3 Short Stories

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?

About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said about him. The obituary read, "Dynamite King Dies." And also "He was the merchant of death." This man was the inventor of dynamite and when he read the words "merchant of death," he asked himself a question, "Is this how I am going to be remembered?" He got in touch with his feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace. His name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel Prize.

Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his values, we should step back and do the same.

What is your legacy?

How would you like to be remembered?

Will you be spoken well of?

Will you be remembered with love and respect?

Will you be missed?

 

IT IS THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

There was a man taking a morning walk at or the beach. He saw that along with the morning tide came hundreds of starfish and when the tide receded, they were left behind and with the morning sun rays, they would die. The tide was fresh and the starfish were alive. The man took a few steps, picked one and threw it into the water. He did that repeatedly. Right behind him there was another person who couldn't understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, "What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?" This man did not reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, "It makes a difference to this one."

What difference are we making? Big or small, it does not matter. If everyone made a small difference, we'd end up with a big difference, wouldn't we?

MEANINGLESS GOALS

A farmer had a dog who used to sit by the roadside waiting for vehicles to come around. As soon as one came he would run down the road, barking and trying to overtake it. One day a neighbor asked the farmer "Do you think your dog is ever going to catch a car?" The farmer replied, "That is not what bothers me. What bothers me is what he would do if he ever caught one." Many people in life behave like that dog who is pursuing meaningless goals.

Reference : Inspirational stories blogs

Swami Vivekananda Quotes ---Thoughtsmate

Swami Vivekananda, born Narendra Nath Datta, was an Indian Hindu monk and chief disciple of the 19th-century saint Ramakrishna.

His famous quotes on life.

* If faith in ourselves had been more extensively taught and practiced, I am sure a very large portion of the
   evils and miseries that we have would have vanished.

* The will is not free--it is a phenomenon bound by cause and effect-- but there is something behind the will
    which is free.

* Where can we go to find God if we cannot see him in our own hearts and in every living being.

* All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry
   cry that it is dark.

* The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves stronger.

* The more we come out and do good to others. the more our hearts will be purified, and God will be in
   them.

* Arise! Awake! and stop not until the goal is reached.

* You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.

* We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary.
    Thoughts live; they travel far.

* You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, more can make you spiritual. There is no
    other teacher your own soul.

* Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own idea, and strive at the same time
   to make the idea as near as possible to the Truth.

* Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is a sin,    
   this is the only sin; to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

* Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot , fold your hands, bless your
   brothers, and let them go their own way.

* External nature is only internal nature writ large.

* When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state.

* God is to be worshiped as the one beloved, dearer than everything and next life.

* As different streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so different tendencies,
   various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God.

* If one word, this ideal is that you are divine.

* All differences in the world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.

* The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one.
   Only the moment you reject all the help you freed.

* Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.

* The moment I realized that God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in
   reverence before every human being and see God in him -- that moment I free from bondage,
   everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

* Take up one Idea. Make that one idea your life -- think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain,
    muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone.
    This is the way to success.

* If money help a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not , it is simply a mass of evil, the
   sooner it is got rid of , the better.

 

Reference : Swami Vivekananda, Google.

Image courtesy: worldcongressofreligions2012