Only we can decide how we look. Others will perceive and treat you the way you perceive and treat yourself.
(1)
A cyclist, no matter how hard they pedal, can only travel about 10 km in an hour.
A car driver, with a light press on the accelerator, can travel at 100 km per hour.
A plane passenger, while enjoying a meal, can travel at 1,000 km per hour.
Conclusion: The person remains the same; equal effort with different means will lead to different results.
(2)
At a party, Mark Twain sat across from a woman. He politely complimented her: “You are truly beautiful!”
The woman, feeling smug, replied: “It’s a pity I can’t compliment you back like that!”
Mark Twain gently responded: “That’s alright, you can lie just like I did.”
The woman, embarrassed, lowered her head.
Conclusion: When you throw a stone, the first person to stumble will always be you.
(3)
A wild boar and a horse grazed together. The wild boar was often mischievous, either trampling the grass or contaminating the water.
The horse was very angry and wanted to teach the boar a lesson. The horse sought guidance from a hunter. The hunter said that in order to help the horse, it must wear a bridle for him to ride. Eager for revenge, the horse agreed to the hunter’s request.
The hunter rode the horse to hunt the wild boar, and after finishing, he tied the horse to the feeding trough at home. The horse avenged itself on the wild boar but lost its initial freedom.
Conclusion: If you cannot be tolerant of others, you will bring unhappiness upon yourself.
(4)
A family had three sons. The family was always noisy with endless arguments between the parents. Their mother was often beaten by their father.
The eldest son thought: “My mother is so unfortunate! I will treat my wife well in the future.”
The second son thought: “Marriage is meaningless; I will never marry!”
The youngest son thought: “So husbands can hit their wives like that.”
Conclusion: Even living in the same environment, different ways of thinking can create significant differences in lifestyle.
(5)
A mouse fell into a jar of rice, and this accident brought it immense joy.
After confirming there was no danger, it began a life of gluttony in the jar.
Before long, the jar was nearly empty. But the temptation of the rice was too great, so the mouse decided to stay.
After finishing all the rice, the mouse realized that escaping was now impossible. Everything became hopeless and helpless.
Conclusion: Our lives may seem quite smooth, but they actually hide many dangers.
(6)
On the first day, the white rabbit went fishing, spending all day without catching anything. The next day, the rabbit went fishing again, with the same result.
On the third day, as soon as the rabbit arrived at the pond, a fish jumped up and shouted: “If you dare to use carrots as bait again, I will kill you!”
Lesson: What you give is what you “want” to give, not necessarily what the other party wants to receive. If you continue to live in your own world, without placing yourself in someone else’s perspective, your contributions, no matter how plentiful, will be in vain.
(7)
One year, while sitting in a café waiting for a friend, a girl approached and asked: “Are you the one Aunt Huong introduced for a blind date?”
He looked up at her. She was exactly his type. He wondered why he didn’t take a chance. Thinking this, he quickly nodded: “Yes, that’s me. Please, have a seat.”
On the wedding day, he confessed that he wasn’t actually on a blind date.
The wife laughed and said: “Me too; I was just looking for an excuse to talk to you.”
Lesson: When opportunities arise, seize them without hesitation.
(8)
On a high-speed train, an elderly man accidentally dropped a newly bought shoe. The people around felt sorry for him, but to their surprise, he immediately threw the other one out the window. This action astonished everyone.
The old man explained: “No matter how expensive this shoe is, it is no longer useful to me. If someone finds it, they might still be able to wear it!”
Lesson: Some pains are irreversible; it’s better to let go early.
(9)
People were openly voting for the class beauty. There was an ordinary-looking girl named Mai who declared: “If I am elected, a few years from now, the girls here can proudly tell their husbands: ‘In college, I was even more beautiful than the class beauty!'”
As a result, she received all the votes.
Lesson: To persuade others to support you, you don’t need to prove that you are superior to others. Make others feel that because of you, they can become better.
(10)
A poor man asked the Buddha: “Dear Buddha, why am I so poor?”
The Buddha replied: “Because you have not learned to give.”
The poor man said: “I have nothing to give!”
The Buddha said: “Even someone who has nothing can still give seven things:
First is a smile, always smiling to resolve everything. Second is to speak words of praise, comforting others. Third is to open your heart and treat everyone kindly. Fourth is to look at others with benevolent eyes. Fifth is to help others with practical actions. Sixth is to be humble and yield to others. Seventh is to have a forgiving heart.”
Lesson: Don’t calculate too much; learn to love and give more. You might reap unexpected wealth and happiness.
(11)
A young man asked a sage: “Master, some call me a genius, while others call me a fool. What do you think I am?”
“How do you see yourself?” the sage asked in response, leaving the young man stunned.
The sage continued: “Rice is still rice, but a pound of rice in the eyes of a baker is flour, in the eyes of a liquor merchant, it is wine. For a beggar, it is a lifesaving meal.” After hearing this, the young man became enlightened.
Lesson: Only we can decide how we appear. Others will perceive and treat you according to how you perceive and treat yourself.
(12)
A shrimp admired the beautiful red color of a crab.
The crab told the shrimp that it often came ashore to bask in the sun. Whenever sunlight hit it, its body would shine a beautiful red.
Hearing this, the shrimp was delighted. It jumped ashore to learn how to sunbathe, but ended up getting sunburned to death.
Lesson: Never blindly imitate others.
