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Michael, who usually coordinated the group get-togethers, mentioned they helped each other through the difficult times and shared the joy of the good times. The stranger was impressed and commented on how lucky they were to have such special friendships. The friends agreed, and Katy, the youngest member of the group, said that she wished others could be as fortunate. The stranger introduced herself. Her name was Elizabeth. She told the group a little about her life and mentioned that she was gifted with the unusual ability to give people the chance to achieve the impossible. The friends looked at each other skeptically but hopefully. The stranger didn't seem crazy and appeared quite sincere. Elizabeth noticed the skeptical expressions; she had seen them many times before. She smiled and said that although she had this special gift, many people ignored or ridiculed her. Because of this, she had learned to keep to herself, but occasionally found people who were looking for a better way of life. Daniel, the oldest member of the group, invited Elizabeth to join them for the afternoon and Elizabeth agreed to stay. After they all got to know each other better, the group of friends became more convinced of Elizabeth's powers and shared with her that Daniel was dying and had less than a year to live. They asked Elizabeth if she could use her talents to heal Daniel. Elizabeth agreed and took action that resulted in Daniels’ complete recovery. With tears on their cheeks, they thanked Elizabeth and marveled at the miracle that seemed to happen before their eyes. They asked Elizabeth why she didn't solve more of the problems of the world in this way. Elizabeth responded that she couldn't do it alone and even if she could, not everyone wanted her assistance. The group of friends responded that they were interested in making a difference and wanted to know what they could do to help. Elizabeth replied that there were certain "rules to the game" that everyone must follow. The group asked in unison: "What Rules?" Elizabeth patiently explained the following simple rules that would change their lives and the lives of those they touched: 1. You will each have the ability to make a unique difference in the world. You can use these gifts to achieve things that you and others might consider impossibilities. So far so good--They had seen the impossible happen before their eyes. 2. To win, that is to make the world a much better place for everyone, you must remain friends. One person cannot use the full power of their talents unless everyone uses them together. This was nothing more than teamwork, they thought. They knew that the sum of all of the parts is always greater than the whole. 3. You will all have to begin individually, in different parts of the world, but you will be able to recognize when you need help, and that will bring you all together again. They thought, that's no different from the way it is now; they could always catch a plane. Obviously, since some of you will be placed in different countries, you will be part of different cultures and speak different languages. Some of you will be surrounded by wealth and some by poverty. Some of you will have better health than others. They were a little more concerned about these rules, but they decided it shouldn't be too difficult to find a common language so they could communicate. After all, if they could solve more of the world's problems, it would be worth it. 4. The world will remain an imperfect place, but nothing is impossible. They had to think about that paradox. How could two things that appeared to contradict each other be true? 5. There are at least two gifts that you will all have in common. The first is Time. Your time will be limited, and no two of you will be given the same amount. "This was nothing new", they replied, but Elizabeth cautioned that time could be deceptive. When you're in the present, it will appear that you have plenty of time, but it is only when you look back that you will realize that time passes in just a blink of an eye. The second gift you will all have in common is Choice. You will be free to choose your response to the imperfections in life, and of course, the choices you make will determine your success. Elizabeth then asked if there were any questions before she explained the last rule. The friends consulted and decided that none of the rules concerned them. They all agreed though, that there must be a "catch." Finally they asked, |
