General English

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2013-05-20T11:08:00.002-07:00

FLOWER

A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away. As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.”

The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.” He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers. As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.” She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.

The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.

Moral: Life is Short. Spend much time as you can loving and caring people who love you. Enjoy each moment with them before it’s too late. There is nothing important than family.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-12-31T03:51:00.003-08:00

God fulfills all wishes

Accepting years long prayers
of blind and poor chap,
God granted his demand but
agreed to fulfill merely one wish.

He wished to see singing birds
on trees of aromatic tasty fruits
in his own orchard;
blowing there cool breeze
.

STORY OF THE DAY

WISH FULFILLED

God Created a Mule, and told him, 'You will be a Mule, Work Constantly from Dawn to Dusk, and Carry Heavy Loads on Your Back. You Will Live for 50 Years.'
The mule answered, 'To live like that for 50 years will be too munch. Please, Lord, give me no moew than 20 years.' And it was so.
Then God created a dog, and told him, 'You will hold vigilance over the dwellings of man, to whom you will be his greatest companion. You will eat his table scraps and live for 25 years.'

The dog responded, 'Lord, to live 25 years as a dog like that will be too much. Please, Lord, give me no more than 10 years.' And it was so.

God then created a monkey, and told him, 'You will be a monkey. You will swing from, and you will live for 20 years.

The monkey responded, 'Lord, to live 20 years as the clown of the world will be too much. Please, Lord, give me on more than 10 years.' And it was so.

Finally, God created man and told him, 'You will be the only rational being that walks on the earth and live for 20 years.'

The man responded, 'Lord, to be a man for only 20 years will be too little. Please, Lord, give me the 30 years the mule refused, the 15 years the dog refused, and the 10 years the monkey refused.' and it was so.

Ever since the grant of that wish man's life goes somewhat like this: He lives the first 20 years as a man enjoying himself without a worry in the world; then he marries and have children, to supports them he has to work like a mule and carry the heavy responsibility (load) of his family on this shoulders. This goes on till he is 40. The next 15 years he lives a dog's life guarding his house and eating leftovers after the children have emptied the pantry. Finally in his old age he lives the last 10 years as a monkey, entertaining his grand-children by acting like an idiot. And so, it has been ever since.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-12-22T09:02:00.003-08:00

Believe in God

It’s important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to have trust in God and to ‘put them down’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh and strong and can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!’

Story of the day

Read this small story; Hope that makes a BIG change in YOU

The Professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students “How much do you think this glass weighs?”

’50gms!’….. ’100gms!’ …..’125 gms’ …the students answered.

“I really don’t know unless I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question is:

What would happen if I held it up like this for a few minutes?”…. .

‘Nothing’ …..the students said.

‘Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?’ the professor asked.

‘Your arm would begin to ache’ said one of the student

“You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”

“Your arm could go numb; you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis & have to go to hospital for sure!”

….. Ventured another student & all the students laughed

“Very good.

But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?” Asked the professor.

‘No’…. Was the answer.

“Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?”

The students were puzzled.

“What should I do now to come out of pain?” asked professor again.

“Put the glass down!” said one of the students

“Exactly!” said the professor.

Life’s problems are something like this.

Hold it for a few minutes in your head & they seem OK.

Think of them for a long time & they begin to ache.

Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do anything.

It’s important to think of the challenges or problems in your life, But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to ‘PUT THEM DOWN’ at the end of every day before you go to sleep…

That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day fresh &strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your way!

Moral

So, when you start your day today, Remember friend to ‘PUT THE GLASS DOWN TODAY! ‘

Nice Short Story with a Moral…Why we shout in anger

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-12-13T06:36:00.001-08:00

. Parents.

They help us, love us, and care for us. We can't compare anybody to them.

Treat your parents with loving care…..

MORAL STORY

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the treetop, ate the apples, and took a nap under the shadow.

He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him. Time went by, the little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree every day.

One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.

“Come and play with me”, the tree asked the boy.

“I am no longer a kid, I do not play around trees any more” the boy replied.

“I want toys. I need money to buy them.”

“Sorry, but I do not have money, but you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money.”

The boy was so excited. He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily. The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy who now turned into a man returned and the tree was excited.

“Come and play with me” the tree said.

“I do not have time to play. I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?”

“Sorry, but I do not have any house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house.” So the man cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the man never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the man returned and the tree was delighted.

“Come and play with me!” the tree said.

“I am getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?” said the man.

“Use my trunk to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy.”

So the man cut the tree trunk to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the man returned after many years. “Sorry, my boy. But I do not have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you”, the tree said. “No problem, I do not have any teeth to bite” the
man replied.

“No more trunk for you to climb on.” “I am too old for that now” the man said. “I really cannot give you anything, the only thing left is my dying roots,” the tree said with tears.

“I do not need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years,” the man replied.

“Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest, come sit down with me and rest.” The man sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

This is a story of everyone. The tree is like our parents. When we were young, we loved to play with our Mum and Dad. When we grow up, we leave them; only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble. No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could just to make you happy.

You may think the boy is cruel to the tree, but that is how all of us treat our parents. We take them for granted; we don’t appreciate all they do for us, until it’s too late.

Remember that if you sacrifice one thing for them, they will sacrifice another million for you. A nice, simple greeting like "Hello," "Hi," or "Good morning," will brighten their day

. Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you ~Robert Fulghum

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-12-11T06:56:00.002-08:00

“Insults are like bad coins; we cannot help their being offered us, but we need not take them.”

C. H. Spurgeon

These situations are like "little murders" as these are intended to insult, humiliate or embarrass us.These people attack our self confidence and self esteem.They "murder "what we have worked on so hard.They shake our personality, our confidence and shatter the peace of life.they hurt our feelings for no reason.such people have their own problems.They are sick.Instead of dealing with their problems and coming up with resolution,they opt to insult and hurt our feelings.They peel off our ego and ourself too.

It is always advised that remove yourself from their presence.

Is it so easy? is it so simple?I doubt.Most of us just put up with these humiliating put-downs, but that only encourages them.Sometimes it is advised that, the only way to avoid these put-downs is to avoid those delivering them. such people should be forced to realize that ,it is an unacceptable behaviour.The barbs only work if you react and show them how upset you are.We should assert ourself and tell them it is an unacceptable behavior. we shoud teach such people how to treat us, so we need to teach them that these “little murders” are painful, humiliating, and need to be stopped.

Here is one of my favorite story:

STORY

There was once a great warrior. His reputation extended far and wide throughout the land and many students gathered to study under him. Though quite old, he still adept at martial arts and, despite his age, the legend was that he could defeat any adversary.

One afternoon, a young warrior, known for his complete lack of scruples, arrived in the village.

The young warrior had never lost a fight.

Along with his strength, he had an uncanny ability to spot and exploit any weakness in an opponent. He would wait for his opponent to make the first move, thus revealing a weakness, and then would strike with merciless force and lightning speed. No one had ever lasted with him in a match beyond the first move.

The young warrior had heard of the old master’s reputation was determined to be the first man to defeat the till then invincible great master.

The brash young warrior challenged the old master to a fight. Much against the advice of his concerned students, the old master gladly accepted the young warrior's challenge.

All villagers eagerly gathered in the village square to witness the bout.

As the two squared off for battle, the young warrior began to hurl insults at the old master. The young warrior threw dirt and spat in the master’s face and tried his utmost to goad and incite the master to make the first move.

But the old warrior merely stood there motionless and calm.

For hours the young warrior provoked the master. He verbally abused the master with every curse and insult known to mankind and even insulted the master’s ancestors, but the old man kept smiling and remained impassive.

Finally, as the sun started setting, the young warrior started feeling exhausted and humiliated. Gradually comprehension dawned on the young warrior and he knew that he was defeated so he bowed before the master and feeling shamed he left the village.

Disappointed that the master had received so many insults and provocations, the students gathered around the old master and questioned him, “How could you bear such indignity...? Why didn't you use your sword and fight the insolent youth...? It would have been better if you lost the fight instead of displaying such cowardice in front of us all...?”

“If someone comes to you with a gift, and you do not accept it, to whom does the gift belong...?” asked the master.

“To the giver, the one who tried to give the gift,” replied one of his students.

“The same goes for envy, anger and insults,” said the master, “If you do not accept these gifts of abuse, invective and insults, they continue to belong to the one who delivers them...!”

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-11-30T05:19:00.002-08:00

Please take few seconds to Read this story.. It’s Worth..

Every single person on the planet has a story. Don’t judge people before you truly know them. The truth might surprise you.

A 24 year old boy seeing out from the train’s window shouted…
.
“Dad, look the trees are going behind!”
.
Dad smiled and a young couple sitting nearby, looked at the 24 year old’s childish behavior with pity, suddenly he again exclaimed…
.
“Dad, look the clouds are running with us!”
.
.
The couple couldn’t resist and said to the old man…
.
“Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor?”
.
.
The old man smiled and said…
.
“I did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes today.”

..............................................................

A doctor entered the hospital in hurry after called in for an urgent surgery He answered the call asap, changed his clothes and went directly to the surgery block.he found the boy’s father pacing in the hall waiting for the doctor, On seeing him the dad yelled:

“Why did you take all this time to come? Don’t you have any sense of responsibility?”

The doctor smiled and said:

“I am sorry,I was not in the hospital and I came as fast as I could after receiving the call.............And now, I wish you’d calm down so that I can do my work”

“Calm down?! What if your son was in this room right now, would you calm down? If your own son dies now what will you do??”

said the father angrily.

The doctor smiled again and replied: “I will say what the job said in the Holy book “ From dust we came and to dust we return, bless the name of God”. Doctors can’t prolong lives. go and intercede for your son. We will do our best by God’s grace.

‘Giving advises when we are not concerned is so easy”Murmured the father.

The surgery took some hours after which the doctor went out happy.

“Thank goodness!,your son is saved!”And without waiting for the father’s reply he carried on his way running.”If you have any question, ask the nurse!!”

“Why is he so arrogant?He couldn’t wait some minutes so that I ask about my son’s state” commented the father when seeing the nurse minutes after the doctor left.

The nurse answered, tears coming down her face: “His son died yesterday in road accident, he was in burial when we called him for your son’s surgery..........................

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-11-30T04:24:00.000-08:00

Keep People in Your Life Who Bring Out The Best In You.

In life you’ll realize there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you, and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.

Keep people in your life who truly love you, motivate you, encourage you, enhance you, and make you happy. If you know people who do none of these things, let them go.

A Wonderful Story of Friendship & Values……

A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone:

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the
sand and now, you write on a stone, why?” The other friend replied “When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND
AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person,
an hour to appreciate them,a day to love them,
but then an entire life to forget them.

- MORAL -

Do not value the THINGS you have in your life..

But value WHO you have in your life!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-11-10T07:22:00.002-08:00

MOTHER

“No man is poor who has a Godly mother.”
― Abraham Lincoln

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavour by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts

The young mother set her foot on the path of life.

"Is this the long way?" she asked.

And the guide said "Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them along the way, and bathed them in the clear streams; and the sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then the night came, and the storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children," A little patience and we are there."

So the children climbed, and when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you."

And the mother, when she lay down at night looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday I gave them courage. Today, I have given them strength."

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was as light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

And mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them."

And the children said, " You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a living presence."

Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street; she's the smell of bleach in your freshly laundered socks; she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not well.

Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. She's the place you came from, your first home; and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love and your first heartbreak, and nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space...not even death!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-11-10T07:01:00.002-08:00

'KEEP YOUR FACE TOWARDS THE SUN, YOU WILL NEVER SEE THE SHADOWS'
HELEN KELER

Story

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World."

Though there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:

Egypt's Great Pyramids
Taj Mahal
Grand Canyon
Panama Canal
Empire State Building
St. Peter's Basilica
China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not finished her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are:

to see
to hear
to touch
to taste
to feel
to laugh
and to love."

The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous!

A gentle reminder -- that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”
― Abraham Lincoln

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-10-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

Stop complaining

Story

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport.

When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine.

Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'
Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'

My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card. 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth individual, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining!

Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.'''

That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally.

'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year.

This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it.

Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
What kind of choices are YOU making in life? Are you complaining like the duck, or soaring like an eagle? Complaining might make you feel good about your decision not yo move forward, but it will also help you do just that; FAIL TO MOVE FORWARD

Stop quack ...quack.......quack.....

Stop criticizing

Stop complaining

Stop comparing

Stop competing

Stop contending

Stop cynicism

These all are like cancers.........

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-09-30T01:44:00.000-07:00

How to tackle defeat?

‘Defeat comes only when you give up – and don’t bounce back’

Defeats come at every stage in your life or your career but you need to bounce back

5 Ways to Handle Defeat Gracefully

Defeat can suck. However, if you adopt the right attitude, that defeat will only impact you for a moment before you move forward with action. It is often said that you can judge one’s character by the way they accept defeat. Therefore, we’ll provide 5 ways to confront defeat with grace:

1. Accept it: It happened. So what? You have the power to let it impact you for days or for a few hours or not at all. It happens to everyone hundreds of times throughout their life.

2. Learn from it: Instead of looking at losing as a failure, accept it as a challenge to better your craft. Competition should not be about others but yourself. You can opt to use the defeat to better or lose yourself. It’s your choice.

3. Moving forward: Set your sights on a new goal. As rapper Jay Z would say, move “on to the next”. Create new challenges for yourself. If you experienced a big defeat, set your sights on smaller goals until you complete the bigger picture. However, any accomplished journey comes from small steps, so keep moving.

4. Emulate: How have your role models/ idols dealt with defeat? There are many successful ways to cope with it. Discover the ways in which someone that you admire chose to handle their defeat. It’s likely that their solution could work for you too.

5. Distraction: Instead of letting self-doubt and negativity occupy your mind, put your attention somewhere else. Volunteer or spend time helping someone else get over their problems. These activities can additionally do wonders for your self-esteem.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-06-16T07:54:00.003-07:00

Life

Life is not just party and pleasure, it is also pain and despair. Unthinkable things happen. Sometimes everything turns upside down. Bad things happen to good people. Some things are beyond control, such as physical disability and birth defects. If the ball bounced the wrong way for you.What do you do from that point on-

Cry or take the ball and run?

STORY

The Present...

     Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing the scenes and sounds of the world outside.

     The man in the other bed began to live, for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and colour of the world outside. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

     As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene. Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.

     As soons as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up to take his first look at the world outside. It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things outside this window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to make you happy."

     The richest person in the world is one who knows how to make each moment happy for the self and others. Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-06-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

Live by your values

we pride ourselves on our heritage and deep routed values which guide us through the life’s major challenges and quandaries and help us lead a meaningful life. But these values not magically pass on from one generation to another. Building and living by our values needs lot of conscious efforts such as:

1) Read a lot: Be it religious texts ,true life stories, text books or fiction work, reading brings us face to face with the outside world .It exposes us to new ideas, to the triumphs and tribulations of others ,and different ways of looking at the world.

2) Spend time with grand-parents: Our values are not passed on to us by parents, but rather from our grandparents. Their simple stories can bring complex morals and values alive; their experiences can teach us more than text books .

3) Think about others: Our values turn into actions when we go beyond ourselves and think about others as well. Consider about the feeling of others before acting. Think of how would you have felt if the same had been done to you.

4) Become responsible: There is no better way to learn than from our experiences .Our lives are fraught with moments when we question our ethics and values. Take responsibilities of your actions and decisions.

5) Be open: Values are not just some sentences meant to be blindly imbibed or accepted. Instead, discuss concerns and dilemmas with your parents and teachers and ask pertinent questions.

6) Have meaningful discussions with your peers: Our peers are individual who are similar to us in many ways and different – with diverse families and backgrounds. Engaging in meaningful discussions with them can open you up to newer ideas and perspectives.

7) Become involve in something that appeals to you and helps others: There is great satisfaction in helping others. Think of an activity that you enjoy that can still help someone else- be it community service, assisting a classmate in maths, giving music classes with limited means.

8) Be honest to yourself: Our values are not rules imposed on us by our parents, teachers or priests. They are what we hold to be most important in ourselves. We all make mistakes, but accepting them and being honest with ourselves is the only way to become better human beings.

9) Think for yourself: Don’t do things under pressure simply because others ask you to or you see others around you do it. Think critically and think for yourself. Do what your conscience tell you to do.

10)   Value the means, not just the end: There are times when we are tempted to compromise on the means to reach the end. But winning may not always justify the costs. Life is not just about what we achieve, but rather how we achieved it.

                                                       STORY
      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 jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of small 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 cans of beer 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 - your family, your children, your health, your friends, your 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, your house, your 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. 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 rubbish. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand".

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-06-05T05:16:00.000-07:00

SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS GO HAND IN HAND

“Success is not the key to happiness.Happiness is the key to success.If you love what you are doing, you will be successful”

- Herman Cain

Do you agree with Herman? How do you define success and happiness? Do they go hand in hand? How can people be successful and unhappy, or unsuccessful and happy on that matter. Success brings a lot to us and happiness is one out of those. There are several routes to happiness. Some are quick and bring immediate positive feelings, and others take more time and bring lasting and repeated of happiness feeling .

Success means different things to different people. To some people, success might mean wealth. To others, it is happiness, good health, peace of mind, good family ,good health, satisfaction, excellent job. Success is getting what you want.

Success means to freely bloom. Success is a journey not a destination. So keep your journey continue and get as much as happiness as you can. As before setting off for the journey we do arrangements and make sure that every thing has been at proper place to avoid the inconvenience. Same thing is required for the journey of success.

1) Identify your area of Interest

2)Set your goal

3)Make action plan

4) Be persistent and work hard

5)Take action

6)Never stop learning

7)Beware of negative environment

8)Think success,not failure

9)Ask for feedback

10)Learn to analyze details

11)Focus your time ,money and mind

12)Be dedicated

13)Be honest

14)Take responsibility

15)Take care.

People who take care don’t go anywhere

Take care ,

Take chance,

Take control.

Story of two frogs in the milk

This is the story of two frogs. One frog was fat and the other skinny. One day, while searching for food, they inadvertently jumped into a vat of milk. They couldn't get out, as the sides were too slippery, so they were just swimming around.

The fat frog said to the skinny frog, "Brother frog, there's no use paddling any longer. We're just going to drown, so we might as well give up." The skinny frog replied, "Hold on brother, keep paddling. Somebody will get us out." And they continued paddling for hours.

After a while, the fat frog said, "Brother frog, there's no use. I'm becoming very tired now. I'm just going to stop paddling and drown. It's Sunday and nobody's working. We're doomed. There's no possible way out of here." But the skinny frog said, "Keep trying. Keep paddling. Something will happen, keep paddling." Another couple of hours passed.

The fat frog said, "I can't go on any longer. There's no sense in doing it because we're going to drown anyway. What's the use?" And the fat frog stopped. He gave up. And he drowned in the milk. But the skinny frog kept on paddling.

Ten minutes later, the skinny frog felt something solid beneath his feet. He had churned the milk into butter and he hopped out of the vat.

“ All who would win joy must share it; happiness was born a twin."

Let’s work together to change your surroundings at work. My job is to get you on a better path to happiness, and therefore…success.

Happiness and Wellness to you,Sushma

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-05-29T06:55:00.002-07:00

LEARN TO BECOME VICTORS NOT VICTIMS

One who defeats an adversary is a victor.

Our society is full of people who, through their own limiting beliefs, have settled into becoming victims of their circumstances. They feel powerless to make changes in their lives because they think that the elements of their lives are out of their control. They have a hard time taking responsibility for themselves, their actions, mistakes, and even their own decisions. In short, being a victim requires a giving up of most, if not all, personal responsibility. .The victors choose to show up victorious, always growing from their experiences. Victims choose to be defeated by them.

Destiny is not a matter of chance,it is a matter of choice.it is not a thing to be waited for,it is a thing to be achieved.

Qualities of a victor

1)STRONG DETERMINATION-

Most people give up when they are about to achieve.They quit on the one yard line.they give up at the last minute of the gole,one foot from a winning touchdown.Strong determination is a power buster for success. The people who succeed in life are not extraordinary human beings. They are as simple like us; however they are highly determined towards their goal. Determination provides us with a strong force which helps us in conquering our goals. Many talents fail in this world because they do not have strong determination required for success. It is very difficult in this world to succeed if we do not have determination.

2)HARD WORK

Nature gives birds their food but does not put it in their nests.They have to work hard for it.We must learn a lesson from the honey bee,ants. success, fortunes and dreams aren’t created by themselves. They are created by work.

The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary

There are only 24 hours in a day. We all get those same 24 hours right? So, whether you get rich or whether you get broke is a measure of what you have done with your 24 hours. Success, the same as failure, doesn’t happen overnight or in one swift decision. It happens by one small act or failure to act, There are only 24 hours in a day. We all get those same 24 hours right? So, whether you get rich or whether you get broke is a measure of what you have done with your 24 hours. Success, the same as failure, doesn’t happen overnight or in one swift decision. It happens by one small act or failure to act,

3)EXCELLENT PLANNER

Successful people do not do different things .They just do the things differently. The quality of doing the work differently make them a winner and take them very high from a common man. They are not ten times smarter than the people who fail. They may be fractionally better,but the rewards they get are many times better.

4)CLEAR VISION

Whatever you know as the highest, just seek that out. It does not matter whether it is going to happen or not going to happen. Living with the vision itself is very elevating, very liberating, is a joyous process for any person. Whether it is going to happen tomorrow or after hundred years is not the point. You have a vision and you are not concerned about whether it is possible or not possible. You are not concerned whether it is easy or difficult, whether it is attainable or not attainable; you are not concerned about the end result. You just have a vision and you give your life towards it. This is one of the easiest ways to attain the highest to simply give yourself to what you want, not caring whether it is going to happen or not going to happen. This is a spiritual process by itself

5)DEVOTION AND DEDICATION

Determination is much like dedication Devotion is also related to both determination and dedication. Devotion is a profound or sacred dedication – something that arises from the heart and is difficult to put into words. It propels us into action, as determination does. Devotion moves us into action from the heart, while determination moves us from the mind.

Story

One day, a train was approaching the small town of Cheekyville. On the train was a strange guy with a big suitcase. He was called William Warbler - the man, not the suitcase - and he looked very common indeed. What made him most unusual, though, was the fact that whenever he needed to communicate he did it by singing opera. It didn't matter to William whether it was simply a matter of answering a brief greeting, like 'good day'. He would clear his voice and respond,"Gooood dayyy to youuuuuuuu..... tooOOOO!"It wouldn't be unfair to say that almost everyone considered William Warbler a massive pain in the neck. No one could get a normal, spoken, word out of him. And, as no one knew how he made his living - and he lived quite simply, always wearing his same old second-hand suit - they often treated him with disdain.They made fun of his singing, calling him 'Don No One', 'Poor-Rotti', and 'Lazy Miserables'. William had been in Cheekyville for some years, when, one day, a rumour spread round town like wildfire: William had secured a role in a very important opera in the nation's capital, and there were posters everywhere advertising the event. Everyone in the capital went to see it, and it was a great success. At the end of its run - to everyone in Cheekyville's surprise - when William was being interviewed by reporters, he answered their questions by speaking rather than singing. And he did it with great courtesy, and with a clears and pleasant voice.From that day, William gave up singing at all hours. Now he did it only during his stage appearances and world tours. Some people suspected why he had changed, but others still had no idea, and continued believing him to be somewhat mad. They wouldn't have thoughtso if they had seen what William kept in his big suitcase. It was a large stone, with a hand-carved message on it.

The message said: "Practice, my boy. Practice every second, for you never know when your chance will come."

Little did people realise that he only got the role in the opera because the director had heard William singing while out buying a newspaper.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2012-05-22T07:44:00.001-07:00

TWO MEN SEE THROUGH THE SAME BARS.

ONE SEES THE MUD AND OTHER SEES THE STARS.

It is only because of attitude.

What is attitude

Attitudes are the views of a person whether positive or negative. Attitude is an inward feeling in outward behaviour A person with positive attitude is like a fruit of all seasons. He is always welcome. People with positive attitude have certain personality traits that are easily recognized. They are caring, confident, patient and humble If the attitude is positive, it brings happiness, success, satisfaction, winning , admiration, leadership and much more freedom: Freedom from worries, frustration, and fear. In short positive attitude means: Many wonderful Positive things.

Factors that determine attitude.

It is said many times:"Oh, she acts just like her mom."

It means attitude is learned behaviour? Most of our attitudes were shaped during our formative years. But there are still some factors that determine our attitude formation. the most important factor is environment .Environment means the house ,the school, the workplace, our neighbours, our cultural, religious, social and traditional beliefs . Second most important factor is experience. Our behaviour changes according to our experience with various people. Events and experiences become reference points in our lives, we draw conclusions which become our guidelines in future and decide our attitude. Education not only make us able to earn but also teaches how to live. So the role of education is vital to make our attitude

Positive attitude benefits in many ways

.It makes your personality pleasing.

Helps you become a contributing member of society and an asset of country.

It increase the productivity if you work for an organisation

It solved problems.

Increases profits and reduces stress.

And breeds loyalty also.

Consequences of negative attitude

If your attitude is negative, your life is restrict.

Your success at work will be limited.

You will have fewer friends.

Your enjoyment in life will be less.

It will cause high stress level for themselves and others.

Life would become purposeless.

The Starfish Story(a story on attitude)
An elderly man was walking along the beach, admiring the beautiful view. As he walked, he noticed that a large group of starfishes had been washed ashore by the receding tide, and they were struggling to get back to the water. The man was saddened by this turn of events, but accepted that there was nothing he could do to change anything.

The man walked on, continuing to notice the large numbers of helpless starfishes, until he saw another man in the distance standing at the water’s edge amongst the starfishes. Curious, the elderly man walked over to him, wandering what he was up to.
As he got closer, the elderly man could see that the younger man was picking up starfishes, one by one, and throwing them back out into the sea. Astonished, the elderly man got close enough for the other man to hear him, and then he called out.
“Hey! What on earth are you doing?”
The younger man turned to him and smiled, then turned back to the sea, still continuing his duty of picking up and throwing starfishes.
“I’m helping these starfishes get back into the ocean.”
The elderly man couldn’t believe it, why was this man wasting his time throwing starfishes back? There were thousands of them here, it would take him days! He voiced his thoughts.
“Why are you throwing them back? There’s thousands of them here, it’ll take you forever! How can you possibly hope to make a difference to these starfishes?”
Remaining calm, the younger man continued his duty without looking at the elderly man. Just as he threw another starfish back into the ocean, he replied.
“I made a difference to that one.”
what do you think?

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

2011-11-11T23:57:00.001-08:00

“Be the change you want to see in the world” – Mahatma Gandhi

Change is not going to come if we wait for some other person.One man is enough to start the revolution

The Starfish Story

An elderly man was walking along the beach, admiring the beautiful view. As he walked, he noticed that a large group of starfishes had been washed ashore by the receding tide, and they were struggling to get back to the water. The man was saddened by this turn of events, but accepted that there was nothing he could do to change anything.
The man walked on, continuing to notice the large numbers of helpless starfishes, until he saw another man in the distance standing at the water’s edge amongst the starfishes. Curious, the elderly man walked over to him, wandering what he was up to.
As he got closer, the elderly man could see that the younger man was picking up starfishes, one by one, and throwing them back out into the sea. Astonished, the elderly man got close enough for the other man to hear him, and then he called out.
“Hey! What on earth are you doing?”
The younger man turned to him and smiled, then turned back to the sea, still continuing his duty of picking up and throwing starfishes.
“I’m helping these starfishes get back into the ocean.”
The elderly man couldn’t believe it, why was this man wasting his time throwing starfishes back? There were thousands of them here, it would take him days! He voiced his thoughts.
“Why are you throwing them back? There’s thousands of them here, it’ll take you forever! How can you possibly hope to make a difference to these starfishes?”
Remaining calm, the younger man continued his duty without looking at the elderly man. Just as he threw another starfish back into the ocean, he replied.
“I made a difference to that one.”

A little help done by us can give life to someone
Most of people want to help others ,but they donot know how they can do this noble work.They want to spread peace ,love, comfort ,hope and joy. But how?

Would you please suggest ?

2011-03-27T11:30:00.000-07:00

Know Yourself

To know yourself is your first priority.

How can you set goals, go about life, and have relationships if you don't know who you are or what you want? You really can't.
To not know yourself leads to confusion and wasting much time in hit and miss situations.
We tend to underestimate the importance of knowing ourselves. Many of us go through each day reacting to events and just getting by rather than making conscious choices based on who we are and what we want.
When we don't know where we are headed it's hard to set goals, get motivated and determine the best course of action. Before we can do any of these things we must establish who we are.
To know yourself:
• Be aware of your strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes
• Observe and be aware of your moods, reactions and responses to what is happening around you
• Become aware of how these moods and emotions affect your state of mind
• Examine how you interact with others
• Observe how your environment affects you
Knowing and understanding yourself better, in turn, leads to better decision making, setting and reaching appropriate goals and altogether living more productively.
There are many interesting personality tests and evaluations for self-discovery that can help you become more in tune to yourself and are fun to do.

2011-03-26T12:51:00.001-07:00

WHAT IS THE AURA?

The aura is the electromagnetic field that surrounds the human body (Human Energy Field-HEF) and every organism and object in the Universe.

The Human Energy Field as a collection of electro - magnetic energies of varying densities that permeate through and emit or exit from the physical body of a living person. These particles of energy are suspended around the healthy human body in an oval shaped field. This "auric egg" emits out from the body approximately 2-3 feet (1 metre on average) on all sides. It extends above the head and below the feet into the ground.

2011-03-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Sincerity
Sincerity is generally understood to be truth in word and act. One who means what he says is a sincere person. One who does not mean what he says is not a sincere man, and is perhaps even a hypocrite. Because of its purity the term ‘sincerity’ has endeared itself to us. We love sincere people. We also love to be known as sincere people.

As man is constituted, each part of his being – mind, emotions, etc. – is independent and is not necessarily influenced by the growth of any other part. If we could integrate the different parts of our personality, every part would then be raised to the level of the central growth. A person is integrated if his emotions are rational, social and gentlemanly to the same extent as his mind. His sincerity is partial if it is limited to the mind and external manners.

By ‘sincere’ we understand that the man acts according to his conscience. If he acts according to the dictates of his conscience, we accept his sincerity. In that case, he is sincere to himself. In society this is acceptable as sincerity, but this may be wrong. Suppose an administrator feels that according to his sincere conscience the clerk has to be treated as a second-class citizen, he may be sincere but the world outside may not accept it. He may be sincere but his own conscience may be undeveloped. It is not enough to act according to the conscience; the conscience must also be cultured and noble. Being cultured is a social concept. Being noble is a moral concept. Both are good in themselves, as sufficient guides to men in society. But there is a deeper reference, and that is the inner being, the soul. Sincerity means to act according to the dictates of the inner divine, to obey the Divine Will. Any other reference like morality, society, conscience etc. is not sufficiently high.

There are also different levels of sincerity according to the different parts of the being. There is mental sincerity, vital sincerity and the sincerity of the body. Mental sincerity means to understand and accept in the mind the highest ideals of the inner Divine. The mind has a personality of its own, its own beliefs, preferences, traditions, habits, etc. A person may want to dedicate himself to a very high ideal but the mind may not be able to accept. The nerves, otherwise known as ‘vital’, also have their own personality. The body has an equally powerful one, perhaps more powerful. Each of them have developed on their own and retain their individuality.

Of all the levels of sincerity, mental sincerity is the easiest. Let us examine it here. If we leave aside blatantly insincere people such as liars, clever crooks, etc. and consider only those who consider themselves to be sincere, and really examine their beliefs, several facets of sincerity will emerge. One can sincerely believe in a false idea. Many sincere people have a strong belief even though the belief is not true. This belief stands in the way of their progress. Some of these may be: 1) my country’s culture is the best in the world; 2) because a person is my friend, he must be trusted by everyone, etc. Sincerity should also be rational and intelligent and not foolish. It is not enough to be sincere, you must also be right.

A certain wrong belief about ourselves can have tragic consequences for our growth. An insincere employee is perhaps able, by his cleverness, to convince his boss that he is easily the best in the world and indispensable to the institution. Sometimes he comes to believe himself in his ‘ability’. If he is a sensitive man, capable of further progress in life, this belief acts like a black cover over his soul and prevents him from any progress. Sometimes people wrongly believe, in all sincerity, that their spouse is the cause of all their problems. But the problems they encounter in life, the blocks to their success, are really centered in themselves. These people lose a golden opportunity for progress. Their false view of themselves allows them to even commit outrages on the society. It does not matter they fool others, but it is a pity they fool themselves. We can call them sincerely insincere people. Most of us have such a streak in one thing or another. Unless and until we come forward to shed this aspect of sincere insincerity, the inner light will not shine forth.

It is open to everyone to make his sincerity greater and greater everyday. One can start by being guided by his conscience and becoming conscientious. One bases his sincerity of right information and socially acceptable intelligence, not sincere foolishness. Horizontally one can extend the domain of his sincerity to other similar areas of life and existence. Vertically he can raise the quality of sincerity by extending it to events of greater significance. Sincerity made perfect at the level of conscience, extended horizontally to cover all our life activities and vertically to act in important events of our life will be a sincerity of power and value.

If what is of value to you inwardly is also recognised by the society as valuable in their eyes, your sincerity reaches a second peak in the mountain chain of human progress.

Morality is a great thing for society. If one raises his own sincerity to fulfil the moral requirements of honesty, veracity, purity, etc., etc. it will result in another crown for the inner jewel of sincerity.

Morality is great, conscience is great, society is great. All are good in themselves. In a spiritual endeavour, they are stepping stones, not the final crown. For the final crown, the inner Divine is the sole reference. One must be sincere to the inner Divine and try to express it in speech, emotions and acts.

There is a test for sincerity and its level of attainments. One who has achieved mental sincerity will not complain about anything. One whose vital sincerity is complete will not know any sadness of any kind. The man who has achieved sincerity at the physical level will not meet with failures of any kind in his work.

One who achieves sincerity at the level of the Spirit will be able to evoke it successfully in others at all three levels, according to the intensity of his own attainment and the purity of the other receiving human being

Leadership

2011-03-07T10:32:00.000-08:00

Leadership Skills

There are specific skills someone must master if they want to be a leader.

Effective communication - it's more than just being able to speak and write. A leader's communication must move people to work toward the goal the leader has chosen.
Motivation - a leader has to be able to motivate everyone to contribute. Each of us has different "buttons". A leader knows how to push the right buttons on everyone to make them really want to do their best to achieve the leader's goal.
Planning - the leader has a plan to achieve the goal. He/she doesn't get too bogged down in the details, that's what managers are for, but rather uses a high level plan to keep everyone moving together toward the goal.

TIME MANAGEMENT

2011-02-04T09:37:00.000-08:00

Time management is the art of arranging, organizing, scheduling, and budgeting one’s time for the purpose of generating more effective work and productivity. There are an abundance of books, classes, workshops, day-planners, and seminars on time management, which teach individuals how to be more organized and more productive. Time management has become crucial in recent years thanks to the 24/7, busy world in which we live.
Time management is important for everyone. While time management books and seminars often place their focus on business leaders and corporations, time management is also crucial for students, teachers, factory workers, professionals, and home makers. Time management is perhaps most essential for the person who owns his or her own business or who runs a business out of the home. Managing work and home responsibilities under the same roof takes a special type of time management.An important aspect of time management is planning ahead. Sometimes, successful time management involves putting in more time at the outset in order to reorganize one’s life. Though many time management books and teachings differ in their suggestions, most agree that the first step in efficient time management is to organize the workspace or home. Even if one's schedule is well-ordered, but the office and filing system are a disaster, time will be wasted trying to work efficiently in a disorderly place.

After cleaning, purging, and reorganizing the home or office, the next step in time management is to look at all the activities one participates in during a week. Every last detail should be written down, including the time it takes to shower, dress, commute, attend meetings, make phone calls, clean the house, cook dinner, pick up the children from school, take them to after-school activities, and eat meals. Also include time for entertainment or exercise, such as driving to the gym, going for a walk, watching television, or surfing the Internet.

Often, when individuals write down every last activity, they find that there is very little time left for sleeping. The end result is that many activities must be pared down, eliminated, consolidated, or delegated. Prioritizing activities on a scale of one to three – one being the most important and three being the least – can help with this task.

Lastly, good time management involves keeping a schedule of the tasks and activities that have been deemed important. Keeping a calendar or daily planner is helpful to stay on task, but self-discipline is also required. The most efficient to-do list in the world will not help someone who does not look at or follow his own daily planner.

SARE JAHAN SE ACCHA..........

2011-01-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

WISHING A HAPPY REPUBLIC DAY TO ALL INDIANS

What makes a person happy?

2011-01-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

If you believe it is money, health, travel or a good figure, then you’re wrong. You can have all the wealth in the world and still be unhappy. Different people get happiness in different ways. For some, it comes from having a fulfilling job or a satisfying relationship. For others, it could be the ability to deal with life’s challenges with equanimity. Whatever the source, one thing is certain: happiness is an attitude. It is the mindset that enables you to interpret things in a positive way. It is that particular feeling which puts a spring in your step and a smile on your face, for no apparent reason.

If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy. There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

"Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."

People will forget what you said... People will forget what you did... But people will never forget how you made them feel...

Story

John is the kind of guy you love to hate.

He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

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

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

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

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life" I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins Wanna see my scars?"

Value of Discipline in life

2011-01-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

Discipline means the willing submission of a person to rules, regulations and instructions to someone recognized by society. It is a willing and polite discharge of one's duty towards others in society. Discipline must be observed by everyone of us in all walks of life. One should be disciplined whether at home, in school on the play ground, on duty, in the office or in the army. Discipline is a virtue. It provides mental strength to discriminate good from the bad and to defend the right against wrong.

The strength of a nation lies in discipline. No nation can progress unless its citizens are disciplined. Citizens of a disciplined nation work in a spirit of co-operation and unity. Whenever a country is suffering from internal strife with no unity and moral values among the citizens, it loses self confidence and an opportunist neighbour often takes the advantage of the situation. That's why Chanakya once said, "United we stand, divided we fall."

Some people misunderstand the meaning of discipline. They say that discipline leads to blind submission to authority and it negates our independent freedom. This is a misconceived notion and a wrong interpretation of 'discipline'. Discipline doesn't mean slavery. A disciplined person has full freedom but the freedom of a disciplined is such, it neither disturbs the society nor interferes with other's freedom. The word discipline comes from the word 'disciple'. A disciple is one who learns and is constantly aware of his learning. For example, A trainee to a carpenter, learns from a master carpenter how to keep tools clean, how to use tools correctly. If he puts this learning into application, in this particular aspect he is disciplined. If a person is disciplined in a particular aspect, it is very easy to spread the essence of this discipline to the other areas of his life. The importance of discipline is well recognized in every aspect of life.

Nature is the best mirror of perfect discipline to all of us. The earth, the sun, the moon and other planets are governed by certain laws to maintain perfect harmony and beauty. Any deviation from these set rules, will spell an utter disaster in nature.

Discipline is the backbone of the nation. Only those nations where people have a sense of discipline can prosper in all fields. They even rule other nations. Discipline is a valuable asset at all levels of the society. A family having no discipline becomes a den of quarrels and is ultimately divided. An educational institution having no discipline doesn't impart value based education. That is what one can see in some of the states in India. To study or not to study, to teach or not to teach, to attend the classes or not to attend the classes - all is left to the sweet wishes of the students and teachers. Thus the standard of education has gone to dogs. That is why parents want to educate their children in Missionary schools and Public schools.

Discipline should be the first criterion of the family. Parents must bring up their children in congenial disciplined atmosphere and teach the right values to transform them into balanced adults. Therefore, they can give their best to the country as disciplined citizens.

Discipline is necessary for both the teacher and the taught. A good teacher has a great responsibility of keeping a high image of his personality in the society. He can't do it unless he maintains an intellectual and more discipline of a high order. No student will obey and respect an indisciplined teacher, however high may be his knowledge.

Similarly only a serious and self disciplined student achieves something worth in the life. Indisciplined students just wander here and there, waste away their precious time and energy in useless activities and later on repent in life. They soon learnt that there is no shortcut to success and it is only through consistent hard work and self discipline that they can achieve their objective in life.