Inspirations for Life

Never let others make a slave of you

2011-04-19T20:33:00.001-07:00

Little Johnny was visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking back, he saw grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved.

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the pile of wood, only to see his sister Sally watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch the next day, grandma said, "Sally, let’s wash the dishes". But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen." Then, she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and grandma said, "I’m sorry but I need Sally to help make supper."

Sally just smiled and said, "Well that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help." She whispered again, "Remember the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Moral: Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done....you need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He’s just wondering how long you will let the evil ways make a slave of you.

What is love????????

2011-04-01T02:59:00.001-07:00

A student asks a teacher...''What is love?''

The teacher said "in order to answer your question,go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back.....But the rule is 'You can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick'"

The student went to the field,go through the first row,he saw 1 big wheat,but he wonders...... may be there is a bigger one next....

Then he saw another bigger one....but he thought may be there is an even bigger one waiting for him....

Later when he finished half of the wheat field...he starts to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw.

He knew he has missed the biggest one,and he regretted.

So he ended up.... went back to the teacher with empty hand....

The teacher told him..."this is love.... you keep looking for better ones,but later you realize, you have missed the right person...and he/she wont be with you anymore..."

You catch more flies with honey

2011-03-30T20:01:00.001-07:00

When I see someone acting aggressively or intimidating someone, pushing their weight around, or being manipulative, I feel like reminding them that, in the long run, you really do catch more flies with honey. Simply put, it pays to be nice! Sure, there are times when being pushy or aggressive will assist you in getting your way – you can scare away, intimidate certain people some of the time. But I believe that this type of aggressive attitude and behaviour almost comes back to haunt you.

When you are kind, loving, and patient – when you are fair, a good listener, and when you genuinely care about others – your attitude comes across in all you do. As a result, people love to be around you and will be comfortable and trusting in your presence. They side with you, share their secrets of success, and want to assist you in any way they can. Very simply, they delight in your success.

When you are gentle, people are drawn to you like “flies to honey.” They forgive you easily when you make a mistake and are willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. When they talk about you behind your back, their comments will be positive and upbeat. You will have a notable reputation.

It’s unfortunate, but the opposite is also true. When you’re difficult or demanding, your positive qualities are often overlooked, disregarded, or forgotten. In addition, you create a great deal of stress for yourself with an adversarial, aggressive attitude. You’ll be looking over your shoulder wondering who, if anyone is on your side. When you’re pushy, you actually push people away. But when you’re gentle and kind, people are drawn to your energy and sincerity.

Laugh & Cry

2011-02-10T01:59:00.000-08:00

A wise man once sat in the audience & cracked a joke.

All laughed like crazy. After a moment he cracked the same joke again and a little less people laughed this time.

He cracked the same joke again & again, When there was no laughter in the crowd,

he smiled and said

"When u can't laugh on the same joke again & again, then why do u keep crying over the same thing over and over again."

The Stranger

2010-11-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

A while ago, my Dad met a stranger who was new to our small town. From
the beginning, Dad was fascinated with this enchanting newcomer and soon
invited him to live with our family. The stranger was quickly accepted
and was around from then on.

As I grew up, I never questioned his place in my family. In my young
mind, he had a special niche. My parents were complementary instructors:
Mom taught me good from evil, and Dad taught me to obey. But the
stranger...he was our storyteller. He would keep us spellbound for hours
on end with adventures, mysteries and comedies.
If I wanted to know anything about politics, history or science, he always
knew the answers about the past, understood the present and even seemed
able to predict the future! He took my family to the first major league
ball game. He made me laugh, and he made me cry. The stranger never
stopped talking, but Dad didn't seem to mind.

Sometimes, Mom would get up quietly while the rest of us were shushing
each other to listen to what he had to say, and she would go to the
kitchen for peace and quiet. (I wonder now if she ever prayed for the
stranger to leave.)

Dad ruled our household with certain moral convictions, but the stranger
never felt obligated to honor them. Profanity, for example, was not
allowed in our home... Not from us, our friends or any visitors. Our
longtime visitor, however, got away with four-letter words that burned my
ears and made my dad squirm and my mother blush. My Dad didn't permit the
liberal use of alcohol. But the stranger encouraged us to try it on a
regular basis. He made cigarettes look cool, cigars manly and pipes
distinguished.
He talked freely (much too freely!) about sex. His comments were
sometimes blatant, sometimes suggestive, and generally embarrassing.

I now know that my early concepts about relationships were influenced
strongly by the stranger. Time after time, he opposed the values of my
parents, yet he was seldom rebuked... And NEVER asked to leave.

More than fifty years have passed since the stranger moved in with our
family. He has blended right in and is not nearly as fascinating as he
was at first. Still, if you could walk into my parents' den today, you
would still find him sitting over in his corner, waiting for someone to
listen to him talk and watch him draw his pictures.

Categorically, he destroyed all the moral values, ethics, love, time for
each other and other good qualities we had in our family…..whilst adding
some unnoticeable quantity of positive stuff also, which any way we would
have had even without him……

His name?.... .. .

.

.

.

.,

,

,

We just call him 'TV.'

(Note: This should be required reading for every household!)
He has a wife now....We call her 'Computer.'
Their first child is "Cell Phone".
Second child "I Pod"

Finding strength in weakness

2010-11-19T01:40:00.000-08:00

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. The other pot had a crack in it and by the time the water bearer reached his master's house it had leaked much of its water and was only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?" "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to
leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house." Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, God will use our flaws to grace his table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

Buddha’s Advice to Calm a Disturbed Mind

2010-11-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers.. This was in the initial days. While they were traveling, they happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.”

The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!”

So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.” After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake.

This time too he found that the lake was muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same. After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back. The disciple reached the lake to find the lake absolutely clean and clear with pure water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.

Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,” See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be…. and the mud settled down on its own – and you got clear water. Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.

Today is very important, Dont Miss it

2010-11-13T00:59:00.001-08:00

Live your life

2010-05-14T07:11:00.001-07:00

Be Positive.. Accept only what you want

2010-05-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Once Gautama Buddha and his student Ram went to a small village to preach religious teachings. Since they walked a long distance, they felt thirsty. They went towards a small house and asked the woman inside for some water. The woman came out and started scolding as she thought they were beggars, but Buddha smiled and moved to the next house.

The student got confused with Buddha’s calm behavior and got angry with the lady. Buddha noticed his student’s facial expression and understood him. He called him and told "Ram keep this Gold Coin with you and give it to me when I ask for it". The student accepted and got the coin. Still the student had the confusion in his mind about the incident.

Hours passed, they were done with their work and started their journey towards their place. Ram was still puzzled by the incident and his swamiji's strange behavior. Now Buddha asked his student "Ram! Can you please give me the gold coin?” The student gave the coin and Buddha received it with a smile. Now Buddha appreciated his student for his extra efforts towards the preaching for the day and rewarded the same gold coin to Ram and he received it with a smile.

Before going to bed, Ram came to Buddha’s place and wanted to talk to him. Buddha took him to the garden and listened. "Swamiji! That lady scolded us in the morning but you were so silent; I’m upset. But you seem to not be affected by it! How is this possible? Buddha now had the same smile and replied "Ram, this morning I had given you that gold coin for you to keep for a while. Now tell me to whom did that coin belong at that instance?" Ram replied quickly "it was yours because you told me to keep it just for some time".
Buddha : "That's right, now can you tell me to whom this coin belongs, after I gave it to you the second time?"
Ram: "This coin now belongs to me as you have gifted it to me for my work and I accepted it"
Buddha now held Ram's hand and said "This can be applied to our life also. The lady scolded me but I did not accept anything and so those words do not belong to me !”
The Student got his doubts clarified and then worshipped his guru for his precious words.

The Moral of the story: Keep positive thoughts and skip the negative ones, develop a positive attitude and diminish pessimism.

GLASS OF MILK

2009-12-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it so slowly, and then asked, 'How much do I owe you?'

'You don't owe me anything,' she replied. 'Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.'

He said ... 'Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.'

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit...

Many year's later that same young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes.

Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once.

He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won.

Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words ...

'Paid in full with one glass of milk'

(Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: 'Thank You God, that Your love has spread broad through human hearts and hands.'

There's a saying which goes something like this:

Bread cast on the waters comes back to you. The good deed you do today may benefit you or someone you love at the least expected time. If you never see the deed again at least you will have made the world a better place -

Have the right perspective

2009-12-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

Reacting to problems!!

2009-11-20T22:08:00.000-08:00

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up, She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.

Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

'Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.

Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

Effort is important

2009-06-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

A giant ship engine failed. The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to fix the engine.

Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a young. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed!

A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

"What?!" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!"

So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemized bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer...... ......... ........ $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap.......... ......... ...... $ 9, 998.00

Effort is important, but knowing where to make an effort makes all the difference!

Anger and Love

2008-11-23T07:26:00.000-08:00

While a man was washing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked stone & scratched lines on the side of the car.

In anger, the man took the child's hand & hit it many times, not realizing he was using a wrench.

At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures. When the child saw his father.... with painful eyes he asked "Dad when will my fingers grow bMan was so hurt and speechless; he went back to car and kicked it a lot of times.

Devastated by his own actions..... sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches, child had written….

"LOVE YOU DAD"

The next day that man committed suicide…

Anger and Love have no limits… choose the later to have a beautiful & lovely life....

"Things are to be used and people are to be loved..." But, the problem in today's world is...

People are used and things are loved......

Three Filters

2008-08-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

In ancient Greece , Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem. > One day one fellow met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"> "Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test." > "Triple filter?" > "That's right," Socrates continued.
> "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test. > The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?" > "No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."
> "All right," said Socrates. "So you don't know if it's true or not.Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"> "No, on the contrary..."
> "So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?" > "No, not really."
> "Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?" This is why Socrates was a great philosopher and held in such high esteem. Friend, use this triple filter each time you hear loose talk about any of your near and dear friends.
> That reminds us to ALWAYS think before you speak. If what you are going to say is harmful, force yourself to wait an hour – and then ask yourself is it worth it. Usually it is not.

Lunch with GOD

2008-04-03T23:02:00.001-07:00

A little boy wanted to meet God . He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.
When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.
As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.
When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, 'What did you do today that made you so happy?' He replied, ' I had lunch with God.' But before his mother could respond, he added, 'You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!'

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, 'Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?' She replied! 'I ate potato chips in the park with God.' However, before her son responded, she added, ' You know, he's much younger than I expected.'

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

Leave it to HIM

2008-04-03T23:01:00.000-07:00

A new preacher was walking with an older more seasoned preacher in the garden one day ...

... and the younger preacher, feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was inquiring of the older preacher. The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals.

The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. Because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact it wasn't long before he realized how impossible it was to do so. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to recite the following poem.

"It is only a tiny rosebud, a flower of God's design; but I cannot unfold the petals with these clumsy hands of mine. The secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I. GOD opens this flower so sweetly. When in my hands they die. If I cannot unfold a rosebud this flower of God's design. Then how can I have the wisdom to unfold this life of mine? So I'll trust in Him for leading each moment of my day. I will look to him for His guidance each step of the pilgrim way. The pathway that lies before me, only my Heavenly Father knows. I'll trust Him to unfold the moments, just as He unfolds the rose"

(Author : Gettysburg)

The Flying Elephant

2008-02-24T03:52:00.000-08:00

Marguerite Theophil
A businessman approached the Wise One. “All my decisions seem wrong, i never make enough money... you must help me”.
The Wise One simply gave him a tiny locked treasure chest charm, and said, “Take this with you everywhere, and shake it three times whenever you enter a new space or meet someone for the first time”. Somewhat sceptical, he looked at the tiny charm. “Oh well”, he thought, “maybe the magic object inside will bring me luck; no harm in trying it out”.
He carried the little charm everywhere, and in the space that he shook it thrice, waited, and paid attention, he noticed an opportunity here, a danger or pitfall there. A year went by and his luck had totally changed.
He went back to the Wise One and excitedly asked for the key. At first she refused, but he persisted, and she reluctantly opened the tiny little treasure chest. The man reached out and almost snatched it from her. He looked inside.
“Why... there’s nothing inside!” he exclaimed in shock. “But there is on the outside”, she smiled.
The power of talismans to open us to our own capacities needs to be better understood, and this lesson is best communicated through story, as in this beautiful traditional one — but modern tales too have had much the same point to make to a rather different audience, as in the story of Dumbo, the Flying Elephant.
Born into a circus, a baby elephant is rejected by the others because of his unusually big ears. Jeered at by children, rejected by the other performers, poor Dumbo is demoted to appearing as a clumsy, bumbling creature in an act with the clowns.
Only little Timothy Mouse befriends him, and devises a to make lonely little Dumbo a star. He gets a crafty crow to inform Dumbo that magic flying feathers are what really make crows able to fly, and if Dumbo had just one such magic feather, then he would be able to fly too.
Plucking a feather out of a friend’s tail and giving it to Dumbo, he says, “This is a magic flying feather for you”. And wonder of wonders — Dumbo flies on his first try, and because of this, is made part of a more daring performance, where he has to leap from a high platform as part of the clown’s fire rescue act.
All goes well till one day, about to dive off the high platform in the middle of the act, Dumbo somehow loses the magic feather. Timothy Mouse, terrified, immediately yells and convinces him, “It isn’t really magic. You can fly on your own”. And Dumbo, flapping his enormous ears madly, discovers in that moment that it was not the feather at all which had the power of flight, but Dumbo himself.
The feather was only a bridge to put him in touch with a gift that was his all along. In our lives, we are in need of magic feathers in the form of talismans or beliefs that can help us reach new heights. Our lesson is to utilise them for as long as we need them, but recognising them for the temporary gift they are, we are challenged to transcend the need for an outer reminder of what has been ours all along.
The writer is a Mumbai-based organisational consultant, personal growth coach and workshop leader. E-mail:

A lesson on life

2008-02-19T00:10:00.000-08:00

One day, the father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the
express purpose of showing him how poor people live.

They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family.

On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

"It was great, Dad."

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yeah," said the son.

"So, tell me, what you learned from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered:

"I saw that we have one dog and they had four.

We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.

Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon.

We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight.

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others.

We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

We have walls around our property to protect us; they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless.

Then his son added, "Thanks Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.
Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends!

"Life is too short and friends are too few."

Attitude++

2008-01-29T02:53:00.000-08:00

Author Unknown

Harvard and Stanford Universities have reported that 85% the reason a person gets a job and gets ahead in that job is due to attitude; and only 15% is because of technical or specific skills. Interesting, isn't it?

You spent how much money on your education? And you spent how much money on building your positive attitude? Ouch. That hurts.

Now here's an interesting thought. With the "right" attitude, you can and will develop the necessary skills. So where's your emphasis? Skill building? Attitude building? Unfortunately, "Neither" is the real answer for many people. Perhaps if more people knew how simple it is to develop and maintain a positive attitude they would invest more time doing so.

So here we go. - Five steps to staying positive in a negative world:

1. Understand that failure is an event, it is not a person. Yesterday ended last night; today is a brand new day, and it's yours. You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and then you can expect to win.

2. Become a lifetime student. Learn just one new word every day and in five years you will be able to talk with just about anybody about anything. When your vocabulary improves, your I.Q. goes up 100% of the time, according to Georgetown Medical School.

3. Read something informational or inspirational every day.

Reading for 20 minutes at just 240 words per minute will enable you to read twenty 200-page books each year. That's 18 more than the average person reads! What an enormous competitive advantage . . . if you'll just read for twenty minutes a day.

4. The University of Southern California reveals that you can acquire the equivalent of two years of a college education in three years just by listening to motivational and educational cassettes on the way to your job and again on the way home. What could be easier?

5. Start the day and end the day with positive input into your mind.

Inspirational messages cause the brain to flood with dopamine and norepinephrine, the energizing neurotransmitters; with endorphins, the endurance neurotransmitters; and with serotonin, the feel-good-about-yourself neurotransmitter.

Begin and end the day by reading or doing something positive!

Remember: Success is a process, not an event.

Invest the time in your attitude and it will pay off in your skills as well as your career.

Think of it.......

Shake It Off And Step Up

2007-12-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

By: Author Unknown

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' - or - whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbours together and told them what had happened...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbours continued shovelling and the dirt hit his back...a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back...HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! This he did, blow after blow.

"Shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up...shake it off and step up!" he repeated to encourage himself. No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

THAT'S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US! Remember that FORGIVENESS--FAITH--PRAYER-- PRAISE and HOPE...all are excellent ways to "SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP" out of the wells in which we find ourselves!

Too Busy for a friend ??

2007-09-27T03:06:00.000-07:00

> One day a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other
> students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each
> name.
>
> Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each
> of their classmates and write it down.
>

> It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and
> as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.
>
> That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a
> separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that
> individual.
>
>
> On Monday she gave each student his or her list. Before long, the entire
> class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I
> meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much,"
> were most of the comments.
>

> No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. She never knew if they
> discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter.
> The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with
> themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.
>

> Several years later, one of the students was killed in
VietNam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She
> had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so
> handsome, so mature.
>
> The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him
> took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the
> coffin.
>
> As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to
> her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "yes." Then he
> said: "Mark talked about you a lot."
>
> After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a
> luncheon. Mark's mother and father were there, obviously waiting to speak
> with his teacher.
>
> "We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of
> his pocket "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you
> might recognize it."
>
> Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook
> paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The
> teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she
> had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about
> him.
>
> "Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see,
> Mark treasured it."
>
> All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled
> rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer
> of my desk at home."
>
> Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album."
>>
> "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary"
>
> Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her
> wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this
> with me at all times," Vicki said and without batting an eyelash, she
> continued: "I think we all saved our lists"
>
> That's when the teacher finally sat down and cried. She cried for Mark and
> for all his friends who would never see him again.

> The density of people in society is so thick that we forget that life will
> end one day. And we don't know when that one day will be.

> So please, tell the people you love and care for, that they are special
> and important. Tell them, before it is too late.
>
>
> And One Way To Accomplish This Is: Forward this message on. If you do not
> send it, you will have, once again passed up the wonderful opportunity to
> do something nice and beautiful. But its upto U to fwd this one.
>
> If you've received this, it is because someone cares for you and it means
> there is probably at least someone for whom you care.
>
>
> If you're "too busy" to take those few minutes right now to forward this
> message on, would this be the VERY first time you didn't do that little
> thing that would make a difference in your relationships?
>
> The more people that you send this to, the better you'll be at reaching
> out to those you care about.
>
> Remember, you reap what you sow. What you put into the lives of others
> comes back into your own.
>

> May Your Day Be Blessed As Special As You
>

Read some stuff that can inspire you

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Angels !!

2007-09-22T04:46:00.000-07:00

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family.

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied... "Things aren't always what they seem".

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.

After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel "how could you have let this happen!? The first man had everything, yet you helped him," she accused. "The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die."

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.

Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave her the cow instead. "Things aren't always what they seem"

*********

Sometimes this is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later.

*********

40 Tips for an Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life !

2007-08-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

These are really very powerful. Implement whatever you can.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a PVR tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to__________ _ today."

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2006.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.

Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy lingerie (not you guys.) Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, wills this matter?"

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business.

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

32. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

34. The best is yet to come.

35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

36. Do the right thing!

37. Call your family often.

38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I am thankful for __________." Today I accomplished _________.

39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

40. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

May your troubles be less, May your blessings be more. And may nothing but happiness come through your door!

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Destiny vs Free will

2007-08-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

PEOPLE spend more time arguing about whether they are driven by destiny or acting out of freewill than doing what they should do. They forget that they waste their time of their own accord, their own sweet free will!

There is no such thing as future. Future does not exist till you create it in your present moment, here and now. We all waste our time regretting or savouring what happened in the past and speculating about what would like in the future. Neither is of any productive value. There is nothing we can do about the past, it is gone; it is history. There is nothing that you can do thinking about the future; you have to act now to make your future. Your future is in your hands, and your hands only. Trying to fashion your future based on past experiences is like driving car looking at the rear view mirror. All you will meet is disaster!

We are comfortable being told that we are destined to do certain things. We are relieved when we learn that our sins and problems are because of our past karma, because then we can disown responsibility.

Be very clear, there is no such thing as karma, the way you understand it. Your unfulfilled desires shape your actions and this is karma. As of now your future is driven by your fantasies, your unfulfilled desires, and what you do not have. When the product arrives, you ask, who ordered this, not I!

Start being comfortable with what you have. Enjoy what you have acquired instead of hankering after what you do not have. Spirituality is not about renouncing in the sense of what you understand. There is nothing that you have now that you need to renounce. Nothing at all. Just renounce what you do not have, your fantasies. You will see your life change in front of your eyes.

When you focus on enjoying what you have now, you will have to focus on the present instead of wasting time speculating and regretting. Your entire mindset will be on action. Because this action is not tinged with regret and speculation, you will automatically fall into what Krishna refers to in the Bhagwad Gita as the action without expectation.

When you learn to stay in the present, your freewill destines you to be a true Yogi, one who is truly uniting material and spiritual life. You will be in eternal bliss.

• PARAMAHAMSA SRI NITHYANANDA

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A true inspiration!!

2007-08-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

It was a sports stadium.

Eight Children were standing on the track to participate in the

running event.

* Ready!

* Steady!

* Bang!!!

With the sound of Toy pistol, all eight girls started running.

Hardly have they covered ten to fifteen steps, one of the smaller
girls slipped and fell down, due to bruises and pain she started crying.
When other seven girls heard this sound, stopped running, stood for a
while and turned back, they all ran back to the place where the girl
fell down.One among them bent, picked and kissed the girl gently and enquired
'Now pain must have reduced'.
All seven girls lifted the fallen girl, pacified her, two of them
Held the girl firmly and they all seven joined hands together and
walked together and reached the winning post.

Officials were shocked.
Clapping of thousands of spectators filled the stadium.
Many eyes were filled with tears and perhaps it had reached the GOD
even!
YES. This happened in Hyderabad, recently !
The sport was conducted by National Institute of Mental Health. All
these special girls had come to participate in this event and they
are spastic children.
Yes, they were mentally retarded.What did they teach this world?
Teamwork?
Humanity?
Equality among all? . . . . . . . . ????

Successful people help others who are slow in learning so that they are not felt far behind

Well, these are normal people living in an abnormal world!!!!

Value

2007-07-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a Rupee 500
note.

In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this Rupee 500 note?"

Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this note to one of
you

but first let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the note up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground
and
started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all

crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not
decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the
dirt
by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel
as
though we are worthless.
But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose
your value.

You are special. Don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's
disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.

" VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED "

Every moment, every situation, every issue and every concern has a positive side……. Find it and bring it to life.

Shivaji- the boss
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A must read story

2007-07-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

My wife called, 'How long will you be with that newspaper? Will you come here and make your darling daughter eat her food?' I tossed the paper away and rushed to the scene. My only daughter Sindu looked frightened.

Tears were welling up in her eyes. In front of her was a bowl filled to its brim with Curd Rice. Sindu is a nice child, quite intelligent for her age. She has just turned eight. She particularly detested Curd Rice. My mother and my wife are orthodox, and believe firmly in the 'cooling effects' of Curd Rice! I cleared my throat, and picked up the bowl. 'Sindu, darling, why don't you take a few mouthful of this Curd Rice? Just for ! Dad's sake, dear.

Sindu softened a bit, and wiped her tears with the back of her hands. 'OK, Dad. I will eat - not just a few mouthfuls, but the whole lot of this. But, you should...' Sindu hesitated. 'Dad, if I eat this entire curd Rice, will you give me whatever I ask for?'...........Oh sure,darling'....'Promise?'................. 'Promise'. I covered the pink soft hand extended by my daughter with mine, and clinched the deal.

'Ask Mom also to give a similar promise', my daughter insisted. My wife put her hand on Sindu's, muttering 'Promise'. Now I became a bit anxious. 'Sindu dear, you shouldn't insist on getting
a computer or any such expensive items. Dad does not have that kind of money right now. OK?'

'No, Dad I do not want anything expensive'. Slowly and painfully, she finished eating the whole quantity.

I was silently angry with my wife and my mother for forcing my child eat something that she detested. After the ordeal was through, Sindu came to me with her eyes wide with expectation. All our attention was on her.............'Dad, I want to have my head shaved off, this Sunday!'
was her demand.

'Atrocious!' shouted my wife, 'A girl child having her head shaved off? Impossible!' 'Never in our family!' my mother rasped.' She has been watching too much of television. Our culture is getting totally spoiled with these TV programs!'

Sindu darling, why don't you ask for something else? We will be sad seeing you with a clean-shaven head.'

'No, Dad I do not want anything else', Sindu said with finality.

'Please, Sindu, why don't you try to understand our feelings?' I tried to plead with her.

'Dad, you saw how difficult it was for me to eat that Curd Rice'. Sindu was in tears. 'And you promised to grant me whatever I ask for. Now, you are going back on your words. Was it not you who told me the story of King Harishchandra and its moral that we should honor our promises no matter what?'

It was time for me to call the shots. 'Our promise must be kept.'

'Are you out of your mind?' chorused my mother and wife.

'No. If we go back on our promises, she will never learn to honor her own. Sindu, your wish will be fulfilled.' With her head clean-shaven, Sindu had a round-face, and her eyes looked big and beautiful.

On Monday morning, I dropped her at her school. It was a sight to watch my hairless Sindu walking towards her classroom. She turned around and waved.
I waved back with a smile. Just then, a boy alighted from a car, and shouted, 'Sinduja, please wait for me!'

What struck me was the hairless head of that boy. 'May be, that is the in-stuff', I thought.

'Sir, your daughter Sinduja is great indeed!' Without introducing herself, a lady got out of the car, and continued,' That boy who is walking along with your daughter is my son Harish. He is suffering from... ... leukemia.'
She paused to muffle her sobs. Harish could not attend the school for the whole of the last month. He lost all his hair due to the side effects of the chemotherapy. He refused to come back to school fearing the unintentional but cruel teasing of the schoolmates.' Sinduja visited him last week, and promised him that she will take care of the teasing issue.
But, I never imagined she would sacrifice her lovely hair for the sake of my son! Sir, you and your wife are blessed to have such a noble soul as your daughter.'

I stood transfixed. And then, I wept. 'My little Angel, you are teaching me how self-less real love is!'

*The happiest people on this planet are not those who live on their own terms but are those who change their terms for the ones! whom they love..*

Love Touch And Inspire others

"Life is short, the vanities of world are transient but they alone live who live for others; the rest are more dead than alive."

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An Extraordinary Life

2007-06-08T01:04:00.000-07:00

Book Talk – The World is Flat

You can lead either of two kinds of lives: An ordinary life or an extraordinary life. When you lead an ordinary life, you move along with the current of your desires, preoccupied in fulfilling your own goals, aims and agendas. Ordinary beings are only conscious of their own life. Extraordinary beings are conscious of their life and are also constantly aware of Divinity. They are confident that God’s Grace will resolve all their problems. They know that whatever life brings is ultimately for the best.
Those who lead an extraordinary life enjoy every minute of it. To them, every moment is precious. Even ordinary circumstances elicit a different response from them. If you believe that you are extraordinary, then you start looking at the world differently. When you think that you are born special, you will lead a special life. Constant hope makes our life extraordinary. Without this, life is drab and ordinary. If we look at life as a problem, it becomes ordinary but if we look at it as an opportunity, it becomes extraordinary.
This bowl beside me is full of fragrant roses. If i pick up a single rose and look at it, it is really beautiful. There is no need for any comparison. Like all the other roses here, it is unique. If we have the habit of comparing ourselves with others, our self-confidence sometimes soars and sometimes crashes. A truly extraordinary life is never based on comparison. It is the result of constant blossoming within. Human life is a rare privilege. Why waste a single minute of this precious gift or lose a single opportunity to make it extraordinary?
If we cultivate the art of savouring every moment of life even when it brings unexpected challenges to us, our life becomes extraordinary. When there is interest, we feel exuberant and joyful. When there is no interest, life is mechanical and ordinary.
If we are travelling and our vehicle breaks down in the countryside, do we take the opportunity to revel in the natural beauty around us? Or do we fret, fume and grumble? When we perceive the best in everything, life becomes extraordinary and memorable. When we live life like this, a special feeling arises in us. Our life is full of zest and joy. We can never completely control what happens in the external world around us, but our internal world is in our hands. We can allow it to be ugly or choose to make it beautiful.
When we enjoy every moment and every circumstance that comes our way, one negative element that flavours each day of our present existence disappears. This element is TENSION. Stress, tension, boredom, depression, impatience and frustration become things of the past. These emotions which were slowly draining away the energy of the Soul disappear. When we enjoy every moment of life, it is always full of wonder and never grows stale.
Each and every situation that comes our way is not custom-made to fit our present frame of mind. If every circumstance were to our liking, internal growth and transformation would never take place; our life would become stagnant and sub-human. So it is our own perception that decides whether our life remains ordinary or becomes extraordinary. Life will always pose challenges; it is up to us to make it joyous. Flow like a river, revelling in every moment of life.
Discourse: Shri Nimishananda

Power of Positive Talk

2007-05-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did my dad understand that specific words affect our mental pictures, but he understood words are a powerful programming factor in lifelong success.

One particularly interesting event occurred when I was eight. As a kid, I was always climbing trees, poles, and literally hanging around upside down from the rafters of our lake house. So, it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree swinging back and forth. My little eight-year-old brain didn't realize the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was fun to be up so high.

My older cousin, Tammy, was also in the same tree. She was hanging on the first big limb, about ten feet below me. Tammy's mother also noticed us at the exact time my dad did. About that time a huge gust of wind came over the tree. I could hear the leaves start to rattle and the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad's voice over the wind yell, "Bart, Hold on tightly." So I did. The next thing I know, I heard Tammy screaming at the top of her lungs, laying flat on the ground. She had fallen out of the tree.

I scampered down the tree to safety. My dad later told me why she fell and I did not. Apparently, when Tammy's mother felt the gust of wind, she yelled out, "Tammy, don't fall!" And Tammy did... fall.

My dad then explained to me that the mind has a very difficult time processing a negative image. In fact, people who rely on internal pictures cannot see a negative at all. In order for Tammy to process the command of not falling, her nine-year-old brain had to first imagine falling, then try to tell the brain not to do what it just imagined. Whereas, my eight-year-old brain instantly had an internal image of me hanging on tightly.

This concept is especially useful when you are attempting to break a habit or set a goal. You can't visualize not doing something. The only way to properly visualize not doing something is to actually find a word for what you want to do and visualize that. For example, when I was thirteen years old, I played for my junior high school football team. I tried so hard to be good, but I just couldn't get it together at that age. I remember hearing the words run through my head as I was running out for a pass, "Don't drop it!" Naturally, I dropped the ball.

My coaches were not skilled enough to teach us proper "self-talk." They just thought some kids could catch and others couldn't. I'll never make it pro, but I'm now a pretty good Sunday afternoon football player, because all my internal dialogue is positive and encourages me to win. I wish my dad had coached me playing football instead of just climbing trees. I might have had a longer football career.

Here is a very easy demonstration to teach your kids and your friends the power of a toxic vocabulary. Ask them to hold a pen or pencil. Hand it to them. Now, follow my instructions carefully. Say to them, "Okay, try to drop the pencil." Observe what they do.

Most people release their hands and watch the pencil hit the floor. You respond, "You weren't paying attention. I said TRY to drop the pencil. Now please do it again." Most people then pick up the pencil and pretend to be in excruciating pain while their hand tries but fails to drop the pencil.

The point is made.

If you tell your brain you will "give it a try," you are actually telling your brain to fail. I have a "no try" rule in my house and with everyone I interact with. Either people will do it or they won't. Either they will be at the party or they won't. I'm brutal when people attempt to lie to me by using the word try. Do they think I don't know they are really telegraphing to the world they have no intention of doing it but they want me to give them brownie points for pretended effort? You will never hear the words "I'll try" come out of my mouth unless I'm teaching this concept in a seminar.

If you "try" and do something, your unconscious mind has permission not to succeed. If I truly can't make a decision I will tell the truth. "Sorry John. I'm not sure if I will be at your party or not. I've got an outstanding commitment. If that falls through, I will be here. Otherwise, I will not. Thanks for the invite."

People respect honesty. So remove the word "try" from your vocabulary.

My dad also told me that psychologists claim it takes seventeen positive statements to offset one negative statement. I have no idea if it is true, but the logic holds true. It might take up to seventeen compliments to offset the emotional damage of one harsh criticism.

These are concepts that are especially useful when raising children.

Ask yourself how many compliments you give yourself daily versus how many criticisms. Heck, I know you are talking to yourself all day long. We all have internal voices that give us direction.

So, are you giving yourself the 17:1 ratio or are you shortchanging yourself with toxic self-talk like, " I'm fat. Nobody will like me. I'll try this diet. I'm not good enough. I'm so stupid. I'm broke, etc. etc."

If our parents can set a lifetime of programming with one wrong statement, imagine the kind of programming you are doing on a daily basis with your own internal dialogue. Here is a list of Toxic Vocabulary words.

Notice when you or other people use them.

Ø But: Negates any words that are stated before it.
Ø Try: Presupposes failure.
Ø If: Presupposes that you may not.
Ø Might: It does nothing definite. It leaves options for your listener.
Ø Would Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen.
Ø Should Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen (and implies guilt.)
Ø Could Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen but the person tries to take credit as if it did happen.
Ø Can't/Don't: These words force the listener to focus on exactly the opposite of what you want. This is a classic mistake that parents and coaches make without knowing the damage of this linguistic error.

Examples:
Toxic phrase: "Don't drop the ball!"
Likely result: Drops the ball
Better language: "Catch the ball!"

Toxic phrase: "You shouldn't watch so much television."
Likely result: Watches more television.
Better language: "I read too much television makes people stupid. You might find yourself turning that TV off and picking up one of those books more often!"

Exercise: Take a moment to write down all the phrases you use on a daily basis or any Toxic self-talk that you have noticed yourself using. Write these phrases down so you will begin to catch yourself as they occur and change them.

Being defeated is often a temporary condition, giving up is what makes it permanent

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Source of confidence

2007-05-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

The business executive was deep in debt and could see no way out. Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankrupcy. Suddenly an old man appeared before him. "I can see that something is troubling you," he said. After listening to the executive's woes, the old man said, "I believe I can help you." He asked the man his name, wrote out a check, and pushed it into his hand saying, "Take this money. Meet me here exactly one year from today, and you can pay me back at that time."Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. The business executive saw in his hand a check for $500,000, signed by John D. Rockefeller, then one of the richest men in the world!"I can erase my money worries in an instant!" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed check in his safe. Just knowing it was there might give him the strength to work out a way to save his business, he thought. With renewed optimism, he negotiated better deals and extended terms of payment. He closed several big sales. Within a few months, he was out of debt and making money once again.Exactly one year later, he returned to the park with the uncashed check. At the agreed-upon time, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand back the check and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man."I'm so glad I caught him!" she cried. "I hope he hasn't been bothering you. He's always escaping from the hospital and telling people he's John D. Rockefeller. "And she led the old man away by the arm.The astonished executive just stood there, stunned. All year long he'd been wheeling and dealing, buying and selling, convinced he had half a million dollars behind him.Suddenly, he realized that it wasn't the money, real or imagined, that had turned his life around. It was his newfound self-confidence that gave him the power to achieve anything he went after. Renew your confidence from within…….

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Does Life need to have a purpose?

2007-05-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

A very young terminally ill girl wrote out a beautiful poem on her hospital bed. It ends with these simple lines:

Life is not a race, do take it slower Hear the music, before the song is over.

We spend hours recording music instead of listening to it live. We waste time capturing experiences on film, while we should be savouring the experiences. We are forever rushing to be some place, and when we reach there, it is rarely the place we wish to be! Is there a purpose to life? Is it to gain fame, success, and wealth? Do these acquisitions make us happy? Look at animals. Animals go through life instinctively and naturally. They hunt when they are hungry, mate when they feel the urge and sleep when they are tired. They exist fully in the present.

Man is not happy with the world around him. He is forever at odds with nature. He would like to change the world to suit his wants, instead of living with nature to fulfil his needs. We are constantly in a rat race, forgetting that even if we win this rat race we still remain a rat! But how can one live without goals, you may ask. Let me then ask you this. How many of the goals you set out and achieved have given you true happiness? While working towards these goals, did you feel happy or stressed out? After reaching these goals, did you stop to enjoy the result, or did you plod on mindless towards other distant goals? Why don’t you try instead, for a change, to just enjoy what you are doing, without worrying about the result?

Ask any successful and wealthy man who is also happy, and he will tell you that he did what he loved to do, not because it would make him wealthy. When you enjoy the journey, the destination is always the right one for you. Within you there is the awareness of what is right for you. All that you need to do is to let that happen. Do not resist, just accept what life dishes out to you; flow with it in acceptance. What results is Ananda, bliss! Ananda the attitude, it is the path of ecstasy, rather than the path to ecstasy. Ananda is already there inside you, you only have to recognise it and set it free. Be blissful!

• PARAMAHAMSA SRI NITHYANANDA

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The amazing Moser Baer story – How Deepak Puri Won

2007-05-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

All of us, at some point in our life, have read the story of King Bruce and the spider -- the disappointed king who took heart from the spider, which fell many times to finally complete the Web.
Deepak Puri, chairman and managing director of Moser Baer, is one such Bruce of the modern times.
He never complained or looked for excuses; he tried to find solutions. If he had problems at the Indian ports, he set up his own supply chain. If he had problems with power shortage, he did not crib. He just went on to set up a captive unit.
He faced a series of setbacks in the 40 years of his business life, but he never quit.
A masters in mechanical engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, UK, Deepak started his business career from Kolkata.
His first factory -- Metal Industries Pvt. Ltd -- manufactured aluminum wires and pipes and AC conductors. But, labour militancy -- this was when the trade unions in Bengal ruled the roost -- forced him to shut down his factory.
This did not deter him. He started a second business -- this one was about manufacturing time recording devices for the banking industry. But, before Deepak could even settle down, the militant labour union members stormed into his unit and poured acid on some of his machines. Both his attempts to do business had come to a naught.
His wife and wholetime director and promoter of Moser Baer, Nita Puri recalls the tough times. She says, "In spite of all this, he fought all the way. He did not buckle.
He was gheraoed at his plant but it didn't bother him. Only when they actually gheraoed our home that we decided to move out."
Deepak was down but not out and he was ready for the third attempt. "It was pure chance. I knew nothing about floppies, those days" confides the chairman and managing director of Moser Baer, adding, "Actually, I went to Mumbai to a friend's office. Those were the days of power shortage in Mumbai and people used to practice self-regulated power shedding. They switched off their electrical power voluntarily in their offices and houses."
"When I entered his office, he was fanning himself with a newspaper. So, I picked up the first object I came across to fan myself with -- an 8-inch square black object. But before I could begin fanning myself with it, my friend grabbed it back! It was a floppy disc. Believe me, I knew nothing about it or its data storage capacity."
Deepak had just spotted a business opportunity.
Wasting no time, he flew to California to talk to Xidex, then the largest manufacturer of data storage media in the world. India was not a known country at least on the technology front, those days. But the enthusiasm and conviction that Deepak brought to the table impressed Xidex to partner with him.
Thus Moser Baer came into being in 1983.
The company, which started with 8-inch and 5.5-inch disks today, ranks among the top three optical and magnetic storage (which includes CDs, DVDs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs and Lightscribe CD-Rs in the world.) Moser Baer stands for technology that matches the best in the world.
In R&D, it has set many industry benchmarks. It is the lowest cost optical media manufacturer in the world and has a human resource pool that is proud of every disk that leaves its facilities, with the 'Made in India' stamp, flashing proudly on it.
What makes him tick?
So, what keeps them at the head of the line and prevents them from stagnating? Listen to what Raghavendra Rao, an analyst from Frost & Sullivan, a leading business consulting firm that offers market research and analysis, says: "They keep on attempting to improve themselves.
When their products start maturing or declining, they are ready with the next one.
When the floppies went out, they moved onto CDs, and when CDs were in the mature phase, they moved onto DVDs, which are now in the growth phase.
When the DVDs go into the nest phase of maturity, they will be ready with the next product."
And Deepak Puri knows that the fun has only just begun. To this day, Deepak keeps on trying -- this time to make Moser Baer an all-encompassing technology company, which will last 100 years from today.
His grit and business sense should make this a easy goal to achieve! Truly, he's King Bruce for the modern age

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Keep believing yourself

2007-05-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

Letter from a CEO

2007-04-11T22:55:00.000-07:00

Over 60,000 Wiproites have received some powerful advice from their big boss, Azim Premji, chairman, Wipro Ltd. In an e-mail sent on April 9, the software czar shared his successes, setbacks and the lessons he learnt during his corporate journey. Some excerpts from that as we believe Premji’s message can cut across multiple business domains to benefit millions of employees and employers, and not just Wiproites

Azim Premji

Dear Wiproite,

My own successes and setbacks along the way have taught me some lessons. I wish to share them with you and hope you will find them useful.

Lesson #1: Be careful to ask what you want. You may get it.

What this means is that do not ask too little either of yourself or the others around you. What you ask is what you get. When I look back at the time when I joined Wipro, I was 21. If you ask me whether I thought that Wipro would grow so by someday, the honest answer is that I did not. But neither did I think it would not. We constantly stretched ourselves to higher and higher targets. Sometimes, it seemed possible, sometimes fanciful and sometimes plain insane. But we never stopped raising limits. And we got a lot more than what we bargained for.

Lesson # 2: Respond, don’t react

Always be aware of your emotions and learn to manage them. There is a huge difference between people who react impulsively and those who can disengage themselves and then respond at will. By choosing to respond differently, we can prevent another person from controlling our behaviour. I remember a small story that illustrates this well. There was once a newspaper vendor who had a rude customer. Every morning, the customer would walk by, refuse to return the greeting, grab the paper off the shelf and throw the money at the vendor. The vendor would pick up the money, smile politely and say, Thank you, Sir. One day, the vendor’s assistant asked him, Why are you always so polite with him when he is so rude to you? Why don’t you throw the newspaper at him when he comes back tomorrow? The vendor smiled and replied, “He can’t help being rude and I can’t help being polite. Why should I let his rude behaviour dictate mine?’’

Lesson # 3: Intuitions are important for making decisions

It is important to realise that our intuition is a very important part of decision making. Many things are recorded by our subconscious. Use both sides of the brain. Even that is not enough. Some decisions need the use of the heart as well. When you use your mind and heart together, you may get a completely new and creative answer.

Lesson # 4: Learn to work in teams

The challenges ahead are so complex that no individual will be able to face them alone. While most of our education is focused in individual strength, teaming with others is equally important. You cannot fire a missile from a canoe. Unless you build a strong network of people with complimentary skills, you will be restricted by your own limitations. Globalisation has brought people of different origins, different upbringing and different cultures together. Ability to become an integral part of a cross-cultural team will be a must for your success.

Lesson #5: Never lose your zest and curiosity

All the available knowledge in the world is accelerating at a phenomenal rate. The whole world’s codified knowledge base (all documented information in library books and electronic files) doubled every 30 years in the early 20th century. By the 1970s, the world’s knowledge base doubled every seven years. Information researchers predict that by the year 2010, the world’s codified knowledge will double every 11 hours. Remaining on top of what you need to know will become one of the greatest challenges for you.
The natural zest and curiosity for learning is one of the greatest drivers for keeping updated on knowledge. A child’s curiosity is insatiable because every new object is a thing of wonder and mystery. The same zest is needed to keep learning new things. I personally spend at least 10 hours every week on reading. If I do not do that, I will find myself quickly outdated.

Lesson # 6: Put yourself first

This does not mean being selfish. Nor does it mean that you must become so full of yourself that that you become vain or arrogant.
It means developing your self-confidence. It means, developing an inner faith in yourself that is not shaken by external events. It requires perseverance. It shows up in the ability to rebound from a setback with double enthusiasm and energy. I came across a recent Harvard Business Review which describes this very effectively: No one can truly define success and failure for us. Only we can define that for ourselves. No one can take away our dignity unless we surrender it. No one can take away our hope and pride unless we relinquish them. No one can steal our creativity, imagination and skills unless we stop thinking. No one can stop us from rebounding unless we give up. And there is no way we can take care of others, unless we take care of ourselves.

Lesson # 7: Have a broader social vision

While there is every reason to be excited about the future, we must not forget that we will face many challenges as well. By 2015, we will have 829 million strong workforce. That will make India home to 18% of global working-age population. The key challenge is to transform that into a globally competitive work-force.
This will not be an easy task. Despite all the rapid economic expansion seen in recent years, job growth in India still trails the rise in workingage population. It is important that gains are spread across this spectrum, so that the divide between the employed and the under-employed, is minimised. Education is a crucial enabler that can make this growth as equitable as possible.

Lesson # 8: Play to win

Playing to win is not the same as playing dirty. It is not about winning all the time or winning at any cost. Playing to win is having the intensity to stretch to the maximum and bringing our best foot forward. Winning means focusing on the game. The score board tells you where you are going, but don’t concentrate too much on it. If you can focus on the ball, the scores will move by themselves. I recently came across this story that I thought I would share with you.

"A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen. He returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal-some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite and asked them to help themselves to coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: “If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, you were more concerned about comparing your cups but what you really wanted was coffee. Yet you spent all your time eying each other’s cups.
Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to contain life, but cannot really change the quality of life. Sometimes, by over concentrating on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee.”

I wish you all every success in your career and your life.

Source :- TOI dt 12/Apr

Easy Vs Difficult

2007-04-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

Easy is to get a place is some one's phone book /address book.. . .
Difficult is to get a place in some one's heart.

Easy is to judge the mistakes of others
Difficult is to recognize our own mistakes

Easy is to talk without thinking
Difficult is to refrain the tongue

Easy is to hurt someone who loves us.
Difficult is to heal the wound..

Easy is to forgive others
Difficult is to ask for forgiveness

Easy is to set rules.
Difficult is to follow them..

Easy is to dream every night.
Difficult is to fight for a dream..

Easy is to show victory.
Difficult is to assume defeat with dignity..

Easy is to admire a full moon.
Difficult to see the other side..

Easy is to stumble with a stone.
Difficult is to get up..

Easy is to enjoy life every day.
Difficult to give its real value..

Easy is to pray every night.
Difficult is to find god in small things..

Easy is to promise something to someone.
Difficult is to fulfill that promise..

Easy is to say we love.
Difficult is to show it every day..

Easy is to criticize others.
Difficult is to improve oneself..

Easy is to make mistakes.
Difficult is to learn from them..

Easy is to weep for a lost love.
Difficult is to take care of it so not to lose it.

Easy is to think about improving.
Difficult is to stop thinking it and put it into action..

Easy is to think bad of others
Difficult is to give them the benefit of the doubt..

Easy is to receive
Difficult is to give

Easy to read this
Difficult to follow

Easy is keep the friendship with words
Difficult is to keep it with meanings . . .

Decision's have a long lasting impact

2007-03-04T22:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a look into the corporate mind that is very interesting, educational, historical, completely true, and hysterical all at the same time:
The US standard railroad gauge (width between the two rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used?
Because that's the way they built them in England, and the US railroads were built by English expatriates.
Why did the English build them like that? Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.
Why did "they" use that gauge then? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons which used that wheel spacing.
Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that's the spacing of the wheel ruts.
So who built those old rutted roads? The first long distance roads in Europe (and England) were built by Imperial Rome for their legions. The roads have been used ever since. And the ruts in the roads? Roman war chariots first formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for (or by) Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.
The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman war chariot. Specifications and bureaucracies live forever. So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse's ass came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Roman war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses. Thus, we have the answer to the original question.
Now the twist to the story . . .

There's an interesting extension to the story about railroad gauges and horses' behinds. When we see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory in Utah. The engineers who designed the SRBs might have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory had to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel. The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track is about as wide as two horses' behinds. So, the major design feature of what is arguably the world's most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a Horse's Ass

Power lies in mind, not muscles

2007-02-28T01:50:00.000-08:00

Watch this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx9iPFMriz0

PUSH

2007-02-27T20:32:00.000-08:00

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. The man did so, day after day. For many years he toiled from dawn to dusk, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary mind. “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t moved.” Thus the man was led to believe that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man. Satan said, “Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just the minimum effort, and that will be good enough.”

That’s what he planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"
The Lord responded compassionately, “My Child, when I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, your legs have become massive and hard."

"Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. Now I, my child, will move the rock.”
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him. By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains, but know that it is still God who moves mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong, just P. U. S. H.;
When people don’t react the way you think they should, just P. U. S. H.;
When people just don’t understand you, just P. U. S. H.!
P.U.S.H. = Pray Until Something Happens!

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Thoughts after 65

2007-02-15T22:40:00.000-08:00

"People over 65 were asked, 'If you could live your life over, what would you do differently?'

They said three things:

1.'I'd take time to stop and ask the big questions.

2.I'd be more courageous and take more risks in work and love.

3.I'd try to live with purpose -- to make a difference.

' You don't have to be an elder to ask, What's my own bottom line?"

--Richard Leider, founding partner of the Inventure Group

Care for others

2007-02-12T22:26:00.000-08:00

One day, a ten-year-old boy went to an ice cream shop, sat at a table and asked the waitress, "How much is an ice-cream cone?" She said, "seventy-five cents." The boy started counting the coins he had in his hand. Then he asked how much a small cup of ice cream was. The waitress impatiently replied, "sixty five cents." The boy said, "I will have the small ice-cream cup." He had his ice cream, paid the bill and left. When the waitress came to pick up the empty plate, she was touched. Underneath were ten one cent coins as tip. The little boy had consideration for the waitress before he ordered his ice-cream. He showed sensitivity and caring. He thought of others before himself.

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Are you caught?

2007-02-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

Monkey-hunters use a box with an opening at the top, big enough for the monkey to slide its hand in. Inside the box are nuts. The monkey grabs the nuts and now its hand becomes a fist. The monkey tries to get its hand out but the opening is big enough for the hand to slide in, but too small for the fist to come out. Now the monkey has a choice, either to let go off the nuts and be free forever or hang on to the nuts and get caught. Guess what it picks every time? You guessed it. He hangs on to the nuts and gets caught.

At times, we also get caught into things that are not so important in life .We loose the essence of our life by doing so.

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Poosalar and his temple

2007-02-05T22:20:00.000-08:00

Poosalar was his name. He hailed from a town called Ninravur. He was a great devotee of Lord Siva. He longed to build a temple for his Lord, though he was a very poor man. He roamed far and wide to get the required funds. His efforts were not fruitful. He was desperate. He was distressed beyond words.
Suddenly a thought struck him. "Why do I not attempt to build a temple for my Lord in my heart? Why should I beg these worthless persons who have no devotion for my Lord?" He determined to do so. He studied the Agama Sastras. He consulted knowledgeable Sivacaryas. The thought got shape in his mind and gathered further strength and determination - this thought of building a grand temple for his Lord.

He gathered requisite materials in his mind. He approached rich donors and collected huge amounts from them - all in the mind again. Expert architects were approached. They formulated designs, plans and drawings. He collected artisans, renowned sculptors, labourers, tools and even tools? He did not leave the minutest details, however trivial it might appear on first sight! His thoughts were occupied only with the construction of a grand temple for the Lord, unrivalled it would stand when completed! He slaved and slogged for it.

On an auspicious day, the corner (foundation) stone was laid. The king laid it according to rituals. With infinite love and meticulous care he had the temple built brick by brick, stone by stone, pillar by pillar, sculpture by sculpture, day and night, unseen by anyone.

Layer by layer, from the base to the top, the temple was nearing completion. He planned the huge Rajagopuram, other four towers, one each for the four directions, North, East, West and South. He supervised the construction scrupulously, devotedly. The rounded dome, the ancillary pillars, pavilions, shrines and the sacred kalasams were all made ready, worked in ? on the wall sides and niches. Shrines for the Divine Mother, the Lord's Consort, Vinayaka, Muruga, main deity, Durga were completed. Walls and prakarams were laid. The temple tank was dug and filled with clean water fit for abihsekham (anointing)

At last, the temple was fully completed. It was grand, mighty and a rare sight to behold! He consulted the priests, discussed with them in great detail and fixed an auspicious date for the Mahakumbhabhishekam (consecration) of the temple. Problem arises - no problem! There arose a problem. He had no knowledge of it of course, this devotee Poosalar. It was on this most auspicious date that the Kaadava ruler of Kanchi, who had built a magnificent temple of granite, marble, red and black stones for the Lord Siva, had decided to perform the Kalsabhishekam. The Lord was to be installed therein on the same date!

The Lord appeared in the king's dream the night before the sacred consecration date. The king was thrilled. But, the Lord asked him, commandingly, so it appeared to the king, to postpone the consecration date. The Lord explained that He had to be present at the installation and consecration ceremony fixed by His dear devotee Poosalar of Ninravur on that same date! That was far more important!

The King moved on to Ninravur in search of the temple. He could’nt find any. He came to know about poosalar through some sources. The King spotted Poosalar in the town and inquired him about the temple. He also told him about the words of the Lord in his dream.

Poosalar was in tears. He was deeply touched by the grace of the Lord. He told the king that the consecration was happening that day in his mind, for the temple he was building in his mind.
The King later on built a temple in Ninravur and made the dream of Poosalar come true. Even today, the temple stands in that place (Tiruninravur near Chennai, India) as a testimony to the “power of human belief”.

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Secret to Success

2007-02-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

A young man asked Socrates the secret to success. Socrates told the young man to meet him near the river the next morning. They met. Socrates asked the young man to walk with him toward the river. When the water got up to their neck, Socrates took the young man by surprise and ducked him into the water. The boy struggled to get out but Socrates was strong and kept him there until the boy started turning blue. Socratespulled his head out of the water and the first thing the young man did was to gasp and take a deep breath of air. Socrates asked, 'What did you want the most when you werethere?" The boy replied, "Air." Socrates said, "That is the secret to success. When you want success as badly as you wanted the air, then you will get it." There is no other secret.

A burning desire is the starting point of all accomplishment. Just like a small fire cannot give much heat, a weak desire cannot produce great results.

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Bumble Bee

2007-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

We need to learn from nature. According to scientists, the bumblebee's body is too heavy and its wing span too small. Aerodynamically, the bumblebee cannot fly. But the bumblebee doesn't know that and it keeps flying.

When you don't know your limitations, you go out and surprise yourself. In hindsight, you wonder if you had any limitations. The only limitations a person has are those that are self-imposed.

Don't put any limitations on yourselves.

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Problems can never stop you

2007-01-31T20:15:00.000-08:00

Wilma Rudolph was born into a poor home in Tennessee. At age four, she had double pneumonia with scarlet fever, a deadly combination which left her paralyzed with polio.She had to wear a brace and the doctor said she would never put her foot on the earth.But her mother encouraged her; she told Wilma that with God-given ability, persistence and faith she could do anything she wanted. Wilma said, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth." At the age of nine, against the advice of the doctors, she removed the brace and took the first step the doctors had said she never would. At the age of 13, she entered her first race and came way, way last. And then she entered her second, and third and fourth and came way, way last until a day came when she came in first.At the age of 15 she went to Tennessee State University where she met a coach by the name of Ed Temple. She told him, "I want to be the fastest woman on the track on this earth." Temple said, "With your spirit nobody can stop you and besides, I will help you."

The day came when she was at the Olympics and at the Olympics you are matched with the best of the best. Wilma was matched against a woman named Jutta Heine who had never been beaten. The first event was the 100-meter race. Wilma beat Jutta Heine and won her first gold medal. The second event was the 200-meter race and Wilma beat Jutta a second time and won her second gold medal. The third event was the 400-meter relay and she was racing against Jutta one more time. In the relay, the fastest person always runs the last lap and they both anchored their teams. The first three people ran and changed the baton easily. When it came to Wilma's turn, she dropped the baton. But Wilma saw Jutta shoot up at the other end; she picked the baton, ran like a machine, beat Jutta a third time and won her third gold medal. It became history: That a paralytic woman became the fastest woman on this earth at the 1960 Olympics.
*Adapted from Star Ledger, November 13, 1994.

Successful people do it in spite of, not in absence of, problems.

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Digging for gold ?.. read this

2007-01-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

As a young Scots boy, Andrew Carnegie came to America and started doing odd jobs. He ended up as one of the largest steel manufacturers in the United States.

At one time he had 43 millionaires working for him. Someone asked Mr. Carnegie how he dealt with people?

Andrew Carnegie replied "Dealing with people is like digging for gold: When you go digging for an ounce of gold, you have to move tonnes of dirt to get an ounce of gold. But we need to remember that when you go digging, you don't go looking for the dirt, you go looking for the GOLD. Its the same with people."

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Are you a member of 99 club?

2007-01-18T20:58:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.

One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while a lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, "Why are you so happy?"

The man replied, "Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies."

The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."

"The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.

The advisor replied, "Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep."

When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... so many gold coins!

He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, "What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins!"

He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.

From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.

Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, "Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club."

He continued, "The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: "Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life."

We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about. "

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Don't judge by one difficult season

2007-01-08T20:41:00.001-08:00

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.
The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.
The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

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The Emperor's Seed

2007-01-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to
choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or
his children, he decided something different.

He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It
is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have
decided to choose one of you."

The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give
each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to
plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with
what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants
that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"

One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others,
received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the
story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted
the seed and watered it carefully.

Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After
about 3 weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their
seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking
his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by.
Still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a
plant, and he felt like a failure. 6 months went by; still nothing
in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had
trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.

Ling didn't say anything to his friends. He just kept waiting for his
seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the
kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection.

Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot but
his Mother said he must be honest about what happened. Ling felt
sick to his stomach, but he knew his Mother was right.

He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed
at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were
beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the
floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry
for him and just said, "Hey nice try."

When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young
people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants,
trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of
you will be appointed the next emperor!"

All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room
with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front.
Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will
have me killed!"

When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is
Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him.
The emperor asked everyone to quiet down.

He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new
emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't
even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?

Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a
seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it
back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not
grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and
flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you
substituted another seed for the one I gave you.

Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot
with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new
emperor!"

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Looking for a perfect match? read this....

2007-01-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

One day Mulla Nasrudin and a good friend took a walk. "I’m getting married on tomorrow, Mulla," pronounced his friend very excitedly. "Isn’t marriage wonderful, Mulla! It is quite the best! Have you ever considered getting married, Mulla?" Nasrudin smiled. "In my youth I thought of nothing else. In fact, I so wanted to find the perfect wife I travelled the world searching for her. In Damascus, I met a beautiful woman who was spiritual, kind and loving, but she had no worldly knowledge. In Isphahan, I met a woman who was kind, loving and worldly, but she was not interested in the spiritual life?" "Where did you travel to next?" asked his friend. Nasrudin smiled, "I forget where, but I met a truly beautiful woman who was spiritual, kind, loving and worldly, but she could not communicate well. Finally, I went to Cairo and there, after much searching, I found the perfect wife. She was everything I had wanted her to be. She was perfect." "Then why did you not marry her, Mulla?" "Alas," said Nasrudin, shaking his head, "she was, unfortunately, looking for the perfect husband!"

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Motivation...

2007-01-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

This teenager lived alone with his mother, and the two of them had a very special relationship.

Even though the son was always on the bench, his mother was always in the stands cheering. She never missed a game.

This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his mother continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to. But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there.

He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years.

His faithful mother was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.

When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul into every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed.

The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his mother. His mother shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games. This
persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in the game. It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big playoff game, the coach met him with a telegram.

The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My mother died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?" The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said, "Take the rest of the week off,
son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday.

Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietly slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear.

As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man.

The coach pretended not to hear him. There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close playoff game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said.
"You can go in." Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes.

This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right. The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, blocked and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph.

The score was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown.

The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you've never heard!

Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it. You were fantastic!

Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?"

He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my mom died, but did you know that my mom was blind?"

The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Mom came to all my games, but today was the first time she could see me play, and I wanted to show her I could do it!"

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Two Choices

2007-01-04T22:00:00.001-08:00

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate. He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Jerry replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes it is," Jerry said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Jerry said. Soon thereafter, I left the restaurant industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that Jerry did something you are never supposed to do in a restaurant business. He left the back door open one morning and was held up at *** point by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness, slipped off the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local trauma center. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body.

I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he said, "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door," Jerry replied. "Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Jerry continued, "The paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, 'He's a dead man." I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big, burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Jerry. "She asked if I was allergic to anything."

'Yes,' I replied.

The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Bullets!' Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

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Attitude can change the Destiny

2007-01-04T21:59:00.001-08:00

During a momentous battle, a Japanese general decided to attack even though
his army was greatly outnumbered. He was confident they would win, but his
men were filled with doubt.

On the way to the battle, they stopped at a religious shrine. After praying
with the men, the general took out a coin and said, "I shall now toss this
coin. If it is heads, we shall win. If it is tails we shall lose."

"Destiny will now reveal itself."

He threw the coin into the air and all watched intently as it landed. It was
heads. The soldiers were so overjoyed and filled with confidence that they
vigorously attacked the enemy and were victorious.

After the battle. a lieutenant remarked to the general, "No one can change
destiny."

"Quite right," the general replied as he showed the lieutenant the coin,
which had heads on both sides

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Things can be Worser!!

2007-01-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

Letter from a girl to her Parents.

Dear Mom and Dad, or should I say Grandma & Grandpa,

Yes, I am pregnant. No, I’m not married yet since Larry, my boyfriend, is out of a job. Larry’s employers just don’t seem to appreciate the skills he has learned since he quit high school. Larry looks much younger than you, Dad, even though he is three years older. I’m quitting college and getting a job so we can get an apartment before the baby is born. I found a beautiful apartment above a 24-hour auto repair garage with good insulation so the exhaust fumes and noise won’t bother us.

I’m very happy. I thought you would be too.

Love,
Ashley

P.S. There is no Larry. I’m not pregnant. I’m not getting married. I’m not quitting school, but I am getting a “D” in Chemistry. I just wanted you to have some perspective.

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Do you believe in "Miracles" ?

2007-01-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

Tess was a precocious eight-year-old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn’t have the money for the doctor’s bills and our house.

Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, “Only a miracle can save him now.”

Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise.

Nothing.

She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster.

No good.

Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter.

That did it! “And what do you want” the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.

“I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages”, he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,” Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone.

“He’s really, really sick… and I want to buy a miracle.”

“I beg your pardon” said the pharmacist.

“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost”

“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the pharmacist said, softening a little.

“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.”

The pharmacist’s brother was a well dressed man.
He stooped down and askedthe little girl, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need”

“I don’t know,” Tess replied with her eyes welling up. “I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money”.

“How much do you have” asked the man from Chicago.

“One dollar and eleven cents,” Tess answered barely audibly. “And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.

“Well, what a coincidence,” smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents exact price of a miracle for little brothers.”

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well. Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.

“That surgery,” her Mom whispered, “was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost”

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost… one dollar and eleven cents…… plus the faith of a little child.

A miracle is not necessarily the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law……

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Do you know what you want?

2007-01-01T22:13:00.000-08:00

A management consultant, on holiday in a African fishing village, watched a little fishing boat dock at the quayside. Noting the quality of the fish, the consultant asked the fisherman how long it had taken to catch them.

"Not very long." answered the fisherman.

"Then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the consultant.

The fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The consultant asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, have an afternoon's rest under a coconut tree. In the evenings, I go into the community hall to see my friends, have a few beers, play the drums, and sing a few songs..... I have a full and happy life." replied the fisherman.

The consultant ventured, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you...... You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have a large fleet. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to a city here or maybe even in the United Kingdom, from where you can direct your huge enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the fisherman.

"Oh, ten, maybe twenty years." replied the consultant.

"And after that?" asked the fisherman.

"After that? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the consultant, laughing, "When your business gets really big, you can start selling shares in your company and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" pressed the fisherman.

"After that you'll be able to retire, move out to a small village by the sea, sleep in late every day, spend time with your family, go fishing, take afternoon naps under a coconut tree, and spend relaxing evenings havings drinks with friends..."

" That's what i,m doing right now", said the fisherman and went his way.

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Sharpen the SAW

2006-12-28T20:56:00.001-08:00

Once upon a time a very strong woodcutter ask for a job in a timber merchant, and he got it. The paid was really good and so were the work conditions. For that reason, the woodcutter was determined to do his best. His boss gave him an axe and showed him the area where he was supposed to work.

The first day, the woodcutter brought 18 trees "Congratulations," the boss said. "Go on that way!" Very motivated for the boss’ words, the woodcutter try harder the next day, but he only could bring 15 trees. The third day he try even harder, but he only could bring 10 trees.

Day after day he was bringing less and less trees. "I must be losing my strength", the woodcutter thought. He went to the boss and apologized, saying that he could not understand what was going on. "When was the last time you sharpened your axe?" the boss asked. "Sharpen? I had no time to sharpen my axe. I have been very busy trying to cut trees..."

Lesson- Invest in improving your skill

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Footprints...

2006-12-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

Dr. Robert Atkins
December 2004

Upon the shore, I walked with Him at even
And I looked back upon the path we’d trod
And in the sand I traced our way at even
And I was glad I’d walked through life with God:
For side by side we’d journeyed through together
All through the world’s wide wilderness of care
And side by side we’d journeyed through to even:
Safe at his side the Lord my God had brought me here.

But in my joy I caught a strain of sadness
To give me pause when thinking of my way
For on the shore I saw he’d left me lonely
When I had most the need of him to stay:
When I was tried he’d left me worn and wandering,
He’d left me lone when I was fighting fears,
He’d let me tread the steepest slopes in solitude
Before he came back to my side to dry my tears.

But then the Lord drew near to me in comfort
And in his tenderness he made it plain
That in the times when dread and darkness threatened
He was my shield and shelter from the pain:
For on his shoulders he was gently bearing
And on his shoulders I from harm was free:
The single trace of footprints of the Master,
The single trace of footprints shows he carried me.

So on the shore I walk with Him at even;
I face the latter days of life secure,
For if my pilgrimage reserves me sorrow
The footprints show that He is strong and sure:
If I am near the gates of heaven weary,
No longer strong enough to stride alone
The footprints show that he is there to carry me:
The footprints show the Lord my God will bear me home.

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Are you Stressed ....?

2006-12-26T02:47:00.000-08:00

A lecturer was giving a lecture to his student on stress management.

He raised a glass of water and asked the audience, "How heavy do you
think this glass of water is?"

The students' answers ranged from 20g to 500gm.

"It does not matter on the absolute weight. It depends on how long you
hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it is Ok.

If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold
it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance.

It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it
becomes."

"If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be
able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier."

"What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while before
holding it up again."

We have to put down the burden periodically, so that we can be refreshed
and are able to carry on.

So before you return home from work tonight, put the burden of work down.

Don't carry it back home. You can pick it up tomorrow.

Life is short, enjoy it

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Priorities in Life

2006-12-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

A professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When class began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks right to the top, rocks about 2" diameter.

He then asked the students if the jar was full? They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them in to the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed.

He asked his students again if the jar was full? They agreed that yes,it was.
The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this is your life.

The rocks are the important things - your family, your partner, your health, your children -anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed.

The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, house, or car.

The sand is everything else, the "small stuff."

"If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks.

The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important.

Pay attention to the things that are Important in your life and spend time on the Important.

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The Carpenter's House

2006-12-20T22:27:00.000-08:00

An elderly Carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front door key to the carpenter. "This is your house" he said , "my gift to you".

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house , he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none to well.

So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at a situation we have created and find that now we are living in the house we have built. If we had realized we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter . Think about you house . Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says,"Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

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What you...

2006-12-20T20:44:00.000-08:00

It is not what you earn but

what you save that makes you rich

It is not what you eat but

what you digest that makes you strong

It is not what you read but

what you remember that makes you learned.

It is not what you profess but

what you practice that makes you great.

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The Camel Story

2006-12-15T03:57:00.000-08:00

It is a conversation between a young camel and its mother.

Mother, may I ask you some questions?

Sure, why son, is there something bothering you?

Why do camels have humps?

Well son, we are desert animals, we need the humps to store water and we are known to survive without water.

OK, then why are our legs long and our feet rounded?

Son, obviously they are meant for walking in the desert better than anyone does.

OK, then why are our eyelashes long? Sometimes it bothers my sight.

My son, those long thick eyelashes are your protective cover. They help to protect your eyes from the desert sand and wind.

I see.

So the hump is to store water when we are in the desert, the legs are for walking through the desert and these eyelashes protect my eyes from the desert sand…

Just one more question

Mother…Yes, dear?

What the hell are we doing in the ZOO?!

Skills, knowledge, abilities and experiences are only useful if you are at the right place!

Where are you now?

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The Potato Story

2006-12-15T03:54:00.000-08:00

The Potato Story...

An old man lived alone in Minnesota. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work.His only son, who would have helped him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and mentioned his situation:

Dear Son,

I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my potato garden this year. hate to miss doing the garden, because your mother always loved planting time. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me, if you weren't in prison..............................Love, Dad

Shortly, the old man received this telegram: "For Heaven's sake, Dad, don't dig up the garden!! That's where I buried the GUNS!!"At 4 a.m.the next morning, a dozen FBI agents and local police officers showed up and dug up the entire garden withoutfinding any guns.

Confused, the old man wrote another note to his son telling him what happened, and asked him what to do next.His son's reply was: "Go ahead and plant your potatoes, Dad.......................... It's thebest I could do for you from here."

Moral:NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING DEEP FROM YOUR HEART, YOU CAN DO IT. IT IS THE THOUGHT THAT MATTERS NOT WHERE YOU ARE OR WHERE THE PERSON IS.

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My Favourite Poem

2006-12-15T01:19:00.000-08:00

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too,

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,

If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breath a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much,

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

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Never Give Up

2006-12-06T01:01:00.001-08:00

( A mail fwd)

One day I decided to quit... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with Lord Krishna.

"God Krishna", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit"

His answer surprised me... "Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year, the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.

And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo, he said.
"In year three, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.
"I would not quit." He said.

Then, in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.
Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive.

"I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots"

"I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you."

Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful."

"Your time will come", Lord Krishna said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise" He asked in return.

"As high as it can" I replied.

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest to bring back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that Lord Krishna will never give up on you.

Never Give up !!!

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