TURNING A PROBLEM INTO AN OPPORTUNITY

       Once upon a time, there was a railroad express clerk
in Minnesota. He was a nice young man to work every day,
doing his job. One day, he received a large box of watches
that were to go to the local jeweler. However, the jeweler did
not want them. The young express clerk contacted the distributer
who had sent the watches in the first place, but he did not want
them back because the return postage was too expensive.
       The railroad clerk had a problem. What was he going to do
with the box of watches? An idea dawned on him, and he devised
a creative solution by drawing pictures of the watches, adding
written descriptions of them, and putting together a small catalog
of watches. He then sent the catalog to other railroad clerks. In
just a few weeks, they bought all the watches he had. His catalog
plan was so successful that he ordered more watches and enlarged
the catalog.
        The clerk's name? Sear. His catalog? Sears, Roebuck, and
Company. Sears turned his problem into opportunity and became
one of the most successful men in America.

TEACHING HIMSELF

Whoever would be a teacher of men let him begin by
teaching himself before teaching others; and let him
teach by example before teaching by word. For he who
teaches himself and rectifies his own ways is more
deserving of respect and reverence than he who would
teach others and rectify their ways.

                                                     KAHLIL GIBRAN

SWEEPERS

Said a philosopher to a street sweeper,"I
petty you. Yours is a hard and dirty task."
And the street sweeper said, "Thank you,
sir. But tell me, what is your task?"
And the philosopher answered,"I study
man's mind, his deeds and his desires."
Then the street sweeper went on with his
sweeping and said with a smile,"I pity you
too."

                                  KAHLIL GIBRAN

THE THREE ANTS

Three ants met on the nose of a man who
was lying asleep in the sun. And after they
 had saluted one another, each according to
the custom of his tribe, they stood there
conversing.

The first ant said, "These hills and plains
are the most barren I have known. I have searched
whole day for a grain of some sort, and there is none
to be found."

Said the second ant, "I too have found nothing,
though I visited every nook and glade. This is I believe,
what my people call the soft, moving land where nothing
grows."

The the third ant raised his head and said, "My friends,
we are standing now on the nose of the Supreme Ant, the
mighty and infinite Ant, whose body is so great that we
cannot see it, whose shadow is so vast that we cannot trace
it; and He is omnipresent."

When the third ant spoke thus, the other ants looked at
each other and laughed.

At that moment the man moved and in his sleep raised
his hand and scratched his nose, and the three ants were
crushed.

                                                                    KAHLIL GIBRAN

THE EYE

Said the Eye one day, "I see beyond this valley
a mountain veiled with blue mist. Is it not
beautiful?"

        The Ear listened, and after listening intently
awhile, said, "But where is any mountain? I do not
hear it."

        Than the Hand spoke and said, "I am trying in
vain to feel it or touch it, and I can find no mountain."

       And the Nose said, "There is no mountain, I
cannot smell it."

       Then the Eye turned the other way, and they all
began to talk together about the Eye's strange delusion.
And they said, "Something must be the matter with
the Eye."

                                                      KHALIL GIBRAN

BETTER TO SLEEP

I remember that once, when a child went through
a holy phase. I fasted, and I used to get up in the
night to pray. Once, I sat up all night with my father.
I held the sered Koran in my lap and never once closed
my eyes.

All around the rest of the household snored in sleep.

'Just listen to them' I remarked to my father,
'Not one of them think of saying prayer. They are sleeping
like the dead.'

'My beloved son,' he replied, 'you would be much better
asleep yourself if all you can do in your wakefulness
is disparage others.'

                                                       SAA'DI