3 TIMELESS PARABLES FOR REGAINING PERSPECTIVE

3 Timeless Parables For Regaining Perspective

If you are like me, sometimes I am so busy trying to catch up, stay even, or take the lead that I lose perspective. When things are going well, I am on top of the world. Yet then when bad luck hits or I see others achieving things I wish I could, I get down on myself. It's at times like these that I refer back to three parables from different cultures that have helped me better keep my perspective.

1.    Good Luck or Bad Luck? (a Zen koan)

Once upon the time there was an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit. “Such bad luck,” they said sympathetically.

“Perhaps,” the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses. “What great luck!” the neighbors exclaimed.

“Perhaps,” replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune.

“Perhaps,” answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son’s leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

“Perhaps,” said the farmer...

* One take-away I have from this parable is that, while we should certainly celebrate when things go well, we should not get carried away. Simultaneously, when bad things happen we should not lose our cool. Life is not only a series of ups and downs but also, some "bad luck" may turn out to be "good luck."

To read how I turn my weakness to strength, please click the link below:-

So, it pays to have a sense of equanimity throughout both life's good and bad times. Life is not a collection of discrete occurrences or events but that everything we do is linked together; our lives are a series of interconnected days.

2.    I'd Rather Be a Happy Turtle (Chinese)

Zhuang Zi was a brilliant philosopher and strategist who lived in ancient China. His abilities were many and several rulers sought his services. One of them, King Wei, sent his courtiers out to Zhuang Zi's pastoral home to invite him to come to Wei's court and be the leader's chief counselor. They found him there fishing by the river bank.

Seeing his poor situation, they thought Zhuang Zi would jump at the chance for status and reward. Yet when they made their proposal to him, he said, "Once upon a time there was a sacred turtle, which was happy living his life in the mud. Yet, because he was sacred, the king's men found him, took him to the royal palace, killed him and used his shell to foresee the future. Now tell me, would that turtle prefer to have given up his life to be honored at the palace, or would he rather be alive and enjoying himself in the mud?"

The courtiers responded that, of course, the turtle would be happier in the mud.

To which Zhuang Zi replied, "And so you have my answer. Go home and let me be a happy turtle here in the mud."

* The lesson I take from this parable is that we are often easily bewitched by advancement, fame, and reward. And we are so seduced by it that we trade our most precious resource, time, to get it. And many times, looking back, we are unhappy with the trade-off. So before I take on more, I try and think about if I'd be happier with "fame" or woud I have more fun enjoying my time "in the mud".

3.    The King and the Pawn (Italian)

This is not a parable per se, but a proverb, simple, short and sweet, namely:

"At the end of the game, the king and the pawn go back in the same box."

For me there are two messages in this tale:

One is that, even though we all hold different ranks, in the end we are all the same. Therefore, I should never take advantage of rank at the expense of another, nor should I allow myself to be taken advantage of or overawed by someone of higher stature.

The other lesson I draw from this proverb is that, in the end, all our achievements and rank should not be overvalued, since in the end, we all "go back in the same box."

I have found these parables helpful to navigate both my personal and professional life. Hopefully these can be of service to you as well.

Do you have or know any other parables that have helped you to navigate your life? 

Please share those other parables in the comments below so that we can all learn from each other.

JUST LISTEN, LISTEN............................AND LISTEN

GUEST POST - Simple Business Plan for Simple Earnings

THIS IS THE GUEST POST. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT A GUEST ARTICLE, PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR GUEST POST GUIDELINES.


Simple Business Plan for Simple Earnings

Every business needs a plan. This is essential if you want to have your business succeed. But you do not need a complicated plan that looks like a rocket science. You need a plan that incorporates all the steps that you need to take with small error allowance. Next, you need to know your resources so that you can plan according to them. So let’s go over the steps to make a simple business plan for your business:

Step 1

It is important that you know how much money you have to invest as well as how much time you have on spare each day. That will help you plan accordingly and won’t leave you with too much work on any specific task.

Step 2

Secondly, you want to know what works and what not, so that you do the things that will help you succeed easily and quickly. You need to know what you need to know to make your business reach your desired goal, but if you need some more knowledge, you should search for more info on the web.

Step 3

As a third step, you need to put everything together. Make a plan with steps that you need to put together and write them down in the order of what needs to be done first. Then, as you write down steps, have an idea of how much something might take, so that you reserve enough time for each step.

Step 4

Money is also your resource, of course if you choose it to be so. Know which step is going to take money and how much of it, so that you reserve enough of it.

Step 5

These steps are all pretty simple and quick, but you do need to know what needs to be done so that you can write it down and combine it with the time and money you have on disposal.

Step 6

Your simple business plan should now look something like a schedule kind of plan. Once you begin with your business, you will know what you need to do and when to do it. This will make everything very simple for you and will actually have release you of some pressure.

Go on now and make your own simple business plan that is going to be your tour guide on your trip towards your destination. May your business flourish!

To get more information on the related subjects, and bringing your business to success, visit ExpansionBlog.com. Also, feel free to check out the extensive and detailed guide to teach you how to start your own blog and monetize it

UPDATE NEW FROM DELPHINE

Miss Nyet February newsletter. View this email in your browser

GET READY FOR A NEON BRIGHT SPRING! When the grass starts to grow and the wildflowers take over the fields (or vacant lots, if you're a city person), we have happy thoughts on our minds!  All the more this year because, if the 2013 runway collections were an indication, the clothes we are going to wear will be BRIGHT! Lots of electric blue, bright orange, sunshine yellow and neons, yes, NEON colors aplenty. Use the photo below as an inspiration to design your spring 2013 anchor bracelet, anklet or choker today! Over 33 colors of parachute cord available, to create countless feel-good color combinations!

Check out the Sailor unisex necklace, made with a sailboat awning pulley, which can also be worn as a choker. 33 colors available, $35.00 Or design your own anchor bracelet, available in 3 widths (from $25.00 to $35.00 depending on size) AS SEEN IN SOUTHERN BOATING MAGAZINE: MISS NYET JEWELRY FEATURED IN THE MAGAZINE'S ANNUAL SWIMSUIT ISSUE, OUT NOW.   See our leather cuffs and leather wraparound bracelets worn by beautiful models in the pages of Southern Boating Magazine.  All the pieces from the Anchor Collection + the NON ET NON-The Affirmative Collection range from 25 to 120 US dollars. A -NOT BORING- POP-UP BOOK FAIR IN CHICAGO! 40 of the finest independent publishers, presses, & booksellers from Chicago and elsewhere will be on hand hocking their goods, including Delphine Pontvieux and Miss Nyet Publishing. The bar will be open, so grab a cocktail and listen to live music all afternoon as you ogle some books and satiate your bibliophiliac needs! Discover Delphine Pontvieux's published literary work (novel and short stories) here. FREE with an RSVP here: http://www.emptybottle.com/show/3472824/ Otherwise $5 at the door. This toasty event is 21+ unless minors are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. TO READ HER OTHER POST, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW:-

CHICAGO EVENT: BENCHES ON DIVISION'S OPEN HOUSE AND NOW, FOR AN ORIGINAL FRIENDS' NIGHT OUT! Benches on Division is a metal smithing studio downtown chicago. In addition to giving awesome classes, they just expended their studio and they are now gearing up to turn the front of the studio into a full blown artisan jewelry boutique. You guessed it, they are going to carry a fine selection of Miss Nyet Jewelry in store! Join them, along with Delphine Pontvieux and more local artists, for an open house celebration of their studio expansion Thursday April 11th from 5-9pm. On top of checking out awesome jewelry, you will be encouraged to: -Register to win a free 5 week basic metalsmithing course. -Make your own letter stamped pendant necklace. (Materials Provided.) -Watch a ring making demo at 7 and 8pm. -Alliance bakery cupcakes served at 6:30pm. -Beer, wine and munchies all night! Like Tweet Forward to Friend +1 Share Copyright © *|2013|* *|Miss Nyet Publishing, LLC|*, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have purchased jewelry or books from Miss Nyet, and/or we are friends or we have done business together at some point in time. I hope you will like what you see. Our mailing address is: Miss Nyet Publishing, LLC po box 12436 Chicago, IL 60612 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences

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YOU CANNOT FIND PEACE UNTIL YOU FIND ALL THE PIECES

BOOK REVIEW on You Cannot Find Peace Until You Find All The Pieces

This is a very amazing book I have just read. I am able to see crystal clear as to how the author was transformed despite having so many unpleasant and undesirable memories. This inspirational personal real story, filled with invaluable lessons, experience and insights really move me from the beginning till the end. I was very fascinated with how the author was being transformed and given the strength to overcome all the obstacles to become a joyful, fulfilled and wise person. This uplifting story also has a strong grounding on faith in God. I must say that this book is a wonderful story about hope, love and forgiveness.

Her writing talents together with her well crafted skills brilliantly and creatively combined, really kept me turning the pages. Her braveness in sharing her ugly and shameful story is worthy of praises. I am deeply delighted to see how she can move so freely to convey Life’s message in such a powerful and insightful manner. Her story is full of expressions and emotion throughout her life - a real great insight as what truly make her better, stronger and wiser. That really drives her to beat herself to achieve greatness. Amazingly well done, I must say. This is a quick and easy read for anyone who loves light reading.

Fortunately, Marie Maiden is not like many of us who have our own gifts and experience but never use them to share with others. She believes in simplicity and was focus through her writing. If the reviews she’s received thus-far are any indication, the world needed it. She uses her talents to reach and teach others.

I received a review copy of the book for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review and no other compensation.

You Cannot Find Peace Until You Find All the Pieces though is a book which provides us with more than one dimension. It can help us view things not only in the physical sense, but also its related God wisdom. And more importantly, how we can apply God's wisdom and live with it. It serves wide and diverse needs especially for those who want to be exposed and learn the highest, positive and broader perspective on life. Don’t take my word for it, check it out yourself.

This book also makes you gain more exposure in Christian values. It may give you a valid solid, profound and sound understanding of life given by the Mighty Loving God.

What I enjoyed most about this book is its fascinating way of conveying Christian values. It reflects the beauty of spreading the amazing little seed in readers' hearts, which is often underestimated. That’s what makes this book truly worth reading.

As you read through the book, you’ll be able to visualise the hardship the author had to go through. This book is not meant to persuade or dissuade you – it’s meant to inform, ingrain and teach the readers in gaining the appropriate perspectives in our daily life.

This book is highly recommended for reading. It is also suitable as a Christmas' and festive gifts. I thought the Title of the book is long, yet Simple, Precise and sum up the whole story.

You Cannot Find Peace Until You find All the Pieces is definitely a noble goal, because it spreads the value of Christianity and prospers them to see things from the positive, profound and appropriate perspective, from God’s perspective through our daily Life. I must say that the reward of its wisdom is far more than your time, energy and money spent. Marvelous! In short, you will be empowered by its wisdom. Through consistent and persistent application by living it in your life is the surest way to ensure that you shine through your life.

This book is also ideal for anyone who feels you had been living life without much meaning and is looking for inspiration to go off on your own, and dislike heavy reading.

Last, but not least, this book would make a lovely valuable and meaningful Christmas present.

All I can say is thank you!

CHOICE OF REFUSING TO GIVE REASONS

Her right choice of showing real RESULT rather than giving

REASONS makes her a great difference Maker. Choice is 

yours. So, cultivate a good habit for refusing to give reason

no matter what if you intend to be a greater difference 

maker. 


Need a big dose of inspiration today? 

Jessica Cox was born without arms, yet she's the world's first and only licensed, armless pilot. She also has two black belts in taekwondo and plays the piano — plus, lucky for us, she tours the world as a motivational speaker. Jessica ditched her prosthetic arms at age 14 and joins Tisha Unarmed in totally impressing us with videos revealing how the armless get through everyday tasks like putting on clothes. Her vids also show her surfing and maneuvering chopsticks with her toes instead of her fingers. Jessica's next stop: Ethiopia, where she hopes to help families deal with kids born with disabilities. 

To read more, please click the link below:-


http://now.msn.com/jessica-cox-was-born-without-arms-but-is-a-

qualified-pilot

AMAZINGLY OUTSTANDING CHAKRA RESULTS OF OUR FOUNDER

APPEND BELOW IS THE RESULT OF THE CHAKRA OF OUR FOUNDER.

From: Chakra Healing Team
To: jamesoh2003@yahoo.co.uk
Sent: Tuesday, 19 February 2013, 16:27
Subject: Your Chakra Test Results

You're receiving this newsletter because you signed up at ChakraHealing.com Unsubscribe here.

Hi James Oh, Thank you for taking the Chakra Test. I am excited to share with you your results: Your Foot Chakra is Strong If your Foot Chakra is STRONG you feel grounded and connected to a life purpose. Your path and direction to do what you love feels open and clear. Opportunities and people show up along the way to encourage and support you. Your desires turn in to a reality and you are confident in manifesting a loving, abundant, supportive life for yourself. You are confident that you are making a difference in the world as you move forward in doing what you love. If your Foot Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED you feel ungrounded and confused about your life path and the direction you want to move forward on. You feel blocked and question your choices and lack confidence in your decisions. Even after applying your best efforts, you struggle with manifesting and often feel like everybody else gets what they want and you never get what you want. You attract people who doubt your abilities and question you, which just adds to your frustration and keeps you from moving forward in life. » Click here to learn how to instantly heal your weak or closed chakras and strengthen your entire energy system Your Root Chakra is Strong If your Root Chakra is STRONG you are in the state where you love your career and get rewarded for being so good at it. Everybody envies you for your uncanny ability to make, save and invest money. You always have more than enough money to go on holiday and buy what you want, without feeling guilty afterwards. You always feel wanted and loved by your friends and family, and you feel good about yourself when you look in the mirror, both physically and emotionally. If your Root Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED you tend to get stuck in an unfulfilling and unrewarding career, and you never seem to have enough money, which leaves you worried and in debt. Spending money is a harrowing experience for you, as you doubt your ability to budget effectively. You suffer from weight or body issues, which leave you feeling unworthy and uncomfortable in your own skin. » Click here to learn how to instantly heal your weak or closed chakras and strengthen your entire energy system Your Sacral Chakra is Strong If your Sacral Chakra is STRONG, you see sex in a positive light, as a glorious, pleasurable and healthy activity. You enjoy passionate, frequent and long-lasting sex with your partner. Orgasms are mind-blowing, and you and your partner often orgasm at the same moment. You make time to have sex at least a few times a week, even if you've been married or attached to the same person for years. You are always able to attract the right partners; compatible people who nourish you, fill you with joy and make you a better person. If your Sacral Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED, images of guilt and pain conjures in your mind when you think about sex. You rarely have the time or inclination to have sex, and when you do, it's lackluster. You and your partner rarely orgasm at the same time, and premature or delayed ejaculation may be a frequent problem. You struggle to see yourself as 'sexy', and sometimes wonder how anyone could desire you. Your partners are often wrong and incompatible for you, and you find yourself wondering if you'll ever find "the one". » Click here to learn how to instantly heal your weak or closed chakras and strengthen your entire energy system Your Personal Power Chakra is Strong If your Personal Power Chakra is STRONG, you are admired for your confidence and healthy self-esteem, both in your career and personal life. You're never afraid to speak your mind, and you empower those around you to do the same. Your family, colleagues and community see you as a charismatic individual, determined to use your charisma and power for making the world a better place. If your Personal Power Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED you tend to struggle with self-esteem issues, and feelings of unworthiness. You tend to question yourself when faced with important decisions like whether to move to another city, change your career, get married to your partner or to have children. You feel like a victim in the world, and often feel powerless to circumstances and other people's desires. You may also suffer from frequent stomach pains and stomach anxiety. » Click here to learn how to instantly heal your weak or closed chakras and strengthen your entire energy system Your Heart Chakra is Strong If your Heart Chakra is STRONG, you enjoy comfortable, loving and empathic relationships at home, at work and in your community. You get along with your family. Your friends see you as a reliable person. At work, you're known as the one people can talk to. You feel a heartfelt sense of gratitude for how wonderful your life is, and feel compassion for all around you. If your Heart Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED, you tend to sabotage your relationships with distrust, anger, and a sense that you'll lose your independence if you rely too much on others. You may struggle with commitment, experience frequent fights or misunderstandings with your loved ones, and always keep yourself "on guard" in case you get hurt by someone. » Click here to learn how to instantly heal your weak or closed chakras and strengthen your entire energy system Your Throat Chakra is Strong If your Throat Chakra is STRONG, you are good at voicing out your thoughts, ideas and emotions to those around you. You're admired for your willpower and strong communication skills, and your conviction to speak the truth, even if it may be uncomfortable to some. Your career and personal life are enriched as a result. If your Throat Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED, you constantly feel like nobody cares about your opinions, and that you have nothing of value to say. You're likely to be known as the 'quiet one' in your professional and social circles, and you frequently settle with following other people's opinions. You often suffer from a blocked and sore throat. » Click here to learn how to instantly heal your weak or closed chakras and strengthen your entire energy system Your Intuitive Chakra isStrong If your Intuitive Chakra is STRONG, you are able to make accurate intuitive decisions and evaluations about your career, your family and the intentions of other people. You often know things without knowing exactly how you know them, and you have a clear sense of direction and clarity in everything that you do. You have a vivid picture of where your life is headed, and the people around you are likely to rely on you for guidance and advice. If your Intuitive Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED, you have the tendency to feel helpless or lost when faced with decisions and judgment calls. You are indecisive, uncommitted and unconfident of the decisions you end up making, because you have a history of making the wrong ones. You feel spiritually lost, and your true purpose is unclear to you. You often get headaches and feel tension in your brow area. » Click here to learn how to instantly heal your weak or closed chakras and strengthen your entire energy system Your Crown Chakra is Strong If your Crown Chakra is STRONG, you perpetually feel connected to a higher power, be it God, Universal Consciousness or simply your higher self. As you go through your daily life, you are always reminded that you are being watched over, and you feel immense gratitude for the universal love and appreciation you feel towards yourself and others. Others describe you as "glowing". If your Crown Chakra is WEAK or CLOSED you tend to feel little or no connection to a higher power, and always feel alone. You feel unworthy of spiritual help, and perhaps even angry that your higher power has abandoned you. You often suffer from migraines and tension headaches. » Click here to learn how to instantly heal your weak or closed chakras and strengthen your entire energy system If the results show that at least few of your Chakras are weak or closed… Don’t worry, because that’s perfectly normal! In fact it’s practically impossible to find a normal person with all their Chakras 100 percent strong and open! But, and this is the important point here… Once you know how, you’ll be able to instantly strengthen your Chakras at any given moment, and uplift any area of your life. You see I’ve made it my life purpose to help people achieve total energetic balance with Chakra Healing, which in turn gives you holistic wellbeing in all areas of your life. Since 1989 I’ve has been studying and perfecting the science of energy healing, both for use in my own life and for the tens of thousands of people across the globe whom I train every year. And now my greatest desire is to help you… » Visit my page here to learn how you can instantly heal your weak or closed chakras Stay tuned as I will be sharing with you more resources soon. Good luck on your fascinating journey of chakra healing, Carol Tuttle

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LEGACY OF THIS BLOG

LEGACY OF THIS BLOG

The message captures the essence of what we hope to achieve at this Lift You Up blog. 

At this blog, we want the best for our readers. Expressed more precisely, completely and wholly, we want our readers to live life to their fullest, enjoying all the opportunities that our world has to offer, finding meaning and fulfillment in their lives.

Mission of this blog is to enable its readers to realise their potential by sharing the real life experience, stories, articles and any other healthy materials that will inspire them to live life to the fullest.

We do so because we are a firm believer of the strength of the human spirit - the power of dreams. We know how education; whether formal and informal, can take the readers beyond boundaries.

Its transformational element is exemplified by stories of those who have kept us updated of their success stories from time to time.

At this Blog, our chosen definitions of “living life in all its fullest” are as follows:-

  i) It means learning to discover all our talents; hidden or unhidden; and developing as all-rounders so that we reach our full potential;

 ii) It means learning to appreciate, enrich and enjoy diversity of culture, sports and the beauty of nature; 

iii) It means learning to recognise and embrace all the opportunities that life brings us; 

iv) It means learning to understand, respect and celebrate diverse cultures; and

 v) It means learning to develop and enjoy healthy and wholesome relationship with others 

A legacy that is going to bring past, present and future readers together as a unique family where one will connect the dots one day and say "we were part of this."

At Lift You Up, we believe in changing destinies for people who will change the world. Because where they start is equally important as where they finish.

If you share the same beliefs and want to share our success, then please help us to spread our mission globally. We know many of you do, otherwise we couldn't reach more than 170 countries in just a short span of time. You may do so by sharing this post through facebook; LinkedIn or any other social media you choose. Thank you. 

Our stories are your success.

Your Chief Servant, 

James Oh