there or thereabouts

stress

2006-06-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups – porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite – telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said:

“If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones, while it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves that is the source of your problems and stress.

What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other’s cups.

Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn’t change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it.”

So, don’t let the cups drive you… enjoy the coffee instead.

........shri

elders day

2006-06-19T03:52:00.000-07:00

On the eve of the World Elders Day here is one towrds
that..

Simple Acts of Kindness

I'm sure, like most people, the general idea of
kindness brings on the thought of doing something nice
for someone else. While that is partially true, I'd
like for you to think of it a little differently. I
want you to get down to one of the core foundations of
kindness that, when practiced regularly, will help you
not only enrich the lives of others but also create a
new outlook on life for yourself.

Most of us today are so busy trying to balance work,
family, and the struggles of responsibility that we
tend to go through the motions of life while
neglecting the consideration of others. This may sound
a little harsh but think about it. The "now" society
that we live in has helped condition us to think of
"me" before thinking of "we."

How many times have you stopped in the grocery store,
while in a hurry, and happen to jump into the "slow"
lane where it seems the cashier is trying to set a
world record for the least number of checkouts per
hour? You think to yourself "Why do I always get stuck
in the slow lane?" You get up to register and instead
of making conversation with the cashier, you are so
frustrated at the time it took to get through that you
don't say a word and look away as to not make eye
contact with him/her. He or she says nothing either
and seems a little distracted, just proceeding to
check you out at a snails pace. You think "Come on, I
am in a hurry here." You walk out and think to
yourself how amazingly slow and impolite that cashier
was, how much time they cost you. What you didn't know
was that the cashier had been pulling double shifts
all week, working two jobs to pay for her son's
mounting medical bills as a result of an illness and
no health insurance.

No wonder she's a little slow and possibly not in the
best mindset possible.

This is where compassion comes in. Compassion, as
defined by Dictionary.com is as follows: "Deep
awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the
wish to relieve it."

The purpose of the illustration above is to point out
that often we tend to be in such a hurry for our own
needs that we sometimes neglect to consider the
circumstances of someone else. What if, instead of
getting upset at the cashier because she cost you a
few extra minutes, you used the time in line to strike
up a conversation with someone in line with you? You
might meet someone interesting. What if, instead of
getting upset, you actually made eye contact with the
cashier and tried to ask her about her day or perhaps
even pay her a compliment (even if you have to make
something up).

Something as simple as taking the time to be
compassionate to others, thinking of their possible
circumstances above your own and wanting to help them,
is where I believe kindness originates. Being
compassionate to others creates a chain reaction that
can change someone's day, their life, and quite
possibly their circumstances but at the very least...
I can guarantee you that it will at least change your
day.

So today, as you encounter situations with people that
may cause you to initially become upset, I encourage
you to consider the possibilities. Consider what they
may be going through in their lives. For one second,
pretend you are them. If you were experiencing the
same situation, how would you like to be treated?

Random acts of kindness are those kind and
compassionate things we do for no reason except that,
momentarily, the best of our humanity has sprung into
full bloom. When you perform such an act, you are
doing not what life requires of you, but what the best
of your human soul invites you to do. It is when we
step outside the arena of the normal boundaries of our
lives that our kindnesses move beyond the routine and
enter the realm of the extraordinary and exquisite.
Instead of being responsible good deeds, they become
embodiments of compassion. For it means you have moved
beyond the limits of your daily human condition to
touch wings with the divine."

We all know the world could use some changing. All one
need do is open a newspaper or turn on the television
to sample the sadness, anger, violence, and
hopelessness that surrounds us. Many have thrown up
their hands in frustration with their seeming
inability to "make a difference" in this
all-too-tumultuous world. We can make positive changes
and alter the focus of our surrounding from negativity
to kindness and caring. Human kindness dwells in our
hearts, all too often reserved for specific people and
occasions instead of being offered every day to the
public at large.

Kindness shares many meanings to many different
people. A simple smile or something more dramatic can
have the same positive effect. Sure, you may get
strange reactions from some people who you give the
gift of kindness to but don't despair... As a whole,
our society is not used to someone doing something for
them with honest, genuine intentions. It's up to you
to change that, one kind act at a time. We must be the
change we wish to see in the world.

Below are just a few ideas practice giving the Gift of
Kindness.

* Smile!
* Hold a door open for someone.
* Say something nice to someone. Compliment.
* Help someone with their groceries or bags.
* Send thank you cards to friends and
business associates, for no particular reason.
* Offer to help an elderly neighbor with
their household chores.

At first it's hard as you may think you don't have the
time to do these things. Try it. You'll find that the
benefit far outweighs the effort. You will get back
10x more than what you put in! This we can say without
a doubt as research has proven that by practicing
kindness toward your fellow man, YOU will actually
benefit more than the recipient. Kind people have been
found to be more thankful, less stressed, and overall
leading healthier lives.

Every kind act, no matter how small, is like a pebble
tossed into the pond of human caring... the rings
reach out far beyond the point of impact; the action
of our kind deed acts more kindly toward the people
around them, those people act more kindly toward the
people around them, and so it goes, on and on.

Do preserve yourself & others while evolving continuously...

interesting

2006-06-16T06:28:00.000-07:00

Shifting Your Paradigm
by Alexia Alderson Chamberlynn

What is a paradigm?

In my own words, a paradigm is a belief system. It can
be a personal belief system, or one held by a mass
number of people, or even the whole world. Such a
belief system is so entrenched in our minds as truth
that it usually does not occur to us to question it.
Therefore, many of us never even think that maybe this
thought pattern needs updating. But, inevitably there
are those that go against the common thought, and
begin to challenge long held beliefs. More and more
people begin to awaken, each individual begins to
change their personal belief system, and the
phenomenon that occurs as this old belief system comes
tumbling down is often referred to as a paradigm
shift.

As many of you may be aware, there are major paradigm
shifts happening all over the planet right now. And
one of the big ones is about money and abundance.
Those of you working through your money issues, give
yourself a pat on the back. Money appears to be such a
barrier to freedom, and freedom is what we all really
want. We all need to be free to do all that we desire,
be all that we desire, and have all that we desire.
People all over the world are beginning to realize
this. A big global shift is swiftly approaching, and
we can all quicken it by working on our issues. You
can't change anyone else, but you can change you. One
by one, person by person, this shift is occurring. The
following are some of the old major money myths that I
have come across:

1. You have to work for a living; money must be
hard-earned.

2. Most people can't earn money doing what they love.

3. Life is a struggle, at the end you may get to
relax a bit.

4. It is sinful or bad to desire material possessions.

5. There is no such thing as perfection.

6. There is not enough for everyone.

7. Wealthy people are not nice.

8. Hold on tight to what you have.

9. Who am I to deserve wealth?

I'm sure there are many more, but this is an article,
not a novel! I have experienced all of the issues
above and am still working on some. Let's go over each
of these briefly.

Old Belief:
You have to work for/earn your money.

New Belief:
As a child of God/The Universe, you don't have to earn
anything. Allow yourself to receive money just because
you are who you are.

Old Belief:
You can't earn money doing what you love.

New Belief:
Au contraire, my friend. With proper planning anything
is possible. You don't have to be a clog in the
system.

Old Belief:
Life is a struggle.

New Belief:
Only if that's what you desire. Life is meant to be
simple and easy. We came here to be joyous and
passionate. Give yourself a break.

Old Belief:
You naughty desirer of materiality.

New Belief:
As long as possessions are not something you use to
define yourself, as long as you realize that they are
but icing on the cake, go for it! What a wonderful
array of delicious possibilities!

Old Belief:
Nothing is perfect.

New Belief:
There are many perfect things. Look around you at a
yellow daisy or a procession of white clouds or a
small child at play. The more you notice the
perfection that surrounds you, the more there will be.

Old Belief:
Mine! My precioussss!

New Belief:
The Universe is unlimited, boundless and forever
abundant! There is enough for everyone to have all
that they desire and more. We must simply allow it
into our lives.

Old Belief:
Wealthy people are jerks.

New Belief:
Is it possible that if you have resistance to wealthy
persons that you are blocking the way to becoming one?
By defining "them" as a separate group, you are
telling the Universe that you are not wealthy. Try
embodying wealth and affluence, right now.

Old Belief:
Hold on tight to your stuff (more Gollum hissing).

New Belief:
If you don't need something, or if it displeases you,
pass it along. Cleaning out always makes room for new
things to come. Keep only those things that make you
feel abundant.

Old Belief:
Who am I to deserve what I want?

New Belief:
It's not a matter of being deserving. Just as you are,
with all the seeming human imperfections, you are
really a perfect light being. Remember who you really
are.

Becoming aware of one's beliefs is the first step to
changing them.

So, let's all play with our beliefs, let's help create
this shift. Let's change the planetary paradigm to one
of unlimited abundance and freedom for all people!

Do preserve yourself & others while evolving continuously...

....
Look at people on your way up
you might have to see them on your way back

hmm.....

2006-06-12T22:48:00.000-07:00

Was walking home really hungry the other day and saw a fruit cart on the side of the street and without thinking snatched an apple and ran inside the nearest dark alley to eat in peace.

As i was about to eat the apple I saw an old man huddled in a corner, all alone crying, crying and trying to ride the pain but i knew then that it would not work but he cried anyway.

after what seemed an eternity the old man got up and i was able to clearly see him. There seemed something vaguely familiar about that old man though you wouldn't think that looking at him. He was clearly very old, almost bald with only a few hairs to keep out the blistering sun, his clothes had seen better days too long back. He was walking with the help of a stick and not too well at that. Most of his teeth were gone and he could not see very well cause he kept squinting his eyes at me.Clearly here was someone ready for the last journey.

Looking at him, i suddenly realised why the old man looked so familiar. I realised i was looking at myself if i ever managed to live to that age.

The old man then walked up to me and said, " hi i'm abhishek's conscience". to say i was stunned wud be an understatement.well he then explained to me how my actions over the course of my life had eroded my conscience with the result that though i was just 24 years my conscience had well lived for over 90.

My inability to act on the injustices that i had seen ahd robbed him of the use of his eyesight. My inability to act on the wrongs that i heard had rovved him of his hearing and my reluctance to stand for what i beleived in had robbed of him of movement.Here was my conscience ravaged by my very actions.It was like staring at everything wrong i had done all my life. Clutching that stolen apple in my hand i was overcome with sadness and vowed never to steal an apple again.

As i left that alley i once again came upon the fruit cart piled with various fruits but remebering ny vow did not take an apple.

Stole a peach instead.

If Wishes were Horses

2006-06-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

another world cup, another over hyped english side.

Every world cup its the now familiar story of all hype and no play. This world cup promises more of the same. It was really only in 1986 when england were coached by the great sir bobby robson and had such brilliant players like bryan robson, gary linekar,glenn hoddle among others that they had any chance of lifting the cup. that was ended by argentina and the now infamous hand of god goal in the semis. Since that time england has put out teams wrapped in mediocrity raised by the never say die british hype resulting in a string of failures at the major tournaments. This world cup promised to be different.

Indeed I beleived so......

The current england team has one of the best defences in this world cup with both terry and ferdinand partnering a composed central defense with the dependable neville and cole completing the back four. They have one of the most recognisable midfields in the tournament. David beckham is coming on the back of what has been his best season with Madrid, one of the few galacticos to have actually justified his pay check. Lampard and cole have had outstanding seasons with chelsea constantly improving under jose. Gerrard has had another good season with liverpool and three of the four that make up the midfield have laid their hands on some silverware this season and the four should have no trouble performing in the crunch matches. The attack is depleted without the presence of rooney although crouch and owen seem to be in good touch with theo walcott the unknown quantity.

Despite these things going for them, england will not win the world cup.....

here's why :

1. In sven Goran Erikson england have a coach who has had his grounding and success in the Italian Seria A creating in him a defensive approach which has indeed characterised english play for over 4 years now. The inability of the coach to be innovative and resourcefull especially when england fall behind means that england will lose out to the more attacking teams like argentina,brazil,etc.
2. The fact that england hardly score from open play.
3. Lampard and Gerrard are too similar and do not play well together with one of the two having to curb his natural attacking instincts.
4. The absense of rooney though reports suggest the striker may be back sooner rather than later.
5.The strategy of scoring the first goal then falling back and letting the opposition come at you.
6. The inability of the coach to ring in the proper substitutions indeed sven's ability to read the game itself is under some doubt after Owen was replaced by Downing thereby ' downing ' england's hopes of a second goal.
7. To win the world cup england will have to play brazil in the semis and i do not think they will win assuming of course that both teams make it that far.

So will end another world cup with the whole ountry down in the dumps and then the country will be back in 2007 over hyping the chances of their cricket team at the world cup.

Don't Know What I'm Talking About

2006-06-09T00:03:00.000-07:00

Marriage is an instituion unlike any other for it encompasses or rather should encompass apart from the merely physical bonding, the social, emotional and psychological aspects between two unlike indivdals.

The origin of marriage remains lost in the mysteries of time although experts agree that some sort of social excercise which may be recognised as marriage existed even in the earliest civilisations. The same experts also agree that some form of divorce has existed for an equally unknown period.However it has been in the post World War II period that divorces have become so common thereby bringing into existence a whole new breed of Counsellors,Therapists and of course Divorce Attorneys.

Divorce is the analysis of a dead marriage. Men and women squabbling over properties, alimonies,children and ofcourse money is a sad insight in the complexities that is the human relationship.If a tenth of the passion which people show in the process of getting a divorce is perhaps used to try and save a marriage, I dare say there would be a sure drop in the number of divorces.

I think it is important to acknowledge the fact that despite being in this modern and so called jet age where speed is used as a definitive parameter of measurement, there are more and more people who are getting married at an early age as compared to a couple of decades back.One reason could be that we are simply part of a generation which has been endowed with enormous maturity allowing us to thereby determine the path that we want to walk on much too quickly. Although it must be said that the speed in which people are getting married is being matched by the speed at which they are getting divorced. The other and more fundamental reason i think is the exposure which our generation seems to enjoy and experience, relative to the older generations.This has the effect of creating a misguided sense of purpose and maturity leading to haste in important decisions.It should be noted that most divorces actually take place within a 3 to 5 year period during which one of the partners comes to the realisation of having committed a mistake although if after coming to that realisation whether the same partner analyses why he or she is in the said relationship to start with is highly doubtfull. I am of the beleif that getting a divorce for watever reasons after 10-12 years of marriage is probably justified as within that timeframe an elaborate understanding of the relationship should no doubt have been established unless ofcourse the reason for the seperation is because the older partner has suddenly found an younger babe or young stud in which case it is plain stupid.

Talking about divorce without ' trial seperation ' is almost impossible as in most cases the partners go through this charade thereby filling the pockets of the marriage counsellors.A complete waste of time in most cases as it just serves to make the partners realise that they are pretty ok without the other partner, a realisation which probably would have necessitated the divorce in the first place.

Having said all that,divorce does have its adantages:

1. As mentioned it has created a livelyhood for a host of lawyers, therapists and counsellors.
2. The frequency of the divorces has ensured that in most developed and progressive societies it is no longer considered a taboo as it indeed was through a large part of the last century.
3. It has helped advance the technology of listening and photography devices enlisted to capture the erring husband or the promiscuous wife.
4. But most importantly, it's social acceptance has allowed a whole bunch of abused men and women to speak out in the open and end their misery.
5. It has also i beleive made people realise that it indeed takes two to tango.

to be or not to be?

2006-06-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

'Being a Hero is Hard enough'
Staying one is infinitely more difficult'

History shows us that mankind has always strived to recognise individuals who try and break out or rise above mankind's insurmountable mediocrity in the process tagging them as heroes be it king arthur, the mahatma , an enzo ferrari ( just ask all of italy ),or the more recent like an armstrong, a kiran bedi.

The eagerness that mankind has displayed in recognising heroes though pales in comparison to the enthusiasm and sarcastic pleasure that mankind derives from dragging them from their perceived lofty perches. Just ask David Beckham, no one sending off has quite managed to create the same uproar.

This aspect of human nature both fascinates and disgusts me.

The fascination is in observing the struggle, the effort that goes in acknowledging great acts especially in keeping with todays skeptical outlook. More people today beleive that there are no selfless acts anymore, no good deeds exist, there is always some unknown angle to everything good and must confess that i freely subscribe to this philosophy. However in doing so me and many others have denied ourselves the sheer joy that heroes have given to the many generations that have followed in their wake.

The disgust is at the even greater joy derived in proving that these heroes are mere mortals after all although most of such efforts have not been succesfull, something to be said for there being justice in this otherwise sordid world.

I have always beleived that men or indeed women of social standing should have no accountability any greater than that faced by the likes of us for their actions. A Bill Clinton engaging in improper behaviour with an intern generates interest from the whole world and costs the american taxpayer millions of dollars when countless such instances in other offices around the world have undoubtedly taken place and been conviniently ignored.The reason is because i beleive that the world follows a double standard when it comes to its known faces in the sense that they must always be seen treading the higher moral ground ignoring the obvious that they are just as prone to rash and illogical things as their lesser known brethren.

So let us cherish the ideals that are heroes stand and fight for but not begrudge them their faults.

random musings

2006-06-08T22:36:00.000-07:00

Why can't i just be me?

Why do I feel like
I'm being pulled by a thousand strings
to do things
alien to me.

Why do I feel
I have become
someone familiar to all
but a stranger to myself.

Why do I feel
this emptiness
this sudden urge to break away
when all I wanna do
is to hold on.

:- unknown

Apt words one would think.

The issue which has always bothered me is the expectation that man has of his fellow beings inthat he expects them to comply or behave within the framework of acceptable behaviour though that framework may change from person to person which explains why some friends may get away with some things while others may not.This also leads to among other things a development of a personality in each of us that gets shaped by this acceptable behaviour. In one sense i guess it allows for a certain degree of tolerane to be developed although the tolerance itself may be based on a clear bias.

The danger arises when we actually try to live up to these expectations and in doing so compromise many of our beliefs and our ideals. This compromise may be for our own good but i have always believed that one should compromise in favour of a fundamentally sound argument and not because some people expect it. These things in turn give rise to certain traits and characteristics which are not inherent to our fundamental nature thereby creating in us certain aspects beyond our control and man is nothing if not a control freak.

Just consider for a moment if we could always be ourselves without this weight of social expectations, would that be such a bad thing?

Me thinks not.