WHO ARE YOU?

Discovering who you are is important but success lies in defining who you are. Don’t let others do it for you. On a very basic level, if you are right on the inside then you will be alright on the outside. Self awareness allows us to know what we are good at and what we are not. If you don’t know why you are doing what you are doing, then you shouldn’t be doing it at all.

“You can’t give out what you don’t have– You can’t give away 12 oranges if you do not have 12 oranges – first you have to get the oranges then give them out” (Wayne Dyer). The point is you can’t give compassion if you are not compassionate, you can’t tell what is the right thing to do if you don’t know what is right. And on a deeper level, you can’t give the gifts of who you are if you have not defined what your gifts are.

Roger McGrath (Professor at Queens University of Charlotte) told us in one class, that being a good person first starts on a subconscious level, you have to already have decided what the difference between good and bad is so that when you are faced with situations where you have to make a tough choice, you are already prepared. He said you must practice being good just as sportsman/woman practices their sport. He said, on your first job – don’t rush to buy a BMW, save your money so that you have the freedom to leave if you don’t agree with what is being done within your organization. When you purchase that BMW and you have the payments, you have been compromised.. (no offense to BMW - Great car!)


Bill Berry (Professor at Queens University of Charlotte) said to us, lead with compassion and common sense. If something is too complex for you to understand, question it! Be compassionate to those that are different from you and don’t lose sleep over people that are nasty to you – they are simply not worth it. The problem is with them and not you.

Finally from my father, William Umbima, don’t waste time trying to impress others. Believe me when I tell you that when they go home they don’t talk about how impressive you are unless you really are. Don’t be concerned with the glory and fame, be concerned with doing the best you can at whatever you are doing. Martin Luther King said, “If a man is called to be a street-sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street-sweeper who did his job well." - Those people were not looking for glory and fame, they were just doing their job well...

Thought for the day

Email Forward

RED MARBLES

I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh greenpeas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.

'Hello Barry, how are you today?'

'Hello, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank you. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good.'

'They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?'

'Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time.'

'Good. Anything I can help you with?'

'No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas.'

'Would you like to take some home?' asked Mr. Miller.

'No, Sir. Got nothing' to pay for them with.'

'Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?'

'All I got's my prize marble here.'

'Is that right? Let me see it' said Miller.

'Here 'tis. She's a dandy.''I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?' the store owner asked.

'Not exactly but almost..''Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip thisway let me look at that red marble'.

Mr. Miller told the boy.'Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.'

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With asmile she said, 'There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.'

I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of thisman, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them.

Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offerwhatever words of comfort we could.Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform andthe other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all veryprofessional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed andsmiling by her husband's casket.

Each of the young men hugged her,kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to thecasket.Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young manstopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand inthe casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.

Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded herof the story from those many years ago and what she had told me abouther husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.'Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them.

Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color orsize....they came to pay their debt.''We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,' sheconfided, 'but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man inIdaho 'With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.

The Moral : We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the momentsthat take our breath..Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee youdidn't make yourself....An unexpected phone call from an oldfriend...Green stoplights on your way to work...The fastest line at thegrocery store...A good sing-along song on the radio...Your keys foundright where you left them.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OFLIFE YOU HAVE LIVED'When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.'