An old man died and left everything he had to his three sons. The oldest one got the house, the middle one – the cow, and the youngest one – an axe and gloves. The oldest son settled in the house, the middle one – started trading milk, and the youngest one – started earning … Read more
A prince inherited a kingdom. And, like all kings, he had everything in abundance. But suddenly the troubles began. The drought killed many, the diseases even more. And then, an enemy state stormed the kingdom and killed the ones who survived. The king somehow managed to escape. He went to his childhood friend, who ruled … Read more
Once upon a time, there lived one merchant. And like all merchants, he bought goods from one place, and travelled to sell them in another. From time to time, he would stop his caravan, and after resting a while, he would move on forward. But, once, after making few stops, he discovered that he had … Read more
Before the judge stood a man convicted of bribes. The judge offered the accused to choose between one of three possible punishments: either to pay 100 gold coins, to be hit 50 times with a stick, or to eat 3 pounds of raw onions. Being greedy, so he decided that the best punishment is also … Read more
There lived once two men. One of them was rich, and the other one was poor. There were many feasts in the house of the rich man. Meanwhile, the poor man had nothing to eat. A wise old man once came to the door of the rich man and asked him to sleep for the … Read more
A long time ago, in a kingdom far away, there lived two knights who befriended each other. The first one was smart, and the second one stupid. Nevertheless, they gave each other a promise of loyalty – that neither of them will leave the other in good times or in need, and that they will … Read more
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and … Read more
Here is a short wish and toast about decision making: The Latin root of the word “decide” means “to kill or to cut” (similar to “homicide”, “suicide”, “genocide”.) So when we decide to do something new, without killing something old, we don’t make a decision at all. We make an addition. And making additions is a … Read more
Here is a story about respect and the value of leadership… One day a man goes to a pet shop to buy a parrot. The assistant takes the man to the parrot section and asks the man to choose one. The man asks, ”How much is the yellow one?” The assistant says, ”$2000.” The man … Read more
Four young men sit by the bedside of their dying father. The old man, with his last breath, tells them there is a huge treasure buried in the family fields. The sons crowd around him crying, “where, where?”. But its too late. The day after the funeral and for many days to come, the young … Read more
You often hear people say that “money is the source of all evil”. The famous minister Russell Cornwell, author of Acres of Diamonds, said: “Money printed your Bible, money builds your churches, money sends your missionaries, and money pays your preachers, and you would not have many of them, either, if you did not pay … Read more
Here is a great quote from Michael Landon, which can be used to raise a toast to someone who is starting something new, or when someone is contemplating about making a life decision, be it in education, work, business or love. Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are … Read more
An old African proverb said… “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go with a group.” There are times when we can get things done quickly by ourselves. However, more frequently we need to work with each other to accomplish bigger goals. Here is a toast to all … Read more
Benjamin Franklin used to say… “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I’ll spend the first four sharpening my axe.” Franklin’s words remind me of you. For as long as I’ve known you, you have always sharpened yourself before executing any task. And your efforts show. You are a dedicated student of life. … Read more
A preacher was driving down a country road when he came upon a beautiful farm. It looked like a beautiful painting. It did not look like a new farm, but the house and buildings were well constructed and in perfect paint. A garden around the house was filled with beautiful flowers. A fine row of … Read more
I do not wish you health or wealth, but luck. People who were on the Titanic were healthy and wealthy, but only a few were lucky.
You know that in physics – getting an object at rest to begin moving requires far more energy than it does to keep it moving. Think of a rocket for a second. 90 percent of the power is used in the first several moments, to get the rocket into the air. The other 10 percent … Read more
