Journey is short

A young lady sat in a bus. At the next stop a loud and grumpy old lady came and sat by her. She squeezed into the seat and bumped her with her numerous bags.

The person sitting on the other side of the young lady got upset, asked her why she did not speak up and say something.

The young lady responded with a smile:

"It is not necessary to be rude or argue over something so insignificant, the journey together is so short. I get off at the next stop."

This response deserves to be written in golden letters:

*"It is not necessary to argue over something so insignificant, our journey together is so short"*

Did someone break your heart? *Be calm, the journey is so short.*

Did someone provoke or intimidate you? *Be calm, forgive; the journey is so short.*

Did someone betray, bully, cheat or humiliate you? *Be calm, forgive; the journey is so short.*

No one knows the duration of this journey. No one knows when their stop will come. *Our journey together is so short.*

Let us cherish friends and family. Let us be respectful, kind and forgiving to each other. Let us be filled with gratitude and gladness.

After all, *Our Journey Together is so Short!*

Brakes.....

Someone asked...
Why do we have *Brakes* in a car ?

Varied answers received, like,
"To stop",
"To reduce speed",
"To avoid collision" etc.,

But the best answer was,
*To enable you to drive faster*....

Give it a thought.
It's true but seldom such smart out of box thinking is done,  much less appreciated.

For a moment assume you have *No brakes* in your car then how fast will you drive your car..?

It's because of *brakes* that we can dare to accelerate, dare to go fast and reach destinations we desire

At various points in life, we find our *Parents, Teachers, Mentors, Friends and Spouse* etc. questioning our progress, direction or decision.

Many a times We consider them as irritants or consider such inquiries as *Brakes* to our ongoing work.

But, remember, it's because of such questions (read as  periodical brakes) that you have managed to reach where you are today.

*Without brakes*, you could have skid, lost direction or gone a stray or even met with an unfortunate accident..!!!

Learn to appreciate the *brakes* in our life.

Use them wisely...

Good Day  !!!

Be grateful

The qualifications that gave you a job is the same qualifications someone has, but does not have a job.
Be grateful.    

The prayer that God answered for you, is the same prayer others have been praying but without success. 
Be grateful.

The road you use safely on a daily basis is the same road many others have died on.
Be grateful.

The temple in which God blessed you, is the same temple other people worship in, but  their lives are still in discord.
Be grateful.

The bed you used in the hospital, you got healed and were discharged, is  the same bed many other people died on.
Be grateful.

The rain that made your field produce good crops, is the same rain that destroyed someone's field.
Be grateful.

Be grateful because whatever you have is not by your power, your  might, or your qualifications, but it's the  Grace of God.
Remember He is the giver of everything you have.

In everything give thanks.

Always be happy

It is not important whether you believe in spirituality or not, the four principles of spirituality apply to all from the moment one is born and will remain there till the end!
Four principles of spirituality

The First Principle states:

"Whomsoever you encounter is the right one"

This means that no one comes into our life by chance. Everyone who is around us, anyone with whom we interact, represents something, whether to teach us something or to help us improve a current situation.

The Second Principle states:

"Whatever happened is the only thing that could have happened"

Nothing, absolutely nothing of that which we experienced could have been any other way. Not even in the least important detail. There is no "If only I had done that differently, then it would have been different". No. What happened is the only thing that could have taken place and must have taken place for us to learn our lesson in order to move forward. Every single situation in life which we encounter is absolutely perfect, even when it defies our understanding and our ego.

The Third Principle states:

"Each moment in which something begins is the right moment"

Everything begins at exactly the right moment, neither earlier nor later. When we are ready for it, for that something new in our life, it is there, ready to begin.

The Fourth Principle states:

"What is over, is over"

It is that simple. When something in our life ends, it helps our evolution. That is why, enriched by the recent experience, it is better to let go and move on.

Think it is no coincidence that you're here reading this.

If these words strike a chord, it's because you meet the requirements and understand that not one single snowflake falls accidentally in the wrong place!

Be good to yourself.

Love with your whole being.

Always be happy
Love like there's no tomorrow.
And if tomorrow comes, well...
Love again

7 short stories

1. LOOKING BACK:

Today, I interviewed my grandmother for part of a research paper I’m working on for my Psychology class. When I asked her to define success in her own words, she said, “Success is when you look back at your life and the memories make you smile."

2. LOVE CONQUERS PAIN:

Today, after I watched my dog get run over by a car, I sat on the side of the road holding him and crying. And just before he died, he licked the tears off my face.

3. LOOKING BACK:

Today, as my father, three brothers, and two sisters stood around my mother’s hospital bed, my mother uttered her last coherent words before she died. She simply said, “I feel so loved right now. We should have gotten together like this more often.”

4. AFFECTION:

Today, I kissed my dad on the forehead as he passed away in a small hospital bed. About 5 seconds after he passed, I realized it was the first time I had given him a kiss since I was a little boy.

5. JOY:

Today, when I witnessed a 27-year-old cancer patient laughing hysterically at her 2-year-old daughter’s antics, I suddenly realized that I need to stop complaining about my life and start celebrating it again.

6. KINDNESS:

Today, a boy in a wheelchair saw me desperately struggling on crutches with my broken leg and offered to carry my backpack and books for me. He helped me all the way across campus to my class and as he was leaving he said, “I hope you feel better soon.”

7. SHARING:

Today, I was traveling in Kenya and I met a refugee from Zimbabwe. He said he hadn’t eaten anything in over 3 days and looked extremely skinny and unhealthy. Then my friend offered him the rest of the sandwich he was eating. The first thing the man said was, “We can share it.”

Cheers to life..!

Stay Beautiful

At the naughty age of 40 ,we had our school reunion...one of my friend mentioned - look at the girls..they are still looking so beautiful ...even today,I skipped a heart beat  looking at my crush ... But the boys are looking so old...many are bald with protruding tummies & shrunken faces ...

Made me think...what makes a person beautiful? Is it just looks?

Obviously it's nice to look good...it may boost ones confidence & social interactions ...but is it enough?

I guess there is a vast difference between 'looking' beautiful  & 'being' beautiful...

A lady who has disfigured her body during pregnancy ...now she is struggling with her complexes...
..but yet she is the source of unconditional love for family ...is  beautiful...

A bald, obese man who is facing multiple professional challenges...yet he is the source of rock solid support for the family...is a beautiful person...

A working lady ...stressing herself out with balancing work & home... still finds time for her ill mother in law neglecting her taunts...is beautiful

The frangrance of love & care spread by them is far superior to any strong perfume ...

Eventually the beauty of body will fade one day...but the beauty of soul will not...

Personally....how you ' look' matters for first few minutes...but how you 'are' ..matters lifetime...

Stay beautiful

Ant & Contact lens .....

Brenda was a young woman who was invited to go rock climbing. Although she was very scared, she went with her group to a tremendous granite cliff. In spite of her fear, she put on the gear, took hold of the rope, and started up the face of that rock. Well, she got to a ledge where she could take a breather. As she was hanging on there, the safety rope snapped against Brenda's eye and knocked out her contact lens.

Well, here she is, on a rock ledge, with hundreds of feet below her and hundreds of feet above her. Of course, she looked and looked and looked, hoping it had landed on the ledge, but it just wasn't there.

Here she was, far from home, her sight now blurry. She was desperate and began to get upset, so she prayed to the Lord to help her to find it.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but there was no contact lens to be found. She sat down, despondent, with the rest of the party, waiting for the rest of them to make it up the face of the cliff.

She looked out across range after range of mountains, thinking of that verse that says, "The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth." She thought, "Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me."

Finally, they walked down the trail to the bottom. At the bottom there was a new party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them shouted out, "Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?"

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An ant was moving slowly across the face of the rock, carrying it on it's back.

Brenda told me that her father is a cartoonist. When she told him the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a picture of an ant lugging that contact lens with the words, "Lord, I don't know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You."

It would probably do some of us a lot of good to occasionally say,
"God, I don't know why you want me to carry this load. I can see no good in it
and it's awfully heavy. But, if you want me to carry it, I will."

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
GOD is my source of existence and my Savior.
He keeps me functioning each and every day.

Who spilled your cup ?

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere.
Why did you spill the coffee?

"Well because someone bumped into me, of course!"

Wrong answer.

You spilled the coffee because coffee was in the cup.
If there had been tea  in the cup, you would have spilled tea.

Whatever is inside the cup is what will come out.

Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It's easy to fake it, until you get rattled.

So we have to ask ourselves...what's in my cup?

When life gets tough, what spills over?

Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility?

Or anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions?

You choose!

Today let's work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation to yourself and others, kindness, gentleness and love.

Wishing you the best and MORE POSITIVITY IN YOUR CUP....

Practise....

If you are demotivated  because  you are not getting good opportunities... then this story will motivate you...

It will rain only after 12 years

Once, Lord Indra got upset with Farmers, he announced there will be No rain for 12 years & you won't be able to produce crops

Farmers begged for clemency from Lord Indra, who then said, Rain will be possible only if Lord Shiva plays his Damru, but he secretly requested Lord Shiva not to agree to these Farmers & when Farmers reached Lord Shiva he repeated the same thing that he will play Damru after 12 years

Disappointed Farmers decided to wait till 12 years but one Farmer regularly was digging treating & putting manure in the soil & sowing the seeds even with no crop emerging

Other Farmers were making fun of that Farmer. After 3 years all Farmers asked that Farmer why are you wasting your time n energy when you know that rains will not come before 12 years

He replied " I know that crop won't come out but I'm doing it as a matter of "practice". After 12 years I will forget the process of growing crops n working in the field so I must keep it doing so that I'm fit to produce the crop, the moment there is rain after 12 years

Hearing his argument Goddess Parvati praised his version before Lord Shiva & said You may also lose the practice of playing the Damru after 12 years
The innocent Lord Shiva in his anxiety just tried to play the Damru, if he could, and hearing the sound of Damru immediately there was rain n the farmer who was regularly working in the field got his crop emerged immediately and others were disappointed.

Debriefing of this story

The game is won during the practice, not during the performance. If you are waiting for the good opportunity before you start practicing, then you have lost the race.

"Practice is boring but that's what makes your performance interesting"

This is just a story with a moral....it does not mean to hurt religious sentiment....

Dog & Nail

Once upon a time, there was a gentleman walking down the street. He came across a house that had a man and a dog on the front  porch.

The dog for some reason was moaning and groaning. The gentleman who was walking by was curious about why the dog was moaning and groaning and why the man was just sitting there. So he asked him.

"Hey Mr. What's wrong with your dog?" The man on the porch said, "He's laying on a nail." The man walking by was shocked. And asked, "Why doesn't your dog just get up?" The owner said..... "Because it's not hurting him bad enough yet."

Do you know some people who just like to moan and groan? They complain about the problem but they refuse to take actions to solve it?

Don't allow yourself to be stuck on a nail. Do something about your situation. You have greatness within you. It's not enough to complain, one must correct. Get up. It's your time!!!! You've gotta be hungry. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Don't allow yourself to get comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. There's greatness within you.

Discipline

This post is about what happened in a typical middle-class household.
The son didn’t like living in his house.
“You are leaving the room without switching off the fan”
“The TV on in the room where there is no one. Switch it off!”
“Keep the pen in the stand; it is fallen down”

The son didn’t like his father nagging him for these minor things.
He had to tolerate these things till yesterday since he was with them in the same house.

But today, however, he has an invitation for a job interview.
“As soon as I get the job, I should leave this town. There won’t be any nagging from my father” were his thoughts.

He left for the interview.

“Answer the questions put to you without any hesitation. Even if you don’t know the answer, mention that confidently.” Father gave him more money than he actually needed to attend the interview.

The son reached the interview centre.

There was no security outside near the gate. Even though the door was open, the latch was protruding out probably hitting the people entering through the door. He put the latch properly, closed the door and entered the office.

On both sides of the pathway he could see beautiful flower plants. The gardener had kept the water running in the hose-pipe and was not to be seen anywhere. The water was overflowing on the pathway. He kept the hosepipe near the plant and went further.

There was no one in the reception area. However, there was a notice saying that the interview was in the first floor. He slowly climbed the stairs.

The light that was switched on last night was still burning at 10 am in the morning. He remembered his father’s admonition, “Why are you leaving the room without switching off the light?” and thought he could still hear that now. Even though he felt irritated by that thought, he sought the switch and switched off the light.

Upstairs in a large hall he could see many aspirants sitting waiting for their turn. He looked at the number of people and wondered if he had any chance of getting the job.

He entered the hall with some trepidation and stepped on the “Welcome” mat placed near the door. He noticed that the mat was upside down. He straightened out the mat with some irritation. Habits die hard.

He saw that in a few rows in the front there were many people waiting for their turn, whereas the back rows were empty, but a number of fans were running over those rows of seats.

He heard his father’s voice again, “Why are the fans running in the room where there is no one?” He switched off the fans that were not needed and sat at one of the empty chairs.

He could see many men entering the interview room and immediately leave from another door. There was thus no way anyone could guess what was being asked in the interview.

He went and stood before the interviewer with some trepidation and concern.

The officer took the certificates from him and without looking at them asked, “When can you join work?”

He thought ,”is this a trick question being asked in the interview, or is this a signal that I have been offered the job?” He was confused.

“What are you thinking?” asked the boss. “We didn’t ask anyone any question here. By asking a few questions we won’t be able to assess the skills of anyone. So our test was to assess the attitude of the person. We kept certain tests based on the behaviour of the candidates and we observed everyone through CCTV. No one who came today did anything to set right the hose pipe, the welcome mat, the uselessly running fans or lights. You were the only one who did that. That’s why we have decided to select you for the job”, said the boss.

He always used to get irritated at his father’s discipline and remonstrations. Now he realized that it is only the discipline that has got him his job. His irritation and anger at his father vanished completely.

He decided that he would bring his father too to his workplace and left for home happily.

Whatever our father tells us is only for our bright future!

A rock doesn’t become a beautiful sculpture if it resists the pain of the chisel chipping it away.

For us to become a beautiful sculpture and a human being we need to chisel out the bad habits and behaviour from ourselves. Those are what our father does when he disciplines us.

The mother lifts the child up on her waist to feed her, to cuddle her, and to put her to sleep. But the father is not like that. He lifts the child up on his shoulders to make her see the world that he couldn’t see.

We can realize the pain the mother undergoes by listening to her; but the father’s pain can be realized only when others tell us about it.

Our father is our teacher when we are five years old; a villain when we are twenty, but a guidepost when he is no more in our midst.

The mother can go to her daughter’s or son’s home when she is old; but the father doesn’t know how to do that. He is always independent and alone.

Hence there is no use in hurting our parents when they are alive and remembering about them when they have passed away.

Tea Cups

A beautiful anecdote shared from a lady friend. Thus it goes...              

I had a very emotional encounter last year  and I decided to pen it down on the pages of my Mémoire immortelle..
Allow me to share the same with you all..

Last week my hubby and I decided to visit one of my dad in law’s old friends living in Delhi.

He is a retired officer from the Indian army. Very fine couple, well spoken, very well read and widely travelled. They had a son who they lost during the Kargil war, but they never show any trace of pain on their face.

It appeared as if everything in the garden is lovely, but the deep set wrinkles on aunty’s face tell a different tale altogether.

Countless jokes of uncle, humor packed texture of his conversation does a brilliant job camouflaging their pain with grace and elegance.

We had a wonderful time spent with them.
Since they are old associates of my dad in law (He is from Indian army too) my hubby had a gala time revising the old memories of his school days.

Uncle and aunty told some very funny incidents and I kept laughing like a fearless kid.

Soon their care taker served us neatly organised tea and with each simmering sip came even more interesting chain of events from uncle’s well preserved memory bank.

I was wondering as to how could they talk endlessly, without even a small pause.
But soon I realised the reason, I didn’t have to do a double take on that.
The reasons were but obvious..
After we were done with tea, I got up to collect all the cups and the other things to keep in a tray so that I could keep those back in the kitchen.
BUT I was stopped by a very authoritative and strong voice-
.”Noo, Please do not move those cups from there.”
I was astounded by his reaction, I was taken aback and looked at aunty if I had ruffled his feathers by any action of mine.

My heart was in my mouth, literally.
But then, Aunty looked at uncle and said softly-
”Tussi bhi na,
Bacche nu dara ditta, thora aram naal bhi keh sakde ho.”

Uncle realised the sudden change in his voice and very sweetly he sat next to me, held my hand and kept his right hand on my head.

And what he spoke after that, made me cry from within.
It was so painful, simple yet so profound..

Softly he spoke” Beta ji...in cups ko aise hee rehne do, subah tak nahi uthayenge. Kuchh toh ehsaas hoga ki zindagi yahan aayi thi.
The house always remains spic n span, nothing is moved or disturbed and is kept as it is.
Ham taras jaate hain ki koi toh ghar ko ganda karne wala ho.
So let the cups stay that way. We will cherish the sight of it and promise me that you will visit again with your sons.”

All I could do was to hug him and assure him to be back with my sons.

I like my house to be neatly organised and make sure my boys follow the suit too, but unfortunately my younger one still believes in living like a caveman.
So as usual, when I was lecturing him today after seeing the plight of his room, I got reminded of this episode and suddenly, I stopped lecturing him and gave him a suffocating hug.

Leaving him confused to the core.

Circus

Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.

Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.

There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.

The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.

The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.

The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.

The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.

The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?

Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."

The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.

He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."

My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.

Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.

*That day I learnt the value to Give.*

*The Giver is bigger than the Receiver.*

*If you want to be large, larger than the life, learn to Give.*

*Only if you Give can you Receive more. The Givers heart becomes the Ocean, in tune with the Almighty - The Source*

*Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.*

*Wishing you most & more.*

Compensation

Someone asked Bill Gates, Is there any person richer than you?

He said, yes, only one. Many years ago, I had been dismissal and I had gone to New York airport. I read titles of newspapers there. I liked one of them and I want to buy it. But I didn't  have change (coin). I abandoned, suddenly, a black boy called me and told, “This newspaper for you.” I said, but I don’t have change. He said, “No problem, I give you free”.

After 3 months, I went there. Coincidentally, that story happened again and that same boy gave another free newspaper again. I said, I can’t accept. But he said, “I give you from my profit.”

After 19 years, I had been rich and I decided to find that boy. I found him after one and half months searching. I asked him, do you know me? He said, “Yes, you’re famous Bill Gates.”

I said, you gave me free newspaper in 2 times many years ago. Now, I want to compensate it. I am going to give you everything that you want. Black young man replied, “You can’t compensate it!”
I said, why? He said, "Because I gave you when I was poor. You want to give me when you are rich. So, how do you compensate?"

Bill Gates said, I think that black young man is richer than me.

You don't have to be rich or wait to be rich to give.

Disclaimer:  this is copied from social media. ..don't know genuineness of the same. ..just take this as a fiction story.

Yes I am Changing

Days slip into weeks, weeks turn into months and months transform into years. Calendars are changing and so am I.

Yes, I  am changing.In certain things age has mellowed me down, in others I have become more aggressive . Sometimes I find myself acting very wise and sometimes I just go crazy. Certain issues will have me speaking vociferously whereas at others I just shrug and remain silent.

Yes, I  am changing. After loving my parents, my siblings, my spouse, my children, my friends, now I have started loving myself.

Yes, I  am changing. I just realised that I am not “ Atlas ” and the world does not rest on my shoulders.

Yes, I  am changing. I now stopped bargaining with poor vegetables and fruits vendors. After all, a few rupees more is not going to burn a hole in my pocket but it might help the poor fellow save for his daughter’s school fees.

Yes, I  am changing. I pay the auto walla/ cab waala and walk away without waiting for the change.The extra money might bring a smile on his face.After all he is toiling much harder for a living than me.

Yes, I  am changing. I stopped telling the elderly that they have already narrated that story many times.After  all, the story makes them walk down the memory lane and relive the past.

Yes, I  am changing. I have learn not to correct  people even when I know they are wrong. After all ,the onus of making everyone perfect is not on me.Peace is more precious than perfection.

Yes, I  am changing.  I give compliments freely and generously . After all its  a mood enhancer not only for the recipient but also for me.

Yes, I  am changing.I have learnt not to bother about my creased shirt or mismatched skirt.After all, personality speaks louder than appearances.

Yes, I  am changing. Nowadays I don't bother  if my eyebrows are not done or fine lines are showing on my forehead. After all beauty of my soul outshines the beauty of my face.

Yes, I  am changing.I am learning not to let others make me feel incompetent.After all I am not only what they see in me. I might not be good at certain things but I am excellent at others.

Yes, I  am changing. I walk  away from people who don't value me.After all, they might not know my worth, but I do.

Yes, I  am changing. I remain cool when someone plays dirty politics to outrun me in the rat race.After all I am not a rat and neither am I in any race.

Yes, I  am changing. I am learning not to be embarrassed by my emotions.After all it's my emotions that make me human.

Yes, I  am changing. I now tell  people if I like them.After all ,there is nothing wrong in liking someone.

Yes, I  am changing. I have learnt that its better to drop the ego than to break a relationship.After all, my ego will keep me aloof whereas with relationships I will never be alone.

Yes, I  am changing.I demand  for whatever  is due to me.After all, accepting injustice is almost as bad as doing injustice.

Yes, I  am changing.I have learnt to live each day as if it were the last.After all, it might be the last .

Yes, I  am changing. I am doing what makes me happy.After all, I am responsible for my happiness, and I owe it to me.

And I am loving the new me!

Life Marathon

Lata , a 65 year old resident of an small village in Buldhana district in Maharashtra, lived with her three daughters and husband. She and her husband worked very hard throughout their lives and married off their daughters. All the savings which they gathered over the years were spent on these marriages.

Post daughter’s marriages, she and her husband started working as daily wage workers in the nearby farms, they used to make enough to survive.

One day suddenly, her husband felt uneasy and was diagnosed with some serious infection. Lataji was left baffled, with no money in hand and the creepy situation, she couldn’t understand what to do. She took him to the nearby government hospital, doctors recommended her to take him to the terminal hospital in Baramati as few tests had to be conducted. Lataji was in tears, she felt pity on her misery. She couldn't see her husband dying in her arms. She felt helpless and sorrowful.

Courageously, she begged her neighbours, relatives and every possible person she could and gathered a small amount and left for Baramati for the further tests of her husband.

Doctor moved her husband in the check-up zone, she discreetly sat outside the room with the teary eyes, praying god to save the only wisdom in her life. Doctor came out of the check-up ward, her eyes lit, eagerly waiting to hear the well-being of her love. But Fate had some other story written for them, Doctor advised further costly tests and medications, which were going to cost them a bounty. Lataji's world collapsed with her nowhere to go, no money to treat her husband. Her world was shattered, her heart ached, overwhelmed by emotions, she cried with helplessness.

They came out of the hospital heavy-heartedly, stopped by nearby samosawala, had two samosas on piece of newspaper, her eyes stopped on the bold Marathi headline on the newspaper, her eyes lit, heart skipped. The headline was about the ‘Baramati Marathon and it's prize money'. She was excited and all sorts of thoughts flooded her mind.

Next day, Baramati Marathon was about to commence, everyone geared up in their sports shoes, cozy shorts and tracks, sweat absorbing tees. And there she comes, the 67 year old Lata Bhagwan Khare, wearing torn saree (lugda), bare footed, tears in her eyes. She argued with the organizers, they weren't ready to let her participate in the marathon, she pleaded, she begged, she convinced them to approve her participation.

Marathon started, she hitched her saree just above her ankles, she ran like a wizard, like a 16 year old teen, she didn't think of anything else, she could just see her husband's agony and the winning amount in front of her eyes ahead. She didn't care about the hard hitting rocks and pebbles on her way, her feet bled, but she ran and ran. She won the marathon and was awarded the prize amount. It meant a life to her, she was going to see her husband live. Crowd cheered her, streets of Baramati clapped for her. People were flabbergasted, they saluted her and applauded her.

She collected the winning amount and made sure her husband received the proper medication. This is love, this is devotion. She didn't blink an eye, she never thought about how she is going to win the marathon, how is she going to run barefooted, how'll she survive. She only ran with one motive, to save her husband.

I salute Lata , for her courage and fortitude. In the world full of excuses, you just proved to be an icon.

Disclaimer:  Don't know whether it is true story

Right Here Right Now

At what age in your life did you consider it the prime time of your life?

Finally, it happened. I was in Standard VI. In the classroom, the blackboard looked hazy. I was unable to see what the teacher wrote. I came home and announced, with dignity and pride, that I was now eligible for a pair of spectacles.

The next day, my father took me to the ophthalmic doctor, who meticulously examined me and instructed me to read ‘ABCD’ with various lenses on, asking me which of the lot provided the clearest vision. Finally, I gave my valued opinion, at which he laughed, took the frame out and passed two fingers where the lens should have been, to confirm my worst fears — I had no eye problem. My dream of walking to the school in stylish spectacles was shattered.

Spectacles and full pants were the fantasy for most of us at school because naked eyes and shorts made us feel like kids. At that age, we just wanted to grow up fast, whatever the means.

By the time I turned 42, my son told me that I was holding his comic book too far, when we read it together in bed. The ophthalmic doctor did the same ABCD test and wrote down the prescription for a pair of glasses. I reflexively asked: can I get contact lenses instead? Hair dye, contact lenses, loose shirts and Levis jeans at 45 are all directed at the same thing. Trying to look young, pretending that we have not grown up. Many of us got stuck for a couple of years at 39 before we had the guts to pronounce to the world that we are finally on the wrong side of 40.

When young, we desperately want to grow up and once we are there, we regret having grown up. At 89, my father does not care whether he grows old or looks young, whether people presume him to be 78 or 91; he is worried only about his grandchildren, both in college. While the grandfather is worried about their safety, the perturbed grandchildren say… “Grandpa, we have grown up, we are not children anymore.”

That's the paradox of life. The young want to grow up. The grown-ups want to remain young. The elderly are bothered about their grandchildren who, in turn, feel that they are being overcautious. At every step, we want to change our role. Why not take a pause, look around and just enjoy the present? Every stage in life has its pains, awards and surprises. Savour it now, it will never come back.

I enjoy the aroma of everyday coffee rather than waiting for that rare outing to an expensive candlelight dinner.
My prime time? Every single day of my adulthood.

Be Grateful

The qualifications that gave you a job is the same qualifications someone has, but does not have a job.
Be grateful.    

The prayer that God answered for you, is the same prayer others have been praying but without success. 
Be grateful.

The road you use safely on a daily basis is the same road many others have died on.
Be grateful.

The temple in which God blessed you, is the same temple other people worship in, but  their lives are still in discord.
Be grateful.

The bed you used in the hospital, you got healed and were discharged, is  the same bed many other people died on.
Be grateful.

The rain that made your field produce good crops, is the same rain that destroyed someone's field.
Be grateful.

Be grateful because whatever you have is not by your power, your  might, or your qualifications, but it's the  Grace of God.
Remember He is the giver of everything you have.

In everything give thanks.

Short Journey

*"Our Journey  Together is so Short"* A beautiful message for all of us....Take a minute please

A young lady sat in a bus. At the next stop a loud and grumpy old lady came and sat by her. She squeezed into the seat and bumped her with her numerous bags.

The person sitting on the other side of the young lady got upset, asked her why she did not speak up and say something.

The young lady responded with a smile:

"It is not necessary to be rude or argue over something so insignificant, the journey together is so short. I get off at the next stop."

This response deserves to be written in golden letters:

*"It is not necessary to argue over something so insignificant, our journey together is so short"*

If each one of us realized that our time here is so short; that to darken it with quarrels, futile arguments, not forgiving others, discontentment and a fault finding attitude would be a waste of time and energy.

Did someone break your heart? *Be calm, the journey is so short.*

Did someone betray, bully, cheat or humiliate you? *Be calm, forgive, the journey is so short.*

Whatever troubles anyone brings us, let us remember that *our journey together is so short.*

No one knows the duration of this journey. No one knows when their stop will come. *Our journey together is so short.*

Let us cherish friends and family. Let us be respectful, kind and forgiving to each other. Let us be filled with gratitude and gladness.

If I have ever hurt you, I ask for your forgiveness. If you have ever hurt me, you already have my forgiveness.

After all, *Our Journey Together is so Short!*

Appreciate

Question: What is the best advice your mother ever gave you?

Answer By Jonathan Pettit

I was about ten. My mom had just finished creating one of her amazing meals, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Delicious. Later, as I was washing the dishes, my mom came up to me. “Sorry dinner was so awful again,” she said.

I was shocked. “What? No, it was great. I loved it.”

“Really?” she said, with mock surprise. “You always eat so quietly, never saying anything. You’ve never told me you liked my cooking, so I thought you hated it.”

“No, you’re the best cook I know.”

“Then you should tell me that,” she said. “Whenever someone does something nice for you, you should thank that person. If you don’t, then she might think she’s not appreciated and stop doing those nice things.”

Something clicked right then. From that day forward, I thanked everyone for literally everything. If you did something that even vaguely helped me, I thanked you profusely. It became a habit, something I didn’t even think about, and that’s when the magic started happening.

People liked me more. They talked to me more, shared with me, were more friendly. In my first year of high school, during the final week, I came home and found a giant freezie (a kind of sweet frozen snack) waiting for me. “Thanks, mom,” I said instinctively.

“This isn’t from me, she said. “This is from your bus driver.” He had been driving that bus for years, and my siblings and I were the first people to ever thank him as we got dropped off. Those two simple words made a huge difference, so much so that he went out of his way to tell our mom and give us a present.

That’s the power of appreciation. When you have it, all is right in the world, but when it’s missing life is empty. My mom taught me many things, but taking two seconds to say ‘thank you’ every time, in any situation, was the best.

*Debriefing of this Story*

You would have met people who call themselves as good critics but have you ever a person who says I am good at appreciating others? Isn't that a sad part of our society?

Let's start appreciating people more frequently especially people who are close to us.

"The sweetest of all sounds is true appreciation"

Be the Best whatever You Are

Be the Best whatever You Are

If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill
be a scrub in the valley- but be the best little scrub
by the side of the rill;

Be a bush if you can't be a tree.
If you can't be a bush be a bit of the grass,
and some highway some happier make;
if you can't be a muskie then just be a bass-
but the liveliest bass in the lake!

We can't all be captains, we've got to be crew,
there's something for all of us here.
There's big work to do and there's lesser to do,
and the task we must do is the near.

If you can't be a highway then just be a trail,
if you can't be the sun be a star;
it isn't by size that you win or you fail-
Be the best of whatever you are!

Are you taking care of yourself ?

A cobbler lived in a large village and he was the only cobbler in town, so he was responsible for repairing the boots of everybody else.

However, he didn’t have time to repair his own boots.

This wasn’t a problem at first, but over time, his boots began to deteriorate and fall apart.

While he worked feverishly on the boots of everyone else, his feet got blisters and he started to limp.

His customers started to worry about him, but he reassured them that everything was ok.

However, after a few years, the cobbler’s feet were so injured that he could no longer work and no-one’s boots got repaired.

As a consequence, soon the entire town started to limp in pain, all because the cobbler never took the time to repair his own boots.

This simple principle is so often disregarded.      

If you are in a responsible position and are one of the important links in the groups survival chain and if You  do not look after yourself, after a while you’ll be no good to anyone else either.         
                                
Your best intentions will mean nothing and you’ll be unable to do what you’re meant to do.

If you don’t take the time to care for yourself, no-one else will.

Are you taking care of yourself ??

God loves you. ....

A rich man looked through his window and saw a poor man picking something from his dustbin ... He said, Thank GOD I'm not poor.

The poor man looked around and saw a naked man misbehaving on the street ... He said, Thank GOD I'm not mad.

The mad man looked ahead and saw an ambulance carrying a patient ... He said, Thank GOD am not sick.

Then a sick person in hospital saw a trolley taking a dead body to the mortuary ... He said, Thank GOD I'm not dead.

Only a dead person cannot thank God.

Why don't you thank GOD today for all your blessings and for the gift of life ... for another beautiful day.

*What is LIFE*?
To understand life better, you have to go to 3 locations :

*1. Hospital*
*2. Prison*
*3. Cemetery*

At the Hospital, you will understand that nothing is more beautiful than HEALTH.

In the Prison, you'll see that FREEDOM is the most precious thing.

At the Cemetery, you will realize that life is worth nothing. The ground that we walk today will be our roof tomorrow.

Sad Truth :  We all come with Nothing and we will go with Nothing ... Let us, therefore, remain humble and be thankful & grateful to God at all times for everything.

Could you please share this with someone else, and let them know that God loves them?

Good Job

A couple of weeks ago a child therapist whom I know looked at my kids and said,

"You're such a good mum"

Feeling like a total fraud I blurted, "I don't feel like a good mum. The kids are driving me so crazy, I'm losing my temper and falling asleep at night wondering where am I  going to get the patience for another day"

To which she responded with a statement that I haven't been able to forget,

"Babies cry, it's how they communicate. Toddlers scream, children whine and teenagers complain.
Then mums say the words 'for heaven sake (under their breath before responding every time) It's how we communicate.

But then guess what? It's better than silence.

A house full of screaming kids and fighting teenagers and a parent  who faces barrage of questions and requests is a healthy one to me.
It's the silent children, the scared toddlers, the teenagers that don't come home and the parents who aren't in communication with their children that I worry about.

And kids don't drive you crazy, you were crazy already. That's why you had them."

And just like that, I felt like a good parent again.

Deep breaths, you're doing a good job.

Good day...

Rats

During a study at Harvard in the 1950s, Dr. Curt Richter placed rats in a pool of water to test how long they could tread water.

On average they'd give up and sink after 15 minutes.

But right before they gave up due to exhaustion, the researchers would pluck them out, dry them off, let them rest for a few minutes - and put them back in for a second round.

In this second try - how long do you think they lasted?

Remember - they had just swam until failure only a few short minutes ago...

How long do you think?

Another 15 minutes?
10 minutes?
5 minutes?

No!

60 hours!

That's not an error.

That's right! 60 hours of swimming.

The conclusion drawn was that since the rats BELIEVED that they would eventually be rescued, they could push their bodies way past what they previously thought possible.

I will leave you with this thought:

If hope can cause exhausted rats to swim for that long, what could a belief in yourself and your abilities, do for you?

Imaginary Rope

A farmer was taking three of his donkeys for sale to the market.

On the way he saw a river and decided to have a dip.
Since he had only two ropes to tie the donkeys to a tree, he looked around wondering how to tie  the third one.

He saw a sage and sought his help if he could give him a rope to tie the third donkey. The sage did not have a rope but had a suggestion.

He told the farmer, “let the third donkey see you tying the other two donkeys to a tree.  Then you pretend to tie this one also”.

The farmer did as he was told and went for a dip in the river. Coming back, he thanked the sage and saw that the donkeys stood exactly at the same spot where he had left them.
He untied the two donkeys and patted the third one to start moving. After going a little distance, imagine his surprise when the third donkey stood still at the same spot.

Cajoling, kicking or talking did not help with the donkey, refusing to move from the spot. The farmer went back to sage, who told him, “untie the third donkey”.

“But”, protested the farmer, “I have not tied him”. The sage asked, “You know it. But does the donkey know that?”

Sure enough the farmer went back and pretended to untie the donkey. The donkey moved immediately as though released and walked over to join the other two donkeys.

Moral of the story:
We are all, also tied up by too many  imaginary ropes…… which are really non-existent. The only truth is there are no boundaries in real life and anyone can stretch to any extent. Don’t we all see records being broken, every time, everywhere and every day?

Our mind is a sacred enclosure into which nothing harmful can enter except with our permission. Hence as we go along this day let us see what we can do with our minds.

Divinity

According to an old Hindu legend, there was a time when all human beings were gods.... they knew their True Self... but they abused their divinity.

So, Brahma, decided to take the divinity away from them n hide it somewhere they could never find it.

Brahma called a council of the gods to help him decide where to hide divinity. ...

“Let’s bury it deep in the earth,” said some. Brahma answered, “Humans will dig into the earth n find it.”

Some suggested, “Let’s sink it in the deepest ocean.”  Brahma said, “Humans will learn to dive into the ocean n find it.”

Then some suggested, “Let’s take it to the top of the highest mountain n hide it there.” Brahma replied, “Humans will eventually climb every mountain n find their divinity.”

Everyone gave up n said, “We do not know where to hide it, as it seems that there is no place on earth or ocean that human beings will not eventually reach.”

*Brahma thought for a long time said, “We will hide their divinity deep within their own being, Humans will never look for divinity within themselves”*

All the gods agreed that this was the perfect hiding place n the deed was done.

Since that day, humans have been digging, diving, climbing, exploring n looking for something that lies within
themselves ...

“Divinity is within all of us"

It is within us

I have put GOD as a wise man and me as a normal person.

Now, you need to find the answers for yourself from this chat with GOD.

God: Hello. Did you call me?
Me: Called you? No. Who is this?
God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something.
God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.
God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.
God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this era of net savvy people, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?
God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?
God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty. .
God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that, experience their life becomes better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful.
God: Yes, inn every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can’t we be free from problems?
God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..
God: If you look outside, you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart (Mind) provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?
God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing your road ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?
God: When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on his or her side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who I am, why am I here. I can't get the answer.
                                                                                                                                     God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?
God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.
God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO. 
                                                                                                                                                                         Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.
God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!

Believe me; “God and Demons or Good and Evil is within others and us. “
“It is concept and that has been created by wise human beings to control the humankind.”

HTDO

Mathews, a hotshot sales manager, on a Sunday evening, was in the parking lot of a shopping mall. The parking lot was packed. Cars were crawling with anxious drivers looking for that one vacant slot. Mathews, sharp and aggressive as he was known to be, spotted a vacant space ahead and quickly zoomed in.  He could see another car trying to reverse into the same slot, but Mathews was determined to beat the other man to it.  And he did!  Mathews felt jubilant - as we all sometimes do with life's little victories.  The old man driving the car was disappointed. He looked Mathews in the eye and continued his search for another parking slot.  

Two days later, Mathews was preparing for one of the biggest moments of his career.  He was close to winning a big contract for his company.  And all that was left now was the formal handshake meeting with the client's CEO.  As Mathews walked into the client's office and saw the CEO, he felt a sudden sense of discomfort.  Yes, it was the same man from whom he had snatched the parking slot on Sunday.  And you can guess what happened thereafter.  Alas! If only Mathews had grown up with the HTDO habit! 

So whats HTDO?

It has probably happened to you before.  As you walk towards the door of an office, or a hotel, the person walking in front holds the door open for you.  Remember how good it made you feel - if only for that moment.  

Isn't it surprising that although we all feel good when someone holds the door open for us, we seldom do the same for other? How come?

It's probably because we are all preoccupied with ourselves and obsessed with getting ahead.  Here, then, is a life-changing lesson they don't teach you in any B school - 'Hold The Door Open'.

The world can be divided into two types of people. Those who push open a door, walk through and let it slam behind them.  That's the 99% of the population.  And there's the 1% who hold it open to allow the next person to walk through.  Learn to do that, and you too could join the select 1% club.  HTDO doesn't merely make other people feel good. It makes you feel good too. HTDO translates into a behaviour of helping and caring.

Winning in life is less about naked ambition and more about helping other people win. 

Someone once said, "It's nice to be important. But it's more important to be nice"

Make a beginning.  Hold The Door Open...

Plants...

In two independent houses,separeted by a compound two people were living, in one a retired person and in the other a techie.
They had planted identical saplings on either sides of the compound.
The techie used to give lot of water and manure to the plants.The retired,just small quantity of water and little manure.
The techies plant grew into lush green,leafy robust plant.
The retired person's plant was a near normal but much luxuriant than his neighbor's.
One night there was a heavy rain with gusty wind.
Next morning both came out to see the fate of the plants.
To techie's surprise his plant had got uprooted where as his neighbor's was unharmed.
Techie asks the retired as why his plant was uprooted despite such a good care where as the neighbor had hardly cared.
The retired person's answer should be a lesson for all of us.
*Look young man, you had supplied every thing a plant would need,in abundance and the plant did not have to go in search of it.Your roots did not have go down. I was supplying just enough to keep it alive. For the rest roots had to go down into the ground to fulfil it's needs.
Since your roots were superficial the rain and wind could easily fell it.
Since my roots were pretty deeply grounded they could withstand the onslaught of the nature.

Blessings

A famous writer was in his study room. He picked up his pen and started writing :

Last year, I had a surgery and my gall bladder was removed. I had to stay stuck to the bed due to this surgery for a long time.

The same year I reached the age of 60 years and had to give up my favourite job. I had spent 30 years of my life in this publishing company.

The same year I experienced the sorrow of the death of my father.

And in the same year my son failed in his medical exam because he had a car accident. He had to stay in bed at hospital with the cast on for several days. The destruction of car was another loss.

At the end he wrote: Oh God! It was such bad year !!

When the writer's wife entered the room, she found her husband looking sad & lost in his thoughts. From behind his back she read what was written on the paper. She left the room silently and came back with another paper and placed it on side of her husband's writing.

When the writer saw this paper, he found his name written on it with following lines :

Last year I finally got rid of my gall bladder due to which I had spent years in pain....

I turned 60 with sound health and got retired from my job. Now I can utilize my time to write something better with more focus and peace.....

The same year my father, at the age of 95, without depending on anyone or without any critical condition met his Creator.....

The same year, God blessed my son with a new life. My car was destroyed but my son stayed alive without getting any disability......

At the end she wrote:

This year was an immense blessing of God and it passed well !!!

The writer was indeed happy and amazed at such beautiful and encouraging interpretation of the happenings in his life in that year !!!

Moral : In daily lives we must see that its not happiness that makes us grateful but grate-fulness that makes us happy.

To all my lovely friends & family members ....

Think positive.....
Be happy...
Stay Blessed.

DISABLE

A small boy used to pass by an Air conditioner at the back of an office, with his father. He had noticed the hotness of its back side each time he passed.

One day He told the father He was never going to buy such, for the fact that it was hot (in the outside). The father laughed and decided to take him in.

When the got into the office, he exclaimed "wow!" And then he asked "Dad, what is responsible for the cool atmosphere of this place?" The father answered, "Air conditioner!"

He argued that it should be a special make unlike the one at the back of the office.

Then his father told him, "That's how the manufacturer has made it- cold at a side and hot at the other."

You see, Life is like that air-conditioner; and Like the boy, where you stand and view it will depend on what you will call it.

Now, how do you see this word, "DISABLE?"  As for me, I see it as 'DIS ABLE' meaning "THIS-ABLE!"

Until now, Greatest of opportunities are found in greatest of impossibilities.

You'll have to start seeing your sorrow as "so... row!" Meaning row, i.e move on!

Still, God's definition of weakness is strength and that of poverty is riches.

And until we begin to see things beyond the scope of this thing that we call "naked eyes", the world will not be a better place.

Until we stop to walk by sight, and take it up with faith, we would be costumed into believing that bumps of difficulties are in every road of possibilities.

Today, there is going to be another opportunity, greater than that of yesterday, hence the need to make good use of it.

If you have faith, You shall be glad you see today!

Blessed?

Focus....

A mosquito saw an elephant crossing a bridge and asked for a ride. The mosquito
said, "Hello mate! What if I sit on your back and give you some company as you cross
the bridge?"

The elephant said nothing.
The mosquito sat on the elephant's back. He felt very proud that he could persuade the elephant to be his co-rider.

As they
were crossing the bridge, the mosquito cried out, "Watch out brother, two of us are very heavy, make sure the
bridge does not collapse!"

The elephant said nothing.
As they crossed over through the bridge, the mosquito said, "See, how I guided you safely through!"
The elephant said nothing.

Finally, the mosquito got off the elephant's back and buzzed "Here is my business card. If you needany help in the future just call me on my cell phone."

The elephant that he heard some whisper somewhere.
But he dismissed this as a day dream and marched on…

Seeing all this, one of flying birds, curious enough, asked the Elephant for his thoughts. The elephant had to say this...

No matter what you do, people having mosquito-like-attitude will always disrupt you, criticize you, mock you but you need to remember the fact that you are the boss and no one is in-charge of your happiness. So just ignore such people, ignore their criticism and move on with your life. I am Elephant with enormous qualities with full control on my life.....

Brakes

Someone asked, "Why do we have brakes in a car"?

Varied answers were received, like,
"To stop",
"To reduce speed",
"To avoid collision" etc.,

but the best answer was,
"To enable you to drive faster"

Give it a thought. It's true but seldom such smart out of box thinking is done,  much less appreciated.

For a moment assume you have no brakes in your car then how fast will you drive your car?!

It's because of brakes that we can dare to accelerate, dare to go fast and reach destinations we desire.

At various points in life, we find our parents,teachers, mentors, friends and spouse etc. questioning your progress, direction or decision. We consider them as irritants or consider such inquiries as "brakes" to our ongoing work.

But, remember, it's because of such questions (read periodical brakes) that you have managed to reach where you are today. Without brakes, you could have skid, lost direction or gone astray or met with an unfortunate accident  !!!. 

Learn to appreciate the 'brakes' in your life.
Use them wisely...

Why I am poor. ..

Once, a very poor man came to Buddha.

He asked:
- Why am I so poor?

Buddha answered:

- You are poor because you don’t practice generosity. You don’t practice charity.

- But how can I practice charity if I don’t have anything to give?

- You have five treasures that you can share with others.

First, you have your face.
You can share your smiles with others.. It's free.. And awesome.. And has an amazing impact on others..

Second, you have your eyes.
You can look at others with eyes full of love and care.. Genuinely you can impact millions.. Make them feel so good..

Third, you have your mouth.
With this mouth you can say nice things to others.. Talk good.. Make them feel valued.. Spread joy and positivity..

Then, you have a heart.
With your loving heart you can wish happiness to others.. Make others feel a bundle of emotions.. Touch their lives..

Last treasure that you possess is your body..
With this body you can do many good things to others.. Help the people who need.. Help is not money.. A small caring gesture can light up lives..

Do these..
Feel rich..

Simple Leadership

Billionaire CEO Jack Ma says that if you want your life to be simple, don't be a leader

Alibaba CEO Jack Ma.

I recently heard Alibaba CEO Jack Ma give a brilliant speech, and his perspective burned me to my core. Here are three of my takeaways:

1. You have to have love
Ma spoke about the three types of IQ you need as a leader — IQ and EQ, which are well known, but also LQ, which is the love quotient. You have to genuinely love your team and what you're working towards together, because as you grow and the world gets more intense, there needs to be a larger purpose than just what's happening in your office day to day.

And on a really practical level, you have to love your team because their lives are in your hands. I'm writing this from a snowstorm on a day when I'm responsible for making sure my entire staff is safe. On many occasions over the last eight years, I've had people say, "Aren't you in charge? Why can't you make your own schedule?"

And I've always joked that being a leader is the exact opposite of that. It's actually being the humble servant to the talent, to make sure they get what they need and you understand where they need to go.

2. Being the chairman is not the fun job
Jack Ma is the chairman of tens of thousands of employees. Though he makes it look easy, his life is not. He said it simply: "If you want your life to be simple, you shouldn't be a leader." My scale is much smaller, but the pressure is still there. The second anything goes wrong, I have to fix it, whether it's 6 a.m. on a Wednesday, a Sunday, or during my best friend's birthday party.

In the early days of LearnVest, I was the one who cleaned up our office when it was messy. I didn't want to be embarrassed when people came over. One investor arrived and saw me scrubbing the bathroom with Clorox wipes. She laughed and said, "That is someone who literally rolls up her sleeves to get things done." No one ever wrote that up in my leadership plan.

3. You must push people
When it comes to solving really hard problems, Ma has a famous quote that I love: "Today is hard. Tomorrow will be worse. But the day after that will be beautiful. Most of your talent won't make it past tomorrow."

But as a leader, you must inspire people through those hardest times: to stick with it, to move through it, and to see past it, so they can make it to the day where things are beautiful. That's when you're really innovating. You have get your team there.

I'm a dropout of Harvard Business School, but I took a very helpful leadership class while I was there that really stuck with me. We discussed looking at problems from every angle, and looking at the person inside the puzzle. See their picture, their concern, their point of view, and understand that people feel passionately the way they do. Your job is to see the 360-degree view and come up with the answers.

On the flip side, you have to balance this by pushing people to their boundaries. How do you get there, if most people don't make it past Jack Ma's tomorrow? You ache to get talent to do things they've never done before. And that's hard.

During my Henry Crown Fellowship at the Aspen Institute, we read the writings of leaders ranging from Martin Luther King Jr. to Machiavelli to Margaret Thatcher to Jack Welch to Gandhi. We met Madeleine Albright. What struck me is that there are all these different types of leaders who are all responsible for solving different equations. As you're seeing everyone's position, you realize nothing is ever black or white.

I'm still on the journey to becoming the kind of leader I want to be. I want to know: What are your lessons on leadership? I am certain I can learn more!

Rocky Balboa

Rocky Balboa

Story of A Super Duper Star

Sylvestar Stallone is one the most famous American Movie stars.. With characters like Rocky and Rambo he is a household name in the hearts of millions.

During birth, a wrong gynecological procedure caused Stallone to have one sided paralysis. At school, his middle class being and his facial paralysis became a think for others to make fun off.

He joined body-building because he wanted to frighten those who bullied him. Slowly he started thinking of a career in movies.

Around 1974, he had a pregnant wife, a dog that he loved a lot, a lot of bills to pay and no success in his movie career.

What he still had was a belief in his dream that he will make it big.

Soon a time came when he went broke. He was heavily under debt.

Restless, anxious, stressed and still loaded with hope that he will make it big.

Things got so bad that he had sell his wife’s jewelry and ended homeless. Sleeping at the New York Bus station for 3 days.

The cold American winter forced him to choose between electricity and his dog. He stood outside a local store and sold his dog for $25.

Two weeks later, on TV he watched a boxing match between Mohammed Ali and Chuck Wepner. That match was like a flash of divine inspiration… For the next 20 hours he sat and wrote the script of what today is a cult movie, ROCKY.

In the words of stallone himself, “After nearly 1500 rejections”,  he got a production house to offer $125,000 for the script.

Despite the poverty, pains, pregnant wife and lost dog… His dream was to STAR in the movie  as the MAIN LEAD.

In an era when hero’s were common man and spoke fluently, a body builder with a facial paralysis that made him stammer while speaking.. Made Stallone the wrong choice for any role.

The studio Bluntly rejected his offer… And Stallone went back home with another failure.

A few weeks later,the studio offered him  $250,000 for the just the script, and not him.

He refused.

Soon they offered  $350,000 for the script but not him.

At that time everyone was pushing him to accept.. It would be MAD not to do so.. He was making a fortune.

He still refused.

Someone in the studio really loved his script, and as fortune favors the brave.. They finally accepted to $35,000 for the script and him as the lead star.

The rest as they say is history!

The movie was made for $1 million and went to make around $200 million.

It won the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Directing and Best Film Editing.

Stallone was a “bankable” hero for the next 20yrs, till the late 90′s… with his movies having made billions of dollars.

And what did he do with the first $35,000?

He stood outside the liquor store were he sold his dog for 3 days. Identified the man who had bought it, and finally got him back for $15,000.

AND IN THE WORDS OF ROCKY BALBOA –
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
― Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa

Piano Player

This story will inspire you... to realize how anyone can overcome adversity!

It is the story of a mother and a daughter who have overcome odds from the very beginning.

Lee’s mother became unexpectedly pregnant while married to a disabled man.  Doctors told her that because of a medication she had been taking her child would not be normal.  She elected to continue with the pregnancy and in 1985 in Seoul, South Korea, little Hee Ah Lee was born with only two fingers on each hand, disfigurement of her legs, and slight brain injury.  The hospital told Sun that she could not care for the child at home and relatives wanted her to place the child for adoption in a foreign country.  Sun thought her baby was beautiful, however, and was determined that she would live a successful life.

When Lee was a pre-schooler her mother decided that she wanted her daughter to take piano lessons and for two reasons.  One was that she felt it would help her strengthen her hands so she could hold a pencil.  The other was that she felt that if she could master the piano, she could master anything.   For six months piano schools turned them down then the one teacher who did accept the task got discouraged and wanted to quit.  It became a three-month contest of wills between mother and daughter that led to a confrontation in which Sun actually threw her daughter on the floor in frustration.  She said Lee got back up on the piano bench and for the first time played the children’s song she had been trying to learn.  That was the turning point and one year later Lee won the grand prize in a piano concert for Kindergartners. It was at age 7 that Lee won Korea’s 19th National Handicap Conquest Contest and was presented with her award by the President of Korea.

Today Lee is 22, has won numerous awards, and is a widely traveled concert pianist with more than 200 appearances.  Her first album titled “Hee-ah, a Pianist with Four Fingers” was to be released in June, 2008.

Lee gives tribute to her mother for challenging her to master the piano and said that although her training was difficult, “as time went by, the piano became my source of inspiration and my best friend.”

Posted as received. ..

Salted coffee

He met her at a party.
She was a gorgeous woman, so beautiful and intelligent with many men trying to woo her, and he was just an ordinary guy, nobody paid attention to him.

At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised but being polite, she agreed.

They sat in a coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she was uncomfortable, raring to leave.

Suddenly he asked the waiter, would you please give me some salt? I would like to put it in my coffee. Everybody stared at him, so strange.

His face turned red but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.

She curiously inquired about the salted coffee?

He replied, when i was a little boy, i lived near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salted coffee.

Now every time i have the salted coffee, i always think of my childhood, think of my hometown and my parents.

She was deeply touched and she also spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family.

It was a sweet conversation and also the beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date.

She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance and was kind hearted.

He was a good person and she had almost missed him.

Thanks to his salted coffee.

The story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married the prince, and they were living the happy life.

And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that’s the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a note which said, my dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life’s lie. This was the only lie i said to you - the salted coffee.

Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually i wanted some sugar, but i said salt. It was difficult for me to change so i just went ahead. I never thought that could be the beginning of our communication.

I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but i was too afraid to do so, as i had promised not to lie to you for anything.

Now i am dying, i am afraid of nothing so i have to tell you the truth, i never like the salted coffee, what a strange bad taste. But i have had salted coffee all my life.

But since i knew you, i never felt sorry for it. Having you with me was my biggest happiness for my whole life. If i can live for the second time, i would still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even if i have to drink the salted coffee again.

There were tears in her eyes.

One day someone asked her, what's the taste of salted coffee?
She replied, sweet.

Actually, love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but understand, not to hear but to listen, never let go of good friends and relationships even though sometimes we have to taste salted coffee.'''

Lunch pack

I put my cabin-baggage in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight to Delhi.

"I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps, I will get a short nap!", I thought.

Just before take-off, a few soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation! "Where are you guys headed?", I asked the young soldier seated next to me.

"Agra! We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we will be deployed for operations."

After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that lunch packs will be made available on payment. It would be some time before we reached Delhi. So, I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time.

As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch?

"No, that costs a lot of money! Probably wouldn't be worth it! I'll wait till we get to Delhi", his buddy replied.

I looked around at the other soldiers. No one was buying lunch.

That's when I walked to the back of the plane and handed the flight attendant enough money to cover for sufficient number of lunch pack to cover all the soldiers, and told her "Take a lunch pack each to all those soldiers!"

She grabbed my arms and squeezed tightly. Her eyes wet with tears, she thanked me, and said, "My younger brother was a soldier in Kargil, it's almost like you are doing it for him!"

Picking up the lunch packs, she headed up the aisle to where the soldiers were sitting.

She stopped at my seat and asked, "What do you like best - Vegetarian or chicken?"

"Chicken," I replied, wondering why she asked?

She turned and went to the front of plane, returning a minute later with a dinner plate from the First Class, and said "This is your!"

After we finished eating, I went again to the back of the plane, heading for the rest room. An old man stopped me. "I saw what you did. I want to be part of it. Here, take this!" He handed me a Rs 500/- currency note.

Soon after I returned to my seat, I saw the Captain of the flight coming down the aisle, looking at the seat numbers as he walked. I hoped he wasn't looking for me, but noticed he was looking at the seat numbers on the side of the plane where I was sitting. When he got to my row he stopped, smiled, held out his hand, and said, "I want to shake your hand."

Quickly unfastening my seat-belt, I stood up and took the Captain's hand. With a booming voice he said, "I was an Air Force pilot a long time back. Once someone bought me a lunch. It was an act of kindness I never forgot." I was embarrassed when applause was heard from all of the passengers.

Later, I walked to the front of the plane so I could stretch my legs. A kid who looked about 18-years of age was sitting about six rows in front of me, reached out his hand wanting to shake mine. I felt him stick a currency note in my palm.

When we landed, I gathered my belongings and proceeded to deplane. Waiting just inside the aeroplane door was a man who stopped me, put something in my shirt pocket, turned, and walked away without saying a word.

Another currency note it was!

Upon entering the Terminal, I saw the soldiers gathering for their trip ahead. I walked over to them and handed them all the currency notes that were given to me on the flight by several people and said, "It will take you some time to reach Agra. It will be about time for a sandwich. May God Bless You! And thank you all for doing whatever you do."

The young men of honour left that flight feeling the love and respect of their fellow countrymen. As I walked briskly to my car, I whispered a prayer for their safe return. These soldiers were giving their all for our country. I and a few fellow passengers could only give them a couple of meals. It seemed so little.....

A Serviceman is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank cheque made payable to 'India' for an amount of 'Up to and including my life.'

That is Honour!
Fwd as received....Jai Hind

Relax. ..Take a deep breath

In today's fast-paced world, we are all in a hurry. In a hurry to get to where we are going, in a hurry to get successful, in a hurry to get things done. We get dejected when things don't happen our way, when results are not achieved instantly. It's a race and we are scared of being left behind. The age of  achievement has decreased. Fifteen-year-olds are developing codes and selling websites. By the time you are 25, you have a company of your own. Or you are an accomplished musician who has travelled the world. People are doing too much in too little time. Only some people.

And that is scaring the hell out of us. If at 25, you are still slogging it out in a 9-to-6 job, you feel worthless. All your friends are getting married and posting pictures of their honeymoon to New Zealand or some exotic destination you can't even afford to think of in the next 2 years. Time is running out; the world is running past you and you…you find yourself struggling to even get up from bed.

Relax. Take a deep breath. Don't compare yourself with others. The world is full of all kinds of people – those who get successful early in life and those who do later. There are those who get married at 25 but divorced at 30, and there are also those who find love at 40, never to part with them again. Henry Ford was 45 when he designed his revolutionary Model T car. A simple WhatsApp forward message makes so much sense here:

“You are unique, don't compare yourself to others.

Someone graduated at the age of 22, yet waited 5 years before securing a good job; and there is another who graduated at 27 and secured employment immediately!

Someone became CEO at 25 and died at 50 while another became a CEO at 50 and lived to 90 years.

Everyone works based on their 'Time Zone'. People can have things worked out only according to their pace.

Work in your “time zone”. Your Colleagues, friends, younger ones might "seem" to go ahead of you. May be some might "seem" behind you. Everyone is in this world running their own race on their own lane in their own time. God has a different plan for everybody. Time is the difference.

Obama retires at 55, Trump resumes at 70. Don't envy them or mock them, it's their 'Time Zone.' You are in yours!”

Early success doesn't mean a happy life. You could open a company at 25, you could also go bankrupt at 30 if the company dissolves. You could find success at 40, and perhaps you'd be more well-equipped to handle it then. Whatever happens, happens for a reason.

Maybe that lost job was not right for you. Maybe you are meant to hone your skills for something great later. There is no right time. We get things when we are ready for them. When it doesn't happen for you, it means it's not supposed to happen right now. No point worrying yourself sick and envying another. 

Spend your time polishing your personality, acquiring new skills, learning a new language – create the person you want to be in future. Create the personality that will match your success. Work towards your goal at your own pace. Everybody has their own timeline. What if you are meant to do something worthwhile in some years when you are older and wiser, but you were too busy feeling bad about yourself and drowning your woes in alcohol. Imagine the regret.

Opportunities never cease to come. If today is not your day, it could be tomorrow. Don't stop living your life just because it isn't happening.