Be You!

From The Guardian February 1, 2012 (Top 5 regrets of the dying)

Bronnie Ware is an Australian nurse who spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies in a blog called Inspiration and Chai, which gathered so much attention that she put her observations into a book called "The Top Five Regrets of the Dying." Ware writes of the phenomenal clarity of vision that people gain at the end of their lives, and how we might learn from their wisdom. "When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently," she says, "common themes surfaced again and again." Here are the top five regrets of the dying, as witnessed by Ware:

1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me (most common regret).
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

My Message

I could write about each one of these points, but want to focus on the most common regret "the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me". We are all born in this world with our own unique DNA, our own unique personalities, looks and of course ambitions and dreams. If this is the case why do we spend so much of our time living out other peoples desires and wishes. We are all destined for greatness and the minute we start living a life that we think others see fit, we go completely off course, which leads to future regret as mentioned above. This life is yours, its your journey and has to be lived consciously, freely and with your own choices. Live for others but not on their terms. In fulfilling your own dreams of great goals, others benefit automatically. We are the only species on this planet who can afford to live a well-planned life of choice and discretion. If you take care to do so, you will have no regrets when you live your last breaths.

May you have an awesome week.

Darren Zwiers

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Power Of Dreams

In 1938, Soichiro Honda was still in school, when he started a little workshop, developing the concept of the piston ring. His plan was to sell the idea to Toyota. He laboured night and day, even slept in the workshop, always dreaming that he could perfect his design and produce a worthy product. Finally, came the day he completed his piston ring and was able to take a working sample to Toyota, only to be told that the rings did not meet their standards! Soichiro suffered ridicule when the engineers laughed at his design, but he refused to give up. Rather than focus on his failure, he continued working towards his dream. After another two years of struggle and redesign, he won a contract with Toyota. With the contract in hand, Soichiro Honda needed to build a factory, but building materials were in short supply. Still he would not quit! He invented a new concrete-making process that enabled him to build the factory. The factory was bombed twice and steel became unavailable, too. He started collecting surplus gasoline cans discarded by US fighters – "Gifts from President Truman," he called them. Finally, an earthquake destroyed the factory. After the war, an extreme gasoline shortage forced people to walk or use bicycles. Honda built a tiny engine and attached it to his bicycle. Mr Honda wrote to 18,000 bicycles shop owners and, in an inspiring letter, asked them to help him revitalise Japan. 5,000 responded and advanced him what little money they could to build his tiny bicycle engines. He continued to develop and adapt, until finally, the small engine 'The Super Cub' became a reality and was a success. Honda began exporting his bicycle engines to Europe and America. In the 1970s there was another gas shortage, this time in America and automotive fashion turned to small cars. Honda was quick to pick up on the trend. The company started making tiny cars, smaller than anyone had seen before, and rode another wave of success. Today, Honda Corp employs over 100,000 people in the USA and Japan, and is one of the world's largest automobile companies. Honda succeeded because one man made a truly committed decision, acted upon it, and made adjustments on a continuous basis. Failure was simply not considered a possibility.

My Message

We've all heard of Honda's Slogan "The Power Of Dreams" but up until this day I never realised that the success of this Billion dollar corporation was built by one mans dream and his willingness to never be defeated. Mr Honda made his dreams a reality with a series of failures and fortunate turns of luck. Steve Kirk, Honda's Communications Manager said in an interview "Mr Honda believed that success is 99% failure; in other words, he wanted the people who worked for him to keep trying, not to fear getting something wrong because they would get in trouble with management, but to feel free to dream dreams and try the impossible. He said: "We only have one future, and it will be made of dreams if we have the courage to challenge convention.'" Soichiro Honda never ever gave up and neither should you. Don't expect overnight success.  Transformation can take years, and this story is evidence that many successful people fail many times before they get their desired results. Never

stop dreaming and never stop finding practical ways to make your dream a reality!

Enjoy this beautiful short animation of Soichiro Honda's initial inspiration for his motor company and how it became a reality.

"There is a Japanese proverb that literally goes 'Raise the sail with your stronger hand,' meaning you must go after the opportunities that arise in life that you are best equipped to do." - Soichiro Honda

"Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is called failure." - Soichiro Honda

May you have an awesome week.

Darren Zwiers

"Living In The Moment"

Song by Jason Mraz

"If this life is one act

Why do we lay all these traps?

We put them right in our path

When we just wanna be free

I will not waste my days

Making up all kinds of ways

To worry about all the things

That will not happen to me

So I just let go of what I know I don't know

And I know I'll only do this by

Living in the moment

Living our life

Easy and breezy

With peace in my mind

With peace in my heart

Peace in my soul

Wherever I'm going, I'm already home

Living in the moment..."

> You can hear the full song here

I was lucky enough to see Jason Mraz in concert on Saturday night and the above song pulled on my heart strings as its words absorbed into my mind. These lyrics are so powerful and true. A vital ingredient to living a peaceful life is to live in the moment. My friend said to me yesterday, "I have the Sunday blues" and my response was "well that's only because you not here right now, your mind is in Monday and you trying to live the day ahead of you." We all have this unique ability to focus on things that aren't happening right now, which allows us to reflect on the past and learn from it; it allows us to anticipate and plan for the future; and of course it allows us to imagine things that might never occur. Having said this there is nothing wrong with that, the only problem is we allow this to be a driving force and it removes us from our present state and quite frankly nothing in the world exists other than right now. The past has been, the future is coming and all that is required of you is to live in the moment. Stop setting worry traps for yourself, you only making your journey uncomfortable. The moment you understand this you can live a more exuberant, more empathetic, and more secure life. You will gain a higher self-esteem and be more accepting of your own weaknesses. So, whenever you feel anxious about your future or your past, just stop, breathe and remember it only exists in your mind, let go and carry on living in the moment...Life is waiting for you right now!

May you have an awesome week.

Darren Zwiers

"What day is it?" It's today," squeaked Piglet. My favorite day," said Pooh." ― A.A. Milne

The Mensch Of Malden Mills

Aaron Feuerstein was born in 1925 to a family who had owned and operated a company named Malden Mills since 1906. Malden Mills was one of the largest employers in the town of Lawrence Massachusetts and would continue to grow, eventually employing over 3,000 workers. Malden Mills' prior research investments paid off and would soon rebound with the release of its newest textile, "Polarfleece." Trademarked as "Polartec Climate Control Fabrics," Polarfleece soon became the most in-demand textile in the U.S. and around the world, purchased in mass by the U.S. military and companies such as North Face, Eddie Bauer, Ralph Lauren and L.L.Bean. The tragedy of this story began in December 1995, shortly after Malden Mills invested millions of dollars into new equipment and research into creating Polarfleece out of recycled materials. A fire destroyed the factory complex and left all of the employees out of work. At the age of 70, Aaron Feuerstein could have easily pocketed the insurance money, closed up shop and retire. He also could have followed the trend of other large corporations and relocated overseas. Instead Feuerstein decided to rebuild the factory right where it had stood and ensure that the jobless employees were still paid a full salary during the down-time (at a cost of $1.5 million per week). He also pledged to keep their family's benefits for at least 3 months. Feuerstein became affectionately known as "the Mensch of Malden Mills". Despite running a company making millions each year, Aaron never spent company funds (or even personal funds) on lavish expenses such as private jets and chauffeurs. His commitment to his employees and their community despite the cost and his dedication to ingenuity and honest business practices makes him a moral hero, a model for future business owners and CEOs. "I think it was a wise business decision, but that isn't why I did it. I did it because it was the right thing to do" – Feuerstein.

My Message:

When I heard about this story and immediately after reading it, I  knew I had to share it with you. In today's business climate, stories like these are rare and noble people like Aaron are few in number. It is so heart warming to see beautiful people like this in the business arena making a beneficial impact on humanity... such a great eye-opener. Aaron credits his decision to his belief in Jewish Law, which prohibits oppressing the working man, because he's poor and he's needy, amongst your brethren and amongst the non-Jew in your community," He stood by his values through the most challenging times in his business career and today people look up to him as a true hero. His response is "I just do what is right." You have the power to be brave and noble like Aaron in your everyday work and personal life, maybe not on the same scale as Aaron, but doing the 'right' thing is what it is all about. How often do you suppress the actions of your own heart and instead do what other people 'think' are right? This is your time to become an independent person, a leader, a role model and an ambassador of righteousness. Do what you know is the right thing and don't stop doing it. The world isn't waiting on you to become a person of greatness, its all up to you to make the change today.

May you have an awesome week.

Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"I think it was a wise business decision, but that isn't why I did it. I did it because it was the right thing to do," - Aaron Feuerstein.

What's going to be on your tombstone? "Hopefully it'll be, 'He done his damnedest,'" says Feuerstein. "You know, that I didn't give up and I always try to do the right thing."

A Burning Desire

A young man asked his teacher the secret to success. His teacher told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. When they met the teacher asked the young man to walk with him towards the river. When the water got up to their neck, the teacher took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but his teacher was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. The teacher pulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. The teacher asked, 'What did you want the most when you were there?" The boy replied, "Air." His teacher said, "That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it." There is no other secret.

My Message

Last week I wrote about identifying the right direction, this week's story shares the next step and that is the importance of having a 'burning desire" once you have identified your path. A burning desire is the starting point to all accomplishment and all great accomplishments begin with an idea, but the crucial force that makes an idea become a reality is the fuel of human desire. Ideas on their own may give you a temporary dose of inspiration, but a burning desire is what will get you through all the challenges necessary to overcome the inevitable obstacles along the way. People with an intense, burning desire to achieve all their goals are often referred to as being "driven" and you have the opportunity to become one of them. With the correct approach, you can acquire a deep, burning desire within yourself and take on total commitment towards your chosen path, knowing with absolute certainty that success is guaranteed… "If you want success as badly as you need air, then you will get it."

May you have an awesome week.

Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"There is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it." - Napoleon Hill

Aim For The Goals

Scenario 1:
A man was traveling and stopped at an intersection. He asked an elderly man, "Where does this road take me?" The elderly person asked, "Where do you want to go?" The man replied, "I'm not too sure". The elderly man said, "Then take any road. What difference does it make? Because when you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there."

Scenario 2:
You have all the eleven football players, enthusiastically charged up and ready to play the game, and then someone took the goal post away. What would happen to the game? There is nothing left. How do you keep score? How do you know you have arrived and how do you know who will win?

My Message:

Both these scenarios come down to one single message… "Enthusiasm without direction is like wildfire that leads to frustration". Would you ever sit in a train or a plane without knowing it's destination? The obvious answer is no. The same goes with our day to day lives... some of us go through life without having any specific direction. You probably have the correct skill-set honed, and the right philosophy with good core values, but where are you heading? If you don’t have the right direction planned out, you’ll simply wander aimlessly. It's sad to see people who have lived a large part of their careers only to discover it is not what they really wanted. Life is too short to be wandering without a definite purpose. Today is the time to define your goals and to examine the path you are taking. Make sure you are not one of those people who say "If only I could start over again." Life is fleeting by and there is no time to drift in the wind. Set your anchor and take control of your destiny.

May you have an awesome week.
Darren Zwiers


The Quote:

How can you get very far,
If you don’t know Who You Are?
How can you do what you ought,
If you don’t know What You’ve got?
And if you don’t know Which To Do
Of all the things in front of you,
Then what you’ll have when you are through
Is just a mess without a clue
Of all the best that can come true
If you know What and Which and Who.
- Winnie The Pooh

How To Catch A Monkey

Monkey-hunters use a box with an opening at the top, big enough for the monkey to slide its hand in. Inside the box are nuts. The monkey grabs the nuts and now its hand becomes a fist. The monkey tries to get its hand out but the opening is big enough for the hand to slide in, but too small for the fist to come out. Now the monkey has a choice, either to let go of the nuts and be free forever or hang on to the nuts and get caught. Guess what it picks every time? You guessed it. He hangs on to the nuts and gets caught.

My Message:

I'm not sure if the above story is entirely true, but it is does tell a powerful message. You probably thinking what a silly monkey, but the truth is we are no different from the monkey, as some of us hang onto "things" that keep us from moving forwards in life. How often have we fallen for the same trick of hanging on to these “things” that have become our own trap. We spend a lot of time rationalising by saying, "I cannot do this because……." or "If only I could do….…", "if only.......if only....." Whatever you fill in the spaces are the nuts that you are hanging on to and are hindering you from becoming the successful person which you are destined to be. Now letting go doesn’t mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things in life that should not be or are not exactly for you at that time. Sometimes letting go is what makes us stronger, happier and more successful in the long run. Stop holding onto those things that are preventing you from moving forward. If that person angered you or upset you, if that relationship didn't work out so well, or a family member is frustrating you. It's time to let go and start living in the now. Enjoying everything that is going on at this present moment. When you are here now you can be nowhere else. You are not hanging on to something that's been, you are here now…Enjoy it.

May you have an awesome week, where the limitations of your past are released, allowing you to live a more fulfilled and enriched life.

Darren Zwiers


The Quote:

“Every time you are tempted to react in the same old way, ask if you want to be a prisoner of the past or a pioneer of the future.”  ― Deepak Chopra

The Grocer

This week marks the 2 year anniversary of "A Monday Inspiration" and I just want to take this moment to thank you for giving me the opportunity and inspiration to keep on writing week after week. I can't believe its already been two years. It really has been a meaningful experience and I aim to keep bringing you the Monday Inspiration every week. I always enjoy getting feedback from you, so don't be shy and let me know your thoughts and experiences from "A Monday Inspiration".

‘A grocer came to his master one day in great distress and shared the fact that across the way from his shop they had opened a large chain store that would drive him out of business. His family had owned his shop for a century – and to lose it now would be catastrophic, for there was nothing else he was skilled at. Said the Master ‘If you fear the owner of the chain store, you will hate him. And hatred will be your undoing’. ‘What shall I do?’ said the distraught grocer. ‘Each morning, walk out of your shop onto the sidewalk and bless your shop, wishing it prosperity. Then, turn to face the chain store and bless it too’. ‘What? Bless my competitor and destroyer?’ ‘Any blessing you give him will rebound to your good. Any evil you wish him will destroy you,’ replied the Master. After six months, the grocer returned to report that he had had to close down his shop as he had feared, but he was now the Manager of the chain store and his affairs were in better shape than ever
before!’

My Message

How many times have we come across someone who you feel is 'better' than you in the same area of expertise, and you fear that they will hinder your growth? What is the response some of us make in a situation like this? … We wish them failure and hope that our success will dominate over them and destroy them as a competitor. Is this the correct approach a person should take? Of course not, the correct approach would be to wish them the greatest fortune as being envious and malicious towards your competitors will actually damage your own chances of success. Instead you should celebrate their achievements and be extremely grateful for your own. You see, every negative comment or even thought you make towards someone else you are planting a seed and that seed will grow in your own garden and produce the exact negative vibration for yourself. So, instead harvest positive seeds and show appreciation and gratitude towards others and of course yourself. Master this and you will all
thrive at what you do, as we will be encouraging each other for success instead of intimidating and weakening the opposition. Let's face it, we all want to attain greatness in every thing we do, so lets all achieve it together.

May you have an awesome week.
Darren Zwiers


The Quote:

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes."  - Mahatma Gandhi

Stone Soup

Many years ago in a time of great hardship and famine an old soldier wandered into a poverty stricken village and asked for shelter for the night. "There's nothing to eat here," the villagers told him, "you'd better move on!" "I have enough here to make soup for all of us," the soldier replied, "if I could just borrow a very large pot." Curious, the villagers produced a pot and stood around watching as the soldier filled it with water and built a small fire underneath. He then took three round stones from a small bag and dropped them into the water. As the water came to the boil the soldier sniffed it hungrily saying, "I do love stone soup, but if I just had a little cabbage it would taste even better!" At this one of the villagers disappeared returning a few minutes later with a cabbage he has been hiding and put it into the pot. A while later the soldier tasted the soup and says "Hmm, this is good, but a couple of carrots would make better still." Again a villager produced a bunch of carrots and so it went on as potatoes, onions, mushrooms and a bit of salt beef were all added to the pot until there was indeed a delicious meal for all.

My Message

We all have our own unique skills and talents. Every single one of us contribute to the world in a significant way. It is only when we all merge our portion of talents together that the world is able to advance in a productive, beneficial manner. By sharing our gifts and resources not only are our own lives enriched, but the lives of those around us. Society operates at it's optimum when everybody comes together to share a variety of different inputs to create one desired outcome. This applies to all areas of our lives - within our professions, our communities and even in our families. Never forget that your talent is the foundation for your own personal growth, share it in a 'joint venture' with other similar talents and I assure you, you will move the world.

May you have an awesome week, where your skills and talents get the opportunity to merge as a collective and help push human kind towards its destined goals.

Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Henry Ford

The Black Belt

A young martial artist kneeling before the Master Sensei in a ceremony to receive a hard-earned black belt. After years of relentless training, the student has finally reached a pinnacle of achievement in the discipline. "Before granting the belt, you must pass one more test," says the Sensei. "I am ready," responds the student, expecting perhaps one final round of sparring. "You must answer the essential question: What is the true meaning of the black belt?" "The end of my journey," says the student. "A well-deserved reward for all my hard work." The Sensei waits for more. Clearly, he is not satisfied. Finally, the Sensei speaks. "You are not yet ready for the black belt. Return in one year." A year later, the student kneels again in front of the Sensei. "What is the true meaning of the black belt?" asks the Sensei. "A symbol of distinction and the highest achievement in our art," says the student. The Sensei says nothing for many minutes, waiting. Clearly, he is not satisfied. Finally, he speaks. "You are still not ready for the black belt. Return in one year." A year later, the student kneels once again in front of the Sensei. And again the Sensei asks: "What is the true meaning of the black belt?" "The black belt represents the beginning - the start of a never-ending journey of discipline, work, and the pursuit of an ever-higher standard," says the student. "Yes. You are now ready to receive the black belt and begin your work."

My Message

Sure, you might not be receiving a black belt in a martial art any time soon, but lets kick back to a moment in your life where you reached a pinnacle in something you achieved. Did you move on and forget about it, or did you take that moment of achievement to a higher, greater level? Our experience in this world is one of learning, to always gain deeper insights of our unique journey. We are learning new things every day in every aspect of our lives, so it is safe to say with certainty that we will never reach an end of learning… The more you know about a subject, the more you realise is still unknown. On the surface level this seems like a frustrating cycle, but it is one of the most beautiful things we possess. Imagine living in a state of totally mastery, of total knowledge, you would no longer have the thrill of new discovery, and the excitement of resolving unanswered questions. Life is certainly not stagnant so how could our understanding of it be. Each milestone along the way is only just the beginning of your next stage of development and as you learn this, never forget how important it is to master the art of humility required to keep learning.

May you have an awesome week, where your understanding keeps building to a wiser and more fulfilled life.
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."  - T. S. Eliot 

Drink Thirstily

(Adapted from an article by Tzipporah Heller.)

Scenario 1: Let’s say you get lost in the Judean Desert. Your tour group stops at a remote desert vista on the way to Masada, you wander off slightly to take a picture of a particularly majestic mountain, you turn around, and… the group and the bus are gone. A couple hours go by, you drink up all the water in your bottle of spring water, no other tour bus comes to this remote place, and you are growing increasingly desperate as the day gets hotter and you get thirstier. Finally, after say, 8 hours, an army patrol comes by and rescues you. One of the soldiers offers you his filthy canteen full of warm water. Will you take it? Will you be grateful for it? Will you drink it thirstily? Of course you would. Scenario 2: You’re dining in a five-star hotel. At the end of your meal, the waiter comes and asks, “Would you like anything else?” You say, “Yes, I’d like some ice water, please.” He brings you a filthy canteen full of warm water. Will you drink it, or be grateful for it? Obviously not!

My Message

The more aware you are that you are in need, the less finicky you’ll be about from whom you are taking, but in essence what do we know is truly good for us at any given moment? How are we to know that what ever is handed to us will benefit us in the long run (and it always does)? The other day I had finished the tin of my favourite coffee beans and resorted to the backup tin of another brand. After my first sip I wished I could have my preferred brand, but then suddenly realised how shocking a thought that was. Here I am drinking coffee which is (kind of) delicious and I am wishing for something better. The coffee gave me the sustenance to face the morning and fuelled my body. My wishful thinking removed me from just enjoying where I was at that moment. This is like our lives, we get one thing and keep wishing for more as we feel it's not enough. When will it ever be enough? The moment you exercise immense gratitude for what is given to you, that is when. So the next time you are handed something you feel is not enough, forget about it and drink it thirstily.

May you have an awesome week, count your blessings and after you have counted them...count them again!
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?” – William A. Ward

The Black Dot

A small town chamber of commerce invited a speaker to address its annual dinner. The community’s economy was bad, people were discouraged, and they wanted this motivational speaker to give them a boost. During her presentation, the speaker took a large piece of white paper and made a small black dot in the centre of it with a marking pen. Then she held the paper up before the group and ask them what they saw. One person quickly replied, “I see a black dot.” “Okay, what else do you see?” Others joined in agreement : “A black dot.” “Don’t you see anything besides the dot?” she asked. A resounding “No” came from the audience. “What about the sheet of paper?” asked the speaker. “I am sure you have all seen it”, she said, “But you have chosen to overlook it.”

My Message

How true this is for our own lives, we tend to overlook and take for granted all the wonderful things around us. Instead we focus our time and energy on the small black dots of failure and misfortunes, when we could be looking at the greater picture of what life has to offer. It's so important for us to look beyond the "black dots". Instead of continually focusing on the problems, you should concentrate on what’s good, this way you are likely to be encouraged and motivated, and you'll automatically start looking for ways to get more of this productive feeling. Agreed It’s easy to dwell on mistakes, regrets and failures but it's your choice to change that right away and to look at the paper beyond the black dot and know that there is more to life than just meets the eye.
May you have an incredibly awesome week!
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious to the rose" - Kahlil Gibran

I Would Pick More Daisies

I Would Pick More Daisies

Author: Don Herold (Adapted)
When the late Nadine Stair of Louisville, Kentucky, was 85 years old, she was asked what she would do if she had her life to live over again. "I'd make more mistakes next time," she said. "I'd relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been on this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I'd have fewer imaginary ones. "You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I've been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, and a raincoat. If I had to do it over again, I would travel lighter than I have."If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds and I would pick more daisies." 

My Message

Leave everything for tomorrow, forget about doing the things you love now and you will soon live to regret it. In the above story, there were many things that Nadine would change if she could live her life over, but for us its not to too late. Rather than looking back in regret, let's look ahead and envision what the rest of our lives would be like if we continue with a positive and enthusiastic outlook on life. Whatever thought or action serves you well, take action on it now. Whatever thought or action serves you poorly, change it immediately. If we do this we may be able to look back at the age of 85 or 95 or 105 and say: If I had my life to live over again, I'd do it exactly the same way. The time to live is now, the time to love is now and there is no better moment than right now. 

May you have an incredibly awesome week!
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today". James Dean

The Most Astounding Fact

The Most Astounding Fact

In 2008, TIME Magazine sat down with Neil deGrasse Tyson to ask him questions about science and the cosmos. Eventually, interviewer Gilbert Cruz came to the following question: What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the universe? The famed scientist and author gives an answer that is perhaps as eloquent as it is mind-blowing; as beautiful as it is sublime. Tyson's response was incredibly moving, the astrophysicist gives his explanation that inspires us to know more about our part of the world and the universe. He said "We are part of this universe; we are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts, is that the universe is in us," when I reflect on that fact I look up. Many people feel small because they're small and the universe is big, but I feel big," he says.
Video editor Max Schlickenmeyer ties the insights together with breathtaking visuals to create a powerful 3min representation of this interview:

The Most Astounding Fact - Neil deGrasse Tyson




My Message

This one of the most beautiful and moving videos that I have seen in a long time. As Mr Tyson says "…You want to feel connected you want to feel relevant, you want to feel like a participant on the going ons of the activities and events around you." How true this is, we are all performers in this world and like it or not we have our share to give and take. It is our decision every day to make our share in the world one of value, one of caring and one of true love. Be patient with the people around you, fix those habits that make you feel uncomfortable. Smile at every person you meet. You belong to a beautiful world, a perfectly created world and it lives within you... Let it shine outwards.
May you have an incredibly awesome week!
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

“At any moment, man must decide, for better or for worse, what will be the monument of his existence.” Viktor Frankl

Nobody Is A Nobody

Nobody Is A Nobody

Story by: Melanie Schurr

This is a true story about a boy who, the world might say, was a terrible underachiever. While in the eighth grade, he failed subjects repeatedly. High school wasn’t much better; he flunked Latin, algebra, English, and received a grade of zero in physics. The boy managed to make the school golf team, but he lost the most important golf match of the season, and even though there was a consolation match, he failed miserably in that too. It’s not that his peers disliked this boy; it’s just that they never really seemed to notice him much. Even “Hellos” in the hall were a rarity. Out of all the failures in his life, there was something that did hold great importance to this boy, his love of drawing. Although in high school, the cartoons he submitted to the yearbook were rejected, once out of school, the boy was so sure of his artistic talent that he approached Walt Disney Studios with drawing samples. I wish I could say the studio execs loved his work and immediately hired him, but such was not the case; another huge rejection. Despite his many lack of successes, this boy did not give up. He then decided to write his own autobiography in cartoons, about a little boy who was regarded as a loser and a nobody. The name of this boy was Charles Schulz, the creator of the famous Charlie Brown and Peanuts comic strip.

My Message

How many times do we feel let down because we are under appreciated and receive little or no attention, especially when we needed it most? In reality it is possible to sometimes feel like a nobody. To feel insignificant in a large world. One of our greatest challenges in life is showing the world what we are capable of and allowing ourselves true peace of mind in accepting the feedback. Sometimes people respond positively and sometimes not at all, but what is extremely important is to know that you are capable of more than what the world thinks you are not and it is up to you to keep striving to be the best person you can honestly be, despite what others think or say. It is your world and its all about performing for your personal best. At the end of the day, when the sun casts its shadows upon the earth remember you are most certainly significant in our world and the mere fact that you are alive, awake and breathing proves you are here for a greater purpose. So at times when you feel small or insignificant know that you are full of potential irrespective of what others think. Go out there today and do what you feel is right and you won't need to worry about being noticed. Believe in yourself, believe in another for their very best, even if the rest of the world doesn't seem to... Someone should - let that someone be you.

 

May you have an incredibly awesome week!

Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia." - Charles Schulz

 

Twinkies and Root Beer

Twinkies and Root Beer

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of Root Beer and he started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an elderly man. The man was sitting in the park just feeding some pigeons. The boy sat down next to him and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the man looked hungry, so he offered him a Twinkie. The man gratefully accepted it and smiled at the boy. His smile was so pleasant that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered him a root beer. Again, the man smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word. As it grew dark, the boy realised how tired he was and he got up to leave, but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the man, and gave him a hug. The man gave him his biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy? "He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? God's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!" Meanwhile, the elderly man, also radiant with joy, returned to his home. His son was stunned by the look of peace on his face and he asked," Dad, what did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I ate Twinkies in the park with God." However, before his son responded, he added," You know, he's much younger than I expected."

My Message

People come into our lives for a reason, they enter our world for a few seconds, a season, or even a lifetime. It is so important to remember that each and every one of us has our given place in this world and it is our duty to respect that. We would never know that the person who jumped the queue or pulled in front of you in traffic was doing it to protect you or slow you down for a reason. All these small things that people do they are contributing to the greater picture of life. We need to exercise patience and understand that every person has their place and the actions they do, good or bad make a significant impact on our beautiful journey through life. Embrace all people we meet equally, understand that they are placed in front of you for a purpose far greater than you could ever comprehend. Master this and your life will certainly be a more peaceful, comfortable experience. The above story is certainly not far fetched, as we all have an essence of God within us a spark of pure divinity, its your task to see it in every single being and in every action they perform.

May you have an incredible week. May you be given the vision to see that the people you encounter everyday are assisting you on your journey.
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"Speak ill of no man, but speak all the good you know of everybody". - Benjamin Franklin

Helping Others Win

Helping Others Win

A few years ago, at the 1976 Paralympics track and field event held in Spokane, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. Two other athletes heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they turned around and went back. The boys linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes.

My Message

This is such a beautiful story because it puts winning into perspective. There is something far greater than winning for yourself, its the ability to help others win. Assisting other people to achieve things that they could not do on their own is the ultimate win. Coming first is a great feeling you get all the glory and fame… until someone else beats you, but helping others makes you the true champion as it is forever lasting. No one can defeat kindness. Life isn't always about being the winner, it's about helping others become that winner even if it means slowing you down. Victory lies within helping others win. We need to forget about the glory and start creating situations where everyone wins. Make sure you help someone win today!

May you have an awesome week. Be the true champion!
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

The Special Olympics Oath: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

Love & Time

Love & Time Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all constructed boats and left. Except for Love. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the last possible moment. When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help. Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me with you?" Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you." Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel. "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered. Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you." "Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!" Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her. Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own way. Realising how much was owed the elder, Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?" "It was Time," Knowledge answered. "Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?" Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how valuable Love is." My Message Our best friend Love is patient, love is kind. It has no envy, nor it boasts itself. It rejoices over the evil and is a truth seeker. Love protects; preserves and hopes for the positive aspect of life, it enhances relationships and comforts the soul. We are all searching for the true meaning of love, we learn from its abundance and lack thereof. We understand how extremely crucial it is to have in our lives and how grateful we are to be able to express and receive it. But what is fascinating about love is that it's the slowest of all growths. No person really knows what perfect love is until they have experienced it from a single relationship over a period of time. Love is fully embraced by time and as in the above story "Time understands how valuable Love is", because without the one the other would cease to exist. 'Time' is a companion that goes with us on every journey and it is our job to make sure that we always bring love along. Cherish each moment, love every single individual who has made an impact in your life, because that moment might never come again. "What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived…" May you have an awesome week Darren Zwiers The Quote: "Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none". - William Shakespeare.

Leading With Lollipops

I'm going to do something new this week (I'm interested to hear your feedback). I watched a powerful 5min video last week and it really speaks out what my Monday emails are all about. So thought I would share it with you. (This video is safe to watch and is clean).

My Message

In the above video Dudley reminds us how important we are to others. Each day we make the lives of others better by the things that we say and the things that we do. We always have the opportunity to make the lives of the people around us better. It’s amazing what a smile can do on a day that has been wrought with challenges or an unexpected gift of a hot tea on a chilly day. Everyday we have this opportunity to inspire, encourage and motivate those around us. Dudley quotes "We've made leadership about changing the world, and there is no world only six billions understandings of it, and if you change one persons understanding of it, if you change one persons understanding of what they're capable of, one persons understanding of how much people care about them, one persons understanding of how powerful an agent for change they can be in this world, you've changed the whole thing". Such a true statement! By embracing what is being said in this video it forces us to choose our words and deeds carefully. What are your lollipops that you hand out each day? 

May you have an awesome week

Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us..." Marianne Williamson

This Too Shall Pass!

This Too Shall Pass! A king called all of his wise men and counsellors together for a meeting. He addressed them and said, “I want you to go and think, read, and research. Consult the wisest and most learned men in the land. Spare no expense.” “I want you to find the ONE statement that will get me through all situations in life. Whether I am on top of the world or in the pits, find that statement.” “I don’t want to learn long and complicated philosophies. I want one simple statement. Find it or write it; I don’t care, just bring me the statement.” The men left and consulted for months. They finally returned and handed the King a scroll. The King unrolled the scroll. On it was written four words. “THIS TOO SHALL PASS!” That was it. The wise men explained. When you are on top of the world, that is but a fleeting moment, things change, always remember, this too shall pass. When you are in the pits, all nights are followed by day, at your lowest moments remember also, "This too shall pass!"   My Message All external circumstances and material things in this world change; no matter what your circumstances are. The wise men reminded the King that these words would get him through his earthly situations, but the truly wise know there are things beyond this world and life. Things that are eternal. True wisdom is the ability to recognise the fleeting temporal things of the material world from the truly eternal things. All the material things you see in your life are temporary and when you have these four words "this too shall pass" in mind it will get you through all difficult moments. Time never stops, your moments you spend awake and alive continually progress forwards and pull you along your journey called life. Never forget that the material things you see in front of you are temporary and when things are rough, it too shall pass. Don't become a victim of circumstance, rather become a victor and see circumstance as a moment of learning and growth, as every moment good or bad will pass. May you have an awesome week Darren Zwiers The Quote: “The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.” -  M. Scott Peck

The Given Light

The Given Light

Author: Barbara Hug

Once upon a time a man had heard, that in a foreign place, far away, there was a holy flame burning. So he got up and left his home to find the holy flame and bring some of its light back home to his house. He thought: 'When I have this light, then I will have happiness and life and all the people I love will have it too.'

He travelled far, far away and finally found the holy flame, with which he lit his light. On his way back he had only one worry: 'That his light could go out.'

On his way home he met someone who was freezing and didn't have any fire and who begged him to give him some of his fire. The man with the light hesitated for a moment. Wasn't his light too precious, too holy to be given away for something ordinary like that? Despite these doubts, he decided to give some of his light to the one who was freezing in the darkness.

The man continued his journey home and when he had almost reached his house a terrible thunderstorm started. He tried to protect his light from the rain and the storm, but at the end his light went out.

To return the long way back to the place where the holy flame was burning was impossible, he wouldn't have had enough strength to go back this far - but he was strong enough to return to the human being whom he had helped on his way home.

.........and with his light he could light his own again. 

 

My Message

We are all like the man looking for his flame and then acquiring it. We are all capable of doing great and wonderful things with the beautiful possessions we obtain, but what are we doing with them along our journey? Are we using our talents, tools and knowledge to help others? Are we being sensitive and aware of whats happening around us?

As the story so perfectly points out, doing good always works to your advantage everytime. Sometimes we don't see it right away, but eventually down the line, we recognise it. The 'mechanics' behind giving are truly so perfectly designed for the benefit of the person helping. Research shows how helping others stimulates parts of the brain that actually keep us healthy, positive and extremely happy. Every person no matter who they are, what they do or earn, needs a helping hand at some stage and it is our responsibility everyday to make sure we see it and put in the effort to help. Use your flame and illuminate the world, as you never know when your light will go out and yours too will need to be re-lit.

May you have an awesome week

Darren Zwiers

 

The Quote:

"Success has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others." ~ Danny Thomas

 

That's Not My Job

That's Not My Job This is a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realised that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.   My Message We all know the famous story of Peter Pan who refused to grow up and avoided the burdens of being accountable. This is a great fantasy to some; Imagine a life with no responsibility, no burdens and not being accountable for anything? Let's be honest now, it wouldn't be all peaches and cream. We can all agree that responsibility sometimes requires us to do things that are unpleasant or even frightening. It pushes us to go beyond our means, to prepare and set goals, and exercise extreme discipline to reach our aspirations. But the benefits of accepting responsibility far outweigh the short-lived advantages of refusing to do so. No-one makes their life better by avoiding responsibility. Responsibility is about our ability to respond to circumstances and to choose the attitudes, actions, and reactions that shape our lives around it. It's a slice of leadership that puts us in the driver's seat. Responsible people not only depend on themselves, but show others that they can be depended on. This breeds trust, and trust creates many more opportunities with additional responsibilities that bring success. If you want more control over your life with the pleasures and power of independence, all you have to do is stand up and be responsible. May you have an incredible week, where you can stand up to doing what is right and showing others that it's easy to do so too. Darren Zwiers The Quote: - You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. Abraham Lincoln - The price of greatness is responsibility. Winston Churchill

The House With The Golden Windows

The House With The Golden Windows The little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill – and this house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers. And although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there. When she got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother is she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she kept close to the house and didn’t wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill. As she dismounted her bike and lent it against the gate post, she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house itself…and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood derelict. So sad she didn’t go any further and turned, heart broken as she remounted her bike … As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her… there across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden… as the sun shone on her little home. She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the ‘golden house’. Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose!   My Message How amazing is it that we all already possess all that we need to be happy… isn't that awesome news! We just forget sometimes, when we get so wrapped up in what we want that we forget to give ourselves what we need, both for our minds and bodies. We get so caught up in wanting things we desire that we forget about the things we already have, and this slowly pulls us away from being grateful for all our current possessions. We don’t need to have it all. We don’t need to do it all. We don’t need to be it all. We just need to have the courage to do what we can, to obtain what we can and be completely happy with that. Never stop seeing the beauty of the things we already possess and be grateful for it. This is a practise which makes life so much more enriching. Everyday this week swap a thing you want with a moment of gratitude for what you have. Have an awesome week. Darren Zwiers The Quote: “Until you make peace with who you are, you will never be content with what you have.” -Doris Mortman

Actions Speak

Actions Speak There once was a boy who loved eating sweets. He always asked for sweets from his father. His father was a poor man. He could not always afford sweets for his son. But the little boy did not understand this, and demanded sweets all the time. The boy’s father thought hard about how to stop the child asking for so many sweets. There was a very holy man living nearby at that time. The boy’s father had an idea. He decided to take the boy to the great man who might be able to persuade the child to stop asking for sweets all the time. The boy and his father went along to the great man. The father said to him,"could you ask my son to stop asking for sweets which I cannot afford?” The great man was in difficulty, because he liked sweets himself. How could he ask the boy to give up asking for sweets? The holy man told the father to bring his son back after one month. During that month, the holy man gave up eating sweets, and when the boy and his father returned after a month, the holy man said to the boy “My dear child, will you stop asking for sweets which your father cannot afford to give you?” From then on, the boy stopped asking for sweets. The boy’s father asked the holy man, “Why did you not ask my son to give up asking for sweets when we came to you a month ago?” The man replied, “How could I ask a boy to give up sweets when I loved sweets myself. In the last month I gave up eating sweets.” A person’s example is much more powerful than just his words. When we ask someone to do something, we must do it ourselves also. We should not ask others to do what we do not do ourselves.   My Message The lesson in this story is very straight forward... Always make sure that your actions and your words are the same. No one likes a hypocrite and in a world where we need more leaders than ever before this is the most important lesson to remember. If your words are inspiring and strong but your actions are weak, no one will ever take you for real. It is proven that the most influential and successful leaders that have lived made tremendous effort in making their actions and words the same, exactly equal. There will also be times when people may not necessarily hear your words, but they are certainly going to observe your actions. This is commonly seen with children observing their parents. Don’t ever underestimate the power of your actions, when they speak louder than your words you are doing more than just inspiring, you are displaying truth and honesty. This is because Your true values and your true beliefs are expressed only through your actions. It is not about what you say or what you want to do, rather it's the actions that you take, every day! Have an awesome week. Darren Zwiers The Quote: "Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned."  ~ Peter Marshall

Break The Chains

Break The Chains As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not. He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.” The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were. Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? My Message As we progress through life we should never forget that failure is all part of learning; you should never give up on the struggles in your life. If you have failed once, it doesn’t mean you can never do it again. If what you aim to achieve vibrates truth within you, then you should never stop trying to reach that goal. Look at yourself, you’re smart, you’re talented, you’ve a got a gift, and you’re capable of doing anything you set your heart to, don't let failure stop you. In essence failure is actually feedback. It's not telling you to quite its indicating that you need to do what you are doing a little differently, apply a new method with a more positive outlook. You learn by failure, by understanding what does not work, and by continuing to adjust your strategies until you find out what does work. Look at a young child he/she learns to walk by falling, nothing changes as we get older. We keep learning to walk by falling... this is nature. Embrace failure, because if we are failing, we are learning; and if we are learning, we are growing. And growing is really what life is all about. Have an awesome week where you have the stregnth to transform failure into success. Darren Zwiers The Quote: "I never failed. I just found 10,000 ways that didn't work" -Thomas Edison (after discovering the light bulb)

Its Only An Angle Of Perspective

Its Only An Angle Of Perspective

Many years ago two salesmen were sent by a famous British shoe manufacturer to Africa. Their task was to investigate and report back on market potential as they were looking to grow their business globally. Upon returning to England the first salesman reported back, "There is no potential in Africa - nobody wears shoes." The second salesman reported back, "There is massive potential in Africa - nobody wears shoes." 

My Message

This is probably one of the shortest stories I've used and I am sure some of you have heard it before, but the idea is so simple as it provides one of the best examples of how a single situation may be viewed in two very different ways - negatively or positively. We are all blessed with the gift of 'choice' and in life we are always guaranteed to have two; to identify a situation's opportunities and benefits or its problems and disadvantages. This is the same choice for everything we do in life. It's what separates the positive outgoing people from the negative dull ones. It is this positive choice and attitude that allows you to succeed in all that you do in life with complete joy and satisfaction, because success isn't just measured in wealth and getting things done. Success is also measured by the amount of happiness you experienced whilst progressing through life's choices. Remember this story well and never forget that both salesman used exactly the same words, yet the optimistic one saw the situation in a very positive way.

Have an awesome week where your focus lies only in the benefits and opportunities of your tasks ahead.
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"The question is not what you look at, but what you see." ~ Henry David Thoreau

 

Dissolving Worries

Dissolving Worries

Once a young man came to a revered teacher, who was seated under a tree near a beautiful lake, and asked for the solution for his unhappiness. After some minutes of conversation the old master kindly instructed the visitor to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink a few mouthfuls. “How does it taste?” the teacher asked. “Awful,” said the apprentice after he had spat out the revolting liquid a few paces away. The teacher chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the youngster swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man told him, “Now drink from the lake.” As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the master asked him again, “How does it taste?” “Good!” he replied. “Do you taste the salt?” asked the Master. “No,” said the young man. The Master sat beside the troubled youth, took his hands, and said, “The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the level of ‘pain we taste’ depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake.

My Message

Once you broaden your outlook, and once you stop looking only at yourself and your own miseries and see life as a whole and the many things without which you would not be what you are today – your friends, family, hobbies, nature around you, then you could become the lake and the things that bring you down will dissolve like the salt. Many people seem to prefer to grumble and complain about their lives, society and how tough things are getting. I think it is always important to be able to rise above the drama of your own situation and see the big picture of life and to always figure out smarter ways to move forward. Yes, life has it's many bits of sorrows, struggles, pains and sufferings, but If you look at it with a magnifier then you wont learn much from it..Look at it with trust and confidence, always have the greater picture in mind and all will dissolve like the salt in the lake.

May you have an awesome week!
Darren Zwiers

The Quote:

"Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday".  Author Unknown

The Rose Within

The Rose Within A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, “How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?” Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom... it died.   My Message So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a beautiful rose. The good qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our shortcomings. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realise our potential. Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else has to show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them. This is one of the characteristics of love... to look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life... all the while recognising the nobility in their soul. Always help others to realise they can overcome their faults. If we show them the “rose” within themselves, they will conquer their thorns. Only then will they blossom many times over. May you have an awesome week! Darren Zwiers The Quote: "You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses." — Ziggy

The Lesson Of The Ant

The Lesson Of The Ant One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather cross my back terrace. Several times it was confronted by obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour. At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way. I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of the smallest creatures on earth. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also shares human failings. After some time the ant finally reached its destination - a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match. How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole? Of course it couldn’t. So the ant, after all this trouble and exercising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home. The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden.   My Message Doesn't this story sound familiar? It's like our lives. We worry too much about our family; we worry about money or the lack of it, we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These worries are often burdens - the things we pick up along life’s path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can’t take them with us. Let go of all the things worrying you. Let go of those grudges and thoughts that haunt you. You have the opportunity to live a life burden free from worry and negativity so why carry it along on your journey. Focus more on the beautiful things, count your blessings and be grateful for everything you possess. Click here for previous story/message on the same subject May you have an amazing week free from worry and full of gratitude for the awesome things in your life. Darren Zwiers The Quote: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill

The Illusion Of Reflection

The Illusion Of Reflection Once there was a king who had presented his daughter, the princess, with a beautiful diamond necklace. The necklace was stolen and his people in the kingdom searched everywhere but could not find it. Some said a bird might have stolen it. The king then asked them all to search for it and put a reward for $50,000 for anyone who found it. One day a clerk was walking home along a river next to an industrial area. This river was completely polluted, filthy and smelly. As he was walking, the clerk saw a shimmering in the river and when he looked, he saw the diamond necklace. He decided to try and catch it so that he could get the $50,000 reward. He put his hand in the filthy, dirty river and grabbed at the necklace, but some how missed it and didn't catch it. He took his hand out and looked again and the necklace was still there. He tried again, this time he walked in the river and dirtied his pants in the filthy river and put his whole arm in to catch the necklace. But strangely, he still missed the necklace! He came out and started walking away, feeling depressed. Then again he saw the necklace, right there. This time he was determined to get it, no matter what. He decided to plunge into the river, although it was a disgusting thing to do as the river was polluted, and his whole body would become filthy. He plunged in, and searched everywhere for the necklace and yet he failed. This time he was really bewildered and came out feeling very depressed that he could not get the necklace that would get him $50,000. Just then a wise man who was walking by, saw him, and asked him what was the matter. He told the wise man about the necklace and how he tried and tried to catch it, but kept failing. The wise man then told him that perhaps he should try looking upward, toward the branches of the tree, instead of in the filthy river. The clerk looked up and true enough, the necklace was dangling on the branch of a tree. He had been trying to capture a mere reflection of the real necklace all this time.   My Message Material happiness is just like the polluted river; because it is a mere reflection of the true happiness in the spiritual world. We can never achieve the 'long term lasting' happiness we are looking for no matter how hard we endeavour in material life. The material 'physical' world is finite and can only last for a given amount of time. Once that finite spec of physicality is gone, so would your happiness. Instead we should look towards the source of true happiness, and stop chasing after the reflections in the material world. This spiritual source of happiness; G-d, the universe or whichever term you may feel comfortable with, is the only thing that could satisfy us completely as it is infinite. Don't spend your time chasing reflections, harness the real thing within you and you will have the power to express its beauty forever. Yes, the reflections are extremely pretty and pay an important role but never forget the real beauty of the object casting it. May you have an awesome week, where you have the power to seek and harness the real beauties within yourself. Darren Zwiers The Quote: Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul. – Democritus