| 27th April 2011 How do we use help and advice? `To accept good advice is but to increase one's own ability' Johann Wolfgang von Goethe As I wrote, there is no poverty of helpers, but only receivers. One important trait of successful people is their ability to make use of the help they receive from others. Not only they feel happy about receiving help, they also make the person extending the help happy. They respond in such a way that others feel very happy and comfortable to offer the timely help. I recall a story I read somewhere. There a large banyan tree and hundreds of birds were living there in their nicely constructed nests. There were also monkeys which lived on the same tree. On a rainy day all the birds were safe and comfortable in their nests, but the monkeys were suffering. The birds took pity on the monkeys and they advised the monkeys to construct a house for themselves so that they also can be comfortable when it rains. The monkeys did not like this `unwanted advice' and told them to mind their business. On another day, it not only rained, but it was also very cold. The monkeys got wet and were shivering in the cold. They collected some fireflies (also called lighting bugs) and tried to `warm up' thinking as though the fireflies can serve as heating place. As we know, these insects have a dedicated light organs under their abdomens which glows like fire. But this light will produce no heat. The birds knew that they monkeys cannot warm up by this and told the monkeys that fireflies do not have fire. They also once again suggested to the monkeys to construct their houses, since they have the advantage of hands which the birds do not have. The monkeys got wild and shouted at them that the birds are ridiculing them because they have houses which the monkeys don't. Not only that. They went up the tree and destroyed all the nests to `teach a lesson to the birds'! Lesson: don't offer your help to those who will not appreciate your help! N C Sridharan 000 |
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