LESSONS FROM LIFE
Wisdom comes from unexpected sources

An old country doctor was celebrated for his wisdom. "Dr Sage," a young man asked, "how did you become so wise?"

"Wasn’t hard," said the doctor. "I've got good judgement. Now, good judgment come from experience," he continued. "And experience, well, that comes from bad judgement."

Everyone likes excitement. When people bubble with personal energy, others enjoy being around them. Business firms like to hire a staff that brings zest to the establishment. Some national restaurant chains, for example, train their staff to form an impromptu ensemble and sing "Happy Birthday" or "Happy Anniversary" to their customers on special occasions. It produces more than noise. People keep coming back.

One restaurant, knowing how people respond to excitement, devised a special plan. When a customer ordered a steak dinner, the chef placed the meal on a hot steel plate. Then, just before the waiter left the kitchen, he would drop an ice cube on the platter.

The waiter was instructed, "Walk slowly to the table. We want everyone to hear the sound of that hot platter." It wasn't the steak that was sizzling, but the ice. The plan worked like instant advertising. If customers were in the process of ordering, they'd hear that sound and choose a steak. The sizzle produced the sale.

Today, think creatively. Ask yourself, "How can I add some excitement to what I plan to deliver?"

(Contributed by Neil Eskelin, source unknown)

A troubled man made an appointment with a rabbi. He was a wise and gentle rabbi. "Rabbi," said the man, wringing his hands, "I'm a failure. More than half the time I do not succeed in doing what I know I must."

"Oh," murmured the rabbi.

"Please say something wise, rabbi," pleaded the man. After much pondering, the rabbi repplied, "Ah, my son, I give you this bit of wisdom: Go and look on page 930 of The New York Times Almanac for year 1970, and maybe you will find peace of mind."

Confused by such strange advice, the troubled man went to the library to look up the source. And this is what he found — lifetime batting averages for the world's greatest baseball players. Ty Cobb, the greatest slugger of them all, had a lifetime average of .367. Even the King of Swat, Babe Ruth, didn't do that well.

So the man returned to the rabbi and questioned, "Ty Cobb, .367. That's it?"

"Correct," countered the rabbi. "Ty Cobb, .367. He got a hit once out of every three times at bat. He didn't even hit .500. So what do you expect already?"

"Aha," said the man, who thought he was a wretched failure because he succeeded only half the time at what he did.

Theology is amazing. Holy books abound, even where we don't expect them.

(Author unknown, More Sower's Seeds)

(Culled from the Net)

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