A Father and his Daughter were playing in the park. His young daughter spotted an apple vendor. She asked her father to buy her an apple. Father didn’t bring much money with him, but it was enough to purchase two apple. So, he bought two apples and gave his daughter.

His daughter held one apple each in her two hands. Then a father asked her if she can share one apple with him. Upon hearing this, his daughter quickly took a bite from one apple. And before her father could speak, she also took a bite from the second apple.

A Father was surprised. He wondered what mistake he made raising her daughter that she acted in such a greedy way. His mind was lost in thoughts, that perhaps he is just thinking too much, his daughter is too young to understand about sharing and giving. A smile had disappeared from his face.

And suddenly his daughter with an apple in her one hand said, “Father have this one, this one is much juiciest and sweeter”. Her father was speechless. He felt bad about reaching to the judgement so quickly about a small child. But, his smile came back now knowing why his daughter quickly took a bite from each apple.

Moral of the story. It's Another week, Another Chance, Feel free to change! One small positive thought in the start of a week can change your whole week. With the new week comes new strength and new thoughts.

Once upon a time, there was a man who was very helpful, kindhearted, and generous. He was a man who will help someone without asking anything to pay him back. He will help someone because he wants to and he loves to. One day while walking into a dusty road, this man saw a purse, so he picked it up and noticed that the purse was empty. Suddenly a woman with a policeman shows up and gets him arrested.

The woman kept on asking where did he hide her money but the man replied, “It was empty when I found it, Mam.” The woman yelled at him, “Please give it back, It’s for my son’s school fees.” The man noticed that the woman really felt sad, so he handed all his money. He could say that the woman was a single mother. The man said, “Take these, sorry for the inconvenience.” The woman left and policeman held he man for further questioning.

The woman was very happy but when she counted her money later on, it was doubled, she was shocked. One day while woman was going to pay her son’s school fees towards the school, she noticed that some skinny man was walking behind her. She thought that he may rob her, so she approached a policeman standing nearby. He was the same policeman, who she took along to inquire about her purse. The woman told him about the man following her, but suddenly they saw that man collapsing. They ran at him, and saw that he was the same man whom they arrested few days back for stealing a purse.

He looked very weak and woman was confused. The policeman said to the woman, “He didn’t return your money, he gave you his money that day. He wasn’t the thief but hearing about you son’s school fees, he felt sad and gave you his money.” Later, they helped man stand up, and man told the woman, “Please go ahead and pay your son’s school fees, I saw you and followed you to be sure that no one steals your son’s school fees.” The woman was speechless.

Moral of the story. Life gives you strange experiences, sometime it shocks you and sometimes it may surprise you. We end up making wrong judgments or mistakes in our anger, desperation and frustration. However, when you get a second chance, correct your mistakes and return the favor. Be Kind and Generous. Learn to Appreciate what you are given.

In ancient Greece, Socrates (the famous philosopher) was visited by an acquaintance of his. Eager to share some juicy gossip, the man asked if Socrates would like to know the story he’d just heard about a friend of theirs. Socrates replied that before the man spoke, he needed to pass the “Triple-Filter” test.

The first filter, he explained, is Truth. “Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to say is true?” The man shook his head. “No, I actually just heard about it, and …”

Socrates cut him off. “You don’t know for certain that it is true, then. Is what you want to say something good or kind?” Again, the man shook his head. “No! Actually, just the opposite. You see …”

Socrates lifted his hand to stop the man speaking. “So you are not certain that what you want to say is true, and it isn’t good or kind. One filter still remains, though, so you may yet still tell me. That is Usefulness or Necessity. Is this information useful or necessary to me?” A little defeated, the man replied, “No, not really.”

“Well, then,” Socrates said, turning on his heel. “If what you want to say is neither true, nor good or kind, nor useful or necessary, please don’t say anything at all.”

Moral of the story. Before you answer a question or voice your opinion, ask yourself: Is it true? Is it good? Is it kind? Is it useful? Is it necessary? If it passes these filters, speak up. If not, either find a tactful way to make it pass or better still, keep it to yourself.Imagine how different the world would be if we only chose to seek or create information that was true, good, or useful.

There was a farmer who had a few horses and a goat on his farm…

One day, a horse became ill and the farmer called the veterinarian, who said: "Well, your horse has a virus. He must take this medicine for three days. I'll come back on the 3rd day and if he's not better, we're going to have to put him down."

Nearby, the goat listened closely to their conversation.

The next day, they gave the horse its medicine and left.

The goat approached the horse and said: "Be strong, my friend. Get up or else they're going to put you to sleep!"

On the second day, again they gave the horse its medicine and left.

The goat came and said: "Come on buddy, get up or else you're going to die! Come on now, I'll help you get up. Let's go! One, two, three..."

On the third and final day, they came to give the horse its medicine and the vet said: "Unfortunately, we're going to have to put him down tomorrow. Otherwise, the virus might spread and infect the other horses."

After they left, the goat approached the horse and said: "Listen pal, it's now or never! Get up, come on! Have courage! Come on! Get up! Get up! That's it, slowly! Great! Come on, one, two, three... Good, good. Now faster, come on... Fantastic! Run, run more! Yes! Yay! Yes! You did it, you're a champion!!!"

All of a sudden, the owner came back, saw the horse running in the field and began shouting: "It's a miracle! My horse is cured. We must have a grand party."

"We must have a feast... let's cook the goat!"

Moral of the story. Organizations might not know which employee actually deserves the appraisal LEARNING TO LIVE WITHOUT RECOGNITION IS A SKILL! If anyone ever tells you that your work is unprofessional, remember: Amateurs built the Ark which saved all the species and professionals built the Titanic in which all died tragically.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

“How much is an ice cream sundae?”

“50 cents,” replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it.

“How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient.

“35 cents,” she said brusquely.

The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and departed.

When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw.

There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were 15 cents – her tip.

Moral of the story. In a world that constantly tells us to get all we can, every so often it’s important to be reminded of the power of generosity.

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are.

After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire.

The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with... and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting... Until your car or home is paid off. Until you get a new car or home. Until your kids leave the house. Until you go back to school. Until you finish school. Until you lose 10 lbs. Until you gain 10 lbs. Until you get married. Until you get a divorce. Until you have kids. Until you retire. Until summer. Until spring. Until winter. Until fall. Until you die.

**Moral of the story. There is no better time than right now to be happy.

Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So, work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt and dance like no one's watching.**

A woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. She asked her Pastor to come to her home to discuss her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at her funeral, and what scriptures she wanted read, and which outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Then she said, "One more thing... I want to be buried with a fork in my hand."

The pastor was surprised.

The woman explained, "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably say to everyone, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite time of the dinner, because I knew something better was coming, like velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie - something wonderful. So, I want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and wonder, ' What's with the fork?' Then, I want you to tell them, ' Keep your fork, because the best is yet to come.' "

The pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he bid the woman goodbye. He realized she had a better grasp of heaven than he did, and knew something better was coming.

At the funeral, when people asked him why she was holding a fork, the pastor told them of the conversation he had with the woman before she died. He said he could not stop thinking about the fork, and knew they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

Moral of the story It's Another week, Another Chance, Feel free to change! One small positive thought in the start of a week can change your whole week. With the new week comes new strength and new thoughts.

A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep through a storm."

This puzzled the farmer... but he liked the young man. So he hired him.

A few weeks later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm ripping through the valley. He leapt out of bed and called for his new hired hand, but the young man was sleeping soundly.

So they quickly began to check things to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace.

The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements. He sees that the bales of wheat had been bound and wrapped in tarpaulins.

The tractor had been moved into its garage. The barn was properly locked tight. Even the animals were calm and had plenty of feed. All was well.

The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep through a storm."

Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for any storm. So when the storm did actually break, he was not concerned or afraid. He could sleep in peace.

Moral of the story If we tend to the things that are important in life, if we are right with those we love and behave in line with our faith, our lives will not be cursed with the aching throb of unfulfilled business. We will never wallow in the agony of 'I could have, I should have.' We can sleep in a storm.

Ever heard the story of the giant ship engine that failed? The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine. Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed! A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

"what?!" the owners exclaimed. "he hardly did anything!"

So they wrote the old man a note saying, "please send us an itemized bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer ........................ $ 2.00 Knowing where to tap ............................ $ 9998.00.

Moral of the story Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference.

Many years ago two salesmen were to Africa by a British shoe manufacturer. The goal of their trip was to investigate this new market, and to report their findings back to headquarters on the potential of the market.

The first salesman came back with a rather dismal report, “There’s no potential at all here, because nobody wears shoes.” The second salesman came back with a rather different reply, “There’s massive potential in Africa, because nobody wears shoes.” The inflection on the “nobody” helps to clarify that in a single situation, there are often many ways to look at the outcome.

Moral of the story It’s your choice as to how you interpret any situation, whether you’re looking at it positively with optimism, or as a challenge full of negativity. For helping your team to develop you have to check out if it’s packed with strategies to make them even more effective because outlook makes all the difference.

We all know the story of the greedy king named Midas. He had a lot of gold and the more he had the more he wanted. He stored all the gold in his vaults and used to spend time every day counting it.

One day while he was counting a stranger came from nowhere and said he would grant him a wish. The king was delighted and said, "I would like everything I touch to turn to gold." The stranger asked the king, Are you sure?" The king replied, "Yes." So the stranger said, "Starting tomorrow morning with the sun rays you will get the golden touch." The king thought he must be dreaming, this couldn't be true. But the next day when he woke up, he touched the bed, his clothes, and everything turned to gold. He looked out of the window and saw his daughter playing in the garden. He decided to give her a surprise and thought she would be happy. But before he went to the garden he decided to read a book. The moment he touched it, it turned into gold and he couldn't read it. Then he sat to have breakfast and the moment he touched the fruit and the glass of water, they turned to gold. He was getting hungry and he said to himself, "I can't eat and drink gold." Just about that time his daughter came running and he hugged her and she turned into a gold statue. There were no more smiles left.

The king bowed his head and started crying. The stranger who gave the wish came again and asked the king if he was happy with his golden touch. The king said he was the most miserable man. The stranger asked, "What would you rather have, your food and loving daughter or lumps of gold and her golden statue?" The king cried and asked for forgiveness. He said, "I will give up all my gold. Please give me my daughter back because without her I have lost everything worth having." The stranger said to the king, "You have become wiser than before" and he reversed the spell. He got his daughter back in his arms and the king learned a lesson that he never forget for the rest of his life.

**Moral of the story

1. Distorted values lead to tragedy.

**2. Sometimes getting what you want may be a bigger tragedy than not getting what you want.

3. Unlike the game of soccer where players can be substituted, the game of life allows no substitutions or replays. We may not get a second chance to reverse our tragedies, as the king did.**

At a restaurant, a cockroach suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. She started screaming out of fear. With a panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach.Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group also got panicky.

The lady finally managed to push the cockroach away but ...it landed on another lady in the group.

Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama.

The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behaviour of the cockroach on his shirt.

When he was confident enough, he grabbed it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant.

Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering, was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behaviour?

If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed?

He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos.

It is not the cockroach, but the inability of those people to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach, that disturbed the ladies.

Moral of the story One should understand, they should not react in life.They should always respond. The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded.Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always well thought of. A beautiful way to understand............LIFE. Person who is HAPPY is not because Everything is RIGHT in his Life.....He is HAPPY because his Attitude towards Everything in his Life is Right..!!

A farmer was taking three of his donkeys for sale to the market. On the way he saw a river and decided to have a dip. Since he had only two ropes to tie the donkeys to a tree, he looked around wondering how to tie the third one. He saw a sage and sought his help if he could give him a rope to tie the third donkey. The sage did not have a rope but had a suggestion. He told the farmer, “let the third donkey see you tying the other two donkeys to a tree. Then you pretend to tie this one also”. The farmer did as he was told and went for a dip in the river. Coming back, he thanked the sage and saw that the donkeys stood exactly at the same spot where he had left them. He untied the two donkeys and patted the third one to start moving. After going a little distance, imagine his surprise when the third donkey stood still at the same spot. Cajoling, kicking or talking did not help with the donkey, refusing to move from the spot. The farmer went back to sage, who told him, “untie the third donkey”. “But”, protested the farmer, “I have not tied him”. The sage asked, “You know it. But does the donkey know that?” Sure enough the farmer went back and pretended to untie the donkey. The donkey moved immediately as though released and walked over to join the other two donkeys.

Moral of the story We are all, also tied up by too many imaginary ropes... which are really non-existent. The only truth is there are no boundaries in real life and anyone can stretch to any extent. Don’t we all see records being broken, every time, everywhere and every day? Our mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except with our permission. Hence before beginning this day let us see what we can do with our minds.

Peter Parrot came home upset and confused.

“What’s wrong?” his mother asked.

“I hate my stupid beak!” Peter blurted.

“Why do you hate your beak? I think it’s beautiful,” his mother said reassuringly.

“All of the other birds have much cooler beaks. Sammy Spoonbill, Pammy Pelican, Harry Hawk, Freddy Finch, all of them!”

Peter’s mother sat silently for a moment. “He may be right,” she thought to herself, they do have very cool beaks.

“You should go and see Major Macaw, he’ll know what to do. He’s the wisest of the parrots and lives in the tallest tree in the forest. Yes, he’ll know what to do,” responded Peter’s mother.

So Peter Parrot flew to the tallest tree in the forest and found Major Macaw.

“Excuse me Major, I have a problem,” said Peter.

“Oh dear, what can it be?” asked the venerable macaw.

“I have a stupid beak. Why can’t I have a cool beak like Sammy Spoonbill, Pammy Pelican, Harry Hawk or Freddy Finch?”

“You’re right.” said the macaw, “They do have cool beaks. Tell me Peter, do you like eating worms and crustaceans?”

“Yuck! That would be disgusting!” responded Peter.

“Well, that’s what the spoonbill’s beak is designed for. What about fish?”

“I couldn’t think of anything worse,” said Peter.

“So, the pelican’s beak would work either.”

“What about rabbits and mice?”

“Eww.”

“OK, so maybe you shouldn’t aspire to have a hawk’s beak. Small seeds?”

“They’re not so bad, but my favourite is Brazil nuts.” exclaimed Peter, salivating at the thought.

“That’s lucky, I think I have a few here. Would you like one?” asked Major.

Peter’s eyes lit up. “Yes, please.”

“Tell me Peter, if you had the beak of a spoonbill, pelican, hawk or finch, do you think that you could eat that Brazil nut?”

“I guess not,” said Peter with his mouth full.

“You see, young parrot, you have been designed a certain way, with certain skills, attributes and tastes. Don’t waste your life being envious of the capacities of others, just make sure that you know what you’re good at and why you’re here.” Peter nodded his head in understanding and flew back home much more content.

Moral of the story You were designed for a specific purpose. Don’t worry about the skills and attributes of others, they have their own purpose that probably won’t suit you.You have the ability to do remarkable things just as you are.Work on that purpose.Get better at those skills. Change the world!

A young violin prodigy was walking down the street one day trying to decide whether or not to pursue a life in music when he came upon the most famous violin teacher in the world. Scarcely believing his luck, he stopped the great teacher and asked if he could play for him, thinking he would abandon his dream of a career in music if the great teacher told him he was wasting his time. The greater teacher nodded silently for him to begin. So he played, beads of sweat soon appearing on his forehead, and when he finished, he was certain he’d given his finest performance. But the great maestro only shook his head sadly and said, “You lack the fire.” The young musician was devastated. Nevertheless, he returned home and announced his intention to abandon the violin. Instead, he entered the world of business and turned out to have such a talent for it that in a few short years he found himself richer than he’d ever imagined possible. Almost a decade later he found himself walking down another street in another city when he happened to spot the great teacher again. He rushed over to him. “I'm so sorry to bother you,” he said, “and I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I stopped you on the street years ago to play my violin for you, and I just want to thank you. Because of your advice, I abandoned my greatest love, the violin, painful as it was, and became a businessman and today enjoy great success, which I owe all to you. But one thing you must tell me: how did you know I didn't have what it takes? How did you know all those years ago I lacked the fire?” The great teacher shook his head sadly and said only, “You don’t understand. I tell everyone who plays for me they lack the fire. If you had the fire, you wouldn't have listened.”

Moral of the story The challenge for most people is finding what they are truly passionate about. The kind of passion that endures the scoffs and scorns of social norms. It only takes a tiny spark to create a massive fire. So,feed the spark!

A young woman was sitting at her dining table, worried about taxes to be paid, house-work to be done and to top it all, her extended family was coming over for festival lunch the next day. She was not feeling very thankful at that time.

As she turned her gaze sideways, she noticed her young daughter scribbling furiously into her notebook.

“My teacher asked us to write a paragraph on “Negative Thanks giving” for homework today.” said the daughter.

“She asked us to write down things that we are thankful for, things that make us feel not so good in the beginning, but turn out to be good after all.”

With curiosity, the mother peeked into the book. This is what her daughter wrote:

“I’m thankful for Final Exams, because that means school is almost over.

I’m thankful for bad-tasting medicine, because it helps me feel better.

I’m thankful for waking up to alarm clocks, because it means I’m still alive.”

It then dawned on the mother, that she had a lot of things to be thankful for!

She thought again…

She had to pay taxes but that meant she was fortunate to be employed.

She had house-work to do but that meant she had a shelter to live in.

She had to cook for her many family members for lunch but that meant she had a family with whom she could celebrate.

Moral of the story We generally complain about the negative things in life but we fail to look at the positive side of it. What is the positive in your negatives? Look at the better part of life today and make your everyday a great day. Be happy and blessed always.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.
It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Moral of the story "All life is an experiment."
Life's strict rule is this: You get more of what you focus on. Ignoring this, we abandon our healthiest, concentrative energies and court emotional upheaval. "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled."

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"

The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot
just around a parked car. "It's my brother, "he said. "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts.

A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message:

**Moral of the story "Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not. **

Once upon a time, while walking along a beach, an elderly wise man saw someone in the distance leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young boy, picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.

Elderly wise man came closer still and called out, "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young boy paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean."

The elderly wise man smiled and said, "I must ask then, why are you throwing starfish back into the ocean?"

To this, the young boy replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they will die."

Upon hearing this, the elderly wise man commented, "But, young boy, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

The young boy listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one."

Moral of the story We often think we are too insignificant or too unimportant to make a difference. We couldn't be further from the truth. So, can I encourage you to take the time to do something that will make a difference to someone else's life and it doesn't have to be much and they don't need to know. Just take a moment, do something special, the universe will know and that's enough.One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something You're only one; but still you're one. You cannot do everything, but still you can do something; you must not refuse to do something you can do.

Close to a battlefield over 200 years ago a rider passes a group of exhausted soldiers who were digging themselves into an important defensive position. Noticing their section leader was mounted as well, and shouting orders at the men to work faster, dig deeper and threatening to whip anyone that didn’t complete their work within the hour.

Asked by the stranger, “If this is so important why are you not helping?” The section leader advised that he is in charge, and the men must do as he says. The section leaders exact comments where, “You should help them yourself if you feel so strongly about it.”

Much to the surprise of the section leader the stranger dismounted, and worked in the trenches, side by side with the men until the job was finished. Once the work was done he congratulated the men, and approached the puzzled section leader.

“Next time your rank prevents you from supporting your men, you are to notify top command and I will provide a more permanent solution,” said the stranger, who was now up close and easily recognizable as General Washington.

Moral of the story Supervisors and leaders- help your own teams.The ultimate goal is to realize that you’re only a true leader if you’re willing to do the work of your team without complaint, when they need you most. This is what makes you a truly motivational leader.