One lesson which I had learnt many years ago from a business leader, was to be humble like the bamboo; the higher it goes, the lower it ‘bows.’ Bamboo, which is commonly known in the Chinese culture as one of the four gentlemen, namely the orchid, the bamboo, the chrysanthemum and the plum blossom, and also as three friends of winter, namely the pine, the bamboo and the plum. According to China Daily, “… bamboo is a symbol of virtue. It reflects people’s souls and emotions.”
Children going against all odds to go to school
Children in an Indonesian village in the district of Lebak having to climb over a collapsed bridge to make their way to school. They say they prefer to take this perilous route because a detour to the next bridge would add half an hour to their journey.
New Year: Write a great book in 2014
How was your last day of 2013? Did it end with spectacular fireworks display? For some, you are probably still waiting to usher in the new year. I hope you have had or are having a wonderful time with your loved ones on the last day of 2013.
You cannot change the directions of the wind
Things or situations are inflexible at times … but we can be flexible with our choices or decisions. A lot of times we thought that we are incapable of change but the truth could be that we are bidding for more time. In other words, we procrastinate – as long as we do not have to change, we want everything to remain as they are.
Zen from a Dog Comic
This comic beautifully illustrated the quote from Hugh Downs which I shared yesterday, “A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.” In this case … a dog.
It takes guts to be a teacher
In a powerful letter to all teachers, Nelba Marquez-Greene, the mother of one of the children killed in the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, wrote, “It takes guts to be a teacher.”
Put Your Glass down when You leave office today
A Professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see and asked the students, “How much do you think this glass weighs?”