The Whole New Begining...!

So that’s it…! The 100th Day or The Judgment Day…?!? Well, whatever you would like to call it, one thing is for sure, it is the last day of our Platinum Plan. So let us quickly take a revision of what we are going to do on this BIG BIG Day of celebrations and resolutions. (Click on the title to read a great article)

First and foremost gather your being to make a whole new beginning and Prepare for the journey-en-route. This will help in making most of the other activities at large.

Once you are prepared, before moving on, spend some time for Celebration of the Golden Moments of the gone year. Don’t worry about the nature or size of them; just make them a tool to feel triumphant.

Next WRITE DOWN the Action Plan in form of a DAILY ROUTINE for the entire New Year i.e. 12 Months.

365 Days x 12 Hrs = 4380 Productive Man Hours that should be spent Creatively, Sensibly and Whole-heartedly. Can you see the potential now or should I break it further – 4380 x 60 = 262800 Minutes…!

Now it’s time for back-to-school. Whatever degree you hold and however genius you are presumed never forget that you are always an eternal student of life and life has enormous to offer each day. Try to learn from everything you interact and think of some abilities, skills, techniques and proficiencies that you need to master for the self-improvement, professional betterment, or just for your own gratification, if nothing. But make it a point to start learning something new on the New Year’s Eve…!

As said earlier, without your involvement you can’t succeed, with your involvement you can’t fail, remember to get deep into whatever you do. The things at surface are not only shallow but they are also bound to get swept off with a stroke of wind which represents distraction. Skin-deep is not the way of anything to attempt unless it is for that purpose only…!

While doing all this never ever underestimate the value of time. You might have heard ‘every penny saved is every penny earned’. But here’s a new doctrine - ‘Every moment wasted is every moment removed’. Always set deadlines for everything including the daily chores.

And finally be aware…! Train your mind to be attentive, alert and aware at each and every moment, even in the sleep. It’s hard, I know, but only practice makes everything possible, neither brainstorming nor chewing philosophy. Practice – Practice – Practice. You might not be perfect but who wants to be perfect. We are just trying to be human by realizing our being. That is enough for this life…!

Today I will wind it up little early to allow myself and all of us to prepare for the New Year Eve and to conclude I will like to offer my heartiest and genuine New Year Wishes to one and All!

Happy New Year and May this New Year Mark the Beginning of Your Whole New Being and It Would Be the Most Wonderful Year of Your Life…! All the best and GOD bless you!

Every Saint has a PAST...

Every Sinner has a FUTURE...!

I am Aware...!

We are almost there as we explore this 99th day of our plan. It is about delivering according to the designed plan by playing both player as well as umpire for self; to enforce the rules and progress towards the objective. And what that exactly means…? Well it simply means –

Being awake, being aware, being attentive and being alert of the objective, of the plan, of the resolutions and of the journey, every single moment. (Click on the title to read 'Practice Instructions for Awareness') It is not easy, I know, with so much distractions and an apelike mind within. But then remember the old metaphor ‘No Pain No Gain…!’ Easy come and easy go will never take you anywhere but downwards. Is it still hard to understand? Alright then, listen to this story…

Buddha was passing through a village. The people of that village were against him, against his philosophy, so they gathered around him to insult him. They used ugly words, vulgar words. Buddha listened. Ananda, Buddha’s disciple who was with him, got very angry, but he couldn’t say anything because Buddha was listening so silently, so patiently, rather as if he was enjoying the whole thing.

Then even the crowd became a little frustrated because he was not getting irritated and it seemed he was enjoying. Buddha said, “Now, if you are finished, I should move – because I have to reach the other village soon. They must be waiting just as you were waiting for me. If you have not told me all the things that you thought to tell me, I will be coming back within a few days, then you can finish it.”

Somebody from the crowd said, “But we have been insulting you, we have insulted you. Won’t you react? Won’t you say something?”

Buddha said, “That is difficult. If you want reaction from me, then you are too late. You should have come at least ten years ago, because then I used to react. But I am now no longer so foolish. I see that you are angry, that’s why you are insulting me. I see your anger, the fire burning in your mind. I feel compassion for you. This is my response – I feel compassion for you. Unnecessarily you are troubled.

“Even if I am wrong, why should you get so irritated? That is not your business. If I am wrong I am going to hell, you will not go with me. If I am wrong I will suffer for it, you will not suffer for it. But it seems you love me so much and you think about me and consider me so much that you are so angry, irritated. You have left your work in the fields and you have come just to say a few things to me. I am thankful.”

Just when he was leaving he said, “One thing more I would like to say to you. In the other village I left behind, a great crowd just like you had come there and they had brought many sweets just as a present for me, a gift from the village. But I told them that I don’t take sweets. They took the sweets back. I ask you, what will they do with those sweets?”

So somebody from the crowd said, “What will they do? It is easy, there is no need to answer. They will distribute them in the village and they will enjoy.”

So Buddha said, “Now what will you do? You have brought only insults and I say I don’t take them. What will you do? I feel so sorry for you. You can insult me, that is up to you. But I don’t take it, that is up to me – whether I take it or not.” Buddha said, “I don’t take unnecessary things, useless things. I don’t get unnecessarily burdened. I feel compassion for you.”

This is response. Response is always good, reaction is always bad. Response is always beautiful, reaction is always ugly. Avoid reactions and allow responses. Reaction is from the past, response is here and now. Just remember this and put your best foot forward.

We will conclude this Platinum Plan tomorrow with learning more about being Mindful…! Stay tuned…!

Just a Moment...!

I just heard somewhere

“It's About TIME...Track It, Save It, Turn It into Money…!”

Today, on the 98th Day of our Platinum Plan we will try to understand why numbers are so important i.e. why you should have a stringent timeline in terms of hours, days, weeks, months whatever that has a rock-hard deadline. (Click on the title to read a beautiful article about 'Time is Money')

Well to understand this concept we will assume a case of Mr. X who wants to be a billionaire…

One fine morning Mr. X got up with a dream of being a billionaire. Mr. X said to himself

“I want to be a billionaire…”

And closed his eyes, waited for a minute expecting to find himself in his Rolls Royce accompanied by Mr. Bill Gates, heading to his own Royal Palace for an exclusive pre-premiere of Steven Spillberg’s yet to be released movie…

Now can you guess what he saw when he opened his eyes…?!? A yelling wife in front of him, scolding him for being lazy and useless, as usual…!

What’s the morale…? It’s a crime to dream…? It’s foolish to visualize yourself as a Royalty…? Nah... Not at all! In fact everybody borne human has a potential to become a rich and successful person before dying. Then what’s wrong with Mr. X? Nothing! Let’s just get back to his dream…

Any wish is a dream unless it is written down, then it becomes a goal…!

So merely “I want to be a billionaire” is quite a foolish and childish DREAM. Let’s make a GOAL out of it…

“I shall be a billionaire…” Is that OK? Well, it’s better. But just better not how it should be…! So what is that still missing? Two things –

First – the tense – why shall, why future? It automatically keeps that thing on a hold in the list of ‘Things-to-be-done’ (At some point of time). Whatever is kept for future with a prefix of shall, will, would remain there forever – untouched. Fix this tense, once and for all, by using a continuous present tense as if that thing is already happening for all the goal setting things.

What Mr. X should say to himself is

“I am being a billionaire…” That sounds good but not good enough.

An important part is still missing which is the subject matter of this post! When…?!? Now rephrase the dream of Mr. X by converting it to a SMART goal and he will say… (What is SMART? Well we'll see to it later)

“I am being a billionaire by the end of 2015…”

See, how that sounds… Great, awesome, perfect…! This could be considered as a good plan. That number of 5 years made all the difference by giving the goal a dimension of a plan, isn’t it?

And it’s not only about time, apply this principle to anything that has a number and you will find out for yourself it is always ‘Cheaper by the dozen’…! By the way, have you read it yet? If not, include that in your list of things-to-do-at-the-earliest…!

Get your math right and I shall see you tomorrow…! Stay tuned…!

Involve...!

Without your involvement you can’t succeed...

With your involvement you can’t fail...~!~

- Dr. ABDUL KALAM.

(Click on the title for some more insightful quotes by Dr. Abdul Kalam)

Day 97 – To develop, improve and evolve a new beginning of your being, involve your body, mind and soul in the process and don’t just be a dreamer, thinker or observer.

Today we will get into the action by making ourselves engaged and involved in whatever plans we have drafted. This is the most crucial step of the Platinum Plan as it will mark the beginning of the actual progress towards our goal. This first and small step would eventually lead to the manifestation of the dream we are viewing. Pull up your socks, get ready for the action and march towards your goal.

To succeed with goal setting you must first establish a goal-setting routine that is based on proven principles, which will keep you motivated and progressing forward towards a success you define. Once you have learned this effective goal-setting process, you must continue with it and regularly review your goals, and your routine, in order to stay focused. A regular review increases your ability to make your goals a reality, because you are more capable of performing actions you are familiar with than actions that are unfamiliar. It will keep your goal-setting routine in focus, familiarize you with the success life you desire, and keep you on the path to that success.

The practice of goal setting is really an art. It is a learned human skill that can be extremely powerful and rewarding. Mastering goal setting will prove invaluable as you work towards every achievement, whether large or small, throughout your life. Once goal setting is mastered it becomes a way of life. You will pursue your goals with confidence, and literally control your destiny. No longer will you wonder what the outcome will be – you will be in control…!

And always remember…
It's not the critic that counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or whether the doer of deeds could have done them better...The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust, and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and often comes up short again and again. Who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause. And who, if at best in the end, knows the triumph of higher treatment and high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly so that his soul shall never be with those cold and timid ones, who know neither victory nor defeat.

- Theodore Roosevelt

All the best and stay tuned for the number game tomorrow…!

Training

"Everybody talks about changing the world but nobody talks about changing oneself…"

Today is the 96th day of our plan that we have marked for the Training. It is quite simple as we have already discussed the big picture. Now we will just fill in the blanks with the missing links and threads wherever necessary. (Click on the title to learn about some interesting methods of Training)

To start with we will define and design a Training plan for self only. As we cannot change anybody else, we will try to change modify, improve our own being to make it more sustainable…!

There are three types of training we should get into
1. Learning from the individuals – Trying to cultivate the values of our idols and inspirations into ourselves
2. Learning from the incidences – During or after any incidence, analyzing it for an insight
3. Learning from the resources – Newspaper, Books, Internet, Media and course materials

This indeed is a tough job as we are not supposed to just learn it as sitting in a classroom but you are supposed to play the student, the teacher, the instructor and the evaluator. Not only that but once the lesson is learned it needs to be engraved and for the skills part they need to be exploited, sharpened and updated on almost daily basis.

Start this step with conducting a very stern and neutral SWOT analysis of yourself. (SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) The results would point to the areas that need immediate attention and appropriate action. This automatically will cast your Training Plan. Take a sheet of paper and title it ‘My Training Plan for 2011’ or ‘Things I need to Learn in 2011’ if you like using vivid colors. List each and every thing that you realized in the past 12 months that you must, brainstormed for this purpose and as a result of the SWOT test. If necessary take additional sheets of papers and take as long as you need to finish it but do not restrain or truncate the list for any excuse. This list would mark you Road Ahead for 2011…!

Don’t freeze or lock this list or plan considering it comprehensive. Always keep it open and flexible so that you can add or take out items from it as your being evolves on a minute-to-minute basis. For a better understanding of this always remember the nature’s law of impermanence. Not only you but everything in this universe, however tiny or voluminous, is changing every moment demanding flexibility and acceptance of CHANGE – the only permanent thing…!

Tomorrow we will get into action by INVOLVING ourselves into the ACT physically, mentally and spiritually…! Stay tuned…!

Merry X'mas...!

Alright, so today is 95th Day of our last 100 days of this year. We have marked this day for Aspiration and coincidently it is Christmas…! What an apt occasion for making new plans and viewing fresh dreams! Christmas, as it is, is the festival of renewal, revival, regeneration and reincarnation. We will not find a better time in the entire year, than this day to plan for the future while celebrating the present…!

Okay, so to go ahead with this, we again will use the same pattern as for the review and celebrations. We will breakup our objective (Click on the title to learn more about Objective) into three, instead of four, segments for Aspiration.

1. Personal – Under this write down all the things you need to accomplish in next 12 months on a personal level. This list would be titled as ‘Personal Objectives for 2011’. It should include things like
a. Attaining a perfect physique in pink of health with the help of a complete health-check, appropriate clock-work, balanced and healthy diet, regular exercise and workout. Make it a point to understand the messages from your different metabolic systems and act accordingly. Healthy mind resides in a healthy body, so make sure you are physically healthy to start with.
b. Your brain is to your persona what your heart is to your body. It cognizes, analyzes, stores and repulses all the knowledge or information that contributes to your unique identity. Exercising of brain is equally or even more important as exercise of body. No person could be considered Alive and Aware if either the heart or the brain is not performing normally and nobody could be a Genius or even Excellent if the brain is not outperforming the other brains in the vicinity. Take deliberate efforts to keep your brain updated, smart, sharp and creative…!
c. When the body and the mind are perfectly aligned and working in the right direction the burden on the soul is already lessened at large. Still you need to engage yourself in regular mediation activity of your choice and belief to progress on the spiritual or nonmaterial path. This not only provides you with the ultimate, unconditional peace of mind but also boosts your attitude and energy levels to outperform everybody else as you have surpassed the misery of attachment and enlightened with the wisdom of uncertainty.

2. Professional – If you got the first one right the remaining two are quite simple and could be stated in a single line. Once you attain the realization and control of your being, you have already mastered the present and sown the seeds of success. Nature, in its course, is bound to nurture and cultivate those seeds and the future will flourish almost naturally. Just write down a one line ‘Professional Objective for 2011’ in form of where you want to be at the end of 2011. Use all your imagination and creativity to describe this ‘where’ and don’t forego the slightest detail and you are done…!

3. Social – This is the third corner of the triangle and it is ought to fit in place when the other two are well-placed. This would be the shortest ‘Social Objective for 2011’ as you are already doing well personally and professionally. All that is required to finish writing this is a little generosity, a good amount of nobleness and reflective awareness. Only these three will spell the social aspect of your aspiration for the next 12 months.

Well, as they say, it’s easier said than done and everything looks great and impeccable on paper. It’s of no use having a well-formatted and presentable ‘Objective’ document unless you work accordingly. That is exactly what we will discuss tomorrow, the step-by-step execution of our P-L-A-N…! Stay tuned...!

Celebration of Gratitude...!

Okay, so today is the 94th day and according to our Platinum Plan it’s the Day for a review and recall. We will collect the triumphant moments from last 12 months to celebrate our excitement...! (Click on the title to experience Celebration)

Well, again we will make four departments for these golden celebration moments

1. Personal – For over last 12 months, make a note of each and every, however tiny or great, improvement or materialization/realization of anything that gave you a feel of pure contentment and proud of being yourself even for fraction of a second. Don’t miss out anything by assuming it as irrelevant or insignificant. Just think of things that made you feel triumphant on a personal level in terms of physique (Body), intellect (Mind) and spirit (Soul). It may include a regular morning exercise you have taken up lately OR a school/class you’ve joined for learning/mastering a skill/technique OR philosophy you started to explore and might found answers to your eternal questions to some extent. Anything! Don’t waste time in analyzing/weighing and scrutinizing such things on any parameter other than your approach, intention and action towards it. It’s enough even if you did your first day exercise for only 15 minutes. Never mind the length of it just take the note of inspiration that manifested.

2. Professional – This should be simpler compared to personal as it is more gross than subtle! The yardstick for the measurement of professional accomplishment is based on three simple factors – the amount of job satisfaction you were able to increase, the level of appreciation of your jobs done by others and financial freedom/stability you have progressed towards. Even a single small, baby step on any of these paths should be considered as achievement on the professional front. If you find yourself in a better control of your timetable and managing the time well, consider it as a bonus and award yourself with three stars…!

3. Family and Friends – The audit of near and dear ones is always a difficult and complicated task owing to its ever-changing nature and number of contexts and governing factors. Having said that the moments from last 12 months to be celebrated from this area needs to be handpicked meticulously. Consider every peaceful, harmonious, fruitful, enriching and soothing interaction with any of the family member, friend or relative as happy and successful. Don’t get into details for analyzing the nitty-gritty of the incidences if they qualify the basic criteria of being successful. First we will celebrate those moments on the ending notes of the current year and then only we will proceed to think of improving/bettering them so that we don’t lose what we already had.

4. Society – This will cover the entire spectrum surrounding you excluding the above mentioned elements. It will start from the lane or road in your residential address where you are dwelling and then will expand to encompass the surrounding area, the city, the state, the country, the continent, the globe and finally the universe or cosmos. Try to remember every single thing you did that made a difference in terms of betterment to any of the above list. It could be a little philanthropy, it could be a small act of awareness, it could be an initiative that has a noble cause, it could be helping hand extended to anything for any reason, it could be being just when and where needed or it could just be listening patiently to an old person… Whatever small deed towards the mankind or planet you find gratifying put it on the list.

Once your list is complete, no matter how short or long it is, start celebrating by offering gratitude to each of those moments and feel free to allow as many last-minute additions to the list as possible to multiply the thrill and gratefulness…

Merry X'mas and continue partying till we think about 'OBJECTIVES' tomorrow… Stay tuned...!

Just 8...!?!

Dear All,
Long time no see…! I admit I was kind of derailed for some time as I was going through the biggest, most voluminous and decisively significant transformation process of my life. I was quite swept away with the happenings that almost caught me unprepared and shaken my fundamental beliefs and faiths. Anyway, I am out of those transformation blues finally, which occurred for my betterment I believe, and decided to get over it and move on. From today you can expect a post from me on daily (almost) basis…!?!

Anyway, if you remember my ‘100 Days’ post on 23 Sept 2010and followed the timeline by keeping track of countdown, you would be well aware of the fact that today, 23 Dec 2010 is the 92nd day of those 100 days…! Just 8 more days to go…!

(Click on the title 'Just 8' to watch a Vlog by Robin Sharma on Making Best of Next 12 Months)

Don’t’ worry; starting today, we will try to make most of these 8 days before the calendar transition takes place. However busy and preoccupied you might find yourself with all that holiday and festival preparations, take out time for the steps I am going to share for next week if you are really resolute to make the next year the best one of your life…!

Well, we have got exactly 7 days to be precise as today and the 31st would be of little use as today will be mainly invested in digesting the action-plan and 31st would be quite light and freaky to mind anything serious by keeping vigilant.

So our Platinum plan goes like this –

1. P – Preparation – (Day 93) Today we will prepare ourselves by reading and examining the plan
2. L – Logbook – (Day 94) Study the diary of last year for achievements and successes to celebrate.
3. A – Aspiration – (Day 95) Define the Objectives in terms of ambition for the next 12 months.
4. T – Training – (Day 96) Resolve on things that need to be learnt in the next 12 months on all three fronts – Personal, Professional and People. Design a plan to train yourself.
5. I – Involve – (Day 97) To develop, improve and evolve a new beginning of you being involve your body, mind and soul in the process and don’t just be a dreamer, thinker or observer.
6. N – Number – (Day 98) Design a plan based on numbers i.e. having a stringent timeline in terms of hours, days, weeks, months whatever that has a rock-hard deadline.
7. U – Umpire – (Day 99) Deliver according to the designed plan by playing both player as well as umpire for yourself. Enforce the rules to progress towards the objective.
8. M – Mindful – (Day 100) Be attentive, aware and alert for every moment so that you don’t get carried away by diverting from the game-plan and reach the destination of your dreams.

From tomorrow we will discuss in detail the step for that day…

By the way, thanks a zillion for your love, support and appreciation expressed in your lovely mails that are overflowing in my mailbox. And don't forget to check out my redefined new web-symbol on the right side for Profile link. Need I say your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated...?!?

Stay tuned...!

TWO Stories...!?!

Today I have TWO real stories for you that reflect exactly how we are living today...
I hope you might find some insight in the process of reading.
If nothing, Entertainment is definitely guaranteed. Read on...

1. CAMPING

With Summer Vacation season upon us I found this to be some good reading. These are actual comments left on Forest Service registration sheets and comment cards by backpackers completing wilderness camping trips:

"A small deer came into my camp and stole my bag of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed? Please call."

"Escalators would help on steep uphill sections."

"Instead of a permit system or regulations, the Forest Service needs to reduce worldwide population growth to limit the number of visitors to wilderness."

"Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands."

"Ban walking sticks in wilderness. Hikers that use walking sticks are more likely to chase animals."

"All the mile markers are missing this year."

"Found a smoldering cigarette left by a horse."

"Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill."

"Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests."

"Please pave the trails so they can be plowed of snow in the winter."

"Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them."

"The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals."

"Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights."

"Need more signs to keep area pristine."

"A McDonald's would be nice at the trailhead."

"The places where trails do not exist are not well marked."

"Too many rocks in the mountains."

2. VEGETATIVE

Last night my wife and I were sitting in the living room, talking about life... In-between, we talked about the idea of living or dying.

I said to her:

'Dear, never let me live in a vegetative state, totally dependent on machines and liquids from a bottle. If you see me in that state I want you to disconnect all the contraptions that are keeping me alive, I'd much rather die'.

Then my wife got up from the sofa with this real look of admiration towards me... and proceeded to disconnect the TV, the Cable, the Dish, the DVD, the Computer, the Cell Phone, the iPod, and the Xbox, and then went to the fridge and threw away all my beer!!

*....I ALMOST DIED!!!


Stay tuned...!

TBDD

An eight-year-old boy approached an old man in front of a wishing well, looked up into his eyes, and said: "I understand you're a very wise man. I'd like to know the secret of life." (Click on the title to watch a short movie about it)

The old man looked down at the youngster and replied: "I've thought a lot in my lifetime, and the secret can be summed up in four words.

"The first is THINK. Think about the values you wish to live your life by.

"The second is BELIEVE. Believe in yourself based on the thinking you've done about the values you're going to live your life by.

"The third is DREAM. Dream about the things that can be, based on your belief in yourself and the values you're going to live by.

"The last is DARE. Dare to make your dreams become reality, based on your belief in yourself and your values."

And with that, Walter E. Disney said to the little boy,
"THINK, BELIEVE, DREAM and DARE."

Stay tuned...!

WORDS

Today let's read to a story that will show us why buddhha said "Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill..." (Click on the title to read an article about 'Think before you speak)

Once there lived a demon who had a peculiar diet: he fed on the anger of others. And as his feeding ground was the human world, there was no lack of food for him. He found it quite easy to provoke a family quarrel, or national and racial hatred. Even to stir up a war was not very difficult for him. And whenever he succeeded in causing a war, he could properly gorge himself without much further effort; because once a war starts, hate multiplies by its own momentum and affects even normally friendly people. So the demon's food supply became so rich that he sometimes had to restrain himself from over-eating, being content with nibbling just a small piece of resentment found close-by.

But as it often happens with successful people, he became rather overbearing and one day when feeling bored he thought: "Shouldn't I try it with the gods?" On reflection he chose the Heaven of the Thirty-three Deities, ruled by Sakka, Lord of Gods. He knew that only a few of these gods had entirely eliminated the fetters of ill-will and aversion, though they were far above petty and selfish quarrels. So by magic power he transferred himself to that heavenly realm and was lucky enough to come at a time when Sakka the Divine King was absent. There was none in the large audience hall and without much ado the demon seated himself on Sakka's empty throne, waiting quietly for things to happen, which he hoped would bring him a good feed. Soon some of the gods came to the hall and first they could hardly believe their own divine eyes when they saw that ugly demon sitting on the throne, squat and grinning. Having recovered from their shock, they started to shout and lament: "Oh you ugly demon, how can you dare to sit on the throne of our Lord? What utter cheekiness! What a crime! you should be thrown headlong into the hell and straight into a boiling cauldron! You should be quartered alive! Begone! Begone!"

But while the gods were growing more and more angry, the demon was quite pleased because from moment to moment he grew in size, in strength and in power. The anger he absorbed into his system started to ooze from his body as a smoky red-glowing mist. This evil aura kept the gods at a distance and their radiance was dimmed.

Suddenly a bright glow appeared at the other end of the hall and it grew into a dazzling light from which Sakka emerged, the King of Gods. He who had firmly entered the undeflectible Stream that leads Nibbana-wards, was unshaken by what he saw. The smoke-screen created by the gods' anger parted when he slowly and politely approached the usurper of his throne. "Welcome, friend! Please remain seated. I can take another chair. May I offer you the drink of hospitality? Our Amrita is not bad this year. Or do you prefer a stronger brew, the vedic Soma?"

While Sakka spoke these friendly words, the demon rapidly shrank to a diminutive size and finally disappeared, trailing behind a whiff of malodorous smoke which likewise soon dissolved.

Any words you speak have a frequency, and the moment you speak them they are released into the Universe. The law of attraction responds to all frequencies, and so it is also responding to the words that you speak. When you use very strong words, such as "terrible", "shocking" and "horrible" to describe any situation in your life, you are sending out an equally strong frequency, and the law of attraction must respond by bringing that frequency back to you.

The law is impersonal, and simply matches your frequency. Do you see how important it is for you to speak strongly about what you want, and not to use strong words about what you don't want? May the joy be with you…!

Stay tuned...!

DOGS...!?!

If you remember I have earlier written at this same place about DOG (to see some interesting videos of this creature, click on the title) under the title Loyalty and again at some point reiterated that human can learn a lot from DOG – human’s best friend…! Today I have got a collection of TWEETS for this domestic and fantastic animal. See if you can find any insight…!?!

1. One reason a dog is such a lovable creature is his tail wags instead of his tongue." - Unknown
2. Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend: and inside a dog, it's too dark to read. - Groucho Marx
3. To his dog, every man is King; hence the constant popularity of dogs. - Aldous
4. Your dog is your only philosopher." -Plato
5. If your dog doesn't like someone, you probably shouldn't either." -Unknown
6. I care not for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it." -Abraham Lincoln
7. Reverence: the spiritual attitude of a man to a god and a dog to a man. - Ambrose Bierce
8. A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself. -Josh Billings
9. No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does." -Christopher Morley
10. Heaven goes by favour. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in. - Mark Twain
11. The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs. -Gen. Charles De Gaulle
12. The dog is man's best friend. He has a tail on one end. Up in front he has teeth. And four legs underneath. - Ogden Nash
13. The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. - Andrew A. Rooney


Stay tuned...!

Appreciation...!

As we are talking about the problems we must seek the solutions to them. Because if you are not the part of the solution, you are the part of the problem…! You can’t be neutral! (Click on the title to watch a beautiful short movie about appreciation)

Here is the solution for your analysis and practice…

Appreciate those who have hurt you,
because they strengthen your heart.

Appreciate those who deceive you,
because they improve your wisdom.

Appreciate those who slander against you,
because they improve your personality.

Appreciate those who whip you,
because they arouse your will to fight.

Appreciate those who abandon you,
because they teach you independence.

Appreciate those who make you stumble,
because they strengthen your legs.

Appreciate those who denounce you,
because they remind you of your shortcomings.

Appreciate those who give you strength.

Stay tuned...!

Arguing...!?!

We are talking about negative traits, alright! Yesterday we learnt about classical insults. But what else could be more annoying and irritating than Arguing (to understand the difference between Arguing and Fair Fight , click on the title to take the test) which results in Insults…?!?

A boy once asked his father, "Dad, how do wars begin?”
"Well, take the First World War," said his father. "That got started when Germany invaded Belgium."
Immediately his wife interrupted him, "Tell the boy the truth! It began because somebody was assassinated!”
The husband drew himself up with an air of superiority and snapped back, "Are you answering the question or am I?"
Turning her back upon him in a huff, the wife stormed out the room and slammed the door as hard as she could!
When the dishes stopped rattling in the cupboard an uneasy silence followed, broken at length by the boy:
"Daddy, you don't have to tell me how wars begin; I KNOW now!"

We all do it sometimes! We all know what it is to walk away from an argument with the mouth dry, tummy in a knot, head hot and spinning, and heart sick, wishing that it had never happened, deeply regretting the unkind words that were said!

Believe it or not, more homes are destroyed by arguments than by fires or funerals!

We all know that arguing for the sake of arguing is a pointless waste of time!
We have absolutely NOTHING to gain - only our time, energy and someone's friendship is LOST! It is said that the only people who really LISTEN to an argument are the neighbors!

Some people love to argue, and will do anything to prove their point! They'd rather lose a friend than an argument! For others, arguing has become a HABIT, an automatic reaction of saying something contradictory to whatever is being said!

One compulsive arguer was the early American statesman, philosopher and author, Benjamin Franklin. As a youth he loved nothing more than a good argument until a close friend took him aside and said,
"Ben, you are impossible! Your opinions have a slap in them for everyone who differs with you! Your friends enjoy themselves better when you are not around! You think you KNOW so much that no one can TELL you anything. Indeed, no one is going to try, for the effort would only lead to discomfort and hard work! So you are not likely ever to know any more than you do now - which is actually very LITTLE!"

Ben Franklin was BIG enough and WISE enough to accept these stinging truths, and to realize that he was headed for failure and social disaster! So he immediately began to change his bigoted, argumentative ways!

He became one of the best loved, wisest and most diplomatic men in American history, and was actually remembered for saying:
"If you argue and rankle and contradict, you may achieve a victory sometimes.
But it will be an empty victory, because you will never get your opponent's good will!"

NO ONE ever really wins an argument!
You can shout and scream and argue until you're blue in the face, but people are not going to believe that you are right unless they WANT to believe it!

And even if they would LIKE to agree with you, your tone may have put them so much on the defensive that it would be like an utter humiliation, a defeat on the battlefield, for them to confess you're right or even partly right!

And remember, no amount of logic or argument will make anyone change his mind if he doesn't want to! Nine times out of ten, an argument ends with each side more firmly convinced than ever that he is absolutely right! You can't win an argument, because if you lose it, you lose it!
And if you WIN it, you still LOSE it! Why?
Well, suppose you triumph over the other person and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he's an absolute idiot. Then what?
You'll feel fine, smug and satisfied. But what about him/her? You'll have made him/her feel inferior. You've hurt his pride. He/she may resent your triumph, and…
"A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still!"

WHAT CAUSES FIGHTS AND QUARRELS AMONG YOU?
…. “Don't they come from your lusts and desires that battle within you? You want something, but don't get it...so you quarrel and fight…”

So greediness and selfishness can be one of the root causes of arguing, trying to get the things you selfishly want.

“Only by PRIDE come quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Also, as we've clearly seen, many arguments are caused by SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. Pushing your point, thinking that you're so right, putting yourself up and the other person down by contradicting them! And what it all boils down to is a lack of LOVE! Arguing isn't the real problem, that's just a SYMPTOM!

LACK OF LOVE is the REAL problem!

Stay tuned...!

INSULTS...!?!

We have been discussing a lot about Human Nature, Behavior and Values at this place. The discussions till this point were focused on targeted on positive and productive values and traits. Today, for a change I am going to share one of the dark sides of human nature – INSULT – to be precise. I am not sharing this just for fun or making my post ‘with grey shades’, as they say. I will never ever write, compile or produce anything that will not have any type of educative, informative or entertaining value, believe me…!

It is a classic compilation of glorious insults from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words. I am sure you would really enjoy the huge humor and overflowing honest generously dished out without mincing the words. They are crammed with wits, vitality and verve.

I am confident that you would agree with me that these indeed have the class that pales the impact that crass insults of modern day could possibly create.

1. The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor:
She said, "If you were my husband I'd poison your tea."
He said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."

2. A Member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease."
"That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

3. "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill

4. "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow

5. "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

6. "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas

7. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain

8. "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends…" - Oscar Wilde

9. "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... If you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... If there is one…" - Winston Churchill, in response.

10. "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop

11. "He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright

12. "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb

13. "He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson

14. "In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand

15. "He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker uncle

16. "Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain

17. "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West

18. "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde

19. "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... For support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

20. "He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder

21. "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx

Stay tuned...!

Compliment…!?!

Why does it feel so wonderful to pay a compliment? (Click on the title to read more about it) Because you are connecting honestly, directly, and kindly with another human being. It is a basic need that doesn't get met often in our fast-paced, media-hyped, negative-slanted, technical world.

If you want to believe it, the following story that captured my heart, will help you too...!

It happened several years ago in the Paris opera house. A famous singer had been contracted to sing, and ticket sales were booming. In fact, the night of the concert found the house packed and every ticket sold.

The feeling of anticipation and excitement was in the air as the house manager took the stage and said, Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your enthusiastic support. I am afraid that due to illness, the man whom you've all come to hear will not be performing tonight.

However, we have found a suitable substitute we hope will provide you with comparable entertainment. The crowd groaned in disappointment and failed to hear the announcer mention the stand-in's name. The environment turned from excitement to frustration.

The stand-in performer gave the performance everything he had. When he had finished, there was nothing but an uncomfortable silence. No one applauded. Suddenly, from the balcony, a little boy stood up and shouted, "Daddy, I think you are wonderful!!!"

The crowd broke into thunderous applause.

We all need people in our Lives who are willing to stand up once in a while and say, I think you are wonderful. And at times others are expecting this from you. Are you telling them how wonderful they are...?!?

Say it now and make "someone's day more pleasant.

Stay tuned...!

WISHING…?!?

Right from the childhood we all are fascinated with the stories of fairy with her Magic Wand (Click on the title if you want to make one), don’t we? At all the ages and stages of our lives, in the deepest and darkest corner of our mind, we always hope against the hope that some day that fairy will appear from nowhere and will grant us at least one wish…! Well, if it really happens be extremely creative, careful and strategic of your wish. It just might come true…!

A couple was dining out together celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. After the meal, the husband presented his wife romantically with a beautiful very old gold antique locket on a chain.

Amazingly when his wife opened the locket, a tiny fairy appeared.

Addressing the astonished couple, the fairy said, "Your forty years of devotion to each other has released me from this locket, and in return I can now grant you both one wish each - anything you want…"

Without hesitating, the wife asked, "Please, can I travel to the four corners of the world with my husband, as happy and in love as we've always been?"

The fairy waved her wand with a flourish, and magically there on the table were two first-class tickets for a round-the-world holiday.

Staggered, the couple looked at each other, unable to believe their luck.

"Your turn," said the fairy and the wife to the husband.

The husband thought for a few seconds, and then said, with a little guilt in his voice, "Forgive me, but to really enjoy that holiday of a lifetime - I yearn for a younger woman - so I wish that my wife could be thirty years younger than me."

Shocked, the fairy glanced at the wife, and with a knowing look in her eye, waved her wand.....

And the husband became ninety-three…!?!

Beware of your wishes and Stay tuned...!

UNSHAKABLE...!

Today lets try to discover what makes UNSHAKABLE - The combination of Faith and Confidence...!


A very tired traveler came to the banks of a river.

There was no bridge by which he could cross. It was winter, and the surface of the river was covered with ice. It was getting dark, and he wanted to reach the other side while there was enough light to see. He debated about whether or not the ice would bear his weight.

Finally, after much hesitation and fear, he got down on his knees and began very cautiously to creep across the surface of the ice. He hoped that by disturbing the weight of his body, the ice would be less apt to break under the load.

After he made his slow and painful journey about halfway across the river, he suddenly heard the sound of singing behind him. Out of the dusk, there came a 4-horse load of coal driven by a man singing merrily as he went to his carefree way. Here was the traveler, fearfully inching his way on his hands and knees. And there, as if whisked along by the winter's wind, went the driver, his horses, his sled, and the heavy load of coal over the same river!

The story illustrates how many of us go through life.

Some stand on the bank of decisions unable to make up their minds about the course to take. Others stand on the banks trying to muster enough courage to cross over to the other side of the task or problem encountered.

On the other hand, some individuals crawl and creep through life for fear of thin ice.

Their faith is not strong enough to hold them up. Still there are those who whisked along whistling as they go. Their faith is UNSHAKABLE.

When we face the river of difficulties, we do not have to fear, nor do we creep through life. God has promised to help, and with God's help we can merrily make our way to the other side safely.

Stay tuned...!

Sensibility…!?!

Today let's try to understand what sensibility (for a scientific analysis click the title) means and how it accounts for.

An old hill farming crofter trudges several miles through freezing snow to his local and very remote chapel for Sunday service. No-one else is there, aside from the clergyman.

"I'm not sure it's worth proceeding with the service - might we do better to go back to our warm homes and a hot drink?.." asks the clergyman, inviting a mutually helpful reaction from his audience of one.

"Well, I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't leave it hungry."

So the clergyman, feeling somewhat ashamed, delivers his service - all the bells and whistles, hymns and readings, lasting a good couple of hours - finishing proudly with the fresh observation that no matter how small the need, our duty remains. And he thanks the old farmer for the lesson he has learned.

"Was that okay?" asks the clergyman, as the two set off home.

"Well I'm just a simple farmer," says the old crofter, "But when I go to feed my herd, and if only one beast turns up, I sure don't force it to eat what I brought for the whole herd..."

From which we see the extra lesson, that while our duty remains regardless of the level of need, we have the additional responsibility to ensure that we adapt our delivery (of whatever is our stock in trade) according to the requirements of our audience.

Stay tuned...!

Self…!?!

Today we will try to learn the concept of True Self (For the psychological analysis of the term click on the tiltle) through THREE Zen Short Stories. After reading these stories if you feel like discarding them, rest assured that you have started discovering YourSELF…

I don't mind dying... as long as I don't have to be there when it happens...!

ONE...

The Emperor was really into Buddhism. He read everything he could get his hands on, he talked with philosophers and monks about it, he even tried writing his own discourses and Haiku. One day he heard that a famous Zen master was visiting the city. So, naturally, being the Emperor, he requested that the Master come to visit him at the Palace. He offered the Master a fine meal and afterwards performed a truly elegant tea ceremony. The whole time, the master is pretty much silent and peaceful, as you might expect from a Zen master - but the Emperor is biting his tongue. He wants to pick this guy's brains about Zen. So finally, as they are drinking their tea, he breaks the silence. "Master, according to Zen what is True Self?"

The Master briefly looks up from his tea and says, "I do not know." Then he quietly continues sipping.

TWO...

A Taoist story tells of an old man who accidentally fell into the river rapids leading to a high and dangerous waterfall. Onlookers feared for his life. Miraculously, he came out alive and unharmed downstream at the bottom of the falls. People asked him how he managed to survive. "I didn't struggle," he said. "I accommodated myself to the water and just went with its flow."

THREE...

A distraught man approached the Zen master. "Please, Master, I feel lost, desperate. I don't know who I am. Please, show me my true self!" But the teacher just looked away without responding. The man began to plead, but still the master gave no reply. Finally giving up in frustration, the man turned to leave. At that moment the master called out to him by name, "Hey Joe!" "Yes!" the man said as he spun back around. "There it is!" exclaimed the master.

Stay tuned...!