|
| |
Inspirational Stories |
|
|
Acres of Diamonds
A farmer who lived in Africa became very excited about the
prospect of finding diamonds and being rich. To pursue his quest,
he sold his farm and crossed the whole continent eternally searching
for the diamonds which he never found. As years went by, he became completely
penniless and in desperation, threw himself into the river and drowned.
One day, the new owner of the farm
picked up a peculiar looking rock the size of an egg and, as it looked so
unusual placed situated it on the mantelpiece. A visitor stopped by soon after
and, upon seeing the rock, became absolutely speechless. Once he
regained his posture, he explained to the new owner, that he had found the biggest diamond ever. Not
only this, they found that the
whole farm was covered in them.
This farm became known as the Kimberly
Diamond Mine, the richest in the world and the original farmer had
literally stood on “Acres of Diamond” until he sold his farm.
Rudy
Born into a blue-collar family, and without the usual pre-requisites in
terms of physical stature, educational background and wealth, Rudy's
dream was to play for the Notre Dame baseball team. As his closest friend dies,
he leaves his family and starts his remarkable quest to achieving his goal. His incessant commitment
helps him to overcomes tremendous obstacles and finally succeeds
against all odds. Rudy's story has been made into a
film.
A Little Boy At A Big Piano
Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother
took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother
spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.
Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the
little boy rose and eventually explored his
way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed
and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and
discovered that the child was missing.
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive
Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at
the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved
to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep
playing."
Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began
filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other
side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old
master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a
wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.
That's the way it is in life. What we can accomplish on our own is
hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly
graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater
Power, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You
can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit.
Keep playing."
A Donkey in the Well
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried
piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up
anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his
neighbors to come over and help him. They each grabbed a shovel and began
to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and
cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down. A few
shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well, and was astonished
at what he saw. As every shovel of dirt hit his back, the donkey did
something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the
farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he
would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed, as the donkey stepped
up over the edge of the well and trotted off.
The Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.
The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step
up. Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the
deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and
take a step up! |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
