Some Inspiring Stories

We wanted to share these stories we have come across, which have helped to put things into perspective when life takes over.

The Deer

I first heard this story during a Yoga class and it has made a lasting impression on me, helping me through some of life's hurdles.

The story is about a deer who lives in the forest. One day it catches a beautiful scent on the wind. It becomes obsessed with this scent, mesmerised and enchanted by this captivating aroma. The deer starts to become restless for it feels it cannot go on unless it finds where this perfume is coming from. It starts chasing after it, searching and searching. No matter where it goes, or how hard it looks, it can never seem to get any closer to the intoxicating scent. At the end of each day it collapses with exhaustion, until the morning when it awakens and catches the scent once more, beginning its frantic search again.

It eventually becomes crazy, getting more and more frustrated, feeling more and more depressed with each disappointing, unsuccessful day. As time goes by it becomes weary, and even though its search continues with increasing determination of mind, his body becomes weaker and weaker. Then, one day, it collapses with exhaustion - its mind feeling incomplete as the deer never finds the source of this perfume, the scent it has been so desperately searching for its life through.

What the deer didn't realise is the very perfume that had driven it crazy, and sent it chasing all over the forest, was actually the musk that it produced from its own body.

The Moral of the story

We are all very much like the deer, ever searching, never seeming to get closer to what we consider is true happiness. We may think sometimes that we are close, we may even think we've found it for a moment, but it doesn't last.

There is a feeling inside us that there is more to life, and if we keep changing and searching we will find what it is we so desparately need.

We look further and further, widening our search, which in fact takes us further and further from where it is. 

If we look inside ourselves, believe in who we are, respect the person that is you we will realise that what we are looking for has been here all the time. We are everything we ever wanted to be, everything we could possibly want and need can be found if you look in the right place. 

We can feel empty, worthless and disappointed by looking in the wrong direction, and finding nothing. 

As hard as it is to believe, this is the Greatest Truth you will ever hear. 

CHILDREN

Please take a moment to read this if you ever feel anger or other negative feeling towards your children, family or friends. It is sure to melt your heart!

The story goes that some time ago a man punished his 5-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. 

Money was tight and he became even more upset when the child pasted the gold paper so as to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. 

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy." 

The father was embarrassed by his earlier over reaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He spoke to her in a harsh manner, "Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?" 

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was full." 

The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around this little girl, and he begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger. 

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later and it is told that the father kept that gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. And whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems he would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as human beings have been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family or friends. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold. 

POSITIVE THINKING

A great note for all to read it will take just 37 seconds to read this and change your thinking.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his room-mate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. 

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.

Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."