A young and rather boastful champion challenged a Zen master who was renowned for his skill as an archer. The young man demonstrated remarkable technical proficiency when he hit a distant bull’s eye on his first try, and then split that arrow with his second shot. “There,” he said to the old man, “see if you can match that!” Undisturbed, the(..)
Deep in the countryside, there was a farm with a reputation for producing the best quality corn in the state. Intriguingly, this farmland was not more fertile than the surrounding fields of corn. In fact, the farmer would even share his premium corn seeds with his neighbors right before each sowing season. Still each year, his crop fetched him a price(..)
Two camels (a mother and a baby) were lazing around, when suddenly the baby camel said: “Mother, mother, can I ask you a question? The mother camel replied, “Sure! Why son, is something bothering you?” Baby: “Why do camels have humps?” Mother: “Well son, we are desert animals, we need the humps to store water, and we are known to survive(..)
A father asks his 12-year-old son to go into the backyard and remove a tree stump. The boy, eager to show his dad his ability to execute this manly task, runs out and begins to push the stump with all his might. After about 20 minutes of huffing and puffing, the stump stood there without a change in position. Soon, the boy realizes that his dad was(..)
Close to a battlefield over 200 years ago, a man in civilian clothes rode upon a small group of exhausted, battle-weary soldiers digging an obviously important defensive position. The section leader, making no effort to help, was shouting orders and threatening punishment if the work was not completed within the hour. “What are you doing?”(..)
Here is a page from the dairy of two guys who shared the same last name—Mr. Percentile. One of them was very intelligent; his name was Mr. Ninety Percentile. The second was just an ordinary man; his name was Mr. Ten Percentile. Now, Ninety wanted to make some quick bucks and lured Ten into a bet. The bet proposition was that each of them would ask(..)
Once, a middle-aged jobless man was invited to a networking dinner. He put on his trousers and t-shirt, then opened the closet to discover that he had only three pieces of formal wear left—a shirt, a tie, and a jacket. “Great”, he said, “I get to use my full wardrobe today”. So, he put on his shirt, tie, and jacket and had a great evening.(..)
Two travelling monks reached the bank of a river, where they met a young lady of the night. Wary of the current, she asked whether they could carry her across. The first monk just stood there hesitantly, but the second one quickly lifted her up onto his shoulders. Together, the monks waded through the river until they reached the other side, where the(..)
There was once a group of tiny frogs who arranged a competition. Their goal was to climb the ladder that was resting against the top of a very high tower. A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race. The race began. No one in the crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower. You heard statements such as:(..)
One day, two travellers arrive at a tribal village and are welcomed by the chief. After a warm welcome, the chief tells them “I have a wager for both of you. The winner gets my beautiful daughter’s hand and my inheritance. The loser gets a pot of gold”. It was a no-lose proposition. The generous offer reflected the chief’s good heart and wealth.(..)
The subject of leadership is complex. Fortunately, the insights reside in simple stories. There was once a man who decided to counsel his lazy son through an illustration. One fine morning, he declared that he was going to bring food to the table only if his son earns Rs 200/-. The mother felt bad for her son and silently sneaked him the money and said:(..)
A little boy went into a grocery store and reached for a soda carton. He, then, pulled it towards a payphone. Back in the day cell phones had not invaded our lives as much as it has today—few places still had payphones. The boy climbed onto the carton to reach the phone buttons and punched in the digits. The store owner quietly observed and(..)
Once a young professional approached a successful man to seek guidance on the secret of excellence. The man asked, “But why do you wish to pursue excellence?” The youngster replied, “So that my seniors notice my work, and I am rewarded accordingly.” The man smiled and beckoned the young man to accompany him on a short road trip. They drove down(..)
A discontented man prays every night, “God, I am the unhappiest man on the Earth! No sooner do I sort one problem, another one pops up. I beg you to exchange my worries with someone else – anyone will do!” Then one night, God comes in his dream, “Gather all of your miseries into a bag and bring it to the temple hall.” When the man wakes(..)
Once there lived a man who was always scared and would run away from everything he feared. Tired of living a scared life, he went to a wise man for guidance, “Master, I have been a coward all my life. Please teach me to be brave.” “Sure, but only on one condition,” Master replied. “For one month, every stranger who crosses your path, tell(..)
