Little Things In Life Make a Difference

“Little stones make big mountains,
Little steps can cover miles,
Little acts of loving-kindness,
Give the world its biggest smiles,
Little words can soothe big troubles,
Little hugs can dry big tears,
Little candles light the darkness,
Little memories last for years,
Little dreams can lead to greatness,
Little victories to success,
It’s the little things in life,
That brings the greatest happiness .”

I don't know where this came from but I thought it is too valuable not to share

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Carrots, Eggs & Coffee

It's been a long while since I last posted here. Someone sent me an email which I would like to share here as it is very relevant to all of us.


A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

 A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.          

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked,

'What does it mean, mother?'

  Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. However, each reacted differently.

  The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

 The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they  had changed the water.
 
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level?  

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. 

The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

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Old Is Gold

I'd like to share some words which a friend forwarded and I subscribe to the view that Old is Gold.

We are getting older by the day and the friends that we have, friends from way back, as far back as our high school days, are truly gold.

So when opportunities present themselves, get together with old classmates, even old colleagues and especially old friends. Such gatherings aren't just about eating and drinking and having oodles of fun.

It's just that there isn't much time left for such events. Each year, we can see obituaries in the newspapers and our numbers can only dwindle.

So savor our old friends, old classmates and old colleagues as much we can.

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Technology Addiction

More and more gadgets with improved apps and services are on the market with each passing day.  It is impossible to keep up with the technological advances.

Once it was that the smaller your hand phone, the better but now the smart phones are slightly bigger, slimmer and very versatile. They can do things which I could never have imagined years ago.  Just as my grandmother marveled at the voice coming through the hand-held receiver was her granddaughter’s, I now wonder at the fact that my hand phone can lead me to a place I’m looking for once I key in the address.

Many young people are so addicted to their gadgets that they obsess over it.  If by chance they left behind their smart phone, it’s like having lost a limb! Have you seen a group of young people at a table all busy with their phones, oblivious to their pals?  It’s now all about online communication, using social media and other apps.

Another trend is the selfie. I used to wonder what a selfie was but now I’m also taking selfies!!  It’s taking a picture of yourself on your hand phone and you can post it on Facebook to share with family and friends. You no longer have to ask someone to take your picture.

Unfortunately there has been a case where a young man was so obsessed with taking a perfect selfie of himself that when he couldn’t, he attempted suicide.  Fortunately his mother discovered him in time and the doctors saved his life. This is actually a mental health issue and it is defined as Body Dysmorphic Disorder which arises from the anxiety that causes sufferers to worry excessively about their appearance.

On the other hand, something good has come out of taking selfies.  The “no makeup selfie” was started to raise funds for cancer research and many women posted selfies of themselves without any makeup on Facebook and made a donation. Within 48 hours, this selfie posting charity campaign raised more than 500,000 pounds in Ireland while in the UK it raised more than 2.5 million pounds.  All in all more than $3.3 million was raised to fund cancer research.

I think one has to be sensible when it comes to the use of technology.  It can help us to do many things but misuse can lead to undesirable consequences that are often unexpected.

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