Always a Sure Sign!

Author Unknown

It was April and a tribe of indigenous Australians in a remote part of Western Australia asked their new elder if the coming winter was going to be cold or mild.

Since he was an elder in a modern community he had never been taught the old secrets. When he looked at the sky he couldn't tell what the winter was going to be like. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side, he told his tribe that the winter was indeed going to be cold and that the members of the tribe should collect firewood to be prepared.

But being a practical leader, after several days he had an idea. He walked out to the telephone booth on the highway, called the Bureau of Meteorology and asked, "Is the coming winter in this area going to be cold?"

The meteorologist responded, "It looks like this winter is going to be quite cold."

So the elder went back to his people and told them to collect even more wood in order to be prepared. A week later he called the Bureau of Meteorology again and asked, "Does it still look like it is going to be a very cold winter?"

The meteorologist again replied, "Yes, it's going to be a very cold winter."

The elder again went back to his community and ordered them to collect every scrap of firewood they could find. Two weeks later the elder called the Bureau again asked, "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be very cold?"

"Absolutely," the man replied. "It's looking more and more like it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever."

"How can you be so sure?" the elder asked.

The weatherman replied, "There are reports that a tribe of indigenous Australians are collecting firewood like crazy, and that's always a sure sign."

Developing Clarity for Phenomenal Success

Mark Victor Hansen

When you ask people what they want their life to be like the usual response is, "I want to be happy." We all want to be happy, but that is not very specific. People who live in a grass hut in the middle of the jungle wearing only fig leaves can be happy. If that's what you want, great. But few people I know would be satisfied with that lifestyle.

No two people on the planet define happiness, love, or success in the same way. We need to define these things for ourselves and figure out what we want in order to have our perfect lives. If we don't know what we want, how can we expect to get it?

We need to be specific about our desires. We need to develop a clear, concise picture of what we want our lives to look like. Only then can that dream life manifest itself into physical form.

Say you and your best friend are standing in the kitchen. You say, "Hand me the metal object." They look around and see a spatula, a fork, a butter knife, a spoon, a pizza cutter, etc. They're confused, because they see all of these metal objects, but they don't know which one you meant. So, they hand you a spoon.

"That's not what I want," you say. They hand you a spatula.

"That's not it either," you say. They would have to keep handing you everything in the kitchen until they got it right. On the other hand, if you had said, "Hand me a fork," you would have gotten it immediately.

Developing clarity about what we want is fundamental to our success. Why? Because when we know what we want and ask our Higher Power (God, the Universe, whatever you're comfortable with and believe in) that is what we're going to get. The more specific we are, the faster it is sent to us. The more vague we are, the slower we are going to get it.

You see, the Universe wants us to have everything we want. The Universe is not manipulative or cruel. It is simply waiting for you to get crystal clear about what it is that you want. The Bible says, "Ask and ye shall receive. Seek and ye shall find." It doesn't get much more simple than that. Your only job is to decide specifically what it is that you truly want and then ask. It is the Universe's job to give it to you.

Walt Disney and Dr. R. Buckminster Fuller had 50 year plans—do you?

Has It Been Helping, Mummy?

Monique Howat

My eight year old daughter did what all kids do, she asked for things every single time she saw something cute at a friends, on TV, or in stores. We were young parents struggling to make our mortgage payments so when she asked, "Can you buy me that mummy...please?"

My standard answer was always, "I'm sorry, we simply can't afford it."

Finally she stopped asking.

One day I heard my 10 year old daughter shout for me to come quickly. I was sure I heard her say that Shanna was stealing money from my purse! I raced to the kitchen where I found my purse on the floor with Shanna's hand still in it...frozen in a moment of dread.

I was utterly shocked and feeling horribly disappointed. I wondered where she had learned to steal? Did she really think she could get away with it? By now Shanna was crying much harder and looking as traumatized as me. I managed to remain calm while I gently but firmly asked her, "How could you take something that isn't yours?"

Through her sobs she managed to say, "I didn't…honest. I'm not taking anything."

"Well then," I asked accusingly, "what are you doing?"

I was stunned when she explained through her tears, "You always say you can't buy stuff cuz you can't afford it. I was putting $5.00 in your purse so you'd have some money."

That remarkably sweet gesture became even more heartfelt when she confessed she had been making a monthly deposit of $5.00 into my purse for over a year. She then asked, "Has it been helping, Mummy? Does it make you smile?"

I dropped to the floor with her where I squeezed my eyes shut because I was crying harder than anyone. I held and rocked my adorable, thoughtful daughter hoping I could squeeze the moment to a halt and make it last.

Shanna stayed cuddled in my arms for as long as she could before announcing she needed to go because she had "things to do."

Over the next decade or so, Shanna carried out more covert missions. She has continued to inspire me as a mum and in my job as a self-esteem youth motivator.

Am I smiling? Absolutely beaming!

It Couldn't Be Done

Edgar Albert Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

Take Time

Gregory L. Jantz, Ph.D.

Take time to think;
it is the source of your power.

Take time to play;
it is the secret of your youth.

Take time to read;
it is the foundation of your knowledge.

Take time to dream;
it will take you to the stars.

Take time to laugh;
it really is your best medicine.

Take time to pray;
it is your touch with almighty God.

Take time to reach out to others;
it will give your life significance.

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