WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 65

Happiness is an Attitude

The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today.
Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she manoeuvred her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window.
"I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room .... just wait."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it," she replied.

"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged ... it's how I arrange my mind.

I already decided to love it ... It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away ... just for this time in my life."

WISDOM OF THE WORLD - WEEK 24

The Great Wish Fulfilling tree



There was a man who wandered throughout the world seeking his deepest desire. He wandered from one city to another looking for fulfilment and happiness, but in all his wanderings never found it. Finally one day, tired from his search, he sat down underneath a great tree at the foot of a mountain. What he did not know is that this was The Great Wish Fulfilling tree. Whatever one wishes for it when seated underneath it immediately comes true.

As he rested in his weariness he thought to himself, “What a beautiful spot this is. I wish I had a home here,” and instantly before his eyes a lovely home appeared. Surprised and delighted he thought further, “Ah if only I had a partner to be here with me my happiness would be complete,” and in a moment a beautiful woman appeared calling him husband and beckoning to him. After a while the man thought, Gosh I’m really hungry, I wish there were food to eat. Immediately a banquet appeared covered with every kind of beautiful food. The man sat down to eat and began to feast on all the goodies. When he had finished he looked around at the mess and thought to himself, I wish I had a servant to clean up after me, and sure enough a manservant appeared.

The man sat back down to lean against this wonderful tree and began to reflect. “How amazing it is that everything I wish for has come true. There is some mysterious force about this tree. I wonder if there is a demon who lives in it? Sure enough a great demon appeared. “Oh my, this demon will probably eat me up and that is just what it did.

WISDOM OF THE WORLD-WEEK 1

The Secret of Happiness

A man one day ran to his rabbi and said, “Rabbi, you have to help me! My house is hell! We live in one room, my wife, my children, my in-laws and me. It’s hell! There’s not enough room for all of us!”

The Rabbi smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll help you, but you have to promise to do whatever I say.”

And the man said, “I promise, I really promise! It’s a solemn promise!”

The Rabbi said, “How many animals do you have?”

“I have a cow, a goat and six chickens,” replied the man.

“Well” said the Rabbi, “Put the animals in the room and come back in a week.”

The man could not believe what he was hearing, but he had promised. He went back home depressed and brought the animals into the room. The next week, he went back very discouraged and said the Rabbi, “I’m going crazy! I’m going to end up having a stroke. You have to do something…”

And the Rabbi said, “Go back home and put the animals outside. Come back and see me again in a week.” The man went running back to his house. And when he came back the next week, his eyes were shining, and he said, “Rabbi, the house is so clean. It’s paradise!”

If you can be grateful for what you have got, you will find the secret of happiness.