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Short Inspirational Stories
Citation preview
a collection of inspirational
short stories
By Diana Polyakov
Have a
Great
Day!
Have a Great Day!
a collection of inspirational short stories
Selected by: Diana Polyakov
Diana Polyakov
2014
Copyright 2014 by Diana Polyakov
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used
in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.
First Printing: 2014
ISBN 978-1-312-30643-1
Diana Polyakov
www.AllWealthCare.com
Ordering Information:
Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations,
educators, and others. For details, contact the publisher at the above listed address.
U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers: Please contact Diana Polyakov by email
You can also find and like this book on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/HaveaGreatdaybook
Dedication
To my lovely family.
Thank you. Without your support and patience, I would have
never achieved my dream.
Contents
Love, Wealth and Success ............................................................ 1
The Fisherman and The Banker ................................................ 4
A Cry for Help ................................................................................... 7
The important things in life ...................................................... 10
My mom only had one eye ......................................................... 13
The story of a blind girl .............................................................. 16
What goes around comes around ........................................... 19
Let go of your Stresses ................................................................ 23
Finding Happiness ........................................................................ 25
Kiss Someone Before You Go .................................................... 27
Traveling Angels ........................................................................... 29
Buying an hour of daddys time ............................................... 32
A dish of ice cream ....................................................................... 35
How the poor live.......................................................................... 37
A box of kisses ................................................................................ 39
The goldfish bowl ......................................................................... 41
Everyone is important ................................................................ 44
Reaching your goal ....................................................................... 46
Marriage ........................................................................................... 48
A beautiful true love story ......................................................... 55
Two castle Builders ...................................................................... 58
If a dog was your teacher ........................................................... 61
Acknowledgements
I thank my family for their love and inspiration!
I thank all the readers for holding this book in their hands!
I thank the unknown authors of these stories!
I thank my clients and business colleagues for support!
I thank my friends for their trust!
I thank myself for everything else!
.
Introduction
There are so many great books Ive read that teach us how to be-come happy, successful and rich. You can read hundreds or thousands
of such books and learn by heart all the laws of success and happi-
ness, but knowing all these stuff - does not necessarily make us
become happier. I believe that one can learn and explain everything in
this world, but if the words do not touch ones heart, the meaning is
lost.
This book is a collection of short inspirational stories written by
unknown authors. Ive gathered these stories throughout the years. The most inspirational stories that touched my heart and made me a
better person are compiled in this book. My goal is to bring these stories to my readers and to ignite, inspire and encourage their hearts.
Once you pick up this book - please read it slowly. Take your
time. Listen to the words coming through your mind and your heart.
Enjoy each and every one of these stories. Give them the opportunity
to touch your soul. Ask yourself what can you learn by reading the
story? How can it affect your life? Can you become a better and hap-
pier person?
You might find some stories more inspirational than the others.
Some will make you cry. Some will make you laugh. Remember that
all the stories in the book are designed to inspire and encourage you.
I truly hope that you get as much fun and inspiration from read-
ing this book, as I got from working on it.
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
Love, Wealth and Success
A woman came out of her house and saw
three old men with long white beards sitting in
her front yard. She did not recognize them. She
said, "I don't think I know you, but you must be
hungry. Please come in and have something to
eat."
"Is the man of the house home?" they asked.
"No", she said. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
In the evening when her husband came
home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell
them I am home and invite them in," he said.
The woman went out and invited the men in.
"We do not go into a house together," they re-
plied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know. One
By Diana Polyakov
2
of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth,"
he said pointing to one of his friends, and said
pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I
am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and dis-
cuss with your husband which one of us you
want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband
what was said. Her husband was overjoyed.
"How nice!" he said. "Since that is the case, let
us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our
home with wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we
invite Success?" Their daughter-in-law was lis-
tening from the other corner of the house. She
jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it
not be better to invite Love? Our home will then
be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice,"
said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite
Love to be our guest."
The woman went out and asked the three old
men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come
in and be our guest." Love got up and started
walking toward the house. The other two also
got up and followed him.
Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Suc-
cess: "I only invited Love, why are you coming
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
3
in?" The old men replied together: "If you had
invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us
would've stayed out, but since you invited Love,
wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever
there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!"
Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
4
The Fisherman and The Banker
An American investment banker was taking
a much-needed vacation in a small coastal Mex-
ican village when a small boat with just one
fisherman docked. The boat had several large,
fresh fish in it.
The investment banker was impressed by the
quality of the fish and asked the Mexican how
long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied,
Only a little while. The banker then asked why he didnt stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican fisherman replied he had
enough to support his familys immediate needs.
The American then asked But what do you do with the rest of your time?
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
5
The Mexican fisherman replied, I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take si-
esta with my wife, stroll into the village each
evening where I sip wine and play guitar with
my amigos: I have a full and busy life, senor.
The investment banker scoffed, I am an Ivy League MBA, and I could help you. You could
spend more time fishing and with the proceeds
buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from
the bigger boat you could buy several boats until
eventually you would have a whole fleet of fish-
ing boats. Instead of selling your catch to the
middleman you could sell directly to the proces-
sor, eventually opening your own cannery. You
could control the product, processing and distri-
bution.
Then he added, Of course, you would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and
move to Mexico City where you would run your
growing enterprise.
The Mexican fisherman asked, But senor, how long will this all take?
To which the American replied, 15-20 years.
But what then? asked the Mexican.
By Diana Polyakov
6
The American laughed and said, Thats the best part. When the time is right you would an-
nounce an IPO and sell your company stock to
the public and become very rich. You could
make millions.
Millions, senor? Then what?
To which the investment banker replied,
Then you would retire. You could move to a small coastal fishing village where you would
sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take
siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the
evenings where you could sip wine and play
your guitar with your amigos.
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
7
A Cry for Help
Once upon a time, there was an island where
all the feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, and
all of the others, including Love.
One day it was announced to the feelings
that the island would sink, so all repaired their
boats and left.
Love was the only one who stayed. Love
wanted to persevere until the last possible mo-
ment.
When the island was almost sinking, Love
decided to ask for help.
By Diana Polyakov
8
Richness was passing by Love in a grand
boat. Love said, "Richness, can you take me
with you?" Richness answered, "No I can't There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat.
There is no place for you here."
Love decided to ask Vanity, who was also
passing by in a beautiful vessel, "Vanity, please
help me!" "I can't help you Love. You are all
wet and might damage my boat," Vanity an-
swered.
Sadness was close by so Love asked for
help, "Sadness let me go with you." "Oh...Love,
I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"
Happiness passed by Love too, but she was
so happy that she did not even hear when Love
called her!
Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come Love, I
will take you." It was an elder. Love felt so
blessed and overjoyed that he even forgot to ask
the elder her name.
When they arrived at dry land, the elder
went her own way. Love, realizing how much
he owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another
elder, "Who helped me?"
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
9
"It was Time," Knowledge answered.
"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time
help me?
Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and
answered, "Because only Time is capable of un-
derstanding how great Love is.
Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
10
The important things in life
A philosophy professor stood before his
class with some items on the table in front of
him. When the class began, wordlessly he
picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise
jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2
inches in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of
pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook
the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled in-
to the open areas between the rocks.
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
11
He then asked the students again if the jar
was full. They agreed it was.
The professor picked up a box of sand and
poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled
up the remaining open areas of the jar.
He then asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous
Yes.
Now, said the professor, I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The
rocks are the important things your family, your partner, your health, and your children things that if everything else was lost and only
they remained, your life would still be full. The
pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is eve-
rything else, the small stuff.
If you put the sand into the jar first, he continued, there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you
spend all your time and energy on the small
stuff, you will never have room for the things
that are important to you. Pay attention to the
things that are critical to your happiness. Play
with your children. Take your partner out danc-
ing. There will always be time to go to work,
By Diana Polyakov
12
clean the house, give a dinner party, or fix the
disposal.
Take care of the rocks first the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just
sand.
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
13
My mom only had one eye
My mom only had one eye. I hated her She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for
students and teachers to support the family.
There was this one day during elementary
school where my mom came to say hello to me.
I was so embarrassed.
How could she do this to me? I ignored her,
threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next
day at school one of my classmates said,
EEEE, your mom only has one eye!
I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my
mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day
By Diana Polyakov
14
and said, If youre only going to make me a laughing stock, why dont you just die?
My mom did not respond I didnt even stop to think for a second about what I had said,
because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to
her feelings.
I wanted out of that house, and have nothing
to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a
chance to go abroad to study.
Then, I got married. I bought a house of my
own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with
my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one
day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadnt seen me in years and she didnt even meet her grandchildren.
When she stood by the door, my children
laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming
over uninvited. I screamed at her, How dare you come to my house and scare my children!
GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!
And to this, my mother quietly answered,
Oh, Im so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address. and she disappeared out of sight.
One day, a letter regarding a school reunion
came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
15
was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I
went to the old shack just out of curiosity.
My neighbors said that she died. I did not
shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that
she had wanted me to have.
My dearest son, I think of you all the time. Im sorry that I
came to your house and scared your children.
I was so glad when I heard you were coming
for the reunion. But I may not be able to even
get out of bed to see you. Im sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were
growing up.
You see..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a
mother, I couldnt stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.
I was so proud of my son who was seeing a
whole new world for me, in my place, with that
eye.
With all my love to you,
Your mother. Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
16
The story of a blind girl
There was a blind girl who hated herself just
because she was blind. She hated everyone, ex-
cept her loving boyfriend. He was always there
for her. She said that if she could only see the
world, she would marry her boyfriend.
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to
her and then she could see everything, including
her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?
The girl was shocked when she saw that her
boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
17
him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and
later wrote a letter to her saying:
Just take care of my eyes dear.
This is how human brain changes when the
status changed. Only few remember what life
was before, and whos always been there even in the most painful situations.
Life Is A Gift
Today before you think of saying an unkind
word think of someone who cant speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your
food think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or
wife think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion.
Today before you complain about life think of someone who went too early to heaven.
Before you complain about your children think of someone who desires children but
theyre barren.
Before you argue about your dirty house,
someone didnt clean or sweep think of the people who are living in the streets.
By Diana Polyakov
18
Before whining about the distance you drive
think of someone who walks the same dis-tance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about
your job think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.
But before you think of pointing the finger
or condemning another remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one
maker.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get
you down put a smile on your face and thank God youre alive and still around.
Life is a gift Live it, Enjoy it, Celebrate it, and Fulfill it.
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
19
What goes around comes around
One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on
the side of the road, but even in the dim light of
day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled
up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His
Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached
her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was
worried. No one had stopped to help for the last
hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didnt look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could
see that she was frightened, standing out there in
By Diana Polyakov
20
the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those
chills which only fear can put in you. He said,
Im here to help you, maam. Why dont you wait in the car where its warm? By the way, my name is John.
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an
old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled
under the car looking for a place to put the jack,
skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he
was able to change the tire. But he had to get
dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she
rolled down the window and began to talk to
him. She told him that she was from St. Louis
and was only just passing through. She couldnt thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk.
The lady asked how much she owed him. Any
amount would have been all right with her. She
already imagined all the awful things that could
have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never
thought twice about being paid. This was not a
job to him. This was helping someone in need,
and God knows there were plenty, who had giv-
en him a hand in the past. He had lived his
whole life that way, and it never occurred to him
to act any other way.
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
21
He told her that if she really wanted to pay
him back, the next time she saw someone who
needed help, she could give that person the as-
sistance they needed, and Bryan added, And think of me.
He waited until she started her car and drove
off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but
he felt good as he headed for home, disappear-
ing into the twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a
small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and
take the chill off before she made the last leg of
her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant.
Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole
scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came
over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet
hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being
on her feet for the whole day couldnt erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight
months pregnant, but she never let the strain and
aches change her attitude. The old lady won-
dered how someone who had so little could be
so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered
Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, she paid
with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly
went to get change for her hundred dollar bill,
but the old lady had slipped right out the door.
By Diana Polyakov
22
She was gone by the time the waitress came
back. The waitress wondered where the lady
could be. Then she noticed something written on
the napkin.
There were tears in her eyes when she read
what the lady wrote: You dont owe me any-thing. I have been there too. Somebody once
helped me out, the way Im helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do,
do not let this chain of love end with you. Un-der the napkin were four more $100 bills.
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls
to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress
made it through another day. That night when
she got home from work and climbed into bed,
she was thinking about the money and what the
lady had written. How could the lady have
known how much she and her husband needed
it? With the baby due next month, it was going
to be hard She knew how worried her hus-band was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she
gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low,
Everythings going to be all right. I love you, John.
There is an old saying What goes around comes around.
Author: Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
23
Let go of your Stresses!
A psychologist walked around a room while
teaching stress management to an audience. As
she raised a glass of water, everyone expected
theyd be asked the half empty or half full question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she
inquired: How heavy is this glass of water?
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20
oz.
She replied, The absolute weight doesnt matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I
hold it for a minute, its not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, Ill have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and
paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass
By Diana Polyakov
24
doesnt change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.
She continued, The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about
them for a while and nothing happens. Think
about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt.
And if you think about them all day long, you
will feel paralyzed incapable of doing any-thing.
Its important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put
all your burdens down. Dont carry them through the evening and into the night. Remem-
ber to put the glass down!
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
25
Finding Happiness
Once, a group of 50 people was attending a
seminar.
Suddenly the speaker stopped and started
giving each person a balloon. Each one was
asked to write his/her name on it using a marker
pen. Then all the balloons were collected and
put in another room.
Now these delegates were let in that room
and asked to find the balloon which had their
name written, within 5 minutes.
Everyone was frantically searching for their
name, pushing, colliding with each other, and
there was utter chaos.
By Diana Polyakov
26
At the end of 5 minutes, no one could find
their own balloon.
Now each one was asked to randomly col-
lect a balloon and give it to the person whose
name was written on it. Within minutes every-
one had their own balloon.
The speaker began: This is exactly happen-
ing in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking
for happiness all around, not knowing where it
is. Our happiness lies in the happiness of other
people. Give them their happiness; you will get
your own happiness.
And this is the purpose of human life.
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
27
Kiss Someone Before You Go
The subway train sways back and forth, its
wheels screeching more fiendishly than ever
against the tracks. Outside the window the
freezing cold of winter rules and the dreary bay
looks like a yawning abyss as the train rumbles
across it. The carriage is filled with frozen self-
centered, bored passengers. Good morning!
Suddenly a little boy pushes his way in be-
tween discourteous grown-up legs the kind that only grudgingly make room for you. While
his father stays by the door, the boy sits next to
the window, surrounded by unfriendly, morn-
ing-weary adults.
What a brave child, I think.
As the train enters a tunnel, something total-
ly unexpected and peculiar happens. The little
By Diana Polyakov
28
boy slides down from his seat and puts his hand
on my knee. For a moment, I think that he wants
to go past me and return to his father, so I shift a
bit. But instead of moving on, the boy leans
forward and stretches his head up towards me.
He wants to tell me something, I think. Kids! I
bend down to listen to what he has to say.
Wrong again! He kisses me softly on the cheek.
Then he returns to his seat, leans back and
cheerfully starts looking out of the window. But
Im shocked. What happened? A kid kissing un-known grown-ups on the train? To my
amazement, the kid proceeds to kiss all my
neighbors.
Nervous and bewildered, we look question-
ingly at his father, Hes so happy to be alive, the father says. Hes been very sick.
The train stops and father and son get down
and disappear into the crowd. The doors close.
On my cheek I can still feel the childs kiss a kiss that has triggered some soul-searching.
How many grown-ups go around kissing each
other from the sheer joy of being alive? How
many even give much thought to the privilege of
living? What would happen if we all just started
being ourselves?
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
29
Traveling Angels
Two traveling angels stopped to spend the
night in the home of a wealthy family.
The family was rude and refused to let the
angels stay in the mansions guest room. Instead the angels were given a small space in the cold
basement.
As they made their bed on the hard floor, the
older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired
it. When the younger angel asked why, the older
angel replied, Things arent always what they seem.
The next night the pair came to rest at the
house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer
and his wife.
By Diana Polyakov
30
After sharing what little food they had the
couple let the angels sleep in their bed where
they could have a good nights rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found
the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow,
whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead
in the field.
The younger angel was infuriated and asked
the older angel, How could you have let this happen? The first man had everything, yet you
helped him. she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything,
and you let the cow die.
Things arent always what they seem. the older angel replied.
When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that
hole in the wall. Since the owner was so ob-
sessed with greed and unwilling to share his
good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldnt find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers
bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave
him the cow instead. Things arent always what they seem.
Sometimes that is exactly what happens
when things dont turn out the way they should.
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
31
If you have faith, you just need to trust that eve-
ry outcome is always to your advantage. You
might not know it until sometime later
Should you find it hard to get to sleep to-
night, remember the homeless family who has
no bed to lie in.
Should you find yourself stuck in traffic,
dont despair; there are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard-of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work, think of
the man who has been out of work for many
months struggling to feed his family.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the
mirror, think of the cancer patient in chemo who
wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pon-
dering what is life all about, asking, What is my purpose?, be thankful, there are those who didnt live long enough to get the opportunity.
Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
32
Buying an hour of daddys time
The man came home from work late again,
tired and irritated, to find his 5 year old son
waiting for him at the door.
Daddy, may I ask you a question?
Yeah, sure, what is it? replied the man.
Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?
Thats none of your business! What makes you ask such a thing? the man said angrily.
I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour? pleaded the little boy.
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
33
If you must know, I make $20 an hour.
Oh, the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, Daddy, may I borrow $10 please?
The father was furious. If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is
just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or
some other nonsense, then you march yourself
straight to your room and go to bed. Think about
why youre being so selfish. I work long, hard hours every day and dont have time for such childish games.
The little boy quietly went to his room and
shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even
madder about the little boys questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some
money.
After an hour or so, the man had calmed
down, and started to think he may have been a
little hard on his son. Maybe there was some-
thing he really needed to buy with that $10 and
he really didnt ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boys room and opened the door.
By Diana Polyakov
34
Are you asleep son? he asked
No daddy, Im awake. replied the boy
Ive been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier. said the man. Its been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you.
Heres that $10 you asked for.
The little boy sat straight up, beaming. Oh, thank you daddy! he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some more
crumpled up bills. The man, seeing the boy al-
ready had money, started to get angry again.
The little boy slowly counted out his money,
then looked up at the man.
Why did you want more money if you al-ready had some? the father grumbled.
Because I didnt have enough, but now I do. the little boy replied. Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please
come home early tomorrow. I would like to
have dinner with you.
The father was crushed and he put his arms
around his little son.
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
35
A dish of ice cream
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost
much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel cof-
fee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass
of water in front of him.
How much is an ice cream sundae?
50 cents, replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his
pocket and studied a number of coins in it.
How much is a dish of plain ice cream? he inquired. Some people were now waiting for a
table and the waitress was a bit impatient.
35 cents, she said brusquely. The little boy again counted the coins. Ill
have the plain ice cream, he said.
By Diana Polyakov
36
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the
bill on the table and walked away. The boy fin-
ished the ice cream, paid the cashier and
departed.
When the waitress came back, she began
wiping down the table and then swallowed hard
at what she saw.
There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,
were 15 cents her tip. Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
37
How the poor live
One day, a father of a very wealthy family
took his son on a trip to the country with the
firm purpose of showing his son how poor peo-
ple live. They spent a couple of days and nights
on the farm of what would be considered a very
poor family. On their return from their trip, the
father asked his son, How was the trip?
It was great, Dad.
Did you see how poor people live? the fa-ther asked.
Oh yeah, said the son.
By Diana Polyakov
38
So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip? asked the father.
The son answered, I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that
reaches to the middle of our garden, and they
have a creek that has no end. We have imported
lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at
night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and
they have the whole horizon. We have a small
piece of land to live on, and they have fields that
go beyond our sight. We have servants who
serve us, but they serve others. We buy our
food, but they grow theirs. We have walls
around our property to protect us; they have
friends to protect them.
The boys father was speechless.
Then his son added, Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are.
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
39
A box of kisses
Some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-
old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping
paper. Money was tight and he became infuriat-
ed when the child tried to decorate a box to put
under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift
to her father the next morning and said, This is for you, Daddy. He was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again
when he found the box was empty.
He yelled at her, Dont you know that when you give someone a present, theres sup-posed to be something inside it?
By Diana Polyakov
40
The little girl looked up at him with tears in
her eyes and said, Oh, Daddy, it is not empty. I blew kisses into the boxall for you, Daddy.
The father was crushed. He put his arms
around his little girl, and he begged for her for-
giveness.
It is told that the man kept that gold box by
his bed for years and whenever he was discour-
aged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and
remember the love of the child who had put it
there.
In a very real sense, each of us as humans
have been given a gold container filled with un-
conditional love and kisses from our children,
friends, family and God. There is no more pre-
cious possession anyone could hold.
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
41
The goldfish bowl
Have you ever been saved from embarrass-
ment by a kindly soul who absorbs the ridicule?
These are the kind of people who are friends for
life. Check this story out.
There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his
desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle be-
tween his feet and the front of his pants are wet.
He thinks his heart is going to stop because he
cannot possibly imagine how this has happened.
Its never happened before, and he knows that when the boys find out he will never hear
the end of it. When the girls find out, theyll never speak to him again as long as he lives.
By Diana Polyakov
42
The boy believes his heart is going to stop,
he puts his head down and prays Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five
minutes from now Im dead meat.
He looks up from his prayer and here comes
the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he
has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward him, a
classmate named Susie is carrying a goldfish
bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front
of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl
of water in the boys lap.
The boy pretends to be angry, but all the
while is saying to himself, Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!
Now all of a sudden, instead of being the ob-
ject of ridicule, the boy is the object of
sympathy. The teacher rushes him downstairs
and gives him gym shorts to put on while his
pants dry out. All the other children are on their
hands and knees cleaning up around his desk.
The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would
have it, the ridicule that should have been his
has been transferred to someone else Susie.
She tries to help, but they tell her to get out.
Youve done enough, you klutz! Finally, at
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
43
the end of the day, as they are waiting for the
bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers,
You did that on purpose, didnt you?
Susie whispers back, I wet my pants once too.
May God help us see the opportunities that
are always around us to do good deeds.
Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
44
Everyone is important
Lonely tree was growing among the hot
sands of dead desert. Prickly sands covered the
Wood. The Sun mercilessly burned its bark. But
the Tree kept on living in spite of all.
Once the Hawk flied over the desert. The
Hawk saw the Wood and sat on its branch. He
looked around the desert and said:
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
45
You are strange Tree, why do you keep on living among these dead hot sands ?
Who needs it?
You, the Tree answered.
Me? the Hawk was surprised. I dont need you.
But if not me, the Tree told, you would have to sit on the hot sand instead of my
branches. If not me, someone, seeing you sitting
on the tree alone, would say that nobody needs
you, too. And would ask you what do you live
for. Sitting on my branches you, Hawk, think
that I need you. The Hawk thought about it and
had to agree with the Tree. If there was no Tree,
the hawk would feel himself alone and useless
among this vast desert.
Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
46
Reaching your goal
One day a son came to his father for an
advice:
- Dad, I cant do it, - he said, - those prac-tices only exhaust me, and the result doesnt change. It must be not destined for me to play
football and my dream will never come true.
The father looked at his son with loving
eyes and said:
- You know son, every person in life has a
dream, a goal, a wish. They are the ones who
make us do what we are doing, because its what we should do. We have to fight for what
we believe in, what we feel. In other case, you
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
47
will simply brake. Once - and for all. As thought
you were never there. The easiest way is to quit
everything and not go until the end, because the
path is difficult and we are not used to incon-
veniences. We want everything to be easy and at
once. But the wishes are fleeting! This is how
our dream dies, and the goal becomes unreacha-
ble.
Gradually, life becomes a routine without
depth and meaning. Then one day, we try to for-
get and start everything from the beginning, we
wait for a new day to make our life different.
But new obstacles come in our way, and we stop
again. We become full of despair and anger for
our own impotence But you only need to re-member one thing: never give up, fight, battle. It
doesnt matter that you have lost one battle and even dozens of battles. Life goes on! Your big-
gest enemies are hiding in you laziness, fear, doubt, indecision. Be a warrior of your dream, a
knight of your goal and a soldier of your wishes.
Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
48
Marriage
When I got home that night as my wife
served dinner, I held her hand and said, Ive got something to tell you. She sat down and ate qui-
etly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didnt know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was
thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic
calmly.
She didnt seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her an-
gry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted
at me, you are not a man! That night, we didnt talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she
wanted to find out what had happened to our
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
49
marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfac-
tory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I
didnt love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a di-
vorce agreement which stated that she could
own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my
company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into
pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of
her life with me had become a stranger. I felt
sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy
but I could not take back what I had said for I
loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in
front of me, which was what I had expected to
see. To me her cry was actually a kind of re-
lease. The idea of divorce which had obsessed
me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and
clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late
and found her writing something at the table. I
didnt have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an
eventful day with Jane.
When I woke up, she was still there at the
table writing. I just did not care so I turned over
and was asleep again.
By Diana Polyakov
50
In the morning she presented her divorce
conditions: she didnt want anything from me, but needed a months notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both
struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her
reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a
months time and she didnt want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had
something more, she asked me to recall how I
had carried her into out bridal room on our wed-
ding day.
She requested that every day for the
months duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she
was going crazy. Just to make our last days to-
gether bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Jane about my wifes divorce condi-tions. She laughed loudly and thought it was
absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she
has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.
My wife and I hadnt had any body con-tact since my divorce intention was explicitly
expressed. So when I carried her out on the first
day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped
behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms.
His words brought me a sense of pain. From the
bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
51
walked over ten meters with her in my arms.
She closed her eyes and said softly; dont tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling
somewhat upset. I put her down outside the
door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I
drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much
more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could
smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that
I hadnt looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any
more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her
hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll
on her. For a minute I wondered what I had
done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I
felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the
woman who had given ten years of her life to
me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that
our sense of intimacy was growing again. I
didnt tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the
everyday workout made me stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morn-
ing. She tried on quite a few dresses but could
not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my
dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized
By Diana Polyakov
52
that she had grown so thin, that was the reason
why I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subcon-
sciously I reached out and touched her head.
Our son came in at the moment and said,
Dad, its time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become
an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to
our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I
turned my face away because I was afraid I
might change my mind at this last minute. I then
held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom,
through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her
hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I
held her body tightly; it was just like our wed-
ding day.
But her much lighter weight made me
sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms
I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to
school. I held her tightly and said, I hadnt no-ticed that our life lacked intimacy.
I drove to office jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid
any delay would make me change my mind I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said
to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce an-
ymore.
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
53
She looked at me, astonished, and then
touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She
said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane,
I said, I wont divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didnt value the details of our lives, not because we didnt love each other anymore. Now I realize that
since I carried her into my home on our wedding
day I am supposed to hold her until death do us
apart.
Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She
gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door
and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and
drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a
bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl
asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and
wrote, Ill carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in
my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs,
only to find my wife in the bed dead.
My wife had been fighting CANCER for
months and I was so busy with Jane to even no-
tice. She knew that she would die soon and she
wanted to save me from the whatever negative
reaction from our son, in case we push thru with
By Diana Polyakov
54
the divorce At least, in the eyes of our son Im a loving husband
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
55
A beautiful true love story
One day, a young guy and a young girl
fell in love.
But the guy came from a poor family. The girls parents werent too happy.
So the young man decided not only to
court the girl but to court her parents as well. In
time, the parents saw that he was a good man
and was worthy of their daughters hand.
But there was another problem: The man
was a soldier. Soon, war broke out and he was
being sent overseas for a year. The week before
he left, the man knelt on his knee and asked his
lady love, Will you marry me? She wiped a tear, said yes, and they were engaged. They
agreed that when he got back in one year, they
would get married.
By Diana Polyakov
56
But tragedy struck. A few days after he
left, the girl had a major vehicular accident. It
was a head-on collision.
When she woke up in the hospital, she
saw her father and mother crying. Immediately,
she knew there was something wrong.
She later found out that she suffered brain
injury. The part of her brain that controlled her
face muscles was damaged. Her once lovely
face was now disfigured. She cried as she saw
herself in the mirror. Yesterday, I was beauti-ful. Today, Im a monster. Her body was also covered with so many ugly wounds.
Right there and then, she decided to re-
lease her fianc from their promise. She knew
he wouldnt want her anymore. She would for-get about him and never see him again.
For one year, the soldier wrote many let-
tersbut she wouldnt answer. He phoned her many times but she wouldnt return her calls.
But after one year, the mother walked into
her room and announced, Hes back from the war.
The girl shouted, No! Please dont tell him about me. Dont tell him Im here!
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
57
The mother said, Hes getting married, and handed her a wedding invitation.
The girls heart sank. She knew she still loved himbut she had to forget him now.
With great sadness, she opened the wed-
ding invitation.
And then she saw her name on it!
Confused, she asked, What is this?
That was when the young man entered her
room with a bouquet of flowers. He knelt beside
her and asked, Will you marry me?
The girl covered her face with her hands
and said, Im ugly!
The man said, Without your permission, your mother sent me your photos. When I saw
your photos, I realized that nothing has changed.
Youre still the person I fell in love. Youre still as beautiful as ever. Because I love you!
Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
58
Two castle Builders
Hot sun. Salty air. Rhythmic waves.
A little boy is on his knees scooping and
packing the sand with plastic shovels into a
bright blue bucket. Then he upends the bucket
on the surface and lifts it. And, to the delight of
the little architect, a castle tower is created.
All afternoon he will work. Spooning out
the moat. Packing the walls. Bottle tops will be
sentries. Popsicle sticks will be bridges. A
sandcastle will be built.
Big city. Busy streets. Rumbling traffic.
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
59
A man is in his office. At his desk he
shuffles papers into stacks and delegates as-
signments. He cradles the phone on his shoulder
and punches the keyboard with his fingers.
Numbers are juggled and contracts are signed
and much to the delight of the man, a profit is
made.
All his life he will work. Formulating the
plans. Forecasting the future. Annuities will be
sentries. Capital gains will be bridges. An em-
pire will be built.
Two builders of two castles. They have
much in common. They shape granules into
grandeurs. They see nothing and make some-
thing. They are diligent and determined. And for
both the tide will rise and the end will come.
Yet that is where the similarities cease.
For the boy sees the end while the man ignores
it. Watch the boy as the dusk approaches.
As the waves near, the wise child jumps
to his feet and begins to clap. There is no sor-
row. No fear. No regret. He knew this would
happen. He is not surprised. And when the great
breaker crashes into his castle and his master-
piece is sucked into the sea, he smiles. He
By Diana Polyakov
60
smiles, picks up his tools, takes his fathers hand, and goes home.
The grownup, however, is not so wise. As
the wave of years collapses on his castle he is
terrified. He hovers over the sandy monument to
protect it. He blocks the waves from the walls
he has made. Salt-water soaked and shivering he
snarls at the incoming tide.
Its my castle, he defies.
The ocean need not respond. Both know
to whom the sand belongs
I dont know much about sandcastles. But children do. Watch them and learn. Go ahead
and build, but build with a childs heart. When the sun sets and the tides take applaud. Salute the process of life and go home.
Author Unknown
Have a Great Day! a collection of inspirational short stories
61
If a dog was your teacher
If a dog was your teacher,
these are some of the lessons you might learn
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face, to be pure ecstasy
By Diana Polyakov
62
When its in your best interest, practice obedience
Let others know when theyve invaded your territory
Take naps and stretch before rising
Run romp and play daily
Thrive on attention and let people touch you
Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do
On warm days stop to lie on your back on the grass
On hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree
When youre happy dance around and wag your entire body
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63
No matter how often youre scolded, dont buy into the guilt thing and pout, run right back and make friends
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm
Stop when you have had enough
Be loyal
Never pretend to be something youre not
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it
When someone is having a bad day, be si-lent.
sit close by
and nuzzle them gently.
Author Unknown
By Diana Polyakov
64