21st CENTURY BRIDE

A newly wed girl was being welcomed at the husband's home in a traditional manner.

She was asked to give a little speech.

She addressed as follows:
"My dear family members, I thank you for welcoming me in my new home and family", she said "Firstly, with my presence I would not want to create any inconveniences by my being here. I mean that I don't want you all to change your way of life, your routine."

"What do you mean my child?" asked the patriarch of the family.
What I mean dad is:
Those who used to wash dishes must carry on washing them.
Those who used to do the laundry must carry on doing it.
Those who cooked shouldn't stop on my account.
Those who used to clean should clean.
As for me,I am here just to control your son !

PERSISTENCE

Probably the greatest example of persistence is Abraham Lincoln.

If you want to learn about somebody who didn't quit, look no further. Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost 8 elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown. He could have quit many times, but he didn't and because he didn't quit, he became one of the greatest Presidents in the history of US.

Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up.

Here is a sketch of Lincoln's road to the White House:-

1816: His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.

1818: His mother died.

1831: Failed in business.

1832: Ran for state legislature - Lost.

1832: Also lost his job. Wanted to go to law school, but couldn't get in.

1833: Borrowed some money from a friend to begin business, but became bankrupt by the year end.

1834: Ran for state legislature again - Won.

1835: Was engaged to be married, but his fiancée died.

1836: Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for 6 months.

1838: Sought to become speaker of the state legislature - Defeated.

1840: Sought to be elector - Defeated.

1843: Ran for Congress - Lost.

1846: Ran for Congress again. This time he won. Went to Washington and did a good job.

1848: Ran for re-election to Congress - Lost.

1849: Sought the job of land officer in his home state - Rejected.

1854: Ran for the Senate of the US - Lost.

1856: Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party's national convention - Got less than 100 votes.

1858: Ran for the US Senate again - Lost again.

1860: Elected President of the US.

Lincoln's persistence echoed,"Quitters Never Win and Winners Never Quit."

FIVE GREAT LESSONS

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, 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 attentio care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, shedecided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The MN took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

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 wasattached.

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'sbedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a10-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 is 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.

4 - 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 walkedaround 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 finallysucceeded. 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 boulderfrom the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - 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 fromher 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 bloodto 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 thecolor 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.

"Work like you don't need the money, Love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."

HINDERING GROWTH

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on the door on which it was written: "Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym."

In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.

The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room.

The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up.

Everyone thought: "Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!"

One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.

There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself.

There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: "There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.

You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself.

Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.

"The most important relationship you can have, is the one you have with yourself."

Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don't be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: be a winner, build yourself and your reality.

The world is like a mirror: it gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed.

The world and your reality are like mirrors lying in a coffin, which show to any individual the death of his divine capability to imagine and create his happiness and his success.

Moral

It's the way you face Life that makes the difference.

LAW OF GARBAGE TRUCK

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly one can get back the focus on what's important.

One person learned it in the back of a Harare City taxi cab. Here's what happened. She hopped in a taxi and took off for Westgate. They were driving when all of a sudden a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of them. Her taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded and missed the other car's back end by just inches!

Here's what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at them.

Now, here's what blew her away. Her taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, he was friendly. So, she said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!"

And this is when her taxi driver told her what she now calls, "The Law of the Garbage Truck."

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. You'll be happy you did. This is guaranteed.

So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck."

We should think as to how often do we let Garbage Trucks run right over us? And how often do we take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets?

We should immediately take a resolve that, "I'm not going to do it anymore."

Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.

Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.

Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to!!!!

THOUGHTS

In a day, when you don't come across any problems - You can be sure that you are travelling in a wrong path - Swami Vivekananda

3 sentences for getting success - a) Know more than others b) Work more than others c) Expect less than others - William Shakespeare

If you win, you need not explain .... but if you lose, you should not be there to explain - Adolph Hitler

Don't compare yourself with anyone in this world. If you do so, you are insulting yourself - Alen Strike

If we cannot love the person whom we see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see - Mother Teresa

No man is rich enough to buy his past - Oscar Wilde

If you want real peace, don't talk to your friends, talk with your enemies - Mother Teresa

Winning doesn't always mean being first, winning means you're doing better than you've done before - Bonnie Blair

Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself - Leo Tolstoy

I will not say I failed 1000 times, I will say that I discovered there are 1000 ways that can cause failure - Thomas Alva Edison

Believing everybody is dangerous; believing nobody is very dangerous - Abraham Lincoln

Love your job, but never fall in love with your company, because you never know, when it stops loving you - APJ Abdul Kalam

If someone feels that they had never made a mistake in their life, then it means that they had never tried a new thing in their life - Einstein

Never break four things in your life - Trust, Promise, Relation & Heart because when they break, they don't make noise but it pains a lot - Charles

If you start judging people, you will be having no time to love them - Mother Teresa

LITTLE STORY

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.

The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river."

The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand."

"What's the difference?" asked the puzzled father.

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl.

"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

Moral

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours.