PREFACE: The monk who sold his Ferrari! 9 talismen Inner Pages (4),Book 12.pdfJulian came down from...

1 | Page The 9 Talismen

One of the outstanding books written by Robin Sharma is the one I mentioned above. It is all about a man who had everything

that life could offer: wealth, fame, ,a lawyer by profession and a corporate success but felt that there was something more to LIFE. He decided to come to India and go up to the Himalayas and there in the silence of a Monastery of Monks found at last the PEACE, JOY and PURPOSE for his life and not for him alone but to share it with the world.

One of the monks shared with him certain “Talismans”(Charms) each symbolizing a chipping of our own block of marble to build our own beauty Within” and placed them safely in a pouch together with a short explanation of each “Talisman” insisting that not one but all taken together could bring about a change for the better in one’s life. The man’s name was Julian and he cherished that little pouch and kept it close to his heart.

One day a terrible fire broke out and all that he could save was that pouch with the precious “Talismans” and their deep inner meaning. He was so afraid to lose them that he chose to place each one of them in safe custody with a friend he could trust in different parts of the world.

PREFACE: The monk who sold his Ferrari!


Julian came down from the Himalayas a totally transformed man and his entire life is beautifully described by Robin Sharma in: “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”. Julian had saved his own life from the machinations of wealth, vain glory and fame but after chiseling his beauty within he was keen to reach out to the thousands, nay millions hungering for the same.

A distraught mother who was terribly upset with her son Jonathan and the way his entire life was leading him to destruction approached Julian. Julian to save that soul thought out a brilliant idea of once again collecting those precious “Talismans with their unique power to transform lives” and help Jonathan to work out his beauty within..

Jonathan had a broken family, his excellent career was not giving him the joy and satisfaction he thought it would and his life was in a mess. It took heroic courage to undertake the MISSION to recover the “Talismans” spread all over the wide world but he did and you and I will benefit from his journeys all over the world but more, he saved his family life, his values were now built on solid rock and his life was saved. I would like to share with you what I picked up from: THE SECRET LETTERS of the MONK who sold his Ferrari written by Robin Sharma, another Best seller.

This is what Julian shares with Jonathan:“During my travels deep in the Himalayas, I had the great good fortune of coming upon an exceptional sage. He was a monk, one of the Sages ofSivana. He took me high into the mountains to the village


where the Sages lived, studied and worked. The sages taught me many remarkable lessons I would like to share with you. Individually the lessons are just tokens but together they hold extraordinary transformative powers. They can in effect be lifesaving.

In the following Chapters we shall take the Talismans one by one in separate Chapters that will help you to chisel your own beauty within..


Sometime ago I came across an article in the Times of India entitled: How Francis became the POPE OF HOPE.

The Vicar of Christ is preaching the Gospel in word and deed. The Pope’s mystique started on that night in his election, when he took a bus with the other cardinals, refusing to travel in the papal limousine. His plain white robes stood out as he spoke out to the media that he wanted a “poor church, for the poor.”

But what makes this Pope so important is the speed with which he has captured the imaginations of millions who had given up on hoping for the church at all. In a matter of months Francis has elevated this healing ministry of the church - the church as servant and comforter of hurting people in an often harsh world.

His pro-poor message for the poor was not a change of direction for the church, away from cultural issues like gay marriages, abortion or contraception but a return to the core values of Christianity. And at a time when atheisms has gained ground rapidly in the world, he has made Catholic Christianity cool again.

The power to be authentic and genuine:“First Talisman”(Charm)


This is the power of authenticity in action!

“The most important gift we can give ourselves is the commitment to living our authentic life. To be true to ourselves however is not easy.

We must break free from the seductions of society and live life on our own terms, under our own values and aligned with our original dreams. We must tap our hidden selves, explore the deep seated, unseen hopes, desires, strength and weaknesses that make us who we are. We have to understand where we have been and where we are going. Every decision we make, every step we take must be informed by our commitment to living a life that is true and honest and authentic, in ourselves and in ourselves alone. And as we proceed, we are certain to experience fortune well beyond our highest imagination” Robin Sharma.


A delightful article I came across in The Speaking Tree was: “All that went missing in Your life’!

He puts a question to himself: How come I am missing so much in life? The author says: Having travelled and met a wide cross section of people from all over the world I find that the one common factor that connect them all is the tendency to complain nonstop. If people are asked to say a few words on their life, it will be lumps, bumps, the unfairness of life and above all fears.

A person came to a monastery to stay for a few days and learn spiritual values. After the first day of stay when asked how his stay was he said: “Pillow was bad”. On the second day he said: “Bed was bad”. On the third day he said: “Food was lousy”. After the fifth day he said he was leaving. The head of the monastery said: “I knew right from the first day that you will quit, for you were in a world of complaints and fears”. Whosoever is lost in complaints and fears has quit life.

A priest was teaching his young seminarians how to give a sermon and he stressed the importance of body language.

Embrace your Fears :The Second Talisman

“When you speak of heaven, your face should radiate heavenly joy, when you speak of compassion, your face should flow with compassion and when you speak of giving, your whole body should be reverberating with giving”. “What about when we speak of hell” ? a student asked. He got the surprise of his life when the priest said:“Your normal face is OK!”.

When you see the beauty of the sky, you don’t need time but alertness. When you listen to music attentively, are you not alert? In that alertness is peace and stillness. When the mind is still, then the mind can understand and face fears. WHEN THE MIND IS IN CONFLICT, IT CANNOT SEE CLEARLY.

In an attentive state the mind is alert and can understand and face every situation and fears.

“What holds us back in life is the invisible architecture of fear. It keeps us in our comfort zones, which are, in truth the least of safe places in which to live. Indeed, the greatest risk in life, is taking ,no risks. But every time we do that which we fear, we take back the power of fear that was stolen from us, for on the other side of our fear,

lives our strength. Every time we step into the discomfort of growth and progress, we become freer. The more fears we walk through, the more power we reclaim. In this way, we grow both fearless and powerful, and thus are able to live the lives of our dreams Robin Sharma.



Here is a true story, a small gesture, a glass of milk. One day, a poor boy was selling clothing door to door, to pay for his education. He realized he had only ten cents left in his pocket. He was hungry and so decided to ask for some food at the next house that he came to.

In the meantime he lost his hunger when a beautiful young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal, he asked for a glass of water. She saw that he was very hungry so instead brought him a huge glass of milk.

He drank it very slowly and then asked. “How much do I owe you?” “You do not owe me anything at all” she replied. “My mother taught us never to accept anything for being kind to someone”.

He replied: “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart”. When Howard Kelly left the house, as well as feeling stronger physically, he sensed a return of his faith in the Lord he had nearly abandoned.

Years later this same young woman fell gravely ill. The local doctors were mystified, so they sent her to the big city where they knew specialists would be able to diagnose the rare sickness.

Live with Kindness :The Third Talisman


Doctor Howard Kelly was called as a consultant. When he heard the name of the city where she lived, a memory burned brightly in his eyes. He got up and went to her room.

As he entered the room, he immediately recognized her. He returned to the consultant room, determined to do his best to save her life; from that day on, he paid special attention to this case.

After a long battle, the war was finally won. Doctor Kelly left instructions that the bill should be sent to him for authorization. He looked it over, wrote something in the margin, and sent it to her room. The woman thought that when she opened the envelope she

would find an invoice that would take the rest of her life to pay in full. But when she finally opened it, something caught her attention in the margin of the invoice. She read these words: “Paid in full with a glass of milk: Doctor Howard Kelly”.

Tears of joy filled her eyes and her heart. She prayed: “Thank you Lord, for your love has crossed the hands and hearts of man”. There is a saying that goes like this: “Bread thrown over the water returns to you”.

An act of goodness that you do today can come back to you or someone that you love, when you are not expecting it. If you do not see this act of goodness returned, at least you will have made a difference in this world. And in the end that’s what life is all about?


How true, many people pass through our lives but only real friends leave their imprint in our hearts. Kindness is the language the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

Jesus’ Blessing: “Whoever gives a cup of cold water to drink, I say to you, he shall not lose his reward”. Mathew 10:42.

Lord, help me always to act in courtesy and love.

Live Kindness: It is important to remember that just as our words are our thoughts verbalized, so our deeds are our beliefs actualized. No action, no matter how small, is insignificant. How we treat someone defines how we treat everyone, including ourselves.

If we disrespect another, we disrespect ourselves. If we are mistrustful of others, we are distrustful of ourselves. If we are cruel to another, we will be cruel to ourselves.If we can’t appreciate those around us,we won’t appreciate ourselves.

With every person we engage, in everything we do, we must be kinder than expected, more generous than anticipated, more positive than we thought possible. Every moment in front of another human being is an opportunity to express our highest values and to influence someone with our humanity. We can make the world better, one person at a time. Robin Sharma.


In many of our Hymn Books we find many consoling and encouraging words for our daily living. A Hymn that has always touched a chord in my heart is: “One Day at a time!” the words are an encouragement to live this ideal:

“I’m only human, I’m just a woman (man)

Make me believe, in all I could be

And all that I am

Show me the stairway I have to climb

So for my sake teach me to take

One day at a time….

One day at a time, Lord Jesus

That’s all I’m asking from You

Just give me the strength to do everything

What I have to do.

Yesterday’s gone, Lord Jesus,

Tomorrow may never be mine,

Lord, help me today, show me the way

One day at a time……

The power to make small daily progress :The Fourth Talisman


Robin Sharma has this to say: “Make small daily progress.”

“The way we do small things determines the way that we do everything. If we execute our minor tasks well, we will also excel at our larger efforts. Mastery then becomes our way of being. But more than this, each tiny effort builds on the next, so that brick by brick, magnificent things can be created,

great confidence grows and uncommon dreams are realized. The truly wise recognize that small daily improvements always lead to exceptional results over time.”

This reminds me of the Examination of Conscience that Ignatius Loyola the Founder of the Jesuits and a master of Spiritual Life and Progress offered as a MUST to every

Jesuits to make progress in prayer and union with God. He insisted on each Jesuit spending twice a day, fifteen minutes at mid-day and then before going to bed in examining how the day went.

I will deal briefly with the Five Points to be kept in mind:

Point One: Praise and Thanksgiving to God for Blessings received.

Point Two: Ask for the Grace to view clearly the half day spent.

Point Three: Examine and note how the hours were spent.

Point Four: Ask for forgiveness for sins and mistakes committed.

Point Five: Grace and strength to do better.

Ignatius Loyola did not mind the Jesuits studying for their degrees in colleges to shorten their one hour of daily prayer but insisted on every Jesuit being faithful to their Examine of Conscience. This Method has helped not only Jesuits, not only Catholics, but everyone who wants to grow into a better human being day by day. A Daily Diary can be a good help.



The Perfume is a true story how to use the power within you to lead your best life and do your best work.

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs.Thomson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he

constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thomson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad pen, making bold X’s and then putting a big ‘F’ at the top of his papers.

In the school where Mrs. Thomson taught, she was required to review each child’s past records and put Teddy’s off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise. Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote: ‘Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners. He is joy to be around.’ His second grade

teacher wrote: ‘Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his class mates, but he is troubled because his mother has a

The Power to lead your best life andto do your best work: The Fifth Talisman


terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle’. His third grade teacher wrote: ‘His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father does not show much interest and his home life will soon affect him, if some steps aren’t taken’. Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote: ‘Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class’.

By now, Mrs. Thomson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas gifts wrapped in bright paper with beautiful ribbons, except Teddy’s.

His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thomson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children’s laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say:“Mrs.Thomson, today, you smelled just like my Mom used to”.

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead she began to teach children. Mrs. Thomson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive.


The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.

By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class. Despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her pets!

She was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school and stood third in hisclass and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his life. Four years later she received another letter from Teddy. This time he explained that he had got his Bachelor’s Degree and decided to pursue his studies further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter signed: Theodore E.Stoddard.MD.

The story does not end there. You see there was another letter that spring. Teddy said that he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs.Thomson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs.Thomson did. And guess what?

She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.Thomson’s ear: “THANK YOU, MRS. THOMSON FOR BELIEVING IN ME, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING ME

FEEL IMPORTANT AND SHOWING ME THAT I COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE”.

Mrs. Thomson with tears in her eyes whispered back. She said “TEDDY, YOU HAVE IT ALL WRONG. YOU WERE THE ONE WHO TAUGHT ME THAT I COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO TEACH UNTIL I MET YOU.”

Teddy Stoddard became a Doctor at the Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines that has the STODDARD CANCER WING.

Robin Sharma tells us:“To Lead Your Best Life. Do your best work. There is no insignificant work in the world. All labor is a chance to express personal talents, to create an art and to realize the genius we are meant to be. We must work like Picasso,who painted with devotion, passion, energy and excellence. In this way our productivity will not only become a source of inspiration to others but it will have an impact, making a difference in the lives around us. One of the greatest secrets of a life beautifully lived is to do work that matters. And to succeed to such a state of mastery in it that, people can’t take their eyes off you”.

Both the story above and Robin Sharma’s words can warm your heart today. It will make a difference in your life and for sure, someone else’s life too. Just DO IT!



Here is a story of Three Questions that were asked by the Emperor Akbar to his very dear friend and adviser Birbal.

The friendship between Akbar and Birbal was growing by leaps and bounds. The emperor was very fond of Birbal and used to consult him in all matters of the state. Because of the Emperor’s love for Birbal, certain courtiers were very jealous of Birbal. Some of them always plotted to degrade Birbal in front of the king but nothing was working for them.

Birbal was also the chief minister and one particular jealous minister coveted his post During one of those days when Akbar was praising Birbal in front of the courtiers, the courtier got very angry and challenged Birbal to answer three questions. He also

expressed his displeasure at the Emperor praising Birbal every now and then. He put forward the condition that, if Birbal manages to answer all of his questions, he would readily accept that Birbal was the most intelligent of them all.

Akbar was also ready to test Birbal’s wit, so he readily agreed.

The Power to choose your Influences well:The Sixth Talisman


The Questions were as follows: “How many stars are there in the sky? Where is the centre of the earth? And what is the actual number of males and females in the world ?

Birbal as usual was up to the challenge and accepted the condition that if he did not manage to answer the questions, he would resign from the post of Chief Minister.

For the answer to the first question, Birbal brought a hairy sheep into the court and claimed that the number of stars were equal to the number of hairs on the sheep’s body. If the courier did not believe him, he was free to count them.

Whilst answering the second question, he drew a couple of straight lines on the floor and bore an iron rod in between them. Thereafter, he claimed that this was the centre of the earth and if the courier had any doubts whatever, he was free to measure it accurately.

The third answer was the most interesting one. Birbal expressed difficulty in counting the exact number of males and females in the world as there were some people like the courtier who could be termed neither male nor female in the world, such people have to be killed. With his wit and presence of mind, Birbal yet again managed to win the day and save his position.

Robin Sharma does not want us to save any position we hold but gives us guide lines as to whom we can trust and rely on.

He says: Choose your influence well!

“We do not move through our days alone or apart from the world around us. And so we must always be aware of the things and the people we allow into our lives. It’s a work of wisdom to

choose to spend more in those places that inspire and energize you and associate with those people who elevate and uplift you. Whether in our work or within our personal lives, these most positive friends and peers will inspire us to be our greatest selves and to lead our largest lives”.



I was amazed to read what Robin Sharma so pointedly stresses:

“Most people don’t discover what is most important in life until they are too old to do anything about it. They spend many of their best years pursuing things that matter little in the end. While society invites us to fill our lives with material objects, the best part of us knows that the more basic pleasures are the ones that enrich and sustain us. No matter how easy or hard our current conditions, we all have a wealth of simple blessings around us, waiting to be counted. As we do, our happiness grows our gratitude expands and each day becomes a breath taking gift”.

An interesting story is the one of the Laughing Buddhas:

There were three laughing Buddhas. All three were bald, jolly, fat men with generous potbellies. They did nothing, apart from moving from one village to another. They would stand in the market place and on mall roads and start laughing.

Laughing became contagious in the whole market place, nothing traded except laughing. This changed the quality of life in the villages and everyone felt rejuvenated. These three saints did not preach any religion or philosophy and gave no commandments or any sermons but the people became aware of the simple Blessings that were all around them and could be enjoyed.

Life’s simplest pleasures are life’sgreatest Joys!: The Seventh Talisman


As chronological time advanced, they too became old. One day news spread across the village that one of the laughing saints had passed away. The entire village gathered to pay homage to the departed soul. But they were both surprised and annoyed, too. At this sad moment, the remaining two saints were laughing, dancing and rejoicing. The villagers expressed anguish and questioned their behavior. The laughing saints now spoke for the first time.

They said: “During our entire life we enjoyed, laughed and danced together. This is our gift to our departed friend we had committed to make death a celebration. Whoever would depart first would be the celebrity for the day, so please try and understand why we are laughing”.

Their friend’s body was now taken to the cremation hall and when the pyre was lit, the departed saint had the last laugh.

Suddenly the entire atmosphere was charged. It had changed into a festival of light. The whole village now started laughing as they paid their tribute to the departed soul: one who had taught them to enjoy the simple joys and blessings that surround us each day. There was laughing, smiling and dancing.

Robin Sharma reminds us that we have not to wait for sad moments to recall the joys and blessings we encounter in our daily lives but to enjoy them every day of our lives so that each day becomes a breath taking gift in our day to day lives.


Is this purpose worth following? Judge for yourself from two beautiful life stories and realize what true love is and demands:

True Love: One day a young boy and a young girl fell in love. The girl’s parents were not too happy as the boy was not from a rich family. In due time the parents

saw that he was a good man and worthy of their daughter’s hand. But then, there was another problem. The man was a soldier. Soon war broke out and he was being sent overseas for a year. The week before he left, he knelt before his love and asked: “Will you marry me?” She wiped a tear and said: “Yes”. They got engaged and agreed that when he came back they would get married.

Then tragedy struck. A few days after he left, the girl met with an accident. It was a head on collision on the road. When she woke up in the hospital, she saw her parents crying. She knew there was something wrong. She learnt that due to a brain injury, she had lost control over her facial muscles. Her once lovely face was disfigured. She cried as she saw herself in the mirror. “Today I am a monster”.

Her body too was covered with ugly wounds. She decided to release her fiancée from their promise. She knew he wouldn’t

“The purpose of life is to Love. How well you live,comes down to how much you love.

The Heart is wiser than the head.Honor it, trust it, follow it : “The Eight Talisman”


want her anymore. She would forget about him and never see him again.

For one year the soldier wrote many letters but she wouldn’t answer.

He phoned her many times but she would not return his calls. After one year the mother walked into her room and announced: “He’s back from the war!” The girl shouted: “No, please don’t tell him about me, don’t tell him I am here”. The mother said he is getting married and handed her a wedding invitation. The girl’s heart sank.

She knew she still loved him but she had to forget him now! With great sadness she opened the wedding invitation. And then she saw her name on it.

Confused she asked: “What is this?” That is when the young man entered her room with a bouquet of flowers. He knelt besides her and asked: “Will you marry me?” The girl covered her face with her hands and said “I’m ugly!” The man said:“Without your permission your mother sent me your photos. When I saw them I realized that nothing had changed. You are still the person I fell in love with. You are still as beautiful as ever, because I love you!”

Loving someone:

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old one morning the husband saw a


medicine bottle open. He was late for work, so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cup board. The wife totally preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle and fascinated with its colour, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults to be taken in small doses.

When the child collapsed, the mother hurried him to the hospital where he died. She was stunned. She was terrified to faceher husband.

When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words.

What do you think were the four words? The husband just said: “I love you, darling!”

The husband’s totally unexpected reaction is proactive behavior. The child was dead. He could never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides if he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. She had also lost her only child.

What she needed at this moment was consolation and sympathy and compassion from her husband. That is what he gave her.

If everyone can look at life with this perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world.


The Ninth Talisman:: Stand for someone BIGGER than yourself.

I would like to share with you how an Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore summarized the values and Principles in a poem not so commonly known:

“Do not go to the temple to put flowers, fill your heart with the fragrance of love.

Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God, first remove the darkness of sin in your heart.

Go not into the temple to bow your head in prayer, first learn to bow in humility to your fellow men and women.

Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees, first bend down to lift someone who is down trodden.

Go not to the temple to ask for forgiveness of your sins, first forgive from the heart all those who have sinned against you.”

A wonderful Saint Augustine who from a debauched life turned over a beautiful new leaf could cry aloud: “Late, have I love Thee, O Beauty so ancient and yet so new, Late have I loved Thee” and could sum up his new life with the words: “Our heart was made for Thee O God and it is restless until it rests in you.”

How true another Saint Iraneus in the Fourth Century could verbalise man’s life with these excellent words: “The Glory of God is a human being fully human and fully alive.”

A very interesting story that you and I can make capital in our lives is the story of two Nazi prisoners who after the war were released from the Nazi prison and after a few years had passed,


met once again. They were brutally treated and tortured in the Nazi concentration Camp and when they met, one asked the other, “Have you forgiven the Nazis for all they did to you?” The man replied that he had long ago forgotten and forgiven all that pain and sorrow. Then he turned to him and asked, “ What about you? Have you forgiven and forgotten all that sorrow and pain?” He replied, “I still hate the Nazis from the depths of my heart and would do anything to have my revenge.” Then his friend looked at him sadly and said: “The Nazis still have you in prison!”.

Now let me share with you a lighter story and one of delightful humor. Many years ago lived a kind and generous man named Naseruddin. One New Year’s day a friend visited him and offered him a live duck. Naseruddin very kindly asked his wife to cook the duck and both enjoyed a good meal. But after a week a man claiming to be a friend of the friend who had given Naseruddin the duck came by and demanded to be treated. Every week someone would claim to a friend of the friend who had given the duck and demanded to be treated.

Now there is a limit to human kindness and generosity. So one fine day when a man came and claimed to be a friend of the friend who gave the duck, Naseruddin asked his wife to boil some steaming hot water and placed it before the guest. The man was very angry for not being treated well but Naserudin politely told him, “My friend, this is the soup of the soup of the duck your friend gave me!”

Naseruddin had a good sense of humor and you and I will need a deep sense of humor as we strive along living each and every Talisman.

Here is a story not to go through life so fast but to hear God whispering to you.

A young and successful executive was travelling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast on his Jaguar car. He kept a watch for kids darting from parked cars when suddenly a brick smashed into the Jaguar’s side door. He spun the car back to the spot and got off the car and grabbed the boy who had thrown the brick. “Why did you throw that brick? it is going to cost a lot of money to repair the dent” “ Please Mister, I did not know what else to do. I threw the brick because no one else would stop.” Tears were rolling down his cheek as he pointed to his crippled brother who had rolled out from the wheel chair and he was too heavy to be lifted up and put back on the chair. “Would you please help me to get him back to the chair? he is hurt and too heavy for me.”

Moved beyond words the executive, the lump of anger in his throat, lifted the boy onto the wheel chair. “Thank you and may God bless you,” said the grateful boy. The executive watched the boy push the wheel chair down the path and he took a slow walk to his car. He decided never to repair the dent on the side door as a reminder to him not to go so fast through life that someone had to throw a stone or a brick to get him to attention. Life is much more than living for ourselves. We have a choice to listen to God’s whisper or wait for a brick!.

One more story to keep us humble and thankful to God!.

Some years ago on a hot summer day a little boy in the State of Florida decided to go for a swim in the old lake behind his house. He dived into the water and swam to the middle of the lake,


without realizing that a crocodile was swimmg towards the shore. His mother, who was looking out of the window saw the two as they got coser and closer together. In utter fear she ran towards the lake, yelling to her son as loudly as she could. Hearing her voice the boy became alarmed and made a U turn swim towards his mother. It was just too late. Just as he reached his mother, the crocodile reached him. From the shore the mother grabbed her little boy by the arms just as the crocodile snatched at his legs. An incredible tug-of war began. The crocodile was stronger but the mother was more passionate. A farmer happened to drive by and heard her screams, raced to his truck, took his gun and took aim and shot the crocodile.

After weeks and weeks in the hospital, the boy survived. His legs were scarred by the vicious attack of the crocodile. His arms bore deep scratches where his mother’s finger nails dug into his flesh in her effort to hang on to him, the son she loved. The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy asked him if he would show him the scars. He showed him the scars on his legs and the added, “ Look at my arms too. I have scars because my mother would not let me go.”

We too can identify ourselves with that little boy. We too have scars, not from a crocodile or anything quite so dramatic. But we have scars of some painful past, scars that have caused deep hurts but we also have other scars because God refused to let go. In the midst of all our struggles God has been holding on to us.



A LIFE AT THE SERVICE OF LOVE

Perhaps you have heard of the Psalm of Life? This is what a young person said to the Psalmist:

Tell me not, in mournful numbers, Life is but an empty dream.

For the soul is dead that slumbers, And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not the goal,

Dust thou art to dust returnest, was not spoken of the soul

Not enjoyment and not sorrow is our destined end or way;

But to act that each tomorrow finds us better than today

Art is long and Time is fleeting, and our hearts though stout and brave

Still like muffled drums are beating funeral marches to the grave.

In the world’s broad field of battle, in the bivouac of life

Be not like dumb driven cattle, be a Hero in the strife

Trust no future however unpleasant, let the dead bury the dead!

Act, act in the living present, heart within and God over head

Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime

And departing, leave behind us, Footprints on the sands of time,

Footprints that perhaps another sailing o’er life’s solemn main,

Seeing shall take heart again. Let us then be up and doing,

With a heart for any fate, still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labour and to wait.

- Henry Longfellow

Robin Sharma: There are no extra people alive today. Every single one of us is here for some purpose- a mission. Yes, build a beautiful life for yourself and those you love. Yes, be happy and have a lot of fun. And yes, become successful, on your own terms rather than on those suggested to you by society. But, above all else, be

significant: Make your life matter:: The Ninth Talisman:Stand for someone BIGGER than yourself is the Ninth and Last Talisman.

Who BIGGER than JESUS to inspire you to make your life matter?


THE NINE TALISMANS

1. First Talisman: The Power to be authentic and genuine.

2. Second Talisman: Embrace your Fears.

3. ThirdTalisman: Live with Kindness.

4. Fourth Talisman: The power to make small daily progress

5. Fifth Talisman: T he power to lead your best life and do your best work.

6. Sixth Talisman: The power to choose your influences well.

7. Seventh Talisman: Life’s simplest pleasures are life’s greatest joys.

8. Eight Talisman: The purpose of life is to Love. How well you live comes down to how well you loved. The heart is wiser than the head: Honor it, trust it, follow it.

9. Ninth Talisman: Stand for someone BIGGER than yourself.


PREFACE: The monk who sold his Ferrari! 9 talismen Inner Pages (4),Book 12.pdfJulian came down from...

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Transcript of PREFACE: The monk who sold his Ferrari! 9 talismen Inner Pages (4),Book 12.pdfJulian came down from...