You can help!
Cash App Me
Cash App Me
admin
Thank You for Your Time
A young man learns what’s most important in life from the guy next door.
It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, girls, career, and life itself got in the way.
In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.”
Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you… it’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but honestly I thought he died years ago,” Jack said.
“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce about the many days you spent over his side of the fence, as he put it,” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in,” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life,” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry,” he said. “I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important. Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral,” Jack said.
As busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had returned home, Jack and his mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time.
Standing in the doorway, Jack paused for a moment. It was like crossing over into another dimension, a leap through space and time. The house was exactly as he remembered. Every stop held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his mom asked.
“The box is gone,” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was the thing I value most,” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said. “I’d better get some sleep. I have an early flight home, Mom.”
It had been about two weeks since Mr Belser died. Returning home from work one day, Jack discovered a note in his mailbox. Signature required on a package. No one at home. Please stop by the main post office within the next three days, the note read.
Early the next day Jack retrieved the package. The small box was old and looked like it had been mailed a hundred years ago. The handwriting was difficult to read, but the return address caught his attention. Mr Harold Belser, it read.
Jack took the box out to his car and ripped open the package.
There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, as tears filled his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch.
Running his fingers slowly over the finely etched casing, he unlatched the cover. Inside he found engraved the words, Jack, thanks for your time! Harold Belser.
“The thing he valued most was… my time,” Jack said.
Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his office and cleared his appointments for the next two days. “Why?” Janet, his assistant, asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son,” he said. “Oh, by the way, Janet, thanks for your time!”
Think about this. You may not realize it, but it’s 100% true.
1. At least two people in this world love you so much they would die for you.
2. At least fifteen people in this world love you in some way.
3. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don’t like you.
4. Every night, someone thinks about you before they go to sleep.
5. You mean the world to someone.
6. If not for you, someone may not be living.
7. You are special and unique.
8. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won’t get it, but if you trust God to do what’s best and wait on His time, sooner or later, you will get it or something better.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good can still come from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look — you most likely turned your back on the world.
11. Someone that you don’t even know exists loves you.
12. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget the rude remarks.
13. Always tell someone how you feel about them — you will feel much better when they know and you’ll both be happy.
14. If you have a great friend, take the time to let them know that they are great.
Pass this story along to all those you care about and you will certainly brighten someone’s day and might change their perspective for the better.
Tell everyone, “Thanks for your time.”
Ernesto Cole
Every Place Can Be a Holy Place
We are behind walls in prison. For awhile, we are being punished for our actions. However, we should understand that the place where we are living right now could be made into a perfect place. We came here with all our sins and faults, but when we leave we could be free of all our faults. We could be pure.
In India, there are holy rivers and it is said that if you take a bath in them you become free of sins. In the same way your jail could also be a holy place.
You must have heard of Mahatma Ghandi — who after being militant and then fighting against injustice and for freedom, was put in prison. There he learned the teachings of peace and nonviolence, and came out of prison as a great being who freed India without using weapons.
There was another great leader called Lokmanya Tilak who was imprisoned for writing articles and “instigating” people against the government to “break” the law, and to disturb the “peace.” He was sentenced to a year and a half of rigorous imprisonment and came out a much more enlightened and greater force to be contended with.
The Great Yogi Aurobindo became enlightened practicing yoga, reading the Bhagavad Gita (one of the most sacred yoga scriptures), and meditating while being in total solitary confinement when he was in jail. The composer Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna, was an incarnation of God, and he was born in prison before having to be smuggled out and not be killed by the ruling leaders at the time.
And let us not forget the great Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela — who served over two decades in prison while refusing to be released with the condition of compromising his principles and determination.
Therefore, in order to practice spiritual pursuits, people often look for a place that appears like a prison, a place where nobody comes and where nobody will bother them. However, they don’t call themselves prisoners. They call themselves lovers of solitude. If we think very carefully, we will realize that by leading us to prison, God has given us an opportunity to think of ourselves and to remember Him.
In prison, we can lead a disciplined life. We get our food on time. We go to bed on time. We get our clothes on time. And even while living in jail, we can pursue spiritual practice. We can meditate—we can think of our inner self. Hence, let’s not belittle a jail, and make the best of it.
Everything depends on our attitude. If we change our attitude toward a place, then no matter where we are, that place could become heaven for us. If we have full faith in God, then every place, every moment, and every event of our life will begin to feel sublime.
Please contemplate this next story.
Once there was a great prime minister in India who had this kind of understanding. If a parent said to him, “My son has died,” he would say, “Good. Whatever God does is for the best.”
If a woman said to him, “My husband died,” he would say, “Good. Whatever God does is for the best.”
People reacted violently against him. They thought he was crazy and were constantly hatching plots to remove him from power.
One day the king was being shaved by his barber and happened to doze off. While cutting the king’s nails, the barber accidentally cut off the tip of his finger. The prime minister’s enemies thought that this was a wonderful opportunity to teach him a lesson.
They rushed to him and said, “Prime minister, the barber has cut off the king’s finger.”
The prime minister said, “Good. Whatever God does is for the best.”
The prime minister’s enemies went to the king and told him what the prime minister had said. The king called the prime minister into his presence and said, “You fool. You have been eating my food and living on my money, and now you have the nerve to say that it’s a good thing my finger was cut off?” He ordered his men to put the prime minister in jail and give him only dry bread to eat. “Now you’ll see whether what God does is for the best,” he said.
The prime minister sat locked up in his cell and calmly remembered God’s name. He wasn’t upset, and when people would go to visit him and ask him, “How are you?” he would say, “Very good. God has put me here and it is good for me.”
A few days later, the king went off to the forest to hunt. On his way he met a gang of bandits whose leader was a worshiper of the goddess, Kali. The bandit leader needed to sacrifice an important person to the goddess, so he kidnapped the king and dragged him to the temple as a sacrificial offering.
The bandits examined the king thoroughly to see if his body was whole, because only one whose body is perfect can be sacrificed to the goddess. As they examined him, they noticed that the tip of his finger was cut and said, “His body is impure. He is not worthy of the goddess.”
So the king was released. Immediately he realized that if his finger had not been cut he would have lost his head. He remembered what the prime minister had said, “Whatever God does is for the best,” and recognized he had been right.
The king returned to his capital and had the prime minister released from his cell. When the prime minister came before him, he told him what had happened and then asked, “It was good for me that my finger was cut, but was it good for you to have been locked inside this cell, living on dry crumbs?”
The prime minister replied, “Your majesty, if you had not locked me in this cell, I would have gone hunting with you, and the bandits would have grabbed me. They released you because your finger was cut, but they would have sacrificed me because my body is whole. Whatever God does is for the best.”
If that could be our attitude in prison, then prison would be like heaven, not like hell. Our experience of the world depends on our understanding. Because of our narrow understanding, we must be experiencing a lot of pain, but we should realize that it is not only we who are experiencing this pain. We may think that only we are prisoners, but other people are also prisoners. We are in a small prison, but others are in the big prison outside. When will they be released?
All these people are bound by their own narrow understanding and by the noose of their Karma — the consequences of what they’ve done.
A wealthy person is bound by the noose of his wealth. A poor person is bound by the noose of his poverty. An office holder is bound by the pride of his office. A great leader is bound by the noose of his own leadership. And a person in authority is bound by the noose of his own authority.
Everyone who lives in this world is a prisoner.
What about the policeman and guards who are here with us? Of course, they don’t think that they are prisoners, but what do they experience?
What about the jailer who has power over us? Is he happy? We are all in the same place.
So let’s change our understanding. Think that you are a yogi and that you are pursuing your sadhana (inner peace) in this particular place and at this particular moment. Immediately you will experience great joy.
We may have made many mistakes. Because we are between these walls, we remember them. People who are outside also make mistakes, but since they don’t consider themselves prisoners, they forget them.
The difference lies in our understanding. Our entire mental condition is based on understanding that we are prisoners. And because of that understanding, painful thoughts arise and we keep burning within. If we change our understanding, we will be free in a minute. If we develop love for God, then even while living in a prison we could be like a priest.
Become absorbed in the thought of Consciousness — the thought of God, just as you are now absorbed in the thought of being a prisoner. Sit quietly with great peace. Try to know yourself and waves of joy will arise inside you. Experience Consciousness above you, below you, behind you.
Inside there is great divinity. Just as a person absorbed in deep sleep does not experience pleasures or pain—only great peace, so, one who is absorbed in meditation does not experience the pleasures or pain of the outer world. He experiences only the bliss of heaven.
It is with great respect and great love that I welcome you all with my heart. I don’t say this out of sympathy with you because you are in jail. I say this with understanding that God who is in me is also in you. If you direct your attention within, you will discover Him and be transformed.
Ernesto Cole
Thoughts on Wisdom
Cleverness is not wisdom.
Every man is a damn fool, 4 of at least 5 minutes every day—wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.
Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
When written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters—one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.
Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
A prudent question is half of wisdom.
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply for unseemly behavior is patience and moderation.
Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to talk.
It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.
Better be wise by the misfortunes of others than by your own.
If you believe the doctors, nothing is wholesome—if you believe the theologians, nothing is innocent—if you believe the military, nothing is safe.
Life is traveling to the edge of knowledge, then taking a leap.
The wisdom of the wise is an uncommon degree of common sense.
Virtues are acquired through endeavor, which rests wholly upon yourself.
Wisdom outweighs any wealth.
Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.
The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.
From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own.
It is the neglect of timely repair that makes rebuilding necessary.
The future has arrived, it’s just not evenly distributed yet.
The truest wisdom is a resolute determination.
Wisdom is knowing what to do next—virtue is doing it.
Ernesto Cole
Head Keeper-Uppers
Don’t let life discourage you. Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.
When you stop striving to get better, you get worse.
You only fail when you never try.
Whatever your lot in life, build something on it.
The only limitations we have are those we acknowledge. Life is a feast, don’t starve yourself.
Don’t plan to fail by failing to plan.
Measure twice, cut once.
Focus on making things better, not bigger.
Live your life in exclamation, not an explanation.
Don’t be something—be someone.
As you go through life, never try to prove yourself—improve yourself.
By the work, one knows the workman.
When the chips are down, yell, “Bingo!”
When life hands you lemons—make lemonade.
Make a home in your heart for the truth and the truth will bring you home.
None are so empty as those that are full of themselves.
Ernesto Cole
The List
The most destructive habit: Worry
The greatest joy: Giving
The greatest loss: Self-respect
The most satisfying work: Helping others
The ugliest personality trait: Selfishness
The most endangered species: Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resources: Our youth
The greatest “shot in the arm”: Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome: Fear
The most effective sleeping pill: Peace of Mind
The most crippling failure disease: Excuses
The most powerful force in life: Love
The most dangerous pariah: A gossiper
The world’s most incredible computer: The brain
The worse thing to be without: Hope
The deadliest weapon: The tongue
The two most power-filled words: “I can”
The greatest asset: Faith
The most worthless emotion: Self-pity
The most beautiful attire: A smile
The most prized possession: Integrity
The most powerful channel of communication: Prayer
The most contagious spirit: Enthusiasm
Ernesto Cole
Attitude
1. It is the attitude at the beginning of a task which more than anything else will affect its successful outcome or failure.
2. It is our attitude towards life which will determine life’s attitude towards us.
3. We are interdependent and will not succeed without others. Therefore our attitude toward them will determine their attitude toward us.
4. Before a person can achieve the type of life he wants he must first become that type of individual. He must think, act, walk, talk, and conduct himself in all his affairs just as the person he wishes to become.
5. The higher you go in any organization the better the attitudes you will find.
6. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time and since you cannot gain anything from negative thoughts—hold only successful positive thoughts and discard the rest.
7. The deepest craving of any human being is to feel important and appreciated. Give this to them and they will return it to you.
8. Part of a good attitude is to look for the best in new ideas an to look for the good ideas everywhere.
9. Don’t waste your time broadcasting personal problems—negative thoughts can’t help you and they won’t help others.
10. Don’t talk about your health unless it’s good—or if you’re talking to your doctor!
11. Radiate the attitude of well-being and confidence, like one who knows where he is going—and good things will happen to you straight away.
12. For the next 30 days treat everybody you come into contact with as the most important person in the world.
“It’s not what happens to me in life, it’s how I react to it.”
Ernesto Cole
Get Involved Anyway
People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered—love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives—do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies—succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow—do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable—be honest and frank anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs—fight for the underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight—build anyway.
People really need help, but then may attack you if you help them—help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you could get kicked in the teeth—give the world the best you have anyway.
And then remember, someday every loose end will be tied up, every good will be noted, every book will be balanced—you will get what you have given, even more.
Ernesto Cole
Maxims To Live By
1 You will always tend to see whatever it is you’re looking for. Your thoughts create your reality.
2. Deep inside we all want to love and be loved, to care and be cared for, and live happy… That is our essence.
3. Many of us spend so long pretending to be whatever it is that we’re pretending to be, that we lose focus of our true selves… The more energy we put into developing that mask, the more convinced we become of it.
4. Well-being is not is not the fruit of something you do, it is the essence of who you are. There’s nothing you need to change, do, be, or have in order to be happy.
5. My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the grounds upon which I stand.
6. Financial security doesn’t come from the amount of money you currently have; It comes from your ability to get more of it whenever you want.
7. Master the art of serving other and you will service your financial future. In this sense, money is just a measure of the difference you’re making in the world.
8. The problem cannot be solved with the same level of thinking that created it.
9. Your thoughts have no power, it is only when you invest your energy and consciousness into them that they begin to become real.
10. Life begets life, energy begets energy, it is by spending oneself that one becomes rich.
11. You don’t get what you deserve in life, you get what you negotiate.
12. Anywhere there’s a positive difference to be made, there’s money to be made. If you can’t (or won’t) make a difference, you’re unlikely to make very much money.
13. There are three essential motivations for anything and everything we do: Desperation (I have to), rationalization (I should), and inspiration (I want to).
14. I have my own version of an optimist: If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll make through another door or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.
15. The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
16. Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing, that we see too late the one that is open.
17. Whatever has or hasn’t happened to you is in the past. The past does not equal the future. What matters most right now is your present-moment energy. You can direct your focus and language to create an amazing life.
18. Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the willingness to proceed in the face of it.
19. There is no disguise which can hide love for where it exists, or simulate where it does not.
20. Coward, one who in a perilous emergency thinks with his legs.
21. Fools are without numbers.
22. To profit from good advice requires as much wisdom as to give it.
23. Measure not men by Sundays, without regarding what they did all week before.
24. When we ask for advice, we are usually looking for an accomplice.
25. A good word is an easy obligation. but not to speak ill, requires silence, which costs us nothing.
26. Try to leave the earth a better place than when you arrived.
27. Question: Do you know what the death rate around here is? Answer: One per person.
28. There is never enough “I love you”
29. ’Tis better than a man’s words, that another man’s words should praise him.
30. A warning given by an experienced person to someone willing to listen is more valuable that jewelry made of the finest gold.
31. While it is wise to learn from experience, it is wiser to learn from the experiences of others.
32. There’s not enough time in this life to learn by trial and error. Therefore, we must learn from the life lessons and experiences of one another.
33. If you have a bowl of murky water and want to make it clear, what would you do?
Ernesto Cole
Don’t Break the Elastic
In April, May Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70th birthday.
Maya really is a marvel who has led quite an interesting and exciting life.
Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. And, there on television, she said it was “exciting.”
Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day, like her breasts. “They seem to be in a race to see which one will reach her waist first.”
The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple an honest woman, with so much wisdom with her words.
I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on and it will be better tomorrow.
I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.
I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.”
I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands — you need to be able to throw something back.
I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.
I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Ernesto Cole
The Sculptor’s Attitude
I woke up early today excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.
I have responsibilities to fulfill today that are important.
My job is to choose what kind of day I’m going to have.
Today I can complain because the weather is rainy… or I can be thankful the grass is getting watered for free.
Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money… or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health… or I can rejoice that I am alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up… or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today I can cry because the roses have thorns… or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends… or I can excitedly embark upon a guest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work… or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
Today I can complain because I have to go to school.. or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.
Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have housework to do… or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided me shelter for my mind, body, and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am—the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
Have a great day… unless you have other plans.
Ernesto Cole
Please show your support!
Cash App Me
Cash App Me