Heartfelt Tales: Inspirational Stories: Personal Growth: Better Relationships: A Happier Life

By Tygo Lee

Open your mind to new experiences and your heart to new feelings. This collection of all-original inspirational stories touches on many significant aspects in our daily lives and relationships, such as tolerating differences in others, learning from life's experiences, detrimental egoism, the importance of commitments, on-going stress, harmful competitive behavior, the snares of conformity, and making time for yourself and your loved ones.

Thought-provoking scenarios sprinkled with compassion and insight are distinguishing features in these magical tales--all with an underlying foundation of universal values that will motivate you to reflect on your own life's circumstances so you can live more happily.

Heartfelt Tales--a part of Tygo Lee's unique collection of entertaining and inspirational stories, magical fables, fairy tales, cat tales, and reflections. Feel good. Live well. Find peace in your heart and joy in your relationships.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eBookIt.com
• Release date: Apr 15, 2017
• ISBN: 9781456624392

Book preview

Lee

Story 1: A Second Chance

Everybody liked Vicky. She made friends easily and these friends hung around her like stray cats in a barn during milking time of the cows in the early evening. Meow, meow. Yum, fresh hot milk! Meow. Hey Spunky, do you think he’ll share a little with us again like the previous nights? I don’t know Lanky, meow, but I sure could use a few laps of that tasty liquid delicacy with this cold winter weather we’re having. Got that right, Spunky. Let’s meow around real pathetic like and give him our cute look and see what happens, okay?

Hmmm. Have you ever milked cows on a farm and the cats faithfully come wandering in out of nowhere when you’re squeezing out that fresh, hot milk? What a wonderful sight, and how pleasing it is to share a little love with the furry visitors! And now, back to the story…

She was known far and wide as Vicky the Vibrant because she had an almost irresistible, magnetic appeal about her that caused everyone to fall under her captivating, charming spell within seconds of meeting her. The bright glow in her eyes; the warm smile on her lips; the friendly, open posture of her body; and her soothing, confident voice were no more than external indications of the goodness she harbored deep within. Quite simply, people liked to be with her and to be close to her so as to be able to soak up a bit of that bright, pulsating aura that extended out far from her physical presence, illuminating the oftentimes dreary paths of others and soothing their weary souls.

Vicky the Vibrant was an outgoing, caring young lady who did everything she could to help people in their time of need, and she was well known for the sage advice she offered when that kind of assistance was requested. She was also so highly thought of because she never imposed herself on anyone, but was always to be found in a quiet and serene state, providing her guidance only when it was asked of her rather than willfully subjecting her friends or acquaintances to her point of view. That kind of behavior was of course very uncommon where she lived, with most people rather forcefully and rudely meddling in the lives of others.

As just one example of thousands that could be told, early one morning she came across a decrepit, old man who was sitting at the entrance to an alleyway in the downtown area of the city where she resided. Unshaven, un-bathed, with torn, dirty clothing and worn-out shoes, it was obvious that he was suffering from a variety of different ailments and malnutrition in general. Sensing that Vicky was somehow different from the vast majority of people, he called out to her in a polite but sad voice. Ma’am. Good morning. I’m very sorry to bother you, but I wonder if you could lend me a hand.

What can I do to help you, sir?

I, you see, I haven’t eaten for some time and I’m feeling quite sick and weak at the moment. I was wondering if you might be able to offer me a little assistance, if you would be so kind.

Kneeling down beside him, she responded with a soft gentle voice. You speak with the words of a well-educated gentleman and I thank you for your courteous manner of addressing me. If you don’t mind me asking, what brought you to this condition that you find yourself in at this moment?

That would be a very long and depressing story for such a nice lady as you on this fine day. I will not ignore your question though since you are the only one I have met who has asked me such a thing. In brief, I am, or was, an electrical engineer who had everything going for me. I had a caring wife, two wonderful children, a big house, a new car, a high-paying job, and well, everything that anyone could possibly want. I was a shining example of success—with a family, abundant material possessions, plenty of money, and a respected position in society.

That is very impressive, sir. So…what happened?

Well, I guess I got so wrapped up in my wealth and status that I let it all slip away.

Slip away, you say?

You see, I had it all, but I was never satisfied. I wanted more, and more, and more. And as such, I became a ravenous beast.

Oh my dear!

"Beast, I say, in the figurative sense. Or on second thought, maybe not. Yes, maybe not. I literally became obsessed with obtaining better jobs, bigger houses, more expensive cars, more influential friends, a higher status, and more respect. Come to think of it, my greed took over my very being, and my once-agreeable character was somehow transformed into, yes, a beastly personality who would stop at nothing to advance myself in my profession and in life in general."

"So, when you were transformed, as you say, what…?"

I lost it. I lost it, mentally. And as a result, I lost it all, materially, and beyond that. My wife and children could no longer stand to be with me and they thus moved away. My co-workers thought me to be arrogant and self-centered. Due to my unending obsession with ascending the corporate ladder by any and all means, I was soon not to be seen as a team player but an egomaniac, and I was fired. My influential friends began to find me to be overbearing and repulsive and thus, one by one they rejected me, leaving me alone and abandoned, as had happened with my family. In the end, my money ran out as did my hope for maintaining my lifestyle, and the only alternative remaining was my living in the streets, as you see me now.

"That is quite a story, my belabored man. And what have you learned from this experience?"

"Learned? No one has ever asked me that question, but I believe it is a good one. I, well, I…it makes me think of the old expression, ‘Easy come, easy go.’ I had it all, but I didn’t appreciate or value what I had. My mind was always focused on getting more in the future rather than enjoying what I had achieved in the present. For that reason, it all slipped away from me, as fast as it had come."

"And what is it that you had that was so valuable, if you don’t mind me asking?"

"I, uh, I believe that is an even better question. Yes, your very pointed, direct inquiries are helping me greatly to reflect on my past and the errors I have committed. I was going to respond by mentioning my high-paying job, my big house, and so on, but I am now realizing that this was all meaningless. Yes, perhaps more meaningless than I would have ever imagined. You see, I lost my family. My family! My wife and two children. And perhaps worst of all, I lost my…self-respect. Without your self-respect, you are a beast indeed!"

You are a good man, and I am very happy to have met you today.

"A good man! My fine lady, I am exactly the opposite of what you are proposing. I am a terrible, frightful, beastly man, who has failed at life."

"I don’t wish to argue with you or to force my opinions on you, but I will offer you an objective comment on what I’ve just heard. We all commit errors, and over the years perhaps thousands upon thousands of them—both big and small. But the person who fails at life is someone who does not ever come to recognize his errors, and more importantly, feel genuinely repentant for what has been done."

"From the story you have just told me, I could see the sorrow in your eyes and feel the remorse in your heart. In other words, you have just redeemed yourself, cleansing your soul of the accumulated foulness of wrongdoing—a foulness that we all have slowly but surely built up in greater or lesser degrees over the years. As such, I for one do respect you and would consider you to be a noble person who now deserves a second chance and…that helping hand that you asked me for."

With that, the decrepit old man was left sobbing uncontrollably while Vicky the Vibrant put her arms around his frail body