Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it.
When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel, "How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die."
"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied.
"When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."
Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later.
Personally, I'm always ready to learn,
although I do not always like being taught.
- Winston Churchill
Life's up and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine...[your]
values and goals... Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones
to build the life you want.
- Marsha Sinetar
The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one often
comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't.
- Henry Ward Beecher
You may be flexible on strategy, but must remain consistent on principle.
- Unknown
What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens.
- Thaddeus Golas
The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the
source from which self-respect springs.
- Joan Didion
Revenge converts a little right into a great wrong.
- Unknown
A few observation and much reasoning lead to error; many observations
and a little reasoning to truth.
- Alexis Carrel
Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing.
The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it. The man who
knows how will always have a job. The man who also knows why will
always be his boss. As to methods there may be a million and then
some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully
select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles,
is sure to have trouble.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Youth is not a time of life, it is a state of mind.
You are as old as your doubt, your fear, your despair.
The way to keep young is to keep your faith young.
Keep Your self-confidence young.
Keep your hope young.
- Luella F. Phean
Do not be desirous of having things done quickly.
Do not look at small advantages.
Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly.
Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.
- Confucius
In modern business it is not the crook who is to be feared most,
it is the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing.
- Owen D. Young
If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in your personal and career
life,
you must become a worthwhile person in your own self-development.
- Brian Tracy
Making a success of the job at hand is the best step towards having
the kind of job you want.
- Bernard M. Baruch
