Reverse Thinking ( l )

The secretary cautiously gave the visiting card to the manager of the company. As expected he threw back the card to her. Without any alternative she picked it up and returned it to the salesman who embarrassingly watched everything at the doorway. The salesman immediately handed over to her the visiting card for the second time.

"Never mind. I'll call on the manager some other time. Please keep the card.", he said.

The secretary seeing that he was so persistent, went into the manager's office again. The manager was so angry he tore the card into two and threw back to her.

The secretary was shocked. She did not know what to do next. The manager took out RM10.00 from his pocket and said disgustingly,"Rm10.00 to buy his visiting card, is it enough?"

When the secretary returned the visiting card with the bank note to the salesman, he said cheerfully,"Please tell the manager RM10.00 can buy 2 of my visiting cards. I still owe him one."

And so he gave another card to the secretary.

Suddenly there was a loud laughter from the office of the manager who came out and said,"If I don't talk business with you, whom should I talk to?"

# One can jump out from other people's trap by reverse thinking. If you can disregard people's logical thinking, you can then overcome their tactics.#

The Fishing Rod

An old man was fishing by the river. A small boy passed by and stopped to look at him fishing. The old man was very skilful and in just a short while, he already had hooked up a basketful of fish.

The old man looked at the boy and wanted to give him the basket of fish. But the boy shook his head and declined to accept. The old man was very surprised. He asked,"Why don't you accept it?"

The boy answered,"I want your fishing rod."

"Why do you want the fishing rod?"

The boy said,"I'll finish eating the fish very soon. If I have a fishing rod, I can have a supply of fish for a lifetime."

What a clever child, you might say.

Wrong. If he just wants the fishing rod, he will not be able to have any fish to eat. This is because he does not know the fishing technique. The main point is not the fishing rod, but the fishing skill.

We must spend time to learn a new skill and to accumulate experience which will serve us a lifetime. Nobody can take away from us the knowledge we acquired.

Fix a "cheer up" button for yourself

Sometimes we are sensitive towards small matters. When somebody looks at us a little longer, we feel that this person is our enemy. When someone does not even look at us, we feel that this person purposely gives us the cold shoulder.

Sensitive people are not happy because their moods are usually controlled by other people's temperament.

So just be yourself. Forget what other people think about you, then your thoughts will not be confused.

...............<>.............<>..............<>...............<>..............<>.......

Believe it or not, you are a piece of magnet!

When you are happy: you like your own self, admire beautiful things, feel the friendliness of this world, then naturally people will be attracted to you.

Likewise, if you are pessimistic, depressed, feel that everything goes wrong, then all things negative will come to you. This is because as a magnet, you attract things that you believe in. So a happy you will draw happy things towards you whereas a troubled you will attract unhappy things towards you.

Good luck or bad luck depends on how you use your inner magnetic force.

...............<>...............<>................<>................<>................<>....

How is your mood today? Your eyes will reveal everything. So, do not hide inside your "shell", get out from it! If you do not think of trouble, it would not come to you.

Change your mood with the following: have a cup of coffee or any of your favourite drink, buy a new shirt/blouse, cut a new hairstyle, eat an ice-cream, go to a movie etc., or look up an old friend and chat about bygone days.

There are many ways to cheer up, and to be nice to yourself is not immoral unless you insist that hiding inside your "shell" is happier.

A Mother's Love

(Photo: Courtesy of Oriental Daily News)

The first time attending Parents' Day, the teacher at the kindergarten told her,"I suspect your son is suffering from dyslexia. He can't sit still for 3 minutes. It's better you take him to the doctor."

On the way home, her son asked her what the teacher said to her. Her nose watered and tears nearly rolled down her cheek. In the class of thirty pupils, her son's performance was the worst.

However, she said,"Boy, teacher praised you for being able to sit still for 3 minutes compared to 1 minute last term. Other pupils' mothers are envious of me because only you have improved in the whole class."

That night, her son ate 2 bowls of rice without her spoon-feeding him.

Soon her son went to primary school.

At the Parents' Day, the teacher said,"In the class of 45 pupils, your son comes out last in the Mathematics test. I suspect he has some handicaps in learning. It's better you take him to the doctor."

On the way home, she dropped her tears. When she reached home, she told her son who was sitting in front of his desk,"Boy, teacher has full confidence in you. He said that you're not a stupid child. As long as you're careful in your test, you can score higher marks than your friend who sits beside you."

On saying these, she discovered that her son's face beamed with joy. She even realised that her son had become more placid, as though he had grown up a lot. The next day he went to school earlier than usual.

Another Parents' Day came during her son's lower secondary school days.

She waited for the teacher to tell her about her son's performance. But until the end of the gathering, the teacher did not come and talk to her.

In the end she went up to the teacher who said,"According to your son's results, it's a bit difficult to be admitted to the upper secondary class of a premier school." With a delightful heart she walked out of the school gate and her son was waiting her there.

On the way home, she told her son,"Your form teacher is very sastifactory with your results. He said that if you are diligent, you'll be able to be admitted to the upper secondary class of a premier school."

Finally her son completed his upper secondary education.

One day her son gave her a letter informing that he had been accepted by the top university in the country. Suddenly he turned away and cried,"Mum, I know I'm not an intelligent child, but you never give up on me, you're the only one who appreciates me in this world!"

At this moment, she could not control her tears which kept on dropping down onto the letter which she was holding.

#Encouraging words can change a person's thinking and behavior, even his/her destiny. Negative words can hurt a person's heart and feelings, even ruin his/her future!#

Buying Curry Puffs

Alan,Ben and Chris were staff of the Sales Department. Alan was the sales manager, Ben was the sales executive while Chris was the salesman. Chris always felt that the three of them were having the same capabilities. He could not understand why Alan and Ben could become a manager and an executive respectively and he could only be the salesman.

One day, he could not stand it anymore. He went to the boss and asked,"The three of us joined the company on the same day. I don't work less than them but you let them become the manager and executive and I'm still a salesman. I just don't understand!"

The boss did not say anything. He smilingly looked at Chris and waited till he had finished talking then he said,"Young man, be patient. Just go downstairs and see whether there is anyone selling curry puffs."

Chris on hearing this quickly ran downstairs. A short while later he came in and said,"Yes, there's one selling curry puffs."

"How much is it ?" the boss asked.

"I did't ask. Let me go down and find out."

The second time Chris came back, he was slightly out of breath. He said,"RM1.00 per piece."

"Will it be cheaper if I buy more?", the boss asked.

"I didn't ask. Let me go down and find out."

When Chris came back for the third time, he was already breathless. "The hawker asked me how many I want to buy."

"What did you say to him?"

"I?........."

The boss told him to sit down first and he phoned Ben to come to his room.

"I want to treat you all to curry puffs. You go down and see if there is anyone selling." he told Ben.

After a while Ben came back and said,"There's one selling curry puffs. RM1.00 per piece. If we buy 5 pieces, it is only RM4.50. If more than 10 pieces, it's only RM0.80 each."

"How's the taste?"the boss asked.

"I didn't ask.", Ben answered honestly.

The boss asked Ben to sit down and he called Alan to come.

"I want to treat you all to curry puffs, just see if anyone selling downstairs." he told Alan with the same words.

After a little while, Alan came back and said,"There's one selling downstairs now. RM1.00 per piece. Five pieces for RM4.50. Ten pieces for RM8.00. But I heard from those who had bought, this peddler's curry puffs tasted not too good although the price is cheap. There's another one further down the road, the curry puffs taste delicious but a bit expensive. Five pieces for RM4.80 and if more than ten pieces, it costs RM0.90 each. There are four of us, 12 pieces will be enough. It's only that we have to walk about 150 meters further."

The boss looked at Chris and smilingly he said,"Now you should know why you are still a salesman!"

The Gift

An old carpenter wanted to go into retirement. He told his employer that he wanted to go back to his hometown and lived with his wife and children.

His employer asked if he could help him to build a house for the last time. The old carpenter agreed. But everyone noticed that his heart was not with him when he built the house. He used inferior materials and the workmanship was shoddy. When the house was completed, his employer gave him the key to the house. He said,"This house is my gift to you for your retirement."

The old carpenter was shocked and full of shame. If he knew that this house was for him, he would not have built it in such manner. Now he had to live in such a house.

This is exactly the same with our attitude towards life. We do not "build" our lives whole heartedly. We do not do our best at all times. When we discover the situation we are in, we are already trapped in the "house" we built for ourselves.

Think of yourself as though you are the carpenter. Use your wisdom whenever you erect a wall or hammer a nail. Your life is your own creation. Only you can create a beautiful life for yourself.

Spend time to do 10 things

Time is like life. It cannot be reversed. Wasting time is wasting life. Life is short and wasting time makes life even shorter. Therefore we must learn to distinguish what to do and not wasting time on trivial things. The 18th century German philosopher Gothe once said: If we use our time on the right thing, then we will have time forever.

Below are 10 things which everyone should spend time to do :

1. Spend time thinking - this is the root of wisdom
2. Spend time working - this is the price of success
3. Spend time helping others - this is the source of happiness
4. Spend time reading - this is the foundation of knowledge
5. Spend time laughing - this is the best medicine for worries
6. Spend time keeping fit - this is the safeguard of health
7. Spend time meditating - this is the way to purify our body and soul
8. Spend time entertaining - this is the secret of keeping youthful and enjoying life
9. Spend time loving - this is life's most touching melody
10. Spend time planning - this is the formula for finding time to do the above 9 things

The delivery boy

A fifteen-year-old boy stopped schooling and came to town to look for work. He found a job as a delivery boy for a fast food outlet. He had to work very hard but the salary was low. During peak period he had to make more than 30 trips a day to delivery food to his customers.

He was thin and shy. Some customers would ask him whether he was not interested in schooling and worked without his family's knowledge. He replied that he worked not for the money. This answer surprised everyone. He said that his mother was ill most of the time and his father was a handicapped person operating a fruit stall in his village.

So he continued working there with many colleagues come and gone. Usually they did not stay for long. The longest was 3 months and the shortest was a month. They left because they could not stand the hard work and the low income.

He had been working there for six years. He is now a twentyone-year-old young man. People especially the merchants from near and far know him. The children there thought that he is the boss of the fast food outlet.

After a few months he resigned from his job and opened a transport company. Although this business is very competitive in town, his business is flourishing. The reason is very simple. In his 6 years of delivering fast food, he gets to know more than a thousand businessmen with the majority require the services of transport company. And they have a very good impression of him.

When he opens his third transport company, people are incredible as how a delivery boy can single-handedly establish a niche in the competitive business world.

He says,"Nobody would want to be a delivery boy in this town for 6 years, wouldn't he?" It is unbelievably simple.

Loss and gain

A very successful entrepreneur had lunch with his father in a posh restaurant. A talented violinist was playing music for the customers there.

While they were enjoying the beautiful music, the entrepreneur remembered that he too at one time learned music and was crazy about it.

He said to his father, "If I was persistent enough in music, I would be playing here today."

"Yes, my son." answered his father,"But if it is so, then you won't be having your lunch here now."

The stairs

Two brothers lived on the 80th floor of a huge building. One day on coming back from their travel they found that there was a power failure. Although they carried with them many luggages, they had no alternative but to take the stairs to go back to their home.

When they reached the 20th floor, they were already exhausted. The elder brother said,"The bags are too heavy. I think we leave them here for the moment. When the current resumes, we come down by the lift and take them home." As such they left the luggages at the 20th floor and continued to climb the stairs light-heartedly.

When they reached the 40th floor, they were really tired. Considering that they had another 40 floors to climb, they started blaming each other for not taking heed of the announcement regarding the power cut.

They argued while continued to climb the stairs until they reached the 60th floor. Now they were so tired they had no more energy to quarrel.

The younger brother said,"Let's stop arguing and climb the stairs." So they continued climbing in silence. Finally they reached the 80th floor. Their happiness was shortlived as they found that they had left the keys inside the baggage at the 20th floor.

This story actually reflects our lives : when we are below 20 years of age, we have to live up to the expectation of our parents and teachers. We are under pressure and carry with us a heavy burden.

When we are above 20 years old, we leave behind our burden to pursue our dreams and goals in life. We spend the 20 years happily. But when we reach 40 years of age, we find that our youth has passed. We begin to feel regretful and thus we spend the next 20 years in remorse.

When coming to 60 years of age, we discover that there is not much left of our lives. So we tell ourselves that we stop grumbling and treasure the rest of the days. We spend the remaining years in silence.

When coming to the end of our lives, we realise that we have not achieved anything in life. We had our dreams left behind in the youthful years when we were 20 years old.