Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Essence of Time

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day.
What would you do? Draw out every cent? Of course !! Each of us has such a bank.
It's name is TIME.
Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds.
Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose.
It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you.
Each night it burns the remains of the day.
If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours.
There is no going back.
there is no drawing against the "tomorrow".
You must live in the present on today's deposits.
Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!
The clock is running.
Make the most of today!!!
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.
Time waits for no one.
Yesterday is history
Tomorrow is mystery
Today is a gift
That's why its called the present....
We so often neglect to show our friends our much we care.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Salty Coffee

He met her on a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but due to being polite, she promised.

They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, she thought, please, let me go home.. suddenly he asked the waiter: "would you please give me some salt? I'd like to put it in my coffee."

Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but, still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it.

She asked him curiously: why you have this hobby?

He replied: "when I was a little boy, I was living near the sea, I liked playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee. Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there".

While saying that tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched.

That's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart. A man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility of home..

Then she also started to speak, spoke about her faraway hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story.

They continued to date.

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

He was such a good person but she almost missed him! Thanks to his salty coffee! Then the story was just like every beautiful love story, the princess married to the prince, then they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said:

"My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life lie. This was the only
lie I said to you---the salty coffee.

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

I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything.. Now I'm dying, I afraid of nothing so I tell you the truth:

I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste.. But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life!

Since I knew you, I never feel sorry for anything I do for you. Having you with me is my biggest happiness for my whole life.

If I can live for the second time, still want to know you and have you for my whole life, even though I have to drink the salty coffee again".

Her tears made the letter totally wet.

Someday, someone asked her: what's the taste of salty coffee? It's sweet. She replied

Friday, December 26, 2008

Cupcakes and Rootbeer

There once was a little boy who wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with cupcakes, several cans of root beer and started on his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the 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 the lady looked hungry so he offered her a cupcake. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him.

Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he offered a root beer as well. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without saying a word.

As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to go home. He got up to leave but before he had gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman, giving her a big hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy arrived home his Mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked, What has made you so happy today He replied, I had lunch with God. Before his mother could respond he added, You know what She's got the most beautiful smile in the whole world!

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face. He asked, Mother, what has made you so happy today She replied, I ate cupcakes in the park with God. And before her son could reply, she added, You know, he is 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. Take no one for granted and embrace all equally with joy!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Ant

One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather cross my back terrace. Several times it was confronted by obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour.

At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about 10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side then continued on its way. I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this ant, one of God's smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also shares human failings.

After some time the ant finally reached its destination - a flower bed at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its match. How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole

Of course it couldn't. so the ant, after all this trouble and exercising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way, just abandoned the feather and went home.

The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden. Isn't life like that!

We worry about money or the lack of it, we worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things. These are all burdens - the things we pick up along life's path and lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we can't take them with us...

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Story of two mules

(show off expensive things at your peril, the more you have the more you have to lose)

Two mules travelled regularly together with their loads, from their town to the city. The first mule, a humble beast, wore a tatty cloak, and carried sacks of oats for the miller. The second mule was an arrogant animal, who wore a fine coat with jingling bells. He carried gold and silver coins for the tax collector, and loved to brag about his responsibility and importance. Running late one day, the second mule suggested taking a short-cut, off the main road, despite his companion's warnings about the risks of taking such a dangerous route. Sure enough, before too long, thieves attacked the second mule, stealing his valuable load, and leaving him injured by the roadside.
"But why me?" moaned the stricken animal, "I am attacked and robbed while the vagabonds leave you untouched?"
"I think even in this desperate place no thief would be interested in a poor miller's slave, or my humble load!" said the first mule, "But you ventured down this dangerous track and made a show of yourself - you have only yourself to blame."

Monday, December 22, 2008

The Best Is Yet to Come

She was dying. Her life was measured not in years...or months...but in weeks and days. She called the minister to her home to make her final preparations.

As they talked of her funeral, she listed the scriptures she wanted read and the hymns she wanted sung.

The the lady said to the minister, ''When I'm placed in my casket I want you to put a fork in my hand.'' Noticing the puzzled look on the minister's face, she asked if anything was wrong. ''Oh, no,'' he replied, ''but it's the first time anyone has made such an unusual request.''

So the lady began to explain. ''All my life I have attended church dinners and fellowships. Whenever we finished the meal, someone would come to collect the dishes and say, 'Keep your fork.'

I knew what this meant. The best was yet to come. There would be apple pie or chocolate cake or some other delicacy. And I know for me, the best is yet to come. My death is not a time of sadness but of celebration. So I want to have a fork put in my hand. You can tell the people why in your message.

The lady died. The minister meticulously followed her instructions. Everyone who passed the casket saw the fork in her hand, and everyone wondered, ''Why''
The scripture was read, the hymns were sung, the message was given and the story was told. Then everyone knew the reason for the fork and understood the amazing picture it portrayed.

I think I might like to be buried with a fork in my hand. The best is yet to come. Eternity...the Saviour...Heaven. And the best is yet to come even now...God's deepening grace...His powerful Presence...the smile of His approval.

Always keep a fork in your hand...not literally, but spiritually and mentally...and look for the best...now...and yet to come!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Dreaming....are you still dreaming? (Zen)

The great Taoist master Chuang Tzu once dreamt that he was a butterfly fluttering here and there. In the dream he had no awareness of his individuality as a person. He was only a butterfly. Suddenly, he awoke and found himself laying there, a person once again. But then he thought to himself, "Was I before a man who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I now a butterfly who dreams about being a man?"

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Monday Morning Greetings

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with Rs 86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day; allows you to keep no cash balance; every night deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do with such an account Draw out every penny, of course!!!

Every one of us has such a 'bank'. Its name is TIME. Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against tomorrow. You must live in the present -on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success!

The clock is running. Make the most of today!! And make it a great week ahead!!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Enjoy Where You Are

There is nothing which is intrinsically enjoyable. What one person enjoys, another person will despise. Enjoyment comes from your attitude toward a particular situation, not the situation itself.

Too many people search in vain for enjoyable activities, enjoyable relationships, enjoyable environments, and enjoyable entertainment. A much more successful strategy would be to stop searching and start enjoying.

The enjoyment is not in the activity. The enjoyment is in you. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, find a way to enjoy it. Sure, it's great when you aspire to bigger and better things. But don't fool yourself into thinking that they'll come pre-packaged with their own enjoyment. That is up to you.

Perhaps you didn't choose to be where you are, and it's great that you're committed to getting somewhere else. Yet while you're here, accept it and enjoy it. Enjoying where you are right now will take you a long way toward wherever else you wish to go.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Story of Robby

He was a young boy who lived with his elderly Mother. His mother wanted him to learn how to play the piano because she longed to hear her son play for her. She sent her son to a piano teacher who Took Robby in under her guidance.

However, there was one small problem Because Robby was not musically inclined and therefore was very slow in Learning.

The teacher did not have much faith in the boy because of his Weakness. The mother was very enthusiastic and every week she would send Robby to the teacher.

One day Robby stopped attending the piano lessons. The teacher thought that He had given up and in fact she was quite pleased since she did not give much hope to Robby. Not long after, the piano teacher was given the task to organize a piano concert in town. She sent out circulars to invite the Students and public to attend the event.

Suddenly, she received a call from Robby who offered to take part in the concert. The teacher told Robby that He was not good enough and that he was no longer a student since he had Stopped coming for lessons.

Robby begged her to give him a chance and Promised that he would not let her down.

Finally, she gave in and she put him to play last, hoping that he will Change his mind at the last minute. When the big day came, the hall was packed and the children gave their best performance. Finally, it was Robby's Turn to play and as his name was announced, he walked in. He was not in Proper attire and his hair was not properly groomed.

The teacher was really nervous since Robby's performance could spoil the whole evening's brilliant Performance.

As Robby started playing the crowd became silent and was amazed At the skill of this little boy. In fact, he gave the best performance of the evening. At the end of his presentation the crowd and the piano teacher gave him a standing ovation. The crowd asked Robby how he managed to play so brilliantly.

With a microphone in front of him, he said, "I was not able to attend the weekly piano lessons as there was no one to send me because my Mother was sick with cancer. She just passed away this morning and I wanted her to hear me play. You see, this is the first time she is able to hear me play because when she was alive she was deaf and now I know she is listening to me. I have to play my best for her!"


MORAL OF THE STORY:
This is indeed a touching story of love and excellence. When you have a
Passion and a reason to do something, you will surely excel. You may not be Talented or gifted but if you have a strong enough reason to do something, you will be able to tap into your inner God given potential.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Don't we all?

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times." "I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard keeps more than his face warm.
I said, "Thanks," and continued wiping off my car.
He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "Ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice.
"Do you need any help?" I asked.
He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.
I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me. "Don't we all?" he said.
I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don't we all?
I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that. You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos that only you through a torn world can see. Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in them.
Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, and then said, "Go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."
Don't we all?

Monday, December 15, 2008

Harsh Words

A woman bought eggs and butter from a farmer who had a fine reputation not only for the quality of his products, but also for his promptness of delivery.

Then one day, when she was expecting guests, he failed to come. On the next delivery, she spoke harshly to him. At the end of her tirade he said quietly, "I'm sorry if I caused you any inconvenience, but I had the misfortune of burying my mother yesterday."

Ashamed, the woman determined never to speak harshly to anyone again until she fully understood the cause of the delay.

WINNERS and LOSERS

¨ The Winner is always part of the answer;
The Loser is always part of the problem.
¨ The Winner always has a program;
The Loser always has an excuse.
¨ The Winner says, "Let me do it for you";
The Loser says, "That is not my job."
¨ The Winner sees an answer for every problem;
The Loser sees a problem for every answer.
¨ The Winner says, "It may be difficult but it is possible";
The Loser says, "It may be possible but it is too difficult."
¨ When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, "I was wrong";
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, "It wasn't my fault."
¨ A Winner makes commitments;
A Loser makes promises.
¨ Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes.
¨ Winners say, "I must do something";
Losers say, "Something must be done."
¨ Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart from the team.
¨ Winners see the gain;
Losers see the pain.
¨ Winners see possibilities;
Losers see problems.
¨ Winners believe in win-win;
Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose.

Remember: Some people succeed because they are destined to, But most people succeed because they are determined to.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-11

DOING GOOD
He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own. - Confucius

DOUBT
In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted. - Bertrand Russell

DREAMS
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. - Henry David Thoreau

To accomplish great things, we must dream as well as act. - Anatole France

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream. - From "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," (The Sound of Music)

All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them. - Walt Disney

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. - Mark Twain

"Dream is not what you see in sleep, dream is the thing which does not let you sleep." - President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Monday, October 27, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-10

DIPLOMACY
You’ve got to find some way of saying it without saying it. - Duke Ellington

Don't ever slam the door; you might want to go back. - Don Herold

Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment. - Benjamin Franklin

If you wouldn’t write it and sign it, don’t say it.

A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you look forward to the trip. - Cashie Stinnett

DISCERNMENT
Weigh the meaning and look not at the words. - Ben Jonson

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

As I grow older I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do. - Andrew Carnegie

DISCIPLINE
Do not consider painful what is good for you. - Euripides

Make it a point to do something every day that you don't want to do. This is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain. - Mark Twain

Self-discipline is the willingness to perform the acts that are beneficial to us that—for whatever reason—we don’t want to perform. - John McCormack

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do when it ought to be done whether you like it or not. It is the first lesson that ought to be learned and however early a person’s training begins, it is probably the last lesson a person learns thoroughly. - Thomas Huxley

It is one of the strange ironies of this strange life that those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest men. When you see 20 or 30 men line up for a distance race in some meet, don't pity them, don't feel sorry for them. Better envy them instead. - Brutus Hamilton

Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments - Jim Rohn

I never could have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence . . . the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time. - Charles Dickens

DOING
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. - Confucius

You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do. - Henry Ford

Doing something is different from thinking about doing something; it is more difficult because it requires more discipline and courage. - Nicholas Pratt

Doing something the first time is very hard.
Doing it the second time is easier.
Doing it the third time is easier still.
With persistence, eventually doing it becomes second nature. - Nicholas Pratt

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-9

DECISION
Whenever you’re called on to make up your mind,
And you’re hampered by not having any,
The simplest way to solve the dilemma you’ll find,
Is simply by flipping a penny.
No, not so that chance shall decide the affair,
As you’re passively standing there moping.
But as soon as the penny is up in the air,
You’ll suddenly know what you’re hoping. - Piet Hein, Grooks

“Sir, what is the secret of your success?” a reporter asked a bank president.
“Two words.”
“And, sir, what are they?”
“Right decisions.”
“And how do you make the right decisions?”
“One word.”
“And, sir, what is it?”
“Experience.”
“And how do you get experience?”
“Two words.”
“And, sir, what are they.”
“Wrong decisions.”

Make big decisions in the calm. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

DELEGATION
The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraining enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it. - Theodore Roosevelt

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. - George S. Patton, Jr.


DESIRE
You can have anything in this world you want, if you want it badly enough and you’re willing to pay the price. - Mary Kay Ash

Games are generally won by the boys with the greatest desire. - Paul Bear Bryant

DESTINY
Man is man because he is free to operate within the framework of his destiny. He is free to deliberate, to make decisions, and to chose between alternatives. - Martin Luther King

Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. - William Jennings Bryan

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-8

CONVERSATION
Take as many half minutes as you can get, but never talk more than half a minute without pausing and giving others an opportunity to strike in. One of the best rules in conversation is, never to say a thing which any of the company can reasonably wish had been left unsaid. - Jonathan Swift

COUNCIL
Never take the advice of someone who has not had your kind of trouble. - Siney J. Harris

Never trust the advice of a man in difficulties. - Aesop

Never give advice unless asked. - German proverb

COUNTRY
A man's feet should be planted in his country, but his eyes should survey the world. - George Santayana

COURAGE
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. - Ambrose Redmoon

You cannot run away from a weakness; you must sometime fight it out or perish. And if that be so, why not now, and where you stand? - Robert Louis Stevenson

Courage is resistance to fear. - Mark Twain

Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning. - Winston Churchill

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

COURTESY/PROPRIETY
When you are in Rome live in the Roman style; when you are elsewhere live as they live elsewhere. - Saint Ambrose

CREATIVITY
Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by originality, overcomes everything. - George Lois

CRITICISM
Rest satisfied with doing well, and leave others to talk of you as they please. - Pythgoras


DANGER
If you are out of trouble, watch for danger. - Sophocles

DARING
Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary. - Sir Cecil Beaton

To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily; Not to dare is to lose oneself. - Soren Kierkegaard

DECISIONS
In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing that you can do is nothing. - Theodore Roosevelt

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-7

COMMUNICATION
The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn't being said. - Peter F. Drucker

Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people. - William Butler Yeates

COMPLIMENTS
Learn how to pay compliments. Start with the members of your family, and you will find it will become easier later in life to compliment others. It's a great asset. - Letitia Baldrige

Don't tell a woman she's pretty; tell her there's no other woman like her, and all roads will be open to you. - Jules Renard

CONDUCT
Be neither too remote nor too familiar. - Charles, Prince of Wales

Be civil to all; sociable to many; familiar with few; friend to one; enemy to none. - Benjamin Franklin

CONFIDENCE
It is best to act with confidence, no matter how little right you have to it. - Lillian Hellman

Never let the fear of striking out get in your way. - George Herman

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. - Eleanor Roosevelt

CONTENTION
The best armor is to keep out of range. - Italian proverb

Above all things, never be afraid. The enemy who forces you to retreat is himself afraid of you at that very moment. - Andre Maurois

Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft! - Theodore Roosevelt

Keep your broken arm inside your sleeve. - Chinese proverb

CONTENTMENT
Enjoy your own life without comparing it with that of another. - Marquis de Condorcet

Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything. - Aesop

He who is content with little has everything.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-6

CHANGE
You have to really want to change to make a change. - Nicholas Pratt

You have to do things differently to get different results. - Nicholas Pratt

All conditions, good or bad, are temporary. - Nicholas Pratt

People can change but rarely do. - Nicholas Pratt

CHARACTER
A man's character is his fate. - Heraclitus

The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good. - Ann Landers

The true test of civilization is, not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the crops but the kind of man that the country turns out - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Nothing is more significant of men's character than what they find laughable. - Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Sow a thought, reap an act;
Sow an act, reap a habit;
Sow a habit, reap a character:
Sow a character, reap a destiny. - Anonymous

Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. - Abraham Lincoln

A truly successful personality knows how to overcome the past, use the present, and prepare for the future—but unless we can first surmount the past, we cannot effectively cope with either the present or the future. - Sydney J. Harris

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are. - John Wooden

CHARM
Charm is the quality in others that makes us more satisfied with ourselves. - Henri Frédéric Amiel

CHEMISTRY
The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. - Carl Gustav Jung.

CHOICE
Look at your choices, pick the best one, then go to work with all your heart. - Pat Riley

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Values... What Values???

Recently high-school values clarification class conducted by a teacher in Teaneck, New Jersey. A girl in the class had found a purse containing $1,000 and returned it to its owner. The teacher asked for the class's reaction. Every single one of her fellow students concluded the girl had been foolish. Most of the students contended that if someone was careless, they should be punished. When the teacher was asked what he said to the students, he responded, "Well, of course, I didn't say anything. If I come from the position of what is right and what is wrong, then I'm not their counsellor. I can't impose my views."

If we do not learn values from our parents and teachers, who do we learn them from? And when they don't teach us values, we pick them up by default from television and other such undesirable sources. No wonder society gets messed up. The teacher such as in the example above is not only irresponsible with distorted values but does not deserve to be teaching our kids.

Through generations, some values have crystallized as eternal and universal, which give us our clear “do’s and don’ts”.

... But today there is a concept of relative values and relative principles. Today’s concept of relative values says, “Everything is OK. What’s right for me, may not be right for you.”

If values are subjective and they keep changing from person to person and situation-to-situation, then they are not values at all. or are they???

Friday, October 17, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-5

BELIEF
"Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. It's the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice inside you that yells 'CAN'T", but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear the voice whisper 'can'. And you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are." - Unknown

When you believe and think I can, you activate your motivation, commitment, confidence, concentration, and excitement, all of which relate directly to achievement. - Jerry Lynch

The key to success is to determine your goal and then act as if it were impossible to fail—and it shall be! - Dorothea Brande

BOLDNESS
You've got to be brave and you've got to be bold. Brave enough to take your chance on your own discriminations—what's right and what's wrong, what's good and what's bad. - Robert Frost

What you can do, or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. - Goethe

Be bold and mighty powers will come to your aid. - Basil King

BOOKS
Learn to love good books. There are treasures in books that all the money of the world cannot buy, but that the poorest laborer can have for nothing. - Robert G. Ingersoll

Be as careful of the books you read, as of the company you keep; for your habits and character will be as much influenced by the former as by the latter. - Paxton Hood

BOREDOM/EXCITEMENT
Think excitement, talk excitement, act out excitement, and you are bound to become an excited person. Life will take on a new zest, deeper interest and greater meaning. You can think, talk, and act yourself into dullness or into monotony or into unhappiness. By the same process you can build up inspiration, excitement, and a surging depth of joy. - Norman Vincent Peale

BUSINESS
Don't open a shop unless you know how to smile. - Jewish proverb

The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows. - Aristotle Onasis

CAPABILITY
If you would be remembered, do one thing superbly well. - Saunders Norvell

Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, "Certainly I can!" Then get busy and find out how to do it. - Theodore Roosevelt

CAREER
Don't choose a profession just for money. Choose a profession as you would choose a wife—for love and for money. - John Huston

CAUTION
Measure a twice times and cut once. - Turkish proverb

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Greed!!...Where does it ends

There is a story about a wealthy farmer who was once offered all the land he could walk
on in a day, provided he came back by sundown to the point where he started. To get a
new start, early the next morning the farmer started covering ground quickly because he
wanted to get as much land as he could. Even though he was tired, he kept going all
afternoon because he didn't want to miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to gain more
wealth.

Late in the afternoon he realized the condition he had to fulfil to get the land was to get
back to the starting point by sundown. His greed had gotten him far enough. He started
his return journey, keeping an eye on how close he was to sundown. The closer it got to
sundown, the faster he ran. He was exhausted, out of breath and pushed himself beyond
the point of endurance. He collapsed upon reaching the starting point and died. He did
make it before sundown. He was buried and all the land he needed was a small plot.
There is a lot of truth in this story and a lesson to be learned. Whether the farmer was
wealthy or not, any greedy person would have ended the same way.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-4

ATTITUDE
If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself, tell yourself that you are not poet enough to call fourth its riches. - Rainer Maria Rilke

Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure. - Norman Vincent Peale

The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitude of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.

BEGINNINGS
Dare to be wise; begin! He who postpones the hour of living rightly is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses. - Horace

Omnium rerum principia parva sunt." [Everything has a small beginning.] - Marcus Tullius Cicero

The greatest achievements were at first and for a time dreams. The oak sleeps in the acorn. - James Allen

The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. - Mark Twain

BEHAVIOR
So live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now!" - Victor E. Frankl

BELIEF
Whether you think you can or think you can't—you are right. - Henry Ford

Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact. - William James

Belief that a problem can be solved is essential to its solution. - Nicholas Pratt

Your chances of success in any undertaking can always be measured by your belief in yourself. - Robert Collier

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you would like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost certain that you won’t.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger woman or man,
But sooner or later, those who win
Are those who think they can.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Choices

If live gives us rocks, don't sit back and blame life for that.
At every turn of our life, it gives us choices which we fail to recognise.

So when life gives you rocks,
It's still your choice whether to build a wall or to build a bridge.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-3

ANSWERING
When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, "Why do you want to know?" Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

ANXIETY
Do not . . . hope wholly to reason away your troubles; do not feed them with attention, and they will die imperceptibly away. Fix your thoughts upon your business, fill your intervals with company, and sunshine will again break in upon your mind. - Samuel Johnson

APPEARANCE
Keep up appearances; The world will give the credit for the rest. - Charles Churchill

Beware so long as you live, of judging people by appearances.
- La Fontaine
Be not deceived with the first appearance of things, for show is not substance. - English proverb

APPRAISAL
It's no use trying to sum people up. One must follow hints, not exactly what is said, nor yet entirely what is done. - Virginia Woolf

Let us take men as they are, not as they ought to be. - Franz Schubert

If you want to judge a man, take a look at his enemies. - Harry Golden

I usually make up my mind about a man in ten seconds, and I rarely change it. - Margaret Thatcher

ARGUMENT
Audi partem alterum.[Hear the other side] - Saint Augustine

ASKING/SEEKING
He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever. - Chinese proverb

Ask, and it shall be given you;
Seek, and ye shall find;
Knock, and it shall be opened unto you;
For every one that asketh receiveth;
And he that seeketh findeth;
And to him that knocketh it shall be opened. - Jesus of Nazareth

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Pessimists....Some people always look at the negative side

Robert Fulton invented the steamboat. On the banks of the Hudson River he was
displaying his new invention. The pessimists and the skeptics were gathered around to
observe. They commented that it would never start. Lo and behold, it did. As it made its
way down the river, the pessimists who said it would never go, started shouting that it
would never stop. What an attitude!

Another one....

There was a hunter who bought a bird dog, the only one of its kind in the world. That
could walk on water . He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw this miracle. At the
same time, he was very pleased that he could show off his new acquisition to his friends.
He invited a friend to go duck hunting. After some time, they shot a few ducks and the
man ordered his dog to run and fetch the birds. All day -long, the dog ran on water and
kept fetching the birds. The owner was expecting a comment or a compliment about his
amazing dog, but never got one. As they were returning home, he asked his friend if he had noticed anything unusual about his dog. The friend replied, "Yes, in fact, I did notice
something unusual. Your dog can't swim.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-2

ADVICE
Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself. - Cicero

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't. - Erica Jong

Seek advice from those only whom you deem competent to give it, and then you need not hesitate to follow it. Receive good advice gracefully, asked or unasked. - Charles Simmons

Write down the advice of him who loves you, though you like it not at present. - English proverb

Don't give cherries to a pig; don't give advice to a fool. - Irish proverb

AFFECTION
Talk not of wasted affection! Affection never was wasted. . . . - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

AGE
Every man desires to live long, but no man wishes to be old. - Jonathon Swift

Youth is not entirely a time of life; it is a state of mind. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old by deserting their ideals. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as your despair. In the central place of every heart, there is a recording chamber; so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer, and courage, so long are you young. - Douglas Mac Arthur

AIM
Thomas Carlyle was once talking to a young friend, and asked him what his aim in life was. The young man replied that he had none. "Get one, then, and get it quick," said Carlyle, sharply. "Make something your specialty. Life is a very uncertain affair. Knowing a little about five hundred things won't do us much good. We must be able to do something well, that our work will be needed and valuable." - Kate L. Gates

Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood....Make big plans, aim high in hope and work. - Daniel H. Burnham

AMBITION
Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too, can become great. - Mark Twain

First, you must be ambitious, but you must not be so nakedly aggressive that your fellow workers rise up and destroy you. "Tout soldat porte dans sa giberne le baton de marechal." [Every soldier has a marshal's baton in his knapsack.] Yes, but don't let it stick out. - David M. Ogilvy

Children, you must remember something. A man without ambition is dead. A man with ambition but no love is dead. A man with ambition and love for his blessings here on earth is ever so alive. Having been alive, it won't be so hard in the end to lie down and rest. - Pearl Bailey

ANGER
Anyone can become angry—that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way—that is not easy. - Aristotle, The Nichomachean Ethics

Never forget what a man says to you when he is angry. - Henry Ward Beecher

When anger rises, think of the consequences. - Confucius

Never do anything when you are in a temper, for you will do everything wrong. - Baltasar Gracian

Anger is what arouses you to challenge a situation. Aim to use it to improve things. Often, with it, you can change things. - Walter McQuade and Anna Aikman

Friday, October 10, 2008

Looking for Gold

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.

Several decades ago, a million dollars used to be a lot of money; even today it is a lot of money.
Someone asked Mr. Carnegie how he dealt with people?

Andrew Carnegie replied, "Dealing with people is like digging gold: When you go digging for an ounce of gold, you have to move tons of dirt to get an ounce of gold. But when you go digging, you don't go looking for the dirt, you go looking
for the gold."

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Timeless Quotes Part-1

ABSENCE

Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, just as the wind blows out a candle and fans a fire. - François de La Rouchefoucauld

ACCIDENT

I never did anything worth doing by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident. - Thomas Edison

ACHIEVEMENT

Everyone is trying to accomplish something big, not realizing that life is made up of little things. - Frank A. Clark

You may be disappointed if you fail but you are doomed if you don't try. - Beverly Sills

Let our children grow tall and some taller than others if they have it in them to do so. - Margaret Thatcher

Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability. - John Wooden

ACTION
Ideas are a dime a dozen. People who put them into action are priceless. - Unknown

Action is the basis of competition, execution, and achievement. - Nicholas Pratt

ADAPTATION
If you live in the river you should make friends with the crocodile. - Indian proverb

You must shift your sail with the wind. - Italian proverb

If the wind will not serve, take to the oars. - Latin proverb

ADVERSITY
Every adversity contains within it the seed of an equivalent or greater good. - Princess of Serendip

When one door of happiness closes another door opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us. - Hellen Keller

Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater one. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it. - William Hazlitt

Never give up. Never, never, never, never give up. - Winston Churchill

He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great. - Herman Melville

Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside them was superior to circumstance. - Bruce Barton

Give advice; if people don't listen, let adversity teach them. - Ethiopian proverb

Friday, August 22, 2008

The man who sold Hot Dogs

During the 1930s there was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. He was hard of hearing, so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes, so he read no newspapers. But he sold good hot dogs. He stood at the side of the road and cried: "Buy a hot dog, mister?” And people bought. He increased his meat and bun orders. He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.

Business was so good he brought his son home from college early to help him out. And his son said: "Father, haven't you been listening to the radio? Haven't you been reading the newspapers? The European situation is terrible. The domestic situation is worse."

The father thought to himself, "Well, my son's been to college, he reads the papers and he listens to the radio -- so he ought to know. So the father cut down his meat and bun orders, took down his signs, and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his hot dogs. And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight. The father said to the boy, "You're right, son, we certainly are in the middle of a great depression."

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Believe in yourself

There may be days when you get up in the morning and things aren't the way you had hoped they would be.

That's when you have to tell yourself that things will get better.

There are times when people disappoint you and let you down.

But those are the times when you must remind yourself to trust your own judgments and opinions, to keep your life focused on believing in yourself.

There will be challenges to face and changes to make in your life, and it is up to you to accept them.

Constantly keep yourself headed in the right direction for you.

It may not be easy at times, but in those times of struggle you will find a stronger sense of who you are.

So when the days come that are filled with frustration and unexpected responsibilities, remember to believe in yourself and all you want your life to be.

Because the challenges and changes will only help you to find the goals that you know are meant to come true for you.

Keep Believing in Yourself.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Respect the National Anthem, Respect the Nation

Watch this touching video... and Respect National Anthem and Respect the Nation

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Krishana - God of Gods

Take a look at my Krishana Web Album..




If you wish to download of them..
Direct link is here:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/naru6705/Krishna

Hare Krishan, Hare Krishan
Krishan Krishan Hare Hare...

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Attitude Determines Altitude

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfil today. I am important.

My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.

Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

Today I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new titbits of knowledge.

Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or I can feel honoured because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Success

Success eludes many people because they define it too narrowly. They see it only in superficial terms of money, or fame, or power, and completely miss the real essence of success.

If you strive solely for material wealth, or influence, or the praise of others, then you're merely pursuing the empty shell of success, without ever attaining success itself. Such an approach rarely ever works, and even when it does it quickly crumbles.

Real success comes from adding value to the world in your own special way. And every day presents you with an abundance of opportunities for doing that.

Today is no exception. This very day, you can be as successful as the world's most widely acclaimed billionaire, simply by using what you have, to do what you can.

Success is found in directing your life toward a meaningful purpose. No amount of money, or power, or fame can ever equal that.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Born to Win?

An eagle's egg was placed in the nest of a prairie chicken. The egg hatched and the little eagle grew up thinking it was a prairie chicken. The eagle did what the prairie chickens did. It scratched in the dirt for seeds. It clucked and cackled. It never flew more than a few feet because that is what the prairie chickens did. One day he saw an eagle flying gracefully and majestically in the open sky. He asked the prairie chickens: "What is that beautiful bird?" The chickens replied, "That is an eagle. He is an outstanding bird, but you cannot fly like him because you are just a prairie chicken." So the eagle never gave it a second thought, believing that to be the truth. He lived the life of and died a prairie chicken, depriving himself of his heritage because of his lack of vision.

What a waste! He was born to win, but was conditioned to lose.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Pessimists!

Robert Fulton invented the steamboat. On the banks of the Hudson River he was displaying his new invention. The pessimists and the skeptics were gathered around to observe. They commented that it would never start. Lo and behold, it did. As it made its way down the river, the pessimists who said it would never go, started shouting that it would never stop.

What an attitude!

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Looking for Gold?

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.

Several decades ago, a million dollars used to be a lot of money; even today it is a lot of money. Someone asked Mr. Carnegie how he dealt with people? Andrew Carnegie replied, "Dealing with people is like digging gold: When you go digging for an ounce of gold, you have to move tons of dirt to get an ounce of gold. But when you go digging, you don't go looking for the dirt, you go looking
for the gold."

Friday, July 11, 2008

Science and Spirituality

Lets take an example of how science and spirituality will deal with a situation and then proceed to understand the differences or similarities between them, if any.

Let us for our example study 'Hunger' as the subject. Science, tries to understand how hunger pangs develop, how our body and mind is able to know hunger, what physical changes happen within our stomach and what communication takes place through our nerves. That's science for us.

Whereas spirituality tells us to experience hunger once.

Science is useful in situations where a person who has experienced hunger is curious to know how the whole dynamics of hunger work. Where as spirituality is useful, when a person wants to understand what hunger is.

Science deals with intellectually understanding a particular subject, whereas spirituality deals with the experiencing.

Science focuses on 'doing', spirituality focuses on 'being'.

David and Goliath

There was a giant who was bullying and harassing the children in the village.

One day, a 17-year-old shepherd boy came to visit his brothers and asked, "Why don't you stand up and fight the giant?" The brothers were terrified and they replied, "Don't you see he is too big to hit?" But David said, "No, he is not too big to hit, he is too big to miss."

The rest is history. We all know what happened. David killed the giant with a sling. Same giant, different perception.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

the Chickens story...

This is allegedly a true story. Engineers at a major aerospace company were instructed to test the effects of bird-strikes (notably geese) on the windshields of airliners and military jets. To simulate the effect of a goose colliding with an aircraft travelling at high speed, the test engineers built a powerful gun, with which they fired dead chickens at the windshields. The simulations using the gun and the dead chickens worked extremely effectively, happily proving the suitability of the windshields, and several articles about the project appeared in the testing industry press.

It so happened that another test laboratory in a different part of the world was involved in assessing bird-strikes - in this case on the windshields and drivers' cabs of new very high speed trains. The train test engineers had read about the pioneering test developed by the aerospace team, and so they approached them to ask for specifications of the gun and the testing methods. The aerospace engineers duly gave them details, and the train engineers set about building their own simulation.

The simulated bird-strike tests on the train windshields and cabs produced shocking results. The supposed state-of-the-art shatter-proof high speed train windshields offered little resistance to the high-speed chickens; in fact every single windshield that was submitted for testing was smashed to pieces, along with a number of train cabs and much of the test booth itself.

The horrified train engineers were concerned that the new high speed trains required a safety technology that was beyond their experience, so they contacted the aerospace team for advice and suggestions, sending them an extensive report of the tests and failures.

The brief reply came back from the aero-engineers: "You need to defrost the chickens...."

A person who had feelings....

Once there was a very small person who had feelings. They had many feelings and felt them every day. Their family liked them when they showed their feelings, so the very small person started to wear their feelings on their sleeve. One day one of the small person's parents said that they didn't like to see the FEAR feeling any more, so the small person tried to pull it off. The parent said that they would give the small person some TOUGH to cover over their FEAR. The small person found it very difficult to cover the FEAR with the TOUGH, so the other parent and the grandparents all helped. It took many days. "Now you look wonderful," said the parents when it was done. "We've covered some of your feelings with TOUGH, and you'll grow into a strong person."

The small person grew a little older and found a friend. The friend also wore their feelings on their sleeve. The friend said one day, "My parents want me to cover up my LONELY feelings, and to be different from now on." And they were. The small person decided to cover over their LONELY feelings too, and they got ANGRY from another adult. The small person put big patches of ANGRY on top of their LONELY. It was hard work to cover over the LONELY feelings.

One day when the small person (who was now not so small) went to school some of their LONELY feelings started to show. So the teacher kept them behind an gave them some GUILT to cover their LONELY feelings. Sometimes when alone at night the person would look at their feelings. The would pull off the TOUGH and ANGRY and GUILT to look at their LONELY and FEAR. Then they would have to take a long time putting the TOUGH, ANGRY and GUILT back again.

One night the person noticed that their LONELY and FEAR were growing, and beginning to stick out from under the patches. So the person had to go out to find some more ANGRY to cover the LONELY, and got all the TOUGH that their parents could spare to cover their FEAR.

The person grew older and became very popular because everyone said that they could hide their feelings well. The person's parents said one day that they had a PROUD feeling because the person had been so TOUGH. But the person could not find anywhere to put the PROUD feeling because the TOUGH was getting so big. The person had trouble finding room on their sleeve for any other feelings - the TOUGH and the ANGRY were all that showed.

Then after a time the person met another person and they became friends. They thought that they were a lot alike because they both had only TOUGH and ANGRY feelings that showed. One day the friend told the person a secret: "I'm not really like you - my TOUGH and ANGRY are only patches to cover over my LONELY and my FEAR." The friend pulled back the edge of their TOUGH and showed the person their FEAR; just for a second.

The person sat quietly and did not speak. Then carefully they too pulled back the edge of their TOUGH and showed their FEAR. The friend saw the LONELY underneath. Then the friend gently reached out and touched the person's FEAR, and then the LONELY....... The friend's touch was like magic. A feeling of ACCEPTANCE appeared on the person's sleeve, and the TOUGH and ANGRY had become smaller. The person then knew that whenever someone gave them ACCEPTANCE, they would need less TOUGH, and then there would be more room to show PROUD..... SAD ....... LOVING.... STRONG.... GOOD.... WARM... HURT... FEAR....

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Big Rocks Of Life

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, Okay, time for a quiz, and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him.
He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, is this jar full
Everyone in the class yelled, Yes.
The time management expert replied, Really
He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.
He then asked the group once more, Is the jar full
By this time the class was on to him. Probably not, one of them answered.
Good! he replied.
He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.
Once more he asked the question, Is this jar full
No! the class shouted.
Once again he said, Good.
Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.
He looked at the class and asked, What is the point of this illustration
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!
No, the speaker replied, that's not the point. The truth is, this illustration teaches us that if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all.
What are the 'big rocks' in your life, time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others Remember to put these 'big rocks' in first or you'll never get them in at all. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question What are the 'big rocks' in my life Then, put those in your jar first.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Why Me? Oh GOD.....Why Me??

Arthur Ashe, the legendary Wimbledon player was dying of AIDS which he got due to infected blood he received during a heart surgery in 1983. From world over, he received letters from his fans, one of which conveyed:
'Why does GOD have to select you for such a bad disease'?
To this Arthur Ashe replied:
'The world over --
50 million children start playing tennis,
5 million learn to play tennis,
500,000 learn professional tennis,
50,000 come to the circuit,
5000 reach the grand slam,
50 reach Wimbledon,
4 to semi final,
2 to the finals,
when I was holding a cup I never asked GOD 'Why me?' .....
And today in pain I should not be asking GOD 'Why me?' '

'Happiness keeps you Sweet,
Trials keep you Strong,
Sorrow keeps you Human,
Failure keeps you humble and Success keeps you glowing,
but only Faith & Attitude Keeps you going...

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

The Road NOT Taken...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.


--Robert Frost

"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is a poem that seems simple and direct but actually has a two-fold meaning. Frost lures in the readers with a rhythmic poem that could have a figurative or literal meaning depending upon the reader's assessment.

Literally, "The Road Not Taken" is about a traveler who is walking in the woods and has come upon two roads. The traveler cannot travel both roads and thus must make a decision which one to walk. He evaluates both roads and chooses the road less traveled realizing that he cannot back. The poem ends by the traveler stating that his choosing the road less traveled has made all the difference.

Figuratively, "The Road Not Taken" can be applied to a person's life. The traveler is a person who has two choices, which are represented in the poem by the two roads in the woods. The person takes the time to consider both choices and all sides to them by examining the paths. The traveler cannot come back to the other road and as in life if a choice is made, it is impossible to redo. The person must choose between the choices many make or the choice that few make.

My interpretation of the meaning of the Poem: Life if all about making choice, it offers you options all the time, and it's upto you to choose the path and move on....

Whatever choice you make, will have some influence on your circle of life(s).

Monday, June 23, 2008

Nachiketa - very old story of an obedient Indian child

There is an inspiring story in the Kath Upanishad about a little boy named Nachiketa. He was the son of Udalak rishi. Once Udalak organized a yagna to please the deities. It was customary in those days to donate cows to Brahmins at the end of the yagna. Udalak was a miser and he donated old and weak cows to the Brahmins. None of the cows yielded any milk. This disturbed Nachiketa. He asked his father about it, "Father, to whom would you give me in charity?" This made his father very angry, but he decided not to say anything. When Nachiketa repeated the question, Udalak lost his temper and said, "I give you to Yama (Lord of Death)." Yama is the king of Yamapuri-hell. Hearing this Nachiketa went to Yama's kingdom. It was his father's command. It would not be proper for him to disobey his father. 'I should fulfil his wish,' thought Nachiketa, even if it means leaving home.

However his father realized his mistake and tried to stop him but Nachiketa did not stop. He reached Yama's kingdom and was told by Yama's guards that he had gone out for three days. Nachiketa decided to wait at his doorstep till he returned . He waited for three days. No food, no water. Three fasts ! Yama returned on the fourth day and saw little Nachiketa at his doorstep. He felt pained for keeping a Brahmin waiting without welcoming him, without food and water. It was a sin not to welcome an atithi -guest at the doorstep. He scolded his wife Yami for not welcoming him. Both rushed around the house to serve Nachiketa. One went to fetch water. The other brought a mat for him to sit on. Yama still did not feel completely satisfied in serving him. So he told Nachiketa, " Dear child, I have offended you by keeping you waiting for three days. To wash my sin I request you to ask for three boons."

Then Yama spoke to Nachiketa: "Since thou, an honored guest, you have waited in my house three days unfed, ask of me three boons in return, I shall grant them". Then first he prayed: " Grant to my father peace and to know and welcome me when I return." Yama answered: "Be it so." Nachiketa asked again: " In the Heaven-world there is no fear; there is neither hunger, nor old age, nor fear of death. Reveal to me the sacred fire that leads to Heaven and immortality." Then Yama described the sacred fire- what stones for its altar, and how disposed; and Nachiketa said it over, learning the lesson taught by Yama. Yama spoke again: " I grant thee, furthermore, that this sacred fire be known for ever by thy name; thine is the fire that leads to Heaven, thy second boon."

Nachiketa asked again: " The great mystery of what cometh after death; he is, some say; others say, he is no more. This great doubt I ask thee to resolve." Yama replied: " Even the gods of old knew not this; this is a matter hard to be learnt; ask me any other boon only ask not of death." But Nachiketa insisted to resolve mystery after death and no other boon. Yama explained that the goal of sacred wisdom, of goodly works and faith, is Om! This word is Brahman, the supreme. He who doth comprehend this word, whatever he desires is his.

Thus having learnt the wisdom taught by Yama, and finding Brahman, Nachiketa was freed from death.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Power of Passion

The story is told that a dispassionate young man approached the Greek philosopher Socrates and casually stated, "O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge".

The philosopher took the young man down to the sea, waded in with him, and then dunked him under the water for thirty seconds. When he let the young man up for air, Socrates asked him to repeat what he wanted.

Knowledge, only O great one," he sputtered. Socrates put him under the water again, only that this time it was a little longer. After repeated dunking and responses, the philosopher asked, "what do you want"? The young man finally gasped, "Air; I want air!"

"Good," answered Socrates. "Now, when you want knowledge as much as you wanted air, you shall have it."

The are no two ways about it. If you want anything badly enough, you can find the willpower to achieve it. The only way to have that kind of desire and willpower is to develop passion.

Passion is everything:

A sociologist observed, "We are caught up at a particular stage in our national ethos in which we're not only materialistic but worse than that, we're becoming emotionally dead as people. We don't sing, we don 't dance, we don't even commit sin with much enthusiasm."

If you look at the lives of successful individuals, you will find that they often don't fit into a stereotypical mold. For example, more than 50 percent of all CEOs in the country had 'C' or 'C-' grade averages in higher institutions. Nearly 80 percent of all Nigerian presidents were in the bottom half of their school classes.

And more than 65 percent of all millionaire entrepreneurs never went to higher institution or never finished. What makes it possible for people who might seem ordinary to achieve great things? It is passion. Nothing can take this place of passion in their lives.

For you to achieve anything in life, passion must come first. Think of great leaders, and you will be struck by their passion: Zik for One Nigeria, Gandhi for human rights, Churchill for freedom, Martin Luther King Jr. for equality, Bill Gates for technology, Mother Teresa for service to the poor, Robert W. Woodruff for coke at every table etc.

These men live beyond an ordinary life and have great desire. Call it passion, commitment or conviction. Whatever the name, powerful leaders have it in large measure. They also insist on sharing it, constantly. Their passion is not directionless. It is sharply focused around what they want to achieve. It is concentrated and, like a laser beam, cuts through objections, obstacles and negativity. It is hard to say no to someone who cares so strongly about something and difficult to resist being drawn into their vision and becoming engaged.

It is passion that causes people to stay up late and get up early. It' s passion that helps relationship flourish. Passion gives life power, energy and meaning. There is no greatness without a passion to be great, whether it's the aspiration of an athlete or an artist, a scientist, a parent or a businessman...

Whenever anything fires our soul, impossibilities vanish....so don't under rate the power of passion.

See you over the top!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Knowing What Matters Most

The Long Wait
A man came home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 years old son waiting for him at the door.

"Daddy, may I ask you a question?" "Yeah, sure, what is it?" replied the man. "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily. "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" pleaded the little boy. "If you must know, I make $20 an hour." "Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down, looking up, he said, "Dad, may I please borrow $10?"

Angry Reaction
The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday and don't have time for this childish behavior."

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

Second Thoughts
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10 and he really didn't ask for money very often.

The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep, son?" He asked. "No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy. "I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier" said the man. "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $10 you asked for."

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

Angry Again
The man seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.

"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.

"Daddy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."

Ashamed
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.

Moral of the the Story
This is just a reminder to all of us who are working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent sometime with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $20 worth of your time with someone you love.

If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family and friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

NINE REQUISITES FOR CONTENTED LIVING

1. HEALTH enough to make work a pleasure.
2. WEALTH enough to support your needs.
3. STRENGTH to battle with difficulties and overcome them.
4. GRACE enough to confess your sins and forsake them.
5. PATIENCE enough to toil until some good is accomplished.
6. CHARITY enough to see some good in your neighbor.
7. LOVE enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.
8. FAITH enough to make real the things of God.
9. HOPE enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.

Believe...because, we walk by faith not by sight!

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children. The teacher asked a little boy:

Tommy do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.
TOMMY: Okay. (He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God?
TOMMY: No.
TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there. He doesn’t exist.

A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions. The teacher agreed and the little girl asked the boy: Tommy, do you see the tree outside?

TOMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yessssss (getting tired of the questions by this time).
LITTLE GIRL: Did you see the sky?
TOMMY: Yessssss
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?
TOMMY: Yes
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?
TOMMY: No
LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school, she must not have one!

"FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT" -- II CORINTHIANS 4:7

Monday, June 16, 2008

Know Your Value!

A well-known speaker started off his public speech in a strange manner – by holding up a Rupee 1000 Note !! Holding up the Note high in the air in one of his hands, he addressed the eagerly looking curious audience, "Who would like this Rupee 1000 Note?"

With great cheers almost all of them raised their hands with the shout, "I want it", "I want it" !! He said, "Oh! that's nice. Well, I am going to give this Note to one of you... But, first let me do this." Then, he crumpled the Note in his hands vigorously & now showed the awkwardly wrinkled 1000 Rupee Note by holding up high in his hand.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

The same hands went up in the air this time too.

"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 like a mad man. It seemed he is deriving great merriment in his unusual act. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. It was so smudgy that no one could recognise it now as a 1000 Rupee Note. "Now who still wants it?" Strangely, now also, all the hands were up in the air with equal cheers & spirit.

Now he addressed his audience with great feeling. "My friends," said he, "You have all learned a very valuable lesson today. No matter what I did to this valuable Rupee Note, all of you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth the same - Rs.1000/-

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt of shame & insult by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come in 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. In the eyes of God, you are the same "most precious jewel of His".

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

Friday, June 13, 2008

God - The Almighty

A conversation between a student and professor, I bet you certainly would not like to miss.......

:Narinder Sharma.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God - The Almighty.

He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof : Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student : Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.

Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent..)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?

Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student : No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof:So, who created them? (Student has no answer.)
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you.
Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God?
Prof: Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist.

Prof: What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat.

But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold . Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat . We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy . Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it.

Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going..)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain,sir.

With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH . That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

My wife forwarded this email to me (which was of-course sent to her by some of her friend..); But it does not loose any value because I picked up from an forwarded email. Life is much more than we understand and we think have understood........I found this article mind grinding.. a food for our brain... to break the illusion and rise to epiphany. Email claimed that this is a true conversation that happened; and the student was none other than..........APJ Abdul Kalam, the former president of India.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Story of two little mice...in milk

Once a big fat Mouse and a lively little Mouse were hopping along together when they had the misfortune of jumping into a pail of fresh milk. They swam for hours and hours hoping to get out somehow; but the sides of the pail were steep and slippery and death seemed to be certain.

When the big Mouse was exhausted he lost courage. There seemed no hope of rescue. "Why keep struggling against the inevitable? I cannot swim any longer." He moaned.
"Keep on! Keep on!" urged the little Mouse, who was still circling the pail. So they went on for a while. But the big Mouse decided it was no use.
"Little brother, We may as well give up" he gasped. "I am going to quit struggling."Now only the little Mouse was left.
He thought to himself. "Well, to give up is to be dead, so I will keep swimming."

Two more hours passed and the tiny legs of the determined little Mouse were almost paralysed with exhaustion. It seemed as if he could not keep moving for another minute. But he thought of his dead friend, and repeated,
"To give up is to be meat for someone's table, so I'll keep paddling on until I die – if death is to come – but I will not cease trying – while there is life, there is hope."

Intoxicated with determination, the little Mouse kept on swimming around and around the pail, chopping the milk into white waves. After a while, just as he felt completely numb and thought he was about to drown, he suddenly felt something solid under him.

To his astonishment, he saw that he was resting on a lump of butter which he had churned by constant paddling! And so the successful little Mouse leaped out of the milk pail to freedom.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

This is a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.


"There was an important job to be done and

Everybody was asked to do it.

Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did.

Somebody got angry (about that) because it was Everybody's job.

Everybody knew that Anybody could do it,

but Nobody realised that Somebody wouldn't do it.

And Everybody blamed Somebody because Nobody did what Anybody could have done."

Amazing story about assumption....

Monday, June 09, 2008

An Obstacle In Your Path

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock.

Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse laying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king with a Note that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.

The peasant learned what many of us never understand.

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

Friday, June 06, 2008

Peoples... Life Lesson

I was busy since past few weeks and could not blog during these days. Anyway, I am back now and will try to post regularly again. -- Narinder Sharma

Here is a life lesson I learnt in hard way recently:

There are three classes of people:
1. Those who see.
2. Those who see when they are shown.
3. Those who do not see.

This lesson might not stride at all to many of you..I know, but it's again because there are 3 different classes of people we see, we meet and we deal with everyday..........So think about it and you might just to second category from the third (above)

Cheers.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Hinduism - Hindu Religion - a positive way of Life (part-2)

The history of religions illustrates the tragic effect of intolerant and exclusive faiths.

God has no special favourites.

God as a jealous one and there will be no peace in the religious world.

According to the भगवद गीता (Bhagavad Gita): "I am alike to all being."
"None is hateful or dear to me But those who worship me with devotion are in me and I in them"

Hindu seer has no contempt for other religions. He does not believe that salvation is to be had only through any one particular religion. God does not refuse his truth, his love and his grace to any who, in sincerity, seek him, wherever they may be and whatever creeds they may profess. It is unfair to God's love and mercy to assume that he left millions of men to stagnate for thousands of years, practically without hope in the darkness of ignorance.

The word Hindu is a geographic rather than a religious term. Hindus call their religion सनातन धर्मं (Sanatana Dharma)- 'Eternal law'.

It is based on the practice of धर्मं (Dharma), the code of life. Since Hinduism has no founder, anyone who practices Dharma can call himself a Hindu.

Knowledge, vision, wisdom, is the goal of the Vedas/Upanishads. It is a new kind of thinking in which the whole man in implicated. The aim is not intellectual conformity to inherited doctrine, but one of attainment of knowledge. He can question the authority of any scripture, or even the existence of the Divine. Hinduism extends into every aspect of the believer's life.

Hindus have never been communal. They represent an ancient civilization not known either to draw a boundary between the faithful and the faithless, the blessed and the damned, or to engage in heresy hunting and its counterpart, persecution of other faiths.

J. Abbe Dubois, (1765-1848) French missionary, has said that India is:
"the only nation perhaps in the universe which has never sunk into barbarism, and which...may deserve to fix the attention of the philosopher."

To the Hindu, religion is an awareness of ultimate reality, not a theory about it; religion is psychology and method rather than theology and dogma. Hindus have been able to rise above their biological boundaries and roam at will in transcendental realms from which the intellect is forever barred.

Hinduism is life style, where human beings are exalted to God himself. Everyone is God - a minute God. All living beings, human, animals and plants do have an element of God, the soul and again a part of a kind of suzerainty.

हरे राम हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण, हरे हरे
हरे कृष्ण हरे राम, राम राम, हरे हरे

Hare Rama Hare Krishna , Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Hinduism is not a religion of the book: it is a 'heard' tradition. Its scriptures are recited, or sung not read. Though the Rig Veda is very ancient, it was not written down until almost 3,000 years later.

more to come in part-3 of this multi part series...

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Life Lessons: Two Days Without Worry

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens,its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.Tomorrow’s sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born.This leaves only one day, Today. Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities, Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring. Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.