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Thursday 19 July 2012

Imagination is preview of life’s

One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.
-- William Feather


People with many interests live, not only longest, but happiest.
-- George Matthew Allen


The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes


Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
-- Pamela Vaull Starr


We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.
-- William Hazlett


Your imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.
-- Albert Einstein


Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.
-- William S. Burroughs


Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
-- Henry David Thoreau


Follow your honest convictions, and stay strong. William Thackeray Live each day as if your life had just begun.
-- Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe


Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson


How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward.
-- Spanish Proverb


Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson


Most Inspirational Quotes

“If every life is equal before the eyes of God, then every life is worthy. Every life is capable of greatness. And it truly doesn’t matter where you came from, it matters where you are going.”

“In the end, people can only define you if you let them. In the end it’s up to each of us to define ourselves. It’s up to each of us to invent our own future with the choices we make and actions we take.”

“You may be going through a particular year or two which are difficult than others have been, but this is an extraordinary world to come into. This is an extraordinary country to come into. I think that you will find that if you work at it, you can achieve anything you want to.”

“You don’t need a grand plan. Whatever you do plan is probably going to change 100 times before you’re 30. And you don’t need to be an expert in something to try it.” --

“As young women, you’re also going to grapple with some unique challenges, like whether you’ll be able to earn equal pay for equal work; whether you’ll be able to balance the demands of your job and family; whether you’ll be able to fully control decisions about your own health.”  

Purpose in Life, Challenge Yourself



Challenge Yourself  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bible Illustrator


Thomas A. Edison set himself an ambitious goal. It was to come up with a major new invention every six months, a minor invention every ten days. When he died, Edison had 1,093 U.S. patents and numerous foreign ones.

    Edison knew that by setting such goals for himself, and striving to reach them, he was bound to increase his output. The same principle applies in our work habits. No matter what goals you set for yourself, they are bound to help your results. Challenge yourself – then rise to meet the challenge.


Meaning in Life  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Christophers

 
    "We find meaning in life not to the extent we look inward but to the extent that we gaze outward, see something that needs to be done, and do it."


Purpose in Life  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous


"Lack of opportunity is often nothing more than lack of purpose or direction."


Delegating Authority  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John L. Beckley, 
 
    "Delegating authority does not mean abruptly turning your back on responsibility. It means training other people to handle it, giving them more and more trust to do it on their own, and checking back frequently during the early stages to be sure things are going smoothly and to praise their progress."



Tuesday 17 July 2012

Story of A Boy - He Had Dreams

Story of A Boy - He Had Dreams

Yes, I know a Boy, He had Dreams...

When he stepped into School
He cried & and jumped into trouble
His Father taught him, he had to fly
And he confirmed, he had Dreams...

He struggled, but he learned
And somehow he managed to fly
As He knew, he had Dreams...

He shined, even while falling down a number of times,
As His Father cheered him on...
He knew, he had Dreams...

One day he encountered Graduate School
Again, he began to fail but he tried
His father cheered him on,
He shined in sports, once in a while
So, he managed to fly
As He knew, he had Dreams...

Obvious responsibility came his way,
He had to earn and not leaving to learn,
He was dumped into the Dark and failed for some time,
No hope of rise, but finally, he managed to fly
As He knew, he had Dreams...

He was the victim and criticized at times
No one to support, no one to cry
But he managed to fly
At the places he traversed, leaving his marks
As He knew, he had Dreams...

Whoever he met on the Journey, he helped
Leaving all encouraged and blessed
Never being helped, but help of hand, he always stretched
These blessings would help, so he managed to fly
As He knew, he had Dreams...

Long journey came to a halt, leaving behind beloved,
Struggled path, but with fulfillment of Dreams achieved,
He hang on and said, "Yes ! I've managed to fly, I knew, I had Dreams... "
Just prayed and wished, as still he had a Dream...

Nicely living the whole life and from its earnings, he dreamed
He would get a New Human Birth
For bringing love and peace
And to help all he encountered in his previous birth
Just spending the whole Next Birth for them...

And the God got puzzled,
Because the Boy created a New Birth, from given one...
And the God agreed, he would be an Angel ...
Because the Boy knew, his All beloved too, had Dreams...

Succeed With Applied Knowledge

Hi Friends!

If we want to be successful, we must love to gain more and more knowledge. Knowledge is the main power that propels us towards success. Nothing great can happen without knowledge. Life is really very beautiful only if you have right knowledge to look at it.

Everything that we want to achieve we can achieve, if we are strong enough to give the final touch to any task. Most of the people in world are not failures because they don't want to succeed but due to lack of knowledge, success seems very difficult for them. It's knowledge that makes any work easy. Having a desire to do something can only force you to initiate but not to win. To win, you must learn how to win.

For example:

If someone wants to swim, can he swim if he doesn't know how to swim? If he hasn't learned the way of swimming and he gets into the water, he will surely die.

This happens with most of us when we start something without learning about it first. No doubt that doing is learning but before doing, we can learn how to do it by seeing someone else doing it. So it's important to understand that seeing how is the answer to learning how.

Once you know how, you should never worry about results. You must start with the knowledge that the Gita gives: "Do your karma and don't expect results." Results are bound to come if your actions have the motive to serve with honesty.

Success and knowledge cannot be apart from each other. So if you are trying but not succeeding, then try again but not the same way. Just stop and think what you are lacking; what's not in you.

Talk to yourself; ask why you are not being able to do what you want to do. Your soul will reply to all these queries and believe me, you will feel a sound in your heart that will make you sure you are born to win. And that's what the reality is.

God never wants you fail but he does so because he wants you to become more knowledgeable. He loves you the most and you should also love him the most. Then there will be no problems in life.

Are You Happy?

We Have So Much... But Are We Happy?

Life...

For many of us it's so complicated. Everyone has their own perspective towards life. Life begins with love, demands love and always searches for love; so beautiful, so simple, even though so hard for us to understand.

Crawling inside the boundary of 4 walls, surrounded by father, mother, other family members, how happy we were. How excited we used to be watching cartoons, receiving toys, eating chocolate and so on.

With a wider boundary of life, more friends around us, we are suppose to be even happier! But are we really happy??

Previously before we developed systems of education, good means of transportation, communication, etc., we were happy. But now, with all this improvement, why can't we be happy??

We have the ability and technology to reach outer space... yet we can't develop a technology to bring a smile to someone's face. Necessities and wants drove us towards all these discoveries and led to luxury. These are the same wants that when in extreme, became desire... unlimited desire and we are drowning in it.

We are drowning - desiring more love, more luxury, more comfort, more success.

We have gained vast knowledge though we fail to understand the simple truth of life: Life is a journey and we have to accept everything that comes our way. The only way to smile is to accept what we are and what we have....never running and lamenting about what we don't have.

Show Up For Life

Are You Engaged In Living?

Are you an active participant in your journey down life's pathway? Are you engaged in making life better for yourself and others? Do you keep a positive attitude? Do you work toward your goals or do you just hope for the best?

The way you present yourself says a lot about what's happening in your world. If you walk into a room, curious about what's happening, willing to engage, and perceive yourself in a positive light, you open yourself to infinite opportunities. When you walk into a room with your eyes down, nervously smiling, and reflecting negatives on all fronts, you show lack of confidence, a contrary attitude, and someone to be avoided.

If you notice that you're not truly showing up, but have a vision of what it would look and feel like when you do, you have the necessary inspiration to make the right choices, which will spring you forward to showing up for this journey known as life.

There are many things you can do to fully engage in living the life you desire. When you show up for life, you'll find purpose in doing what God has for you to accomplish in life. You'll find places and opportunities that can give you the experiences you have dreamed of. You'll find relationships and connections, which will enhance your living. You'll experience passion for living that you never dreamed possible. When you are fully engaged in showing up, you'll find whatever it was that you needed. You'll become alive, confident, and passionate about what is expected of you each day.

There is nothing better than the feeling of showing up for your own life. When you do this, you become one who is more alive and who has the ability to make things happen in your own life and the lives of people around you. You'll walk through the world with the knowledge that you have a lot to offer and a great desire to share it. That doesn't mean that you will not falter or err. It means that you'll correct your erroneous ways and move forward instead of holding back with your talents to succeed. You'll be striving to accomplish the tasks God put you here for. His purpose will become your aiming point.

Show up for life, as God purposed you to live. We're all expecting the best from you.

Who Controls You?

What Feelings Are Inside Of You?

I was speaking with a good friend today about how her husband really brings out the worst in her. My thought after I hung up the phone was: if it wasn't inside, it couldn't come out. It was as if she was blaming her husband for her anger. No one can make something come out that is not already inside.

Before going to bed I asked myself, "What can I do to explain this to my friend?" I let it go and went to sleep. Low and behold at 3:45 a.m. a quote came to me I heard years ago by Dr. Wayne Dyer. I quickly scurried out of bed to look up exactly what he said to share it with her today. This is what I found.

"When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out - because that's what's inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside."

This was also part of it:

"Did you ever hear a kid curse in front of their parents and then respond, "I slipped up?" They didn't slip up; they slipped out what was in. Those words had to be in you, to come out of you.

The results that you're getting in your life aren't an accident; those results are based on what's inside of you. You have to change the inside, if you want change, and you change the inside by changing what you spend your time thinking about. When you spend your time focusing on good things, then good things will come out of you."



We all know my belief is: whatever you focus on - positive or negative - is what you will get, so focus on the positive. That is what the last line reminded me of. I feel this was such a wonderful life lesson learned and I want to share it hoping it will shed light on her situation and make her think about it. Maybe it will make you think, too, as you are reading this. Just the thought put me back on the right track.

I remember an ex of mine would get really mad over a certain situation and say, "I'm not usually like this". He would carry on and go off about a certain subject and say, "I don't get like this" etc. From all I learned in life, if you are like that at the moment, you can't say you are not; it's what is inside of you coming out.

Dr. Wayne Dyer also said - An orange is an orange, whether you paint it yellow or call it a lemon; if you squeeze it you will still get orange juice. A person can think they have changed an emotion or gotten over something but if something affects them and makes them that angry, it's still inside of them.

Like with an orange, if you squeeze it, you put all your weight on it, and it bursts - you are going to get juice inevitably. With people, if anger is inside and someone says or does things that create pressure for them or makes them feel like they are going to 'explode' and they have that 'explosion' waiting to erupt inside of them - they will 'explode'. If the anger is inside, it will happen again until they clear it up.

It's when we are going through those types of moments we realize what is inside us. How wonderful is that? My friend calls that an AFGO. Acronym for Another F$%king Growth Opportunity. I love that. Please excuse my French!

Really give thought to how you react to situations. Do you get mad, angry, upset? Do you say "he got me angry" or "she makes me so angry, I just explode"?

I've written many times about how I do my best not to let things bother me (as much as humanly possible of course) such as someone driving too slow or driving two inches from my bumper or even cutting me off in traffic. I learned a long time ago, when listening to one of my personal development CD's - it's not worth it. If I get angry and allow this person to affect my day and they are oblivious going along about their day - who is this hurting? Not letting these types of situations cause anxiety is really what helps me to keep things in perspective and not get upset.

Ask yourself a few questions. Is that person who comes out when you explode the real you? What else sets you off? Your parents? Your kids? Your animals? Your boss? Your job? Really think about this. If so, what is it in you making that happen? Do you see something in this other person you see in yourself?

They say we are all mirrors for each other. Sometimes someone in our present brings back something we didn't like about ourselves in the past. If you are getting angry at them for that, maybe you haven't fully forgiven yourself yet. It's amazing how once we forgive ourselves we don't get as angry with others. Just saying.

I learned a long time ago to take 100% responsibility for all my emotions, feelings, and actions. So isn't it my responsibility to take ownership of my emotions and not try to justify them by blaming someone else for causing them?

Yes. If I admit that to myself then I can begin on a more positive journey. I can change my negative patterns and behaviors to more positive ones. Once you own it, you have power and control over it. This is something that can be changed so sometimes there just needs to be courage to change the things you can in order to get that piece of mind. I know I want to become the champion not the loser.

When this thought came to my mind this morning, I got up immediately to look up something from Dr. Wayne Dyer and this is what I found that I felt would help. I do my best to practice this most of my life now. I'm human and I don't do it always but I do my very best to live, as said so wonderfully below, by one of my favorite mentors.

Love Your Enemy?
8/3/11 at 10:30 am by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

The poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, "If we could read the secret history of our enemies we would find in each man's sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility."

Harboring anger and hatred toward anyone guarantees that you remain in low energy fields where problems will continue to crop up repeatedly in your life. Try examining every relationship in which you feel judgmental thoughts of anger and hatred. Replace those thoughts with energies of acceptance, kindness, cheerfulness, and love. You will have to make a personal commitment to, first of all, notice what you are feeling and then exercise your ability to choose to send love.

When your heart becomes pure, your enemy becomes your friend, or even more significantly, your teacher. Your worst enemies are your greatest teachers because they allow you to examine the emotions of anger and revenge and then to transcend them. They give you the exact tools you need to elevate yourself to the spiritual energies that eliminate problems and provide solutions.

When you send love in response to hate you accomplish one of the most difficult things for anyone. As I look into my conscience I can now honestly say, I have no one who I can call an enemy. Over the course of my life I have been disappointed many times. Some have borrowed and never repaid. Some have forgotten their promises. Some have left me for others. Some have cursed me and spread rumors about me. Some have stolen from me. I send love to them all, mindful of the Buddha's words:

"We live happily indeed, not hating those who hate us. Among men who hate us we dwell free from hatred."

It has been this transformation in my own thinking, perhaps more than anything else, that has allowed me to move out of those low energy problem regions of my life. It is a powerful strategy for raising your spiritual awareness.



Isn't that great? I truly do my best to live by this thought process and had to remind myself that as my friend was was telling me her story because I started feeling something come up in me and instead I am now sending her husband love and light as I do with most situations.

This practice had truly made my life so enriched; problems and situations that would normally make someone nuts aren't as bad for me most of the time. It makes transitions smoother and life a lot more calm and peaceful.

As a matter of fact, when I'm going through situations with others who are going off on a tangent, I usually just stay calm and it drives them nuts. It's who I've become. I grew up in the Bronx so I experienced anger. I experienced rage. I experienced anger in my own home so I know what it's like. I choose to send love and peace as Pollyanna as that sounds.

"What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds."

The Right Frame Of Mind For Success

The Right Frame Of Mind For Success

 The Talking Clock

This battle, if I may pronounce it as such, started almost 2 years ago when my daughter insisted that I buy her a talking clock. So as a good father, with the intent of teaching her time, I went to the shop and as instructed by my daughter, picked up this talking digital clock.

By default, the temperature was shown in degrees Fahrenheit. I tried out all permutations and combinations by fiddling with all the buttons on the clock. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn't able to change it into degrees Celsius. I had a couple of other digital clocks in which there was a separate button for display change of temperature. This was critically missing here. I went to the extent of literally opening a few screws but alas, to no avail.

The thing with the digital clock is that when you put the battery in it, it displays all the fields...and yes indeed it had the now all important degrees Celsius sign on it as well. Time moved on. Every day I use to see the clock and think what would be the way to convert the display of the temperature?

Fast forward to 9.30 am this morning. I just picked up the clock again...my mind told me that every time I pressed the 'mode' button, there as a corresponding action and so this time I went very slowly... one by one... and Bingo!!! There it was... the battle had been won. It now proudly displays the temperature in degrees Celsius. I was so excited that I even took a picture.

What this small incident taught me was that I knew what I wanted was always right in front of me and all it required was the right frame of mind to solve it.

That's what life has in store for all of us. If you know it is achievable and it is a matter of the right attitude, victory is just a matter of time.

Moral of the story: Even if you fail in your attempts, don't fail to attempt again.

I leave you all with a small quote by legendary Bruce Lee...

"Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." 

Failure Is Not A Bad Word

If the world would look at each one of us and ask us a question - "Are you a success or failure?" Would that intimidate you? What would be your response?

Today being successful is one of the highest priorities, whether you are a school kid or a steel tycoon. Our lifestyle seems to focus so much on success and achievement. There are innumerable success courses, seminars, workshops, mind training programs etc, that promise to launch us in to the trajectory of success and these things are wonderful!

Now, the issue at hand is - What is our stand on failures? Where do failures fall in our lives? Are failures totally worthless?

People who are failures, according to the world's standard, do not get to have the warm reception that only winners seem to enjoy. Of course that is understandable. But is it only the warm reception that is important here or something more?

At this instant it would do all of us a lot of good to think about this - Somebody said, "No one is a failure; it is just their experience." But many unfortunately seem to be roped into the bandwagon of 'success chasing'.

Psychologists, working with students, say from the time when a child enters school, he/she tends to get impressed with the idea that success is the means to be respected and have a meaningful existence; to say it in simple terms: Success is 'the only way' to have a fulfilled life.

How then would we look at failures with the prevalent notion is that "Only winning is worthwhile and only winners are remembered?" Would it be unwise on our part to say that there is a general misrepresentation of failures in life?

How many times do parents treat their children harshly for having a setback either in academic/sports/personal behavior? Denis Waitely said, "There are no mistakes or failures only lessons."

How many teachers teach children and young minds that failure equally ennobles us as success? How many of them teach that it is not failing but staying stagnant and not endeavoring to advance, that wanes and wastes us?

Everyone agrees that failures teach us humility, keep us from becoming arrogant and teach us perseverance. But when it comes to experiencing them personally, almost all of us cringe and balk. Why?

An Indian writer once wrote, "When failures teach us more lessons than success, shouldn't failures be celebrated more?"

There is a lot of insight in that statement. Yes!!! Failures really are so important in our lives. Failures are the things that make success enjoyable and worthy. Only thirst makes us realize the worth of water. It is the same with hunger and food. If it is true of these natural physical phenomena and things, then success (which is also 'natural' because the drive to succeed is in everyone) too amounts to any worth only if one experiences the presence of failure.

Norman Vincent Peale observes in one of his books that a person who is getting 'C' grades in college need not feel inferior/low for who knows, his real 'A's in life might start coming in when he qualifies and steps out of his college.

So true! The world has many such success stories; stories of people who went on to make millions after the age when most of the people would retire; stories of people who invented when they were quite old. History is emblazoned with instances where a person, condemned as a failure, became unstoppable and rose to supremacy, before the eyes of the very same people who stamped and sealed him as failure.

What should make us think that we are... done for... we are doomed... we are failures? Hence, we ought to stop trying to shun away failures or keep ourselves oblivious of our failures. People say that the more you loathe failures the more they irk you.

Have you ever looked at a stone on top of a mountain? Does it have failures? No! Is it alive? A big no! Only a living being can have failures. Failures are a signs of life. Failures are absolutely essential for each one of us.

So the best way to tackle failures is to adorn our lips with a wonderful smile and tell ourselves, "Hello! Be glad you have failures in life. If there were no failures, there would be no lessons and no real achievement can ever come without lessons."

The most important thing that each of us has to do is to be 'kind to ourselves' when we fail, instead of 'judging ourselves' and wallowing in self-pity; let us rethink our philosophy of success.

Of course failure has its own pain and no one can deny that. But it is like the pain that comes out of exercise that makes one fit. It is worth repeating what someone said - Anything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Hence, instead of thinking failures are final, let us rejoice that we have another lesson to learn.

Who on earth would be ungrateful to a person for a favor done? Failures do the same to us. They help us in so many ways. Why not be grateful for our failures? Now I am not being so superficial to say that we need not feel pain. It is just that we need to accept pain as willingly as we would when we receive help from someone.

What would be our answer if someone asked us this question:
"Have you celebrated your recent failure?"

This might seem an insane question to many but truly there is lot in it for us to meditate. Basically we have to learn to gladly accept, not gruntingly call in, failures if they make their presence at our doorstep.

Now this doesn't mean that we go around making failure a thing of pride but, learn to keep failures in proper perspective so that they serve us instead of cut us. If we make friends with failures, be it personal or beyond, we truly don't have any enemies. It also doesn't mean we go jumping around because we failed. We need to handle them with poise and thankfulness because we learn from them too.

The Bible records instances where people who experienced failures finally ended as successes because they calmly accepted their failures and lived by what they said vis-a-vis 'We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair.'

If only we will recognize the importance of failures in our lives, we would not be so against them. We would even be thankful sometimes that they came our way. Now think about this - "True success rests not in the basking while succeeding, but in the sereneness of a man to throw a party after hitting rock bottom". Hence let us celebrate our failures and calibrate our lives to success!

God Appears In Many Ways(Check Engine Light)

As I turned from the parking lot, heading for home, I noticed a yellow light on my dash had come on. The symbol indicated that I was to check the engine. I quickly noted the water temperature and the oil light to see if there were problems that would cause an overheated engine. Noting these two gauges were okay, I reasoned I could ignore the little yellow light that causes such great anxiety for at least the moment.

After I retrieved my owner’s manual, I found the check engine light comes on to indicate that there is a problem and that service is required. Malfunctions often will be indicated by the system before any problem is apparent, which may prevent more serious damage to the vehicle. This system is designed to assist you and your technician in correctly diagnosing any malfunction.

Reading the manual made me think of how we need someone in our lives to be our "check engine light." We need to know when a problem occurs and when service is required in our lives. We need to correct our problems before serious damage surfaces. We need a light to come on in our minds to help us avert conflict, pain, or disaster. We need a light to come on to tell us to not yield to temptation. We need to be reminded that we shouldn't ignore good and work to make life better for all about us.

God makes a magnificent "check engine light." He gives you a conscience to keep your pathway straight. He shows you the beauty of the earth to lead you to Him. He gives people who care about you, to help guide your living. He has provided His Word to point the way. Lean on God to lead your pathway from the problems that could damage your living. He can repair malfunctions before they destroy your being. Thank you Father, for being my "check engine light."

Monday 16 July 2012

दंभी व्यक्ति और चतुर नाविक

एक पढ़ा-लिखा दंभी व्यक्ति नाव में सवार हुआ। वह घमंड से भरकर नाविक से पूछने लगा, ‘‘क्या तुमने व्याकरण पढ़ा है, नाविक?’’

नाविक बोला, ‘‘नहीं।’’

दंभी व्यक्ति ने कहा, ‘‘अफसोस है कि तुमने अपनी आधी उम्र यों ही गँवा दी!’’

थोड़ी देर में उसने फिर नाविक से पूछा, “तुमने इतिहास व भूगोल पढ़ा?”

नाविक ने फिर सिर हिलाते हुए ‘नहीं’ कहा।

दंभी ने कहा, “फिर तो तुम्हारा पूरा जीवन ही बेकार गया।“

मांझी को बड़ा क्रोध आया। लेकिन उस समय वह कुछ नहीं बोला। दैवयोग से वायु के प्रचंड झोंकों ने नाव को भंवर में डाल दिया।

नाविक ने ऊंचे स्वर में उस व्यक्ति से पूछा, ‘‘महाराज, आपको तैरना भी आता है कि नहीं?’’

सवारी ने कहा, ‘‘नहीं, मुझे तैरना नही आता।’’

“फिर तो आपको अपने इतिहास, भूगोल को सहायता के लिए बुलाना होगा वरना आपकी सारी उम्र बरबाद होने वाली है क्योंकि नाव अब भंवर में डूबने वाली है।’’ यह कहकर नाविक नदी में कूद तैरता हुआ किनारे की ओर बढ़ गया।

अतः मनुष्य को किसी एक विद्या या कला में दक्ष हो जाने पर गर्व नहीं करना चाहिए।

Thursday 12 July 2012

बुरे कर्मों का बखान

एक डाकू [bandit] गुरु नानकदेवजी के पास आया और चरणों में माथा टेकते हुए बोला- "मैं डाकू [dacoit] हूँ, अपने जीवन से तंग हूँ। मैं सुधरना [ameliorate/cultivate] चाहता हूँ, मेरा मार्गदर्शन[guidance] कीजिए, मुझे अंधकार से उजाले की ओर ले चलिए।" नानकदेवजी ने कहा-"तुम आज से चोरी करना और झूठ बोलना छोड़ दो, सब ठीक हो जाएगा।" डाकू प्रणाम करके चला गया। कुछ दिनों बाद वह फिर आया और कहने लगा-"मैंने झूठ बोलने और चोरी से मुक्त होने का भरसक[at most] प्रयत्न [try] किया, किंतु मुझसे ऐसा हो सका। मैं चाहकर बदल नहीं सका। आप मुझे उपाय[remedy] अवश्य बताइए।"
गुरु नानक सोचने लगे कि इस डाकू को सुधरने का क्या उपाय[cure ] बताया जाए। उन्होंने अंत में कहा-"जो तुम्हारे मन में जो आए करो, लेकिन दिनभर झूठ बोलने, चोरी करने और डाका डालने[dacoity] के बाद शाम को लोगों के सामने किए हुए कामों का बखान[define/express] कर दो।"
डाकू को यह उपाय सरल जान पड़ा। इस बार डाकू पलटकर नानकदेवजी के पास नहीं आया क्योंकि जब वह दिनभर चोरी आदि करता और शाम को जिसके घर से चोरी की है उसकी चौखट[doorway] पर यह सोचकर पहुँचता कि नानकदेवजी ने जो कहा था कि तुम अपने दिनभर के कर्म[deed] का बखान करके आना लेकिन वह अपने बुरे कामों के बारे में बताते में बहुत संकोच[hesitate] करता और आत्मग्लानि[regret] से पानी-पानी हो जाता। वह बहुत हिम्मत करता[dare] कि मैं सारे काम बता दूँ लेकिन वह नहीं बता पाता। हताश-निराश[disappointed/downhearted] मुँह लटकाए वह डाकू एक दिन अचानक[unexpected/sudden] नानकदेवजी के सामने आया। अब तक आने का कारण बताते हुए उसने कहा-"मैंने तो उस उपाय को बहुत सरल समझा था, लेकिन वह तो बहुत कठिन निकला। लोगों के सामने अपनी बुराइयाँ कहने में लज्जा[disgrace] आती है, अतः मैंने बुरे काम करना ही छोड़ दिया।" नानकदेवजी ने उसे अपराधी[convict /culprit ] से अच्छा बना दिया।

सूरज का गोला

सूरज का गोला
इसके पहले ही कि निकलता
चुपके से बोला, हमसे - तुमसे, इससे - उससे
कितनी चीजों से
चिडियों से पत्तों से
फूलो - फल से, बीजों से-
"मेरे साथ - साथ सब निकलो
घने अंधेरे से
कब जागोगे, अगर न जागे, मेरे टेरे से ?"

आगे बढकर आसमान ने
अपना पट खोला
इसके पहले ही कि निकलता
सूरज का गोला

फिर तो जाने कितनी बातें हुईं
कौन गिन सके इतनी बातें हुईं
पंछी चहके कलियां चटकी
डाल - डाल चमगादड लटकी
गांव - गली में शोर मच गया
जंगल - जंगल मोर नच गया

जितनी फैली खुशियां
उससे किरनें ज्यादा फैलीं
ज्यादा रंग घोला
और उभर कर ऊपर आया
सूरज का गोला



उदारता एवं क्षमा मनुष्य को महान बनाती है

किसी जमाने में ब्रहृद्तत काशी पर राज्य करते थे ।  उनके शासन-काल काशी में एक बड़ा धनी व्यक्ति रहता था ।  उसने नौ करोड़ रुपये कमाये ।  इसलिये इस बीच जब उसके एक पुत्र पैदा हुआ तो अमीर ने उसका नामकरण नवकोटि नारायण किया ।

अमीर आदमी अपने बेटे नारायण की हर इच्छा की पूर्ति[Fulfill] करता था ।  इसका नतीजा यह हुआ कि बालक नारायण नटखट और उद्दण्ड[Unruly] हो गया ।  नारायण जब जवान हुआ, तब अमीर ने एक सुन्दर कन्या के साथ उसकी शादी कर दी ।  लेकिन इसके थोड़े ही दिन बाद अमीर का देहांत हो गया ।

बचपन से नारायण पानी की तरह धन खर्च करता गया ।  आखिर उसके पिता की मौत के समय तक सारी संपति स्वाहा[Got Over] हो गई ।  उल्टे कर्ज का बोझ उसके सर पर आ पड़ा कर्जदारों ने आकर कर्जा चुकाने के लिये उस पर दबाब डालना शुरु किया ।  उस हालत में नारायण को अपनी जिंदगी के प्रति विरक्ति[Disenchantment] पैदा हो गई ।  उसने सोचा कि इस अपमान को सहने के बदले कहीं मर जाना अच्छा है ।  आखिर उन से बचने के ख्याल से बोला, महाशयो, मैं गंगा के किनारे अमुक[Such and such] पीपल के पेड़ के पास जा रहा हूँ ।  वहाँ पर मेरे पुरखों द्वार गाड़ा हुआ खजाना है ।  आप लोग ऋण-पत्र लेकर कृपया वहाँ पर आ जाइयेगा ।

कर्जदार नारायण की बातों पर यकीन करके गंगा के किनारे पहुँचे ।  नारायण ने खजाने को ढूँढने का अभिनय[Acting] किया ।  करीब आधी रात तक इधर-उधर खोजता रहा ।  आखिर कर्जदारों को बेखबर [Out of touch with] पाकर नारायण, जय परमेश्वर की, चिल्ला कर वह गगा में कूद पड़ा ।  गंगा की धारा [Stream] उसे दूर बहा ले गई ।


उस जमाने में बोधिसत्व एक हिरन का जन्म धारण कर अन्य हिरणों से दूर गंगा के किनारे एक आम के बगीचे में रहने लगा था ।  उस हिरन की अपनी एक अनोखी विशेषता थी ।  उसकी देह सोने की कांति से चमक रही थी ।  लाख जैसे लाल खुर[Toe,Heel], चाँदी के सींग, हीरों की कणियों के समान चमकने वाली आँखे, उसकी अकृति की विशेषताएँ थी ।  आधी रात के वक्त उस हिरन को एक मनुष्य की करुण पुकार सुनाई दी ।  हिरन यह सोचते हुए कि यह कैसा आर्तनाद है, नदी में कूदकर उस आवाज की दिशा में तैरते हुए नारायण के पास पहँचा ।

एक दिन हिरन ने नारायण को समझाया, बेटा, मैं तुम्हें इस जंगल पार कराकर तुम्हारे राज्य का रास्ता बता देता हूँ ।  तुम अपने गाँव चले जाओ ।  लेकिन मेरी एक शर्त है, राजा या कोई और व्यक्ति भले ही तुम पर दबाब डाले, या लोग दिखावे, तुम यह प्रकट न करना कि अमुक जगह सोने का हिरन है ।

नारायण ने हिरन की बात मान ली ।  उसकी बातों पर विश्वास करके हिरन ने नारायण को अपनी पीठ पर बिठाया, और जंगल पार करा कर उसे कासी जाने वाले रास्ते पर छोड़ दिया ।

नारायण जिस दिन काशी नगर में पहुँचा, उस दिन वहाँ एक अदभुत घटना हुई । वह यह कि रानी को सपने में एक सोने का हिरन ने दर्शन देकर उसे धर्मोपदेश[Sermon] दिया था ।

रानी ने राजा को अपने सपने का समाचार सुनाकर कहा, अगर दुनिया में ऐसा
हिरन न होता तो मुझे कैसे दिखाई देता।  चाहे वह कहीं भी क्यों न हो, उसे पकड़ लाने पर मेरे प्राण बच सकते है, वरना नहीं ।

रानी के लिए हिरन मँगवाने के लिये राजा ने एक उपाय किया। उन्होंने एक हाथी के हौदे पर एक सोने का बक्स रखवा दिया और उसमें एक हजार सोने के सिक्के भरवा दिये। तब निश्चय किया कि उसका जुलूस निकाला जाये और जो आदमी सब से पहले सोने के हिरन का समाचार देगा, उसको बक्स के भीतर सोने के सिक्के उपहार के रुप में दिये जायेंगे ।  इस आशय का ढिंढोरा[Trumpet] सब जगह पिटवाया गया। उसी वक्त काशी नगर में नारायण पहुँचा ।

उसने सेनापति के पास पहुँच कर निवेदन किया, महाशय, मैं उस सोने के हिरन का सारा समाचार जानता हूँ। आप मुझे राजा के पास ले जाइये ।

इसके बाद नारायण ने राजा और उनके परिवार को साथ ले हिरन का निवास दिखाया ।  वह थोड़ी दूर जा खड़ा हुआ।
राजा के परिवार ने कोलाहल[ turmoil, clamour ] करना शुरु किया ।  हिरन के रुप में रहने वाले बोधिसत् ने उनकी आवाज सुनी ।

शायद कोई महान अतिथि आया होगा ।  उनका स्वागत करना चाहिये ।  यों सोचकर वह उठ खड़ा हुआ और सब लोगों से बचकर वह सीधे राजा के पास पहुंचने के लिये दौड़ा ।

हिरन की तेज गति को देख राजा आर्श्च्य में आ गये ।  धनुष और बाण लेकर हरिन पर निशाना लगाया ।  इस पर हिरन ने पूछा, महाराज, रुक जाइये आपको किसने मेेरे निवास का पता बताया है ।

राजा के कानों में ये शब्द बड़े ही मधुर मालूम हुए ।  स्वतः ही उनके हाथों से धनुष और बाण नीचे गिर गये ।

बोधसत्व ने मीठे स्वर में फिर राजा से पूछा, महाराज, आपको किसने मेरे निवास का पता बताया है ।

राजा ने नारायण की ओर उंगली का इशारा किया ।



इस पर बोधसत्व ने यों तत्वोपदेश किया, शास्त्रों में वर्णित ये बातें बिलकुल सही है कि इस दुनिया में मनुष्य से बढ़कर कोई भी प्राणी कृतघ्न[Ungrateful] नहीं है ।  जानवर और चिड़ियों  की भाषा भी समझी जा सकती है, लेकिन मनुष्य की बातों को समझना ब्रहृा के लिये भी संभव नहीं है ।  इन शब्दों के साथ बोधसत्व ने वह सारा वृतांत राजा को सुनाया कि उसने नारायण की रक्षा करके कैसे उससे वचन लिया था ।  राजा ने क्रोध में आकर कहा, ओह यह बात है ।  ऐसे कृतघ्न दुनिया के लिये भी बोझ है ।  यह महान पापी है ।  मैं अभी इसका वध करता हूँ ।  यों कहकर राजा ने अपने तरकस[Quiver] से तीर निकाला ।

बोधसत्व ने राजा को रोकते हुए कहा, महाराज, इसके प्राण न लीजिये ।  अगर यह जिन्दा रहेगा तो कभी-न-कभी अपनी भूल समझकर यह अपनी जिंदगी को सुधार लेगा ।  आप कृपया अपने वचन के मुताबिक उसे जो पुरस्कार मिलना चाहिये, उसको दे दीजिये ।  यही बात न्याय संगत है ।

राजा ने बोधिसत्व के उपदेश का पाल किया ।

बोधिसत्व की उदारता, क्षमा आदि महान गुणों को राजा ने समझ लिया ।  उनको एक महात्मा मानकर अपने राज्य के सलाहकार के रुप में नियुक्त किया ।


झरने का पानी

बुद्ध जब वृद्ध हो गये थे, तब एक दोपहर एक वन में एक वृक्ष तले विश्राम को रुके थे. उन्हें प्यास लगी तो आनंद पास की पहाड़ी झरने पर पानी लेने गया था. पर झरने से अभी-अभी गाड़ियां निकली थी और उसका पानी गंदा हो गया था. कीचड़ ही कीचड़ और सड़े पत्ते उसमें उभर कर आ गये थे. आनंद उसका पानी बिना लिए लौट आया.


 उसने बुद्ध से कहा, ‘झरने का पानी निर्मल नहीं है, मैं पीछे लौट कर नदी से पानी ले आता हूं.’ नदी बहुत दूर थी. बुद्ध ने उसे झरने का पानी ही लाने को वापस लौटा दिया. 


आनंद थोड़ी देर में फिर खाली लौट आया. पानी उसे लाने जैसा नहीं लगा. पर बुद्ध ने उसे इस बार भी वापस लौटा दिया. तीसरी बार आनंद जब झरने पर पहुंचा, तो देखकर चकित हो गया. झरना अब बिलकुल निर्मल और शांत हो गया था, कीचड़ बैठ गयी थी और जल बिलकुल निर्मल हो गया था.
यही स्थिति हमारे मन की भी है. जीवन की गाड़ियां उसे विक्षुब्ध कर जाती हैं, मथ देती हैं. पर कोई यदि शांति और धीरज से उसे बैठा देखता है रहे, तो कीचड़ अपने आप नीचे बैठ जाती है और सहज निर्मलता का आगमन हो जाता है.

हजरत मोहम्मद ने दिखाया वृद्धा को सही रास्ता

हजरत मोहम्मद ने दिखाया वृद्धा को सही रास्ता
हजरत मोहम्मद जब भी नमाज पढ़ने मस्जिद जाते तो उन्हें नित्य ही एक वृद्धा के घर के सामने से निकलना पड़ता था। वह वृद्धा अशिष्ट, कर्कश और क्रोधी स्वभाव की थी। जब भी मोहम्मद साहब उधर से निकलते, वह उन पर कूड़ा-करकट फेंक दिया करती थी। मोहम्मद साहब बगैर कुछ कहे अपने कपड़ों से कूड़ा झाड़कर आगे बढ़ जाते। प्रतिदिन की तरह जब वे एक दिन उधर से गुजरे तो उन पर कूड़ा आकर नहीं गिरा। उन्हें कुछ हैरानी हुई, किंतु वे आगे बढ़ गए।

अगले दिन फिर ऐसा ही हुआ तो मोहम्मद साहब से रहा नहीं गया। उन्होंने दरवाजे पर दस्तक दी। वृद्धा ने दरवाजा खोला। दो ही दिन में बीमारी के कारण वह अत्यंत दुर्बल हो गई थी। मोहम्मद साहब उसकी बीमारी की बात सुनकर हकीम को बुलाकर लाए और उसकी दवा आदि की व्यवस्था की। उनकी सेवा और देखभाल से वृद्धा शीघ्र ही स्वस्थ हो गई।

अंतिम दिन जब वह अपने बिस्तर से उठ बैठी तो मोहम्मद साहब ने कहा- अपनी दवाएं लेती रहना और मेरी जरूरत हो तो मुझे बुला लेना। वृद्धा रोने लगी। मोहम्मद साहब ने उससे रोने का कारण पूछा तो वह बोली, मेरे र्दुव्‍यवहार के लिए मुझे माफ कर दोगे? वे हंसते हुए कहने लगे- भूल जाओ सब कुछ और अपनी तबीयत सुधारो। वृद्धा बोली- मैं क्या सुधारूंगी तबीयत? तुमने तबीयत के साथ-साथ मुझे भी सुधार दिया है। तुमने अपने प्रेम और पवित्रता से मुझे सही मार्ग दिखाया है। मैं आजीवन तुम्हारी अहसानमंद रहूंगी।

घटना का संदेश है कि जिसने स्वयं को प्रेम, क्षमा व सद्भावना में डुबोकर पवित्र कर लिया, उसने संत-महात्माओं से भी अधिक प्राप्त कर लिया।

Zindagi ki asli udaan


Zindagi ki asli udaan abhi baaki hai,
Zindagi ke kai Imtehaan abhi baaki hai,
Filhaal to naapi hai Muthi bhar zameen,
Abhi to saara Asmaan baaki hai…


Zindagi ki asli udaan abhi baaki hai,
Zindagi ke kai imtihann abhi baaki hai.
Abhi to napi hai muthi bhar zameen aapne,
Aage abhi saara aasman baaki hai.


Wo khud hi pura krta h manzil asmanon ki
Parindo ko nhi di jati talim udano ki
Rakhta h jo hausla asman chune ka
usko nhi hoti parwah zmane ki




Knowledge is not power; Implementation is power

“If you don’t have personal goals, you’re controlled by those who do.” – Garrison Wynn

“Change is an action not just an epiphany!” – Garrison Wynn

“Knowledge is not power; Implementation is power” – Garrison Wynn

“Long-term success is the result of relationships built on a foundation of trust. People get more value from those they trust.” – Garrison Wynn

“Fear is a survival tool not a handicap.” – Garrison Wynn

“The smartest people in the world are not in charge, they work for the action takers.”- Garrison Wynn

“Satisfaction may be the goal of the common man; but it is the enemy of greatness” -  Garrison Wynn

“Goals are like the gas in your car, you may go in many different directions after you fill up, but with out the gas you are not going anywhere” – Garrison Wynn
“Action and flexibility create opportunity” – Garrison Wynn
“Approach life talent first” – Garrison Wynn
“Before you can have great employees you have to put them in a position to create their own future.” –  Garrison Wynn
“You can’t lead by example if you are a bad example. If you stink at something, stop doing in front of everyone until you improve!” – Garrison Wynn
“Position yourself to succeed first by building good relationships with the right people; and then put your effort and expertise behind that!” – Garrison Wynn

Do not be afraid to walk alone

Do not be afraid to walk alone
When to hardships you are prone
Be strong and immovable like a stone
When on the waves of difficulties you are thrown

Do not be afraid to dream alone
Without them life would be empty
Be ready to fight and die for them
For dreams are precious when they are your own

Do not be afraid to fight alone
A fight for something you believe in
Stand and fight against the whole world
Stand your ground and do not give in

Do not be afraid to work alone
Even when everything seems to be lost
With hope and faith in your heart
You must not give up at any cost

Do not be afraid to travel alone
When the journey is long and hard
Even when you are marred and scarred
The journey you must never discard

Do not be afraid to speak out alone
For what you believe is right
Even against force and might
You must be honest and forthright

In the end when you become just a memory
Leave behind a legacy that is inspiratory
Let the inscription read on your tombstone
Here lies a man who was not afraid to walk alone

What are You Willing to Do


What are you willing to do
To be rich and successful
To live a life extraordinary
To achieve things legendary

You must give up being a humble sheep
You must stay strong and not weep
You must wake up, it’s not the time to be asleep
You must get ready as its time to take a giant leap

You must be willing to dive long and deep
You must go on even when the road is steep
All the difficulties to a side you must sweep
When you sow hard work, success you will reap

You must be willing to work long hours
You must work on and harness all your powers
You must be willing to make a lot of sacrifices
You must risk and take your chances

You must not bow down to circumstances
You must jump over all the fences
You must work even without assurances
You must not give up in the face of hindrances

You must not let your fears crush you
Within you is the strength to pull through
Do not wait for someone to come and help you
Take up the responsibility to get through

In life, to achieve, succeed and to excel
You must be ready to go through hell
No matter how high the risks or the stakes
You must be willing to do whatever it takes

A Moment of Pure Joy

In this busy and hectic life
Which often made my sigh and cry
All I ever wanted was
To have a moment of pure joy

My crazy and fast paced life
Seemed to be full of worry and strife
Happiness had become a sacred word
Never to be experienced but only heard

Happiness had become a thing of the past
Which I had in abundance when I was a kid
All my moments of joy were shrouded in fear
As I worried that this joy and happiness will not last

To have a moment of eternal peace and bliss
To be in total harmony with the universe
I craved for a moment of pure joy
To be as happy as a small boy

To be happy and joyful, I realized
I must live fully and not merely exist
Not to let fear and worry take their toll
To fill with peace my mind, body and soul

I realized my natural state was to be happy
To experience joy and happiness unbound
Not to be held prisoner by the fears all around
In the waters of misery not to drown

I learnt that a life without joy is inanimate
That it is parched and has no value
Without joy I could not create and achieve
I wanted to be happy and not to grieve

I learnt that being happy and joyful is a choice
Pure joy will always be within my reach
I must grasp it and make it a part of my life
A moment of joy is worth more than thousand years of strife

10 All Natural Ways to Stop Feeling Depressed

  • Life is a drag.
  • What’s the point of anything?
  • I’ll never be happy.
Do any of these gloomy thoughts sound familiar? It’s likely they do. The occasional case of the blues is perfectly normal, but that doesn’t make dealing with it any easier. If you allow them to, negative thoughts can fester and lead to serious depression. That’s why it’s important to take action early to bust yourself out of a slump.
While these suggestions won’t eliminate your problems, they can help you break a negative thought pattern and stop feeling depressed. If you think you might have a serious mental health problem, don’t hesitate to see a medical professional.
1. Understand the emotional cycle – Life is an emotional roller coaster. Some days you feel like nothing can stop you. Other days you feel utterly hopeless. Most of the time you’re somewhere in between. Understanding the pattern of positive and negative emotions will help you put your feelings in perspective. Next time you feel down, just remember that it’s a natural emotion that will inevitably pass. Knowing that a feeling of depression is only temporary makes it less dreadful.
2. Spend time with positive people – Nothing affects the way you think and feel more than the people you interact with.Thoughts (both positive and negative) are contagious If you are surrounded by negative people, it’s only natural that you’ll start to think and feel the same way. To improve your outlook on life, spend time with positive people. Search them out and try to understand the way they see the world. Chances are their happiness will rub off.
3. Reflect on past success – In the wake of a colossal failure, it’s easy to forget everything you’ve ever done right. Take a few minutes to remember your past accomplishments and build yourself up. What made you successful before? What are your strengths? Frequently, this exercise will , help you figure out what went wrong, and generate ideas for success in the future.
4. Focus on gratitude – It’s human nature to measure ourselves against those ahead build self confidenceof us on the social ladder.  people care more about being richer than their friends than actually making more money. When you consider everything good in your life and compare it to the problems of less fortunate people, the issue that’s making you depressed won’t seem as serious.
5. Change of scenery – One of the best ways to change the way you feel is to change your environment. When you get in a slump, you start to associate your problems with everything around you. It can get to the point where your environment is a constant reminder of your problems. This can be a dangerous cycle. The solution is to change things. Change doesn’t have to be radical. Cleaning up, adding more lights, or including pleasant decorations can completely change the mood of a room.
6. Break your routine - Going through the same routine, day after day, can be monotonous and depressing. It often leads to getting caught in a rut. To get out of it you need to temporarily change your routine. If you can, take a day off from work. Do something you don’t normally have time for or something you’ve never tried. In the long run, taking a day off every now and then to get out of slump will make you happier and more productive.
7. Interact with animals and nature – It’s funny when you consider how humans put so much importance on their own tiny problems. Animals don’t think this way. A little bird doesn’t mope around because it isn’t an eagle or because another bird beat it to a tasty seed. Animals live in the present moment and they show love unconditionally. Observing and interacting with them will help you get over your problems.
8. Get moving – As Johnny Cash famously suggested, “Get a rhythm, when you get the blues.” Moving to a beat makes everyone feel better. The same is true for movement in general. Hitting the gym or going for a walk will help you shed the lethargy that comes with feeling depressed. The more enthusiastic your moments, the better you will start to feel.
9. Think about the big picture – As Carl Sagan made evident with the pale blue dot we’re insignificant creatures living in a vast universe on a tiny planet. In the long run, everything we do will probably be forgotten. Some might find this depressing, but it shouldn’t be. It means that all our problems are illusory. In a million years no one will remember what you did or didn’t do. What matters is the present moment and enjoying every second of life that we’re blessed with.
10. Do something to help yourself – Above all, the best way to stop feeling depressed is to take actionWhat is your biggest problem? How can you alleviate it? Once you decide to stop moping and start moving forward you won’t have time to feel depressed. Action will occupy your mind and give you something to look forward to. Once you get some results, you’ll build momentum and positive thinking will keep getting easier.

5 Ways To Stay Happy No Matter What Happens

Most people have no control over their emotional well-being. They feel ecstatic when good stuff happens and depressed when things go wrong. Their lives are roller coaster rides: sometimes up, sometimes way down.
But what if you could be happy no matter what happens?
You’d stay calm when your car breaks down and your boss shouts at you. You’d stop feeling lonely when there’s no one to talk to on a rainy day. You’d never lose sleep over a relationship that isn’t working out.
If being in command of your emotional state sounds good, take charge of your life with these 5 easy tips.
1. Stop Chasing and Start Living
Many people feel they need something – more money, new clothes, better relationships – to make them happy. They think: “If only I had that other thing, I would be complete”. Instead of enjoying life, they chase a vague idea of happiness.
But even when you get everything that’s supposed to make you happy, life will have ups and downs. Today your car breaks down; tomorrow you pull your calf muscle. If you look hard enough, you’ll always find reasons to be miserable.
So stop chasing; start living. Wanting more is fine, but don’t forget to relax and enjoy life for what it is – in the present.
2. Assume Responsibility
We often blame other people, circumstances and even objects for our problems. “I’m this way because my dad didn’t love me enough”; “I hate my stupid car for breaking down all the time.”
But life is full of different people and situations: some are good and some are bad. Unless you assume responsibility for your life, you’ll always be at the mercy of those circumstances.
Instead of blaming others for what’s wrong in your life, focus on what you can do to make things better. Never sulk and try not to feel sorry for yourself too often. It’s your responsibility to make yourself happy: nobody else’s.
3. Stop Seeking Stimulation
We live in a world of endless stimulation. Between movies, video games and the internet, something exciting’s always going on. Sometimes, this makes us feel bored and restless when we run out of stuff to do.
If you want to be happy, overcome this addiction. Develop the ability to enjoy life– even when the stimulation stops.
Appreciate the sky you see on your way to work each day. Cherish each moment you spend with the people you love. Savor every bite of food you get to eat. Enjoying every experience will give you many new reasons to be happy.
4. Take Action
Taking action is the logical consequence of assuming responsibility for your life (Point #2).
When you want to lose weight – start jogging. Someone’s being rude to you? Tell them to stop. If you’re unhappy with your job, start looking for a new one. Get behind the steering wheel of your own life!
This site has plenty of advice that will help you take action smart way. Educate yourself and commit to find happiness no matter what it takes. With enough hard work and dedication, you really can create the life you want.
5. Expect Nothing
We expect others to treat us better than we treat them. We work out a few times and stress because we don’t instantly look like models. We want to live like rockstars, ignoring the fact that only a few people reach that level of success.
In short, we tend to have unreasonable expectations. The difference between what we feel entitled to and what we actually get is the source of much misery.
Accept life in its entirety; stop thinking in terms of what should be and accept what is. When you live without entitlement, every good thing becomes a wonderful surprise. Even better, expecting nothing means never being disappointed.

How To Motivate Yourself – Self Motivation

Staying motivated is a struggle — our drive is constantly assaulted by negative thoughts and anxiety about the future. Everyone faces doubt and depression. What separates the highly successful is the ability to keep moving forward.
There is no simple solution for a lack of motivation. Even after beating it, the problem reappears at the first sign of failure. The key is understanding your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to nurture motivating thoughts, neutralize negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can pull yourself out of a slump before it gains momentum.

Reasons We Lose Motivation

There are 3 primary reasons we lose motivation.
  1. Lack of confidence – If you don’t believe you can succeed, what’s the point in trying?
  2. Lack of focus – If you don’t know what you want, do you really want anything?
  3. Lack of direction – If you don’t know what to do, how can you be motivated to do it?

How to Boost Confidence

The first motivation killer is a lack of confidence. When this happens to me, it’s usually because I’m focusing entirely on what I want and neglecting what I already have. When you only think about what you want, your mind creates explanations for why you aren’t getting it. This creates negative thoughts. Past failures, bad breaks, and personal weaknesses dominate your mind. You become jealous of your competitors and start making excuses for why you can’t succeed. In this state, you tend to make a bad impression, assume the worst about others, and lose self confidence.
The way to get out of this thought pattern is to focus on gratitude. Set aside time to focus on everything positive in your life. Make a mental list of your strengths, past successes, and current advantages. We tend to take our strengths for granted and dwell on our failures. By making an effort to feel grateful, you’ll realize how competent and successful you already are. This will rejuvenate your confidence and get you motivated to build on your current success.
It might sound strange that repeating things you already know can improve your mindset, but it’s amazingly effective. The mind distorts reality to confirm what it wants to believe. The more negatively you think, the more examples your mind will discover to confirm that belief. When you truly believe that you deserve success, your mind will generate ways to achieve it. The best way to bring success to yourself is to genuinely desire to create value for the rest of the world.

Developing Tangible Focus

The second motivation killer is a lack of focus. How often do you focus on what you don’t want, rather than on a concrete goal? We normally think in terms of fear. I’m afraid of being poor. I’m afraid no one will respect me. I’m afraid of being alone. The problem with this type of thinking is that fear alone isn’t actionable. Instead of doing something about our fear, it feeds on itself and drains our motivation.
If you’re caught up in fear based thinking, the first step is focusing that energy on a well defined goal. By defining a goal, you automatically define a set of actions. If you have a fear of poverty, create a plan to increase your income. It could be going back to school, obtaining a higher paying job, or developing a profitable website. The key is moving from an intangible desire to concrete, measurable steps.
By focusing your mind on a positive goal instead of an ambiguous fear, you put your brain to work. It instantly begins devising a plan for success. Instead of worrying about the future you start to do something about it. This is the first step in motivating yourself to take action. When know what you want, you become motivated to take action.

Developing Direction

The final piece in the motivational puzzle is direction. If focus means having an ultimate goal, direction is having a day-to-day strategy to achieve it. A lack of direction kills motivation because without an obvious next action we succumb to procrastination. An example of this is a person who wants to have a popular blog, but who spends more time reading posts about blogging than actually writing articles.
The key to finding direction is identifying the activities that lead to success. For every goal, there are activities that pay off and those that don’t. Make a list of all your activities and arrange them based on results. Then make a make an action plan that focuses on the activities that lead to big returns. To continue the example from above, a blogger’s list would look something like this:
  1. Write content
  2. Research relevant topics
  3. Network with other bloggers
  4. Optimize design and ad placements
  5. Answer comments and email
  6. Read other blogs
Keeping track of your most important tasks will direct your energy towards success. Without a constant reminder, it’s easy to waste entire days on filler activities like reading RSS feeds, email, and random web surfing.
When my motivation starts to wane, I regain direction by creating a plan that contains two positive actions. The first one should be a small task you’ve been meaning to do, while the second should be a long-term goal. I immediately do the smaller task. This creates positive momentum. After that I take the first step towards achieving the long-term goal. Doing this periodically is great for getting out of a slump, creating positive reinforcement, and getting long-term plans moving.
It’s inevitable that you’ll encounter periods of low energy, bad luck, and even the occasional failure. If you don’t discipline your mind, these minor speed bumps can turn into mental monsters. By being on guard against the top 3 motivation killers you can preserve your motivation and propel yourself to success.

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Positivity and negativity

To pay constant attention towards positivity is to be free from
tension. To pay attention means not to think, speak or do anything\

waste, negative or even ordinary. The one who keeps attention in this way and also allows no negativity from outside to go within, is always free from tension. There is also the proper use of everything that is available. When we are able to pay constant attention and also use the inner treasures within for a positive purpose, there is the use of the inner potential. When there is the recognition and use of thispotential within in this way, negativity finishes; just as sunshine finishes darkness.