nice moral

AKBAR'S GOLD COINS

The wisdom of Birbal was unparalleled during the reign of Emperor Akbar. But Akbar's brother in law was extremely jealous of him. He asked the Emperor to dispense with Birbal's services and appoint him in his place. He gave ample assurance that he would prove to be more efficient and capable than Birbal. Before Akbar could take a decision on this matter, this news reached Birbal.

Birbal resigned and left. Akbar's brother in law was made the minister in place of Birbal. Akbar decided to test the new minister. He gave three hundred gold coins to him and said, Spend these gold coins such that, I get a hundred gold coins here in this life; a hundred gold coins in the other world and another hundred gold coins neither here nor there.

The minister found the entire situation to be a maze of confusion and hopelessness. He spent sleepless nights worrying over how he would get himself out of this mess. Thinking in circles was making him go crazy. Eventually, on the advice of his wife he sought Birbal's help. Birbal said, Just give me the gold cons. I shall handle the rest.

Birbal walked the streets of the city holding the bag of gold coins in his hand. He noticed a rich merchant celebrating his son's wedding. Birbal gave a hundred gold coins to him and bowed courteously saying, “The Emperor Akbar sends you his good wishes and blessings for the wedding of your son. Please accept the gift he has sent. The merchant felt honoured that the king had sent a special messenger with such a precious gift. He honoured Birbal and gave him a large number of expensive gifts and a bag of gold coins as a return gift for the king.

Next, Birbal went to the area of the city were the poor people lived. There he bought food and clothing in exchange for a hundred gold coins and distributed them in the name of the Emperor.

When he came back to town he organized a concert of music and dance. He spent a hundred gold coins on it.

The next day Birbal entered Akbar's darbar and announced that he had done all that the king had asked his brother-in-law to do. The Emperor waited to know how he had done it. Birbal repeated the sequences of all the events and then said, The money I gave to the merchant for the wedding of his son – you have got back while on this earth. The money I spent on buying food and clothing for the poor " you will get it in the other world". The money I spent on the musical concert " you will get neither here nor there."

This is true even today.

The money you spend on friends is returned or reciprocated in some form or the other.

Money spent on charity gets converted into blessings from God which becomes your eternal property.

Money spent on pleasures is just frittered away!

So when you spend money, think a little, if not a lot!

3 wishes of Alexander the great

Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed. With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence. He now longed to reach home to see his mother's face and bid her his last adieu. But, he had to accept the fact that his sinking health would not permit him to reach his distant homeland. So, the mighty conqueror lay prostrate and pale, helplessly waiting to breathe his last.

He called his generals and said " I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail."

With tears flowing down their cheeks, the generals agreed to abide by their king's last wishes.

"My first desire is that My physicians alone must" carry my coffin",

After a pause, he continued " Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected in my treasury".

The king felt exhausted after saying this. He took a minute's rest and continued "My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept dangling out of my coffin".

The people who had gathered there wondered at the king's strange wishes. But no one dared bring the question to their lips..

Alexander's favorite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart and asked " O king, we assure you that all your wishes will be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?"

At this Alexander took a deep breath and said:

"I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt.I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor on this earth can really cure any body. They are powerless. And cannot save a person from the clutches of death. So let not people take life for granted.

The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the path to the graveyard is to tell People that not even a fraction of gold will come with me. I spent all my life Greed of Power, earning riches but cannot take anything with me.Let people realize that it is a sheer waste of time to chase wealth.

And about my third wish of having my hands dangling out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty handed into this world And empty handed I go out of this world".

With these words, the king closed his eyes. Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last. . . .

3 Wonderful Lessons to be learnt from this special story is that

1.Remember, your Health is in your own hands, look after it.

2.Wealth is only meaningful if you can share it with the poor and the needy you are still alive & healthy.

3. What you do for yourself, dies with you, But what you do for others will live for ever.

Worth emulating - the universal truth...

enjoy reading this

1. Once abig stone obstructed Rajani's way.
He kicked high in sky and now it is so called
.
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.The MOON

2. Once when shooting on a beach in Tamil Nadu, Rajanikantkicked a stone..
Now that stone is known as
.
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SRI LANKA


3. Rajinikant participated in 100 meter race and obviouslyhe came first...
But Einstein died after watching that...
bcoz..
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LIGHT came second...


4.Once Rajinikant participated in Moto gp Bike race......
.
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.
Don't even try to guess wat happened
.
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Rajinikant won d race on neutral gear!


5. Rajinikanth doesnt breathe. Air hides in his lungs forprotection.


6. Once Rajinikant went to Bhopal for shooting and had astomach upset.....and the result was..
.
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BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY...


7. 1 day Rajinikant got angry on his sweeper boy., he kickedhim so hard that he went flying in the sky with is broom...
2day that boy is famous as "HARRY POTTER"...


8. Before tom cruise,rajnikant was approached for
the movie "mission impossible"
but he refused
.
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as he found the title insulting


9. Once Rajnikanth was asked how he felt about the jokesmade on him which were spreading through sms and internet.
To everyones surprise he started laughing and replied-EnnadaDo you really think they are jokes?


10. Rajni once taught a child how to play

counter strike and that guy is now
called..............
.
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"OSAMA BIN LADEN"

thats rajini mindit


11. Once Dinosaurs borrowed money from Rajnikanth andrefused to payhim back... .
.
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.......
.

That was the last time anyone saw Dinosaurs


12. Rajinikanth once kicked a horse in the chin. Itsdescendants are today called giraffes.



13. An e-mail was sent from Pune to Mumbai
.
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Rajnikant stopped it in Lonavla ... : D

14. as a kid Rajnikant maintained a diary of day to dayactivities,
today that diary called as.
.
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..
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Guinness Book Of World Records

15. once Rajnikan taught a kid how to enter a house withoutringing the doorbell....
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today that kid is known as inspector Daya.


16. Once a boy inserted A CD named rajnikanth
into his PC...
Guess wot...

.
.
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.
.
.His PC started Rotating around the CD rom



17. Intel's new tag line for its processors ...
.
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"Rajnikanth Inside"

18. Rajnikant's school time homework is now known as
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wikipedia

19. Rajnikant was caught on d highway forspeeding................
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While walking

20. Rajnikanth and Superman once had arm wrestled and theloser had to wear his Underwear over his pants..
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We all know who won



21. Rajnikanth knows that Bingo Mad Angles is tasty from .
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which angle.

22. Once Rajnikant taught a boy how to kiss. Now that boy isknown as '.
.
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Emran Hashmi'

23. Rajnikant can make two parallel lines.
.
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. Intersect each other.





24. When Rajinikant croses the Road, the cars have to look
.
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left and right before moving.

25. After release of Robot, Rajnikanth gave Times of India 3stars.



26. Rajnikanth calls VOLDEMORT by his name and Voldemortcalls him as "u know who"


27. Rajnikanth goes to court and sentences the judge...


28. Rajnikanth kills harry potter in the 8th book.

29. Rajnikanth can kill Spiderman with BAYGON!!!


30. Time and tide, wait for Rajnikanth.....


31. Rajnikanth knows ...
:
:
Who let the dogs out !!! :D


32. Rajnikanth was practicing for a spelling test... Therough sheet he used is known as ...
:
:
OXFORD DICTIONARY !! :D

33. Rajnikanth has seen the face of the fat lady who ownsthe house in ...
:
:
TOM and JERRY !! :D

34. If Rajnikant was born 100 years back, Britishers wouldhave fought to get independence from India !! :)


35. The ultimate RAJNI fact :

Even GHAJINI remebers RAJNI !!!!!

Rajni Rox !!! :)

36. People who set CAT paper will have to pass RAT paperfrom this year onwards.

Yes RAT paper....
:
:
Rajnikant Aptitude Test !!! :)


37. Rajinikanth once had a heart attack...
His heart lost..:-p

wisdom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10] WORRYING does not take away tomorrows' TROUBLES, it takes away
today's PEACE.

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...
-------------------------------------

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

peace -how to achieve

10 Principles for Peace of Mind..

1. Do Not Interfere In Others' Business Unless Asked.

Most of us create our own problems by interfering too often in others' affairs. We do so because somehow we have convinced ourselves that our way is the best way, our logic is the perfect logic and those who do not conform to our thinking must be criticized and steered to the right direction, our direction. This thinking denies the existence of individuality and consequently the existence of God. God has created each one of us in a unique way. No two human beings can think or act in exactly the same way. All men or women act the way they do because God within them prompts them that way. Mind your own business and you will keep your peace.

2. Forgive And Forget:

This is the most powerful aid to peace of mind. We often develop ill feelings inside our heart for the person who insults us or harms us. We nurture grievances. This in turn results in loss of sleep, development of stomach ulcers, and high blood pressure. This insult or injury was done once, but nourishing of grievance goes on forever by constantly remembering it. Get over this bad habit. Life is too short to waste in such trifles. Forgive, Forget, and march on. Love flourishes in giving and forgiving.

3. Do Not Crave For Recognition:

This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power. But no sooner than you are powerless, they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to harm yourself if in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the aggravation. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

4. Do Not Be Jealous:

We all have experienced how jealousy can disturb our peace of mind. You know that you work harder than your colleagues in the office, but sometimes they get promotions; you do not. You started a business several years ago, but you are not as successful as your neighbor whose business is only one year old. There are several examples like these in everyday life. Should you be jealous? No. Remember, everybody's life is shaped by his/her destiny, which has now become his/her reality. If you are destined to be rich, nothing in the world can stop you. If you are not so destined, no one can help you either. Nothing will be gained by blaming others for your misfortune. Jealousy will not get you anywhere; it will only take away your peace of mind.

5. Change Yourself According To The Environment:

If you try to change the environment single-handedly, the chances are you will fail. Instead, change yourself to suit your environment. As you do this, even the environment, which has been unfriendly to you, will mysteriously change and seem congenial and harmonious.

6. Endure What Cannot Be Cured:

This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control... If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

7. Do Not Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:

This maxim needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. . Why take on additional loads that may create more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

8. Meditate Regularly:

Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour everyday, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time.

9. Never Leave The Mind Vacant:

An empty mind is the devil's workshop. All evil actions start in the vacant mind. Keep your mind occupied in something positive, something worthwhile. Actively follow a hobby. Do something that holds your interest. You must decide what you value more: money or peace of mind. Your hobby, like social work or religious work, may not always earn you more money, but you will have a sense of fulfillment and achievement. Even when you are resting physically, occupy yourself in healthy reading or mental chanting of God's name.

10. Do Not Procrastinate And Never Regret:

Do not waste time in protracted wondering " Should I or shouldn't I?" Days, weeks, months, and years may be wasted in that futile mental debating. You can never plan enough because you can never anticipate all future happenings. Value your time and do the things that need to be done. It does not matter if you fail the first time. You can learn from your mistakes and succeed the next time. Sitting back and worrying will lead to nothing. Learn from your mistakes, but do not brood over the past. DO NOT REGRET. Whatever happened was destined to happen only that way. Why cry over spilt milk?

P.S.borrowed wisdom from email fwd\

pray before doing anything

Pray First Before You Do Anything

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel but missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree.

As he went further, he saw a large wild "Tom" turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining. A voice spoke to him and said, "Pray first, aim high, and stay focused.

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake.

Still, the voice said again to him, "I said, 'Pray, Aim high, and Stay focused."So, the man decided to listen to God's voice.

He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree, and shot the wild turkey.The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun, hit the snake in the head, and killed it. And, when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond.

When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer, and a turkey for his family to eat.

The snake (Satan) was dead simply because the man listened to God.

Moral of the story:Pray first before you do anything, aim and shoot high in your goals, and stay focused on God.Never let others discourage you concerning your past. The past is exactly that, "the past.

"Live every day one day at a time, and remember that only God knows our future.Do not look to man for your blessings, but look to the doors that only He has prepared in advance for you in your favor. Wait, be still, and patient: keep God first, and everything else will follow. Pass this on in order that someone else might be blessed.Don't worry about tomorrow, God is already there!

Life principles

Principles of Life

1:Life does not work through indecision. Indecision promotes blocks, confusion and stress. Make a decision and allow life to find movement through you. Trust yourself.

2: The 3 C's of life are Courage, Capacity and Commitment. It takes Courage and a Commitment to make many of life's decisions, and Capacity to follow them through.

3: Truth is never out of time....it always remains the truth. It is we who are usually unable...to recognise the truth.

4:The mind recoils from the unknown, so we seek to make everything known, and, thus safe. Imagination is the key to the unknown...the positive, uplifting imagination.

5: For as long as we search for Our God Self, we deny that we are it. Loving yourself reveals your truth.

6: Becoming free is not changing yourself into someone you think you should be. Becoming free is falling in love with who you are...right now!

7: Imagine a room of pitch dark and a room of bright light connected by a door. When you open the door what happens? Light floods into the dark room illuminating it. Live accordingly open the doors of your heart

9: Anything of the past that is unresolved is unresolved now. Living NOW resolves the past.

10: Life flows from the inside out, never the reverse. Once we understand this......we cease to be a victim.

11: Love responds...fear reacts. Love connects...fear separates. Love uplifts...fear deflates. Love creates...fear destroys.

12: There is no such thing as a mistake...only experience. There is no such thing as failure only people's condemnation. There is no such thing as success...only people's approval.

13: Do not get caught up in modifying your life.....allow life to change YOU. Modification is a superficial exterior veneer, change is an inner shift in consciousness. Let life live through you.

14: Pain is a measure of your resistance to change.

15: Decide whether you want to be an onlooker of life or a participant. This is the birthplace of choice.

16: You hear with your ears... but you listen with your mind. You look with your eyes.but you see from the heart.

17: Consciousness is not contained in your body... you are the consciousness that contains the body. Consciousness draws to itself the form through which to express.

18: Your mind cannot exist in the moment. You cannot think your way into the moment, you can only think your way out of it. This indicates that your mind/intellect cannot set you free. True freedom is a state of consciousness. Only your consciousness is aware of NOW.

19: We each live in our own universe, a universe of our making. It is designed to support our beliefs and our focus. Our thoughts are our focus, so observe your thoughts, focus on your blessings, and trust. This is how we each become a participant.

20: Practise seeing all life around you as an aspect of yourself. In this way you shatter the illusion of separation.

21: The 3 C's of a successful relationship are Caring, Consideration and Communication. Communication opens the door between us, Consideration allows us to pass through it and our ability to Care for each other unites us.

22: If you focus on what you do have, it increases. If you focus on what you don't have, you will have even less. If you focus on your capabilities, they grow, if you focus on your health, it improves.

23: Your mind does not know the difference between a powerfully imagined reality and a physical happening reality. Why....because there is no difference!

24: You only have a problem if you believe you have a problem.

25: Live these principles and you will be practising reality. Practise reality until you overcome the illusion. It is only an illusion that you are not free, now!
- Author Anonymous

THOUGHTS FOR LIFE
The greatest handicap:Fear
The best day: Today
The easiest thing to do: Find a fault
The most useless asset: Pride
The greatest mistake: Giving up
The biggest stumbling block: Egotism
The best feeling: Love
The most disagreeable person: The complainer
The worst bankruptcy: Loss of enthusiasm
The greatest need: Common sense
The meanest feeling: Regret at another's success
The best gift: Forgiveness
The greatest blessing PARENTS

Note:- These of borrowed wisdom from email forwards, nevertheless, moral boosters...

Nice artice on JRD

A GEM OF AN ARTICLE... DO READ IT!!!

Have Passion!

It was probably the April of 1974. Bangalore was getting warm and gulmoharswere blooming at the IISc campus. I was the only girl in my postgraduatedepartment and was staying at the ladies' hostel. Other girls were pursuingresearch in different departments of Science.I was looking forward to going abroad to complete a doctorate in computerscience. I had been offered scholarships from Universities in the US. I hadnot thought of taking up a job in India.One day, while on the way to my hostel from our lecture-hall complex, I sawan advertisement on the notice board. It was a standard job-requirementnotice from the famous automobile company Telco (now Tata Motors). It statedthat the company required young, bright engineers, hardworking and with anexcellent academic background, etc.At the bottom was a small line: "Lady candidates need not apply."I read it and was very upset. For the first time in my life I was up againstgender discrimination.Though I was not keen on taking up the job, I saw it as a challenge. I haddone extremely well in academics, better than most of my male peers. Littledid I know then that in real life academic excellence is not enough to besuccessful.After reading the notice I went fuming to my room. I decided to inform thetopmost person in Telco's management about the injustice the company wasperpetrating. I got a postcard and started to write, but there was aproblem: I did not know who headed Telco.I thought it must be one of the Tatas. I knew JRD Tata was the head of theTata Group; I had seen his pictures in newspapers (actually, SumantMoolgaokar was the company's chairman then). I took the card, addressed itto JRD and started writing. To this day I remember clearly what I wrote."The great Tatas have always been pioneers. They are the people who startedthe basic infrastructure industries in India, such as iron and steel,chemicals, textiles and locomotives. They have cared for higher education inIndia since 1900 and they were responsible for the establishment of theIndian Institute of Science. Fortunately, I study there. But I am surprisedhow a company such as Telco is discriminating on the basis of gender."I posted the letter and forgot about it. Less than 10 days later, I receiveda telegram stating that I had to appear for an interview at Telco's Punefacility at the company's expense. I was taken aback by the telegram. Myhostel mate told me I should use the opportunity to go to Pune free of costand buy them the famous Pune saris for cheap! I collected Rs 30 each from everyone who wanted a sari. When I look back, I feel like laughing at the reasons for my going, but back then they seemed good enough to make the trip.It was my first visit to Pune and I immediately fell in love with the city.To this day it remains dear to me. I feel as much at home in Pune as I do inHubli, my hometown. The place changed my life in so many ways. As directed,I went to Telco's Pimpri office for the interview.There were six people on the panel and I realised then that this was seriousbusiness."This is the girl who wrote to JRD," I heard somebody whisper as soon as Ientered the room. By then I knew for sure that I would not get the job. Therealisation abolished all fear from my mind, so I was rather cool while theinterview was being conducted.Even before the interview started, I reckoned the panel was biased, so Itold them, rather impolitely, "I hope this is only a technical interview."They were taken aback by my rudeness, and even today I am ashamed about myattitude. The panel asked me technical questions and I answered all of them.Then an elderly gentleman with an affectionate voice told me, "Do you knowwhy we said lady candidates need not apply? The reason is that we have neveremployed any ladies on the shop floor. This is not a co-ed college; this isa factory. When it comes to academics, you are a first ranker throughout. Weappreciate that, but people like you should work in research laboratories."I was a young girl from small-town Hubli. My world had been a limited place.I did not know the ways of large corporate houses and their difficulties, soI answered, "But you must start somewhere, otherwise no woman will ever beable to work in your factories."Finally, after a long interview, I was told I had been successful. So thiswas what the future had in store for me. Never had I thought I would take upa job in Pune. I met a shy young man from Karnataka there, we became goodfriends and we got married..It was only after joining Telco that I realized who JRD was: the uncrownedking of Indian industry. Now I was scared, but I did not get to meet himtill I was transferred to Bombay. One day I had to show some reports to Mr Moolgaokar, our chairman, who we all knew as SM. I was in his office on the first floor of Bombay House (the Tata headquarters) when, suddenly JRD walked in.That was the first time I saw "appro JRD". Appro means "our" inGujarati.This was the affectionate term by which people at Bombay Housecalled him.I was feeling very nervous, remembering my postcard episode. SM introducedme nicely, "Jeh (that's what his close associates called him), this youngwoman is an engineer and that too a postgraduate.She is the first woman to work on the Telco shop floor." JRD looked at me. Iwas praying he would not ask me any questions about my interview (or thepostcard that preceded it).Thankfully, he didn't. Instead, he remarked. "It is nice that girls aregetting into engineering in our country. By the way, what is your name?""When I joined Telco I was Sudha Kulkarni, Sir," I replied. "Now I am SudhaMurthy." He smiled and kindly smile and started a discussion with SM. As forme, I almost ran out of the room.After that I used to see JRD on and off. He was the Tata Group chairman andI was merely an engineer.. There was nothing that we had in common. I was inawe of him.One day I was waiting for Murthy, my husband, to pick me up after officehours. To my surprise I saw JRD standing next to me. I did not know how toreact. Yet again I started worrying about that postcard. Looking back, Irealise JRD had forgotten about it. It must have been a small incident forhim, but not so for me."Young lady, why are you here?" he asked. "Office time is over." I said,"Sir, I'm waiting for my husband to come and pick me up." JRD said, "It isgetting dark and there's no one in the corridor.I'll wait with you till your husband comes."I was quite used to waiting for Murthy, but having JRD waiting alongsidemade me extremely uncomfortable.I was nervous. Out of the corner of my eye I looked at him. He wore a simplewhite pant and shirt. He was old, yet his face was glowing. There wasn't anyair of superiority about him. I was thinking, "Look at this person. He is achairman, a well-respected man in our country and he is waiting for the sakeof an ordinary employee."Then I saw Murthy and I rushed out. JRD called and said, "Young lady, tellyour husband never to make his wife wait again." In 1982 I had to resignfrom my job at Telco. I was reluctant to go, but I really did not have achoice. I was coming down the steps of Bombay House after wrapping up myfinal settlement when I saw JRD coming up. He was absorbed in thought. Iwanted to say goodbye to him, so I stopped. He saw me and paused.Gently, he said, "So what are you doing, Mrs Kulkarni?" (That was the way healways addressed me.) "Sir, I am leaving Telco.""Where are you going?" he asked. "Pune, Sir. My husband is starting acompany called Infosys and I'm shifting to Pune.""Oh! And what will you do when you are successful.""Sir, I don't know whether we will be successful." "Never start withdiffidence," he advised me. "Always start with confidence. When you aresuccessful you must give back to society. Society gives us so much; we mustreciprocate. I wish you all the best."Then JRD continued walking up the stairs. I stood there for what seemed likea millennium. That was the last time I saw him alive. Many years later I metRatan Tata in the same Bombay House, occupying the chair JRD once did. Itold him of my many sweet memories of working with Telco. Later, he wrote tome, "It was nice hearing about Jeh from you. The sad part is that he's notalive to see you today."I consider JRD a great man because, despite being an extremely busy person,he valued one postcard written by a young girl seeking justice. He must havereceived thousands of letters everyday. He could have thrown mine away, buthe didn't do that. He respected the intentions of that unknown girl, who hadneither influence nor money, and gave her an opportunity in his company. Hedid not merely give her a job; he changed her life and mindset forever.Close to 50 per cent of the students in today's engineering colleges aregirls. And there are women on the shop floor in many industry segments. Isee these changes and I think of JRD. If at all time stops and asks me whatI want from life, I would say I wish JRD were alive today to see how thecompany we started has grown. He would have enjoyed it wholeheartedly.My love and respect for the House of Tata remains undiminished by thepassage of time. I always looked up to JRD. I saw him as a role model forhis simplicity, his generosity, his kindness and the care he took of hisemployees. Those blue eyes always reminded me of the sky; they had the samevastness and magnificence.(Sudha Murthy is a widely published writer and chairperson of the InfosysFoundation involved in a number of social development initiatives. Infosyschairman Narayana Murthy is her husband.)

Article sourced from: Lasting Legacies (Tata Review- Special CommemorativeIssue 2004), brought out by the house of Tatas to commemorate the 100thbirth anniversary of JRD Tata on July 29, 2004

great motivator

"Like birds, let's leave behind what we don't need to carry."
Grudges, Sadness, Pain, Fear, and Regrets...Fly Light.
"Life is beautiful".

Don't limit yourself.
Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do.
You can go as far as your mind lets you.

What you believe, you can achieve.

pray for others

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agree that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and! he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, there was a woman who swam to his side of the Land. On the other side of the island, there was nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing. Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island. In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered. As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming, "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?" "My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man answered. "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything." "You are mistaken!" the voice rebuked him. "He had only one prayer, which I answered. If not for that, you would not have received any of my blessings." "Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?" "He prayed that all your prayers be answered." For all we know, our blessings are not the fruits of our prayers alone, but those of another praying for us. This is too good not to share... My prayer for you today is that all your prayers are answered. Be blessed. "What you do for others is more important than what you do for yourself" This was shared with me by a friend, I hope you will share with your friends! ----------------------

LET’S PRAY FOR EACH OTHER. Sometimes a kind word at the right moment can change a life forever.

This is borrowed wisdon from email forwards, and thought of posting in my blog as it is inspiring.

to be happy

Secret to Happiness We all know that money can't buy happiness … but many times we act as if we'd be happier with a bit more money. We are conditioned to want to be rich (when we know the rich aren't happy either); we are trained to want the latest gadget or style that television tells us to want; we want to earn more money because then we'll have the good life. But none of that will bring us happiness. No matter how much we earn, no matter how much we have in the bank, no matter how nice our clothing or cars or toys, none of it will make us happier. And the sad thing is that it could take us decades of pursuing wealth and luxury items before we realize this.So what will bring us happiness? Luckily, it's three things that don't cost a thing. These three things have been proven by research — surveys of hundreds of thousands of people about what they have, what their lives are like, and how happy they are.Here they are, the Three Secrets to Happiness:

1. Good relationships.

We have a human need to be close, to be intimate, with other human beings. Having good, supportive friendships, a strong marriage or close and loving relationships with our family members will make us much more likely to be happy. Action steps: Take time, today, to spend time with your loved ones, to tell them what they mean to you, to listen to them, and develop your relationship with them.

2. Positive thinking.

Positive thinking is the best way to achieve your goals, but it turns out that it can lead to happiness too. Optimism and self-esteem are some of the best indicators of people who lead happy lives. Happy people feel empowered, in control of their lives, and have a positive outlook on life. Action steps: Make positive thinking a habit. In fact, this should be one of the first habits you develop. Get into the habit of squashing all negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones. Instead of "I can't" think "I can". It may sound corny, but it has worked for me, every time.

3. Flow.

This is a popular concept on the Internet these days — the state we enter when we are completely focused on the work or task before us. We are so immersed in our task that we lose track of time. Having work and leisure that gets you in this state of flow will almost undoubtedly lead to happiness. People find greatest enjoyment not when they're passively mindless, but when they're absorbed in a mindful challenge. Action steps: Find work that you're passionate about. Seriously — this is an extremely important step. Find hobbies that you're passionate about. Turn off the TV — this is the opposite of flow — and get outside and do something that truly engages you.

You've been given the Three Secrets to Happiness. Don't waste them!

Thanks to Mr. Balaji, who forwarded this beautiful words of wisdom.