Do you find it difficult to say NO!

Posted by Hussein Adamally

This is my biggest weakness. I try to satisfy everybody and end up frustrated. Do you ever feel like the whole world wants a piece of you?

Your sister wants you to babysit her kids, your father-in-law wants you to set up his computer, your friends want you to help with a project, and at work your manager wants you to complete a two-week project in three days or to help with this and that.

If this sounds familiar, one of the most powerful tools you have at your disposal is the word ‘No’.

Although you should try to be generous and help others where possible, being able to say ‘No’ when you really need to is a very important skill that will help you preserve and utilize your most valuable asset – Time.

When you learn how to say ‘No’ to other people’s requests politely but firmly, you will be able to take back control of your life, and redirect your time towards the people and things that are most important to you.

Contrary to popular belief, saying ‘No’ to others does not have to be an uncomfortable or confrontational experience.

How to say ‘No’ in Social Situations

Saying ‘No’ to family and friends is often difficult because we feel obligated to say yes to everyone to try and maintain our family relationships.

Of course it’s nice to help out if you can, but sometimes the demands on your time can build up to the point where you simply have to say ‘No’ in order to reclaim a bit of time and space for yourself.

Here are some useful techniques for saying ‘No’ that you can use in various social situations.

The Unexplained ‘No’

One of the most effective techniques is the Unexplained No. Instead of trying to come up with a ‘good excuse’, simply say, “Sorry, I’ve already got plans.” and just leave it at that.

You don’t have to elaborate on what your plans are. Even if your ‘plans’ are to spend the day at home relaxing and reading, they are still YOUR plans, and you really don’t need to justify them to anyone else.

The Policy ‘No’

Another powerful way to say ‘No’ is to refer to a Personal Policy. For example, if you are tired of getting calls from telemarketers, just say “Sorry, but I have a personal policy not to buy things over the phone.’

You can also refer to a Family Policy. For example if friends ask you to go out for dinner you could say, “Sorry, we won’t be able to make it this time, we have a Family Policy to have dinner together on Fridays.”

The good thing about referring to a Personal or Family policy when saying ‘No’ is that it doesn’t feel like a direct rejection. You are simply saying no in order to stick to your predetermined policy.

Of course to make this approach work, you should spend some time to figure out what your Personal and Family Policies actually are.

The Partner Check ‘No’

In some situations you may just need to buy yourself a little time to think things over. One of the best ways to do this is to say something like, “Thanks, I’ll check with my wife/husband/partner and get back to you.”

Many often use this approach when a sales person is trying to force me into making a buying decision on the spot.

The Full Plate ‘No’

One of the easiest ways to say no when you really need to is to simply say, “Sorry, I just have too many projects on my plate at the moment.”

The Promise ‘No’

Another very effective way to say no is to say, “Sorry, but I’ve promised myself I won’t take on any more responsibilities at the moment. “An alternative to this approach is, “Sorry, but I’ve promised my wife/husband/partner I won’t take on any more responsibilities at the moment.”

The Honest ‘No’

And finally one of the most effective ways to say ‘No’ in social situations is just to be honest and say something like, “That sounds great, but I’ve been flat out at work this week, and I really just need a night to myself to recharge my batteries.”

This is a much better approach than trying to make up an excuse, and most people will appreciate your honesty.

How to Say No At Work

The most effective way to say ‘No’ to unreasonable demands at work is a technique many in the corporate world use it. It’s called ‘Visual Upward Management’.

Here’s how it works…

On your computer, you create a document titled Current Priorities. You then list the major tasks currently on your plate in priority order.

At any one time, you should really only have between 1 and 5 major tasks on your list.

When your manager or someone else tries to hand you a new task, show them your list, and tell them that this is what is currently on your plate.

Ask them to confirm where the new task fits into your priority order and discuss the impact this new task will have on your existing tasks.

When you arm yourself with practical ways to say ‘No’ in social situations and at work, you will feel empowered, and be much better prepared to deal with the barrage of requests we are all faced with on a daily basis.

Remember the goal is not to shirk your responsibilities or avoid helping your family and friends.

The goal in learning how to say ‘No’ effectively is to make sure that you don’t get overwhelmed by external demands, so you can redirect your time and effort towards the people and activities that are most important to you.

The Success Secret of a 9 Year Old - The story of the Broccoli

Posted by Hussein Adamally

There was a 9 years old boy called Simon, one of his favorite meals was sausages and mash potato. The only problem with this meal was that it usually came with…broccoli.

Each time he faced with this meal, he would enjoy the sausages and mash potato and then toy with the broccoli in the hope that it would eventually get cold and he wouldn’t have to finish it. This approach transformed dinner into a long and drawn out process.

Then one day, his best friend whose name was Sean Sullivan came over to his house for the day to play. When it came time for dinner, mum made us sausages, mash potato and… broccoli.

As Simon started eating his sausages and mash potato, his friend Sean did something that completely amazed him:

He ate the entire broccoli first without touching his sausages or mash potato.

Simon couldn’t believe it!

He thought he was crazy until he got to the point where Simon was toying with my broccoli and realized that his friend was now enjoying his sausages and mash potato.

On that day Simon learnt a lesson that he never forgot and that he still remembers every day. The lesson was this:

When faced with a list of things to do, always do the hardest task first.

Here’s what this means in the real world:

Each morning when you check your daily To Do list, you will notice that some of the items on your list will be easy to do but will only have a relatively small impact on achieving your goals. Other items which are usually more difficult to do will have a much bigger impact on moving you forward.

One of the most effective ways to increase your overall productivity is to start your day by working on the difficult tasks that will make a real difference to your progress.

To do this, you must resist the temptation to "Just do the easy things first” because often this means that you keep putting off the high impact tasks that will really make a difference to achieving your goals.

Another advantage of ‘eating your broccoli first’ is that when you are feeling less productive at the end of the day, you are often still able to complete the easy tasks on your To Do list.

So today,

I’d like to encourage you to prioritize your To Do list based on the impact each item will have on achieving your goals and follow the example of my 9 year old friend and learn to eat your broccoli first.

Characteristics of a Good MENTOR

Posted by Hussein Adamally

I like to start the week on the subject of Mentors, who are positive people by definition. It takes a positive person to give of him or herself to help another learn, grow and succeed. I am sure most of you have or had a mentor or mentors in your life or you are a mentor yourself.

Here are the characteristics of a good MENTOR…

MENTOR:  Is someone whose hindsight can become your foresight.

• Someone who is willing to share his wisdom, knowledge, skills and expertise.

• Someone who had a positive outlook on life. They helped me through tough times and showed me how to find the opportunity in the difficulties I was facing.

• Someone who is genuinely concerned about you and your success.  In addition to being knowledgeable, they were empathetic.

• Someone who really knew what they were doing.  You respected them for their knowledge and skills.

• Someone who kept growing themselves. My mentors were curious and inquisitive. Sometimes the roles were reversed. They asked what I was reading, and then read the books themselves – so they could learn and we could discuss the ideas.

• Someone who will give you direct, constructive feedback. They will hold you to high standards. They congratulated you when you met their expectations. They corrected you when you failed to do so – but in a manner where you learned what not to do the next time.

• Someone who was respected by their colleagues. Choosing someone who is highly regarded in his or her field or company is one of the best ways to identify a mentor.

• Someone who sought out and valued the opinions of others. A Good mentor will always tell you to listen most carefully to the people with whom you disagreed – in that way you might learn something.

I know that I am a good Mentor and working hard to be a great one. What about You?

Lead well ... LEAD RIGHT

How to keep a Woman Happy

 I hope this post will keep you in a great mood during the weekend.

It's not difficult to make a woman happy. A man only needs to be:

1. A friend
2. A companion
3. A lover
4. A brother
5. A father
6. A master
7. A chef
8. An electrician
9. A carpenter
10. A plumber
11. A mechanic
12. A decorator
13. A stylist
14. A sexologist
15. A gynaecologist
16. A psychologist
17. A pest exterminator
18. A psychiatrist
19. A healer
20. A good listener
21. An organizer
22. A good father
23. Very clean
24. Sympathetic
25. Athletic
26. Warm
27. Attentive
28. Gallant
29. Intelligent
30. Funny
31. Creative
32. Tender
33. Strong
34. Understanding
35. Tolerant
36. Prudent
37. Ambitious
38. Capable
39. Courageous
40. Determined
41. True
42. Dependable
43. Passionate
44. Compassionate

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

45. Give her compliments regularly
46. Love shopping
47. Be honest
48. Be very rich
49. Not stress her out
50. Not look at other girls

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

51. Give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself

52. Give her lots of time, especially time for herself

53. Give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:

54. Never to forget:

* birthdays

* anniversaries

* arrangements she makes

HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY

1. Leave him alone

Have an Attitude of Gratitude!

Posted by Hussein Adamally

No matter what is going on in life, you can find a reason to thank God. What you dwell on is what you will draw into your life. You can either focus on your problems, or you can focus on your blessings. The question is: do you want more problems, or do you want more blessings?

One thing I’ve noticed is that when you live with an attitude of constant gratitude, not only do you thank God for what He’s done in your life, you start thanking Him for what He will do in your life. You thank Him for opening doors for you. You thank Him for increasing you. You thank Him for bringing the right people into your life. When you say “thank you” to God for the things that are coming, it’s really a declaration of your faith in Him. You are saying in essence, “God, I’m so sure of your goodness, I’m so sure that you’re working in my life that I’m going to thank you right now for what you are going to do tomorrow!”

Friend, that’s the kind of faith that pleases God. When we trust in His goodness and believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him that pleases His heart so much.

So today,

Have an attitude of gratitude which will turn to Lattitude. Let your faith say thank you. Praise your god throughout the day with a humble heart and watch what He will do on your behalf!

Why Talented People Leave Organizations?

Posted by Hussein Adamally

Today!, Employee retention is a very common problem in every organization. Why do talented employees leave companies? Come to think of it. This is almost 100% true. Read below & find out the answer.

Early this year, Arun, an old friend who is a senior software designer, got an offer from a prestigious international firm to work in its India operations developing specialized software. He was thrilled by the offer.

He had heard a lot about the CEO of this company, a charismatic man often quoted in the business press for his visionary attitude.

The salary was great. The company had all the right systems in place employee-friendly human resources (HR) policies, a spanking new office, the very best technology, even a canteen that served superb food.

Twice Arun was sent abroad for training. "My learning curve is the sharpest it's ever been," he said soon after he joined. "It's a real high working with such cutting edge technology."

Last week, less than eight months after he joined, Arun walked out of the job. He has no other offer in hand but he said he couldn't take it anymore. Nor, apparently, could several other people in his department who have also quit recently. The CEO is distressed about the high employee turnover.

He's distressed about the money he's spent in training them. He's distressed because he can't figure out what happened. Why did this talented employee leave despite a top salary? Arun quit for the same reason that drives many good people away. The answer lies in one of the largest studies undertaken.

The study surveyed over a million employees and 80,000 managers and was published in a book called First Break All The Rules.

It came up with this surprising finding:

If you're losing good people, look to their immediate supervisor.

More than any other single reason, he is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he's the reason why they quit, taking their knowledge, experience and contacts with them. Often straight to the competition.

"People leave managers not companies,". "So much money has been thrown at the challenge of keeping good people - in the form of better pay, better perks and better training - when, in the end, turnover is mostly a manager issue." If you have a turnover problem, look first to your managers. Are they driving people away?

Beyond a point, an employee's primary need has less to do with money, and more to do with how he's treated and how valued he feels. Much of this depends directly on the immediate manager. And yet, bad bosses seem to happen to good people everywhere. A Fortune magazine survey some years ago found that nearly 75 per cent of employees have suffered at the hands of difficult superiors. You can leave one job to find - you guessed it, another wolf in a pin-stripe suit in the next one.

Of all the workplace stressors, a bad boss is possibly the worst, directly impacting the emotional health and productivity of employees.

Here are some all-too common tales from the battlefield:

- Dev, an engineer, still shudders as he recalls the almost daily firings his boss subjected him to, usually in front of his subordinates. His boss emasculated him with personal, insulting remarks. In the face of such rage, Dev completely lost the courage to speak up. But when he reached home depressed, he poured himself a few drinks, and magically, became as abusive ! as the boss himself. Only, it would come out on his wife and children. Not only was his work life in the doldrums, his marriage begun cracking up too.

- Another employee Rajat recalls the Chinese torture his boss put him through after a minor disagreement. He cut him off completely. He bypassed him in any decision that needed to be taken. "He stopped sending me any papers or files," says Rajat. "It was humiliating sitting at an empty table. I knew nothing and no one told me anything." Unable to bear this corporate Siberia, he finally quit.

HR experts say that of all the abuses, employees find public humiliation the most intolerable.

The first time, an employee may not leave, but a thought has been planted.

The second time, that thought gets strengthened.
The third time, he starts looking for another job.

When people cannot retort openly in anger, they do so by passive aggression. They don't have your heart and soul for the job."

Different managers can stress out employees in different ways - by being

too controlling,

too suspicious,

too pushy,

too critical,

too nit-picky.

But they forget that workers are not fixed assets, they are free agents.

When this goes on too long, an employee will quit -often over seemingly trivial issue.

It isn't the 100th blow that knocks a good man down. It's the 99 that went before.

And while it's true that people leave jobs for all kinds of reasons - for better opportunities or for circumstantial reasons, many who leave would have stayed - had it not been for one man constantly telling them, as Arun's boss did: "You are dispensable. I can find dozens like you.

Consider for a moment the cost of losing a talented employee.

There's the cost of finding a replacement.

The cost of training the replacement.

The cost of not having someone to do the job in the meantime.
The loss of clients and contacts the person had with the industry.

The loss of morale in co-workers.

The loss of trade secrets this person may now share with others.
Plus, of course, the loss of the company's reputation. Every person who leaves a corporation then becomes its ambassador, for better or for worse.

Much of a company's value lies "between the ears of its employees". If it's! Bleeding talent, it's bleeding value. Unfortunately, many senior executives busy traveling the world, signing new deals and developing a vision for the company, have little idea of what may be going on at home.

Do You Practice What You Preach ?

Posted by Hussein Adamally

Happy Week to all of you.

Life is full of contradictions.  People say they want health food, but McDonalds still makes billions of dollars each year.  People say they want to work satisfying jobs, but end up chasing after the biggest paycheck.  People say they want news on world affairs, but tune into 24/7 coverage of Anna Nicole Smith.

I’m no different.  I have plenty of contradictions between what I truly believe and how I behave.  And I think anyone who says they don’t is lying to themselves.  Practicing what you preach isn’t easy.  It may be impossible to do it completely.

But even if you can’t escape the contradictions of modern living, you can lessen their impact.  You can consult what you know to be true, and use that to guide you, instead of rationalizing your behavior and living a lie.

Cognitive Dissonance                           

Cognitive dissonance is a fancy psychological term for something incredibly simple: when people hold two contradicting ideas, their minds start to fry.  This can be something simple like, “I believe health is important” and “I just finished eating a bag of potato chips.”

Your mind can’t handle the contradiction; as a result it has to go through one of two directions. 

The first is rationalizing: “I deserve the bag of chips, it’s been a hard day.”  This is the easiest option, but it has long-term consequences. 

“Rationalization is an odd word, because it has nothing to do with thinking rationality.  It’s like calling lying ‘truthification’.”  Whenever you start rationalizing a decision, you’re taken a shortcut that might make you feel better, but often ends in a poor choice.

The second option when you face a contradiction is to realize that one of the two ideas is false.  Either your belief that something is true is mistaken, or your behavior was incorrect.  Either you don’t believe health is important, or you shouldn’t have eaten that bag of potato chips.

I think this second direction is much harder to accomplish than rationalization, and why it’s easier to rationalize a mistake than it is to use that mistake to make changes.

Start With the Truth…

You can resolve a lot of personal conflicts by starting with a simple question: “What is true?”

Based on your personal experience and knowledge, ask yourself what is true.  Answer this question before you factor in your current behavior.  If you feel drinking or smoking is bad for you, recognize this first.  You can worry about your habits later; the first step in fixing a contradiction always has to be with your current beliefs.

It’s important to recognize what is true, even if you’re powerless to change it.  You might hate your job, but be completely financially committed to stay there.  That’s okay, it’s better to know the truth of your position than to constantly lie to yourself that it isn’t so bad, or that work is supposed to be distasteful.

Resolving contradictions can be hard, because most people try to prevent any gaps in their behavior and beliefs.  So if they can’t change their behavior, they sacrifice their beliefs, lying to themselves about what they know to be true.  This is why separating the truth-acknowledging step from the behavior-changing step is so important.

…Then Fix the Habits

Once you fully acknowledge what you know to be true, you can start the process of changing your behaviors.  This isn’t easy.  Changing habits can be difficult, especially when the habit has been interlinked into much of your life.

It can be even more difficult to fix situations that are based on more than just behavior. 

However, the job of practicing what you believe becomes infinitely easier if you have first acknowledged the truth of the situation.  If you can realize the truth, you will eventually adjust your behavior and life to coincide with it–even if that is difficult at first.

I think the most important step to fixing your contradictions is to realize you have them! 

Many people rationalize them away so there is never a gap between behavior and truth.  Only the people who have gaps, the ones who aren’t living at their ideal capacity, are the people who can grow and improve.

If you perfectly practice what you preach, then you probably aren’t doing either very well.

Who I Am Makes A Difference!

posted by hussein adamally
Dear Friends,

My final post for the week is a special video message which I know will inspire you for the weekend. (If you are a father this might get a little emotional, so tissues are recommended)

Remember! 

YOU are special and YOU can make a difference. Knowing who you are with a lot of self-belief can make a world of a difference not only to your life, but to all around you.

They say actions speak more than words!

Have a meaningful weekend,

 

What is your perception of Death?

Posted by Hussein Adamally

As Steve Jobs rightly puts it, the greatest invention of them all is death.

The minute you mention this word, there is a hush. No one wants to discuss it. People are afraid; they get scared if you joke about death. It’s like a sacrilege. As we grow old we spend years in fear of death. When someone is sick, I see people whispering in hushed tones, with all this, the sick person will die much faster.

When a person is very sick, people conduct religious rites, grim, serious-looking priests, poojaris chanting scary prayers, mantras. All this can give shivers to any living man. He would rather die faster than go through all these rituals.

If there is one certainty in life it’s death. Dying is something, we all must do.

If we openly discuss, joke, think and talk rationally about death, it could make things easier for all. Here, the priests and doctors must give the lead.

Every doctor knows he can never prevent death, so he must do his best to see that his patients live the best quality life (body and mind), and then achieve the best quality of death whenever the time comes.

I have seen Mother Theresa with many dying people. She would hold their hands firmly in hers no tears, no chanting of prayers, nothing but pure simple genuine love. The dying person, scared, and at times crying, would slowly relax; his clutch on her hand would ease. Slowly the fear would change to comfort then turn into a beautiful smile, a combination of trust, thankfulness, and hope, and this last rite would become part of nature’s design and end as wonderful experience for all.

Our upbringing, our religion, morals, our customs, all make us feel and believe that death is something very grim, and terrible.

I for one would love to die in my home, with all the things familiar to me and with which I have loved most of my life, my wife, my children, my dog, my bed. With a room full of love, warmth and all the people I have loved and enjoyed to the hilt all around me, it would be wonderful. I will be on my way for a meeting with my creator, with gratitude, hope and faith, maybe some tears, after all, I am human. I would want music played at my funeral.

So, all you lovely readers, every second, live life to the fullest, laugh a lot, love your family, love yourself, visit your parents give little and big gifts to beggars, doctors and millionaires.

Remember!

The only gift you will keep, are the ones you give away

Feed the poor and crows(they are not bad, just because they are black and don’t have lovely voices) take the affectionate dog in your street to a vet, give them shampoo and milk, and a nice meal. He will wag his tail a million times with affectionate gratefulness.

Forgive all those who hurt you, be more compassionate, be loving in your relationships, stop losing your temper, be sensitive about how others feel( I know few who say I don’t know how!), try not to get into arguments, sit alone and think coolly and calmly, what is it that you want in life, drop everything that you really do not care for, drop all negative feelings, Set your priorities, Want what you have! Want money! but don’t be a slave to it!

All these are so simple things to do, but people are in such a tearing hurry, running in circles running their own mental and physical health as also of those close to them and connected to them(personally and professionally).

When you share your wealth, your possessions, your love, your affection and your knowledge, instead of decreasing, it will keep increasing. Your life will become beautiful and I guarantee you, that you will never be scared of death or life thereafter.

Hakuna-Matata is the title song of the famous cartoon film “The Lion King”, which means

“No worries for the rest of your days”

How to Recognize Good Performance

Posted by :Hussein Adamally

Something I read yesterday, which I would like to share with all of you.

Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned manager, a novice just starting in a leadership position, or someone in the middle of the experience continuum, you need to be effective … you need to be successful. You owe that to your team members and you owe that to your organization. Most importantly, you owe it to YOURSELF.

One of the important “Commandments” in the best seller The 10 Commandments of Leadership is to “Do Right by those who do Right.” Providing recognition and positive reinforcement of a team member's actions, is perhaps the single most predictable way that these positive outcomes are not only sustained by that individual but also become “role model” behaviors for their co-workers.  And, it is up to each leader to “Do Right by those who do Right.”  And, make sure the recognition you provide is…

TIMELY – Don’t wait. Acknowledge the performance or contribution as soon as possible after it takes place. Praise tends to lose its effectiveness with the passing of time.

SPECIFIC – Tell team members exactly what they did that was right and good. A mere “nice job” doesn’t really say all that much. Being specific lets employees know exactly what behaviors to repeat in the future.

INDIVIDUAL – Focus on individuals rather than groups. Fact is, not all team members contribute equally – and they know it.

PERSONAL – Adjust the style and method of your recognition to each receiver. Some people like public praise … others prefer private chats; some respond well to tangible tokens … others would rather have some extra time off.

PROPORTIONAL – Match the amount and intensity of your recognition to the value of the achievement. Going overboard for small contributions may lead people to question your motives.

The Meaning Of Life

It's a simple reminder on how to live life to the fullest. This Motivational Video has inspired many and hope it will inspire you as well. Cheers.

Remember To Remember!

Posted by :Hussein Adamally

Many people I know have issues with awareness, They don’t know what’s happening around them, Though they have sight, they are so blinded with ignorance, ego and huge attitude problems. This leads to insensitivity and selfishness. I know being Self less is difficult, but if we are more aware of what’s happening around us, life will have new meaning and most of all people around you will like you more. This message is to all those who lack awareness. Hope this will help you change for the better.

Remember to remember means remember to be aware. Remember to be aware in this moment right now. Being aware is seeing everything around you, hearing everything around you, feeling everything around you, and being completely focused on what you are doing right now.

Most people bring what they do not want because they are not aware that they are listening to the thoughts in their heads about the past and the future. They are not even aware that they are being hypnotized by those thoughts, and are therefore living their life unconsciously.

I try very hard to be aware of all that I do and say. My actions speak for myself. It is my personality and my prerogative. This is the best way to gain respect and achieve so many objectives with your life and specially to contribute to society, Today’s society needs contribution, guidance, who better than those who have already gained the experience from living life (to the fullest).

My theory on learning is that there are two ways to do it.

1.Learn from others.

2.Learn from yourself.

How will you achieve this if you don’t know who you are? How can you preach if you don’t practice it yourself!

When you remember to be aware, you are aware immediately. You just have to remember to remember!

May the joy be with you.

The I Don’t Care Attitude!

Posted by :Hussein Adamally

This story is a great metaphor and speaks a lot about the current mental attitude that people have. We see needy people all around us and yet we make no effort to help them out. Illiteracy and unemployment are two major forms of cancer which is affecting our society today. Education helps people think reason and make more matured decisions while employment helps people earn their own livelihood. In the years to come when more and more children are left uneducated on the streets, they will become easy targets for corrupt and evil elements in the society who will teach them wrong doctrines and brainwash them. Without a daily source of income, they will be forced to take up cheating and violence because by then, it becomes a matter of survival for them. Here’s a story on this.

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package. What food might this contain? The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."  

           

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient. But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; in fact, she died. So many people came for her funeral; the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.

The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

Moral of this story: - When one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

 

This story is a great metaphor and speaks a lot about the current mental attitude that people have. We see needy people all around us and yet we make no effort to help them out. Illiteracy and unemployment are two major forms of cancer which is affecting our society today. Education helps people think reason and make more matured decisions while employment helps people earn their own livelihood. In the years to come when more and more children are left uneducated on the streets, they will become easy targets for corrupt and evil elements in the society who will teach them wrong doctrines and brainwash them. Without a daily source of income, they will be forced to take up cheating and violence because by then, it becomes a matter of survival for them.

We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage each other, to build each other, to enhance each other’s lives and help everyone live with dignity. That’s the whole reason why we are called Social beings.