A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul Read online

  242

  I Can't Accept Not Trying

  Michael Jordan

  245

  7. Overcoming Obstacles

  The Passionate Pursuit of Possibility

  James E. Conner

  248

  Player of the Game

  Suzanne Chazin

  250

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  We Never Told Him He Couldn't Do It

  Kathy Lamancusa

  259

  A Lesson in Heart

  Stan Frager

  262

  Fourteen Steps

  Hal Manwaring

  263

  My Body Was Turning to Stone

  Sharon Monsky

  268

  The Beauty Remains; the Pain Passes

  The Best of Bits & Pieces

  275

  The Miracle Bridge

  A Fresh Packet of Sower's Seeds

  276

  True Height

  David Naster

  278

  Consider This

  Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen

  283

  Opportunity

  Omar Periu

  288

  Crusader Could Close Her Eyes to Trouble No More

  Toni Whitt

  292

  Ask, Affirm, Take Action

  Claudette Hunter

  295

  A Life-Changing Experience

  Michael Jeffreys

  299

  The Impossible Just Takes a Little Longer

  Art E. Berg

  303

  The Day I Met Daniel

  Richard Ryan

  307

  8. Eclectic Wisdom

  God's Jobs

  Dan Sutton

  314

  The Wisdom of One Word

  Dr. John F. Demartini

  316

  The Secret of Life

  Author Unknown

  319

  The Secrets of Heaven and Hell

  Fr. John W. Groff Jr

  320

  What Courage Looks Like

  Casey Hawley

  322

  Golden Rules for Living

  Author Unknown

  326

  Angel with a Red Hat

  Tami Fox

  327

  It's Never too Late

  Marilyn Manning

  328

  The Station

  Robert J. Hastings

  330

  More Chicken Soup?

  333

  Soup Kitchens for the Soul

  334

  Give the Gift of Life

  336

  Who Is Jack Canfield?

  337

  Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?

  338

  Contributors

  339

  Permissions (continued)

  348

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  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This third volume of Chicken Soup for the Soul has taken over a year to write, compile and edit. It continues to be a true labor of love for all of us, and we would like to thank the following people for their contributions, without which this book could never have been created:

  Peter Vegso and Gary Seidler at Health Communications, for continuing to see the vision and for putting their full support behind us and the books.

  Our wives, Georgia and Patty, and our children, Christopher, Oran, Kyle, Melanie and Elisabeth, who continue to support us with their love, emotional support, editing and story writing. We especially appreciate your support when it looks like it will never come together, but with your belief and encouragement, it always does.

  Patty Aubery, who once again spent countless hours typing and retyping the manuscript as well as supervising the final production phase of the book. Pattywe couldn't have done it without you!

  Nancy Mitchell who read every story that was submitted and who spent countless hours and exhibited Herculean resourcefulness in handling the maze of permissions that had to be researched and obtained to make this book a reality.

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  Kim Wiele, who always gives us her important literary feedback and suggestions for improvement.

  Angie Hoover, who typed many of the stories and handled most of Jack's office work in the final days of completing this book.

  Heather McNamara, who helped with the editing and typing as well as the final stages of the permissions process.

  Kelle Apone, who typed and edited many of the stories.

  Larry and Linda Price, Laverne Lee, and Michele Nuzzo, who, in addition to keeping Jack's Foundation for Self-Esteem operating smoothly, got the Soup Kitchens for the Soul project up and running and successfully distributed over 15,000 Chicken Soup for the Soul books to prisoners, the homeless, welfare recipients, youths at risk and other people in need across North America.

  Lisa Williams, for continuously taking care of Mark's business so he could be dedicated to the task of finishing this book.

  Trudy at Office Works, Wanda Pate and Alyce Shuken, who typed the first draft of the book in record time and with very few errors. Thanks a lot!

  Christine Belleris and Matthew Diener, our editors at Health Communications, for their generous efforts in bringing this book to its high state of excellence.

  Dottie Walters, who continued to believe in us and constantly introduced us to people who might have a story.

  The over 5,000 people who submitted stories, poems and other pieces for consideration; you all know who you are. While most of the pieces were wonderful, some just didn't fit into the overall structure of this book. However, many will be used in future volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul. We will be publishing such books as Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul, Chicken Soup for the Grieving Soul, Chicken Soup for the Soul for Parents, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, and Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul.

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  We also want to thank the following people who read the first very rough draft of over 200 stories, helped us make the final selections and made invaluable comments on how to improve the book: Steve Andreas, Kelle Apone, Gerry Beane, Michael and Madonna Billauer, Marsha Blake, Rick Canfield, Taylor and Mary Canfield, Dominic and Linda Cirincione, Kate Driesen, Jim Dyer, Thales Finchum, Judy Haldeman, Patty Hansen, Jennifer Hawthorne, Kimberly Kirberger, Randi Larsen, Sandy and Phil Limina, Donna Loesch, Michele Martin, Hanoch and Meladee McCarty, Ernie Mendes, Linda Mitchell, Christan Hummel, Cindy Palajac, Dave Rabb, Martin Rutte, Marci Shimoff, Susan Sousa, Carolyn Strickland, Diana von Welanetz Wentworth, Dottie Walters, Lilly Walters, Harold Clive Wells (Jack's co-author on 100 Ways to Enhance Self-Concept in the Classroom), Kathy Wiele, Niki Wiele, Martha Wigglesworth and Maureen Wilcinski.

  And the following people who contributed in other important ways: Tricia Serfas; John Hotz at Economics Press for always helping when we needed him; Brian Cavanaugh, who was the source of many of the quotations we used; Trevor Dickinson, for all the quotes he sent to us; Pam Finger, whose newsletter is a constant source of inspiration to us; Jillian Manus, for the information on writers who faced rejection and persevered to become famous; Bob Proctor, for sending us so many stories to consider; Ruth Stotter, for her wonderful collection of quotes on stories and storytelling; Dena Sherman at the BookStar in Torrance, California, for always being there when we had a research question and for helping us track down some of the permissions we needed; and Arielle Ford and Kim Weiss, our publicists, who keep us on radio and television so we can get the word out.

  Because of the immensity of this project we are sure we have left out the names of some very important people

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  who helped us along the way. You know who you are. Please know that we apologize for the oversight and that we really do appreciate all of you from the bottom of our hearts for your caring and your efforts. We are truly grateful for the many hands that made this book possible. We love you all!

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  INTRODUCTION

  God created man
because he loves stories.

  Elie Wiesel

  From our hearts to yours, we are delighted to offer you A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul. This book contains over 100 stories that we know will inspire and motivate you to love more unconditionally, live more passionately and pursue your heartfelt dreams with more conviction. This book will sustain you in times of challenge, frustration and failure, and comfort you in times of confusion, pain and loss. It will truly become a lifelong companion, offering continual insight and wisdom on many areas of your life.

  We believe you are about to experience a truly remarkable book. Our first three books, Chicken Soup for the Soul, A 2nd Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul and the Chicken Soup for the Soul Cookbook, have deeply touched the lives of over 6 million readers worldwide. In the hundreds of letters that we receive every week, we read of the miracles of transformation that have been occurring for individuals and organizations that have been reading and using the books. They report that the love, hope, encouragement

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  and inspiration they have found in these stories has profoundly impacted their lives.

  A story may illuminate our relationship to others, encourage compassion, create a sense of wonder, or sanction the concept ''We are all in this together." A story can make us ponder why we are here . . . . A story may shock us into recognizing a new truth, provide a new perspective, a new way to perceive the universe.

  Ruth Stotter

  After reading the reports of how our first book powerfully touched so many lives, we are now more convinced than ever that stories are one of the most potent ways to transform our lives. They speak directly to the subconscious mind. They lay down blueprints for living. They offer solutions to our everyday problems and they model behavior that works. They remind us of our grand nature and our infinite possibilities. They awaken us from our habitual day-to-day lives, invite us to dream, and inspire us to do more and be more than we might have originally thought possible. They remind us of what is most important and they model for us the expression of our highest ideals.

  How to Read this Book

  This book can be read all at once in one sittingmany people have done that with good results. We, however, recommend that you slow down and take your time, savoring each story like a glass of fine winein little sips that will give you the time to reflect upon the meanings and implications for your life of each story. If you take the

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  time, you will find that each story will deeply nourish your heart, mind and soul in a different way.

  A Zuni once asked an anthropologist, who was carefully writing down a story, "When I tell you these stories, do you see it, or do you just write it down?"

  Dennis Tedlock

  The word "story" comes from "storehouse." So a story is a store or a storehouse. Things are actually stored in the story, and what tends to be stored there is its meaning.

  Michael Meade

  Each and every story in this book contains possible meanings for your life. Take the time to reflect upon and discern that deeper meaning for your life.

  We really don't learn anything from our experience. We only learn from reflecting on our experience.

  Robert Sinclair

  Many of the stories, when we first found them, or when they were first submitted to us, had predigested morals and prescriptions for living at the end of them. For the most part, we have removed the moralizing and preaching from the stories so that they stand alone and allow you to take your own meanings from them.

  A disciple once complained, "You tell us stories, but you never reveal their meaning to us."

  The master replied, "How would you like it if someone offered you fruit and chewed it up for you before giving it to you ?"

  Source Unknown

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  Share these Stories with Others

  Stories can teach, correct errors, lighten the heart and the darkness, provide psychic shelter, assist transformation and heal wounds.

  Clarissa Pinkola Estes

  What a gift a story is!

  Diane MacInnes

  Some of the stories you read will move you to share them with a loved one or a friend. When a story really touches you to the depths of your soul close your eyes ever so briefly and ask yourself, "Who needs to hear this story right now?" Someone you care about may come to mind. Take the time to go to that person or call, and share the story. You will get something even deeper for yourself from sharing the story with someone you care about.

  Consider sharing these stories at work, at church, synagogue or temple, and at home with your family.

  Stories are stepping stones on the path to spiritual enlightenment.

  Ruth Stotter

  After sharing a story, discuss how it affected you and why you were drawn to share it with the other person or people. And most important, let these stories inspire you to share your own stories.

  Reading about, telling and listening to each others' stories can be very transformational. Stories are powerful vehicles that release our unconscious energies to heal, to integrate, to express and to grow. Hundreds of readers

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  have told us about how the first two books of Chicken Soup stories opened a floodgate of emotions and facilitated deep family and group sharings. Family members started recalling and relating important experiences in their lives and began to bring those to the dinner table, the family meeting, the classroom, the support group, the church fellowship and even the workplace.

  To Navajos, a person's worth is determined by the stories and songs she or he knows, because it is by this knowledge that an individual is linked to the history of the entire group.

  Luci Tapahonso

  Ministers, rabbis, psychologists, counselors, trainers and support group leaders have been starting and ending their sermons, meetings and counseling sessions with stories from the book. We encourage you to do this too. People are hungry for this nurturance for the soul. It takes so little time and it can have such long-term impact.

  We also encourage you to begin telling your stories to those around you. People may need to hear your story. As several stories in this book will point out, your story might even save a life.

  Stories are love gifts.

  Lewis Carroll

  Many people have inspired us with their stories over the years, and we are grateful to them. We hope that in some small way, we will be part of inspiring you to love and to live more fully. If we achieve that, then we have been successful.