Saturday, October 30, 2010

Information Please

When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in
our neighborhood. I remember well the polished old case fastened to
the wall. The shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too
little to reach the telephone, but used to listen with fascination
when my mother used to talk to it.

Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an
amazing person - her name was "Information Please" and there was
nothing she did not know.

"Information Please" could supply anybody's number and the correct
time. My first personal experience with this genie-in-the-bottle came
one day while my mother was visiting a neighbor. Amusing myself at the
tool bench in the basement, I whacked my finger with a hammer. The
pain was terrible, but there didn't seem to be any reason in crying
because there was no one home to give sympathy. I walked around the
house sucking my throbbing finger, finally arriving at the stairway.

The telephone! Quickly, I ran for the footstool in the parlor and
dragged it to the landing. Climbing up, I unhooked the receiver in the
parlor and held it to my ear.

"Information Please," I said into the mouthpiece just above my head.

A click or two and a small clear voice spoke into my ear.
"Information." "I hurt my finger. . ." I wailed into the phone. The
tears came readily enough now that I had an audience.

"Isn't your mother home?" came the question.

"Nobody's home but me." I blubbered.

"Are you bleeding?" "No," I replied. "I hit my finger with the hammer
and it hurts."

"Can you open your icebox?" she asked. I said I could.

"Then chip off a little piece of ice and hold it to your finger," said
the voice.

After that, I called "Information Please" for everything. I asked her
for help with my geography and she told me where Philadelphia was. She
helped me with my math. She told me my pet chipmunk that I had caught
in the park just the day before would eat fruits and nuts.

Then, there was the time Petey, our pet canary died. I called
"Information Please" and told her the sad story. She listened, then
said the usual things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was
un-consoled. I asked her, "Why is it that birds should sing so
beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of
feathers on the bottom of a cage?" She must have sensed my deep
concern, for she said quietly,

"Paul, always remember that there are other worlds to sing in."

Somehow I felt better. Another day I was on the telephone.
"Information Please." "Information," said the now familiar voice. "How
do you spell fix?" I asked.

All this took place in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. When I
was 9 years old, we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my
friend very much. "Information Please" belonged in that old wooden box
back home, and I somehow never thought of trying the tall, shiny new
phone that sat on the table in the hall. As I grew into my teens, the
memories of those childhood conversations never really left me. Often,
in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of
security I had then.

I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have
spent her time on a little boy. A few years later, on my way west to
college, my plane put down in Seattle. I had about half an hour or so
between planes. I spent 15 minutes or so on the phone with my sister,
who lived there now.

Then without thinking what I was doing, I dialed my hometown operator
and said, "Information, Please".

Miraculously, I heard the small, clear voice I knew so well, "Information."

I hadn't planned this but I heard myself saying, "Could you please
tell me how to spell fix?"

There was a long pause.

Then came the soft spoken answer, "I guess your finger must have healed by now."

I laughed. "So it's really still you,' I said.

"I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time."

"I wonder", she said, "if you know how much your calls meant to me. I
never had any children, and I used to look forward to your calls."

I told her how often I had thought of her over the years and I asked
if I could call her again when I came back to visit my sister. "Please
do, she said. "Just ask for Sally."

Three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered
"Information." I asked for Sally.

"Are you a friend?" She said. "Yes, a very old friend," I answered.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this, she said. Sally had been working
part-time the last few years because she was sick. She died five weeks
ago."

Before I could hang up she said, "Wait a minute. Did you say your name
was Paul?" "Yes." "Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it
down in case you called. Let me read it to you."

The note said, "Tell him I still say there are other worlds to sing
in. He'll know what I mean."

I thanked her and hung up. I knew what Sally meant.

Never underestimate the impression you may make on others.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

That is self belief.

There is a cute story told about the Governor of Texas, then Mark White.

Governor White and his wife were driving through the open Texas
countryside one day, out for a relaxing drive and talk

The couple happened to be around the area where Mrs. White grew up,
and as they pulled into a gas station to fuel up and check out the
car, Mark noticed a little nervousness with his wife. He didn't say
anything, but when the gas station attendant came out to their car,
Mark began to notice what was really going on. Both his wife and the
attendant looked surprised to see each other, and they acted with that
awkwardness that two people have when they've been close in the past,
but weren't anymore.

Governor White pretended not to notice this. They finished at the gas
station and continued back down the highway. The car fell silent and
neither said a word. For a long time they remained silent, and all the
while Mrs. White kept looking out the window, staring off out into the
distance. Mark was considerate and patient with this silence, and he
continued to drive in the silence. But after the silence had gone on
for almost an hour, he interrupted, trying to break the silence.

"Honey, I couldn't help but notice how you and that gas station
attendant looked at each other. You were involved with each other at
one point, weren't you," he asked ?

"Well, yea," She responded, quitely.

"Well, I guess I know how you feel. You were probably thinking about
that and needed some space, right," he continued ?

"Yea," she said again.

"I guess you were probably thinking about how different your two lives
had become. I guess you were thinking that if you had married him,
then you'd be the wife of a gas station attendant now, instead of my
wife. Right," he said ?

"Well, No. Actually I was thinking that he'd be the governor now."

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

90-10 secret

The 90/10 secret is incredible! Very few know and apply this secret.
The result? Millions of people are suffering undeserved stress,
trials, problems, and heartache. They never seem to be a success in
life. Bad days follow bad days. Terrible things seem to be constantly
happening. Theirs is constant stress, lack of joy, and broken
relationships. Worry consumes time, anger breaks friendships, and life
seems dreary and is not enjoyed to the fullest.. Friends are lost.
Life is a bore and often seems cruel. Does this describe you? If so,
do not be discouraged. You can be different!. Understand and apply the
90/10 secret. It will change your life! What is this secret? 10% of
life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how
you react.

What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what
happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane
may be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver
may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%.

The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%! How? By your
reaction. You cannot control a red light, but you can control your
reaction.

Don't let people fool you, YOU can control how you react!

Let's use an example.

You're eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a
cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what
just happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react.

You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the coffee cup
over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your
spouse and criticize her for placing the cup to close to the edge of
the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and
change your shirt.

Back downstairs you find your daughter has been too busy crying to
finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your
spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive
your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an
hour in a 30 mph speed limit zone.

After a 15 minute delay and throwing $60 (traffic fine) away, you
arrive at school. Your daughter runs to the building without saying
good-bye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you
forgot your briefcase.

Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse
and worse. You look forward to going home. When you arrive home you
find a small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.

Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the Policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is D. You had no control over what happened with the
coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad
day.

Here is what could have and should have happened. Coffee splashes over
you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say "It's OK honey, you
just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush
upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase. You come back
down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on
the bus. She turns and waves. You and your spouse kiss before you both
go to work. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff.
Your boss comments on how good of day you are having.

Notice the difference? Two different scenarios. Both started the same.
Both ended different. Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do
not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% is
determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 secret.

If someone says something negative about you, do not be a sponge. Let
the attack roll off like water on glass. You do not have to let the
negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your
day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired,
getting stressed out, etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you loose your
temper? Pound the steering wheel? (A friend of mine had the steering
wheel fall off!) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do
you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at
work? Why let the blue car ruin your drive. Remember the 90-10
principle, and do not worry about it!

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep or get irritated? It
will work out. Use your "worrying" energy and time into finding
another job. The plane is late. It is going to mangle your schedule
for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant?
She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, to
get to know the other passengers, etc. Why get stressed out? It will
just make things worse.

You now know the 90-10 secret. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results!!!

What would God ask?

God won't ask what kind of car you drove, but will ask how many people
you drove who didn't have transportation.

God won't ask the square footage of your house, but will ask how many
people you welcomed into your home.

God won't ask about the fancy clothes you had in your closet, but will
ask how many of those clothes helped the needy.

God won't ask about your social status, but will ask what kind of
class you displayed.

God won't ask how many material possessions you had, but will ask if
they dictated your life.

God won't ask what your highest salary was, but will ask if you
compromised your character to obtain that salary.

God won't ask how much overtime you worked, but will ask if you worked
overtime for your family and loved ones.

God won't ask how many promotions you received, but will ask how you
promoted others.

God won't ask what your job title was, but will ask if you reformed
your job to the best of your ability.

God won't ask what you did to help yourself, but will ask what you did
to help others.

God won't ask how many friends you had, but will ask how many people
to whom you were a true friend.

God won't ask what you did to protect your rights, but will ask what
you did to protect the rights of others.

God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, but will ask how you
treated your neighbors.

God won't ask about the color of your skin, but will ask about the
content of your character.

God won't ask how many times your deeds matched your words, but will
ask how many times they didn't.