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