Tongue Power

In our school's student assembly today, our administrator read a very interesting "parable of the frogs". The parable basically tells the story of the power of the tongue, thus our administrator alluded to

Proverbs 18:21 ~
Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Here's another story I read some time ago. I don't know who the author was. So once again, if anybody knows who the author of this story is, please let me know. This may not look like the original story but this is how I understood it to be. Here it goes:

A certain good woman one day said something that hurt her best
friend of many years. She regretted it immediately and would
have done anything to have taken the words back. But they were
said impulsively in a moment of thoughtlessness, and as close
as she and her friend were, she didn't consider the effects of
her words beforehand.

What she said hurt the friend so much that this good woman was
herself hurt for the pain she caused. In her effort to undo
what she had done, she went to an older, wiser woman in the
village, explained her situation, and asked for advice.

The older woman listened patiently in an effort to determine
just how sincere the younger woman was, how far she was willing
to go to correct the situation. She explained that sometimes,
in order to put things back in order, great efforts must be made.

She then asked, "Just what would you be willing to do to repair
the harm done?" The answer was heartfelt. "Anything!"

Listening to her, the older woman sensed the younger woman's
distress and knew she must help her. She also knew she could
never alleviate her pain by living her life for her, but she
could teach, if the younger woman would first listen and then
learn.

She knew the outcome would depend solely on the character of the
younger woman. She said, "There are two things you need to do to
make amends. The first of the two is extremely difficult.

Tonight, take your best feather pillows and open a small hole
in each one. Then, before the sun rises, you must put a single
feather on the doorstep of each house in town.

When you are through, come back to me. If you've done the first
thing completely, I'll tell you the second."

The young woman hurried home to prepare for her chore, even
though the pillows were very dear to her and very expensive.

All night long, she labored alone in the cold. She went from
doorstep to doorstep, taking care not to overlook a single
house. Her fingers were frozen, the wind was so sharp it caused
her eyes to water, but she ran on through the darkened streets,
thankful there was something she could do to put things back the
way they once were.

Finally as the sky was getting light, she placed the last
feather on the steps of the last house. Just as the sun rose,
she returned to the older woman.

She was exhausted but relieved that her efforts would be
rewarded.

"My pillows are empty. I placed a feather on the doorstep of
each home." "Now," said the wise woman, "Go back and refill your
pillows. Then everything will be as it was before."

The young woman was stunned. "You know that's impossible!
The wind blew away each feather as fast as I placed them on the
doorsteps! You didn't say I had to get them back! If this is
the second requirement, then things will never be the same."

"That's true," said the older woman. "Never forget. Each of
your words is like a feather in the wind. Once spoken, no
amount of effort, regardless how heartfelt or sincere, can ever
return them to your mouth. Choose your words well and guard
them most of all in the presence of those you love."

Author Unknown

Life- to go, please!

A friend emailed this to me so I'm not really sure who's the original author nor if this is the original piece. It is an interesting thought and quite very true to the goings-on of our daily lives.
Thank you, Banjo for sharing this.
If anybody knows the original author of this thought-evoking article, please let me know.

An interesting reflection : Slow Down Culture

It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.

Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate,hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don't you think? Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US's attention, pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".

This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living.

It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal
time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".