Parable of a Pencil

The Pencil maker took the pencil aside, just before putting it into the box. “There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.”

1.       You will be able to do many great things when you allow yourself to be held in someone's hand.

2.      You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better pencil.

3.      You are enabled with the ability to be erased and rewritten, be ready to learn, correct and move on.

4.      The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.

5.      On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write. That is your mission.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with us - always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

1.      And allow other human beings to access you for the many talent / gifts you possess.

2.     You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.

3.     You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make, be ready to accept that mistakes do happen, but learn from it.

4.     The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.

5.     You leave your mark on each path that you take no matter what the situation, you must continue to do your duties.

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change

The Art of Persuasion

How many times a day do you think someone tries to persuade you? Twenty? Thirty? Actually it's more like four hundred according psychologist Kevin Dutton of Cambridge University. He outlines the five principles of persuasion in his book Split-Second Persuasion. Remember the acronym   S-P-I-C-E.

SIMPLICITY: A simple message makes it easy for people to get persuaded. Complex arguments make people suspicious.

PERCEIVED SELF-INTEREST: Focus on the benefits to the person you wish to persuade, rather than emphasizing your own needs. Don’t say, “We will be able to do this with 20 people dedicated to your project”. Instead try saying, “Your inventory costs will drop by XXX.”

INCONGRUITY: Changing the unit of measurement changes the usual reference points. For example, we have all heard that you need 10,000 hours of practice to be great at any skill. What does that really mean? If you work at it for eight hours a day, every day, in four years you could be an expert at something.

CONFIDENCE: People are persuaded more when you come across as confident. Sales people need to demonstrate confidence in their speech and body language if they wish to persuade someone to buy. 

EMPATHY: We trust people like ourselves. Try to see what common forms of connection you can find. Maybe you studied in the same college or belong to the same town or enjoy the same hobby. Or sometimes even mimicking their actions like nodding can help people listen to you with an open mind.

Source: http://splitsecondpersuasion.com/

How can a woman stay safe?

What to do if a woman finds herself alone in the company of a strange man as she prepares to enter a lift in a high-rise apartment late at night?
Experts Say: Enter the lift. If you need to reach the 13th floor, press all the buttons up to your destination. No one will dare attack you in a lift that stops on every floor.

What to do if a stranger tries to attack you when you are alone in your house, run into the kitchen.

Experts Say: You alone know where the chili power and turmeric are kept.  And where the knives and plates are. All these can be turned into deadly weapons. If nothing else, start throwing plates and utensils all over. Let them break. Scream. Remember that noise is the greatest enemy of a molester. He does not want to be caught.

Taking an Auto or Taxi at Night.

Experts Say: Before getting into an auto at night, note down its registration number. Then use the mobile to call your family or friend and pass on the details to them in the language the driver understands .Even if no one answers your call, pretend you are in a conversation. The driver now knows someone has his details and he will be in serious trouble if anything goes wrong. He is now bound to take you home safe and sound. A potential attacker is now your de-facto protector!

What if the driver turns into a street he is not supposed to - and you feel you are entering a danger zone?
Experts Say: Use the handle of your purse or your stole (dupatta) to wrap around his neck and pull him back. Within seconds, he will feel choked and helpless. In case you don’t have a purse or stole just pull him back by his collar. The top button of his shirt would then do the same trick.

If you are stalked at night.

Expert Say:  enter a shop or a house and explain your predicament.  If it is night and shops are not open, go inside an ATM box. ATM centers always have security guards. They are also monitored by close circuit television.  Fearing identification, no one will dare attack you.

It is important is to stay cool at all times. In your spare time, think of everyday situations where you can be in trouble and how you can save yourself.

> After all, being mentally alert is the greatest weapon you can ever have.

Ask Granny How To?

 As we were walking by the local park, we saw granny sitting with a friend, and thought it would be the perfect time to ask her advice about some daily problems we've been having around the house!

"Granny! Our kitchen has been invaded by the nearest ant nest!"
Granny says: 'Ants hate cucumbers. Find the ant hole and leave cucumber skin next to it, they won't poke their little heads out!'

"Granny! Our ice always comes out 'foggy' and opaque, how can we make nice clear ice?"
Granny says: 'If you want clear ice, just boil the water before you freeze them and keep them isolated, it's the other particles in the water that makes it look dirty.'

"Granny! I got chewing gum stuck on my favorite shirt and I can't get it off!"
Granny Says: 'If you have chewing gum stuck to your clothes, put them in the freezer for about an hour. Then you should be able to simply remove the frozen chewing gum by hand.'

Granny next to her: 'Sorry to cut in, but tell them they can also smear a tiny bit of peanut butter on it and let it sit. The fat in the butter will cause the chewing gum to love its hold.'

"Granny! We have unwanted guests in the house - rats!"
Granny says: 'Spill some black pepper where ever you find mice or rats, they'll take one sniff and head for the hills!'

"Granny! My hair has lost its luster and spark!"
Granny says: 'If you want luster in your hair (personally I prefer distinguished grey hair), add a spoon of vinegar and then wash really well. The luster and shine will reappear!'

"Granny! I can never squeeze all the juice out of lemons, there's always more left over."
Granny says: 'Soak the lemons in hot water for one hour, and then you'll easily squeeze out all the juice.'

"Granny! Remember that shirt I stuck my chewing gum to? Well now I spilt ink on on it!"
Granny (rolling her eyes) says: 'Get some toothpaste and rub it on the ink stains. Then let it completely dry and take it to the wash. If you acted fast enough, you just may get a clean shirt back.'

"Granny! How can I stop my eyes from watering while I cut onions?"
Granny says: 'There are several ways. First you can cut the onions under cool water, and suprisingly, chewing gum while cutting will sometimes lower the need for tears.

Granny next to her: 'Sorry but I'd like to add that you can also light a candle near the cutting board, the fire burns the gases that cause your eyes to water.

"Granny! Every time we clean the mirror, we leave obvious marks on it. How to make it completely clean?"Granny says: 'To clean the mirror so it will look new and shiny, clean first with regular cleaning material to remove the dirt and dust layers. Then mix a glass of vinegar with a quarter cup of water and use some newspaper to gently clean the mirror. After that go over that wet area with a fresh and dry newspaper. The mirror will look as new.

"Granny! I don't have much time and I'm hungry, how can I boil potatoes faster?"
Granny Says: 'Peel one side of each potato before you boil them, and they'll be ready much faster.'
Granny next to her: 'Sorry again, but I'd like to add a little tip - to keep peeled potatos in their fresh white color, soak them in cold water and add a few drops of vinegar before putting in the fridge.

"Granny! It takes too long to peel sweet potatos!"
Granny says: 'Boil them, and then immediately soak in cold water for a few minutes. The peeling will be much easier.'

Joy is a choice

There is nothing that can make you happy if you choose not to be. And there is nothing that can prevent you from being happy when happiness is your choice.

There is no need to delay the joy of living until some future, imagined, ideal time when conditions are perfect. Now is when you are living your life, and now is your opportunity to live with genuine joy.

No position or possession or experience or set of circumstances will make your life good. Your life already is filled with magnificent goodness that’s yours to be experienced to whatever degree you allow.

Worrying about the future achieves nothing other than to rob you of joy in the present. Feel the wonder of your being, right here, right now, and fill your awareness with its richness.

Instead of looking for reasons to be envious or resentful, see in each moment all the opportunities for joy. Instead of avoiding or delaying what must be done, step enthusiastically forward each time you have a chance to make a difference.

Joy is a beautiful, life-affirming choice that you can always make no matter what. Choose to live with joy, and give yourself a life that’s truly rich

Two frogs

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, “Did you not hear us?” The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.

Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words… it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.