One of my ideas for this blog is to share inspiring stories or emails that I've heard or read. And because I'm a procrastinator and it's almost March and I haven't written February's blog. I'm going to cheat a little and share with you an email that I've actually gotten a few times, so you all have probably read it too. But that's ok, because I think it's a lesson worth hearing more than once.
I think we all need to think about the way that we treat others. I am a firm believer that the kind of energy that you put out there is the kind of energy that will come back to you. I think I heard Oprah say something like that once and I completely agree with her on that.
Anyway, here's the story.
It's called, Nails in the Fence.
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next
few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.'
I think we all need to think about the way that we treat others. I am a firm believer that the kind of energy that you put out there is the kind of energy that will come back to you. I think I heard Oprah say something like that once and I completely agree with her on that.
Anyway, here's the story.
It's called, Nails in the Fence.
There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next
few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all.
He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.
The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.
Remember that friends are very rare jewels, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to us.'
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
~ Maya Angelou
