His Name Was Fleming

His Name Was Fleming

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'

'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.

'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.

'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.

'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time?  Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman?  Lord Randolph Churchill.. His son's name?

Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said: What goes around comes around.

Work like you don't need the money.

Love like you've never been hurt.

Dance like nobody's watching.

Sing like nobody's listening.

Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

Send this to everyone you consider A FRIEND..

Pass this on, and brighten some one's day.

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH: You had better send this back!! Good Luck!

I hope it works...

May there always be work for your hands to do;

May your purse always hold a coin or two;

May the sun always shine on your windowpane;

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;

May the hand of a friend always be near you;

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

and may you be in heaven a half hour before the devil knows you are dead.

"Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality."
-Warren G. Bennis

"Management is doing things right. Leadership is doing the right things."
-Peter Drucker

"One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency."
-Arnold H. Glasgow

"Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced."
-James Baldwin

"If you want to know why your people are not performing well, step up to the mirror and take a peek."
-Ken Blanchard

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality, the last is to say "Thank you." In between the two, the leaders must become a servant."
-Max De Pree

"They don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."
-Theodore Roosevelt

"The greatest management principle in the world is: the things that get rewarded and appreciated get done."
-Michael LeBoeuf

"Excellence is...caring more than others think is wise;
Risking more than others think is safe;
Dreaming more than others think is practical.
Expecting more than others think is possible."
-Winston Churchill

"You get the best efforts from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within."
-Bob Nelson

"Quality is never an accident: It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution. It represents the wise choice of many alternatives."
-William A. Foster

"Values are critical guides for making decisions. When in doubt, they cut through the fog like a beacon in the night."
-Robert Townsend

"A leader's job is to look into the future and see the organization not as it is, but as it should be."
-Jack Welch

"Giving people a little more than they expect is a good way to get back a lot more than you'd expect."
-Robert Half

"The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is integrity."
-Zig Ziglar

"To lead the people, walk behind them."
-Lao Tzu

The Carpenter - Bridge of Happiness

A moral story worth reading a second time even, if you had read it already.

THE CARPENTER -the bridge of Happiness

The Carpenter    Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on adjoining farms fell into conflict. It was the first serious rift in 40 years of farming side-by-side, sharing machinery and trading labor and goods as needed without a hitch. Then the long collaboration fell apart. It began with a small misunderstanding and it grew into a major difference and finally, it exploded into an exchange of bitter words followed by weeks of silence. One morning there was a knock on John's door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter's toolbox. "I 'm looking for a few days' work," he said. "Perhaps you would have a few small jobs here and there I could help with? Could I help you?" "Yes," said the older brother. "I do have a job for you. Look across the creek at that farm. That's my neighbor. In fact, it's my younger brother! Last week there was a meadow between us. He recently took his bulldozer to the river levee and now there is a creek between us.  Well, he may have done this to spite me, but I'll do him one better. See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to build me a fence an 8-foot fence -- so I won't need to see his place or his face anymore." The carpenter said, "I think I understand the situation. Show me the nails and the post-hole digger and I'll be able to do a job that pleases you." The older brother had to go to town, so he helped the carpenter get the materials ready and then he was off for the day. The carpenter worked hard all that day -- measuring, sawing and nailing. About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer's eyes opened wide, his jaw dropped. There was no fence there at all. It was a bridge .. A bridge that stretched from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work, handrails and all! And the neighbor, his younger brother, was coming toward them, his hand outstretched.. "You are quite a fellow to build this bridge after all I've said and done." The two brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox onto his shoulder. "No, wait! Stay a few days. I've a lot of other projects for you," said the older brother. "I'd love to stay on," the carpenter said, "but I have many more bridges to build."   Remember This...   God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but He'll ask how many people you helped get where they needed to go.  God won't ask the square footage of your house, but He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.  God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, but He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.   God won't ask how many friends you had, but He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.  God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.  God won't ask about the color of your skin, but He'll ask about the content of your character.

Seven Choices for Success

An excerpt from Seven Choices for Success and Significance by Dr. Nido R. Qubein

What is success? Only you can define it in your own life. In my own life, I have attempted to define both Success and Significance. To me, Success is secular. Significance is spiritual. It doesn't matter how you define your own spirituality. Spiritual matters are always finer, deeper, and longer lasting than secular matters. Success focuses on three Fs: • Fans • Fame • Fortune Success is focused on tasks, even goals. Significance also focuses on three Fs: • Faith • Family • Friends But, significance focuses on purpose. Why am I here? What do I do with the talents, experiences and skills that I have? How can I make the world a better place? How do I plant seeds of greatness in the lives of those around me? How do I make an impact in the circles of influence where I find or place myself? To choose success and significance, you must be a strategic thinker who: • Has a clear vision of what you want to accomplish • Develops a solid strategy that answers three questions:

- Who or what are we today? - Who do we want to become? - How do we get there?

• Employs practical systems to achieve your goals • Commits to consistent execution because in consistency, success emerges. When implementing your strategic plan for success, it really comes down to three "Ds": Decide what you want most to achieve Determine the first step to getting what you want Do the first thing that will start you moving toward your goal. Using these seven keys, you can choose success and significance. But keep this in mind: success is not a matter of luck, not an accident of birth, not a reward for virtue. The most successful people I know are the ones who have something to do, somewhere to be and someone to love. No one is responsible for your success or your joy. You must search for it and be in a continual state of earning it. To merely succeed is not an end in itself. You must use your success to impact other people...to impact the world...to Live Life from the Inside Out. It all starts with the choices you make—they determine the person you will become.

Put the Glass Down

Put the Glass Down

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students. "How much do you think this glass weighs?"

'50gms!.... '100gms!' .....'125gms'

The students answered differently.

"I really don't know unless I weigh it," said the professor, "but,
my question is:

What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?"

'Nothing'. The students said.

'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?' the
professor asked.

'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the student

"You're right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?"

"Your arm could go numb; you might have severe muscle stress &
paralysis & have to go to hospital for sure. ?.. Ventured another student &
all the students laughed

"Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?"

Asked the professor.

'No', was the answer.

"Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?"

The students were puzzled.

 "What should I do now to come out of pain?" asked professor again.

"Put the glass down!" said one of the students

"Exactly!" said the professor.

Life's problems are something like this.

Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK.

Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache.

Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able
to do anything.

It's important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to 'PUT THEM DOWN' at the end of every day before YOU GO TO SLEEP.

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh & strong& can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

'PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY!, when you leave office today.

__._,_.___

 Put the Glass Down

Attitude

ATTITUDE – A brief note

The Oxford Dictionary describes ATTITUDE as:

A way of thinking or feeling about someone or something

A position of the body

Informal,

Self-confident or uncooperative behaviour.

Attitude comes into play at home, college, with friends and strangers. This brief note is to help students develop and improve their attitude. Attitude at times is transitory and this note is to ensure that good and right attitude is always maintained.

The six most important words                        : I admit I made a mistake

                                                                        : I appreciate what you are saying

The five most important words                       : YOU did a good job

                                                                        : You made a wise decision   

The four most important words                      : What is YOUR opinion?

                                                                        : I appreciate your opinion

The three most important words                     : If YOU please

                                                                        : You are right

The two most important words                       : Thank you

                                                                        : Yes, and

Single most important word                            : YOU

The next most important single word             : We

The least important single word                      : I

A close look at the above would reflect the person’s interaction with others. The more and more the above words are used by a person would lead him to an unassailable winning position in whatever he does. This takes us to look who is a winner.

The WINNER is always a part of the answer,

The Loser is always a part of the problem.

The WINNER always has a reason to do what needs to be done,

The Loser always has an excuse for not doing what is to be done.

The Winner says “ Let me help you do it “,

The Loser says, ‘Can you do it for me’.

The Winner seeks an answer to every problem,

The Loser sees a problem in every answer.

Winners are part of the team,

Losers are apart from the team.

Winners choose what they say;            ( Wise men talk as they have something to say,

Losers say what they choose.                And the fool talk as he want to say something

                                                                ------ Plato -----)

Winners make it happen; Losers let it happen.

Winners make commitments; Losers make promises.

The Winner says, “ it may be difficult, but it is possible”

The loser says, “ it may be possible, but it is too difficult”.

           

Attitude also reflects on body language and behaviour. The behaviour of a person stems from two consequential feelings.

The positive oriented and the negative oriented. This can be summarised as under:

i.              Those who make things happen.

ii.             Those who watch things happen.

iii.            Those who wonder what happened.

iv.           Those who don’t know that anything had happened.

The first two categories have positive orientation but with difference. The third category though falls under the negative orientation can be moulded and changed into a positive orientated person. The last category is the extreme negative oriented person and any amount of efforts cannot change their attitude. Their being in the midst of a group or a team is disastrous.

The positive oriented person exhibits the following traits:

i.              Enthusiasm

ii.             Purpose

iii.            Discipline

iv.           Determination

v.            Willingness to work

vi.           Appreciation of others

vii.          Serve and learn.

The three major traits that affect a negative oriented person are:

i.              Physical

ii.             Emotional

iii.            Personal

To identify whether one is a positive oriented person or negative oriented person, it would be nice to make one’s own SWOT analysis.

Some of the strengths exhibited are:

i.              Trusting own ability and keeping emotions under control

ii.             Feeling at home in new situations and respecting others irrespective of age

iii.            Accepting responsibility and discharging satisfactorily.

iv.           Exhibiting a confidence, that, I CAN DO IT.

As against the above some of the weaknesses exhibited are:

i.              Feeling depressed at the slightest failure and giving up the task at the first difficulty

ii.             Feeling uncomfortable in the midst of others and refusing to accept any responsibility.

iii.            Depending on others and putting the blame for any failure on other persons

iv.           Being diffident in familiar situations and developing a feeling that others are avoiding him.

The opportunity doesn’t come on its own, and one has to create his own and seize the same.

“Opportunity comes but once in a life time; the wise man grabs it, the fool lets it go”

Making friends and not enemies, and seeing the good in other people rather than the bad would go a long way in creating opportunities.

The major threats that affect one’s behaviour are:

i.              Avarice

ii.             Ambition

iii.            Envy

iv.           Anger

v.            Pride

The behaviour of a person can again be grouped under three different categories:

Aggressive: The three reasons for aggressive behaviour are:

i.              Physical factors

ii.             Emotional factors

iii.            Environmental factors

Aggressive behaviour may be the main character of the person, or at many times a sudden individual act provoked by circumstances like the ‘last straw that broke the camel’s back’. Aggression leads to fear, lack of self-esteem, and inability to control a situation in any other different way.

Avoidance: The three factors that are responsible for the behaviour of avoidance are:

i.              Social

ii.             Genetic

iii.            Psychological

iv.           Shyness

This behaviour is to evade confrontation and avoid uncomfortable situations. The behaviour is also sometimes used as an escape mechanism during feelings of anxiety and pain. This behaviour exhibits the following traits in a person.

i.              Apologetic

ii.             Feel guilty while saying no and keeping quiet for the sake of peace

iii.            Creating stress for self and ending unhappy not knowing how to express self.

iv.           Indecisive.

Assertive: Assertive behaviour exhibits a sense of involvement with others and appreciating their efforts. While asserting the rights and beliefs, it opens up a nice communication channel to resolve problems and to communicate both the positive and negative in a cordial atmosphere. The major advantages of an assertive behaviour are:

i.              Development of mutual respect with others.

ii.             Increase of self esteem

iii.            Helps in achieving goals

iv.           Minimize hurting and alienating people

v.            Reduces anxiety

vi.           Prevent others from taking undue advantage

vii.          Helps to express both verbally and non-verbally wide range of thoughts and feelings both positive and negative.

The following are the factors that contribute to assertiveness:

i.              Eye contact

ii.             Body language

iii.            Gestures

iv.           Voice

v.            Timing

vi.           Content

Body Language:  Some of the essentials of body language that play an active role in a person’s attitude are:

Not to cross arms and legs – This shows a defensive or guarded approach

Have eye contact without staring – Giving no eye contact would make you seem insecure

Take up some space and relax your shoulders but don’t slouch – In other words sit erect and comfortable with loosened up shoulders

Nod when others are talking – This conveys that you are listening. Don’t overdo like a Woodpecker

Smile and Laugh – Smile when something funny is said. But, don’t laugh at your own jokes that would show you as nervous and needy. Smile when somebody is introduced to you, but don’t keep the smile always plastered on your face; that would make you insincere.

Don’t fidget – All types of fidgeting would expose you as a nervous person.

Don’t stand too close – Allow people to have their personal space. Don’t make them feel that you are invading

Keep a good attitude – Finally keep always a positive, relaxed and open attitude.

                                           

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