reading a book, learning a new field, or just spending quiet time thinking. Don’t just work hard: work smart.

Take time to sharpen the saw.

-Charles Scott

Empty Your Cup !

Nan-in, a Zen master was visited by a university professor who wished to know all about Zen.
Nan-in served the professor some tea.

He poured the cup full, and then continued to pour. The professor watched the overflow until he could no longer restrain himself.

"Stop it! No more will go in!"
"Like the cup," said the Zen master,

"you are full of your own ideas and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your mind?"

Empty your cup!

Learn as plain and naive as an infant!

Put Her Down !

Two monks were traveling in the rain, the mud sloshing under their feet.
As they passed river crossing, they saw a beautiful woman, finely dressed, unable to cross because of the mud. Without a word, the older monk simply picked up the women and carried her to the other side.

The younger monk, seemingly agitated for the rest of their journey, could not contain himself once they reached their destination. He exploded at the older monk. “How could you, a monk, even consider holding a woman in your arms, much less a young and beautiful one. It is against our teachings. It is dangerous.”

“I put her down at the roadside,” said the older monk. “Are you still carrying her?”

Some Important Lessons Life Teaches You...

First Important Lesson~ Most Important Lesson

During my second month of nursing school, our professor gave us a pop

quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the

questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the

woman who cleans the school?" Surely this was some kind of joke. I had

seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in

her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving

the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if

the last question would count toward our quiz grade. "Absolutely," said

the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are

significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is

smile and say 'hello'." I've never forgotten that lesson. I also

learned her name was Dorothy.

Second Important Lesson~ Pickup in the Rain

One night, at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on

The side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her

Car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet,

she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help

her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took

her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxi cab. She

seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise,

a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was

attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway

the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my

spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying

husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for

helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole.

Third Important Lesson ~ Always remember those who serve you

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy

entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass

of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.

"Fifty cents," replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out

of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain

dish of ice cream?" He inquired. By now more people were waiting for a

table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she

brusquely replied." The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have

the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put

the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream,

paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the

table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and

five pennies - You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have

enough left to leave her a tip.

Fourth Important Lesson ~ The Obstacle in Our Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid

himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some

of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply

walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear.

But none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a

peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the

boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to

the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally

succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he

noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse

contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the

gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The

peasant learned what many of us see as anobstacle

presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Fifth Important Lesson~ Giving When it Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to

know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious

disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion

from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease

and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor

explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy

if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate

for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do

it if it will save her...” As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed

next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning

to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked

up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die

right away?" Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor;

he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in

order to save her.

You see understanding and attitude, after all, is everything.

Contact me with your comments and suggestions!
Thanks,
mike kompani
senseikompani@yahoo.com