umbrellaofthoughts

no tragedies in life- only experiences

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 04:48:00 +0000

There are no tragedies in life, only experiences. Sometimes we say it's good, sometimes we say it's bad, but after all they are only experiences. And just like you travelling by the train, when you look through the window, you see the scenery outside changing constantly, stations change too, people come and travel with you and go their way, the same way life changes. No tragedy stays forever, no happiness stays forever. So we have to accept life as it comes, with all its pluses and minuses. And as I said once, nobody is imperfect in this life. Each of us has a role, and whatever happens we will fulfill that role.

Muhammad Ali Speech

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Best Motivational Video Ever

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:30:00 +0000

MOTIVATION - "Impossible Is Nothing" Inspirational Video

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:28:00 +0000

I am a Champion - Michael Jordan HD

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:13:00 +0000

I am a champion - the greatest speech ever

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:09:00 +0000

Powerful Inspirational true story...Don't give up!

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:03:00 +0000

A Must See Motivational Video!

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:52:00 +0000

Most touching video - Father and son

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:40:00 +0000

A touching story of an old father, son and a sparrow

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:36:00 +0000

A heart touching story of a deaf girl.

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:33:00 +0000

Your Life - Your Choice

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:29:00 +0000

This may change your life

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:07:00 +0000

Life Is Like A Cup of Coffee - Inspirational Video Movie

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 07:51:00 +0000

make a difference

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:45:00 +0000

A friend of ours was walking down a deserted Mexican beach at sunset. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew nearer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up, and throwing it out into the water. Time and again, he kept hurling something out into the ocean.

As our friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had washed up on the beach and, one at a time, was throwing them back into the water.

Our friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said, 'Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you are doing?'

'I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it is low tide right now, and all of these starfish have washed up onto the shore. If I don't throw them back into the sea, they'll die from lack of oxygen.'

'I understand,' my friend replied, 'but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach! You can't possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many! And don't you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast? Can't you see that you can't possibly make a difference?'

The local native smiled, bent down, and picked up yet another starfish and, as he threw it back into the sea replied, "Made a difference to that one!!!"

NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING DEEP FROM YOUR HEART, YOU CAN DO IT. IT IS THE THOUGHT THAT MATTERS NOT WHERE YOU ARE OR WHERE THE PERSON IS.

ways to meaningful life - 9

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:56:00 +0000

Source :

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/makeover/10-everyday-rituals-for-a-more-meaningful-life-1522609

Greet the day.

Life becomes meaningful when we have some goal, we work for an objective, we strive to reach some destination.

Strongly Selfish Motives In Every Action Make Life Meaningless
Doing same work that you already do, performing tasks similarly with a selfish motive, with greed will not give any meaning to life, as these things are quiet common, everyone of us works for a living, takes care of his/her personal welfare, always looking for ways to satisfy and calm down ego, making all possible efforts to maintain and upgrade social and living status

9.Close the day. An end of day ritual can calm you, release the worries of your day, and get you ready to konk out to dreamland.

10.Gratitude.

Experiment with other cultures and people that you’ve always found fascinating. Connect with people and customs that you’ve always wanted to. Take a Spanish night course or learn feng shui from a Master or learn how to salsa dance. Be daring and adventurous. Don’t be afraid of looking silly. Learning about other cultures and customs is one of the best ways to realize that we are all connected and have the same fears and wants.

Rediscover your spirituality. If you’ve lost your way and have allows life’s trials and tribulations to affect your connections with other people, take time out to rediscover your spirituality. Meditate, read, reflect, and gain perspective on what’s important in your life.

ways to meaningful life - 8

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:50:00 +0000

Source :

http://celestinechua.com/blog/whats-on-your-bucket-list-101-things-to-do-before-you-die/

What’s a Bucket List?

If you haven’t heard about the bucket list, it is a list of all the goals you want to achieve, dreams you want to fulfill and life-experiences you desire to experience before you die.

Why Create a Bucket List?
Why have a bucket list? If you don’t live your days by personal goals and plans, chances are you spend most of your time caught up in a flurry of day-to-day activities. Ever feel your days are passing by without any tangible output to speak of? What were your accomplishments in the past 3 months? What are your upcoming goals for the next 3 months? Look at the things you did and the things you’re planning to do next – Do they mean anything to you if you are to die today? Having a bucket list reminds you of what’s really important so you can act on them.

The objective of creating a bucket list isn’t to instill some kind of a race against time or to create aversion towards death. I don’t see our existence to be limited to just our physical years on earth – I don’t see our existence to be limited to just our physical years on earth – our physical lifespan is but a short speck of our existence in the universe. The whole point of a bucket list is to maximize every moment of our existence and live our life to the fullest. It’s a reminder of all the things we want to achieve in our time here, so that instead of pandering our time in pointless activities, we are directing it fully toward what matters to us.

Start writing down what comes to mind as you read these questions:

•What if you were to die tomorrow? What would you wish you could do before you die?
•What have you always wanted to do but have not done yet?
•What will you do if you have unlimited time, money and resources?
•Any countries, places or locations you want to visit?
•What are your biggest goals and dreams?
•What do you want to see in person?
•What achievements do you want to have?
•What experiences do you want to have / feel?
•Are there any special moments you want to witness?
•What activities or skills do you want to learn or try out?
•What are the most important things you can ever do?
•What would you like to say/do together with other people? People you love? Family? Friends?
•Are there any specific people you want to meet in person?
•What do you want to achieve in the different areas: Social, Love, Family, Career, Finance, Health (Your weight, Fitness level), Spiritual?
•What do you need to do to lead a life of the greatest meaning?

ways to meaningful life - 7

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:43:00 +0000

Source :

http://celestinechua.com/blog/101-ways-to-live-your-life-to-the-fullest/

1.Live every day on a fresh new start. Don’t be held back by what happened yesterday, the day before, the week before, the year before, and so on.

2.Be true to who you are. Stop trying to please other people or be someone else. It’s better to be an original version of yourself than an exact duplicate of someone else.
3.Quit complaining. Don’t be like the howling dog, always howling and never doing anything. Stop complaining about your problems and work on them instead.
4.Be proactive. Stop waiting for others around you to do something and take action yourself instead.
5.Rather than think “what if”, think “next time”. Don’t think about things you can’t change (namely what has happened and thoughts of other people) or unhappy things because these are disempowering. Instead focus on the things you can action upon. That’s the most constructive thing you can do in any situation.
6.Focus on WHAT vs. How. Focus on WHAT you want first, before you think about HOW to do it. Anything is possible, as long as you set your mind, heart and soul to it.
7.Create your own opportunities. You can wait for opportunities to drop in life. Or, you can go out there and create your own opportunities. The latter is definite and much more empowering.
8.Live more consciously each day. Stop sleepwalking through life. Your life is something to be experienced, not coasted through.
9.Be committed to your growth. In the Map of Consciousness, there are 17 levels of consciousness – from Shame to Enlightenment. The higher level of consciousness you are in, the richer your life experience. Achieving higher consciousness comes from your commitment to growth.
10.Know your inner self. This means knowing who you are and what you represent. Be clear of your personal identity.

ways to meaningful life - 6

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:34:00 +0000

Source : http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/10-more-ways-to-create-a-breakthrough-in-your-life.html

1.Slow down. Give yourself time and space. Never be in more of a hurry than you have to be. Allow time for thinking, musing, just noodling around in your head with no apparent purpose. Give space in your thinking for ideas you haven’t had yet; allow openings for sniffing out the ideas of others. Haste is the enemy of creativity. Being busy all the time is a great way to stop any possibility of breakthroughs. You won’t break out of your old habits by rushing. When people are under pressure, they don’t have energy to try anything new. They reach for whatever they’ve done before, or for some supposedly “tried-and-true” answer. They don’t believe they have time to take risks with change. As a result, they rush headlong down the same old paths into the same old messes. Refuse to be hurried and surprising ideas and opportunities may present themselves.

2.When you think you’ve gone absolutely as far as you can, keep going. You’ve just reached the starting point. Breakthrough can’t happen until you pass the boundaries you believe are there in your life and thought. If you find a boundary, be happy. You’ve just found what you need to break through. Learning and creative thinking are your only sources of sustainable competitive advantage. Never let anything close them down.

3.Take your mind and thinking on trips away. Deliberately step outside your comfort zone. See what you can find. You may come back a changed person. Conservatism is the philosophy of always sticking with what you have and trying to defend it against change. It’s a hopeless attempt. The best, longest-lasting and most valuable ideas remain because they continually adapt to the times. There’s a word for things that don’t change . . . dead. The world is bigger, stranger, more wonderful, and less predictable than you imagine. You won’t find it limited to programs on your TV, or what you can find on the Internet, or what the media present to you. Go out there and look for yourself.

4.Listen. Listen to everyone you can. Really listen. You don’t learn by talking about yourself and your own experience. You learn by listening to the ideas and experiences of others. By listening to the ideas of those around you, you can pick up whatever’s useful. Even the things you reject have taught you something—if only what to avoid. Everyone you talk with can bring you learning opportunities you might otherwise have missed. Never be snobbish either. The best lessons come in unexpected packages. One of the hallmarks of the fool is that he or she thinks learning is restricted to the “right” situations and people. Like birds of a feather, fools flock together, reinforcing their foolishness by deciding they’ll only listen to one another. Wise people know they can’t predict who or what will provide the best lessons in life. Sometimes it will be the voices all the “right” people have rejected.

Run away from any kind of dogma. Dogma is the product of a closed mind. It’s an idea with a threat attached. If you suffer from dogma, get it out of your life. Let it go. Kick it out. Try thinking the opposite. Treat it like a crazy joke. Do anything you can to get rid of it. It’s the greatest source of barriers to breakthrough.

Never aspire to be fashionable. Fashion is the foolish imitating the arrogant. Being cool is fear of change dressed in designer clothes. Following fashion is a sure way to prevent any kind of breakthrough in your life. Free yourself from barriers like this. Be who you are, not who everyone else is pretending to be.

ways to meaningful life - 5

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:21:00 +0000

Source :

http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2007/06/28/how-to-find-a-meaningful-life-without-quitting-your-job/

Practical tips for finding life meaning:

1.Develop a Code of Ethics - I don’t believe there is a universal morality. But I do believe that every person needs an individual ethical code to have a meaningful life. This means establishing a set of values that you uphold, even if the consequences might mean pain for yourself. A couple sections from my code would be:
1.» Responsibility – Take responsibility for your actions and mistakes. Even if the mistake would be easy to cover up or ignore.
2.» Compassion – Seek to understand not to hate. Even the people that irritate or wrong you, seek to empathize with them.
3.» Non-Violence – Unless the threat is imminent and defense is unavoidable, don’t fight or kill.

2.Volunteer – Invest a portion of your time doing service work. Ideally work and meaning should unite. When they don’t, invest some of your time in charitable work. I’ve coached minor soccer, ran for volunteer positions in Toastmasters and I fundraised money for cancer research when I was younger. Today I try to volunteer by responding to advice requests I receive through this blog, even though there is little direct means that doing so would benefit me.
3.Serve Friends – Cultivate relationships with your friends where they know you would do anything within your means to help them. I don’t uphold this standard if friends abuse my generosity, but I always try to go an extra step to help friends who do appreciate it.
4.Personal Projects – This blog has been my primary source of contribution
5.Strive for a Better Future – Don’t settle for the status quo. Growth is an aspect of meaning, and there is purpose in striving to reach situations where you can contribute more. Selfish and selfless goals blend here because many acts to improve your life also improve your capacity to give.
6.Learn – Learning is part of growth, but finding knowledge has intrinsic purpose as well. You can share that knowledge with others later. Learning also improves your ability to see reality, knowing your contributions are actually meaningful instead of just appearing to be.
7.Dignified Humility - There is meaning in being able to face tough situations and hold your head up high.
8.Goodwill - This will combat feelings of envy and anger that can come up. It will also subtly change your own behavior and perception to help others.
9.Focus - In the Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna tells the warrior Arjun to always meditate and focus on the universal Atman or Brahman. Although the Atman is a difficult concept to explain, I basically understand it as the underlying substance of the universe. What is interesting about this is Krishna (and it would follow, the culture that wrote the book) believes there is great purpose simply in focusing your thoughts. Eckhart Tolle in The Power of Now, uses this idea substituting “Now” and “Being” for the universal Atman of Hindu mythology.
10.Finding a Meaning – This may sound like an infinite loop, but there is meaning in finding meaning.

ways to meaningful life -4

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:11:00 +0000

Source : http://livingvoraciously.wordpress.com/motivational/21-ways-to-a-more-meaningful-life/

Seek to Make Amends

Ask others where you have injured them and make amends. If you cannot see for yourself, ask those around you where they see you limiting or injuring yourself, and be open to constructive input. Make amends with yourself and others by vowing to change those behaviors.

Vow to Get Unstuck

Reflect on where you are stuck in life and what old fear is keeping you there. Make choices that move you toward a more fluid pathway to living your dreams.

Address the Things You’ve Been Avoiding

Identify what task or situation you need to address in life. That which you tend to ignore diminishes you and your strength. Create a plan for sorting through and dealing with life’s tricky situations.

Choose to Play It Bigger

Any time you make an important life choice, ask: Does this path enlarge my capacity or diminish me? Make choices based on those things that allow you to play bigger in life.

Choose Meaning over Happiness

A life of happiness is transient. Even the most joyous person is not happy all the time. Happiness can be a by-product of a meaningful life. The search for meaning is lifelong and can enrich you through the years.

Release the Ghosts of Your Past

What old guilts or shames inhibit you today and bind you to the pain of the past? If you recognize them, they will stop clamoring for your attention. Discover ways you can grow beyond their inhibiting powers.

Love Yourself Despite Feeling Unlovable

We all are flawed, which does not mean that we are not worthy of love, of respect, and of the power to redo our lives. Bestow love upon yourself, especially in the places you need it most.

Pay Attention to the Choices You Make

Realize that your life is something you choose every day, whether you are paying attention or not. Now is the time to pay attention and to make choices that lead you to the things that matter most to you.

Discern the Difference Between Duty and Calling

There is a difference between work and vocation. One is a duty and one is a calling. In the end, a calling is more important than anything. If you can somehow blend the two together, you will bring much more meaning into your life.

Live an Examined Life

An unexamined life usually means living on automatic pilot. You risk living someone else’s life if you do not claim your own. Keep asking “What matters most?” and focus on filling your life with true meaning.

ways to meaningful life - 3

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:05:00 +0000

Source : http://www.stevenaitchison.co.uk/blog/7-ways-to-make-your-life-more-meaningful/

Seven Ways To Make Your Life Meaningful:

1. Follow your aspirations. Sometimes we confuse aspirations with personal goals, but they are completely different. Aspirations are the answer to the question: “What do I want to give the world?” Whereas personal goals are the answer to the question, “What do I want the world to give me?”

2. Be passionate. Whenever you do something that you are passionate about, it gives meaning to life. Sometimes it can be difficult to balance work, relationships, and passion. But a life without being passionate about something can feel empty.

3. Live by your code of ethics. Every person needs a personal ethical code to have a meaningful life. An ethical code is a set of values that you uphold, even if the consequences might be painful for yourself.

4. Cultivate compassionate. Compassion happens when we stop being the center of our concern, and open to the suffering of others. If we focus on ourselves as the center of the universe and our thoughts revolve around how we were, how we will be, or how others see us – our life will ultimately feel meaningless. Compassion is a way of looking beyond our own needs, to those of others.

5. Be kind. Kindness is not just a feeling, it’s an emotion that leads to action. Kindness gives warmth to a life. Each kind interaction triggers a feeling of connection and pleasure. Actually, kind action is something that gives meaning to your life AND makes you feel happy!

6. Be in service to a greater cause. A great way to give depth and meaning to your life is to do volunteer work. Whether you coach a basketball team for streetkids, or help out with the elderly, or raise money to alleviate world poverty, whenever you step in to serve a greater cause, you give your life meaning.

7. Strive for a better future. Striving for a better future can take many forms, but it always entails developing as a human being. If you strive for a better future, you subscribe to life-long learning. New skills make us more effective in the world, both for our own life, as well as for the cause we serve.

ways to meaningful life -2

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:56:00 +0000

Source : http://www.positive-living-now.com/how-to-live-a-meaningful-life/

Find Opportunities to Give of Yourself

To know that we’re making the world a better place is a powerful source of meaning. Whether it’s making a decision to follow your big dream to join a service or volunteer organization, making regular donations to a cause, or simply smiling at the clerk at the grocery store, all of us have ways to contribute to the world’s well-being, to serve our fellow beings.

Focusing on what you can do for others lets you transcend yourself. Serving others, in whatever way is compatible with your personality, talents and skills, benefits you as much as those you’re serving.

ways to meaningful life - 1

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 04:52:00 +0000

Source : http://www.zeromillion.com/personaldev/meaningful-life.html

Too many of us live like goldfish, swimming in the same orbit day in and day out feeling uninspired, tired, bored and sometimes worse. Life is much too precious to waste that way. Every person has a unique purpose in life. I implore you not to waste your days berating yourself for what you don’t know and don’t do well. Instead, discover your strengths, passions, purpose and build your life on those

1. We are all here for a purpose.
Your being here makes a difference.
Your purpose may be obscure to you and a challenge to discover.

2.The secret to fulfillment is self knowledge.
Start the exciting journey of discovery.

3. The second part of the secret to fulfillment is to apply your self knowledge to what you do
and how you live.The more you know, the more you can actively pursue your true purpose.

4.Don’t waste time lamenting what you don’t do well.Concentrate on your strengths.
Those reflect who you are.
Leave the other things to people who do them well.

5. Build on your strengths.
Do more of them and give yourself recognition for doing the things you do well.

6.Pay attention to the small details that you enjoy in your everyday life. Do more of them.

7. Pay attention to the small details you don’t enjoy.
Find ways (such as delegation) to eliminate as many of them as possible.

8. Keep a journal and put particular emphasis on the things about yourself and events in your life
for which you are grateful.

9. Make an effort to release the negative aspects of your past.Try not be imprisoned by your past.
Do not define yourself by your past.

10.Jumpstart your self-esteem by giving back to the community.
Volunteer in a meaningful way that suits who you are and your interests.

BhagavadGeetaAsItIs

noreply@blogger.com (ambatisreedhar) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:45:00 +0000