InspirEmail

InspirEmail No 129 - March 10, 2008
'Inspirational messages to refresh the spirit and boost the emotional bank account'

The old man and the scorpion

One morning, after he had finished his meditation, the old man opened his eyes and saw a scorpion floating helplessly in the water.

As the scorpion was washed closer to the tree, the old man quickly stretched himself out on one of the long roots that branched out into the river and reached out to rescue the drowning creature. As soon as he touched it, the scorpion stung him. Instinctively the man withdrew his hand.

A minute later, after he had regained his balance, he stretched himself out again on the roots to save the scorpion. This time the scorpion stung him so badly with its poisonous tail that his hand became swollen and bloody and his face contorted with pain. At that moment, a passerby saw the old man stretched out on the roots struggling with the scorpion and shouted:

'Hey, stupid old man, what's wrong with you? Only a fool would risk his life for the sake of an ugly, evil creature. Don't you know you could kill yourself trying to save that ungrateful scorpion?'

The old man turned his head. Looking into the stranger's eyes he said calmly, 'My friend, just because it is the scorpion's nature to sting, that does not change my nature to save.'

Author Unknown

The Astronomer

An astronomer used to go out at night to observe the stars. One evening, as he wandered through the suburbs with his whole attention fixed on the sky, he fell accidentally into a deep well.

While he lamented and bewailed his sores and bruises, and cried loudly for help, a neighbour ran to the well, and learning what had happened said,

'Hark ye old fellow, why in striving to pry into what is in heaven, do you not manage to see what is on earth?'

Author Unknown

March's Featured Inspiration

Gift Exchange - lessons about life!

'I just got back from the gift exchange,' she said. 'Did someone give you something you didn't want?' I asked. 'No, not at all. I got more than I thought I would,' she replied. 'So you had too many gifts?' I asked. 'Oh, no. You could never get too . . . read the story >>>

- Inspirational Quote -

What is important is not what happens to us, but how we respond to what happens to us
Jean-Paul Sartre

View more Inspirational Quotes >>>

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InspirEmail

A monthly positive inspirational story and quote to refresh your spirit and boost the emotional bank account. InspirEmail was first published in November 2005 and each issue can be viewed in the Archived InspirEmail Directory located below the latest issue of InspirEmail


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