Follow your Dream

I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events to raise money for youth at risk programs. The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let Jack use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.

That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch.

He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, ‘See me after class.’

The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, ‘Why did I receive an F?’

The teacher said, ‘This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud fees. There’s no way you could ever do it.’ Then the teacher added, ‘If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’

The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.’

“Finally, after sitting with it for a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, `You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’

Monty then turned to the assembled group and said, “I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, “The best part of the story is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week.”

When the teacher was leaving, he said, ‘Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately you had enough gumption not to give up on yours.’

Moral:
Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.

Detaching with Love

Sometimes people we love do things we don’t like or approve of. We react. They react.

Before long, we’re all reacting to each other, and the problem escalates. When do we detach? When we’re hooked into a reaction of anger, fear, guilt, or shame. When we get hooked into a power play — an attempt to control or force others to do something they don’t want to do.

When the way we’re reacting isn’t helping the other person or solving the problem. When the way we’re reacting is hurting us. Often, it’s time to detach when detachment appears to be the least likely, or possible, thing to do.

The first step toward detachment is understanding that reacting and controlling don’t help.

The next step is getting peaceful — getting centered and restoring our balance.

Take a walk. Leave the room. Go to a meeting. Take a long, hot bath. Call a friend. Call on God. Breathe deeply. Find peace. From that place of peace and centering will emerge an answer, a solution.

Today, I will surrender and trust that the answer is near.

Self Appraisal

Once upon a time a Washer man was bringing up two donkeys.

Let us say Donkey-A and Donkey-B.

Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other. It always tried to pull the washer man’s attraction over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him.

Innocent Donkey-B is normal, so it will walk normal, irrespective of the waterman’s presence. After a period of time, Washer man started pressurizing Donkey-B to be like Donkey-A. But Donkey-B unable to walk fast, got continuous punishment from washer man. It was crying and told personally to Donkey-A “Dear friend, only we two are here, why to compete with each other….we can carry equal load at normal
speed “.

That made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washer man that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also.

Obviously happier washer man looked at Donkey-B.., his BP raised and he started kicking Donkey-B. Next day with smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast. But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn’t act that way….But the washer man was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly.

Then Donkey-A felt itself as a supreme and happily started carrying more load with great speed.

But now the Load of the Donkey-B is also being carried by Donkey-A., and still it has to run fast. For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it got tired and started feeling the pain.

But washer man expected more from Donkey-A. It also tried best, but couldn’t cope up with his owners demand. The Washer man got angry with Donkey-A also and started harassing to take more load… Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best… But it couldn’t meet the owner’s satisfaction.

Finally the day came when due to frustration the washer man killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys.

Its an endless story……. …
But the moral of the Story in Corporate and social life is……,

Moral:
“Think all colleagues are same and that everyone is capable…. Always Share the Load equally….. Don’t ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit….”

The Sculptor’s Attitude

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy
or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money
or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health
or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up
or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns
or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends
or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work
or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school
or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework
or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

Moral:
Have a GREAT DAY … unless you have other plans.

Know Your Value….!

A well-known speaker started off his public speech in a strange manner – by holding up a Rupee 1000 Note !!

Holding up the Note high in the air in one of his hands, he addressed the eagerly looking curious audience, “Who would like this Rupee 1000 Note?”

With great cheers almost all of them raised their hands with the shout, “I want it”, “I want it” !! He said, “Oh! that’s nice. Well, I am going to give this Note to one of you… But, first let me do this.”

Then, he crumpled the Note in his hands vigorously & now showed the awkwardly wrinkled 1000 Rupee Note by holding up high in his hand.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

The same hands went up in the air this time too.

“Well”, he replied, “What if I do this?” and he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe like a mad man. It seemed he is deriving great merriment in his unusual act. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. It was so smudgy that no one could recognise it now as a 1000 Rupee Note.

“Now who still wants it?”

Strangly, now also, all the hands were up in the air with equal cheers & spirit.

Now he addressed his audience with great feeling. “My friends,” said he, “You have all learned a very valuable lesson today. No matter what I did to this valuable Rupee Note, all of you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth the same - Rs.1000/-.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt of shame & insult by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come in our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. In the eyes of God, you are the same “most precious jewel of His”.

Moral:
Value has a Value only if its Value is Valued!

The Menorah Story

Young Private Winneger was with the U.S. Army as it marched through Europe at the end of World War II. His unit was assigned to a European village with the orders to secure the town, search for any hiding Nazis and to help the villagers in any way they could.

Winneger was on patrol one night when he saw a figure running through a field just outside the village. He shouted, “Halt or I’ll shoot.” The figure ducked behind a tree. Winneger waited and eventually the figure came out and figuring that Winneger was no longer nearby, went to a spot near a large tree and started to dig. Winneger waited until the figure had finished digging and was once more on the move before he stepped out and again shouted, “Halt or I’ll shoot!” The figure ran. Winneger decided not to shoot but to try to catch the furtive figure. He shortly caught up with the figure and tackled it to the ground.

To his surprise he found he had captured a young boy. An ornate menorah had fallen from the boy’s hands in the scuffle. Winneger picked up the menorah. The boy tried to grab it back shouting, “Give it to me. It’s mine!” Winneger assured the boy that he was among friends. Furthermore, he himself was Jewish. The boy who had just survived several years of the Holocaust and had been in a concentration camp was mistrustful of all men in uniforms. He had been forced to watch the shooting of his father. He had no idea what had become of his mother.

In the weeks that followed, Winneger took the young boy, whose name was David, under his wing. As they became closer and closer, Winneger’s heart went out to the boy. He offered David the opportunity to come back to New York City with him. David accepted and Winneger went through all the necessary paperwork and officially adopted David.
Winneger was active in the New York Jewish community. An acquaintance of his, a curator of the Jewish Museum in Manhattan, saw the menorah. He told David it was a very valuable historic, European Menorah and should be shared with the entire Jewish Community. He offered David $50,000 for the menorah.

But David refused the generous offer saying the menorah had been in his family for over 200 years and that no amount of money could ever make him sell it.

When Chanukah came, David and Winneger lit the menorah in the window of their home in New York City. David went upstairs to his room to study and Winneger stayed downstairs in the room with the menorah.

There was a knock on the door and Winneger went to answer. He found a woman with a strong German accent who said that she was walking down the street when she saw the menorah in the window.

She said that she had once had one just like it in her family and had never seen any other like it. Could she come and take a closer look? Winneger invited her in and said that the menorah belonged to his son who could perhaps tell her more about it.

Winneger went upstairs and called David down to talk to the woman and that is how David was reunited with his mother.

This is retelling from memory (so some of the details may be wrong) from a true story told by Rabbi Allan C.