Here is your Sunday STORY on: THE LOVE OF WISDOM: QUOTE: “In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” (Anthony Robbins, Author and Speaker) In the United Kingdom there is a saying, “If you look after your pennies, the pounds will look after themselves.” In WISDOM the same applies. If you become habitual in the process of looking after your smaller actions, as Anthony Robbins puts it, ‘your consistent actions’; you will automatically through habit approach your bigger actions in the right manner. To start over, to start again is never too far away. If for example you begin to have a few poor actions. Pause, gather your energy and start once more. Try to make your every action pure and correct. What about your family and friends? Do you tell them the truth? You do not need your memory as much if you tell the truth, as you can always quote the truth easily. Today’s story is about a first impression. How you perceive something to be before you get there may not be how it appears. Try not to expect all of the time as too many disappointments are sure to follow. Expectations can steer you away from happiness, because over 80% of the time your expectations are wrong. Stay with your instinct, your gut reaction and the need for expectation is reduced. AN OLD MAN AND HIS DOG An old man and his dog were walking along a country road, enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to the man that he had died. He remembered dying, and realized, too, that the dog had been dead for many years. He wondered where the road would lead them, and continued onward. After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall, white arch that gleamed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it, he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother of pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He was pleased that he had finally arrived at heaven, and the man and his dog walked toward the gate. As he got closer, he saw someone sitting at a beautifully carved desk off to one side. When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, but is this heaven?" "Yes, it is, sir, " the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked. "Of course, sir, come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The gatekeeper gestured to his rear, and the huge gate began to open. "I assume my friend can come in..." the man said, gesturing toward his dog. But the reply was, "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets." The man thought about it, then thanked the gatekeeper, turned back toward the road, and continued in the opposite direction. After another long walk, he reached the top of another long hill, and he came to a dirt road which led through a farm gate. There was no fence, and it looked as if the gate had never been closed, as grass had grown up around it. As he approached the gate, he saw a man just inside, sitting in the shade of a tree in a rickety old chair, reading a book. "Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, " the man said, pointing to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. "Come on in and make yourself at home." "How about my friend here?" the traveller gestured to the dog. "He's welcome too, and there's a bowl by the pump, " he said. They walked through the gate and, sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a dipper hanging on it and a bowl next to it on the ground. The man filled the bowl for his dog, and then took a long drink himself. When both were satisfied, he and the dog walked back toward the man, who was sitting under the tree waiting for them, and asked, "What do you call this place?" the traveller asked. "This is heaven, " was the answer. "Well, that's confusing, " the traveller said. "It certainly doesn't look like heaven, and there's another man down the road who said that place was heaven." "Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates?" "Yes, it was beautiful." "Nope. That's hell." "Doesn't it offend you for them to use the name of heaven like that?" "No. I can see how you might think so, but it actually saves us a lot of time. They screen out the people who are willing to leave their best friends behind." (Unknown Author) QUOTE: “Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere wholeheartedly, one-directionally, without regret or reservation.” (William H. Sheldon)