Christmas wishes

Another day, another month, another year,
another smile, another tear, another winter,
A summer too, but there will never be another you!

May lovely, happy times decorate this time of the season.
Decorate this time of the season.
May warm, special memories brighten your New Year.
May the wonder of Christmas be with you Forever.
Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com

Acres Of Diamonds

One of the most interesting Americans who lived in the 19th century was a man by the name of Russell Herman Conwell. He was born in 1843 and lived until 1925. He was a lawyer for about fifteen years until he became a clergyman.

One day, a young man went to him and told him he wanted a college education but couldn't swing it financially. Dr. Conwell decided, at that moment, what his aim in life was, besides being a man of cloth - that is. He decided to build a university for unfortunate, but deserving, students. He did have a challenge, however. He would need a few million dollars to build the university. For Dr. Conwell, and anyone with real purpose in life, nothing could stand in the way of his goal.

Several years before this incident, Dr. Conwell was tremendously intrigued by a true story - with its ageless moral. The story was about a farmer who lived in Africa and through a visitor became tremendously excited about looking for diamonds. Diamonds were already discovered in abundance on the African continent and this farmer got so excited about the idea of millions of dollars worth of diamonds that he sold his farm to head out to the diamond line. He wandered all over the continent, as the years slipped by, constantly searching for diamonds, wealth, which he never found. Eventually he went completely broke and threw himself into a river and drowned.

Meanwhile, the new owner of his farm picked up an unusual looking rock about the size of a country egg and put it on his mantle as a sort of curiosity. A visitor stopped by and in viewing the rock practically went into terminal convulsions. He told the new owner of the farm that the funny looking rock on his mantle was about the biggest diamond that had ever been found. The new owner of the farm said, "Heck, the whole farm is covered with them" -
and sure enough it was.

The farm turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine...the richest the world has ever known. The original farmer was literally standing on "Acres of Diamonds" until he sold his farm.

Dr. Conwell learned from the story of the farmer and continued to teach it's moral. Each of us is right in the middle of our own "Acre of Diamonds", if only we would realize it and develop the ground we are standing on before charging off in search of greener pastures. Dr. Conwell told this story many times and attracted enormous audiences. He told the story long enough to have raised the money to start the college for underprivileged deserving students. In fact, he raised nearly six million dollars and the university he founded, Temple University in Philadelphia, has at least ten degree-granting colleges and six other schools.

When Doctor Russell H. Conwell talked about each of us being right on our own "Acre of Diamonds", he meant it. This story does not get old...it will be true forever...

Opportunity does not just come along - it is there all the time - we just have to see it.

Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

 

CupCakes And RootBeer

There once 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 cupcakes, several cans of root beer and started on his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he saw an elderly woman. She was sitting on a park bench watching the 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 the lady looked hungry so he offered her a cupcake. She gratefully accepted and smiled at him.

Her smile was so wonderful that he wanted to see it again, so he offered a root beer as well. Once again she smiled at him. The boy was delighted!

They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling without saying a word.

As it began to grow dark, the boy realized how tired he was and wanted to go home. He got up to leave but before he had gone no more than a few steps, he turned around and ran back to the old woman, giving her a big hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy arrived home his Mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked, What has made you so happy today He replied, I had lunch with God. Before his mother could respond he added, You know what She's got the most beautiful smile in the whole world!

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face. He asked, Mother, what has made you so happy today She replied, I ate cupcakes in the park with God. And before her son could reply, she added, You know, he is much younger than I expected.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring; all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Take no one for granted and embrace all equally with joy!

Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

Little Moments Of Joy

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. It was a cowboy's life, a life for someone who wanted no boss. What I didn't realize was that it was also a ministry.

Because I drove the night shift, my cab became a moving confessional. Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in total anonymity, and told me about their lives. I encountered people whose lives amazed me, ennobled me, made me laugh and weep.

But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night.

I was responding to a call from a small brick fourplex in a quiet part of town. I assumed I was being sent to pick up some partiers, or someone who had just had a fight with a lover, or a worker heading to an early shift at some factory for the industrial part of town.

When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked.

"Just a minute," answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said.

I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.

"It's nothing," I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated."

"Oh, you're such a good boy," she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice."

I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers," I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient at the end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware--beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, ...but they will always remember how you made them feel.
Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

What Happens In Heaven

Contributed By: Shilpa Gudwani
This is one of the nicest mails I have seen and is so true:

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We
walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled
with angels.

My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, "This
is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer
are received."

I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many
angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and
scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery
Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are
processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them."

I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working
hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and
were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the
door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was
seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment
Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed
embarrassed "How is it that? There's no work going on here?" I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the blessings that
they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments.

"How does one acknowledge God's blessings?" I asked.

"Simple," the angel answered. "Just say, "Thank you, God."

"What blessings should they acknowledge? " I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof
overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world.
"If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a
dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in
the world who has that opportunity. "

Also .....

"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness .... you
are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.

"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of
imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation .....
you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.

"If you can attend a prayer meeting without the fear of harassment,
arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than,
three billion people in the world.

"If your parents are still alive and still married... you are very rare.

If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're
unique to all those in doubt and despair."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in
that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more
blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at
all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this
along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
Attn: Acknowledgment Dept:

Thank You God !

Thank you God, for giving me the ability to share this message and for
giving me so many wonderful people to share it with".

Bucket Filler Or Dipper?

You have heard of the cup that overflowed. This is a story of a bucket
that is like the cup, only larger, it is an invisible bucket. Everyone
has one. It determines how we feel about ourselves, about others, and
how we get along with people. Have you ever experienced a series of
very favorable things which made you want to be good to people for a
week? At that time, your bucket was full.

A bucket can be filled by a lot of things that happen. When a person
speaks to you, recognizing you as a human being, your bucket is filled
a little. Even more if he calls you by name, especially if it is the
name you like to be called. If he compliments you on your dress or on
a job well done, the level in your bucket goes up still higher. There
must be a million ways to raise the level in another's bucket. Writing
a friendly letter, remembering something that is special to him,
knowing the names of his children, expressing sympathy for his loss,
giving him a hand when his work is heavy, taking time for
conversation, or, perhaps more important, listing to him.

When one's bucket is full of this emotional support, one can express
warmth and friendliness to people. But, remember, this is a theory
about a bucket and a dipper. Other people have dippers and they can
get their dippers in your bucket. This, too, can be done in a million
ways.

Lets say I am at a dinner and inadvertently upset a glass of thick,
sticky chocolate milk that spills over the table cloth, on a lady's
skirt, down onto the carpet. I am embarrassed. "Bright Eyes" across
the table says, "You upset that glass of chocolate milk." I made a
mistake, I know I did, and then he told me about it! He got his dipper
in my bucket! Think of the times a person makes a mistake, feels
terrible about it, only to have someone tell him about the known
mistake ("Red pencil" mentality!)

Buckets are filled and buckets are emptied ? emptied many times
because people don't really think about what are doing. When a
person's bucket is emptied, he is very different than when it is full.
You say to a person whose bucket is empty, "That is a pretty tie you
have," and he may reply in a very irritated, defensive manner.

Although there is a limit to such an analogy, there are people who
seem to have holes in their buckets. When a person has a hole in his
bucket, he irritates lots of people by trying to get his dipper in
their buckets. This is when he really needs somebody to pour it in his
bucket because he keeps losing.

The story of our lives is the interplay of the bucket and the dipper.
Everyone has both. The unyielding secret of the bucket and the dipper
is that when you fill another's bucket it does not take anything out
of your own bucket. The level in our own bucket gets higher when we
fill another's, and, on the other hand, when we dip into another's
bucket we do not fill our own ... we lose a little.

For a variety of reasons, people hesitate filling the bucket of
another and consequently do not experience the fun, joy, happiness,
fulfillment, and satisfaction connected with making another person
happy. Some reasons for this hesitancy are that people think it sounds
"fakey," or the other person will be suspicious of the motive, or it
is "brown-nosing."

Therefore, let us put aside our dipper and resolve to touch someone's
life in order to fill their bucket.
Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

The Secret

Contributed By: Shilpa

One day, one friend asked another,
"How is it that you are always so happy?
You have so much energy,
and you never seem to get down."

With her eyes smiling, she said,
"I know the Secret!"
"What secret is that?"
To which she replied,
"I'll tell you all about it,
but you have to promise to
share the Secret with others."

"The Secret is this:
I have learned there is little I can do
in my life that will make me truly happy..
I must depend on God to make
me happy and to meet my needs.
When a need arises in my life,
I have to trust God to supply
according to HIS riches.
I have learned most of the time
I don't need half of what I think I do.
He has never let me down.
Since I learned that 'Secret', I am happy."

The questioner's first thought was,
"That's too simple!"
But upon reflecting over her own life
she recalled how she thought a bigger house
would make her happy, but it didn't!
She thought a better paying job
would make her happy, but it hadn't.
When did she realize her greatest happiness?
Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren,
playing games, eating pizza or reading a story,
a simple gift from God.

Now you know it too!
We can't depend on people to make us happy.
Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that.
Trust HIM!
And now I pass the Secret on to you!
So once you get it, what will you do?

Short Story By Tagore

Contributed By: Kirti Jain

The man was quite a loafer.

He did not have any work to do, but had lots of hobbies.

He used to pour earth into little wooden moulds and decorate them with
oyster-shells. From a distance it looked like a hazy picture with a
flight of birds in it; or like an uneven field with cattle grazing; or
maybe like an undulating hilly landscape with a stream or a hikers'
path running across it.

His folks used to rebuke him. Sometimes he also thought that he would
give up all these crazy ideas. But craziness refused to leave him
alone.

--- 2 ---

There are some boys who neglect their studies throughout the year, but
pass the exams nevertheless. Something similar happenned to this man.

All his life was spent in worthless pursuits. And yet after his death,
he heard that he had been allowed admission to heaven.

But providence accompanies a man even on his way to heaven. The angels
made a mistake and put him into the heaven of the workaholics.

There was everything in that heaven except a little time to relax.

There every man was saying, ``Hardly have any time to breathe!'' Every
woman was saying, ``See you later, I'll have to get back to work.''
Everybody was saying, ``Time is extremely valuable!'' No one was
saying, ``Time is invaluable.'' Everyone was complaining, ``There's a
hell of a lot of work'', and was feeling quite pleased with that. The
theme song for this place was --- ``I am really tired working.''

This fellow did not fit anywhere, did not know where to go. He walked
carelessly on the streets and got in the way of busy people. He spread
his towel by the side of the road and sat down. People told him that
he was sitting on plant beds where seeds had been sown. So all the
time he had to move aside, he had to leave his place.

--- 3 ---

A very busy girl came everyday to take water from the fountain of heaven.

The lilt of her walk was like a fast tune played on a sitar.

She tied her hair in a quick braid. Even then a few strands of hair
freed themselves from that knot and leaned forward on her forehead, as
if just to catch a glimpse of her black and beautiful eyes.

The heavenly loafer was standing nearby, as still as a tree beside the
restive fountain.

The girl took pity on him, much like a princess at the sight of a
beggar through her palace window.

``Poor thing! Don't you have any work to do?''

The man heaved a sigh and said, ``I have no time for work.''

The girl did not have any idea of what he was talking about. She said,
``Do you want some work to do? I can give you some.''

The man said, ``Yes, I wanted some work right from your hands. That is
why I have been waiting here.''

``What kind of work do you want?''

``I was wondering if you could lend me one of those pitchers that you
fill up with water.''

``What do you want to do with a pitcher? Want to carry water?''

``Not at all. I want to draw pictures on it.''

The girl was annoyed. She said, ``I'm running out of time. I've got to go.''

But a person of work can never match the arguments of a person of no
work. Every single day they met near the fountain, and everyday the
man said the same thing, ``Why don't you lend me a pitcher, I want to
draw pictures on it.''

The girl gave up. She lent him a pitcher.

The man started painting on it all around --- beautiful colors,
beautiful curves.

When he had finished, the girl picked up the pitcher. She held it in
her hand and looked at it from all directions. Then she frowned and
said, ``What does it mean?''

The man said, ``It doesn't mean anything.''

The girl went home with her pitcher.

When nobody else was around, she looked at the pitcher. She looked at
it from different angles, in different shades of light. When everyone
else had fallen asleep, she got out of her bed, lit the lamp, and sat
silently in front of the pitcher. This was the first thing she saw in
her life which did not have any meaning.

On the following day, when she arrived at the fountain, she was not
walking as swiftly as before. Her feet were getting careless while
walking --- as if they were thinking of something --- something which
did not have any meaning.

The man was standing by the side of the fountain that day as well.

The girl asked him, ``What do you want?''

He said, ``I want more work from you.''

``What kind of work?''

``If you want, I can weave colorful strings and make ribbons for you
so that you can braid your hair with them.''

``What use will that come to?''

``No use at all.''

The ribbons were made in due time --- in various colors, in various
designs. From that time on, the girl needed more time near the mirror
while braiding her hair. Hours passed by, work remained undone.

--- 4 ---

At the heaven of workaholics, among the vast space of work and work
and work, very soon there appeared huge voids. Songs and sobs started
filling up those voids.

The authorities got anxious. They called a meeting. They said,
``Nothing of its kind has happened in the history of this place,''

The angel admitted the mistake. He said, ``I brought the wrong man
into the wrong heaven.''

The wrong man was summonned to the court. At the sight of him entering
the courthouse, wearing a colorful turban and a lavishly decorated
belt, everyone understood that this man was a big misfit.

The chairman said, ``You will have to go back to earth.''

The man picked up his paints, brush and easel. He heaved a big sigh of
relief and said, ``Okay, see you then.''

The girl came and said, ``I want to go as well.''

The elderly chairman was puzzled. This was the first thing he saw in
his life which did not have any meaning at all.
Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

Life And The Ant

One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge
feather cross my back terrace. Several times it was confronted by
obstacles in its path and after a momentary pause it would make the
necessary detour.

At one point the ant had to negotiate a crack in the concrete about
10mm wide. After brief contemplation the ant laid the feather over the
crack, walked across it and picked up the feather on the other side
then continued on its way. I was fascinated by the ingenuity of this
ant, one of God's smallest creatures. It served to reinforce the
miracle of creation. Here was a minute insect, lacking in size yet
equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome. But
this ant, like the two-legged co-residents of this planet, also share
human failings.

After some time the ant finally reached its destination - a flower bed
at the end of the terrace and a small hole that was the entrance to
its underground home. And it was here that the ant finally met its
match. How could that large feather possibly fit down small hole

Of course it couldn't. so the ant, after all this trouble and
exercising great ingenuity, overcoming problems all along the way,
just abandoned the feather and went home.

The ant had not thought the problem through before it began its epic
journey and in the end the feather was nothing more than a burden.
Isn't life like that!

We worry about our family, we worry about money or the lack of it, we
worry about work, about where we live, about all sorts of things.
These are all burdens - the things we pick up along life's path and
lug them around the obstacles and over the crevasses that life will
bring, only to find that at the destination they are useless and we
can't take them with us...
Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

Attitude

While trying to ignore my teen daughters rap music a thought came to me. Whoever the rap artist was that she was listening to, is very positive about him self. He was negative about the women in his life, he made negative statements about the police but when it came to himself he was very positive. He used "I" statements, "I am going to be rich by the age of 24." He visualized all the material items he would like to manifest such as cars trimmed in gold, houses and yachts. In his music he was claiming his success.

As a child I remember Muhammad Ali shouting, "I am the greatest!" No matter what Howard Cossell said Ali would still state he was the greatest! This is the attitude that successful people have. They walk the walk and talk the talk of success. They feel success through their mind, body and soul. They envision what they want and manifest it into reality.

In order to be successful you have to have the attitude of being successful. How are you going to accomplish your dreams of success if you can't even envision your dreams coming true? You have to feel good about yourself in order to obtain the dream that you are pursuing. Whether it's a dream of career transition, material gain or just the dream of peace of mind. You have to have the attitude of I am the greatest! In order to achieve whatever your heart desires.

A Life In Your Hands

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn;
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight;
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy;
If a child lives with shame, he learns to feel guilty;

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient;
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence;
If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate;
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice;

If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith;
If a child lives with approval, he learns to like himself;
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world.
Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

Reason Or Season

Contributed By: Shilpa Gudwani

 

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

 

---

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.

---

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

The Wave

The story is about a little wave, bobbing along in the ocean, having a grand time. He's enjoying the wind and fresh air - until he notices the other waves in front of him crashing against the shore.

My God this is terrible, the wave says Look what's going to happen to me!

Then along comes another wave. It sees the first wave, looking grim, and it says to him, Why do you look so sad?

The first wave says, You don't understand! We're all going to crash! All of us waves are going to be nothing! Isn't it terrible?

The second wave says, No, you don't understand. You're not a wave, you're part of the ocean.

Have you ever faced the inevitable reality of the shore?
What was the first wave's initial response to change?
What negative things can come out of watching the other waves crash in front?
What positive things can come out of watching the other waves crash in front?
How different will the first wave be AFTER crashing on the shore?
Who is this second wave guy?
Why is he important?
What does it mean to be part of the ocean?
Do we human beings on this planet realize that we are all tiny particles of water drops in this ocean called humanity and we are a part of this wave called human civilization..?

Take care to preserve yourself & to preserve humanity.
Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

Harsh Words

A woman bought eggs and butter from a farmer who had a fine reputation not only for the quality of his products, but also for his promptness of delivery.

Then one day, when she was expecting guests, he failed to come. On the next delivery, she spoke harshly to him. At the end of her tirade he said quietly, "I'm sorry if I caused you any inconvenience, but I had the misfortune of burying my mother yesterday."

Ashamed, the woman determined never to speak harshly to anyone again until she fully understood the cause of the delay.
Archives: http://heaven-showers.blogspot.com/

Why Do You Share

A reporter once asked a farmer to divulge the secret behind his corn, which won the state fair contest year after year. The farmer confessed it was all because he shared his seed with his neighbors.

Why do you share your best seed corn with your neighbors when you're entering the same contest each year as well asked the reporter.

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 neighbors grew inferior corn, cross-pollination would steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbor do the same.

And so it is with other situations in our lives. Those who want to be successful must help their neighbors, friends, relatives to be successful.

Those who choose to live well must help others live well, 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.

This story exemplifies "altruism."

Altruism: Action that benefits another person, including comforting, helping, sharing, rescuing and cooperating. Acts of concern for other people - without any hope of reward.
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Cure For Sorrow

There is an old Chinese tale about a woman whose only son died.

In her grief, she went to the holy man and said, "What prayers, what magical incantations do you have to bring my son back to life?"

Instead of sending her away or reasoning with her, he said to her, "Fetch me a mustard seed from a home that has never known sorrow. We will use it to drive the sorrow out of your life." The woman went off at once in search of that magical mustard seed.

She came first to a splendid mansion, knocked at the door, and said, "I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this a place? It is very important to me."

They told her, "You've certainly come to the wrong place," and began to describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them.

The woman said to herself, "Who is better able to help these poor, unfortunate people that I, who have had misfortune of my own?"

She stayed to comfort them, and then went on in search of a home that had never known sorrow. But wherever she turned, in hovels and in other places, she found one tale after another of sadness and misfortune.

She became so involved in ministering to other people's grief that ultimately she forgot about her quest for the magical mustard seed, never realizing that it had, in fact, driven the sorrow out of her life.

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Little Lessons Of Life

Don't go for looks, they can deceive.
Don't go for wealth even that fades away.
Go for someone who makes you smile.

There are moments in life
when you really miss someone
that you want to pick them up
from your dreams and hug them.
Hope you dream of that someone.

Dream what you want to dream,
go where you want to go,
be what you want to be,
because you have only one life
and one chance to do all the things
you want in life.

May you have...
Enough happiness to make you sweet
Enough trials to make you strong
Enough sorrow to keep you human
Enough hope to make you happy
And enough money to buy gifts.

When one door of happiness closes, another opens.
But we often took so long at the closed door,
that we don't see the one which has been opened for us.

The best kind of friend is the one
you could sit on a porch, swing with,
never saying a word and then walk away feeling
like that was the best conversation you've had.

It's true that we don't know
what we've got until we lose it,
but it's also true that we don't know what
we've been missing until it arrives.

Always put yourself in other's shoes.
If you feel that it hurts you,
it probably does hurt the person too.
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No Problem

Don't worry if you have problems! Which is easy to say until you are
in the midst of a really big one, I know. But the only people I am
aware of who don't have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods.
Most communities have at least one. We call them cemeteries.

If you're breathing, you have difficulties. It's the way of life. And
believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you!
Let me explain.

Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800
miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take
visitors to view the reef. On one tour, the guide was asked an
interesting question. I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks
pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful, a
traveler observed. Why is this

The guide gave an interesting answer The coral around the lagoon side
is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early.
The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves,
storms - surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of
its life. As it is challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It
grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces. Then he added this
telling note That's the way it is with every living organism.

That's how it is with people. Challenged and tested, we come alive!
Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can cause us
to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce
tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce
strength of character and faithfulness.

So, you have problems - no problem! Just tell yourself, There I grow again!
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What Is Life All About

Life isn't about keeping score.
It's not about how many friends you have
Or how accepted you are.
Not about if you have plans this weekend or if you're alone.

It isn't about who you have kissed,
It isn't about who your family is or
how much money they have
Or what kind of car you drive.

Or where you are sent to school.
It's not about how beautiful or ugly you are.
Or what clothes you wear, what shoes you have on,
Or what kind of music you listen to.

It's not about if your hair is blonde, red, black, or brown,
Or if your skin is too light or too dark.
Not about what grades you get how smart you are, how smart
everybody else thinks you are, or how smart
standardized tests say you are.

Life just isn't.

Life is about who you love and who you hurt.
It's about who you make happy or unhappy purposely.
It's about keeping or betraying trust.
It's about friendship, used as a sanctity or as a weapon.

It's about what you say and mean, maybe hurtful, maybe heartening.
It's about starting rumors and contributing to petty gossip.
It's about what judgments you pass and why.
And who your judgments are spread to.

It's about who you've ignored with full control and intention.
It's about jealousy, fear, ignorance, and revenge.
It's about carrying inner hate and love,
letting it grow and spreading it.

But most of all, it's about using your life to touch or poison
other people's hearts in such a way that could have
never occurred alone.

Only you choose the way those hearts are affected, and those
choices are what life's all about.

Today let this rainbow remind your friends and family
of what life is really all about.

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Logical Solution

This is worth reading...never underestimate your customer's complaint,
no matter how silly it might sound to be.

This is a real story that happened between the customer of General
Motors and its Customer-Care Executive.

A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors

This is the second time I have written to you, and I don't blame you
for not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it is a fact that
we have a tradition in our family of Ice-Cream for dessert after
dinner each night. But the kind of ice cream varies so, every night,
after we've eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream
we should have and I drive down to the store to get it.

It's also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since
then my trips to the store have created a problem. You see, every time
I buy a vanilla ice cream, when I start back from the store my car
won't start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just
fine. I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter
how silly it sounds What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not
start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get
any other kind

The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter,
but sent an Engineer to check it out anyway. The latter was surprised
and greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine
neighborhood. He had arranged to meet the man just after dinnertime,
so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It
was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came
back to the car, it wouldn't start.

The Engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, they got
chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The
car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to
start. Now the Engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that
this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged,
therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the
problem.

And toward this end he began to take notes he jotted down all sorts of
data time of day,type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc.
In a short time, he had a clue the man took less time to buy vanilla
than any other flavor. Why The answer was in the layout of the store.

Vanilla being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the
front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept
in the back of the store at a different counter where it took
considerably longer to check out the flavor.

Now, the question for the Engineer was why the car wouldn't start when
it took less time.

Once time became problem - not the vanilla ice cream Eureka!!!! The
engineer quickly came up with the answer vapour lock.

It was happening every night; but the extra time taken to get the
other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start.
When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapour
lock to dissipate.

So then, Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all
problems seem to be simple only when we find the solution with a cool
thinking.
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God Does Exist

A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut as always.

He started to have a good conversation with the barber who attended
him. They talked about so many things and various subjects. suddenly,
they touched the subject of God.

The barber said: "Look man, I don't believe that God exists as you say so."

Why do you say that?" - asked the client.

Well, it's so easy, you just have to go out in the street to realize
that God does not exist. Oh, tell me, if God existed, would there be
so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God
existed, there would be no suffering nor pain. I can't think of a God
who permits all of these things."

The client stopped for a moment thinking but he didn't want to respond
so as to prevent an argument. The barber finished his job and the
client went out of the shop. Just after he left the barber shop he saw
a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems that it had
been a long time since he had his cut and he looked so untidy).

Then the client again entered the barber shop and he said to the
barber: know what? Barbers do not exist."

"How come they don't exist?"-asked the barber. "Well I am here and I
am a barber."

"No!" - the client exclaimed. "They don't exist because if they did
there would be no people with long hair and beard like that man who
walks in the street."

"Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to me."

"Exactly!"- affirmed the client. "That's the point. GOD does exist,
what happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him that's
why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
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Life's Struggles

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he
could watch the moth come out of the cocoon. On the day a small
opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the
moth struggled to force the body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had
gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed
to be stuck. Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth,
so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the
cocoon. The moth then emerged easily.

But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man
continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment,
the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body,
which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little
moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body
and shriveled body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the
restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get
through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of
the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it
achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only
come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he
deprived the moth of health.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were
to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every
opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets.

Imperfections

No matter how much planning and preparation you do, something will not turn out the way you wanted it to be. Yet even when those inevitable disappointments do indeed come, you can adapt and make the very most of them.

Life is not perfect and yet it can be perfectly wonderful. It's great to aim for perfection, and even better to achieve excellence in spite of the imperfections you encounter. When people and situations refuse to cooperate, you can be amazingly adaptable. You can move toward excellence even in the most distressing, imperfect scenarios.

Though what you have is not perfect, you can work with it. Accept what you have, imperfections and all, with gratitude and enthusiasm. Don't spend your time waiting for the perfect situation, something which is not very likely to come. Go ahead with life as it is, with the bumps and the pitfalls, and give your best to every moment.
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Big Rocks Of Life

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, Okay, time for a quiz, and he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him.

He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, is this jar full

Everyone in the class yelled, Yes.

The time management expert replied, Really

He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.

He then asked the group once more, Is the jar full

By this time the class was on to him. Probably not, one of them answered.

Good! he replied.

He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.

Once more he asked the question, Is this jar full

No! the class shouted.

Once again he said, Good.

Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.

He looked at the class and asked, What is the point of this illustration

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!

No, the speaker replied, that's not the point. The truth is, this illustration teaches us that if you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all.

What are the 'big rocks' in your life, time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others Remember to put these 'big rocks' in first or you'll never get them in at all. So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question What are the 'big rocks' in my life Then, put those in your jar first.
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Happy Independence Day - Vande Mataram

Vande Mataram , distinct from the national anthem of India "Jana Gana
Mana". The song was composed by Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay in a
mixture of Bengali and Sanskrit.

It is generally believed that the concept of Vande Mataram came to
Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay when he was still a government official
under the British Raj. Around 1870, the British rulers of India had
declared that singing of God Save the Queen would be mandatory.[1] He
wrote it in a spontaneous session using words from two languages he
was expert in, Sanskrit and Bengali. However, the song was initially
highly criticized for the difficulty in pronunciation of some of the
words.[1] The song first appeared in Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay's
book Anandamatha (pronounced Anondomôţh in Bengali), published in 1882
amid fears of a ban by British Raj. However, the song itself was
actually written in 1876.[1] Jadunath Bhattacharya set the tune for
this song just after it was written.[1]

The flag raised by Bhikaiji Cama in 1907"Vande Mataram" was the
national cry for freedom from British oppression during the freedom
movement. Large rallies, fermenting initially in Bengal, in the major
metropolis of Calcutta, would work themselves up into a patriotic
fervour by shouting the slogan "Vande Mataram," or "Hail to the
Mother(land)!". The British, fearful of the potential danger of an
incited Indian populace, at one point banned the utterance of the
motto in public forums, and imprisoned many freedom fighters for
disobeying the proscription. Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram in
1896 at the Calcutta Congress Session held at Beadon Square. Dakhina
Charan Sen sang it five years later in 1901 at another session of the
Congress at Calcutta. Poet Sarala Devi Chaudurani sang the song in the
Benares Congress Session in 1905. Lala Lajpat Rai started a journal
called Vande Mataram from Lahore.[1] Hiralal Sen made India's first
political film in 1905 which ended with the chant. Matangini Hazra's
last words as she was shot to death by the Crown police were Vande
Mataram[2]

In 1907, Bhikaiji Cama (1861-1936) created the first version of
India's national flag (the Tiranga) in Stuttgart, Germany in 1907. It
had Vande Mataram written on it in the middle band [3]

Regarding the song, Bankimchandra noted almost prophetically,"I may
not live to see its popularity, but this song will be sung by every
Indian..." A number of lyrical and musical experiments have been done
and many versions of the song have been created and released
throughout the 20th century. Many of these versions have employed
traditional South Asian classical ragas. Versions of the song have
been visualized on celluloid in a number of films including Leader
(film), Amar asha and Anandamath. It is widely believed that the tune
set for All India Radio station version was composed by Ravi
Shankar.[1] To this day,Vande Mataram is seen as a national mantra
describing the love of patriots for India.

Muslim support for Vande Mataram
Though a number of Muslim organizations and individuals have opposed
Vande Mataram being used as a "national song" of India, citing many
religious reasons, some Muslim personalities have admired and even
praised Vande Mataram as the "National Song of India" . Arif Mohammed
Khan,who was for a long time Member of Parliament has even written an
Urdu translation of Vande Mataram which starts as Tasleemat, maan
tasleemat.[7] In 2006, amidst the controversy of whether singing of
the song in schools should be mandatory or optional, some Indian
Muslims did show support for singing the song.[6]

All India Sunni Ulema Board on Sept 6, 2006 issued a fatwa that the
Muslims can sing the first two verses of the song. The Board president
Moulana Mufti Syed Shah Badruddin Qadri Aljeelani said that "If you
bow at the feet of your mother with respect, it is not shirk but only
respect."[8] Shia scholar and All India Muslim Personal Law Board
vice-president Maulana Kalbe Sadiq stated on Sept 5, 2006 that
scholars need to examine the term "vande". He asked, "Does it mean
salutation or worship?"[9] Most Muslims object to the idea of bowing
to their parents or even to their prophet saying that bowing to anyone
else either physically or symbolically is haram or forbidden.[10][11]
[not in citation given] On the other hand, there are some Bengali
Muslims who pay respects to their parents by bowing. This comes from
pre-Islamic Hindu practices, and is considered haram by many orthodox
Muslims.[12][not in citation given]

Sikh Support for Vande Mataram
Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC, Sikhs' paramount
representative body chief Jathedar Avtar Singh Makkar stated on Sept.
7, 2006 that his views were incorrectly stated by his media department
in an earlier release ordering all its 100 schools and colleges to say
`No' to the song. In an interview he stated that "The Sikhs children
would sing Vande Mataram and Deh Shiva Var Mohe, the song scripted by
tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh in the morning prayers". He
also said "What is wrong with the Vande Mataram? It is a national song
and speaks of patriotism. We are part of the Indian nation and Sikhs
have greatly contributed for its independence."[13] However Dal
Khalsa, Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee and other
International Sikh organisations supporting Khalistan have criticized
the SGPC chief.[14]

Christian support for Vande Mataram
Fr Cyprian Kullu, in Bihar told in an interview with AsiaNews: "The
song is a part of our history and national festivity and religion
should not be dragged into such mundane things. The Vande Mataram is
simply a national song without any connotation that could violate the
tenets of any religion."[15] However some Christian institutions such
as Our Lady of Fatima Convent School in Patiala did not sing the song
on its 100th anniversary as mandated by the state.[16] Haqeeqat, a
virulently anti-Hindu book written by Christian evangelist MJ Mathew
and distributed by Emmanuel Mission International, states: "India the
only use of Sanskrit is by Hindutvawadis to sing Vande
Mataram"[17]despite the fact that a contemporary rendition of the song
was made by A.R. Rahman, a Muslim.

Text of Vande Mataram

[edit] Version adopted by Congress, 1905
In Devanagari script
वन्दे मातरम्
सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
शस्यश्यामलां मातरम् |
शुभ्र ज्योत्स्ना पुलकित यामिनीम्
फुल्ल कुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम्
सुखदां वरदां मातरम् ||

In Bengali script
বন্দে মাতরম্
সুজলাং সুফলাং মলযজশীতলাম্
শস্য শ্যামলাং মাতরম্ |
শুভ্র জ্যোত্স্ন পুলকিত যামিনীম্
ফুল্ল কুসুমিত দ্রুমদলশোভিনীম্,
সুহাসিনীং সুমধুর ভাষিণীম্
সুখদাং বরদাং মাতরম্ ||

Devanagari transliteration
vande mātaram
sujalāṃ suphalāṃ malayajaśītalām
sasya śyāmalāṃ mātaram
śubhra jyotsnā pulakita yāminīm
phulla kusumita drumadalaśobhinīm
suhāsinīṃ sumadhura bhāṣiṇīm
sukhadāṃ varadāṃ mātaram

Bengali Romanization
bônde matorom
shujolang shufolang môloeôjoshitolam
shoshsho shêmolang matorom
shubhro josno pulokito jamolim
fullo kushumito drumodôloshobhinim
shuhashining shumodhuro bhashinim
shukhodang bôrodang matorom

Full Version in Anandamath
In Devanagari script
सुजलां सुफलां मलयजशीतलाम्
शस्यश्यामलां मातरम् .
शुभ्र-ज्योत्स्नाम् पुलकितयामिनीम्
फुल्लकुसुमित द्रुमदलशोभिनीम्,
सुहासिनीं सुमधुर भाषिणीम् .
सुखदां वरदां मातरम् ॥

सप्तकोटि कण्ठ कलकल निनाद कराले
द्विसप्त कोटि भुजैर्ध्रत खरकरवाले
के बोले मा तुमी अबले
बहुबल धारिणीम् नमामि तारिणीम्
रिपुदलवारिणीम् मातरम् ॥

तुमि विद्या तुमि धर्म, तुमि ह्रदि तुमि मर्म
त्वं हि प्राणाः शरीरे
बाहुते तुमि मा शक्ति,
हृदये तुमि मा भक्ति,
तोमारै प्रतिमा गडि मन्दिरे-मन्दिरे ॥

त्वं हि दुर्गा दशप्रहरणधारिणी
कमला कमलदल विहारिणी
वाणी विद्यादायिनी, नमामि त्वाम्
नमामि कमलां अमलां अतुलाम्
सुजलां सुफलां मातरम् ॥

श्यामलां सरलां सुस्मितां भूषिताम्
धरणीं भरणीं मातरम् ॥

In Bengali script
সুজলাং সুফলাং মলয়জশীতলাম্
শস্যশ্যামলাং মাতরম্॥
শুভ্রজ্যোত্স্না পুলকিতযামিনীম্
পুল্লকুসুমিত দ্রুমদলশোভিনীম্
সুহাসিনীং সুমধুর ভাষিণীম্
সুখদাং বরদাং মাতরম্॥

কোটি কোটি কণ্ঠ কলকলনিনাদ করালে
কোটি কোটি ভুজৈর্ধৃতখরকরবালে
কে বলে মা তুমি অবলে
বহুবলধারিণীং নমামি তারিণীম্
রিপুদলবারিণীং মাতরম্॥

তুমি বিদ্যা তুমি ধর্ম, তুমি হৃদি তুমি মর্ম
ত্বং হি প্রাণ শরীরে
বাহুতে তুমি মা শক্তি
হৃদয়ে তুমি মা ভক্তি
তোমারৈ প্রতিমা গড়ি মন্দিরে মন্দিরে॥

ত্বং হি দুর্গা দশপ্রহরণধারিণী
কমলা কমলদল বিহারিণী
বাণী বিদ্যাদায়িনী ত্বাম্
নমামি কমলাং অমলাং অতুলাম্
সুজলাং সুফলাং মাতরম্॥

শ্যামলাং সরলাং সুস্মিতাং ভূষিতাম্
ধরণীং ভরণীং মাতরম্॥

Translation
Mother, I salute thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Green fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.

Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands
When swords flash out in seventy million hands
And seventy million voices roar
Thy dreadful name from shore to shore?
With many strengths who art mighty and stored,
To thee I call Mother and Lord!
Thou who saves, arise and save!
To her I cry who ever her foe drove
Back from plain and sea
And shook herself free.

Thou art wisdom, thou art law,
Thou art heart, our soul, our breath
Though art love divine, the awe
In our hearts that conquers death.
Thine the strength that nerves the arm,
Thine the beauty, thine the charm.
Every image made divine
In our temples is but thine.

Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen,
With her hands that strike and her
swords of sheen,
Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned,
And the Muse a hundred-toned,
Pure and perfect without peer,
Mother lend thine ear,
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
Bright with thy orchard gleems,
Dark of hue O candid-fair

In thy soul, with jewelled hair
And thy glorious smile divine,
Loveliest of all earthly lands,
Showering wealth from well-stored hands!
Mother, mother mine!
Mother sweet, I bow to thee,
Mother great and free!

translated by Sri Aurobindo

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

When tomorrow starts without me
And I am not there to see
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me.

I wish so much you would not cry
The way you did today.
While thinking of the many things
We did not get to say.

I know how much you love me
As much as I love you.
And each time that you think of me
I know you will miss me too.

But when tomorrow starts without me
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand.

And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I would have to leave behind,
All those I dearly loved.

But when I walked though heavens gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
From His great golden throne.

He said " This is eternity,
And all I promised you."
Today for life on earth is past,
But here it starts anew.

I promise no tomorrow,
For today will always last,
And since each days the same way,
There is no longing for the past.

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Do not think were far apart.
For every time you think of me,
I am right there in your heart.

Our Expectations

A turtle family went on a picnic. The turtles, being naturally slow about things, took seven years to prepare for their outings. Finally the Turtle family left home looking for a suitable place. During the second year of their journey they found it. For about six months they cleaned up the area, unpacked the picnic basket, and completed the arrangements.

Then they discovered they had forgotten the salt. A picnic without salt would be a disaster, they all agreed. After a lengthy discussion, the youngest turtle was chosen to retrieve the salt from home. Although he was the fastest of the slow moving turtles, the little turtle whined, cried, and wobbled in his shell.

He agreed to go on one condition: that no one would eat until he returned. The family consented and the little turtle left. Three years passed and the little turtle had not returned. Five years â Six years... Then in the seventh year of his absence, the oldest turtle could no longer contain his hunger. He announced that he was going to eat and began to unwrap a sandwich. At that point the little turtle suddenly popped out from behind a tree shouting, "SEE I knew you wouldn't wait. Now I am not going to go get the salt."


Lesson Learned:
Some of us waste our time waiting for people to live up to our expectations. We are so concerned about what others are doing that we don't do anything ourselves.

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Dreaming Your Dreams

Don't ever be reluctant to show your feelings when you're happy, give in to it. When you're not, live with it.

Don't ever be afraid to try to make things better you might be surprised at the results.

Don't ever take the weight of the world on your shoulders. Don't ever feel threatened by the future, take life one day at a time.

Don't ever feel guilty about the past what's done is done. Learn from any mistakes you might have made.

Don't ever feel that you are alone there is always somebody there for you to reach out to.

Don't ever forget that you can achieve so many of the things you can imagine. ... It's not as hard as it seems.

Don't ever stop loving don't ever stop believing, don't ever stop dreaming your dreams.
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Life Is Hard

Life's hard to live and still people make it harder to live. Just living for right takes so much, that I wonder how people have time to do wrong, foolish things, to make life more complicated.

Everyday is a duty, one hundred things to do and think of, you have your family, your friends, your work, your home, your God, all to tend to in twenty four hours. You oversee cooking, cleaning, clothing. You have your daily prayer schedule or temple to go to, you have the needs of father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Children to tend to. No one day is like the other, many of the surprises are unwelcome.

We live each day working hard not knowing what tomorrow will bring. We have a life to live and to live it righteously takes a lot, each day. Morning to night is gone in no time. There is money to manage and just when you have managed to save the rare bit something unexpected comes along and you have to give it away.

You pay for your health, eat right, live right, spend to be healthy and then unexpectedly something small, something stupid comes up and big money goes, your days go. your whole schedule goes. Life is so unexpected. You just about have time to be with the ones you love and you live in that fragile stage because you never know when the ones you love will go. We are busy living hard lives and we don't have choice but to live it.

And so far I have just dealt with the external requirements our Life demands. There are more important ones - the internal needs. We have so much to deal with everyday. Life by the time you are thirty is packed.

Disappointments, sad memories, regrets, past issues, people who went away, something is always on your mind. something is always tugging at our heart strings. We have to clear our old deeds of another life-time and we have to make sure we succeed in this because it is the main reason of our lives, we have to undo all the wrong we have done in this lifetime because then we never knew better, we have to come to terms with certain things of our life, let go of other things, we have to make peace with the war, we have to end wars and we have to live with us, the us that no one knows.

Life can be so difficult, it is for almost all. Yet we are blessed to able to go on for without the Blessing of God and His kingdom could we manage any of this? We have no control over our lives yet we live it., we have no weapons against diseases yet we go on not thinking about it, we have the old to take care of, the ill to look after, the additional difficult new twists and turns to manage our daily life. suddenly there can be a major change, suddenly there can be a major illness, suddenly there can be a death and it has happened to many. But we continue to live on. For, to live on righteously is all we are called to do.

Which is why I wonder how those who are not like us manage to live the reckless and careless lives? yes Life is struggle , hardship, sweat, work, and everything you don't want to hear. this is Life and sooner we accept it, the better.

Life is difficult, our loved ones do fall ill, they will die someday, money is a hassle, everyday living does make demands, anything happens anytime, we don't know anything. And the unnecessary trouble human add to our journey: deceptions, greed, backbiting, manipulations, hurt. What can we do??

Nothing, move away from what we can move away from and continue no matter what the distractions and disturbances to live righteously the way we have committed to. It is a tough road but it id our road.

We don't want it easy, we only want goodness, honor, decency, the ability to fulfill our duties, claim our soul's belongings, love who we love, live small, live well, live honestly. We have many like us on this path, they've made it, we will too. We have a duty towards Life and never mind the millions who make it easy by taking the unrighteous path, we will live here.

In my book of Life, really no matter what the difficulty, there is no other way to live Life than to live it with dignity and duty, Because that's what then makes it our Life.
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Learn To Appreciate

A man raced down the hospital steps one rainy day and jumped into a passing bus with the remark, "What a beautiful day it is!" The rain was pouring in torrents, it was dreadfully cold and everyone was bemoaning the foul weather. The conductor remarked, half amused, "You must be mad, Mister, to call this a beautiful day."

"You'd be as mad with delight", the man replied with enthusiasm, "If you also had recovered your sight after three years of blindness."

We should learn to appreciate what we have. Let us enjoy the pleasures that are ours, instead of pining for those we miss.

The following little verse may be remembered in this context

Winter makes us long for Spring
Darkness for the down;
We always seem to miss them most,
Our playmates when they're gone!
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11 Rules of Life

Rule one
Life is not fair; get used to it.

Rule two
The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule three
You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with car phone, until you earn both.

Rule four
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

Rule five
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.

Rule six
If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule seven
Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rainforest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try "delousing" the closet in your own room.

Rule eight
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule nine
Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10
Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11
Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

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Two Days Without Worry

There are two days in every week about which we should not worry, two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares, its faults and blunders, its aches and pains. Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control. All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed; we cannot erase a single word we said. Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow with all its possible adversities, its burdens, its large promise and its poor performance; Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise, either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise. Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow, for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today. Any person can fight the battle of just one day. It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities, Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad, it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore, Live but one day at a time.
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The Truth About Failure

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure... ...it does mean you haven't
succeeded yet.

Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing... ...it does mean you
have learned something.

Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool... ...it does mean you had a lot
of faith.

Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced... ...it does mean you were
willing to try.

Failure doesn't mean you don't have it... ...it does mean you have to do
something in a different way.

Failure doesn't mean you are inferior... ...it does mean you are not
perfect.

Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life... ...it does mean you've a
reason to start afresh.

Failure doesn't mean you should give up... ...it does mean you should try
harder.

Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it... ...it does mean it will take a
little longer.

Failure doesn't mean God has abandoned you... ...it does mean God has a
better idea!
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Drops of Oil

A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain.
It was there that the wise man lived.

Rather than finding a saintly man though, our young lad, on entering the main room of the castle, saw a hive of activity tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft
music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn't have just then to explain the secret of happiness.

He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours. Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something, said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. As you wander around, carry this spoon without allowing the oil to spill.

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the castle, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

Well, said the wise man, did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in the dining hall? Did you see the garden that took the master gardener 10 years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?

The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

Then go back and observe the marvels of my world, said the wise man. Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all the works of art on the ceilings and the
walls. He saw the gardens and the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you, asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone. Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you, said the wisest of wise
men. The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.

This story serves as just a little reminder that while we get all caught up in the frenzy of work and assignments, we mustn't forget about the drops of oil, the things in life that really matter... friends, family, stuffed toys... and the ties that bind.

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The Cage Door

A fable tells about two birds, each in a cage with food and water. One bird rebelled against his conditions, rejected the food and kept knocking his head against the cage door. A few hours later, he died of his injuries.
The other bird said, "Nothing's worth dying that way.

Let me enjoy the food and water and be grateful for the little space in which I can fly." At the end of the day, the master came to free both birds.

But only one was ready and able to enjoy freedom while the other lost it once and forever.

Our life may get trapped in a cage. Closed doors might be health problems, job problems, financial limitations, feeling of rejection and insecurity, marriage problems, inability to meet your life partner, etc.

If we focus on the closed door, we will eventually act like the poor bird. But if we enjoy our life the way it is granted, we will eventually be freed. In such situations, "It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord."

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Families Are Forever

Once there was a little boy named Jamey. He had some great friends, but his greatest friend was his mom. Not in some sissy way or anything like that. She was just different than the other moms.

While they were busy going to their fashion shows and their bridge parties, she was home with him. They'd play in the backyard together, go on bike rides, have long talks. She was the best football player on the whole block. At least that was what the other guys said. They really thought she was special. You know, they wished their moms were more like that.

Then one day Jamey was called home from school. There was a big white ambulance in the driveway. When Jamey walked in the front door his dad was talking to the doctor, and Jamey was scared.

They said he could only talk to his mom for a minute, and when he tiptoed into the bedroom and saw her lying on the bed she smiled and whispered, "Hi, Big J." That's what she always called him even though he wasn't very big. She said he always had a big heart.

She said, "Jamey, I'm going away and I won't be coming back. I'm dying."

Big tears came into Jamey's eyes and he said, "Mom, you just can't die."

And she said, "It's okay Babe, there's no regrets. I've been with you more in eleven years than most moms are with their boys in their whole lifetime."

He said, "I know mom, but you can't die, you can't."

And she said, "Jamey, there's a secret, and I never want you to forget it. --Families are forever, and even though you won't see me, I'll still be there watching over you, and waiting for you."

And he said, "But Mom, if I can't see you, well then, how will I know you're there?"

And she thought a minute and then she smiled and answered, "I'll build you a rainbow way up high above, send down a sunbeam plumb full of love, sprinkle down raindrops, teardrops of joy. I'll be as happy as springtime watching over my boy."

She kissed him, closed her eyes, and she was gone. As Jamey and his dad stood in the driveway watching the ambulance drive away, his dad broke down and started to cry. And they hugged each other real tight and Jamey felt his teardrop's on his own cheeks and cried too.

And then he remembered the secret--and he looked up and sure enough, there it was, right over their house--a big rainbow, just like she said!

And he said, "Dad, dad, it's all right, Families are forever!!"
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Little Things

Too often we don't realize what we have until it is gone;
Too often we wait too late to say "I'm sorry - I was wrong."
Sometimes it seems we hurt the ones we hold dearest to our hearts;
And we allow foolish things to tear our lives apart.

Far too many times we let unimportant things into our minds;
And then it's usually too late to see what made us blind.

So be sure that you let people know how much they mean to you;
Take that time to say the words before your time is through.

Be sure that you appreciate everything you've got
And be thankful for the little things in life that mean a lot.
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Relationship Secrets

ANNIVERSARIES
Always celebrate! Whether it's the 1st or the 50th, each year together is a triumph.

APPRECIATION
Let each other know how much you appreciate each other. You may already know but hearing it from each other is always better.

BEST FRIENDS
Be best friends preferably before being boyfriend-girlfriend. Take time to know each other so the relationship will be a deep one. Tell each other about your crushes, dreams and problems. Make sure he/she is your best friend before getting engaged. The strong bond of friendship will help you both survive tough times.

BOND
Make it a point to spend time together often but leave room for each other. Also spend time alone w/ each other, so that at the end of the day you could both share your experiences. This way, you stay interesting with your partner.

CHANGING EACH OTHER
Don't marry an as...le, j.... or a bi.... (an unsuitable person) You'll never change each other.

COMPLIMENTS
Always compliment each other. This will prevent feelings of resentment & thinking that one is being taken for granted.

DATE
Keep doings things that you both enjoy, do them together. Make time & continue to date to keep the romance - look good, smell good to maintain physical attraction

DIFFERENCES
Celebrate differences. Never force your ideologies down each other's throat. Give up trying to turn your partner into you. Accept differences, appreciate them.

FIGHTS
Fight w/the aim to resolve the issue. Don't outdo each other. The longer you extend the fight. The more chances that you'll say something hurtful that you don't really mean. As mad as you were w/ your partner, he/she is still the person who laughs at your jokes & thinks you're hot. Hear each other out, don't dig up old issues. Choose your battles. Make sure the fight will be worth it & that something will change in the relationship as a result of the fight.

FLAWS
Know that the perfect person does not exist. Know that just as there are things that you love about him/her, there will be things that will make you go crazy. We are only human with our own flaws.

FUN
Have fun together! This means keeping the fun & spontaneity that was there in the early days.
Allow yourselves to get silly - shower together, pee w/the door open etc. Being able to make each other laugh & see the lighter, crazier, absurd side is the best way to get through all the differences in personalities, adjustments in lifestyle & opposing viewpoints.

GOALS
Make sure you have similar goals. It would be difficult to keep your bond intact if your views are complete opposite.

GRUDGES
Quit tabulating grudges. Let it off. Discuss it, then trash it, don't recycle it.

KEEPING IT HOT
Keep it hot by traveling to diff. places together. A new setting will do wonders. Always have skin contact - be it holding hands, a massage or just plain leg rubbing.

HONESTY
Don't lie or hide things. The problem will only get bigger.

KNOW EACH OTHER
Learn each other's interest. It really keeps the conversation flowing!

HUG
A hug can be far better more intimate than a kiss.

IDENTITY
Don't lose your personality - that's why he/she fell in love w/you. Have separate interest & activities to keep your individual, & to be able to contribute more to the relationship.

INDEPENDENCE
Having your own income means you're the boss in your life.

IN-LAWS
Make rooms for the in-laws.

INTENTIONS
Wish each other well. Don't wish each other worst

ISSUES
Speak up about the awkward stuff now,like money & sex. The earlier, the better.

LISTEN
Listen, listen, listen. Hear each other out especially during arguments.

LOOK GOOD
Mind your appearance! Stay fit & healthy for each other.

LOVE
It all boils down to your love, chemistry & respect for each other.

MEMORIES
Remind each other of the old days. Do something that you used to do for each other before. It may even be corny but it made you two together. Experience new things together- from dining into a new restaurant to experiencing street food together to exploring to new places. It's the little surprises that make great memories.

MIND READING
No matter how long you've been together, do not think that you can read each other's mind.

NEEDS
Be good to yourself, then be good to your partner. That's what love is all about. Think about your partner. Will it make him/her happy? Will she/he enjoy it? Consider each other's feelings. Be very attentive & sensitive to each other's needs, physically & emotionally, that way your partner learns to do the same for you. Never take your partner for granted.

PRIORITIES
If one says it's important, then it is! Prioritize each other among other things!

SPACE
Give each other space. Have dates with your girlfriends, have your boy's night out. If you can't trust each other with this, then don't get married.

SORRY
Say sorry when you're wrong.

SURPRISES
No matter how long you've known each other, be open to surprises, both good or bad.

TEAMWORK
Think for two & always work as a team. Consult each other before making a decision because everything will always affect both of you. Strengthen couple power. In many ways, we have to decide based on what is best for the relationship in favor of our individual selves.

SUPPORT
Support each other's dream. Be willing to follow your passions, support your partner in his/her decisions & create new ones together. Two heads are better than one.

TALK
Tell each other's stories. Life goes by so fast & its easy to see how easily couple can grow apart. Whenever something funny, scary, exciting or juicy happened to you or to someone you know, tell each other about it & have your partner do the same. Keep each other in the loop of life, even by email if you have to.
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One

One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream.
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal.

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room.
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey,
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom.
One heart can know what's true.
One life can make the difference,
you see it's up to You!

Don't ever forget how very Important You Are
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Colours Of Life

Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel. All claimed that they were the best. The most important. The most useful. The most beautiful. The favorite.

Green said
Clearly I am the most important. I am the sign of life and of hope. I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves. Without me, all animals would die. Look over the countryside and you will see that I am in the majority.

Blue interrupted
You only think about the earth, but consider the sky and the sea. It is the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea. The sky gives space and peace and serenity. Without my peace, you would all be nothing.

Yellow chuckled
You are all so serious. I bring laughter, gaiety, and warmth into the world. The sun is yellow, the moon is yellow, the stars are yellow. Every time you look at a sunflower, the whole world starts to smile. Without me there would be no fun.

Orange started next to blow her trumpet
I am the color of health and strength. I may be scarce, but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life. I carry the most important vitamins. Think of carrots, pumpkins, oranges, mangoes, and papayas. I don't hang around all the time, but when I fill the sky at sunrise or sunset, my beauty is so striking that no one gives another thought to any of you.

Red could stand it no longer he shouted out
I am the ruler of all of you. I am blood - life's blood! I am the color of danger and of bravery. I am willing to fight for a cause. I bring fire into the blood. Without me, the earth would be as empty as the moon. I am the color of passion and of love, the red rose, the poinsettia and the poppy.

Purple rose up to his full height
He was very tall and spoke with great pomp I am the color of royalty and power. Kings, chiefs, and bishops have always chosen me for I am the sign of authority and wisdom. People do not question me! They listen and obey.

Finally Indigo spoke, much more quietly than all the others, but with just as much determination Think of me. I am the color of silence. You hardly notice me, but without me you all become superficial. I represent thought and reflection, twilight and deep water. You need me for balance and contrast, for prayer and inner peace.

And so the colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own superiority. Their quarreling became louder and louder. Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening, thunder rolled and boomed. Rain started to pour down relentlessly. The colors crouched down in fear, drawing close to one another for comfort.

In the midst of the clamor, rain began to speak
You foolish colors, fighting amongst yourselves, each trying to dominate the rest. Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, unique and different Join hands with one another and come to me.

Doing as they were told, the colors united and joined hands.


The rain continued
From now on, when it rains, each of you will stretch across the sky in a great bow of color as a reminder that you can all live in peace. The Rainbow is a sign of hope for tomorrow. And so, whenever a good rain washes the world, and a Rainbow appears in the sky, to let us remember to appreciate one another.
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