Read My Dear Son, book one Page 4

with a positive mind set.

  There is no substitute to personally experiencing the benefits of living with positive attitudes.

  Theme: Act of Giving, a positive attitude!

  You would discover that there is an immeasurable pleasure in Giving !

  You need not have to own immense wealth to give others happiness. In most situations, You may own just nothing !. Still you can give others immense happiness. It is a matter of attitude, a positive attitude!

  It is possible that a meagre 2-5% of the worlds population

  (1) is assured of timely food,

  (2) have a shelter and clothing to protecting themselves, almost throughout their life time.

  Yet, most of us are never satisfied with what we have. We rave for more. Yet, happy receiving gifts from others. Many of us crib whenever a situation calls for Giving! Be it a tax or a fee.

  There are the vast majority who are not sure from where their next time food would come from. They are the victims of nature’s fury, round the year, world over.

  In such a scenario, the affluent who are affluent can think in two ways.

  The first way is, to think that there are so many in the world who need help. Let me do whatever little possible by me, all the time, to poor and needy around. Thereby, see an immense opportunity to render help to someone less privileged than us. Thank God for providing us with the resources and opportunity to help others in need. Calls for Giving!

  Be it a tax or a fee. There are a vast majority who are not sure from where their next time food would come from. They are the victims of nature’s fury, round the year, the world over.

  In such a scenario, people who are affluent can think in two ways.

  The first way is to think that there are so many in the world who need help. Let me do whatever little possible by me, all the time, to poor and needy around.

  There by, see an immense opportunity to render help to someone, less privileged than us. Thank the god for providing us with the resources and opportunity to help others in need.

  Second way is to think that it was gigantic task ahead. Vast majority needs help and therefore it is impossible to catering to it with our limited resources. Therefore do nothing about it.

  If you could quench the hunger of one poor person only, that too once in a month, it would bring you the happiness that will surpass the pleasure of possession of a million rupees worth !.

  One would discover in the process that there is joy in helping others and in general, the tremendous Joy in giving. Ask anyone who have the habit of giving. They would share with you the joy they had.

  Helping others – giving – is a positive attitude. Let us wear a positive attitude and put our compassion to real work. Advice: Develop the Attitude of giving – your efforts, your material, your attention may be merely your love and care.

  Theme: Facing adverse situation.

  Opportunities lay hidden even in adverse situations. We can reconize them when we wear a positive attitude towards life.

  Knowledge:

  (1) Adverse situations are common occurrences in every one’s life.

  (2) Most of us run away from it.

  (3) Every adverse situation for us as an opportunity for some others.

  (4) It has been proved by some people that any adverse situation can be turned into an opportunity, provided we have a positive mind set.

  Suggestions:

  (1) Read and remember the stories given below.

  (2) When faced with adverse situation, people with positive mind, Instead of becoming panicky finds ways of using it in their favour.

  (3) Read Thomas Edison and modern America; By Theresa Mary Collins, to get an exciting account of researchers and their times.

  The three stories below gives adverse situations in three distinct life situations.

  Theme: Facing adverse situation.

  This is a very important theme. Therefore, we will have two stories

  Short Story 06

  Edison’s Factory goes ablaze.

  Once Edison’s factory was on fire. He called in his wife to witness the glorious event. He points out that a great opportunity to rebuild the factory is made possible by the accident.

  He reasoned that, during the growth of their enterprise the factory expanded without a plan or an order. Now they have an opportunity to rebuild it.

  We, the ordinary people, will lose our mind with a fire accident where-in our entire investment evaporate in fire.

  Real achievers see an opportunity even in a disaster.

  Said in another way, successful people turn every adverse situation into an opportunity to grow. Next two stories will amply demonstrate how adverse situations can become opportunities.

  Theme: Facing adverse situation.

  Short Story 07

  Water carrier

  This story is told in India and dates back to the time when potable water was not supplied through water pipe lines, directly to houses.

  People bring water from far away places. Affluent ones engage people to fetch them water from such sources.

  The water carriers carry on their shoulders a pole with water pots tied at either ends of a long pole..

  One of the water carriers carried water for his master for a long time. One of the two pots developed a crack. He had no money to replace the cracked pot.

  Even though the man filled both the pots equally, by the time he reaches his master’s house, he will have only one and a half pots water.

  Because of this, he had to make extra trip to the water source that would cause him additional effort and resulting pain.

  The water carrier thought to himself, that nothing could go waste, in nature. He thought of an idea and started implementing it earnestly.

  He planted seeds of flower plants on either side of the path from the water source up to his master’s house. As he brought the water from the tank, he walked on one side of the path on alternate trips. The leaking water helped the plants to grow. Very soon, they started yielding lovely flowers. He sold these flowers to his masters and others nearby.

  Soon he became a gardener and then rich. Theme: Pick the right lesson.

  To do so, tt calls for a positive attitude

  Know this:

  (1) Every experience offers two lessons. One positive and the other negative.

  (2) One’s success and well being in life or otherwise depends on what he picks. The right lesson or the wrong ones.

  (3) Picking right lesson needs one wear a positive attitude.

  Theme: Pick the right lesson.

  Short Story 08

  The hunter and the hunted !

  Very long ago, a fox lived in the deep forest. It lost its front legs, in an accidental jump.

  So it could not run. It moved about slowly and limping.

  A hunter lived on the edge of the forest observed the fox one day. He was surprised and kept watching its movements, for a long time. He was wondering, how the fox managed to hunt for living when it could barely move.

  One day, he saw a tiger approaching. Hunter climbed the nearby tree and observed its movement. As it came nearer he observed the tiger had in its claws, a deer and the tiger reached a spot where the lame fox was resting.

  Tiger laid down the dead deer on the ground. Ate a part of it, left the remaining for the fox to eat and left the place.

  The hunter observed the repetition of this event, very often.

  It came to his mind the stories his grandma told him about the GOD. He recollected his Grandma telling him that the God is the greatest provider of food and essentials for every life forms.

  He could see that the GOD sent provisions to the lame fox through the tiger. He thanked his grandma, the tiger and the fox for making him realize the GOD! hunter began to think. “If this fox is taken care of in this mysterious way, its food sent by some unseen Higher Power, through a tiger why don’t

  I just rest in a corner and have my daily meal provided for me?”


  Because he had a lot of faith, he let the days pass, waiting for food sent by GOD.

  Nothing happened on the first day. He waited for the second day. His faith did not diminish yet.

  He started losing weight and strength until he was nearly a skeleton.

  Close to losing consciousness, he heard a Voice which said: “O you, who have mistaken the way, see now the Truth! You should have followed the example of that tiger instead of imitating the disabled fox.”

  Though late, the hunter realized his folly of following the fox instead of Tiger. Did you ?

  Theme: Help others around you.

  Know these:

  (1) Majority of the world’s population lives in poverty, poor health conditions and unhealthy environment. They are the victims of nature’s fury round the year.

  (2) Most people are poor because they are not compensated for their effort equitably.

  (3) Economists said long ago that 80% of a nation’s health is enjoyed by a mere 20% of the people.

  Appear to be a very old statistics. It should read as, 95% of world wealth is enjoyed by 5% of the people.

  (4) Most of us live in an illusionary world where everything is alright.

  (5) Majority of the population do not get even two time food.

  (6) We have inherited the art of taking from others and not giving.

  (7) Do not realize the immense pleasure in giving.

  (8) Most of the affluent suffer from financial insecurity. Save so much of money that even several generations cannot use them up.

  (9) Saving fortunes for next generation, make the next generation weak.

  (10) The ideal wealth one can give to next generation is knowledge and skills to earn their needs honestly, ability to have a healthy body and mind.

  (11) Art of giving dispels the fear of economic insecurity.

  (12) Every religion advocates