A Christmas Story & Gift From Jack!

REMEMBER to scroll to the bottom after you’ve read the story
to receive your Christmas gift from me!

Part 2:  Stories abound that touch the soul and remind us of
what is really important.

Here is one by Claire Robinson:

Eric scuffled out of the run down apartment building. Again
he was alone. The streets looked like a long wet pieces of
black licorice under the street lights.  As Eric walked he
began his escape into another world. He left his feelings of
loneliness and unhappiness and entered a world in which he
hungered to belong.

Why was Eric escaping? Eric was an orphan. His mother died
when he was two and his father was never around. His father
did provide food but he drank away the rest of his earnings.
His brothers and sisters had orphaned him too. They had run
away from the world which seemed to keep Eric a prisoner.
Education had orphaned him too. He just did not have the
clothes or the social acceptance to be a part of school. So
each day would grind painfully past with nothing to do or
live for.

This is why Eric was escaping; escaping into a world of
imagination, fun and fantasy. A world which treated him like
an equal. This wonderful place was the “Christmas World”.
He did not understand why people were so kind at this time
of year, but they were. He loved to walk the streets and see
the lights and Christmas scenes. He loved to hear the gaiety
and laughter of the holiday season. As Eric approached one
department store, he gazed in the window.

There was Santa in red and white sitting in his magnificent
throne giving candy to little children who would sit on his
lap. A tear welled up in his eye. He could never remember
Santa coming to his home.  At age 12 he knew Santa was not
true but still he wished he could find a present under the
non-existent tree in the front room.

Eric became depressed in his beautiful world. No longer was
he equal. He was cold, helpless, hungry and feeling
abandoned. This feeling overwhelmed him and hurt so much
that he darted down an ally to get away from it.

As he was halfway down the ally he heard a soft, timid
whimpering sound. He stopped—looked around—and started to
walk on. He heard the noise again and began to move toward
it. There huddled in a dark corner was a cold wet stranded
puppy. It tired to growl to frighten off this giant
stranger, but it was too weak and hungry for any sound to
come out.

Eric picked up the puppy and began petting it. He became
aware of how frail his new found friend was. He felt a
quiver go through the puppy and realized it was time for a
decision. In his pocket was one of his most treasured
possessions, his lucky dime. He had found it in his mother’s
old purse. Though he never knew his mother he loved the dime
and knew it was lucky because it was once hers. Eric looked
at his dime and he looked at the quivering friend. He held
the puppy tight as he once again emerged into the Christmas
world. Quickly he paced off the two blocks to an old grocery
store. There in that store he left the only remembrance of
his mother and bought a carton of milk.

Carrying the puppy and clutching the milk he descended down
the dark ally. Sitting on the ground, he poured the ivory
liquid into his hand. AS tears trickled down his cheeks,
feelings of loneliness and abandonment vanished. A Strong
union of friendship was created as Eric whispered in the
puppy’s ear, “Puppy, I’ll be your Santa.”

There are many children who will not have much of a
Christmas, if any, this year. Let’s all decide to give to a
child this Christmas season so they can feel loved and be
uplifted no matter what their circumstances are. And
remember, it is not the cost of the present that matters it
is the love that is felt when we give from the heart.

I wrote the following poem after having discovered the
blessings that come to me for giving to others.

To have your spiritual needs met,
It is better to give than to get.
Reach out to those in need
And your soul you will feed.

I hope you all have a wonderful, fun and love filled
Christmas season!

Jack M. Zufelt
“Mentor to Millions”

P.S. And now for my opportunity to give to you!

For the first time ever I’m giving 12 gifts away this year!

Join me in my celebration of the Holidays and except a gift
from me for the next 12 days by going here:

http://www.12daysxmas.com
DNA of Success

It is Christmas time all around the world!

I love this season because it causes people to be nicer, more giving and focused on others.

Just as gifts were brought and given to the Christ child so we, in similitude, give gifts to those we love.

Merry Christmas from Jack Zufelt!

There are two parts to this letter. The first part is a report that will open your eyes about how giving can bless YOUR life, your health and your finances! The second part is the kind of story we all like to read at Christmas time.

Today I’ll be giving you Part 1 so please keep an eye out tomorrow for Part 2 as well as my CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU, at the bottom of this letter.

PART 1: Giving Can Bless Your Life!

Did you know that research has proven that giving is good for your health and wealth?

God knew what He was doing when he said it is better to give than to receive. I say let’s do both!

Here is the report sent to me by a friend of mine, Dr. Roger Allen from the Human Development Institute, that proves giving is very beneficial.

Arthur Brookes, an economist and professor of entrepreneurship at the University of Syracuse, works with successful entrepreneurs. In an article entitled The Privilege of Giving (Marriott Alumni Magazine, winter 2008), Dr. Brookes states that the entrepreneurs he works with are very generous. He used to believe they were generous because of their excess wealth. They give money away because they have money. However, many entrepreneurs told him that they have money because they give it away.

Dr. Brookes didn’t believe them and so put their theory to a test. Working with a number of universities and community foundations, Dr. Brookes sponsored a study of thirty thousand American families. The researchers gave these families an exhaustive survey asking questions about their jobs, how much money they make, what they do with their time, whether or not they volunteer, how much money they give away to charities, etc.

To his astonishment, he learned that the more families give away the more they receive. In other words, if you have two families and control for every other variable (education, number kids, region of residence, ages, religion, etc.), but one of those families gives $100 more to charity than the other family, that family will, on average, have a net income of $375 more than the non-giving family and that difference can only be explained by their charitable giving (only variable on which the families are measurably different).

When Dr. Brookes got the data he was convinced it was wrong, so gathered new data, rewrote his analysis and found that he got the same results again … and again. The results consistently suggested that the return on an investment of $1.00 given to charity was $3.75—an amazing outcome.

Giving is its own reward the rewards of giving are far more than financial. There is a good body of research in neuropsychology that shows that people who are generous with their money have more endorphins and fewer stress hormones in their brains. They are both happier and more effective than people who do not give.

Something about giving changes us. But the change only happens when we give “not grudgingly or of necessity” but voluntarily and with goodwill. It is then that the good we put out to others comes back to bless our lives. Spiritual teachers and the great religions of the world have long taught us to give and that our giving shall be returned to us manifold.

In the classic book, The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran imparts profound wisdom about giving. “You oft would say, ‘I would give but only to the deserving.’ The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture. They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.”

And now for my opportunity to give to you!

For the first time ever I’m giving 12 gifts away this year!

Join me in my celebration of the Holidays and accept a gift from me for the next 12 days by going here:

http://www.12daysxmas.com

Merry Christmas!

Jack M. Zufelt

“Mentor to Millions”