I’m Slowly Learning that Everything will eventually Make Sense

I’m slowly learning that when your tears dry, your eyes will finally see the truth. Your eyes will finally uncover the truth you were so blind to see or believe. They will show you what really matters. Why things happened the way they did and why we sometimes we need to cry to finally wash away all the lies we told ourselves.

I’m slowly learning that when the pain goes away, you will understand the lesson. You’ll understand the purpose. You’ll understand why you had to go through things the hard way or why you were the chosen one. You’ll eventually use your pain wisely. You’ll eventually understand that your pain made you a better person. Your pain will be a blessing in disguise.

I’m slowly learning that if you have faith in God, things will make more sense. You won’t be so hung up on your mistakes or your failures or your exes. You won’t get so attached to timing and plans and goals. You won’t be so distraught over closed doors or ending or goodbyes. You’ll simply learn how to roll with the punches and how to live without expecting everything to go your way.

I’m slowly learning that things that didn’t work out will eventually work out. In another year, with another person, in a different city, in an unexpected way. Nothing remains the same forever. You won’t always be stuck in a rut. You won’t always feel lost. You won’t always be lonely. You won’t always feel like you don’t belong. There’s a time for everything and when your time comes, you’ll have your moment. You’ll be granted your wishes. You will be happy.

I’m slowly learning that life is not supposed to be easy and it’s not always supposed to add up but somehow it works out. Somehow it pieces itself back together after falling apart. Somehow it makes sense after driving you completely insane. Somehow it brings you calm and serenity after showering you with so many storms.

-- Rania Naim

 

One Day I Decided to Quit

I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. 
I went to the woods to have one last talk with god.

“God”, I asked,“Can you give me one good reason not to quit?”. 
 His answer surprised me... 

“Look around”, He said. “Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"
 
“Yes”, I replied. 

“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. 
I gave them light. I gave them water.The fern quickly grew from the earth. 

Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. 

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo, He said.  

“In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.But I would not quit.  In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit.” He said. 

“Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant.. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.” 

 

He asked me. “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots?”

“I would not quit on the bamboo.I will never quit on you.” 

“Don’t compare yourself to others.” He said.”The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.” 

"Your time will come”, God said to me.

“You will rise high”.

“How high should I rise?” I asked.

“How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.

“As high as it can?” I questioned.”Yes.” He said, “Give Me glory by rising as high as you can.”

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. Never, Never, Never, Give up.

Don’t tell the Lord how big the problem is, tell the problem how Great the Lord is!

 

 

-- Author Unknown

 

The Bamboo and the Fern

One day I decided to quit. I quit my job, my relationship , my spirituality. I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God, I said, "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me.

"Look around," He said, "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes, I replied."

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light, I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo."

He said, "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit."

He said, "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle," He said to me.

"Did you know , my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come," God said to me, "You will rise high !"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned.

"Yes", He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness. Bad days give you experiences. Both are essential to life.

Keep going ...

Happiness keeps you Sweet, Trials keep you Strong, Sorrows keep you Human, Failures keep you humble, Success keeps you Glowing, but Only God keeps you going!

Rise as high as you can!


-- Author Unknown

Where Can You Find the Riches

An African farmer had heard tales about other farmers who had made millions of dollars by discovering diamond mines.

These tales so excited the farmer that he could hardly wait to sell his farm and go prospecting for diamonds himself. So he sold the farm and spent the rest of his life wandering the African continent, searching unsuccessfully for the gleaming gems that brought such high prices on the markets of the world.

Finally, broke, worn out, and in a fit of despondency, he threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, back at the farm, the man who had bought his farm happened to be crossing a small stream on the property one day when he saw something gleaming at the bottom of the stream.

He picked it up. It was a sparkling stone - a good size stone - and, admiring it, he later put it on his fireplace mantel as an interesting curiosity.

Several weeks later, a visitor admired the stone, looked closely at it, hefted it in his hand and nearly fainted. He asked the farmer if he knew what he'd found. When the farmer said no, that he thought it was just a piece of crystal, the visitor told him he had found one of the largest diamonds ever discovered.

The farmer was astonished. He told the man that his creek was full of these brilliant stones, and his farmland was covered with them. Not all were as large, perhaps, as the one on his mantel, but they were sprinkled generously throughout his property.

Needless to say, the farm the first farmer had sold, so that he could search for a diamond mine, turned out to be the most productive diamond mine on the entire African continent.

The first farmer had owned, free and clear, acres of diamonds, but had sold them for practically nothing in order to look for them elsewhere.

The moral is clear: If the first farmer had only taken the time to study and prepare himself - to learn what diamonds looked like in their rough state - and, since he had already owned a piece of land, to thoroughly explore the property he had before looking elsewhere, his wildest dreams would have come true.

EACH OF US IS, AT THIS MOMENT, STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS OR HER OWN ACRE OF DIAMONDS. If each of us will only have the wisdom and patience to begin by exploring ourselves, we will find that we contain all the riches necessary to be able to succeed in whatever endeavors to which we may set our minds and hearts.

-- Russel H. Conwell (Acres of Diamond)

Letting Go a Little Bit At a Time

A young man decided to visit a country known for its uniquely gifted artists. Over the last few years a growing sense of feeling incomplete had stalked him, and the hope behind his journey was to find someone, something, to help him release the great, but still latent forces he knew lived in his heart.

After settling in at a small hostel, he went walking through an expansive outdoor bazaar where hundreds of artisans displayed their works. However, everything seemed commonplace; just another dead-end. What now?

He kept walking, leaving the noisy bazaar far behind him. And that's when his ear caught a light tapping sound from the other side of an old wooden fence. Coming upon an open gate, he peered inside.

A young woman was seated in an open courtyard surrounded by various stone sculptures of wild animals. Although these creations were in various stages of completion, they already exuded a remarkable presence.

Just then the young lady stood up, and pulling a little hammer out of her apron pocket, she walked toward a large stone that was perched on a work pedestal.

After careful examination of one small area she rapped it - just once - with her small hammer. She used so little force, he felt sorry for her timidity. Surely, he thought, she must be a novice; but his eyes couldn't believe what happened next.

Suddenly dozens of small pieces of stone broke away. At first he thought she made a mistake and had cracked the whole stone; a moment later he knew otherwise. She had not ruined the stone; instead, she had released it secret character.

With that one blow she had not only uncovered a beautiful white marble-like material, but had shaped it to resemble the graceful neck of a great swan. He was stunned. What magic was this? He longed to know.

"Please forgive me," he said, entering the courtyard, "but how in the world did you do that with a single blow from your tiny hammer?"

"Oh," she laughed. "I'm guessing you've only been there for the last few minutes. Before you began watching me I had delivered hundreds of similar small blows to the exact same spot on that stone. You saw the result of many days of careful work coupled with a special kind of quiet consideration."

"That's how all great things are achieved; consistent attention coupled with persistent effort - a little bit at a time - until the right time comes when that work is rewarded. Then nothing can stand in the way of what must be released. The practice of this knowledge, in whatever one intends to do, must produce a subsequent revelation that is the heart of liberation itself."

As they shared a smile and said goodbye, the young man knew he had learned an important secret: With consistent attention and persistent effort you can release whatever now stands between you and the freedom for which your heart seeks.

-- Guy Finley (Secrets of Being Unstoppable)

Waiting for Parking, Learning a Lesson

I have been ill and in a lot of pain for quite some time. So my trips away from home have been few and far between, mostly to the doctor's office. Two weeks ago I decided to go to the local market for some fresh produce. As I backed out of my driveway, I asked aloud in the car, "Please help me to show kindness to others today." It was heartfelt and I was eagerly looking for ways I could be kind, for example by letting people into my lane.

I drove to the market, and as I drove up, I saw an elderly man get his wife settled into their car, and then go around the car to the driver's side. They were in a handicapped parking spot, and as I have a handicapped plate, I waited for that close spot. It would mean all the difference in being able to walk into the store, or not. Once inside, I could use their electric cart. But if I had to walk from the farther away parking spots, it would be impossible for me to make the distance without falling. So, patiently I waited.

And I waited and waited and waited, by now not so patiently. Cars pulling up behind me honked their horns, even though I waved them around, even though I had my light blinking to indicate I was waiting for that spot. Finally, after waiting a full THREE MINUTES, I see this man pick up his cellphone and make a call. TWO MORE minutes went by before he closed his phone. My patience had reached its point of no return. "Will you just move your car?!?!" I yelled at the top of my lungs inside the confines of my car. Thankfully, the windows were up and he didn't hear me. It was another minute before his car's reverse lights came on. By the time I got into the spot, I was ready to kill. And then it hit me. HE was my opportunity to be kind that day, and I blew it, BIG TIME. Kindness isn't always face-to-face, it's sometimes energetically or psychically accomplished.

So, in an effort to reverse the negative energy I had felt for him, I sat in the electric cart for a moment with my eyes closed, and sent him all the loving energy I could muster at that point. I sent him a prayer for his safety and that of his wife on their way home, and I acknowledged his wisdom at making the phone call while he was parked and not while he was driving. I prayed for the safety of himself and his wife, and for the safety of others on the road, and I thanked him for that loving gesture. It totally turned around how I felt about him, and changed my whole day, too.

Sometimes I just have to learn a lesson another way. My unheard rant harmed me, not him, and in his consideration of not driving while talking, HE was showing kindness to untold hundreds of people, while I showed none, in spite of my very vocal and heartfelt initial intention. I will always be grateful to him for the lesson he taught me that day.

-- Author Unknown

Keep Driving

One day a young lady was driving along with her father. They came upon a storm, and the young lady asked her father, "What should I do?"

He said "keep driving". Cars began to pull over to the side, the storm was getting worse.

"What should I do?" the young lady asked.

"Keep driving," her father replied.

On up a few feet, she noticed that eighteen wheelers were also pulling over. She told her dad, "I must pull over, I can barely see ahead. It is terrible, and everyone is pulling over!"

Her father told her, "Don't give up, just keep driving!"

Now the storm was terrible, but she never stopped driving, and soon she could see a little more clearly. After a couple of miles she was again on dry land, and the sun came out.

Her father said, "Now you can pull over and get out."

She said "But why now?".

He said "When you get out, look back at all the people that gave up and are still in the storm, because you never gave up, your storm is now over."
 
 
-- Author Unknown

Colonel Sanders' Story

When Colonel Harland Sanders retired at the age of 65, he had little to show for himself, except an old Caddie roadster, a $105 monthly pension check, and a recipe for chicken.

Knowing he couldn't live on his pension, he took his chicken recipe in hand, got behind the wheel of his van, and set out to make his fortune. His first plan was to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant owners, who would in turn give him a residual for every piece of chicken they sold--5 cents per chicken. The first restaurateur he called on turned him down.

So did the second.

So did the third.

In fact, the first 1008 sales calls Colonel Sanders made ended in rejection. Still, he continued to call on owners as he traveled across the USA, sleeping in his car to save money. Prospect number 1009 gave him his first "yes."

After two years of making daily sales he had signed up a total of five restaurants. Still the Colonel pressed on, knowing that he had a great chicken recipe and that someday the idea would catch on.

Of course, you know how the story ends. The idea DID catch on. By 1963 the Colonel had 600 restaurants across the country selling his secret recipe of Kentucky Fried Chicken (with 11 herbs and spices).

In 1964 he was bought out by future Kentucky governor John Brown. Even though the sale made him a multi-millionaire, he continued to represent and promote KFC until his death in 1990.

Colonel Sanders' story teaches an important lesson: its never too late to decide to never give up.

Earlier in his life the Colonel was involved in other business ventures -- but they weren't successful. He had a gas station in the 30's, a restaurant in the 40's, and he gave up on both of them. At the age of 65, however, Harland Sanders decided his chicken idea was the right idea, and he refused to give up, even in spite of repeated rejection.

He knew that if he kept on knocking on doors, eventually someone would say "yes." Keep on knocking till the door is opened. If you have made half-hearted attempts at doing God's will in your life ... if you have given up too easily in the past,

Remember: It's never too late to become persistent. It's never too late to decide to never give up. Keep on knocking. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking."

What is Important?

A young boy watched as his father walked into the living room ...

The boy noticed that his younger brother, John, began to cower slightly as his father entered. The older boy sensed that John had done something wrong. Then he saw from a distance what his brother had done. The younger boy had opened his father’s brand new hymnal (hymn book) and scribbled all over the first page with a pen.

Staring at their father fearfully, both brothers waited for John’s punishment. Their father picked up his prized hymnal, looked at it carefully and then sat down, without saying a word. Books were precious to him; he was a minister with several academic degrees. For him, books were knowledge.

What he did next was remarkable. Instead of punishing his brother, instead of scolding, or yelling, his father took the pen from the little boy’s hand, and then wrote in the book himself, alongside the scribbles that John had made. Here is what that father wrote: “John’s work, 1959, age 2. How many times have I looked into your beautiful face and into your warm, alert eyes looking up at me and thanked God for the one who has now scribbled in my new hymnal. You have made the book sacred, as have your brother and sister to so much of my life.” “Wow,” thought the older brother, “This is punishment?”

Since that time, the hymnal has become a treasured family possession. It is tangible proof that their parents love them. It taught the lesson that what really matters is people, not objects; patience, not judgment; love, not anger.

-- Author Unknown

Failure Leads to Success

In 1962, four nervous young musicians played their first record audition for the executives of the Decca Recording company. The executives were not impressed. While turning down this group of musicians, one executive said, "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out." The group was called The Beatles.

In 1944, Emmeline Snively, director of the Blue Book Modeling Agency, told modeling hopeful Norma Jean Baker, "You'd better learn secretarial work or else get married." She went on and became Marilyn Monroe.

In 1954, Jimmy Denny, manager of the Grand Ole Opry fired a singer after one performance. He told him, "You ain't goin' nowhere son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck." He went on to become the most popular singer in America, named Elvis Presley.

When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it did not ring off the hook with calls from potential backers. After making a demonstration call, President Rutherford Hayes said, "That's an amazing invention, but who would ever want to use one of them?"

When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, he tried over 2000 experiments before he got it to work. A young reporter asked him how it felt to fail so many times. He said, "I never failed once. I invented the light bulb. It just happened to be a 2000-step process."

In the 1940's, another young inventor named Chester Carlson took his idea to 20 corporations, including some of the biggest in the country. They all turned him down. In 1947 - after seven long years of rejections! He finally got a tiny company in Rochester, New York, the Haloid Company, to purchase the rights to his invention, an electrostatic paper-copying process. Haloid became Xerox Corporation we know today.

Wilma Rudolph was the 20th of 22 children. She was born prematurely and her survival was doubtful. When she was 4 years old, she contacted double pneumonia and scarlet fever, which left her with a paralyzed left leg. At age 9, she removed the metal leg brace she had been dependent on and began to walk without it. By 13 she had developed rhythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle. That same year she decided to become a runner. She entered a race and came in last. For the next few years every race she entered, she came in last. Everyone told her to quit, but she kept on running. One day she actually won a race. And then another. From then on she won every race she entered. Eventually this little girl, who was told she would never walk again, went on to win three Olympic gold medals.

The moral of the above Stories:

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. You gain strength, experience and confidence by every experience where you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you cannot do. And remember, the finest steel gets sent through the hottest furnace. A winner is not one who never fails, but one who NEVER QUITS!

In LIFE, remember that you pass this way only once!
Let's live life to the fullest and give it our best.

-- Source Unknown

Bend But Don't Break

One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream, and listen to the chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died down.

When I think about the bamboo tree's ability to bounce back or return to it's original position, the word resilience comes to mind. When used in reference to a person this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits of a person's emotions.

Have you ever felt like you are about to snap? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.

During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured unpleasant physical symptoms.

Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend but don't break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.

A measure of hope will take you through the unpleasant ordeal. With hope for a better tomorrow or a better situation, things may not be as bad as they seem to be. The unpleasant ordeal may be easier to deal with if the end result is worth having.

If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don't break!

-- Author Unknown

Patience - A Great Virtue

In an Indian temple, when the priest had gone for lunch, the Idol of the Lord and the Stepping Stone were conversing.

Stepping Stone: "What a good fate you have. We both were the same lump of rock for millions of years. The sculptor carved an idol out of you and every one is worshipping you. And look at me, I am a stepping stone and every one stands on me and stamps on. What kind of life is this?"

The Idol kept smiling and never bothered to answer this, now, routine murmur from the stepping stone. But the stepping stone (stone used as a step, that is) will never stop his constant bickering.

The Idol replied: "But do you remember that when the sculptor set out to carve an idol, it was you he chose, first. You were so impatient. In one strike, you broke in to two . But when he tried on me, I grinned and bore all the hammers and chisel strikes with PATIENCE . Here I am the worshipful and happy Idol and you are the Stepping Stone …"

The difference between success and failure is patience and persistence.


-- Author Unknown