Thursday, February 28, 2013
mind!
The mind is everything. What you think you become. you need to do is just balancing your mind.
Worry is nothing but the misuse of imagination.
Often, karma acts swiftly; we get a boot in the butt and know exactly why something is happening to us. At other times, it takes years; and having forgotten our past actions, we say, “Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this?’ We reap what we sow. Karma works in its own time, and the ledger always gets balanced. There’s no escaping responsibility.
The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts while the stupid ones are full of confidence.
quotes!!
Follow your BLISS and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.
If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag.
You have gone through endless births and sufferings. Now use this precious life to transcend it all, with the guidance of a living Guru.
life is too short
Laugh when you can, apologize when you should, and let go of what you can't change. Play hard, forgive quickly, take chances, give everything and have NO regrets... Life is too short to be anything but happy ..... (By Malathi, Vzg)
10 Principles of life!
Stop and ask yourself today, "How do I really feel about myself?"
Before you answer read these ten principles.
Better yet, keep them before you daily.
(1) Never think or speak negatively about yourself; that puts you in disagreement with God.
(2) Meditate on your God-given strengths and learn to encourage yourself, for much of the time nobody else will.
(3) Don't compare yourself to anybody else. You're unique, one of a kind, an original. So don't settle for being a copy.
(4) Focus on your potential, not your limitations. Remember, God lives in you!
(5) Find what you like to do, do well, and strive to do it with excellence.
(6) Have the courage to be different. Be a God pleaser, not a people pleaser.
(7) Learn to handle criticism. Let it develop you instead of discourage you.
(8) Determine your own worth instead of letting others do it for you. They'll short-change you!
(9) Keep your shortcomings in perspective - you're still a work in progress.
(10) Focus daily on your greatest source of confidence - the God Who lives in you!
Before you answer read these ten principles.
Better yet, keep them before you daily.
(1) Never think or speak negatively about yourself; that puts you in disagreement with God.
(2) Meditate on your God-given strengths and learn to encourage yourself, for much of the time nobody else will.
(3) Don't compare yourself to anybody else. You're unique, one of a kind, an original. So don't settle for being a copy.
(4) Focus on your potential, not your limitations. Remember, God lives in you!
(5) Find what you like to do, do well, and strive to do it with excellence.
(6) Have the courage to be different. Be a God pleaser, not a people pleaser.
(7) Learn to handle criticism. Let it develop you instead of discourage you.
(8) Determine your own worth instead of letting others do it for you. They'll short-change you!
(9) Keep your shortcomings in perspective - you're still a work in progress.
(10) Focus daily on your greatest source of confidence - the God Who lives in you!
changing life
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Take off the mask!
I take off the mask because I wanted to express who I really am, warts and all, strengths and weaknesses, beauty and imperfections.
What are these masks we wear?
The mask of happiness - when in truth we are really hurting deep within
The mask of knowledge - when in truth there are many things we do not know yet
The mask of wholeness - when we really need healing both physically and emotionally
The mask of perfection - when we needed to reveal our flaws and be accepted for who we are
The mask of courage - when in truth, we were afraid of many things
The mask of strength - when we were really in need of friend
The mask of invulnerability - when in truth, we needed to be loved
The mask of righteousness - when we are aware of our shortcomings in loving the people dearest to us
What made us wear those masks?
1.Our fear of rejection, and our need for people's approval
2.Our need to be loved
3.Our need to be respected and to be credible enough so people would believe what we say
4.Our pride
5.Our fear of getting hurt when we expose ourselves and get judged or condemned.
But I have realized however, that without taking off those masks, I could never really find my heaven, I couldn't be truly happy. Even if I be accepted and loved for my masks, it is the mask that gets to be loved, not the real person, the real "me" hiding behind the mask. So I am off these masks and hope all of you are also with me in this.
What are these masks we wear?
The mask of happiness - when in truth we are really hurting deep within
The mask of knowledge - when in truth there are many things we do not know yet
The mask of wholeness - when we really need healing both physically and emotionally
The mask of perfection - when we needed to reveal our flaws and be accepted for who we are
The mask of courage - when in truth, we were afraid of many things
The mask of strength - when we were really in need of friend
The mask of invulnerability - when in truth, we needed to be loved
The mask of righteousness - when we are aware of our shortcomings in loving the people dearest to us
What made us wear those masks?
1.Our fear of rejection, and our need for people's approval
2.Our need to be loved
3.Our need to be respected and to be credible enough so people would believe what we say
4.Our pride
5.Our fear of getting hurt when we expose ourselves and get judged or condemned.
But I have realized however, that without taking off those masks, I could never really find my heaven, I couldn't be truly happy. Even if I be accepted and loved for my masks, it is the mask that gets to be loved, not the real person, the real "me" hiding behind the mask. So I am off these masks and hope all of you are also with me in this.
CONVERSATION WITH GOD – ALL FOR THE BEST
Me : God, can I ask You a question?
God : Sure.
Me : Promise You won’t get mad.
God : I promise.Me : Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
God : What do you mean?
Me : Well, I woke up late.
God : Yes.Me : My car took forever to start.
God : Okay.
Me : At lunch they made my sandwich wrong and Ihad to wait.
God : Huummm.
Me : On the way home, my phone went dead, justas I picked up a call.
God : All right.
Me : And to top it all, when I got home I just wantedto soak my feet in my new foot massager andrelax but it wouldn’t work!!! Nothing wentright today! Why did You do that?
God : Let me see, the death angel was at your bedthis morning and I had to send one of MyAngels to battle him for your life. I let yousleep through that.
Me : (humbled) Oh!
God : I didn’t let your car start because there was adrunk driver on your route that would havehit you if you were on the road.
Me : (ashamed)
God : The first person who made your sandwichtoday was sick and I didn’t want you to catchwhat they have, I knew you couldn’t affordto miss work.
Me : (embarrassed) Okay
God : Your phone went dead because the person thatwas calling was going to give false witnessabout what you said on that call, I didn’t evenlet you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me : (softly) I see God.
God : Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortagethat was going to throw out all of the powerin your house tonight. I didn’t think youwanted to be in the dark.
Me : I’m Sorry God…
God : Don’t be sorry, just learn to Trust Me in allthings – the good and the bad.
Me : I will trust You.
God : And don’t doubt that My plan for your day isalways better than your plan.
Me : I won’t God. And let me just tell you God,thank You for everything today.
God : You’re welcome child. It was just another daybeing your God and I Love looking after MyChildren...
God : Sure.
Me : Promise You won’t get mad.
God : I promise.Me : Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
God : What do you mean?
Me : Well, I woke up late.
God : Yes.Me : My car took forever to start.
God : Okay.
Me : At lunch they made my sandwich wrong and Ihad to wait.
God : Huummm.
Me : On the way home, my phone went dead, justas I picked up a call.
God : All right.
Me : And to top it all, when I got home I just wantedto soak my feet in my new foot massager andrelax but it wouldn’t work!!! Nothing wentright today! Why did You do that?
God : Let me see, the death angel was at your bedthis morning and I had to send one of MyAngels to battle him for your life. I let yousleep through that.
Me : (humbled) Oh!
God : I didn’t let your car start because there was adrunk driver on your route that would havehit you if you were on the road.
Me : (ashamed)
God : The first person who made your sandwichtoday was sick and I didn’t want you to catchwhat they have, I knew you couldn’t affordto miss work.
Me : (embarrassed) Okay
God : Your phone went dead because the person thatwas calling was going to give false witnessabout what you said on that call, I didn’t evenlet you talk to them so you would be covered.
Me : (softly) I see God.
God : Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortagethat was going to throw out all of the powerin your house tonight. I didn’t think youwanted to be in the dark.
Me : I’m Sorry God…
God : Don’t be sorry, just learn to Trust Me in allthings – the good and the bad.
Me : I will trust You.
God : And don’t doubt that My plan for your day isalways better than your plan.
Me : I won’t God. And let me just tell you God,thank You for everything today.
God : You’re welcome child. It was just another daybeing your God and I Love looking after MyChildren...
Excellence
A tourist once visited a temple under constructionwhere he saw a sculptor making, an idol of God.Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby.Surprised, he aked the sculptor, “Do you need twostatues of the same idol?”
“No”, said the sculptor without looking up, “We need only one, but the first one got damaged in thelast stage.”
The gentleman examined the idol and found, noapparent damage.“Where is the damage? he asked.
“There is a scratch on the nose of the idol, saidthe sculptor still busy with his work.
“Where are you going to install the idol?”The sculptor replied that it would be installed on apillar twenty feet high.
“If the idol is that far who is going to know, thatthere is a scratch on the nose?” the genleman asked...
The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at theman, smiled and said, “I will know it.
♦The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciate it or not.
♦ “Excellence” is a drive from inside not outside.
♦ Excellence is not for someone else to notice butfor your own satisfaction and efficency.
“No”, said the sculptor without looking up, “We need only one, but the first one got damaged in thelast stage.”
The gentleman examined the idol and found, noapparent damage.“Where is the damage? he asked.
“There is a scratch on the nose of the idol, saidthe sculptor still busy with his work.
“Where are you going to install the idol?”The sculptor replied that it would be installed on apillar twenty feet high.
“If the idol is that far who is going to know, thatthere is a scratch on the nose?” the genleman asked...
The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at theman, smiled and said, “I will know it.
♦The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciate it or not.
♦ “Excellence” is a drive from inside not outside.
♦ Excellence is not for someone else to notice butfor your own satisfaction and efficency.
Paint my World with Love!
Love means reciprocation
–Radhanath Swami
A millionaire was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted many physicians and medical experts; he consumed heavy drugs, took injections but his ache persisted with greater vigor than before. At last a monk who was an expert in treating such patients was called for. The monk understood his problem and said that for sometime he should concentrate only on green colors and to take care not to see any other colors. The millionaire hired a group of painters and purchased barrels of green color and directed that every object his eye was likely to fall on be painted in green color just as the monk had directed.
When the monk came to visit him after few days, the millionaire’s servants ran with buckets of green paints and poured on him since he was in red dress, lest their master sees some other color and his eye ache would prop back.
Hearing this the monk laughed and said “If only you had bought a pair of green spectacles, worth just a few rupees, you could have saved these buildings, walls, trees, etc., and also could have saved a large part of your fortune. You cannot paint the world green!”
If only the millionaire had changed his vision, the world would have appeared accordingly to him, instead he was foolishly trying to change the world to suit his vision which is not only a daunting task but also an impossible one.
Similarly, like the foolish millionaire, we are also constantly trying to change others around us, to suit our requirements! Changing the color of objects is by far an easier task than changing people and their attitude. People need inspiration, not manipulation. People need love, not directives. The best way we can change someone is when we change our attitude towards them.
Heres a simple recipe:
If you want people to listen to you, you listen to their heart’s needs.
If you want to be cared for, you start caring for them.
If you want people to love you, you start giving love.
Remember, love is seen in actions more than in words! Love means reciprocation. We can start the chain of loving reciprocation’s by changing our vision or our attitude. All other efforts to see a change in the other only brings us more frustration and leads us deeper into the pit we want to desperately get out of.
Though the recipe looks simple, it takes great effort and determination to implement it. But if you genuinely and sincerely put efforts in this direction, you will cherish the result for life!
–Radhanath Swami
A millionaire was bothered by severe eye pain. He consulted many physicians and medical experts; he consumed heavy drugs, took injections but his ache persisted with greater vigor than before. At last a monk who was an expert in treating such patients was called for. The monk understood his problem and said that for sometime he should concentrate only on green colors and to take care not to see any other colors. The millionaire hired a group of painters and purchased barrels of green color and directed that every object his eye was likely to fall on be painted in green color just as the monk had directed.
When the monk came to visit him after few days, the millionaire’s servants ran with buckets of green paints and poured on him since he was in red dress, lest their master sees some other color and his eye ache would prop back.
Hearing this the monk laughed and said “If only you had bought a pair of green spectacles, worth just a few rupees, you could have saved these buildings, walls, trees, etc., and also could have saved a large part of your fortune. You cannot paint the world green!”
If only the millionaire had changed his vision, the world would have appeared accordingly to him, instead he was foolishly trying to change the world to suit his vision which is not only a daunting task but also an impossible one.
Similarly, like the foolish millionaire, we are also constantly trying to change others around us, to suit our requirements! Changing the color of objects is by far an easier task than changing people and their attitude. People need inspiration, not manipulation. People need love, not directives. The best way we can change someone is when we change our attitude towards them.
Heres a simple recipe:
If you want people to listen to you, you listen to their heart’s needs.
If you want to be cared for, you start caring for them.
If you want people to love you, you start giving love.
Remember, love is seen in actions more than in words! Love means reciprocation. We can start the chain of loving reciprocation’s by changing our vision or our attitude. All other efforts to see a change in the other only brings us more frustration and leads us deeper into the pit we want to desperately get out of.
Though the recipe looks simple, it takes great effort and determination to implement it. But if you genuinely and sincerely put efforts in this direction, you will cherish the result for life!
"Man Proposes God Disposes"
Ever seen how monkeys are caught ? In a box with a narrow opening, with some nuts kept inside.The monkey tries to grab the nuts but then his hand becomes a fist and can not come through the opening. The monkey can free his hand by leaving the nuts, but he is attracted by the nuts and choose not to part with them and ultimately gets caught.
There is a story of Lord Indra who got cursed and had to come to earth as a pig. When the curse was over, Lord Brahma went to take him back. But Indra, then a pig, refused to go back. The pig gave his excuses: “ I have my lady pig and beautiful babies, how can I leave them ? “
The same thing happens to all of us. God sent us to this world for self realisation and service to Him. But we lose track somewhere. We cling to our belongings and relatives, like the monkey holding onto the nuts and forget our real goal.
But, the spiritual master knows our nature. He uses the method used to catch a big fish, to get us back. When a big fish gets caught in the fisherman’s net, it is not immediately pulled up. If this is done, the fish resists so strongly that the net breaks. So the fish is allowed to swim around for some time, and when it gets tired, it is pulled up.
Similarly, when we move towards God, we go to Him to ask for the fulfilment of a long list of our worldly demands. God understands why we have gone to Him, so he fulfils our right demands and keeps us attached to Him, like the fisherman’s line. Sooner or later, when we all get tired of worldly affairs, we automatically stop resisting and then we move towards our real goal, self realisation and selfless service to the God.
There is a story of Lord Indra who got cursed and had to come to earth as a pig. When the curse was over, Lord Brahma went to take him back. But Indra, then a pig, refused to go back. The pig gave his excuses: “ I have my lady pig and beautiful babies, how can I leave them ? “
The same thing happens to all of us. God sent us to this world for self realisation and service to Him. But we lose track somewhere. We cling to our belongings and relatives, like the monkey holding onto the nuts and forget our real goal.
But, the spiritual master knows our nature. He uses the method used to catch a big fish, to get us back. When a big fish gets caught in the fisherman’s net, it is not immediately pulled up. If this is done, the fish resists so strongly that the net breaks. So the fish is allowed to swim around for some time, and when it gets tired, it is pulled up.
Similarly, when we move towards God, we go to Him to ask for the fulfilment of a long list of our worldly demands. God understands why we have gone to Him, so he fulfils our right demands and keeps us attached to Him, like the fisherman’s line. Sooner or later, when we all get tired of worldly affairs, we automatically stop resisting and then we move towards our real goal, self realisation and selfless service to the God.
Lord is our true companion--Short Story
A wallet was found in a train ; an old man said it was his and cited the Lord’s (Lord Krishna) picture inside the wallet, as a proof that it really belonged to him. After the wallet was restored to him, he began on his own to relate the history of the wallet. Soon he had a cluster of eager passengers around him as he began to narrate what eventually turned out to be a candid confession of an honest man.
Lifting up the wallet in his hands for all to see, he said: ‘This purse has a long history behind it. It was given to me by my father years ago when I was a mere school boy. I kept my little pocket-money in it and also a photograph of my parents. Years passed by. I grew up and began pursuing my university studies. Like every youth, I became conscious of my own individuality — my own appearance, “my own personality. (The world changes)
The photograph of my parents was replaced by my own photograph (The world changes). I would look at it often. I had become my own admirer. Then came marriage. Self-admiration gave way to the consciousness of a family. Out went my own photo and I replaced it by my wife’s. During my duty hours at the office I would open the purse many times and gaze at the photo; all weariness would vanish and I would resume my work with enthusiasm. Then came the birth of my first child. What a joy I experienced when I became a father! I would eagerly rush home after work to play with my little child. Needless to say, my wife’s photo had already made way for my child’s.’ (The world changes)
The old man paused. All the listeners leaned closer. Wiping his eyes which had slowly accumulated tears in them, he looked around and said in a throbbing voice, ‘Friends, my parents passed away long ago. My wife too died five years back. My son — my only son — is now married. He is too busy with his career and his family. He has no time for me. I now stand on the threshold of the next world. I do not know what awaits me in future. Everyone has gone away. Everything I loved, everything I considered my own, has left me. A picture of the Lord (Lord Krishna) now occupies the place in my wallet. I know He will never leave me. I wish now I had kept His picture with me right from the beginning! He alone is true; all others are, at best, just passing shadows.’ (The world changes)
A slow learner he was, this old man. And we too — most of us. It takes us a lifetime to realize even faintly some of the basic facts of life. The evanescent nature of life is too obvious to elude our attention, really speaking the Lord is our only true companion. Curiously enough, there is nothing we tend to forget more than this. We read about it, we hear people speak about it, often we too philosophize about it — alas, we rarely feel it.
Lifting up the wallet in his hands for all to see, he said: ‘This purse has a long history behind it. It was given to me by my father years ago when I was a mere school boy. I kept my little pocket-money in it and also a photograph of my parents. Years passed by. I grew up and began pursuing my university studies. Like every youth, I became conscious of my own individuality — my own appearance, “my own personality. (The world changes)
The photograph of my parents was replaced by my own photograph (The world changes). I would look at it often. I had become my own admirer. Then came marriage. Self-admiration gave way to the consciousness of a family. Out went my own photo and I replaced it by my wife’s. During my duty hours at the office I would open the purse many times and gaze at the photo; all weariness would vanish and I would resume my work with enthusiasm. Then came the birth of my first child. What a joy I experienced when I became a father! I would eagerly rush home after work to play with my little child. Needless to say, my wife’s photo had already made way for my child’s.’ (The world changes)
The old man paused. All the listeners leaned closer. Wiping his eyes which had slowly accumulated tears in them, he looked around and said in a throbbing voice, ‘Friends, my parents passed away long ago. My wife too died five years back. My son — my only son — is now married. He is too busy with his career and his family. He has no time for me. I now stand on the threshold of the next world. I do not know what awaits me in future. Everyone has gone away. Everything I loved, everything I considered my own, has left me. A picture of the Lord (Lord Krishna) now occupies the place in my wallet. I know He will never leave me. I wish now I had kept His picture with me right from the beginning! He alone is true; all others are, at best, just passing shadows.’ (The world changes)
A slow learner he was, this old man. And we too — most of us. It takes us a lifetime to realize even faintly some of the basic facts of life. The evanescent nature of life is too obvious to elude our attention, really speaking the Lord is our only true companion. Curiously enough, there is nothing we tend to forget more than this. We read about it, we hear people speak about it, often we too philosophize about it — alas, we rarely feel it.
Keep your head clear
"Keep your head clear. It doesn’t matter how bright the path is if your head is always cloudy.”
Have you ever noticed that your biggest “aha” moment comes from someone asking a powerful question? Suddenly everything seems to make a little more sense, and you know what you need to do from that point forward, right?
The beauty of these questions is there are no right or wrong answers. They are just meant to get your wheels turning, and maybe help you see the decisions you’ve been making, and the ones you’d like to make from now on.
These are 28 questions:
1. We learn from our mistakes, yet we’re always so afraid to make one. Where is this true for you?
2. What risk would you take if you knew you could not fail?
3. What is your greatest strength? Have any of your recent actions demonstrated this strength?
4. What are the top five things you cherish in your life?
5. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
6. When do you stop calculating risk and rewards, and just do it?
7. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
8. What do you most connect with? Why?
9. What one piece of advice would you offer a newborn child?
10. Which is worse—failing or never trying?
11. Why do we do things we dislike and like the things we never seem to do?
12. What are you avoiding?
13. What is the one job/cause/activity that could get you out of bed happily for the rest of your life? Are you doing it now?
14. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
15. What are you most grateful for?
16. What would you say is one thing you’d like to change in the world?
17. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or it influencing you?
18. Are you doing what you believe in or settling for what you’re doing?
19. What are you committed to?
20. Which worries you more – doing things right or doing the right things?
21. If joy became the national currency, what kind of work would make you wealthy?
22. Have you been the kind of friend you’d want as one?
23. Do any of the things that used to upset you a few years ago matter at all today? What’s changed?
24. Would you rather have less work to do or more work you enjoy doing?
25. What permission do you need/want to move forward?
26. Really, what do you have to lose if you go for it?
27. How different would your life be if there weren’t any criticism in the world?
28. We’re always making choices. Are you choosing for your story or for someone else’s?
Powerful questions can change the very fiber of our construction. They give us a chance to challenge our own ideals and perhaps shed some light on what we are and are not committed to.
It’s important to understand that we’re always committed to something. If it’s not success out on our own, it’s staying safe in the comfortable success of someone else. If we’re not committed to creating our opportunities, we’re committed to floating around, hoping, waiting, and wishing for circumstance.
Are you more committed to dreaming it or doing it?
Ask yourself some of these questions when you feel stuck. What comes up just might surprise you!
Peace, love, and a million successes to you, my friends!
Have you ever noticed that your biggest “aha” moment comes from someone asking a powerful question? Suddenly everything seems to make a little more sense, and you know what you need to do from that point forward, right?
The beauty of these questions is there are no right or wrong answers. They are just meant to get your wheels turning, and maybe help you see the decisions you’ve been making, and the ones you’d like to make from now on.
These are 28 questions:
1. We learn from our mistakes, yet we’re always so afraid to make one. Where is this true for you?
2. What risk would you take if you knew you could not fail?
3. What is your greatest strength? Have any of your recent actions demonstrated this strength?
4. What are the top five things you cherish in your life?
5. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?
6. When do you stop calculating risk and rewards, and just do it?
7. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?
8. What do you most connect with? Why?
9. What one piece of advice would you offer a newborn child?
10. Which is worse—failing or never trying?
11. Why do we do things we dislike and like the things we never seem to do?
12. What are you avoiding?
13. What is the one job/cause/activity that could get you out of bed happily for the rest of your life? Are you doing it now?
14. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?
15. What are you most grateful for?
16. What would you say is one thing you’d like to change in the world?
17. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or it influencing you?
18. Are you doing what you believe in or settling for what you’re doing?
19. What are you committed to?
20. Which worries you more – doing things right or doing the right things?
21. If joy became the national currency, what kind of work would make you wealthy?
22. Have you been the kind of friend you’d want as one?
23. Do any of the things that used to upset you a few years ago matter at all today? What’s changed?
24. Would you rather have less work to do or more work you enjoy doing?
25. What permission do you need/want to move forward?
26. Really, what do you have to lose if you go for it?
27. How different would your life be if there weren’t any criticism in the world?
28. We’re always making choices. Are you choosing for your story or for someone else’s?
Powerful questions can change the very fiber of our construction. They give us a chance to challenge our own ideals and perhaps shed some light on what we are and are not committed to.
It’s important to understand that we’re always committed to something. If it’s not success out on our own, it’s staying safe in the comfortable success of someone else. If we’re not committed to creating our opportunities, we’re committed to floating around, hoping, waiting, and wishing for circumstance.
Are you more committed to dreaming it or doing it?
Ask yourself some of these questions when you feel stuck. What comes up just might surprise you!
Peace, love, and a million successes to you, my friends!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)