"The Japanese have always loved fresh fish. But the waters close to Japan
have not held many fish for decades. So to feed the Japanese population,
fishing boats got bigger and went farther than ever. The farther the
fishermen went, the longer it took to bring in the fish. If the return trip
took more than a few days, the fish were not fresh. The Japanese did not
like the taste.

To solve this problem, fishing companies installed freezers on their
boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed
the boats to go farther and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste
the difference between fresh and frozen and they did not like frozen fish.
The frozen fish brought a lower price.

So fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and
stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, the
fish stopped moving. They were tired and dull, but alive. Unfortunately, the
Japanese could still taste the difference. Because the fish did not move for
days, they lost their fresh-fish taste. The Japanese preferred the lively
taste of fresh fish, not sluggish fish. So how did Japanese fishing
companies solve this problem? How do they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan?

To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies (still) put
the fish in the tanks. But now they add a small shark to each tank. The
shark eats a few fish, but most of the fish arrive in a very lively state."

Like the Japanese fish - "Man thrives, oddly enough, only in the presence
of a challenging environment."- L. Ron Hubbard

Challenges are what keeps us FRESH !

Instead of avoiding challenges, jump into them. Beat the heck out of them.

Enjoy the game. If your challenges are too large or too numerous,
reorganize the challenge, team up, be resourceful and do not give up.
Failing makes you tired.

If you have met your goals, set some bigger goals. Once you meet your
personal or family needs, move onto goals for your group, the society, even
mankind.

Don't create success and lie in it. You have resources, skills and
abilities to make a difference.

Put a shark in your tank and see how far you can really go!

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things "in order", she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

"There's one more thing," she said excitedly.

"What's that?" came the Pastor's reply.

"This is very important," the young woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand."

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

That surprises you, doesn't it?" the young woman asked.

"Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request," said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. "My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them: "Keep your fork, the best is yet to come."

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Show your friends how much you care. Remember to always be there for them, even when you need them more. For you never know when it may be their time to "Keep their fork."