TRUE FRIENDSHIP

"A true friend encourages us, comforts us, supports us like a big easy chair, offering us a safe refuge from the world." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

True Friendship

Bits & Pieces, of January 9, 1992 has the story. When Jan Paderewski was to leave his native Poland to play his first recital in London, he asked an influential compatriot to give him a letter of introduction to a leading figure in Britain's musical world, who might be of assistance should anything go amiss. The letter was handed to him in a sealed envelope. He hoped that everything would proceed smoothly and he would not have to use it. He did not; his debut was a success and no snags developed. Some years later, while going through his papers, Paderewski came upon the letter and opened it. It read: "This will introduce Jan Paderewski, who plays the piano, for which he demonstrates no conspicuous talent."

This is a true story. Some years ago, a young man was shocked to discover that he was passed for a promotion, for which everyone knew

THE GIFT OF A DREAM (18); WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR DREAM?

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” - John Holmes

I have come to discover that dreams or visions generally just don’t die on their own or become reality simply because it is a good vision. There is one major factor that contributes or should I say determines the success of the dream, they are the people tied to that dream. We must understand that every dream has partners, people that have been called to help the fulfillment of the dream. Your dream can either fizzle into nothingness or blossom to success depending on the people around it, either dream helpers or dream terminators.

When Jan Paderewski was to leave his native Poland to fulfill his dream of becoming a world renown pianist, before his first recital in London, he asked an influential compatriot to give him a letter of introduction to a leading figure in Britain's musical world, who might be of assistance should anything go amiss. The letter was handed to him in a sealed envelope. He hoped that everything would proceed smoothly and he would not have to use it.

R Is For Reliability

Wisdom Nugget: "Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat - refreshing!"

Source: Photo Pin

In the real world, there is no such thing as a self-sufficient, super-capable superman, who tied his own boot strap and succeeded by his own personal efforts. We all need someone to succeed. We all need someone to lend us his shoulder for us to climb to our next level. It is called affirmation. No great man could succeed without it. It always takes the affirmation of another great man.

 When was the last time a friend got a job, passed an exam, secured a favour, got a break through or survived a difficult time in life because of you. As Arnold H. Glasow puts it, "A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down" Can you keep the secrets of a friend especially after you ceased being friends? Unfortunately in life "The shifts of fortune test the reliability of friends." It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said "When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest things we can know."

The truth, is that "Reliable people are so rare in this world."

When Jan Paderewski was to leave his native Poland to play his first recital in London, he asked an influential compatriot to give him a letter of introduction to a leading figure in Britain's musical world, who might be of assistance should anything go amiss. The letter was handed to him in a sealed envelope. He hoped that everything would proceed smoothly and he would not have to use it. He did not; his debut was a success and no snags developed. Some years later, while going through his papers, he came upon the letter and opened it. It read: "This will introduce Jan Paderewski, who plays the piano, for which he demonstrates no conspicuous talent."

"A doubtful friend is worse than a certain enemy. Let a man be one thing or the other, and we then know how to meet him." - Aesop.