10 minute mantra

My dad once told me : “You can apply the 10 minutes mantra to turn around your life in a tremendous way.”

I didn’t understand at first. “What’s the big deal in 10 minutes?” I asked.

“There’s indeed a big deal about it. 10 minutes, believe me son, can create a marvellous difference in our life,” my dad offered wisely.

“Elaborate please, dad,”

“I’ll tell you. But first, you’ve to get up tomorrow at 6.00 am.” My dad conditioned. I agreed.

Next day, as I woke up at the agreed time, my dad came to my room.

“What’s the time?”

“6.00 am” I replied.

“Okay, so before you can follow the 10 minutes mantra, you have to _follow the art of being aware about the clock_,”

I was confused. My dad continued, “Look at the clock. It’s 6.00 am. Now within 10 minutes I ask you to do the following - Arrange your bed and your table; drink two glasses of water, wash your face and brush your teeth. But keep looking at your clock while doing these. That’s it”

“Well…Okay,” I said, thinking what could be the catch my dad wanted me to capture.

I began and started doing all he asked. All the time, I kept glancing at the wall clock. Finally after 10 minutes (or 30 seconds earlier to be exact) I had finished it all.

“Well done, boy. You have turned around your life!” My dad praised, patting on my back.

“What?” I was astonished and puzzled, unable to grasp, and asked earnestly “I didn’t get you, dad.”

 “Think, son, think!” My dad urged, “Recall your earlier days. How did your day started off?”

I racked my brains and pondered over. Usually, I wake up at 6.00 am. Then, I wander off, yawning lazily and even sleep for some more minutes or sit idly on my chair, my thoughts in thousand directions. And, by the time I finish the above activities, it was already past 7.00 am.

“And today, it’s just 6.10 am” my dad said as if he read my mind.

“Yes!” I exclaimed, starting to understand.

“So what made you do it?” my dad asked.

I thought. What made me do it? Because my dad told me to do? No, no. There was more to it. And then it hit me.

*“ _The art of being aware about the clock_!”* I almost shouted.

“Yes and also ten minutes.” My dad said, smiling at my wonderstruck face.

My dad explained: “By _setting your eyes on the clock_ and _thinking about 10 minutes_, your mind got *_focused_* in that span of 10 minutes. It was just like a deadline or a due date. *The “10 minutes” deadline kept your mind in the present; in the “NOW ” and prevented you from wandering off.”*

I was impressed. Just a matter of meagre 10 minutes had such a mighty effect! I had completed all those routine activities on time.  Now, I felt I have so much time ahead (as compared to 7.00am, it was just 6.10 am!). _With so much time saved, I could work on creative and productive activities, instead of loitering around aimlessly_. *Time is indeed, the most precious thing on earth.*

 A question piqued my curiosity, “Dad, why only 10 minutes. Why can’t we divide our activities into 1 hour slots?”

“Good question,” my dad said, “we can. But _Shorter the time, *more productive* you will get_. Imagine, if I told you to do those routine activities in 1 hour? Your mind will make your actions slower because you’ll think you have enough time to do it. Even if an activity takes 1 hour, you can segment it into 10 minutes slots.”

“Give an example,” I was eager to know more.

“You can, for instance, segment your workout time,” my dad resumed. “10 minutes- warm-up; 10 minutes- stretching and 10 minutes-yoga,”

“Really amazing, dad; this 10 minutes stuff can make your life on a roll! Instead of long bouts of inactivity, once can benefit from the short bursts of creativity!”

“Yes. The 10 minutes stuff is just an idea. You can also make it 15 minutes or 20 minutes but not longer than that.” My dad paused and continued :

“The 10 minutes mantra can be applied in every aspect of life. A student, a professional, a businessman or anyone can apply this simple but successful technique. Take an example of student. The student can allot 10 minutes time for a topic. After that, he/she can take 2 minutes rest and resume for another ten minutes. He or she can also take time off and read a good book for 10 minutes or allot just 10 minutes for walking. All a student has to do is to be aware of the clock.

Elaborating it further, _we humans have a tendency to keep on delaying small things_. We know we have to pay bills on time, and still we delay it beyond the due dates. We are aware that our bike’s tyres need to get pumped, yet we don’t care to stop by the car-shop we pass every day. We promise ourselves to go to a temple on a particular day, yet we never seem to keep our own promise on time. Why? Because our mind wanders off and deems such things as unimportant. If we vow to take just 10 minutes or 20 minutes of our entire 24 hours, we would never procrastinate and our life will be million times better.”

 My dad concluded: “ _The 10 minutes, if followed *consistently*, can have a tremendous effect in anyone’s lifestyle. *Procrastination* and *Idleness* will vanish away replaced by *Focus* and *Intensity*_. People will tell you they are short of time. No time for the loved ones, no time for pursuing their dreams, no time to eat, no time for their health as if they are the most busiest people on earth! It’s the lamest excuse one can give.

The 10 minutes mantra can keep us Organized, keep our otherwise disoriented thoughts in check, Balance our life fruitfully and help us to have enough time in our hands. So follow this 10 minutes mantra and see your life turn around at a miraculous pace_.....!”

How Big is God

A boy asked his Dad, "Dad, how big is God?" Looking up at the sky his father saw an aeroplane and asked his son, "How big is that aeroplane?" The boy responded, "It's small, Dad! You can hardly even see it!"

Then the father took his son to an airport hanger. Standing in front of one of the aeroplanes, the father asked, "And now, how big is the aeroplane?" The boy responded, "Oh Daddy, this plane is enormous."

At this point, the father said to him, "That's how it is with God. How big He is depends on the distance between you and Him. The closer you are to Him, the bigger He is in your life."

Watermelons

I am from the village of Parra in Goa, hence we are called Parrikars. My village is famous for its watermelons. When I was a child, the farmers would organise a watermelon-eating contest at the end of the harvest season in May.

All the kids would be invited to eat as many watermelons as they wanted. Years later, I went to IIT Mumbai to study engineering. I went back to my village after 6.5 years.

I went to the market looking for watermelons. They were all gone. The ones that were there were so small.

I went to see the farmer who hosted the watermelon-eating contest. His son had taken over. He would host the contest but there was a difference.

When the older farmer gave us watermelons to eat he would ask us to spit out the seeds into a bowl. We were told not to bite into the seeds.

He was collecting the seeds for his next crop. We were unpaid child labourers, actually. He kept his best watermelons for the contest and he got the best seeds which would yield even bigger watermelons the next year.

His son, when he took over, realised that the larger watermelons would fetch more money in the market so he sold the larger ones and kept the smaller ones for the contest.

The next year, the watermelons were smaller, the year later even small. In watermelons the generation is one year. In seven years, Parra's best watermelons were finished. In humans, generations change after 25 years. It will take us 200 years to figure what we were doing wrong while educating our children."

Unless we employ our best to train the next generation, this is what can happen to us. We must attract the best into teaching profession.

Great story indeed! Each one of us are responsible to offer our best culture to next generation!

The whole world is looking to India as a Spiritual Leader.

Thank you GOD. ...

There was a bird who lived in the desert, very sick, no feathers, nothing to eat and drink, no shelter to live and kept on cursing his life day and night.

One day an Angel was crossing from that desert, bird stopped the Angel and inquired " where are you going?" Angel replied " I am going to meet God".

So bird asked angel ' please ask God when my suffering will  come to an end?' Angel said " sure, I will and bid a good bye to bird. Angel reached God's place and shared the message of bird to Him.

Angel told Him how pathetic the condition of bird is and inquired when the suffering of the bird will going to end? God replied ' for the next seven life times the bird has to suffer like this, no happiness till then'.

Angel said when bird will hear this he will get disheartened could You suggest any solution for this.

God replied tell him to recite this mantra ' Thank you God for everything'. Angel met the bird again and delivered the message of God to the bird.

After seven days the Angel was passing again from the same path and saw that bird was so happy, feathers grew up on his body, a small plant grew up in the desert area, a small pond of water was also there, the bird was singing and dancing cheerfully. Angel was astonished how it happened, God told for seven life times there is no happiness for the bird for next seven life times, with this question in mind He went to visit God.

Angel asked his query then God replied yes it was true there was no happiness for the bird for seven life time but because the bird was reciting the mantra' Thank you God for everything' in every situation.

When bird fell down on the hot sand it said thank you God for everything, when it could not fly it said thank you God for everything, so whatever the situation may be the bird kept on repeating Thank you God for everything and therefore the seven life times karma got dissolved in seven days.

When I heard this story it landed me in a different energy zone, i felt a tremendous shift in my way of feeling, thinking, accepting and viewing life.

I adopted this mantra in my life whatever the situation I faced I started reciting this mantra ' THANK YOU GOD FOR EVERYTHING'. It helped me to shift my view from what i did not have to what i have in my life.

For instance if my head used to pain i thank God rest of my body is completely fine and healthy and i used to feel headache does not used to bother me.

In the same manner i started using this mantra in my relationship, finance, love life, social life, business, friends, maids, colleagues and everything with which I can relate. I shared this story with my spouse and children too which brought a great shift in their behaviour.

This simple mantra really had a deep impact in my life, i started feeling how blessed I am, how happy I am, how good life is.

The purpose of sharing this message is to make all of us aware how powerful is the power of gratitude is. It can reshape our life.

A simple word, a simple thought, which teaches us to be grateful for everything what we have in our life has power to dissolve the karmic baggage which we are carrying from so many life times. Lets recite this mantra continuously to experience the shift in our life.

I end this article with the beautiful lines:

Be grateful,and see the change in your attitude.
Be humble,and you will never stumble.

Deep love and gratitude to you for reading it.

Each gives what he has. ....

Back in the days when a country was divided, a huge wall separated East and West side.

One day, some people in East side took a truck load of garbage and dumped it on the West side.

The people of West side could have done the same thing, but they didn't. Instead they took a truck load of canned goods, bread, milk and other provisions, and neatly stacked it on the East side.

On top of this stack they placed the sign:

“EACH GIVES WHAT HE HAS"

How very true! You can only give what you have.

What do you have inside of you? Is it hate or love? Violence or peace? Death or life?
What have you acquired over the years?
Is it capacity to build or capacity to destroy?

Is it ability to make money or steal money?

Is it ingenuity to develop good things that will benefit mankind or ability to bomb those good things that others have labored to build?

"EACH GIVES WHAT HE HAS"

Think about it!

Grocery. ...

Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store.

She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries.
 
She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.
 
John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once.
 
Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.'
 
John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store.
Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, 'Do you have a grocery list?'
 
Louise replied, 'Yes sir.' 'O.K' he said, 'put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.'
 
Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.
 
The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down..
 
The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, 'I can't believe it.'
 
The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more.
 
The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement.
 
It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said:
 
'Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.'
 
The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence.
 
Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a hundred-dollar bill to the grocer and said; 'It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs.'
 
THE POWER: When you receive this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do.
 
Just stop right now, and say a prayer of thanks for your own good fortune...
 
I believe if you will send this testimony out with prayer in faith, you will receive what you need God to do in you and your families' life..
 
So dear heart, trust God to know your very own needs.,
heal the sick, provide food for the hungry, clothes and shelter for those that don't have as we do. Amen & Amen
 
My prayer for you today:
 
The eyes beholding this message shall not behold evil, the hands that will send this message to others shall not labor in vain, the mouth saying Amen to this prayer shall laugh forever. Remain in God's love as you send this prayer to everybody on your list. Have a lovely journey of life! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will never fail you because He is LOVE!

Relationship Receipe

There were two houses standing next to each other. In one of them resided a very unhappy family. The spouses yelled at each other, they fought and quarreled all the time. The other was a place of happiness and calm.

During one of the fights a wife asked her husband:

“Did you ever hear them quarrel or yell over at that house? No!

So, go there and see what they do to avoid it!”

The husband stood at the window of his neighbors and watched. There they were busy doing their own thing. The wife was in the kitchen cooking, and the man sat at the table writing. The phone rang, and the man jumped up and headed to the hallway to get it.

On his way he bumped into a vase, it fell and broke. He got down to his knees and started picking up the pieces. The wife ran into the room from the kitchen. She also kneeled down and started helping her husband to pick them up.

The man said to his wife:

“I am so sorry. I rushed to get the phone and bumped into the vase. It fell and got broken.”

The wife replied:

“No, honey, it is my fault. I put it there on the way. That’s why you bumped into it.”
They kissed, and that was over. Both got back to what they were doing.

The man who watched them returned to his wife. She wanted to know what the secret of their happiness was.

What he said was fantastic:

“I know it now. In their family they both are guilty and in our family both of us are always right!”

That’s the secret of family happiness!

Food for thought.

The "trick" isn't in not wanting to take responsibility, but rather in not claiming right.

There are times you need to forfeit your right to win your peace: depends on which you cherish most.

This recipe is applicable, not only in the home, but also at work and in all relationships.

Next Time. .......

After 11th September attack , in World Trade Centre N.Y  one company invited the remaining members of other companies who had been decimated by the attack on the Twin Towers to share their available office space.

At a morning meeting, the head of security told stories of why these people were alive…... and all the stories were just the 'L I T T L E' things.

As you might know, the head of the company survived that day because his son started kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was his turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her alarm clock didn't go off in time.

One of them missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take time to change.

One's car wouldn't start.

One went back to answer the telephone.

One had a child that dawdled and didn't get ready as soon as he should have.

One couldn't get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man who put on a new pair of shoes that morning, took the various means to get to work but before he got there, he developed a blister on his foot.
He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.

That is why he is ALIVE today.

Now when I am stuck in traffic, miss an elevator, turn back to answer a ringing telephone...
All the little things that annoy me.
I think to myself, this is exactly where God wants me to be at this very moment...

Next time
Ur morning seems to be going wrong,
The children are slow getting dressed,
U can't seem to find the car keys,
U hit every traffic light...

Don't get mad or frustrated. God is at work watching over u.

May God continue to bless u with all those annoying little things & may u remember their possible purpose.

Rhonda Byrne says:  "Look for the gifts in everything, especially when you are facing what appears to be a negative situation.

Everything that we attract causes us to grow, which means that ultimately everything is for our own good."

Live Life Always Being Thankful...

With An Attitude of  Gratitude.

Removing Extra

Remove extra lemon from water..

I still remember the day I was preparing fresh lime water for the first time...I ended up adding almost five times the amount of lemon than needed. It was a disaster.I had to correct it anyhow.

How I wish I could remove some lemon juice from water to make it taste perfect again! But alas!

Some things can never be undone. Some things can never be changed. There was no way that I know of, to remove the extra lime. So what was the solution then? The only way to correct this was to add four more glasses of water and dilute the lemon juice to make five glasses of fresh lime water.

This made me think..

Sometimes we cannot undo some things that have gone wrong in life. Some wrong decisions, wrong choices, wrong investments, wrong actions, wrong associations, wrong words or wrong doings can never be undone.

So what is the solution then?

When you cannot correct what is wrong, do not waste more time over it. It is like attempting to remove lemon from water.

Instead, get busy in adding so many right things in your life that the wrong seems insignificant.

We all have a negative side to ourselves. We may not be able to remove or correct all our negativities. But we can definitely continue adding positive thoughts, positive reading and positive people in our lives and dilute the negativity. We all have to deal with some easy people and some difficult people in our lives.

Do not waste time trying to change the difficult people. You will drain all your emotional energy in vain. Instead spend more time with the pleasant positive happy people and the difficult people will not affect you any more.

Everything in your life will never be perfect. Do not waste too much time correcting what is wrong.

Let us make the most of our strengths , whatever we have and more importantly our time.

Idea

An engineer in a car manufacturing company designs a world class car.
The owner is impressed with the outcome and praised him a lot.
While trying to bring out the car from the manufacturing area to the office they realised that the car is few inches taller than the entrance.
The engineer felt bad that he didn't noticed this one before creating the car.
The owner was amazed on how to take it outside of the manufacturing area.
The painter said that they can bring out the car and there will be few scratches on top of the car that he will do the tinkering later on.
The engineer said that they can break the entrance and after taking the car out, they can cement it.
The owner was not convinced with any ideas and felt like it is a bad sign to break or scratch.

The watchman was watching all these drama and slowly approached the owner.
He wanted to give an idea if they have no problem.

They thought what this guy would tell them that the experts could not give.

Watchman said that The car is only few inches taller than the entrance so if they release the AIR in the tyre, the height of the car will be adjusted and can be easily taken out.

Everyone clapped!!

LESSON :
```Don't encounter problems from the expert point of view.
There is always a``` LAYMAN point ```that will gives the best solution in a given point of time...```
••••••• •••••••• •••••••••

Life issues are also same.

Many a time a friend's entrance door fall short by few inches, we feel taller!!
Release some air (ego) and adjust the height.