Sunday, October 27, 2013

LESSON FROM THE HEDGEHOGS

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold.
The hedgehogs, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.
After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth.
Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.
Author Unknown
Submitted by Laura
The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person’s good qualities.

PUT MIND AT EASE

One day, Buddha was walking from one town to another with a few of his followers.
While they were traveling, they happened to pass by a lake. They stopped to rest there and Buddha asked one of his disciples to get him some water from the lake.
A disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed some people were washing clothes in the water and, right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake.
As a result, the water became very muddy. The disciple thought, ““How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!””
So he came back and told Buddha, “”The water in the lake is very muddy. I don’’t think it is suitable to drink.””
After a while, Buddha again asked the same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water.
The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time he found that the mud had settled down and the water was clean so he collected some in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water then looked up at the disciple and said, ““See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be and the mud settled down on its own. It is also the same with your mind. When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time and it will settle down on its own.”

THE TWELVE GIFTS OF BIRTH

Once upon a time, a long time ago, when princes and princesses lived in faraway kingdoms, royal children were given twelve special gifts when they were born. You may have heard the stories. Twelve wise women of the kingdom, or fairy godmothers as they were often called, traveled swiftly to the castle whenever a new prince or princess came into the world. Each fairy godmother pronounced a noble gift upon the royal baby.
As time went on, the wise women came to understand that the twelve royal gifts of birth belong to every child, born anywhere at anytime. They yearned to proclaim the gifts to all children, but the customs of the land did not allow that.
One day when the wise women gathered together they made this prophecy:
Some day, all the children of the world will learn the truth about their noble inheritance. When that happens a miracle will unfold on the kingdom of Earth.
Some day is near. Here is the secret they want you to know.
At the wondrous moment you were born, as you took your first breath, a great celebration was held in the heavens and twelve magnificent gifts were granted to you.
1. Strength is the first gift. May you remember to call upon it whenever you need it.
2. Beauty is the second gift. May your deeds reflect its depth.
3. Courage is the third gift.May you speak and act with confidence and use courage to follow your own path.
4. Compassion is the fourth gift. May you be gentle with yourself and others. May you forgive those who hurt you and yourself when you make mistakes.
5. Hope is the fifth gift. Through each passage and season, may you trust the goodness of life.
6. Joy is the sixth gift. May it keep your heart open and filled with light.
7. Talent is the seventh gift. May you discover your own special abilities and contribute them toward a better world.
8. Imagination is the eighth gift. May it nourish your visions and dreams.
9. Reverence is the ninth gift. May you appreciate the wonder that you are and the miracle of all creation.
10. Wisdom is the tenth gift. Guiding your way, wisdom will lead you through knowledge to understanding. May you hear its soft voice.
11. Love is the eleventh gift. It will grow each time you give it away.
12. Faith is the twelfth gift. May you believe.
Now you know about your twelve gifts of birth. But there is more to the secret that the wise women knew. Use your gifts well and you will discover others, among them a gift that is uniquely you. See these noble gifts in other people. Share the truth and be ready for the miracle to unfold as the prophecy of the wise women comes true.
By Charlene Costanzo

SALT GLASS OF WATER AND THE LAKE

Once an unhappy young man came to an old master and told he had a very sad life and asked for a solution.
The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.
“How does it taste?” – the Master asked.
“Terrible.” – spat the apprentice.
The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake.
The old man said, “Now drink from the lake.”
As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the Master asked, “How does it taste?”
“Good!” – remarked the apprentice.
“Do you taste the salt?” – asked the Master.
“No.” – said the young man.
The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said, “The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the ‘pain’ depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake.”
Author Unknown
Story Submitted by Camilia

Saturday, October 26, 2013

HELLO WORLD



Beginning today I will no longer worry about yesterday. It is in the past and the past will never change. Only I can change by choosing to do so.
Beginning today I will no longer worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will always be there, waiting for me to make the most of it. But I cannot make the most of tomorrow without first making the most of today.
Beginning today I will look in the mirror and I will see a person worthy of my respect and admiration. This capable person looking back at me is someone I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like to get to know better.
Beginning today I will cherish each moment of my life. I value this gift bestowed upon me in this world and I will unselfishly share this gift with others. I will use this gift to enhance the lives of others.
Beginning today I will take life one day at a time, one step at a time. Discouragement will not be allowed to taint my positive self-image, my desire to succeed or my capacity to love.
Beginning today I will open my mind and my heart. I will welcome new experiences. I will meet new people. I will not expect perfection from myself nor anyone else: perfection does not exist in an imperfect world. But I will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.
Beginning today I will learn something new; I will try something different; I will savor all the various flavors life has to offer. I will change what I can and the rest I will let go. I will strive to become the best me I can possibly be.
                                                                                                                                BY STEPHEN 

LOVE YOUR PARENTS


When we were in the womb of our mother and had yet not completely formed, we were loved and cared for. We were small, helpless and dependent on the love and care of our parents to bring us into this world. They undertook pain and sacrifice to make sure that we had all the comforts. They welcomed our birth and celebrated it in their own way. They made sure that we had the right kind of nourishment for body and mind. They inculcated good values and provided for our education. They fiercely guarded and protected us during our infant years.


Yes, our parents who have done so much for us deserve our love and gratefulness for everything. Every parent loves their child tremendously and selflessly. They have no expectations in return. They are ever willing to give up their luxuries and comforts to address our every single need. They were our first teachers patiently explaining everything to us and satisfying our curiosity. We learnt how to express ourselves by watching them and imitating them…



Our entire existence is a debt to our parents which can never be fully repaid. The least we can do is to love them and care for them when they need us the most. By telling them how much we appreciate what they have done for us, we can make them feel good. By taking care of their needs, by giving them company and by talking to them and listening to them esp. in their old age, we are doing our duty. Just as they were there for us when we need them, we should be there for them always.


As they grow older, it is but natural that they may suffer from some health problems or develop habits which are unusual. Sometimes they may have memory lapses and may not be as sharp as they used to be. We need to be patient and not get vexed. We need to remember that they too were patient with us and took care of us during all our illness. We need to be extra careful not to hurt them or their sentiments.

Parents are divine. They are verily our God for having created and nurtured us. As per Hindu scriptures, in the order of importance, it is the Mother who comes first followed by the Father, Teacher and God. Therefore, when we shower our parents with love, even the Gods will be pleased and will appreciate us.

COURTESY:VALUES FOR LIFE

Thursday, October 24, 2013

A POOR YOUNG BOY AND THE DOG

A few days ago I landed at the Bombay Airport (India) and took a cab to my scheduled destination in South Bombay.
I was enjoying the busy traffic with people rushing in every possible directions then we got stranded at a very busy intersection.
As we waited for the signal to turn green, my eyes met up with a poor young boy, about 12 years old. He removed a piece of bread from his pocket and took a bite.
As he was about to take his next bite, a stray dog wagged his tail looking at him. Without hesitation, he sat down and put the bread on the road for the dog to eat.
The dog sniffed the bread and walked away. The boy waited until he was sure the dog was gone then he picked up the bread and ate it!
My heart cried and wanted to walk up to the boy but before I could open the door the signal turned Green and our car drove away. I kept thinking about the boy and later during my evening meal I realized that I was thinking of approaching the boy but never did, I could have stopped the car and walked up to him which again I never did.
All I did was “thinking” and this poor little boy who had only one piece of bread without any hesitation sharing it with the dog, though he himself seemed to be very hungry.
I learnt one of the biggest lessons in my life which that boy taught me without a conversation. He taught me to share with love and happiness. I am so blessed to have learnt this beautiful lesson from my ‘little unknown master’. It is my moral duty to share this incident with all my friends across the globe and be blessed with happiness.
Thank you friends for making this world a beautiful place to dwell.  

By Dr. Derrick Angelsz
India

A VIOLIN WITH THREE STRINGS




On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, a violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.
If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, you know that getting on stage is no small achievement for him. He was stricken with polio as a child, and so he has braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches. To see him walk across the stage one step at a time, painfully and slowly, is an awesome sight.
He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair. Then he sits down, slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the conductor and proceeds to play.
By now, the audience is used to this ritual. They sit quietly while he makes his way across the stage to his chair. They remain reverently silent while he undoes the clasps on his legs. They wait until he is ready to play.
But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap – it went off like gunfire across the room. There was no mistaking what that sound meant. There was no mistaking what he had to do.
We figured that he would have to get up, put on the clasps again, pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage – to either find another violin or else find another string for this one. But he didn’t. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again.
The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before.
Of course, anyone knows that it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. I know that, and you know that, but that night Itzhak Perlman refused to know that.
You could see him modulating, changing, re-composing the piece in his head. At one point, it sounded like he was de-tuning the strings to get new sounds from them that they had never made before.
When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. There was an extraordinary outburst of applause from every corner of the auditorium. We were all on our feet, screaming and cheering, doing everything we could to show how much we appreciated what he had done.
He smiled, wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quiet us, and then he said – not boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone – “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”
What a powerful line that is. It has stayed in my mind ever since I heard it. And who knows? Perhaps that is the definition of life – not just for artists but for all of us.
Here is a man who has prepared all his life to make music on a violin of four strings, who, all of a sudden, in the middle of a concert, finds himself with only three strings; so he makes music with three strings, and the music he made that night with just three strings was more beautiful, more sacred, more memorable, than any that he had ever made before, when he had four strings.
So, perhaps our task in this shaky, fast-changing, bewildering world in which we live is to make ‘music’, at first with all that we have, and then, when that is no longer possible, to make ‘music’ with what we have left.
By Jack Riemer
S
ubmitted by Michael
An inspiring experience to those who think they can’t do things because they lack something that other’s have. It should not be called a story and each one of us should take a lesson to bring out the Best in Life from what is available with us. Perlman is an example to show us that we should keep doing our best no matter what happens.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

WHAT IS YOUR PRIORITY?

How important is money to you? What will you do without money? Can you live without money? When will you feel you have enough money? Is a life of poverty worth living?

Some of these questions popped up in mind after a recent discussion with an acquaintance. She was of the firm opinion that money is critical and that it is easier said than done to live a life without money. People will intellectualize that money is not important but in reality will actually crave for it. Without money life is full of suffering and hardships etc. 

It led me to think deeply on this subject and below are some thoughts that occurred to me. I give below 4 specific thoughts that came to my mind which makes me believe that there are other more important things than money. Yes, money is a tool and helps live life comfortably but it is not worth putting money into the center of our lives.

The first thought that came to me was of Steve Jobs. Here is a man - undoubtedly successful and extremely rich but with a terminal sickness at a fairly young age. What would be his priority? Will he not be willing to give up his entire wealth for the sake of a few more years of healthy life? His confidence in his abilities would be certainly high and he would probably give anything to have more time in this world. If not for anything else, he would want to live so that the ideas / innovations in his mind can see the light of the day. So, health probably is more important than money.

The second thought that came to me was of my mother. She passed away a few years ago. What use is wealth if it cannot be shared with ones loved ones? There might be so many people with no dearth of wealth but with a certain feeling of loneliness in their lives due to the absence of loved ones. So, between wealth and love, love takes a higher position.

The third thought that came to my mind was integrity and values. To what extent would one go to earn money? Is it right to compromise on morals and give a higher ranking to money. Most of us would emphatically draw the line and say that on the question of integrity there can be no compromise even if it means sacrificing lots of money.

The last thought that came to mind was the situation in Mahabharatha in which Arjun and Duryodhana are in Lord Krishna's chambers seeking his help in the Mahabaratha war. While Duryodhana chose the vast armies of Krishna (symbolic of worldly wealth), Arjuna was content with Krishna on his side. He thought that if I have God on my side, what else is required.

Money is no doubt important to get us material comforts. But matters like health, love, integrity and spirituality are more important and if we focus on these, money will never be a priority or a scarcity in our lives.

So, what is your priority? 

COURTESY: VALUES FOR LIFE.

TIPS FOR A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

This message contains some “tips” that may bring you a beautiful life. Read them, live by them more fully, and I promise you will experience a beautiful life!
  • Take a 10-30 minute walk every day and while you walk, smile.
     
  • Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
     
  • When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to … today.”
     
  • Live with the 3 E’s: Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy, and the 3 F’s: Faith, Family, Friends.
     
  • Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
     
  • Dream more while you are awake.
     
  • Try to make at least three people smile each day.
     
  • Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass all your tests. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
     
  • Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
     
  • Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
     
  • Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
     
  • Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
     
  • You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagreements.
  •  
  • Make peace with your past, so it won’t mess up the present.
     
  • Don’t compare your life with others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
     
  • Burn the candles, use the nice sheets. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
     
  • No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
     
  • Forgive everyone for 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 is, it will change.
     
  • Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will stay in touch.
     
  • Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful, or joyful.
     
  • The best is yet to come… Believe.
     
  • No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
     
  • Do the right thing!
     
  • Call your family often.
     
  • Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: “I am thankful for” – “Today I accomplished…”
     
  • Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
     
  • Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. Make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
courtesy:Author Unknown