Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons from Arabia. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.
Months passed and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons was flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.
The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the member of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird had still not moved from its perch. Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, "May be I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem." So he cried out to his court, "Go and get a farmer."
In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, "Bring me the doer of this miracle."
The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, "How did you make the falcon fly?"
With head bowed, the farmer said to the king, " It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch of the tree where the bird was sitting."
Moral :-
We are all made to fly - to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But instead of doing that, we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling. So let us learn to destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to the glory of flight..
A little boy went into a drug store, reached for a soda carton and pulled it over to the telephone. He climbed onto the carton so that he could reach the buttons on the phone and proceeded to punch in seven digits (phone numbers).
The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation.
Boy: ‘Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?
Woman: (at the other end of the phone line): ‘I already have someone to cut my lawn.’
Boy: ‘Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price of the person who cuts your lawn now.’
Woman: I’m very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting my lawn.
Boy: (with more perseverance) : ‘Lady, I’ll even sweep your curb and your sidewalk, so on Sunday you will have the prettiest lawn in all of Palm beach , Florida.’
Woman: No, thank you. With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the receiver. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy. Store Owner: ‘Son… I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job.’
Boy: ‘No thanks.’
Store Owner: But you were really pleading for one.
Boy: No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the Job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!’
Moral: This is what we call ‘Self Appraisal’. Every time if we don’t get ahead of others, we blame others for it. We should look to our self and compare, find our weaknesses and work hard to throw away weaknesses. Always Work Hard, Honest and with full Dedication. It will always pay up.
The young man was climbing the hill, slowly a step at a time. His bowed
head seemed to indicate that something was bothering him. Perhaps he was
lonely, or discouraged. He was coming to seek guidance from the wise man that
lived on the hill on the outskirts of town.
Entering the counsellor's house, the young man found him reading, deep in
thought.
"Excuse me, sir," he said hesitantly. The old man lifted his eyes.
Timidly, with a courteous bow and a voice of desperation, the young man said, "I
have come seeking your help … sir." After a short pause, he continued, "I have
dreams that I believe I can achieve, but no one thinks I have the ability
to
reach them. People see little value in me."
The old man continued his reading. After a while, he said, "Before I can
give you any counsel, I need your help. Are you willing?" Somewhat
disappointed for having his own needs ignored, the young man nevertheless
responded, "I will try, sir."
The wise man stood up. Stretching himself a bit, he said, "I may need to
pay a large debt in the future, for which I will need money. Here is my gold
ring. Take it to the market and find out how much I can get for it, but
don't settle for anything less than five gold coins. There is my horse.
Go!"
The young man held onto the ring tightly and upon reaching the market
place, went from stall to stall, offering it in exchange for cash. The fruit
seller ignored him. The clothes merchant told him that he was not interested. The
farmer selling chickens continued to bargain with a customer and waved him
away.
Finally, the young man reached the pig seller's stall. After examining the
ring for a while in his dirty hand, he said with a covetous smirk, "Tell
the owner that I am willing to give him five bronze coins for this."
"I fulfilled your assignment, sir," said the young man upon his return.
"No one in the market is willing to give five gold coins for your beautiful
ring."
"That's fine," responded the wise man. Now we know how little the market
people value this ring. Go to the jeweller in town and show it to him."
When the jeweller saw the gold ring, he quickly stood up and used a silk
handkerchief to hold it carefully. Bring it under a lamp, he examined it
in detail with a magnifying glass. "A masterpiece," he said softly. "If the
owner of the ring is in a hurry, I will buy it for 10 gold coins myself.
But if he gives me time to bring out all its beauty, I shall find a wealthy
customer willing to pay at least 20 gold coins for it."
The wise man listened attentively to the report the happy young man
brought back and then told him, "Don't let the ignorant tell you the value of
something they know nothing about. Listen only to the appraisal of the
skilled specialist, the one who can recognize the true value of a master
artist's work."
And with a smile, the wise man placed the golden ring back on his finger
and waved the young man good-bye.
1. Activate your 3G Connection when needed instead of always On.
2. Close unwanted apps before switching the iPad to sleep mode.
3. Lower the brightness level to the brightness needed.
4. Activate your Wifi Connection when needed instead of aslways On.
5. Charge your ipad when battery remaining is 15% to 20%.
6. Turn off Location services.
7. Disable automatic email Fetching.
8. Turn notification alert to None.
9. Change screen timeout to lesser seconds.
10. Set Auto Brightness to off.
1. If you have claimed for a claim in an year then, the next year
excess compulsary imposed value will be increased. If claim is not done for the next year then it will be again removed.
2. Please note that for Bumper damage in accident, by default insurance will not
cover fully. 50% Depriciation will be there and 50% will only be claimed. So you have to go for Bumper to Bumper Insurance which will cost you extra.
3. There is a goodwill reduction which you can claim from the branch where you have bought the car. But if you have claimed the insurance for a year, then you will not get the discount from next year.
4. Excess compulsary imposed value is the value which need to be paid compulasrily when you are applying for the claim.
5. If you have claimed in the year, then you will not get no claim bonus for the next year
My wife called, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will you
come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?'
I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only daughter
Sindu looked frightened.
Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a bowl filled
to its brim with Curd Rice. Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent
for her age.She has just turned eight. She particularly detested
Curd Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox, and believe firmly in
the 'cooling effects' of Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked
up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling,why don't you take a few mouthful of
this Curd Rice?Just for Dad's sake, dear.
Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her
hands. 'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few
mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this. But, you should...' Sindu
hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me
whatever I ask for?'....... ....Oh sure,
darling'.... 'Promise? '........ .........
'Promise'. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with
mine, and clinched the deal.
'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted.
My wife put her hand on Sindu's, muttering 'Promise'.
Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu dear, you shouldn't insist on
getting a computer or any such expensive items.Dad does not have
that kind of money right now. OK?'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything expensive'.Slowly and painfully,
she finished eating the whole quantity.
I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child
eat something that she detested.
After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide
with expectation.
All our attention was on her......... ....'Dad, I
want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!' was her demand.
'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved
off? Impossible!' 'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.'She has
been watching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally
spoiled with these TV programs!'
Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad
seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'
'No, Dad. I do not want anything else', Sindu said with finality.
'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?' I
tried to plead with her.
'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'.
Sindu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask
for.Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told
me the story of King Harishchandra, and its moral that we should
honor our promises no matter what?'
It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'
'Are you out your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.
'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor
her own. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.'
With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes
looked big and beautiful.
On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to
watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom.She turned
around and waved. I waved back with a smile.
Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please
wait for me!'
What struck me was the hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is
the in-stuff', I thought.
'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducing
herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,' That boy who is
walking along with your daughter is my son Harish.He is suffering
from... ... leukemia.' She paused to muffle her sobs. Harish could
not attend the school for the whole of the last month.He lost all
his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to
come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of
the schoolmates. 'Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him
that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the
sake of my son!
Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your
daughter.'
I stood transfixed. And then, I wept. 'My little Angel, you are
teaching me how self-less real love is!'
Prakash
Iyer, Managing Director, Kimberly-Clark Lever and Executive Coach
shares two important management lessons he learnt from a 500-rupee note.
Read on.
1. It happened some years ago but I can recall the evening like it happened just last week.
I was in an audience listening to a motivational guru.
The speaker whipped out his wallet and pulled out a five hundred-rupee note.
Holding it up, he asked, "Who wants this five hundred rupee note?"
Lots of hands went up. Including mine.
A slow chorus began to build as people began to shout "Me!" "Me!"
I
began to wonder who the lucky one would be who the speaker would
choose. And I also secretly wondered -- and I am sure others did too --
why he would simply give away five hundred rupees.
Even as the shouts of "I want it" grew louder, I noticed a young woman
running down the aisle. She ran up onto the stage, went up to the
speaker, and grabbed the five hundred-rupee note from his hand. "Well
done, young lady," said the speaker into the microphone.
"Most of us just wait for good things to happen. That's of no use. You've got to make things happen."
The speaker's words have stayed with me ever since.
'Simply thinking about doing something is of no use'
Our lives are like that. We all see opportunities around us. We all want the good things.
But the problem is we don't take action.
We all want the five hundred rupee notes on offer. But we don't make the move. We look at it longingly
Get up, and do something about it. Don't worry about what other people might think. Take action.
2. Several years later, it was another day, another time.
And another motivational guru.
As
I watched him pull out a five hundred rupee note and hold it up for all
to see, I thought I knew what he was going to do next. But he just
asked a simple question. "How much is this worth?"
"Five Hundred rupees!" the crowd yelled in unison.
"Right," said the speaker. He then took the note and crumpled it into a ball and asked "How much is it worth now?"
"Five Hundred rupees!" screamed the audience.
He then threw the note on the ground, stamped all over it and picked up
the note and asked one more time: "And how much is it worth now?"
"Five Hundred rupees!" was the response.
"I want you to remember this," said the speaker.
"Just because someone crumples it, or stamps on it, the value of the note does not diminish.
We should all be like the five hundred rupee note.
In
our lives, there will be times when we feel crushed, stamped over,
beaten. But never let your self-worth diminish. Just because someone
chooses to crush you -- that doesn't change your worth one bit!
Don't allow your self-worth to diminish because someone says something nasty -- or does something dirty -- to you."