The Hospital Window

An inspirational story of hope, friendship, and imagination.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

And every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

-unknown

Letting Go

To "let go" does not mean to stop caring, it means I can't do it for someone else.

To let go is not to cut myself off, it's the realization I can't control another.

To let go is not to enable, but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means the outcome is not in my hands.

To let go is not to try to change or blame another, it's to make the most of myself.

To let go is not to care for, but to care about.

To let go is not to fix, but to be supportive.

To let go is not to judge, but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes, but to allow another to be a human being.

To let go is not to be protective, it's to permit another to face reality.

To let go is not to deny, but to accept.

To let go is not to nag, scold or argue, but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.

To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires but to take each day as it comes, and cherish myself in it.

To let go is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To let go is to fear less and love more.

- unknown

You Are Valuable

You Are Valuable

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don't ever forget it!

-unknown

the truth

There is one thing that is common to every individual, relationship, team, family, organization, nation, economy, and and civilization throughout the world - one thing which, if removed, will destroy the most powerful goverment, the most succesful business, the most thriving economy, the most influential leadership, the greatest friendship, the strongest character, the deepest love.
on the other hand, if developed and leveraged, that one thing has the potential to create unparalleled success and prosperity in every dimension of life. yet, it is the least understood, he most neglected, and the most underestimated possibility of our time.
That one thing is trust.
Trust impacts us 24/7, 365 days a year. it undergirds and effects the quality of every relationship, every communication, every work project, every business venture, every effort in which are engaged. it changes the quality of every present moment and alters the trajectory and outcome of every future moment of our lives - both personally and professionally.
Contrary to what most people believe, trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don't; rather, trust is pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create - much faster than you probably think possible .
While corporate scandals, terrorist threats, office politics, and broken relationship have created low trust on almost every front, i contend that the ability to establish, grow, extend, and restore trust is not only vital to our personal and interpersonal well-being; it is the key leadership competency of the new global economy.
I am convinced that in every situation, nothing is as fast as the speed of trust. and, contrary to the popular belief, trust is something you can do something about. in fact, you can get good creating it.

Spiritual Intelligence

Be open. Be adventurous. Be curious. Be eager to learn. Be genuine, not least to yourself. Don’t judge. Acknowledge the wonder of life and the amazing experience it brings.
After all, it seems so real, doesn’t it?
In the words of the late comedian Bill Hicks:
“The world is like a ride in an amusement park. And when you choose to go on it, you think it’s real because that’s how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it’s very brightly coloured and it’s very loud and it’s fun, for a while.
Some people have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question, is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, “Hey – don’t worry, don’t be afraid, ever, because, this is just a ride…”
And we kill those people.
“We have a lot invested in this ride. Shut him up. Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account and my family. This just has to be real.”
Just a ride…
But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok.
But it doesn’t matter, because it’s just a ride. And we can change it anytime we want. It’s only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love.”
So what’s your choice?

Remain childlike. And enjoy the ride!

___My dear son, ___I hope this letter will reach you on the first day of your college experience, for that day marks your step upon the threshold of y

___My dear son,
___I hope this letter will reach you on the first day of your college experience, for that day marks your step upon the threshold of your manhood. I am more proud of you than it is possible for me to convey--proud of your fine humility, your clean life, and especially proud that by your own accomplishments you are enabled to enroll in the college which has been your choice since you were 7 years old.
___I wish every father might have the same feeling of confidence in his son that I hold for you at this minute--the confidence that your record so far is but an indication of nobler and more honorable accomplishments to follow.
___There are a number of things of which I wish to write at this time. I do not do this with any thought of admonishing you, but rather as a counselor of older and more mature judgment.
___bluebull Respect and revere the fine men and women who compose the faculty.
___Extend to them the same splendid cooperation you have given each of your teachers in the past. Learn to distinguish between the fundamentals of their subjects and the teachers' personal opinions about them. Therefore, accept and reject, but avoid becoming opinionated, argumentative. Above all things, do not develop the attitude that college training marks the end of learning.
___bluebull Be democratic.
___Avoid snobs--rich or poor ones--and do not be snobbish yourself. The classification of a man is not his posessions or lack of them, but his character. Leadership is never possible truly to a man who has no sympathetic understanding of his fellows. Be generous but not foolish. Remember, there is an adage that the best charity is to help one to be free from the need of charity. Do not be a prude or a pig.
___bluebull Avoid excesses in all things.
___Enter freely into the social life that is offered to you, but prove your mental strength by refusing any temptation of over-indulgence.
___I hope your social life will give you contact with many of the fine men and women in the student body. Your own natural friendliness and modesty will bring you the right companionship. Treat every woman with the utmost respect and courtesy; that is the hallmark of a gentleman. Accord to each woman the same respect you would ask for your sisters.
___bluebull And remember this: Many dangerous cults have sinister bases in our American colleges.
___Do not become mesmerized by their pretentions of advanced thought. Do not be swallowed by the stream or become influnced by mass- or mob-psychology. When you do, you surrender your capacity for clear thinking.
___Stand on the sidelines and study the stream. Keep your perspective. Think for yourself.
___When you have arrived at a more mature manhood, your conclusions regarding many things may differ from mine. If they do, I shall be just as happy as if they agreed, if I am sure you have accepted them as a result of your own analysis and inquiry.
___I hope you will preserve this letter and occasionally read it. It is written only after careful consideration and thought. I wrote it because of the great love I have for you and out of the great hope I have in you.
___May all that we do--each of us--tend to strengthen the tie that binds us together

Philosophy of Education: Famous Philosopher's Quotes on Educational Philosophy, Teaching Philosophy Truth Reality

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