Struggle To Be Free

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly, that he brought home.

One day a small opening appeared he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours. It struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily, but, it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. He continued to watch the butterfly, he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and the body would contract. Neither happened!

In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It was never able to fly.

The man acted with well-intentioned kindness but he didn't understand the consequences. The restricting cocoon and the struggle required to get through the tiny opening, were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been and we could never fly. So the next time you are faced with an obstacle, a challenge, or a problem, remember the butterfly. Struggle a little - then fly!


HAVE A GREAT DAY AHEAD!

u know, next to the animal crossing-mom story and the blind man next to the window story, i like this alot too

The Ship of Life

Across the shore awaits a boat
Though sea's are rough, its still afloat

Raise the sails, held up by mast
Forget the troubles of distant past

As wave crash down upon the deck
Steady the boat; not quite a wreak

Tend the mast, and fix the scratch
Light the lantern with one last match

The storm will end, pull anchor and rope.
Look up to see the stars of hope.


This day and your life... are God's gift to you, so give thanks and be joyful always!

Let your love flow outward through the universe,
To its height, its depth, its broad extent,
A limitless love, without hatred or enmity.
Then as you stand or walk,
Sit or lie down,
As long as you are awake,
Strive for this with a one-pointed mind;
Your life will bring heaven to earth.
~Sutta Nipata

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.
Happiness never decreases by being shared.

The Wise Woman

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream.

The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation.

The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime.

But, a few days later, he came back to return the stone to the wise woman. "I've been thinking," he said. "I know how valuable this stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me this stone."


Sometimes it's not the wealth you have but what's inside you that others need.


He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

You aren't wealthy until you have something money can't buy. ~ Garth Brooks

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ~ Winston Churchill

Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think. ~ Ayn Rand

“It's relaxing to go out with my ex-wife because she already knows I'm an idiot.”

- Warren Thomas

Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime,
Therefore, we are saved by hope.
Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history;
Therefore, we are saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone.
Therefore, we are saved by love.
No virtuous act is quite a virtuous from the standpoint of our friend or foe as from our own;
Therefore, we are saved by the final form of love which is forgiveness.
~Reinhold Niebuhr


Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.
~Rita Mae Brown

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -- myth is more potent than history -- dreams are more powerful than facts -- hope always triumphs over experience -- laughter is the cure for grief -- love is stronger than death.
~Robert Fulghum

Never give out while there is hope; but hope not beyond reason, for that shows more desire than judgment.
~William Penn:

The Trouble Tree

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work. His electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence.

On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a tall tree, touching tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed with smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree" he replied. "I know that I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure. Troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I get home. Then in the morning I pick them up again. "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

Do you have a Trouble Tree you can hang your problems on? Do not take your troubles home with you, but instead find peace with the Trouble Tree.

This post has been edited by MayAnne: Aug 31 2008, 10:45 PM

When life knocks you to your knees, well that's the best position in which to pray, isn't it?

-Ethel Barrymore-

This post has been edited by selinix: Sep 1 2008, 03:12 AM

The song Sky or 天空 from the Olympics album, it's my favorite song, I like the lyrics and the singer sounds like Faye Wong.

Don't say the skies the limit, they're already footprints on the moon!

Rainbow Connection - Kermit the Frog



Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Who said that every wish
Would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me

Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices
I've heard them calling my name
Are these the sweet sounds that called
The young sailors
I think they're one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
There's something that I'm supposed to be

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

-- this song picks me up all the time.. it's on high rotation for my kiddies' lullabies..

I Believe in Little Things - Tony Bennet and Elmo



I believe in little things
That you can hardly see
Like honeycomb and spider webs
And starfish in the sea

I believe in little things
Like icy drops of rain
That melt into the morning mist
When winds are warm again

I believe in little things
Like colors in the sky
And noticing the waves roll in
And how the flowers die

Knowing they'll be back again
Whenever it's July

I believe in little things
Like you and me
And just how big
Little things can be

-- this one's from elmo.. the kiddies love this as well, so does the mommy btw..