The Sheperd and the Consultant

A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him.

The driver, a young man in an Armani suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks the shepherd, "If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"

The shepherd looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers, "Sure. Why not?"

The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his iPhone, surfs to a NASA page on the internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo. The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany. Within seconds, he receives an email on his iPhone that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with hundreds of complex formulas. He uploads all of this data via an email on his iPhone and, after a few minutes, receives a response.

Finally, he prints out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized HP LaserJet printer and finally turns to the shepherd and says, “You have exactly 1,586 sheep.”

“That’s right. Well, I guess you can take one of my sheep.” says the shepherd. He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the trunk of his car.

Then the shepherd says to the young man, “Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my sheep? “

The young man thinks about it for a second and then says, “Okay, why not?”

“You’re a consultant.” says the shepherd.

“Wow! That’s correct,” says the yuppie, “but how did you guess that?”

“No guessing required.” answered the shepherd. “You showed up here even though nobody called you; you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked; and you don’t know anything about my business."

"Now give me back my dog!"

ON THE OTHER SIDE

By Michael T. Smith 

Bob joined us just before Christmas of 2010. He was a stray cat living outside the office where Ginny worked. She and her co-workers kept him and the other strays fed. The weather grew cold. Ginny lost her job. "I'm not leaving him!" she said to me.

Bob came home for Christmas.

Four months later, Bob was still with us. We took him to the vet and got him his shots. Soon he will be neutered. In the meantime, because Bob doesn't get along with our cat, he lives in the garage at night and in the yard during the day.

It breaks my heart, because he is a big loving boy. He needs a home. We hope to find him one. If not, he won't be left on his own.

A few weeks after our home became his, Bob disappeared. Our backyard, surrounded by a six foot fence, was empty. We searched and called for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

Bob was gone.

We worried. He wasn't our cat, but we were his foster family, until he had a home, we felt responsible. I went to bed and fretted. Where did he go? The next morning, I found him curled up on a deck chair sleeping. He greeted me. "Meow!" and ran for the

door to get into the garage and his food.

Ginny and I checked the fencing. There were no holes big enough for him to slip through. Where did he go? How did he get away?

The answer came two nights later. Once again the yard was empty. Bob was gone. I called, heard a scratch, and watched him climb over the top of the fence and drop down into the yard.

I was amazed.

Bob explored our yard and faced a wall twelve times higher than he. Did he let it stop him? No! Bob knew there was more in life.

Did Bob let the wall restrict him? No!

Did Bob look around him, see the walls of restraint, sit down and cry? No!

Bob looked at that wall and thought, there has to be more and better. He had faith. Bob took a leap into the future.

I lost my job. Ginny lost hers. A fence of despair surrounds us. We stare at it and want to sit and accept our fate, but know that's not right. We need to follow Bob's example. We need to jump the fence. Bob understood. There are more opportunities on the other side.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael T. Smith is a writer in his spare time and believes in sharing a smile, a wave, a kind word, and a tear. His life experiences have given him a special heart that shows in his writing. He is one of our MDI contributors and his stories appear in newspapers, books: Chicken Soup, Thin Threads, Catholic Digest and online. To read more stories at: http://ourecho.com/biography-353-Michael-Timothy-Smith.shtml#stories Michael can be reached at heartsandhumor@gmail.com

25 Habits Of People Who Are Happy, Healthy & Successful

by KRISTY RAO

1. They don’t hold grudges.

2. They think outside of the box.

3. They go by a routine and make exercise a part of it. It takes practice to develop healthy habits and stick with them. Once you do, your internal foundation will be strong.

4. They have a supportive tribe, thereby not wasting time with negative or toxic people.

5. They don’t care about what other people think. Does a tiger lose sleep over the opinion of sheep?

6. They don’t people please.

7. They see difficult and challenging situations as opportunities for personal growth.

8. They consider handling rejection a skill and are resilient.

9. They make time for themselves. Whether it’s getting eight hours of sleep every night, finding 15 minutes to read the newspaper in peace or an hour to go to the gym, they make it a priority — just like everything else. When you take care of yourself, you have a bigger impact on others.

10. They are spiritual. This doesn't necessarily mean religious. It could mean setting aside time for reflection through yoga or meditation.

11. They practice deep breathing.

12. They know there isn’t such a thing as “having it all,” and they’re happy about that. Wouldn’t the world be a boring place for them otherwise?

13. Fear doesn't hold them back. They're ready to take risks.

14. They know how to say “NO,” and don’t hold back. These people have learned to set boundaries. Plenty of them.

15. They learned a great deal from other people whom they admire. Either they had a great mentor, or they took note of how those they aspired to be like handled various situations.

16. They follow their inner guidance. Not only do they have a vision, but they follow it.

17. They give without expecting anything in return.

18. They aren't pretentious or conceited.

19. Passion is what drives them. They authentically believe in what they're doing.

20. They don't complain.

21. They live by their core values in both their professional and personal lives.

22. They're happy to swim against the tide.

23. They finish what they start.

24. They don't compare themselves to other people.

25. They want you to succeed, too.

CHINESE ADVICE TO 50-YEAR OLDS & OLDER:

Must read and share

WHERE YOUR LIFE STAND HERE ON EARTH

(Translated from the Chinese).

Because none of us have many years to live, and we can't take along anything when we go, so we don't have to be too thrifty... Spend the money that should be spent, enjoy what should be enjoyed, donate what you are able to donate, but don't leave all to your children or grandchildren, for you don't want them to become parasites who are waiting for the day you will die!!

Don't worry about what will happen after we are gone, because when we return to dust, we will feel nothing about praises or criticisms. The time to enjoy the worldly life and your hard earned wealth will be over!

Don't worry too much about your children, for children will have their own destiny and should find their own way. Don't be your children's slave. Care for them, love them, give them gifts but also enjoy your money while you can. Life should have more to it than working from the cradle to the grave!!

Don't expect too much from your children. Caring children, though caring, would be too busy with their jobs and commitments to render much help. Uncaring children may fight over your assets even when you are still alive, and wish for your early demise so they can inherit your properties and wealth. Your children take for granted that they are rightful heirs to your wealth; but that you have no claims to their money.

50-year old like you, don't trade in your health for wealth by working yourself to an early grave anymore... Because your money may not be able to buy your health...

When to stop making money, and how much is enough ( hundred thousands, million, ten million )?

Out of thousand hectares of good farm land, you can consume only three quarts (of rice) daily; out of a thousand mansions, you only need eight square meters of space to rest at night.

So, as long as you have enough food and enough money to spend, that is good enough. You should live happily. Every family has its own problems. Just do not compare with others for fame and social status and see whose children are doing better, etc., but challenge others for happiness, health, enjoyment, quality of life and longevity...

Don't worry about things that you can't change because it doesn't help and it may spoil your health. You have to create your own well-being and find your own place of happiness. As long as you are in good mood and good health, think about happy things, do happy things daily and have fun in doing, then you will pass your time happily every day.

One day passes without happiness, you will lose one day.

One day passes with happiness, and then you gain one day.

In good spirit, sickness will cure; in a happy spirit, sickness will cure faster; in high and happy spirits; sickness will never come.

With good mood, suitable amount of exercise, always in the sun, variety of foods, reasonable amount of vitamin and mineral intake, hopefully you will live another 20 or 30 years of healthy life of pleasure.

Above all, learn to cherish the goodness around... and FRIENDS... They all make you feel young and "wanted"... without them you are surely to feel lost!!

Wishing you all the best.

Please share this with all your friends who are 50 plus and those who will be 50 soon

THE SECRET -- WITH A TWIST

by Michael Jordan Segal, MSW 

There is a book and movie called "The Secret" which describes how to find happiness, wealth, good health.. It was, and still is, a phenomenal success. The book describes many well known individuals throughout the ages, documenting their ability to "know the secret."

What is "the secret"? According to the book (as well as to myself) the "secret" is what is referred to as "the Law of Attraction." More simply put, "the way one thinks has a direct relationship to what happens to the individual." If one thinks the situation will be good, it will. If one thinks things will go badly, they will. It does not matter what subject you think about. 

According to "The Law of Attraction" if you truly think and believe there will be a parking spot up close at the mall, there will be one. If you truly think and believe your life will be terrible, it will be. It is more than "the power of positive thinking," but that's a very good beginning.

I often tell the story of when I was hurt. My attitude was very negative. I thought: "Before I was injured I could do 500 things really well; now, because of my physical limitations, I can only do 200 things well." I was constantly dwelling on the 300 things I had lost. However, with time I learned to refocus my thoughts to the 200 things I could still do. That thinking, and my new positive attitude, were so vital for me, as well as vital for everyone else.

Am I saying, "If one believes and thinks positively everything will be great"? Of course not. To borrow a portion of a title from Harold Kushner's best selling book, ".Bad Things Happen to Good People." I realize that sometimes life is not fair: babies unfortunately pass away; innocent people are murdered; hurricanes and earthquakes often devastate cities and kill many people..I could go on and on.

I love the quote: "What happens to you in life is 90%; but how you react to it is an important 10%!" What that means is that one's attitude plays a huge difference.

In my opinion, that's the "twist" of "The Secret." Sure, one's thinking is a huge part of life and finding happiness. However, I did not need Harold Kushner to make me realize "bad things happen to good people," (but thanks). The Holocaust was one of the worst events of history;

the Viet Nam War brought pain to so many; the destruction of the World Trade Center brought anguish and pain to countless millions..All of these events were terrible. But typhoons and hurricanes occur with regularity; tsunamis and cyclones also cause unbelievable pain and wreckage; wars are with us in every generation and result in so much misery; people who do not smoke get lung cancer..All of these things are terrible experiences. There are terribleevents of the pastAND the present,AND they surely will again be part of our future. Unfortunately, they have been and will be part of our lives -- the bad and the good in our lives.

I believe with the right attitude and thinking a person can not only survive, but also thrive, if not here on earth, than in many people's wonderful memories.

And that is a great twist!

©2010 by Michael Jordan Segal, all rights reserved

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Jordan Segal, who defied all odds after being shot in the head, is ahusband, father, social worker, freelanceauthor (including a CD/Download of 12 stories, read withlight background music,entitled POSSIBLE), and inspirational speaker, sharing his recipe for happiness, recovery and success before conferences and businesses. Contact Mike via email atMSegalHope@aol.com or to order his CD, please visitwww.InspirationByMike.com

Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Realistic

Timely

Specific: A specific goal has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. To set a specific goal you must answer the six "W" questions:

*Who: Who is involved?

*What: What do I want to accomplish?

*Where: Identify a location.

*When: Establish a time frame.

*Which: Identify requirements and constraints.

*Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal.

EXAMPLE: A general goal would be, "Get in shape." But a specific goal would say, "Join a health club and workout 3 days a week."

Measurable - Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.

When you measure your progress, you stay on track, reach your target dates, and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs you on to continued effort required to reach your goal.

To determine if your goal is measurable, ask questions such as......

How much? How many?

How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable - When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them. You begin seeing previously overlooked opportunities to bring yourself closer to the achievement of your goals.

You can attain most any goal you set when you plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them. When you list your goals you build your self-image. You see yourself as worthy of these goals, and develop the traits and personality that allow you to possess them.

Realistic - To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress.

A high goal is frequently easier to reach than a low one because a low goal exerts low motivational force. Some of the hardest jobs you ever accomplished actually seem easy simply because they were a labor of love.

Timely - A goal should be grounded within a time frame. With no time frame tied to it there's no sense of urgency. If you want to lose 10 lbs, when do you want to lose it by? "Someday" won't work. But if you anchor it within a time frame, "by May 1st", then you've set your unconscious mind into motion to begin working on the goal.
Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal.

T can also stand for Tangible - A goal is tangible when you can experience it with one of the senses, that is, taste, touch, smell, sight or hearing.

When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable. - DOMINIQUE BROWN

Quote of the day....

Most people are not going after what they want. Even some of the most serious goal seekers and goal setters, they're going after what they think they can get.


~Bob Proctor

Quote of the day....

 Some people think it's holding on that makes one strong- sometimes it's letting go.

 ~Unknown 

Quote of the day....

Our self-image and our habits tend to go together. Change one and you will automatically change the other.

~Dr. Maxwell Maltz

THE BRICK

by Ton Pascal

How many times have you asked yourself, 'why is this happening to me?' or 'why is God punishing me?' Whatever word you give to your problem and choose to search on the net for an answer or explanation, you will find thousands of places that claim to be able to free you from all of your tribulations.

You name it, there is a book, a site, and a 'guide' over there that will give the answers you desperately need. Some of them are sincere, and are honestly done to inspire hope and to support you in achieving a positive life and self-esteem. What they all have in common is that 'you hold the answer to all your questions, and the solution to all of your troubles.'

Maybe you don't even believe in God but nevertheless when something bad hits you over the head you question 'who, or what, is the power that threw me that punch?' Have you ever thought about first asking yourself the answer to that thorny question? Remember that little voice that is constantly nudging you? Well, that voice can be your best friend and advisor, or your worst enemy. If you believe in God or a force that connect and guides our dimensions you will pray and try to find comfort in your beliefs. If not, the road will be long, wide and hard. As one of these believers I pass to you this simple advice, if God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

What I call spirituality is not going to church every Sunday or joining any mystic group. 

Spirituality is being responsible for all of your thoughts and actions. The forces of the universe will take care to coordinate these thoughts and actions and transform your life and the world. As opposed to advising you on how to live your life, I will entertain you with this short story I heard a long time ago. Especially now at this difficult period of global uncertainty, when we are exposed to so much suffering, misunderstanding and pain, it has an even more poignant feel.

A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no children appeared but instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and backed the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the kid he saw standing by and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, 'What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?'

The young boy was apologetic. 'Please, mister....please, I'm sorry but I didn't know what else to do,' He pleaded. 'I threw the brick because no one else would stop...' With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. 'It's my brother, ' he said, "He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up."

Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, 'Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me.'

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out a linen handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.

"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home.

It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: 'Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!'

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us. It's our choice to listen or not. He didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but God did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Let this thought sink in... If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it. Have a great journey.

Ton Pascal

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ton Pascal is a self-thought, self help advocate and author. "The difficult times we are facing in our world require a more spiritual approach to our everyday lives." Check his site http://www.dreamyourlifepositively.com/ or the book Dream Your Life Positively on Amazon.com

Eike Batista’s 10 Life Rules To Live By

1. “Nobody is happy alone. To share experiences is always a good thing.”

2. “You grown as a person when you face your own challenges, or stressful moments, as I like to say. A good entrepreneur must be prepared to evolve in adversity.”

3. “The good seller is the one who is also a good listener.”

4.“Believe in yourself. If you doubt in yourself, you won’t be able to face your co-workers. Or the market, for that matter.”

5. “Don’t quit on the first adversity. Believe in your intuition, but try to be down to earth as well, paying attention to research and polls.”

6. “Don’t think you are unstoppable or foolproof. Don’t think that the only way your business will work is through perfection. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for success.”

7. “To have a dream is one step closer to achieving something in life. The difference between the dreamer and the maker, though, is that the latter actually makes it happen.”

8. “Look forward; focus on what people don’t see at first sight.”

9. “Look at a business in all its depth and think of every detail with maximum accuracy and minimum risk.”

10. “Luck is important, as it is part of any project. But luck will only be present when the project is well designed.”

Quote of the day...

The price of excellence is discipline.

The cost of mediocrity is disappointment. 

~William Arthur Ward 

Quote of the day....

When you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.

~Dakota proverb

ARE YOU WITH THE RIGHT PARTNER..???

from a facebook post

During a seminar, a woman asked," How do I know if I am with the right person?"

The author then noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, "It depends. Is that your partner?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?" Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind
replied the author.

Here's the answer.

Every relationship has a cycle… In the beginning; you
fall in love with your partner. You anticipate their calls,
want their touch, and like their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet."Picture the expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few months or years of being together, the euphoria of love fades. It's a natural cycle of EVERY relationship.

Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship; you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your partner might start asking, "Am I with the right person?" And as you reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you
may begin to desire that experience with someone
else. This is when relationships breakdown.

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the person you found.

People blame their partners for their unhappiness and look outside for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes.

Infidelity is the most common. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your relationship. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this):

The key to succeeding in a Relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the Person you found.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. You have to work on it day in and day out. It takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it demands WISDOM. You have to know
WHAT TO DO to make it work. Make no mistake about it.

Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your partner), Just as there are physical laws Of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. If you know how to apply these laws, the results are predictable.

Love is therefore a "decision". Not just a feeling.

Remember this always: God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let GO....!!!

Quote of the day...

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter.

Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

~Samuel Beckett