So many people have been telling me that this recession has taught them to go back to basics and appreciate the simpler things in life. In fact they have found that even though times are tough, they are finding time to reflect and appreciate family, friends and the nature around them. They have found that making do with less, is not so bad as everyone thought it would be. I think it's sad that a recession was needed to bring people back to this realization. Maybe my travelling, maybe my age, maybe my wife, or even my children have been the ones that have helped me understand this a long time ago. Although this has always been the way I have led my life and I am glad that many people are now seeing the light, it is sad that it takes a recession to make people wake up. My only hope is that when it all turns and things are going well, that the lesson will remain. So on that note I want to spend time this month on becoming a better you ... and keeping it that way.

How often do you hear the saying, 'What comes around, goes around'? Daily? The big question of course is, “How often do you apply it?” In my life I have seen the power of this so often, and this has played a huge role in me being able to let go of anger and hatred. I don't think enough people realize that if you are dishonest, or do bad things to someone, the universe is going to hit you back ten times harder. Sometimes one may think that these 'bad' people get away with the things they do, but you never really know what goes on in their lives. Again, from my experience, live has taught me that it ALWAYs comes back to them. In the same vein, those that do could, lead a pure and honest life, and give to society, are rewarded in so many ways. The story below has been around for a while and many different variations have found their way into my email 'In Box'. It puts those universal laws of attraction into perfect perspective.

WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND

“Good morning,” said a woman as she walked up to the man sitting on ground. The man slowly looked up. This was a woman clearly accustomed to the finer things of life. Her coat was new. She looked like she had never missed a meal in her life. His first thought was that she wanted to make fun of him, like so many others had done before. “Leave me alone,” he growled.... To his amazement, the woman continued standing. She was smiling - her even white teeth displayed in dazzling rows. “Are you hungry?” she asked. ”No,” he answered sarcastically. “I've just come from dining with the president. Now go away.”
The woman's smile became even broader. Suddenly the man felt a gentle hand under his arm. “What are you doing, lady?” the man asked angrily. “I said to leave me alone.” Just then a policeman came up. “Is there any problem, ma'am?” he asked. “No problem here, officer,” the woman answered. “I'm just trying to get this man to his feet. Will you help me?” The officer scratched his head. “That's old Jack. He's been a fixture around here for a couple of years. What do you want with him?”

“See that cafeteria over there?” she asked. “I'm going to get him something to eat and get him out of the cold for a while.” “Are you crazy, lady?” the homeless man resisted. “I don't want to go in there!” Then he felt strong hands grab his other arm and lift him up. “Let me go, officer. I didn't do anything.” “This is a good deal for you, Jack,” the officer answered. “Don't blow it.” Finally, and with some difficulty, the woman and the police officer got Jack into the cafeteria and sat him at a table in a remote corner. It was the middle of the morning, so most of the breakfast crowd had already left and the lunch bunch had not yet arrived... The manager strode across the cafeteria and stood by his table. “What's going on here, officer?” he asked.

“What is all this, is this man in trouble?” “This lady brought this man in here to be fed,” the policeman answered. “Not in here!” the manager replied angrily. “Having a person like that here is bad for business.” Old Jack smiled a toothless grin. “See, lady. I told you so. Now if you'll let me go. I didn't want to come here in the first place.” The woman turned to the cafeteria manager and smiled. “Sir, are you familiar with Eddy and Associates, the banking firm down the street?” “Of course I am,” the manager answered impatiently. “They hold their weekly meetings in one of my banquet rooms.”
“And do you make a goodly amount of money providing food at these weekly meetings?” “What business is that of yours?” “ I, sir, am Penelope Eddy, president and CEO of the company.” “Oh.” The woman smiled again. “I thought that might make a difference.” She glanced at the cop who was busy stifling a giggle. “Would you like to join us in a cup of coffee and a meal, officer?” “No thanks, ma'am,” the officer replied. “I'm on duty.” “Then, perhaps, a cup of coffee to go?” “Yes, ma'am. That would be very nice.” The cafeteria manager turned on his heel, “I'll get your coffee for you right away, officer.”

The officer watched him walk away. “You certainly put him in his place,” he said. “That was not my intent. Believe it or not, I have a reason for all this.” She sat down at the table across from her amazed dinner guest. She stared at him intently. “Jack, do you remember me?” Old Jack searched her face with his old, rheumy eyes. “I think so -- I mean you do look familiar.” “I'm a little older perhaps,” she said. “Maybe I've even filled out more than in my younger days when you worked here, and I came through that very door, cold and hungry.” “Ma'am?” the officer said questioningly.

He couldn't believe that such a magnificently turned out woman could ever have been hungry. “I was just out of college,” the woman began. “I had come to the city looking for a job, but I couldn't find anything. Finally I was down to my last few cents and had been kicked out of my apartment. I walked the streets for days. It was February and I was cold and nearly starving. I saw this place and walked in on the off chance that I could get something to eat.” Jack lit up with a smile. “Now I remember,” he said. “I was behind the serving counter. You came up and asked me if you could work for something to eat. I said that it was against company policy.” “I know,” the woman continued. “Then you made me the biggest roast beef sandwich that I had ever seen, gave me a cup of coffee, and told me to go over to a corner table and enjoy it. I was afraid that you would get into trouble... Then, when I looked over and saw you put the price of my food in the cash register, I knew then that everything would be all right.”
“So you started your own business?” Old Jack said. “I got a job that very afternoon. I worked my way up. Eventually I started my own business.” She opened her purse and pulled out a business card. “When you are finished here, I want you to pay a visit to a Mr. Lyons...He's the personnel director of my company. I'll go talk to him now and I'm certain he'll find something for you to do around the office.” She smiled. “I think he might even find the funds to give you a little advance so that you can buy some clothes and get a place to live until you get on your feet.. If you ever need anything, my door is always opened to you.” There were tears in the old man's eyes. “How can I ever thank you?” he said. “Don't give up on humanity, there still are some good people out there. You are one of them and helped me when I was in need. The least I can do is return the favour. You changed my life, and now I want to help you change yours. At the time you may have seen it as something small you did. But it had a HUGE impact on my life.” Outside the cafeteria, the officer and the woman paused at the entrance before going their separate ways... “Thank you for all your help, officer,” she said. “On the contrary, Ms. Eddy,” he answered. “Thank you. I learnt today that there is still hope for all of us, something that I will never forget. And thank you for the coffee.”

The moral of the story. When you do a good deed, no matter how small it may seem to be – you can change someone's life. So go out and make someone's day!

Especially in today's economic climate, many peole are short with each other, lose their tempers and are stressed out. Where does this get you? Nowhere! We all have to learn to take it easy, and find inner peace within ourselves. Then life begins to change and we can live in the moment, or in the now. In fact I heard another speaker talk about living in the now and she made a great comment. She said that her son had told her to live in the now. So she started practicing this philosophy and it's great. Everytime she sees her son, she says, “Clean your room NOW! Pick up your clothes NOW!”
Living in the now means being happy with who you are and having inner peace. One of the ways you can achieve this is through love. The story below explians it so well.
WHY DO WE SHOUT IN ANGER?
A wise man asked his ollowers, “Why do we shout in anger? Why do people shout at each other when they are upset?” His disciples thought for a while, one of them said, “Because we lose our calm, we shout for that.”
“But, why do you shout when the other person is just next to you?” asked the wise man. “Isn't it possible to speak to him or her with a soft voice? Why do you shout at a person when you're angry?”
His followers gave some other answers but none satisfied the wise man.
Finally he explained, “When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other through that great distance.”
Then the wise man asked, “What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, why? Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is very small...”
The wise man continued, “When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.”
'The moral of the story. When you argue do not let your hearts get distant, do not say words that distance each other more, else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return!

And finally, in the same vein, and to give you another bit of 'Food for Thought' about being pure of heart, this story should not only make you smile, but drive home the message of not being too judegmental, before looking at yourself.
IS YOUR WASHING CLEAN?
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning, while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hang the wash outside. “That laundry is not very clean,” she said, “She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap.”
Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband, “Look! She has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this.”
The husband replied, “I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows!”
The moral of the story. What we see when watching others, depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism, it might be a good idea to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something in the person we are about to judge.
And oh yes! I almost forgot….I see you today much clearer than I did yesterday… And you?

Tags: Free Motivation, Wolfgang Riebe, Free 'Useletter', August 2009 'Useletter', Free Self Help, Www.wolfgangriebe.com