Interesting articles
Abraham Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher
He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just, all men are not true.
But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero;
That for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader.
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend.
Steer him away from envy, if you can;
Teach him the secret of quiet laughter.
Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick.
Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books.
But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of
birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.
In the school, teach him it is far honourable to fail than to cheat.
Teach him to have faith in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him they are wrong.
Teach him to be gentle with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.
Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon.
Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also
to filter all he hears on a screen of truth,
and take only the good that comes through.
Teach him if you can, how to laugh when he is sad.
Teach him there is no shame in tears,
Teach him to scoff at cynics
And to beware of too much sweetness.
Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob
and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right.
Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him,
because only the test of fire makes fine steel.
Let him have the courage to be impatient.
Let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will have sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order, but see what you can do.
He is such a fine fellow, my son!
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A Solution to our Problems
If you put a buzzard in a pen six or eight feet square and entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of his ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of ten or twelve feet. Without space to run, as is his habit, he will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
A bumblebee if dropped into an open tumbler will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
In many ways, there are lots of people like the buzzard, the bat, and the bee. They are struggling with all their problems and frustrations, not realising that the answer is right there ABOVE them.
The solution to our problems lies in spirituality. But we are only accustomed to looking for answers in the worldly sphere!
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