Be good....

Be good

A farmer grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair where it won a blue ribbon.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learned something interesting about how he grew it. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors. “How can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yours each year?” the reporter asked. “Why sir,” said the farmer, “didn’t you know? 

The wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbours grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbours grow good corn.”

So it is with our lives. Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

Call it power of collectivity - Call it a principle of success - Call it a law of life.

The fact is, none of us truly wins, until we all win!!

One Sunday morning, a wealthy man sat in his balcony enjoying sunshine and his coffee when a little ant caught his eye which was going from one side to the other side of the balcony carrying a big leaf several times more than its size.
 The man watched it for more than an hour. 
He saw that the ant faced many impediments during its journey, paused, took a diversion and then continued towards destination.

At one point the tiny creature came across a crack in the floor. It paused for a little while, analyzed and then laid the huge leaf over the crack, walked over the leaf, picked the leaf on the other side then continued its journey.

The man was captivated by the cleverness of the ant, one of God’s tiniest creatures. 
The incident left the man in awe and forced him to contemplate over the miracle of Creation. 
It showed the greatness of the Creator. 
In front of his eyes there was this tiny creature of God, lacking in size yet equipped with a brain to analyze, contemplate, reason, explore, discover and overcome. Along with all these capabilities, the man also noticed that this tiny creature shared some human shortcomings.

The man saw about an hour later the creature had reached its destination – a tiny hole in the floor which was entrance to its underground dwelling. 
And it was at this point that the ant’s shortcoming that it shared with the man was revealed. 
How could the ant carry into the tiny hole the large leaf that it had managed to carefully bring to the destination? It simply couldn’t!

So the tiny creature, after all the painstaking and hard work and exercising great skills, overcoming all the difficulties along the way, just left behind the large leaf and went home empty-handed.

The ant had not thought about the end before it began its challenging journey and in the end the large leaf was nothing more than a burden to it. 
The creature had no option, but to leave it behind to reach its destination. 

The man learned a great lesson that day.

Isn’t that the truth about our lives?

We worry about our family, we worry about our job, we worry about how to earn more money, we worry about where we should live – 5 bedroom or 6 bedroom house, what kind of vehicle to buy – a Mercedes or BMW or a Porsche, what kind of dresses to wear, all sorts of things, only to abandon all these things when we reach our destination – The Grave. 

We don’t realize in our life’s journey that these are just burdens that we are carrying with utmost care and fear of losing them, only to find that at the end they are useless and we can’t take them with us.

How a Password Changed my Life – A true story from the reader’s Digest

How a Password Changed my Life – A true story from the reader’s Digest

I was having a great morning until I sat down in front of my office computer “your password has expired” a server message flashed on my screen, with instructions for changing it. Coming up with a new code doesn’t seem like a big deal, unless you work at my company, where we have to change it monthly, using at least one uppercase character, one lower case character, one symbol and one number. Oh and the password can’t be fewer than eight characters. And I can’t use any of the same passwords I’ve used in the past three months.

Suddenly I was furious, what didn’t make it any better was that I was deeply depressed after my recent divorce. Disbelief over what she 

had done to me was what I thought all day.

That didn’t mean anything to the empty field with the pulsating cursor, waiting for me to type a password that I have to reenter many times – for the next 30 days. I remembered a tip I’d heard from my former boss . He’d said “ I’m going to use a password that is going to change my life” I couldn’t focus on getting things done in my current mood. There was clear indication that I needed to regain control over my life, but I couldn’t heed them. My password became the indicator. My password reminded me that I shouldn’t let myself be a victim of my recent breakup and that I was strong enough to do something about it.

I made my password – Forgive@h3r , I had to type this password several times every day each time my computer would lock. Each time I came back from lunch I wrote forgive her. The simple action changed the way I looked at my ex-wife. That constant reminder of reconciliation led me to accept

the way things happened and helped me deal with my depression. As one month wore on, I felt a slow healing began to take place. By the time the server prompted me to change my password following month, I felt free.

The next time I had to change my password I thought about the next thing that I had to get done. My password became Quit@smoking4ever .

It motivated me to follow my goal and I was able to quit smoking.

One month later, my password becameSave4trip@europe, and in three months I was able to visit Europe.

Seeing how reminders helped me materialize my goals kept me motivated and excited. While its sometimes difficult to come up with your next

goal, keeping at it brings great results.

After a few months my password was Save4@ring !!! 
Life is going to change again !!!

Must read message ! Very Nice. A conversation between Wayne Dyer and his student...

Must read message ! Very Nice.    

A conversation between Wayne Dyer and his student...

 What's Inside? 

"'If I were to squeeze this orange as hard as I could, what would come out?' I asked him.

He looked at me like I was a little crazy and said, 'Juice, of course.'

'Do you think apple juice could come out of it?'

'No!' he laughed.

'What about grapefruit juice?'

'No!'

'What would come out of it?'

'Orange juice, of course.'

'Why? Why when you squeeze an orange does orange juice come out?'

He may have been getting a little exasperated with me at this point.

'Well, it's an orange and that's what's inside."

I nodded.

'Let's assume that this orange isn't an orange, but it's you. And someone squeezes you, puts pressure on you, says something you don't like, offends you. And out of you comes anger, hatred, bitterness, fear. Why?

The answer, as our young friend has told us, is

 " because that's what's inside. It's one of the great lessons of life. What comes out when life squeezes you? 

When someone hurts or offends you? 

If anger, pain and fear come out of you, it's because that's what's inside. 

It doesn't matter who does the squeezing: your mother, your brother, your children, your boss, the government. 

If someone says something about you that you don't like, what comes out of you is what's inside. And what's inside is up to you, it's your choice.

When someone puts the pressure on you and out of you comes anything other than love, it's because that's what you've allowed to be inside. 

Once you take away all those negative things you don't want in your life and replace them with love, you'll find yourself living a highly functioning life."...

Squeeze out Love and Compassion...

Success..

Success!!

Think on It !! 

Put a frog in a vessel of water and start heating the water.

As the temperature of the water rises, the frog is able to adjust its body temperature accordingly.

The frog keeps on adjusting with increase in temperature...

Just when the water is about to reach boiling point, the frog is not able to adjust anymore...

At that point the frog decides to jump out...

The frog tries to jump but is unable to do so, because it has lost all its strength in adjusting with the rising water temperature...

Very soon the frog dies.

What killed the frog?

Many of us would say the boiling water...

But the truth is what killed the frog was its own inability to decide when it had to jump out.

We all need to adjust with people and situations, but we need to be sure when we need to adjust and when we need to confront/face.

There are times when we need to face the situation and take the appropriate action...

If we allow people to exploit us physically, mentally, emotionally or financially, they will continue to do so...

We have to decide when to jump.

Let us jump while we still have the strength. 

Think on It !! 

 I love this message every time I read...

The Story of an EAGLE

This is a story that I am sure will change your approach towards life:

The Story of an EAGLE

The Eagle has the longest life-span of  its species. It can live up to 70 years. 

But to reach this age, the eagle must make a very difficult decision!

In its 40th year, the eagle's long and flexible Talons can no longer grab a prey which serves as food.

Its long and sharp beak becomes bent.

Its old-aged and heavy wings, due to their thick feathers, stick to its chest and make it difficult to fly.

Then, the eagle is left with only two options: DIE or go through a painful process of CHANGE! This process lasts for 150 days (5 months)

the process requires the eagle to fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest. 

There the eagle knocks its beak against a rock until it plucks it out.

Then the eagle will wait for the new beak to grow back after which it will pluck out its talons. 

When its talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old aged feathers.

And after this the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and LIVES for 30 more years!!

Why is Change needed??? In order to survive and live. We too have to start the change process.

We sometimes need to get rid of the unpleasant old memories, negative habits and our fixed mind set. 

Only Freed from the past burdens can we take advantage of the present.

If an eagle can make a life saving and life changing decision at the age of 40....why can't we? 

In order to take on a New Journey ahead, let go of your negative old limiting beliefs. 

Open up your mind and let yourself fly high like an eagle!

When it rains, all birds occupy shelter. But the EAGLE avoids the rain by flying above the clouds....problem is common to all but the attitude to solve it makes the difference!

Don't be afraid of change !!

Kindness is next to Godliness..

One day, a poor  boy who was selling goods from door to door to his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry.

He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk.

He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”

He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year’s later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in 

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk.

Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.”

Who is happy?

Who is Happy ???

A Crow Lived in the Forest and was absolutely satisfied in life. 

But one day he saw a swan...

This swan is so white and I am so black...crow thought.

This swan must be the happiest bird in the world.

He expressed his thoughts to the swan. 

"Actually," the swan replied, 

"I was feeling that I was the happiest bird around until I saw a parrot, which has two colors. 

I now think the parrot is the happiest bird in creation." 

The crow then approached the parrot. 

The parrot explained, 

"I lived a very happy life—until I saw a peacock.

I have only two colors, but the peacock has multiple colors." 

The crow then visited a peacock in the zoo and saw that hundreds of people had gathered to see him. 

After the people had left, 

The crow approached the Peacock..

Dear Peacock, 

You are so beautiful. 

Every day thousands of people come to see you. 

When people see me, 

they immediately shoo me away. 

I think you are the happiest bird on the planet.

The peacock replied, 

I always thought that I was the most beautiful and happy bird on the planet. 

But because of my beauty, 

I am entrapped in this zoo. 

I have examined the zoo very carefully, and I have realized that the crow is the only bird not kept in a cage. 

So for past few days I have been thinking that if I were a crow, 

I could happily roam everywhere.

That's our problem too. 

We make unnecessary comparison with others and become sad. 

We don't value what has God given us. 

This all leads to the vicious cycle of unhappiness. 

Value the things god has given us. 

Learn the secret of being happy and discard the comparison which leads only to unhappines..

Once  there was a little boy who wanted to meet God.

He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with Twinkies and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey. When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park just staring at some pigeons.

The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her a Twinkie. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him. Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As it grew dark, the boy realized how tired he was, and he got up to leave but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever. When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, “What did you do today that made you so happy?” He replied, “I had lunch with God.” But, before his mother could respond, he added, “You know what? She’s got the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen!”

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, “Mother, what did you do today that made you so happy?” She replied, “I ate Twinkies in the park with God.” But, before her son responded, she added, “You know, he’s much younger than I expected.”

Moral: God is everywhere.  We just need to share our happiness and make others smile to feel him.

A nice story of Adi Shankaracharya teaching his students how to empty and free their mind:

A nice story of Adi Shankaracharya teaching his students how to empty and free their mind: 

"Adi Sankara was walking through the market place with his disciples.

They saw a man dragging a cow by a rope.

Sankara told the man to wait and asked his disciples to surround them.

“I am going to teach you something” and continued...

“Tell me who is bound to whom? Is the cow bound to this man or the man is bound to the cow?"

The disciples said without hesitation “Of course the cow is bound to the man!. The man is the master.

 He is holding the rope. The cow has to follow him wherever he goes. The man is the master and the cow is the slave.”

“Now watch this”, said Sankara and took a pair of scissors from his bag and cut the rope.

The cow ran away from the master and the man ran after his cow. “Look, what is happening”, said Sankara

“Do you see who the Master is? The cow is not at all interested in this man. The cow in fact, is trying to escape from this man. 

This is the case with our MIND.

Like the cow, all the non-sense that we carry inside is not interested in us. WE ARE INTERESTED IN IT, we are keeping it together somehow or the other. We are going crazy trying to keep it all together under our control.

The moment we lose interest in all the garbage filled in our head, and the moment we understand the futility of it, it will start to disappear. Like the cow, it will escape and disappear.” 

We can allow disappearing of all the unwanted things from our mind and feel relaxed...

The Tale of Two wolves..

The Tale of Two wolves..

A grandfather told his grandson , who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice , "let me tell You a story "

About a battle that goes on inside people. He said, ‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all.

 There are two wolves in each and everyone of us constantly fighting with each other. 

One is good and the other is the evil. 

Evil wolf represents the negative  qualities  such as  anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret,  self pity, resentment, guilt, greed, arrogance, false pride, inferiority, superiority and ego.

Good wolf represents positive values such as humility, kindness, faith, compassion, peace, love, serenity, empathy, generosity, truth, hope, joy, benevolence, co- operation.

Which wolf wins? 

The one you feed.

Let us feed the mind with good thoughts which help us to stay positive and optimistic. 

Let us listen to this beautiful story " Two wolves" from Anecdotes to awaken.

BUDDHA and the angry man

The Buddha explained how to handle insult and maintain compassion.

One day Buddha was walking through a village. A very angry and rude young man came up and began insulting him. "You have no right teaching others," he shouted. "You are as stupid as everyone else. You are nothing but a fake."

Buddha was not upset by these insults. Instead he asked the young man "Tell me, if you buy a gift for someone, and that person does not take it, to whom does the gift belong?"

The man was surprised to be asked such a strange question and answered, "It would belong to me, because I bought the gift."

The Buddha smiled and said, "That is correct. And it is exactly the same with your anger.

If you become angry with me and I do not get insulted, then the anger falls back on you.

You are then the only one who becomes unhappy, not me. All you have done is hurt yourself."

"If you want to stop hurting yourself, you must get rid of your anger and become loving instead. When you hate others, you yourself become unhappy. But when you love others, everyone is happy."

The young man listened closely to these wise words of the Buddha. "You are right, o Enlightened One, "he said. "Please teach me the path of love. I wish to become your follower."

The Buddha answered kindly, "Of course. I teach anyone who truly wants to learn. Come with me."

The World is a big mirror.

Once a dog ran into a museum where all the walls, the ceiling, the door and even the floor were made of mirror. 

Seeing this the dog froze in surprise in the middle of the hall, a whole pack of dogs surrounded it from all sides, from above and below. 

Every time the dog bared his teeth, all the reflections responded to it in the same way.

Frightened, the dog frantically barked. The reflections imitated the bark and increased it many times. The dog barked even harder and the echo was keeping up. The dog tossed from one side to another, biting the air - his reflections also tossed around snapping their teeth.

Next day in the morning, the museum security guards found the miserable dog, lifeless and surrounded by a million reflections of lifeless dogs. 

There was nobody, who would make any harm to the dog. 

The dog died by fighting with his own reflections.

The world doesn't bring good or evil on its own. 

Everything that is happening around us is the reflection of our own thoughts, feelings, wishes and actions. 

The World is a big mirror. 

Strike a good pose!

Smile from deep within. 

Life is beautiful.

Money can't buy Everything..

Money can't buy Everything.

Nick is a 10 year old boy. He was the only son to his parents. 

His father was a hard-working business man and he could hardly spend time with his son. 

Nick’s father would reach home after he slept, and leave home, before he woke up, or sleep until he left for school. 

His father hardly had any time for Nick or his family. 

He could not accompany him or the family. Just like any other boy, Nick wanted to go outdoors with his father and have fun.

One day, Nick was surprised to see his father at home in the evening.

“Dad, it is a big surprise to see you at home”, Nick said.

“Yes son, my meeting was cancelled and my next flight is delayed by 2 hours. So I’m at home”, his father replied.

The conversation between Nick and father:

Dad, may I please ask you a few questions?

Yes, my dear son, please proceed.

When will you be back?

Tomorrow noon!

Dad, how much do you earn a year?

Dear, it’s a very big amount and you won’t be able to understand it.

Ok dad, are you happy with the amount you earn?

Yes my dear. I’m very happy, and in fact I’m planning to launch our new branch and a new business in a few months. Isn’t that great?

Yes, dad. I’m happy to hear that.

So, do you have any other questions Nick?

Yes, father, I do have one more question.

Ask me then!

Dad, you don’t want to tell me how much you earn a year or a month. But can you tell me what you earn a day or even half a day?

Nick, why are you asking this question? I have provided you with all the possible luxuries.

No dad, you have always given the best to me, but please answer me. It would be really nice if you can tell me how much you earn in an hour?

Nick, this is not fair and you should not be questioning your father about his income.

Nick asked his mother to support him.

Nick and his mom requested to answer his hourly income, if not the daily income.

Nick’s father replied, it will be around Rs.1000/- per hour.

Nick ran to his room upstairs, and came down with his piggy bank that contained his savings.

Dad, I have Rs.3000/- in this box. Can you spare three hours with me? I want to go to beach and have dinner with you tomorrow evening. Can you please mark this in your schedule?

Nick’s father was speechless!

Running behind money makes children deprived of love and care from parents. 

Money can’t buy everything!