Author: SridharRudravaram

One day, a professor entered a classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously, at their desks, for the test to begin. The professor handed out the question paper, with the text facing down, as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked his students to turn the page and begin.

To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions; just a black dot in the center of the page. The professor, seeing the expression on everyone’s face, told them, “I want you to write what you see there.”

The students, confused, began the inexplicable task.

At the end of the class, the professor took all the answer papers and started reading each one of them, aloud, in front of the whole class. All of them had described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, etc.

After he had read aloud all the answers, the professor began explaining, to the now silent class –

“I am not going to grade you on this! I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot. The same happens in our lives. We have a white paper to observe and enjoy, but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a gift and, we always have reasons to celebrate —the nature renewing itself every day, our friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood, the miracles we see every day…

However, we insist on focusing only on the dark spots — health issues that bother us, lack of money, complicated relationships, disappointment with a friend, children not studying well, and so on.

The dark spots are very small compared to everything life provides us with; yet, they are the ones that coagulate our minds.

Take your eyes away from these black spots. Enjoy each moment of your life, each blessing.”

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with, out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting A little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck Square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved.

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see. His sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the Dishes.” But Sally said, “Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.” Then she whispered to him, “Remember the duck?” So Johnny did the dishes.

Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go Fishing and Grandma said, “I’m sorry but I need Sally to help make Supper.” Sally just smiled and said,” Well that’s all right because Johnny
told me he wanted to help.” She whispered again, “Remember the duck?” So Sally Went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, He finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, “Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.
Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done. And the devil Keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad Habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.) .

Whatever it is….You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven.

He’s just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness, He Not only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God’s grace and Mercy that we are saved.

There was a boy whose father was a horse trainer. And because of his father’s job, they had to keep moving from stable to stable, from ranch to ranch, training horses. The boy’s schooling was, thus, constantly interrupted. One day at school, his teacher asked him to write about what he wanted to be when he grew up. He did not hesitate a minute and wrote a seven-page paper about his aim to be an owner of a horse ranch. He wrote down many details, drew a location of buildings and stables and even a detailed house plan.
The papers were graded, and the boy received his paper back with the word “F Grade” scrawled on the front page. After the class, he approached the teacher and asked: “Why did I get an F Grade?”
The teacher responded: “I had asked you to write about a realistic dream. For a boy like you, who has no money, no resources and who comes from itinerant family, this dream is too far-fetched. There is no possibility that you will reach your goals one day.” Then the teacher offered to write the paper again with a more realistic view, about a more achievable dream. Later at home, the dispirited boy told his father the events of the day and asked his father how he should act. His father answered: “A decision of such importance should be made by you, without interference from anyone; so you have to make your own mind on this”
After a few days, the boy approached his teacher with another paper. To the teacher’s surprise, there were no changes made to the paper, it was the exact same description of his dream. To answer the teacher’s questioning look, the boy said:
“Keep the ‘F‘ and I will keep my dream”
The boy, known as Monty Roberts, is presently, the owner of a 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of a 200-acre horse ranch. Roberts’ first book, The Man Who Listens to Horses was published in 1996 and stayed in the New York Times Bestsellers list for 58 weeks, selling more than five million copies worldwide, including translations into over 15 languages. Three documentaries on Roberts have been released; also, he has his own television show on Horse & Country channel, Backstage Pass with Monty Roberts. He has received an honorary doctorate in animal psychology from the University of Zurich in Switzerland, amongs’t several other accolades. He still has that school paper, which is framed over his fireplace.

Moral: You have to follow your heart and never let anyone to steal your dreams; if you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.