Really... Touching Story

Year : 1975
Situation : Last day of school
Arjun Singh and Pargat Singh are very close friends. The whole school talked about their friendship. They had been friends right from their kindergarten days.
They have studied together, roamed around together, sat together in school, ate together.
They both wanted to become Police officials and serve the country.But today was a day they always dreaded. It was their last day together.



On their way back from School Arjun started talking

Arjun : Bro! I am moving to a different city to study. I will miss you man
Pargat: I will miss you too mate. But nothing can break our friendship. We will at least meet once every year.
Arjun: Yes that is a deal

and they parted with tears in their eyes...
As time went by, both got busy with their work life.
They kept their promise for two years and after that they moved on with their own lives and in the process Arjun lost his contact with Pargat. Time went by and both became Police Officers


Year: 2009
Venue: The Police station where Arjun works

Tring... Tring...

Arjun picks up the call and he gets a pleasant surprise...

"Is this Arjun?"
"Yes. Who is on the line?"
" Bro. Its Pargat! I just found out that you are posted in this station"

Tear drops welled up Arjun's eyes

Arjun: Where are you?
Pargat: I am standing outside the Police station. Come Out
Arjun: Is it? I am coming right away.

Arjun rushed out of the Police station and saw Pargat standing outside. They were seeing each other for the first time after thirty years. He wanted to go and hug his friend. But he could not hug his friend. It was a very touching moment for both of them

How humans change when their status changes

There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, "now that you can see the world, will you marry me?" The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him.

Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying,
"JUST TAKE CARE OF MY EYES PLEASE"

This is how humans change when their status changes. Only few remember what life was before, and who has always been there in the most painful situations.

Murphy's law for kids

Here is the list...

1) The susu will happen immediately after donning fresh under wear

2) Only stuff which ought not to will end up in the baby's mouth

3) The baby will start crying just as soon as you sit down to have your food

4) Invariably, they wake up early on weekends depriving you of your extra few hours of sleep, while sleep on & on on weekdays making you/them late for work/school

5) They will need diaper change / want to go potty only when you are traveling

6) They will be hale & healthy all through and will fall sick only when we have some important meeting or an otherwise important engagement

7) The toy which till now lay neglected suddenly gains all importance when some other kid tries to touch it

8) They will always end up doing the very opposite thing that you want them to do

9) The more time you spend on preparing delicious food, the less they like it

10) Kids don't misquote us. They repeat word by word that we should not have uttered in the first place.

Someone Special

A river is joined by various tributaries on its journey to the ocean. Our life too is beautified by many a people who add their own flavor to it. Some walk way, but a few stay on until the journey ends. It is those few who make a difference to the story of one’s life.

One such person could change a life time. And that one person becomes a prized possession. There eventually comes a time when the mere presence of such a person could mean the world to you. You learn to accept the person as he is. Not wanting to fit him into your frame. You learn to accept that person as a part of your life, while learning not to have expectations. You learn to give, without wanting to ask back for anything.

You enter a phase where you cherish every moment of the present without wanting any promise for the future. Showering your love on such a person becomes a life changing experience, for the reason that it is unconditional. You do it when you know that you may never get back the same. You do it even when you are aware of the fact that your love may never be returned in the way you would want it to be. Yet, you live on, to love. Why? Because its more important that such a person remains a part of your life. It doesn’t really matter what name the relationship can be given. However it EXISTS. This truth can keep you going, adding more value to your life until you reach your final destination.

Seeing that someone happy could not only make your day, but it could make your LIFE.

Decide Your Future

Lines that change Life…

We are all here for some special reason.

“Stop being prisoner of your past.

Become the architect of your future.”

Self Esteem

This post is going to help you to feel better about yourself and raise your positive feelings of self esteem. It can help you to feel better about who you are.
This is so important to how you act and feel and are successful in the world.

1. Make a list of all the things you feel are your strengths. You may not feel you have any or many, but this is not true. Being kind to other people is a definite strength.

2. Commit to changing those things about yourself you consider as being low self esteem. Think about ways you can overcome the things about yourself you consider as being low in esteem, such as laziness,meanness, disorganization. This is not as hard as you might imagine.


3. Think of things you are good at doing, or projects you can undertake the use these strengths and also develop them. This can get you a lot way in developing your positive feelings about yourself.

4. Look at the people you deal with on a daily basis, whether it is a friend, family member, or co-worker. Do any of these people criticize
you unjustly? You need to distance yourself from people like this and
resolve to not let his or her opinion affect you.

5. People will respond positively to you if you act confidently. This will increase your self esteem and also your self image. DO NOT let peoples judging you affect how you react to them and others in your world. Remember that you DO have control over your situation. If you are feeling down about a character flaw, remind yourself that you can take action to change this and change your life and your future.

Share your problems
with someone special.

Educate yourself to
make good choices.

Learn to respect
yourself and others,too.

Follow the advice
of people you love.


Expand your unique
talents with practice.

Stay safe- stay away from
gangs, alcohol, and other drugs.

Think before you act -
you can become a problem solver.

Earn the respect of your
family be acting responsibility.

Everyone makes
mistakes - dont stop trying.

Make the best of who you are -
your dreams will come true!

How to Be a Better, Positive Person

We all have good days, and bad days. Here are a few tips that can help brighten your day.

1. Everything that you say or do has an effect on other people, either positive or negative.

Strangers are even affected by your actions, such as being snippy towards a sales person. You affect them, they affect others.....and so on.

2. If some one is rude towards you, try to "force" yourself to just smile and act friendly instead of lashing back at them. By acting positive, you are not allowing the other person to negatively affect you.

Your smile could also change the other person's attitude, and you can brighten their day.

3. One of the best ways to prevent hurting those you care about, as well as strangers, is to think of your words before you say them. Don't impulsively speak, allow yourself time to think first.

Try to think about how you would feel if something negatively were said to or about you.

4. If you are good at doing something, or have a natural talent, use your talent in creative ways. Don’t neglect your natural abilities or talents, you'll be a happier person, inside & out, if you take care of yourself and do what makes you happy.

5. Take time to recognize what you are not good at, and try to make improvements. This will help your self-esteem. Even the smallest improvement can boost your esteem.

6. People, (women, especially) tend to neglect themselves while tending to children, families, work, household chores, etc.

Don't forget to take care of yourself, give yourself some "alone-time" to do what you want to do. Take a day & go shopping, or read a book. If you have a hobby, make the time for it

7. Take the time to thank your spouse, friends, family - for being there for you. It will make you feel good about yourself knowing that they know how you truly feel.

Think Before You Act

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes.
But the actions we take while in a rage, will haunt us forever.

Pause and ponder.
Think before you act.
Be patient.

Think before you speak

What you say and how you communicate can make a big difference in how people respond to you. Your words can take you places or can come back to haunt you when you least expect.
Communication is very important in any relationship, especially for a healthy one. We hear this repeatedly and every good book promotes this sentiment. We try to communicate but we forget the next important lesson. How to communicate? Some suggest, "don't say anything if you don't have anything good to say," which is also good advice if we want to be quiet most of the time. If we are rude or blunt and no one wants to talk to us then we will be having a lot of conversations with ourselves. "Weigh your words before you speak," now there might be a lot of wisdom in this old saying and it might save you and others a lot of stress and grief. Just think about it.

If we write a letter to someone, we usually read it over at least once to make sure it sounds alright. We usually check for grammar and spelling before we send it off. But when we speak, we just say whatever comes to our mind without giving a second thought to our words or even the tone.

"The least amount said is better in a disagreement."

You could hurt someone unknowingly with the words you speak or the way you say them. Once the words leave your mouth, it is impossible to take them back. It doesn't matter how unintentional they may be, words can sometimes cut a lot deeper than a sword. Very often you'll hear people say, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," well if you didn't want to hurt feelings why couldn't you be thoughtful before you let the unpleasant words escape your loose lips.

Most people are usually nice and polite with people they barely know but end up hurting people they care about, because they don't watch what they say around them. If you are too comfortable with your loved ones and are hasty with your words, instead of taking them for granted, it might help if you could take a step back and think of them as someone else that you wish liked you. Don't forget that everyone hurts. Actually, it hurts more if the pain comes from your own. Since you care for your loved ones, you correct them, but very often your criticism is passed very bluntly, without reflecting on the negative effect it could have. Instead of letting your guard down completely, I think that you would especially watch how you convey the unhappy thoughts, because you want them to be happy. Kind words, even disagreeable ones will help you keep friends who value your opinion.

You do not have to like or even agree with everything your loved one likes. If you have to disagree, please think of the person first and then think of the ways you want to convey your thoughts. You could let them down easy or tell them gently that you don't share their opinion or enthusiasm. The least amount said is better in a disagreement. Listen to their side of the story, but do not make a big deal out of it. Go ahead and make a big deal when everyone is in agreement. Celebrate!! How you say something can do wonders or disasters for you and loved ones.

If we can be courteous to mere acquaintances because we generally do not like to hurt anyone and because we crave to be liked, then, why don't we want to take the time to think and be nice to people who matter the most to us? Why would we want to hurt the ones who stand by us because they already like us?

Smile!! The smile you send out returns to you. Most of the time, anyway!

Some Definitions

School: A place where Papa pays and Son plays.


Nurse: A person who wakes u up to give you sleeping pills.


Tears: The hydraulic force by which masculine willpower is defeated by feminine waterpower.


Lecture: An art of transferring information from the notes of the Lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of either"


Conference: The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.


Compromise: The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.


Dictionary: A place where success comes before work.


Conference Room: A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.


Father: A banker provided by nature.

Criminal: A guy no different from the rest....except that he got caught.

Boss: Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.


Politician: One who shakes your hand before elections and your Confidence after.


Doctor: A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you by bills.

Classic: Books, which people praise, but do not read.


Smile: A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

Office: A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

Yawn: The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth.

Etc.: A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.


Committee: Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.


Experience: The name men give to their mistakes.


Atom Bomb: An invention to end all inventions.

Philosopher: A fool who torments himself during life, to be wise after death

False that speaks the truth

When you lie, you try to hide what is true…
But the false says a lot about you…
Every other virtue in you is killed…
They know you for your deceit


When you counterfeit, you try to imitate fraudulently…
But this sham has a lot to say about you…
The real ‘you’ is dead…
They know you have a deceptive appearance…


When you mislead, you try to misrepresent the truth….
But your betrayal has to say a lot about you…
Your reliability is lost…
They know you as disloyal…


When you cheat, you try to prove yourself smart…
But your act to swindle has to say a lot about you…
You are no more trustworthy…
They know you as a fraud…



Let your self respect breathe…
This is the right time to realise the truth…
Let the world love you for your truth…
Wake up…

Two kinds of Intelligence

There are two kinds of intelligence: One acquired,
as a child in school memorizes facts and concepts
from books and from what the teacher says,
collecting information from the traditional sciences
as well as from the new sciences.

With such intelligence you rise in the world.
You get ranked ahead or behind others
in regard to your competence in retaining
information. You stroll with this intelligence
in and out of fields of knowledge, getting always more
marks on your preserving tablets.

There is another kind of tablet, one
already completed and preserved inside you.
A spring overflowing its springbox. A freshness
in the center of the chest. This other intelligence
does not turn yellow or stagnate. It's fluid,
and it doesn't move from outside to inside
through the conduits of plumbing-learning.

This second knowing is a fountainhead
from within you, moving out.

Listen to your life

When life beckons us…
We tend to dwell in stagnancy…


When life teaches us…
We turn a deaf ear to it…


when life is in camaraderie…
We don’t feel the amity….


When life makes us realise…
We close our divert our heart and mind


When shows us the path…
We close our eyes


When life wants us to smile…
We shed tears…


When life gives..
We cannot take….


When life explains….
We can’t comprehend…


When life is in full bloom…
We don’t make hay…


One day life gets tired…
And we die….


“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and the pain of it no less than in the excitement and the gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy, hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace“

Beauty and Love

It’s raining again. Mostly I don’t mind. I love the sound of the drops all night long through my open window - greeting me softly as I cycle through the realms of sleep. Now, I’m up and drinking my tea in the gray and windy morning. It’s a perfect day to have to do things inside.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about beauty and love. Not about the abstract concepts, but about the calling of something so deep in my heart that it can’t be named. As much as I love doing things in the world, this place of depth and beauty is not about activity – or maybe it’s rather that the activity of this place is a stillness that contains everything.

I’m noticing (again) that I can consciously turn toward this deep place out of love rather than duty. Instead of working hard at one more thing, when I turn toward this depth it’s like greeting a long lost friend. No need for words or doing. It’s a great and familiar pleasure just to be in each other’s presence.

My wish for myself and all of us today is a greater appreciation of the grace of this beauty and love. Maybe just a momentary noticing how we are sustained and drawn forward in our lives – beyond all our knowing plans. Like adventurers lured on to explore the next mountain and then the next valley – the world endlessly and effortlessly offers itself to us.

Be patient

This is a true story which happened in the States.

A man came out of his home to admire his new truck.

To his puzzlement, his three-year-old son was happily hammering dents into the shiny paint of the truck.

The man ran to his son, knocked him away, hammered the little boy’s hands into pulp as punishment.

When the father calmed down, he rushed his son to the hospital. Although the doctor tried desperately to save the crushed bones, he finally had to amputate the fingers from both the boy’s hands.

When the boy woke up from the surgery & saw his bandaged stubs, he innocently said, " Daddy, I’m sorry about your truck." Then he asked, "but when are my fingers going to grow back?"

The father went home & committed suicide.

Think about this story the next time someone steps on your feet or u wish to take revenge. Think first before u lose your patience with someone u love. Trucks can be repaired. Broken bones & hurt feelings often can’t.

Too often we fail to recognise the difference between the person and the performance. We forget that forgiveness is greater than revenge.

People make mistakes. We are allowed to make mistakes. But the actions we take while in a rage will haunt us forever.

Pause and ponder. Think before you act. Be patient. Forgive & forget. Love one and all.

*** If you judge people, you have no time to love them. -- Mother Teresa

You are special- Don’t ever forget it!

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still the hands were up in the air.

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

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.

We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don’t ever forget it!

Mother and a baby ....

A mother and a baby camel were laying around, and suddenly the baby camel asked ....


Baby: Mother, mother, may I ask you some questions?
Mother: Sure! Why son, is there something bothering you?

Baby: Why do camels have humps?
Mother: Well son, we are desert animals, we need the humps to store water and we are known to survive without water.

Baby: Okay, then why are our legs long and our feet rounded?
Mother: Son, obviously they are meant for walking in the desert. You know with these legs I can move around the desert better than anyone does!Said the mother proudly.

Baby: Okay, then why are our eyelashes long? Sometimes it bothers my sight.
Mother: My son, those long thick eyelashes are your protective cover. They help to protect your eyes from the desert sand and wind. Said mother camel with eyes rimming with pride....

Baby: I see. So the hump is to store water when we are in the desert, the legs are for walking through the desert and these eye lashes protects my eyes from the desert.....
Then what the hell are we doing here in the Zoo !!!!!!???

MORAL OF THE STORY IS:

Skills, knowledge, abilities and experiences are only useful if you are at the right place" (where are you right now???????? )

Some Tips

1. Don’t invite yourself over parties anymore.

2. Don’t talk so much. Listen!

3. Don’t be a tool bag on your bike and try to come to a screeching halt because you will just end up clipping off a car’s side mirror. Brake with ample time.

4. Don’t talk online. AIM is an ingredient for trouble.

5. Do start conversations with guys! But don’t forget to introduce yourself.

6. Never mention a party or surprise party to ANYONE.

7. Don’t buy underwear that’s too small.

That’s it for now.

DONKEY AND THE DOG UNDER DIFFERENT MASTERS !

Have you heard the story of "The Washer man and the Foolish Donkey"?

To refresh your memory, and for the benefit of those who have not grown up listening to this moral story, it goes like this…

There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog. One night when the whole world was sleeping, a thief
broke into the house, the washer man was fast asleep but the donkey and the dog were awake. The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care
of him and wanted to teach him a lesson. The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The
dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly. Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master woke up and started beating the
donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.

Moral of the story "One must not engage in duties other than his own"

Now take a new look at the same story…

The washer man ( J ) was a well educated man from a premier management institute.
He had the fundas of looking at the bigger picture and thinking out of the box.
He was convinced that there must be some reason for the donkey to bray in the night.
He walked outside a little and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the donkey only wanted to alert him about it.
Looking at the donkey's extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet.
The dog's life didn't change much, except that now the donkey was more motivated in doing the dogs duties as well.
In the annual appraisal the dog managed a "meets requirement".
Soon the dog realized that the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life sleeping and lazing around.
The donkey was rated as "star performer".
The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards.
Soon he was over burdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a job rotation…

Rich Dad Poor Son !!!

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

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

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

“It was great, Dad.”

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

“Oh yeah,” said the son.

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

The son answered,

“I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end.

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

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

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

We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs.

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

The boy’s father was speechless.

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

Isn’t it interesting to know how different people may have an entirely different perspective on things?

Big Hands!!!

Once a boy went to shop with his mother.

The shop keeper looked at the small cute child and showed him a bottle with sweets and said, “Dear Child. You can take the sweets… but the child didn’t take.

The shop keeper was surprised.. Such a small child he is and why is he not taking the sweets from the bottle.

Again he said take the sweets…. now mother also heard that and said.. Beta take the sweets..

Yet he didn’t take…

The shopkeeper seeing the child not taking the sweets… he himself took the sweets and gave to the child……

The child was happy to get two hands full of sweets ….

When returned to home Mother asked child…

Why didn’t you take the sweets… when shop keeper told you to take…

Can you guess the response:-

Child replies… Mom! My hands are very small and if I take the sweets I can only take few. But now you see when uncle gave with his big hands….

How many more sweets I got!

Moral:

When we take we may get little but when God gives… He gives us more beyond our expectations…. more than what we can hold………………….

We should ask to God rather individuals as he is the one who has given to every one with his power.

Don’t be Selfish!!!

Don’t Burn Yourself in the Flames of Selfishness!!!

A couple, whom we shall call John and Mary, had a nice home and two lovely children, a boy and a girl. John had a good job and had just been asked to go on a business trip to another city and would be gone for several days.

It was decided that Mary needed an outing and would go along too. They hired a reliable woman to care for the children and made the trip, returning home a little earlier than they had planned. As they drove into their home town feeling glad to be back, they noticed smoke, and they went off their usual route to see what it was.

They found a home in flames. Mary said, “Oh well it isn’t our fire, let’s go home.” But John drove closer and exclaimed, “That home belongs to Fred Jones who works at the plant. He wouldn’t be off work yet, maybe there is something we could do.”

”It has nothing to do with us.” Said protested Mary. “You have your good clothes on lets not get any closer.” But John drove up and stopped and they were both horror stricken to see the whole house in flames. A woman on the lawn was in hysterics screaming, “

The children! Get the children!” John grabbed her by the shoulder saying, “Get a hold of yourself and tell us where the children are!”

“In the basement,” sobbed the woman, “down the hall and to the left.”

In spite of Mary’s protests John grabbed the water hose and soaked his clothes, put his wet handkerchief on his head and bolted for the basement which was full of smoke and scorching hot. He found the door and grabbed two children, holding one under each arm like the football player he was.

As he left he could hear some more whimpering. He delivered the two badly frightened and nearly suffocated children into waiting arms and filled his lungs with fresh air and started back asking how many more children were down there.

They told him two more and Mary grabbed his arm and screamed,

“John! Don’t go back! It’s suicide! That house will cave in any second!”

But he shook her off and went back by feeling his way down the smoke filled hallway and into the room.

It seemed an eternity before he found both children and started back. They were all three coughing and he stooped low to get what available air he could.

As he stumbled up the endless steps the thought went through his mind that there was something strangely familiar about the little bodies clinging to him, and at last when they came out into the sunlight and fresh air, he found that he had just rescued his own children.

The baby-sitter had left them at this home while she did some shopping.

Perception Matters a Lot !!!

Broad Mind!!!



Once an unhappy young man came to an old master and told he was very sad and asked for a solution.

The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it. “How does it taste?” the Master asked. “Awful,” spat the apprentice.

The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake.

The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake, the old man said, “Now drink from the lake.”

As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the Master asked, “How does it taste?” “Good!” remarked the apprentice.

“Do you taste the salt?” asked the Master. “No,” said the young man. The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said,

“The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the ‘pain’ depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things …..

Stop being a glass. Become a lake

Broader Mindset will solve most of the problems we face. So don’t allow problem to grow broader than your mind.

Its You

You are the Boss!!!

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big advice on the door on which it was written:

‘Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym’.

In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know who was that man who hindered the growth of his colleagues and the company itself.

The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up. Everyone thought: ‘Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!’.

One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless.

They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.

There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself.
There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:

‘There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.

You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success.

You are the only person who can help yourself.

Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes.

Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.

‘The most important relationship you can have is the one you have with yourself’

Examine yourself, watch yourself. Don’t be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: Be a winner, build yourself and your reality.

It’s the way you face Life that makes the difference.

Open your eyes!

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." You don't have to be Buddhist to appreciate this simple, yet powerful, statement. And while we've all heard that "live in the moment" song and dance before, most of us could use a mental kick-in-the-butt once in a while. When you step out your door in the morning on the way to work or school, what thoughts are brewing upstairs? Are you focused so intently on a phone call you had the night before or what you're going to make for dinner that you fail to notice what's happening around you at that very moment? Do you pay attention to the way the air feels, the sounds, and the people you pass; truly appreciating the experience of that unique moment?

Of course, Buddha may have taken it a bit far by saying that we shouldn't think of the past or future at all; the events behind us, after all, have built who we are today. And those before us give purpose to our lives. The key, like with so many things, is moderation. Don't get so stuck replaying your past or thinking how your life will be better when you have a new job that your life, the one happening RIGHT NOW before your eyes, passes you by! Next time you talk to someone, listen instead of thinking about the movie you saw last night; really taste that apple you're crunching on; and open your eyes to really see what's going on around you. And that is truly living!

Me, Myself and I

As anyone with struggling with self-esteem issues knows, how you perceive yourself and your abilities has a powerful influence on the outcome of your life. Believing in ourselves gives us the courage to take initiative and do the things that can bring us success and happiness; making the effort to talk to an attractive stranger at a party, presenting a new idea to our boss, or joining a running club. When we feel we have something valuable to offer, we feel ALIVE! We're friendlier, more positive and even healthier. Doubting our worth, on the other hand, can paralyze us and squash our potential. So what's the key to achieving this blissful state of self-acceptance and inner confidence?

For years, psychologists have been suggesting different ways to boost self-esteem, from positive affirmations to asking friends to write a list of what they like most about you. All of these techniques can certainly be powerful, but new approaches are focused on ACTION. Spending time reflecting and writing in journals can help you find the root of your self-image, but isn't likely to build it up. To truly beat that nagging internal critic - who is most often much nastier than anyone else judging our character - we need to get out there and do things to strengthen our sense of self. If you're shy and doubt your ability to make friends, make small steps to be friendlier at work, or join a club. If you feel inferior at work, take a chance and voice your opinion at office meetings. As you meet with success, you'll feel more and more confident. Of course, you may have the occasional let down; even the most confident people run into glitches, but they recognize that it's nothing personal and separate it from their self-image. The more you behave the way you imagine a person with strong self-esteem would behave, the more you will become that kind of person. So bust a move!

Life is a Stage

Everyone has personal limitations, and sometimes we just have to accept certain things about ourselves. I, for example, will never be a math whiz (partially because I don't think that way, partially because it doesn't interest me a whole lot). There are other characteristics, however, that we know deep down we could work on, whether it's procrastination, negativity or a nasty temper. These traits are nothing more than HABITS, ways of dealing with the world that we've been doing so long they seem ingrained in our personalities. But they are not! Think of them as skills - like learning to ride a bike or make a cake. We just haven't practiced enough to have them come naturally to us.

One step towards overcoming these habits is to realize that they are not ingrained in our identities, that we are capable of doing things another, hopefully better, way. A simple way to get the ball rolling is to do a personal experiment. Choose one trait or habit that you would like to change; for example, negativity. Promise yourself that for one week you will ACT like you are a positive, upbeat person. It may have to be an Oscar performance if the habit is deeply ingrained, but try to have fun with it. Try to say what a optimistic person would say, do what they would do, act how they would act. Don't go over the top (it's not a soap opera), but try your best to put yourself in the mind of a positive person. At first, it may feel strange and forced, but if you stick with it, you will find that by the end of the week you actually FEEL more positive. And if you extend your experiment to a month and so on, you will see better and better results.

Ready, set...go!

Do you make lofty plans or dream big dreams, but lack the motivation or energy to put them into action? There's a simple technique you can use that will quadruple (at least!) your chance of achieving your goals. What is it? Simple:

START.

That's right, do the first thing you need to do to begin the trek towards your final destination. It may be lovely to spend our time daydreaming about the day when we have that new job or are in better shape, but these things rarely happen magically on their own. You need to act, or your aspirations will stay exactly where they are - in your imagination. If you, like most of the human race, have trouble getting motivated (or lack the time and resources) you have to take one important action: decide on the first step you must take to get the ball rolling. (Just worry about that first move for now, don't think about all the other stuff that will follow. ) Write it down. For example, if you want to change career, a possible first step might be to research new career possibilities on the internet. Make this step action-oriented and as specific as possible. (NOT, for example, learn to sew. A better approach would be to start small, like checking out sewing courses in the area.) Now set a date for accomplishing this task: as soon as possible. This is your deadline. Before you have too much time to over-think it, DO IT! When it is completed you should feel satisfied and have a better idea of what the next step will be.

The hardest part of any goal is starting. Push yourself to just do the first tiny step (it's not such a big commitment, is it?) and hopefully you will discover that it is not nearly as difficult or intimidating as you thought it was.

A Man's Guide to Being Sensitive

Randomly ask a woman you know what she looks for in a man and chances are that along with the usual suspects; personality, sense of humor, charm, good looks, intelligence, etc., she'll chime in with the inevitable, "Oh, and he must be sensitive!" So now, any amorous male with opposable thumbs that hopes to woo a member of the fairer sex sometime between now and the complete melting of the polar ice caps had better acquire some sensitivity, or at least learn how to affect it.

Below is some helpful advice that if scrupulously heeded will help eliminate or at least mask those troglodyte signals you might be sending, and aid you in acquiring or maintaining a successful relationship.

• Surprisingly, belching and other gaseous emissions are not considered intelligible forms of communication amongst the majority of women. When possible, full, grammatically correct sentences should be employed. Content is important. Phrases such as, "Please tell me about your day in greater detail." or a simple exuberant, "Let's go shopping!" are more likely to elicit a favorable reaction than, "Maybe we should get the golf channel?"



• There is no absolute safe answer to the question, "Does this make me look fatter?" however, one should definitely avoid seemingly logical responses such as "Fatter than what?" A canned answer along the lines of "Absolutely NOT!" accompanied by a dinner invitation typically fares much better.
  
  
• Show an active interest in your companion's female friends. However, this interest should fall short of suggesting an impromptu ménage à trois after dinner.



• Accept the fact that the majority of your male friends will become, or already are, bad influences, completely without any redeeming social values.



• Chew with your mouth closed and avoid appreciative grunting noises while dining. It is not acceptable to retrieve and eat food that has touched the floor, regardless of its cost. While it may seem practical, apparently mealtime is not an appropriate time to attend to matters of personal hygiene such as toenail trimming.



• Remembering events and dates important to the female is vital to the longevity and success of your romantic relationship. That birthdays and romantic holidays must be remembered is obvious to any monkey; however, the multitude of occasions accumulating over time can be overwhelming to even the more advanced simians amongst us. For example, the giving of flowers may result in an anniversary of the first time you gave her flowers. To avoid errors, keep a written log and consult it often. Employ any tools available to you, including but not limited to handheld devices and scheduling functions on your cell phone, and set audio alerts to key you in on time.Never ever dare to dis Valentine's Day, even if she openly dismisses it as a silly commercial holiday. This may be a test; repeat, this may be a test!



• The majority of women are impervious to the pleasures and scientifically proven life-enhancing benefits of female mud wrestling and swimsuit competitions, and cannot be convinced of same. By the same token, pretend to believe her when she claims she's watching football games with you for your sake; surely, the tight pants have nothing to do with it.



• When is it appropriate for a man to cry? This is a tough one as there is no consensus among women on this issue. A single tear over the latest makeup/breakup of a make-believe couple on your partner's favorite television show may be acceptable while blubbering over the very real event of your favorite team once again not making the playoffs is not. The manner of crying also has bearing. You should limit your tears to a few and display some embarrassment at having shed them. Uncontrolled, shoulder heaving, mucous inducing sobbing is normally frowned upon and may result in your being labeled a wimp. It is also unacceptable to cry for reasons of physical discomfort or pain (including bullet wounds or severed limbs), though wincing is permitted.



• To avoid conflict, accept the fact that your choices in fashion, grooming, interior decorating and most style-related matters are always pending approval. If she is even remotely involved in your laundry, any underwear that has holes should be discarded, despite the obvious benefit of ventilation provided.



• Remember that when women express that they want a sensitive man, this is usually short-hand meaning they want a man who is sensitive to their needs. The underlying meaning of the word "sensitive" is a wildcard, so test the waters with some mild, safe weeps before you let go a floodgate of tears.
  

Forgive and forget

We'll all been hurt at one time or another. Whether it was anyone's fault or one of life's unexplainable events, we've all got painful memories and emotions tucked away deep inside. While we certainly play a role in what happens in our lives, there are things we simply cannot control or prevent. To dwell on this, though, is to doom ourselves to a life of anger, bitterness and sadness. Letting go of past hurts is one of the most difficult acts we can ever carry out; but also the most liberating. It requires looking painful things directly in the eye, and asking ourselves this question: Will I let this destroy my happiness? Of course, we can't simply snap our fingers, and poof!, the hurt or sadness disappears. But we can make a conscious decision to take whatever steps we need to heal...and try to live in joy in the meantime. It sounds so simple, but how do we even begin to do this? The process of recovery varies from person to person and from situation to situation. For you, it might involve rebuilding a broken relationship, opening your heart to forgive someone, or going on your own inner journey to deal with emotional wounds. Regardless, it starts with a day-to-day decision to TRY. Tell yourself over and over that you WILL make it - because if you decide to heal, you will.


"Write the bad things that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble."
- Arabic Parable

Happiness is…

1. Falling in love.
2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.
3. A hot shower.
4. No lines at the supermarket.
5. A special glance.
6. Getting mail.
7. Taking a drive on a pretty road.
8. Hearing your favourite song on the radio.
9. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.
10. Hot towels fresh out of the dryer.
11. Chocolate milkshake … (or vanilla … or strawberry!)
12. A bubble bath.
13. Giggling.
14. A good conversation.
15. The beach
16. Finding a 20-pound note in your coat from last winter.
17. Laughing at yourself.
18. Eye contact with a hot member of the opposite sex.
19. Midnight phone calls that last for hours.
20. Running through sprinklers.
21. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.
22. Having someone tell you that you’re beautiful/good looking.
23. Laughing at an inside joke.
24. Friends.
25. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.
26. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.
27. Your first kiss (either the very first or with a new partner).
28. Making new friends or spending time with old ones.
29. Playing with a new puppy.
30. Having someone play with your hair.
31. Sweet dreams.
32. Hot chocolate.
33. Road trips with friends.
34. Swinging on swings.
35. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.
36. Making chocolate chip cookies (and eating them…!).
37. Having your friends send you homemade cookies.
38. Holding hands with someone you care about.
39. Running into an old friend and realizing that some things (good or bad) never change.
40. Watching the expression on someone’s face as they open a much-desired present from you.
41. Watching the sunrise.
42. Getting out of bed every morning and being grateful for another beautiful day.
43. Knowing that somebody misses you.
44. Getting a hug from someone you care about deeply.
45. Knowing you’ve done the right thing, no matter what other people think.

100 % Effort at Work

To do list

This is our life

A Child to God

Once upon a time there was
a child ready to be born.

One day the child asked God,
"They tell me you are going to send me to earth tomorrow but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"

God replied,
"Among the many angels,
I have chosen one for you.
she will be waiting for you
and will take care of you".

"But said the child,
"tell me here in Heaven
I don't do anything
else but sing and smile.
That's what I need to be happy!"

God said,
"Your angel will sing
for you every day.
And you will feel your
angel's love
and be happy".

"And, said the child, ”How am I going to be able to understand
when people talk to me, if I don’t know the language that men talk?"

”That's easy", God, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care,
your angel will teach you how to speak".

The child looked up at God saying,

”And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"

God smiled at the child saying,

"your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray".

The child said, "I've heard on earth there are bad men.
who will protect me?"
God put his arm around the child, saying,
"your angel will defend you-even if it means risking life!"

The child looked sad,
saying, "But I will
always be sad
because I will not
see you anymore".

God hugged the child

"Your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you".

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven,
but voices from earth could already be heard.

The child in a hurry,
asked softly, "Oh God,
if I am about to leave
now please
tell me my angel's name!"

God replied,
"Your angel's name
is of no importance...
you will simply call her
MOMMY!"

EGO

There was once a scientist. After a lot of practice & efforts, he developed a formula & learned the art of reproducing himself.

He did it so perfectly that it was impossible to tell the reproduction from the original.

One day while doing his research, he realized that the Angel of Death was searching for him.
In order to remain alive he reproduced a dozen copies of himself.

The reproduction was so similar that all of them looked exactly like him.
Now when this Angel of Death came down, he was at a loss to know which of the thirteen before him was the original scientist, & confused, he left them all alone & returned back to heaven.

But, not for long, for being an expert in human nature, the Angel came up with a clever idea.

He said to the scientist addressing all thirteen of them,


"Sir, you must be a genius to have succeeded in making such perfect reproduction formula of yourself.

However, I have discovered a flaw in your work, just one tiny little flaw."

The scientist immediately jumped out & shouted

"Impossible! where is the flaw?"

"Right here"

said the Angel, as he picked up the scientist from among the reproductions & carried him off.

The whole purpose of the scientist & his formula of reproduction failed as he could not control his PRIDE, so he lost his life.

So when man's Knowledge & Skills takes him to the top of the ladder & makes him successful,
however the three letter word

"EGO"

can pull him down to earth immediately at its double speed.

So don't allow Ego to kill yourself Instead;

KILL YOUR EGO..!!!

Sand and Stone

This is a story about 2 friends who were walking through a forest.


At one particular point the two got into an argument and one friend hit the other in the face.

The one who was hit was hurt, but without any word he wrote in the sand:


‘Today my best friend hit me in my face.’

They walked on until they found an oasis where they decided to have a bath.

The one who had been hit got stuck in the mud and was drowning but the friend saved him

When he came to, he carved in a stone:


‘Today my best friend saved my life’


The friend who had hit his best friend then saved him asked:

‘After I hit you you wrote this in the sand and now you carved in the stone that I saved you, why did you do this?’

The other friend answered:

‘When someone hurts us we must write it in the sand where the wind of forgiveness can blow it away’

But if someone does a good deed for you, we have to carve it in stone where no wind can blow it away.’

Learn to write the hurt in the sand and carve your good experiences in stone.

It is said that it takes only a minute to find extraordinary people, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but it takes a whole life to forget them.

A Glass of Milk

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his
way through school, found he had only one thin dime left,
and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house.

However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.
Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water.

She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk.

He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"
"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never
to accept pay for a kindness."

He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart."

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

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

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

Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.
Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her
at once.

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

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

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would
take the rest of her life to pay for it all.

Finally she looked, and
something caught her attention on the side of the bill.

She read these words....."Paid in full with one
glass of milk" (Signed)
Dr. Howard Kelly.


Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart
prayed: "Thank You,
God, that Your love has spread abroad through

Work – Don’t’ aim reward

A young but earnest Zen student approached his teacher, and asked the Zen Master; “If I work very hard and diligently how long will it take for me to become a Zen Master?”
 
The Master thought about this, then replied “ Ten Years”
 
The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply
myself to learn fast – How long then?”
 
Replied Master, “Well, twenty years”
 
“But if I really, really work at it. How long then? Asked the student.
 
“Thirty years” replied the Master
 
But I do not understand, at each time that I say I will work Harder, you say
it will take me longer. Why do you say that?”
 
Replied the Master “ When you have one eye on the reward, you only have one eye on the path”
 
Reflection : Travel sincerely along the Path, and the reward will take care of itself.
 
--- “You have a right to do your duty, but no right to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the course of these, and never think of not doing your duty…..Bhagwad Gita”

Wealth, Success and Love

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." "Is the man of the house home?", they asked.

"No", she replied. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she asked.

One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!“

His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?“

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house.
She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite
Love? Our home will then be filled with love!“

"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest.“

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest.“

Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?“

The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

Triple Filter

One Day an acquaintance came to meet Chanakya and said to him excitedly, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?” ‘Just wait a while’, Chanakya replied.“Before you tell me anything I would like you to pass a little test which I call the Triple Filter Test.
 
The first filter is “Turth”. Are you sure that what you are about to tell me is true?”
 
“No”, the man said, “Actually, I just heard about it.”
 
“All right”, said Chanakya. “So you don’t really know if it is true or not.
Now let us try the second filter, the filter of “Goodness”.
Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?
 
“No, on the contrary..”
 
“So” , the Chanakya continued, “You want to tell me something
bad about him but you are not certain it is true. You may still
pass the last test i.e “Usefulness”. Is what you want to tell me
about my friend going to be useful to me?
 
No, Not really….
 
“Well”,continued Chanakya, “If what you want to tell me may not be TRUE and is
neither GOOD nor USEFUL, why tell it to me at all?
 
Reflection: Simple yardsticks for measuring all and any types of communication.

----One should not indulge in false, fruitless and trifling speech…..Markhandeya Smriti

The Woodcutter and the Axe

A woodcutter was cutting a tree. He had been working hard for the last three days.
The tree was thick and he felt tired. A traveler was passing by the place where
he was busy sawing away the tree.
 
The traveler could see that the woodcutter was working
hard but without much success. He suggested to the
woodcutter to stop cutting wood for some time and
instead sharpen his saw. The woodcutter got annoyed
and said, “Look here, I don’t have time to sharpen the saw.
I am too busy cutting this tree. Please don’t
waste my time”. The traveler smiled and moved
on his way.
 
Reflection: Our body and mind are our instruments
just like the saw and need to be regularly “sharpened”
or renewed in order to preserve their effectiveness
physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally and socially.
 
Panchatantra says, “ One who knows the expedients
or devices, though physically weak, is not humiliated”.

Pig and Cow

“Why is it," said the rich man to his minister, "that people call me stingy when everyone knows that when I die I'm leaving everything to the church?"


"Let me tell you a fable about the pig
and the cow," said the minister. "The
pig was unpopular while the
cow was beloved. This puzzled the pig.
'People speak warmly of your gentle
nature and your sorrowful eyes,' the
pig said to the cow. 'They think you're
generous because each day you give them
milk and cream. But what about me? I give them
everything I have. I give bacon and ham. I provide
bristles for brushes. They even pickle my feet!
Yet not one likes me. Why is that?'"

Do you know what the cow answered?" said the minister. "The cow said, 'Perhaps it is because I give while I'm still living.'"

Obstacles

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 big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On 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. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.
 

Reflection : Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition

That’s not my job

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

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it.

It ended up that everybody blamed somebody when nobody did what anybody has done.

Pencil

 
The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

“There are five things you need to know”, he told the pencil, “before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be”.

One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone’s hand”

Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you will need it to become a better pencil”

Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make”

Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside”

Five: “On every surface you are used, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write”

 
The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
 
---The world is an ocean full of obstacles; cross it with righteous action……..Atharva Veda..

Perspectives

One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be.  They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family.  When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"

Very good, Dad!"

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

"Yeah!"  "And what did you learn?"

The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four.  We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden; they have a creek that has no end.  We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars.  Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.

When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.

His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!" Isn't it true that it all depends on the way you look at things?  If you have love, friends, family, health, good humor and a positive attitude toward life, you've got everything!

You can't buy any of these things.  You can have all the material possessions you can imagine, provisions for the future, etc., but if you are poor of spirit, you have nothing!

THE TRAVELERS AND THE PLANE TREE

Two men were walking along one summer day. Soon it became too hot to go any further and, seeing a large plane tree nearby, they threw themselves on the ground to rest in its shade.
 
Gazing up into the branches one man said to the other: "What a useless tree this is. It does not have fruit or nuts that we can eat and we cannot even use its wood for anything.“
 
"Don't be so ungrateful," rustled the tree in reply. "I am being extremely useful to you at this very moment, shielding you from the hot sun. And you call me a good-for-nothing!"
 
All of creations have a good purpose

Foot Print

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."

The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

Feeding the right wolf

An old grandfather, whose grandson came to him with anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice, said, “Let me tell you a story, I too , at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.  But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy.  It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die.  I have struggled with these feelings many times.”
 
He continued, “It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm.  He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended.  He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.”
 
“But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper.  He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason.  He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great.  It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.”
 
The boy looked intently into his grandfather’s eyes and asked, “Which one wins, grandfather?”
 
The grandfather solemnly said, “The one I feed.”
 
Reflection : Are we feeding the right wolf?

Ambition

Once upon a time there were 2 brothers who lived on the 80th floor of a tall building. On coming home one day they realized, to their dismay, that the lifts were not working and that they would have to climb the stairs home. After struggling to the 20th level, panting and tired, they decided to abandon their bags and come back for them the next day. They left their bags then and climbed on...By the time they had struggled to the 40th level, they had gone sufficiently mad and were irritated. The younger brother started to grumble and both of them began to quarrel. They continued to climb the flights of steps, quarreling all the way to the 60th floor. They then realized that they had only 20 levels more to climb and decided to stop quarreling and continue climbing in peace. They silently climbed on and reached their home at long last! Each stood calmly before the door and waited for the other to open the door.

They then realized that the key was in their bags, which were left on the 20th floor...

This story is a reflection on our life and times. All of us climb the tall building called career... some till the 80th floor and some less. But do we know that the key to happiness is in the bag, which has been left back on the 20th floor? Know your dreams and follow it so that you will not live with regrets.

If the chariot of your life is driven by the steeds of ambition, make sure the reins of your life are held by the hands of joy.

Think twice before you act

Long ago, there used to live a very great King by the name Nruga, the son of Ikshvaaku. He gave as many goodaanams as there are grains of sand on the earth, stars in the heavens, or drops in a rain shower. He gave the best quality kapila varna cows, decorated with pure golden hooves and horns, along with their calves. He gave them to the most learned braahmanas, whose families were in need, were young and possessed of excellent character and qualities, who were dedicated to truth, famous for their austerity, vastly learned in the Vedic scriptures and saintly in their behaviour. He performed many other such great daanams for the needy. In addition, he performed many yagnyas and executed various pious welfare activities.

Once, a cow owned by a learned braahmana wandered away and entered the herd being given as daanam by Nruga. Unaware that he was giving a cow that did not belong to him, he gave it to one other needy braahmana. When the owner of the cow saw his cow being taken away, he said "The cow belongs to me!" and the other said "No! It was given to me by Nruga." Nruga comes to know about this and offers each one of them a thousand cows of highest quality and asked them to save him from this difficult situation. However, both the braahmanas go away leaving the cow.

Yamadharmaraaja, after King Nruga leaves his physical body and comes to Yamaloka, asks Nruga "do you wish to experience the results of your paapam first, or those of your punya? Indeed, I see no end to the greatest daanams you have performed, or to your consequent enjoyment in the urdhva lokas. However, you made the sin of stealing a cow from a braahmana". Nruga chooses to face the consequences of his paapam first and immediately falls as a huge chameleon in a well. Since he always had bhakti towards the Lord and performed uncountable number of great daanams, he always remembered who he was, and what mistake he committed. He used to repent for his mistake and spent a very long time alone in the well, always doing Bhagavat-dhyaanam.

After a very long time, once when Shri Krishna, Saamba, Pradyumna, Chaaru, Bhaanu, Gada and other boys were playing, out of thrist they goto the well where Nruga was living. Out of pity, Shri Krishna takes him out of the well. The touch of the Lord of the universe made Nruga get a divya tejaswi form, with radiating kiritam and ornaments and tejas of Sun. On being asked by Shri Krishna, the Sarvagnya, the reason for the chameleon form, Nruga tells him his unfortunate story. He does a stotram to Lord krishna, does a pradakshinam, takes leave from the Lord and before the eyes of everyone flies to urdhva lokas in a divya vimaanam.


Morals in the Story:

1. Even for a great person like Nruga, one mistake, which he did unknowingly, made him experience the result of his paapam. Thus one should be very careful not to commit any kind of sin even unknowingly and lead a very ideal life.
2. Some or the other time, one must experience the results of his paapa or punya. However, if one surrenders himself to the God, He will lift you from the samsaaram and in the end give you kaivalyam, as Krishna did to Nruga.
3. Since Nruga never forgot remembering the Lord and the Lord was impressed by his great acts, Krishna granted him urdhva lokas in the end. So the end result for a good person will always be good.

The Three Dolls

A sage presented a prince with a set of three small dolls. The prince was not amused.
"Am I a girl that you give me dolls?" he asked.
"This is a gift for a future king," said the man. "If you look carefully, you'll see a hole in the ear of each doll."
"So?"
The sage handed him a piece of string.
"Pass it through each doll," he said.
Intrigued, the prince picked up the first doll and put the string into the ear.
It came out from the other ear.
"This is one type of person," said the man. "Whatever you tell him, comes out from the other ear. He doesn't retain anything."
The prince put the string into the second doll. It came out from the mouth.
"This is the second type of person," said the man. "Whatever you tell him, he tells everybody else."
The prince picked up the third doll and repeated the process. The string did not reappear from anywhere else.
"This is the third type of person," said the man. "Whatever you tell him is locked up within him. It never comes out."
"What is the best type of person?" asked the prince.
The man handed him a fourth doll, in answer.
When the prince put the string into the doll, it came out from the other ear.
"Do it again," said the sage. The prince repeated the process. This time the string came out from the mouth. When he put the string in a third time, it did not come out at all.
"This is the best type of person," said the sage. "To be trustworthy, a man must know when not to listen, when to remain silent and when to speak out."

Echo

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.It gives you back everything you say or do.Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

REFLECTION : YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"

Look for Gold

As a young boy, Andrew Carnegie came to America and started doing odd jobs. Later on, he became one of the largest Steel manufacturers of the United States.

At one time, he had 43 millionaires working for him. One day, some one asked him how he dealt with people. Andres replied, “Dealing with People is like digging Gold; when you go digging for an ounce of gold, you have to move tons of dirt. But when you go digging, you don’t go looking for the dirt, you go looking for gold.

REFLECTION: There is something positive in every person and every situation. Sometimes we have to dig deep to look for the positive because it may not be apparent.

The good people pickup only good qualities from the aggregate of good and bad just as a swan pick up the milk in its entirety
from the mixture of milk and water………”Padma Puran”..

Do not change the world

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather. Definitely, this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a huge amount of money.

Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, "Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don't you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?"

The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his
suggestion, to make a "shoe" for himself.


To make this world a happy place to live,
you better change yourself - your heart;
and not the world

A Pound of Butter

Once there was a farmer, who sold a pound of butter to a baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and he found that he was not.

This angered him and he took the farmer to the court. The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, “Your Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.” The Judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter?” The farmer replied, “Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”


Reflection: We get back in life what we give to others.

The Wise Old Man

A wealthy man requested an old scholar to wean his son away from his bad habits.
The scholar took the youth for a stroll through a garden. Stopping suddenly he asked the boy to pull out a tiny plant growing there. The youth held the plant between his thumb and forefinger and pulled it out. The old man then asked him to pull out a slightly bigger plant. The youth pulled hard and the plant came out, roots and all.
"Now pull out that one," said the old man pointing to a bush. The boy had to use all his strength to pull it out.
"Now take this one out," said the old man, indicating a guava tree. The youth grasped the trunk and tried to pull it out. But it would not budge.
"I – It's impossible," said the boy, panting with the effort.
"So it is with bad habits," said the sage. "When they are young it is easy to pull them out but when they take hold they cannot be uprooted."
The session with the old man changed the boy's life.

Do not blame others

Our Indian culture is great. The rules it provides make everyone lead an ideal life. According to our shastras, it seems, a person who blames others (unnecessarily) gets half of the entire paapam of the person blamed and in addition gives away half of his entire punyam to the person blamed! So there a big loss for the person who blames and a big gain for the person blamed. The following is a small story showing how careful one needs to be while doing Dharma nirnayam and eventually blaming others.

Once a poor braahmana, with hunger, came to a person’s house and asked for bhiksha. The kind woman in the house took pity on him and immediately offered food. She asked the brahmana to sit under the shade of a huge tree in their house and she brought food for him. Before the braahmana cleaned himself, prayed to the God and started eating, a very unfortunate thing happened. There used to live a poisonous snake under the shelter of the tree and vidhi vashah it spilt its poison and it directly fell into the food the braahmana was going to eat. The braahmana unknowing that the food is poisoned, ate food and died.

Now, who needs to be blamed? Is it the woman who gave the food, or the snake or the owner or the braahmana himself. It seems that the person who decides and makes a decision that a particular individual is to be blamed will get the brahma-hatyaa-paatakam.

So did you notice how critical is a dharma-nirneta’s role. How many shastras should he have learnt before taking the seat of dharma-nirneta? How careful and unbiased should his thinking be? Imagine how great is Yamadharmaraaja to be able to do perfect justice for so many people for such huge amount of time. That is why He is called ‘Samavarti’. He has one of his legs in Shri-chandanam and the other in fire. Both are same for Him and thus very unbiased and impartial.

Morals in the story:

1. A lot of thinking needs to be done before putting blame on others.
2. A person should be highly knowledgeable and learned in order to be a dharma-nirneta. That is why it is customary in our Indian culture to always say “As far as i know, this is Dharma….” or “This is what I heard from my elders, hence …..”.

Message:

Atleast on hearing to this story, we hope all the govt. officials will be still more careful in performing their duties. The pathetic state of today’s nyaayasthaanas is well-known. The power given to a nyaayaadhikaari is immense. The story also shows how impartial, unbiased, honest and most importantly learned must the nyaayaadhikaris be… One may assume everything is going fine, but at sometime or the other one must experience the effects of his own karma.