Inspirational Messages

[mazdamazda]

Got this from my email:

CONTENTMENT

Have you ever, at any one time, had the feeling that life is bad, real
bad, and you wish you were in another situation?
You find life make things difficult for you, work sucks, life sucks,
everything seems to go wrong...

Read the following story... it may change your views about life:



After a conversation with one of my friends, he told me despite taking 2
jobs, he brings back barely above 1K per month, he is happy as he is.

I wonder how he can be as happy as he is considering he has to skimp his
life with the low pay to support a pair of old parents, in-laws, a wife,
2 daughters and the many bills of a household.

He explained that it was through one incident that he saw in India...
that happened a few years ago when he was really feeling low and touring
India after a major setback.

He said that right in front of his very eyes he saw an Indian mother
chop off her child's right hand with a chopper. The helplessness in the
mother's eyes, the scream of pain from the innocent 4-year-old child
haunted him until today.

You may ask why did the mother do so; had the child been naughty, had
the child's hand been infected?? No, it was done for two simple words- -
-TO BEG!

The desperate mother deliberately caused the child to be handicapped so
that the child could go out to the streets to beg.

Taken aback by the scene, he dropped a piece of bread he was eating
half-way. And almost instantly, a flock 5 or 6 children swamped towards
this small piece of bread which was covered with sand, robbing bits from
one another. The natural reaction of hunger.

Stricken by the happenings, he instructed his guide to drive him to the
nearest bakery. He arrived at two bakeries and bought every single loaf
of bread he found in the bakeries. The owner was dumbfounded but
willingly sold everything. He spent less than $100 to obtain about 400
loaves of bread (this is less than $0.25 per loaf) and spent another
$100 to get daily necessities.

Off he went in the truck full of bread into the streets. As he
distributed the bread and necessities to the children (mostly
handicapped) and a few adults, he received cheers and bows from these
unfortunate. For the first time in his life he wondered how people can
give up their dignity for a loaf of bread which cost less than $0.25.

He began to tell himself how fortunate he is. How fortunate he is to be
able to have a complete body, have a job, have a family, have the chance
to complain what food is nice and what isn't nice, have the chance to be
clothed, have the many things that these people in front of him are
deprived of...

Now I begin to think and feel it, too! Was my life really that bad?
Perhaps... no, I should not feel bad at all... What about you? Maybe the
next time you think you are, think about the child who lost one hand to
beg on the streets.

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, it is the
realization of how much you already have."

When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we
look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been
opened for us.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's
also true that! we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't
go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and
heartaches.

[BlueBimmer]

nice message...

[Bogeyman]

Ay, totoo yan.

Sabi nga eh, "The poor man is not he who has less, but he who keeps wanting more."

[mazdamazda]

another one from my mailbox

Gising, Tol.

Tumatanda ka na, tol.

Nasa Friday Magic Madness na yung mga paborito mong kanta.
Nakaka-relate ka na sa Classic MTV. Lesbiana na yung kinaaaliwan mong
child star dati. Nanay na lagi ang role ng crush na crush mong matinee
idol noon.

Dati, pag may panot, sisigaw ka agad ng "PENDONG!". Ngayon, pag may
sumisigaw nun, ikaw na yung napapraning. Parang botika na ang cabinet
mo. May multivitamins, vitamin E, vitamin C, royal jelly, tsaka ginko
biloba.

Dati, laging may inuman. Sa inuman, may lechon, sisig, kaldereta,
inihaw na liempo, pusit, at kung anu-ano pa. Ngayon, nagkukumpulan na
lang kayo ng mga kasama mo sa Starbucks at oorder ng tea.

Wala na ang mga kaibigan mo noon.

Ang dating masasayang tawanan ng barkada sa canteen, napalitan na ng
walang katapusang pagrereklamo tungkol sa kumpanya ninyo. Wala na ang
best friend mo na lagi mong pinupuntahan kapag may problema ka. Ang
lagi mo na lang kausap ngayon e ang kaopisina mong hindi ka sigurado
kung binebenta ka sa iba pag nakatalikod ka. Ang hirap nang magtiwala.

Mahirap nang makahanap ng totoong kaibigan. Hindi mo kayang
pagkatiwalaan ang kasama mo araw-araw sa opisina. Kung sabagay,
nagkakilala lang kayo dahil gusto ninyong kumita ng pera at umakyat sa
tinatawag nilang "corporate ladder". Anumang pagkakaibigang umusbong
galing sa pera at ambisyon ay hindi talaga totoong pagkakaibigan. Pera
din at ambisyon ang sisira sa inyong dalawa.

Pera. Pera na ang nagpapatakbo ng buhay mo.

Alipin ka na ng Meralco, PLDT, SkyCable, Globe, Smart, at Sun. Alipin
ka ng Midnight Madness. Alipin ka ng tollgate sa expressway. Alipin ka
ng credit card mo. Alipin ka ng ATM. Alipin ka ng BIR.

Dati-rati masaya ka na sa isang platong instant pancit canton. Ngayon,
dapat may kasamang italian chicken ang fettucine alfredo mo. Masaya ka
na noon pag nakakapag-ober-da-bakod kayo p ara makapagswimming. Ngayon,
ayaw mong lumangoy kung hindi Boracay o Puerto Galera ang lugar. Dati,
sulit na sulit na sa yo ang gin pomelo. Ngayon, pagkatapos ng ilang
bote ng red wine, maghahanap ka ng San Mig Light o Vodka Cruiser.

Wala ka nang magawa. Sumasabay ang lifestyle mo sa income mo.
Nagtataka ka kung bakit hindi ka pa rin nakakaipon kahit tumataas ang
sweldo mo. Yung mga bagay na gusto mong bilhin dati na sinasabi mong
hindi mo kailangan, abot-kamay mo na. Pero kahit nasa iyo na ang mga
gusto mong bilhin, hindi ka pa rin makuntento.

Saan ka ba papunta?

Tol, gumising ka. Hindi ka nabuhay sa mundong ito para maging isa lang
sa mga baterya ng mga machines sa Matrix. Hanapin mo ang dahilan kung
bakit nilagay ka rito. Kung ang buhay mo ngayon ay uulit-ulit lang
hanggang maging singkwenta anyos ka na, magsisisi ka. Lumingon ka kung
paano ka nagsimula, isipin ang mga tao at mga bagay na nagpasaya sa
yo. Balikan mo sila.

Ikaw ang nagbago, hindi ang mundo.

[FrankDrebin]

Gising, Tol.

Tumatanda ka na, tol.

Nasa Friday Magic Madness na yung mga paborito mong kanta.
Nakaka-relate ka na sa Classic MTV. Lesbiana na yung kinaaaliwan mong
child star dati. Nanay na lagi ang role ng crush na crush mong matinee
idol noon.

Dati, pag may panot, sisigaw ka agad ng "PENDONG!". Ngayon, pag may
sumisigaw nun, ikaw na yung napapraning. Parang botika na ang cabinet
mo. May multivitamins, vitamin E, vitamin C, royal jelly, tsaka ginko
biloba.

Wala namang ganyanan! :D

[stinkaboy]

what a nice msg. INDIA is one of poorest countries. Ako naaawa ako sa mga matatandang naglalako pa ng mga paninda, minsan yung iba nakukuba na.

[verenita_green]

what a nice msg. INDIA is one of poorest countries. Ako naaawa ako sa mga matatandang naglalako pa ng mga paninda, minsan yung iba nakukuba na.

tsk!..tsk!..my heart's goin to melt when i see those less fortunate people..if only i have extra money to help

[mazdamazda]

quite long but it's worth reading

The New ABC's of Success-in Life and Career
by Ernesto O. Cecilia, FPM

"The future ain't what it used to be!" says Yogi Berra. Here are some of the new rules for success in today's global economy. Obey them and success is yours. Disregard them and you'll be consigned to limbo, if not oblivion.
The rules for successful lives and careers have been radically altered as globalization and information/communication technology have significantly changed the business of doing business. Here are some of the new rules for success. Obey them and success is yours-in life and career. Disregard them and you'll be consigned to limbo, if not oblivion.

Avoid burnout.
In the past, you had to work hard. Today, you have to work smart and maintain a good balance between professional and personal life.

Beware the boss who promises to build a bridge where there is no river .
Don't stick it out with a boss you can't rely on. If you haven't received the raise or promotion your boss promised you five years ago, maybe it's time to find another boss.

Celebrate your victories .
Set your goals and cut your journey to success into milestones. As soon as you reach one, celebrate your victory. By all means, work hard. But learn to play hard as well.

Develop your own value proposition .
You and I are salesman. You must have a value proposition, an implicit promise of value to anybody you deal with-customer, employer, organization, etc. Then deliver on that promise.

Enjoy your work .
All this time, we have been told and conditioned to work hard. I suggest that you look at your work as a source of joy and love. In fact, I urge you to love it-or leave it!

Find a need and fill it-before others do .
If nobody needs your skills, products, or services, you'll have very little chance of proving your worth. If you want to succeed, find a niche where you can be the best. Don't just sit there; look for that need-before others do.

Get up when you get knocked down.
We have been told to try and try until we succeed. Go ahead, try again, but try something else. What worked before may not work again for you. Don't count on the same winning formulas or combinations that worked ages ago. Get up, get going, but get more new aces up your sleeve.

Have a fallback. Know how, when, and where to go when your situation becomes untenable.
Being an excellent performer or working with a profitable organization is no longer a sure-fire guarantee of success. Thousands of great performers have lost their jobs, and hundreds of great companies have folded up as new rules emerge in life and careers. Innovate-or stagnate. Believe there is always a better way, and find it-before your boss does, or someone tells your boss about it. When the playing field is level in quality, speed, and cost, your competitive advantage will come from new and innovative products and services.

Join winners, not losers.
If you are great and join a lousy organization, you'll stand out. But you'll soon find your greatness diminished immensely if you remain with that organization. If you hang around with successful and excellent people, their success and excellence will rub off on you in the long run. So join winners, not losers.

Keep your head on the cloud but your feet on the ground.
New, innovative, and creative ideas make for success in any language. Make sure your feet are planted on the ground, even if your mind is up on the clouds.

Look beyond the classroom.
Despite what the demagogues tell you, believe that there is education beyond the classroom-in fact real education takes place in the real world, not within the corners of the classroom.

M aster the technology of business and the business of technology.
You need to know technology and how it can help make doing business or your job faster, better and more effective. If you think you can't afford technology, I tell you that you can't afford to be without technology.

Never depend on luck.
What's luck got to do with success? Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Efren "Bata" Reyes, Dodie Rondain (who he?) have a high batting average in golf, hockey, billiards, and the NLRC, respectively. They don't rely on luck to win. Nothing beats preparedness.

Overcome the fear of failure.
Many people never succeed because they never try. They never try because they fear they will not succeed. Successful men tried and failed countless times, like Thomas Alva Edison.

Perception is reality .
What you are is important. What others think you are is sometimes even more important. That's why successful people are so careful about creating the right perception about them. To others, especially the greater mass of humanity, perception is reality.

Quality does not happen by accident.
If you want to succeed, never turn in shabby work, products, or services. Nobody buys poor quality anymore. There's too much competition nowadays. That's why people deliberately factor in quality in whatever they do. Do you?

Reason and intuition must work together.
Logic alone will make this world dull. Intuition can spark creativity and innovation, but must stand the test of practicality. If you wish to succeed, work with reason and intuition. You'll need both!

Success is a journey, not a destination.
Define your goals, have clear standards, and make sure you achieve them. Success is like taking a very long train ride that stops at every way station. Savor the moment, and maybe the money, every time you reach a milestone. In a survey run by EC Business Solutions and Career Center, 95 percent of respondent managers and supervisors claim that they see themselves as successful.

Think lattice, not ladders.
Career success today is no longer just moving up the ladder. Now, there are more lattices than ladders that allow you to gain greater success by moving sideways, not necessarily upwards.

U se other brains-if yours is not enough.
Many successful people have not built empires by themselves alone. In fact, many don't know how. They relied on the expertise of others to be successful in what they do.

Value your customers, and make them feel it .
If you want to succeed, develop a maniacal focus on your customers. Understand, anticipate, and satisfy your customers' needs, or others will.

Watch your back.
As you shine, others are bound to envy you and wish that you had the lice in the armpits of a thousand camels. I had been in the lions' den and had back pains from stab wounds. If you want to succeed, watch your back!

EXtra mile gives you an extra push, too.
Going the extra mile in whatever you do gives your customer, boss, or audience a better deal. It also develops in you the mindset of quality, excellence, and service. If you don't have the time or inclination to go the extra mile, your customer, boss, or audience won't.

You are responsible for your own future.
Never abdicate the responsibility for your success to other people or institutions. Nobody is as interested as you are about your success. Nobody else should claim credit for your success, and you can't blame anyone else for your failure.

Zeal and enthusiasm help create a positive impact.
Most successful people have the energy, zeal, and enthusiasm that further enhance the positive impact that they create about their persona. Always make the greatest performance of your life every time you make a presentation, meet with your boss or clients. If you think and act like you are beaten, you are!

[mcbry]

Got this from my email:

Now I begin to think and feel it, too! Was my life really that bad?
Perhaps... no, I should not feel bad at all... What about you? Maybe the
next time you think you are, think about the child who lost one hand to
beg on the streets.

"Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, it is the
realization of how much you already have."

When the door of happiness closes, another opens, but often times we
look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one which has been
opened for us.

It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's
also true that! we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past, you can't
go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and
heartaches.

very nice and inspiring message.

[av8or5]

this is a "Touching Story", first time i read something that i cried. Please read it..it's really nice.

ATOUCHING STORY



I was born in a secluded village on a mountain.

Day by day, my parents plowed the yellow dry soil
with their backs towards the sky.

I have a brother who is 3 years younger than me.

I wanted to buy a handkerchief, which all girls around
me seemed to have. So, one day I stole 50 cents from
my father's drawer. Father had discovered about the
stolen money right away.

He made me and my younger brother kneel against the
wall as he held a bamboo stick in his hand.

"Who stole the money?" he asked.

I was stunned, too afraid to talk. Neither of us
admitted to the fault, so he said, "Fine, if nobody
wants to admit, you two should be beaten!"

He lifted up the bamboo stick.

Suddenly, my younger brother gripped father's hand and
said," Dad, I was the one who did it!"

The long stick smacked my brother's back repeatedly.

Father was so an! gry that he kept on whipping my
brother until he lost his breath.

After that, he sat down on our stone bed and scolded
my brother, "You have learned to steal from your own
house now. What other embarrassing things will you be
possibly doing in the future? You should be beaten to
death, you shameless thief!"

That night, my mother and I hugged my brother. His
body was full of wounds from the beating but he never
shed a single tear.

In the middle of the night, all of sudden, I cried out
loudly.

My brother covered my mouth with his little hand and
said, " Sis, now don't cry anymore. Everything has
happened."

I still hate myself for not having enough courage to
admit what I did.

Years gone by, but the incident still seemed like it
just happened yesterday.

I will never forget my brother's ____expression when he
protected me.

That year, my brother was 8 years old and I was 11
years old.

When my brother was in his last year of secondary
school, he was accepted in an upper

secondary school in the central. At the same time, I
was accepted into a university in the province.

That night, father squatted in the yard, smoking,
packet by packet.

I could hear him ask my mother, "Both of our children,
they have good results? very good results?"

Mother wiped off her tears and sighed," What is the
use? How can we possibly finance both of them?"

At that time, my brother walked out, he stood in front
of father and said,"Dad, I don't want to continue my
study anymore, I have read enough books."

Father swung his hand and slapped my brother on his
face.

"Why do you have a spirit so damn weak? Even if it
means I have to beg for money on the streets, I will
send you two to school until you have both finished
your study!"

And then, he started to knock on every house in the
vil! lage to borrow money.

I stuck out my hand as gently as I can to my brother's
swollen face, and told him, "A boy has to continue his
study; If not, he will not be able to overcome this
poverty we are experiencing."

I, on the other hand, had decided not to further my
study at the university.

Nobody knew that on the next day, before dawn, my
brother left the house with a few pieces of worn-out
clothes and a few dry beans. He sneaked to my side of
the bed and left a note on my pillow; "Sis, getting
into a university is not easy. I will go find a job
and I will send money to you."

I held the note while sitting on my bed, and cried
until I lost my voice.

That year, my brother was 17 years old; I was 20 years
old.

With the money father borrowed from the whole village,
and the money my brother earned from carrying cement
on his back at a construction site,finally, I managed
to get to the third year of my stud! y in the
university.

One day, while I was studying in my room, my roommate
came in and told me,"There's a villager waiting for
you outside!"

Why would there be a villager looking for me? I walked
out, and I saw my brother from afar. His whole body
was covered with dirt, dust, cement and sand. I asked
him, "Why did you not tell my roommate that you are my
brother?"

He replied with a smile," Look at my appearance. What
will they think if they would know that I am your
brother? Won't they laugh at you?"

I felt so touched, and tears filled my eyes. I swept
away dirt and dust from my brother's body. And told
him with a lump in my throat, " I don't care what
people would say! You are my brother no matter what
your appearance is?"

>From his pocket, he took out a butterfly hair clip. He
put it on my hair and said, "I saw all the girls in
town are wearing it. So, I think you should also have
one."
I could not hold back myself anymore. I pulled my
brother into my arms and cried.

That year, my brother was 20 years old; I was 23 years
old.

I noticed that the broken window was repaired the
first time I brought my boyfriend home. The house was
scrubbed cleaned.

After my boyfriend left, I danced like a little girl
in front of my mother, "Mom, you didn't have to spend
so much time cleaning the house!" But she told me with
a smile," It was your brother who went home early to
clean the house. Didn't you see the wound on his hand?
He hurt his hand while he was replacing the window."

I went into my brother's bedroom. Looking at his thin
face, I felt like there are hundreds of needle pricked
in my heart.

I appliedsome ointment on his wound and pu a bandag on
it, "Does it hurt? " I asked him.

"No, it doesn't hurt. You know, when at the
construction site, stones keep falling on my feet .
Even tha! t could not stop me from working."

In the middle of the sentence, he stopped. I turned my
back on him and tears rolled down my face.

That year, my brother was 23 years old; I was 26 years
old.

After I got married, I lived in the city. Many times
my husband invited my parents to come and live with
us, but they didn't want.

They said, once they left the village,they wouldn't
know what to do.

My brother agreed with them. He said, "Sis, you just
take care of your parents-in-law. I will take care of
mom and dad here."

My husband became the director of his factory. We
asked my brother to accept the offer of being the
manager in the maintenance department. But my brother
rejected the offer. He insisted on working as a
repairman instead for a start.

One day, my brother was on the top of a ladder
repairing a cable, when he got electrocuted, and was
sent to the hospital.

My husband and I visite! d him at the hospital. Looking
at the white gypsum on his leg, I grumbled, "Why did
you reject the offer of being a manager? Managers
won't do something dangerous like that. Now look at
you, You ar suffering a serious injury. Why didn't you
just listen to us?"

With a serious ____expression on his face, he defended
his decision, "Think of brother-in-law. He just
became the director, and I being uneducated, and would
become a manager, what kind of rumors would fly
around?"

My husband's eyes filled up with tears, and then I
said, "But you lack in education only because of me!"

"Why do you talk about the past?" he said and then he
held my hand.

That year, he was 26 years old and I was 29 years
old.

My brother was 30 years old when he married a farmer
girl from the village.

During the wedding reception, the master of ceremonies
asked him, "Who is the one person you respect and love
the most?"

Without even taking a time to think, he answered," My
sister." He continued by telling a story I could not
even remember.

"When I was in primary school, the school was in a
different village. Everyday, my sister and I would
walk for 2 hours to school and back home. One day, I
lost the other pair of my gloves. My sister gave me
one of hers.

She wore only one glove and she had to walk far. When
we got home, her hands were trembling because of the
cold weather that she could not even hold her
chopsticks. From that day on, I swore that as long as
I live, I would take care of my sister and will always
be good to her."

Applause filled up the room. All guests turned their
attention to me.

I found it hard to speak, "In my whole life, the one I
would like to thank most is my brother," And in this
happy occasion,in front of the crowd, tears were
rolling down my face again.

Love and! care for the one you love every single days
of your life. You may think what you did is just a
small deed, but to that someone, it may mean a lot.

Have a nice day ! May this story inspire you
in any way!

[jim]

hey Mazdamazda napagisip-isip mo na ba na maging GUIDANCE COUNSELOR hehehehehehe.... baka yun talaga ang para sa iyo official GUIDANCE COUNSELOR ng TSIKOT!!!! :D

nice messages. tinamaan ako dito "Ikaw ang nagbago, hindi ang mundo." tama nga naman , dapat bumalik ako sa simpleng pamumuhay.

[WeaponX]

Kaiyak naman. Very inspiring messages.

[ts1n1ta]

i like it. great messages....

[mazdamazda]

YOU ARE BLESSED!!!

What is God telling you with the problems He blesses you with?

The problems you face will either defeat you or develop you - depending on how you respond to them. Unfortunately most people fail to see how God wants to use problems for good in their lives. They react foolishly and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit they might bring.

Here are five ways God wants to use the problems in your life:

1) God uses problems to DIRECT you. Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. Problems often point us in a new direction and motivate us to change. Is God trying to get your attention? "Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways."

Proverbs 20:30

2) God uses problems to INSPECT you. People are like tea bags... if you want to know what's inside them, just drop them into hot water! Has God ever tested your faith with a problem? What do problems reveal about you? "When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience."

James 1:2-3

3) God uses problems to CORRECT you. Some lessons we learn only through pain and failures. It's likely that as a child your parents told you not to touch a hot stove. But you probably learned by being burned. Sometimes we only learn the value of something...health, money, a relationship...by losing it... "It was the best thing that could have happened to me, for it taught me to pay attention to your laws."

Psalm 119:71-72

4) God uses problems to PROTECT you. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents you from being harmed by something more serious. Last year a friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem - but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when management's actions were eventually discovered. "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good."

Genesis 50:20

5) God uses problems to PERFECT you. Problems, when responded to correctly, are character builders. God is far more interested in your character than your comfort. Your relationship to God and your character are the only two things you're going to take with you into eternity. "We can rejoice when we run into problems...they help us learn to be patient. And patience develop strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady."

Romans 5:3-4

Here's the point: God is at work in your life - even when you do not recognize it or understand it. But it's much easier and profitable when you cooperate with Him.

YOU ARE BLESSED....THERE'S NO NEED TO STRESS!!!

Success can be measured not only in achievements, but in lessons learned, lives touched and moments shared along the way....

[cutedoc]

if you happen to drop by a bookstore, grab a copy of books by Francis Kong, he is a great author and an inspirational speaker, he's christian pero when you read or listen to him indi very universal yung language niya, if you read chicken soup for the soul, i find this one better, tipong applicable sa everyday life

[mazdamazda]

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to
visit their old University of Notre Dame lecturer. Conversation soon turned
into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned
with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic,
glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to
help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said:
"If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving
behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only
the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.
What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously
went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are
the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of
Life doesn't change."

"Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in
it."