SOLUTIONS...

Many years ago in a small Indian village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.
The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter.

So he proposed a bargain

He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter.

He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag.Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.

2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.

3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.

Now, imagine that you were standing in the field.
What would you have done if you were the girl?
If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?

Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.

Take a moment to ponder over the story.

The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.
The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking.
Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.

What would you recommend to the Girl to do?
....

Well, here is what she did ....

The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble.
Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.

"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble
I picked."

Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't attempt to think.

THE GREATEST PIECES OF ADVICE

Don't date because you are desperate. Don't marry because you are miserable. Don't have kids because you think your genes are superior. Don't philander because you think you are irresistible. Don't associate with people you can't trust. Don't cheat. Don't lie. Don't pretend. Don't dictate because you are smarter. Don't demand because you are stronger. Don't sleep around because you think you are old enough and know better. Don't hurt your kids because loving them is harder. Don't sell yourself, your family, or your ideals. Don't stagnate. Don't regress. Don't live in the past. Time can't bring anything or anyone back. Don't put your life on hold for possibly Mr./Mrs. Right. Don't throw your life away on absolutely Mr. Wrong because your biological clock is ticking. Learn a new skill. Find a new friend. Start a new career. Sometimes, there is no race to be won; only a price to be paid for some of life's more hasty decisions. To terminate your loneliness, reach out to the homeless. To feed your nurturing instincts, care for the needy. To fulfill your parenting fantasies, get a puppy. (or a cat!) Don't bring another life into this world for all the wrong reasons. To make yourself happy, pursue your passions and be the best of what you can be. Simplify your life. Take away the clutter. Get rid of destructive elements: abusive friends, nasty habits, and dangerous liaisons. Don't abandon your responsibilities but don't overdose on duty. Don't live life recklessly without thought and feeling for your family. Be true to yourself. Don't commit when you are not ready. Don't keep others waiting needlessly. Go on that trip. Don't postpone it. Say those words. Don't let the moment pass. Do what you have to, even at society's scorn. Write poetry. Love Deeply. Walk barefoot. Dance with wild abandon. Cry at the movies. Take care of yourself. Don't wait for someone to take care of you. You light up your life. You drive yourself to your destination. No one completes you - except YOU. It is true that life does not get easier with age. It only gets more challenging. Don't be afraid. Don't lose your capacity to love. Pursue your passions. Live your dreams. Don't lose faith in your God. Don't grow old. Just grow YOU! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ create your own life then go out and live it without regrets..

Chalk

>>Proverbs 3:5-6
>>Only people who are capable of loving strongly can also suffer
>>great
>>sorrow, but this same necessity of loving serves to counteract
>>their
>>grief and heals them...Tolstoy
>>
>> > This is a true story of something that happened just a few years
>>ago
>>at
>> > USC.
>> >
>> > There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply
>>committed
>> > atheist..............
>> >
>> > His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire
>>semester
>> > attempting to prove that God couldn't exist.
>> >
>> > His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his
>> > impeccable logic.
>> >
>> > For twenty years, he had taught this class and no one had ever
>>had the
>>
>> > courage to go against him.
>> >
>> > Sure, some had argued in class at times, but no one had ever
>>really
>>gone
>> > against him because of his reputation.
>> >
>> > At the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to
>>his
>>class
>>of
>> > 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in
>>Jesus,
>>stand
>> > up!"
>> >
>> > In twenty years, no one had ever stood up. They knew what he
>>was
>>going
>>to
>> > do next. He would say, "Because anyone who believes in God is a
>>fool.
>>
>> > If God existed, he could stop this piece of chalk from hitting
>>the
>>ground
>> > and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that He is God, and
>>yet He
>> > can't do it."
>> >
>> > And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of
>>the
>> > classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces.
>> >
>> > All of the students would do nothing but stop and stare.
>> >
>> > Most of the students thought that God couldn't exist.
>>Certainly, a
>>number
>> > of Christians had slipped through, but for 20 years, they had
>>been too
>>
>> > afraid to stand up.
>> >
>> > Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to
>>enroll.
>> >
>> > He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his
>>professor.
>> >
>> > He was required to take the class for his major, and he was
>>afraid.
>>But
>> > for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he
>>would
>>have
>> > the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said, or
>>what the
>>
>> > class thought.
>> >
>> > Nothing they said could ever shatter his faith...he hoped.
>> >
>> > Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there is anyone
>>here
>>who
>> > still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the class of
>>300
>> > people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the back of the
>> > classroom.
>> > The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!!
>> > If God existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking
>>when
>>it
>> > hit the ground!"
>> >
>> > He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it! slipped out
>>of his
>>
>> > fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down
>>his
>>leg,
>> > and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away
>>unbroken.
>> > The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He
>>looked up
>>at
>> > the young man, and then ran out of the lecture hall.
>> >
>> > The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to the front of
>>the
>>room
>> > and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half hour.
>> > 300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for
>>them and
>>of
>> > His power through Jesus.
>>

>> > A Woman that feareth the lord, she shall be praised;
>> > Proverbs:31;30

The Lotus Totus

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their
conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you
want.

FOUR. When you say, "I love you," mean it.

FIVE. When you say, "I'm sorry," look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams
don't have much.

NINE. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only
way to live life completely.

TEN. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer,
smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?"

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great
risk.

FIFTEEN. Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others;
and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps
to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your
voice.

TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.