Fables & Essays for Middle School students

FABLES & ESSAYS for Middle School Students

What Would You Do With A Million Dollars?

The amount of money that will pass through your hands over a working lifetime is incredible. For example, if you work 40 years and earn only an average of $25,000 per year, you will have made $1 million even without cost-of-living raises. The average family in America earns nearly $50,000 per year. You are likely to earn over $2 million dollars in your lifetime!

What will you do with your millions? Many older people have spent it all. Is that what you will do?

What do you want to do with your money? First, you need to decide what you want.

Create your dream list. This is your first step in spending your millions. Your dreams are what you want to do, to own or to become. Make a dream list today.

Realize Your Dream

The biggest reason capable people don’t realize their dream is that they see themselves in terms of what they lack: lack of money, lack of time, lack of ability, lack of opportunity, lack of support from family.

Once you have determined where you are going and what you want to do in life, the things you now see yourself lacking you will find along the path of life. A bar of gold only a few yards ahead of you is out of your reach as long as you choose to remain stuck where you are.

Your dreams list will get you unstuck and allow you to see possibilities and opportunities instead of roadblocks and problems. Of course, it is mentally easier to attempt to avoid disappointment by not wanting much. Remember, those who ask little from life always get exactly what they ask for—little or nothing. Dream big dreams. President Kennedy said we should go to the moon not because it would be easy, but because it would be hard.

Create a Dream List

We all have dreams running around in our heads like idle hopes and wishes. Hopes hidden in your head are not likely to be accomplished. Take those dreams and put them on paper. They become real. They become something that can become your reality. When you see your dream on paper, you can begin to pursue it. Create a dream list. Since there are no limits to your dreams list, write down every dream that comes to mind. Put at least 50 things on your list.

Not just thirty or forty or even forty-nine. Sometimes that fiftieth dream is the one that is really the most important to you. Your dreams list, unlike your goals list, is not a commitment, but a method of clarifying what excites you.

Most people’s dreams fall into one of five categories: What you would like to have or own What you would like to do or create Where you would like to go or travel What you would like to be or become What you would like to contribute or give back to the world Sometimes we get so involved in just making it through the day that our dreams get left in the dust. It’s time to put your dreams in front of you where they continually become a focus of your life. Find a picture that represents the one dream that would mean the most to you if you could only have it. Tape that picture on the wall in your room or on your mirror. You may be surprised how much a daily reminder will keep you on the path your have chosen for yourself.

You’ve Never Done Your Best Yet

If you had to live last year over again, do you think you would be able to do more and do better than you did? What we accomplish in life is only the tip of the iceberg of what is possible for us. I think if you’re honest you’ll agree that you have never done your best in your life. You could have done better. Maybe you were limited by time or some other resource. Most likely, though, you were limited by your motivation. We all tend to do “good enough.” It’s time to improve our lives.

Set a goal in for your life. What is your goal for this month? What goal have you set for next year? Once you have a goal, make it bigger. Don’t worry about HOW you’re going to accomplish your goals. The most important thing is to increase your goals dramatically. Most people fail in life not because they set a goal that is too hard and don’t accomplish it. Most people fail in life because they set a goal that’s too easy and they make it.

Many people don’t set any goals at all. Sadly, they don’t accomplish anything.

The Muddy Road Two monks were traveling together down a muddy road. A steady rain was falling.

Coming around a bend, they met a beautiful girl in a silk kimono and sash on the side of the road, unable to cross over.

"Come on, girl," said the older monk. Picking her up in his arms, he carried her across the muddy road. The two monks walked on in silence until evening.

That night, when they reached a lodging temple, the younger monk could no longer restrain himself. "We monks don't go near females," he said. "It is dangerous. Why did you do that?"

"I left the girl at the side of the muddy road," the older monk said quietly. "Are you still carrying her?"

Don’t judge innocence.

The Mouse at the Seashore A mouse told his mother and father that he was going on a trip to the seashore.

“We are very alarmed!” they cried. “The world is full of terrors. You must not go!”

“I have made my decision,” said the Mouse firmly. “I have never seen the ocean, and it is high time that I did. Nothing can make me change my mind.”

“Then we cannot stop you,” said Mother and Father Mouse, “but do be careful!”

The next day, in the first light of dawn, the Mouse began his journey. Even before the morning had ended, the Mouse came to know trouble and fear.

A Cat jumped out from behind a tree.

“I will eat you for lunch,” he said.

It was a narrow escape for the Mouse. He ran for his life, but he left a part of his tail in the mouth of the Cat. By afternoon the Mouse had been attacked by birds and dogs. He had lost his way several times. He was bruised and bloodied. He was tired and frightened.

At evening the Mouse slowly climbed the last hill and saw the seashore spreading out before him. He watched the waves rolling onto the beach, one after another. All the colors of the sunset filled the sky.

“How beautiful!” cried the Mouse. “I wish that Mother and Father were here to see this with me.”

The moon and the stars began to appear over the ocean. The Mouse sat silently on the top of the hill. He was overwhelmed by the feeling of deep peace and contentment.

All the miles of a hard road are worth a moment of true happiness.

The Bad Kangaroo

There was a small Kangaroo who was bad in school. He put thumbtacks on the teacher’s chair.

He threw spitballs across the classroom. He set off firecrackers in the lavatory and spread glue on the doorknobs “Your behavior is impossible!” said the school principal. “I am going to see your parents. I will tell them what a problem you are!”

The principal went to visit Mr. and Mrs. Kangaroo. He sat down in a living-room chair.

“Ouch!” cried the principal. “There is a thumbtack in this chair!”

“Yes, I know,” said Mr. Kangaroo. “I enjoy putting thumbtacks in chairs.”

A spitball hit the principal on his nose.

“Forgive me,” said Mrs. Kangaroo, “but I can never resist throwing those things.”

There was a loud booming sound from the bathroom.

“Keep calm,” said Mr. Kangaroo to the principal. “The firecrackers that we keep in the medicine chest have just exploded. We love the noise.”

The principal rushed for the front door. In an instant he was stuck to the doorknob.

“Pull hard,” said Mrs. Kangaroo. “There are little globs of glue on all or our doorknobs.”

The principal pulled himself free. He dashed out of the house and ran off down the street.

“Such a nice person,” said Mr. Kangaroo. “I wonder why he left so quickly.”

“No doubt he had another appointment,” said Mrs. Kangaroo. “Never mind, supper is ready.”

Mr. and Mrs. Kangaroo and their son enjoyed their evening meal. After the dessert, they all threw spitballs at each other across the dining-room table.

A child’s conduct will reflect the ways of his parents.

The Camel Dances

The camel had her heart set on becoming a ballet dancer.

“To make every movement a thing of grace and beauty,” said the Camel. “That is my one and only desire.”

Again and again she practiced her pirouettes, her relevés, and her arabesques. She repeated the five basic positions a hundred times each day. She worked for long months under the hot desert sum. Her feet were blistered, and her body ached with fatigue, but not once did she think of stopping.

At last the Camel said, “Now I am a dancer.” She announced a recital and danced before the invited group of camel friends and critics. When her dance was over, she made a deep bow.

There was no applause.

“I must tell you frankly,” said a member of the audience, “as a critic and a spokesman for this group, that you are lumpy and humpy. You are baggy and bumpy. You are, like the rest of us, simply a camel. You are not and never will be a ballet dancer!”

Chuckling and laughing, the audience moved away across the sand.

“How very wrong they are!” said the Camel. “I have worked hard. There can be no doubt that I am a splendid dancer. I will dance and dance just for myself.”

That is what she did. It gave her many years of pleasure.

Satisfaction will come to those who please themselves.

The Baboon’s Umbrella

The Baboon was taking his daily walk in the jungle. He met his friend, the Gibbon, on the path.

“My good friend,” said the Gibbon, “how strange to find you holding an open umbrella over your head on such a sunshiny day as this.”

“Yes,” said the Baboon. “I am most annoyed. I cannot close this disagreeable umbrella.

It is stuck. I would not think of walking without my umbrella in case it should rain. But, as you see, I am not able to enjoy the sunshine underneath this dark shadow. It is a sad predicament.”

“There is a simple solution,” said the Gibbon. “You need only to cut some holes in your umbrella. Then the sun will shine on you.”

“What a good idea!” cried the Baboon. “I do thank you.”

The Baboon ran home. With his scissors, he cut large holes in the top of his umbrella.

When the Baboon returned to his walk, the warm sunshine came down through the holes.

“How delightful!” said the Baboon.

However, the sun disappeared behind some clouds. There were a few drops of rain.

Then it began to pour. The rain fell through all of the holes in the umbrella. In just a short time, the unhappy Baboon was soaked to the skin.

Advice from friends is like the weather. Some of it is good; some of it is bad.

The Ostrich in Love

On Sunday the Ostrich saw a young lady walking in the park. He fell in love with her at once. He followed behind her at a distance, putting his feet in the very places where she had stepped.

On Monday the Ostrich gathered violets as a gift to his beloved. He was too shy to give them to her. He left them at her door and ran away, but there was a great joy in his heart.

On Tuesday the Ostrich composed a song for his beloved. He sang it over and over. He thought it was the most beautiful music he had ever heard.

On Wednesday the Ostrich watched his beloved dining in a restaurant. He forgot to order supper for himself. He was too happy to be hungry.

On Thursday the Ostrich wrote a poem to his beloved. It was the first poem he had ever written, but he did not have the courage to read it to her.

On Friday the Ostrich bought a new suit of clothes. He fluffed his feathers, feeling fine and handsome. He hoped that his beloved might notice.

On Saturday the Ostrich dreamed that he was waltzing with his beloved in a great ballroom. He held her tightly as they whirled around and around to the music. He awoke feeling wonderfully alive.

On Sunday the Ostrich returned to the park. When he saw the young lady walking there, his heart fluttered wildly, but he said to himself, “Alas, is seems that I am much too shy for love.

Perhaps another time will come. Yet, surely, this has been a week well spent.�

Love can be its own reward.

The Pig at the Candy Store

The Pig woke up with his mouth watering.

“Candy!” he cried. “I must have some this minute!”

The Pig ran to the candy dish. It was empty. The box of chocolate creams in the cupboard contained nothing but paper wrappers.

“I will go to the candy store,” said the Pig, as he put on his clothes and rushed out of his house.

“On second thought,” said the Pig, “I must remember that candy is bad for me. It makes me fatter than I already am. It gives me heartburn and an aching stomach.”

Then the Pig remembered his sweet dreams. He decided that since he was halfway to the candy store, he might as well finish the journey.

“Just a few peppermints will not hurt me,” he said.

As the Pig came near the store, his mouth began to water again. “Maybe I will buy a small bag of gumdrops as well,” he said.

But the candy store was closed. A sign on the door said, “On Vacation.”

The Pig went back home.

“What wonderful willpower I have!” he cried happily. “I did not eat a single piece of candy!”

That night the Pig had a vegetable salad for supper. He drank a glass of cold, fresh milk.

He felt thin and had neither heartburn nor an aching stomach.

A locked door is very likely to discourage temptation.

The Pelican and the Crane The Crane invited the Pelican to tea.

“So nice of you to ask me to come,” said the Pelican to the Crane. “No one invites me anywhere.”

“Entirely my pleasure,” said the Crane to the Pelican, passing him the sugar bowl. “Do you take sugar in your tea?”

“Yes, thank you,” said the Pelican. He dumped half the sugar into his cup, while spilling the other half on the floor.

“I seem to have no friends at all,” said the Pelican.

“Do you take milk in your tea?” asked the Crane.

“Yes, thank you,” said the Pelican. He poured some of the milk into his cup, but most of it made a puddle on the table.

“I wait and wait,” said the Pelican. “Nobody ever calls me.”

“Will you have a cookie?” asked the Crane.

“Yes, thank you,” said the Pelican. He took a large pile of cookies and stuffed them into his mouth. His shirtfront was covered with crumbs.

“I hope you will invite me again,” said the Pelican.

“Perhaps,” said the Crane, “but I am so very busy these days.”

“Good-bye until the next time,” said the Pelican. He swallowed many more cookies. He wiped his mouth with the tablecloth and left.

After the Pelican had gone, the Crane shook his head and sighed. He called for his maid to clean up the mess.

When one is a social failure, the reasons are as clear as day.

The Young Rooster A young Rooster was summoned to his Father’s bedside.

“Son, my time has come to an end,” said the aged bird. “Now it is your turn to crow up the morning sun each day.”

The young Rooster watched sadly as his Father’s life slipped away.

Early the next morning, the young Rooster flew up to the roof of the barn. He stood there, facing the east.

“I have never done this before,” said the Rooster. “I must try my best.” He lifted his head and crowed. A weak and scratchy croak was the only sound he was able to make.

The sun did not come up. Clouds covered the sky, and a damp drizzle fell all day. All of the animals of the farm came to the Rooster.

“This is a disaster!” cried a Pig. “Rooster, you must crow much louder,” said a Bull. “The sun is ninety-three million miles away. How do you expect it to hear you?”

Very early the next morning, the young Rooster flew up to the roof of the barn again. He took a deep breath. He threw back his head and CROWED. It was the loudest crow that was ever crowed since the beginning of roosters.

The animals on the farm were awakened from their sleep with a start.

“What a noise!” cried the Pig. “My head is splitting!” said the Bull.

“I am sorry,” said the Rooster, “but I was only doing my job.”

He said this with a great deal of pride, for he saw, far to the east, the tip of the morning sun coming up over the trees.

A first failure may prepare the way for later success.

The Lobster and the Crab

On a stormy day, the Crab went strolling along the beach. He was surprised to see the Lobster preparing to set sail in his boat.

“Lobster,” said the Crab, “it is foolhardy to venture out on a day like this.”

“Perhaps so,” said the Lobster, “but I love a squall at sea!”

“I will come with you,” said the Crab. “I will not let you face such danger alone.”

The Lobster and the Crab began their voyage. Soon they found themselves far from shore. Their boat was tossed and buffeted by the turbulent waters.

“Crab!” shouted the Lobster above the roar of the wind. “For me, the splashing of the salt spray is thrilling! The crashing of every wave takes my breath away!”

“Lobster, I think we are sinking!” cried the Crab.

“Yes, of course, we are sinking,” said the Lobster. “This old boat is full of holes. Have courage, my friend. Remember, we are both creatures of the sea.”

The little boat capsized and sank.

“Horrors!” cried the Crab.

“Down we go!” shouted the Lobster.

The Crab was shaken and upset. The Lobster took him for a relaxing walk along the ocean floor.

“How brave we are,” said the Lobster. “What a wonderful adventure we have had!”

The Crab began to feel somewhat better. Although he usually enjoyed a quieter existence, he had to admit that the day had been pleasantly out of the ordinary.

Even the taking of small risks will add excitement to life.

Madame Rhinoceros and Her Dress Madame Rhinoceros saw a dress in the window of a shop. It was covered with orange polka dots and black flowers. It was adorned with ribbons and lace. She admired it for a moment and then entered the shop.

“That dress in the window,” said Madame Rhinoceros to a salesperson, “I would like to try it on.”

Madame Rhinoceros put on the dress. She looked at herself in the mirror. “I do not think this dress is at all attractive on me,” she said.

“But Madame,” said the salesperson, “you are completely wrong. This dress makes you look glamorous and alluring. Everyone who sees you wearing this dress will be filled with admiration and envy.”

“Do you really think so?” asked Madame Rhinoceros, turning around and around in front of the mirror.

“Absolutely,” said the salesperson. “You have my word.”

“Very well,” said Madame Rhinoceros, “I will buy the dress, and I will wear it now.”

Madame Rhinoceros left the shop. As she walked up the avenue, she saw that people were smiling and laughing at her.

“Admiration,” thought Madame Rhinoceros.

She saw some people who were shaking their heads and frowning.

“Envy,” thought Madame Rhinoceros.

She continued up the avenue. Everyone who saw her stopped and stared. Madame Rhinoceros felt more glamorous and alluring with every step.

Nothing is harder to resist than a bit of flattery.

The Fox and the Grapes

A fox was wandering down a country lane one day when she noticed some grapes growing over an arbor. One bunch was especially attractive: the grapes were as big as cow’s eyes and as purple as midnight. They glistened with morning dew. The fox, never missing a chance to eat, thought these juicy-looking gems would make a fine breakfast.

“Hmmm…” she thought, “those grapes are tempting, but they’re so high up, I don’t know how I’ll ever reach them.”

She paced back and forth for a few moments. She tried leaping into the air and grabbing them with her teeth. She tried climbing the arbor. Always the grapes were beyond her grasp.

Giving up, she snarled, “Oh, those grapes aren’t worth my trouble. They look sour.”

It’s easy to speak badly of things you can’t have.

The Fox and the Crow

A fox spied a crow sitting on a branch of a tall tree with a golden piece of cheese in her beak. The fox, who was both clever and hungry, quickly thought of a plan to get the cheese away from the crow.

Pretending to notice the crow for the first time, the fox exclaimed, “My, what a beautiful bird! I must say that is the most elegant black plumage I have ever seen. Look how it shines in the sun. Simply magnificent!”

The crow was flattered by all this talk about her feathers. She listened to every sugary word the fox spoke.

The fox continued, “I must say that this is the most beautiful bird in the world. But I wonder, can such a stunning bird have an equally splendid voice? That,” said the cunning fox, “would be too much to ask.”

The crow, wanting the fox to hear her voice, opened her beak to let out an ear-piercing “CAW!” As she did so, the cheese tumbled out of her mouth and was gobbled up instantly by the fox.

Never trust a flatterer.

The Cat and the Bell

A group of mice was sitting in a hayloft, discussing the problem of the farmer’s cat.

“With that cat around, it’s not safe to step outside anymore,” said one mouse.

“We need to find a way to tell when the cat’s around and when she isn’t,” said another.

Many plans were discussed and rejected. Finally, one mouse announced what he thought to be the perfect solution.

“The problem with the cat is that she’s so quiet,” said the mouse. “What if we tie a small bell around her neck so that every time she moves, the bell will tinkle? That way, we’ll always know where she is, and she’ll never be able to surprise us.”

“Brilliant!” said one mouse.

“Perfect!” said another.

“What a wonderful plan!” exclaimed a third.

All agreed that putting a bell on the cat was the solution they were looking for. When they finished congratulating one another, the oldest mouse spoke up: “Putting a bell on the cat sounds like a good idea, but tell me, which one of us will do the job?”

It’s easy to think of impossible solutions.

Four Steps to Success

One of the most important decisions you will ever make in your life is this: Do you want to be a cause or an effect? When you choose to be a cause, you make things happen. When you choose to be an effect, you settle for whatever happens to you. You’re satisfied to laugh and to cry, to live and to die based on the actions of others. To make your wishes come true you only need to follow the following steps: Step 1: Make Your Wish. Determine what you want to wish for. Think of it as selecting the effect you wish to cause. Once you have selected that effect, stick to it the way bees stick to honey.

Step 2: Make A Plan. Create a plan of action to make your wish come true.

Step 3: Take Action. Set into motion the causes that will make your wish come true.

Step 4: Never Give Up. Finish what you start and always persist. Never give up. Keep in mind the following principle: To get whatever you want from life you have only to set in motion the appropriate cause, and the effect will take care of itself.

On Edgar Allen Poe

It’s been said that every man is the son of his own works. One of my favorite poets is Edgar Allen Poe. His own life was as bizarre as his tales. His own life story is the story of author of fantastic imagination, a brilliant editor and critic, a poet—tender tender and cruel, an alcoholic gambler, and debt-ridden neurotic.

Poe’s parents were strolling players both of whom died before he was two years old leaving three penniless children: William, Rosily, and Edgar. William became insane and Rosily died young. Far more fortunate, Edgar was adopted by a wealthy merchant, John Allen, from whom he took his second name. Heir to a fortune, he was brought up in opulent tradition and at the age of seventeen was sent to the University of Virginia. It was there that Poe came into his tragic self. He drank and gambled himself hopelessly into debt. He was withdrawn from school, disowned by his foster parents, and because he now was no longer heir to the Allen fortune, his fiancé’s parents persuaded their daughter, Elmira, to marry a more affluent man, which she did. After a two-year enlistment in the army Poe moved to Baltimore to live with his Aunt Maria Clem and her daughter Virginia. There he somehow wrangled enough money to pay a Boston printer to publish some of his poems and at the same time maneuvered himself into an appointment at West Point. The publishing of his poems was a literary and financial flop; the appointment a disaster. After one year he was dismissed from the academy for gross neglect of duty and disobedience. Poe’s marriage to his cousin Virginia was equally a disaster. To begin with he was twenty-six and an alcoholic while she was a pale and sickly child of thirteen. The poor girl, though she witnessed some of her husband’s finest hours, fell victim to most of his

worst. His reckless living and squandering brought her mostly poverty and suffering for eight years and finally death due to, it is said, to malnutrition.

The bright spots of Poe’s life were his days as a magazine editor, contributor and critic.

As editor and critic for the “Southern Literary Messenger” he brilliantly tore apart many of his contemporaries and their insipient works. His own crowning work, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, was published. The bottle and debt cropped up again and again almost as hurdles between a series of magazine associations. The highlight of this period was the publication and enthusiastic reception of his great poem “The Raven”. Poe became a social lion but financially he received only about ten dollars for the work. His tragic end started with a note of happiness.

Learning that Elmira, his youthful sweetheart, had been widowed he proposed to her and she accepted. Happily in route to Richmond for the wedding he stopped off at Baltimore and just disappeared.

No one knows what happened to Poe in Baltimore. He simply disappeared and was found a few days later in a pitiful drugged condition. It was all over. He died of a violent brain fever on October 7, 1849. As I said…the son of his own works.

Who is Successful?

Let’s take 100 people. They all start even at the age of 16. If you ask any one of them if they wanted to be a success, they’d tell you that they did. You’d notice that the person was eager toward life. There was a certain sparkle in their eyes and erectness to their carriage. Life seemed like a pretty interesting adventure to them. But by the time these 100 people reach the age of 65 only five will have made the grade. Only five are successful. When we say only five percent have achieved success we have to define success and here’s the definition: Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal. If a person is working toward a pre-determined goal and knows where they’re going, that person is a success. If they’re not doing that, they’re a failure. Who succeeds? The only person who succeeds is the person who is progressively realizing their worthy goal. They’re the person who says, “I’m going to become this” and then begins to work toward that goal. They succeed because they know where they’re going. I’ll tell you who the successful people are: A success is the high school teenager who is working toward his diploma because that is what he wants to do. The success is the woman who is a wife and mother because she wanted to become a wife and mother and is doing a great job of it. The success is the man who runs the corner gas station because that’s what he wants to do. A success is anyone who is doing deliberately a pre-determined job because that’s what they decided to do.

Only 5 out of 100 people do that.

Earl Nightingale

How Do Young People Know What Grown-Up Is?

Nothing shouts so loudly about a society’s success as do the lives of its children. The lives of children are merely a reflection of adult values that they learn by observation, by imitation and by repetition. Everything children will ever be is who they watch, what they look at, what they read, what they hear, and who they emulate as their mentors and celebrity role models. We live in a skin-deep culture. It’s an oxymoron: Skin…deep. We should be coredeep. We have to pass on the values of this generation to the next so that our culture can continue to flourish.

Choosing a Major

Students choosing a college major should follow their interests. You should choose something you’re really interested in. It’s as simple as that. If you try to choose your major based on what sounds “cool” or what others think is good for you, you’re making a huge mistake.

In the 1980’s, many students were working on engineering degrees even though they didn’t particularly like engineering. Why? Because they thought they would always be able to get a job in the defense industry or in the car industry. Well, they were wrong. Even worse, after they got their engineering degree, they were miserable.

What matters is curiosity, passion, and persistence. Students are much more likely to develop these more fundamental qualities by studying something that ignites passion and interest whether that’s Art History or Physics or Anthropology or whatever. Don’t choose a major based on what your mother wants; choose based on what you are truly interested in.

Evaluating Your Associations by Jim Rohn If you were to evaluate the major influences in your life that have shaped the kind of person you are, this has to be high on the list: the people and thoughts you choose to allow into your life. Mr. Shoaff gave me a very important warning in those early days that I would like to share with you. He said, "Never underestimate the power of influence." Indeed, the influence of those around us is so powerful! Many times we don't even realize we're being strongly affected because influences generally develop over an extended period of time.

Peer pressure is an especially powerful force because it is so subtle. If you're around people who spend all they make, chances are excellent that you'll spend all you make. If you are around people who go to more ball games than concerts, chances are excellent that you'll do the same thing. If you are around people who don't read, chances are excellent that you won't read. People can keep nudging us off course a little at a time until finally, we find ourselves asking, "How did I get here?" Those subtle influences need to be studied carefully if we really want our lives to turn out the way we've planned.

With regard to this important point, let me give you three key questions to ask yourself.

They may help you to make better analyses of your current associations.

Here is the first question: "Who am I around?" Make a mental note of the people with whom you most often associate. You've got to evaluate everybody who is able to influence you in any way.

The second question is: "What are these associations doing to me?" That's a major question to ask. What have they got me doing? What have they got me listening to? What have they got me reading? Where have they got me going? What do they have me thinking?

How have they got me talking? How have they got me feeling? What have they got me saying?

You've got to make a serious study of how others are influencing you, both negatively and positively.

Here's a final question: "Is that okay?" Maybe everyone you associate with has been a positive, energizing influence. Then again, maybe there are some bad apples in the bunch. All I'm suggesting here is that you take a close and objective look. Everything is worth a second look, especially the power of influence. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you in the direction you need to go.

It's easy to just dismiss the things that influence our lives. One man says, "I live here, but I don't think it matters. I'm around these people, but I don't think it hurts." I would take another look at that. Remember, everything matters! Sure, some things matter more than others, but everything amounts to something. You've got to keep checking to find out whether your associations are tipping the scales toward the positive or toward the negative. Ignorance is never the best policy. Finding out is the best policy.

Perhaps you've heard the story of the little bird. He had his wing over his eye and he was crying. The owl said to the bird, "You are crying." "Yes," said the little bird, and he pulled his wing away from his eye. "Oh, I see," said the owl. "You're crying because the big bird pecked out your eye." And the little bird said, "No, I'm not crying because the big bird pecked out my eye. I'm crying because I let him."

It's easy to let influence shape our lives, to let associations determine our direction, to let pressures overwhelm us, and to let tides take us. The big question is, are we letting ourselves become what we wish to become? —Jim Rohn

PLANNING

by Jim Rohn I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.

If you don't design your own life plan, chances are you'll fall into someone else's plan. And guess what they may have planned for you? Not much.

The reason why most people face the future with apprehension instead of anticipation is because they don't have it well designed.

The guy says, "When you work where I work, by the time you get home, it's late.

You've got to have a bite to eat, watch a little TV, relax and get to bed. You can't sit up half the night planning, planning, planning." And he's the same guy who is behind on his car payment!

LEARN

by Jim Rohn Life is worthwhile if you LEARN. Life is worthwhile if you learn from your own experiences—negative or positive. We learn to do it right by first sometimes doing it wrong. We also learn from other people’s experiences, both positive and negative. I’ve always said that it is too bad failures don’t talk much about their lessons. Their information would be very valuable. Learning from other people’s experiences and mistakes is valuable information because we can learn what not to do without the pain of having tried and failed ourselves.

We learn by what we see, so pay attention. We learn by what we hear, so be a good listener. Now I do suggest that you should be a selective listener. Don’t just let anybody dump into your mental factory. Learn from every source: from lectures, from songs, from books, from magazines, and from conversations with people who care. Always keep learning. You’ll be much happier.

Seven Steps to Achieving Your Dream adapted from Chris Widener People who achieve great things usually go through the same steps over and over again. If you have been struggling to achieve your goals, try these tried and true steps. You will be on the road to achieving your dream! 













Dream it. Every great achievement, whether climbing Mt. Everest or inventing the paper cup or earning an A in Algebra, began in a person’s mind. They dared to dream, to believe that they could do it.

Believe it. Dreams and goals need to be believable. You must be able to say that if certain things take place, if others help, if you work hard enough, though it is a big dream, it can still be done. Good example: A person with no college education can dream that he will build a 50 million-dollar-a-year company. That is big, but believable. Bad example: That a 90-year-old woman with arthritis will someday run a marathon in under three hours. It is big all right, but also impossible. She should instead focus on building a 50 million-dollar-a-year business! And she better get a move on!

See it. Great achievers picture their lives as if their dreams and goals have been realized.

Great free-throw shooters in the NBA picture the ball going through the basket. PGA golfers picture the ball going straight down the fairway.

Tell it. One reason many dreams never go anywhere is because the dreamer keeps it all to himself. It is a quiet dream that only lives inside of his mind. The one who wants to achieve their dream must tell that dream to many people. It holds us accountable. When we have told others, it spurs us on to actually doing it so we don’t look foolish.

Plan it. Your dream won’t just happen. You need to sit down, on a regular basis, and plan out your strategy for achieving the dream. Think through all of the details. Break the whole plan down into small, workable parts. Then set a time frame for accomplishing each task on your dream plan.

Work it. Successful people are usually the hardest workers. While the rest of the world is sitting on their sofas watching reruns, achievers are working on their goal—achieving their dream. The novel “War and Peace” was written, in longhand, page by page.

Enjoy it. Give yourself some rewards as you progress toward your goal. When you have reached your goal and you are living your dream, be sure to enjoy it. Then go back to No. 1 and dream a little bigger this time.