Not long after I saw the dead baby turtles on the pavement I was sitting by the beach when I noticed that the sand less than a metre away from me was starting to move. I knew it wasn't a crab but I was slow in recognising that it was actually a baby turtle that was hatching. Moments later a second turtle appeared. It was mid-afternoon. It was hot. Their tiny noses were already faced in the wrong direction and close by I noticed another of their kind. This one was dead.
I made a quick decision. I broke off a large sea grape leaf, scooped up one of the turtles and took it to the water's edge. I know it's perhaps sounds silly but I didn't want to risk hurting it by picking it up directly with my hands. Then I went back and retrieved the other baby turtle.
Just after I took them to the water there was a sudden downpour forcing me to seek shelter. The tiny turtles came into my life for a few minutes and made a huge impact. I don't know if I did the right thing but I felt that their chances for survival were about zero had I not intervened. Even with my intervention the odds were stacked against them that they would not survive. Still, I'm hopeful though I will never know for sure.
In life, we will often stumble across those who are down on their luck. Others will ask us for a helping hand and sometimes it's appropriate to extend that helping hand and at other times it's not. You see there's a difference between entitlement and empowerment. It's as stated in the Chinese proverb:
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Simply giving someone the thing that they want often robs them of important lessons they need to learn.
At Akasha 2007 Dr John Demartini told the story of a 14 year old boy from South Africa who had nine siblings. They were orphans having lost both parents to AIDS. This young boy was the family's sole provider. They lived in a shack which had no electricity and no running water. The shack was leaky and he used bubble gum in an attempt to keep the rain out. To support his family he had a job that paid $200 a year.
In September of last year, Demartini visited this boy's hometown and the boy attended one of his talks. When Demartini visited again in December the boy had saved $9. By February/March he had saved $18 and by summer he had saved $23 - more than a tenth of his annual salary. His goal is to save $28 by year-end so that he can make a down payment on a new house costing $200 which will have a roof and electricity.
Someone hearing the story of this courageous boy volunteered to send him some money. Demartini was quick to respond. "Don't you dare," he said. This young boy didn't need handouts. He had been inspired. He now had a vision, a dream and a tangible goal. Goal achievement is not about instant gratification. The lessons that this boy will learn as a result of working towards this goal to provide a better home for his family go way beyond what he would gain by someone giving him a handout. As Demartini said,
"There's a difference between entitlement and empowerment."
There are times when a donation is appropriate but, at other times this can be detrimental. Show a person how to obtain what they want using their own devices and you will help them for a lifetime instead of an instant.
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own."
Benjamin Disraeli
Who will you empower today?
Hear Dr John Demartini Live - Complimentary Tickets for You!
I made a quick decision. I broke off a large sea grape leaf, scooped up one of the turtles and took it to the water's edge. I know it's perhaps sounds silly but I didn't want to risk hurting it by picking it up directly with my hands. Then I went back and retrieved the other baby turtle.
Just after I took them to the water there was a sudden downpour forcing me to seek shelter. The tiny turtles came into my life for a few minutes and made a huge impact. I don't know if I did the right thing but I felt that their chances for survival were about zero had I not intervened. Even with my intervention the odds were stacked against them that they would not survive. Still, I'm hopeful though I will never know for sure.
In life, we will often stumble across those who are down on their luck. Others will ask us for a helping hand and sometimes it's appropriate to extend that helping hand and at other times it's not. You see there's a difference between entitlement and empowerment. It's as stated in the Chinese proverb:
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Simply giving someone the thing that they want often robs them of important lessons they need to learn.
At Akasha 2007 Dr John Demartini told the story of a 14 year old boy from South Africa who had nine siblings. They were orphans having lost both parents to AIDS. This young boy was the family's sole provider. They lived in a shack which had no electricity and no running water. The shack was leaky and he used bubble gum in an attempt to keep the rain out. To support his family he had a job that paid $200 a year.
In September of last year, Demartini visited this boy's hometown and the boy attended one of his talks. When Demartini visited again in December the boy had saved $9. By February/March he had saved $18 and by summer he had saved $23 - more than a tenth of his annual salary. His goal is to save $28 by year-end so that he can make a down payment on a new house costing $200 which will have a roof and electricity.
Someone hearing the story of this courageous boy volunteered to send him some money. Demartini was quick to respond. "Don't you dare," he said. This young boy didn't need handouts. He had been inspired. He now had a vision, a dream and a tangible goal. Goal achievement is not about instant gratification. The lessons that this boy will learn as a result of working towards this goal to provide a better home for his family go way beyond what he would gain by someone giving him a handout. As Demartini said,
"There's a difference between entitlement and empowerment."
There are times when a donation is appropriate but, at other times this can be detrimental. Show a person how to obtain what they want using their own devices and you will help them for a lifetime instead of an instant.
"The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches, but to reveal to him his own."
Benjamin Disraeli
Who will you empower today?
Hear Dr John Demartini Live - Complimentary Tickets for You!
Dr John Demartini will be giving two presentations in London on 12 and 13 September.
12 September – Breakthrough in Business
13 September – Breakthrough in Relationships
This is your chance to hear this powerful, international speaker for FREE! For further details on how to get your complimentary tickets worth £39 click on the link below:
Demartini's Breakthrough Series
empower goal empowerment goal achievement
12 September – Breakthrough in Business
13 September – Breakthrough in Relationships
This is your chance to hear this powerful, international speaker for FREE! For further details on how to get your complimentary tickets worth £39 click on the link below:
Demartini's Breakthrough Series
empower goal empowerment goal achievement
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