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Faith looks up  

Suresh Babu , 0 comments

THE BUZZARD:




If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and
is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its
ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is
that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a
run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit,
it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner
for life in a small jail with no top.

THE BAT:



The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkable nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt, painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.

THE BUMBLEBEE:



A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom.. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.

PEOPLE:

In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up! That's the answer, the escape route and the solution to any problem! Just look up.



Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, But faith looks up!

Live simply, love generously , care deeply, and speak kindly.

10 Tips from Robin Sharma's " Pillar of Mastery"  

Suresh Babu 7 comments



1. Sleep less. This is one of the best investments you can make to make your life more productive and rewarding. Try getting up one hour earlier or sleeping an hour later, for 21 days and it will develop into a powerful habit. Just imagine having an extra 30 hours a month to spend on the things that are important to you.

2. Start your day well – it’s a powerful strategy for self-renewal and personal effectiveness. Set aside one hour every morning for personal development matters. Meditate, visualize your day, read inspirational texts to set the tone of your day, listen to motivational tapes or read great literature. Take this quiet period to vitalize and energize your spirit for the productive day ahead.

3. Manage Time- Do not allow those things that matter the most in your life be at the mercy of activities that matter the least. Every day, take the time to ask yourself the question "is this the best use of my time and energy?" Time management is life management so guard your time with care.

4. Jot down Ideas -Throughout the day we all get inspiration and excellent ideas. Keep a set of cards (the size of business cards; available at most stationary stores) in your wallet along with a pencil to jot down these insights. When you get home, put the ideas in a central place such as a coil notepad and review them from time to time. As noted by Oliver Wendell Holmes: "Man's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions."

5. Always remember the key principle that the quality of your life is the quality of your communication. This means the way you communicate with others and, more importantly, the way you communicate with yourself. What you focus on is what you get. If you look for the positive this is what you get. This is a fundamental law of Nature.

6. Stay on purpose, not on outcome. In other words, do the task because it is what you love to do or because it will help someone or is a valuable exercise. Don't do it for the money or the recognition. Those will come naturally. This is the way of the world.

7. Enhance your will-power; it is likely one of the best training programs you can invest in. Here are some ideas to strengthen your will and become a stronger person: Do not let your mind float like a piece of paper in the wind. Focus. When doing a task, think of nothing else. When walking to work, count the steps that it takes to get all the way to the office. This is not easy but your mind will soon understand that you hold its reins and not vice versa. Your mind must eventually become as still as a candle flame in a corner where there is no draft.

8. Associate only with positive, focused people who you can learn from and who will not drain your valuable energy with complaining and uninspiring attitudes. By developing relationships with those committed to constant improvement and the pursuit of the best that life has to offer, you will have plenty of company on your path to the top of whatever mountain you seek to climb.

9. You must have a mission statement in life. This is simply a set of guiding principles which clearly state where you are going and where you want to be at the end of your life. A mission statement embodies your values. It is your personal lighthouse keeping you steadily on the course of your dreams. Over a period of one month, set a few hours aside to write down five or ten principles which will govern your life and which will keep you focused at all times. Examples might be to consistently serve others, to be a considerate citizen, to become highly wealthy or to serve as a powerful leader. Whatever the mission statement of your life, refine it and review it regularly. Then when something adverse happens or someone tries to pull you off course, you quickly and precisely return to your chosen path with the full knowledge that you are moving in the direction that you have selected.

10. No one can insult or hurt you without your permission. One of the golden keys to happiness and great success is the way you interpret events which unfold before you. Highly successful people are master interpreters. People who have attained greatness have an ability which they have developed to interpret negative or disempowering events as positive challenges which will assist them in growing and moving even farther up the ladder of success. There are no negative experiences only experiences which aid in your development and toughen your character so that you may soar to new heights. There are no failures, only lessons.

And a disclaimer from Sharma

“Do not take personal development books as gospel. Read them and take whatever useful ideas you need. Some people feel they must do everything suggested and take the techniques to extremes. Every book has at least one tool or strategy of benefit. Take what you need and what works for you and discard what doesn't suit you.”

The ' L I T T L E ' Things Positive Thinking  

Suresh Babu 2 comments



As you might remember, the head of a company survived 9/11

Because his son started to kindergarten.

Another fellow was alive because it was
His turn to bring donuts.

One woman was late because her
Alarm clock didn't go off in time.

One was late because of being stuck on the NJ Turnpike
Because of an auto accident.

One of them Missed his bus.

One spilled food on her clothes and had to take Time to change.

One's Car wouldn't start.

One couldn't Get a taxi.

The one that struck me was the man
Who put on a new pair of shoes that morning,
Took the various means to get to work
But before he got there, he developed
A blister on his foot.
He stopped at a drugstore to buy a Band-Aid.
That is why he is alive today..


Now when I am
Stuck in traffic,
Miss an elevator,
Turn back to answer a ringing telephone...

All the little things that annoy me.
I think to myself,
This is exactly where
God wants me to be
At this very moment..

Next time your morning seems to be
Going wrong,
The children are slow getting dressed,
You can't seem to find the car keys,
You hit every traffic light,
Don't get mad or frustrated;
It May be just that
God is at work watching over you.

May God continue to bless you
With all those annoying little things
And may you remember their possible purpose.
Author- Anonymous

6 Millionaire Traits That You Can Adopt  

Suresh Babu , 0 comments

by Stephanie Powers
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
provided by


Millionaires have more in common with each other than just their bank accounts — for some millionaires, striking it rich took courage, salesmanship, vision and passion. Find out which traits are most common to the seven-figure bank account set, and what you can do to hone some of these skills in your own life.
1. Independent Thinking
Millionaires think differently. Not just about money, about everything. The time and energy everybody else spends attempting to conform, millionaires spend creating their own path. Since thoughts impact actions, people who want to be wealthy should think in a way that will get them to that goal. Independent thinking doesn't mean doing the opposite of what the rest of the world is doing; it means having the courage to follow what is important to you. So, the lesson here is to forge your own way, and let your success drive you to financial spoils - rather than doing it the other way around and trying to chase the money.Just look at David Geffen. A self-made millionaire with $4.5 billion to his name in 2009, this American record executive and film producer was college dropout, but made millions founding record agencies and signed some of the most prominent musicians of the 1970s and '80s. Although he didn't take what many assume to be the usual path to success, his tireless work ethic and sense of personal conviction about artists' potential allowed him to rack up a sizable fortune.
2. Vision
Millionaires are creative visionaries with a positive attitude. In other words, wealthy people not only have big dreams, they also believe they will come true. As such, wealth seekers should set lofty goals and not be afraid of uncharted territories.
Bill Gates, the world's richest person in 2009, did just that. The American chairman of Microsoft is one of the founding entrepreneurs who brought personal computers to the masses. Gates jumped into the personal computers business in 1975 and held on tight, creating Microsoft Windows in 1985. When consumers began to bring computers into their homes, Gates was ready to profit from this new age.
3. Skills
Writer Dennis Kimbro interviewed successful people to determine the traits they had in common for his book, "Think and Grow Rich" (1992). He found that they concentrated on their area of excellence. Millionaires also tend to partner with others to supplement their weaker skills. If you don't know what you are good at, poll friends and family. Use training and mentors to refine your strong skills.
4. Passion
Billionaire investing guru Warren Buffett says "Money is a by-product of something I like to do very much." Enjoying your work allows you to have the discipline to work hard at it every day. People who interact with money for a living, bankers for example, often love creating new deals and persuading others to complete a transaction. But finding your dream job may take time. The average millionaire doesn't find it until age 45, and tends to be 54 (on average) before becoming a millionaire. Kimbro found that millionaires tried an average of 17 ventures before they were successful. So, if you want to be rich, stop doing things you don't enjoy and do what you love. If you don't know what you love, try a few things and keep trying until you hit on the right thing.
5. Investment
Millionaires are willing to sacrifice time and money to achieve their goals. They are willing to take a risk now for the opportunity of achieving something greater in the future. Investing may include securities or starting a business - either way, it is a step toward achieving great financial rewards. Start investing now.
6. Salesmanship
Millionaires are constantly presenting their ideas and persuading others to buy into them. Good salesmen are oblivious to critics and naysayers. In other words, they don't take "no" for an answer. Millionaires also have good social skills. In fact, when writer T. Harv Eker analyzed the results of a survey of 753 millionaires for his book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" (2005), he found social skills were more important than IQ. Just look at Donald Trump. His fortune has fluctuated over the years, but his ability to sell himself - whether as a TV personality or as the force behind a line of neckties - has always brought him back among the ranks of celebrity millionaires.The ability to communicate with people is essential to selling your idea. Contrary to the traditional view of salesmen, millionaires cite honesty as an important factor in their success. If you want to be a millionaire, be an honest salesman and polish your social skills.
***
Becoming a millionaire is not a goal that can be achieved overnight for most people. In fact, many of the world's richest people built their wealth over many years (sometimes even generations) by making smart but often bold decisions, putting their skills to the best use possible and doggedly pursuing their vision. If you can learn anything about millionaires, it's that for many of them, their riches are not necessarily what most sets them apart from the rest of the world - it's what they did to earn those millions that really stands out.

Free the Birdies  

Suresh Babu 0 comments




Article By Lloyd Glenn

I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak today regarding the topic assigned to me, the importance of Temple attendance. Brothers and Sisters, throughout our lives we are blessed with spiritual experiences, some of which are very sacred and confidential, and others, although just as sacred, are meant to be shared.


Last summer my family had a spiritual experience that has had a lasting and profound impact on us, one we feel must be shared. It's a message of love. It's a message of regaining perspective, and restoring proper balance and renewing priorities.


In humility, I pray that I might, in relating this story, give you a gift my little son, Brian, gave our family one warm summer day last year.


On July 22nd I was en route to Washington, D.C. for a business trip. It was all so very ordinary until we landed in Denver for a plane change. As I collected my belongings from the overhead bin, an announcement was made for Mr. Lloyd Glenn to see the United customer service representative immediately. I thought nothing of this until I reached the door to leave the plane and I heard a gentleman asking every male if they were Mr. Glenn. At this point I knew something was wrong and my heart sunk.


When I got off the plane a solemn-faced young man came toward me and said, "Mr. Glenn, there has been an emergency at your home. I do not know what the emergency is, or who is involved, but I will take you to a phone so you can call the hospital.


My heart was now pounding, but the will to be calm took over. Woodenly, I followed this stranger to a distant telephone where I called the number he gave me for the Mission Hospital. My call was put through to the trauma center where I learned that my three-year-old son had been trapped underneath the automatic garage door for several minutes, and that when my wife had found him, he was dead. CPR had been performed by a neighbor, who is a doctor, and the paramedics had continued that treatment as Brian was transported to the hospital. By the time of my call, Brian was revived and they believed he would live, but they did not know how much damage had been done to his brain, nor to his heart. They explained that the door had completely closed on his little sternum right over his heart. He had been severely crushed.
After speaking with the medical staff, my wife informed me that our Bishop and hometeacher were there and were waiting for the doctors to give them the go ahead to administer to Brian. She sounded worried, but not hysterical, and I took comfort in her calmness.


The return flight seemed to last forever, but finally I arrived at the hospital six hours after the garage door had come down. When I walked into the intensive care unit, nothing could have prepared me to see my little son laying so still on a great big bed with tubes and monitors everywhere. He was on a respirator. I glanced at my wife who stood and tried to give me a reassuring smile. It all seemed like a terrible dream.


I was filled in on all the details and given the guarded prognosis. Brian was going to live, and the preliminary tests indicated that his heart was okay - two miracles, in and of themselves. But, only time would tell if his brain received any damage.


Throughout these seemingly endless hours, my wife was calm. She told me that the Bishop had given a blessing so powerful and so reassuring that she felt that Brian would eventually be all right. I hung on to her words and faith like a lifeline.


All that night and all the next day Brian remained unconscious. It seemed like forever since I had left for my business trip the day before. Finally, at two o'clock that afternoon, our son regained consciousness and sat up uttering the most beautiful words I have ever heard spoken. He said, "Daddy, hold me," as he reached for me with his little tiny arms.


By the next day he was pronounced as having no neurological or physical deficits, and the story of his miraculous survival spread throughout the hospital. You cannot imagine our gratitude and joy. As we took Brian home we felt the unique reverence for life and love of our Heavenly Father that comes to those who brush death so closely. In the days that followed there was a special spirit about our home. Our two older children were much closer to their little brother. My wife and I were closer to each other, and all of us were very close as a whole family. Life took on a less stressful pace. Perspective seemed to be much more focused, and balance much easier to gain and maintain. We felt deeply blessed. Our gratitude was truly profound.


Almost a month later to the day of the accident, Brian awoke from his afternoon nap and said, "Sit down, Mommy. I have something to tell you." At that time in his life, Brian usually spoke in small phrases, so to say such a large sentence surprised my wife. She sat down with him on the bed and he began this sacred and remarkable story.


"Do you remember when I got stuck under the garage door? Well, it was so heavy and it hurt really bad. I called to you, but you couldn't hear me. I started to cry, but then it hurt too bad. And then the 'birdies' came."


"The 'birdies'?" my wife asked puzzled. "Yes," he replied. "The 'birdies' made a whooshing sound and flew into the garage. They took care of me." "They did?" she asked. "Yes," he said. "One of the birdies came and got you. She came to tell you I got stuck under the door." A sweet and reverent feeling filled the room. The spirit was so strong and yet lighter than air. My wife realized that a three- year-old has no concept of death and spirits, so he was referring to the beings who came to help him from beyond the veil as "birdies" because they were up in the air like birds that fly.


"What did the 'birdies' look like?" she asked. Brian answered, "They were so beautiful. They were dressed in white, all white. Some of them had on green and white, but some of them had on just white." My wife thought this was intriguing because Brian had no clue what the color green was.


"Did they say anything?" "Yes," he answered. "They told me the baby would be all right." "The baby?" my wife asked, confused. And Brian answered, "Yes, the baby laying on the garage floor." He went on, "You came out and opened the garage door and ran to the baby. You told the baby to stay and not leave."


My wife nearly collapsed upon hearing this, for she had indeed gone and knelt beside Brian's body, and seeing his crushed chest and unrecognizable features, and knowing he was already dead, she looked up around her and whispered, "Don't leave us, Brian; please stay if you can."
As she listened to Brian telling her the words she had spoken, she realized that his spirit had left his body and was looking down from above on this little lifeless form. "Then what happened?" she asked.


"We went on a trip," he said, "far, far away." He grew agitated trying to say things he didn't seem to have words for. My wife tried to calm and comfort him, and let him know it would be okay. He struggled with wanting to tell something that obviously was very important to him, but finding the words was so difficult. Finally, his eyes alighted on the picture of the Oakland temple that hangs in the room and he ran to it. "I went there!" he shouted. "There, Mommy," he pointed to the temple. "And I went to other ones like this. There are lots of them. They are everywhere, and I went to some of them with the 'birdies'. We flew so fast up in the air."
To which my wife said, "That's one of the temples." "YES! YES!" he shouted. "I went to the temples."


"They're so pretty, Mommy," he added. "And there are lots and lots of 'birdies' in the temple. Lots of them are in cages and they want to get out, but they can't by themselves. They need us to let them out of the cages. Mommy, I have to go to the temple and let them out. They are so sad and they need me to let them out. Mommy, you have to go there now and let them out. And Daddy too. And everyone. We have to let them out of their cages."


My wife was stunned. Into her mind the sweet spirit enveloped her more soundly, but with an urgency she had never before known. She thought of the spirit world, the spirit prison to those who have not had saving ordinances done, and she knew that such spirits were relying on us to do these ordinances for them.


Brian went on to tell her that the 'birdies' told him that he had to come back and tell everyone about the temples and the 'birdies' in their cages. He said they brought him back to the house and that a big fire truck, a little fire truck, and an ambulance were there. A man was bringing the baby out on a white bed and he tried to tell the man that the baby would be okay, but the man couldn't hear him.


He said the 'birdies' told him he had to go with the ambulance, but they would be near him. He said it was so pretty there and so peaceful, and he didn't want to come back.
And then the bright light came. He said the light was bright and so warm, and he loved the bright light very much. Someone was in the bright light and put his arms around him and told him, "I love you, but you have to go back. You have to play baseball, tell everyone about the temples, and slay the alligators." Then the person in the bright light kissed him and waved bye-bye. Brian got in the ambulance with two of the 'birdies'. The ambulance doors closed after the people got in, and he said, "Then I saw my beautiful, beautiful 'birdies' waving bye-bye. Then whoosh, a big sound came and they went into the clouds."


The story went on for over an hour. He taught us that the "birdies" are always with us, but we don't see them because we look with our eyes, and we don't hear them because we listen with our ears. But, they are there, and you can only see them in here (he put his hand over his heart). They whisper the things that help us do what's right because they love us so much. Brian continued, stating, "I have a plan, Mommy. I have a plan. Daddy has a plan. Everyone has a plan. We all must live our plan and keep our promises. And the 'birdies' help us do that 'cause they love us so, so much."


In the weeks that followed, he often came to us and told all, or part it again and again. Always the story remained the same. The details were never changed or out of order. A few time he added further bits of information that clarified the message he had already delivered. It never ceased to amaze us how he could recall such detail and speak beyond his ability when he spoke of his "birdies."


Everywhere he went, he told total strangers that they had to go to the temple. Surprisingly, no one ever looked at him strangely when he did this. Rather, they always got a softened look on their face and smiled.


Needless to say, we have not been the same ever since that day, and I pray that we never will be. My wife and I have gone to the temple repeatedly since then, always Brian is waiting to hear how many "birdies" set free each time we go.


Brothers and Sisters, of all the messages Brian could have brought back, he brought this one – We must go to temple and free the "birdies." I testify that the things I have shared with you today are true. They are sacred worth. They are of eternal consequence to us and to the spirits who await the work only we can do them.


May we all go to the temple and free the "birdies" - this truly is the Lord's work and His glory, to bring pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I leave with this message in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Look for God in others.  

Suresh Babu 0 comments

Inspirational Story by John W. Schlatter

One day, when I was a freshman in high school,
I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school.
His name was Kyle.
It looked like he was carrying all of his books.
I thought to myself, "Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday?
He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him.
They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt.
His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him.
He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes
My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. "
They really should get lives.
" He looked at me and said, "Hey thanks!"
There was a big smile on his face.
It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived.
As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before.
He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid before.
We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.
He turned out to be a pretty cool kid.
I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends
He said yes.
We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again.
I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!
" He just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors we began to think about college.
Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke.
I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem.
He was going to be a doctor and I was going for business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class.
I teased him all the time about being a nerd.
He had to prepare a speech for graduation.
I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak
Graduation day, I saw Kyle.
He looked great.
He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school.
He filled out and actually looked good in glasses.
He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him.
Boy, sometimes I was jealous!Today was one of those days.
I could see that he was nervous about his speech.
So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy, you'll be great!"
He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled.
" Thanks," he said.
As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began
"Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years.
Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends...
I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them.
I am going to tell you a story."
I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met.
He had planned to kill himself over the weekend.
He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home.
He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
"Thankfully, I was saved.
My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable."
I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
I saw his Mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.
Not until that moment did I realize it's depth.
Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life.
For better or for worse.
God puts us all in each others lives to impact one another in some way.
Look for God in others.


Embracing Imperfection  

Suresh Babu 0 comments



Article by Nancy William


"When I was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.


On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember Watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite!


When I got Up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad For burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said: 'Baby, I love burned toast.'


Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if He really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, 'Debbie, your momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides-a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!' You know, life is full of imperfect things...and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook.


What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is the one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting marriage relationship.


And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to take the good,the bad, and the ugly parts of your married life and lay them at the feet of GOD. Because in the end, He's the only One who will be able to give you a marriage where burnt toast isn't a deal-breaker! We could extend this to any relationship in fact - as understanding is the base of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent - child or friendship!!"

A Violin with Three Strings...  

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On Nov. 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.

If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, you know that getting on stage is no small achievement for him. He was stricken with polio as a child, and so he has braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches. To see him walk across the stage one step at a time, painfully and slowly, is an awesome sight.

He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair. Then he sits down, slowly, puts his crutches on the floor, undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one foot back and extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and picks up the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the conductor and proceeds to play.

By now, the audience is used to this ritual. They sit quietly while he makes his way across the stage to his chair. They remain reverently silent while he undoes the clasps on his legs. They wait until he is ready to play.

But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished the first few bars, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it snap - it went off like gunfire across the room. There was no mistaking what that sound meant. There was no mistaking what he had to do.
We figured that he would have to get up, put on the clasps again, pick up the crutches and limp his way off stage - to either find another violin or else find another string for this one. But he didn't. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signalled the conductor to begin again.

The orchestra began, and he played from where he had left off. And he played with such passion and such power and such purity as they had never heard before. Of course, anyone knows that it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. I know that, and you know that, but that night Itzhak Perlman refused to know that.

You could see him modulating, changing, re-composing the piece in his head. At one point, it sounded like he was de-tuning the strings to get new sounds from them that they had never made before.

When he finished, there was an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose and cheered. There was an extraordinary outburst of applause from every corner of the auditorium. We were all on our feet, screaming and cheering, doing everything we could to show how much we appreciated what he had done.

He smiled, wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quiet us, and then he said - not boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone - "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."

What a powerful line that is. It has stayed in my mind ever since I heard it. And who knows? Perhaps that is the definition of life - not just for artists but for all of us.

Here is a man who has prepared all his life to make music on a violin of four strings, who, all of a sudden, in the middle of a concert, finds himself with only three strings; so he makes music with three strings, and the music he made that night with just three strings was more beautiful, more sacred, more memorable, than any that he had ever made before, when he had four strings.
So, perhaps our task in this shaky, fast-changing, bewildering world in which we live is to make music, at first with all that we have, and then, when that is no longer possible, to make music with what we have left.

Courage  

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Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fears

THE PROMISE OF AN OX  

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There lived a very poor Brahmin. He got one calf in gift. After few years it grew up to in a strong ox. The Brahmin had no family. He was also very old now and he use to think that he will die in this poor state only. One day this ox said to his owner, “Sir! You have brought me up like your own son. I have not done anything for you. Now, I would like to do something for you that bring you some money.

The Brahmin wondered, still he asked, “ How it is possible?” The ox said, “ Sir! You tell all the villagers that I can drag a Bullock Cart loaded with 100 bags of 40 Kgs each. You bet with them. Put a bet of Rs 10 against Rs1. Tell them that they if get 10 rupees against each one rupees if I could not drag the bullock cart. Nobody will believe you. But I promise that you will win the bet and become rich”. Brahmin became very happy and he announced at all places. The villagers could not believe that an ox can pull such a weight. So, the villagers agreed to bet immediately.

The day of bet arrived. 100 bags of loaded rice were stocked in the Bullock Cart. The poor ox kept trying and trying but the bullock cart did not move an inch. The Brahmin started to curse and abuse the ox. The ox became sad. Brahmin lost the bet and he has to give away all possessions he had. Looking at the condition of his master ox had tears in his eyes. The Brahmin shouted at ox, “Why are you crying now. Its me who should cry.”

The ox said, “ Sir! You did not behaved well with me. You shouted at me. I was about to pull the bullock cart but you started to abuse me. That’s why I am crying. After listening to your harsh words I lost my courage and we lost the bet.” Brahmin immediately realized his mistake. Then the ox said, “ Believe me sir. This time I will pull the Bullock Cart loaded with 200 bags of 40 Kgs each. You bet with the villagers. Put a bet of Rs 20 against Rs1. After lots of thought, the Brahmin agreed to take the biggest risk in his life to bet. Villagers thought that this Brahmin has gone mad and yet they agreed to bet again.

Next Sunday the crowd gathered. 200 bags of loaded rice were stocked in the Bullock Cart. The ox tried hard to pull the bullock cart. Even after 5 minutes of try he could not move the bullock cart. Villagers thought that again this Brahmin would loose the bet. Now the Brahmin went near to his ox and said, “ Son! This is a tuff job, but I have full faith on you that you can do it. Try once more.”

After listening to such words of praise and faith the ox tried once more with all his energy and the much-awaited amazement happened, the bullock cart started to move. Everybody was surprised. Brahmin won the bet and became very rich in few moments.
MORALE : IF YOU TRUST PEOPLE, PEOPLE WILL KEEP YOUR TRUST. MOTIVATION CAN DO WONDERS.

Creatively on surviving the crisis  

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Article by Dr. John C. Maxwell

Sir Ernest Shackleton was a great explorer who found himself and his crew in a life-or-death crisis when they had to abandon ship in the icy waters around Antarctica.It was 1914, and Shackleton's expedition had planned an unprecedented land crossing of the frozen continent. When the ship got stuck in the ice and sank, the crew began an unscheduled 18-month survival test.
They stayed alive as they moved among the drifting ice floes until they eventually found an island, where they established a camp. When their provisions began to run low, Shackleton and several crewmembers boarded one of their salvaged lifeboats and made a daring 800-mile voyage to a whaling station. They returned with a ship, and all 27 men survived the ordeal.
There are two types of people during a crisis - those who freeze and those who focus. Shackleton might have been stranded in one of the coldest places on the planet, but his creativity never froze. Instead, it was critical to the team's survival.As I studied Shackleton's experiences, three principles about leading with creativity during crisis came to mind.
1. Creative activity increases creative ability.As you become active in creativity, you gain more creative ability. Many people would love to have creative ability, but they've never done creative activities. When we freeze, we stop creating. Shackleton practiced "routine" creativity, for himself and for his crew. So when problems presented themselves, he and his crew never gave up on their ability to come up with creative solutions.
2. The rulebook no longer rules.Everybody wants to give you the rulebook. David Kelley was right when he said, "The most important thing I learned from big companies is that creativity gets stifled when everyone's got to follow the rules." And Thomas Edison, probably the greatest inventor ever, would tell people who visited his laboratory that, "There ain't no rules around here! We're trying to accomplish something." Structure and rules serve us well, but legalism can choke our creative spirit to its death.
3. God is the Great Creator.It doesn't make sense not to bring God - the Creator of the universe - into the creative process. No matter how much natural talent God has given us, God always can make it greater, better, bigger. That's why I pray for creativity. And when I pray for creativity, I ask for two things - I ask God to give me an idea or give me an example.In our fast-paced, competitive marketplace, few resources are more valuable to organizations than creativity. But during a crisis, which is when real leadership either rises or falls, creativity often finds itself swallowed by urgency. Who has time to think outside the box when the box is collapsing around you?Shackleton, however, saw beyond the problems to the big picture.
He recognized creativity's importance in keeping him and his crew alive and functioning as a team when they had little margin for error in the bitter cold and isolation of Antarctica. More than a skill, creativity was an attitude in his life that enabled him to find solutions to the obstacles they faced. When others would have frozen - literally as well as figuratively, in this case - Shackleton focused creatively on surviving the crisis.
-- John Maxwell

17 Ways Rich People Think and Act Differently  

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By Jason Hartman
17 ways rich people think and act differently from poor and middle class people, so let’s get into these 17 great tips and I hope you enjoy them.

No. 1, rich people believe that I create my life. Poor people believe life happens to me. So obviously, the difference there is being the creator and the source or being the victim and the bystander. So take control of your life.

No. 2, rich people play the money game to win and poor people play the money game not to lose. Big difference in thinking here. When you play the money game to win, you play out of abundance because it really is a very abundant world where we all have numerous opportunities in front of us and we’ve just gotta pursue them out of abundance and out of opportunity, rather than out of fear and scarcity. So the poor people are trying to conserve what they have, while rich people are trying to create more and more. And so the abundant attitude and the prosperous attitude is obviously, where we want to be as real estate investors, and real estate allows numerous opportunities to act, think, and create our lives that way, in terms of making the money game win for us and for others.

No. 3, rich people are committed to being rich, whereas poor people want to be rich. There’s a big difference between a commitment and a wish. A commitment means that you jump in with both feet and you make it happen. You take action rather than being a bystander, a spectator, and a critic who’s on the sidelines. So play the game to win, be committed to it, jump in and do it. Don’t just sit there and wish and dream about it. Make it happen. Start to today by taking some action. There’s an old saying that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

No. 4, rich people think big. There’s a great classic book called The Magic of Thinking Big, and I’d recommend it to any of you. I can’t remember who the author is off the top of my head, but it’s terrific. Look it up on Amazon. No. 4, rich people think big and poor people think small, so keep that in mind when every opportunity in life presents itself and how you want to handle it and take advantage of it.

No. 5, rich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus on obstacles. There’s a great old quote I remember by I think it was Jack Paar who said, “My life seems to be one long obstacle course with me as the chief obstacle.” So get out of your own way, focus on opportunities, and create what you want in your life.

No. 6, rich people admire other rich and successful people, whereas poor people resent rich and successful people. Huge difference here, again, acting out of abundance or acting out of scarcity. Do you secretly see successful people and are you jealous of them, are you envious? Make sure you do not have those destructive beliefs because they will keep you from the abundance you could have. Always admire rich and successful people and try to use them as role models to create more in your life.

No. 7, rich people associate with positive, successful people, whereas poor people associate with negative people. You know, a long time ago, I was reading a book by one of the great philosophers on business and success in life, Jim Rohn. Maybe you’ve heard of Jim Rohn, but he is a phenomenal, phenomenal speaker and philosopher about business and success. And he said that the people you associate with are so vitally important because when you have something good happen or you’re thinking positive and you wanna move forward in life and make things happen and create success and abundance, and then you go back to your friends and associates and start talking to them about it, and it’s like getting in an elevator where you’re pushing the up button and they’re pushing the down button. So make sure that you are not associating with negative people and you are associating only with positive, successful people that can enrich your life.

No. 8, rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value. Poor people are not. So you know the old saying about shameless self-promotion. Well, that’s kind of a joke because really, if you have value, you should share it with the world. I was out Thursday night and I was talking to another real estate investor, actually in a bar of all places, and he said, “You know, Jason, you seem like a real go giver.” And I thought that was a really neat thing that he said, rather than a go-getter. A go-giver. So share your value, promote yourself; don’t be that type of person that is not out there promoting what they have to offer the world. Share what you’ve learned, share your knowledge, share your experiences with others so you enrich your life and their lives. You’ll never learn something better than you will by teaching it. That is the best way to learn.

No. 9, rich people are bigger than their problems, whereas poor people are smaller than their problems. It makes us stronger. Every obstacle we overcome makes us a better, stronger person. The poet Sophocles said 2000 years ago ‘one must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.’ So remember, always be bigger than your problems. In fact, seek out challenges so you can overcome them and become a stronger, better person for it.

No. 10, rich people are excellent receivers, whereas poor people are poor receivers. Well, when someone gives you something, do they give you a gift, a compliment? Make sure you receive it graciously and appreciate it, and don’t feel guilty about receiving it. The world should be enriching us and should give us things, so take advantage of them, appreciate them, be grateful for them, and move on and the world will give you more.

No. 11, rich people choose to get paid based on results, whereas poor people choose to get paid based on time. Another great business philosopher and speaker, Dan Sullivan, the Strategic Coach – he’s a popular speaker on the YEO, Young Entrepreneurs Organization circuit – and he says that there are two economies. There is the results economy and there is the time and effort economy. So make sure that you are, as much as possible, in the results economy because when you’re in the results economy, you can leverage your efforts and create more value more quickly, rather than being in the time and effort economy. Professionals, lawyers, accountants, employees are selling or trading their time for money, whereas entrepreneurs and sales people are trading their results for money. And when you trade results for money, you can create a lot more value a lot more quickly. You get a lot more leverage over things.

No. 12, rich people think both. Poor people think either/or. And that’s back to what I said earlier is that think abundance rather than scarcity. The world is an extremely abundant place, so think both, think inclusively, think abundantly, rather than out of scarcity, out of choice either/or. I can have this or that. Why not have both?

No. 13, rich people focus on their net worth, while poor people focus on their working income. Robert Kiyosaki, the Rich Dad, Poor Dad author, talks a lot about this. He talks about how working income or earned income is taxed and burdened at the highest rate by our government, so you wanna create investment income, portfolio income, and passive income because, again, it offers you leverage and it offers excellent, excellent tax treatment. So focus on your net worth rather than your working income, being in the results economy rather than the time and effort economy.

No. 14, rich people manage their money well, while poor people mismanage their money well. Do I really need to say anything about that one? Manage your money well.

No. 15, rich people have their money work hard for them while poor people work hard for their money. So again, make your money work. The Richest Man in Babylon, that classic, old book, they talk about how your money is like your offspring. Put your offspring to work so that it can multiply. Don’t constantly keep working and trading your time for money. Make your money work. Learn how to manage money, learn how to understand the nature of money, and learn how to make it grow.

No. 16, rich people act in spite of fear, while poor people let fear stop them and keep them from acting. You know the old saying: There’s nothing to fear but fear itself. Go in, jump in, face fear with gusto, and you’ll find you’ll grow and you’ll just overcome things as you constantly take on one challenge and one fear after another. And suddenly they won’t be fearful at all.

No. 17 and finally, rich people constantly learn and grow while poor people think they already know. You know what I’ve noticed about rich and successful people over the years is that they are teachable, they are curious, and they are interested in learning, while poor people are arrogant, intellectual snobs, and know-it-alls. Always be learning; always be growing. You will never know everything. There’s always something more to learn and as Ray Crock, the founder of the McDonald’s franchise – not the original McDonald’s restaurant – always liked to say, as long as you’re green, you’re growing. As soon you’re ripe, you start to rot. So keep on learning and growing.

PERSISTENCE  

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A young man decided to visit a country known for its uniquely gifted artists. Over the last few years a growing sense of feeling incomplete had stalked him, and the hope behind his journey was to find someone, something, to help him release the great, but still latent forces he knew lived in his heart.

After settling in at a small hostel, he went walking through an expansive outdoor bazaar where hundreds of artisans displayed their works. However, everything seemed commonplace; just another dead-end. What now?

He kept walking, leaving the noisy bazaar far behind him. And that’s when his ear caught a light tapping sound from the other side of an old wooden fence. Coming upon an open gate, he peered inside.

A young woman was seated in an open courtyard surrounded by various stone sculptures of wild animals. Although these creations were in various stages of completion, they already exuded a remarkable presence.

Just then the young lady stood up, and pulling a little hammer out of her apron pocket, she walked toward a large stone that was perched on a work pedestal. After careful examination of one small area she rapped it – just once – with her small hammer. She used so little force, he felt sorry for her timidity. Surely, he thought, she must be a novice; but his eyes couldn’t believe what happened next.

Suddenly dozens of small pieces of stone broke away. At first he thought she made a mistake and had cracked the whole stone; a moment later he knew otherwise. She had not ruined the stone; instead, she had released it secret character. With that one blow she had not only uncovered a beautiful white marble- like material, but had shaped it to resemble the graceful neck of a great swan. He was stunned. What magic was this? He longed to know.

"Please forgive me,"he said, entering the courtyard, "but how in the world did you do that with a single blow from your tiny hammer?"

"Oh,"she laughed. "I’m guessing you’ve only been there for the last few minutes. Before you began watching me I had delivered hundreds of similar small blows to the exact same spot on that stone. You saw the result of many days of careful work coupled with a special kind of quiet consideration.

"That’s how all great things are achieved…consistent attention coupled with persistent effort - a little bit at a time - until the right time comes when that work is rewarded. Then nothing can stand in the way of what must be released. The practice of this knowledge, in whatever one intends to do, must produce a subsequent revelation that is the heart of liberation itself.”
As they shared a smile and said goodbye, the young man knew he had learned an important secret: With consistent attention and persistent effort you can release whatever now stands between you and the freedom for which your heart seeks.

Quotes- Tony Robbins  

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  • Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.
  • If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.
  • If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do and you'll achieve the same resultsIn life you need either inspiration or desperation.
  • It not knowing what to do, it's doing what you know.
  • Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more.
  • Live with passion !
  • People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals - that is, goals that do not inspire them.
  • Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.
  • Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.
  • We can change our lives. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.
  • Whatever happens, take responsibility.

The ABC of Life Success  

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The ABC of life By Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Awareness, Belongingness and Commitment hold the key to success. That’s the ABC of life. In any field you need the ABC. Are we aware of what we are telling ourselves?

This level of awareness is vital for a society because this is what can prevent a crime. With this level of awareness, it is impossible for a criminal to commit a crime. There was a thief. He went to meet a saint. He told the saint that he had a compulsion to steal. The saint said, “I am not going to tell you not to steal. But when you steal, do it with awareness.” Three months later, the thief came back to the saint and said, “With awareness, I could not steal.” It is the same with anger. It comes with a burst, you lose it.

But what have you actually lost? You lost awareness. You smile starts shrinking. I measure success by the smile. How strong your smile is will show how secure you are. And that is what, I think, indicates success in your career. To be able to smile through any situation in life, you need a little knowledge about yourself, about your mind and your consciousness. You need to learn a little bit about your breath. We need to know a little bit about all the layers of our existence, that is, body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, ego and the self. This is what I call Art of Living, learning a little bit about yourself, the seven layers of our life. And that makes us be in the present moment and it helps us to maintain the innocence that we are all born with, and feel at home with everybody, anywhere.

Breath and mind

Neither at school nor at home does anybody teach you what to do when you are upset or angry or depressed. Learning something about our breath is very important. Our breath has a great lesson for us which we have forgotten. For every rhythm in the mind, there is a corresponding rhythm in the breath; for every rhythm in the breath, there is a corresponding emotion. So, when you cannot handle your mind directly, you can do it through breath. The rhythm in breath can help you get in touch with the depth of yourself, your soul, your consciousness.

The ABC of life brings expansion. It brings an awareness of existence, belongingness to the whole creation and commitment to human values in life. This will help broaden our vision and deepen our roots. can arouse a passion, and that passion can become an impulse to destroy. But to be creative you don’t need to arouse a passion, you need to be focused and most importantly, you need to be aware. Now, how is one to bring up one’s awareness? You start with simple and small things in life. Things that seem insignificant like hearing the birds singing, seeing the sunset and so forth.

This would bring up your awareness. Awareness nurtures intellect. Belongingness nurtures the heart. And commitment nurtures life. The problem is that creators are only a few and they succeed because they have a lot of commitment.

If we are observing the ABC, then we can make a big change in society. Ask yourself the question, do all people in the world belong to me? The day you ask that your spiritual journey has begun. With this context of awareness, you can understand cosmology. Sankalpa In some temples, there is a tradition called sankalpa. They remind you how old this universe is, and then from there they bring you into this moment. Cosmology brings awareness.

Other methods for raising awareness are meditation, breathing and pranayama. You need energy and you will not get that only from food and sleep. Meditation and a silent state of consciousness will also give you energy. C is also for commitment and compassion. Smile more. A bit of humor can keep you out of trouble. Look into the mirror everyday and smile. I measure success by the smile. How strong your smile is will show how secure you are. And that is what, I think, indicates success in your career.

Believe you can do it  

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Here is a short story of how an average individual went thru tough times and made it big. Believe you too can do it.
Little girl - the 20th of 22 children, was born prematurely and her
survival was doubtful. When she was 4 years old, she contracted double
pneumonia and scarlet fever, which left her with a paralyzed left leg.

At age 9, she removed the metal leg brace she had been dependent on and began to walk without it. By 13 she had developed a rhythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle.
That same year she decided to become a runner. She entered a race and
came in last.

For the next few years every race she entered, she came in last. Everyone told her to quit, but she kept on running.

One day she actually won a race, and then another. From then on she won
every race she entered. Eventually this little girl - Wilma Rudolph,
went on to win three Olympic gold medals. In the picture above you see the three gold medals she won at the Rome Olympics.

Winners never quit! To WIN is entirely With in your capability whatever be the situation. Winners are driven by their success consciousness while the losers are failure conscious. There is an urgent need to make consistent efforts to gain the internal locus of control instead of external so as to be a winner.

The Student and the Teacher  

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There is a story of an elementary school teacher many years ago named Mrs.Thompson.

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs.Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."

His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, Mrs.Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.

"After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one her "teacher's pets".

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote what he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had en tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer; the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met a girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did.

And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

Success breeds Success  

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There was a farmer who grew superior quality, award-winning cornin his farm. Each year, he entered his corn in the state fairwhere it won honors & Prizes.

One year a newspaper reporter interviewed him and learnedsomething interesting about how he grew his corn. The reporterdiscovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with hisneighbors.
"How can you afford to share your best seed corn with yourneighbors when they are entering corn in competition with yourseach year?" The reporter asked. "Why sir, '' the farmer replied,"Didn't you know? The wind picks up pollen grains from theripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighborsgrow inferior, sub-standard & poor quality corn, cross-pollinationwill steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I have to growgood corn, I must help my neighbors to grow good corns too."

The farmer gave a superb insight into the connectedness of life.His corn cannot improve unless his neighbors' corn also improves.So it is in the other dimensions and areas of life! Those whochoose to be in harmony must help their neighbors and colleaguesto be at peace. Those who choose to live well must help otherslive well. The value of a life is measured by the lives ittouches...

Success does not happen in isolation; it is most often aparticipatory and collective process. So share the good practices,ideas and new knowledge with your family, friends, team membersand neighbors & all. As they say: "Success breeds Success."

THE ITALIAN TOMATO GARDEN- HUMOR STORY  

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An old Italian man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomatogarden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,I am feeling pretty badly because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would behappy to dig the plot for me.
Love, Dad


A few days later he received a letter from his son:


Dear Dad,Don't dig up that garden. That's where I buried the bodies.Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dugup the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old manand left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son:

Dear Dad,Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now.
That's the best I could do under the circumstances.Love you, Vinnie..........

Dare to Fail and be a Winner  

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"People who stop trying after one failure are actually being unfair to themselves. They are actually saying that life is made up of only one single event, If you can't make it, that's it !"
Billi Lim
Failing is Part of Success. You have never failed means you have never tried.
ACHIEVERS FAIL MORE TIMES THAN NON-ACHIEVERS.
So Dare to Fail and be a Winner

15 Laws of Life From Swami Vivekananda  

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From Swami Vivekananda

What You Need to Keep in Mind


1. Love Is The Law Of Life: All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves lives, he who is selfish is dying. Therefore, love for love's sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live.

2. It's Your Outlook That Matters: It is our own mental attitude, which makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful, our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light.

3. Life is Beautiful: First, believe in this world - that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, think that you do not understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves!
4. It's The Way You Feel: Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality, without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God.

5. Set Yourself Free: The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

6. Don't Play The Blame Game: Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers, and let them go their own way.

7. Help Others: If money helps a man to do good to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better.

8. Uphold Your Ideals: Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.

9. Listen To Your Soul: You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul.

10. Be Yourself: The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!

11. Nothing Is Impossible: Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresy to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin - to say that you are weak, or others are weak.

12. You Have The Power: All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

13. Learn Everyday: The goal of mankind is knowledge... now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man 'knows', should, in strict psychological language, be what he 'discovers' or 'unveils'; what man 'learns' is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.

14. Be Truthful: Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.

15. Think Different: All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.

Personal Time Management: Is it Time to Stop and Evaluate Where You’re Headed?  

Suresh Babu 2 comments


By Cheryl A. Clausen
Are you really struggling with time management? I mean really struggling. The kind of struggling that ends up in extreme stress because you’re missing deadlines, losing important pieces of information, scheduling yourself to the point you don’t have a free 15 minute period in your day. I can’t tell you how many of my clients find themselves in this very situation. They’re so time stressed they’re about ready to crack, and they think it’s all about finding some technique or trick so they can do even more. If this sounds like you I want you to stop whatever you’re doing right now because I know you’re doing something else while you’re reading this, get a refreshment, come back, and do absolutely nothing else while you read this article.

This is the personal time management message you need to read. You’ve created a life, a business, a career that you can’t live in. Unless you admit that now and make a commitment to yourself here and now to change your direction, you’re like a freight train headed for a concrete wall. It will be a devastating experience when the impact hits and your world crumbles around you, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you’re reading this before your train wreck you’ve got time to make the changes you need to make to keep this from happening to you.

The only way for you to gain control of your life, and your time management is for you to develop a life you want to live. Sitting there right now reading this you’re thinking you don’t know how to make things slow down. You don’t know how to stop. You don’t know how to make things different. All that is true right now, but you can know. Take stock of where you are now in all aspects of your life. You have to have a clear picture of your current reality before you can understand how to get where you want to get. You’re where you are right now because you either didn’t fully plan what you wanted and therefore couldn’t implement your plans, or you allowed others around you to shape your life as it is. It’s ok, you aren’t the only one in this situation and it’s very fixable.

You don’t have to be a super hero to be a super person. After you’ve taken stock of where you are now I want you to set aside a couple hours this week to do nothing but think about how you want to live your life from this point forward. You can’t manage your time when you don’t know what your managing it for, when you don’t know what’s most important, or when you don’t know what activities hold your biggest payoff. Right now you may be spending the bulk of your time driving yourself crazy doing low value activities that aren’t taking you anywhere. You may be so focused on payoff activities that you have no time to rejuvenate and refresh. You may be spending your time all wrapped in your work trying to earn a living. To the point that your friends, family, and associates don’t even remember who you are. They’ve grown tired of asking you to do things, to spend time with them because they just get shot down. Consequently your most important relationships may be in danger of falling apart.

Once you clearly know where you are and where you want to go the next step is to take action to close that gap. What do you have to do to change your current situation to get your desired situation? Open up your calendar and find the first place there’s some white space, and start there changing how you spend your time by scheduling appointments right now for how you want to spend your time. This will enable you to get where you want to be, to live the life you want to live. Your train doesn’t have to crash. You can turn your life around right now, and soon very soon you can begin the process of creating the life you want to live.

8 Great management lessons from Dhirubhai Ambani  

Suresh Babu 3 comments


Dhirubhaism No 1: Roll up your sleeves and help.

You and your team share the same DNA. Reliance, during Vimal's heady days had organized a fashion show at the Convention Hall, at Ashoka Hotel in New Delhi. As usual, every seat in the hall was taken, and there were an equal number of impatient guests outside, waiting to be seated. I was of course completely besieged, trying to handle the ensuing confusion, chaos and protests, when to my amazement and relief, I saw Dhirubhai at the door trying to pacify the guests. Dhirubhai at that time was already a name to reckon with and a VIP himself, but that did not stop him from rolling up his sleeves and diving in to rescue a situation that had gone out of control. Most bosses in his place would have driven up in their swank cars at the last moment and given the manager a piece of their minds. Not Dhirubhai. When things went wrong, he was the first person to sense that the circumstances would have been beyond his team's control, rather than it being a slip on their part, as he trusted their capabilities implicitly. His first instinct was always to join his men in putting out the fire and not crucifying them for it. Sounds too good a boss to be true, doesn't he? But then, that was Dhirubhai.

Dhirubhaism No 2: Be a safety net for your team.There used to be a time when our agency Mudra was the target of some extremely vicious propaganda by our peers, when on an almost daily basis my business ethics were put on trial. I, on my part, putting on a brave front, never raised this subject during any of my meetings with Dhirubhai. But one day, during a particularly nasty spell, he gently asked me if I needed any help in combating it. That did it. That was all the help that I needed. Overwhelmed by his concern and compassion, I told him I could cope, but the knowledge that he knew and cared for what I was going through, and that he was there for me if I ever needed him, worked wonders for my confidence. I went back a much taller man fully armed to face whatever came my way. By letting us know that he was always aware of the trials we underwent and that he was by our side through it all, he gave us the courage we never knew we had.

Dhirubhaism No 3: The silent benefactor.This was another of his remarkable traits. When he helped someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else. There have been none among us who haven't known his kindness, yet he never went around broadcasting it. He never used charity as a platform to gain publicity. Sometimes, he would even go to the extent of not letting the recipient know who the donor was. Such was the extent of his generosity. "Expect the unexpected" just might have been coined for him.


Dhirubhaism No 4: Dream big, but dream with your eyes open. His phenomenal achievement showed India that limitations were only in the mind. And that nothing was truly unattainable for those who dreamed big. Whenever I tried to point out to him that a task seemed too big to be accomplished, he would reply: " No is no answer!" Not only did he dream big, he taught all of us to do so too. His one-line brief to me when we began Mudra was: "Make Vimal's advertising the benchmark for fashion advertising in the country." At that time, we were just a tiny, fledgling agency, tucked away in Ahmedabad, struggling to put a team in place. When we presented the seemingly insurmountable to him, his favourite response was always: "It's difficult but not impossible!" And he was right. We did go on to achieve the impossible. Both in its size and scope Vimal's fashion shows were unprecedented in the country. Grand showroom openings, stunning experiments in print and poster work all combined to give the brand a truly benchmark image. But way back in 1980, no one would have believed it could have ever been possible. Except Dhirubhai. But though he dreamed big, he was able to clearly distinguish between perception and reality and his favourite phrase "dream with your eyes open" underlined this. He never let preset norms govern his vision, yet he worked night and day familiarizing himself with every little nitty-gritty that constituted his dreams constantly sifting the wheat from the chaff. This is how, as he put it, even though he dreamed, none of his dreams turned into nightmares. And this is what gave him the courage to move from one orbit to the next despite tremendous odds.Dhirubhai was indeed a man of many parts, as is evident. I am sure there are many people who display some of the traits mentioned above, in their working styles as well, but Dhirubhai was one of those rare people who demonstrated all of them, all the time.


5. Dhirubhaism: Leave the professional alone!Much as people would like to believe, most owners (even managers and clients), though eager to hire the best professionals in the field, do so and then use them as extensions of their own personality. Every time I come across this, which is much too often, I am reminded of how Dhirubhai's management techniques used to be (and still remain) so refreshingly different. For instance, way back in the late 1970s when we decided to open an agency of our own, he asked me to name it. I carried a short list of three names, two Westernised and one Indian. It was a very different world back then. Everything Anglicised was considered "upmarket." There were hardly any agencies with Indian names barring my own ex-agency Shilpi and a few others like Ulka and Sistas. He looked at the list and asked me what my choice was. I said "Mudra": it was the only name that suited my personality. And the spirit of the agency that I was to head. I was very Indian and an Anglicised name on my visiting card would seem pretentious and contrived. No further questions were asked. No suggestions offered, just a plain and simple "Go ahead and do it." That was just the beginning. He continued to give me total freedom -- no supervision, no policing -- in all my decisions thereafter. In fact, the only direction that he gave me, just once, was this: "Produce your best." His utter trust in me was what pushed me to never, ever let him down. I guess the simplest strategies are often the hardest to adopt. That was the secret of the Dhirubhai legend. It was not out of a book. It was a skillful blend of head and heart


6. The arm-around-the-shoulder leaderI have never seen any other empire builder nor the CEO of any big organisation do this (why, I never adopted this myself!). It was Dhirubhai's very own signature style. Whenever I went to meet him and if on that day, all the time that he could spare me was a short walk up to his car, he would instantly put his arm around me and proceed to discuss the issues at hand as we walked. With that one simple gesture, he managed to achieve many things. I was put at ease instantaneously. I was made to feel like an equal who was loved and important enough to be considered close to him. And I would walk away from that meeting feeling so good about myself and the work I was doing! This tendency that he had, to draw people towards him, manifested itself in countless ways. This was just one of them. He would never, ever exude an air of aloofness and exclusivity. He was always inviting people into sharing their thoughts and ideas, rather than shutting them out. On hindsight I think, it must have required phenomenal generosity of spirit to be that inclusive. Yes, this was one of the things that was uniquely Dhirubhai -- that warm arm around my shoulder that did much more than words in letting me know that I belonged, that I had his trust, and that I had him on my side!

7.The Dhirubhai theory of Supply creating Demand.He was not an MBA. Nor an economist. But yet he took traditional market theory and stood it on its head. And succeeded. Yes, at a time when everyone in India would build capacities only after a careful study of market expectations, he went full steam ahead and created giants of manufacturing plants with unbelievable capacites. (Initial cap of Reliance Patalganga was 10,000 tonnes of PFY way back in 1980, while the market in India for it was approx. 6000 tonnes). No doubt his instinct was backed by years and years of reading, studying market trends, careful listening and his own honed capacity to forecast, but yet despite all this preparation, it required undeniable guts to pioneer such a revolutionary move. The consequence was that the market blossomed to absorb supply, the consumer benefited with prices crashing down, the players increased and our economic landscape changed for the better. The Patalganga plant was in no time humming at maximum capacity and as a result of the plant's economies of scale, Dhirubhai's conversion cost of the yarn in 1994 came down to 18 cents per pound, as compared to Western Europe's 34 cents, North America's 29 cents and the Far East's 23 cents and Reliance was exporting the yarn back to the US! A more recent example was that of Mukesh Ambani taking this vision forward with Reliance Infocomm (which is now handled by Anil Ambani). In India's mobile telephony timeline there will always be a very clear 'before Infocomm and after Infocomm' segmentation. The numbers say it all. In Jan 2003, the mobile subscriber base was 13 million, about 16 months later, shortly after the launch, it had reached 30 million. In March 2006, it has touched 90 million ! Yes, this was yet another unusual skill of Dhirubhai's -- his uncanny knack of knowing exactly how the market is going to behave.

8. Money is not a product by itself, it is a by-product, so don't chase it.This was a belief by which Dhirubhai lived all his life. For instance when he briefed me about setting up Mudra, his instruction was clear: 'Produce the best textile advertising in the country,' he said. He did not breathe a word about profits, nor about becoming the richest ad agency in the country. Great advertising was the goal that he set for me. A by-product is something that you don't set out to produce. It is the spin off when you create something larger. When you turn logs into lumber, sawdust is your by-product and a pretty lucrative one it can be too! It is a very simple analogy but extremely effective in driving the point home. Work toward a goal beyond your bank balance. Success in attaining that goal will eventually ring in the cash. For instance, if you work towards creating a name for yourself and earning a good reputation, then money is a logical outcome. People will pay for your product or service if it is good. But if you get your priorities slightly mixed up, not only will the money you make remain just a quick buck it would in all likelihood blacklist you for good. Sounds too simplistic for belief? Well, look around you and you will know exactly how true it is.

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