My mom gave this to me when i was in my schooling opening up her aspirations for her children!!This letter inspired me a lot..I liked the beauty of expression and the gravity of the essence in the following one….
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the united states of America (1861 - 1865) is one of the world’s great statesmen for all time. Here is a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to the head master of his school in which his son was studying, a letter so typical of the man who bore malice towards none and had charity for all.
He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero: that far every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader…
Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend. It will take time, I know a long time, but teach, if you can, that a dollar earned is of more value then five of found.
Teach him, to learn to lose…And also to enjoy winning. Steer him away from envy, if you can, teach in the secret of quiet laughter.
Teach him, if you can the wonder of books…But also given quiet time wonder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on the green hillside.
In a school teach him, it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat…
Teach him to have faith in his own idea, even if anyone else tell him they are wrong…
Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with tough.
Teach him to listen to all men…But teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good one that comes through.
Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him there is no shame in tear.
Teach them to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidder but never to put a prize tag on his heart and soul.
Teach him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes the fine steel.
Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will always have some sublime faith in mankind.
This is a big order, but see what can you do… He is such a fine little fellow, my son! Dad”

STORY OF A PENCIL

One of my favourite writers whom i adore a lot is paulo-coehlo.In his wonderful book" Like The Flowing River " i loved his attitude comparision with a pencil.Every creation of almighty always has something to learn...the thing matters is our vision towards the things!!!can anyone expect what pencil conveys is the entire essence of a peaceful and purposeful life!!!these are the wordz of coehlo on pencil...

A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter.
At one point, he asked:
'Are you writing a story about what we've done? Is it a story about me?'

His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
'I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I'm using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.'

curiously the boy looked at the pencil. It didn't seem very special.
'But it's just like any other pencil I've ever seen!'

granny said:
'That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which if you manageto hang on to them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.

First Quality:
You are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.

Second Quality:
Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little but afterwards, he's much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

Third Quality:
The pencil always allow us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it hepls to keep us on the road to justice.

Fourth Quality:
What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

Finally:
The pencil's Fifth Quality, it always leaves a mark. In just the same way, you should know that in everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be concious of that in your action.

hmmmm ....wonderful rite!!Everyone of us is a different and a unique "pencil". We all write our own way, and in this world that we live in, we all leave our marks one way or another. But the cleanest the paper (actions), the clearest the writing will be (conscience).