One day a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin.

The professor handed out the question paper with the text facing down as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked his students to turn the page and begin.

To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions, just a black dot in the center of the page. The professor seeing the expression on everyone’s face, told them the following, “I want you to write what you see there.” 

The confused students got started on the inexplicable task. At the end of the class, the professor took all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students.

Answer Papers

All of them with no exceptions described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet etc.

After all had been read, the classroom was silent. The professor began to explain, “I am not going to grade on you this, I just wanted to give you something to think about.

No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot and the same happens in our lives.  We have a white paper to observe and enjoy, but we always focus on the dark spots. 

Our life is a gift given to us by God with love and care. We always have reasons to celebrate. Nature renewing itself every day, our friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood, the miracles we see every day.”

“However, we insist on focusing only on the dark spots, the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friends etc.

The dark spots are very small compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds.

Take your eyes away from the black spots in your life. Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you.  Be happy and live a life positively!”

Moral Of The Story:

As the professor explained, life is a bag of good and bad things. We all have positives and negatives along the way.

But we must always concentrate greater on the positives for a healthy and happy life. Life goes on no matter what so do not waste your time thinking about the negatives.

A married couple got into an accident and the husband’s face was badly burned. The doctor told him that they couldn’t graft any skin from his body because he was too skinny. So the wife offered to donate some of her own skin.

However, the only skin on her body that the doctor felt was suitable would have to come from her buttocks. The husband and wife agreed that they would tell no one about where the skin came from and they requested that the doctor also honor their secret. After all, this was a very delicate matter.

After the surgery was completed, everyone was astounded at the man’s new face. He looked more handsome than he ever had before! All his friends and relatives just went on and on about his youthful beauty!

One day, he was alone with his wife, and he was overcome with emotion at her sacrifice. He said, “Dear, I just want to thank you for everything you did for me. How can I possibly repay you?”

“My darling,” she replied. “I get all the thanks I need every time I see your mother kiss you on the cheek.”

A woman, renewing her driver’s license was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

“What I mean is, do you have a job or are you just a ….?”

“Of course I have a job,” snapped the woman. “I’m a Mom.”

“We don’t list ‘Mom’ as an occupation, ‘Housewife’ covers it”

I forgot all about her story until one day I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The clerk was obviously a career woman, poised, efficient, and possessed of a high sounding title like, ‘Official Interrogator’ or ‘Town Registrar.’

“What is your occupation?”

What made me say it, I do not know the words simply popped out.

“I’m a Research Associate in the Field of Child Development and Human Relations.”

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pronouncement was written, in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “just what you do in your field?”

Coolly, without any trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research, (what mother doesn’t) In the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out).

I’m working for my Masters, (first the Lord and then the whole family) and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it).

But the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants — ages 13, 7, and 3. Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model, (a 6 month old baby) in the child development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

I felt I had scored a beat on bureaucracy! And I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than “just another Mom.”

Motherhood!

What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door…

Does this make grandmothers “Senior Research Associates in the field of Child Development and Human Relations?”

And great grandmothers “Executive Senior Research Associates?” I think so!

I also think it makes Aunts “Associate Research Assistants.”

Perhaps other Moms, Grandmothers, Aunts, and your other friends would appreciate this.

May your troubles be less, may your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door!

Buddha was sitting with his disciples. One of them asked him “What is Karma?”

Buddha said, “Let me tell you a story…”

A king was touring his kingdom on his elephant. Suddenly he stopped in front of a shop in the market and said to his minister, “I don’t know why, but I want to hang the owner of this shop.” The minister was shocked. But before he could ask the king why, the king had moved on.

The next day, the minister went to that shop dressed as one of the locals to see the shopkeeper. He casually asked him how his business was faring. The shopkeeper, a sandalwood merchant, reported sadly that he had hardly any customer.

People would come to his shop, smell the sandalwood and then go away. They would even praise the quality of the sandalwood but rarely buy anything. His only hope was that the king would die soon.

Then there would be a huge demand for sandalwood for performing his last rites. As he was the only sandalwood merchant around, he was sure the king’s death would mean a windfall.

The minister now understood why the king had stopped in front of this shop and expressed a desire to kill the shopkeeper. Perhaps, the shopkeeper’s negative thought vibration had subtly affected the king, who had, in turn, felt the same kind of negative thought arising within.

The minister; a nobleman, pondered over the matter for a while. Without revealing who he was or what had happened the day before, he expressed a desire to buy some sandalwood. The shopkeeper was pleased. He wrapped the sandalwood and handed it over to the minister.

When the minister returned to the palace, he went straight to the court where the king was seated and reported that the sandalwood merchant had a gift for him.

The king was surprised. When he opened the package, he was pleasantly surprised by the fine golden color of the sandalwood and its agreeable fragrance.

Pleased, he sent some gold coins to the sandalwood merchant. The king also felt sorry in his heart that he had harbored unbecoming thoughts of killing the shopkeeper.

When the shopkeeper received the gold coins from the king, he was astounded. He began to proclaim the virtues of the king who had, through the gold coins, saved him from the brink of poverty.

After some time, he recalled the morbid thoughts he had felt towards the king and repented for having entertained such negative thoughts for his own personal goal.

If we have a good and kind thought for another person, that positive thought will come back to us in a favorable way. But if we harbor evil thoughts, those thoughts will come back to us as retribution.

“What is Karma?” asked Buddha

Many replied, “our words, our deeds, our feelings, our actions……”

Buddha shook his head and said

“Your thoughts are your Karma!”

Just name someone, anyone, and I know them.”

His boss was tired of hearing him boast and decides to call his bluff.

“OK, Dave, how about Elon Musk?”

“Oh, Elon and me go way back, and I can prove it.”

So Dave and his boss fly out to Florida and knock on Elon Musk's door, and Elon shouts, “Dave! What's happening? Great to see you! Come on in for a beer!”

Although impressed, Dave's boss is still sceptical. After they leave Musk's house, he tells Dave that he thinks him knowing Elon was just lucky.

“No, no, just name anyone else,” Dave says.

“Bill Gates,” his boss quickly retorts.

“Yup,” Dave says, “Bill and I are old buddies. Let's fly out to California,” and off they go.

At the Microsoft offices, Bill Gates spots Dave and motions him and his boss over, saying, “Dave, what a surprise, I was just on my way to a meeting, but come on in with your friend, let's have a beer first and catch up.”

Well, the boss is very shaken by now but still not totally convinced. After they leave the Microsoft offices, he expresses his doubts to Dave, who again asks him to name anyone else.

“Pope Francis,” his boss replies.

“Sure!” says Dave

“I've known the Pope for years.” So off they fly to Rome.

Dave and his boss are assembled with the masses at the Vatican's St

Peter's Square when Dave says, “This will never work. I can't catch the Pope's eye among all these people. Tell you what, I know all the guards so let me just go upstairs and I'll come out on the balcony with the Pope.” He disappears into the crowd, headed towards the Vatican.

Sure enough, half an hour later Dave emerges with the Pope on the balcony, but by the time Dave returns, he finds that his boss has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics.

Making his way to his boss' side, Dave asks him, “What happened?”

His boss looks up and says, “It was the final straw… you and the Pope came out on to the balcony and the man next to me said, ‘Who the hell is that on the balcony with Dave?'”Just name someone, anyone, and I know them.”

His boss was tired of hearing him boast and decides to call his bluff.

“OK, Dave, how about Elon Musk?”

“Oh, Elon and me go way back, and I can prove it.”

So Dave and his boss fly out to Florida and knock on Elon Musk's door, and Elon shouts, “Dave! What's happening? Great to see you! Come on in for a beer!”

Although impressed, Dave's boss is still sceptical. After they leave Musk's house, he tells Dave that he thinks him knowing Elon was just lucky.

“No, no, just name anyone else,” Dave says.

“Bill Gates,” his boss quickly retorts.

“Yup,” Dave says, “Bill and I are old buddies. Let's fly out to California,” and off they go.

At the Microsoft offices, Bill Gates spots Dave and motions him and his boss over, saying, “Dave, what a surprise, I was just on my way to a meeting, but come on in with your friend, let's have a beer first and catch up.”

Well, the boss is very shaken by now but still not totally convinced. After they leave the Microsoft offices, he expresses his doubts to Dave, who again asks him to name anyone else.

“Pope Francis,” his boss replies.

“Sure!” says Dave

“I've known the Pope for years.” So off they fly to Rome.

Dave and his boss are assembled with the masses at the Vatican's St

Peter's Square when Dave says, “This will never work. I can't catch the Pope's eye among all these people. Tell you what, I know all the guards so let me just go upstairs and I'll come out on the balcony with the Pope.” He disappears into the crowd, headed towards the Vatican.

Sure enough, half an hour later Dave emerges with the Pope on the balcony, but by the time Dave returns, he finds that his boss has had a heart attack and is surrounded by paramedics.

Making his way to his boss' side, Dave asks him, “What happened?”

His boss looks up and says, “It was the final straw… you and the Pope came out on to the balcony and the man next to me said, ‘Who the hell is that on the balcony with Dave?'”

Kasey Simmons, a 32-year-old waiter at an Applebee’s restaurant in Texas, got a very generous tip from an anonymous customer who ordered “the cheapest thing on the menu.”

It was flavoured water for $0.37. The tip was explained in a note on a napkin. This has a logical explanation actually.

This $500 tip was Kasey’s reward for helping out an elderly woman in a local grocery store. Simmons was in the checkout line when he noticed her and she was clearly bummed-out.

Other people didn’t really notice it and passed right by her. But Simmons approached the lady and asked her if she needed help with something. He even paid for her groceries.

He said, “It was only $17, but it’s not about the money. It’s about showing someone you care.”

The note read: “On one of the most depressing days of the year… you made my mother’s day wonderful. You insisted on paying. Told her she is a very beautiful woman. I have not seen this woman smile this much since dad died.”

It looks like the tip came from the woman’s daughter who didn’t reveal her name. Kasey almost choked up as he read the message. 

Now this is a great example of a time when kindness made a difference.

Mike walks into the bar and sees Pat sitting at the end of the bar with a big smile on his face.

Mike says, “Pat what are you so happy about?”

“Well Mike i gotta tell ya… Yesterday I was out waxing my boat and a redhead came up to me melons out to here, Mike…melons out to here! She says, ‘Can I have a ride in your boat?’ I said, ‘Sure you can have a ride in my boat!’ So I took her way out Mike. I turned off the key and said, ‘It’s either make love or swim!’ She couldn’t swim Mike, she couldn’t swim!”

The next day Mike walks into the bar and sees Pat siting at the end of the bar with a even bigger smile on his face.

Mike says, “Well what are you so happy about today Pat?”

“Well Mike I gotta tell ya… Yesterday I was out waxing my boat, just waxing my boat and a beautiful blonde came up to me…melons out to here, Mike, melons out to here! She said, ‘Can I have a ride in your boat?’ I told her, ‘Sure you can have a ride in my boat.’ So I took here way out Mike. Way out much further that the last one. I turned off the key and said, ‘It’s either lovemaking or swim!’ She couldn’t swim Mike, she couldn’t swim!”

A couple of days pass and Mike walks into a bar to see Pat down there crying over a beer.

Mike says, “Pat what are you so sad about?”

“Well Mike I gotta tell ya…yesterday I was out waxing my boat, just waxing my boat and the most desirable brunette came up to me…melons way out to here Mike, melons way out to here. She said, ‘Can I have a ride in your boat?’ I said, ‘Sure you can have a ride in my boat.’ So I took her way out Mike, way way out much further than the last two!

I turned off the key, looked at her melons and said, ‘It’s either make love or swim!’

She pulled down her pants and…She had a pecker Mike! A great big pecker! And… I can’t swim Mike! I can’t swim!”

The teacher asked the class to use the word “fascinate” in a sentence.

Molly put up her hand and said, “My family went to my granddad’s farm, and we all saw his pet sheep It was fascinating.”

The teacher said, “That was good, but I wanted you to use the word ‘fascinate,’ not ‘fascinating’.”

Sally raised her hand.

She said, “My family went to see Rock City and I was fascinated.”

The teacher said, “Well, that was good Sally, but I wanted you to use the word ‘fascinate’.”

Little Johnny raised his hand, but the teacher hesitated because she had been burned by Little Johnny before.

She finally decided there was no way he could damage the word ‘fascinate’, so she called on him.

Johnny said, “My aunt Carolyn has a sweater with ten buttons, but her melons are so big she can only fasten eight!”