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Throwing Starfish
Throwing Starfish
A man was walking along the beach after a storm when he came across an old woman throwing starfish that had washed up on shore back into the sea.
When he asked her what she was doing, she said she’d always wanted to make a difference and had decided that today was a good day to begin.
The man looked from her to the thousands of starfish that lay dying along the coastline and said, “For every starfish you throw back into the ocean, three more wash up onto the shore! How can you possibly be making a difference?”
The woman looked thoughtful for a moment and then she picked up another starfish and threw it back into the sea.
She smiled. “Made a difference to that one.”
Ernesto Cole
An Old Sioux Legend
An Old Sioux Legend
In ancient times, the Creator wanted to hide something from the humans until they were ready to see it.
He gathered all the other creatures of creation to ask their advice.
The eagle said, “Give it to me and I will take it to the highest mountain in all the land.”
But, the Creator said, “No, one day they will conquer the mountain and find it.”
The salmon said, “Leave it with me and I will hide it at the very bottom of the ocean.”
But, the Creator said, “No, for humans are explorers at heart, and one day they will go there too.”
The buffalo said, “I will take it and bury in the very heart of the Great Plains.”
But, the Creator said, “No, for one day even the skin of the earth will be ripped open, and they will find it there.”
The creatures of creation were stumped, but then and old blind mole spoke up. “Why don’t you put it inside them? That’s the very last place they’ll look.”
The Creator said, “It is done.”
Ernesto Cole
The General and the CEO
The General and the CEO
A four-star general was taking a tour of the company that had been hired by the military to complete a major defense contract.
Despite the CEO’s assurance that this particular project would be completed on time, the general felt that the CEO’s team was not 100 percent committed to getting the job done.
He argued that they should remain at work and do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it meant working much longer hours, taking extra time away from home and family, and putting themselves under additional personal pressure and stress.
He told the CEO that understanding personnel management was like eating bacon and eggs for breakfast — the chicken was involved and the pig was committed.
The contractor smiled and said, “Well, that’s true, General, but the pig is dead, and the chicken is still producing eggs. I want my people to stay involved.
The general backed down, and the project was completed on time.
Ernesto Cole
Why Does a Bird Sing?
Why Does the Bird Sing?
A teacher who had received much acclaim for his insights and discourses into the nature of the universe was asked by one of his students what the difference he hoped to make in the world through his teaching.
After a few moment’s thought, the teacher replied that he had no such hopes. “Those who can truly hear what I have to say don’t really need me to say it. Those who can’t hear could listen until I was hoarse and could no longer speak without changing in the slightest.”
The student was confused.
“But if you can’t make a difference with your ideas, why do you teach at all?”
The teacher smiled. “Why does a bird sing?”
Ernesto Cole
The Young Samurai
The Young Samurai
A young samurai warrior stood respectfully before the aged Zen master and said, “Master, teach me about Heaven and Hell.”
The master snapped his head up in disgust and said, “Teach you about Heaven and Hell? Why, I doubt that you could even learn to keep your won sword from rusting! You ignorant fool! How dare you suppose that you could understand anything I might have to say?”
The old man went on and on, becoming more and more insulting while the young swordsman’s surprise turned first into confusion and then to hot anger rising by the moment. Master or no master, who can insult a Samurai and live?
At last, with teeth clenched and blood nearly boiling in fury, the warrior blindly drew his sword and prepared to end the old man’s sharp tongue and life all in one furious stroke.
But at that very moment the master looked straight into his eyes and said gently, “That’s Hell.”
Even at the peak of his rage, the samurai realized the master had indeed given him the teaching he asked for.
He had hounded him into a living Hell, driven by uncontrolled anger and ego.
The young man, deeply humbled, sheathed his sword and bowed low in awe of this great spiritual teacher.
Looking into the master’s ancient smiling face, he felt more love and compassion than he had ever felt in all his life and at that point, the master raised his index finger and said kindly, “And that’s Heaven.”
Ernesto Cole
Love Comes First
Love Comes First
A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard.
She did not recognize them.
She said, “I don’t think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat.”
“Is the man of the house home?” they asked.
“No,” she replied.
“He’s out, then we cannot come in,” they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
“Go ahead and tell them I am home and invite them in!”
The woman went out and invited the men in.
“We do not go into a house together,” they said.
“Why is that?” she asked.
One of the old men explained. “His name is Wealth,” he said pointing to one of his friends. And pointing to another, “He is Success, and I am Love.”
The he added, “Now go in and discuss with your husband which of us you want in your home.
The woman went in and told her husband what was said.
Her husband was overjoyed. “How nice!” he said. “Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!”
His wife disagreed. “My dear, why don’t we invite Success?”
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house.
She jumped in with her own suggestion. “Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will be filled with love!”
“Let us heed our daughter-in-law’s advice,” said the husband to his wife. “Go out and invite Love to be our guest.”
The woman went out and asked the three old men, “Which one of you has Love? Please come in and be our guest.”
Love got up and started walking toward the house.
The other two also got up and followed him.
Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success, “I only invited Love, why are you coming in?”
The old men replied together, “If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would’ve stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever he goes, we go with him.
Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!”
Ernesto Cole
The Lion and the Fox
The Lion and the Fox
A man was walking through the woods outside his home one day when he came across a hungry fox who seemed to be at death’s door.
Because he was a kind man, he thought to bring it some food.
But, before he could go back to his home, he heard a fearsome roar and hid behind a tree.
In seconds, a mountain lion appeared, dragging the carcass of its freshly caught prey.
The lion ate its fill and then wandered off, leaving the remains for the grateful fox.
The man was overwhelmed by this example of an abundant and benevolent universe and decided that he wouldn’t return to his home or his job.
Instead working hard to provide for himself, he would follow the example of the fox and allow the universe to provide for him.
Needless to say, the fox wandered off, and as days turned into weeks, the man himself was hungry and at death’s door.
Despite his best efforts to retain his faith, he was becoming desperate.
In a rare moment of inner quiet, he heard the still, small voice of his own wisdom, “Why have you sought to emulate the fox instead of the lion?”
With that, the man returned home and ate his fill.
Ernesto Cole
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