Showing posts with label Be Positive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Be Positive. Show all posts

Sunday, December 2, 2018

How to Communicate with Clarity & Confidence




Whether you are an introvert who agonises over what to say - or an extrovert who has no trouble talking, but often struggles to listen - 'Confident Conversation' harnesses existing personality strengths in order to employ practical tools for effective and eloquent communication.

Communication is an art, and anyone--whether shy or outgoing--can improve his or her conversational skills. Much of your success in life is going to come from your ability to communicate well with other people. Successful people know how to communicate and have taken a lot of time to improve communication skills.

How to Communicate with Confidence is a straightforward article to making good conversation that works in any situation--and works for any personality type. Highlighting the art of give and take and stressing the importance of listening, this article gives confidence to those who hesitate to strike up a conversation. Author Kranti Gaurav shows readers that they don't have to have a stockpile of great stories to tell in order to make good conversation. Instead, he encourages an "explorer" mind-set and gives readers the tools they need to talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Social intelligence, which is the ability to interact well with others, is one of the highest paid and most respected intelligence in our society.

So, how do you communicate more effectively with others?

My favourite word in communication is clarity.

Almost all our problems in life come because of lack of clarity. We say things but they don’t come out clearly. To be clear, stop and think, and then proceed slowly.

Another great way is to rephrase or repeat something if it’s clear that they didn’t get the message.

I speak Hindi & English. One of the things I’ve learned is if you say something in your limited language and someone doesn’t seem to understand it, rephrase it and say it again.

If they still don’t understand, rephrase it and say it again until that person says, “Ha! Now I understand.”

There are also ways to communicate with clarity in stressful situations as well:

Having A Conversation

Effective communication starts with being clear in your own mind about what you want to say. Then be clear when you deliver the message, saying it slowly and patiently. Finally, make sure that the other person hears the message that you sent.

When you communicate with another person, this is what happens:

You send a message into the air in the form of words.
The words are then received by the other person who interprets them in their own mind based on their own thoughts, feelings, and so on.
The other person formulates a response and sends the response back.
You then receive the response, translate that into meaning and significance.
You send back your response.
Noise In Communication
Between these two responses there is noise. Noise can be physical noise like trucks, a TV, people talking, mechanics, etc., but it can also be internal noise.

The person could be hungry or distracted. It can be emotional noise. The person could be unhappy or excited. The person could have other noise influencing them that causes them to interpret what you say in a different way.

If you think about this, communication requires sending the message and having it received. The message is checked, and sent back. The message is received, and then checked. It’s better to be sure at every stage of the transaction that people are sending and receiving with tremendous clarity.

The Best Question To Get Clarity
Here is my favourite question of all…

When somebody says something that you’re not sure about say, “How do you mean, or how do you mean exactly?”

They will always expand on what they just said and make it clearer and easier for you to understand and respond to. Try asking this question when you’re not sure of something to get all the clarity you need. For most people, great conversation doesn't come naturally. Whether you're an introvert who agonises over what to say or an extrovert who has no trouble talking--but forgets to listen--you'd probably like to improve your conversational skills. By harnessing the strengths of your personality style and employing practical tools for success, you will be able to
· start, continue, and end a conversation
· listen more effectively
· enjoy yourself in the process

If you . . .
don't know what to say,
feel like you can't start a conversation,
or wish you could speak up more often,
. . . you might be an introvert.


If you . . .
usually dominate the conversation,
can wax eloquent about almost any subject,
or find yourself talking more than listening,
. . . you might be an extrovert.


Either way, with the right attitude and a little know-how, you can excel in the art of confident conversation.

7 Ways to Communicate With Confidence Even if You're Nervous

Communication is everything in life and business. In each interaction it is not what you communicate but how you communicate that makes all the difference. Business interactions range from big egos and hot-headed temperaments to people who are too insecure to speak up. Neither creates productive conversations that result in movement towards greater success. Communication must be respectful to be received well by your counterparts. You must cultivate the emotional control, insight, charisma and courage to voice your ideas and respectfully champion them.

1. Be clear on your views

It takes confidence to share your ideas in the workplace, especially if your goal is to influence and impress colleagues outside your immediate team, including those who have seniority. To be confident when communicating with your boss, a senior executive or a prospective customer you have to be clear on your views. The more clarity you have going into a conversation the more your ideas will be received with thoughtful interest.

When communicating, never worry about stepping out of line. All that can happen is your viewpoints will be considered and then turned down, so you haven’t gained or lost anything. In finding the courage to communicate, however, you develop more confidence in your opinions then if you had never expressed them. If you believe that your ideas can make a significant contribution, then voice them. It is worth the risk.

2. Be prepared

You cannot weaken once you go in for the kill and express your ideas or opinions. Get right to the point. Clarity and directness give you power and authority, especially when you're trying to communicate with higher level executives. State your ideas with a bold but not obnoxious clarity.

Never lead with an apology or any type of excuse which shows insecurity. Start your communication with a strong, confident “I” statement backed up with evidence in support of the validity of your ideas or opinions. Evidence or research will help you not to falter because you have reliable information to reference if you are called upon to prove yourself. Each time your view is challenged it gives you an opportunity to reaffirm the validity of your ideas. View these challenges not as rejections, but as welcomed opportunities.

3. Stick to your guns

Be prepared to stand firm for your ideas whenever necessary. It may be intimidating to stand up to dissenting views, particularly if the opposition is coming from those in higher positions. Keep in mind ideas that are the most worth sharing are the ones likely to be bordering on the edge of controversial. Whenever you present something new, expect to be challenged, then rise to the occasion by citing the evidence and research forming your position.

Show your conviction without being defensive or aggressive, both of which advertise a lack of confidence and undermine the validity of your idea to the powers that be. When confronted or questioned, first acknowledge the other person’s point of view, then firmly and cordially demonstrate the valid reasons you see things differently.

4. Provoke questioning

Senior executives value thoughtful input from others. They thrive on ideas which provoke innovative dialogue. They like to be challenged and to challenge back when they share opposing views. This type of dialogue inspires each person to generate and put forth only their best ideas. Whenever you get the opportunity to generate and contribute to a critical thinking conversation, engage in this dynamic with a spirit of cooperation and open-mindedness.

When you are cooperative and open minded you inspire dialogue that builds solutions. It is best to be involved in the game rather than to stay quiet or allowing yourself to become internally combative. The more cooperative you can be and open to new additions to the ideas you’re presenting, the more interesting you become to those above or below you. It shows great character to bend and be flexible while also sticking strongly to what you believe about your ideas and opinions. You remain approachable yet steady, having the ability to get others to question and ponder more deeply what you bring to the table.

5. Show respect

People are people. If you approach senior executives with an “underling” disposition your ideas and opinions will not be taken seriously. Your attitude, approach, nonverbal energy and tone of voice reveal everything. Respect yourself first by showing confidence and then always be respectful when sharing your ideas.

There is an unconscious habit in most people to defer to those who have more power but if you defer to them, they will not respect this about you. Do not let your uppers take control of the conversation or let them silence you. Show your respect by only sharing your best ideas with them. Conversely, when you address those less senior to you, show an equal degree of respect. Listen to them carefully, acknowledge their opinions, and build upon their ideas in whatever way you can.

6. Be genuine

It takes extraordinary courage to be confident in yourself while sharing your ideas, especially if you work on a team where you aren't necessarily seen as the type to voice ideas or opinions. Sometimes that isn't always personal. It may be the culture of the team or company. As you look around at your peers, you may feel there's a normal way of dressing, speaking, looking, and acting and it can be compelling to maintain status quo. Keep in mind, however, great successes never obey status quo. Further, there's no need to resist corporate culture in your effort to become a more powerful communicator. You can stay in line with what works, still be bold in who you are and state your opinions and ideas.

Authenticity is a contagious character trait. The more genuine you allow yourself to be regardless of company culture and the more willing you are to put what you think out there, the more successful you will inspire your team to be. Be willing to risk. Have the courage to utilize your spontaneity, creative energy, vigor, and sense of humor. Suppressing those qualities won't serve you, your message, or your company.

7. Listen Twice, Speak Once 

As the old saying goes: "You have two ears and one mouth for a reason: so listen twice as much as you speak."

So while the other person is talking, give him or her your undivided attention. Don't be thinking of what you're going to say next, or you’re likely to miss what the person is saying. That can be lead to bigger embarrassment than asking too many questions. Take a chance and keep trying for what you want. It's only a matter of time before you get it. The only way to learn good communication skills is by practising. Hanging back in the shadows and playing it safe leads nowhere.

In any type of communication your emotions can confuse and derail you. Go into each interaction knowing your emotions cannot be trusted. You may feel shy, insecure and uncertain. Deal with this like a pebble in your shoe. It is uncomfortable but you have to ignore it. These emotions must be overcome for your ideas to be heard, respected and then utilised. You cannot let these lower level insecurities or any defensiveness be a part of your equation. Go into each interaction with a smile. This makes it appear as if you have it together. Be well-groomed and possess a sense of humour. If you act confident enough, you will become confident enough. Dress the part, play the role and say what you need to say as it if is absolute truth. This is how you will close every deal and climb the corporate ladder.

Thank you so much Guys.

Stay Fit, Take Care & Keep Smiling :-)

God Bless !!

Kranti Gaurav
XLRI Jamshedpur

Monday, November 26, 2018

First Time Flying - I believe I Can Fly


Once on the west coast of Ireland there lived a seagull bird whose name was Seamus.

Seamus was a healthy, handsome, and intelligent seagull bird, but he was not able to fly.

When he was just a wee seagull bird, Seamus’s parents and siblings had been lost in a severe storm and he had no one to teach him.

He grew older and decided to try to learn by himself. He watched other seagull birds and, imitated them.

He ran along the ground and flapped his wings and hopped up and down, trying to get into the air, but nothing would happen, and the young seagull birds laughed at him because Seamus looked so funny.

Some of the older seagulls tried to teach him, but each one told Seamus a different way of learning to fly, and Seamus tried to think of all the ways each of the seagulls had told him:

“Flap your wings more, get your feet back, head straight,” and all the other instructions.

He was thinking so hard about what everyone had told him that he wasn’t able to get off the ground. He began to believe something was wrong with him, that he would never fly.

He tried going to the top of a cliff and jumping off, but he simply fell to the bottom. He went to higher cliff, over the sea, closed his eyes, and jumped.

Again, he fell.

Other seagulls took pity on Seamus and tried to take care of him.

But this made him feel more discouraged than ever . . .

One day, a very old and wise seagull flew in to the western coast where Seamus lived. He listened to Seamus’s problem and told him to climb to the top of a special cliff, the highest and steepest one. On the top of this cliff he would find a large boulder, and on this boulder was written a secret message. This was the message Seamus needed in order to fly, the wise bird told him.

No seagull had ever climbed such a steep cliff before. Seamus had to tie starfish to his feet to help him with the suction. He climbed slowly, painfully, and finally reached the top. He saw the large boulder.

On it was written:

What you believe — you can do! 

Seamus looked down from the dizzying cliff and was terrified, but he closed his eyes and jumped. He started to drop, and as he did, he remembered to say to himself, “I believe I can fly, I believe I can fly.” He was so busy saying it that he forgot to doubt himself.

Instead of paying attention to all the different things he’d been told to do, he just did it. And he found himself flying — flying like any other seagull birds, with wings outstretched, gliding on the winds. It was his first time flying! It was the most wonderful moment of his life. He flew and
dipped and never once wondered if he was doing it right. Far below on the sand, the other seagulls, who were watching him, heard him sing out, “I can fly! I believe!” 

Freedom To Choose: A Demolition Crew Story



One day as I was walking around my home town, I saw a group of men tearing a building down.
With a “heave” and a “ho” and a mighty yell, they swung a huge steel ball and a tall building
fell.

And I asked the foreman, “Are your men skilled? Are they the ones you’d hire if you were going
to build?”

“Oh no,” he laughed, “Oh no, indeed!

Just unskilled labourers are all I need.”

“These men can easily wreck in a day or two,

What it takes skilled builders many years to do.”

And I asked myself as I walked away,

“Which one of these roles do I want to play?”

Do I want to be known as one who constantly tears down,

As I waste my time spreading negativity around.

Or do I want to be known as one who skilfully builds with care,

In hope that my team will always be glad that I’m there?

Carefully using a positive plan

And putting it into practice the very best that I can.

Or am I a wrecker who roams the town

With the intent of just tearing down.

How To Do Things: Moving The Big Rock Story



One spring day, a small boy tried to move a big rock in his backyard so he could start his garden.
He tried, and tried, and tried, but the he couldn’t budge the rock even a little bit.

His father watched from the porch, and finally he asked his son whether he was using all of his
strength.

The boy said, “Yes, I am.”

“No, you’re not,” said the father. “You haven’t asked me to help you!”

T = Together
E = Everyone
A = Achieves
M = More”

The Art Of Asking: A Golf Instructor Story



A few years ago, a struggling golf pro was hired for one week to go to the Middle East to instruct a rich Arab sheikh how to play the game of golf.

The golf instructor was promised a large sum of money and offered an even larger bonus if the sheikh could break 100 by the end of their week of lessons.

As soon as the golf instructor arrived at the sheikh’s private airport, he was treated like royalty. Anything he wanted was immediately given to him free of charge.

At the first session, the golf instructor and the sheikh became friends almost instantly.

They met for three hours every morning and three hours every afternoon.

By the end of the week, the sheikh, who had never played golf before, broke 100.

The golf instructor would get his huge bonus!

When the golf instructor was getting ready to leave, the sheikh gave him his check for the week of lessons and the huge bonus.

And then the sheikh said to the instructor, “I must also give you a present for your kindness and help. What would you like?”

The golf instructor said, “This is the most money I’ve ever made — you don’t owe me
anything.”

The sheikh said, “No, I must get you a present.”

The instructor said “OK —just buy me a golf club.”

The sheikh said, “Consider it done.”

After a few months had passed, the golf instructor received a registered letter in the mail. It was from a South Carolina law firm. The instructor opened the formal-looking letter. Inside was a legal document making him the owner of a golf club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

Penguins Can Fly: A Knowing Vs Doing Story



Once upon a time, there was a penguin who was surfing the internet.

He came across the website of a motivational speaker who specialised in teaching pigs how to
fly with his seminar titled Pigs Can Fly!

The penguin was amazed and thought, “If this person can teach pigs to fly,
maybe he can perform a miracle and also teach penguins to fly.”

The penguin emailed the motivational speaker and asked him if he had a seminar
titled “Penguins Can Fly.”

“Of course. No problem,” The speaker responded.

The penguin then asked him if he would be interested in coming to the South Pole.

The speaker said it would be very expensive.

The money was raised.

The travel arrangements were made.

Everything was all set.

On the big day, 100 excited penguins showed up at a hotel for the
“Penguins Can Fly” seminar.

The motivational speaker began the ’’Penguins Can Fly” seminar by telling
the penguins that there were only two things they had to do to fly:

1. Flap your wings harder.

2. Believe in yourself.

He started teaching them how to flap really, really, really hard.

The penguins learned how to flap harder, but not one of the penguins left the ground.

Then the motivational speaker had ladders set up all around the room.

He explained that he wanted the penguins to start on the first rung, jump off and flap really hard.

They started on the first rung. They jumped off and flapped.

And then they all fell flat on their beaks.

Next, then they progressed to the second rung.

They jumped off, flapped really hard, but no success.

When they got to the third rung, all of a sudden some one of the penguins yelled out,

“Look at Ralph! Look at Ralph!”

Ralph was up and flying for about 10 seconds.

That did it!

As soon as the penguins saw that it was possible, they started to believe!

One after another, they started flying. They were up in the air for five seconds . . .

10 seconds ... 30 seconds...

By the end of the day, every single one of the penguins was flying for as long as they wanted!
The “Penguins Can Fly” seminar was a resounding success.

When it ended, the speaker didn’t just get a standing ovation - he received a flying one, too!

After it was all over, the most amazing thing happened.

When all the penguins left the hotel, each and every one of them walked. 

The Pearly Gates Of Heaven: Saint Peter’s Shoe Salesman Story



One day an old man who, was an expert in the world of art, died and went to heaven
where he was met by Saint Peter at the pearly gates.

The old man asked Saint Peter to introduce him to other people who were interested in art.

Saint Peter, standing at the pearly gates of heaven said, “See that man with the beard?

He was the greatest artist who ever lived. Want to meet him?”

The old man said, “Saint Peter, I know that man and I know art. That man worked in his father’s
shoe store and he sold me all my shoes for years. And he’s not an artist!”

Saint Peter still standing at the pearly gates of heaven replied,

“Oh, he could have been the greatest artist who ever lived,
but he thought he was a shoe salesman.” 

Smart Monkey: An Animal Experiment FAIL Story



A team of research scientists had selected four groups of monkeys for a pharmaceutical
experiment.

The animals in the first group were to receive a high dose of the drug being studied.

Those in the second group were to get a moderate dose.

The monkeys in the third group were scheduled to receive a low dose of the drug.

And those in the fourth group were to be injected with a placebo.

The day before the experiment was to begin, the monkeys in the high-dose group were
deprived of food while those in the other three groups were fed as usual.

On the morning of the experiment, tests revealed unexpected nutrients in the blood of the fasting
monkeys. The researchers were surprised. They decided to repeat the previous day’s procedure,
but this time they were going to observe the behaviour of the monkeys at night when the lights
were off.

The researchers made a touching discovery.

The monkeys who were being fed were passing their food to their hungry friends who were
being deprived of food. 

How To Climb A Mountain...or anything else: The True Inner Story



Once upon a time there was a world-class climber who gave classes and lessons to a small
number of students.

For several weeks, they studied the technical and safety aspects of the sport and conducted
several climbs.

As the class came to an end, the instructor informed his students that there were more advanced
classes, but that to get into the class they would have to do one last climb in which their
performance would be evaluated.

On the day set for the climb, the students arrived at the appointed place. They were met by
people who said the instructor was delayed and that they should begin the climb without him.

The route was a long and difficult one, and required all the skills they had learned during the
class.

After several hours of exhausting climbing, each student reached what appeared from below to
be the last face at the end of the climb.

As each one pulled himself up over the top of this face, they saw that the mountain continued
to rise up before them.

The instructor, who was hidden from the students, watched the face of each student carefully as
they realized that the climb was not over.

Many of them sighed with disappointment that they had yet more to do.

However, a few looked up with eagerness and anticipation that there were new heights to reach,
and these were the ones the instructor accepted into the advanced class.

He wanted to climb with people who were attracted to higher and higher peaks in the world -
and in themselves. 

The King’s Rock Story: Every Obstacle Is An Opportunity



In ancient times, a king had a huge boulder placed in a roadway, then he hid and watched to see if anyone would remove it.

Some of the kingdom’s biggest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around the
boulder.

Many of them loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none of them did anything about getting the big stone out of the way.

Then a peasant farmer came along, carrying a load of vegetables on his back.

When he came to the boulder, he laid down his vegetables and began trying to move the boulder to the side of the road.

After much struggling and straining, he finally succeeded.

As he was picking up his vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had
been.

The purse contained many gold pieces and a note from the king indicating the gold was for the person who removed the stone from the roadway.

The farmer had learned what many others have learned since:

Every obstacle presents an opportunity.

Life will throw up obstacles, but instead of going around them or trying to avoid them all together, take the opportunity to confront them and learn in the process. Facing obstacles and challenges makes us stronger and aids us on our spiritual path. Oftentimes, when we avoid something we are only putting off the time until we will meet it again. It is best to bite the bullet and face these challenges head on, improving your self and learning the lessons that are meant to be learnt.

No Risk No Reward: A Cautious Farmer’s Story



A backwoods farmer, sitting on the steps of his shack, was approached by a stranger who was
passing through.

“How’s your wheat coming along?” asked the stranger.

Didn’t plant any.” Really? I thought this was good wheat country.”

“I didn’t plant because I was afraid it wouldn’t rain.”

“How’s your com coming along?”

“Didn’t plant any.”

“Really? I thought this was good corn country.”

“I didn’t plant any because I was afraid of com blight.”

“What did you plant?”

“Nothing,” said the farmer, “I just played it safe.” 

The Butterfly Predicament: A Story About Struggle



A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the
butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.

Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining
bits of cocoon.

The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shrivelled wings.

The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened!

In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was the restricting cocoon and the
struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from
the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles
would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly. 

Journey of Awakening: A Life Saving Story





“There was once a king who was going to put to death many people,
but before doing so he offered a challenge.

If any of them could come up with something which would make him
happy when he was sad, and sad when he was happy, he would spare their lives.

All night the wise men meditated on the matter.

In the morning, they brought the king a ring.

The king said that he did not see how the ring would serve to make him
happy when he was sad and sad when he was happy.

The wise men pointed to the inscription.

When the king read it, he was so delighted that he spared them all.

And the inscription read...

“This too shall pass.”

The Story Of Two Monks And A Beautiful Woman



Two monks were returning to the monastery in the evening.

It had rained and there were puddles of water on the road sides.

At one street a beautiful young woman was standing unable to walk across because of a large
puddle of water. The elder of the two monks went up to her, lifted her, and then dropped her off
on the other side of the road. After that he continued on his way to the monastery.

In the evening the younger monk came to the elder monk and asked,

“Sir, as monks, we cannot touch a woman?”

The elder monk answered “Yes, brother.”

Then the younger monk asks again, “But then Sir, how is that you lifted that woman on the
roadside?”

The elder monk smiled at him and told him, “I lifted her to the other side of the road,
but you are still carrying her.” 

The Guru’s Directions: A Story About Success



A man met a guru. The man asked the guru - ‘Which way should I go to achieve success?’ 

The robed, bearded sage said nothing, but he pointed to a place in the distance. 

The man, thrilled by the prospect of quick and easy success, rushed in the appropriate direction. 

Suddenly, there came a loud ‘Splat.’ 

Soon, the man limped back, tattered and stunned, assuming he must have misinterpreted the 
message. He repeated his question to the guru. ‘Which way should I go to achieve success?’ The 
guru again pointed silently in the same direction. 

The man obediently walked off once more. This time the ‘splat’ was deafening. 

When the man crawled back, he was bloody, broken, tattered, and irate. 

‘I asked you which way I should go to achieve success,’ he screamed at the guru. 

‘I followed the direction you gave me, and all I got was splatted! 

No more of this pointing! Talk! ’ 

Only then did the guru speak. What he said was: 

‘Success is that way. Just a little past splat.’ 

Saturday, November 24, 2018

The Woodcutter’s Axe: A Story About Being Busy



Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter asked for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it.
The pay was really good and so were the work conditions and for that reason, the woodcutter
was determined to do his best.

His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was to work and the first day,
the woodcutter cut down 18 trees.

‘Congratulations,’ the boss said. ‘Go on that way! ’

Very motivated for the boss words, the woodcutter tried harder the next day, but he only could
cut down 15 trees. The third day he tried even harder, but he only could cut down 10 trees. Day
after day he was cutting less and less trees.

‘I must be losing my strength,’ the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologised,
saying that he could not understand what was going on.

‘When was the last time you sharpened your axe?’ the boss asked.

‘Sharpen! I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut down trees.’

Life gets like that. Sometimes we get so busy that we don’t take time to ‘sharpen the axe.’

Which Wolf Will Win?



An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life.

He said to them, ‘A fight is going on inside me ... it is a terrible fight and it is between two
wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt,
resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,
friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside
you, and inside every other person, too.’

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, ‘Which wolf will
win?’

The old Cherokee simply replied . . . ‘The one you feed.’ 

The King’s Picture Of Peace: A Story About Calming The Heart



There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of 
peace. Many artists tried. The King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he really
liked and he had to choose between them.

One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror, for peaceful towering mountains
were all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture
thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky
from which rain fell and in which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a
foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, he saw behind
the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her
nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest in perfect
peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The King chose the second picture. Do you know
why?

‘Because’ explained the King, ‘peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise,
trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your
heart. That is the real meaning of peace.’ 

Punching The Balloon Clown: A Story About Bouncing Back



A father took his young son into a toy shop to give him a chance to look at some special gifts he
would like to receive from Santa Claus. The father told the boy to have a wander around on his
own for a few minutes to see what he would like. At the back of the shop, his young son found a
statue of a clown made out of lot of colourful balloons.

He looked at the balloon clown for a minute, and then he drew back his fist and hit him just as
hard as he could. The balloon clown fell back and hit the floor, then rocked backwards and
forwards and after a few seconds he stood upright again.

The confused boy backed off and looked at the balloon clown and then hit him again, as hard as
he could. The balloon clown fell back once more and hit the floor, but was soon standing upright
again.

The father saw his young son hit that balloon clown and asked, ‘Why do you think he comes
bouncing back up when you hit him and knock him down?’

The boy thought for a minute and said, ‘I don’t know Dad, I guess it’s because he’s standing up
on the inside.’ 

Merlin The Magician: The Magic Of Believing Story



Once upon a time, there was a young man who dreamed of becoming a knight for
King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table.

Before he could become a knight, he had to pass one last test - he had to slay a dragon.

The young man was scared to death.

He asked one of the knights what he should do about his tremendous fear.

This knight advised him to see Merlin the Magician because Merlin had a magic sword.

When the young man told Merlin about his problem, Merlin went to his back room and brought
out a beautiful, gilded sword.

Merlin then instructed him, “This sword is magic and the day that you go out to slay your
dragon, come see me and I will give you this magic sword. But make sure that your scabbard is
empty. And remember that this sword only works its magic if you are in danger.”

One week later, the would-be knight returned. He was dressed for battle and, as Merlin
instructed, his scabbard was empty.

As Merlin went to the back room again, he told the young man to close his eyes.

Then Merlin returned and put the sword into his scabbard.

As the young man left. Merlin reminded him, “This sword will only work its magic if you are in
danger.”

The young man, now more confident, rode his horse out onto the plains where he confronted his
dragon.

It was a fierce battle. The dragon was breathing fire. The dragon’s tail knocked the young man
off his trusty steed.

The young man was on the ground and the dragon came in for the kill.

Just at that moment, the young man remembered about the magic sword. He took the sword out
of his scabbard and started slashing the dragon’s legs.

The dragon was hurt and fell down. The young man jumped onto the dragon and put the sword
into the dragon’s heart and killed the dragon.

The young man returned home victorious.

The first person he went to see was Merlin.

He told Merlin about how the magic sword saved his life.

As he took it out of his scabbard to return it, he looked at it in amazement. “Merlin this isn’t the
same sword you showed me last week. This isn’t the beautiful, gilded magic sword. It’s just an
ordinary sword!”

Merlin nodded and said, “There is no magic sword. The magic is believing.” 

वो ज़माना कुछ और था

वो ज़माना और था.. कि जब पड़ोसियों के आधे बर्तन हमारे घर और हमारे बर्तन उनके घर मे होते थे। वो ज़माना और था .. कि जब पड़ोस के घर बेटी...