Open Space

A touching story on true compassion!

2011-05-20T10:05:00.001+05:30

A Brother Like That

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it. "Is this your car, Mister?" he asked.

Paul nodded. "My brother gave it to me for Christmas." The boy was astounded. "You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you nothing? Boy, I wish ..." He hesitated.

Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.

"I wish," the boy went on, "that I could be a brother like that."

Paul looked at the boy in astonishment, then impulsively he added, "Would you like to take a ride in my automobile?"

"Oh yes, I'd love that."

After a short ride, the boy turned and with his eyes aglow, said, "Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?"

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again. "Will you stop where those two steps are?" the boy asked.

He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him and pointed to the car.

"There she is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm gonna give you one just like it ... then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about."

Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride.

That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what "It is more blessed to give..." means!
______________________________________________________________________

The Law of Garbage Truck - an interesting Law!!

2011-05-11T09:22:00.001+05:30

The Law of the Garbage Truck™ by David J. Pollay

How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you’re the Terminator, you’re probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of your success is how quickly you can refocus on what’s important in your life. Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson. And I learned it in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here’s what happened.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, the car skidded, the tires squealed, and at the very last moment our car stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.

I couldn’t believe it. But then I couldn’t believe what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any New Yorker, some words in New York come with a special face. And for emphasis, he threw in a one finger salute, as if his words were not enough.

But then here’s what really blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, “Why did you just do that!? This guy could have killed us!” And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck™.” He said:

Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.

So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Believe me. You’ll be happier.

So I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the street? It was then that I said, “I don’t want their garbage and I’m not going to spread it anymore.”

I began to see Garbage Trucks. Like in the movie “The Sixth Sense,” the little boy said, “I see Dead People.” Well now “I see Garbage Trucks.” I see the load they’re carrying. I see them coming to dump it. And like my taxi driver, I don’t take it personally; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favourite football players of all time is Walter Payton. Every day on the football field, after being tackled, he would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground. He never dwelled on a hit. Payton was ready to make the next play his best. Over the years the best players from around the world in every sport have played this way: Tiger Woods, Nadia Comaneci, Muhammad Ali, Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert, Michael Jordan, and Pele are just some of those players. And the most inspiring leaders have lived this way: Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King.

See, Roy Baumeister, a psychology researcher from Florida State University, found in his extensive research that you remember bad things more often than good things in your life. You store the bad memories more easily, and you recall them more frequently.

So the odds are against you when a Garbage Truck comes your way. But when you follow The Law of the Garbage Truck™, you take back control of your life. You make room for the good by letting go of the bad.

The best leaders know that they have to be ready for their next meeting. The best sales people know that they have to be ready for their next client. And the best parents know that they have to be ready to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses, no matter how many garbage trucks they might have faced that day. All of us know that we have to be fully present, and at our best for the people we care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their lives.

What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here’s my bet: You’ll be happier.

You have a choice. Make it today.

Have a Garbage Free Day! ™
______________________________________________________________________

Count your Blessings

2011-05-09T16:01:00.001+05:30

WHAT HAPPENS IN THE HEAVEN WHEN WE PRAY?

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section n said, “This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.”

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was. There were many angels working hard in that section, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally, at the farthest end of the long corridor, we stopped at the door of a very small section. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend quietly admitted to me. “How is it that there is no work going on here?” I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments."

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings? " I asked..

"Simple," the angel answered. Just say, "Thank you, God."

"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy."

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who have that opportunity..."

"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day."

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world."

"If you can attend a place of worship without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are envied by, and more blessed than, 3 billion people in the world."

"If your parents are still alive and still married... you are very lucky."

"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special, and you are more blessed than over 2 billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings. J

"Customer Perception of Shopping Malls Vs High Streets in Bangalore"

2011-04-27T20:26:00.001+05:30

Kindly spend 5 min of your time to give your valuable inputs on "Customer Perception of Shopping Malls Vs High Streets in Bangalore".

Shopping Malls and High Streets being each one of ours favourite shopping destinations , I bet you would love to share your perceptions on the same.

Please click on the link below to be directed to the form.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T56879F

World's last typewriter factory 'shuts down'

2011-04-26T15:53:00.000+05:30

Godrej and Boyce - the last company left in the world that was still manufacturing typewriters - has closed its production plant in Mumbai, India.

The company is now left with its last 200 machines - the majority of which are Arabic language models.

Although typewriters became obsolete years ago in the west, they were still common in India - until recently.

But with consumers switching to computers the demand for the machines started falling drastically in the last ten years.

"We are not getting many orders now," The Daily Mail quoted the company's general manager, Milind Dukle, as telling India's Business Standard newspaper.

"From the early 2000s onwards, computers started dominating. All the manufacturers of office typewriters stopped production, except us.

"Till 2009, we used to produce 10,000 to 12,000 machines a year. But this might be the last chance for typewriter lovers. Now, our primary market is among the defence agencies, courts and government offices," he said.

The firm began production in the 1950s.

Earth Day

2011-04-22T14:15:00.001+05:30

Dear Santhosh,

Happy Earth day! Our planet has been facing problems like climate change and air and water pollution. This planet is all we have and it needs to be protected from destructive development.

Click to see the video

The planet needs heroes who protect it from human greed. Every step taken to keep the earth safe is an investment for a safe future.

Greenpeace India has been working to keep the planet safe. To maintain its independence, Greenpeace does not accept money from government or business houses. All the work is funded by contributions made by individuals like you. There can't be a better day than today, to pledge your support to the planet. Here's what you can do:

Watch this inspiring video and then make a contribution to strengthen the fight to keep this planet safe.

http://greenpeace.in/donate/earth_day_donate_to_support_greenpeace_india.php

What more, you can get a cool environment hero shirt for the contribution you make.

Danger - Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant

2011-04-21T17:13:00.001+05:30

Dear Friends,

One killed and eight injured. The protests against the proposed Jaitapur nuclear plant in Maharashtra have taken a grave turn.^[1] Violence does not result in anything good, and must be condemned in any situation.

You should tell Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan to scrap the Jaitapur nuclear reactors

The Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, however, is adamant about setting up this project. ^[2] Jaitapur is in an earthquake prone zone ^[3] and the technology being used here is still under review in the UK and USA.[4] For the past one year, the government of Maharashtra has used force to suppress the non-violent and democratic struggle of the people against the plant.

Mr. Chavan needs to listen to his people. He needs to know that he cannot build Jaitapur against the people's will when alternatives exist. To tell him this we will deliver a petition to him on April 26, 2011, the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine.^[5]

You should sign this petition asking CM Prithviraj Chavan to scrap the nuclear reactors in Jaitapur.

http://greenpeace.in/take-action/chavan-listen-to-the-people-of-jaitapur/

Citizens across the country, and some international governments ^[6] are questioning the need for nuclear power. Many signatures will help show the CM that opposition to the Jaitapur nuclear plant cuts across state boundaries. It will help put pressure on him to stop the project.

Clean and safe renewable energy and energy efficiency can help us meet our power needs. We need to invest more in these, instead of dangerous nuclear technology.

Even after 25 years, Chernobyl is not completely free of radiation.^[7] CM Chavan is putting the environment and the lives of current and future generations at risk. Ask him to scrap the project now!

http://greenpeace.in/take-action/chavan-listen-to-the-people-of-jaitapur/?u=1

Sources:

1. One dead, 8 hurt as protest against Jaitapur N-plant turns violent, Times of India, April 18, 2011
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-18/india/29443167_1_protest-jaitapur-nuclear-power-project-police-officials

2. Prithviraj Chavan bats for Jaitapur nuclear power project, prokerela.com/agencies, March 21 2011
http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a210065.html

3. 20 years, 92 quakes: Ground trembles beneath Jaitapur's feet, Times of India, March 16, 2011
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/20-years-92-quakes-Ground-trembles-beneath-Jaitapurs-feet/articleshow/7714776.cms

4. Why should Jaitapur be made a guinea pig for untested reactor? DNA, March 17, 2011
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/comment_why-should-jaitapur-be-made-a-guinea-pig-for-untested-reactor_1520843-all

5. Thousands may have died. Soviet nuclear accident a disaster, Ellensburg daily, April 26, 1986
http://news.google.co.in/newspapers?id=hJZUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JY8DAAAAIBAJ&dq=chernobyl%20disaster&pg=6780%2C4137477

6. Nuclear power plants shut down in Germany, BBC news, March 15, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12745899

7. The milk of Chernobyl, www. greenpeace.org/india, March 11, 2011
http://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/Blog/the-milk-of-chernobyl/blog/33678

World Cup Coincidence

2011-04-20T21:49:00.001+05:30

India won theworld cup in 1983 and 2011. The coincidences are just too much

Both the years' 1st January started on Saturday

Both the years' World Cup was inaugurated on aThursday (09.06.1983 & 17.02.2011)

Both the years' finals were played on a Saturday

Both the years India was in Group B

Both the years India was on second place in thegroup table after the league matches

Both the years India won 4 out of their 6 leaguematches

Both the years in the last league match India won the toss, elected to bat, and wasbowled out and still India won that match

Both the years India played their last leaguematch on 20th (20.06.83 & 20.03.11)

Both the years India played against Australia before Semi-finals

Both the years India played their semi-final onWednesday (22.06.83 & 30.03.11)

Both the years the opposition finalist won their last matchbefore Semi-finals by 10 wickets (West Indies against Zimbabwe & Sri Lankaagainst England )

And -- Both the years - INDIA WON THE WORLD CUP

And the best piece : In 1983 a Sardar was the President ofIndia and a lady was the PM In 2011, a lady is the President and a Sardar isthe PM.

Points on how to improve your life

2011-04-14T10:13:00.003+05:30

This is amazing stuff so I thought of sharing it with you.
He died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book ‘The last lecture” before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behind…
In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life" for his wife and children to follow. May you be blessed by his insight.

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't overdo; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with, people you play with, people you work with and people you live with.

Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.

Story of Appreciation

2011-04-13T16:00:00.002+05:30

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".

The director asked, "Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked, "Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, "Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that.It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: "Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, "I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'

The Director asked, "please tell me your feelings."

The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said, "This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*

You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

You would have forwarded many mails to many and many of them would have mailed back to you too... but try and forward this story to as many as possible... this may change somebody's fate...

--- Vote Against Corruption ---

2011-04-10T15:06:00.001+05:30

Join hands with "Padma Bhushan Anna Hazare" to act against Corruption and to pressure on the Government of India to enact a strong anti-corruption.

Jan Lokpal Bill

India Against Corruption movement is an expression of collective anger of people of India against corruption. We have all come together to force/request/persuade/pressurize the Government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill. We feel that if this Bill were enacted it would create an effective deterrence against corruption

Register your vote against corruption ::

http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/votebanks.php

Step 1: Take the following pledge:

"I will not vote for that party in next elections, which does not enact Jan Lokpal or Jan Lokayukta Bill wherever it is in power – whether it is in state or at centre. If Congress wants my vote, it should enact it in Centre and in all the states wherever they are in power. If any other party wants my vote, it should enact it in the states where it is in power."

Step 2: All the people taking the above pledge should then come together as "vote bank against corruption".

Click here to register your vote against corruption.

Kindly spread this message amongst all your friends. For those who do not have access to net, you can register your vote through sms also. Just type INDIA space <your name> and send sms at 9225592255.

Our Anti corruption system needs a change

Why is it that no one goes to jail in our country despite indulging in corruption? This is because we have completely rotten anti-corruption laws and anti-corruption agencies that it is almost impossible for the corrupt to be penalized.

Jan Lokpal Bill is the solution

Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court Lawyer) and Arvind Kejriwal (activist) have together drafted a strong anti-corruption law called Jan Lokpal Bill which requires that investigations into any case should be completed within a year and the trial should get over in the next one year so that a corrupt person goes to jail within two years of complaint and his ill gotten wealth is confiscated.

Proposed Govt Lokpal Bill is an eyewash

Lokpal Bill has been introduced eight times in Parliament since 1968. All the eight versions have been very weak. Even these weak versions have not been passed so far because Lokpal Bill seeks to investigate politicians. The latest draft of Lokpal Bill prepared by the present UPA government is a complete eyewash. Rather than strengthen anti-corruption systems, it demolishes whatever exists in the name of anti-corruption systems today. It seeks to completely insulate politicians from any kind of action against them.

Credit card numbers

2011-04-09T23:33:00.000+05:30

Be prepared for a bigger battle, Hazare tells supporters - Hindustan Times

2011-04-09T19:47:00.000+05:30

Be prepared for a bigger battle, Hazare tells supporters - Hindustan Times

Hide your folder with ease

2011-04-09T10:53:00.000+05:30

1. Create a folder you want to hide

///////To hide a folder//////

2. Open a notepad and paste the following

ren hide hide.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}

Note: hide is the name of the folder you want to hide. Change it as per your folder name.

3. Save it as "loc.bat" in the location on the folder.

4. Double click the "loc.bat" file to hide the folder. (Well actually the folder is visible, but when you double click it opens control panel)

////////////To unhide the same folder////////

5. Open a notepad and paste the following

ren hide.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} hide

Note: hide is the name of the folder you want to hide. Change it as per your folder name.

6. Save it as "key.bat" in the location of the folder.

7. Double click the "key.bat" file to unhide the hidden folder.