VM’s Inspiring Tit-Bits

The most destructive habit Worry

The greatest joy Giving

The greatest loss Loss of Self-Respect

The most satisfying work Helping others

The ugliest personality trait Selfishness

The most endangered species Dedicated leaders

Our greatest natural resource Our Youth

The greatest “shot in the arm” Encouragement

The greatest problem to overcome Fear

The most effective sleeping pill Peace of Mind

The most crippling failure disease Excuses

The most powerful force in life Love

The most dangerous pariah Gossiper

The world’s most incredible computer Brain

The worst thing to be without Hope

The deadliest weapon Tongue

The two most power filled words “I Can”

The greatest asset Faith

The most worthless emotion Self-Pity

The most beautiful attire SMILE

The most prized possession Integrity

The most powerful channel of communication Prayer

The most contagious spirit Enthusiasm

Our Birth is our Opening Balance

Our Death is our Closing Balance

Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities

Our Creative Ideas are our Assets

Heart is our Current Asset

Soul is our Fixed Asset

Brain is our Fixed Deposit

Thinking is our Current Account

Achievements are our Capital

Character & Morals, our Stock-in-trade

Friends are our General Reserves

Values & Behavior are our Goodwill

Patience is our Interest Earned

Love is our Dividend

Children are our Bonus Issues

Education is Brands / Patents

Knowledge is our Investment

Experience is our Premium Account

The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately

The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content. One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much. The King asked the servant, “Why are you so happy?”

The man replied, “Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don’t need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies.”

The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King’s woes and the servant’s story, the advisor said, “Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The Club 99.”

“The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?” the King inquired. The advisor replied, “Your Majesty, to truly know what The Club 99 is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant’s doorstep.”

When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy… so many gold coins! He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, “What could’ve happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!” He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.

From that day, the servant’s life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor’s help, the advisor said, “Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The Club 99.”

He continued, “The Club 99 is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they’re always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: “Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life.”

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we’re given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires.

That’s what joining The Club 99 is all about.”

Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder.

Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped carry part of the burden. As they walked, Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend. They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, them both graduated from junior high school.

They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years.

Finally the long-awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk. Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else.

I had stored away some of my mother’s sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide.

But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more, you saved my life.”

…smile at a stranger

…listen to someone’s heart

…drop a coin where a child can find it

…learn something new, then teach it to someone

…tell someone you’re thinking of them

…hug a loved one

…don’t hold a grudge

…don’t be afraid to say “I’m sorry”

…look a child in the eye and tell them how great they are

…look beyond the face of a person into their heart

…make a promise, and keep it

…call someone, for no other reason than to just say “hi”

…show kindness to an animal

…stand up for what you believe in

…smell the rain, feel the breeze, listen to the wind

…use all your senses to their fullest

…cherish all your TODAYS