I have nothing left

A man once telephoned a wise man. He was despondent and told the wise man that he had nothing left to live for. The wise man invited the man over to his office. "Everything is gone, hopeless," the man told him. "I'm living in deepest darkness. In fact, I've lost heart for living altogether."

The wise man smiled sympathetically.

"Let's take a look at your situation," he said calmly. On a sheet of paper he drew a vertical line down the middle. He suggested that they list on the left side the things the man had lost, and on the right, the things he had left. "You won't need that column on the right side," said the man sadly. "I have nothing left, period."

The wise man asked, "When did your wife leave you?"

"What do you mean? She hasn't left me. My wife loves me!"

"That's great!" said the wise man enthusiastically. "Then that will be number one in the right-hand column - Wife hasn't left. Now, when were your children jailed?"

"That's silly. My children aren't in jail!"

"Good! That's number two in the right-hand column - Children not in jail," said the wise man, jotting it down.

After a few more questions in the same vein, the man finally got the point and smiled in spite of himself. "Funny, how things change when you think of them that way," he said.

Motivational Quote: "Be sure that you appreciate everything you've got; and be thankful for the little things in life that mean a lot."

Inspirational Quote: "It is not what you have but it is how you think has a profound effect on your life."