A college student was sitting quite happily in a philosophy class until the conversation in the class moved on to a discussion on whether or not God exists.  It seemed her college professor didn't seem to think he did and asked her and her classmates the following questions as proof of his chain of thought as it were.

"Has anyone in this class ever heard God speak?" Nobody spoke.

"Has anyone in this class ever touched God?" Again, nobody spoke.

"Has anyone in this class ever seen God?" When nobody spoke for the third time, he simply stated, "Then obviously I am correct in assuming that there is indeed no God."

The student herself was quite a Spiritual sort and became more than a little perturbed at his lack of logic and the way he seemed to expect her to accept his word as written in stone.  Annoyed, she politely asked for his permission to speak.  Naturally, the professor duly granted it and the student stood up and asked the following questions of her classmates:

"Has anyone in this class ever heard our professor's brain speak?"  Stony silence!

"Has anyone in this class ever touched our professor's brain?"   The silence continued.

"Has anyone in this class seen our professor's brain?" When nobody in the class dared to speak, the student concluded, "Then, according to our professor's logic, it must be true that our professor has no brain!"

There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren't the way you had hoped they would be.

That's when you have to tell yourself that things will get better. There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.

But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.

Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you. It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.

So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.

Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.

Keep Believing in Yourself!

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many others never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

Don't be fooled by the face I wear, for I wear a thousand masks, and none of them are me.  Don't be fooled, for goodness sake, don't be fooled.

I give you the impression that I'm secure, that confidence is my name and coolness is my game, and that I need no one.  But don't believe me.

Beneath dwells the real me in confusion, in aloneness, in fear. That's why I create a mask to hide behind, to shield me from the glance that knows, but such a glance is precisely my salvation.

That is, if it's followed by acceptance, if it's followed by love. It's the only thing that can liberate me from my own self-built prison walls. I'm afraid that deep down I'm nothing and that I'm just no good, And that you will reject me.

And so begins the parade of masks. I idly chatter to you. I tell you everything that's really nothing and nothing of what's everything, of what's crying within me.

Please listen carefully and try to hear what I'm not saying. I'd really like to be genuine and spontaneous, and me. But you've got to help me. You've got to hold out your hand.

Each time you're kind and gentle, and encouraging, each time you try to understand because you really care, my heart begins to grow wings, feeble wings, but wings.

With your sensitivity and sympathy, and your power of understanding, you alone can release me from my shallow world of uncertainty.

It will not be easy for you. The nearer you approach me, the blinder I may strike back.  But I'm told that Love is stronger than strong walls, and in this lies my only hope.

Please try to beat down these walls with firm hands, but gentle hands, for a child is very sensitive.

Who am I?  You wonder. I am every man you meet, and also every woman that you meet, and I am you, also.