Envy

There is a story of a slave called Ayaz, who was brought before a king with nine others, and the king had to select one to be his personal attendant.

The wise king gave into the hands of each of the ten a wineglass and commanded him to throw it down.

Each one obeyed the command.

Then the king asked each one of them, 'Why did you do such a thing?'

The first nine answered 'Because your Majesty gave me the order'; the plain truth cut and dried.

And then came the tenth slave, Ayaz.

He said, 'Pardon, sire, I am sorry,' for he realized that the king already knew it was his command; by replying, 'Because you told me,' nothing new was said to the king.

This beauty of expression enchanted the king so much that he selected him to be his attendant.
It was not long before Ayaz won the trust and confidence of the king, who gave him the charge of his treasury, the treasury in which precious jewels were kept.

This made many jealous, this sudden rise from a slave to a treasurer of the king, a position which many envied.

No sooner did people know that Ayaz had become a favorite of the king than they began to tell numerous stories about him in order to bring him into disfavor with the king.

One of the stories was that Ayaz went every day into the room where the jewels were locked in the safe, and that he was stealing them every day, little by little.

The king answered, 'No, I cannot believe such a thing; you have to show me.'

So they brought the king as Ayaz entered this room, and made him stand in a place where there was a hole, looking into the room.

And the king saw what was going on there.

Ayaz entered the room and opened the door of the safe.

And what did he take out from it?

His old ragged clothes which he had worn as a slave.

He kissed them and pressed them to his eyes, and put them the table.

There, incense was burning, and this that he was doing was something sacred to him.

He then put on these clothes and looked at himself in the mirror, and said, as one might be saying a prayer, 'Listen, O Ayaz, see what you used to be before. It is the king who has made you, who has given you the charge of this treasure. So regard this duty as your most sacred trust, and this honor as your privilege and as a token of the love and kindness of the king. Know that it is not your worthiness that has brought you to this position. Know that it is his greatness, his goodness, his generosity which has overlooked your faults, and which has bestowed that rank and position upon you by which you are now being honored. Never forget, therefore, your first day, the day when you came to this town; for it is the remembering of that day which will keep you in your proper place.'

He then took off the clothes and put them in the same place of safety, and came out.

As he stepped out, what did he see?

He saw that the king before whom he bowed was waiting eagerly to embrace him; and the king said to him, 'What a lesson you have given me Ayaz!

It is this lesson which we must all learn, whatever be our position.

Because before that King in whose presence we all are but slaves, nothing should make us forget that helplessness through which we were reared and raised, and brought to life, to understand and to live a life of joy.

People told me that you had stolen jewels from our treasure-house, but on coming here I have found that you have stolen my heart.'

Wisdom

Everything one sees, hears, or perceives through any sense or experience has a distinct and definite effect upon one's soul, upon one's spirit. What one eats, what one drinks, what one sees, what one touches, the atmosphere in which one lives, the circumstances one faces, the conditions one goes through, all these have a certain effect upon one's spirit. Whether a person eats grosser food or finer and purer food is manifested outwardly. Even if one does not heed it, it is manifested outwardly. The body shows the nature it has inherited from the earth to which it belongs. For the nature of this earth is such that when it receives the seed of a flowering plant it produces flowers, and when the seed of a fruit-tree, it produces fruits.
Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan

Stress Relieving Technique

Just in case you are having a rough day, here is a stress management technique recommended in all the latest psychological journals.
The funny thing is that it really does work and will make you smile.
1. Picture yourself lying on your belly on a warm rock that hangs out over a crystal clear stream.
2. Picture yourself with both your hands dangling in the cool running water.
3. Birds are sweetly singing in the cool mountain air.
4. No one knows your secret place.
5. You are in total seclusion from that hectic place called the world.
6. The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.
7. The water is so crystal clear that you can easily make out the face of the person you are holding underwater.
There!!
See?
It really does work.
You're smiling already.
Feel free to share this if you know others who might benefit from this technique.

True Natural Laws

1. Law of Mechanical Repair - After your hands become coated with grease, your nose will begin to itch and you'll have to use the bathroom.
2. Law of Gravity - Any tool, nut, bolt, or screw, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
3. Law of Probability - The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
4. Law of Random Numbers - If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal and someone always answers.
5. Law of the Alibi - If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.
6. Variation Law - If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will always move faster than the one you are in now (works every time).
7. Law of the Bath - When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
8. Law of Close Encounters - The probability of meeting someone you know increases dramatically when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
9. Law of the Result - When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
10. Law of Biomechanics - The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
11. Law of the Theater and Hockey Arena - At any event, the people whose seats are farthest from the aisle arrive last, and they are the ones who will leave their seats several times to go for food, drink, or the bathroom and who leave early before the end of the performance or the game is over. Those in the aisle seats come early, never move once, have long gangly legs or big bellies, and stay to the bitter end of the performance and beyond. The aisle people also are very surly folk.
12. The Starbucks Law - As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something that will last until the coffee is cold.
13. Murphy's Law of Lockers - If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.
14. Law of Physical Surfaces - The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.
15. Law of Logical Argument - Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
16. Brown's Law of Physical Appearance - If the clothes fit, they're ugly.
17. Oliver's Law of Public Speaking - A closed mouth gathers no feet.
18. Wilson's Law of Commercial Marketing Strategy - As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
19. Doctors' Law - If you don't feel well and make an appointment to go to the doctor, by the time you get there you'll feel better. Don't make an appointment and you'll stay sick.

1950 Chevrolet Club Coupe 437

1950 Chevrolet Club Coupe 437
Originally uploaded by James R Giusti

This is the lowest mileage 1950 Chevy. Check the story out. [Click on photo to see more photo of this Chevy]

1950 Chevrolet Club Coupe 437 original, actual miles!
This is a car with a story…
It was purchased new by Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Trueblood of Modesto. Shortly after purchasing the vehicle, Mr. Trueblood went fishing. While waiting for the “big one” to bite he sees a woman fall out of her boat. When Mr. Trueblood jumps in to help, he suffers a fatal heart attack. Mrs. Trueblood brought the car home and placed it in the garage for the next 12 years. The odometer read 413 miles at that time (1962).
Mrs. Trueblood lived next door to a used car lot owned by Mr. William E. Wilson (now 81 years old).
Mr. Wilson frequently mentioned to her that he would like to buy the car. In 1962 the time came. Mrs. Trueblood's bookkeeper needed a car, but didn’t care for the ol’ Chevy. She preferred a Rambler. No problem. Mr. Wilson bought a brand new Rambler for $1,650 ($100 over cost) and made the swap.
He then took the car home and parked it with 433 actual miles. And there it sat for the next 45 years, occasionally being started and moved in and out of the garage. In 2007 Mr. Wilson decided to sell the car and started spreading the word around Modesto that the ol’ Chevy with 433 miles was for sale. Many had heard about the car, but hardly anyone had ever laid eyes on it. In fact, according to Mr. Wilson he believes he only showed the car to about 5 people in 45 years. Word spread quickly about the car and soon a buyer arrived ready and willing to pay the $60,000 asking price. When Mr. Wilson told me the story of this car he complained heavily of the “capital gains” tax he had to pay and wished he had never sold it. As of this writing, Mr. Wilson is still alive and well in Modesto and can verify the miles and originality of this car. Simply put, this is a true 100% factory original survivor (that includes the air in the tires).
This ol’ Chevy is most likely the world’s lowest mileage 1950 Chevy.

Giving Myself Credit

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things thee to see,
And what I do in anything,
To do it as for thee.
--George Herbert

Some of us have gone through life unconsciously expecting others to bring us happiness, to make our dreams come true, and to make us feel good about ourselves.
When nothing seems to be going well for us, we blame it on the lack of external support - we're not in a serious relationship, we don't like our job, we don't have the money to venture into our own business.
When we change our perspective - when we know and trust that we are responsible for our happiness, our dreams, and our feelings - we become empowered.
No longer is the burden on someone or something that is either unreliable or nonexistent.
We'd been giving this power to others; now it's time to take it back, to make and be responsible for our own choices, to value our opinions, and to respect our intellect.
Today I will give myself credit for all I am capable of, financially and otherwise.

Letting Go of Debt by Karen Casanova

Vibration Issue

A lady ran over a mattress on the highway and became hung up under the car, she decided to just keep going down the highway, thinking it would just fall off sooner or later. The ensuing jumble finally whipped around enough to put a tear in the gas tank. The subsequent lack of fuel is what finally brought this vehicle to a stop. She had driven it 30 miles with the 60lb tangle of wire and fabric wrapped around the driveshaft. The vehicle had to be towed to a dealership. When asked about the problem, the puzzled looking lady complained that the vehicle had a kind of "shimmy" when driving at high speeds. This is what the dealership found . . .