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Home > Inspiration > Five Lessons
FIVE GREAT LESSONS
- The Most Important Lesson – Everyone Matters
In the second month of nursing school, the professor gave the students a pop quiz. Most students breezed through the
questions, until they came to the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"
Surely this was some kind of joke. The students had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired
and in her 50’s, but how would the students know her name? Just before class ended, one student asked if the last
question would count toward our quiz counted. "Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will
meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say
‘hello.’" Remember this lesson. By the way, her name was Dorothy.
- Second Important Lesson – Pickup in the Rain
One night at 11:30 PM, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway in the middle
of a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down
the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in the conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her
to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. Although she seemed to be in a big hurry, she wrote
down his address and thanked him.
About a week later a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his
home. Attached was a note that read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The
rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to
my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving
others." Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.
- Third Important Lesson – Remember Those Who Serve
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a
table. A waitress came by and put a glass of water in front of him.
"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked.
"Fifty cents," replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of
ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress grew impatient. "Thirty-five
cents," she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the
ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When
the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were
two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.
- Fourth Important Lesson – The Obstacle in Our Path
In ancient times, the King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would
remove the huge rock. The King’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Some loudly
blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden
and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. When the
peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse
contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder
from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand. Every obstacle presents an opportunity to
improve our condition.
- Fifth Important Lesson – Giving When it Counts
A little girl named Liz was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a
blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother. He had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the
antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give
his blood to his sister. Without hesitation, he took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I’ll do it if it will save her."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled seeing the color return to her cheeks. Then
his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start
to die right away?" Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor. He thought he was going to have to
give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. You see, after all, understanding and attitude, are everything.
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