Posts by Pat:
Which son are you?
A certain farmer had become old and ready to pass his farm down to one of his two sons. When he brought them together to speak about it, he said, “The farm will go to my younger son.”
The older son was furious! “What are you talking about?!” he fumed.
The father sat patiently, thinking.
“”Okay,” the father said. “I need you to do something for me. We need more cows. Will you go to Cibi’s farm and see if he has any cows for sale?”
The older son shortly returned and reported, “Father, Cibi has 6 cows for sale.”
The father graciously thanked the older son for his work. He then turned to the younger son and said, “I need you to do something for me. We need more cows. Will you go to Cibi’s farm and see if he has any cows for sale?”
The younger son did as he was asked and returned, reporting “Father, Cibi has 6 cows for sale. Each cow will cost 2,000 rupees. If we are thinking about buying more than 6 cows, Cibi said he would be willing to reduce the price 100 rupees. He also said they are getting special jersey cows next week so if we aren’t in a hurry, it may be good to wait. However, if we need the cows urgently Cibi said he could deliver the cows tomorrow.”
The father graciously thanked the younger son for his work. He then turned to the older son and said, “That’s why your younger brother is getting the farm.”
Successful people initiate.
Most people only do what they are asked and need specific instructions on most things they do.
Conversely those who become successful don’t just do the job, they do it right and complete. They reach out to people, asking questions, offer to help.
Being successful requires being proactive and not waiting for life to come to you.
Are you an initiator? You can choose to be one!
It’s simple AND hard…
Many things are both simple and hard! This dichotomy of “simple” and “hard” exists with many of the most common things that we want to do to improve ourselves. We humans are predisposed to favor the short term over the long term. Our modern life surrounds us with seemingly infinite temptation that is more easily […]
A kitten from heaven…
“A minister had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope over a large limb and tied the end to his car bumper he could pull until the […]
Aarrgg…those fitted sheets!
There it was again, sitting on the bottom of the laundry basket because I leave it for last every time. I know it should not be such a big deal, but… The thing’s got no real corners, nothing sharp and neat like a flat sheet. Everything else in the laundry basket has a process-the blouses, […]
previous This too shall pass…
There’s a fable behind the phrase, “this too shall pass” which has origins in Sufi and Hebrew folklore that feels like deep wisdom to me. I hope this story anchors it for you too. One day King Solomon asked Benaiah Ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister, “Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want […]
Some fun puns on reading…
I love puns (form of word play that suggests two or more meanings) on books, reading, libraries… Pick your favorite! Aren’t words fun? funny? Share your favorite pun! […]
A Priceless Stone
There are people who can live their whole lives with the belief that they are worth nothing. Whether or not it is because of the message they received from their parents or friends, these people don’t know what their true value is and it makes them doubt their own skills and even the things they […]
Is there a Blue Monday?
If you wake up tomorrow morning (January 21st) feeling a little low, don’t worry. You’ve got a good excuse! Back in 2005, Life Coach Cliff Arnall at Cardiff University, said he had developed a formula that proved that the first Monday of the third week of January was the most depressing day of the year. […]
Shake it off and step up!
A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule braying (or whatever mules do when they fall into wells). After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was […]
January is…
We all seem to have this collective agreement that when December 31st meets January 1st, we will increase the yearly number by one and time will march on while we keep writing the wrong date on all our correspondence for a few weeks. You know, there are much better times in nature’s cycle to mark […]