Date with Destiny

Life keeps showering surprises every now and then. There are times when I worked very hard, but things didn’t work. I can also vividly remember instances when I didn’t take things seriously, but got groundbreaking results.

I strongly believe that there’s something which control our lives beyond our efforts. There’s someone who fixes our date with destiny or disasters. Don’t know how it works, but it does work.

I can’t visualize anyone who’s failed more than me. I was doing Company Secretaryship along with graduation, I failed there. Doubly motivated by my failure, I tried Network Marketing, it was again not my cup of tea. Started preparing for Armed Forces, passed the written exams, but couldn’t crack the interview. I can still recollect disappointment in my Mom’s eyes after she heard the result. Started preparing for other government jobs, nothing worked. Then, my fascination towards Call Centers started. Went for the first interview, got stuck in final stage. Tried at EXL, GE, Daksh, American Express, Convergys,Vertex, Global Vantedge and uncountable other companies which were hiring for Call Centers. None of them selected me. It went to the extent that GE would reject me right over the phone, whenever I called them again. Probably my voice skills were not up to the mark. I didn’t give up. Tried again, and again and again. Finally, I got a call from Daksh for non-voice process. I can’t forget how happy I was when I got the offer letter. It was the happiest moment of my life.

I know that was not a perfect interview, probably someone had fixed my date with the destiny.

Does it mean should we leave everything up to destiny? Not at all! Had I stopped trying, I would have never got that job. More important than luck was Persistence. Never Stop! Keep trying and wait for the lady luck to smile at you.

Don't be Serious, Be Sincere

Yesterday I received this speech through email from one of my colleagues. Chetan Bhagat delivered this speech at Symbiosys, India to the BBA students. It makes a lot of sense and hope will bring some spark in your life too. I'm a big fan of Bhagat, who's not just read all his book, but is also waiting for the next one. Just like his books, this piece is interesting and I'm sure will stay in your mind for long.

Love!
Vivek

Dont just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup.
There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts.
Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

"Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? .

It's ok! Bunk a few classes, score low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, fall in love, have little fights with your spouse. We are people, not programmed devices..... ...." :)

"Don't be serious, be sincere."!!

What Means SUCCESS to YOU?

I recently posted this discussion: What means SUCCESS to you?.. on LinkedIn and am overwhelmed with the responses. My wholehearted thanks to everyone who contributed precious time to comment. Most of the people felt that you should follow your calling to be successful. They also agreed that the meaning of success changes from time to time. To my surprise, many also felt that just one thing cannot be packaged as success, it’s a combination of many factors.

Here are some of the most stimulating comments:
“I look to my expectations of myself and goals I set. I don't compare myself to others as the "yard stick" for measuring is different for each person. I try to look at myself in a 360 view, as a well balanced person (I think) needs to "be successful" in all parts of their life, not just a couple. You can't have a great career and completely blow your personal relationships, that sort of thing. I agree with you Vivek, we continually change.”

Dorothy Tannahill Moran
Life Coach

“I think the steady realization of a dream and an ideal that is driven by the heart and Passion that cannot, and will never be denied, is Success from my point of view.”

Kalpana Panwar
Management Student

“For me Success is to balance my professional as well as personal life.”
Ankita Verma
University Student

“Success to me is achieving my goals and sharing it with my world.”
Jaya Lachhwani
Healthcare Professional

“Getting what you like is Success and Liking what you get is Happiness. Success is in Big things of life and Happiness is in Little things of Life. Success is more a relative term. It depends on with whom we compare our success. I compare my present success with my past success. I'm my own Benchmark…We should try to be Successfully Happy and Happily Successful!”
Arun Davay
Corporate Trainer and Management Professor

“Success to me means Happiness, apart from the acknowledgement by family, friends, colleagues and society in general, that I have made a difference to their lives.”
Balasubramaniam M.
HR Professional

“Success to me is my inner satisfaction with the things that I do..also positive feedback that I receive for my work.”
Pankaj Choudhary
HR Professional

“Success to me is a relative term and it keeps evolving. To me success is enjoying all that i do professionally and personally. I feel and sense success when I sense the gratitude in the responses from the people whose lives I have touched…”
Neerja Singh
HR Professional

Let’s take this opportunity to share your idea of success. Waiting for your insightful comments..

Love!
Vivek

A Cold Winter Forecast

Today I read this beautiful story and have been appreciating this profound thought since then. This incredibly tells us the influence we have on others although widely undermined by ourselves. Many of us get influenced by others, hardly do we know that we too influence many more. Must read!

Please do not hesitate to share it with all your loved ones.

Love

Vivek

It was autumn, and the Red Indians on the reservation
asked their New Chief if the winter was going to be
cold or mild. Since he was a Red Indian chief in a
modern society, he couldn't tell what the weather was
going to be. Nevertheless, to be on the safe side,
he replied to his tribe that the winter was indeed
going to be cold and that the members of the village
should collect wood to be prepared.

But also being a practical leader, after several days
he got an idea. He went to the phone booth, called the
National Weather Service and asked "Is the coming
winter going to be cold?" "It looks like this winter
is going to be quite cold indeed," the meteorologist
at the weather service responded.

So the Chief went back to his people and told them
to collect even more wood. A week later, he called the
National Weather Service again.

"Is it going to be a very cold winter?"

"Yes," the man from the National Weather Service again
replied, "it's definitely going to be a very cold winter."

The Chief again went back to his people and ordered them
to collect every scrap of wood they could find.

Two weeks later, he called the National Weather Service
again. "Are you absolutely sure that the winter is going to be
very cold?"

"Absolutely," the man added. "It's going to be one of the
coldest winters ever."

"How can you be so sure?" the Chief asked.

The weatherman replied, "The Red Indians are collecting
wood like crazy.

Source: www.managetrainlearn.com

If you can’t Measure, You can’t Manage

I was going through a time-management presentation and this slide hit me hard. The full credit for this quote goes to Peter Druker. How apt it is in our life?
It’s fun not to measure what we do. It takes extra effort to keep track of our performance.

Most of us complain for overwork in the office. If you make a log of productive hours, you will notice how underworked you are. We count the number of hours, not how the hours are spent. It goes very well with the saying:

“It doesn’t matter how many years you have in life; what matters is how many life you put in those years.”

80 per cent of our activities in life are not measured. Whatever we are is the result of the remaining 20 per cent. Imagine, where we would land if we measure just a little more?

Set goals, set up parameters to measure and strive beating yourself every time you try. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worthwhile.

Smile

My wife shared this poem with me yesterday and it's truly inspirational. You too enjoy it and keep smiling. Let this poem travel the world, you can simply email to the ones who you want to SMILE.

Love
Vivek

SMILE

Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu,
When some one smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner
And someone saw my grin;
When he smiled I realised
I’d passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile
And realised its worth,
A single smile just like mine,
Could travel round the earth.

So if you feel a smile begin,
Don’t leave it undetected;
Let’s start an epidemic quick –
And get the world infected!

I Will Keep Trying

At my first job, I had a very dynamic and wise colleague who was recently promoted. I was curious to know what led to his promotion while many others could not succeed.
He said, “Interviewers asked me, what would you do, if a guy in your team is not performing despite your best efforts?”

Out of inquisitiveness, I asked, “how did u respond?”

He said, “I said, I will coach him again, help him out with his problems and try to raise his level.”

But the interviewers were not convinced, they asked again, “If the guy still doesn’t improve, what will you do?”

He said, “I will keep trying until he improves!”

I was not surprised. He was the best fit for the job.

Forgive for Your Own Sake

An early morning, when I turned on BBC, I was in the middle of an ongoing documentary. An old lady in late 50s was talking about her only daughter who was brutally killed after being sexually assaulted by a robber at the farmhouse.
Like others, she decided to fight for her daughter’s justice. The court case lasted for many years. At last, the accused was awarded a death sentence. Finally this is what she said, “… I had a satisfaction that the sinner was punished. But, still I was not at peace. One day I decided to see the convict at the prison. His face was stubbed and pale, and he looked hopelessly at me. I couldn’t believe. I was moved, something from inside stirred me and I decided to forgive..”

“..just in a moment my life was transformed. I felt as if I’m relieved of a big burden. I felt free.”

Revenge is a natural response right after we are hurt. It might console for a while but doesn’t set us free. We still live with a heaviness of guilt. The only way to freedom is forgiveness.

As a human, we feel generous while forgiving. Do it, not for anyone, but yourself!

Are You a Discounting Brand?

Recently I read a brilliant interview of Lutz Bethge, CEO Mont Blanc at economictimes.com. He was asked whether he would also resort to discounting like other luxury retailers. Here is what he said:

“That is not our way. Mont Blanc has always conveyed to customers that we create products of sustainable value. …If you have a promise from a brand that says this is the kind of product you can pass down the generations and the next day you see it heavily marked down, would you still trust the brand?”

I have enormous respect for the confidence he has in Mont Blanc. A true brand is what it stands for unaffected by the market conditions.

We too, like these brands get under pressure in challenging times. We too have the temptation to surrender our values and embrace painless choices. We forget, that’s the real test of what we stand for. If we stand by our values even in demanding times, we would rise above mediocrity and be an example for mankind to follow.

What's Your Brand Name?

Nike, GE, Philips, Fed Ex, Ferrari, Toyota, Google, Rolex--- What do these brands known for? You’d say reliability, quality, good service, value, trust, innovation etc.

How did these words flash to your mind? Most of these companies have been in business for decades and have displayed these incredible characteristics over a period of time, which have created a niche in our memory.

Does this apply to us human beings? Oh yes!

In my behavioral training sessions, I ask participants to think of five adjectives what their family, friends and relatives will put before their name. This is a very powerful exercise which gives them an opportunity to see from a different eye. You can try this too.

Each one of us has created a brand image in the eyes of others and will continue to do so. Based on which our relationship is defined. Now, it is up to you to decide what do you stand for--- trust, reliability, innovation, energy or ---?

What's the price

Paulo is unquestionably the greatest storyteller of present times. I picked this story from his blog. Enjoy reading!

Love
Vivek



“Is the price of living a dream much higher than the price of living without daring to dream?” asked the disciple.

The master took him to a clothes store. There, he asked him to try on a suit in exactly his size. The disciple obeyed, and was very amazed at the quality of the clothes.

Then the master asked him to try on the same suit – but this time a size much bigger than his own. The disciple did as he was asked.

“This one is no use. It’s too big.”

“How much are these suits?” the master asked the shop attendant.

“They both cost the same price. It’s just the size that is different.”

When leaving the store, the master told his disciple, “Living your dream or giving it up also costs the same price, which is usually very high. But the first lets us share the miracle of life, and the second is of no use to us.”

Source: www.paulocoelhoblog.com

Do You Check Your Unproductive Ego?

Ayn Rand quotes in her bestseller the Fountainhead-"Man's ego is the fountainhead of human progress." And I know there are millions of Rand-fanatic across the world including me. I too agree with her, but only if the ego is used productively.

When you look around, do you notice most of the disasters are caused because of ego.. rather unproductive ego?

Joseph is a functional head with poor Excel skills. He struggles for hours to get the formulae and links right, when he has to send the monthly MIS. He can seek help of Yana, his assistant, but he doesn’t. What stops him to reach out? Ego!

Vishesh has a justification ready for everything he says. He very well knows that he is not right. Still he does it, because he can prove others wrong. How do others feel?

Laura never says sorry, despite knowing she is on the wrong side. She feels a boss is always right.

Krish never walks to his team. He rather uses intercom to call them. He has a mindset that people should visit the manager not vice versa. He’s never thought how people will feel when he reaches out to them.

Whether it is family or work, social event or a private moment always have a check on your unproductive ego. By doing this you will open new doors of opportunity and success.

To Master Change, First Dread it

I read this article on Harvard Business Review and it has given me a new perspective to change. Take time to read it.

Cheers!

Vivek

One of my favorite truisms is that change is always a threat when done to me, but it is an opportunity when done by me. Many people hate change because it is inflicted on them; someone else is making them do it. Or because circumstances are totally out of their control. (As a bumper sticker says, "One nuclear war could ruin a whole career.") On the other hand, people change all the time and love it, because they go after something they want - a new venture, a new book, a new spouse, a new baby, a new home, a new career step. In fact, when change is someone's chance to act on personal goals, it is not even called change. It is just "my project."

Tough times shift the done by me/done to me change ratio to the threatening side of loss of control, even beyond struggling industries such as autos or newspapers. Threats arouse defenses that can be paralyzing, just when action is needed. The external forces are too powerful, and the mess made by those already in place is too big for people to regain a feeling of control or find the silver linings of opportunity.

A counter-intuitive tip for mastering change is to start by wallowing in the feelings of dread it arouses. The sheer nail-biting horror of it all. Get in touch with every negative aspect, all the things that could go wrong. Then figure out a way to get that negative force on your side. In short, "Dream your worst nightmare and invest in it."

That nightmare-to-investment point comes from John Taysom, a serial entrepreneur in London who, for a glorious time in the first Internet boom, saved Reuters from being replaced by new technology. While others were whining or denying that rapid advance in Internet technologies would displace Reuters' business model, Taysom looked the beast in the face and analyzed it. He found that the worse nightmares lay in search, for one thing, as well as networking technologies, and that most of the deniers were wrong to say that new companies could never provide the security of data that Reuters offered.

He asked, in short: What will disrupt us? Who is starting to eat away at our proposition? What is emerging to replace us? And how can I make those companies and technologies our partners, befriending and joining the enemies before they destroy us?

Reuters had always commissioned small technology projects from external companies to augment internal R&D. But Taysom recognized that the contracting process, with its RFPs, was likely to get the developers' last ideas rather than their next ideas, and he wanted to go with them toward the next phase. He wanted Reuters to learn from them and make money off them as they developed, while influencing change within Reuters.

Taysom moved from London to Silicon Valley. Despite being nearly fired by Reuters early on for radical thinking, he invested in a range of promising startups, getting board or observer seats and offering new tech ventures not only cash but a Reuters customer. He led one of the first investments in Yahoo! when its founders were still living in the Stanford University dorms. The Greenhouse Fund Taysom started not only made a lot of money for Reuters, it brought rapid learning and partnerships that converted the nightmare into productive changes. Taysom's nightmare and subsequent decision to befriend the potential destroyers of his company helped push transformation. Since then, Taysom moved on, and so did Reuters, which is now part of Thomson Reuters.

This nightmare-first theory is not a pessimistic outlook on life. I examined the research on optimism and pessimism for my book Confidence. It appears that optimists are less afraid of their nightmares than pessimists. Pessimists are more likely to deny or avoid negative information. Optimists are more likely to look at the dark side, because they have the confidence to feel that they can do something about it.

So let me wish you pleasant dreams. And also productive nightmares.

by Rosabeth Moss Kanter. Published in Harvard Business Review

Seeing is Deceiving

We believe what we see, and generally we are very sure, what we have seen can’t be wrong. Mostly we live life driven by this tenet. First impression plays gargantuan role in our life.

We shop based on first impression, we make friends based on first impression, we pick job based on first impression, we fall in love based on first impression and I’m sure it applies far deeper in our life.

While shopping based on first impression may have negligible impact on our life, other decision based on it could alter our life enormously.

You might have heard instances of Evening wedding Morning divorce around. If you ask the parties involved, they’d say they could’ve taken more time to decide.

I read this story somewhere..

The children on bus hated him because his face looked horrifying as if burnt in fire. They took no time to give him a new name..Villain. Nobody talked to him and the journey continued in darkness. It was 1130 pm and the bus stopped with a screeching sound. The tire was gone. The driver pulled out the tire and lifted by the passing bus to the reach a garage. Everyone was stuck in the middle of nowhere. It was scary being at the centre of the desert with no populace in the radius of 40 miles. It was dead silence and any uncalled for event could not be ruled out. All were shaken. A passenger talked about the robbery in this area last week that manifolded the fear.

The man with burnt face stood up and waved at a kid. The child moved ahead hesitatingly. He started sharing a story. Gradually more kids joined in. They were cracking jokes, and shouting poems. Soon the parents also got involved. Misery turned into instant celebration.

Later, the passengers realized that he was a firefighter, who got hurt while saving people from sky scrapper on fire. Despite injury and deep burn on his face, he was able to save 7 lives.

Now, the same man turned hero to the kids.

Take time to understand before you reach a conclusion. Seeing may prove deceiving, at times.

Count the Stars

Last night, fed up with air-conditioned environment, I decided to breathe some hot air (Remember! I’m in Kuwait) and rushed to the balcony. I closed my eyes and loved the smooth warm blow on my face. It felt better than the recycled AC air. Then, I looked up at the sky and realized I had stopped noticing the stars up there. So, I started counting the stars. It was fun, but not easy. Before I could complete the count a few would disappear or new ones showed up.

I kept trying for 30 minutes and thoroughly loved it. This reminded me of childhood days when my kid brother and I would lie on the cot in the courtyard and counted the stars. Our count never matched and we squabbled to prove ourselves right. We even fought and finally it ended up with recounting.

Our life is so mechanized that small acts like these make us feel so happy and different. You too can try this out.

I guess it was much better than toggling keys on computer games. It was far so different, yet simple.

What is Being Brave?

I found the following line very thought provoking while reading Bombay Rains Bombay Girls. Hope it will prompt your neurons to ponder as well..

"..being brave does not mean taking a gun and killing five bad men.. being brave is just having the courage to stand up for what is right and say it with conviction, ignoring whatever anybody else has to say."

Back from Holidays!

I have just come back from holidays in India. I realised my long-cherished dream of visiting Himachal. It had all elements of fun and adventure. We did river-rafting in Pirdi, Snowscooter at Rohtang, Paragliding at Naggar and adventure trip on Manali-Leh highway. It was a bliss to be in heavenly Himachal. Here are some of the pics:

Rise with the Sun, Relax with the Moon

Each one of us has gone through our share of struggle and rewards. You would agree hard work doesn’t always pay. You must have experienced time in your life when you passionately wanted something and worked hard towards it. You failed. But, you didn’t give up. You tried again.. this time harder. You failed again. Still you didn’t quit. You tried again with full force. No result yet! Of course you are frustrated and wondering what else you can do to make it happen. You change course.. try again with full precision. But, still no success! And you quit.

Who is to be blamed? None! Because time is just not right.

Now, you are happily enjoying life. Unexpectedly, a big pleasant news surprises you which turns around your life. You didn’t work hard for it. Neither, you expected such a return. But it happened because lady luck was smiling at you.

These mysteries make our life even more enjoyable.

If things are not working out for you, don’t push too hard. Relax! Preserve your energy and wait for your time to come.

When it is your time, push yourself the hardest. Nobody can stop you from winning.

The greatest lessons of life are to be learnt from nature. Look at the lotus. It preserves energy whole night, waits for the morning to bloom. Lotus knows if it is dark, however hard it tries, it can’t bloom.

So, Rise with the Sun, Relax with the moon.

Newton Rules Your Life !

I was staring at the sky sitting in my balcony, suddenly a thought struck my mind.. Newton Rules My Life. Let’s not misinterpret I’m going to talk something scientific.

I presume, you too remember Newton’s third law of motion. I’ve quizzed hundreds of people and everyone was able to tell me in some form. If you can’t recollect.. you too quiz someone. You will get the answer.

Suppose you are waiting at a signal to turn it green. Parallel to your car, you see a guy looking at you from his car. You look back and sincerely smile. The guy smiles back.

Let’s change the situation.

You had a bad day in the office. You come home and press the bell. Your wife opens the door and you straightaway head inside without even looking at her. You throw the laptop in the corner, sit on the couch, close your eyes resting your head and she asks, “What do you want to have in dinner?” You shout, “NOTHING!” Imagine what will be her response.

Didn’t you experience the third law of motion?

Also, think about the following actions and actively notice the reaction:

1. Be the first to greet the receptionist at the check in counter on the air port.

2. Brake you car to offer a crossing to a pedestrian.

3. Offer your seat to an elderly person in train or bus.

4. Sincerely thank a colleague for her support.

5. Let your spouse know how deeply you love her.

If observed closely, you’ll notice Newton rules every second of your life. Give more to get more!

Rebuild the Bridge

People had assembled to have glimpse of the legendary sage in the huge ground.  Holy chants were resonating and the ambience was euphoric. It was a beautiful village located amidst the hills and the only thing connecting the village was the wooden-bridge over river Beas.

The sage clad in saffron waived his hand towards the public to calm down and asked, “What will you do if the floodwater washes away the bridge?”

“We will rebuild the bridge!” everyone screamed at once.

“Why will you rebuild the bridge?”

There was skepticism after this question among the crowd because the answer was very clear. Still, some of them said, “Because the bridge is our lifeline and we can’t wait.”

“True!” the saint paused.

“When we experience a loss in life, we tend to worry and repent when it’s the time to act.  Mostly, you will notice people reiterating the loss which further worsens their state.  Many losses are irreparable, but our life demands action. The sooner you rebuild the bridge the happier you will be.”

The message was very clear.

I find this story very apt in these turbulent times. Many have lost their entire life’s saving, some have lost job, a few have received pay cuts and a fear psychosis has gripped most of us.  But, we all know life is not going to end here, it has to move on.

So, let’s start finding ways to rebuild our bridge.  No crisis in the universe comes without a way out, you just need an eye to look for.

Never Say Never

Recently, I watched a movie in which the protagonist says he will never fall in love and his employee, who is also his friend says, “Boss! Never say never.”

I found this phrase extremely profound in our lives. It gives us the leverage to adapt in changing times.

You must have heard or read this: Resolutions are made to be broken. Many repeatedly follow this too. If you are one of them, Never Say Never is a good reminder.

You will notice when we make a resolution or promise, we are in highly emotional state, immune to harsh realities of life. When the emotion fades away and reality surfaces, we find it difficult to cope. Many times it ends with strong feeling of guilt which damages our mental state.

Think, if Amitabh Bachchan had not rejoined career, would we have ever seen his groundbreaking performance on KBC?

I have seen many of addicts resolving to quit nicotine or alcohol forever and most of them have restarted after some time. They try to test their will power and they fail. This leads to the conclusion that when you decide not to do something what you are used to of, the desirability continues, which prompts future indulgence. The best way to control addiction is to reduce the intake and avoid as much as possible, instead of saying 'No' forever.

If you say Never.. your decision may be right at that point of time. But, Remember! The time changes and so do people. The precision of a decision changes with changing times.

The only thing constant in life is Change. So, Never Say Never! You might be distancing yourself from a Platinum opportunity.

Give Back My Raindrops

I miss the days when we waited for it to rain. The dark cloud in the sky used to carry a fun message and we would gear up for aqua-adventure.  As soon as it started drizzling, we would rush to soiled courtyard to feel the drizzle on own skin. We would close eyes, spread hands, head towards the sky and scream sing.  We competed while smelling the fragrance which earth produced when touched by raindrops. When the water filled up the ground we would jump and splash at each other.  We would tease, fight, and play in the wet playground created by God.

All this was possible because I was fortunate to have spent my early childhood at a remote village in India , where only unadulerated-nature ruled.

Now, shower has replaced raindrops, A.C. has replaced cool morning breeze, frozen food has replaced farm fresh fruits and vegetables, artificial plants beautify our living room and flower has occupied our desktop.  This era of modern science has prompted me to think… can man supersede nature?

Today, my eyes are desperate to see the acres of greenery, my hands are restless to touch the dew-spread paddy plants, my feet are impatient to feel the cold earth, my tongue is slobbering to taste the sun-ripe mango, my body is craving for the touch of those raindrops.

I have got the answer. Nature is priceless and nothing can replace it.

If You Were Brenda...

Inside each one of us there exists a human, who generally takes a backseat because of our material priorities.  We tend to forget that God is nowhere but within us. 

Would you have done the same if you were Brenda? Read ahead. It's truly inspiring.

Love!

Vivek

***

I'm a mother of three and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called "Smile". The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reaction.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway.....so, I thought, this would be a piece of cake (literally).

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonalds, one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special play time with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch...an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible "dirty body" smell...and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was "smiling"...his beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally deficient and the blue eyed gentle man was his salvation. I held my tears......as I stood there with them.

The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, "Coffee is all Miss" because that was all they could afford (to sit in the restaurant and warm up they had to buy something...they just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it...the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me...judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot.

I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Thank you". I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, "I did not do this for you...God is here working through me to give you hope". I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, "That is why God gave you to me honey....to give me hope". We held hands for a moment and at that time we knew that only because of the Grace were we able to give .....

We are not church goers but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class,with this story in hand. I turned in "my project" and the instructor read it....then she looked up at me and said, "Can I share this?" I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings (part of God) share this need to heal.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonalds, my husband, son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I Graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn....unconditional acceptance......after all....we are here to learn!

by Brenda

Don't Ever Save for Special Occasion

I came across this piece yesterday and found it very true to life.  I had similar experience when I developed back-pain last year and realised I will never be able to ride bikes and run long-distance. While I was writhing in pain someone from inside said to me- "The pain is stopping you just from running, what if you'd lost life on the way to office?"

This inner voice changed my perspective towards life.

Marshall Goldsmith rightly says:

Live your dream now. If you can't do at 25, you can't do at 85. 

Love

Vivek

***

My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau and

lifted out a tissue-wrapped package. "This," he said, "is not a slip.
This is lingerie." He discarded the tissue and handed me the slip. It
was exquisite; silk, handmade and trimmed with a cobweb of lace. The
price tag with an astronomical figure on it was still attached. "Jan
bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years
ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion. Well,
I guess this is the occasion." He took the slip from me and put it on
the bed with the other clothes we were taking to the mortician. His
hands lingered on the soft material for a moment, then he slammed the
drawer shut and turned to me. "Don't ever save anything for a special
occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."

I remembered those words through the funeral and the days that
followed when I helped him and my niece attend to all the sad chores
that follow an unexpected death. I thought about them on the plane
returning to California from the Midwestern town where my sister's
family lives. I thought about all the things that she hadn't seen or
heard or done. I thought about the things that she had done without
realizing that they were special. I'm still thinking about his words,
and they've changed my life.

I'm reading more and dusting less. I'm sitting on the deck and admiring
the view without fussing about the weeds in the garden.

I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in
committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of
experience to savor, not endure. I'm trying to recognize these moments
now and cherish them.

I'm not "saving" anything; we use our good china and crystal for every
special event-such as losing a pound, getting the sink unstopped, the
first camellia blossom.

I wear my good blazer to the market if I feel like it. My theory is if
I look prosperous, I can shell out $28.49 for one small bag of
groceries without wincing.

I'm not saving my good perfume for special parties; clerks in hardware
stores and tellers in banks have noses that function as well as my
party-going friends'.

"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their grip on my
vocabulary. If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and
hear and do it now. I'm not sure what my sister would have done had
she known that she wouldn't be here for the tomorrow we all take for
granted.

It's those little things left undone that would make me angry if I knew
that my hours were limited. Angry because I put off seeing good friends
whom I was going to get in touch with-someday. Angry because I hadn't
written certain letters that I intended to write-one of these days.
Angry and sorry that I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough
how much I truly love them.

I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that
would add laughter and luster to our lives. And every morning when I
open my eyes, I tell myself that it is special. Every day, every
minute, every breath truly is...a gift from God.

by Ann Wells in the Los Angeles Times

The Slum-kid Confidence

If I ask you to imagine a slum-kid what adjectives will you use to describe him? Dirty, hungry, beggars, dark-complexioned, half-naked, bathing in sewer, picking rags, working at a tea stall etc. Right?

One of the extraordinary traits these kids possess, which we miss to notice is Confidence. Go across any slum in India, be it a metropolitan city or a rural community, you will notice innumerable kids smiling, joking, playing, teasing, singing, cycling, pranking and doing everything else you can think with full of confidence, whereas parents in a posh locality, in the living room on the 35th floor of a multistory residential complex are looking for a counselor who could make their kid confident.

Now, the question is what makes the slum-kids confident? They live in inhuman conditions, suffer from malnutrition, and spend childhood in destitution. But, still they beat rich kids in confidence.

Here is the answer.

Confidence comes naturally if you have nothing to lose.

Probably this is the case with them. Their parents, often uneducated, doing 12-15 hour hard work for a paltry sum, have little or no time to bring up the kid. So, these kids live on their own. While the rich kids depend on others for even the simplest things done, Slum-kids do even the most daunting task themselves. The austerity of poverty leads to superiority.

Secondly, while the rich kid keeps toggling the keyboard of his Macintosh defeating some alien in a space game, the Slum-kid plays pranks, shares jokes, or equals the verbal taunt with a rogue neighbour. While the rich kid is twitting or writing a scrap in the virtual world, the slum kid does the same thing in the real world. The endless human interaction gives them an upper hand. Mind it! Doing things online is far easier than doing it on face.

Finally, these kids are not suppressed by the high parent expectations. They decide what they have to do. They choose their career, they want to be in. The freedom to take decisions, makes a lot of difference.

We are so busy with work or socializing that the kids befriends computer. We are so caring that the kid loses exposure. We are so ambitious that the kid renounces his dreams. It’s not the kids, should I tell who to blame?

Go! Think how can your brat develop the Slum-kid confidence. You already have clues now.

The Kick of Silence

We are always busy, either doing something or doing many things at the same time. Because of our own affairs or of others’. Multitasking is fad. I know a few, if they are not busy, they are restive. The least they do to be at peace is, pretend to be busy. It has gradually become our nature to stay occupied. We want to show that we don’t have time (my boss says, it gives a professional feel). We are so occupied that we don’t have time to think where we are heading. I don’t blame anyone. It’s human tendency to just carry on. No one likes to wait and ponder. We commit errors, we repeat errors, but still… on the same track.

My friend, Maria has no time to read instructions while signing up for online banking. She is just rushing and wants it ASAP. When she submits, it declines. She doesn’t read the error message, does some changes and submits again. It is declined again. This happens eleven times, before she realizes she is supposed to activate the debit card by making a call before signing up. Not surprised? It nearly happens to everyone in this fast-paced universe.

What could she have done? You know the answer. But, how many of us take time to think before we act? We generally forget: Busy doesn’t equal Productive.

If we could take some time to ponder everyday in silence, we will live a far more fulfilled life. Believe me! A kick of silence lifts us to an EXtra-ordinary life.

The Price of Hate and Pardon

I was going through Paulo Coehlo blog and found this piece very appealing.

"....I don’t know if I am capable of pardoning ingratitude so easily.”

“It’s very difficult. But there is no choice: if you don’t pardon, then you’ll think about the pain they caused you and that pain will never go away. I’m not saying that you have to like those who do you wrong. I’m not telling you to go back to that person’s company. I’m not suggesting that you start seeing that person as an angel or as someone who acted without any hurtful intentions. All I am saying is that the energy of hate will take you nowhere, but the energy of pardon which manifests itself through love will manage to change your life in a positive sense.”

Extracted from Paulo Coelho blog.

The Praying Hands

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen! In order merely to keep food on the table for this mob, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighborhood. Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by laboring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honored position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfill his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ...for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver-point sketches, watercolors, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

The next time you see a copy of that touching creation, take a second look. Let it be your reminder, if you still need one, that no one - no one - - ever makes it alone!

The Last Masterpiece

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by.

The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, "This is your house... my gift to you."

The carpenter was shocked!

What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.

So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we realize we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.But, you cannot go back.

You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Someone once said, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Your attitude, and the choices you make today, help build the "house" you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, Build wisely!

Better Than You Think

“I’m sorry, but the company has no choice,” said the Boss fixating his eyes on the table and waited for Siddhant’s response. Siddhant knew there’s no point discussing further because the management had finalized to get rid of him and any reasoning will hold no good.

He was devastated. It was not expected from the person who he’d worked with for last nine years. He felt company had done sheer injustice to him and his boss was the first person to blame as he could count the people having poorer performance (who he thought) still not laid-off. He was diving deep in the sea of negativity while driving back home in Honda Accord. Before he pressed the brake pedal, he had jumped the red light and saw a policeman waiving at him to stop. He parked the car aside, cursed his fate, walked to policeman, paid 500 rupees and collected the penalty receipt without uttering a word and rushed back to his car.

He inserted the key to start the car and zoom off showing that the only way to disrespect the policeman. Little he had realized that he forgotten to collect license from the policeman. He abused the person driving slow in front of him and snaked fast to get ahead and pressed the accelerator hard to relieve his stress. His Boss’ statement was echoing in his head, oblivious of the fact that he had crossed the speed limit long back until the camera flashed against his face and he slowed down blaming the God. He had just got another jolt worth 500 rupees. The ring on his mobile distracted his attention and realizing this being the call from his boss, he had good enough reason not to attend. He was desperate and had a feeling that entire world is conspiring against him.

He parked the car, went to his apartment, guzzled a drink, turned his mobile phone to silent and went off to sleep. When he got up late next morning, found 22 missed calls and the message icon blinking on his mobile. He opened the message which read:

I hv spkn 2 Tushar 8 HDFC n
he hs agreed 2 keep u as Sales Mgr.
Cl him at 99261534 asap.

Boss

Then, he turned to missed call and realized that the caller was none other than the man he'd thought of.

Now, his perception towards boss had taken 360 degree turn. Yesterday, who he considered the conspirator suddenly turned into an angel. In the middle of this financial crisis, he had another, better job in hand.

You too must have had a few face-hiding experiences like Siddhant’s. Mostly in life our mind intends to run unilaterally. Usually when obsessed with negativity, our mind architects thousands of negative castles to justify our feeling and we ignore all the good deeds the other person has done to us. Many times it gets so deep that we consider others including God, the conspirator. But, most of the time,the other people and things around are not as bad.

If you take a holistic approach and maintain cool, you will find it Better Than You Think.

It Couldn't be Done

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But, he with a chuckle replied;
That "maybe it couldn't" but he would be one,
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin,
On his face. If he worried he hid it;
He started to sing as he tackled the thing,
That couldn't be done, as he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one we know has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle right in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing,
That cannot be done, and you'll do it.

by Edgar Guest

Two Choices

What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway.

My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended.

After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:

'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?

The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child likeShay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in theeighth inning.

I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team wasputting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way, Shay!'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

And now a little foot note to this story:

We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.' So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

The words of Encouragement

A group of frogs were traveling through the woods, and two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead. Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and gave up. He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and just die. He jumped even harder and finally made it out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Did you not hear us?" The frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story teaches two lessons:

1. There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2. A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.

Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words... it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way. Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times. Special is the individual who will take the time to encourage another.

The 3 Mistakes of my Ride

Last week after I parked my car in the supermarket, forgot to turn off the headlights. None else to be blamed for this but me, as my wife keeps complaining how absentminded I am and I keep justifying the opposite. We happily shopped for 2 hours and returned to the car strolling the cart.
After everything was dumped into the car, we were ready to drive off, but the car refused to start. The battery was gone. What to do? This was my first such experience.

After 35 minute struggle, I got someone with a connector. Waived to a car passing by, and the gentleman was kind enough to help me start the car. Meanwhile my wife reminded me a few times of the misdeed, defying my claims of being high at presence of mind.

We reached home and I made a self-commitment that come what may, I will never leave the light turned on after parking. I was reminded many times to change the car battery. But I was confident about my commitment.

We enjoyed ride for next two weeks.

Two weeks passed. Again, we were out for shopping. After I came back to the parked car, I pressed the button on the car key to open it, it didn't respond. We struggled for long and finally was able to manually open the car. You guessed right! The battery had run out again. I begged for connector to many shoppers who were in hurry to go back home (It was 11 pm) and finally a gentleman was kind enough to let out his. My eyes glowed, my lips stretched and excitement was visible on my face. We connected, tried a few times and the car didn't start. I wondered first, and looked at the wire, the plastic coating of which was melting. I quickly removed the clips. But, of no help. There was a short circuit as I'd wrongly clipped the wire in excitement.

There was no option, but to leave the car and went home in Taxi. Next day the car was towed away to the Service Centre and I got a massive jolt when I saw the bill. Of course the battery was changed. But, the short circuit caused bigger damage. And a thought flashed my mind
"Your wife is not Always wrong!"

So, in this story I committed 3 mistakes:

1. I didn't get the car fixed after first incident
2. I didn't listen to my wife even if she was right
3. Of course, left the headlight turned on again

Now, even if the car is fixed, my wife makes sure the lights are turned off. You better to know what to do next. Listen to your wife!

You can Make It Happen

History abounds with tales of experts who were convinced that the ideas, plans, and projects of others could never be achieved. However, accomplishment came to those who said, "I can make it happen."

The Italian sculptor Agostino d'Antonio worked diligently on a large piece of marble. Unable to produce his desired masterpiece, he lamented, "I can do nothing with it." Other sculptors also worked this difficult piece of marble, but to no avail. Michelangelo discovered the stone and visualized the possibilities in it. His "I-can-make-it-happen" attitude resulted in one of the world's masterpieces - David.

The experts of Spain concluded that Columbus's plans to discover a new and shorter route to the West Indies was virtually impossible. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand ignored the report of the experts. "I can make it happen," Columbus persisted. And he did. Everyone knew the world was flat, but not Columbus. The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, along with Columbus and his small band of followers, sailed to "impossible" new lands and thriving resources.

Even the great Thomas Alva Edison discouraged his friend, Henry Ford, from pursuing his fledgling idea of a motorcar. Convinced of the worthlessness of the idea, Edison invited Ford to come and work for him. Ford remained committed and tirelessly pursued his dream. Although his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without reverse gear, Henry Ford knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did.

"Forget it," the experts advised Madame Curie. They agreed radium was a scientifically impossible idea. However, Marie Curie insisted, "I can make it happen."

Let's not forget our friends Orville and Wilbur Wright. Journalists, friends, armed forces specialists, and even their father laughed at the idea of an airplane. "What a silly and insane way to spend money. Leave flying to the birds," they jeered. "Sorry," the Wright brothers responded. "We have a dream, and we can make it happen." As a result, a place called Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, became the setting for the launching of their "ridiculous" idea.

Finally, as you read these accounts under the magnificent lighting of your environment, consider the plight of Benjamin Franklin. He was admonished to stop the foolish experimenting with lighting. What an absurdity and waste of time! Why, nothing could outdo the fabulous oil lamp. Thank goodness Franklin knew he could make it happen. You too can make it happen!

Destroy Your Enemy

During the Civil War Lincoln had occasion at an official reception to refer to the Southerners as erring human beings rather than as enemies to be exterminated.

An elderly lady, a fiery patriot, rebuked him for speaking kindly of his enemies when he ought to be thinking of destroying them. "Why, madam," said Lincoln, "do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"

Just Five More Minutes

While at the park one day, a woman sat down next to a man on a bench near a playground.

“That’s my son over there,” she said, pointing to a little boy in a red sweater who was gliding down the slide.

“He’s a fine looking boy” the man said. “That’s my daughter on the bike in the white dress.”

Then, looking at his watch, he called to his daughter. “What do you say we go, Melissa?”

Melissa pleaded, “Just five more minutes, Dad. Please? Just five more minutes.”

The man nodded and Melissa continued to ride her bike to her heart’s content. Minutes passed and the father stood and called again to his daughter. “Time to go now?”

Again Melissa pleaded, “Five more minutes, Dad. Just five more minutes.”

The man smiled and said, “OK.”

“Mike, you certainly are a patient father,” the woman responded.

The man smiled and then said, “Her older brother Tommy was killed by a drunk driver last year while he was riding his bike near here. I never spent much time with Tommy and now I’d give anything for just five more minutes with him. I’ve vowed not to make the same mistake with Melissa.

She thinks she has five more minutes to ride her bike. The truth is, I get Five more minutes to watch her play.”

Life is all about making priorities, what are your priorities?Give someone you love 5 more minutes of your time today!

90/10 Principle by Steven Covey

Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations). What is this principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?

We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light. However, you can control your reaction. Do not let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.
Let us use an example: You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.

She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.

You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit zone. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started te rrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.

Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A. Did the coffee cause it?
B. Did your daughter cause it?
C. Did the policeman cause it?
D. Did you cause it?

The answer is “D”.

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.
Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, “Its ok honey, you just need to be more careful next time”. Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minute s early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED.

You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.

If someone says something negative about you, do not be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You do not have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic?

* Do you lose your temper?* Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall Off)* Do you curse?* Does your blood pressure skyrocket?* Do yo u try to bump them?

WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive. Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.

The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger.

Why are stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.

The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle.

The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache.

We all must understand and apply the 9 0/10 principle.
It CAN change your life!

Superman desn't need seat belt

Years ago when Mohammed Ali was in his prime, he was about to take off on an airplane flight.

Following standard procedure, the steward asked all passengers to fasten their safety belts.Noticing that he hadn’t fastened his, the steward gently reminded him to buckle up.In his usual brash style, Ali retorted, “Superman doesn’t need seat belt!”

Quickly but gently the steward reminded him, “Superman doesn’t need airplane either.”Ali reportedly fastened his belt.

The Package of Blessing

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily, he raised his voice at his father and said, "With all your money you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy book.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He had not seen him since that graduation day.

Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope taped behind the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words...PAID IN FULL. How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we expect?

That Gutsy Man

All the friends were invited at Prashant's wedding. It was supposed to be highly extravagant wedding as Prashant was a successful investment banker and was getting married to a senator's daughter while rest of the gang was struggling to start career. As expected, right after we landed, chauffeur was waiting to pick us up. We checked in to the hotel, relaxed for some time and were ready to attend wedding. Many page 3 socialites, politicians and film stars were invited and we too passed smile and shook hands with many of them. It was indeed a pleasant evening and we returned to the hotel after wedding ceremony.

The hotel was reserved for two days, so that visitors could go around the place considering it was a scenic city nestled between hills and sea located in South India. Everyone was highly appreciative of Prashant’s generosity. We had lavish morning breakfast and left to go around the city. After coming back, we ordered lunch in the room as we had to do packing to catch the evening flight. The food arrived, appreciation was coming after every delicacy tasted. Unexpectedly, the intercom buzzed. It was the manager who informed that food and beverage was to be paid by us. Everyone's face got whitewashed. We assumed it will go to Prashant’s account. To estimate the bill amount, I called the reception. The figure was big enough to give us a massive jolt. While some of the guys denied eating anything, others were planning how to go away without paying. A couple of them started packing faster so that they could get out of this mess early. One of them thanked God that the reservation was not made in his name. While all this was shaping up, Sandy looked at everyone and said, "I'm going to talk to the manager," and walked away.

After 10 minutes he came back with 160 degree smile. Everyone understood the problem is fixed. Sandy informed that the manager had agreed to waive the bill after talking to Prashant. We took a big sigh of relief and we checked out of the hotel with confidence.

I appreciate the guts what Sandy displayed. Most of the time people shrug off responsibilities, they blame others or try to get away. But, the ones like Sandy show us true leadership. Leadership is all about taking responsibilities, even in tough weather. I appreciate the guts of that man.