The Brevity of Life

It's a short story that calls for reflection and I thought to share....

*LARRY or HARRY*

Larry and Harry, *two homeless men* were given a chance to travel to a third world country on an all-expenses paid trip.

They were told to carry nothing and return with nothing...

They were to make sure they spend all that was given to them.
Provision had been made for their expenses and welfare which they would get upon arrival at their destination.

The only caveat was that neither of them knew when they would be asked to return home.

As they arrived, they were both given a huge sum of money and a credit card with no limits, but reminded to spend it all before returning to their home country.

 At this, they became instantly wealthy by local standards.

 *Harry* thought to himself. "Wow! This is my opportunity to live like a king for I don't know how long this would last".

 So he went and rented a Ferrari and rented the best room in the best hotel in town.

He went to the best stylist, shaved and transformed his looks. He had parties everyday. Everyone in the city thought the cars and the wealth were his and they loved and respected him for it.

*But....*

At the back of his mind, Harry knew he would go back home someday and leave all of it behind but he didn't want to think about it.

Right now he was living in the moment and enjoying himself to the fullest...

*Larry,* on the other hand rented a small Honda to get him around town and stayed in a modest inn.

 He thought to himself. "This money will not last and I don't know when I am going back so I have to do something tangible with it."

 He decided to *use it to change some people's lives while there was still time.*

So he got busy, went out on the streets and started making a difference.

 He didn't just give away money, rather *he tried to help people be self-sufficient.*
He paid off all the school fees of some promising young ones to enable them get an education and take care of themselves and their families.

He found some responsible adults and funded them in a business that guaranteed they would be able to take care of their family and create employment.

*He devised a means of helping some of the homeless people get off the street and getting them into a trade for he thought "I wish someone would do this for me when I get back".*
*_In short, while Larry was there, he was busy changing lives..._*

Then after just two months they were suddenly notified that it was time to go back.

They hadn't even finished spending all the money but still had to leave it all.

They both said their goodbyes and headed for the airport.

At the airport they were given their original clothes to put back on before boarding the plane back to their country...

Harry reminisced on the good times he had but wasn't too happy that he was going back to his old life.
 How would he readjust to being homeless?

*Larry on the other hand felt good. He came with nothing and is leaving with nothing, but he at least helped others with a chance at life and that alone meant the world to him.*

Readjusting to being a homeless person wouldn't be a problem because he never lived like the wealth was his anyway and always had it at the back of his mind that he would leave it all someday.

But... Little did they know that each moment they spent on vacation was being secretly recorded and they would be rewarded accordingly.

Now, which one do you think would be cast back out to the slums as a homeless person and which one would be entrusted with large sums of wealth and position of authority?

*The same goes with our lives here on earth.*

*We are sent here on a mission and will return empty handed except for the recordings of our dealings here on earth.*

 Yet, many of us walk around thinking that the wealth we have is ours to keep forever.
We look at ourselves in the mirror and think that what we see will always be there, forgetting that we are wearing a temporary cloth, a human body, that would be required of us before we leave this world.

Our vacation on earth is but a short time while eternity is forever. How we spend this vacation determines how we get to spend eternity.

*So.... HOW ARE YOU LIVING YOUR LIFE? ARE YOU A LARRY OR A HARRY ???*

'For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.'
1 Timothy:6:7

Character is an Expression of the Mind

'For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he....'
Prov. 23:7

We live off what lives in our hearts.
Words and actions have to go through a thinking process before they are expressed.

You have the freedom to choose what you dwell on whenever you are confronted with different and conflicting thoughts, bearing in mind that your life will go in the direction of your thoughts.

You give life to whatever you choose to dwell on because what you feed grows.
I will treat myself the way I think about myself, I will also treat others the way I think about them; my actions echo my thoughts.

Change starts not with action, but with the mind. Change your thinking pattern and see your life align with your thoughts.

Ciao. ✌

Your Expectations are Valid

'NO EXPECTATIONS, NO DISAPPOINTMENTS.'
If the message in the quote above is telling me not to have expectations from people so that I don't get disappointed, it is heavily flawed...Expectations and disappointments are inevitable.

I bet we all have expectations in various dimensions of our lives, including the author of this quote in question. It is abnormal not to.
Expectations provide a yardstick to measure the quality and performance of relationships; whether it's a business/work relationship where expectations are explicitly stated and tasks are executed to meet specified deadlines, or in intimate relationships where expectations are more implicit and affection, companionship and emotional support are mutual needs.

All healthy human relationships thrive on reciprocity; if it is one-sided, it loses balance and crashes.
People do not have to do for you exactly what you do for them but if they don't make an effort to match your gestures, you might be better off without them.
Pouring yourself into someone that does not give any back will leave you physically drained and emotionally bankrupt.
If you don't know your worth, people will present you a shabby bargain.

That somebody can not meet your expectations does not invalidate them, when you treat people right, you have the right to expect same back.

Ciao.