Gems from my Inbox - Part 4

THE MAYONNAISE JAR AND COFFEE

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours
in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the
coffee...

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He
then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into
the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open
areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the
jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the
jar was full.
The students responded with a resounding "Yes!"
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
space between the sand.
The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, " I want you to
recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things - your God, your family, your children, your health,
your friends, your favorite passions - things that if everything else
was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The
pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your
car. . . The sand is everything else - the small stuff."
"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no
room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life If you
spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have
room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the
things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play
another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the
disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really
matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
represented.
The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked." he said. "It just goes to
show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room
for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

A second look at an old adage

In the context of employee termination, this old adage was cited: Be careful how you treat people on the way up, because you may meet them again on the way down.

Needless to say, this has a much broader application and not just in case of terminating an employee. It has relevant daily applicability - in the workplace, at home, in the mall, everywhere.

Personally, I think the reason given is not noble enough -'...because you may meet them again on the way down'. What about the intrinsic value of the person? Treat him with respect because he is a human being, period. Whether that benefits me or not, I owe it to that person because of his value as a human being.

Longing for an early Spring

As I look outside, it is actually sunny with a thin overcast. Today is a lot better than what it had been the previous days. Winter has its unique beauty and all, but you can't fault me if I prefer sunny and warmer times. You see I originally came from the tropics and that explains my preference.

One thing I am learning as a christian is to look at things from a spiritual perspective. That if I am living in obedience to God, there are no accidents in my life. Everything has a purpose - that even what appears to be the worst can ultimately result in something good, because He looks after me, takes care of me, and every moment is an opportunity for me to be transformed into what He wants me to become.

So summer, spring, autumn, and yes winter have their purpose and their uniqueness is an instrument that God uses to fulfill His will in my life.

But then, I long for Spring!

Pagan or not, let's observe Valentine's Day

When I was a child, a learned a song, a line of which goes something like, "It's love, it's love, it's love that makes the world go 'round..."

Today, February 14, is Valentine's Day. It has been said that this observance has its origin in a Roman pagan rite. True or not, I'd like to think of it this way - any observance that encourages me to think of love and creatively express it, is a good thing, don't you think so?

If you agree with me, let us be agents of love today, tomorrow and always. Let's have a lot of it to go 'round.

Have a happy one, fellow bloggarts!

Positive Blogs

I have only been blogging for a little over a month and overall I must say that the experience has been positive. There have been a number of blogs that have caught my attention because of their praiseworthy messages.

One such blog is "Another Man's Meat". It's excellently written and reading it has been worth my while.

A noteworthy banner I saw tonight has this message: If you want to work for world peace, go home and love your families. It's a quote from Mother Theresa.

To owners of those blogs and hundreds of uncited others, a very sincere "Thank You". You have such an impact on many more than you know. Keep it up.

What I learned...

...from a business retreat I'd just been on..

With the theme, "Cruising Into the Future", our president underscored the challenge of constant change that we have to deal with. From all the presentations that each VP had to do, I came up with this quote:

"HE WHO RESISTS CHANGE, WILL CRUISE INTO OBLIVION"

Think of businesses that have gone under. Many if not all have resisted the inevitable CHANGE that's inherent in the adaption of new technology. You've heard this before: We have always done it this way, we're not gonna change it now.

Ponderable for Today

Life is not measured by how many breaths we take, but by moments that take our breaths away.

I'm Back!

I just came back from a dual-purpose trip - pleasure and business. Whew! it was brief and went fast.

It was a cruise that took me to Fort Lauderdale, Key West and Cozumel, Mexico. It was my first cruise experience and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The food was sumptuously superb and the nightly shows were fantastic. The service was first-rate and the crew was friendly and always willing to make your cruise memorable. The ship? GTS SUMMIT of the Celebrity Cruise Lines.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, To Mexico I Go

In two days, I will be embarking on a business trip. Actually it's part business and part pleasure. I hope to post some pictures when I come back.