Truth or Legend – Does It Really Matter!

I recently received an e-mail containing a very touching story. It came from a close friend of mine who had received it from his uncle. As soon as I started reading it, I recognized it as a favorite I read several times before. Upon completion, I realized why it had become one of my favorites. It was a great “feel-good” story that always brightens one’s day.

Later that evening I passed it on to another friend to enjoy. I quickly received a note back explaining that while he enjoyed it as well, he had learned via the Internet that this story was an urban legend. It was such a great story that I decided to look into it.

I went to Snopes.com … officially the Urban Legends Reference Pages. This is a web site that discusses urban legends, Internet rumors, e-mail forwards, and other stories of uncertain origin. It receives about 300,000 hits per day. It’s been around since 2005 and has a pretty good record of tracing the origins of most anything you might find online.

Within a few minutes, I learned that this story has appeared under several titles including “Just Lunch,” “Act of Kindness,” “The Sack Lunches,” and “An Unforgettable Flight.” Their research discovered that the story has been circulating since August 2008 and has been published in a number of magazines. There has apparently been a couple of versions telling the story with both a religious message as well as an attempt of simple appreciation for our military.

The story is attributed to an author living in Wood Dale, Illinois, but they have yet to be able to locate him.

I guess my personal feeling is simple. I don’t care if it’s true. It’s a very touching story of what I would like to believe is true of any citizen living in this terrific country. It made me feel good, hopeful, and appreciative. In this day and age, what more could one ask for? See what you think by reading it below. If you share my appreciation of a heart-warming story, pass it on. I can’t think of too many people who couldn’t use a “feel-good” story today. Enjoy.

The Sack Lunches

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. “I’m glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,” I thought.

Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation.

“Where are you headed?” I asked the soldier seated nearest to me.

“Petawawa, we’ll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we’re being deployed to Afghanistan.”

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time …

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. “No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn’t be worth five bucks. I’ll wait till we get to base.”

His friend agreed.

I looked around at the other soldiers. None were buying lunch. I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant a fifty-dollar bill. “Take a lunch to all those soldiers.” She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me. “My son was a soldier in Iraq; it’s almost like you are doing it for him.”

Picking up ten sacks, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were seated. She stopped at my seat and asked, “Which do you like best—beef or chicken?”

“Chicken,” I replied, wondering why she asked. She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from first class.

“This is your thanks.”

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room.

A man stopped me. “I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this.” He handed me twenty-five dollars.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Flight Captain coming down the aisle, looking at the aisle numbers as he walked. I hoped he was not looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the numbers only on my side of the plane. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand and said, “I want to shake your hand.” Quickly unfastening my seatbelt I stood and took the Captain’s hand. With a booming voice he said, “I was a soldier and I was a military pilot. Once, someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot.” I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A man who was seated about six rows in front of me reached out his hand, wanting to shake mine. He left another twenty-five dollars in my palm.

When we landed I gathered my belongings and started to deplane. Waiting just inside the airplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word. Another twenty-five dollars!

Upon entering the terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip to the base.

I walked over to them and handed them seventy-five dollars. “It will take you some time to reach the base … It will be about time for a sandwich. God Bless You.”

Ten young men left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow travelers.

As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little …

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America” for an amount of “up to and including my life.”

That is Honor, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Let Students Run the Country

If you’ve followed our blog content at all, you’re well aware of the fact that I don’t talk politics. It’s a lost cause which thrills half of our readers and alienates the other half … depending on the issue. However, I do enjoy challenging the status quo which leads to “breakthroughs” at any and every level.

My thoughts on this particular issue were, at first, totally humorous. However, the more I think about it, the more sense it makes!

As we approach a major political vote next week, I find myself bored and irritated at the same time. I’m tired of seeing politicians who avoid telling us what they’re going to do by telling us why we shouldn’t vote for their opponent. In short, from coast to coast, we see nothing but liars calling each other liars. In the meantime, nothing gets done anywhere.

I’m quickly arriving at the conclusion that high school students, using what little experience they have … coupled with common sense, enthusiasm, and creativity … could quickly solve the majority of the country’s current challenges. Of course, I’m talking about those major challenges that have our current political masterminds within the Washington, D.C., beltway totally stifled and gridlocked.

Let me shared a simple example. Illegal immigration to the United States is currently a major issue which is quickly leading to disastrous consequences. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants, settlement patterns, impact on upward social mobility, crime, and voting behavior.

There are currently 15 to 20 million illegal aliens in this country by many estimates, but the real numbers could be much higher and the numbers increase every day because our borders are not secure. Washington claims it cannot find these illegal aliens.

Consider this approach. Have you ever sent a package by way of FedEx or UPS? If you have, you know that private enterprise has mastered, using easily accessible technical advances, the fine art of tracking that package from one side of our country to the next. They can pinpoint the location of that package at any given time during its journey. Private enterprise can track each and every one of millions of moving packages while the federal government can’t locate a single illegal alien who has been living in the same location for years!

Solution: Let’s have FedEx and UPS locate the illegal aliens … then send every one of them a package … then track the package using their technology placed inside police cars.

Package delivered …. alien apprehended … problem solved! Politicians will never learn!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Be Aware of Your Dominant Thought!

How would you like to find a book that could truly change your life? Well, I’m sorry to report that there is no such thing. However, there is a small book which has been around since the turn of the century that can and will inspire YOU to change your life. It’s less than 70 pages and can be read in about an hour.

This “classic,” written by James Allen, seems to be even more relevant in today’s stressful and competitive society than it was when the author originally shared his wisdom. As a Man Thinketh is partly responsible for the creation of the entire personal development industry. In fact, it has greatly influenced many contemporary writers including Norman Vincent Peale, Earl Nightingale, Denis Waitley and Tony Robbins, among others.

The premise is simple but can truly be life-changing: “We become what we think about.” It’s been translated into five major languages, inspiring millions of readers to recognize that man’s visions can become reality, simply through the power of thought.

In both keynote presentations and seminars, we share irrefutable examples that “each of us constantly move toward our most dominant thought”! Therefore, YOU CHOOSE to move in a positive or negative direction. Obviously, your daily thoughts determine your destiny. Are you prepared to harness this powerful energy on your journey to success?

This book has changed lives all over the world and has been an inspiration to great leaders in every field. It should be required reading in every classroom on earth but is seldom recognized by the majority of our population.

Watch this short but compelling video, find a copy of As a Man Thinketh, and start changing your life TODAY!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Simplicity at Its Best

Life seems so complicated sometimes. At the moment, I have a million things running through my mind. They all need to be done yesterday, and I know there are a million other things waiting for me today and tomorrow—it never seems to stop.

However, I wonder how many of those million things are truly that urgent. As I grow older, each of those priorities seem a little less important to me. Not all of them, of course. Some things must be dealt with and within a certain time frame … but certainly not all of them.

And, in striving to accomplish them all, I have to wonder how many simple pleasures I’ve missed over the years … things that seem so important to me today.

  • Making a phone call to someone special.
  • Spending more time with children and grandchildren.
  • Observing so many aspects of nature.
  • Enjoying a book.
  • Pausing to smile at someone who may need it.
  • And the list goes on and on.

One of the most powerful messages we share in several of our keynotes and seminars is very simplistic but also very true. “You constantly move toward your most dominant thought!” It’s proven every day in every way.

I guess a key question arises from that statement that we should really give some thought to. Today—what is YOUR most dominant thought? … because that’s where you’re going to focus your time and energy. Is it worth it? The choice is yours. Make it wisely!

Pause for a moment right now and enjoy this short video which shares some simple secrets for finding true joy… and have a nice day!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Lessons from Professor History!

While our grade school, middle school, high school and college education is so rewarding and critically important to our growth, development and, ultimately, our success in life, it’s also crucial that we recognize the many crucial lessons to be gleaned from history.

Unfortunately, few of us find the time to do this and suffer greatly as a result. However, by the time we do reach a point in our lives where we can pause and reflect on those many priceless lessons which history contributes to us, it’s often too late.

For instance, in 1923, who was …

  1. president of the largest steel company?
  2. president of the largest gas company?
  3. president of the New York Stock Exchange?
  4. the greatest wheat speculator?
  5. president of the Bank of International Settlement?
  6. the Great Bear of Wall Street?

These men were considered some of the world’s most successful of their days.

Now, 87 years later, history tells us what ultimately became of them.

The answers:

  1. The president of the largest steel company, Charles Schwab, died a pauper.
  2. The president of the largest gas company, Edward Hopson, went insane.
  3. The president of the NYSE, Richard Whitney, was released from prison to die at home.
  4. The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cooger, died abroad, penniless.
  5. The president of the Bank of International Settlement, shot himself.
  6. The Great Bear of Wall Street, Cosabee Livermore, also committed suicide.

However, in that same year, 1923, the PGA Champion and the winner of the most important golf tournament, the US Open, was Gene Sarazen.

So, what became of him?

He played golf until he was 92 and died in 1999 at the ripe old age of 95! He was very financially secure at the time of his death.

The moral here:

While work can be rewarding, refreshing, productive and profitable, it need not be all consuming and, in the end, isn’t as rewarding as the obvious benefits provided by achieving true balance in your life. Sadly, far too many of us don’t realize this until it’s too late. Many never realize it at all. Take a hint from this very popular hit song. I wish I had heard it … really listened to the words … years before I actually did!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s5r2spPJ8g

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Who’s Teaching Who?

A friend of mine from Miami, Dennisse Lisseth, was gracious enough to share a wonderful story with me recently, and I’d like to pass it on to you. It’s short but so relevant to generational differences, the wisdom of youth, and the importance of relationships in today’s challenging environment.

Take a moment to read it, appreciate the message, and pass it on to someone else as we could all use a smile today.

A small boy and girl were building a sand castle on the beach. They spent hours building towers, walls, and a moat. As they were building, the tide crept slowly in. Suddenly, a big wave wiped it all away.

An adult nearby felt sorry for them because of all the work they had put into building the castle, until the two children held hands and ran off together, laughing as they scampered down the beach.

It was then that the adult realized a simple truth: it is fun building empires, but the lasting fun is in having friends you can continue to laugh with and be with long after all that you have spent your life building has washed away.

Relationships are the key to making almost anything happen. They are the foundation to the quality of our lives and to the results we get.

Excerpted from If How-To’s Were Enough We Would All Be SKINNY, RICH & HAPPY by Brian Klemmer.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Laugh Your Way to Good Health

In my previous article, I discussed the many tangible benefits of hugging … of which there are many. Today, I want to take a look at another area which has not been taken seriously in terms of health benefits. Laughing! Yes, laughing.

Believe it or not, your entire body benefits from a good chuckle. There’s been a good many studies conducted by universities, hospitals, and independent researchers world wide on this subject.

Here are some of the statistics revealed from these studies. When you laugh …

  • Your heart beats faster and your blood pressure rises temporarily.
  • Your heart and lungs are stimulated.
  • You breathe deeper and oxygenate more blood.
  • You burn 78 times as many calories as you would in a resting state.
  • Your diaphragm, facial muscles and internal organs all get bounced around in a message sometimes called “internal jogging.”
  • Your body releases endorphins, your own natural pain killers, and you produce more immune cells.

After you’ve laughed, your muscles and arteries relax. That’s great for easing pain. Also, your blood pressure lowers and your pulse drops below normal. Many researchers claim this aids digestion.

In short, you can make a positive difference in your current health by simply hugging and laughing more often. Not a bad prescription … absolutely no cost, dose sizes are no concern, and it’s certainly easy to tolerate. Give it a try!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Hugs a Day – Pave the Way

For years I’ve heard the many old platitudes and clichés about the importance of laughter and the fine art of hugging. I never really paid much attention to what I heard for a number of “less-than-genuine” reasons.

However, as I’ve grown older I’ve been exposed to more and more evidence that there might just be something concrete to what I’ve been hearing.

Obviously, hugs certainly feel good for both those giving them and those receiving them … but apparently there’s more to it that just feelings. The effects are certainly more than skin deep.

Let’s examine some research on “hugging.”

Psychologists at University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine have conducted a great deal of research in this area. Researchers found that hugs increase the “bonding” hormone oxytocin and decrease the risk of heart disease.

Hugs are good for your heart as they lower blood pressure and reduce stress. In fact, a hearty hug in the morning may help your loved one ward off stress all day.

A brief hug and 10 minutes of hand holding with a romantic partner greatly reduce the harmful physical effects of stress, according to a study reported by the American Psychosomatic Society.

“Scientists are increasingly interested in the possibility that positive emotions can be good for your health. This study has reinforced research findings that support from a partner, in this case a hug from a loved one, can have beneficial effects on heart health,” said a spokesperson for the British Heart Foundation.

Indeed, a previous study found that hugging and handholding reduces the effects of stress. Two groups of couples were asked to talk about an angry event, but one group had previously held hands and hugged, while the others sat alone. It was found that:

  • Blood pressure increased significantly more among the no-contact group as compared to the huggers.
  • Heart rate among those without contact increased 10 beats a minute, compared to five beats a minute for huggers.

Humans are clearly social animals, as evidenced by countless studies showing that those who have friends are healthier, as are people who are married.

The findings suggest one reason that isolated, lonely people tend to have poorer health, says an Ohio State University psychologist. Although ours is a youth-oriented culture, older adults may benefit most from touch, she says.

“The older you are, the more fragile you are physically, so contact becomes increasingly important for good health.”

Therapeutic touch has also been shown to reduce stress and pain among adults, and reduces symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, such as restlessness, pacing, vocalization, searching and tapping.

“U.S. couples aren’t very touchy feely in public,” says Tiffany Field of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School. This is a shame as touch also releases two feel-good brain chemicals, serotonin and dopamine.

So all of this research tells us to forget about any hang up you may have about hugging someone. What are you waiting for? Grab your partner, friend or family member and give them a hug today. Spread health and happiness at a time when this world can certainly use it!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

Lighten Your Load in Today’s Chaotic World

As though we didn’t have enough to worry about with challenges from the economy, foreign affairs, war, jobs, immigration, and politics, do we really need the burden brought about by relationships? I’m talking about those connections with friends, family, loved ones, neighbors, and co-workers. They’re certainly many and varied, demanding skills and strategies that many of us have not been exposed to.

One of my favorite philosophers said it best, and his advice has led me through a myriad of relationship challenges over the years. The philosopher: Kenneth Donald Rogers, better known as Kenny Rogers. The message: “Know when to hold ’em and know when to fold ’em!”

The following anecdote may better explain the power of choice we each possess and the need to utilize it wisely.

SAND & STONE

A story goes that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the pool and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from near drowning, he wrote on a stone:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?”

The other friend replied, “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

It takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Take time to live! Value who you have in your life.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

50-50 Is Not the Best Partnership for Success!

How many times have we heard the old adage about successful partnerships having to be 50/50? Seems like forever. However, if we’d take just a moment to pause and really think about it … we’ve been misguided!

Relationships are crucial to our survival in today’s chaotic global environment. It might be you and a spouse or significant other, friends, neighbors, family, co-workers, your boss or even your customers. Relationships are with us every day in every way.

While 50/50 sounds logical, let’s examine a new approach. What happens if we change the equation to 100/0. Absolutely! We can control our side of the relationship and commit totally to communication, loyalty, support and the many necessary components of any good relationship. What if we take full responsibility for the relationship and expect absolutely nothing in return?

Before we know it, the other person in our relationship recognizes our commitment and contribution, appreciates it and identifies it as unique in today’s world and chooses to take responsibility as well. All of a sudden our 100/0 relationship transforms into a 100/100!

Once this has occurred, think of the possibilities and breakthroughs for those involved! We’re talking life-changing experiences evolving from what was originally a 50/50 relationship. Now we’ve doubled our commitment and the positive consequences are endless! What a concept …

50/50 to 100/0 to 100/100. Give it a shot! The results could change your life!

What a concept … check out this video for additional insight.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.