The Rose & the Butterfly

A Butterfly once fell in love with a beautiful Rose. The Rose was not indifferent, for the Butterfly's wings were powdered in a charming pattern of gold and silver. And so, when he fluttered near and told how he loved her, she blushed rosily and said yes. After much pretty love-making and many whispered vows of constancy, the Butterfly took a tender leave of his sweetheart.

But alas! It was a long time before he came back to her.

"Is this your constancy?" she exclaimed tearfully. "It is ages since you went away, and all the time, you have been carrying on with all sorts of flowers. I saw you kiss Miss Geranium, and you fluttered around Miss Mignonette until Honey Bee chased you away. I wish he had stung you!"

"Constancy!" laughed the Butterfly. "I had no sooner left you than I saw Zephyr kissing you. You carried on scandalously with Mr. Bumble Bee and you made eyes at every single Bug you could see. You can't expect any constancy from me!"

Do not expect constancy in others if you have none yourself.

The Fox Without a Tail

A Fox that had been caught in a trap, succeeded at last, after much painful tugging, in getting away. But he had to leave his beautiful bushy tail behind him.

For a long time he kept away from the other Foxes, for he knew well enough that they would all make fun of him and crack jokes and laugh behind his back. But it was hard for him to live alone, and at last he thought of a plan that would perhaps help him out of his trouble.

He called a meeting of all the Foxes, saying that he had something of great importance to tell the tribe.

When they were all gathered together, the Fox Without a Tail got up and made a long speech about those Foxes who had come to harm because of their tails.

This one had been caught by hounds when his tail had become entangled in the hedge. That one had not been able to run fast enough because of the weight of his brush. Besides, it was well known, he said, that men hunt Foxes simply for their tails, which they cut off as prizes of the hunt. With such proof of the danger and uselessness of having a tail, said Master Fox, he would advise every Fox to cut it off, if he valued life and safety.

When he had finished talking, an old Fox arose, and said, smiling:

"Master Fox, kindly turn around for a moment, and you shall have your answer."

When the poor Fox Without a Tail turned around, there arose such a storm of jeers and hooting, that he saw how useless it was to try any longer to persuade the Foxes to part with their tails.

Do not listen to the advice of him who seeks to lower you to his own level.

The Sheep & the Pig

One day a shepherd discovered a fat Pig in the meadow where his Sheep were pastured. He very quickly captured the porker, which squealed at the top of its voice the moment the Shepherd laid his hands on it. You would have thought, to hear the loud squealing, that the Pig was being cruelly hurt. But in spite of its squeals and struggles to escape, the Shepherd tucked his prize under his arm and started off to the butcher's in the market place.

The Sheep in the pasture were much astonished and amused at the Pig's behavior, and followed the Shepherd and his charge to the pasture gate.

"What makes you squeal like that?" asked one of the Sheep. "The Shepherd often catches and carries off one of us. But we should feel very much ashamed to make such a terrible fuss about it like you do."

"That is all very well," replied the Pig, with a squeal and a frantic kick. "When he catches you he is only after your wool. But he wants my bacon! gree-ee-ee!"

It is easy to be brave when there is no danger.

• ‹ back

It is not always easy to find a nice joke to laugh about. But reading them here and there is always good.

I wish you all a nice evening!

fm

My friend came back from Las Vegas once. He told me the slot machines are easy to win big at. 

He went to town in a $10,000 Nissan, left in a $360,000 Porsche. 

I thought, "Nice, I'm going to get in on that." So I left for Vegas in my $15,000 Toyota. Came back in a $800,000 vehicle. 

A Greyhound bus.

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
MEANING	Don’t make someone angry or hurt someone who is helping you or paying for you
EXAMPLE	“You had a fight with your boss? Are you stupid? Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”

Te dashur studente,

Ne komunikimin e perditshem kemi gjithmone nevoje per disa shprehje shume te gjendura te cilat mundesojne lehtesi edhe besim per kedo qe deshiron ta kete te lehte komunikimin me te tjeret. Ju lutem ndiqni edhe mesoni perdorimin e shprehjeve te meposhteme.

fm

15 useful English phrases to help you build confidence.

Some of these can be used in the written word, and all of them can be used in conversation to build trust with almost anyone.

1: “What can I do to help?”

This question lets others know you’re on their side. They see you as someone they can rely on. And helping them out now can make it more likely they will help you when you really need it, too.

2: “Hi! You’re looking…” 

Instead of, “How are you,” build a deeper conversation with an emotional tie by commenting on how they’re looking great, happy, rested, pleased and so forth.

3: “I trust your judgment.”

Don’t micromanage people. Instead, let them know your goal for them and then let them execute the plan however they see fit. When you give them control of their lives, it shows you trust them.

4: “I understand what you’re saying.”

You might not agree with what they’re saying, but you can still show you respect their beliefs.

5: “Can you give me a hand?”

When you admit you’ve made a mistake, asking for someone else’s help make you seem more trustworthy to that person. In studies, they’ve found that people view those who seek their advice as more competent than those who do not seek their advice.

6: “In my opinion…”

When you’re about to disagree, transition with something that seems more open than “I” statements. “Others suggest…” also works well.

7: “This is my side.”

When you start out with this phrase, you’re letting others know that you acknowledge their thoughts and feelings are as valid as yours and you’re aware they may see things differently. This works great in opinion pieces on your blog and social media, because it invites others to share what’s on their minds, too, and do it in a respectful manner.

8: “How do you think that went?”

If you’re starting a conversation about how someone can improve, let them gauge their success by their own standards. Starting with your judgments could make them clam up and be less receptive to anything you share.

9: “That was my fault.”

Mistakes don’t kill your credibility if you accept your shortcomings and show that you’re human. People who are imperfect are actually more attractive to us. This is why you should never adopt the, “I’m the perfect guru of XYZ niche” online, but instead let your readers know about your mistakes and how you’re working to overcome them.

10: “What can I do differently?

Let others know that you are open to positive change, whether it’s changing yourself or changes you can make to help others.

11: “I think you know my friend.”

We’re attracted to people who look like us, talk like us or have similar interests or friends. If you’re introducing yourself to someone online, mention people that you have in common.

12: “I’m all ears.”

People want you and need you to listen to them. Letting them know you’re listening is the first step. Really listening is the second. You can use this online as well. “Tell me about the biggest problem you’re having in your business. I’m all ears, because I want to help you.”

13: “Uh-huh, I see.”

Using non-word sounds like “em-hm” or “uh-huh” when someone is talking to you shows that you’re interested, which encourages them to trust you more. Is shows you’re paying attention and you’re interested. But don’t make more noises than what feels natural, or you’ll come off as being insincere.

14: “Sorry about the…” 

A study found that people are quicker to trust people who start a conversation by apologizing for something they’re not responsible for. For example, if a Craigslist seller apologizes for the rain, people feel the person is more trustworthy than if they made a neutral comment or no comment at all.

15: “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Giving credit where credit is due and showing your gratitude for help received shows others that their contributions are valued. When someone helps you online, be sure to thank them and acknowledge them for what they’ve done. If appropriate, thank them privately (such as by email or phone call) and publicly (such as social media or in a blogpost.)

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
MEANING	You must begin something if you hope to finish it; something that takes a long time to finish begins with one step
EXAMPLE	“If you want to lose weight, you need to stop eating junk, and you need to start exercising. Today. Not tomorrow. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”