Sanjana Tarra

Once upon a time, there was a very strong woodcutter looking for a job. He ran into a timber merchant who was hiring and the woodcutter got the position. The pay depended on how much wood was cut down. So long as the woodcutter cut a lot of wood, he would get paid a lot of money. The work conditions were also great as were the hours. For those reasons, the woodcutter was determined to do his best.  His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work.  On the first day, the woodcutter worked diligently; cutting as many trees as he could. Drenched in the sweat of his determination and hard work, he brought 22 trees to his boss!  “Congratulations,” the boss said. “Keep going on that way and keep up the great work!”  Very motivated by the boss’ words, the woodcutter came back the next day revitalized and determined to cut down more trees than he had the day before. Although he worked harder and longer than he did before, ...

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father one morning, that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed. Her father, who was a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked. “Daughter, what do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she hastily replied. “Look close...

Once upon a time, there was an old man named Vikranth who is living along with his wife. They lived in a small house on the outskirts of a city. One day, his wife, who had a very long hair asked him to buy her a comb for her hair to grow well and to be well-groomed. The man felt very sorry and said No. He explained that he did not even have enough money to fix the strap of his watch that he had just broken. She did not insist on her request. The man went to work as usual. But while he was returning back home, he passed by a watch shop, sold his damaged watch at a low price and went to buy a comb for his wife. He came home in the evening with the comb wrapped in his hands ready to give to his wife. But he was surprised when he saw his wife with a very short hair cut. She had sold her hair and was holding a new watch band in her hands for him. Tears flowed simultaneously from their eyes, not for the futility of their actions, but for the reciprocity of their love. ...

Once a young man went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.  He passed the initial interview, and now would meet the director for the final interview. The director discovered from his CV that the youth’s academic achievements were excellent. He asked, Did you obtain any scholarships in school…? The youth answered “NO”. Who paid for your school fees…? ” Parents “, he replied. “Where did they work……?” “They worked as clothes cleaner.” The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect. “Have you ever helped your parents wash the clothes ?” “Never, my parents always wanted me to study and read more books. Besides, my parents can wash clothes faster than me. The director said, “I have a request.  When you go home today, go and clean your parents hands, and then see me tomorrow morning. The youth felt dejected. When he went back home, he asked his parents to let him...

On the first day of the college, a psychologist entered a room with a glass of water to give a stress management presentation to an audience. He held up the glass as he gyrated the room and everyone watched with little interest as they all expected to be asked the classic "is the glass half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on his face, he inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"  The psychologist had captivated the interest of the audience immediately. Answers were called out throughout the room, “6 oz! 11 oz! 150 grams! 250 grams!” The psychologist replied, "Those are some great guesses, but I actually don’t know the weight of this at all.” The crowd laughed a bit and then the psychologist pressed on. “Although I do not know the absolute weight of this glass of water, let me ask you. What would happen if I held it up in the air like this for a few minutes?” “Nothing” the audience replied. “Ok. What about if I held it l...

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...