Sunday, April 22, 2012

What's your story? Is it empowering you?

"We are defined by the stories we tell ourselves. Everyone of us has a story, we are all storytellers.

Does your story empowering you to maximize what God has given you, or is your story causing you to fall short?

How many have a limiting story in one area of your life, like you’re brilliant in one area and in another area you’re not doing so good, and you got a story. A story, a reason, an excuse. It might be legitimate by the way. Story doesn’t mean it’s not true. It just means continuing to focus on it will not empower you.

Steve Jobs, what’s his history, what’s his story? His story was he was born out of wedlock, he was given up as a child, but he was told by a neighbor girl that he was given up. He’s sitting on the grass, crying his eyes out because he knows he was given up. He was discarded. His parents saw him crying, they were good soul-full people. They didn’t have alot of resources, they had the ultimate resource - Love. They said “you were not discarded, we chose you.” That changed his life. His story became : “I’m chosen,- that’s a much better story. Now, by the way - which one is true? Whichever one you pick, is the one you’re gonna believe and the one you’re gonna live.

Biography is the furthest thing from destiny, your decisions are."


Notes from Tony Robbins on Oprah Life Class.

Which story are you telling yourself (and others) - Does your story empowering you to maximize what God has given you, or is your story causing you to fall short?

Monday, March 26, 2012

Are you paying attention?

In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

*In a common-place environment, at an inconvenient hour, do we perceive beauty?

*If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?


One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many other things are we missing as we rush through life?


Enjoy life NOW .. it has an expiration date.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Pastor's Ass

The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.

The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered in another race and it won again.

The local paper read:

PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in any more races.

The next day the local paper headline read:

BISHOP SCRATCHES THE PASTOR'S ASS.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.

The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.

The local paper, hearing of the news, Posted the following headline:

NUN HAS THE BEST ASS IN TOWN.

The Bishop fainted. He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey so she sold it to a farmer for $10.

The next day the headlines read:

NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

This was too much for the Bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the high plains where it could run free.

The next day the headlines read:

NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.

Alas The Bishop was buried the next day.

MORAL OF THE STORY???

Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery and even shorten your life.

So, be yourself and enjoy life.

Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll live longer.


:)

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Its Darkest Before Dawn

its darkest before dawn
so remember
when you are driven
to the depths of despair
when life seems
lacklustre,
colourless
hopless, and
beyond repair,
theres going to be a new morn.
bright
promising
lit with the warm rays of hope,
another tomorrow,

that brings with it
fresh endeavour,
determination
and a means to cope,
you can draw on inner strength
stretch your courage to a new length
He's given you hard times....but remember
its darkest before dawn,
so persevere,
always revere,
his master strokes,
his weilding of the baton,
no more sorrow,
a gradual elation,
a peace within
a knowing,
theres going to be,
a grand showing,
and you will be left speechless,
and you will wonder,
what tore my faith asunder?
and you will repent
and you will surrender,
to Him, your protector,
your guide,
He will make those feelings subside,
and reaffirm your faith,
in the fact,
that its darkest before dawn...
so hold tight.....
dont falter,
watch him alter
the path of life
which seems meaningless today
will be lit up aong a new way
hold fast and pray,
for remember...
its darkest before dawn.
seek and you will find,
he is so forgiving and so kind,
dont be swayed by
lifes ups and downs
change into smiles
all those sighs and frowns,
because remember
its darkest before dawn.

~ Arti Chopra
More poems by Arti Chopra