Life

 

Be done with it

Once, a wise man held a seminar to teach people how to get rid of sorrows in their life.

Many people gathered to hear the wise man’s words.

The man entered the room and told a hilarious joke to the crowd. The crowd roared in laughter.

After a couple of minutes, he told the same joke, and only a few of them smiled.

When he told the joke for the third time, no one smiled anymore.

The wise man smiled and said, “You can’t laugh at the same joke over and over. So why do you cry over the same problem over and over?”

FRUIT OF DEEDS

 

Fruit of deeds

One day Shankar and Parvati went on a tour. 

On the way they noticed that many children were swimming in a pond, but one child was sad and sitting alone.

Parvati asked Shankar, “Why is this child sad?”

Shankar said, “Look at the child carefully.”

Parvati saw that the child did not have both hands, because of which he was unable to swim.

Parvati requested Shankar to give hands to this child using His power so that he can swim too.

Shankar  said, “We cannot interfere in anyone's work because every soul faces the consequences of his deeds.”

On repeated requests by Parvati, Shankar gave him hands. That boy also started swimming in the water.

After a week, Shankar and Parvati passed from there again. This time the case was reversed, only that kid was swimming and all the other kids were outside.

“Did you see that?” Parvati asked in a worried tone. “That boy is drowning the kids in the water and so they all are running.”

Shankar replied, “Every person bears the fruits according to his deeds. God is not responsible for anyone's deeds.”

He did the same thing by hands in previous lives so he did not have hands.

He has started harming others again by using hands.

Nature works according to the rules, no bias with anyone.

 

According to the deeds, someone is handicapped, someone is beggar, someone is poor, someone is rich but everyone is changeable.

If someone does bad deeds today while living in palaces or in the intoxication of money, then he will have to pay for it tomorrow.

 

 

An incident from the life of Amitabh Bachchan

 Be humble, it costs nothing.

This incident is from the life of Amitabh Bachchan.

It was narrated by him.

Amitabh Bachchan says.....

At the peak of my career, I was once travelling by plane. The passenger next to me was elderly gentleman dressed in a simple shirt and pants. He appeared to be middle class and well educated.

Other passengers perhaps recognised who I was but this gentleman appeared to be unconcerned about my presence. He was reading his paper, looking out of the window, and when tea was served, he sipped it quietly.

Trying to strike a conversation with him I smiled.

The man courteously smiled back and said “Hello”.

We got talking and I brought up the subject of cinema and movies and asked, “Do you watch films?”

The man replied, “Oh, very few. I did see one many years ago.”

I mentioned that I worked in movie industry.

The man replied, “Oh that’s nice. What do you do?”

I replied, “I am an actor.”

The man nodded, “Oh that’s wonderful!”

And that was it.....

When we landed, I held out my hand and said, “It was good to travel with you. By the way my name is Amitabh Bachchan.”

The man shook my hand and said, “Thank you. Nice to have met you. I am J.R.D. Tata.”

I was stunned at his reply.

I learned on that day that no matter how big you think you are, there is always someone bigger.

J.R.D. Tata, a business icon taught me a lesson for life.

“Be humble, it costs nothing.”

We meet a lot of people in life. But few leave a permanent memory. All we need to do is respect and accept.

Goddess Durga

 Durga

Goddess Durga, (Maa Shakti or Devi Maa) is the protective mother of the universe.

She is one of the most popular deities, a protector of all that is good and harmonious in the world.

Sitting astride a lion or tiger, the multi-limbed Maa Durga battles the forces of evil in the world.

In Sanskrit, Durga means "a fort" or "a place that is difficult to overrun," an apt metaphor for this deity's protective, militant nature.

Maa Durga is sometimes referred to as Durgatinashini, which literally translates into "the one who eliminates sufferings."

As major gods and goddesses have multiple incarnations, Durga is no different; among her many avatars are Kali, Bhagvati, Bhavani, Ambika, Lalita, Gauri, Kandalini, Java, and Rajeswari.

When Durga appears as herself, she manifests in one of nine appellations or forms: Skandamata, Kusumanda, Shailaputri, Kaalratri, Brahmacharini, Maha Gauri, Katyayani, Chandraghanta, and Siddhidatri. Collectively known as the Navadurga.

Befitting her role as mother protector, Maa Durga is multi-limbed so that she may always be ready to battle evil from any direction.

In most depictions, she has between eighteen arms and holds a symbolic object in each hand.

Durga carries a variety of weapons and other items that she uses in her fight against evil. Each has a symbolic meaning.

Maa Durga is frequently depicted standing atop or riding a tiger or lion, which represents power, will, and determination.

In riding this fearsome beast, Maa Durga symbolizes her mastery over all these qualities. Her bold pose is called Abhay Mudra, which means "freedom from fear."

 

 

FESTIVALS

 

NAVARATRI

During the festival of Navratri, Hindus celebrate the goddess Durga’s victory over the evil Mahishasura. It is said that Lord Brahma, who is the creator among trinity, had bestowed Mahishasura the gift of immortality, ensuring that he would never die. Nevertheless, this boon has one condition the one who would be able to defeat Mahishasura would be a woman. Mahishasura accepted the gift happily as he didn’t believe any woman could kill him. However, after passage of some years, no deity was able to stop Mahishasura and his followers from attacking humanity on Earth as they became stronger over time.  After seeing this situation, the three most powerful Hindu gods—Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva decided to unite and create the goddess Durga, who will be powerful and strong enough to defeat Mahishasura. To defeat Mahishasura, the gods gave lots of weapons to the Goddess Durga before going for the battle.

The demon fought with Goddess Durga for ten days. These ten days were really difficult for Goddess Durga. During these days, Mahishasura constantly changed his form to mislead the goddess Durga. But when he at last transformed into a buffalo, Goddess Durga was able to win over him. Hence, this way, Goddess Durga defeated Mahishasura and got victory over the demons.

During these nine days of Navratri, some devotees also observe fast. The nine colours of Navratri have great significance. They symbolise nine incarnations of the Goddess. There is a lot of dancing that is Garba done during the festivities as well! Some people also do Dandiya Raas during Navratri. From elders to youngsters, all enjoy these nine days of Navratri with full joy and excitement.

Words Worth Reading

                             The 5 Ws of life

 WHO you are is what makes you special.

Do not change for anyone.

 WHAT lies ahead will always be a mystery.

Do not afraid to explore.

 WHEN life pushes you over, you push back harder.

 WHERE there are choices to make, make the one you won’t regret.

 WHY things happen will never be certain.

Take it in stride and move forward.

STORY FROM PANCHATANTRA

 The Frozen Snake

A man was returning home from work one cold winter evening, when he saw something black on the ground.

It was a snake.

The snake appeared frozen.

Feeling sorry for the reptile, the man wrapped it in his blanket to keep it warm.

When he reached home, he set the snake gently down before the fire so that it will feel warm.

The man’s children were excited and waited around the snake and watched it gradually come back to life. 

Wanting to help the snake recover faster, the man’s youngest son bent down to stroke it.

However, the snake raised its head, bared its fangs and was about to strike the boy when the man struck it with his axe.

Moral of the Story: Don’t expect a snake to change its nature.There are some who never change their nature, regardless of how good we behave with them. Always stay alert and maintain the distance from those who only think about their benefits.

A KING'S PAINTING

 

A king’s painting

 Once upon a time, there was a Kingdom.

The king there only had one leg and one eye, but he was very intelligent and kind.

Everyone in his kingdom lived a happy and a healthy life because of their king.

One day the king was walking through the palace hallway and saw the portraits of his ancestors.

He thought that one day his children will walk in the same hallway and remember all the ancestors through these portraits.

But, the king did not have his portrait painted.

Due to his physical disabilities, he wasn’t sure how his painting would turn out.

So he invited many famous painters from his and other kingdoms to the court.

The king then announced that he wants a beautiful portrait made of himself to be placed in the palace.

Any painter who can carry out this should come forward.

He will be rewarded based on how the painting turns up.

All of the painters began to think that the king only has one leg and one eye.

How can his picture be made very beautiful?

It is not possible and if the picture does not turn out to look beautiful then the king will get angry and punish them.

So one by one, all started to make excuses and politely declined to make a painting of the king.

But suddenly one painter raised his hand and said, “I will make a very beautiful portrait of you which you will surely like.”

The king became happy hearing that and other painters got curious. The king gave him the permission and the painter started drawing the portrait.

He then filled the drawing with paints.

Finally, after taking a long time, he said that the portrait was ready!

All of the courtiers, other painters were curious and nervous thinking, how can the painter make the king’s portrait beautiful because the king is physically disabled?

What if the king didn’t like the painting and gets angry?

But when the painter presented the portrait, everyone in the court, including the king, left stunned.

The painter made a portrait in which the king was sitting on the horse, on the one-leg side, holding his bow and aiming the arrow with his one eye closed.

The king was very pleased to see that the painter has made a beautiful portrait by cleverly hiding the king’s disabilities. The King gave him a great reward.

 

Moral: We should always think positive of others and ignore their deficiencies. We should learn to focus on the good things instead of trying to hide weaknesses. If we think and approach positively even in a negative situation, then we will be able to solve our problems more efficiently.

 

Meet the scientist Marie Curie

 

I am Marie Curie

 

     I am Marie Curie, a scientist. I was born in Warsaw, Poland on 7th November, 1867. My original name was Maria Sklodowska, but my family called me Manya. My parents were both teachers. My dad taught me Maths and Physics. I was a very bright student, had a sharp memory, and did very well in my school.

     As I grew up my family started facing troubles and tough times. This was because Poland was under the control of Russia at that time. We were not allowed to read and write anything in Polish language. My father lost his job because he supported the Polish rule. When I was ten years old my dear elder sister, Zofia, became sick and died of Typhus disease. Two years later my mother also died from tuberculosis. This was a difficult time for me.

     After graduating from high school, I wanted to attend a university. But this wasn't something that young women did in Poland in the 1800s because the university was only for men. However, there was a famous university in Paris, France called the Sorbonne where women could study. But I did not have money to go there. Somehow I started working and arranged the money for my studies. After three years I got my degree in Physics. Later, I met Pierre Curie. He was also a scientist. We fell in love with each other and got married and soon we had our first child, a daughter named Irene.

     Do you know what scientific achievements I have done when I was alive? No? Then let me tell you. I became fascinated by rays that were recently discovered by scientists Wilhelm Roentgen and Henri Becquerel. Roentgen had discovered X-rays and Becquerel had found rays given off by an element called uranium. I began to do more experiments on them. One day I was examining a material called pitchblende. I expected there to be a few rays from the uranium in pitchblende, but instead I found a lot of rays. I realized that there must be a new, undiscovered element in pitchblende. I and my husband spent many hours in the science lab investigating pitchblende and the new element. We eventually figured out that there were two new elements in pitchblende. So, we had discovered two new elements for the periodic table. I named one of the elements as polonium after my homeland Poland. I named other as radium because it gave off such strong rays. We then came up with the term radioactivity to describe elements that emitted strong rays.

     In 1903, we were awarded with the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physics for our work in radiation. Because of this I became the first woman to be awarded the prize. Later, in 1911 I won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering the two elements, polonium and radium. So I was the first person to be awarded two Nobel Prizes. I became very famous. Scientists came from around the world to study radioactivity with me. Soon doctors found that radiology could help with curing cancer. The Curie Institute in Paris was founded by me in 1921 and is still a major cancer research facility. Finally, I died on 3rd July, 1934. This was because of overexposure to radiation, both from my experiments and from my work with X-ray machines. This is why today there are lots of safety measures to keep scientists from getting overexposed to the rays.

 

Article

 

Comfort zone

 

Our comfort zone is the place we are most at home.

Within our comfort zones, there is little stress and strain.

Many of us are reluctant to move out of our comfort zones.

We feel great in our comfort zones, but that is not where we need to be.

“A ship in harbour is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” Getting stuck in a routine is easy to do.

Comfort zones encourage in us an attitude of learned helplessness or hopelessness, making progress or evolution stiffer.

The capability to take risks by marching outside our comfort zone is the rudimentary or primary way by which we grow.

In fact, comfort zones are not really about comfort, they are about anxiety or fear.

We have to break the chains of fear to get outside.

Once we do this, we will learn to enjoy the process of taking risks and growing in the process.

While staying in our comfort zone can result in constant, stable performance, walking out of our comfort zone into a new task can create the conditions for ideal performance.

Learning, creating, growing happen only when we step outside our castle and endeavour into the wilderness.

People who regularly seek out fresh experiences tend to be more productive and emotionally resilient than those who remain stuck in routine.

Innovation or invention happens when we move outside our comfort zone.

Being stagnant in routine often results in plunging creativity or ingenuity.

Brian Tracy rightly said, “Move out of your comfort zone.

You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”

Whatever goal we are trying to accomplish, no doubt, at some stage we will have to make a move that makes us feel uncomfortable. 

Greatness is found beyond our comfort zones.

 

STORY

 

God dwells in all beings

There lived in a forest a holy man who had many disciples.

One day he taught them to see Narayana(God) in all beings and hence have a reverential attitude towards everyone.

     The disciples once went onto the forest to gather wood for the sacrificial fire.

Suddenly they heard a loud voice warning them, “Get out of the way, a mad elephant is coming”.

All of them except one disciple ran away and took shelter in a safe place.

The disciple reasoned that since the Guru had taught them to see Narayana i.e. God, in every being, the elephant is also God in another form and if so why should he run away from it.

He stood still bowed before the elephant and began to sing its praises.

The mahout of the elephant shouted, “Run away! Run away!” but the disciple didn’t move.

The animal having seized him with his trunk, forcefully threw him on the ground.

     Coming to know what had happened, his teacher (Guru) and brother-disciples came to the spot where he was lying and carried him to the hermitage.

After some first-aid, he soon gained consciousness.

Then the teacher asked him, “You saw the animal coming and also heard the warning, then why didn’t you run away?”

The disciple replied, “Sir you taught us to see God in every being, hence I thought that the animal is also God in another form and hence I didn’t run away.”

Then the teacher corrected him saying, “Yes my child, it is true that the elephant was God in another form but the mahout who was driving the elephant was also God and he instructed you to run away. Since all are manifestations of God, why didn’t you trust the mahout’s words? You should have heeded the words of the mahout God.”

No doubt God dwells in all beings but we should be intimate with all good people and must keep away from evil minded.

For instance, God is also in the tiger, but surely you cannot embrace the tiger on that account.

So always remember to keep safe distance from unholy, unrighteous, wicked and evil persons though God dwells in them as well.

FOLKTALE

 

The story of mice

Folktales convey cultural values in a very subtle manner. They try to bring meaning to life by connecting objects around us and weaving coherent relationships among them that encourage a stable and harmonious society. Most folktales are handed down through generations by oral traditions. They serve the dual purpose of training and engaging the current generation as well as passing the values to the next generation.

Traditionally, communities living around farms in small villages are not exposed to modern educational systems. While they may not be able to explain or understand the world in modern terms, they have a deep understanding of the universe and the interdependence of all human beings. The following story conveys an important message that humans, animals and plants are created to have a harmonious life with mutual dependence. If one lives this way, there can be prosperity and happiness for all; but on the other hand, if interdependency is replaced by competition, it can lead to instability, constant confrontations and unhappiness. This message has a lot more significance when we see the direction the modern world is going in --- selfish with the desire to help only those that benefit us.

 

Once upon a time, there was a young couple who lived in a forest. They were farmers; they worked hard to get their land ready for the crop they wanted to sow for their own consumption. But, just as they were about to saw the seeds, they realized that they did not have any. The farmer’s wife suggested that they go to the gods to seek help.

The man went to the land of gods and requested some seeds. The gods said they did not need any food grown on their land and did not stock seeds. Disappointed by the answer, the man returned to Earth and wandered around in search of seeds.

The man met an old lizard and explained his situation. The lizard, who lives on rocks and in deserts, suggested that he should try his luck with a crab, who lives near water bodies. The distressed man asked the crab for seeds. The crab suggested he go to the boar who digs for food. The boar, in turn, directed him to the tiger, the head of the forest. The tiger promptly said,”I hunt other animals and don’t eat any plants.” He suggested the man should ask the squirrel who lives on nuts and fruits.

The man approached a squirrel and for the first time, he found direct help. The squirrel showed the man a variety of seeds that he had hoarded. Unfortunately, all those seeds were from huge trees and none of them were suitable to grow grains and vegetables.

With a heavy heart, the man walked away in despair. On his way, a mouse encountered him and enquired why he was so sad. Upon hearing the man’s story, the mouse gleefully led him to his abode and shared his large collection of vegetable and grain seeds. The man was overwhelmed with joy and was grateful to the mouse for sharing the bounty. The man took some seeds, profusely thanked the mouse and promised the mouse that after his crop was harvested, he would definitely give the mouse some seeds as a return for the flavour.

      The man took the seeds and planted them. Time passed and he had one bumper crop after another and enjoyed his success. He completely forgot about the mouse or the return favour he had promised. When his house was full of grains, the mouse came by to collect a few. The couple shouted at the mouse and chased him away, accusing him of stealing their hard-earned wealth. The mouse thought that it was unfair of the couple to forget their promise and deny him even a small share of seeds in return. Therefore the clever mouse showed up every year and took his share of seeds.

 

This is the story the villagers tell their children when mice take their grains away. This teaches the children not to get angry at the mice, kill them or drive them away.

All the wealth we possess has been provided by nature and it is for us to share; we should not deny the due share for each creature. People should develop an altruistic attitude and live harmoniously with nature rather than fight, control and exploit parts of nature.

KNOW ABOUT ME

 

I am an Olympic Orange

      I am a yummy, juicy fruit that is orange in colour. I can give you plenty of energy to play sports. 

     All Olympic sports persons eat me regularly to win games and medals. This is why I am called a power food. 

     If you bite into me I will burst in your mouth with my tasty flavour and make your taste buds dance with joy. 

     I can kill all bad viruses in your body so that you don’t get cough and cold. I also have a magic material inside me that can make you look young even when grow old like your grandpa.

 I also have plenty of fibre that can help you in good digestion. So enjoy me to your heart’s content. I am physically not strong because I am a little soft and squishy. So, don’t squeeze me too much as I will become out of shape. And if you squeeze my skin into your eyes it can make you cry because it releases a gaseous stingy liquid. But don’t worry as it is not poisonous or harmful. 

      By the way, I also have plenty of other delicious friends who can help you in many ways. Together we control the world of health. 

     We are the jewels of your dining table. We come in all shapes, sizes and colours. We exist to make you humans happy. We help you avoid doctors and their expensive treatments like painful injections and bitter medicines. We can also make you run faster, jump higher and help you do great things in your school and college. 

     Do you want to know how we do all that magic? I will tell you how. We can do such wonderful things because some of us are good for your brain, some for your heart, some for your skin, and some for your bones, and so on. We are like warriors and can easily fight with all those nasty troublemakers hiding in your body. Aren’t we fellows’ great? But if you don’t eat us then those horrible troublemakers will always make you sick, tired, and weak. Then you will not be able to play sports or climb a hill. Now I am sure you don’t want to be such a weakling, do you?

 

Hindu mythology

 

ARUNI

       Aruni of Panchala was a dedicated student of the ancient sageDhoumya. In the days of yore, a student had to stay with the teacher andhelp in theteacher’s daily chores in order to receive the knowledge he sought.

     It was a day of cold winter. Aruni was carrying the firewood he had collected for the sage's household. As he was passing by a field, which belonged to the sage, he noticed a breach in the embankment that was holding water in his teacher's field. He realized that the water would seep away and the field’s crops would die with no water.

"What should I do? If I stop to build the embankment I will be delayed and there is no firewood at the hermitage to keep the place warm. I better rush to the hermitage with the firewood and then come back to take care of the breach."

Meanwhile the sage and his disciples had assembled for the day's lesson. Aruni was missing.

      Soon Aruni rushed in, dropped the firewood in the courtyard, and informed the teacher about the breach of the embankment. Then he quickly rushed out.

     Sage Dhoumya felt proud of his disciple, "It is hard to get such a responsible disciple."

      Aruni ran all the way back to the troubled spot and tried to stop the leakage of water by putting some logs and mud. However, this did not stop the leak. The heavy pressure of water washed away the dam Aruni made. He felt helpless. It seemed impossible for him to stop the leakage without help. He thought for a while and then made a plan.

      It was getting dark and the teacher became worried. He called his disciples and set out looking for Aruni. As he called out for Aruni, he heard a faint voice, "Here I am master!"

     The teacher and his disciples rushed to the spot and saw Aruni lying on the breach, in order to hold the water in the field. The disciples quickly pulled Aruni out from the freezing water. He was repeatedly muttering, "The water is flowing out, the crops will die ---."

"Don't worry Aruni! We will take care of the breach," said the disciples.

"Never mind my son! You are more precious than the crop," said the teacher.

     Aruni was covered in a blanket and brought home. Sage Dhoumya himself tended to Aruni. The sage then blessed his disciple with pride, "You shall, forever, be renowned for your unmatched devotion and obedience to your guru.”

 

Hindu mythology

 

Agni Dev

     Agni Dev is one of the most important Vedic Gods. Agni Dev is the God of fire, the messenger of Gods, and accepts sacrifices made to Him from anyone who is devoted to His Lord. He was very important to the people living in the Vedic times, and they have 200 hymns addressed to Him in the Rig Veda. Eight of the ten books begin with praises for Agni, the God of fire.

     Agni is present in everyone’s heart. He is supposed to be the vital spark of life, and the food in people’s stomach is burnt by Agni. Agni is also the fire of the Sun, and gives it brilliance and heat that the Sun is known for. Agni is very essential for the survival and development of humans, which is why people have been praying to Him since ancient times.

     Agni is sometimes said to be the twin brother of Indra Dev, and is often closely associated with Him. In Vedic times, He occupied the most important position after Indra Dev.

     He is depicted as having two heads. One head signifies immortality, and the other is a symbol of life. He is often said to be the link between the heaven and earth, and humans and deities. He is associated with Vedic sacrifice, and takes sacrifices of the devotees to their beloved and much respected and adored Gods in His fire.

 

Sound

 

How is it that sound travels longer distances at night?

 

Sound, like light, can undergo reflection and refraction.

Refraction of sound waves is most noticeable when they travel from cold air into warm air.

During the night, the earth starts cooling, and the mass of air in contact with it becomes cooler than the air a few metres above. When sound waves originating at ground level travel obliquely through these masses of air, which are at different temperatures, refraction takes place at the interface between the two masses, and the sound waves, which in the daytime would have continued to travel upwards, are directed back to earth. This is the reason why sounds travel longer distances at night.

Ignition Temperature

 

Why does petrol catch fire so soon while wood takes comparatively longer?

Every object catches fire, that is, it combines with the oxygen in the air, emitting heat and light, at a specific temperature. This temperature is known as the ignition point or ignition temperature of that object. 

Different materials have different ignition points. Petrol catches fire quickly because it has a low ignition point; wood has a higher ignition point. 

A substance does not have to be touched by flame to begin burning. It simply needs to be heated above its ignition point. 

In a burning building for example, heat and not flame is the greatest cause of fire spread. Metallic objects are the most frequent conductors of heat. Often heat from one room that is on fire is conducted to another by water or gas pipes. If combustible matter is in contact with the pipe it can become heated above its ignition point and start a second fire. Sometimes even brick walls can conduct enough heat to cause a second fire.

PARABLE OF THE LONG SPOONS

 

Parable of the long spoons

 

     One day a man said to God,” I would like to know what heaven and hell are like”.

     God showed the man two doors.

     Inside the first one, in the middle of the room, was a large round table with a large pot of stew. It smelled delicious and made the man’s mouth water, but the people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles and each found it impossible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful, but because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering. God said,” You have seen hell.”

     Behind the second door, the room appeared exactly the same. There was the large round table with the large pot of wonderful stew that made the man’s mouth water. The people had the same long handled spoons, but they were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The man said, “I don’t understand.” God smiled. “It’s simple,” He continued, “Love only requires one skill. These people learned early to share and feed one another. Those who are hungry are greedy people, and they think only of themselves….”

THE MOUSE TRAP

 

The mouse trap

 

     A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.

“What food might this contain?”The mouse wondered.

However, he was devastated to discover it was a mouse trap. Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning: “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!”

     The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it.”

     The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!” The pig sympathised, but said, “I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. Be assured you are in my prayers.”

     The mouse turned to the cow and said, “There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!” The cow said, “Wow, Mr. Mouse. I’m sorry for you, but it’s no skin off my nose.”

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer’s mousetrap alone.

     That very night a sound was heard throughout the house – like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife.

     The farmer rushed her to the hospital and she returned home with a fever. Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.

     But his wife’s sickness continued, so friends and neighbours came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

     The farmer’s wife did not get well; she died. So, many people came for her funeral, that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them. The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

     So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn’t concern you, remember that when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.

     We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.

     Each of us is a vital thread in another person’s tapestry.

 

Creating good news

 

Creating good news

 

     Everyone has inside them a piece of good news.

The good news is you don’t know

how great you can be,

how much you can love!

What you can accomplish!

And what your potential is,

wrote Anne Frank in her bestseller “The Diary of a Young Girl”.

The capacity in a human being to love, innovate and adapt to situations is far greater than to hate, destroy and restrict.

     The greatest treasure on earth is not found in the gold mines of South Africa, not in the diamond mines of Russia, not in the oil fields of Saudi Arabia. It is to be found in your mind. Your mind can make the greatest inventions, discover the most hidden secrets of the universe, write the greatest book, compose the most beautiful symphony and plan the greatest business.

     Many great minds and geniuses rest in the graveyard without realizing their potential. “We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance,” quipped Benjamin Disraeli.

     Do not wait for the opportunity to knock at your door. Opportunities come wearing the garb of glitches and hitches. Innovators and entrepreneurs make use of this secret key to unlock great opportunities in adverse circumstances.

     In the world today if there are more problems like global warming, they offer us golden opportunities to be successful and to become great.

     Recent studies have proved that creative people are happier than others and they make others’ lives also happier and better.

     The recent great innovators like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and Sundar Pichai have made our lives more convenient and comfortable. Even people with more difficulties and disadvantages have turned those disadvantages into opportunities.

     The Australian-American Nick Vujicic, born without arms or legs, said, “I’m officially disabled, but I’m truly enabled because of my lack of limbs. My unique challenges have opened up unique opportunities to reach so many in need.”

     We have to read the success stories of young people who did not curse darkness but lit a lamp to make this world a better place for you and for me. The stories can awaken the sleeping giant in you with imagination and innovation which can create good news around you.       

     Creative ideas come from putting other ideas together. Steve Jobs used to remark, “Creativity is connecting things”. People with great ideas are those who possessed a lot of knowledge from books and experiences from life. Great innovators are always voracious readers of books and magazines.

     Keep yourself motivated by reading that inspires you.

     Happy reading!

 

LAUGHTER WAS HIS MANTRA

 

LAUGHTER WAS HIS MANTRA

 

     In Japan, a great mystic, Hotei, is called the Laughing Buddha. He is one of the most loved mystics in Japan, and he never uttered a single word. As he became enlightened, he started laughing, and whenever somebody would ask, “Why are you laughing?” he would laugh more. And he would move from village to village, laughing. A crowd would gather and he would laugh. His laughter was very infectious. Somebody in the crowd would start laughing, then somebody else, and then, gradually, the whole crowd would be laughing. Laughing without any apparent reason.

     Everybody would wonder, “It is ridiculous; this man is strange, but why are we laughing?” But everybody would laugh and, at the same time, wonder what people would think as there was no reason to laugh. Despite this, people would wait for Hotei because they had never laughed in their whole life with such totality, with such intensity. After laughing, they found that their senses had become clearer: their eyes could see better and their whole being had become light, as if a great burden had disappeared. People would ask Hotei to come back again, and he would move, laughing, to another village.

     For the rest of his life (about forty-five years after his enlightenment), he did only one thing, and that was laughing. That was his message, his gospel, his scripture. And it is to be noted that in Japan, nobody has been remembered with such respect as Hotei. You will find in every house, statues of Hotei.

     And he had done nothing except laugh. But the laughter was coming from such depth that it stayed with anyone who heard it and triggered his being, creating synchronicity. Hotei is unique. In the whole world, there is no other human being who has made so many people laugh—for no reason at all. And yet, everybody was nourished and cleansed by the laughter and felt well-being that they had never felt before. Something from the unknowable depth started ringing bells in peoples’ hearts.