05:10 - Monday, Nov. 28, 2005
monday
Perspectives ~ its all how you percieve things
Ironic story of a rich father trying to teach his son......
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the rural countryside with the firm purpose of motivating his son to work hard by showing him how poor people can be. The father wanted to prepare his son to take over managing the vast family fortune and estate.
They spent a couple of days and nights helping with the daily activities on the farm of a poor family. Sharing meals at night with the family, they learned a little about planning and life on the farm.
On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.
"Oh Yeah" said the son.
"So what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, and they have many friends to protect them."
With this, the boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are."
Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don't have. What is one person's worthless object is another's prize possession. It is all based on one's perspective. Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for all the bounty we have, instead of worrying about wanting more.
Are there any treasures more valuable than friends? The most valuable treasures are obtained by first giving ourself up as a true friend. Isn't it ironic that we labor night and day for material things, while sometimes we lose track of our true treasures, because we either don't spend time to care for them, or refuse to forgive a friend even though we have the power to restore a treasure to our lives by forgiving?
For many years, after i was found innocent and spending 2 and 1/2 years locked away awaiting trial, being charged with 1st degree murder in the death of my son Steven, I felt complete rage towards my ex-wife, who accused me of this horrendous crime, in an attempt to "get rid of me forever"; for 8 years afterwards, i had this rage inside of me, i had a sense that my life was ruined, my thoughts were erratic, and I learned how, through intense therapy, to not act upon my thoughts, and I learned how to forgive her for what she had done. Once I had learned how to forgive, that made me a better person. My point being here is, dont hold grudges; they will eat you up inside, tear away the very fabric of your being, and will turn you into something that you are not. So if someone has done you wrong, no matter how bad it is, learn to forgive them, and at that point, you can achieve peace of mind, and you will be a better person for it.
GARFIELD
FACT OF THE DAY
On this day in 1943, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin met in Tehran to discuss their strategy for the war.
