Balloons in a Room

Once a group of 50 people was attending a seminar.

Suddenly the speaker stopped and started giving each person a balloon.  Each one was asked to write his/her name on it using a marker pen.  Then all the balloons were collected and put in another room.

Now these delegates were let in that room and asked to find the balloon which had their name written, within 5 minutes.  Everyone was frantically searching for their name, pushing, colliding with each other, and there was utter chaos.

At the end of 5 minutes, no one could find their own balloon.

Now each one was asked to randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it.  Within minutes everyone had their own balloon.  

The speaker began: This is exactly happening in our lives.  Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is.  Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people.

Give them their happiness, you will get your own happiness.
And this is the purpose of human life.

- Author Unknown

The Snake & The Girl

A young girl walking along a mountain path to her grandmother's house heard a rustle at her feet.  Looking down, she saw a snake, but before she could react, the snake spoke to her.

"I am about to die," he said.  "It's too cold for me up here, and I am freezing.  There is no food in these mountains, and I am starving.  Please put me under your coat and take me with you."

"No," the girl replied.  "I know your kind.  You are a rattlesnake.  And if I pick you up, you will bite me and your bite is poisonous."

"No, no," the snake said.  "If you help me, you will be my best friend.  I will treat you differently."

The young girl sat down on a rock for a moment to rest and think things over.  She looked at the beautiful markings on the snake and she had to admit he was the most beautiful snake she had ever seen.

Suddenly, she said, "I believe you.  I will save you.  All living things deserve to be treated with kindness."  She then reached over, put the snake gently under her coat and continued toward her grandmother's house.  

Within a moment, she felt a sharp pain in her side.  The snake had bitten her!  "How could you do this to me?" she cried.  "You promised that you would not bite me, and I trusted you!"

"You knew what I was when you picked me up," he hissed as he slithered away.

- Original Author Unknown

The $20 Bill

"Who would like this $20 bill?" the man said holding a new crisp twenty dollar bill in his hand.

Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you - but first, let me do this."  He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up.  He then asked.  "Who still wants it?"  

Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?"  He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.  He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"

Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.  No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value.  It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.  We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. 

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless.  The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by ...WHO WE ARE.  

You are special AND worth it - don't ever forget it."

- Author Unknown