An excellent piece to read and enjoy.- sorry I dont know who written this piece of article, but i received this as email.. borrowed wisdom.. worth posting in the blog...
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It has been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It is a rule.

Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results.. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish.
They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

1. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants. .
2. Stockholm has 500,000 people.
3. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, are some of its renowned companies. Volvo even supplies NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden , one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees arrive in their cars to work).

The first day, I didn't say anything, neither the second or third days. One morning I asked him, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot."

To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, don't you think that whoever gets in late will need a place closer to the door?" Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe named Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart, Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger
movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fuelled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being".

French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity driven up by 20%..

This slow attitude has come to the notice of USA , the pupils of the fast and "do it now" brigade.

This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means re-establishing family values, friends, free and leisure time.. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living. It stands for a less coercive work
environment, more happy, lighter and more productive work place where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do.

It is time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence.

In the movie, 'Scent of a Woman', there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al Pacino responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance the tango!

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious to live for the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists.

We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in what each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans".


Congratulations for reading this email till the end of this message. There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this "Globalized" world..


Life Is ,yes, Short,
Break The Rules, Forgive Quickly,
Kiss Slowly, Love Truly,
Laugh Uncontrollably,
And Never Regret Anything
That Made You Smile.
Life May Not Be The Party
We Hoped For,
But While We're Here, We Should Dance...


Have a Wonderful Day!

words of wisdom.

I like this analysis very much... words of wisdom

valuable lesson

Nice story:-

Once upon a time an old man spread rumors that his neighbor was a
thief. As a result, the young man was arrested. Days later the young
man was proven innocent. After he was released he sued the old man for
wrongly accusing him.

In court the old man told the Judge: 'They were just comments, they
were not meant to harm anyone.'

The judge, before passing sentence on the case, told the old man:
'Write all the things you said about him on a piece of paper. Cut them
up and on the way home; throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come
back to hear the sentence.'

The next day, the judge told the old man: 'Before receiving the
sentence, you will have to go out and gather all the pieces of paper
that you threw out yesterday.'

The old man said: 'I can't do that! The wind spread them and I won't
know where to find them.'

The judge then replied: 'The same way, simple comments may destroy the
honor of a man to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If
you can't speak well of someone, rather don't say anything.’

'Let's all be masters of our mouths, so that we won't be slaves of our words.'

just give power to overcome hurdles...

A man was sleeping one night in his cabin when suddenly the room filled with light, and God appeared. The Lord told the man He had work for him to do,  and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to Push against the rock with all his might...
  
So, this the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to  sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the  unmoving rock, pushing with all his might!
  
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his  whole day had been spent in vain. Since the man was showing discouragement,  the adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into  the weary mind: (He will do it every time)!
  
 'You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn't  moved.' Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was impossible  and that he was a failure. These thoughts discouraged and disheartened  him.
  
Negative mind said, 'Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your time, giving just  the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.'  That's what the weary  man planned to do, but decided to make it a matter of Prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.
  
'Lord,' he said, 'I have laboured long and hard in Your Service, putting all my strength to do that which You have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?'
  
The Lord responded compassionately, 'My friend, when I asked you to serve Me  and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock  with all of your strength, which you have done.
  
Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task  was to Push. Now you come to Me with your strength spent, thinking that  you have failed..
  
But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled,  your back is massive and brown; your hands are callused and, your legs have become massive and hard.
  
Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that  which you used to have. True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling  was to be Obedient and to Push and to exercise your Faith and Trust in My  Wisdom. That you have done. Now my friend, I  will move the rock.'
  
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He Wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him.
  
By all means, exercise the Faith that moves mountains, but know that it is  still God Who moves the Mountain.
  
So!
 
When everything seems to go wrong...............................Just P.U.S.H.
  
When the job gets you down............................................Just P.U.S.H.
  
When people don't do as you think they should.............Just P.U.S.H.
  
When your money is 'gone' and the bills are due...........Just P.U.S.H.
  
When people don't understand you ........................Just P.U.S.H.
  
P = Pray
  
U = Until
  
S = Something
  
H = Happens
  
'Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending!'

 A nice borrowed wisdom received by email, shows the way to tide over the mundane disturbances....

hw is it on a rainy day...

Looming dark clouds

A view from Savli Rail overbride- pouring rain from passing monsoon clouds
on the way to office on a rainy day!!!

Green fields with plenty of water.. a heavenly sight...

Rain strikes at the horizon!!!

A view from my Garden.. Butterfly n flowers!!

Another view of Garden with butterflies...

This buds in my Garden is ready to Open..

After plenty of rain over this part (Baroda), the earth tranformed into lush green canopy, with flora and funna. Butterflies adds jewel to the crown... it rained even today.. some snaps to celebrate the great Indian Monsoon and its effects..

how is this...

Baroda is an beautiful, city where you can find Banyan trees, green gardens, heritage buildings, friendly people, and tolerent attitude towards bovines... you can see cows & buffallos in the streets, and people are not getting irritated by them. I appreciate that temperment and approach, ofcourse it may give some inconvenience, but if you see the issue in different perspective, like, the world is not for humans alone, and it is for all.. then you feel happy. some snaps by chandru while going to office...

Great expectations

The Great Indian Monsoon, hits Kerala coast yesterday, ie 31st May 2010. The whole country is eagerly expecting the arrival of the Great Indian Monsoon.

In Baroda, it is hot, humid and dry. But for the past one week, in the morning hours, patches of puffy clouds passing through South West Direction. It may be the natural indicators of what is forthcoming, A harbinger of monsoon!!!
Welcoming the great Indian Monsoon with folded hands.. the elixer of life to Billions....

Photo courtesy:- the Hindu.

intelligent mum

Nice short story

A Mom comes to visit her son Kumar for dinner......who lives with a girl roommate Sunita. During the course of the meal, his mother couldn't help but notice how pretty Kumar's roommate was.

She had long been suspicious of a relationship between the two, and this had only made her more curious.

Over the course of the evening, while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there was more between Kumar and his roommate than met the eye.

Reading his mom's thoughts, Kumar volunteered, "I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you, Sunita and I are just roommates."

About a week later, Sunita came to Kumar saying, "Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the silver plate.

You don't suppose she took it, do you?" Kumar said ,"Well, I doubt it, but I'll email her, just to be sure." So he sat down and wrote :

Dear Mother:

I'm not saying that you 'did' take the silver plate from my house, I'm not saying that you 'did not' take the silver plate.. But the fact remains that it has been missing ever since you were here for dinner.

Love,

Kumar

Several days later, Kumar received an email from his Mother which read

Dear Son:

I'm not saying that you 'do' sleep with Sunita, and I'm not saying that you 'do not' sleep with Sunita. But the fact remains that if she was sleeping in her OWN bed, she would have found the silver plate by now under the pillow...

Love,

Mom.

Lesson of the day: Don't Lie to Your Mother...........

tips of improvement

LITTLE THINGS TO IMPROVE OUR LIFE
When in doubt ,just take the next small step
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone
We dont have to win every arguement .Agree to disagree
Cry with someone ,it's more healing than crying alone
Make peace with your past so it wont mess up the present
Don't compare your life to others.You hae no idea what their journey is all about
Everything can change in the blink of an eye.But Don't worry ;God never blinks
No one is charge of your Happiness but you
Frame every so- called disaster with these words'In five years ,will this matter
Forgive everyone everything
What other people think of you is none of your business
Time heals almost everything.Give time time.
However good or bad a situation,it will change
Don't take your life so seriously.No one else does.Believe in Miracles.
God loves you because of who god is,not because of anything you did or didn't do.
All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
Get outside every day.Miracles are waiting everywhere
If we all knew our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's ,we 'd grab ours back
The best is yet to come
No matter how you feel,get up ,dress up and show up
Life isn't tied with a bow ,but it's still a gift
Love should be expressed to the loved ones

one of the best email I received, read and read, and ponder, will lift your spirits and a best self motivator...

Gods view

Once there was a small kid on earth.
One fine day it came to know that God is distributing apples to humans in his place at heaven.
The kid was so happy to receive that news and it went with lot of enjoyment to heaven to get the apple from God.
There was a big queue standing to get apple from God and this kid also joined in that queue.
While it was standing, it was fully excited and thrilled for the fact that it is going to receive in person from God's hands. Its turn too came and the kid showed its both hands to receive the apple.
God gave the apple but unfortunately the tiny hands couldn't hold that big apple. The apple fell down and got wasted in mud. The kid got disappointed. The ministers near god informed that if the kid likes to have an apple from God again then it has to again follow the queue.
Having waited for so long the kid didn't want to return back to earth with empty hands so it decided to wait again in the queue.
This time the queue has become even longer than the previous one. While waiting in queue, the kid could see a lot of people who returned back with an apple in hand and utmost satisfaction on their faces.
The kid was so disappointed and thought why I alone didn't get the apple in hand when all others were easily able to get it. What is the sin I did that I alone should suffer like this.

Now the kid was so scared that it should not miss the apple again. Again its turn came and God gave the apple to the kid's hands and after giving the apple God spoke to the kid.
"My dear child, last time after giving you the apple I noticed that the apple I gave to you was a rotten apple and that's why I made that to fall down from your hands. Having given you a rotten apple, I felt bad for you and I wanted to give you the best apple in the farm and that time the best apple in the farm was yet growing, and that's why I made you wait such a long time in the queue. Here it is. Now the apple that you have in hand is 'The Best' apple in the farm till date. Enjoy."
So, friends, sometimes it happens as even after we put our 100% dedication and commitment things may get delayed or things may go wrong. Believe that god has something great for us and that's why this has happened. Always say, 'Gratitude is absolutely the best way to bring more in one's life'.

Believe this and see the world... Your world will also look green..

life explained

One evening an old Grandfather told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all.

"One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego."

The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Grandfather simply replied, "The one you feed."

How true....

worth reading

The Pretty Lady

(This is nice story, which contains the lesson for life that we should not carry the unpleasant things happened in a life for long, just drop, ignore, that only will give us peace and way to happiness...)
Once upon a time a big monk and a little monk were traveling together. They came to the bank of a river and found the bridge was damaged. They had to wade across the river. There was a pretty lady who was stuck at the damaged bridge and couldn't cross the river. The big monk offered to carry her across the river on his back. The lady accepted. The little monk was shocked by the move of the big monk. 'How can big brother carry a lady when we are supposed to avoid all intimacy with females?' thought the little monk. But he kept quiet... The big monk carried the lady across the river and the small monk followed unhappily. When they crossed the river, the big monk let the lady down and they parted ways with her. All along the way for several miles, the little monk was very unhappy with the act of the big monk. He was making up all kinds of accusations about big monk in his head. This got him madder and madder. But he still kept quiet.. And the big monk had no inclination to explain his situation. Finally, at a rest point many hours later, the little monk could not stand it any further, he burst out angrily at the big monk. 'How can you claim yourself a devout monk, when you seize the first opportunity to touch a female, especially when she is very pretty? All your teachings to me make you a big hypocrite The big monk looked surprised and said, 'I had put down the pretty lady at the river bank many hours ago, how come you are still carrying her along?'

[This very old Chinese Zen story reflects the thinking of many people today. We encounter many unpleasant things in our life, they irritate us and they make us angry. Sometimes, they cause us a lot of hurt, sometimes they cause us to be bitter or jealous .. But like the little monk, we are not willing to let them go away. We keep on carrying the baggage of the 'pretty lady' with us. We let them keep on coming back to hurt us, make us angry, make us bitter and cause us a lot of agony. Why? Simply because we are not willing to put down or let go of the baggage of the 'pretty lady'. We should let go of the pretty lady immediately after crossing the river. This will immediately remove all our agonies. There is no need to be further hurt by the unpleasant event after it is over.

Courtesty, email fwd by friend.

nice story- Know the facts before decide

Nice small story to share with you -- just spare two minutes for this one...

One old man was sitting with his 25 years old son in the train. Train was about to leave the station. All passengers were settling down on their seats.. As the train started young man (son) was filled with lot of joy and curiosity. He was sitting on the window side of the compartment. He got his one hand out of the window and feeling the passing air.

He shouted, "Papa see all the trees are going behind".

His father just smiled and admired his son's feelings...

Besides the young man , one couple was sitting and listening to the whole conversion between father and son. They were little awkward with the attitude of a 25 years old man who was behaving like a small child !!!!!!

Suddenly young man again shouted, "Papa see the pond and animals....Clouds are moving with train".

Couple was watching the young man with some embarrassment & some dislike on their faces... Now it has started raining and some of water drops touches the young man's hand. He was thrilled & filled with joy and he closed his eyes...

He shouted again," Papa it's raining, rain water is touching me , see papa...".

Now the Couple who was watching him , couldn't help themselves and ask the old man. "Why don't you visit a good Doctor and get some treatment for your son ??"

The Old man ( Father) said," Yes , We are coming from the hospital as today only my son got his eye sight for the first time in his life ".

Management Lesson : "Don’t draw conclusions until you know all the facts".

thanks to mr.pranay for fwding this short story by email.

face it

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low, and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have’ to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest, if you must, but don’t quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow—

You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out—

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So, stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit—

It’s when things seem worst,
that you mustn’t quit!!!!!

quotes of Swami

When I Asked God for Strength

He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face

When I Asked God for Brain & Brown

He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve

When I Asked God for Happiness

He Showed Me Some Unhappy People

When I Asked God for Wealth

He Showed Me How to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Favors

He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard

When I Asked God for Peace

He Showed Me How to Help Others

God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted

He Gave Me Everything I Needed

THE 15 Laws of Life
By Swami Vivekananda

1. Love is the Law of Life
All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love"s sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live.

2. It is Your Outlook That Matters
It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light.
3. Life is Beautiful
First, believe in this world - that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!
4. It is The Way You Feel
Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.
5. Set Yourself Free
The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.
6. Don"t Play the Blame Game
Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.
7. Help Others
If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better.
8. Uphold Your Ideals
Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.
9. Listen to Your Soul
You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.
10. Be Yourself
The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!
11. Nothing Is Impossible
Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin - to say that you are weak, or others are weak.
12. You Have The Power
All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.
13. Learn Everyday
The goal of mankind is knowledge... now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man "knows", should, in strict psychological language, be what he "discovers" or "unveils"; what man "learns" is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.
14. Be Truthful
Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.
15. Think Differently
All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.
So! just go through them and live with it.

Penguins