Anger

A monk decides to meditate alone, away from his monastery. He takes his boat out to the middle of the lake, moors it there, closes his eyes and begins his meditation. After a few hours of undisturbed silence, he suddenly feels the bump of another boat colliding with his own. With his eyes still closed, he senses his anger rising, and by the time he opens his eyes, he is ready to scream at the boatman who dared disturb his meditation. But when he opens his eyes, he sees it’s an empty boat that had probably got untethered and floated to the middle of the lake. At that moment, the monk achieves self-realization, and understands that the anger is within him; it merely needs the bump of an external object to provoke it out of him. From then on, whenever he comes across someone who irritates him or provokes him to anger, he reminds himself, “The other person is merely an empty boat. The anger is within me.”

A pencil story

A pencil story..Worth a read

Once upon a time...
A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter.
As one point, he asked, “Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me??”
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson, “I am writing about you...actually,
But more important than the words is the pencil I’m using.
I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.”
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
“But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!”, he said.
“That depends on how you look at things”, the grandmother replied.

“This pencil has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.

First quality: You are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps.
We call that hand..God, and He always guides us according to His will.

Second quality: Now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpener. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper.
So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.

Third quality: The pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes.
This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.

Fourth quality: What really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside.
So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.

Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: It always leaves a mark.
In jus the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action."

The Dot

One day a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor handed out the question paper with the text facing down as usual. Once he handed them all out, he asked his students to turn the page and begin. To everyone's surprise, there were no questions....just a black dot in the center of the page. The professor seeing the expression on everyone's face, told them the following:

"I want you to write what you see there."

The students confused, got started on the inexplicable task.

At the end of the class, the professor took all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of them with no exceptions, described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, etc. etc. etc. After all had been read, the classroom silent, the professor began to explain:

"I am not going to grade on you this, I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot - and the same happens in our lives. We have a white paper to observe and enjoy but we always focus on the dark spots. Our life is a gift given to us by God with love and care and we always have reasons to celebrate - nature renewing itself everyday, our friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood, the miracles we see everyday.......

However we insist on focusing only on the dark spots - the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend, and so on.......

The dark spots are very small compared to everything we have in our lives but they are the ones that pollute our minds.

Take your eyes away from the black spots in your life. Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you.

Be happy and live a life filled with LOVE !!

A LEAP OF FAITH

Once a man got lost in the desert. The water in his flask had run out two days ago, and he was on his last legs. He knew that if he didn't get some water soon, he would surely perish. The man saw a shack ahead of him. He thought it would be a mirage or maybe a hallucination, but having no other option, he moved toward it. As he got closer he realized it was quite real. So he dragged his weary body to the door with the last of his strength.

The shack was not occupied and seemed like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The man gained entrance, hoping against hope that he might find water inside.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was in the shack: a water pump..It had a pipe going down through the floor, perhaps tapping a source of water deep under-ground.

He began working the pump, but no water came out. He kept at it and still nothing happened. Finally he gave up from exhaustion and frustration. He threw up his hands in despair. It looked as if he was going to die after all.

Then the man noticed a bottle in one corner of the shack. It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.

He uncorked the bottle and was about to gulp down the sweet life-giving water when he noticed a piece of paper attached to it. Handwriting on the paper read: "Use this water to start the pump. Don't forget to fill the bottle when you're done."

He had a dilemma. He could follow the instruction and pour the water into the pump, or he could ignore it and just drink the water.

What to do? If he let the water go into the pump, what assurance did he have that it would work? What if the pump malfunctioned? What if the pipe had a leak? What if the underground reservoir had long dried up?

But then... maybe the instruction was correct. Should he risk it? If it turned out to be false, he would be throwing away the last water he would ever see.

Hands trembling, he poured the water into the pump. Then he closed his eyes, said a prayer, and started working the pump.

He heard a gurgling sound, and then water came gushing out, more than he could possibly use. He luxuriated in the cool and refreshing stream. He was going to live!

After drinking his fill and feeling much better, he looked around the shack. He found a pencil and a map of the region. The map showed that he was still far away from civilization, but at least now he knew where he was and which direction to go.

He filled his flask for the journey ahead. He also filled the bottle and put the cork back in. Before leaving the shack, he added his own writing below the instruction: "Believe me, it works!"

This story is all about life. It teaches us that we must give before we can receive abundantly. More importantly, it also teaches that faith plays an important role in giving. The man did not know if his action would be rewarded, but he proceeded regardless. Without knowing what to expect, he made a leap of faith.

Water in this story represents the good things in life. Something that brings a smile to your face. It can be  intangible knowledge or it can represent money, love, family, friendship, happiness, respect, or any number of other things you value. Whatever it is that you would like to get out of life, that's water.

The water pump represents the workings of the karmic mechanism. Give it some water to work with, and it will return far more than you put in.
Indeed an excellent article...

Titanic & the ships around.

 There is a theory that there were three ships which were nearby when the Titanic sunk.

One of them was known as the Sampson. It was 7 miles away from the Titanic and they saw the white flares signaling danger, but because the crew had been hunting seals illegally and didn’t want to be caught, they turned and went the opposite direction away from the Titanic. This ship represents people who are so busy looking inward at their own sin and lives that they can’t recognize when someone else is in need.

The next ship was the Californian. This ship was only 14 miles away from the Titanic, but they were surrounded by ice fields and the captain looked out and saw the white flares, but because the conditions weren’t favorable and it was dark, he decided to go back to bed and wait until morning. The crew tried to convince themselves that nothing was happening. This ship represents those of us who say I can’t do anything now. The conditions aren’t right for it and so we wait until conditions are perfect before going out.

The last ship was the Carpathia. This ship was actually headed in a southern direction 58 miles away from the Titanic when they heard the distress cries over the radio. The captain of this ship knelt down, prayed to God for direction and then turned the ship around and went full steam ahead through the ice fields. This was the ship that saved the 705 survivors of the Titanic.

When the captain looked back at the ice fields they had come through, he said Someone else hands must have been at the helm of this ship! This ship represents those who would pray to God for direction and then go without hesitation.

Life whispers in your soul and speaks to your heart. We need to take time to listen and to these whispers and take heed. 

The Burden

One Sunday morning, a wealthy man sat in his balcony enjoying sunshine and his coffee when a little ant caught his eye which was going from one side to the other side of the balcony carrying a big leaf several times more than its size. The man watched it for more than an hour. He saw that the ant faced many impediments during its journey, paused, took a diversion and then continued towards destination. At one point the tiny creature came across a crack in the floor. It paused... for a little while, analyzed and then laid the huge leaf over the crack, walked over the leaf, picked the leaf on the other side then continued its journey. 

The man was captivated by the cleverness of the ant, one of God’s tiniest creatures. The incident left the man in awe and forced him to contemplate over the miracle of Creation. It showed the greatness of the Creator. In front of his eyes there was this tiny creature of God, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to analyze, contemplate, reason, explore, discover and overcome. Along with all these capabilities, the man also noticed that this tiny creature shared some human shortcomings. 

The man saw about an hour later the creature had reached its destination – a tiny hole in the floor which was entrance to its underground dwelling. And it was at this point that the ant’s shortcoming that it shared with the man was revealed. How could the ant carry into the tiny hole the large leaf that it had managed to carefully bring to the destination? It simply couldn’t…! 

So the tiny creature, after all the painstaking and hard work and exercising great skills, overcoming all the difficulties along the way, just left behind the large leaf and went home empty-handed. The ant had not thought about the end before it began its challenging journey and in the end the large leaf was nothing more than a burden to it. The creature had no option, but to leave it behind to reach its destination. The man learned a great lesson that day.

Isn’t that the truth about our lives? We worry about our family, we worry about our job, we worry about how to earn more money, we worry about where we should live – 5 bedroom or 6 bedroom house, what kind of vehicle to buy – a Mercedes or BMW or a Porsche, what kind of dresses to wear, all sorts of things, only to abandon all these things when we reach our last destination  .We don’t realize in our life’s journey that these are just burdens that we are carrying with utmost care and fear of losing them, only to find that at the end they are useless and we can’t take them with us.

A gift from a father

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealers showroom,
and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his
father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his
graduation, his father called him into his private study, told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and how much he loved him. He handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box.
Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and
found a lovely, leather-bound Bible with his name embossed
in gold.
Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said,"With all your money you give me a Bible?" He stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible behind.

I WANTED A CAR , NOT A BIBLE 

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old. He thought perhaps he should go to him.He had not seen him since that graduation day.
But before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to
him. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When he arrived at his father's house, sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important documents and saw the Bible ,new,just as he had left it years ago.
With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had
carefully underlined a verse :

"And if you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven, give to those who ask Him?"

(Cross reference :  Mathew 7.11; Luke 11.13

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealers name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired.
On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...
PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expected?

How a Password Changed my Life

I was having a great morning until I sat down in front of my office computer 
“your password has expired” 

a server message flashed on my screen, with instructions for changing it. 
Coming up with a new code doesn’t seem like a big deal, unless you work at my company, where we have to change it monthly, using at least one uppercase character, one lower case character, one symbol and one number. 

Oh and the password can’t be fewer than eight characters.

And I can’t use any of the same passwords I’ve used in the past three months.

Suddenly I was furious, what didn’t make it any better was that I was deeply depressed after my recent divorce.

Disbelief over what she 
had done to me was what I thought all day.

That didn’t mean anything to the empty field with the pulsating cursor, waiting for me to type a password that I have to reenter many times – for the next 30 days. 

I remembered a tip I’d heard from my former boss . He’d said “ I’m going to use a password that is going to change my life”

I couldn’t focus on getting things done in my current mood. 

There was clear indication that I needed to regain control over my life, but I couldn’t heed them.

My password became the indicator. My password reminded me that I shouldn’t let myself be a victim of my recent breakup and that I was strong enough to do something about it.

I made my password – Forgive@her , 

I had to type this password several times every day each time my computer would lock.

Each time I came back from lunch I wrote forgive her.

The simple action changed the way I looked at my ex-wife.

That constant reminder of reconciliation led me to accept
the way things happened and helped me deal with my depression. 

As one month wore on, I felt a slow healing began to take place.

By the time the server prompted me to change my password following month, I felt free.

The next time I had to change my password I thought about the next thing that I had to get done. 

My password became Quit@smoking4ever .

It motivated me to follow my goal and I was able to quit smoking.

One month later, my password became
Save4trip@thiland, 

and in three months I was able to visit Thailand.

Seeing how reminders helped me materialize my goals kept me motivated and excited

While its sometimes difficult to come up with your next
goal, keeping at it brings great results.

After a few months my password was Save4@ring !!! 

Life is going to change again !!🙏

The Butterfly

A man, an avid Gardener saw a small Butterfly laying few eggs in one of the pots in his garden.
Since that day he looked at the egg with ever growing curiosity and eagerness.
The egg started to move and shake a little.
He was excited to see a new life coming up right in front of his eyes.
He spent hours watching the egg now. The egg started to expand and develop cracks.
A tiny head and antennae started to come out ever so slowly. The man's excitement knew no bounds.
He got his magnifying glasses and sat to watch the life and body of a pupa coming out.

He saw the struggle of the tender pupa and couldn't resist his urge to "HELP".
He went and got a tender forceps to help the egg break, a nip here, a nip there to help the struggling life and the pupa was out. The man was ecstatic!
He waited now each day for the pupa to grow and fly like a beautiful butterfly, but alas that never happened.
The larvae pupa had a oversized head and kept crawling along in the pot for the full 4 weeks and died!

Depressed the man went to his botanist friend and asked the reason. His friend told him the struggle to break out of the egg helps the larvae to send blood to its wings and the head push helps the head to remain small so that the tender wings can support it thru its 4 week life cycle. In his eagerness to help, the man destroyed a beautiful life!

Struggles help all of us, that's why a bit of effort goes a long way to develop our strength to face life's difficulties!
As parents, we sometimes go too far trying to help and protect our kids from life's harsh realities and disappointments.
We don't want our kids to struggle like we did.

Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Dan Kindlon says that over-protected children are more likely to struggle in relationships and with challenges.
We're sending our kids the message that they're not capable of helping themselves.

To quote clinical psychologist, Dr. Wendy 's Moral:
"It  is  Our Job  to  prepare  Our  Children  for  the  Road & Not  prepare  the  Road for  Our Children"

What’s your managerial style: like Lord Ram or Lord Krishna?

In Hindu mythology there are two great epics. One is called Ramayan and other is called Mahabharata. The centre story of both these books is around victory of good on evil. In one story Lord Ram leads his army to defeat Ravana in his land while in the second Lord Krishna oversees Pandavas defeat Kauravas in the battle at Kurushektra.

In Ramayan, Lord Ram is the best yodhaa of his side. He leads his army from the front. Strategies and directs different people to do things which will meet the objectives. His people are happy to follow orders and want to get all the appreciation for being the best executors. Lord Ram set direction and also tells people what to do during difficult times.

Ultimately they won the war and final outcome was achieved.

On the other hand Lord Krishna told Arjuna, I won’t fight the battle. I won’t pick up any weapon; I would only be there on your chariot as a charioteer. And he did what he said. He never picked up the weapon and he never fought.

Still, Pandavs won the war and final outcome was achieved.

So, what was different? It was their managerial style and it was also the type of people who were being lead. Lord Ram was leading an army of ‘MONKEYS’ who were not skilled fighters and they were looking for direction. While on other hand, Lord Krishna was leading Arjuna who was one of the best archer of his time. While Lord Ram’s role was to show it and lead from the front, Krishna played the role of a coach whose job was to remove cobwebs from his protégée’s mind. Krishna couldn't teach Arjuna archery but he could definitely help him see things from a very different perspective.

Here are some of the basic differences in two styles: Lord Ram- skilled warrior, lead monkeys, was emotional, gave precise roles and instructions, motivated the army to fight for his cause: Lord krishna- works with best professionals, provides strategic clarity, allows team members to take lead, fights for the cause of the team, did not depict true emotions

Look at your team/family and reflect what type of leader/parent you are, one who keeps answering/solving problems for people/kids or who asks relevant questions from their people/kids so that they can find their own solution. Are you someone who tells/direct all the time or someone who clarifies doubts and allows their people/kids to find their own ways. Are you someone who has monkeys in the team and the way you deal with it Or you have brightest experts in their area getting stuck with issues? 

Younger generation doesn't want you to tell or show how things are done, they want to know the meaning of their task and how it makes difference in this world. They are Arjuna’s who don’t necessarily seek more skill/knowledge but they need someone to clarify the cobwebs in their mind, if you still apply Lord Ram’s style on them, you are bound to fail as a manager on the other hand if there are people who aren't skilled enough but rely on your expertise to sail you through Lord Ram’s style is appropriate.

Isn't it good for us to reflect and think what managerial style will bring the best result for you and your team/family ?

Is it Lord Ram or Lord Krishna?

Life & Tree

I have this tree analogy when I think of people in my life, be it friends, family, acquaintances, employees, co-workers, whomever...
They­ are all placed inside what I call my tree test. 
It goes like this:

LEAF PEOPLE
Some people come into your life and they are like leaves on a tree. They are only there for a season. You can't depend on them or count on them because they are weak and only there to give you shade. Like leaves, they are there to take what they need and as soon as it gets cold or a wind blows in your life they are gone. You can't be angry at them, it's just who they are.

BRANCH PEOPLE
There are some people who come into your life and they are like branches on a tree. They are stronger than leaves, but you have to be careful with them. They will stick around through most seasons, but if you go through a storm or two in your life it's possible that you could lose them. 
Most times they break away when it's tough. Although they are stronger than leaves, you have to test them out before you run out there and put all your weight on them. In most cases they can't handle too much weight. But again, you can't be mad with them, it's just who they are.

ROOT PEOPLE
If you can find some people in your life who are like the roots of a tree then you have found something special. Like the roots of a tree, they are hard to find because they are not trying to be seen. Their only job is to hold you up and help you live a strong and healthy life. If you thrive, they are happy. They stay low key and don't let the world know that they are there. And if you go through an awful storm they will hold you up. Their job is to hold you up, come what may, and to nourish you, feed you and water you.

Just as a tree has many limbs and many leaves, there are few roots. 
Look at your own life. How many leaves, branches and roots do you have? 
What are you in other people's lives?

THANK GOD FOR THE ROOTS!

What's Inside?

A conversation between Wayne Dyer and his student...

What's Inside? 

"'If I were to squeeze this orange as hard as I could, what would come out?' I asked him.

He looked at me like I was a little crazy and said, 'Juice, of course.'

'Do you think apple juice could come out of it?'

'No!' he laughed.

'What about grapefruit juice?'

'No!'

'What would come out of it?'

'Orange juice, of course.'

'Why? Why when you squeeze an orange does orange juice come out?'

He may have been getting a little exasperated with me at this point.

'Well, it's an orange and that's what's inside."

I nodded.

'Let's assume that this orange isn't an orange, but it's you. And someone squeezes you, puts pressure on you, says something you don't like, offends you. And out of you comes anger, hatred, bitterness, fear. Why?

The answer, as our young friend has told us, is
" because that's what's inside. It's one of the great lessons of life. What comes out when life squeezes you? 
When someone hurts or offends you? 
If anger, pain and fear come out of you, it's because that's what's inside. 
It doesn't matter who does the squeezing: your mother, your brother, your children, your boss, the government. 
If someone says something about you that you don't like, what comes out of you is what's inside. And what's inside is up to you, it's your choice.
When someone puts the pressure on you and out of you comes anything other than love, it's because that's what you've allowed to be inside. 
Once you take away all those negative things you don't want in your life and replace them with love, you'll find yourself living a highly functioning life."...

~ Squeeze out Love and Compassion...
😊😊😊

Life - an interesting read

Now think
• A birth certificate shows that we were born.
• A death certificate shows that we died.
• Pictures show that we lived!


Have a seat .... Relax and read each line slowly...let the meaning sink in....it is powerful and worth the read...
- That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

- That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

- That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

- That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

- That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

- That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

- That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. You never know when it may be the last time you see them.

- That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

- That we are responsible for what we do (no matter how we feel).

- That either you control your attitude, or it controls you.

- That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

- That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

- That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

- That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

- That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

- That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

- That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

- That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

- Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

- That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

- That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

- That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

-- The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

- 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you'

Some advise

Having lived a reasonably contented life, I was musing over what a person should strive for to achieve happiness. Here is a list of a few essentials which is put forward for the readers' appraisal.

1. First and foremost is GOOD HEALTH. If you do not enjoy good health you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial, will deduct from your happiness.

2. Second, a HEALTHY BANK BALANCE. It need not run into crores but should be enough to provide for creature comforts and something to spare for recreation, like eating out, going to the pictures, travelling or going on holidays on the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be only demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes.

3. Third, a HOME OF YOUR OWN. Rented premises can never give you the snug feeling of a nest which is yours for keeps that a home provides: if it has a garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, cultivate a sense of kinship with them.

4. Fourth, an UNDERSTANDING COMPANION, be it your spouse or a friend. If there are too many misunderstandings, they will rob you of your peace of mind. It is better to be divorced than to bicker all the time.

5. Fifth, LACK OF ENVY towards those who have done better than you in life; risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be very corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.

6. Sixth, DO NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE to descend on you for gup-shup. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.

7. Seventh, CULTIVATE SOME HOBBIES which can bring you a sense of fulfillment, such as gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks or to meet celebrities is criminal waste of time.

8. Eighth, every morning and evening, devote 15 minutes to INTROSPECTION. In the morning, 10 minutes should be spent on stilling the mind and then five in listing things you have to do that day. In the evening, five minutes to still the mind again, and ten to go over what you had undertaken to do.

Why are North Indians so aggressive ?

Am often asked this ...and often I witness a conversation where it is implied that North Indians are loud, aggressive , protective, opulent , not very polite & helpful to strangers and so on.....plus they lack interest is some finer things in life like music & literature like the culturally evolved people from other parts of the nation.

Am not a History buff, but let's just try.

North India...Largely the Punjab & Rajathan area and what is Pakistan now , faced innumerable attacks. All attacks on India happened from there if my memory serves me right.

So for the last 500 or 1000 our ancestors were busy protecting their land & family. Busy with wars and reconstruction. These folks were so busy with wars and dealing with invaders , that all else did not matter. So the DNA became aggressive and distrusting.  While other communities living in a more peaceful circumstances developed interest in arts, music, poetry & so on.

Think about it....

Our Attitude Defines Life

Life is Best for those who want to Live it,
Life is Difficult for those who want to Analyze it,
Life is worst for those who want to Criticize it,
Our Attitude Defines Life...

Enjoy Your Life,
Laugh so Hard That even Sorrow Smiles at You,
Live Life so Well That even Death Loves to see you Alive,
Fight so Hard That even Fate accepts its Defeat..

Parenting again!

Parenthood has taught me a lot. One of the biggest lessons presented itself not very long after my son was born:

-The importance of letting go:

-I've had to learn to let go and let him sleep in his own room;
-let go and let him cross the street to play;
-let go and let him walk to school;
-let go and let him choose his clothes, his wife, his own path.

It's a life long process and I still have times I have to remind myself, hey, this is not about me, is it?

It's easy to worry, feel disappointed, be irritated or get annoyed by someone's actions or choices because they aren't what we want or expect or what we think we know is right.

It's easy to see others and operate more from our own perspective or agenda rather than what is needed or important or best for the other person.

And sometimes, when we do get what we want, we discover it wasn't the best of all possibilities after all.

Expectations are like icebergs. Whether it's the actions we expect co-workers to take, the recognition we think we deserve, or the careers we want our children to choose, we rarely see the depth of possibilities that exist just beneath the surface.

When we attach ourselves to one outcome, we can't see all that might eventually emerge if we just let it go.

We can save a tremendous amount of energy when we accept that people will not always act as expected or in ways that suit us.

This doesn't mean losing control; it means acknowledging that in most cases we're not in control and don't need to be for things to turn out okay.

Accept the unpredictable nature of life.

Let go of expectations and view the world around you from a new and more spontaneous perspective.

Be more flexible and ready to adapt and respond to whatever may come your way with more intelligence, more creativity and more balance. Expect only the unexpected!

Mum's Test

A mum was out walking with her 4-year-old daughter. She picked up something off of the ground and started to put it in her mouth.
She took the item away from her and she asked her not to do that.
'Why?' my daughter asked.
'Because it's been on the ground; you don't know where it's been, it's dirty,
And probably has germs,' she replied.
At this point, my daughter looked at mum with total admiration and asked,
'Mum, how do you know all this stuff? You are so smart.'
Mum was thinking quickly and replied, 'All mums know this stuff. It's on the Mum Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mum.'
We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new information.
'Oh.....I get it!' she beamed, 'So if you don't pass the test you have to be the dad.'
'Exactly,' I replied with a big smile on my face.

Ten Commandments

Someone has written these beautiful lines. Must read and try to understand the deep meaning of it. They are like Ten Commandments to follow in the life all the time.

1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble,
But it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout

2] Do you know why a Car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rearview Mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as your FUTURE. Look Ahead and Move on

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well enjoys it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don’t worry, they can't last long either.

5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities;
When GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8] A blind person asked Swami Vivekananda: "Can there be anything worse than losing eye sight?"
He replied: "Yes, losing your vision!"

9] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes,
When you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrows' TROUBLES; it takes away today’s PEACE

I believe

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born...
A Death Certificate shows that we died...
Pictures show that we lived!

Have a seat, Relax, And read this slowly.....! !


I Believe....
That just because two people argue, that doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, that doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.



I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.



I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe....
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them...and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.





I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if a friend cries out to you...you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon..

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; They just make the best of everything.

Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life...


God Bless You!

What is in a name?

Well Shakespear's famous quote comes to my mind...Call the rose by any other name and it shall smell just as sweet.

Then am reminded that when one dies, we address it as "body" and not with the name.....

And any time our name is called we give it attention...whether in praise or otherwise....

We feel a strange joy about namesakes ...

So whats in a name?

Each time our name is mentioned we pay attention....well so does God....so each time we think of him, read about the Divine or talk or sing for the Lord, we attract attention.

And does God/Lord/The Divine/The Supreme....have a name???

Now lets dwell on the formless & nameless being given a form & a name for the convenience of mankind.

Think about it

Value of time!

To realize
The value of a sister/brother
Ask someone
Who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of ten years:
Ask a newly
Divorced couple.

To realize
The value of four years:
Ask a graduate.

To realize
The value of one year:
Ask a student who
Has failed a final exam.

To realize
The value of nine months:
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.

To realize
The value of one month:
Ask a mother
Who has given birth to
A premature baby..

To realize
The value of one week:
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed the train, bus or plane.

To realize
The value of one second:
Ask a person
Who has survived an accident

To realize
The value of one tenth of a second:
Ask a person
Who has lost the Olympic Gold

Time waits for no one..

Treasure every moment you have.

You will treasure it even more when
You can share it with someone special.

To realize the value of a friend or family member:

Ask someone who has lost one.


Remember....

Hold on tight to the ones you love!

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

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

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

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

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family,
children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else –The small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ He continued,
there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So…

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

‘Take care of the golf balls first –
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
‘I’m glad you asked’.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’

Please share this with other “Golf Balls”

A story with a message - Lightening

A bus full of passengers was traveling while suddenly the weather changed and there was a huge downpour and lightning all around.

They could see that the lightning would appear to come towards the bus and then go elsewhere.

After 2 or 3 horrible instances of being saved from lightning, the driver stopped the bus about fifty feet away from a tree and said -

"We have somebody in the bus whose death is a certainty today."

Because of that person everybody else will also get killed today.

Now listen carefully what I am saying ..

I want each person to come out of bus one by one and touch the tree trunk and come back.

Whom so ever death is certain will get caught up by the lightning and will die & everybody else will be saved".

They had to force the 1st person to go and touch the tree and come back.

He reluctantly got down from the bus and went and touched the tree.

His heart leaped with joy when nothing happened and he was still alive.

This continued for rest of the passengers who were all relieved when they touched the tree and nothing happened.

When the last passenger's turn came, everybody looked at him with accusing eyes.

That passenger was very afraid and reluctant since he was the only one left.

Everybody forced him to get down and go and touch the tree.

With a 100% fear of death in mind, the last passenger walked to the tree and touched it.

There was a huge sound of thunder and the lightning came down and hit the bus - yes the lightning hit the bus, and killed each and every passenger inside the bus.

It was because of the presence of this last passenger that, earlier, the entire bus was safe and the lightning could not strike the bus.

LIFE LEARNING from this..

At times, we try to take credit for our present achievements, but this could also be because of a person right next to us.

Look around you - Probably someone is there around you, in the form of Your Parents, Your Spouse, Your Children, Your Siblings, Your friends, etc, who are saving you from harm..!

Think About it..

You will surely find that Person..!!