People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.
Mother Teresa
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Do Good Anyway...
Guy's Last Letter to Mom...
I remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink,
Mom,So I drank soda instead.
The way you said I would.
I didn't drink and drive, Mom,
Even though the others said I should.
I know you are always right.
Now the party is finally ending, Mom,
As everyone is driving out of sight.
I knew I'd get home in one piece.
Because of the way you raised me,
So responsible and sweet.
But as I pulled out into the road,
The other car didn't see me, Mom,
And hit me like a load.
I hear the policeman say,
"The other guy is drunk," Mom,
And now I'm the one who will pay.
I'm lying here dying, Mom....
I wish you'd get here soon.
How could this happen to me, Mom?
My life just burst like a balloon.
There is blood all around me, Mom,
And most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say, Mom,
I'll die in a short time.
I swear I didn't drink.
It was the others, Mom.
The others didn't think.
The only difference is, he drank
And I will die.
It can ruin your whole life.
I'm feeling sharp pains now.
Pains just like a knife.
The guy who hit me is walking, Mom,
And I don't think it's fair.
I'm lying here dying
And all he can do is stare.
Tell Daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven, Mom,
Put "GOOD BOY " on my grave.
Not to drink and drive.
If only they had told him, Mom,
I would still be alive.
My breath is getting shorter, Mom.
I'm becoming very scared.
Please don't cry for me, Mom.
When I needed you, you were always there.
I have one last question, Mom.
Before I say good bye.
I didn't drink and drive,
So why am I the one to die?
******************************
Someone took the effort to write this poem. So please, forward this to as many people as you can. And see if we can get a chain going around the world that will make people understand that drinking and driving don't mix.
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received via email
Expectations Hurt
One of the main reasons for people being unhappy, sad or dissatisfied is that they expected something very strongly and it doesn’t happen. Degree of dissatisfaction depends on how significant and huge that expectation was.
Expectations might be from a friend or a family member, fiancĂ©e, or even something like a promotion, better job, salary hike, students expecting results etc.. And when you don’t get what you have been dreaming of with your eyes open, it really hurts. All the dependent plans fail and an avalanche of shattered dreams is all that is left in the heart.
One can escape a lot of tension, unhappiness, dissatisfaction by ceasing to expect. Expect nothing. Don’t expect your friend to be by your side when you are in trouble, don’t expect a promotion, a better job, a pay hike etc. when you wont expect you wont be hurt if your friend doesn’t come to see you when you are sick. You wont be depressed when you don’t get a promotion or a pay hike or a better job. Thus you will escape a lot of mental stress, unhappiness, dissatisfaction. It’ll keep you and people around you happier. At the same time you give the world your best, be a good friend, a good husband, a good father, a good employee but don’t expect any favors in return. I’ll write on this soon…
Till then remember, don’t expect, expectations hurt. When you don’t expect anything everything comes as a surprise and surprises will usually make you happy.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Make Your City a Better Place
As the frustrated auto driver drove through the heavy evening traffic, he sweared at the rash drivers. His frustration was clearly visible to us. A little later the lady got down. She paid the driver. As she held the hand of her little daughter to start walking we heard a sweet voice, “thank you uncle”. The little girl thanked the driver. He smiled back at her and ran his fingers on her cheeks.
It seemed as if the “thank you” cooled him down. He didn’t swear again till we reached our lane. I told my friend to notice the effect of the small “thank you”.
In a days work if you appreciate someone’s work or thank him/her, you might just improve his mood, make him happy and relieve his frustration or tension to some extent. This would in turn prevent him from taking his frustration out on others which would eventually prevent many other bad tempers in your city or to be more precise around you.
Just think about this, if you can succeed in improving the moods of ten people, these ten people will in turn be nice to others they meet and the chain so formed will spread the happiness in your city. Your words of thankfulness and appreciation can actually make a difference to your city. You loose nothing by trying it out. So try it out…
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
How To Deal With Challenges
Challenges can consume you if you let them. You can, on the other hand choose to focus on your strengths instead and see challenges as a part of life, which is exactly what they are. If you allow yourself to focus on the difficulty of the challenge, that is what's going to grow in size, yet if you focus on solutions for your dilemma, the chances are you will find one or even more possibilities for solving your problem. Through trying times, we do not want to believe that some good can come out of our challenging periods. Yet, if we look back on the difficult times in our lives, whether it be about a relationship, one's business, an addiction, financial problems or other ... have we not learnt more as a result of each challenge? Have we not grown and become stronger, more compassionate human beings?
I am not saying that we need deny the severity of the challenge and the pain it may be causing. It is essential to feel the emotion that has surfaced to be able to accept the challenge and what it means to us. Give yourself time, but then put on your obstacle boots, do what you have to do about it, do all you can do and when that is done and no more can be achieved at that time, let it go and trust that it will be taken care. Wait and be patient for the right time and then take another step forward. Do not expect that all challenges can be solved immediately. Some need time and there always seems to be a reason for this. When challenges arise do not think you are being singled out and punished. Challenges are the stuff life is made of. However, how you choose to overcome the challenge will determine your rate of success.
In the words of Mark Victor Hansen, “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what!. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more successful.”
by Kim Knight
www.kimknightcoaching.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
One Bedroom Flat.... think over it...
ONE BEDROOM FLAT... WRITTEN BY AN INDIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEER..
A Bitter Reality, As the dream of most parents I had acquired a degree in Software Engineering and joined a company based in USA , the land of braves and opportunity. When I arrived in the USA , itwas as if a dream had come true.
Here at last I was in the place where I want to be. I decided I would be staying in this country for about Five years in which time I would have earned enough money to settle down in India ..
My father was a government employee and after his retirement, the only asset he could acquire was a decent one bedroom flat.
I wanted to do some thing more than him. I started feeling homesick and lonely as the time passed. I used to call home and speak to my parents every week using cheap international phone cards. Two years passed, two years of Burgers at McDonald's and pizzas and discos and 2 years watching the foreign exchange rate getting happy whenever the Rupee value went down.
Finally I decided to get married. Told my parents that I haveonly 10 days of holidays and everything must be done within these 10 days. I got my ticket booked in the cheapest flight.
Was jubilant and was actually enjoying hopping for gifts for all my friends back home. If I miss anyone then there will be talks. After reaching home I spent home one week going throug hall the photographs of girls and as the time was getting shorter I was forced to select one candidate.
In-laws told me, to my surprise, that I would have to get married in 2-3 days, as I will not get any more holidays. After the marriage, it was time to return to USA , after giving some money to my parents and telling the neighbors to look after them, we returned to USA ... My wife enjoyed this country for about two months and then she started feeling lonely. The frequency of calling India increased to twice in a week sometimes 3 times a week. Our savings started diminishing.
After two more years we started to have kids. Two lovely kids, a boy and a girl, were gifted to us by the almighty. Every time I spoke to my parents, they asked me to come to India so that they can see their grand-children.. Every year I decide to go to India … But part work part monetary conditions prevented it. Years went by and visitingIndia was a distant dream. Then suddenly one day I got amessage that my parents were seriously sick. I tried but I couldn't get any holidays and thus could not go to India .... The next message I got was my parents had passed away and as there was no one to do the last rights the society members had done whatever they could. I was depressed. My parents had passed away without seeing their grand children.
After couple more years passed away, much to my children's dislike and my wife's joy we returned to India to settle down.
I started to look for a suitable property, but to my dismay my savings were short and the property prices had gone up during all these years. I had to return to the USA ...My wife refused to come back with me and my children refused to stay in India ..... My 2 children and I returned to USA after promising my wife I would be back for good after two years.
Time passed by, my daughter decided to get married to an American and my son was happy living in USA ... I decided that had enough and wound-up every thing and returned to India .... I had just enough money to buy a decent 02 bedroom flat in a well-developed locality.
Now I am 60 years old and the only time I go out of the flat is for the routine visit to the nearby temple. My faithful wife has also left me and gone to the holy abode. Sometimes I wonder was it worth all this?
My father, even after staying in India , Had a house to his name and I too have the same, nothing more.
I lost my parents and children for just ONE EXTRA BEDROOM.
Looking out from the window I see a lot of children dancing.
This damned cable TV has spoiled our new generation and these children are losing their values and culture because of it. I get occasional cards from my children asking I am alright.
Well at least they remember me.
Now perhaps after I die it will be the neighbors again who will be performing my last rights, God Bless them..But the questionstillremains 'was all this worth it?
'I am still searching for an answer..................!!!
START THINKINGIS IT JUST FOR ONE EXTRA BEDROOM??? LIFE IS BEYOND THIS …..DON'T JUST LEAVE YOUR LIFE ……..START LIVING IT …….LIVE ITAS YOU WANT IT TO BE …….
RAJ...
Spend Time With Your Friends and Family...
SON: "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
DAD: "Yeah sure, what is it?" replied the man.
SON: "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" the man said angrily.
SON: "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?"
DAD: "If you must know, I make Rs.100 an hour."
"Oh," the little boy replied, with his head down.
Looking up, he said, "Daddy, may I please borrow Rs.50?"
The father was furious, "If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed.
Think about why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior.
"The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?
After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that Rs.50 and he really didn't ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.
"Are you asleep, son?" He asked.
No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy.
"I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier," said the man.
"It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the Rs.50 you asked for." The little boy sat straight up, smiling. "Oh, thank you daddy!" He yelled.
Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills. The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father.
"Why do you want more money if you already have some?" the father grumbled.
"Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied.
"Daddy, I have Rs.100 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you."
Share this story with someone you like....
But even better, share Rs.100 worth of time with someone you love. It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.