The Splash of Wisdom

A while ago, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted and was around from then on. As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors: Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the stranger...he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies. If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind. Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing each other to listen...

They say 'make the best of a bad situation.' But I believe the bad situation makes the best of you. Even the irritations of life can be useful. President Abraham Lincoln showed us how this is so. One of his cabinet appointees , Edwin Stanton , frequently found flaws with the president and criticized him - sometimes in public. Lincoln seemed to show excessive patience with him. The president was asked why he kept such a man in a high level position. Lincoln characteristically responded with a story. He told about a time he was visiting with an old farmer. He noticed a big horsefly biting the flank of the farmer's horse. Lincoln said he reached over to brush the fly away. As he did so , the farmer stopped him and cautioned , 'Don't do that , friend. That horsefly is the only thing keeping this old horse moving.' Even life's many irritations and problems have their place. They may cause us to change directions. Or prod us to greater achievement. Or keep us mo...

— BY KALEN SMITH Every entrepreneur is preoccupied with success. But to succeed, we must first understand failure. This is not to suggest that failure is something to strive for. On the contrary, we want to understand why failures happen so that we can better avoid them. Japan: To Fix your Economy, Honor Your Failed Entrepreneurs says that the reason Silicon Valley is a haven for entrepreneurship is because they have learned to accept failure and view it as progress. As human beings, we actually learn a lot more from our failures than our successes. This is because our failures are more memorable to us. As painful as they are, lost opportunities are constant reminders of our mistakes. When we succeed, we may become cocky and sloppy. When we realize we have screwed up, we vow not to do it again. While all failures can be great learning initiatives, it is always important to try to learn from the failures of others whenever possible. There is no sense repeating their mistakes, so follow...

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace. The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played.. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace. Which picture do you think won the prize? T...

One day in a school in London, a teacher said to a class of 5-year-olds…   I'll give 10 pounds to the child who can tell me who was the most famous man who ever lived."   An Irish boy put his hand up and said, "It was St. Patrick."   The teacher said, "Sorry Paddy, that's not correct."   Then a Scottish boy put his hand up and said, "It was St. Andrew."   The teacher replied, "I'm sorry, Hamish, that's not right either."   Then a Jewish boy put his hand up and said "David",   The Buddhist boy said "Gautama Buddha" and the Muslim boy said "Mohammed".   They all were not successful.   Finally, a Gujju boy raised his hand and said, "It was Jesus Christ."   The teacher said, "That's absolutely right, Jignesh, come up here and I'll give you the 10 pounds that I promised."   As the teacher was giving Jignesh his money, she said, "You know Jignesh, since you're a Hin...

Do not yell at your child when he back answers. Talk to your child politely and be a good role model. Invite your child’s friends over so that you get to know them better. Have occasional one-on-one play dates for your child to build stronger bonds with friends. Make your child spend time with cousins; families are only getting smaller. Discuss global events with your child to improve his general knowledge. Involve your child in festival celebrations to teach him about India’s rich cultural heritage. Control your anger by counting to 10 before losing your cool. Make sure to spend time with your kids no matter how busy you are.

By Mayo Clinic staff Want to feel better, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Look no further than old-fashioned exercise.  The merits of regular physical activity — from preventing chronic health conditions to promoting weight loss and better sleep — are hard to ignore. And the benefits are yours for the taking, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing? Check out seven specific ways exercise can improve your life. 1. Exercise improves your mood. Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.  Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression. 2. Exercise combats chronic diseases. Worried abo...