Gossip is so Juicy...

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem.

One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said,

"Socrates, do you know what I just heard about your best friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."

"Triple filter?"

"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say.

The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"

"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."

"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not."

Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"

"No, on the contrary..."

"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true."

You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness.

Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"

"No, not really."

"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

Love People, Not Things

“Love people, 

Not things; 

Use things, 

Not people. ” 

― Spencer W. Kimball

The Salary Axiom

The pay raise is just large enough 

to increase your taxes 

and just small enough 

to have no effect on your take-home pay.

Abraham Lincoln's Letter to His Son's Teacher

He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish Politician,
there is a dedicated leader...
Teach him for every enemy there is a
friend,

Steer him away from envy,
if you can,
teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that
the bullies are the easiest to lick... 

Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books...
But also give him quiet time
to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.

In the school teach him
it is far honourable to fail
than to cheat...
Teach him to have faith
in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him
they are wrong...
Teach him to be gentle
with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son
the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon...
Teach him to listen to all men...
but teach him also to filter
all he hears on a screen of truth,
and take only the good
that comes through.

Teach him if you can,
how to laugh when he is sad...
Teach him there is no shame in tears,
Teach him to scoff at cynics
and to beware of too much sweetness...
Teach him to sell his brawn
and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag
on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears
to a howling mob
and to stand and fight
if he thinks he's right.
Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle him,
because only the test
of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage
to be impatient...
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always
to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will have
sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,
but see what you can do...
He is such a fine fellow,
my son!

Salary Hike

Small Things That Matter...

A friend of mine opened his wife’s underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper- wrapped package:

‘This, – he said – isn’t any ordinary package.’  He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

‘She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on, was saving it for a special occasion.’

Well, I guess this is it.  He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died. He turned to me and said:

‘Never save something for a special occasion.  Every day in your life is a special occasion’. I still think those words changed my life.

• Now I read more and clean less.
• I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.
• I spend more time with my family, and less at work.
• I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.
• I no longer keep anything.
• I use crystal glasses every day…
• I’ll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.
• I don’t save my special perfume for special occasions; I use it whenever I want to

The words ‘Someday….’ and ‘ One Day…’ are fading away from my dictionary.  If it’s worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now!

I don’t know what my friend’s wife would have done if she knew she wouldn’t be there the next morning.  This, nobody can tell.  I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.  She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.  I’d like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favorite food.

It’s these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no one!

Bachpan ka zamana hota tha...

Bachpan ka zamana hota tha

Khushiyon ka khazana hota tha

Chahat chand ko paane ki,

Dil titli ka diwana hota tha,

Khabar na thi kuch subah ki,

Naa shaam ka thikana hota tha,

Thak-haar ke aana school se,

Par khelne bhi jaana hota tha,

Doston ki kahani hoti thi

Pariyon ka fasana hota tha

Barish main kagaz ki kasti thi

har mausam suhana hota tha

Har khel me sathi hote the

Har rista nibhana hota tha

Papa ki woh dante galti par

Mummy ka manana hota tha

Gum ki zubaan na hoti thi

Na zakhmo ka paimana hota tha

Rone ke wajah na hoti thi

Na hasne ka bahana hota tha

Ab naa rahi woh zindagi...jaisa

Bachpan ka zamana hota tha