C H I C K E N S O U P
This page contains some of the e-mails/stories forwarded to me by friends. I found these
stories very inspirational and quite motivating in our daily lives at work, at home, with
friends, colleagues, etc.
Hope you'll like these stories as I do. Happy reading!!!
Story No.
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Customer Service is not a Mickey Mouse Affair
Not too long ago, a guest checking out of our Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World
was asked how she enjoyed her visit. She told the front desk clerk she had had a wonderful
vacation, but was heartbroken about losing several rolls of Kodacolor film she had not yet
developed. She was particularly upset about the loss of the pictures she had shot at our
Polynesian Luau, as this was a memory she especially treasured.
Now, please understand that we have no written service covering lost Luau snapshots. Fortunately, the hostess at the front desk understood Disney's philosophy of caring for our guests. She asked the woman to leave her a couple of rolls of fresh film, promising she would take care of the rest.
Two weeks later, this guest received a package at her home. In it were photos of the entire cast of our luau show, personally autographed by each perfomer. There were also photos of the parade and fireworks on the themepark, taken by the front-desk hostess on her own time, after work. I happen to know this story because this guest wrote us a letter. She said that never
in her life had she received such compassionate service from any business establishment.
Heroic service does not come from policy manuals. It comes from people who care - and from a culture that encourages and models that attitude.
Valerie Oberle, Vice President - Disney University Guest Programs
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Can I Buy an Hour of your Time?
A man came from work late, 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 do you make an hour?" "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily. "I just want to know. Please tell me how much you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy."If you must know, I make $20 an hour." "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.
Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I please borrow $10?"
The father was furious, " If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money
to buy a silly toy or some nonsense, then youmarch yourself straight to your room and go
to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior.
The little boy went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with than $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep son?" he asked. "No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy. "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man, "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."
The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" he yelled. Then reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.
The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father. "Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't 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."
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Two Men
women, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit-up
in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was
next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live, for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in a distance.
As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.
Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.
As soon it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved to the next window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the world outside.
Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it for himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.
The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.
She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."
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The Carpenter
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer contractor of his plans to leave
the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor.
The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handled the front door key to the carpenter. "This is your house, " he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now, he had to live in the home he had built not too well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give th job our best effort. Then with a shoock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built.
If we had realized that, we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board,
or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build.Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity.
The plaque on the wall says, "Life is a Do-It-Yourself Project."
Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past.
Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
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The Mother
One afternoon, a couple was travelling on the road when all of a sudden at a far distance they
saw a woman in the middle of the road asking them to stop. The wife told her husband to keep on driving because it might be too dangerous, but the husband decided to pass by slowly so he wouldn't stay with the doubt on his mind of what might have happened and the chances of anyone being hurt. As they got closer, they noticed a woman with cuts and bruises on her face as well as on her arms. They then decide to stop and see if they could be of any help.
The cut and bruised woman was begging for help telling them that she had been in a car accident and that her husband and a son, a new born baby, were still inside a car which was in a deep ditch. She told them that the husband was already dead but her baby seemed to still be alive. The husband that was travelling decided to get down and try to rescue the baby and he askd the hurt woman to stay with his wife inside their car. When he got down he noticed two people in the front seats of the car but didn't pay any importance to it and took out the baby quickly and got up to take the baby to it's
mother. When he got up, he didn't see the mother anywhere so he asked his wife where she had gone.
She told him that the woman followed him back to the crashed car. When the man decided to go look for the woman, he noticed that clearly the two people in the front seats were dead; a woman and a man
with both their seatbelts on. When he looked closer, he noticed that it was exactly the same woman that was begging for help in the beginning.
Do you think that it was a miracle of God? The baby now lives with family members and he will live to tell the story.
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The Dream
After living a decent life my life on earth came to an end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was
instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the "prosecutor,"he was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat my lawyer, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed very familiar to me.
The corner door flew open and there appeared the judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an
awesome presence as he moved across the room. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he took his
seat behind the bench and he said " Let us begin."
The prosecutor rose and said "My name is Satan, I am here to show you why the man belongs in hell."
He proceeded to tell the lies that I told, things that I stole and in the past when I cheated others. Satan told
of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke the further down in my seat
I sank. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own lawyer, as the Devil told of sins
that I have completely forgotten about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was
equally upset at my representative who sat there silently not offering any form of defense at all. I know I had
been guilty of all those things, but I had done some good things in my life. Couldn't that at least equal out
part of the harm I've done?
Satan finished with a fury and said "This man belongs in hell. He is guilty of all that I have charged and
there is not a person who can prove otherwise."
When it was his turn, my lawyer asked if he might approach the bench. The judge allowed this over the strong
objection of Satan, and beckoned him to come forward. As he got up and started walking I was able to see
him now in his full splendor and majesty. Now I realized why he seemed so familiar, this was Jesus
representing me, my Lord and Savior. He stopped at the bench and softly said to the judge "Hi Dad"
and then he turned to address the court. "Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't
deny any of these allegations. And yes the wages of sins is death and this man deserves to be punished."
Jesus took a deep breath and turned to his father with out-stretched arms and proclaimed "However, I died on
the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted me as his Savior, so he is mine."
"My Lord," he continued "His name is written in the book of life and no one can snatch him from me.
Satan still does not understand yet, this man is not to be given justice but rather mercy."
As Jesus sat down, he quietly paused, looked at his father and replied "There is nothing else that
needs to be done. I've done it all."
The judge lifted his mighty hand and slammed the gavel down and the following words bellowed from his lips -
"This man is free - the penalty for him has already been paid in full, case dismissed."
As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving "I won't give up, I'll win the next one."
I asked Jesus as he gave me my instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?" Christ lovingly
smiled and said "Everyone who has come to me and asked me to represent him has received the same
verdict as you...Paid in Full."
In this world of terrible hurt, pain, suffering and extreme self-centered focus to the exclusion of everyone and
everything else there are times when logic, thought, discussion etc. do nothing. It is in these times I have
learned that I have only one lace to turn to ease the pain.
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