Welcome to the Quote of the Week. Your presence, exactly as is at this very moment, is greatly appreciated.
__________
"Life is a constantly morphing thing. Just when you think you know where it's all headed you wake up the next morning to a completely different view. The landscape has changed along with the seasons, but the trees are the same trees, only your view has changed. So you try to cling to the old things that used to comfort you, clinging to the familiar, but they provide little or no solace. The fears do not subside. At this point we have no choice but to surrender to the unknown.
that is where the real beauty lies.
It is not in the knowing, the familiar, the expected. But in the embracing of the unknown. a willingness to walk down a new path and to trust that everything is as it should be. perfect. as it is.
Schopenhauer said,"When you look back on your life, it looks as though it were a plot, but when you are into it, it's a mess: just one surprise after another. Then, later, you see it was perfect."
Sometimes there are little glimpses of the perfection, amidst the mess. It is at those times we feel blessed beyond measure."
Keri Smith
_________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."
T.S. Eliot
______________________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
12 October 2009
05 October 2009
From the Quote of the Week Files, October 5, 2009
Welcome to the Quote of the Week. A place where you can fight the daily grind with an eclectic mix of inspirational quotes from the world's great thinkers!
__________
"Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world."
Laozi (Tao Te Ching)
_________
A Recyled Quote of the Week Classic...
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings."
Eric Hoffer
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
__________
"Simplicity, patience, compassion.
These three are your greatest treasures.
Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.
Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world."
Laozi (Tao Te Ching)
_________
A Recyled Quote of the Week Classic...
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings."
Eric Hoffer
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
03 October 2009
A Quote of the Week; With Sadness; September 28, 2009
Be strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift;
Shun not the struggle—face it; 'tis God's gift.
Be strong!
Say not, "The days are evil. Who's to blame?"
And fold the hands and acquiesce—oh shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God's name.
Be strong!
It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long;
Faint not—fight on! To-morrow comes the song.
Maltbie Davenport Babcock
__________
A couple of months ago my father read me the above poem. It was a beautiful reading even though he struggled through it a bit because, as some of you know, has Alzheimer's Disease. This Sunday morning (27 September) my Father’s life quietly and peacefully came to an end as he was surounded by his children. We are happy that he is now in hands of god and that he is with my mother and all his loved ones who have passed before him. While sad, I am also comforted by the fact of how my sisters and I were able care for him in his final hours making his passing all the more beautiful.
I would like to dedicate this poem to my Dad. In God’s hands he will rest, in my heart he will live forever.
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift;
We have hard work to do, and loads to lift;
Shun not the struggle—face it; 'tis God's gift.
Be strong!
Say not, "The days are evil. Who's to blame?"
And fold the hands and acquiesce—oh shame!
Stand up, speak out, and bravely, in God's name.
Be strong!
It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long;
Faint not—fight on! To-morrow comes the song.
Maltbie Davenport Babcock
__________
A couple of months ago my father read me the above poem. It was a beautiful reading even though he struggled through it a bit because, as some of you know, has Alzheimer's Disease. This Sunday morning (27 September) my Father’s life quietly and peacefully came to an end as he was surounded by his children. We are happy that he is now in hands of god and that he is with my mother and all his loved ones who have passed before him. While sad, I am also comforted by the fact of how my sisters and I were able care for him in his final hours making his passing all the more beautiful.
I would like to dedicate this poem to my Dad. In God’s hands he will rest, in my heart he will live forever.
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
21 September 2009
From the Quote of the Week Files, September 21, 2009
It is now time to leave your world of tension, anxiety and doubt and tune into this week's Quote of the Week!
__________
"Each today, well-lived, makes yesterday a dream of happiness and each tomorrow a vision of hope. Look, therefore, to this one day, for it and it alone is life".
Sanskrit poem
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week...
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."
Marcus Aurelius
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
__________
"Each today, well-lived, makes yesterday a dream of happiness and each tomorrow a vision of hope. Look, therefore, to this one day, for it and it alone is life".
Sanskrit poem
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week...
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."
Marcus Aurelius
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
14 September 2009
From the Quote of the Week Files, September 14, 2009
Are you ready to enjoy a new inspiring or insightful Quote of the Week? It's great with a fresh cup of coffee or tea as you begin (or end) your day!
__________
"There is neither happiness nor unhappiness in this world; there is only the comparison of one state with another. Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss. It is necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.....the sum of all human wisdom will be contained in these two words: Wait and Hope."
Alesandre Dumas
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A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
"The way into this new world can be so simple - and so sweet. When you're willing to listen to your own voice and trust yourself enough to follow your heart, you encounter your true power - a power marked by courage and vulnerability. Any moment you offer a whole-hearted 'Yes!' to your own truth, you are infused with the power, self-worth, self-respect, self-esteem and confidence that will give wings to the best year of your life."
Debbie Ford
_________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
__________
"There is neither happiness nor unhappiness in this world; there is only the comparison of one state with another. Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss. It is necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.....the sum of all human wisdom will be contained in these two words: Wait and Hope."
Alesandre Dumas
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
"The way into this new world can be so simple - and so sweet. When you're willing to listen to your own voice and trust yourself enough to follow your heart, you encounter your true power - a power marked by courage and vulnerability. Any moment you offer a whole-hearted 'Yes!' to your own truth, you are infused with the power, self-worth, self-respect, self-esteem and confidence that will give wings to the best year of your life."
Debbie Ford
_________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
09 September 2009
From the Blog Provocations; Responding to a Cut-Flower Society
Some thirty-five years ago I listened to a talk by evangelist Leighton Ford in which he mentioned we are living in a “cut-flower society.” What I took him to mean is that we are a culture cut off from our roots, still exhibiting the beauty of its blossoms, but beginning to fade, as happens when a flower is cut off from its source of nutrients. I believe now, some three and a half decades later, we are beginning to see the petals fall off. What are we to do? How does one individual respond—not only to the external petals dropping, GM in bankruptcy, ballooning national debt, increasing cultural coarseness, public and private corruption—but to the personal petals dropping, losing a house, a job, a marriage?
“We are formed by what we admire.”
One part of the answer is a kind of recalibration. In the introduction to his eclectic collection of 365 lives of men and women throughout history called All Saints, editor Robert Ellsberg says: “We are formed by what we admire.” Therein lies part of our problem. On a recent flight from Jacksonville to Baltimore, 150 passengers were asked to name one Medal of Honor winner. One man named one of our national heroes. When asked who was the most recent American Idol winner, forty-three passengers knew the name.
We need to recalibrate who and what we admire. One person worthy of our admiration is a man named Alphonsus Rodriguez, one of the people in Ellsberg’s All Saints. Alphonsus was born to a wealthy Spanish wool merchant in 1533. At the age of twelve his father died and his mother summoned him home from a nearby Jesuit college, where he had just begun his studies, to run the family business. Some years later, at age twenty-seven, he married and had two children. When he was nearly forty, all the petals in his life dropped off. His wife died in childbirth, followed shortly by the deaths of his mother and his other children, and the family business failed.
Rather than shaking his fist at God for such multiple misfortune, Alphonsus decided to dedicate the rest of his life in service to God. He attempted to enter the Society of Jesus but was turned down due to his age and, ironically, his lack of education. He persisted and was eventually offered the position of porter at a nearby Jesuit college—essentially greeting and carrying the luggage of incoming students. He stayed at this post for the next forty years.
That would mark the end of a seemingly unremarkable life except for one facet. As Ellsberg describes it, “He performed his tasks with such infinite love that the act of opening the door became a sacramental gesture. So deeply did the porter’s faith and love shine through his daily occupation that many of his students who passed through his doorway ended up applying for his spiritual direction.” Thus he became the spiritual mentor of generations of Jesuit priests who, in turn, influenced countless others. In a final tribute to his life, his funeral was attended not only by Spanish royalty but by many poor and sick of the area.
One response to our “cut-flower society” is to recalibrate what we admire. Another is to seek out our own unique calling and pursue it with passion and sacramental purpose. You and I can make a difference.
Malcolm Briggs is founder and principal of Andesa Strategies, Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a Trustee of the Trinity Forum.
“We are formed by what we admire.”
One part of the answer is a kind of recalibration. In the introduction to his eclectic collection of 365 lives of men and women throughout history called All Saints, editor Robert Ellsberg says: “We are formed by what we admire.” Therein lies part of our problem. On a recent flight from Jacksonville to Baltimore, 150 passengers were asked to name one Medal of Honor winner. One man named one of our national heroes. When asked who was the most recent American Idol winner, forty-three passengers knew the name.
We need to recalibrate who and what we admire. One person worthy of our admiration is a man named Alphonsus Rodriguez, one of the people in Ellsberg’s All Saints. Alphonsus was born to a wealthy Spanish wool merchant in 1533. At the age of twelve his father died and his mother summoned him home from a nearby Jesuit college, where he had just begun his studies, to run the family business. Some years later, at age twenty-seven, he married and had two children. When he was nearly forty, all the petals in his life dropped off. His wife died in childbirth, followed shortly by the deaths of his mother and his other children, and the family business failed.
Rather than shaking his fist at God for such multiple misfortune, Alphonsus decided to dedicate the rest of his life in service to God. He attempted to enter the Society of Jesus but was turned down due to his age and, ironically, his lack of education. He persisted and was eventually offered the position of porter at a nearby Jesuit college—essentially greeting and carrying the luggage of incoming students. He stayed at this post for the next forty years.
That would mark the end of a seemingly unremarkable life except for one facet. As Ellsberg describes it, “He performed his tasks with such infinite love that the act of opening the door became a sacramental gesture. So deeply did the porter’s faith and love shine through his daily occupation that many of his students who passed through his doorway ended up applying for his spiritual direction.” Thus he became the spiritual mentor of generations of Jesuit priests who, in turn, influenced countless others. In a final tribute to his life, his funeral was attended not only by Spanish royalty but by many poor and sick of the area.
One response to our “cut-flower society” is to recalibrate what we admire. Another is to seek out our own unique calling and pursue it with passion and sacramental purpose. You and I can make a difference.
Malcolm Briggs is founder and principal of Andesa Strategies, Inc. in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and a Trustee of the Trinity Forum.
From the Quote of the Week Files, September 7, 2009
Welcome to the Quote of the Week, your first aid for pessimism!
We have 3 quotes this week and they are dedicated to all the teachers that are members of the QoftheW. Good luck in the upcoming school year!!
__________
"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."
W. B. Yeats
_____
"In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have."
Lee Iacocca
_____
"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself."
Chinese Proverb
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
Take this quiz:
Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.
Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Charles Schultz
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
We have 3 quotes this week and they are dedicated to all the teachers that are members of the QoftheW. Good luck in the upcoming school year!!
__________
"Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire."
W. B. Yeats
_____
"In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have."
Lee Iacocca
_____
"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself."
Chinese Proverb
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
Take this quiz:
Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.
Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Charles Schultz
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
31 August 2009
From the Quote of the Week Files, August 31, 2009
Welcome to the Quote of the Week where every once in a while, someone has something that is truly meaningful, important, apropos, interesting, irreverent, or just plain funny. Hopefully, this week's quote will fall into one of those categories.
__________
"Our time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. "
Steve Jobs
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic
Fear less, hope more;
Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more;
Hate less, love more;
And all good things are yours.
Swedish Proverb
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
__________
"Our time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. "
Steve Jobs
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic
Fear less, hope more;
Whine less, breathe more;
Talk less, say more;
Hate less, love more;
And all good things are yours.
Swedish Proverb
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
24 August 2009
From the Quote of the Week Files, August 24, 2009
Welcome to the Quote of the Week where you can find Quotations, Thoughts and Proverbs of Philosophers, Kings, Politicians, Wise, Famous and not so Famous People. This week's quote really rules for living by The Dalai Lama.
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Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living
I think I will work on #'s 3 & 4 this week!
_________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
"Where there is great doubt, there will be great awakening;
small doubt, small awakening,
no doubt, no awakening."
Zen Saying
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
________
Dalai Lama's 18 Rules for Living
- Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
- When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
- Follow the three Rs: Respect for self; Respect for others; Responsibility for all your actions.
- Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
- Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
- Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
- When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
- Spend some time alone every day.
- Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
- Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
- Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
- A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
- In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
- Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
- Be gentle with the earth.
- Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
- Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
- Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
I think I will work on #'s 3 & 4 this week!
_________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
"Where there is great doubt, there will be great awakening;
small doubt, small awakening,
no doubt, no awakening."
Zen Saying
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
18 August 2009
17 August 2009
From the Quote of the Week Files, August 17, 2009
You are dazed, bewildered, trapped in a world with no time, where color collides with sound, and shadows explode. You see a sign up ahead. This is no ordinary email, this is the "Quote of the Week Zone."
_________
"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of someone elses life with perfection."
Bhagavad Gita
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
"Once in a while you have to take a break and visit yourself."
Audrey Giorgi
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
_________
"It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of someone elses life with perfection."
Bhagavad Gita
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week Classic...
"Once in a while you have to take a break and visit yourself."
Audrey Giorgi
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
10 August 2009
From the Quote of the Week Files, August 10, 2009
Welcome to the Quote of the Week (actually, it is a short story, longer than your average quote!) I know; I know ~ as you are scrolling down you are wondering if it is worth reading it. Well because of it's length, I will make this a "Money back Guarantee Quote of the Week. If you don't find big meaning with this short parable, I will refund your money!! Enjoy!
___________
Three Questions
One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter.
What is the best time to do each thing?
Who are the most important people to work with?
What is the most important thing to do at all times?
The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.
In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.
Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.
Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.
Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.
The responses to the second question also lacked accord.
One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.
The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.
-------------------------------
The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.
After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.
Reaching the holy man's dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.
The emperor approached him and said, "I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?"
The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, "You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that." The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.
After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, "Why don't you rest now? I can take over again." But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, "I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can't give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home."
The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, "Do you hear someone running over there?" The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man's clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.
At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit's bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, "Please forgive me."
"But what have you done that I should forgive you?" the emperor asked.
"You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn't met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness."
The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man's property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.
The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. "But your questions have already been answered."
"How's that?" the emperor asked, puzzled.
"Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life."
Leo Tolstoy
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
___________
Three Questions
One day it occurred to a certain emperor that if he only knew the answers to three questions, he would never stray in any matter.
What is the best time to do each thing?
Who are the most important people to work with?
What is the most important thing to do at all times?
The emperor issued a decree throughout his kingdom announcing that whoever could answer the questions would receive a great reward. Many who read the decree made their way to the palace at once, each person with a different answer.
In reply to the first question, one person advised that the emperor make up a thorough time schedule, consecrating every hour, day, month, and year for certain tasks and then follow the schedule to the letter. Only then could he hope to do every task at the right time.
Another person replied that it was impossible to plan in advance and that the emperor should put all vain amusements aside and remain attentive to everything in order to know what to do at what time.
Someone else insisted that, by himself, the emperor could never hope to have all the foresight and competence necessary to decide when to do each and every task and what he really needed was to set up a Council of the Wise and then to act according to their advice.
Someone else said that certain matters required immediate decision and could not wait for consultation, but if he wanted to know in advance what was going to happen he should consult magicians and soothsayers.
The responses to the second question also lacked accord.
One person said that the emperor needed to place all his trust in administrators, another urged reliance on priests and monks, while others recommended physicians. Still others put their faith in warriors.
The third question drew a similar variety of answers. Some said science was the most important pursuit. Others insisted on religion. Yet others claimed the most important thing was military skill.
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The emperor was not pleased with any of the answers, and no reward was given.
After several nights of reflection, the emperor resolved to visit a hermit who lived up on the mountain and was said to be an enlightened man. The emperor wished to find the hermit to ask him the three questions, though he knew the hermit never left the mountains and was known to receive only the poor, refusing to have anything to do with persons of wealth or power. So the emperor disguised himself as a simple peasant and ordered his attendants to wait for him at the foot of the mountain while he climbed the slope alone to seek the hermit.
Reaching the holy man's dwelling place, the emperor found the hermit digging a garden in front of his hut. When the hermit saw the stranger, he nodded his head in greeting and continued to dig. The labor was obviously hard on him. He was an old man, and each time he thrust his spade into the ground to turn the earth, he heaved heavily.
The emperor approached him and said, "I have come here to ask your help with three questions: When is the best time to do each thing? Who are the most important people to work with? What is the most important thing to do at all times?"
The hermit listened attentively but only patted the emperor on the shoulder and continued digging. The emperor said, "You must be tired. Here, let me give you a hand with that." The hermit thanked him, handed the emperor the spade, and then sat down on the ground to rest.
After he had dug two rows, the emperor stopped and turned to the hermit and repeated his three questions. The hermit still did not answer, but instead stood up and pointed to the spade and said, "Why don't you rest now? I can take over again." But the emperor continued to dig. One hour passed, then two. Finally the sun began to set behind the mountain. The emperor put down the spade and said to the hermit, "I came here to ask if you could answer my three questions. But if you can't give me any answer, please let me know so that I can get on may way home."
The hermit lifted his head and asked the emperor, "Do you hear someone running over there?" The emperor turned his head. They both saw a man with a long white beard emerge from the woods. He ran wildly, pressing his hands against a bloody wound in his stomach. The man ran toward the emperor before falling unconscious to the ground, where he lay groaning. Opening the man's clothing, the emperor and hermit saw that the man had received a deep gash. The emperor cleaned the wound thoroughly and then used his own shirt to bandage it, but the blood completely soaked it within minutes. He rinsed the shirt out and bandaged the wound a second time and continued to do so until the flow of blood had stopped.
At last the wounded man regained consciousness and asked for a drink of water. The emperor ran down to the stream and brought back a jug of fresh water. Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared and the night air had begun to turn cold. The hermit gave the emperor a hand in carrying the man into the hut where they laid him down on the hermit's bed. The man closed his eyes and lay quietly. The emperor was worn out from the long day of climbing the mountain and digging the garden. Leaning against the doorway, he fell asleep. When he rose, the sun had already risen over the mountain. For a moment he forgot where he was and what he had come here for. He looked over to the bed and saw the wounded man also looking around him in confusion. When he saw the emperor, he stared at him intently and then said in a faint whisper, "Please forgive me."
"But what have you done that I should forgive you?" the emperor asked.
"You do not know me, your majesty, but I know you. I was your sworn enemy, and I had vowed to take vengeance on you, for during the last war you killed my brother and seized my property. When I learned that you were coming alone to the mountain to meet the hermit, I resolved to surprise you on your way back to kill you. But after waiting a long time there was still no sign of you, and so I left my ambush in order to seek you out. But instead of finding you, I came across your attendants, who recognized me, giving me this wound. Luckily, I escaped and ran here. If I hadn't met you I would surely be dead by now. I had intended to kill you, but instead you saved my life! I am ashamed and grateful beyond words. If I live, I vow to be your servant for the rest of my life, and I will bid my children and grandchildren to do the same. Please grant me your forgiveness."
The emperor was overjoyed to see that he was so easily reconciled with a former enemy. He not only forgave the man but promised to return all the man's property and to send his own physician and servants to wait on the man until he was completely healed. After ordering his attendants to take the man home, the emperor returned to see the hermit. Before returning to the palace the emperor wanted to repeat his three questions one last time. He found the hermit sowing seeds in the earth they had dug the day before.
The hermit stood up and looked at the emperor. "But your questions have already been answered."
"How's that?" the emperor asked, puzzled.
"Yesterday, if you had not taken pity on my age and given me a hand with digging these beds, you would have been attacked by that man on your way home. Then you would have deeply regretted not staying with me. Therefore the most important time was the time you were digging in the beds, the most important person was myself, and the most important pursuit was to help me. Later, when the wounded man ran up here, the most important time was the time you spent dressing his wound, for if you had not cared for him he would have died and you would have lost the chance to be reconciled with him. Likewise, he was the most important person, and the most important pursuit was taking care of his wound. Remember that there is only one important time and is Now. The present moment is the only time over which we have dominion. The most important person is always the person with whom you are, who is right before you, for who knows if you will have dealings with any other person in the future. The most important pursuit is making that person, the one standing at you side, happy, for that alone is the pursuit of life."
Leo Tolstoy
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Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
03 August 2009
From the Quote of the Week Files, August 3, 2009
Good Morning, Good Afternoon or Good Evening and Welcome to the Quote of the Week!!! It is time to get away from the all important details of day-to-day life, take a deep breath, relax your shoulders, kick off your shoes and enjoy reading today's quotes!
Actually, the featured quote are questions by Nikita Mikhalkov, a Russian filmmaker who asked his daughter the same questions each year from the time she was six until she was 17 and documented her growing moral awareness and maturity. While for parents, this maybe a great way to capture the lives of your children over time, but for me, they are qreat questions to ask myself (I am still thinking about my answers. What are your answers? Here are the six questions:
__________
What do you love the most?
What do you hate the most?
What scares you the most?
What do you want more than anything right now?
What do you expect from life?
What does the homeland mean to you?
Nikita Mikhalkov
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week...
"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."
Frederick Keonig
__________
Happy Birthday to Quote of the Week member Darlene L., who had a big bash to celebrate!!
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
Actually, the featured quote are questions by Nikita Mikhalkov, a Russian filmmaker who asked his daughter the same questions each year from the time she was six until she was 17 and documented her growing moral awareness and maturity. While for parents, this maybe a great way to capture the lives of your children over time, but for me, they are qreat questions to ask myself (I am still thinking about my answers. What are your answers? Here are the six questions:
__________
What do you love the most?
What do you hate the most?
What scares you the most?
What do you want more than anything right now?
What do you expect from life?
What does the homeland mean to you?
Nikita Mikhalkov
__________
A Recycled Quote of the Week...
"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."
Frederick Keonig
__________
Happy Birthday to Quote of the Week member Darlene L., who had a big bash to celebrate!!
__________
Wishing you a most beautiful day, wherever this may find you!
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