A Chinese business man was thinking whom to hand over his business out of his 3 sons. He thought of a way to find their talent. He told his sons he, who sells more combs to the buddhist monastery will be the one who will head his business. Initially the sons were perplexed how to sell combs to the monks who do not grow hair. After the specific time given to them, father called his sons to know about their achievements. First one told I sold 2 combs. How asked the father. I told them the comb can be used to scratch their backs. 2 monks bought it.
Well. What about you , father asked the next one. I sold 10 combs. How asked the surprised father. I told the monastery. that the people visit with dishevelled hair because of the strong winds on the way which is a disrespect to lord Buddha. If they keep a mirror & some combs at the entrance it will help people. They agreed & bought 10 combs. The merchant praised his son .
Third son said I sold 1000 combs. The merchant was in awe. I went to the head monk n told since they receive a lot of donations, it would be a nice gesture, if they give something like a blessing to the donors. What can we give asked the head monk. I showed him the combs with Buddha’s sayings inscribed on it & said since they use comb everyday it will be a reminder of teachings every time they use. . He agreed & ordered for 1000 combs with Buddha’s teachings inscribed.
No need to guess who took over the business from father.
All will think it is impossible to sell combs to the monks.
In life also we may face certain impossible situations . If we become disheartened then it means we have accepted defeat.
The 3 sons showed us 3 different ways of thinking.
First one thought what other way the comb can be used n sold 2.
Second one thought who other than the monks can use the comb n thought of the visitors . He was able to sell 10.
But it was a one time sale n no further sale in these lines will work out.
The third son also thought on same lines like the second, but with a difference. He modified the product as a gift wiith Buddha’s blessings to the donors. With the increase of donors , his sale will also increase.
So never accept defeat or think that coming out of difficult situations is impossible, start thinking differently. Expand ur vision from different angles. Think to bring some small changes which will bring great results.
No one to buy tomatoes, dumped in garbage. No price for cabbage. Used as manure in fields Bananas , radish thrown on the streets . We read many such news.
The knowledge we have in farming, we don’t have in business. Pickles, chips, jam dried vegetables, so many other ways to make them profitable. Instead of throwing or wasting, think what else use it can be put into. Learn to approach the correct persons. , through co operative farming or combined business.
Learn to change impossible situations to positive opportunities.
With patience , faith, hardwork n vigour if u start working , the impossible situation will become the foundation for a future big success.
Never bow down to initial negativities or accept defeat.
Expand your vision & focus.
Live with hope & positivity.
(Translated from a Tamil forward by my mother Anjana.)
As an employer, recruiting the right people for the job is extremely crucial for a successful recruitment.
While hiring Your degrees may not matter that much As much as… Your integrity, sense of ownership and dedication at work. Yes, the employers are seeking all of you, beyond the certifications Your drive, your ability & your commitment Is visible in all that you say & do.
For it truly does not matter where you come from or what you know, What matters is what you do with what you know.
Build the self to be aware, empathic and emotionally intelligent beyond your degrees and specialization.
For even if degrees get you the job It is your ability & adaptability that keeps you there.
Are you swinging back and forth Into thoughts of past happenings And of the future, yet to happen Are you continuously sifting.
In a state of imbalance Switching between thoughts Do you feel out of focus With your reality in this now.
Then perhaps you need to rethink And realign yourself To be present in this moment And not lose the now.
Yes the mind shifts without notice For it is designed to do so In survival mode to comb and seek As it searches for possibilities missed.
It creates associations to bridge over the brink Time to adjust the swinging pendulum of mind, To calibrate it to move with time Than against or before time.
For it needs to be aligned To tune into the current track at play To be there in mindfulness Of this very moment at hand.
A king had many elephants, but one elephant was very powerful, very obedient, sensible and skillful in fighting skills. In many wars, he was sent on the battlefield and he used to return only after getting victory to the king. Therefore, he was the most loved elephant of the king. Time went by and there came a time when the elephant started getting old. Now he was not able to perform as before. Therefore, now the kings did not even send him to the battlefield but still remain a part of his team.
One day the elephant went to the lake to drink water, but his feet got stuck in the mud there and then went on sinking. He tried a lot, but he could not remove himself from the mud. People came to know from the sound of his screams that the elephant was in trouble. The news of the trapping of the elephant also reached the king. All the people, including the king, gathered around the elephant and made various efforts to get him out. But after trying for a long time, there was no way out.
At that time, a old wise retired minister from the kings court was passing by seeing the king and the croud he thought of stopping and seeing what was tha matter. After a quick first inspection and speaking to the king he suggested to the king that the battle drums should be played around the lake. The listeners felt bizarre how the trapped elephant would come out by playing the drums. As soon as the drums of war started ringing, so did the change in the gesture of that troubled elephant. At first, the elephant slowly stood up and then came out of the mud on his own, shocking everyone.
Reflection
There was no lack of physical ability in the elephant, only the need to infuse enthusiasm within To maintain enthusiasm in life, it is necessary that humans maintain purposeful thinking & mindset and do not let despair dominate.
In today’s challenging times we all need to infuse ourselves & people around us with Hope & enthusiasm by playing the battle drums that we will again Celebrate Abundance of good health, Joy & Happiness tommorow.
Stop asking people how is tough times treating them instead share the happy moments and what interesting things are happening around you.
There is lots of good thing happening around.
Make sure the battle drums are played to declare not that a war has started but the victory in the battle of difficult times with the support of awesome people like you around.🙏
Savvy Raj 