SOUL

Once upon a time there was this girl who had four boyfriends.

She loved the 4th boyfriend the most and adorned him with rich robes and treated him to the finest of delicacies. She gave him nothing but the very best.

She also loved the 3rd boyfriend very much and was always showing him off to neighboring kingdoms. However, she feared that one day he would leave her for another.

She also loved her 2nd boyfriend. He was her confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with her. Whenever this girl faced a problem, she could confide in him, and he would help her get through the difficult times.

The girl's 1st boyfriend was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining her wealth and kingdom. However, she did not love the first boyfriend. Although he loved her deeply, she hardly took notice of him!

One day, the girl fell ill and she knew her time was short. She thought of her luxurious life and wondered, I now have four boyfriends with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.'

Thus, she asked the 4th boyfriend, 'I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No way!', replied the 4th boyfriend, and he walked away without another word.

His answer cut like a sharp knife right into her heart.

The sad girl then asked the 3rd boyfriend, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No!', replied the 3rd boyfriend. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to marry someone else!'

Her heart sank and turned cold.

She then asked the 2nd boyfriend, 'I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the 2nd boyfriend. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'

His answer struck her like a bolt of lightning, and the girl was devastated.

Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go.'

The girl looked up, and there was her first boyfriend. He was very skinny as he suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the girl said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'

In truth, you have 4 boyfriend's in your lives:

Your 4th boyfriend is your body. No matter how much time and effort you lavish in making it look good, it will leave you when you die.

Your 3rd boyfriend is your possessions, status and wealth. When you die, it will all go to others.

Your 2nd boyfriend is your family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for you, the furthest they can stay by you is up to the grave.

And your 1st boyfriend is your Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, your Soul is the only thing that will follow you where ever you go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of you that will follow you to the throne of God and continue with you throughout Eternity.

Thought for the day:
Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.

A Panchatantra Story Re-told with a Modern perspective

Once upon a time, there was a software engineer who used to develop programs on his Pentium machine, sitting under a tree on the banks of a river. He used to earn his bread by selling those programs in the sunday market.

One day, while he was working, his machine tumbled off the table and fell in the river.

Encouraged by the Panchatantra story of his childhood (the woodcutter and the axe), he started praying to the River Goddess. The River Goddess wanted to test him and so appeared only after one month of rigorous prayers. The engineer told her that he hadlost his computer in the river.

As usual, the Goddess wanted to test his honesty. She showed him a match box and asked, "Is this your computer ?" Disappointed by the Goddess' lack of computer awareness, the engineer replied, "No."

She next showed him a pocket-sized calculator and asked if that was his.

Annoyed, the engineer said "No, not at all!!"

Finally, she came up with his own Pentium machine and asked if it was his.

The engineer, left with no option, sighed and said "Yes."

The River Goddess was happy with his honesty. She was about to give him all three items, but before she could make the offer, the engineer asked her, "Don't you know that you're supposed to show me some better computers before bringing up my own ?"

The River Goddess, angered at this, replied, "I know that, you stupid donkey!

The first two things I showed you were the Trillennium and the Billennium the latest computers from IBM!". So saying, she disappeared with the Pentium!!

Moral: If you're not up-to-date with technology trends, it's better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you're a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

The lesson

Dad was reading the magazine; his little daughter distracted him every now and then… To keep her busy, he tore one page of that magazine on which was printed the map of the world. Further, he tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again!... He was sure she would take the whole day to get it done… Nevertheless, the little one came back within minutes with the perfect map…
When he asked how she could do it so quickly, she said,
Oh… Dad, there was a man’s face on the other side of the paper bits you have given… I put that side to keep the bits together... And when I put the face together, the map fell in place too…
She ran outside to play leaving the father astounded.
There are always different ways to solve the puzzle of our life,
The challenge in front to us is, how far we are smart in picking the way we want to solve it, either make it simple or make it complicated…

A very nice management lesson....

Suddenly, a cockroach flew from somewhere and sat on her. I wondered if this was the cockroach’s response to all the glory that was spoken about it! She started screaming out of fear. With panic stricken face and trembling voice, she started jumping, with both her hands desperately trying to get rid of the cockroach. Her reaction was contagious, as everyone in her group got cranky to what was happening. The lady finally managed to push the cockroach to another lady in the group. Now, it was the turn of the other lady in the group to continue the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their rescue. In the relay of throwing, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, composed himself and observed the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was confident enough, he grabbed and threw it out with his fingers.
Sipping my coffee and watching the amusement, the antenna of my mind picked up a few thoughts and started wondering, was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic behavior? If so, then why was the waiter not disturbed? He handled it near to perfection, without any chaos. It is not the cockroach, but the inability of the ladies to handle the disturbance caused by the cockroach that disturbed the ladies.
I realized even in my case then , it is not the shouting of my father or my boss that disturbs me, but its my inability to handle the disturbances caused by their shouting that disturbs me. Its not the traffic jams on the road that disturbs me, but my inability to handle the disturbance caused by the traffic jam that disturbs me. More than the problem, its my reaction to the problem that hurts me.

Lessons learnt from the story:

I understood, I should not react in life. I should always respond. The women reacted, whereas the waiter responded. Reactions are always instinctive whereas responses are always intellectual.

The Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'

He smiled as he patted my hand and said,

'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought,

'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'

True love is neither physical, nor romantic.

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message. This one I thought I could share with you.

The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

I hope you share this with someone you care about.

'Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
But how to dance in the rain.'

We are all getting Older
Tomorrow may be our turn
GOD BLESS YOU!

I just want to live like a TV

One day a teacher of a primary school asked her students to write a essay about what they would like God to do for them.
Later in the evening while checking those essays at home, she came across one that made her very emotional. Her husband, who just walked in saw her crying, enquired: “What happened?”
Handing over a sheet of paper, she answered, “Read this. It's an essay by one of my students”
The essay, “I just want to live like a TV” read as under:
Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special: Make me into a television. I want to take its place.
Live like the TV in my house. Have my own special place and have my family around ME.
To be taken seriously when I talk . . . I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions.
I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives even when it is not working.
Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me.
And . . . I want my brothers to fight to be with me . . . I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me.
And last but not least make it that I can make them all happy and entertain them.
Lord I don't ask you for much . . . I just want to live like every TV.”
Having finished reading the essay, the husband gravely remarked: “My God, poor kid. What horrible parents!”
Tears rolling down her cheek, she looked up at him and calmly said: “That essay is written by our son!!!”

Thank You God!

I remember a day in our moral science class, in school, when our teacher said that we have lots to thank God for. She pointed towards me and said 'You' have lots to thank God for; 'You are intelligent, good looking, rich and have loving parents who dote on you.' I thought to myself only if she knew.. I have grown up with migraines and frequent headaches and perpetual colds which take forever to go; what do I thank God for...
Frankly speaking, even today I haven't given a thought for all that God's given me; a very doting and caring husband, a lovable son.. I guess I focus more on the differences I have with my spouse, the shortcomings of my parents or the minor illneses that my baby has to go through, which the doctors say are an essential part of growing up. I still pop in painkillers today like I did before, but to a lesser extent, I have started looking towards alternate therapies to control my headaches and colds. I guess I am waiting for the divine day when everything will be perfect and thank God for everything he's given me.
During my daily social interactions, as I look around at other people, I see no one is really happy. All of us are complaining all the time about what we do not have. None of us value and appreciate what we have. Reminiscing her words ," The LORD is constantly looking at us with His eyes filled with unconditional LOVE, but we foolishly look away getting involved with our ego and unwanted desires!"
How true. It dawned upon me that I didn't thank God for so many things..Lovely parents who never ever said no to me, great friends who stood by me through thick and thin, a loving hubby who caters to every whim and fancy of mine (though he spoils me totally), an absolutely adorable son who I can't live without....The list is endless.
I look heavenwords, before its too late, remembering my teacher's words , I say aloud, 'THANK YOU GOD'. Thank you for everything. Thanks for always being there for me!!!!!

THOTS

1) An Arrow can be shot only by pulling it backward,
so whenever life pulls you back,
Don't worry.
Its going to lead you forward to Victory.

2) The two greatest healers are God and Time.

3) A Smile is like a Sim card and life is like a cell phone
Whenever you insert the Sim card of a smile.
A beautiful day is activated

4)When you miss a shot, never think of what you did wrong.
Take the next shot thinking of what you must do right."

5) Destiny is simply the strength of your desire
if you cry at a trouble, it grows double.
If you laugh at a trouble,
It disappears like a bubble.

6) Start by doing what's necessary,
then what's possible
and suddenly you find, you are doing the impossible

7) Sometimes you forgive people simply because you still want them in ur life.

8) Success.... is not the key to happiness.
Happiness is the key to success.
If you love what you are doing, you will be successful

9) Silence gives rest to the mind and this means
giving rest to the body.
Sometimes rest is the only medicine needed.

10) When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place..

11) If I lack the courage to start,I have already finished.

12) Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.

13) Never explain yourself to anyone" because the person who loves you does not need an explanation and the person who does not love you, won't believe it.....!

14)"A clay pot having milk will be ranked higher than a golden pot having poison..,its not our outer glamour but our inner virtues that make us valuable..."