A Timeless Truth

By Bob Proctor,

While going through my files I came across a blurb from Catholic Digest written by Mary Kinsolving which is as relevant today as it was many years ago when it was written.  Ms. Kinsolving tells a story of living in Manhattan where, as a child, her mother walked her to school four blocks away every morning and then walked home with her again in the afternoon.  One hard winter her mother came down with pneumonia and Mary had to go to school and return home by herself.  She states that on the way home the second day she fell on some ice while crossing the street and at that moment a car skidded towards her and came within inches of her before it stopped.  "The driver helped me up," she said, "and I managed to get home but didn't tell my mother because I didn't want her to worry."

The next morning the streets were even icier and when she came to her first cross street she was terrified and stated that she stood at the intersection for a long time.  Finally, an elderly woman came over to her and said, "I don't see very well.  May I hold your hand when I cross the street?"  She replied, "Oh, yes," and the elderly lady took her hand and "before long we were on the other side."  Then Mary Kinsolving walked a short distance and looked back to see how the woman was doing.  To her surprise, "She was crossing the street we had just crossed together and was walking by herself much faster than we had before."  Ms. Kinsolving then realized that the lady had pretended poor eyesight only to help her cross the street.  Much later in life she understood that she could overcome her own fears by helping someone else.

What marvelous advice from years gone past!  Take that approach to life and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

12:55:00 - By Vincent 0

Careful What You Leave

By Zig Ziglar

“The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration but its donation.”  Corrie Ten Boom

I love the story told by Glen Van Ekeren in his book, The Speaker's Source Book.  It was a hot, humid day in the middle of Kansas City.  The eight-hour shift seemed especially long for the veteran bus driver.  Suddenly, a young woman, apparently upset about something, let loose with a string of unforgettable, not to mention unrepeatable, words.  The bus driver, looking in his overhead mirror, could sense everyone around her was embarrassed by the string of profanity.  Still mumbling, the angry passenger began to disembark a few blocks later.  As she stepped down, the bus driver calmly said, "Madam, I believe you're leaving something behind."  She quickly turned and snapped, "Oh?  And what is that?"  "A very bad impression," the bus driver responded.

It has been generally recognized as truth that our first impression of a person is one we will hold for the longest time, and the last impression we have of that person is held almost as long.  It has been said that we generally make up our mind within a matter of seconds of meeting a person as to whether or not we're going to like them or even trust them.  Those few seconds are important and will affect our decisions regarding that person for a long time.

One of the best ways to make a good first impression is with a smile and a pleasant demeanor.  Yes, the first and last impressions are important, but over the long haul it's trust and character that determine the length and extent of most relationships.  Think about it.  Make good first impressions - make good last impressions, and in between be the right kind of person.  You'll collect an awful lot of friends and admirers.  Take that approach and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Source

12:44:00 - By Vincent 0

Taking Charge of the Balloon

By Michael Josephson

A man in a hot air balloon, realizing he was lost, lowered it to shout to a fellow on the ground, “The wind’s blown me off course. Can you tell me where I am?”

The man replied, “Sure. You’re hovering about 60 feet over this wheat field.”

“You must be an engineer,” the balloonist yelled.

“I am. How did you know?” the man replied.

“Well, everything you told me is technically correct but of absolutely no use.”

The engineer retorted, “You’re an executive, right?”

“How did you know?” the balloonist responded.

“Well, you were drifting in no particular direction before you asked my help and you’re still lost, but now it’s my fault.”

The balloon is a good metaphor for our lives. At first, all we want to do is rise as high as we can in terms of money, position and prestige. Yet as we rise wind currents push us sideways. Eventually, many of us discover that we’re on a very different course than we intended, a long way from the spot we took off from or hoped to end up at. So we blame the wind or anything else.

What we have to realize is that our power of choice is a steering mechanism that lets us respond to each breeze and gust. We can drift with or go against the current. Like haphazard wind currents, unplanned events beyond our control affect the direction of our lives. But, in the end, what we do and become is determined by our choices. The key is to be attentive, to look around to be sure we are going where we want to go.

Remember, character counts.

SOURCE

14:03:00 - By Vincent 0