When you wholeheartedly adopt a 'with all your heart' attitude and go all out with the positive principle, you can do incredible things - Norman Vincent Peale

InspirEmail

InspirEmail No 160 - June 1, 2009
'Inspirational messages to refresh the spirit and boost the emotional bank account'

Well worn habits, take time to change

Once upon a time, there was a very large bear who lived in a cage in a zoo. He had lived there from the time that he was a very small bear. But now his cage was not big enough for him and he could only walk about the length of his own body in each direction.

Despite this, each day the bear would walk up and down his cage, back and forth, step by step. As you would no doubt guess he had come to know his cage very well and had even worn tracks into the floor from the years of pacing back and forth. And so each day he continued to would walk in one direction, and then when there was nowhere else to go, he would turn around and walk in the other direction.

One day the management of the zoo decided that the bear needed a bigger space to live in. So plans were completed and construction started on the bigger cage. It would have a tree for him to climb and scratch against, real grass for him to roll on, a small swimming hole, a cave to sleep in, and one day soon, maybe even another bear to play with and keep him company.

After several months of construction, the bear's new home was finished and so it came time for the official opening so the bear could enjoy his new and beautiful big living area. With the bear in his old cage, it was lifted high into the air and lowered slowly onto the grass in his new home. The bear paced back and forth, back and forth in his old cage . . . no doubt wondering what was happening.

A small ceremony was held in front of all those who were in attendance and then the cage door was opened. After a few minutes, the bear stopped pacing back and forth and very reluctantly stepped out of the cage where he had spent the majority of his life. As he stood there in his new surroundings, his very small and old cage was slowly lifted out of his new home. So there he stood, on the fresh green grass, with tree to climb, the swimming hole and a big cave to sleep in.

The crowd who had gathered for the opening ceremony watched on in anticipation.

After a few minutes . . . the bear began pacing back and forth again, step by step in an area no bigger than his old cage, just as he had done for most of his life.

For those that were watching on that day it became clear to them that it would take the bear some time to adjust to his new surroundings and break out of the well worn habits he had developed in his old cage.

Such is the nature of change that we do not choose for ourselves - it will more than likely take us some time to adjust to our new environment and hopefully we can then step out and embrace the pleasure of new experiences.

Author Unknown

June's Featured Inspiration

Hugging Life

It was time to break free. I needed to run away and this seasonal change here in Pennsylvania, offered the best place to go. It's time for the Bloomsburg Fair. I don't know if you can call it running away since it is only an hour away from my . . . read the story >>>

Honesty

Morality may consist solely in the courage of making a choice. Wickedness is always easier than virtue, for it takes a short cut to everything. But over time you learn, you can't make wrong work.

There are always two choices, two paths to take. One is easy and your only reward is that it's easy. You cannot do wrong without suffering wrong.

Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results.

You can never lose anything that really belongs to you, and you can't keep that which belongs to someone else.

You always experience the consequences of your own acts. If your acts are right, you'll get good consequences; if not, you'll suffer for it.

Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.

Author Unknown

- Inspirational Quote -

The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings
Okakura Kakuzo

View more Inspirational Quotes >>>

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