How Much is Enough?

Once upon a time, a farmer discovered a magical spring.
The spring bursts countless gold coins.
The spring made the farmer rich, because new gold keeps coming out and only stops when the farmers says the word "enough."

The farmer is instantly shocked to see gold coins falling in front of his nose. He picked up a few buckets to collect the gold coins. After the buckets are full, he brought them into tiny huts to be stored there. Gold coins continue to burst while the farmer filled all the sacks, all the barrels, even houses. Still not enough! He digs a big hole to store the gold coins. Not enough, he lets the spring continue to burst until finally the farmer got buried by gold coins along with his greed because he can never say enough.

One of the most difficult words spoken by people is probably the word "enough".
When will we ever say enough? Almost all employees feel their salaries can not be equal with their hard work. Company directors feel that their company's revenue is still below target. The wife complained about her husband of being less concerned. While the husband believes his wife has lack of understanding. The children think their parents are stingy. Everything is not enough. Can we ever say enough?

Enough is not about how much. Self-satisfaction is a matter of the heart. Enough can only be said by people who can be grateful with what they have. Don't be afraid of saying enough. Saying enough does not mean we stop creating or trying. Don't define "enough" as a stagnant condition or I am satisfied. Saying enough makes us able to see what we have achieve, not what we haven't achieved. Do not let greed make it anymore difficult just to say enough. Learn to make do with what you have today, then you'll actually enjoy all that you have.

True Strength

There is strength in love, and people who can give love is strong, because they can beat their desire for self-serving.

There is strength in laughter, and people who laughed with delight is strong, because they would never mourn with challenges and trials.

There is strength in peace, and people who are filled with peace and happiness is strong because they never waver, and are not easily swayed.

There is strength in generosity, and people who are generous is strong because they never held their mouth and hands from doing good for others.

There is strength in kindness, and people who are good is strong because they would always be able to do good to everyone.

There is strength in loyalty, and people who are faithful is strong because they can beat their personal passions and desires with their loyalty to God and others.

There is strength in gentleness, and people who are gentle is strong because they can refrain themselves from having revenge.

There is power in self-control, and people who can control themselves is strong because they can control all worldly desires.

That's where where all the True Strength is ...

Realize that you also have enough strength to overcome all your problems. No matter where, or how heavy and complicated it may be.

3 Easy Ways to Overcome Shyness

There are some easy ways to overcome shyness even though it may feel impossible sometimes to beat the awful feelings that occur when you are being put on the spot or when you get tongue tied. Struggling with how to overcome shyness is often an uphill mental battle and more often than not it is actually a battle against your self. Shyness is typically caused by too much self awareness and self conscious.

To overcome shyness, you need to be able to relax in social situations and shift your focus from yourself and on to what is going on around you. In this article you will learn 3 very powerful but still easy ways to overcome shyness by relaxing socially and react to situations with excitement instead of fear.

1) Make an effort out of deliberately catch yourself when you are focusing negatively on yourself. This may be thoughts like worries about what others think about you, if what you said came across as stupid or if somebody thinks your clothes or haircut is bad. If you have any of these or other negative thoughts about yourself, tell yourself to stop those thoughts immediately.

Nothing good comes out of worrying and thinking about negative stuff will only hurt you more. The more you are able to catch yourself with thoughts like that, the more you are able to stop them. Eventually this process will become automatic and you will be less tense and therefore less shy.

2) Make it a daily task to greet or talk to a stranger. This is another one of the most effective and easy ways to overcome shyness. When you are standing in line in the grocery store or when you are in a coffee shop, just say hello to the guy standing behind you or to the waiter. It is however important that it is not too uncomfortable for you - a little bit of anxiety to test your limits is okay, but if you make it too hard for yourself, it may only hurt you instead of help you.

If you start doing this every single day, you will shortly notice that it gets easier to be around other people and to have a casual conversation without feeling shy.

3) Start using self hypnosis every day or even several times a day, to re-program your unconscious mind to stop focusing on the negative thoughts and learn how to keep your body and mind feeling relaxed in any social situation. Self hypnosis is probably the quickest of the 3 easy ways to overcome shyness and change the way you respond to other people.

The reason that self hypnosis is so powerful is because it takes you into a state of deep relaxation. When you are in that kind of relaxing state, it is easier for your sub-conscious mind to learn the new positive messages and thinking patterns that enables you to relax and feel good in social situations.

Visit Cure Shyness to get started using self hypnosis right now and learn more about how you can overcome shyness using this highly effective and extremely simple technique.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_C._Simmons

Ellen's Diary

Five years I'm married to Ellen, our days are filled with mismatches. We often fight over small things. Today is Ellen's birthday and we were fighting again because I slept late. Resentment made me not wish her happy birthday or kissed her forehead. This afternoon, three times Ellen had asked me to go home for dinner with me, but her request didn't bother me. I arrived home at midnight, and I saw Ellen fell asleep on the couch. I stopped in front of her. "She was beautiful," I told myself. I sighed and went into the room. On the dresser I saw Ellen's diary. The years she wrote her stories in that brown book and she never allowed me to open it.

I grabbed the brown book & I opened the pages at random.
February 14, 1996 - "Thank you God for everything, it means a lot to me. Vincent, the first and my last boyfriend."
Hmm ... I smiled, Ellen was so sure that I would be the companion of her life.
6 September 2001 - "I accidentally saw Vincent having dinner with another woman, laughing affectionately. Lord, I ask that Vincent won't move to another heart."
October 23, 2001 - "I found a letter of thanks for Vincent, the candle light dinner on the birthday of a woman named Jasmine. Who is she God? Open up my eyes to see what you want."
January 4, 2002 - "I was approached by the woman named Jasmine. She insulted me and said she is having an affair with Vincent. Lord, give me strength."
How could Ellen be strong? She never said anything or cry in front of me, knowing I had betrayed her. My breath stopped, I could not imagine Ellen's feelings.
February 14, 2003 - "Sunday is amazing, I had become Mrs. Vincent W. A. Thank God!"
7 April 2006 - "Vincent was mad at me, I was fast asleep when he got home, so he had to wait in front of the house for a while. I was tired from a day at the mall looking to buy a present for his birthday. God , give peace to Vincent so that he won't be angry with me again ... "
Tears of remorse did not stop flowing. Ellen tried to make me happy, but I scolded her.
15 November 2007 - "Vincent needs to put a coffee table in the living room, he loves to read in that room. Lord, help me save money so I could buy a table, a Christmas present for him."
Ellen had never told the table as a Christmas present and I scolded her again without ever giving him a chance to explain. I think I was no longer able to open the next sheet. I ran out of the room, kissed her forehead and woke up Ellen. "I'm sorry Ellen, I love you. Happy birthday," I said full of love.

Love is always able to teach us to make sacrifices for the happiness of a loved one.

(Source: Hands of God)

Self Portrait

Self Portrait. Roughly, It defines your inner self. It differentiates you from other people. It makes us unique in a very own way. It gives us characteristics and forms our true nature. It makes us who we are now. We all have our own self portrait, it helps us get to know ourselves better.

Basically, self portrait is our way of looking ourselves, based on our characteristics and potential. No one else can see this deep within ourselves.

Why is self portrait so important?
1. Respect ourselves just the way we are
2. Leads us to respecting others
3. Respect all that we have in life now

There are 4 kinds of people based on their self portraits:
1. Those who knows themselves
2. Those who haven't known themselves
3. Those who doesn't show their characteristics
4. Those who wear masks (hiding their true identity)

The concept in our lives are usually formed from what others think of us. As we grow older, we sum up what others think of us.
Example:
- What's my talent?
- Am I trustworthy?
Other people can give opinions of who we are. But that doesn't mean we can't give opinions about ourselves. Because you are what you believe in.

Iceberg
Remember how Titanic sunk because of hitting an iceberg. The captain saw a small chunk of ice on the surface of the water. He thought it was nothing, and didn't bother to change the boat's direction. But beneath the chunk of ice, was an enormous mountain made of ice. The captain didn't see the danger beneath the water.
There are 3 parts in an iceberg that resembles a personality:
1. Behavior (top). Which anyone can see.
2. Motivation & ambition (middle). Which sometimes can be seen.
3. Self portrait (base). Which no one else can see.

Self portrait is influenced by 3 factors:
1. Family
- Genetics
- How we are raised
2. Environment
- School
- Office
3. Past Experiences
- Traumatic experiences
- Joy of youth