You Are......................& You can...............
You are strong...when you take your grief and teach it to smile.
You are brave...when you overcome your fear and help others to do the same.
You are happy...when you see a flower and are thankful for the blessing.
You are loving...when your own pain does not blind you to the pain of others.
You are wise...when you know the limits of your wisdom.
You are true...when you admit there are times you fool yourself.
You are alive...when tomorrow's hope means more to you than yesterday's mistake.
You are growing...when you know what you are but not what you will become.
You are free...when you are in control of yourself and do not wish to control others.
You are honorable...when you find your honor is to honor others.
You are generous...when you can take as sweetly as you can give.
You are humble...when you do not know how humble you are.
You are thoughtful...when you see me just as I am and treat me just as you are.
You are merciful...when you forgive in others the faults you condemn in yourself.
You are beautiful...when you don't need a mirror to tell you.
You are rich...when you never need more than what you have.
You are you...when you are at peace with who you are not................
And You Can Do It.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
A Meaninful Message.....................
A meaningful message though simple............
A wise man once sat in the audience & cracked a joke.
All laughed like crazy. After a moment he cracked the same joke again and a little less people laughed this time.
He cracked the same joke again & again, when there was no laughter in the crowd, he smiled and said,
“When u can't laugh on the same joke again & again, then normally why do u keep crying over the same subject / thing over and over again” ?????
A wise man once sat in the audience & cracked a joke.
All laughed like crazy. After a moment he cracked the same joke again and a little less people laughed this time.
He cracked the same joke again & again, when there was no laughter in the crowd, he smiled and said,
“When u can't laugh on the same joke again & again, then normally why do u keep crying over the same subject / thing over and over again” ?????
Courage............................
COURAGE...............................
Courage is not only gifted to the few brave ones,
it is something that lies within you, Where you can
draw upon its strength and power, in time of crisis,
fear and decisions.
Courage is not something mysterious or unattainable,
It is something you can exercise in your daily life choices,
You can let it bring to you travel paths,
And make you more conscious and aware of your life.
Courage does not have to roar to be heard,
It does not mean being totally fearless and being invincible,
It could mean taking actions, taking risk, taking stand,
Standing up for yourself, standing by your choices,
And sticking to your dreams when others jeered.
Courage could be the will to live in spite of the struggles,
In spite of your fears and phobias, in spite of what others said,
In spite of criticism and disapproval's, in spite of mistakes and failures, In spite of everything that stand between you and your dreams.
Courage could mean trying over and over again when you
failed, Admitting that you are sorry when you are in the wrong,
Saying "I Love You" when your love is angry,
Having a baby when the idea of being a parent scared you,
Listening to your heart when others called you a fool,
Following your dreams even when others discourage you,
And staying true to yourself when others want you in another way.
Hold steadfast to your dreams, your heart and yourself,
And Courage will not abandon you, But follow you whenever you choose to go.
Courage is not only gifted to the few brave ones,
it is something that lies within you, Where you can
draw upon its strength and power, in time of crisis,
fear and decisions.
Courage is not something mysterious or unattainable,
It is something you can exercise in your daily life choices,
You can let it bring to you travel paths,
And make you more conscious and aware of your life.
Courage does not have to roar to be heard,
It does not mean being totally fearless and being invincible,
It could mean taking actions, taking risk, taking stand,
Standing up for yourself, standing by your choices,
And sticking to your dreams when others jeered.
Courage could be the will to live in spite of the struggles,
In spite of your fears and phobias, in spite of what others said,
In spite of criticism and disapproval's, in spite of mistakes and failures, In spite of everything that stand between you and your dreams.
Courage could mean trying over and over again when you
failed, Admitting that you are sorry when you are in the wrong,
Saying "I Love You" when your love is angry,
Having a baby when the idea of being a parent scared you,
Listening to your heart when others called you a fool,
Following your dreams even when others discourage you,
And staying true to yourself when others want you in another way.
Hold steadfast to your dreams, your heart and yourself,
And Courage will not abandon you, But follow you whenever you choose to go.
Every day is a gift............................
Every day is a Gift......................An excellent Read.
A man of 92 years, short, very well-presented, who takes great care
in his appearance, is moving into an old people’s home today.
His wife of 70 has recently died, and he is obliged to donate
his home for orphan house.
After waiting several hours in the retirement home lobby,
he gently smiles as he is told that his room is ready.
As he slowly walks to the elevator, using his cane,
I described his small room to him, including the sheet hung
at the window which serves as a curtain.
"I like it very much", he said, with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old boy who has just been given a new puppy.
"Sir, you haven’t even seen the room yet.” I wonderedly asked.
" That has nothing to do with it ", he replied.
" Happiness is something I choose in advance.
Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or the decor – rather it depends on how I decide to see it & how I look at it."
" It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision I take every morning when I wake up.”
“I can choose. I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well, or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that are still in working order. "
" Every day is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes,I will focus on the new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life. "
A man of 92 years, short, very well-presented, who takes great care
in his appearance, is moving into an old people’s home today.
His wife of 70 has recently died, and he is obliged to donate
his home for orphan house.
After waiting several hours in the retirement home lobby,
he gently smiles as he is told that his room is ready.
As he slowly walks to the elevator, using his cane,
I described his small room to him, including the sheet hung
at the window which serves as a curtain.
"I like it very much", he said, with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old boy who has just been given a new puppy.
"Sir, you haven’t even seen the room yet.” I wonderedly asked.
" That has nothing to do with it ", he replied.
" Happiness is something I choose in advance.
Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or the decor – rather it depends on how I decide to see it & how I look at it."
" It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision I take every morning when I wake up.”
“I can choose. I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well, or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that are still in working order. "
" Every day is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes,I will focus on the new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life. "
Know the true meaning of family.......................
Know thee true meaning of family........
I ran into a stranger as he passed by,"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,My son stood beside me very still
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down."Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.I didn't realize how harshly I had spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger,common courtesy you use,
but in the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,You will find some flowers there by the door.Those are the flowers he brought for you.He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."
By this time, I felt very small,And now my tears began to fall........I quietly went and knelt by his bed;"Wake up, little one, wake up,"I said..................
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mum, that's okay.I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too,and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."
FAMILY.........................
Are you aware that if we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family,an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story?
Do you know what the word FAMILY means?...................
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU
I ran into a stranger as he passed by,"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;I wasn't watching for you."
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,My son stood beside me very still
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down."Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.I didn't realize how harshly I had spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger,common courtesy you use,
but in the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,You will find some flowers there by the door.Those are the flowers he brought for you.He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."
By this time, I felt very small,And now my tears began to fall........I quietly went and knelt by his bed;"Wake up, little one, wake up,"I said..................
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mum, that's okay.I love you anyway."
I said, "Son, I love you too,and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."
FAMILY.........................
Are you aware that if we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family,an unwise investment indeed, don't you think? So what is behind the story?
Do you know what the word FAMILY means?...................
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU
EGO Kills ..............................You.
"EGO.....KILLS YOU"...........................
There was once a scientist. After a lot of practice & efforts, he developed a formula & learned the art of reproducing himself. He did it so perfectly that it was impossible to tell the reproduction from the original.
One day while doing his research, he realized that the Angel of Death was searching for him.
In order to remain alive he reproduced a dozen copies of himself. The reproduction was so similar that all of them looked exactly like him.
Now when this Angel of Death came down, he was at a loss to know which of the thirteen before him was the original scientist, & confused,he left them all alone & returned back to heaven.
But, not for long, for being an expert in human nature, the Angel came up with a clever idea.
He said to the scientist addressing all thirteen of them, "Sir, you must be a genius to have succeeded in making such perfect reproduction formula of yourself. However, I have discovered a flaw in your work, just one tiny little flaw."
The scientist immediately jumped out & shouted, "Impossible! where is the flaw?"
"Right here" said the Angel, as he picked up the scientist from among the reproductions & carried him off.
The whole purpose of the scientist & his formula of reproduction failed as he could not control his pride, so he lost his life.
So when man's Knowledge & Skills takes him to the top of the ladder & makes him successful, however the three letter word "EGO" can pull him down to earth immediately at its double speed.
So don't allow Ego to kill yourself,
Instead oF, kill your Ego…..!!!
There was once a scientist. After a lot of practice & efforts, he developed a formula & learned the art of reproducing himself. He did it so perfectly that it was impossible to tell the reproduction from the original.
One day while doing his research, he realized that the Angel of Death was searching for him.
In order to remain alive he reproduced a dozen copies of himself. The reproduction was so similar that all of them looked exactly like him.
Now when this Angel of Death came down, he was at a loss to know which of the thirteen before him was the original scientist, & confused,he left them all alone & returned back to heaven.
But, not for long, for being an expert in human nature, the Angel came up with a clever idea.
He said to the scientist addressing all thirteen of them, "Sir, you must be a genius to have succeeded in making such perfect reproduction formula of yourself. However, I have discovered a flaw in your work, just one tiny little flaw."
The scientist immediately jumped out & shouted, "Impossible! where is the flaw?"
"Right here" said the Angel, as he picked up the scientist from among the reproductions & carried him off.
The whole purpose of the scientist & his formula of reproduction failed as he could not control his pride, so he lost his life.
So when man's Knowledge & Skills takes him to the top of the ladder & makes him successful, however the three letter word "EGO" can pull him down to earth immediately at its double speed.
So don't allow Ego to kill yourself,
Instead oF, kill your Ego…..!!!
True Joy..................................
You Will Find True Joy Using Your Potential..........
Your greatest success and happiness in life Will be found when you use your natural abilities To their fullest extent.
Happiness is not having or being. It's in the doing.
The essence of true wisdom is to know that rest is rust,
And that real life is activity, laughter, and love.
You were created to conquer your environment,
To solve problems, and to achieve goals.
You'll find no real satisfaction or happiness in life
Without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.
Yes, there is true happiness.
It's found in doing a job well done,
In achieving a worthy goal, in putting your child to sleep,
And in writing the last line of your poem.
Your personal growth itself Contains the seed of happiness.
Your greatest success and happiness in life Will be found when you use your natural abilities To their fullest extent.
Happiness is not having or being. It's in the doing.
The essence of true wisdom is to know that rest is rust,
And that real life is activity, laughter, and love.
You were created to conquer your environment,
To solve problems, and to achieve goals.
You'll find no real satisfaction or happiness in life
Without obstacles to conquer and goals to achieve.
Yes, there is true happiness.
It's found in doing a job well done,
In achieving a worthy goal, in putting your child to sleep,
And in writing the last line of your poem.
Your personal growth itself Contains the seed of happiness.
Don't Give Up.........................
Don’t give up....................
Though the pace seems to be slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of a cloud of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
Its when things seem worst - you must not quit.
Though the pace seems to be slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of a cloud of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit,
Its when things seem worst - you must not quit.
Life is..............
Life is...................
Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time. You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts.
Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence.
So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted. Live a balance lifestyle and enjoy Life!
Past is Experience...!
Present is Experiments....!
Future is Expectations...!
Use your Experience in your Experiments to achieve your Expectations...!!!
Life is a balance of Work and Play, Family and Personal time. You have to decide how you want to balance your Life. Define your priorities, realize what you are able to compromise but always let some of your decisions be based on your instincts.
Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of Life, the whole aim of human existence.
So, take it easy, do what you want to do and appreciate nature. Life is fragile, Life is short. Do not take Life for granted. Live a balance lifestyle and enjoy Life!
Past is Experience...!
Present is Experiments....!
Future is Expectations...!
Use your Experience in your Experiments to achieve your Expectations...!!!
Make Learning an act of Courage...........................
MAKE LEARNING IS AN ACT OF COURAGE..............
The best leaders love to learn. And the greatest organizations are learning enterprises – places where ideas are the currency of success. Yet, so many amongst us resist learning and embracing the new ideas that change brings with it.
The deeper question is why?................
What I’ve realized, as I travel across the world helping people Lead Without a Title, is that the very act of learning something new means you must also disrupt your thinking of yesterday. To accept or even just to entertain a new idea means you must leave the safety of your former way of perceiving the world and open up to something foreign. And that means you’d have to leave the protection of your comfort zone/Safe Harbor of The Known and sail out into the unknown – even for just a moment.
The unknown is a pretty scary place for most people. Ordinary people get threatened there. Victims get frightened there. And so the average person in business (and within life) avoids learning and exposing themselves to any idea or influence that might cause them to have to rethink the way they think and re-behave the way they have always behaved. But the fascinating paradox is that trying to avoid new ideas to stay safe is actually enormously dangerous – and infused with risk.
On the other hand, those who make the choice to Lead Without a Title have a lust to learn. They remain blindingly curious. They read books daily. They drink coffee with brilliant people. They have long conversations with role models whose ideas provoke/challenge/irritate them. Real leaders truly get that learning and ideation is the fuel of life. And that all it takes is a single idea to change the game at work (and rescript the story that is your life). Sure they too feel uncomfortable or even scared when faced with an idea that confronts their most closely cherished beliefs. But they understand that to resist the idea is to resist growth. As well as their next level of Mastery+Progress+Leadership. And so they move forward. Into an uncertain yet gorgeously exciting future.
The best leaders love to learn. And the greatest organizations are learning enterprises – places where ideas are the currency of success. Yet, so many amongst us resist learning and embracing the new ideas that change brings with it.
The deeper question is why?................
What I’ve realized, as I travel across the world helping people Lead Without a Title, is that the very act of learning something new means you must also disrupt your thinking of yesterday. To accept or even just to entertain a new idea means you must leave the safety of your former way of perceiving the world and open up to something foreign. And that means you’d have to leave the protection of your comfort zone/Safe Harbor of The Known and sail out into the unknown – even for just a moment.
The unknown is a pretty scary place for most people. Ordinary people get threatened there. Victims get frightened there. And so the average person in business (and within life) avoids learning and exposing themselves to any idea or influence that might cause them to have to rethink the way they think and re-behave the way they have always behaved. But the fascinating paradox is that trying to avoid new ideas to stay safe is actually enormously dangerous – and infused with risk.
On the other hand, those who make the choice to Lead Without a Title have a lust to learn. They remain blindingly curious. They read books daily. They drink coffee with brilliant people. They have long conversations with role models whose ideas provoke/challenge/irritate them. Real leaders truly get that learning and ideation is the fuel of life. And that all it takes is a single idea to change the game at work (and rescript the story that is your life). Sure they too feel uncomfortable or even scared when faced with an idea that confronts their most closely cherished beliefs. But they understand that to resist the idea is to resist growth. As well as their next level of Mastery+Progress+Leadership. And so they move forward. Into an uncertain yet gorgeously exciting future.
The core of Happiness...........................
The Core. of Happiness.............................
Remember when you were six years old? You were simply happy. Happiness is the very nature of youth it was not taught to you. But somehow in the course of living, most people have lost this innate endowment. Modern man's greatest endeavour seems to be to reclaim the forgotten bliss of our childhood. Why does happiness seem so elusive in today's world?
Why is there so much talk about happiness today, and what does it really mean to be happy?
The first and most fundamental responsibility of every person is to become a joyous human being. Because no matter what you are pursuing in life, business, money, family or spirituality, it is just an attempt to be happy. Being happy and peaceful, considered the ultimate aspect of a successful life, is really its most fundamental aspect. Being well means to be peaceful and happy. The level of happiness, the level of peace may vary from person to person, but everyone, consciously or unconsciously, is aiming for happiness.
Then why is happiness so elusive?
People's happiness is often dependent on external situations over which they have no control. When you seek happiness through your actions, you are always enslaved by the external and thus will always face some level of suffering. It doesn't matter what a person has, he will still long to have something else all the time. Until a man finds the inner basis of happiness, he will always live like a beggar.
What is the formula for the natural cultivation of happiness?
Whatever you understand or experience as happiness, love, or peace in your life has a certain inner basis. Today if you lose your mental peace, your doctor will give you a pill. These chemicals enter your system and make you peaceful, maybe for just a little while. In other words, what you call as peace is a certain kind of chemistry within you. Similarly what you call joy, love, suffering or fear — every human experience has a chemical basis. The spiritual process creates the right kind of chemistry where you are naturally peaceful and joyous. Then the very dimension of your life, the very way you perceive and express yourself in the world will change.
One popular author suggests that even if people have a windfall, winning the lottery for example, their happiness level returns to normal after they get used to their new situation. So, is permanent fulfillment impossible?
Your life will not attain fulfillment through actions. At every stage in life you thought, "If this happens, my life will be complete." You got that and three days later threw it into the dustbin. Life did not attain fulfillment. Fulfillment will not come through an action. Only if your inner nature is complete will you attain it.
How does the practice of yoga help us to reach this state?
Yoga gives you absolute control over your interiority, elevating you from a state of external enslavement to inner completeness, the state of unboundedness.
Source........... Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Remember when you were six years old? You were simply happy. Happiness is the very nature of youth it was not taught to you. But somehow in the course of living, most people have lost this innate endowment. Modern man's greatest endeavour seems to be to reclaim the forgotten bliss of our childhood. Why does happiness seem so elusive in today's world?
Why is there so much talk about happiness today, and what does it really mean to be happy?
The first and most fundamental responsibility of every person is to become a joyous human being. Because no matter what you are pursuing in life, business, money, family or spirituality, it is just an attempt to be happy. Being happy and peaceful, considered the ultimate aspect of a successful life, is really its most fundamental aspect. Being well means to be peaceful and happy. The level of happiness, the level of peace may vary from person to person, but everyone, consciously or unconsciously, is aiming for happiness.
Then why is happiness so elusive?
People's happiness is often dependent on external situations over which they have no control. When you seek happiness through your actions, you are always enslaved by the external and thus will always face some level of suffering. It doesn't matter what a person has, he will still long to have something else all the time. Until a man finds the inner basis of happiness, he will always live like a beggar.
What is the formula for the natural cultivation of happiness?
Whatever you understand or experience as happiness, love, or peace in your life has a certain inner basis. Today if you lose your mental peace, your doctor will give you a pill. These chemicals enter your system and make you peaceful, maybe for just a little while. In other words, what you call as peace is a certain kind of chemistry within you. Similarly what you call joy, love, suffering or fear — every human experience has a chemical basis. The spiritual process creates the right kind of chemistry where you are naturally peaceful and joyous. Then the very dimension of your life, the very way you perceive and express yourself in the world will change.
One popular author suggests that even if people have a windfall, winning the lottery for example, their happiness level returns to normal after they get used to their new situation. So, is permanent fulfillment impossible?
Your life will not attain fulfillment through actions. At every stage in life you thought, "If this happens, my life will be complete." You got that and three days later threw it into the dustbin. Life did not attain fulfillment. Fulfillment will not come through an action. Only if your inner nature is complete will you attain it.
How does the practice of yoga help us to reach this state?
Yoga gives you absolute control over your interiority, elevating you from a state of external enslavement to inner completeness, the state of unboundedness.
Source........... Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
Foot Prints.........................
Footprints..........................
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."
Nine Gems................................
NINE GEMS IN SENTENCE BY GENIUS PEOPLE !!
Shakespeare.....
"Never Play With The Feelings Of Others ,Because You May Win The Game,But The Risk Is That You Will Surely LooseThe Person For Life Time".
Napoleon........
"The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people,But because of the silence of good people!"
Einstein.........
"I am thankful to all those who said NO to me Its Because of them I did it myself.."
Abraham Lincoln.........
"If friendship is your weakest point then you are the strongest person in the world"
Shakespeare..........
"Laughing Faces Do Not Mean That There Is Absence Of Sorrow!But It Means That They Have The Ability To Deal With It".
William Arthur.........
"Opportunities Are Like Sunrises, If You Wait Too Long You Can Miss Them".
Hitler.....
"When You Are In The Light, Everything Follows You,But When You Enter Into The Dark, Even Your Own Shadow Doesn ' t Follow You."
Shakespeare.............
"Coin Always Makes Sound But The Currency Notes Are Always Silent. So When Your Value Increases Keep Yourself Calm Silent"
Dr Abdul kalaam........
"It Is Very Easy To Defeat Someone, But It Is Very Hard To Win Someone"
Shakespeare.....
"Never Play With The Feelings Of Others ,Because You May Win The Game,But The Risk Is That You Will Surely LooseThe Person For Life Time".
Napoleon........
"The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people,But because of the silence of good people!"
Einstein.........
"I am thankful to all those who said NO to me Its Because of them I did it myself.."
Abraham Lincoln.........
"If friendship is your weakest point then you are the strongest person in the world"
Shakespeare..........
"Laughing Faces Do Not Mean That There Is Absence Of Sorrow!But It Means That They Have The Ability To Deal With It".
William Arthur.........
"Opportunities Are Like Sunrises, If You Wait Too Long You Can Miss Them".
Hitler.....
"When You Are In The Light, Everything Follows You,But When You Enter Into The Dark, Even Your Own Shadow Doesn ' t Follow You."
Shakespeare.............
"Coin Always Makes Sound But The Currency Notes Are Always Silent. So When Your Value Increases Keep Yourself Calm Silent"
Dr Abdul kalaam........
"It Is Very Easy To Defeat Someone, But It Is Very Hard To Win Someone"
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Take the gilt off the....................................
Take the gilt off the gingerbread....................
Meaning............
Remove an item's most attractive qualities.
Origin...........
This phrase has nothing to do with being guilty of anything of course -'take the guilt off the gingerbread' is just a misspelling. The word is 'gilt', which refers to a thin layer of gold. Gingerbread is a form of cake and, although the association of the two words seems a little odd, gingerbread cakes were in fact gilded for festivals and other special events in the Middle Ages.
The word gingerbread has been recorded in English since the 13th century; it was originally a form of simple cake flavoured with treacle and, not surprisingly, ginger. It was, and is, frequently made as a form of biscuit, by rolling out the dough and cutting it into shapes - men, animals, letters of the alphabet etc.
Gold can be hammered to a minute thickness to form gold leaf. This can be 'gilded' to many different surfaces, including cake, and is harmless when eaten in small quantities - hence its use as a culinary decoration.
The expression 'taking the gilt off the gingerbread' isn't found in print until the 19th century, but the practise of gilding gingerbread cakes was probably in place well before that, as 'gingerbread' has been used as an adjective meaning 'showy and insubstantial' since the 17th century. Gingerbread without its casing of gold leaf was a rather humble offering - often little more than flavoured stale bread, and not likely to attract a reputation for showiness. Using present-day parlance, ungilded gingerbread was more minging than blinging. An early reference to that disparaging usage of gingerbread is found in The History of the tryall of Cheualry, 1605:
Anticke! thou lyest, and thou wert a Knight of ginger-bread: I am no Anticke.
The first evidence that I can find in print of 'take the gilt off the gingerbread' is from The New Zealand newspaperThe Lyttleton Times, February 1854:
To borrow a homely expression, it was determined in taking the gilt off the gingerbread.
The 'homely expression' reference indicates that the phrase was already known, in the Antipodes at least, by 1854.
Take the gilt off the gingerbread Sadly, gingerbread men (now often politically corrected to 'people') have had the gilt taken off them and are now usually clad with icing sugar.
Meaning............
Remove an item's most attractive qualities.
Origin...........
This phrase has nothing to do with being guilty of anything of course -'take the guilt off the gingerbread' is just a misspelling. The word is 'gilt', which refers to a thin layer of gold. Gingerbread is a form of cake and, although the association of the two words seems a little odd, gingerbread cakes were in fact gilded for festivals and other special events in the Middle Ages.
The word gingerbread has been recorded in English since the 13th century; it was originally a form of simple cake flavoured with treacle and, not surprisingly, ginger. It was, and is, frequently made as a form of biscuit, by rolling out the dough and cutting it into shapes - men, animals, letters of the alphabet etc.
Gold can be hammered to a minute thickness to form gold leaf. This can be 'gilded' to many different surfaces, including cake, and is harmless when eaten in small quantities - hence its use as a culinary decoration.
The expression 'taking the gilt off the gingerbread' isn't found in print until the 19th century, but the practise of gilding gingerbread cakes was probably in place well before that, as 'gingerbread' has been used as an adjective meaning 'showy and insubstantial' since the 17th century. Gingerbread without its casing of gold leaf was a rather humble offering - often little more than flavoured stale bread, and not likely to attract a reputation for showiness. Using present-day parlance, ungilded gingerbread was more minging than blinging. An early reference to that disparaging usage of gingerbread is found in The History of the tryall of Cheualry, 1605:
Anticke! thou lyest, and thou wert a Knight of ginger-bread: I am no Anticke.
The first evidence that I can find in print of 'take the gilt off the gingerbread' is from The New Zealand newspaperThe Lyttleton Times, February 1854:
To borrow a homely expression, it was determined in taking the gilt off the gingerbread.
The 'homely expression' reference indicates that the phrase was already known, in the Antipodes at least, by 1854.
Take the gilt off the gingerbread Sadly, gingerbread men (now often politically corrected to 'people') have had the gilt taken off them and are now usually clad with icing sugar.
It's not a rocket science...............................
It's not rocket science..........................
Meaning
It (the subject under discussion) isn't difficult to understand.
Origin
It is probably no surprise to hear that this phrase is American in origin. Of the English-speaking countries, America was the first to adopt a sustained programme for the development of rocket science. The first people who were widely known as rocket scientists were a group of German military technologists, who were transported to the USA in 1945 following their capture by allied troops in WWII. Other similar groups were transported to the UK and the USSR.
Albert EinsteinLed by Werner Von Braun, the US group had previous expertise in the field, having developed the V-2 rocket that had been used to attack London and other targets earlier in the war. Their success during the 1940s and 50s in developing the sophisticated technology required for military and space rockets, was the reason for rocket science being equated in the US public's mind with outstanding expertise. The perceived equation of 'rocket scientist = German = clever' can only have been enhanced by the persona of another German scientist of acknowledged genius, who was also working in the USA at the time - Albert Einstein.
The pre-eminence of German scientists in the space race was highlighted by a quotation from 1957, following the Soviet launch of Sputnik-1, the first orbiting satellite. The supposed reply to President Eisenhower's question "How did the Russians get there first?" was "Their Germans are better than our Germans". Many people have been attributed with the coining of that quip, which is a sure sign that no-one is now sure who said it first. It seems rather unlikely that the presidential conversation actually happened, but the line did reflect the national sentiment in the USA at the time and that feeling was the spur for even more German scientific manpower to be deployed, leading to the successful moon exploration programme, in which Von Braun was a central player.
If, by 1950, rocket science was generally accepted as being intellectually difficult and outside the capabilities of the average Joe, where and when did relatively undemanding tasks start being said to be 'not rocket science'? The answer to that is - the American Football field in the 1980s. Most of the early citations of 'not rocket science' relate to football; for example, this piece from a sports report in the Pennsylvania newspaper The Daily Intelligencer, December 1985:
"Coaching football is not rocket science and it's not brain surgery. It's a game, nothing more."
Prior to the 1980s, 'brain surgery' had been the occupation that simple tasks were said not to be. 'It's not brain surgery' dates from the 1960s. Before that, straightforward tasks were simply said to be 'as easy as pie' or 'as easy as falling off a log'.
Meaning
It (the subject under discussion) isn't difficult to understand.
Origin
It is probably no surprise to hear that this phrase is American in origin. Of the English-speaking countries, America was the first to adopt a sustained programme for the development of rocket science. The first people who were widely known as rocket scientists were a group of German military technologists, who were transported to the USA in 1945 following their capture by allied troops in WWII. Other similar groups were transported to the UK and the USSR.
Albert EinsteinLed by Werner Von Braun, the US group had previous expertise in the field, having developed the V-2 rocket that had been used to attack London and other targets earlier in the war. Their success during the 1940s and 50s in developing the sophisticated technology required for military and space rockets, was the reason for rocket science being equated in the US public's mind with outstanding expertise. The perceived equation of 'rocket scientist = German = clever' can only have been enhanced by the persona of another German scientist of acknowledged genius, who was also working in the USA at the time - Albert Einstein.
The pre-eminence of German scientists in the space race was highlighted by a quotation from 1957, following the Soviet launch of Sputnik-1, the first orbiting satellite. The supposed reply to President Eisenhower's question "How did the Russians get there first?" was "Their Germans are better than our Germans". Many people have been attributed with the coining of that quip, which is a sure sign that no-one is now sure who said it first. It seems rather unlikely that the presidential conversation actually happened, but the line did reflect the national sentiment in the USA at the time and that feeling was the spur for even more German scientific manpower to be deployed, leading to the successful moon exploration programme, in which Von Braun was a central player.
If, by 1950, rocket science was generally accepted as being intellectually difficult and outside the capabilities of the average Joe, where and when did relatively undemanding tasks start being said to be 'not rocket science'? The answer to that is - the American Football field in the 1980s. Most of the early citations of 'not rocket science' relate to football; for example, this piece from a sports report in the Pennsylvania newspaper The Daily Intelligencer, December 1985:
"Coaching football is not rocket science and it's not brain surgery. It's a game, nothing more."
Prior to the 1980s, 'brain surgery' had been the occupation that simple tasks were said not to be. 'It's not brain surgery' dates from the 1960s. Before that, straightforward tasks were simply said to be 'as easy as pie' or 'as easy as falling off a log'.
Once in a Blue Moon........................
Once in a blue moon...........................
Meaning............Very rarely.
Origin.....................
Ask the man on the Clapham omnibus the question 'What is a blue moon exactly?' and you are likely to get one of three answers:
1. Duh.
2. It's the second full moon in a calendar month.
3. It's when the moon looks blue.
Let's start with 3. Very occasionally, the moon actually does appear to be blue. This sometimes occurs after a volcanic eruption, like that of Krakatao in 1883. Dust particles in the atmosphere are normally of a size to diffract blue light, making the moon appear reddish at sunset. Larger volcanic dust particles diffract red light, making the moon appear bluish.
Tempting as it is to suppose that something that happens very rarely, and which is mentioned by name in a phrase that means 'very rarely', is the source of the phrase, it probably isn't.
Actual examples of the moon appearing blue would in fact be the exception that proves the rule, as the 'blue moon' was originally something that was considered not rare but impossible. The two notions, 'a blue moon' and 'the moon is made of green cheese', were synonyms for absurdity, like 'pigs might fly'.
The 'blue moon' expression with the 'impossibility' meaning is old and dates back to mediaeval England. For example, a work by William Barlow, the Bishop of Chichester, the Treatyse of the Buryall of the Masse, 1528, included a sarcastic reference to a blue moon:
If they saye the mone is belewe, We must beleve that it is true.
In the following year, John Frith's essay A pistle to the christen reader, 1529, included:
"They wold make men beleue... that ye mone is made of grene chese."
Only after several centuries, and after the original usage had long since died out, did 'once in a blue moon' come to mean something that didn't happen very often. The earliest example of it that I can find is in Pierce Egan’s Real Life in London, 1821:
How’s Harry and Ben? - haven’t seen you this blue moon.
Moving on to answer No. 2. To explain that one we have to follow a long trail of etymological research, leading back to an American amateur astronomer called James Pruett.
Since 1819, The Maine Farmers' Almanac has listed the dates of forthcoming blue moons. The compilers of the almanac had their own definition of what blue moons are. This derives from the fact that lunar and calendar months aren't quite the same and that some years have 13 full moons. In a typical 12-moon year, the moons all have names, like the familiar 'Harvest Moon', 'Hunter's Moon' etc. In a 13-moon year the extra moon is, somewhat arbitrarily, deemed to be the third moon in the season that has four rather than the usual three, and is called the 'Blue Moon'. The aforementioned James Pruett read an edition of the Maine Farmers' Almanac, but misinterpreted the system and printed the 'second full moon in a month' version in a 1946 edition of the Sky & Telescope Magazine. For some reason, probably because it ended up being printed as an answer in an early version of Trivial Pursuit, Pruett's version has gained currency.
Two full moons in a month isn't really all that rare an occurrence - it happens approximately every three years. Despite it being both inaccurate and coined by mistake, Pruett's No. 2 answer is now widely accepted as a definition of 'blue moon'.
Meaning............Very rarely.
Origin.....................
Ask the man on the Clapham omnibus the question 'What is a blue moon exactly?' and you are likely to get one of three answers:
1. Duh.
2. It's the second full moon in a calendar month.
3. It's when the moon looks blue.
Let's start with 3. Very occasionally, the moon actually does appear to be blue. This sometimes occurs after a volcanic eruption, like that of Krakatao in 1883. Dust particles in the atmosphere are normally of a size to diffract blue light, making the moon appear reddish at sunset. Larger volcanic dust particles diffract red light, making the moon appear bluish.
Tempting as it is to suppose that something that happens very rarely, and which is mentioned by name in a phrase that means 'very rarely', is the source of the phrase, it probably isn't.
Actual examples of the moon appearing blue would in fact be the exception that proves the rule, as the 'blue moon' was originally something that was considered not rare but impossible. The two notions, 'a blue moon' and 'the moon is made of green cheese', were synonyms for absurdity, like 'pigs might fly'.
The 'blue moon' expression with the 'impossibility' meaning is old and dates back to mediaeval England. For example, a work by William Barlow, the Bishop of Chichester, the Treatyse of the Buryall of the Masse, 1528, included a sarcastic reference to a blue moon:
If they saye the mone is belewe, We must beleve that it is true.
In the following year, John Frith's essay A pistle to the christen reader, 1529, included:
"They wold make men beleue... that ye mone is made of grene chese."
Only after several centuries, and after the original usage had long since died out, did 'once in a blue moon' come to mean something that didn't happen very often. The earliest example of it that I can find is in Pierce Egan’s Real Life in London, 1821:
How’s Harry and Ben? - haven’t seen you this blue moon.
Moving on to answer No. 2. To explain that one we have to follow a long trail of etymological research, leading back to an American amateur astronomer called James Pruett.
Since 1819, The Maine Farmers' Almanac has listed the dates of forthcoming blue moons. The compilers of the almanac had their own definition of what blue moons are. This derives from the fact that lunar and calendar months aren't quite the same and that some years have 13 full moons. In a typical 12-moon year, the moons all have names, like the familiar 'Harvest Moon', 'Hunter's Moon' etc. In a 13-moon year the extra moon is, somewhat arbitrarily, deemed to be the third moon in the season that has four rather than the usual three, and is called the 'Blue Moon'. The aforementioned James Pruett read an edition of the Maine Farmers' Almanac, but misinterpreted the system and printed the 'second full moon in a month' version in a 1946 edition of the Sky & Telescope Magazine. For some reason, probably because it ended up being printed as an answer in an early version of Trivial Pursuit, Pruett's version has gained currency.
Two full moons in a month isn't really all that rare an occurrence - it happens approximately every three years. Despite it being both inaccurate and coined by mistake, Pruett's No. 2 answer is now widely accepted as a definition of 'blue moon'.
Drag Race..................................
Drag race................Meaning....................
A race between road vehicles - usually two vehicles over a quarter mile straight track and from a standing start. The race is essentially a competition to determine which vehicle has the greater acceleration.
Origin.......................................
My first thoughts on the origin of the term 'drag race' brought to mind images of horses and hounds chasing after a scent left by dragging a smelly carcass or cloth along the ground. Those thoughts were probably due to the recent increase in the number of drag hunts in the UK, since the rather ineffective ban on fox hunting was introduced in 2005. While it is correct that hounds have been raced along scent trails since at least the early 1900s and that this continues, it turns out that the US sport of drag racing has only a very tenuous connection with anything being dragged along.
To trace the origin of the 'drag race' we need to go back to the pre-supercharged days of the 1500s, when a drag was a heavy sledge that was dragged by horses. This form of cart without wheels was known from the 14th century, under the name of dray. In the 1570s, Elizabeth I introduced various legislative acts that were collectively known as the Poor Laws. The 1576 act included this text:
Sleades, carres, or drags, furnished for... repairing... high wayes.
Road flattening work is these days done using heavy wheeled vehicles called scrapers.
Neither the mediaeval sleds nor the modern day scrapers seem to be the stuff of drag racing, so where's the connection?
That connection comes in the 18th century, by which time smaller drags/drays were being used for the hawking of goods, and the poor souls who hauled them around had the ingenious idea of adding wheels. Samuel Johnson defined such a vehicle in A dictionary of the English Language, 1755:
Drag ... Somewhat like a low car: it is used for the carriage of timber, and then is drawn by the handle by two or more men.
Before long, the term 'drag' came to be used for the thoroughfares along which drags were trundled. The poor get in on the act again (they are always with us, after all) in Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor, 1851:
Another woman... whose husband has got a month for "griddling in the main drag" (singing in the high street).
The 'roadway' meaning of drag was transferred from England to the USA and, in the 1950s, the teenage pastime of racing cars 'along the main drag' began to be called 'hot rodding' or 'drag racing'. There are also references to dog drag races in publications throughout the 20th century, but the earliest that explicitly mention cars come from from the 1950s. An example of that comes in this heartfelt piece from The Southeast Missourian newspaper in June 1950, entitled Teenage Crime:
"There have been entirely to many hot rod exhibitions of fender tagging and drag racing.
Before long the street pastime became a sport, first taking place on disused airstrips and later on purpose-built drag strips, the US National Hot Rod Association being formed in 1951. So, the link to the original meaning of drag is almost lost - drag racing is no longer done with or on drags and nothing is dragged along.
My initial imagery might have had more linguistic validity had I opted for a picture of camp gentlemen in wigs and frocks racing each other. That 'men dressing as women' meaning of the word drag actually does derive from dragging something along - in that case female impersonators dragging long dresses across the stage.
A race between road vehicles - usually two vehicles over a quarter mile straight track and from a standing start. The race is essentially a competition to determine which vehicle has the greater acceleration.
Origin.......................................
My first thoughts on the origin of the term 'drag race' brought to mind images of horses and hounds chasing after a scent left by dragging a smelly carcass or cloth along the ground. Those thoughts were probably due to the recent increase in the number of drag hunts in the UK, since the rather ineffective ban on fox hunting was introduced in 2005. While it is correct that hounds have been raced along scent trails since at least the early 1900s and that this continues, it turns out that the US sport of drag racing has only a very tenuous connection with anything being dragged along.
To trace the origin of the 'drag race' we need to go back to the pre-supercharged days of the 1500s, when a drag was a heavy sledge that was dragged by horses. This form of cart without wheels was known from the 14th century, under the name of dray. In the 1570s, Elizabeth I introduced various legislative acts that were collectively known as the Poor Laws. The 1576 act included this text:
Sleades, carres, or drags, furnished for... repairing... high wayes.
Road flattening work is these days done using heavy wheeled vehicles called scrapers.
Neither the mediaeval sleds nor the modern day scrapers seem to be the stuff of drag racing, so where's the connection?
That connection comes in the 18th century, by which time smaller drags/drays were being used for the hawking of goods, and the poor souls who hauled them around had the ingenious idea of adding wheels. Samuel Johnson defined such a vehicle in A dictionary of the English Language, 1755:
Drag ... Somewhat like a low car: it is used for the carriage of timber, and then is drawn by the handle by two or more men.
Before long, the term 'drag' came to be used for the thoroughfares along which drags were trundled. The poor get in on the act again (they are always with us, after all) in Henry Mayhew’s London Labour and the London Poor, 1851:
Another woman... whose husband has got a month for "griddling in the main drag" (singing in the high street).
The 'roadway' meaning of drag was transferred from England to the USA and, in the 1950s, the teenage pastime of racing cars 'along the main drag' began to be called 'hot rodding' or 'drag racing'. There are also references to dog drag races in publications throughout the 20th century, but the earliest that explicitly mention cars come from from the 1950s. An example of that comes in this heartfelt piece from The Southeast Missourian newspaper in June 1950, entitled Teenage Crime:
"There have been entirely to many hot rod exhibitions of fender tagging and drag racing.
Before long the street pastime became a sport, first taking place on disused airstrips and later on purpose-built drag strips, the US National Hot Rod Association being formed in 1951. So, the link to the original meaning of drag is almost lost - drag racing is no longer done with or on drags and nothing is dragged along.
My initial imagery might have had more linguistic validity had I opted for a picture of camp gentlemen in wigs and frocks racing each other. That 'men dressing as women' meaning of the word drag actually does derive from dragging something along - in that case female impersonators dragging long dresses across the stage.
AS PLEASED AS PUNCH.........................
As pleased as Punch ......Meaning.........Very pleased.
Origin............................
'As pleased as Punch' derives from the Mr. Punch puppet character. Punch's name itself derives from Polichinello (spelled various ways, including Punchinello), a puppet used in the 16th century Italian Commedia dell'arte.
Punch and Judy shows, the popular summer-time entertainments on British beaches, have been somewhat in decline from the latter half of the 20th century onward, due to them being seen as politically incorrect. That's hardly surprising as the main character Punch is a wife-beating serial killer.
In performance, the grotesque Punch character is depicted as self-satisfied and delighted with his evil deeds and squawking "That's the way to do it!" whenever he dispatches another victim. Nevertheless, there is still what might be called a folk affection for the old rogue in the UK and it would be a shame to see the tradition fade away completely.
The show had an Italian origin and has been much changed over the years. It began in Britain at the time of the restoration of the monarchy in the 17th century. Samuel Pepys' Diary has an entry from 1666 that shows this early origin and also the popularity of the show even then:
"I with my wife... by coach to Moorefields, and there saw ‘Polichinello’, which pleases me mightily."
The phrase 'as pleased as Punch' appears fairly late in the story. The earliest known record is from William Gifford's satires The Baviad, and Maeviad, 1797:
Oh! how my fingers itch to pull thy nose! As pleased as Punch, I'd hold it in my gripe.
'As pleased as Punch' is now the most common form of the expression. When the term was coined it was just as usual to say 'as proud as Punch'. Charles Dickens, for example used the two terms interchangeably in his novels. For example:
David Copperfield, 1850: I am as proud as Punch to think that I once had the honor of being connected with your family.
Hard Times, 1854: When Sissy got into the school here..her father was as pleased as Punch.
Origin............................
'As pleased as Punch' derives from the Mr. Punch puppet character. Punch's name itself derives from Polichinello (spelled various ways, including Punchinello), a puppet used in the 16th century Italian Commedia dell'arte.
Punch and Judy shows, the popular summer-time entertainments on British beaches, have been somewhat in decline from the latter half of the 20th century onward, due to them being seen as politically incorrect. That's hardly surprising as the main character Punch is a wife-beating serial killer.
In performance, the grotesque Punch character is depicted as self-satisfied and delighted with his evil deeds and squawking "That's the way to do it!" whenever he dispatches another victim. Nevertheless, there is still what might be called a folk affection for the old rogue in the UK and it would be a shame to see the tradition fade away completely.
The show had an Italian origin and has been much changed over the years. It began in Britain at the time of the restoration of the monarchy in the 17th century. Samuel Pepys' Diary has an entry from 1666 that shows this early origin and also the popularity of the show even then:
"I with my wife... by coach to Moorefields, and there saw ‘Polichinello’, which pleases me mightily."
The phrase 'as pleased as Punch' appears fairly late in the story. The earliest known record is from William Gifford's satires The Baviad, and Maeviad, 1797:
Oh! how my fingers itch to pull thy nose! As pleased as Punch, I'd hold it in my gripe.
'As pleased as Punch' is now the most common form of the expression. When the term was coined it was just as usual to say 'as proud as Punch'. Charles Dickens, for example used the two terms interchangeably in his novels. For example:
David Copperfield, 1850: I am as proud as Punch to think that I once had the honor of being connected with your family.
Hard Times, 1854: When Sissy got into the school here..her father was as pleased as Punch.
Make these realities happen in your life...............................
Make these realities happen in your life..................
Always feel happy, You know why? .....................
Because don't expect anything from anyone,Expectations always hurt......
Life is short.. So love your life.. Be happy.. And Keep smiling.. Just Live for yourself and
Before you speak Listen
Before you write Think
Before you spend Earn
Before you pray Forgive
Before you hurt Feel
Before you hate Love
Before you quit Try
Before you die Live
That's Life...Feel it, Live it & Enjoy it.
Always feel happy, You know why? .....................
Because don't expect anything from anyone,Expectations always hurt......
Life is short.. So love your life.. Be happy.. And Keep smiling.. Just Live for yourself and
Before you speak Listen
Before you write Think
Before you spend Earn
Before you pray Forgive
Before you hurt Feel
Before you hate Love
Before you quit Try
Before you die Live
That's Life...Feel it, Live it & Enjoy it.
Precious moments.......................................
Precious moments.......................
Never take life for granted
Whatever comes your way,
Just grasp it in both hands
And enjoy it every day.
Sometimes sorrow comes your way
Blocking out the light,
That's the time to pray and
To know you'll win the fight.
Life is but a journey
Through mountains, hills and valleys
We cannot have the sunshine
If we have no rain and gales.
So enjoy each precious moment,
And always give your best.................And
Remember to keep faith in God
Then you'll be truly blessed.
Never take life for granted
Whatever comes your way,
Just grasp it in both hands
And enjoy it every day.
Sometimes sorrow comes your way
Blocking out the light,
That's the time to pray and
To know you'll win the fight.
Life is but a journey
Through mountains, hills and valleys
We cannot have the sunshine
If we have no rain and gales.
So enjoy each precious moment,
And always give your best.................And
Remember to keep faith in God
Then you'll be truly blessed.
No going back in life..........................
No Going Back In Life......................
In life there is no going back.
The road lies straight ahead.
You cant return along the track
to see out what has past.
You can't undo your past mistakes;
even wishing to do so is in vain.
But in between all this; Dont forget
that you can always try again.........future is ahead of you
In life there is no going back.
The road lies straight ahead.
You cant return along the track
to see out what has past.
You can't undo your past mistakes;
even wishing to do so is in vain.
But in between all this; Dont forget
that you can always try again.........future is ahead of you
Not Knowing..........................
Not Knowing...........................
Nothing is exciting if you know what the outcome is going to be.
You keep wanting to know how things will play out,keep asking to see the future.
God doesn't give anyone the power to know the future,
because life becomes maddeningly boring when
you know everything upfront.
So, instead of struggling, enjoy the uncertainity -
to be alive means to not know.
Nothing is exciting if you know what the outcome is going to be.
You keep wanting to know how things will play out,keep asking to see the future.
God doesn't give anyone the power to know the future,
because life becomes maddeningly boring when
you know everything upfront.
So, instead of struggling, enjoy the uncertainity -
to be alive means to not know.
Enthusiasm..................................
Enthusiasm........................
When enthusiasm strikes, you know because you
Want to jump up and down and scream with
Happiness. It's a moment when your heart soars
Because you have just felt or done something that
Inspires you deep within.
Enthusiasm is where your body screams with
Excitement and you hear that "Yes !" from deep
Inside. It's one of the best feelings in the world.
Today onwards, no matter what your rational mind says look
And listen for places, events, ideas, people and
Activities that make your heart shout a loud "Yes!"
Next, spend time WITH YOUR FAMILY deciding how to bring more of
Those into your life.
Make a commitment to yourself to do the things you
Need to do to live a more enthusiastic life. When
You're enthusiastic you look forward to each and
Every day. And, that is what makes life so fun!
When enthusiasm strikes, you know because you
Want to jump up and down and scream with
Happiness. It's a moment when your heart soars
Because you have just felt or done something that
Inspires you deep within.
Enthusiasm is where your body screams with
Excitement and you hear that "Yes !" from deep
Inside. It's one of the best feelings in the world.
Today onwards, no matter what your rational mind says look
And listen for places, events, ideas, people and
Activities that make your heart shout a loud "Yes!"
Next, spend time WITH YOUR FAMILY deciding how to bring more of
Those into your life.
Make a commitment to yourself to do the things you
Need to do to live a more enthusiastic life. When
You're enthusiastic you look forward to each and
Every day. And, that is what makes life so fun!
Every one has opportunity for......................................
Every one has opportunity for success in life.................
People often handle life as they do bad weather...................
They while away the time waiting for it to stop. Yet the tide of opportunity comes to everyone.
Opportunity knocks all the time, But you've got to be ready for it.
When your chance comes, You must have the equipment to take advantage of it.
The race is not to the swift Or the battle to the strong, For time and chance happen to everyone. Take a second look at what appears To be someone's "good luck."
You'll find not luck but preparation, Planning and success-producing thinking. When you're prepared for opportunity Your chance for success is sure to come.
The season of failure is the best time For sowing the seeds of success.
People often handle life as they do bad weather...................
They while away the time waiting for it to stop. Yet the tide of opportunity comes to everyone.
Opportunity knocks all the time, But you've got to be ready for it.
When your chance comes, You must have the equipment to take advantage of it.
The race is not to the swift Or the battle to the strong, For time and chance happen to everyone. Take a second look at what appears To be someone's "good luck."
You'll find not luck but preparation, Planning and success-producing thinking. When you're prepared for opportunity Your chance for success is sure to come.
The season of failure is the best time For sowing the seeds of success.
Philosophy of Upanishads.............................
Random Teachings from the Upanishads.......................
Here are a collection of teachings from various Upanishads.
No one can understand the sound of a drum without understanding both the drum and the drummer.
Let one therefore keep the mind pure for what a man thinks, that he becomes.
The only way to know it is to become it.
Self-knowledge is the best of all forms of knowledge; through it, one attains immortality.
Know yourself, so what you’ve done won’t burn you. Nor will what you’ve left undone.
As is the human body, so the cosmic body; as is the human mind, so the cosmic mind; as is the atom, so the Universe.
The spirit down here in man and the spirit up there in the sun, in reality are only one spirit, and there is no other one.
Out of abundance he took abundance and still abundance remained.
In a world where everything changes the divine is everywhere present.
Source: An Introduction by Edmond Holmes to the Philosophy of the Upanishads.
Here are a collection of teachings from various Upanishads.
No one can understand the sound of a drum without understanding both the drum and the drummer.
Let one therefore keep the mind pure for what a man thinks, that he becomes.
The only way to know it is to become it.
Self-knowledge is the best of all forms of knowledge; through it, one attains immortality.
Know yourself, so what you’ve done won’t burn you. Nor will what you’ve left undone.
As is the human body, so the cosmic body; as is the human mind, so the cosmic mind; as is the atom, so the Universe.
The spirit down here in man and the spirit up there in the sun, in reality are only one spirit, and there is no other one.
Out of abundance he took abundance and still abundance remained.
In a world where everything changes the divine is everywhere present.
Source: An Introduction by Edmond Holmes to the Philosophy of the Upanishads.
What does Upanishad Teach us??
What do the Upanishads teach us?...............
The authors of the Upanishads did not all think alike; but, taking their meditations as a whole, we may say that they are dominated by one paramount conception’ that of the ideal of oneness of the soul of man with the soul of the universe.
The Sanskrit word for the soul of man is Atman and the word for the soul of the universe is Brahman.
‘God’s dwelling place’, says Professor Radhakrishnan in this exposition of the philosophy of the Upanishads, ‘is the heart of man. The inner immortal self and the great cosmic power are one and the same.’
Brahman is the Atman, and the Atman is the Brahman. The one supreme power through which all things have been brought into being is one with the inmost self in each man’s heart.’
What is real in each of us is his self or soul. What is real in universe is its self or soul, in virtue of which its All is One, and the name for which in our language is God.
In other words of one of the Upanishads: ‘He who is the Brahman in man and who is that in the sun, these are one.’
Edmond Holmes
The authors of the Upanishads did not all think alike; but, taking their meditations as a whole, we may say that they are dominated by one paramount conception’ that of the ideal of oneness of the soul of man with the soul of the universe.
The Sanskrit word for the soul of man is Atman and the word for the soul of the universe is Brahman.
‘God’s dwelling place’, says Professor Radhakrishnan in this exposition of the philosophy of the Upanishads, ‘is the heart of man. The inner immortal self and the great cosmic power are one and the same.’
Brahman is the Atman, and the Atman is the Brahman. The one supreme power through which all things have been brought into being is one with the inmost self in each man’s heart.’
What is real in each of us is his self or soul. What is real in universe is its self or soul, in virtue of which its All is One, and the name for which in our language is God.
In other words of one of the Upanishads: ‘He who is the Brahman in man and who is that in the sun, these are one.’
Edmond Holmes
Motivational Teachings
Motivational Teachings....................
The Vedanta recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.
Every time you think in that way, you, as it were, rivet one more link in the chain that binds you down; you add one more layer of hypnotism on to your own soul. Therefore, whosoever thinks he is weak is wrong, whosoever thinks he is impure is wrong, and is throwing a bad thought into the world.
This we must always bear in mind that in the Vedanta there is no attempt at reconciling the present life with the ideal; but this false life must go, and the real life which always exists must manifest itself, must shine out.
No man becomes purer and purer; it is a matter of greater manifestation. The veil drops away, and the native purity of the soul begins to manifest itself. Everything is ours already – infinite purity, freedom, love, and power.
Swami Vivekananda
The Vedanta recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.
Every time you think in that way, you, as it were, rivet one more link in the chain that binds you down; you add one more layer of hypnotism on to your own soul. Therefore, whosoever thinks he is weak is wrong, whosoever thinks he is impure is wrong, and is throwing a bad thought into the world.
This we must always bear in mind that in the Vedanta there is no attempt at reconciling the present life with the ideal; but this false life must go, and the real life which always exists must manifest itself, must shine out.
No man becomes purer and purer; it is a matter of greater manifestation. The veil drops away, and the native purity of the soul begins to manifest itself. Everything is ours already – infinite purity, freedom, love, and power.
Swami Vivekananda
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Thoughts on Creation from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad..................
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad contains several ideas of creation of the universe and living beings. Here is one such idea found in it.
He, verily, had no delight. Therefore he who is alone has no delight. He desired a second. He became as large as a woman and a man in close embrace. He caused that self to fall into two parts. From that arose husband and wife. Therefore, as Yajnavalkaya used to say, this body is one half of oneself, like one of the two halves of a split pea. Therefore this space is filled by a wife. He became united with her. From that human beings were produced. (Chapter 1, 4, 4).
Dr S Radha Krishna explains this idea as –
Both are his elements. The two are not separate and the theory is not one of final dualism.
The original being, atman or self, looks around and sees nothing else but himself. When he realizes his loneliness, he has two feelings one of fear and the other of desire for companionship. His fear is dispelled when he realizes that there is nothing else of which he has to be afraid. His desire for companionship is satisfied by his dividing himself into two parts which are then called husband and wife.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad contains several ideas of creation of the universe and living beings. Here is one such idea found in it.
He, verily, had no delight. Therefore he who is alone has no delight. He desired a second. He became as large as a woman and a man in close embrace. He caused that self to fall into two parts. From that arose husband and wife. Therefore, as Yajnavalkaya used to say, this body is one half of oneself, like one of the two halves of a split pea. Therefore this space is filled by a wife. He became united with her. From that human beings were produced. (Chapter 1, 4, 4).
Dr S Radha Krishna explains this idea as –
Both are his elements. The two are not separate and the theory is not one of final dualism.
The original being, atman or self, looks around and sees nothing else but himself. When he realizes his loneliness, he has two feelings one of fear and the other of desire for companionship. His fear is dispelled when he realizes that there is nothing else of which he has to be afraid. His desire for companionship is satisfied by his dividing himself into two parts which are then called husband and wife.
Be God loving.......................
Osho on Why Hindus Don’t use the Word God-Fearing..................
In English we have a word, ‘god-fearing,’ for religious people. A god-fearing person can never be religious, because if you fear God you cannot love him. Love and fear cannot exist together.
With fear, hate can exist, love cannot exist with fear, anger can exist, love cannot; with fear you can bow down, but you cannot surrender; with fear you can be in a relationship between a slave and a master, but there cannot be a love relationship.Be God loving
Hindus and Buddhists have a totally different attitude, and that attitude is different because they think the whole existence is a cosmic play; you can be playful.
(Source: Vedanta – The Supreme Knowledge)
In English we have a word, ‘god-fearing,’ for religious people. A god-fearing person can never be religious, because if you fear God you cannot love him. Love and fear cannot exist together.
With fear, hate can exist, love cannot exist with fear, anger can exist, love cannot; with fear you can bow down, but you cannot surrender; with fear you can be in a relationship between a slave and a master, but there cannot be a love relationship.Be God loving
Hindus and Buddhists have a totally different attitude, and that attitude is different because they think the whole existence is a cosmic play; you can be playful.
(Source: Vedanta – The Supreme Knowledge)
Thoughts on Happiness..............................
Swami Chinmayananda Thoughts on Happiness..................
On a careful analysis we find that man’s happiness is entirely a subjective phenomenon, for there seems to be a distinct and clear relationship between the state of his mind and the joy or sorrow that is experienced by him. When the mind is agitated, sorrow is experienced and when it is tranquil, there is joy. Happiness, therefore, is measured by the tranquility of one’s mind.
Man, the roof and crown of creation, has the unique capacity of quieting his mind without helplessly depending upon the objects around him. But this capacity now lies dormant in him and he, unaware of it, foolishly tries to procure happiness through the objects of the world, which have only a false glitter of joy. They can give, indeed, no enduring and everlasting satisfaction.
Our great religious books help to awaken and promote this dormant faculty in man. He need not run after the sense objects to attain some fleeting experiences of joy. He can get engaged in a more permanent and a fuller happiness, which is wholly independent of the availability of agreeable objects and environment.
(Source: Kindle Life by Swami Chinmayananda)
On a careful analysis we find that man’s happiness is entirely a subjective phenomenon, for there seems to be a distinct and clear relationship between the state of his mind and the joy or sorrow that is experienced by him. When the mind is agitated, sorrow is experienced and when it is tranquil, there is joy. Happiness, therefore, is measured by the tranquility of one’s mind.
Man, the roof and crown of creation, has the unique capacity of quieting his mind without helplessly depending upon the objects around him. But this capacity now lies dormant in him and he, unaware of it, foolishly tries to procure happiness through the objects of the world, which have only a false glitter of joy. They can give, indeed, no enduring and everlasting satisfaction.
Our great religious books help to awaken and promote this dormant faculty in man. He need not run after the sense objects to attain some fleeting experiences of joy. He can get engaged in a more permanent and a fuller happiness, which is wholly independent of the availability of agreeable objects and environment.
(Source: Kindle Life by Swami Chinmayananda)
Repetition of Holy name of God.............
Repetition of Holy Name of God.............
Repetition of the Holy name of the Lord is very good. The mind will become pure through it. While repeating the name of the Lord you should keep remembrance of the Lord in your mind. Such repetition and remembrance will do much good. Mere repetition without the remembrance of the God will not be of much use.
As you proceed with meditation you will see that you are, getting more and more realization. There is no use in merely reading the Shastras (Sacred Scriptures) and discussing about them.
By meditation the mind will become pure, and when the mind becomes pure, realization of God follows as a matter of course. Ordinarily, we hold our mind on worldly matters. No result worth the name comes out of this. But if we fix our mind in the pure thought of God, we will feel a taste of divine bliss.
Swami Nirmalananda (1863 - 1938) A great disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
Repetition of the Holy name of the Lord is very good. The mind will become pure through it. While repeating the name of the Lord you should keep remembrance of the Lord in your mind. Such repetition and remembrance will do much good. Mere repetition without the remembrance of the God will not be of much use.
As you proceed with meditation you will see that you are, getting more and more realization. There is no use in merely reading the Shastras (Sacred Scriptures) and discussing about them.
By meditation the mind will become pure, and when the mind becomes pure, realization of God follows as a matter of course. Ordinarily, we hold our mind on worldly matters. No result worth the name comes out of this. But if we fix our mind in the pure thought of God, we will feel a taste of divine bliss.
Swami Nirmalananda (1863 - 1938) A great disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
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