Anecdotes

Fleming and Churchill

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'

'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.

'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.

'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.

'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill .. His son's name?

Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said: What goes around comes around.
Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

Dr. Howard Kelly

One day, a poor boy, selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied "Mother has taught us never to accept payment for a kindness."

He said... "Then I thank you from my heart." As the poor was leaving that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was also strengthened.

Years later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation.

When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it. Finally, she looked, and something caught her attention on the side as she read these words...... "Paid in full with one glass of milk." (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, GOD, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

Secret of Success

A young man asked Socrates the secret of Success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. As told, the young man met Socrates in the morning.
Socrates asked the young man to walk with him towards the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water.
The man struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until he started turning blue.  The young man struggled hard and finally managed to get out and the first thing he did was to gasp and take deep breath.

Socrates asked 'What you wanted the most when you were there?' The man replied 'Air'.  Socrates said “that's the most secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted air, you will get it.  There is no other secret.”

Bill Rodgers

Champion American marathon runner Bill Rodgers says thieves made him a runner. "One day my motorcycle was stolen, so I bought a bicycle. Then the bicycle was stolen and I decided to run the three or four kilometres to work each day. I reckoned it would be hard for someone to take that away.

Tom Watson

Once when IBM lost six lakh dollars in a project, IBM's Tom Watson was asked if he was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost IBM $6,00,000. He said, "No, I just spent $6,00,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience?"

William Howard Taft

During his campaign for the American Presidency, William Howard Taft, was addressing a mixed political gathering. A cabbage thrown by someone in the crowd rolled at Taft's feet. His sense of humour turned the crowd's laughter into cheers. "I see," said Taft, "that one of my adversaries has lost his head!"

Henry Ward Beecher

Arriving at Plymouth church one Sunday, Henry Ward Beecher (1813-87) found in his mail a letter containing just one word: "Fool." During the service that morning, he related the incident to his congregation, adding the remark: "I have known many an instance of a man writing a letter and forgetting to sign his name, but this is the only instance I have ever known of a man signing his name and forgetting to write the letter."

Confucius

Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher, is about to pass away. His near and dear ones surround his sick-bed. Weakly, he whispers, "Can you see what is in my mouth?" The old philosopher has lost all his teeth. So they reply, "We only see the tongue." After a while, Confucius asks them, "What is in your mouth?" "We have both our tongue and teeth," they answer. The wise old man then tells them, "When man is born, he is born only with a tongue. The teeth come in gradually. They are harder and stronger than the tongue! But as man grows older, his hard, strong teeth drop off gradually. Only the tongue- soft and gentle- lasts till the end." The dying philosopher pauses for breath. "This is my last message to you, my dear ones", he concludes. "That which is gentle, lasts. Therefore, always be gentle! Speak to everyone kindly, lovingly, gently!"

William I

Legend has it... that when William I (THE CONQUEROR) landed at Hastings in 1066, he got up to disembark from his boat...but..."lost his balance and fell flat on his face". Getting up from the beach scrubbing the gritty English sand from his garments, he sensed that his superstitious men at arms thought this fall as an ill omen for the impending battle. William with his sharpness of mind, quickly raised himself off the ground and shouted to his men,
"SEE MEN!!!! EVEN ENGLAND EMBRACES ME!" THE REST IS HISTORY.

Winston Churchill

• While campaigning one day in 1900, young Winston Churchill was approached by a petulant observer. "Vote for you?" the man exclaimed. "Why, I'd rather vote for the Devil!" "I understand," Churchill replied. "But in case your friend isn't running, may I count on your support?"

• At a dinner for Commonwealth dignitaries one evening, Winston Churchill was approached by the chief of protocol and quietly informed that one of the distinguished guests had slipped a silver salt shaker into his pocket. At the end of the meal, Churchill gingerly slipped up to the offender and produced the matching pepper shaker from his own pocket. "Oh, dear," he said, "we were seen. Perhaps we had both better put them back."

Perspective

Churchill was once asked whether he was proud to have ten thousand people gather to hear him speak. "No," he replied, "because ten times as many would come to see me hanged."

Thomas Alva Edison

• A deaf man who recorded sound? A school dropout who unraveled the mysteries of electricity? Thomas Alva Edison, with more than a thousand patents to his name, was understandably revered for his ingenuity. Shortly before his death, a reporter asked Edison what it was that made a person a genius. Edison hesitated for a moment before replying with his now-famous maxim: "Genius is one percent inspiration - and ninety-nine percent perspiration."

• Thomas Edison enjoyed showing visitors around his summer residence, pointing out the estate's many labor-saving inventions. At one point, before returning to the house, guests were guided through a curious turnstile. As considerable effort was required to turn it, a guest one day asked Edison why he had produced such a cumbersome device. "Well, you see," Edison replied, "everyone who pushes the turnstile around pumps eight gallons of water into the tank on my roof."  

• Valorous in the disaster...
  In December 1914, the laboratory of Thomas Edison was practically destroyed by a fire. The damage was more than two million dollars, but the insurance policy guaranteed only 238 000$, because the buildings were out of concrete and, in theory, fireproof materials. Most of the work of a whole life flew away in smoke that day.
  At the height of the fire, the 24 year old son of Edison, Charles, frantically sought his father among the remains and smoke. He ended up finding him, observing calmly the scene, his face illuminated by the flames, his white hair floating with the wind.
  " I have badly to see him thus ", Charles told later." He had 67 years... a sizeable age... and saw all his work disappearing." When he saw me, he shouted:" Hi Charles, where is your mother? " . I answered him that I did not know her. He said to me then: " Find and brings her here. She will never see again one similar thing ".
  The next morning, Edison looked at the debris and said: " The disaster brings an invaluable thing. All our errors are unobtrusive. I thank God for being able to start again to zero. " Three weeks after the fire, Edison succeeded in presenting to the world his new invention: THE GRAMOPHONE. 

Oscar Wilde

Customary declaration

One day during a lecture tour in 1882, Oscar Wilde was asked by a customs officer in New York whether he had anything to declare. "No, I have nothing to declare," Wilde replied, "except my genius."

Wilde about flowers

Oscar Wilde, staying with friends in the country, arrived for breakfast one morning looking unusually pale. "I'm afraid you are ill, Mr. Wilde," another guest remarked. "No, not ill - only tired," Wilde replied. "The fact is, I picked a primrose in the wood yesterday, and it was so ill I have been sitting up with it all night."

Nicolo Paganini

Nicolo Paganini was a well-known and gifted nineteenth century violinist. He was also well known as a great showman with a quick sense of humor. His most memorable concert was in Italy with a full orchestra. He was performing before a packed house and his technique was incredible, his tone was fantastic, and his audience dearly loved him. Toward the end of his concert, Paganini was astounding his audience with an unbelievable composition when suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung limply from his instrument. Paganini frowned briefly, shook his head, and continued to play, improvising beautifully. Then to everyone's surprise, a second string broke. And shortly thereafter, a third. Almost like a slapstick comedy, Paganini stood there with three strings dangling from his Stradivarius. But instead of leaving the stage, Paganini stood his ground and calmly completed the difficult number on the one remaining string.

F. W. Woolworth

A ten-cent idea

When young F. W. Woolworth was a store clerk, he tried to convince his boss to have a ten-cent sale to reduce inventory. The boss agreed, and the idea was a resounding success. This inspired Woolworth to open his own store and price items at a nickel and a dime. He needed capital for such a venture, so he asked his boss to supply the capital for part interest in the store. His boss turned him down flat. "The idea is too risky," he told Woolworth. "There are not enough items to sell for five and ten cents." Woolworth went ahead without his boss's backing, and he not only was successful in his first store, but eventually he owned a chain of F. W. Woolworth stores across the nation. Later, his former boss was heard to remark, "As far as I can figure out, every word I used to turn Woolworth down cost me about a million dollars."

Henry Ford

Time to think

Henry Ford hired an efficiency expert to go through his plant. He said, "Find the nonproductive people. Tell me who they are, and I will fire them!" The expert made the rounds with his clipboard in hand and finally returned to Henry Ford's office with his report. "I've found a problem with one of your administrators," he said. "Every time I walked by, he was sitting with his feet propped up on the desk. The man never does a thing. I definitely think you should consider getting rid of him!" When Henry Ford learned the name of the man the expert was referring to, Ford shook his head and said, "I can't fire him. I pay that man to do nothing but think - and that's what he's doing."

Even the great Thomas Alva Edison discouraged his friend, Henry Ford, from pursuing his fledgling idea of a motorcar. Convinced of the worthlessness of the idea, Edison invited Ford to come and work for him. Ford remained committed and tirelessly pursued his dream. Although his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without reverse gear, Henry Ford knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did.

John Wanamaker

A quiet scolding

The late John Wanamaker was the king of retail. One day while walking through his store in Philadelphia, he noticed a customer waiting for assistance. No one was paying the least bit of attention to her. Looking around, he saw his salespeople huddled together laughing and talking among themselves. Without a word, he quietly slipped behind the counter and waited on the customer himself. Then he quietly handed the purchase to the salespeople to be wrapped as he went on his way. Later, Wanamaker was quoted as saying, "I learned thirty years ago that it is foolish to scold. I have enough trouble overcoming my own limitations without fretting over the fact that God has not seen fit to distribute evenly the gift of intelligence."

Washington

To build a bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge that spans the river tying Manhattan Island to Brooklyn is truly a miracle bridge. In 1863, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea for this spectacular bridge. However, bridge-building experts throughout the world told him to forget it; it could not be done.

Roebling convinced his son, Washington, who was a young, up and coming engineer, that the bridge could be built. The two of them developed the concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With un harnessed excitement and inspiration, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

The project was only a few months under construction when a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling and severely injured his son, Washington. Washington was left with permanent brain damage and was unable to talk or walk. Everyone felt that the project would have to be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built.

Even though Washington was unable to move or talk, his mind was as sharp as ever, and he still had a burning desire to complete the bridge. An idea hit him as he lay in his hospital bed, and he developed a code for communication. All he could move was one finger, so he touched the arm of his wife with that finger, tapping out the code to communicate to her what to tell the engineers who were building the bridge. For thirteen years, Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger until the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge was finally completed.

Mahatma Gandhiji

Shoes...

One day, while going up in a train, Gandhi lost a shoe, which fell on the railway. He was unable to recover it, the train starting to advance. With the great astonishment of his travelling companions, Gandhi removed his other shoe and launched it close to that, which he had just lost. A passenger who asked him why he had done that, Gandhi answered while smiling: "the poor fellow who will find my shoe on the railway will find the second right with dimensions and will have a pair of shoe which he will be able to use."

Napoleon

Who's counting?

Napoleon was involved in conversation with a colonel of a Hungarian battalion who had been taken prisoner in Italy. The colonel mentioned he had fought in the army of Maria Theresa. "You must have a few years under your belt!" exclaimed Napoleon. "I'm sure I've lived sixty or seventy years," replied the colonel. "You mean to say," Napoleon continued, "you have not kept track of the years you have lived?"
The colonel promptly replied, "Sir, I always count my money, my shirts, and my horses - but as for my years, I know nobody who wants to steal them, and I shall surely never lose them."

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Confidence and faith

Some of the greatest successes of the history resulted from a word of encouragement or an act of confidence from a faithful friend. Had not been confidence which his Sophie wife had in him, it is quite possible that the name of Nathaniel Hawthorne would not be reproduced on the list of the great name of the literature. When Nathaniel, the broken heart and reproaching himself for having missed his life, returned to after having lost to him his employment at the customs houses, his wife surprised him by exclaiming joy.
"Now, she says triumphantly, you will be able to write your book!"
"Yes, did it answer without conviction, and how we will live while I write?"
With the great surprise of Nathaniel, Sophie opened a drawer from where she drew a significant amount of money.
"Where devil you did find this money?" he exclaimed.
"I always knew that you had genius, she says. I knew that one day you would write a masterpiece. Then, each week, I took a little money in what you gave me for the maintenance of the house and I put it of with dimensions. Here is making us enough live a whole year."
From her confidence and her faith was born one from the largest novels from the American literature: THE SCARLET LETTER

Albert Einstein

A journalist once asked Albert Einstein if he were able to return to earth for a second life, would he be a scientist again? Einstein stated, "Hell no, I would be a plumber, he makes more money than I do."

Sylvester Stallone

A young man was frequently beaten by his father and told he had no brains. An advisor at Drexel University told him he should pursue a career as an elevator repairman. He watched a boxer one day by the name Mohammed Ali. He thought that he could write a movie that would show courage, perseverance, love and a dream. He locked himself in his room for 3 days. Rejected by directors all over Hollywood, they finally offered $350,000 for him to turn it over and get lost. They wanted the script but they didn't want him. He walked away, they got $1,000,000 together and made him another offer which he took and made $10,000,000 on his first film. Ladies and Gentleman his name is Sylvester Stallone.

Jeannie Harper


Jeannie Harper was in the 4th grade and her teacher had everyone in class write down what they wanted to be when they grew up. Jeannie wrote, “I want to be the first commercial airline pilot”, and handed it in. The teacher gave her an “F”. That night Jeannie went home and cried and sobbed all night long. Her parents said “Hey this is really important, what do you want to do?” Jeannie Harper went into school, went to the teacher and handed her back the paper and said, “Here, you keep the ‘F’, I’ll keep my dream.”
Jeannie Harper became the first commercial airline pilot for United Airlines.

Abbot Goeschel

A monk went to Abbot Goeschel and asked, "Father, tell me how I can protect my soul from the snares of the devil." Without a word, Abbot Goeschel lit a candle and told him, "Put your hand over the flame." "Oh, no, Father," said the monk. "The flame is so hot that it would burn my fingers." "Anyone who wishes to be unconquered by evil must first enkindle the flame of love in one's heart," the abbot said. The devil cannot touch a soul that is a afire with love."

Henry Ford

Creating the impossible, the development of the v-8 engine Henry Ford

The impossible Ford V-8 motor, or at least that's what the engineers thought when Henry Ford decided to produce the impossible V-8 engine. He decided he wanted all 8 cylinders cast in one block. He instructed his engineers to make a design for this idea. The idea was placed on paper but all the engineers agreed that this was simply impossible to cast an 8 cylinder engine in one piece. Henry Ford said "Produce it anyway", the engineers said Mr. Ford its impossible! Ford said go ahead and stay on the job until you succeed no matter how much time is required. The engineers went ahead or be fired. 6 months went by and nothing happened. Another 6 months past and still nothing happened. The engineers tried every conceivable plan to carry out the orders but the thing seemed out of the question, impossible! At the end of the year Ford checked with the engineers and again they had informed him they had found know way to carry out his orders. Keep trying said Ford! I want it and I will have it! So back to the drawing board they went and sure enough like magic they found the secret to the V-8 engine and once again the what was once thought was impossible was now achieved.
Quote: What ever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. Napoleon Hill

Roger bannister

Breaking the 4 minute mile against all authorities

In 1954 a young medical student did what the experts said was impossible, run the mile in less than 4 minutes. Doctors said that it was physically impossible for the human body to operate at those kind of running speeds. Roger Bannister had a dream and belief, he understood the principle of daily improvement and focused his mind on breaking that barrier even though nobody in the history of man kind had done it before. Roger Bannister was willing to pay the price of personal growth and broke this mental barrier. Since he broke this record, removed the barrier of impossible now every world class runner runs the mile in less than 4 minutes. Why? Because one man didn't allow limiting beliefs hold him back from great things.

Voltaire

When Jean Jacques Rousseau was hunted and hounded from one place to another on account of his opinions, Voltaire heard of it and although Voltaire did not share Rousseau’s views, he invited him to come and live in his home. And when Rousseau finally arrived, Voltaire embraced him and said, “I do not agree with a word you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it”

Buddha, Gautama

A man interrupted Buddha's preaching with a flood of abuse. Buddha waited until he had finished and then asked him: "If a man offered a gift to another but the gift was declined, to whom would that gift belong?" "To the one who offered it," said the man. "Then", said Buddha, "I decline to accept your abuse and request you to keep it for yourself."

Churchill, Winston

As a young subaltern, Churchill sported a mustache. At a formal dinner, he fell into an argument with a grand dowager who, seeking to put him in his place, snapped "Young man, I care for neither your politics nor your mustache." "Madame," responded Churchill, you are unlikely to come into contact with either."

Lincoln, Abraham

In his legal practice Lincoln was never greedy for fees and discouraged unnecesary litigation. A man came to him in a passion, asking the lawyer to bring suit for $2.50 against and impoverished debtor. Lincoln tried to dissuade him, but the man was determined upon revenge. When he saw that the creditor was not to be put off, Lincoln asked for and got $10.00 as his legal fee. He gave half this amount to the defendant who thereupon willingly confessed to the debt and paid the $2.50, thus settling the matter to the entire satisfaction of the plaintiff.

Thomas Jefferson

It was a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. The old man's beard was glazed by winter's frost while he waited for a ride across the river. The wait seemed endless. His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.

He heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen path. Anxiously, he watched as several horsemen rounded the bend. He let the first one pass by without an effort to get his attention. Then another passed by, and another. Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue. As this one drew near, the old man caught the rider's eye and said, "Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn't appear to be a passageway by foot."

Reining his horse, the rider replied, "Sure thing. Hop aboard." Seeing the old man was unable to lift his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman dismounted and helped the old man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across the river, but to his destination, which was just a few miles away.

As they neared the tiny but cozy cottage, the horseman's curiosity caused him to inquire, "Sir, I notice that you let several other riders pass by without making an effort to secure a ride. Then I came up and you immediately asked me for a ride. I'm curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and ask the last rider. What if I had refused and left you there?"

The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, "I've been around these here parts for some time. I reckon I know people pretty good." The old-timer continued, "I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was no concern for my situation. It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, kindness and compassion were evident. I knew, then and there, that your gentle spirit would welcome the opportunity to give me assistance in my time of need."

Those heartwarming comments touched the horseman deeply. "I'm most grateful for what you have said," he told the old man. "May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion."
With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way back to the White House.

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was one of the greatest geniuses of last century.  When he was a young man with a growing reputation, he received many invitations to go to universities to explain his theories.  On these trips he was always chauffeured by a man called Hans.  Hans often said to him, “It is a pleasure to drive a genius like you, Dr.Einstein.”

One evening, on their way to a remote university, Einstein said, “I wish I did not have to give my lecture tonight, Hans. I am so tired.  But I can’t let my audience down, can I?”

“You don’t need to,” said Hans, “we will change places, and I’ll give the lecture tonight for you.  I’ve listened to it dozens of times.  I don’t understand it, but I know it by heart. And no one knows you at the university, do they? No one will find out.”

Einstein eventually agreed with Hans, but said to him, “Don’t try to answer any question, whatever you do.” They changed places, and at the university Hans was greeted and led to the platform in a great hall crowded with professors and students.  Einstein joined the audience and listened to Hans give his lecture perfectly, and joined in the applause at the end.

However, before Hans could get off the platform, a professor shouted from audience, “I’d like to ask you a question.  It’s very difficult, but please answer it.”  He then asked a question so difficult that Hans had no idea what he was talking about.

Einstein thought. “Oh, dear, now we are in trouble.” But Hans just laughed and said, “that is not a difficult question, sir.  In fact, it’s so easy even my driver knows to answer it.  Hans standup and …..”  Einstein stood up and answered the question perfectly.

They left the university, with Einstein driving.  A little later, Hans offered to take over from him.  “No my friend,” laughed Einstein, “it is a pleasure to drive a genius like you.”