The “Happiness is Within You” story is a fable about a man who travels to a far-off land in search of happiness. He meets a wise old man who tells him that happiness is not found in distant places, but rather within oneself.
The wise man tells the traveler to seek out a certain tree in a nearby forest, which is said to hold the secret to true happiness.
The traveler searches for the tree, but when he finds it, he is disappointed to see that it looks like any other tree.
The wise man appears again and tells the traveler to cut the tree down and open it up. Inside, the traveler finds nothing but plain, unremarkable wood. Confused and frustrated, he asks the wise man what this means.
The wise man tells him that the true secret to happiness is not in external objects or circumstances, but rather in our own perception and attitude.
Happiness is not found in material things or in achieving external goals, but rather in cultivating an inner sense of peace, contentment, and gratitude.
The story is often used as a metaphor for the idea that true happiness comes from within, and that external factors can only provide temporary pleasure or satisfaction.
The lesson of the story is to focus on cultivating inner peace and contentment, rather than seeking happiness in external objects or circumstances. Love and Blessings
Sir Winston Churchill took three years getting through eighth grade because he had trouble learning English. It seems ironic that years later Oxford University asked him to address its commencement exercises.
He arrived with his usual props. A cigar, a cane and a top hat accompanied Churchill wherever he went. As Churchill approached the podium, the crowd rose in appreciative applause. With unmatched dignity, he settled the crowd and stood confident before his admirers. Removing the cigar and carefully placing the top hat on the podium, Churchill gazed at his waiting audience. Authority rang in Churchill’s voice as he shouted, “Never give up!”
Several seconds passed before he rose to his toes and repeated: “Never give up!” His words thundered in their ears. There was a deafening silence as Churchill reached for his hat and cigar, steadied himself with his cane and left the platform. His commencement address was finished.
Love and Blessing Friend and remember "Never Give Up!" Hugs
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole. Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon. The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch it, expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body, Neither happened! In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand: The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us. We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.
