There is a Zen story about a man riding a horse that is galloping very quickly.
Another man, standing alongside the road, yells at him, "Where are you going?" and the man on the horse yells back, "I don't know. Ask the horse." I think that is our situation.
We are riding many horses that we cannot control.
I walked into a restaurant and after going the menu, I ordered some food. After about 20 mins a group of guys and ladies walked in & ordered theirs.
To my dismay, these folks got served first. I watched as they began to eat & laugh heartily. I even overhead one of them bragging about how he's connected to everyone in the hotel and I felt mocked.
I decided to leave. Unable to take it anymore, I called the waiter.
He calmly told me: " yours is a special order, being prepared by the chief chef himself. Theirs orders were prepared hurriedly by students on attachment because the top chefs are busy with yours. That's why they were served first. Please have some juice as you wait".
I calmed down & waited patiently.
Shortly after, my meal was served by 6 waiters.
Unknown to me, the owner of the hotel (who happened to be an old long lost friend of mine) saw me when I entered and decided to surprise me.
She changed my simple meal to a five-star meal. The party at the other table were shocked. They couldn't stop staring.
Suddenly they were the ones murmuring, asking why they didn't get that kind of service and meal.
Such is life! Some people are ahead of you and are eating now, laughing at you and talking about how they are smarter, wiser and better than you, how they are well connected , blessed, have money and are enjoying life.
You are waiting tirelessly wondering why its taking so long to breakthrough, You endure mockery and humiliation.
May be you've contemplated suicide, gone through depression or suffered severe mental anxiety. Don't you worry !
The owner of the world has seen you & doesn't want you to be served a simple meal like those making a mockery of you.
You're waiting long because yours is a special meal. It takes time to prepare. And only chief chefs prepare them.
Wait for your meal and relax. When it comes that laughing party will be silenced for good.
Stay blessed enjoy your day !
*AM I A DIFFICULT PERSON?*
*WHO IS A DIFFICULT PERSON?*
*1*. If you think that everyone is wrong and you are always right. You are making yourself a *DIFFICULT PERSON*.
*2*. When you have something wrong to say about every good person or thing, You just might be a *DIFFICULT PERSON*.
*3*. If you have gradually become too hard to please. Beware, You are becoming a *DIFFICULT PERSON*.
*4*. When You argue about everything, even when there is no need for it. Be careful, you are becoming a *DIFFICULT PERSON*.
*5*. You know the reason why people do what they do...You pride yourself as a mind reader...Are you *GOD? Of course, you are not; You are just a *DIFFICULT PERSON*.
*6*. If everyone around you walks on egg shells. They'd rather not talk to you....You are a *DIFFICULT PERSON*.
*7*. If you have a correction for everyone but none for yourself....YOU ARE A *DIFFICULT PERSON*
*8*. If You never say I AM SORRY; or must be cajoled into saying it... You are a *DIFFICULT PERSON*
*9*. If You are too adamant about forgiving others... You are a *DIFFICULT PERSON* .
*10*. Dearly Beloved, a *DIFFICULT PERSON* has to be very Careful; otherwise at some point in your Journey, you might discover you are walking Alone.
*DON'T BE A DIFFICULT PERSON*
Think About This and change!
An American tourist visited Jain Muni.
He was astonished to see the Muni's room was a plain, simple.The only furniture was a mat and wooden pots.
Tourist :"With due respect, may I ask: where's your furniture and other household things?"
Muni : "Where is yours?"
Tourist : "Mine? But I'm only a visitor here."
Muni : "So am I !!"
Understand Life !!!!
I woke up today , having dreamt early morning at 4 AM . I was in the biggest Mall of India looking to buy a pair of socks and a neck tie .
As I walked in, I noticed a sweater with a price tag of RS 9000 . Next to the sweater were a pair of Jeans for Rs.10000 .The socks were Rs.8000 ! And Tie for astonishing 16,000 /-
I went looking for a salesperson and found one in the watch Dept
He was showing a man a Rs. 225/- Rolex watch . I looked in the glass case and there was a 4 carat diamond ring also on sales for Rs.95/-
Shocked I asked the salesperson "How could a Rolex watch sell for Rs.225/- ? ,and a cheap pair of socks sell for Rs. 8000/-"?
He said "Someone slid into the store last night and changed the price tag on everything ".
"Everyone is confused , people are acting like they have lost their sense of value". "They are willing to pay lots of money for things of little value ,and very little money for things of great value "
"Its like they don't know what is really valuable and what's not " . I hope we get the price tags back-on right soon ,I really pity , seeing people paying way too much for things of little value "
I woke up startled & confused and thinking since then ...
Maybe our life is like this dream.
Maybe someone slid into our lives and the changed the price on everything
Maybe they marked up the value of competition, position, titles, fame , promotion, show-off , money and power !
...And put a huge discount on the value of Honesty, Respect, Ethics, Righteousness, Happiness , Family , Relationships, Peace of mind , Contentment , Love , Knowledge , Kindness , Friendships...
Maybe We are all living this dream...
I hope...... we wake up, well in-time
There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting the right amount, which he wasn’t. Angry about this, he took the farmer to court.
The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure to weight the butter. The farmer replied, “Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.”
The judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter?”
The farmer replied;
“Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”
Moral of the story: In life, you get what you give. Don’t try and cheat others.
A retired MD of a Bank came to a branch in his city where nobody recognised him, as the branch is run by new generation people.
He had to identify himself as ex-MD of the same Bank.
Curiously one employee of that branch asked him, "how is life after retirement" ?
The ex-MD said,
I have realised that after Chess game is over, the King and the Soldiers are kept in the same box"..
Positions, Designation are all temporary...be humble and human and down to earth which is always permanent.
A Monk of the RamaKrishna Mission was being interviewed by a journalist from NY. The journalist started
interviewing the Monk as planned earlier.
Journalist - "Sir, in your last lecture, you told us about Jogajog (contact) & Sanjog (connection). It's really confusing. Can you explain ? "
The Monk smiled and apparently deviating from the question asked the journalist:
"Are you from New York?"
Journalist - "Yeh..."
Monk - "Who are there at home ? "
The Journalist felt that the Monk was trying to avoid answering his question since this was a very personal and unwarranted question. Yet the journalist said: "Mother has expired. Father is there. Three brothers and one sister. All married..."
The Monk, with a smile on his face, asked again: -
"Do you talk to your father?"
The journalist looked visibly annoyed...
The Monk -
"When did you talk to him last?"
The journalist, supressing his annoyance said: "May be a month ago."
The Monk:
"Do you brothers and sisters meet often ? When did you meet last as a family gathering?"
At this point, sweat appeared on the forehead of the journalist. Now who is conducting the interview, the Monk or the Journalist.
It seemed that the Monk was interviewing the Journalist.
With a sigh, the Journalist said:
"We met last at Christmas two years ago."
The Monk:
" How many days did you all stay together ?"
The Journalist (wiping the sweat on his brow) said : "Three days..."
Monk: "How much time did you spend with your Father, sitting right beside him?"
The journalist looking perplexed and embarassed and started scribbling something on a paper...
The Monk: "Did you have breakfast, lunch or dinner together? Did you ask how he was? Did you ask how his days are passing after your mother's death?"
Drops of tears coming out started to flow from the eyes of the journalist.
The Monk held the hand of the journalist and said:
"Don't be embrassed, upset or sad. I am sorry if I have hurt you unknowingly...
But this is basically the answer to your question about "contact and connection (Jogajog and Sanjog)". You have 'contact' with your father but you don't have 'connection' with him. You are not connected to him. Connection is between heart and heart... sitting together, sharing meals and caring for each other ; touching, shaking hands, having eye contact, spending some time together...You brothers and sisters have 'contact' but you have no 'connection' with each other...."
The journalist wiped his eyes and said : "Thanks for teaching me a fine and unforgettable lesson"
This is the reality today.
Whether at home or in the society everybody has lots of contacts but there is no connection. No communication... . Everybody is in his or her own world.
Let us not maintain just "contacts" but let us remain "connected" ; caring, sharing and spending time with all our dear ones.
The Monk was none other than Swami Vivekananda
Let us learn from it and improve our lives!
Just a point to ponder....
The average age of the Army Man is 23 years.
He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy.
Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer in the capital of his country, but old enough to die for his country.
He's a recent school or college graduate; he was probably an average student from one of the Kendriya Vidyalayas, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a rickety bicycle, and had a girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left for IMA, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away.
He listens to rock and roll or hip -hop or bhangra or gazals and a 155mm howitzer.
He is 5 or 7 kilos lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting the insurgents or standing guard on the icy Himalayas from before dawn to well after dusk or he is at Mumbai engaging the terrorists.
He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.
He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.
He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity.
His pride and self-respect, he does not lack.
He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of combat dress: he washes one and wears the other.
He keeps his water bottle full and his feet dry.
He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle.
He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own wounds.
If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.
He can save your life - or take it, because he's been trained for both.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.
He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed to do so.
He feels every note of the Jana Gana Mana vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hands from their pockets, or even stop talking.
In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom.
A tricolour, somewhere in his uniform, A tricolour, he holds high, A tricolour he unfurls with pride after every misson.
Sometimes he comes home wrapped in one.
Beardless or not, he is not a boy.
He is your nation's Fighting Man that has kept this country free and defended your right to Freedom.
He has experienced deprivation and adversity, and has seen his buddies falling to bullets and maimed and blown.
And he smiles at the irony of the IAS babu and politician reducing his status year after year and the unkindest cut of all, even reducing his salary and asking why he should get 14 eggs a week free! And when he silently whispers in protest, the same politician and babu aghast, suggest he's mutinying!
Wake up citizens of India! Let's begin discriminating between the saviours of India and destroyers
Are you with the Faujis❓
Jai Hind !!!
Zhao Zi Hao's made it big in business so he spent money buying a piece of land in the suburbs (on China mainland) and built a 3 -storey villa. He had an impressive swimming pool in the garden with a 100-year-old Lychee Tree in the backyard to boot. In fact, he bought the property precisely because of this tree. His wife loved eating lychees.
During renovations, his friends urged him to get guidance from a fengshui master, just to thread on the side of caution. Zhao Zi Hao never quite believed in Fengshui yet surprising he took the advice to heart and went out of his way to engage a feng shui master from Hong Kong. The Grand Master was non other than Master Cao who's been in the profession for 30 over years, renowned in the Fengshui circle. They had a meal in the city then Zhao Zi Hao drove the Master to the suburbs. Along the way, when cars behind them tried to overtake, Zhao Zi Hao would simply give way.
The Master laughingly remarked: "Big Boss Zhao, your driving is really safe." He spoke really fluent mandarin for someone from HK.
Zhao Zhi Hao laughed at the remark: “Usually people who need to overtake have some urgent matter to attend to, so we shouldn't hold them up.”
Arriving at a small town the streets grew narrow and so Zhao Zi Hao slowed down.
A giggling child suddenly darted out from an alley and as the child ran across the street, Zao still didn't speed up. Instead, he kept his gaze on the alley, as if waiting for something. Out of the blue, another child darted out, chasing after the child ahead.
Master Zao was surprised and asked: “How did you know there'd be another child following suit?”
Zhao Zi Hao shrugged: “Well, kids are always chasing after each other so it's impossible for a child to be in such glee without a playmate.”
Master Cao gave him a big thumbs up and laughed out loud: “That's really considerate of you!”
Arriving at the Villa, they got down from the car. Suddenly about 7 to 8 birds flew off from the backyard. Seeing so, Zhao said to Master Cao: “ If you don't mind please wait here for a little while.”
“What's the matter?" Master Cao was taken aback.
"Oh, there's probably some kids stealing lychees in the backyard. If we walk in now we might give them a fright, let's not risk anyone falling off the old Lychee Tree." Zhao replied humorously.
Master Cao stayed silent for a while before stating matter-of-factly: “This home doesn't need a fengshui evaluation anymore.”
Now it's Zhao's turn to be shocked: “Why's that?”
“Any place graced with your presence naturally becomes the property with the most auspicious fengshui.”
When our minds prioritize others’ peace and happiness, the one who benefits is not just others, but ourselves too. When a person is considerate of others at all times, then this person has unconsciously accomplished sainthood. The saint is in fact a person who through benefiting others become enlightened.
Hope your home too does not need a Fengshui master
As I sat in the park after my morning walk, My wife came and slumped next to me. She had completed her 30-minute jog. We chatted for a while. She said she is not happy in life. I looked up at her sheer disbelief since she seemed to have the best of everything in life.
"Why do you think so?" "I don't know. Everyone tells I have everything needed, but I am not happy."Then I questioned myself, am I happy? "No," was my inner voice reply. Now, that was an eye-opener for me. I began my quest to understand the real cause of my unhappiness, I couldn't find one.
I dug deeper, read articles, spoke to life coaches but nothing made sense. At last my doctor friend gave me the answer which put all my questions and doubts to rest. I implemented those and will say I am a lot happier person.
She said there are four hormones which determine a human's happiness - Endorphins, Dopamine, Serotonin, and Oxytocin. It is important we understand these hormones, as we need all four of them to stay happy.
Let's look at the first hormone the Endorphins. When we exercise, the body releases Endorphins. This hormone helps the body cope with the pain of exercising. We then enjoy exercising because these Endorphins will make us happy. Laughter is another good way of generating Endorphins. We need to spend 30 minutes exercising every day, read or watch funny stuff to get our day's dose of Endorphins.
The second hormone is Dopamine. In our journey of life, we accomplish many little and big tasks, it releases various levels of Dopamine. When we get appreciated for our work at the office or at home, we feel accomplished and good, that is because it releases Dopamine. This also explains why most housewives are unhappy since they rarely get acknowledged or appreciated for their work. Once, we join work, we buy a car, a house, the latest gadgets, a new house so forth. In each instance, it releases Dopamine and we become happy. Now, do we realize why we become happy when we shop?
The third hormone Serotonin is released when we act in a way that benefits others. When we transcend ourselves and give back to others or to nature or to the society, it releases Serotonin. Even, providing useful information on the internet like writing information blogs, answering people's questions on Quora or Facebook groups will generate Serotonin. That is because we will use our precious time to help other people via our answers or articles.
The final hormone is Oxytocin, is released when we become close to other human beings. When we hug our friends or family Oxytocin is released. The "Jhadhoo Ki Jhappi" from Munnabhai does really work. Similarly, when we shake hands or put our arms around someone's shoulders, various amounts of Oxytocin is released.
Now, we can understand why we need to hug a child who has a bad mood.So, it is simple, we have to exercise every day to get Endorphins, we have to accomplish little goals and get Dopamine, we need to be nice to others to get Serotonin and finally hug our kids, friends, and families to get Oxytocin and we will be happy. When we are happy, we can deal with our challenges and problems better.
This is something we should all read at least once a week!!!!! Make sure you read to the end!!!!!!
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain b Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote few lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.
4. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.
5. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
6. Make peace with your past so it won't mess up the present.
7. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
8. Take a deep breath every now and then. It calms the mind.
9. 'Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.
10. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.
11. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy clothes. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
12. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
13. Forgive others and yourself.
14. What other people think of you is none of your business.
15. Time heals almost everything. Give time a little time.
16. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
17. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
18. Believe in miracles.
19. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
20. Growing old Beats the alternative of dying young.
21. Your children get only one childhood.
22. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
23. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
24. Envy is waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need.
25. The best is yet to come...
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
27. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."
Its estimated that 93% won't share this. If you are one of the 7% who will, share this with the title '7%'.
I'm in the 7%. Friends are the family and family is best friend that you could choose.
Its worth reading again & again, as & when you can.😊
I'm in the 7%.
Age matters !!!
A group of old friends, all aged about 40, discussed where they should meet for lunch for their reunion.
Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant, because the waitresses there were pretty.
Ten years later, at age 50, the friends once again discussed where they should meet for lunch. Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the food was good and the wine selection was excellent.
Ten years later, at age 60, the friends again discussed where they should meet for lunch.
Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they could dine in peace and quiet and the restaurant had a beautiful view of the ocean.
Ten years later, at age 70, the friends discussed where they should meet for lunch.
Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the restaurant was wheelchair accessible and had an elevator.
Ten years later, at age 80, the friends discussed where they should meet for lunch.
Finally it was agreed that they would meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before!
Memory loss !!
Age with grace
ENJOY LIFE.
Got Rejected ? Congratulations !!!
Rejection never means you are not good. You never get rejected in Vacuum, you always get rejected in comparison to a requirement. If a size 10 shoe rejects you, it doesn't mean you should walk barefoot, you try size 9 and it suits you like beauty....
Getting rejected doesn't mean you are not fit at all, it only means you are not fit for that particular situation. May be that is not your thing...May be your thing is different...May be you should try somewhere else, something else, where you fit better...
May be rejection is just course correction to put you where you belong and let you focus on what you can do best.
Celebrate your rejections, channelize your energy and be an Achiever !!
Following was written at a buddhist monastery in lamayuru, a small hamlet on the way to Leh:-
Who's a "Happy Soul" ?
1. A Happy Soul stops trying to change others, and instead focuses on changing oneself.
2. A Happy Soul is one who accepts people for who they are.
3. A Happy Soul is one who understands that everyone is right from their own perspective.
4. A Happy Soul is one who has learned to "let go".
5. A "Happy Soul is one who is able to drop expectations from every relationship and gives for the sake of giving.
6. A Happy Soul is one who understands that whatever we do, we do for our own peace.
7. A Happy Soul is one who stops proving to the world, how intelligent s/he is.
8. A Happy Soul is one who does not seek approval from others.
9. A Happy Soul is one who stops comparing oneself with others.
10. A Happy Soul is one who is at peace with oneself.
11. A Happy Soul is one who is able to differentiate between "need" and "want" and is able to let go of one's wants.
12. A Happy Soul is one who stops attaching "happiness" to material things.
Here's wishing you the life of a Happy Soul...!
Why Women are special ..
Husband & Wife were watching TV when Wife said, "I'm tired, and it's getting late. I think I'll go to bed."
She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day's lunches.
Rinsed out the bowls, took vegetable out of the freezer for morning, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and
bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.
She then ironed a shirt and secured a loose button.
She picked up the game pieces left onthe table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer.
She emptied a waste basket and hung up a towel to dry.
She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.
She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair.
She signed a birthday card for a friend, Addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote a quick note for the grocery store.
She put both near her bag. Then she washed her face, put on her moisturizer, brushed her teeth.....
Husband called out,
"I thought you were going to bed."
"I'm on my way," she said.
She put some water into the dog's dish, then made sure the doors were locked.
She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and radios, and had a brief conversation with one kid who is still up doing homework.
In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day.
Said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals. about that time,
Husband turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular.
"I'm going to bed."
And he did... without another thought.
Anything Extraordinary Here?
Share this to phenomenal women today... they' ll love you for it!
And Forward this to as many men as you can so that they know why women are so special......!! !
AMOR FATI - Learn To Love Your Fate.......
Amor fati is a Latin phrase that may be translated as "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". It is used to describe an attitude in which one sees everything that happens, including suffering and loss as, necessary. Whether one likes them or not, it is accepted with zen like serenity.
Thomas Edison was at home eating dinner. A man burst into his home, interrupting him. He had bad news. His research facility was on fire.
Now how would you imagine Edison to react? Do you imagine Edison panicking or do you hear him screaming out “Why me?” or is he deeply distraught or do you see him in deep agony?
None of these happened. Edison requested his son to go and get his mother. It seems, Edison excitedly told his son, “She’ll never see a fire like this again.”
Naturally, Edison’s son thought his father had lost his mind, and rightfully so. All of Edison’s experiments, things that could never be replicated, were inside his laboratory, burning to the ground.
“Don’t worry. It’s all right,” Edison said calmly, “All my mistakes and a lot of unnecessary rubbish have just got burnt.”
In this, Edison revealed the true nature of Amor Fati – choosing to love your fate, no matter what.
Not only was he “NOT broken-hearted”, he was revitalised. Despite losing over $1 million at the age of 67 in that fire, he persevered and made over $10 million thereafter. WOW!
I am in love with the concept of Amor Fati. Why? Because, the power that we have in life by accepting our fate is so immense that you feel nothing is impossible for you. You believe that everything has a purpose, and that it is up to you to make this purpose something positive and active.
Maybe you lost your job.
Maybe someone cheated you of your entire life’s earnings.
Maybe, your trust was broken with impunity.
Maybe, the person you love the most, is facing a life threatening disease.
Maybe, someone ill treated you.
The challenge of your life may be considerable and inescapable.
And yet you’re given the choice to greet it with a smile. And then, act..That’sAMOR FATI.
The goal of this article is not to make you feel “okay” or even “good” when terrible things happen. It’s to make you feel GREAT irrespective of what happens. If it happened, then it was meant to happen. You are meant to make the best of it.
It is unnatural, I know, to feel calmness when faced with calamities. But see it this way. It is fuel for you to push harder when you felt lost. It is fuel for you to work harder when you want to quit. It is fuel for you to think big when nothing was going right. It is fuel for you to smile when all you want to do is frown.
Amor Fati, my dearest friends.
Who is your life partner ?
Mom / Dad
Husband /wife
Son / Daughter
Your real life partner
is Your *Body*
Once your body stops responding no one is with you.
You and your body
stay together from
Birth till Death.
What you do to your
body is your
responsibility and
that will come back
to You.
The more you care
for your body, the
more your body will
care for You.
What you eat,
What you do for being Fit,
How u deal with
stress
How much rest you
give to it..
Will decide how your body gonna respond.
Remember your
body is the only
permanent address
where You live.
Your body is your asset / liabilty, which no one else can share.
Your body is your
responsibility.
Because...
You are Your real
life partner.
Be Fit forever
Sarcasm at its Best...
Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own shopping bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."
The cashier responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so they could use the same bottles over and over. Yes, they really were recycling.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen; and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But, we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up the stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every shop and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But, she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an 'energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts;' wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But, that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And, the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the county of Yorkshire .
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.
We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But, she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank water from a fountain or a tap when we were thirsty instead of demanding a plastic bottle flown in from another country.
We accepted that a lot of food was seasonal and didn’t expect that to be bucked by flying it thousands of air miles around the world.
We actually cooked food that didn’t come out of a packet, tin or plastic wrap and we could even wash our own vegetables and chop our own salad.
But, we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the tram or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.
And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But, isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?
I read a thought somewhere long ago,
“ The only constant thing in this world is Change “.
At that time I could refer and understood with reference to the circumstances only .....but I was wrong..... CHANGE is applicable to everything we come across everyday.
Date changes everyday, Time changes every second, People change, their opinion change, their behaviour change, taste changes, preference changes, mode of communication also changes with time.
It is clear that if you want to get successful or you want to go ahead in Life, all you need to do is to adapt the changing trend, I.e Change yourself.
The passing time and circumstances during last 8/9 years has bought tremendous Change in my thoughts as well as behaviour.
I don’t know about others but yes I was very much clear that I don’t want to change myself, why should I change ?
Maybe I was afraid to change..... But as I saw people changing, their approach changing and moreover their thoughts changing, I understood that CHANGE is inevitable.
Yes, I have tried to change myself..... I have tried and started thinking out of the box ( haven’t found that Box yet though 🤔 ) .....
I have started to TRY becoming selfish to some extent..... have tried breaking the barriers of mindset established since years .....
On personal grounds - initial results are disastrous ..... On professional grounds - Yes suffered some setbacks but I am not going to give up this time.....
But ..... Yes ..... I have become a different person ..... I don’t get angry quickly ..... I enjoy everything I do ..... I have started taking calculative risks ..... I don’t dislike anyone ..... I have become Grudgesfree ..... I smile a lot and moreover I have started accepting everything as it comes.....
Every morning I wake up and try to find a reason to smile ..... something on which I can work upon ..... someone to whom I can be a support .....
So tomorrow morning ..... I am going to take first step of Faith in the direction of change, I have thought of ..... just because
“ The only constant thing in this world is Change “.
A man married a beautiful girl. He loved her very much. One day she developed a skin disease. Slowly she started to lose her beauty. It so happened that one day her husband left for a tour. While returning he met with an accident and lost his eyesight. However their married life continued as usual. But as days passed she lost her beauty gradually. Blind husband did not know this and there was not any difference in their married life. He continued to love her and she also loved him very much.
One day she died. Her death brought him great sorrow.
He finished all her last rites and wanted to leave that town.
A man from behind called and said, now how will you be able to walk all alone? All these days your wife used to help you.
He replied, I am not blind. I was acting, because if she knew l could see her ugliness it would have pained her more than her disease. So I pretended to be blind. She was a very good wife. I only wanted to keep her happy.
Moral:- Some times it is good for us to act blind and ignore one another's short comings, in order to be happy
No matter how many times the teeth bite the tongue, they still stay together in one mouth. That's the spirit of FORGIVENESS.
Even though the eyes don't see each other, they see things together, blink simultaneously and cry together. That's UNITY."
May God grant us all the spirit of forgiveness, unity and togetherness.
1. _''Alone I can 'Say' but together we can 'Talk'.
2. _"Alone I can 'Enjoy' but together we can Celebrate
3. _'Alone I can 'Smile' but together we can 'Laugh'.
That's the BEAUTY of Human Relations. We are nothing without each other
*STAY CONNECTED*
The razor blade is sharp but can't cut a tree; the axe is strong but can't cut the hair..
Everyone is important according to his/her own unique purpose.... Never look down on anyone unless you are admiring their shoes......
A Boeing 777 wide-body jetliner was lumbering along at 800km/hour at 33000 feet when a cocky F-16 fighter jet flashed by at Mach 2.
The F-16 pilot decided to show off.
On his state of the art radio that is part of his state of the art 3D & million dollar headset, the F-16 youngster told the 777 pilot, *“Hey Captain, watch this!”*
He promptly went into a barrel roll, followed by a steep, unimaginable, vertical climb. He then finished with a sonic boom as he broke the sound barrier, as the F-16 screamed down at impossible G’s before levelling at almost sea level.
The F-16 pilot asked the 777 pilot what he thought of that?
The 777 pilot said, *“That was truly impressive, but watch this!”*
The 777 chugged along for about 5 minutes at the steady 800km/hour, and then the 777 pilot came back on and said, *“What did you think of that?”*
Puzzled, the cocky F-16 pilot asked, *“What the heck did you do?”*
The 777 pilot chuckled and said, *"I stood up, stretched my legs, walked to the back, used the toilet, then got a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll and secured a date for the next 3 nights in a five star hotel paid for by the company"*
LESSON OF LIFE:
When you are young and foolish, speed and flash may seem like a good thing!
When you get older and smarter, comfort and dullness is not such a bad thing!
It's called *S.O.S.*
*Slower, Older and Smarter !*
Dedicated to all my friends approaching S.O.S.
...."Don't take life too seriously.
No one gets out alive anyway."..
Here is a buffet spread-you can eat some or eat nothing-it depends on how hungry you are.
👉 *Starters: (pick any 2)*
1. Get up early (you can accomplish 20% more during 5 am to 8 am)
2. Exercise at least for 30 minutes daily (you have no choice on this)
3. Meditate /pray/ visualize positive things/do yoga for 30 minutes every day.
👉 *Main course (pick any 4)*
1) Invest in best clothes you can afford-along with good shoes (It has been proved, that better dressed people appeal 15 % more-all things being equal)
2) Outsource everything, which is not your core competence.
3) Reduce your mobile time by 30 % (Mobile phones are the biggest time waster)
4) At least take one bold decision, which you were always scared to take. (No one want to die with regrets- do you?)
5) Train your brain to think creatively every day. Try to do different things to exercise your brain muscles- play some sport, go to new restaurants, visit zoo, listen to different music, watch kids playing, spend time with senior citizens.
👉 *Desserts (pick all)*
1. Take atleast 2 vacations in a year.
2. Devote atleast one day a week for family n friends.
3. Learn a new hobby.
4. Smile at all possible times.
5. Watch one movie in a cinema hall/ play in auditorium every month (it is therapy for the soul)
6. Read at least 12 books in a year. ( 1 every month )
7. Start picking n completing things undone. Discard unwanted & unused stuff from my house and your mind.
8. Get in touch with one old friend whom you have not spoken for years.
9. Laugh often.
👍 Be ur best version...
Are you all happy?
You have no choice.
I have something to tell you.
How many of you buy rotten fruits and vegetables at home?
No one.
How many of you intake expiry date eatables?
No one.
Everyone eats fresh, pure fruits and vegetables. If it's good, you buy it else you leave it.
Same is with life. If people criticize you, listen to them. If it is good, take it. If it is not good for you, just leave it or ignore. You should not lose the equanimity, stability in you. Keep your heart soft, intellect sharp and mind pleasant. Be with it. Give me all your worries.
It is useless worrying about somebody, worrying about your job, or worrying about this and that. By worrying you are not going to get anything. Move ahead with the confidence that I will get what I want in my life. Challenges come in everyone’s life, but just move on and see, everything will fall into place.
A long long time ago, my husband, our two sons and I had gone out for an ice-cream treat. It was sometime when I was always thinking of curbing unnecessary expenditure.
As a selfless person, who was too much in love with her family to deny them of any pleasure, I always chose to sacrifice my own excesses. And it didn’t even feel like a sacrifice ever, because I was a woman of very few needs/ wants/ desires...
So, when my husband asked each one of us to choose our favorite flavor of ice-cream, I responded as usual, “I won’t have any.”
The boys enjoyed one round and ordered another; my response remained the same, “I don’t want any.”
I was happy in my family’s happiness. I was happy that my not indulging in pleasure was perhaps ensuring some more goodies in the future for my dear ones. .
But my husband looked at me and said, “Please don’t do this to yourself and to us. I want a happy wife; not a sacrificial lamb. I have seen that too much sacrifice eventually leads to bitterness and victim-mentality. And I sure as hell do not want you to develop that.
You see, after a period of time, the boys and I will stop asking you for your choice, because we will assume that you don’t want it; we will take you for granted and subconsciously start treating you as a doormat... It will then hurt you.. and you will feel miserable and unimportant. You will think that we don’t care about you.
While in truth we would be behaving naturally, knowing from experience that you don’t care for yourself.. That your wishes are not important... .
So, I suggest that you always take your share and then if you really don’t like it, share it with someone who does. That will be good for all of us. You will learn how to claim your importance in your own and our eyes and we will always ask you. There will be happiness all around.”
His talk made sense to me and I couldn’t help but think about many older women who always complained, “I did so much for so and so but today they don’t even think/ care for me.”
I also remembered many instances where children would turn back and say, “But why did you do so much? Did we ask you for it? You did it because it made you happy. Who asked you to be so self-sacrificing?”
This train of thought made me take a re-look at the word 'self-less', equating it with self-sacrifice. That day the meaning of these words opened up for me!
Self-sacrifice ......... is not the balanced way!!!
Are you all happy?
You have no choice.
I have something to tell you.
How many of you buy rotten fruits and vegetables at home?
No one.
How many of you intake expiry date eatables?
No one.
Everyone eats fresh, pure fruits and vegetables. If it's good, you buy it else you leave it.
Same is with life. If people criticize you, listen to them. If it is good, take it. If it is not good for you, just leave it or ignore. You should not lose the equanimity, stability in you. Keep your heart soft, intellect sharp and mind pleasant. Be with it. Give me all your worries.
It is useless worrying about somebody, worrying about your job, or worrying about this and that. By worrying you are not going to get anything. Move ahead with the confidence that I will get what I want in my life. Challenges come in everyone’s life, but just move on and see, everything will fall into place.
A car ahead was moving like a turtle and not giving me way inspite of my continuous honking! I was on brink of losing my cool when I noticed the small sticker on the car’s rear!
“Physically challenged; Please be patient.”
And that changed everything!! I immediately went calm & slowed down!! In fact I got a little protective of the car & the driver!!! I reached work a few minutes late, but it was ok!
And then it struck me. Would I have been patient if there was no sticker!???! Why do we need stickers to be patient with people!??
Will we be more patient & kind with others if people had labels pasted on their foreheads??
Labels like ——
“ Lost my job” , “Fighting cancer”, “Going through a bad divorce” , “ Suffering Emotional abuse “ , "Lost a loved one”, “Feeling worthless” , “ Financially broken”..... and more like these!!!!
Everyone is fighting a battle we know nothing about. The least we can do is be patient & kind!!!
Let us respect the invisible labels!!!!
A snake penetrated into a carpentry workshop. As it slipped, it passed over a saw and got slightly wounded. Suddenly, it turned and bit the saw, and biting the saw, the snake seriously got wounded in its mouth!
Then not understanding what was happening and thinking that the saw was attacking "him," _it decided to roll around the saw to suffocate it with all its body by squeezing it with all its strength, but it ended up being killed by the saw!!!_
Sometimes we react in anger to hurt those who have harmed us, but we realize later that after all *we are hurting ourselves.*
*_In life it is better sometimes to ignore situations, ignore people, ignore their behavior, their words._*
*Sometimes it is better not to react* so as not to suffer consequences that can sometimes be deadly or harmful.
*Do not let hate take over your life* because love is stronger than anything.
*Keep Smiling and Spread Happiness.....*
In an ancient temple, a number of pigeons lived happily on roof top.
When the renovation of the temple began for the annual temple feast the pigeons relocated themselves to a Church nearby.
The existing pigeons in the Church accommodated the new comers very well.
Christmas was nearing and the Church was given a facelift, All the pigeons had to move out and look for another place.
They were fortunate to find a place in a Mosque nearby, The pigeons in the Mosque welcomed them happily.
It was Ramadan time and the Mosque was repainted, All the pigeons now came to the same ancient temple.
One day the pigeons on top found some communal clashes below in a market square.
The baby pigeon asked the mother pigeon
"Who are these people ?
The mother replied; they are "Human beings".
The baby asked,
But why are they fighting with each other...?
The mother said "These human beings going to temple are called 'Hindus' and the people going to Church are called 'Christians' and the people going to Mosque are called 'Muslims'.
The Baby pigeon asked, "Why is it so? When we were in the Temple we were called Pigeons, when we were in the church we were called Pigeons and when we were in the Mosque, we were called Pigeons. Similarly they should be called just
'Human beings' wherever they go"?
The mother Pigeon said,
'You and me and our Pigeon friends have experienced God and that's why we are living here in a highly elevated place peacefully.
These people are yet to experience God.
Hence they are living below us and fighting and killing each other.
What is meditation?
This was a question haunting a small boy. His parents were at wit's end, as they could not explain it in a simple language the boy could comprehend.
Once the family went for a dharshan to Shri Ramana Maharishi. The boy put forward his question to Ramana Maharishi.
Shri Ramana laughed to himself. Then with smiling face, he asked his devotee to serve the boy dosa from the kitchen.
So, on a plain leaf, a dosa was served.
Shri Ramana looked at the boy and said,
" Now I will say "Hmm"
Then only you should start eating. Then again I will say "hmm" After that no piece of dosa should be left on your plate."
The boy agreed. He was so excited. Others were watching expectantly. Now the boy was eagerly waiting for the signal by looking at Shri Ramana's face. When he gave the signal "hmm" the boy started eating. Now his attention was on Shri Ramana. He wanted to finish dosa before the signal. The boy was eating dosa in a hurry , tearing big chunks of dosa, but, all the time keeping his attention on Shri Ramana. The dosa was reducing in size gradually. There was a small piece left. The boy was looking anxiously at Shri Ramana for the second signal. The moment he gave the signal, the boy immediately put the dosa in his mouth.
Now Shri Ramana asked him " where was your attention till now? On me or on Dosa?"
The boy replied " On both"
Shri Ramana said" Yes. You were actively involved in finishing dosa, with your attention on me. You were not distracted at all.
Like this when you do your daily activities with your attention or thoughts on God in the back ground, it is known as meditation."
The two signals "hmm" are birth & death. Within these two events, one can engage in meditation, as demonstrated by Shri Ramana Maharishi. But to understand this we all need divine grace to mellow & mature. We all differ from one another and hence take different time to comprehend this great truth.
When I was a small child, I was very selfish, always grab the best for myself.
Slowly, everyone left me and I had no friends. I didn’t think it was my fault but criticize others.
My father gave me 3 sentences to help me in life.
One day, my father cooked 2 bowls of noodles put the 2 bowls on the table. One bowl has one egg on top and the other bowl does not have any egg on top. He said, ”My child.
You choose. Which bowl do you want.” Eggs were hard to come by those days!
Only get to eat eggs during festivals or New Year.
Of Cos I chose the bowl with egg!
As we started eating, I was congratulating myself on my wise choice/decisision and wallop up the egg. Then to my surprise as my father ate his noodles, there were TWO eggs at the bottom of his bowl beneath the noodes!
I regretted so much!
And scolded myself for being too hasty in my decision.
My father smiled and said to me, “My child. You must remember what your eyes see may not be true. Note if you intent on taking advantage of people, you will end up losing!”
The next day, my father again cooked 2 bowls of noodles: one bowl with an egg on top and the other bowl with no egg on top.
Again, he put the two bowls on the table and said to me, “My child. You choose.
Which bowl do you want?”
This time I was smarter, I chose the bowl without any egg on top.
To my surprise, As I separated the noodles on top, there was not even a single egg at the bottom of the bowl!
Again my father smiled and said to me, “My child. You must not always rely on experiences Cos sometimes, life can cheat you or play tricks on you. But you must not be too annoyed or sad, just treat this as learning a lesson. You cannot Learn this From textbooks.
The third day, my father again cooked 2 bowls of noodles, again one bowl with an egg on top and the other bowl with no egg on top. He put the 2 bowls on the table and again said to me, ”My child. You choose. Which bowl do you want?” This time , I told my father, “Dad, you choose first. You are the head of the family and contributed the most to the family.”
My father did not decline and chose the bowl with one egg on top.
As I eat my bowl of noodles, Sure in my heart that there is no egg inside the bowl. To my surprise! There were TWO eggs at the bottom of the bowl.
My father smiled at me with love in his eyes, “My child, you must remember!
When you think for the good of others, good things will always naturally happen to you!”
I always remember these 3 sentences of my father and lived and do my business accordingly.
True Enough, my business was a roaring success.
There were days when My home used to be filled with laughter, arguments, fights, jokes and loads of mischief.
Pens and books all over, and clothes messing the rooms, thrown on the beds.
I used to shout at them to tidy up their mess.
In the morning:
One will wake up and say :
Mama I can't find a certain book.
And the other will say : I can't find my perfume,
And one will say : Mama where's my homework.
And another : Mama I forgot to complete my homework.
Everyone used to ask about their lost possessions. And I will say, but take care of your stuff, be responsible, you have to grow up.
And today I stand at the doorway of the room. The beds are empty. All the cupboards have only a few pieces of clothes in them. And what remains is the smell of perfume that lingers in the air.
Everyone had a special smell. So I take in the smell of their perfume for maybe it will fill the empty ache in my heart.
All I have now is the memory of their laughs and their mischief and their warm hugs.
Today my house is clean and organized and everything is in its place, and it is calm and peaceful. But it is like a desert with no life in it. Do not become angry with your kids about the mess.
Every time they come to visit and they spend time with us, when they are ready to leave. They pull their bags and it is as if they tug my heart along with it.
They close the door behind them and then I stand still and think of the many times I shouted them to close the doors.
Here I am today, closing my own doors. Nobody opens it besides me. Each one gone to a different city or a different country. All left to find their own path in life.
They have grown up and I wished that they could stay with me forever.
Oh! God..... Take care of them & all other children wherever they may be, for You are their guide and protector ...and always keep them happy.
If your children are still in the stage that you need to talk and talk before they could get things done in the house, please, cherish and endure it with joy, don't nag, they will soon leave your home for you, remember they were not there at the beginning of your marriage. Now that they are around, make them happy.
Dedicated to all mothers and fathers.
*Somewhere between*
“ 8 toffees for 1 rupee”
and
“1 toffee for 8 rupees”,
*we grew up!*
*Somewhere between*
“Ground mein aaja”
and
“Online aaja”,
*we grew up!*
*Somewhere between*
“stealing chocolate of our sister”
and
“Buying chocolate for her children”,
*we grew up!*
*Somewhere between*
“Just five more mins Mummy ”
and
“Pressing the snooze button”,
*we grew up!*
*Somewhere between*
“Crying out loud just to get what we want”
and
“Holding our tears when we are broken inside”,
*we grew up!*
*Somewhere between*
“I want to grow up”
and
“I want to be a child again”,
*we grew up!*
*Somewhere between*
“Lets meet and plan”
and
“Lets plan and meet”,
*we grew up!*
*Somewhere between*
"Being afraid of our parents"
and
"Praying for our parents"
*we finally grew up*
And
*as we grew up, we realize;*
*How silently, our lives have changed...*
A very pretty woman entered into an aircraft and started looking for her seat. She noticed that her seat is next to a person with both hands missing. She hesitated to sit next to him.
That ‘pretty’ woman told the airhostess that she can’t sit in her assigned seat and travel comfortably sitting next to that no-arms person; and asked the airhostess to change her seat. The airhostess enquired “Ma’am may I know the reason”?
The ‘pretty’ lady replied: “I don’t like such people. I don’t like sitting next to such people and travel”. The airhostess was shocked to hear this from this lady who in appearance looked like a well-mannered and polite person. The ‘pretty’ lady again told the airhostess that she did not want that seat and demanded the airhostess to find her a different seat.
The airhostess asked the lady to be patient for a little bit and said she will try her best to accommodate her request; and looked around for an empty seat. She couldn’t find any.
The airhostess returned to the lady and said, “Madam! All the seats in this economy class are full. But then for the comfort of our travelers it is our policy to satisfy them to our utmost. So, I will talk to the captain and kindly be patient a bit longer”. Saying so, she went to see the captain.
After some time she returned and told the lady, “Madam! We are very sorry for the discomfort to you. In this entire aircraft, there is only one seat vacant and that is in First class. I talked to our team and we took an extraordinary decision. To send a traveler from economy class to First class is happening for the first time in our company history……”.
The ‘pretty’ lady was becoming so ecstatic and even before uttering a word…. The airhostess turned to the person with no arms and said, “Sir, May you please move to the First class? We want to eliminate the tragedy of you traveling next to a manner-less person.” Hearing this every one clapped immensely and welcomed the decision. The ‘pretty’ lady was tremendously felt ashamed.
Then the person stood up and said, “I am a ex-serviceman and I lost my both arms in a bomb blast in border during an operation. At first, when I heard the lady talk, I thought: did I put my life at risk for these kind of people? But after looking at their actions and your all response, I feel proud that I lost my both arms for my country.” And saying so, he walked into the First class.
The ‘pretty’ lady drowned into the seats fully ashamed.
Beauty is not in what is seen in face and body. Beauty in a good person is in his/her lofty thoughts.
A man an avid Gardener saw a small Butterfly laying few eggs in one of the pots in his garden. Since that day he looked at the egg with ever growing curiosity and eagerness. The egg started to move and shake a little. He was exited to see a new life coming up right in front of his eyes. He spent hours watching the egg now. The egg started to expand and develop cracks.. A tiny head and antennae started to come out ever so slowly. The man's excitement knew no bounds. He got his magnifying glasses and sat to watch the life and body of a pupa coming out. He saw the struggle of the tender pupa and couldn't resist his urge to "HELP".
He went and got a tender forceps to help the egg break, a nip here a nip there to help the struggling life and the pupa was out. The man was ecstatic! He waited now each day for the pupa to grow and fly like a beautiful butterfly, but alas that never happened. The larvae pupa had a oversized head and kept crawling along in the pot for the full 4 weeks and died!
Depressed the man went to his botanist friend and asked the reason. His friend told him the struggle to break out of the egg helps the larvae to send blood to its wings and the head push helps the head to remain small so that the tender wings can support it thru its 4 week life cycle. In his eagerness to help, the man destroyed a beautiful life!
Struggles help all of us, that's why a wee bit of effort goes a long way to develop our strength to face life's difficulties! As parents, we sometimes go too far trying to help and protect our kids from life's harsh realities and disappointments. We don't want our kids to struggle like we did.
Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Dan Kindlon says that over-protected children are more likely to struggle in relationships and with challenges.
We're sending our kids the message that they're not capable of helping themselves.
To quote clinical psychologist, Dr. Wendy 's Moral: "It is Our Job to prepare Our Children for the Road & Not prepare the Road for Our Children".
I am sharing an inspiring story on knowledge versus wisdom, please do read it in your pastime!!
In two independent houses,separated 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.
The same applies to your children too.
A nice story of Adi Shankaracharya teaching his students how to empty and free their mind:
"Adi Sankara was walking through the market place with his disciples.
They saw a man dragging a cow by a rope.
Sankara told the man to wait and asked his disciples to surround them.
“I am going to teach you something” and continued...
“Tell me who is bound to whom? Is the cow bound to this man or the man is bound to the cow?"
The disciples said without hesitation “Of course the cow is bound to the man!. The man is the master. He is holding the rope. The cow has to follow him wherever he goes. The man is the master and the cow is the slave.”
“Now watch this”, said Sankara and took a pair of scissors from his bag and cut the rope.
The cow ran away from the master and the man ran after his cow. “Look, what is happening”, said Sankara
“Do you see who the Master is? The cow is not at all interested in this man. The cow in fact, is trying to escape from this man.
This is the case with our MIND.
Like the cow, all the non-sense that we carry inside is not interested in us. WE ARE INTERESTED IN IT, we are keeping it together somehow or the other. We are going crazy trying to keep it all together under our control.
The moment we lose interest in all the garbage filled in our head, and the moment we understand the futility of it, it will start to disappear. Like the cow, it will escape and disappear.”
Feeling Free and Relaxed is a Choice!
Is the greatest opportunity in your life right in front of you?
There is a story told about a village near a game park which suffered from problems of elephants eating their maize (corn) crop. Every year they complained bitterly to have the elephants removed.
Then one year an unusual tourist came to their village. This man was interested in collecting beetles, but not just any kind of beetle. This particular species laid its eggs in elephant droppings and was extremely rare.
__It was so rare that he was willing to pay the villagers a lot of money if they could help collect samples for him and ship dead beetles to him.
The villagers were totally astonished at how much money they could make. One dead beetle was worth more than an entire harvest of maize.
If you are an entrepreneur, this story will change your entire mindset. In fact you are going to be a millionaire if you grasp its lesson.
The greatest opportunity of your life is in front of you; others call it a problem!
1. *Eagles fly Alone and at High Altitudes.*
They don't fly with sparrows, ravens, and other small birds.
*MEANING*; Stay away from narrow-minded people, those that bring you down. Eagle flies with Eagles. Keep good company.
2. *Eagles have an Accurate Vision.* They have the ability to focus on something as far as 5km away. No matter the obstacles, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it.
*MEANING*; Have a vision and remain focused no matter what the obstacles and you will succeed.
3. *Eagles do not Eat Dead things. They Feed only on Fresh Prey.*
*MEANING*; Do not rely on your past success, keep looking for new frontiers to conquer. Leave your past where it belongs, in the past.
4. *Eagles Love the Storm.*
When clouds gather, the eagle gets excited, the eagle uses the storms wind to lift itself higher. Once it finds the wind of the storm, the eagle uses the raging storm to lift itself above the clouds. This gives the eagle an opportunity to glide and rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the branches and leaves of the tree.
*MEANING*; Face your challenges head on knowing that these will make you emerge stronger and better than you were. We can use the storms of life to rise to greater heights. Achievers are not afraid to rise to greater heights. Achievers are not afraid of challenges, rather they relish them and use them profitably.
5. *Eagles Prepare for Training;*
They remove the feathers and soft grass in the nest so that the young ones get uncomfortable in preparation for flying and eventually flies/ when it becomes unbearable to stay in the nest./
*MEANING*; Leave your Comfort Zone, there is No Growth there.
6. *When the Eagle Grows Old,*
His feathers becomes weak and cannot take him as fast and as high as it should. This makes him weak and could make him die. So he retires to a place far away in the mountains. While there, he plucks out the weak feathers on his body and breaks its beaks and claws against the rocks until he is completely bare; a very bloody and painful process. Then he stays in this hiding place until he has grown new feathers, new beaks and claws and then he comes out flying higher than before.
*MEANING*; We occasionally need to shed off old habit no matter how difficult, things that burden us or add no value to our lives should be let go of.
*NEVER GIVE UP,*
*BE AN EAGLE*
1) She was very excited
today, after all the
school was re-opening
after a long summer
break. Now, once
again, she could start
selling stationery at
the traffic signal to
feed her family.
2) She, a renowned artist
and a strict mother,
often scolded her 6-
year-old son for he
could never draw a
line straight. As he
breathed slowly into
the ventilator, she
begged him to make
one more crooked line
on the ECG.
3) "Everyone goes with
the flow… but the one
who goes against it
becomes someone
remarkable.” Before I
could explain this to
the traffic police, the
man issued me a fine.
4) Their love was
different. She was
happy every time he
kicked her in the
stomach. Every time
he kicked she loved
him more. She waited
for the time she would
hold her baby for the
first time.
5) All my toys are yours..!
Read her brother’s
death note.
6) They took his father,
and only returned a
flag.
7) At 25, I became a
mother of one; at 27 I
became a mother of
two; and today, at 55, I
have become a
mother of three! My
son got married today,
and brought home his
wife!
8) “Born to rich parents,
this boy is so lucky,”
exclaimed the
neighbors!
Somewhere in
heaven, three unborn
sisters cried.
9) “You ruined my career,
I was supposed to be
an Executive Director,”
she thought to
herself. The little
angel held her finger
tightly and she forgot
everything; A mother
was born.
10) Once a 5-year-old boy
was standing
barefoot in the
shallow water of the
ocean. He was
repeating the same
sentence to the
waves – “Even if you
touch my feet a
thousand times, I
won’t forgive you for
taking my parents
away.
A girl by name Deepa went to school in the neighbouring village where she wasn't known well.
For three weeks, she came to school late and every time the teacher punished her.
On the fourth week, Deepa didn't attend school at all and many thought she had GIVEN UP on school due to the everyday punishment.
However, Deepa reported again on fifth week and this time she came earlier than everybody.
When the teacher came to class, Deepa was punished for not attending school the previous week but the teacher was also kind enough to commend her for coming early that day, stating that the punishments had finally yielded some results.
Just then, Deepa asked if she could say something and the teacher gave her permission.
She started :
"I've been raised up by a single mother without a brother or a sister. Five weeks ago, my mother fell ill and was hospitalized. The three weeks I came late, I had to prepare something for her every morning and pass by the hospital to deliver the same. Unfortunately, my mother passed away last week and that's the reason I didn't come to school. We buried her last Friday. Today I came early since I didn't have to prepare anything or even pass by the hospital. And now that she is gone, I will always be here early.
As she sat down, no one in the whole class was able to hold their tears, the teacher was not spared either.
Lesson:
How many times do *we judge others* for things we know not ?
We ask questions like :
- *Why you are not getting married*?
- _*Why you are not having kids*_ ?
- *When will you find a job* ?
- _*When will you buy a car*_?
- *When will you build a house*?
etc....
Do we attempt to understand their situations or we just judge from the case scenarios
Some situations are not relative and what we think could be very far from the truth.
Don't assume you know what others go through or that people move in the same pace or direction as you.
Life is far from that.
Just be kind enough to love one another as God has commanded, take time and kindly find out why your friend is not phoning, why your messages are not being replied promptly, why someone is missing in our midst as a colleague, friend, brother or sister even why someone is always late.
Be kind, always...... Be nice to others
The proprietor of a coffee shop had been busy all day. Being Saturday, it was very crowded and the customers were just unending. He had been on his toes since morning.
Towards the evening he felt a splitting headache surfacing. As the clock ticked away, his headache worsened. Unable to bear it, he stepped out of the shop leaving his staff to look after the sales.
He walked across the street to the Chemist, to buy himself a painkiller to relieve his headache. He swallowed the pill and felt relieved. He knew that in a few minutes he would feel better.
As he strolled out of the shop, he casually asked the salesgirl, "Where is Mr Sharma (the Chemist)? He's not at the cash counter today!" The girl replied, "Sir, Mr Sharma had a splitting headache and said he was going across to the coffee shop. He said a cup of hot coffee would relieve him of his headache."
The man's mouth went dry and he mumbled, "Oh! I see."
This is a typical case of looking outside ourselves for something that we have within us. How strange but true! The chemist relieves his headache by drinking coffee and the coffee shop owner finds relief in a pain relieving pill!
A man hunts across the lengths and breadths of the universe to find peace. Eventually he finds it in his heart and realizes that peace is really a state of mind.
When I started using pen in my primary school, and I made a mistake, I would try hard to erase it before submitting to my teacher. Sometimes, I use chalk to clean my mistake but it later re-appeared. So I began to use saliva, it worked, but only to leave holes in my books. My teachers then used to beat me for being outrageously dirty. But all I tried to do was to cover my error.
One day, a kind hearted teacher who loved me so much called me aside and he said, " Anytime you make a mistake, just cross it and move on" . He said further " Trying to erase your mistakes would only damage your book to nothing. I told him in protest that I don't want people to see my mistake. My loving teacher laughed and said " Trying to erase your mistake will make more people know about your mess and the stigma is for life".
Have you made some mistakes in life? Cross it over and move on. Don't expose yourself as a result of trying to cover your mistakes.
Better things are ahead of you.
