There was a little, but always cranky girl. Everything was bad for her. It wasnt enough toys, the gifts she was getting were wrong. She wished to meet an enchantress that would turn her life a fairy tale.
One day an enchantress came to the little girl and said that she will fulfil one of her wishes. The girl became very happy at first, but then she started to think: she had a lot of wishes and all of them were important for her. The girl thought for a long time, she could not choose just one. Then kind enchantress said that she gives her the fulfilment of one wish every day. The girl became happier: now all her dreams will come true. She thanked kind enchantress and ran home.
From that day she was waiting for every morning with joy and enthusiasm: because one more dream will come true for her. The days passed, the dreams came true... But soon the little girl realized that fulfilment of the wishes does not give her joy and happiness which she hoped for. Many wishes brought her disappointment, and some even a pain. Almost every dream was an empty little girl's caprice. Being satisfied, she suddenly realized that she did not want this.
The girl was getting sadder and sadder day by day, and wish-fulfilment did not bring any joy to her. Soon she started to fear her own dreams.
So the girl went to the kind enchantress and asked her to take her terrible gift back. She was afraid to live, afraid to wake up every day, waiting for an imminent execution of another wish. Crying, she asked an enchantress to fulfil only one her dream: to live as she lived before and enjoy life. And that her many wishes would remain only the wishes, from which she will select the one she will bring to her life.
Kind enchantress had mercy upon the little girl. She waved her magic wand and disappeared. The girl ran home. She was happy, because she knew that now she would laboriously seek for her one big cherished dream, not wasting time with short-term, in fact, quite unnecessary whims.
***
A LONG TIME AGO
A long time ago there was a great shah. He ordered to build a beautiful palace which had many wonderful things in it. Among other curiosities in the palace there was a hall, where all the walls, the sealing, the door and even the floor were made of mirror. The mirrors were so clear and smooth that visitors didn't understand at once that there was a mirror in front of them - so accurately the mirrors would reflect the objects. Moreover, the walls of this hall were made in a way that they created an extraordinary increased echo.
Once, a dog ran into the hall and froze in surprise in the middle of the hall, a whole pack of dogs surrounded it from all sides, from above and below. Just in case, the dog bared his teeth- and all the reflections responded to it in the same way. Frightened, the dog frantically barked - the echo imitated the bark and increased it many times. The dog barked even harder - and the echo was keeping up. The dog tossed from one side to another, biting the air- his reflections also tossed around snapping their teeth.
In the morning, the guards found the miserable dog, lifeless and surrounded by a million reflections of lifeless dogs. There was nobody, who would make any harm to the dog. The dog died by fighting with his own reflections.
The world doesn't bring good or evil on its own. Everything that is happening around us is the reflection of our own thoughts, feelings, wishes and actions. The world is a big mirror.
***
THE SNAKE
The Snake was crawling on the ground. The Eagle flew to her and said:
- How unfortunate you are, doomed to crawl all your life. Not like me - I am destined to fly.
The Snake looked at the Eagle and said:
- You are right Eagle, I can't fly. But only I know what it means to fly.
- How can you know that? - The Eagle smiled, - you don't have wing!
- Thoughts are my wings, - said the Snake proudly, - Dreams are my heaven. While crawling on the ground I close my eyes and I see the heaven. I imagine that I'm crawling in heaven not on the ground. Yes, it's impossible to crawl in heaven, you can only fly. It means that in those moments I am flying. In my free thoughts I am learning to fly, Eagle. With my soul I am arising to the high heaven, so when my time comes and my life as a snake comes to an end, I could ascend into the blue heaven, into the endless heaven and fly, to fly and not think about anything, enjoying my freedom. And I won't be afraid to fly, because it won't be a new thing for me. For you Eagle, the wings were given as you were born, but not for me. But the heaven will make us equal. We will be flying together one day, Eagle, under the clouds. Only I will be stronger and freer than you, because I have learned how to fly without having wings, simply crawling on the ground. Both things are available for me. I am not afraid to lose my wings because I know how to crawl, and I am not afraid to gain wings because I know how to fly. And what will you do, Eagle, if you lose your wings?
credit:www.inspirationalstories.eu
***
BUILDING BRIDGES
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. 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 and he 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 go him one better. See that pile of lumber curing by the barn? I want you to build me a fence - an 8-foot fence - so I won't need to see his place anymore. Cool him down, anyhow."
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 for supplies, 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, 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 stretching 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 across, 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 the middle, taking each other's hand. They turned to see the carpenter hoist his toolbox on 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."
***
The Triple-Filter Test
In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"Well, no," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's true or not. Now, let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
"Umm, no, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about my friend, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left"the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true, nor good, nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
credit:www.
thelivingtreasure.com
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