Children love stories. They are ready to listen to stories any time of the day or night. But then, so do adults. Cartoons, kids’ stories and comics still enthrall me. The child in us is always yearning to go back to those days of stories and fantasies. Here are three stories I have selected to inspire you to think on being true to your own self-worth. How doing that little extra can give you a mileage over your journey to being a better human being.
1.The Rolling Stone:
A wealthy king once wanted to test his subjects to find out the real helpers in his kingdom. (You must remember that this was in a period when Kings did not know what was happening in their kingdom. There was a huge divide between the king and the people around him. So those kings who were good rulers used to often disguise themselves and walk among the people incognito. That was the only way they could find out the real state people were in.)
So this king in our story set out and placed a huge stone on one of the paths people used to frequent. Then he hid behind the bushes and waited to see who would push the stone away and clear the path. Sad to say, not a single soul bothered to remove the obstacle in their path. They just went around the stone and on their way. Those whom the king recognized as being good citizens too, did not seem to bother. Some even blamed the king for not maintaining the roads properly.
Finally, a poor farmer walked down the road.
He carried a large sack of vegetables on his head. When he came to the stone, he stopped and looked around to see if there was anyone who could help him remove the stone blocking the path. There seemed to be no one. So he put down his sack on to the side and started to push the stone out of the way. With much effort, he managed to push it and clear the path.
To his surprise, when he pushed the stone, he found beneath, a purse full of gold with a note from the king. He was shocked, but excited. The king came out from the bushes and acknowledged his good deed for the day. The king further added that he had been waiting a while in the bushes and not one soul had bothered to remove the stone from the path. That he was the only subject who was worth the gift from the king himself.
The moral of the story is that every obstacle that crosses our path is an opportunity for us to improve upon. We either take the chance or lose it. Only those that are willing to go that extra mile to remove those stones in their paths,will be rewarded.
Here from the point of view of the farmer, he could also have walked past the stone, like all others. But he was true to himself and his conscience. Often our conscience urges us to to do the right thing. Only a person who respects himself and is true to himself can become submissive to the voice from within. So never brush away that little voice from inside of you that pushes you to the right path. Your reward will reach you in no time.
2.The Tyre Burst.
Four college friends were out partying one night when they had a class test the next day. Like all other college goers of their age, they really had a good time throughout the night. Not having prepared for the test, they decided to bunk it. They hatched a plan. Covering themselves up with grease, grime and dirt, they went to the Dean’s office the next day – the day of the test. They explained that they had been to a wedding the previous night and on their way back had had a burst tyre. So they had to push the car back to the campus.They wouldn’t be able to take the test, they said.
The Dean listened intently.
He then offered them a re-test three days later on the same topics. The boys were happy. They agreed in unison. They were happy they had three more days to study. The day of the test arrived. The boys went to college, jubilant that they had had enough time to study, They were sure that they would answer the questions well.
For the test, they were made to sit in different rooms. They got their question paper. They strained eagerly to see what was written on it. There were only two questions.
- Your Name: (1 point )
2. Which tyre burst?: ( 99 points)
( Options: Front Right/ Front Left/ Back Right/ Back Left )
You can imagine the predicament the boys would have been in. They had lied to the Dean and now unexpectedly, they were caught off-guard.
What happened after that can be left to the vivid imagination of the reader!
Moral of the story here is that -you fib, or rather, tell a lie or white lies just for fun but it could boomerang back on you. If the boys were true to themselves, they would not have played truant or told lies. After all, they were being educated for their own benefit. They lost their own self worth in front of he Dean. The losers who learnt their lesson the hard way.
The privilege of being educated is for oneself, not for the other.
This third story is about motivating people who are hesitant to start any business and feel fear at having to take a risk. Business is sheer luck, some say. Others say it’s pure hard work.It’s a lot of both.The only thing you can do is to carry on, come what may, without throwing in the towel.
3. Colonel Sanders: Kentucky Fried Chicken:
An old man, penniless to the core, was unhappy that there was no one to care for him. All he had to live on was the social security check of 99$. He had turned 65 years too. He was fed up living like this and wanted to change his Destiny. Racking his brains, thinking about what to do, he began to sort out different options in his mind.
All he knew was a mouthwatering chicken recipe. He decided to give it his best shot.
He left Kentucky and tried to sell his recipe to different people. Trying to woo restaurant owners, he vowed that he would give them a mouth-watering recipe .But there were no takers for it. Being turned down ever so many times, he began to get desperate. All he wanted was a small percentage as consideration on the items sold. But sad to say, he was turned down more than 1000 times, but still he kept on asking around until one fine day, he heard a ‘yes’ from a restaurant owner. A guy who was willing to take the risk and try out a new recipe.
Colonel Hartland Sanders was set to make history.
Americans would never eat chicken the way they had before. The Kentucky Fried Chicken Era..KFC started its way and made it round the world . Today it is a roaring business.
Colonel Sanders did not sit back thinking that he had become too old for business.He believed in himself and in his self-worth. Somewhere, somehow, he would make it, he knew.
So take heart. You are never too late to try anything new. Respect yourself and be true to your self worth. It only needs patience and a willingness to work hard, under trying circumstances. When an ardent desire is put forth in action and one keeps on trying, even God cannot but Help you. Therein Success will be yours.
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