Little Things That Matter

Learn From The Past, Live The Present and Have An Open Mind to Face Tomorrow

Ten Steps To Nourish and Enjoy Life

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“Bloom where you are Planted” but has the adage now become “Survive where you are Stuck”.

Do we see life more as a culvert of survival or as a garden with significant possibilities for growth and blossoming? Life is a gift to us, which we need to cultivate, nurture, grow, spread kindness and love.

We should always cherish and encourage love, unity, service, generosity, justice and peace in whichever form and shape we can find and weed out all forms of evil, injustice, exploitation, insensitivity and cruelty.

Our greed and selfishness has not only fractured relationships with our family, friends and mankind, but we have severed our ties with Mother Earth. We abuse, torture and exploit Earth and Mother Nature. We must work to fulfil both, ourselves as well as our environment but at the same time care for our environment and not continue to harm Mother Nature but restore her pristine beauty.

“Life is not a bed of roses.” Even if it were, remember that roses bloom with thorns. So let’s sow seeds of life and tackle the hurdles that come our way.

10 STEPS T0 NOURISH AND ENJOY LIFE

1. Smile

An inexpensive way to cheer yourself and others. Make someone’s day and your own by smiling,

2. A kind word or deed– something as simple as Thank you for clearing my trash on a daily basis to the person who clears your garbage daily will make that person’s day. An example of a kind deed could be to help some one on the road if you see them carrying a huge load.

3. Apology – An apology is a proof that you have conquered your ego; it clears your heart and makes you realise that it is human to err. It also means that you value your relationships more than your ego. Would you rather be remembered for your kindness or about winning an argument.

4. Breadth of life –
Every breadth you take and the fact that you wake up each new day is a blessing in itself. Every morning is a symbol of rebirth of life.

5. Food –

The fact that you are able to eat a bare minimum of two meals a day in itself is something to be thankful about.

6. Friends –
Be thankful of the friends you can rely on and call on at any time. What would we do without them. Don;t take them for granted

7. Family– Your parents, your siblings, your spouse and the support they give you to be who you are on a daily basis.

8. Happiness – Happiness is a state of mind on a day to day basis. Words have an immense influence on the receiver and the speaker. Choose your words diligently and let anger not douse them.

9. Attitude – Attitude to anything in life makes a huge difference. We all have hurdles in life but the attitude we have towards each of these will dictate every moment of our day and life. Make it a good one and you will enrich your life and those around you. Having the right positive attitude is something that we need to remind ourselves consciously especially when we are having a challenging day.

10. Passion –
Each of us have our own passion and activities that we engage ourselves passionately in. I’m very passionate about hikes about helping some one in need. While many of us may not be able to engage ourselves in what we are passionate about each and every moment, it is crucial we make time for things we love. Go where you want to go and follow your intitution. Don’t restrict yourself by the boundaries created by others.

All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better. Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Image Source : Smile
Food

SHOW SOMEONE YOU CARE

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This is an email I received from a friend of mine. I loved the message and thought I should share..

If those who owe us nothing gave us nothing, how poor we would be.  ~Antonio Porchia

I was sitting at the bar of a local restaurant having lunch and taking a break from the daily grind, sitting there thinking about how tough I had it lately and how I was sick of what I was doing. I own a landscape company and never felt I made a difference in people’s lives.

As I sat there feeling sorry for myself, a pretty girl who looked about 25 walked in and sat down in a booth waiting for her friend. It didn’t take long before I saw she was trying to stay hidden in a way from other people’s gazes and my heart sank. You could see her hair was falling out and, at such a young age, she was receiving chemo.

I sat there watching her trying to remain composed and she was having a tough time of it. I ached for her, imagining what it must be like to go through this and yet I know some of her pain. You see I buried my wife, the love of my life just a few short years ago and watched her slowly fade away. I needed to get a message of hope to this girl but how? What could I do?

Then it hit me! I called over her waitress and explained that I wanted to buy the girl and her friend’s lunch but I also told her you can’t tell her it was me, it had to remain anonymous. In doing so, I handed her a note to give to the girl when she told her that her tab was paid.

The note read as follows: Someone today thought you were beautiful, someone today thought your smile glowed with excitement, someone today thought your eyes lit up the world, someone today cared and wanted you to know this. Enjoy the rest of your day, pretty young lady”.

About 15 minutes later the young girl asked for her check and I watched as she was told it was paid for. She asked why? Who? What for? The waitress simply handed her the note and informed her that the gentleman who did it left, as to keep me anonymous.

I watched as she slowly read the note. Her eyes teared up, for only a moment, and then came the smile! A huge, beautiful, hopeful smile! She lit up the room and then sat up straight, not caring who saw her. Her friend also beamed, not for what was done but because her friend was feeling beautiful again.

It’s not how we look or what we have, it’s not our houses or how many cars we have, nor is it how much money we can earn. No, it isn’t. You see it’s all about how much we care and what we do, even if it’s making someone feel pretty only for a moment.

Yes, lunch cost only a few dollars but you see the wonderful part, the magic was free.

Make a difference today in just one life; it’s free.

 

The Art of Listening

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“Many a man would rather you heard his story than granted his request.”—Phillip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield.

Each of us go through a lot of stress each day.  Most of us start our day early, go to work, and we know each day that we need to get adequate sleep, we need to exercise, probably meet few friends, eat  a meal, read, listen to music, make time for family & near and dear ones and how can we forget the need to keep up to date on social media. And there are many days where demands from work could be challenging.

Most of  us have a stressful day, which could be good stress or bad stress. However there is a very thin line between good and bad stress. Many times it may be an innocent email or a response from someone or waiting in a traffic jam that sets the trigger for an outburst that is beyond our control. And we complain, we get irritable and that possibly sets a contagion effect on many around us.

But what is the most demanding feeling that most of us go through at a time when we are stressed and feel like we are about to breakdown. To be Listened?

What if at a vulnerable moment someone reached out to you in an act of generosity and listened to you or gave you a hug or volunteered to share your work, wouldn’t we feel nice?

1. Listen- To Listen without judgement, without competing and contributing. Just being there for somebody in heart and soul. True understanding lies in empathizing with the other’s person’s challenge.

I was at the Samaritans pre-selection course last Sunday and during the full day selection procedure, biggest take away for me was that we all can be Samaritans on a daily basis to our near and dear ones, and to our colleagues.

I respect the Samaritans for the service that they run, where they don’t know the caller and yet listen without any contributions or tipping the caller in the wrong way especially the vulnerable ones.

2. Empathize – We can acknowledge what each other is facing by just listening in and making sure that the other party knows that you understand that they are in a tough spot.  Basically acknowledge that you hear what they are saying without contributing your opinion.

3. Help Out – Where the situation demands and you think you can help out, offer to help the person out no matter if this person is your spouse, friend or a colleague.

I know it made my day just being at the Samaritans pre-selection program. Think about a day when someone has listened to you and has made you feel good.  Act of listening to another person makes the listener feel a sense of happiness.

We all can offer this on a daily basis especially in today’s world where we hide behind Social Media and chats.  Let’s not lose the personal touch.  The most basic of all human needs is to understand and be understood.  The best way to understand someone is to listen.

“Effective listeners remember that “words have no meaning – people have meaning.” The assignment of meaning to a term is an internal process; meaning comes from inside us. And although our experiences, knowledge and attitudes differ, we often misinterpret each other’s messages while under the illusion that a common understanding has been achieved.”Lary Barker 

Pain & Fulfillment

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Life has a lot of ups & downs & in the end what matters is how each of us, you & me, have come out of this roller coaster & still face life & the challenges!
I don’t have a problem with challenges as long as I evolve & learn something & this learning takes me to a new level.

I was feeling low today & in my quest to read something inspiring came across this quote which resonated my thoughts…

I am willing to put myself through anything; temporary pain or discomfort means nothing to me as long as I can see that the experience will take me to a new level. I am interested in the unknown, and the only path to the unknown is through breaking barriers, an often painful process. – Diana Nyad

Life is a rollercoaster,
Just gotta ride it………..Isn;t it???

Road to Nowhere

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“We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride……..”

Don’t we all feel, many a time, that we are on A Road to Nowhere.

….But with enthusiasm, courage, love & passion each of us can take the unknown journey & Make this World A Better Place.

Let’s Strive to Make this World Slightly Better Each Day………

“We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride……..”

Don’t we all feel, many a time, that we are on A Road to Nowhere But with enthusiasm, courage & passion each of us can take the unknown journey & Make this World A Better Place.

Let’s Strive to Make this World Slightly Better Each Day………

Give Me Some Sunshine

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I’m an Indian and educated in India and proud to be a by-product of the Indian education system.

In my years of growing up I did feel the peer pressure of excelling in my studies and topping the class. However, luckily by the grace of God and with the support of my wonderful parents, I had no problem with the healthy pressure and excelling in my academics.

What I experienced was a healthy competition and I would attribute most of that to my wonderful parents who never put pressure on me to choose a particular field. Importance of being good at academics was always stressed, during my student years, but never exaggerated. That made all the difference to me and I had a healthy student life.

In India, education system is very demanding and year after year one hears of kudos being given to those who shine and the field that takes the cake in this respect is the IIT Entrance Exam.

I’m not an Engineer nor have I taken IIT JEE -Entrance Test, but know of many people who have taken, many of them are my friends, who are qualified engineers, from the renowned IIT India.

This year as well, approximately a week back the newspaper headlines were full of news, of toppers. But somewhere tucked in a corner of some of these newspapers was some of these students committing suicide after viewing their results !! Yes………..

It is great if one can become an Engineer but first , is it not important to become a good citizen and embed the values of becoming a good citizen in our youth.

One’s value does not increase just because one becomes an Engineer. Don’t we need to reconsider the pressure that we put on these college kids. There are many students who excel in their exams but may not get through the IIT Jee tests. Does that mean that they are unfit and useless???? Is this the message that we need to give our youth and children?

Peer & parental pressure many a time leads many a student to choose these professions. Don’t they need to be given a chance to choose.!! Let’s not kill the youth ! Do you want to give them a chance?

I think this song from the movie ” 3 Idiots” truly says it all.

Lyrics of which are

Give Me Some Sunshine Lyrics

Saari umar hum
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Jeene do

Saari umar hum
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Jeene do

Saari umar hum
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Jeene do

Na na na….Na na na….Na na na….Na na nana na….

Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again

Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again

Kandhon ko kitabon
Ke bojh ne jhukaya
Rishvat dena to khud
Papa ne sikhaya
99% marks laaoge to ghadi, varna chhadi

Likh likh kar pada hatheli par
Alpha, beta, gamma ka chaala
Concentrated H2SO4 ne poora
Poora bachpan jalaa daala

Bachpan to gaya
Jawani bhi gayi
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene do jeene do

Bachpan to gaya
Jawani bhi gayi
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene do jeene do

Saari umar hum
Mar mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein jeene do
Jeene do

Na na na….Na na na….Na na na….Na na nana na….

Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again

Give me some sunshine
Give me some rain
Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again

——

I will leave you with this thought…. Give Me Some Sunshine, Give me some rain, Give me another chance
I wanna grow up once again…. WILL YOU?

Do We Have It In Us?

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Here are some of Marianne Williamson (one of my recent discoveries and since then have become an ardent fan) Quotes and some examples in daily life that Each of Us Can Make A Difference in day to day life.

I.”The secret of success is to realize that the crisis on our planet is much larger than just deciding what to do with your own life, and if the system under which we live the structure of western civilization begins to collapse because of our selfishness and greed, then it will make no difference whether you have $1 million dollars when the crash comes or just $1.00. The only work that will ultimately bring any good to any of us is the work of contributing to the healing of the world.”

II.”Maturity includes the recognition that no one is going to see anything in us that we don’t see in ourselves. Stop waiting for a producer. Produce yourself.”

I read this article on a tweet today about a Cancer Survivor who has climbed Everest with one lung. For full article Read Here. A Perfect example of not giving up and to go beyond his self.

Each of us are faced with challenges and hurdles throughout our life.  However the best treatment each of us can give ourself is how we deal with these challenges and move on. Each of us have a purpose in life and we need to make the most of it. It is all about the personal drive which comes from one’s own enthusiasm, inspiration derived from friends and families and to me personally many a time by reading real life stories or meeting people in real life who have dealt with a thing or two in life.

III.”Personal transformation can and does have global effects. As we go, so goes the world, for the world is us. The revolution that will save the world is ultimately a personal one.”

Best example I can think of here is each of our effort to save energy, water and nature’s resources. We can stop wasting food, water and stressing the resources of this planet.  If you want to read more about this please refer to my Article “Earth Hour”

Don’t ask yourself do you have it in you. Each of us have it in us… it is a matter of doing. “Just Do it” by Nike conveys it all. Do each of us really need to be told by somebody to value their space and make a contribution ? What do you think?

Mind Over Matter

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Here is an excellent example of Mind Over Matter and Positive Thoughts .

“I am 66 and I live alone. But I don’t feel lonely. I think it is all in the mind. I walk about 5 km every day. I read, watch television, browse the Internet and play computer games. I have no time to brood. I talk to relatives and friends but there are times when for days I don’t get to talk to anybody. My generation treated the elders with respect but very few today do so. We should take it in our stride. In my view, freedom begins at 60. Nobody tells you what to do. Old age is about having fun, not cribbing.”

Source : The Hindu