Wednesday, December 06, 2006
The Candy
This story was narrated by Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas K. Gandhi.......
"When I was six years old, we were invited to visit grandfather on an ashram he founded where people live together in nonviolence,” said Arun. “A young couple lived there with their 6-year-old boy. This boy had a tremendous sweet tooth—if he did not get any candy he would take spoonfuls of sugar. The parents took the boy to the doctor as he was getting sick from the sugar. The doctor said no more sugar; no more sweets for you and no arguments. The parents still ate sweet chocolate and candy every day and the boy would take the sweets when no one was looking.”
Taking their son to Gandhi in desperation, the parents of the boy with the sweet tooth were told to bring him back in 15 days. They left, wondering why he could not speak to their son right away.
“They went away and came back and grandfather spoke to the boy for less than one minute,” said Arun, “after which time he promised to give up sweets. His parents were aghast. They asked grandfather what miracle he performed. He said, ‘It wasn’t a miracle. I had to ask him to give up sweets so I told him I have given up sweets and I will not eat anything until you give up sweets—will you give up sweets?’ The boy kept his vow and I learned that when parents care so much, to make that kind of sacrifice, children do not need force.”
So, it comes back to the old saying... Practice first before you preach!
"When I was six years old, we were invited to visit grandfather on an ashram he founded where people live together in nonviolence,” said Arun. “A young couple lived there with their 6-year-old boy. This boy had a tremendous sweet tooth—if he did not get any candy he would take spoonfuls of sugar. The parents took the boy to the doctor as he was getting sick from the sugar. The doctor said no more sugar; no more sweets for you and no arguments. The parents still ate sweet chocolate and candy every day and the boy would take the sweets when no one was looking.”
Taking their son to Gandhi in desperation, the parents of the boy with the sweet tooth were told to bring him back in 15 days. They left, wondering why he could not speak to their son right away.
“They went away and came back and grandfather spoke to the boy for less than one minute,” said Arun, “after which time he promised to give up sweets. His parents were aghast. They asked grandfather what miracle he performed. He said, ‘It wasn’t a miracle. I had to ask him to give up sweets so I told him I have given up sweets and I will not eat anything until you give up sweets—will you give up sweets?’ The boy kept his vow and I learned that when parents care so much, to make that kind of sacrifice, children do not need force.”
So, it comes back to the old saying... Practice first before you preach!
Friday, December 01, 2006
The Donkey in the Well
This is a story about an old donkey, who while walking fell into a dry well. He started shouting expecting that someone will pull him out of the well.
There were few passersby, who looked into the well and found the old donkey in a bad shape. They had no toools or ropes to pull him out. Also there was no help available around. They decided that the donkey should die rather than suffer and in any case the donkey didn't stand a chance of survival.
So they collected the mud lying around and started throwing into the well, to bury the donkey. Everytime the mud was thrown at him, the donkey shook the mud off his body and stepped on it. By the time the mud completely filled the well, the donkey climbed the mud and came out of the well.
Next time if someone throws mud at you, just shake it off yourself and get over it soon. Keep focus on your goal and don't be distracted by what others believe.
Have a nice day!
There were few passersby, who looked into the well and found the old donkey in a bad shape. They had no toools or ropes to pull him out. Also there was no help available around. They decided that the donkey should die rather than suffer and in any case the donkey didn't stand a chance of survival.
So they collected the mud lying around and started throwing into the well, to bury the donkey. Everytime the mud was thrown at him, the donkey shook the mud off his body and stepped on it. By the time the mud completely filled the well, the donkey climbed the mud and came out of the well.
Next time if someone throws mud at you, just shake it off yourself and get over it soon. Keep focus on your goal and don't be distracted by what others believe.
Have a nice day!
Saturday, November 25, 2006
The Paradigm
A lady, waiting at airport for a flight, felt very hungry. She went to a restaurant at the airport and bought a pack of cookies. She found a table in the restaurant & when she was about to open the pack of cookies, she thought of rechecking the flight time.
After checking, when she came back to her table, she saw something she couldn't have ever imagined.
A decent looking man was already sitting there & eating cookies out of the pack. She felt very angry, wondered how he could do this. She sat on the other side and frowned at him. The man similed back and offered her a cookie from the pack. She was really hungry, so she ate the cookie but also upset with the behavior of the person. This was against decency and unacceptable to her.
This went on for sometime, she kept eating from the same pack, rightfully so. But she also kept cursing this man and continued giving him an angry look. When only last cookie was left, the man broke it in two and gave one piece to her. Thereafter he smiled at the lady and left the restaurant.
The lady kept thinking about the incidence and even thought of letting her anger out on the man, if she ever saw him again.
When the flight was announced, she opened her handbag to take out the ticket. What she saw this time, left her in a state of shock.
The pack of cookies was lying inside the bag. Before she went for checking the flight time, she had kept the pack in her bag. And she thought that she had left the pack on the table and the man was eating out of her pack. Unknowingly, the man had also bought the same pack and sat on the same table.
Does it happens to us, once in a while? We always see the realty through our own filters of paradigm. Looking the same pack & table, the lady immediately reached at a conclusion that was based on her paradigm. She never bothered to challenge her point of view because she thought that she was right and the man was wrong.
Next time, before you get angry on someone, challenge your paradigm.
After checking, when she came back to her table, she saw something she couldn't have ever imagined.
A decent looking man was already sitting there & eating cookies out of the pack. She felt very angry, wondered how he could do this. She sat on the other side and frowned at him. The man similed back and offered her a cookie from the pack. She was really hungry, so she ate the cookie but also upset with the behavior of the person. This was against decency and unacceptable to her.
This went on for sometime, she kept eating from the same pack, rightfully so. But she also kept cursing this man and continued giving him an angry look. When only last cookie was left, the man broke it in two and gave one piece to her. Thereafter he smiled at the lady and left the restaurant.
The lady kept thinking about the incidence and even thought of letting her anger out on the man, if she ever saw him again.
When the flight was announced, she opened her handbag to take out the ticket. What she saw this time, left her in a state of shock.
The pack of cookies was lying inside the bag. Before she went for checking the flight time, she had kept the pack in her bag. And she thought that she had left the pack on the table and the man was eating out of her pack. Unknowingly, the man had also bought the same pack and sat on the same table.
Does it happens to us, once in a while? We always see the realty through our own filters of paradigm. Looking the same pack & table, the lady immediately reached at a conclusion that was based on her paradigm. She never bothered to challenge her point of view because she thought that she was right and the man was wrong.
Next time, before you get angry on someone, challenge your paradigm.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
The Management Story
This is a bit sarcastic & nasty one...
A big corporation hired several cannibals. "You are all part of our team now," said the HR manager during the welcome briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees." The cannibals promised they would not.
A few weeks later the cannibals' boss remarked, "You're all working very hard, and I'm satisfied with you. However, one of our shipping clerk has disappeared. This has affected our sales badly, since no material could move out. Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads, "No," they said.
After the boss left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others angrily, "Right, which one of you idiots ate the shipping clerk?"
A hand rose hesitantly in admission. "You fool!" said the leader, "For weeks we've been eating managers and no one noticed anything, but you had to go and eat someone so important for the business!..."
Moral: Your importance is governed by contribution you make & not by your level.
A big corporation hired several cannibals. "You are all part of our team now," said the HR manager during the welcome briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees." The cannibals promised they would not.
A few weeks later the cannibals' boss remarked, "You're all working very hard, and I'm satisfied with you. However, one of our shipping clerk has disappeared. This has affected our sales badly, since no material could move out. Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads, "No," they said.
After the boss left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others angrily, "Right, which one of you idiots ate the shipping clerk?"
A hand rose hesitantly in admission. "You fool!" said the leader, "For weeks we've been eating managers and no one noticed anything, but you had to go and eat someone so important for the business!..."
Moral: Your importance is governed by contribution you make & not by your level.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The Last Moments
This is a story about a shopkeeper who worked day & night and made lot of money during his lifetime. He was now almost on the deathbed.
He was surrounded by his two sons, wife and the servant. They were all waiting for his last breath and then this man opens his eyes with great difficulty.
He calls his elder son who eagerly rushes close to his face, hoping that his father will pass on entire inheritance to him. He then calls the younger son, who also does the same again hoping that he will get a part of his inheritance. He calls the servant as well, who hopes that the man will reward him before he dies and sits close to him.
The man gathers lot of energy and yells at everybody, " You fools! If all of you are sitting around, what will happen to my shop."
It is a fact that when closer to death, we remember things that impacted our lives the most. If we just spend our lives chasing our greed & desires, we will die dissatisfied like the shopkeeper. He couldn't think of anything else in his last moments but to be worried about his shop because that’s what he did all his life.
Please take out few but satisfying & peaceful moments in your daily life, which you can recall in your last moments. These moments can be spiritual, for social cause or good time spent with your family and friends.
He was surrounded by his two sons, wife and the servant. They were all waiting for his last breath and then this man opens his eyes with great difficulty.
He calls his elder son who eagerly rushes close to his face, hoping that his father will pass on entire inheritance to him. He then calls the younger son, who also does the same again hoping that he will get a part of his inheritance. He calls the servant as well, who hopes that the man will reward him before he dies and sits close to him.
The man gathers lot of energy and yells at everybody, " You fools! If all of you are sitting around, what will happen to my shop."
It is a fact that when closer to death, we remember things that impacted our lives the most. If we just spend our lives chasing our greed & desires, we will die dissatisfied like the shopkeeper. He couldn't think of anything else in his last moments but to be worried about his shop because that’s what he did all his life.
Please take out few but satisfying & peaceful moments in your daily life, which you can recall in your last moments. These moments can be spiritual, for social cause or good time spent with your family and friends.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Strive or Perish
This not a story but a real case.
There was a company, once very profitable & successful, started under performing. The management couldn't figured out why was it so, because the market was growing and attracting new players.
The company hired a very high profile(also the high cost) consultant to figure out the problem. The consultant came out with series of recommendations, half of which were not accepted and the other half never implemented.
Then the company resorted to series of training programmes for their middle & senior management, but without any result.
One day an old accountant, during a review with management, showed the company financials and asked if they saw any problem. Everyone looked at the top numbers & said it looked fantastic. Then he started showing the details, numbers sliced down to geography & business and repeated the question. The group felt uncomfortable with those details and kept quiet. In the next step, the accountant compared the numbers with those of competitors and repeated the question. The group had no option but to accept in suppressed voice that there were problems in the way business was managed.
The accountant asked the group what they thought the problems were. Everybody pointed out the problems they saw in each others' area.
The CEO got the message & understood the root cause of the problem. The problem was with attitude. The managers had become complacent & lost touch with details. Also, everyone thought that the problem was in other area and didn't do anything to improve his own area.
The solution was simple but the company had lost time & business. It doesn't exisit any more.
The rule for survival is simple either Strive or Perish.
There was a company, once very profitable & successful, started under performing. The management couldn't figured out why was it so, because the market was growing and attracting new players.
The company hired a very high profile(also the high cost) consultant to figure out the problem. The consultant came out with series of recommendations, half of which were not accepted and the other half never implemented.
Then the company resorted to series of training programmes for their middle & senior management, but without any result.
One day an old accountant, during a review with management, showed the company financials and asked if they saw any problem. Everyone looked at the top numbers & said it looked fantastic. Then he started showing the details, numbers sliced down to geography & business and repeated the question. The group felt uncomfortable with those details and kept quiet. In the next step, the accountant compared the numbers with those of competitors and repeated the question. The group had no option but to accept in suppressed voice that there were problems in the way business was managed.
The accountant asked the group what they thought the problems were. Everybody pointed out the problems they saw in each others' area.
The CEO got the message & understood the root cause of the problem. The problem was with attitude. The managers had become complacent & lost touch with details. Also, everyone thought that the problem was in other area and didn't do anything to improve his own area.
The solution was simple but the company had lost time & business. It doesn't exisit any more.
The rule for survival is simple either Strive or Perish.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Whatever Happens, It Happens for Good
This story is about a king who was fond of hunting and was always accompanied with a minister who was very close to him. This minister had a habit of saying to everyone, "Whatever happens, it happens for good" and this annoyed other ministers in the court.
During one of the hunting excursions, the king's toe finger was chopped off and as per his habit the minister couldn't stop himself from saying, "Whatever happens, it happens for good". Since the king was the victim this time, he got very annoyed with the minister and put him in jail.
In an another hunting trip, the king was captured by Cannibals and was about to be killed, when they noticed one of his toe finger missing. As per their tradition, they were not allowed to kill a person whose any body part was missing. So, they set him free.
The king recalled the words of his minister and realised how true were his words. He went to the minister in jail and apologised for his mistake. However, the minister said that it was good that he was jailed. Otherwise, he would have accompanied the king for the hunting trip & eaten by cannibals.
Many times we are taken aback by the short term impact of an event and don't realise that each of these events has a design for shaping our long term future. It is nature's way of controlling our lives.
During one of the hunting excursions, the king's toe finger was chopped off and as per his habit the minister couldn't stop himself from saying, "Whatever happens, it happens for good". Since the king was the victim this time, he got very annoyed with the minister and put him in jail.
In an another hunting trip, the king was captured by Cannibals and was about to be killed, when they noticed one of his toe finger missing. As per their tradition, they were not allowed to kill a person whose any body part was missing. So, they set him free.
The king recalled the words of his minister and realised how true were his words. He went to the minister in jail and apologised for his mistake. However, the minister said that it was good that he was jailed. Otherwise, he would have accompanied the king for the hunting trip & eaten by cannibals.
Many times we are taken aback by the short term impact of an event and don't realise that each of these events has a design for shaping our long term future. It is nature's way of controlling our lives.
