To a new start...

“Teacher, I’ve read so many books… but I’ve forgotten most of them. So what’s the point of reading?” That was the question of a curious student to his Master. The teacher didn’t answer. He just looked at him in silence. A few days later, they were sitting by a river, suddenly, the old man said: “I’m thirsty. Bring me some water… but use that old strainer lying there on the ground.” The student looked confused. It was a ridiculous request. How could anyone bring water in a strainer full of holes? But he didn’t dare argue. He picked up the strainer and tried. Once. Twice. Over and over again… He ran faster, angled it differently, even tried covering holes with his fingers. Nothing worked. He couldn’t hold a single drop. Exhausted and frustrated, he dropped the strainer at the teacher’s feet and said: “I’m sorry. I failed. It was impossible.” The teacher looked at him kindly and said: “You didn’t fail. Look at the strainer.” The student glanced down… and noticed something. The old, dark, ...

1. The Empty Chair A man always kept an empty chair at his dinner table. When asked why, he said, "It reminds me to stay humble, there's always someone missing who taught me something." Message: Gratitude keeps you grounded, even when people are gone. 2. The Broken Clock A clock in a poor man's house stopped working, yet he refused to fix it.  "Twice a day, it still shows the truth." he smiled. Message: Even broken things have value if you choose to see it. 3. The Old Tree A child once asked a dying tree, "Are you sad you're falling?"  The tree whispered, "I gave shade, I gave fruit, I gave life- I am complete." Message: Life feels full only when you give, not when you keep. 4. The Sand and Stone Two friends fought. One wrote on sand: "He hurt me." Later, the same friend saved his life and he carved into stone: "He saved me." Message: Write hurts in sand, carve kindness in  stone.

The Secret of Life A father used to tell his kids when they were little: “When each of you turns twelve, I’ll share the secret of life.” One day, when the oldest finally turned twelve, he nervously asked his dad, “So what’s the secret?” His father leaned in and said, “I’ll tell you, but you can’t share it with your brothers yet. Ready?  Here it is: Cows don’t give milk.” “What do you mean?” the boy asked, confused. “You heard me. A cow doesn’t just give you milk—you have to earn it. You have to get up at 4 a.m., walk through the barnyard, step in manure, tie the cow’s tail, secure her legs, sit on the stool, put the bucket underneath… and do the work yourself. That’s the secret: cows don’t give milk. You either milk her—or you go without.” The father paused and continued: “See, there’s a whole generation that thinks cows give milk. That things just come to them automatically, for free. Their mindset is, I want, I ask, I get. They’re used to getting whatever they want the easy way. ...