"Don’t Quit. Keep Playing”

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized. That's the way it is in life. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life's work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Author: Unknown Photo Credit:  By Gryffindor, CC-BY-SA-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

When Life is Gray

When Life is Gray

~Rich Muller ~

Life is a funny thing. There are times when a person feels great about themselves; their self-esteem is at its all-time high, everything in the world looks and feels as beautiful as a cool, crisp fall day…nothing can be better. Then come the “down times” in life; the moments in life when an individual feel like they are beaten, battered and worthless. It seems as though nobody cares about what they say (or do), their self-confidence is gone and life just appears to be going nowhere.

It is during these rough times that two kinds of people are made; ones that dwell on the negative and are forever stuck in the quagmire of worthlessness and self-doubt or the folks that deal with bad situations by determining what they can learn from their situation and use it in a positive way to help themselves and to encourage others.

In today’s story, see how ONE PERSON saw a heartbreaking situation and decided to do something encouraging…and notice the effect it had not only on the individual that was dealing with the hardship but how it affected the other people around him. What started out as an individual act of kindness turned into an experience in which a group got involved and turned the depressing situation into a fantastic experience for everyone that was involved. Also, observe the affect it had on the person that was receiving the encouragement. It’s truly amazing when you watch the affect of what a group of people, all focused on one goal in a positive manner, can accomplish.

The power of positive thinking, encouraging others and the ability not to stay “bogged down”, not only allows a person to feel better about themselves, but demonstrate an act of compassion that can not only help themselves but enhance other peoples feeling of worth.

So, the next time you are “down and out” and life throws you a “curve ball” (or even if you are enjoying a “high” in life)…think to yourself…what am I doing with the gifts and abilities that I have been blessed to have? Am I going to wallow in self-pity or am I going to decide to try and make a difference in another person’s life and be an encouragement to the people and friends around you…like the one man started in the video? What can you do when your life is a gloomy and ominous?? Help and encourage other people. You will be surprised how quickly your view on your life will chance. So…what are you going to do?  The choice is yours.

------------------------------

Have any inspiring and / or motivating stories? Please let me know:  richmullercoach@gmail.com

If you are getting this article via email and want to read more inspiring and interesting stories, go to my full Blog Page:  http://soup-heart.blogspot.com

Live. Laugh. Love.