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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
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Author unknown
Does anyone happen to know the author of this thought-provoking parable? It has different titles on the Web, but almost all start with "Imagine there is a bank that credits your account..." I've made futile attempts to track down its author, and all lead to "author unknown." Any related information about its sources would be greatly appreciated.
Here's the story:Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade. To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a pre-mature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily laborer with kids to feed.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift-that's why it's called the present!
Here's the story:Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening it deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow". You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade. To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a pre-mature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily laborer with kids to feed.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time. And remember that time waits for no one.
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift-that's why it's called the present!
Top answer
[/nq] Firstly, it's not a parable. A parable leaves you to work out the meaning for yourself: what you have there is an illustration and not, I have to say, a particularly noteworthy one. As for who wrote it, sorry, but these things are nearly impossible to track down.
- [/nq] Firstly, it's not a parable.
- A parable leaves you to work out the meaning for yourself: what you have there is an illustration and not, I have to say, a particularly noteworthy one.
- As for who wrote it, sorry, but these things are nearly impossible to track down.
- Somebody somewhere probably found it on a website, copied it into an e-mail and sent it to his friends, who sent it to their friends, who sent it...
- and so on.
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7 Answers
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"sklin" (Email Removed) schrieb im Newsbeitrag
[nq:1]Does anyone happen to know the author of this thought-provoking parable?[/nq]
Firstly, it's not a parable. A parable leaves you to work out the meaning for yourself: what you have there is an illustration and not, I have to say, a particularly noteworthy one.
As for who wrote it, sorry, but these things are nearly impossible to trac
[nq:1]Does anyone happen to know the author of this thought-provoking parable?[/nq]
Firstly, it's not a parable. A parable leaves you to work out the meaning for yourself: what you have there is an illustration and not, I have to say, a particularly noteworthy one.
As for who wrote it, sorry, but these things are nearly impossible to trac
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[nq:1]"sklin" schrieb:[/nq]
[nq:2]Does anyone happen to know the author of this thought-provoking parable?[/nq]
[nq:1]Firstly, it's not a parable. A parable leaves you to work out the meaning for yourself: what you have there ... mailed it and so on. It'll take quite a bit of detective work to find out who originally penned it.[/nq]
The first time I saw any part of the quote (in the la
[nq:2]Does anyone happen to know the author of this thought-provoking parable?[/nq]
[nq:1]Firstly, it's not a parable. A parable leaves you to work out the meaning for yourself: what you have there ... mailed it and so on. It'll take quite a bit of detective work to find out who originally penned it.[/nq]
The first time I saw any part of the quote (in the la
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Maria Conlon filted:
[nq:1]The first time I saw any part of the quote (in the late 1980s), it was just the last few ... That was it. I replied to the sender: Sure, today is a gift. That's why they call it the present.[/nq]
And, as Hudson and Landry once said, "there's no present like the time"..r
[nq:1]The first time I saw any part of the quote (in the late 1980s), it was just the last few ... That was it. I replied to the sender: Sure, today is a gift. That's why they call it the present.[/nq]
And, as Hudson and Landry once said, "there's no present like the time"..r
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[nq:1]Does anyone happen to know the author of this thought-provoking parable? Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. [/nq]
I don't know who wrote it, but it seems to be a little sermon in praise of greed.
\\P. Schultz
I don't know who wrote it, but it seems to be a little sermon in praise of greed.
\\P. Schultz
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[nq:1]The basic idea behind the quote/parable/advice is a bit faulty, I think. If someone takes it too seriously, sleep will be lost all too often. It sort of like the "give all" advice to business people.[/nq]
If all they are giving is "all", they aren't even trying. I demand at least 110%.
If all they are giving is "all", they aren't even trying. I demand at least 110%.
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[nq:1]To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask the girl after the boy has fallen asleep.[/nq]
Sorry, but that thing was just begging to be parodied.
Colin Rosenthal Sabbagh's Second Law: The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred.
Sorry, but that thing was just begging to be parodied.
Colin Rosenthal Sabbagh's Second Law: The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred.
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