Sometimes, an old circulating message is not a mere ’forward’, it actually does carry a point… An old blind man was sitting on a busy street begging for money. On a cardboard sign, he had written: 'Blind - Please help'. However, no one was giving him any money. A young advertising writer walked past and saw the blind man with his sign and the empty(..)
The Zen teacher’s dog loved his evening romp with his master. The dog would race ahead to fetch a stick, then run back, wag his tail, and wait for the next game. On this particular evening, the teacher invited one of his star students to join him – a boy so bright that he questioned everything, including the disciplinary rules that came with Zen(..)
Ever seen geese flying in a ‘V’ formation during their migration? Grace apart, there are two strategies at work. First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of it, bringing about a reduction in wind resistance. Lesson: A good leader makes life easier for the followers. Second, the birds take turns being in(..)
A boy has a superb assortment of colourful stones that he has gathered over the years. He meets a girl with a unique collection of antique coins. The boy is fascinated by the girl’s coins and tells her that he will give her all his stones in exchange for her coins. The girl agrees. The boy sneaks out a couple of his most exquisite stones, and gives the(..)
A hunter in Alaska sighted a majestic mountain lion. Since the wild cat was dangerously close, he fired quickly and aimlessly. He missed. The lion leaped towards the hunter. Fortunately, the lion hopped too high and skipped over the hunter. The relieved hunter returned to the camp and was concerned about his poor aim. So the next morning he went behind(..)
A young executive was leaving the office at 6 PM when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in her hand. "Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document and my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?" “Certainly, Madam" said the young executive. He turned the machine on, inserted the(..)
A heart surgeon took his car to his local garage for a regular service, and ends up striking a conversation with a very skilled but grumpy mechanic. "So tell me," says the mechanic, "I've been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me...” "Yes?" says the surgeon. "Well look at this," says the mechanic,(..)
On a bright sunny morning a group of kids in the neighbourhood found an open field inviting for a game of football. However, there was an issue—they didn’t have a football kit. So, the kids decided that each one of them would bring one item to build the kit. One brought the football, another got the corner flag, and the remaining brought(..)
Once a man was riding a cycle and noticed another rider about half a mile ahead of him. The man realized that the rider was traveling at a speed slightly lower than him, and decided to overtake the latter. The man had about a mile to go on the road before taking his intended turn. So, he started cycling faster and with every block inched closer to the(..)
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.(..)
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 traveler notices an aged man tending to the fields along the road, he stops there and asks him, "I am traveling from the village in the mountains to the village in the valley. And I was wondering if you know what it is like there?" "Tell me," said the aged man, "What was your experience of the village in the mountains?" "Dreadful!" replied the(..)
In 2005, the US National Basketball Association’s Houston Rockets were looking for a talented player to add to their roster. The usual scouting reports and analyses delivered a list of names. Some of them were unavailable or too expensive, and others did not seem like the right fit for the team. Then, using advanced analytics capabilities, the(..)
In 1850 it took the average piece of mail five weeks to travel from Missouri to California. This was frustrating, since in 1848 somebody had discovered gold in the California hills and the wild rush was on. America was moving west and needed a much more efficient, streamlined way to communicate with its West Coast. The Pony Express was the answer. Four(..)
There was a business owner who was deep in debt and could see no way out. He sat on a park bench, head in hands. Suddenly an old man appeared before him. After listening to the man’s woes, the old man said, “I believe I can help you.” He asked the man his name and wrote out a check, “Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from(..)
A young priest was in charge of the garden within a famous Zen temple. Next to this temple there was a smaller temple where lived an old Zen master. Once the priest was expecting special guests in the evening. So he woke up early that day and spent a long time carefully raking up and arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old master(..)
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(..)
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(..)
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(..)
Once a 10-year-old boy walked up to the counter of an ice-cream parlor and climbed onto a stool. He caught the eye of the waitress and asked, “How much is an ice cream sundae?” “One Dollar,” the waitress replied. The boy reached into his pockets, pulled out a handful of change, and began counting. The waitress frowned impatiently. After all, she had(..)
