A very rich and powerful businessman once owned a beautiful and rare steam train: It was

his pride and joy. One day, after a very long journey to the city packed full of his well-to do

friends and distinguished guests, his beloved steam train ground to a halt. The

businessman was deeply embarrassed by his misfortune and subsequently sought the

immediate repair of the train by several engineers from a local train yard. Unfortunately,

the engineers could not fix the problem, but knew of an old, retired engineer who might be

able to help, albeit at a hefty price.

The rich businessman was in no mood for waiting around, so he agreed to summon the

retired engineer to fix his train. Several hours past before an elderly gentleman appeared,

carrying a tool bag whilst smoking leisurely on his wooden pipe.

“Good day to you,” said the old engineer, politely tipping his hat in the direction of the

businessman. “How may I be of assistance?”

“Well, I would like you to fix my train, please. Many engineers have tried and failed. Can

you fix it?” the man replied.

“I will do my best if you agree to pay me for my work,” added the engineer.

“Of course, sir. Please hurry up. We are in a rush to get back home. We have been delayed

for hours now and must make haste. You will be paid as soon as you have fixed it,” replied

the man.

Without further instruction, the elderly engineer took his old tool bag and walked around

the train several times. After what seemed an age, he gently placed the bag on the floor

and took out a small hammer. He then continued to pace back and forth, listening intently

to the sounds made as he gently tapped the hammer along the intricate network of copper

pipes.

After several minutes of doing this, he started to tap one of the valves on the engine.

Having done this several times, the engine instantly burst into life once more as the steam

gushed through the pipes.

The businessman was ecstatic. He jumped up and down excitedly as his passengers began

to cheer. “It is fixed. Hurray! It is fixed,” he exclaimed. “How much do I owe you for

fixing my engine?”

“That will be £5,000,” replied the old engineer.

“What did you say?” shouted the man. “How on earth can you justify your price when all

you did was tap my engine with your hammer? Explain yourself, or I will pay you nothing.”

The engineer replaced his hammer and then wrote something on the back of an old

tobacco paper before handing it to the businessman.

The man looked at it and smiled. “I do beg your pardon, sir. Please forgive me. I will have

my assistant pay you at once,” he replied.

The note read…“For tapping with my hammer £1. For knowing where to tap £4,999.”

1

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” ~ Bruce Lee

2

“Experience is a good school. But the fees are high.” ~ Heinrich Heine

3

“All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.” ~ Sir Winston Churchill

4

“Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” ~ James Baldwin

5

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~ Aristotle

Never talk down to anyone. Be humble and considerate. 

Listen attentively to what others are saying, even if you don’t agree with them. 

Be courteous at all times and you will start to find people warming to you, even strangers whom you have only just met will want to help you. 

Be approachable to everyone and be sincere. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can allow people to walk all over you. It simply means that you are in control of yourself. 

You ooze self-confidence and command respect. When you say “yes” it will feel good, when you say “no”, people will listen. - Ivor Lloyd

1

“Believe deep down in your heart that you’re destined to do great things.” ~ Joe Paterno

2

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~ William James

3

“Treat everyone in the way you would like to be treated yourself.”

4

“Try out your ideas by visualising them in action.” ~ David Seabury

5

“All power is from within and is therefore under our control.” ~ Robert Collier

Never giving up on his ultimate goal is what kept one man going for over 27 years. For Nelson Mandela’s dream was to see a free South Africa in which black and white people would live together in harmony.

Nelson Mandela was jailed by the Government’s National Party in 1962 and sentenced to five years imprisonment with hard labour. Mandela was later accused of plotting to overthrow the government and was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment. He was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison near Cape Town. 

Nelson Mandela’s reputation as a significant black leader grew, not just in his native South Africa, but across the continent and across the world. He would remain defiant and always refused to compromise his political views, much to the displeasure of the ruling white government. Nelson Mandela would serve the majority of his sentence on Robben Island, before being transferred to Pollsmoor Prison.

It was a change of president that saw Frederik Willem de Klerk announce Nelson Mandela’s release and reverse the ban on the ANC and other anti-government organisations.

Nelson Mandela was released from prison on 11th February 1990 after serving 27 years for his political beliefs. He went on to fight for the rights of black people to vote in both local and national elections. He and President Frederik Willem de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Nelson Mandela would see his dream and ultimate goal come true on the 10th May 1994, when he was inaugurated as the country’s first black president.

Nelson Mandela is a symbol of hope for everyone. He simply refused ever to give up hope! - Ivor Lloyd

1

“It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” ~ Claude M. Bristol

2

“Argue for your limitations and sure enough, they’re yours.” ~ Richard Bach

3

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” ~ Lao Tzu

4

“Never try to solve all the problems at once, make them line up for you one by one.” ~ Richard Sloma

5

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.” ~ Mark Twain

1

“You have to have something to aim for.” ~ T. Morris

2

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” ~ George Lorimer

3

“The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.” ~ Tom Bradley

4

“To the person who does not know where he wants to go there is no favourable wind.” ~ Seneca

5

“Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

1

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t; you are right.” ~ Henry Ford

2

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ~ Nelson Mandela

3

“If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.” ~ Jesse Jackson

4

“The only real failure in life, is failing to try.” ~ Ivor Lloyd

5

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One pot had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and

always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the

house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a whole two years, this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for what it had been made for. The poor cracked pot, however, was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream…“I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there are flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day when we walk back, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to

decorate the table. “Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty

to grace the house.”

Although each of us may have our own unique flaws, it is in our uniqueness that we find our special talents. We are all individuals who have the potential to do great things with our lives.

Two soldiers, who were both badly injured, shared the same military hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for two hours each day to ease his bed sores. He

faced the room’s only window. The other man, however, had to spend all his time flat on

his back.

The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, and often exchanged war stories.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room-mate all the things he could see through the window. The

man in the other bed began to live for those two hour periods during which his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity of the world outside. The window overlooked a lovely pond, set inside wonderful parklands. Ducks played on the water, while children sailed their model boats. Couples walked arm in arm amidst beautiful flowers and dogs ran and barked excitedly. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the surrounding mountains could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side

of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One sunny afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the

other man couldn’t hear the music and singing; he could see it all in his mind’s eye as the

soldier by the window described the events in precise detail.

Weeks and months went by. The two soldiers would swap stories and chat about the outside world and their dreams and aspirations for the future.

One morning, the nurse arrived only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window,

who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants

to take his body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could

be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making

sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, he regained his strength and eventually he was able to sit up and look at the world outside.

He strained as he turned to look out of the window beside his bed, but it wasn’t there.

Instead, his bed faced nothing but a blank wall — the only window being a skylight in the

roof. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his friend who had died to

describe such wonderful things outside of the window, when there was not even a window

to look through. The nurse replied…“Your friend was blind. He couldn’t see anything.

Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you and give you hope!”

Although having good qualifications and a great academic background is obviously far more beneficial than not having any qualifications at all, they are not always necessary.

There are many people I know who have had excellent schooling and received first-class degrees, but then gone on to work in an entirely different field, or settled for a job with far less opportunities or kudos.

Here are a few successful people who made it without obtaining a degree: Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Simon Cowell, Bill Gates, Coco Chanel, Walt Disney and Michael Dell. 

The list is endless. There are many people who still manage to succeed in life without having the benefit of further education. They are successful because they are totally committed to what they want to achieve. If they need to learn new things, they learn them.

If they require people with a certain set of skills to help them, then they find them.

If your goal requires you to learn new skills or gain qualifications, then get out there and learn. Don’t make excuses for your lack of education; get educated.

- Ivor Lloyd

1

“Attitude is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than what people do or say. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.” ~ W.C. Fields

2

“I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person.” ~ Rita Mero

3

“You are the average sum of the five people you spend the most time with.” ~ Jim Rohn

4

“My list of ingredients for success is divided into four basic groups: Inward, Outward, Upward and Onward.” ~ David Thomas

5

10 Traits Of Successful People

Successful people in life know that you only have to change your thoughts and perspective

in order to get on the path to success. 

Here are 10 traits they all have in common:

1. They smile.

2. They have a positive outlook on life.

3. They never complain.

4. They take responsibility.

5. They are confident and persistent.

6. They are optimistic and focused.

7. They never stop learning and help others.

8. They know mistakes are only lessons to be learnt.

9. They always give more than what is expected.

10. They NEVER GIVE UP!

- Ivor Lloyd

1

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life’s about creating yourself.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

2

“Goals are dreams with deadlines.” ~ Diana Scharf Hunt

3

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.” ~ Albert Einstein

4

“It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.” ~ Robert Green Ingersoll

5

“The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” ~ Michelangelo

There are so many successful people in life, who refused to let circumstances, their upbringing, education, money, disability or, indeed, anything prevent them from achieving their dreams because they knew what they wanted to do with their lives. They set their goals and did whatever it took to succeed. No excuses, no moaning and groaning, just sheer courage and determination to be the best that they could be. 

Once an interviewer during a television show asked Muhammad Ali, “What would you have done if you hadn’t become the heavyweight champion of the world?”

“It doesn’t matter what I may have done, I would have been the best in the world. Even if I was a trash man, I would be the best trash man in the world.” 

You must try to be the best you can in everything you do. It is irrelevant whether you work as a janitor or a managing director. The world needs janitors just as much as managing directors. Forget any limitations you think you have and strive to be the best. Give 100% to everything, work hard and enjoy every moment. 

Oprah Winfrey is a prime example of a woman who decided that her humble beginnings within the slums of Brooklyn were not going to hinder her progress. As she says, “I don’t think of myself as a poor deprived ghetto girl who made good. I think of myself as somebody who, from an early age, knew I was responsible for myself, and I had to make good.”

Helen Keller was also a woman who decided that she would pursue her dream of getting an education, despite the fact that she was deaf and blind. Helen Keller would go on to be the first deaf and blind person to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree. She would become a prolific author and an inspiration all over the world to others.

Professor Stephen Hawking is a world-wide phenomenon and without doubt one of the greatest minds of his generation. He has written many books and is well-known throughout the world, not just for his academic achievements and his ground-breaking scientific theories, but also because of his limited physical ability caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Despite this disability, Professor Stephen Hawking continues to combine family life (he has three children and three grandchildren) with his research into theoretical physics and lecturing.

Other famous people who had past or current disabilities are; Jack Nicklaus (polio), Ludvig Van Beethoven (deafness), Heather Mills (amputee), Stevie Wonder (blindness), Sir Richard Branson (dyslexia), Bruce Willis (speech stuttering). 

It really doesn’t matter what your situation is, it is your ability to overcome and utilise your uniqueness that counts.

1

“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing; it was here first.” ~ Mark Twain

2

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

3

“Life is a ticket to the greatest show on earth.” ~ Martin H. Fischer

4

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.” ~ Jim Rohn

5

Once upon a time, a young woman complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make a go of anything. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed that just as one problem was solved, another one came along. Her father took her to the kitchen and filled three pots with water and placed each one on the gas hob. He then placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and coffee beans in the third pot. The daughter wondered what he was trying to prove. 

After fifteen minutes, he took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He took the eggs out and placed them in another bowl and then poured the coffee into a mug. 

The father then asked, “Daughter, what do you see?”

“I see potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

“Look closer and touch the potatoes.” She did and noticed that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. She did and observed the hard-boiled egg inside.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. “But father, what does this mean? I don’t understand.”

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and the coffee beans had each faced the same adversity, by being placed into the boiling water. However, each one had reacted differently. The potatoes went in strong and hard, but in boiling water had became soft and weak. The egg had been fragile but was now hard., The ground coffee beans, however, were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which are you?” he asked his daughter.

When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?” In life, things happen around us and things happen to us, but the only thing that truly matters is what occurs within us. It is up to us how we react in the face of adversity. Do we become soft and weak like the potato, hard like the egg or do we seek our uniqueness which is in every single one of us and create something new?

1

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

2

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” ~ Sir Winston Churchill

3

Accepting who you are and taking responsibility is probably the hardest thing you may ever have to do. It is not easy and you may feel uncomfortable because we usually like to blame outside influences for the parts of our life that we’re not particularly happy with. It is easy to blame your current situation on other people, the economy, your lack of opportunities, or even bad luck, but the truth of the matter is this: you are responsible for your life and no one else!

4

Successful people in life take responsibility; they learn from their mistakes and they move on. They realize that not everything they do will have the desired outcome, but they are successful because they are able to stay focused and persist until they eventually get it right. 

Some things will work out wonderfully well, while other times the results will not be what you had expected and hoped for. All you can do is pick yourself up, dust yourself down, learn from the experience and move on.

5

“A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.” ~ John Burroughs

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

When you borrowed my thoughts
and proclaimed that those are yours
I stood quiet

when you took my ideas
and shared that those are yours
I stood quiet

when you stole my time
and asssumed that it is yours
I stood quiet

at times, when you had stopped my heartbeat
and told that you had played prank on me
I stood quiet

when you will start speaking
thinking that I donot have a word to say
I stayed quiet

you spoke your heart
to the fullest
when I was quiet

and now
when you are quiet
I am still quiet
beside your tomb

                 - Ariv.

When things go wrong
and when I curse myself
for why I should be here at all

Your calm smile
gives me the answer

When all my dreams are shattered
and I do not know where to go
and when I lose my focus

Your cool advises
gives me the answer

When
amidst my hard day's work
I lose myself and get confused
as to what I should do next

Your cute face
gives me the answer

                       - Ariv.

Only by much searching and mining are gold and diamonds obtained, and man can find every truth connected with his being, if he will dig deep into the mine of his soul. 

That he is the maker of his character, the molder of his life, and the builder of his destiny, he may unerringly prove, if he will watch, control, and alter his thoughts, tracing their effects upon himself, upon others and upon his life and circumstances, linking cause and effect by patient practice and investigation. And utilizing his experience even the most trivial, everyday occurrence, as a means of obtaining that knowledge of himself which is understanding, wisdom, power. 

In this direction, as in no other, is the law absolute that "He that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened". For only by patience, practice, and ceaseless importunity can a man enter the door of the temple of knowledge.

(from "As a man thinketh" - by James Allen)

Unrealistic Expectations of Perfection by Parents, Teachers and Supervisors

Suppose a child comes home with a report card with five As and one B. Usually the first thing his parents will say is, "Why the B?" What do you think will go through the child's mind? Did he try for the B? Or should his parents congratulate the child for the B and accept a lower standard? Not at all.

What the child is really looking for is acknowledgement and encouragement for the effort in getting the five A's. A parent, after acknowledging and praising the As, can make clear his expectations of seeing all six A's and offer help if needed. If we lower our standards, the chances are pretty good that the performance next time would drop to those expectations.

Similarly at work, an employee does 100 things right and one thing wrong. Guess what the supervisor picks on. 

Acknowledge the positive but don't lower your standards.

(from "You can Win" - by Shiv Khera)

CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn.

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate.

If a child lives with hostility, he learns tonight.

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient.

If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy.

If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence.

If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty.

If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself.

If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice.

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith.

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship,

he learns to find love in the world.

(from "You can Win" - by Shiv Khera)

 
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

 
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

1

 

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. - Confucius

 

2

 

What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others. - Confucius

 

3

 

The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life. - Confucius

 

4

 

It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get. - Confucius

 

5

 

Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others. - Confucius

1

 

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by refection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. - Confucius

 

2

 

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. - Confucius

 

3

 

Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. - Confucius

 

4

 

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

 

5

 

No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance. - Confucius

1

 

The golden rule for every business man is this: “Put yourself in your customer’s place. - Orison Swett Marden

 

2

 

A man should never neglect his family for business. - Walt Disney

 

3

 

A business has to be involving, it has to be fun, and it has to exercise your creative instincts. - Richard Branson

 

4

 

To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business, and your business in your heart. - Thomas Watson, Sr.

 

5

 

If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours. - Ray Kroc

1

 

Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong. - Donald Porter                                                                   

 

2

                     
The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed. - Henry Ford

 

3

 

The secret to success in business, and in life, is to serve others. Put others first in all you do. - Kevin Stirtz

 

4

 

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not a single act, but a habit. - Aristotle

 

5

 

The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows. ― Aristotle