A LESSON FROM A FROG TALE

:

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.

Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all of their might. Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two frogs wouldn’t be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible.

The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting that they should save their energy and give up, since they were already as good as dead. The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could, and after several hours of desperate effort were quite weary.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grief. The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy he had, although his body was wracked with pain and he was completely exhausted.

His companions began a new, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die. The weary frog jumped harder and harder and - wonder of wonders! Finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit. Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculous freedom and then gathering around him asked, “Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?” Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.

This simple story contains a powerful lesson. Your encouraging words can lift someone up and help him or her make it through the day. Your destructive words can cause deep wounds; they may be the weapons that destroy someone’s desire to continue trying - or even their life. Your destructive, careless word can diminish someone in the eyes of others, destroy their influence and have a lasting impact on the way others respond to them.

#AnyTimeRead #MoralStories

Continue Reading...

THE CRACKED POT:

Once upon a time there was a water-bearer in India who had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pot full of water in his master’s house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water-bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer.

“What are you ashamed of ?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work and you don’t get full value from your efforts, the pot said. The water-bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side?

That’s because have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and warding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

#English #moral #stories

Continue Reading...

The Right answet

 

A Teacher teaching Maths to a seven year-old Rose asked him “If I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple, how many apples will you have?” Within a few seconds Rose replied confidently, “Four!”. 

“Maybe the child did not listen properly”, she thought. She repeated, “Rose, listen carefully. It is very simple. If I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple, how many apples will you have? "

Rose calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied: “Four…..”

The teacher remembered Rose loves Strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn’t like apples and that is making him lose focus. 

This time with exaggerated excitement and twinkling eyes she asked, “If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one more strawberry, then how many will Rose have?" 

Young Rose calculated on his fingers again. With a hesitating smile young Rose enquired, “Three"? The teacher now had victorious smile. But one last thing remained. 

Once again she asked him, “Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple, how many will you have?" Promptly Rose answered, “Four!" The teacher was aghast. ”How Rose, How?” she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice. 

In a voice that was law and hesitating young Rose replied, “Because I already have on apple in my bag”...

Moral of the Story: When someone gives us an answer that is different from what we are expecting, not necessarily they are wrong. There may be an angle that we have not understood at all.

THE END

Continue Reading...

Dreams comes true

 “I dreamt of becoming a pilot since I was young. My father was in the army - we lived in Pathankot and then shifted to Vijaywada. I was put in schools where we were taught to read and write in English- but where spoken English was rare. In class 9, a teacher asked me to write 10 things I wanted from life and I took that assignment seriously. 

The first thing on my list was to become a pilot and the second was to become a lawyer. Someone told me that I had to get above 90% for that so I worked hard and got a 100 in almost everything… I was that passionate. 

But there was a lot of social and financial pressure on my parents. It was an unconventional field, especially for a girl. It was also expensive–but still, they used their savings, took loans from banks and their friends and overcame the pressure to send me to flight school. That just motivated me to work even harder to make them proud.

Flight school wasn’t easy. People teased me when I spoke in English–they kept making fun of my pronunciations… but instead of cowering away, I learned from them and perfected my speaking skills. I was still so happy to be there. I think that got me where I needed to go–because I didn’t worry about the future.. I just learned along the way and kept going.

Once I graduated, I immediately got a job and my pilot license on the same day! In fact... I got my job before the license which doesn’t usually happen. Before I knew it, I was a 19 year old pilot!

After my training in Spain, I even became a first officer… It wasn’t easy–you’re in a new city with no set schedule, the timings are off and you go back to an empty house. But still - I just kept taking each challenge in my stride–knowing that this was the way of the world. 

This somehow motivated me to even cross out the next thing on my list–becoming a lawyer. 

At 19, I came back to Bombay and started taking courses to do my LLB. Becoming a pilot was my dream but I wanted to learn everything I could–never worried about chasing success. I’d make sure to attend the classes whenever I was in town. Even if my flight landed at 2:00am, I’d be ready to go to class at 6:00am on the same day! I’d study during my breaks on flight -- I couldn’t be stopped!

And now, a decade later after a lot of flights and a lot of fight, I became the youngest female commander to fly a Boeing 777 with the largest twin-jet engine in the world… it was a different ‘high’ all together!

I was able to pay off my loans, contribute to my siblings’ education and travel the world–making my parents travel too! And now with most things crossed off that list, I’m making a new one–because the best is always yet to come!”

Continue Reading...