the driver and his wife

A police officer pulls over a speeding car. The officer says, "I clocked you at 80 mile per hour, sir." The driver says, "Gee, officer, I had it on cruise control at 60, perhaps your radar needs calibrating." Not looking up from her knitting the wife says sweetly from the passenger seat, "Now don't be silly, dear, you know that this car doesn't have cruise control." As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls, "Can't you keep your mouth shut for once?" The wife smiles demurely and says, " You should be thankful your radar detector went off when it did." As the officer makes out the second ticket for the illegal radar detector unit, the man glowers at his wife and says through clenched teeth, "Darn it, woman, can't you keep your mouth shut." The officer frowns and says, "And I notice that you're not wearing your seat belt, sir. That's an automatic $75 fine." The driver says, "Yeah, well, you see officer, I had it on, but took it off when you pulled me over so that I could get my license out of my back pocket." The wife says," Now, dear, you know very well that you didn't have your seat belt on. You never wear your seat belt when you're driving." And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket the driver turns to his wife and barks, "WHY DON'T YOU SHUT THE HELL UP??" The officer looks over at the woman and asks, "Does your husband always talk to you this way, Ma'am?" "Oh, heavens no, officer. Only when he's been drinking." Over the years I have seen some of my leaders who do not do their business on proper MLM principles. I have also heard some leaders who say or teach things they should'nt say or teach. I have also seen some who did things that hurt the company and the MLM industry as a whole. These leaders probably think I do not know or will ever know as I was not around when these things were done or said. Let me guarantee all of you one thing. I know. Your wife (Upline/downline/crossline) told me. However, I want all of these leaders to know 5 things. 1/ Before you go around making mistakes because you have thought up something new or want to try something new in your MLM business, why not talk to me first? I am available. 2/ It is OK to make mistakes. We all do. MLM is a complex business especially when it is your desire to be big and one of the best in your company. Small potatoes make small or no mistakes. Giants make more and sometimes gigantic mistakes. I understand. 3/ Do not be frighten or be embarassed that I know. I am your friend and a fellow senior distributor who has been in this business for over 30 years. I know how or why or what you think at every stage of your MLM business and have the wisdom to know that it is all part of your growing up. 4/ Do not be angry with the person who squeal on you for by right you should be grateful. Do not be angry even when the person who squeal on you have bad motives or tell me things that are not true and have made up stories, MLM is a people business. By the way, I know these people too. I can read most people like a book. 5/ Do not continue to make the same mistake after I have pointed it out to you. Mistakes made by hardworking and aggressive leaders can be very damaging and run out of control. Eddy Chai.

OLD MAN

An old man lived in a certain part of London, and he would wake up every morning and go to the subway. He would get the train right to Central London, and then sit at the street corner and beg. He would do this every single day of his life. He sat at the same street corner and begged for almost 20 years.
His house was filthy, and a stench came out of the house and it smelled horribly. The neighbors could not stand the smell anymore, so they summoned the police officers to clear the place. The officers knocked down the door and cleaned the house. There were small bags of money all over the house that he had collected over the years.
The police counted the money, and they soon realized that the old man was a millionaire. They waited outside his house in anticipation to share the good news with him. When he arrived home that evening, he was met by one the officers who told him that there was no need for him to beg any more as he was a rich man now, a millionaire.
He said nothing at all; he went into his house and locked the door. The next morning he woke up as usual, went to the subway, got into the train, and sat at the street corner and continued to beg.
Obviously, this old man had no great plans, dreams or anything significant for his life. We learn nothing from this story other than staying focused on the things we enjoy doing, commitment.
We should remain true to our course; which may mean committing yourselves to things that people around you would normally disapprove. Let nothing distract us from being happy, let nothing else determine our fate, but ourselves. What makes us happy is what matters in the end, not what we acquire.

TIME

According to a recent survey, the average person spends: Seven years in the bath room; six years eating; four years cleaning house; five years waiting in line; two years trying to return phone calls to people who aren't there; three years preparing meals; one year searching for misplaced items; six months sitting at red lights and eight months opening junk mail. By our tally that's close to 30 years. Do you wonder how you ever found time to work?

.............................................................................................................

Take some time to ponder this:

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.

What would you do?

Draw out every cent, of course!!!!

Each of us has such a bank. It's name is TIME.

Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day''s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.

-from Eddy

PENNY

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband was invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the water-way, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.

How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some valuable.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

Look at it. He said. Read what it says. She read the words United States of America.

No, not that; read further.

One cent?

No, keep reading.

In God we Trust?

Yes!

And?

And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him! Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, In God We Trust, and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful...And God is patient...

Who makes COFFEE?

A man and his wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee".

The husband said, " You are in charge of the cooking around here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No you should do it, and besides it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, " I can't believe that, show me."

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and shows him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says .......

"HEBREWS"

HOW BUSINESS IS DONE

Jack, a smart businessman, talks to his son..... Jack: I want you to marry a girl of my choice Son : "I will choose my own bride". Jack: "But the girl is Bill Gates's daughter." Son : "Well, in that case..." Next Jack approaches Bill Gates Jack: "I have a husband for your daughter." Bill Gates : "But my daughter is too young to marry." Jack: "But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank." Bill Gates : "Ah, in that case..." Finally Jack goes to see the president of the World Bank. Jack: "I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president." President : "But I already have more vice-presidents than I need." Jack: "But this young man is Bill Gates's son-in- law." President : "Ah, in that case....." This is how business is done!!

FAMILY

 
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. Work hard but please do not neglect the family.

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

OPPORTUNITY

A priest was  driving along and saw a nun on the side of the road, he stopped and offered her  a lift which she accepted. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to  open and reveal a
lovely leg. The priest had a look and nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.
The nun looked at him and immediately said,  "Father remember psalm 129?"
The priest was flustered and apologised profusely. He  forced himself to remove his hand. However,he was unable to remove his eyes from  her leg.
Further on while changing gear, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, "Father, remember  psalm 129?"
Once again the priest apologised. "Sorry sister but the flesh is weak."
Arriving at the convent, the nun got out gave him a  meaningful glance and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest  rushed to retrieve the bible and looked up psalm 129. It said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."
Moral of the story:
Always be well  informed in your job, or you might miss a great
opportunity.

WHO'S THE BOSS?

When the body was first made, all the parts wanted to be Boss.

The Brain said, "I should be Boss because I control the whole body's responses and functions."

The Feet said, "We should be Boss as we carry the brain about and get him to where he wants to go."

The Hands said, "We should be Boss because we do all the work and earn all the money."

And so it went on and on with the Heart, the Lungs and the Eyes until finally the Asshole spoke up.

All the parts laughed at the idea of the Asshole being the Boss.

So the Asshole went on strike, blocked itself up and refused to work.

Within a short time the Eyes became crossed, the Hands clenched, the Feet twitched, the Heart and Lungs began to panic and the Brain fevered.

Eventually they all decided that Asshole should be the Boss, so the motion was passed.

All the other parts did all the work while the Boss just sat and passed out the shit!

BOSS FIRST PLEASE

A junior manager, a senior manager and their boss are on their way to a meeting. On their way through a park, they come across a wonder lamp. They rub the lamp and a ghost appears. The ghost says, "Normally, one is granted three wishes but as you are three, I will allow one wish each" So the eager senior manager shouted, I want the first wish. I want to be in the Bahamas, on a fast boat and have no worries. "Pfufffff, and he was gone. Now the junior manager could not keep quiet and shouted "! I want to be in Florida with beautiful girls, plenty of food and cocktails. "Pfufffff, and he was also gone. The boss calmly said, "I want these two idiots back in the office after lunch" "Always allow the bosses to speak first" eddy chai

PROBLEMS, PUT THEM DOWN.

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students, ' How much do you think this glass weighs?' '50gms!' , '100gms!' , '125gms' The students answered. 'I really don't know unless I weigh it,' said the professor, 'but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes? ''Nothing' the students said. 'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?' the professor asked. 'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the students. 'You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?' 'Your arm could go numb, you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis & have to go to hospital for sure!' ventured another student & all the students laughed. 'Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?' asked the professor. 'No' 'Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?' The students were puzzled. 'What should I do to remedy this'? asked the professor again. 'Put the glass down!' said one of the students. 'Exactly!' said the professor.' Life's problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK. Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache. Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.' 'It's important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but even more important to 'put them down' at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!' Confront your problems. Evading them will be bad for your heart. Eddy Chai

THE CROSS ROOM

The young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer. " Lord, I can’t go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear." The Lord replied, "My son, if you can’t bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door, and pick out any cross you wish." The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed, and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I’d like that one, Lord." he whispered. And the Lord replied. "My son that is the cross you just brought in." If you think you have problems, I have got good news for you. We all have too. However, let me warn you that in life, others may not be interested in your problems.

PARABLE OF TALENTS

The Parable of the Talents
Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.  To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.  Then he went on his journey.  The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.  So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.  But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  The man who had received the five talents brought the other five.  “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with five talents.  See, I have gained five more.”
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!”
The man with the two talents also came.  “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.”
His master replied, “Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master’s happiness!”
Then the man who had received the one talent came.  “Master,” he said, “I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.  See, here is what belongs to you.”
His master replied, “You wicked, lazy servant!  So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.  For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)

"WORKING"

Father was a hardworking man who delivered bread as a living to support his wife and three children. He spent all his evenings after work attending classes, hoping to improve himself so that he could one day find a better paying job. Except for Sundays, Father hardly ate a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted to provide his family with the best money could buy.

Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and with distinctions too! Soon after, he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor which paid handsomely.

Like a dream come true, Father could now afford to provide his family with life’s little luxuries like nice clothing, fine food and vacation abroad.

However, the family still did not get to see father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the position of manager. In fact, to make himself a worthily candidate for the promotion, he enrolled for another course in the open university.

Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

Father’s hard work paid off and he was promoted. Jubilantly, he decided to hire a maid to relieve his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that their three-room flat was no longer big enough, it would be nice for his family to be ablt to enjoy the facilities and comfort of a condominium. Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father resolved to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had to work on Sundays entertaining clients. Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

As expected, Father’s hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Father declared to his family that he decided not to take anymore courses or pursue any more promotions. From then on he was going to devote more time to his family.

Father did not wake up the next day.

THE BAMBOO SEED

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. "God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?" His answer surprised me... "Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?" "Yes", I replied. "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said."In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle." He said to me, "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you." "Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful." "Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high" "How high should I rise?" I asked. "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. "As high as it can?" I questioned "Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can." I left the forest and bring back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. HE will never give up on you! Stay Blessed. The same may happen to you and your MLM business. Sometimes for weeks, months and even years, you see no results or results that are not to your expectations. Do not give up. Success may be just round the corner. "Don't compare yourself to others. Your time will come. You will rise high."

NEIL ARMSTRONG

ON JULY 20, 1969, AS COMMANDER OF THE APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE, NEIL ARMSTRONG WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO SET FOOT ON THE MOON.

HIS FIRST WORDS AFTER STEPPING ON THE MOON, "THAT'S ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN, ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND," WERE TELEVISED TO EARTH AND HEARD BY MILLIONS.

BUT JUST BEFORE HE REENTERED THE LANDER, HE MADE THE ENIGMATIC REMARK "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY."

MANY PEOPLE AT NASA THOUGH IT WAS A CASUAL REMARK CONCERNING SOME RIVAL SOVIET COSMONAUT.

HOWEVER, UPON CHECKING, THERE WAS NO GORSKY IN EITHER THE RUSSIAN OR AMERICAN SPACE PROGRAMS.

OVER THE YEARS MANY PEOPLE QUESTIONED ARMSTRONG AS TO WHAT THE "GOOD LUCK, MR. GORSKY" STATEMENT MEANT, BUT ARMSTRONG ALWAYS JUST SMILED.

ON JULY 5, 1995, IN TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA, WHILE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOLLOWING A SPEECH, A REPORTER BROUGHT UP THE 26-YEAR-OLD QUESTION TO ARMSTRONG. THIS TIME HE FINALLY RESPONDED. MR. GORSKY HAD DIED, SO NEIL ARMSTRONG FELT HE COULD ANSWER THE QUESTION.

IN 1938 WHEN HE WAS A KID IN A SMALL MIDWEST TOWN, HE WAS PLAYING BASEBALL WITH A FRIEND IN THE BACKYARD. HIS FRIEND HIT THE BALL, WHICH LANDED IN HIS NEIGHBOR'S YARD BY THE BEDROOM WINDOWS.HIS NEIGHBORS WERE MR. AND MRS. GORSKY.

AS HE LEANED DOWN TO PICK UP THE BALL, YOUNG ARMSTRONG HEARD MRS. GORSKY SHOUTING AT MR. GORSKY:

"SEX! YOU WANT SEX?! YOU'LL GET SEX WHEN THE KID NEXT DOOR WALKS ON THE MOON!"

THE BRICK

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. ??Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown. The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?" ??The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." ??With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. ??It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable,?but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the
dent there to remind him of this message: ??"Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!" God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not.

MARKETING STRATEGY

You go to a party, dressed up to look very rich. You hope all the gorgeous girls at the party will come to you, and say, “You are very rich. Marry me.” That’s Traditional business


You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and get her telephone number or email.
The next day you contact her and say, “Hi, I’m very rich. Marry me.” That’s Telemarketing or Internet marketing


You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, “I am very rich. Marry me!” 
That’s Direct Selling


You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. A couple of your friends corner her and point at you and say, “He’s very rich. Marry us” That’s Multi level marketing

IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2" in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "Yes." The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and proceeded to pour their entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things your family, your partner, your health, your children things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full." "The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car." "The sand is everything else. The small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal." "Take care of the rocks first the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand". One of the students raised her hand and inquired, "What does the beer represent?" The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers." Story from Luis Medina-Montoya Hellgren. Spain.

THE CARPENTER

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to
leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife, enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.

The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work, the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter.

"This is your house" he said, "my gift to you."

The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much differently.

But we cannot go back. You are the carpenter, each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. "Life is a do-it-yourself project," someone has said. Your attitudes and the choices you make today, build the "house" you live in tomorrow.

Build wisely!

SHARPEN YOUR AXE

Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter. He asked for a
job from a timber merchant, and he got it. The pay was really good and
so were the work conditions. For that reason the woodcutter was
determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the
area where he was supposed to work.

The first day, the woodcutter brought down 18 trees. The Boss was very
much impressed and said, "Congratulations keep it up!" Very motivated
by the words of the boss, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only
could bring down 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he
could only bring down 10 trees.


Day after day he was bringing down less and less trees. "I must be losing
my strength", the woodcutter thought to himself. He went to the boss and
apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on.


"When was the last time you sharpened your Axe?" the boss asked.
"Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my Axe. I have been very busy trying
to cut trees.

The moral of the story: Take time out to learn the business.

EMPTY CUP

A young man after becoming quite successful decided to visit his teacher to boast about his success. On arrival, the young man told the teacher he visited to learn more from him and then began to boast of his own achievements. He then told the teacher that he wanted to learn more and before the teacher said anything, he continued to boast of his own achievements and this went on and on.
When tea was served, the teacher poured tea into the young man cup. When the cup was full, the teacher continued to pour until it overflowed. When the tea overflowed, the young man told the teacher but the teacher continued pouring until the tea overflowed to the floor. The young man told the teacher again that the tea had overflowed.
The teacher then said, "Young man, I cannot teach you anything today because your cup is already full. Go home and empty your cup and then come and see me again if you want to learn more."

Poking the IRON BALL

A very powerful motivational speaker is going to retire. Therefore, when he said he's going to give his last seminar, everyone thronged the box office and snatched all the seats.

On that very day of the seminar, the whole auditorium was packed with his readers, loyal fans, reporters and people who came to just learn from this powerful motivational speaker.

There was a huge and heavy Iron Ball on the stage. Arriving 15 minutes late, the speaker took his time to stroll down the aisle while the audience cheered on.

It was unusual in that the speaker did not have any microphone with him. He didn't greet the audience too. Instead he took out his pen from his pocket and began to poke the Iron Ball softly with the pen.

At the start, everyone was amazed. Everyone tried to predict what he wanted to show. However, after 30 min, 1 hour, 1 hour and 30 min, people started to leave their seats. Some had even thrown their programme brochures at the speaker for wasting their time. But the speaker continued to perform the same activity. Only a handful of people was still engrossed in the act.

At the 2nd hour, something happened. The 1-tonne Iron Ball began to turn and roll. No backstage crew could stop the ball from rolling.

The speaker then said, "The few of you here that see this happen had learnt the most. In life, you just need to keep doing and persist on, and you will achieve greatly!"