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Author Topic: Inspirational  (Read 65451 times)

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Offline pramanisa

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Virtual Chocolate
« Reply #15 on: June 23, 2007, 01:02:42 AM »
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  • A second on your lips forever on your hips never happens with virtual chocolate.

    Chocolate begins from a seed. A cacao seed. It is then fermented, roasted, shelled, grounded, and melted into other forms and tastes. It is also exactly how a product is created. Whether a car or an article.

    The process begins with an idea--another way of seeding. We ferment it--we let it roll around in our imagination, sprinkle on a little creativity, and even place it into a state of aggravation in order to deshell it.

    Next, we roast the idea, melt it, add this and that, and mold it into some delectable small, large, round or square piece that will tingle taste buds, yours, and mine too. It could be building a book, an article, a building, or sending food to a starving country.

    Sometimes we remove something to change it's color or to make it fat free. With chocolate, they remove the extra shell and then make it into white chocolate. For a writer, it's the editing process, the removing of that inner shell to find the white sweeter spot or to make it fat free.

    Everything leads up to one thing whether it's making virtual chocolate or anything else. It's the user's result. When someone pops that piece of chocolate into their mouth and that smile of delight lights up their face, it doesn't matter whether they're young or old, an American or of Australian descent. A smile is a smile on any human being. And a smile on a child is forever on our hard drive.

    So, what is the difference if you are making chocolate or writing an e-mail that makes someone smile. Send virtual chocolate everyday and make them smile.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Ctrl-Alt-Delete Your Life
    « Reply #16 on: June 23, 2007, 01:08:37 AM »
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  • Ah, the good old "Vulcan nerve pinch", the three-fingered salute, the one-handed solution to many backhanded aggravations. How simple, how effective, how instantaneously gratifying to the mind behind the mouse. Wouldn't it be great if we could take the lessons learned from this simple three-point process into our lives and install them into our own hotkey set-up to help us deal with life's little blue screens of death? Well, we can, provided we are willing to use a little creativity, allow ourselves some literary leeway and don't mind stretching an already strained metaphor until it squeals for mercy. Shall we begin?

    First Key: Control

    One of the most important things we need to remember about life is that we have the ability to assume and maintain control over about 98% of it. We can't change our genetics (at least not yet, anyway). We can't change our birth parentage. And we can't change the occasional act of God that goes down in our vicinity. Other than that, it's pretty much our show and how we manage in life is determined to a great degree on how willing we are to accept this reality and deal with it in a wise and responsible manner.

    Of course, the flip side to having control is taking responsibility. If it's not in your hands, then by default it's not your fault if it doesn't work out. That's a powerful motivator for most people to keep their hands as far away from the keyboard of life as they can get them. It doesn't always get them far, living that way, but at least they can always pretend like there was nothing they could do about it. Acknowledging your ability to determine your own fate is scary - and saddening, when you realize how much you lost holding back in the past. But the sooner you take control, the sooner your life gets back on track. So grab the mouse of self-determination and lets move on to the second key.

    Second Key: Alternate

    If there's one cool thing about life and the great big Universe we live it in, it's that there are always alternatives. Of course, sometimes we don't like to see that because then we'd have to choose (see Control, above). But if you're willing to stick your neck out a little bit, you might be surprised how far you can see over the bowed and huddled shoulders of those around you.

    Among the thousands of alternatives we can choose from, we have options in how we behave, in how we believe, in how (or whether) we work and who we decide to love. We can choose to step away from generations-old prejudices and fears, turn away from unnecessarily narrow paths of advancement and set our sights on far flung shores of being that our companions are afraid to even consider reading about, let alone visiting. Hey, it's not such a small world after all and you've got choices coming at you six ways from Sunday. What's your next move?

    Third Key: Delete

    Sometimes we screw up. Sometimes we screw up big time. And sometimes we screw up so bad that we're genuinely surprised when the smoke clears and the Universe hasn't been vaporized into a cloud of sulphurous fumes. But that's okay. Sulpher happens. What really matters is how you deal with it and how you let the experience affect you. If you carry it around on your conscience like a poorly written and bloated piece of malware that slows down every process you undertake, then life is pretty much going to suck for you for a very long time. Do it long enough and the bad code can get etched into your brain, flashing mental pop-ups at you at every turn telling you what a stupid, messed up idiot you are and sending up error messages every time you even consider trying to move up a notch or two on the evolutionary ladder. Bah, humbug.

    Luckily, we have the power to delete bad files and overwrite bad code with sounder, more productive applications. Why stick with a program that's not working for you? That's what the virus cleaners in life, such as therapists, coaches and inspirational material of all sorts and sources, are for.

    So scan your disk for errors, defragment your thinking and if all else fails, remember the power of three. The three keys to life, that is: Control, Alternate and Delete.

    (c) Soni Pitts

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim "soul proprietorship" in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them.

    She is the author of the free e-book "50 Ways To Reach Your Goals" and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Relax. Its Just Your Life
    « Reply #17 on: June 23, 2007, 01:26:09 AM »
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  • What am I supposed to do with my life? Shouldn't I be doing something...well...more?

    These questions haunt everyone from time to time. Personally, I can't count the number of times my acquaintances and I have batted this philosophical shuttlecock around a conversational circle. More often then not, the discussion gets bogged down in the seemingly immiscible oil-and-water struggle between the "idealists", who are sure anything is possible if you just believe, and the "realists" who claim that between taxes, child-rearing and battles over tenure and seniority there simply isn't time for belief in the promise that "your check is in the mail," let alone anything more esoteric like living the life of your dreams.

    I can't help but feel that most of us are going about this issue the wrong way - simply trying too hard to get it right the first time and ending up doing nothing out of fear that we will get it wrong, and not find out until we're too far down the road to find our way back to the starting point. Unfortunately, by the time we realize that we haven't actually chosen anything we often discover that the choice was made for us long ago by our inattention.

    Instead of trying to figure out the eternal (and unanswerable) question of, "What should I do with my life," consider just living life, and living it well. There's nothing wrong with simply picking up a comfortable mix of jobs, hobbies, causes, volunteering and fun stuff that you really want to do and enjoy doing, and then doing them to the best of your ability with no intent to be anything other than yourself at your best. If you do this, one of two things will most certainly happen:

    1. You will eventually stumble across something you want to do while you're out enjoying your life.

    2. You won't stumble across whatever it is you want to do, but will enjoy living your life anyway, creating a warm, cheerful and loving environment for those around you in the process.

    Either way, you will have a happy, enjoyable life that you can be proud of reliving in the hereafter, and you may end up coming across something wondrous. One thing I do know is that while all of us are capable of doing great things, not too many of us realize that not everybody has to climb to the top of the mountain and be a hero to do this.

    Even if you just spend your life being kind, happy and pleasant, puttering around at your hobbies, helping others when you can and generally just making the world around your little sphere of influence a little cheerier by virtue of your smiling, whistling presence, that's a great work in and of itself. Too many people, feeling that pull to "make something of themselves," fail to realize that who they already are is enough.

    So why not just relax, enjoy your life and let it unfold as it will. Many who believe in reincarnation believe that some lifetimes are just for enjoying the view, a vacation of sorts, and many others believe that it is as much a sin to forgo permissible pleasures as it is to avoid the forbidden ones. Surely our Creator would not create such a beautiful world as this and then be offended if we were so taken with it that we spent our lives enjoying it and each other. Enjoy your life and enjoy the lives of those around you. And if you just so happen to find "great work" while you're at it, well that's just the icing on the cake.

    By Soni Pitts

    Offline pramanisa

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    Directions For Life
    « Reply #18 on: June 23, 2007, 01:33:11 AM »
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  • Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
    Memorize your favorite poem.
    Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
    When you say, "I love you", mean it.
    When you say, "I'm sorry", look the person in the eye.
    Believe in love at first sight.
    Never laugh at anyone's dreams.
    Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
    In arguments, fight fair.
    Talk slow but think quick.
    Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
    Call your mom.
    Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze.
    Don't let a little disagreement ruin a great friendship.
    When you realize you've made a mistake, act immediately to fix it.
    Marry someone you love to talk to. As you grow old together, your ability to communicate will be more important than their physical attributes.
    Spend some time alone.
    Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
    Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
    Read more books and watch less TV.
    Try your best to create a loving atmosphere in your home - this is a vital factor that will contribute significantly to your children's happiness and your family's harmony.
    In disagreements with loved ones, deal with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
    Read between the lines.
    Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
    Be gentle with the earth...and yourself.
    Pray. There's immeasurable power in it.
    Don't trust someone who doesn't close their eyes when you kiss them.
    Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
    If you make a lot of money, put it to use helping others while you are living. That is wealth's greatest satisfaction.
    Remember that the best relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other.
    Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
    Do not forget that your character is your destiny.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #19 on: June 24, 2007, 01:05:57 AM »
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  • Play a BIGGER role in life!

    Did you ever think that you are not playing the role which you should play in your life?

    Don't you think that you are born to play a leading role, a much bigger role in the real drama of your life? What is holding you back then? Your own short sightedness!

    In order to play a bigger role in life you need to visualize a bigger picture of yourself. Once you have that picture before you, it will be much easier for you to paint that picture into reality.

    Every morning, I look in the mirror and say "I have to play a bigger role in life". These simple words make my day, a wonderful day, every day, because my firm determination that I have to play a bigger role in life, keeps my mind in supreme working condition, fully prepared for playing a bigger, bigger, and much bigger role in life. No surprise, my every day is getting better than yesterdays.

    Every night, before going to bed, I visualize that tomorrow is going to be better than today. And it happens! Yes, it happens!!

    While your body muscles need some kind of daily physical exercise, your brain tissues also need some dose of daily inspirational exercise. It is, therefore, important to keep yourself motivated all the time.

    You need to clearly define, preferably in writing, every single detail of your big dreams and ambitious goals. You must try to bring out a bigger YOU out of your own person so that you are able to reach those big goals. Never think of living an ordinary person's life! It's a sin! It's not your way of life. Let me repeat that you are born to play a leading role, a much bigger role in the real drama of your life.

    Your confidence in yourself to reach your goals with strong determination to set new records of excellence, are your biggest assets. You are not far from playing a (much) bigger role in life!

    By Hifzur Rehman

    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #20 on: June 24, 2007, 01:27:13 AM »
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  • Revenge in the End is Bitter Sweet

    We ALL think or have thought about it at one time or another. Revenge! Yes, we plan, we let our minds conjure up ways to get back at someone who we believe has wronged us (at this point you should hear the Austin Power-Dr. Evil maniacal laugh in your head).

    I've yet to hear a speaker on success really discuss revenge so I thought I take a stab at it (no pun intended) by sharing a recent incident that happened to me.

    Let me step back for a moment and tell you that during high school I sprouted over night to my current height of 6'2" and was skinny as a rail. In school I was never one of the cool guys. I was always one who hung out on the periphery hoping to absorb the coolness from my fellow classmates.

    I was invited to play on a local YMCA team. I was sucked in by my friends telling me, "Victor, you'd be good at it." (See the video on my website to see how this turned out). I don't know what possessed me to say yes since I had the grace of dizzy duck and the coordination of an inebriated flamingo. I was all fowled up! (Sorry, bad joke) I had grown so quickly that I wasn't use to my height.

    On our team there was a guy, we'll call him John, who was constantly belittling me and took pleasure in finding any opportunity to make fun of my: height, weight or lack of basketball ability. He was shorter, stealthier and could play the game. Given his scoring ability, he was always going at me and wouldn't let up when it came to ridiculing. I wouldn't classify him a bully because there was never a physical threat, but he rode me every moment he could.

    Every time I saw John my mind would race with all the bad things I'd like to see happen to him. I wanted some type of revenge or satisfaction. But in the end, both never came. I graduated from high school, mentally intact, and went about creating my success. From what I heard, John couldn't wait to get out of High School and didn't go on to college.

    Let me now fast forward almost 23 years later.

    I was invited back to do a keynote speech at my High School in Chicago. I gotta tell ya'?going back after so many years was chilling (in a good way). I had so many good memories and enjoyed walking the halls and peeking into the classrooms where I use to sit.

    By 10 a.m. the auditorium was filled to the brim with students. As I approached the stage door which led to the stage, coming from the other direction was a familiar face wearing a dark green jumpsuit. Yep, you guessed it, it was John.

    John looked at me, paused, looked at me again and said a sense of amazement, "You're the speaker?"

    I nodded my head as he continued to look at me in disbelief; as if a ghost from the past had come to pay him a visit.

    It's funny how we wait for a moment where we've replayed in our mind everything we want to say to a person. But guess what happened? Nothing came out. My thoughts, anger and resentment dissipated the moment I started talking to John. I treated him as I would any stranger I'd meet on my speaking tour.

    I went to ask him how he was doing, about family and on and on. Before I excused myself to go speak, he mentioned that he was married, had kids and that he was the school janitor. My mind yelled, "Huh! The school Janitor?!" as I stepped inside.

    The host introduced me and I took the stage to speak to an auditorium packed with students with A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder). Corporate crowds are tough, but nothing is tougher than speaking to High School students. As I looked into the audience while speaking, I saw John off to the side smiling as he seemed to be enjoying my talk on success.

    After my speech, John came by to shake my hand and congratulate me. He said, "Victor, that was great. I was telling some of the students that I went to school with you." We talked a little longer before saying our pleasant goodbyes.

    For the rest of the day, my mind was whipping from the past to the present and how much John and I had changed. I no longer had ill feelings towards John. I no longer wished him harm. I began to reflect on how time changes us all, but yet in our minds we hold onto relics of the past.

    Many of us carry some sort of angst towards someone who has wronged us in the past. And yes, some of us may very well fantasize about revenge. Seeing John again reminded once more that revenge is often bitter sweet. It's never as sweet as you planned or imagined it would be. And bitter when you think on how foolish it was to have wasted all that mental energy on thoughts of getting even one day.

    People change over time but our memories of others don't take that into account. On that day the 'old John' died and a new updated memory of him took its place; a more pleasant one at that. I don't think I forgave John for the past; that would be too trite. I just decided to bury the memory and put a R.I.P. tombstone on it. It was no longer relevant to me.

    As we grow older, so does our appreciation for life and humanity. None of us with a true sense of decency can possibly wish any harm or misfortune to befall a fellow human being. We shouldn't torture ourselves by exhuming the past. Stop it! Cut it out!

    Maybe, just maybe, the best way to get even is to simply ignore the past, and focus your time on building a new YOU. Maybe, you should focus your energy on building or rebuilding your success. And if destiny is kind enough to smile in your direction, you may just run across one those old memories on the road to your greatness and create a more pleasant one.

    Please forward this on to someone who needs a bit of inspiration today.

    By Victor Gonzalez, top Hispanic motivational speaker and author of "The LOGIC of Success".

    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #21 on: June 25, 2007, 07:12:24 AM »
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  • Consulting Your Soul

    Recently I approached a traffic light where a man stood in shabby clothes with a three-legged dog by his side. As I waited for the light to change I looked at this scene with compassion and felt an urge to contribute something. The sign he was carrying indicated that he was homeless. The people in my car commented that he was a strong young man, there were plenty of employment opportunities, and why should anyone give to people who are capable of working. They indicated a kind of mild contempt for this man soliciting funds whom they felt "should" be working. My thoughts were on him and the fact that he cared for and fed this crippled dog. I rolled down the window and gave him several dollars for which he expressed enormous gratitude.

    As the companions in my car semi-scolded me for being a sucker and for enabling him to continue to be a beggar I thought of some words of Mother Teresa. "You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway." Truly this was not between me and my friends in the car, nor was it between that homeless man and me. It was between God and me. Something inside of me urged me to extend love and a little cash to the man and his dog. That "something" was a fleeting moment of consulting my soul.

    To me, spiritual and physical are not two separate dimensions of reality. I think of spiritual practice as a way of making my life work at a higher level and receiving guidance for handling my problems. The ways in which I do this involve a few simple, basic practices:

    Surrender is the most crucial and perhaps most difficult for me. In surrendering, my thoughts are something like this: I simply do not know how to resolve this situation and I am turning it over to the same force that I turn my physical body over to every night when I go to sleep. I trust in this unseen part of me to keep my heart beating, my blood circulating, and so on.

    Accessing spiritual solutions means converting my inner thoughts and feelings from discord and disharmony to love. In the spirit of surrender and love I silently chant, "I invite the highest good for all concerned to be here now." I try to see anger, hatred and disharmony as invitations to surrender and love. With this understanding I have the option to allow spirit to manifest and work through me.I believe my spirit is inseparable from the infinite. Having a relationship with the infinite part of myself encourages my recognition of spiritual solutions. The awareness of my infinite nature is terrific for putting everything into perspective.

    My approach to problem-solving involves cultivating an empty mind. In this space I listen, and allow myself to have complete faith that I will be guided in the direction of resolution. I let go of my ideas about how something should be resolved.

    Finding spiritual solutions to my life's problems always involves generosity and gratefulness. For me, this means giving my life to my soul purpose and being grateful for the opportunity to do so. I believe that I get back from the world what I put out to the world, not only physically but also in terms of my thoughts. So, I recommend spiritual practices that involve being generous and grateful with thoughts as well as actions.

    Nurturing a sense of connectedness to everyone and everything invites spiritual solutions. When I see myself as connected I am not looking for occasions to be offended or to judge. I don't see anyone as my enemy or an obstacle. This is how I relinquish negative self-talk and connect to the solutions that are available to me. In moments of despair I try to affirm, "I see nothing, I hear nothing, I know nothing that is separate from me."

    Finally I choose cheerfulness as a gauge of my level of spiritual consciousness at any given moment. The more cheerful, happy, contented, and satisfied I am feeling, the more aware I am of my connection to spirit. So, does all this mean I'm suggesting that you always give money to people who ask for it? No. But I am suggesting that the next time you see someone asking for money, look at that situation as being between you and your spiritual consciousness - between you and God. Consult your soul and if you feel that you don't want to give, don't. But rather than letting anger or judgment rule the moment, offer that person a silent blessing from the part of you that is a part of him. This is consulting your soul.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #22 on: June 25, 2007, 07:20:17 AM »
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  • An Extraordinary Person


    I am not going to tell you the story of an extraordinary person, who did remarkable things in life. Why should I? Are you not an extraordinary person? What do you think about yourself? You possess all the assets of an extraordinary person but, unfortunately, you are not an extraordinary person because you don't think so.

    Your low belief level about your own capabilities is blocking your way in achieving extraordinary success in life. Your Creator gave you the equal opportunity of becoming an extraordinary person in your own individual manner. He equipped your body with the same tools and gadgets as he equipped the body of any other extraordinary person. No extraordinary organ has been implanted by God in the bodies of those people who are living or have lived an extraordinary life.

    You must be working hard to maintain a reasonable standard of life for yourself and your family. Is it enough? Can you become an extraordinary person just by doing 9 to 5 jobs? Absolutely not! Don't walk on the off-beaten tracks paved for the ordinary people. Don't follow the crowd and don't copy others. You are not an ordinary person.

    There is an extraordinary person within you. Give that person a chance to lead you. The more you seek guidance from your inner-self, the more you feel confident about your capabilities as an extraordinary person.

    Being an extraordinary person, with a strong belief level, you can go to the peak of success, beyond any person's imagination. Raise up your arms in the air, smile and let the world praise you as an extraordinary person.

    Do you need any extraordinary skills to become an extraordinary person? Not necessarily! A little guidance from your inner-self and the wise management of your time is all that you need to bring a positive revolution in your life. But most importantly, you must enhance your belief level to become an extraordinary person.

    Are you an extraordinary person? Still undecided!


    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #23 on: June 25, 2007, 07:27:40 AM »
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  • Borne Upon the Wings of Words



    How often do you have opportunities every day to exercise your power of communication--encouraging a coworker, appreciating a spouse, guiding a child?

    Whenever I visit the Washington, DC area, I usually present a seminar or two at First Class, a Lifelong Learning Center near DuPont Circle. I arrived at the DuPont Circle Metro rail stop about 5:00 p.m. on a dreary, rainy day--right on schedule. The longest escalator in the world is the one at DuPont Circle! It CRAWLS from the basement to STREET at a steep 45 DEGREE angle. I weighted down by a rather large black leather briefcase in one hand and a bag of books in the other hand--hard cover, 208-page Millennium Primer books!

    Hundreds of people moved toward the escalators like a giant bug bulging at the sides. I put my foot onto the metal monster to begin the ride up. It was dead still! I looked for the elevator-no way. There was a crush of people behind me and a dead escalator in front of me. Not to worry, in a short while I'd be at the top and on my way. I started off at a brisk pace.

    About a third of the way up, it seemed like something had attached itself to my heels and was slowing me down. After a while, I noticed that people were PASSING me! They must be in some fitness program, I thought.

    Just past midway I stopped, perspiration oozing out of every pore. I put down the briefcase and book bag and heaved one deep breath after another. That's when I saw the last set of feet disappear at the top of the escalator. At the bottom of the escalator there was a guard, and another mob of people. I was alone on the escalator. "The guard is going to start the escalator," I thought. What a relief! I picked up my things, slowly walked a few more steps, stopped and looked back. The escalator didn't move. Then a youthful female voice floated up the escalator, "Go ahead! You can do it!" It was quickly followed by a chorus. "You can do it!" Energy rushed through my body. That group had shot life back into me and put a smile on my face.

    The POWER of communication! With those few words of encouragement, that young woman had inspired me and lifted me up the stairs. How often do you have opportunities every day to exercise your power of communication--encouraging a coworker, appreciating a spouse, guiding a child? Think about it! Words can be the wind beneath our wings.

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #24 on: June 25, 2007, 07:30:13 AM »
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  • How To Weather Lifes Inevitable Storms



    In the Northeast, we have a few months to prepare for winter by gathering firewood, securing windows and doors, and getting furnaces cleaned. As with any change, there is always a period of adjustment required. Often change in our lives doesn't occur so predictably.

    Change can seemingly come out of nowhere and catch us off guard. We are unprepared, shocked and numbed by the news of the results of some medical tests we had, that the job we've worked at for the past twenty years is being phased out or, as what happened in Florida recently, a hurricane blows through and wipes out everything in its path. In order to heal from our wounds and disappointments we must turn on our feelings and not stifle our emotions.

    Did you know that crying is actually the bodies' way of keeping us from collapsing? When we allow our tears to flow it releases built up emotions like a cloud bursting from the full weight of rain. The rain then washes down clearing the air and renewing everything.

    Like the rain, our tears wash away the toxins built up in our bodies. Yet, many of us are taught that crying is a sign of weakness and must never be shown in public or even in private. We are all taught to "toughen up" if we are to survive when what we need to do is loosen up and let our tears flow.

    When was the last time you allowed yourself a good cry that wasn't in reaction to a sad movie but a reaction to something that happened in your life?

    When we are cut off from any of our feelings and emotions this only creates more suffering. Avoiding and denying our circumstance delays us from moving forward in our journey to authenticity.

    Like the animals, birds, and butterflies that take refuge from the cold by migrating to warmer places or to a dark cave for the winter, we also need to find places of refuge and comfort as we wait for the sun to return in our lives.

    This month, if you find yourself needing a little shelter from life's inevitable storms, spend a time creating a space in your home where you can go and cocoon. Make your space inviting and nourishing. Fill it with soft blankets to wrap up in and pillows to hold. Add music, candles, flowers or plants and whatever symbols or photographs that bring you peace and hope.

    You can also create this space in your imagination. Think of a place that brings you peace. Picture all of the details of this place: the sounds, sights and smells. Whenever you are feeling overwhelmed by change and needing refuge you can close your eyes and go to this safe and nourishing place.

    Remember, the sun will come out again and summer will return.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #25 on: June 25, 2007, 07:40:26 AM »
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  • Have a Green Day, Every Day!

    Green symbolises growth. Growth requires change and transformation. This article will help you reach your maximum potential. You can have a green day, every day!

    Have you ever asked yourself, "Is there any meaning to life? Is there a purpose for me being here on earth? What am I here for?"

    If you are have asked any of these questions you are not alone. Millions of people around the world are searching for the meaning of life every day.

    What has been your approach to find some purpose to life? Have you sought to be successful? Being successful is good, but success does not equal purpose. You can reach all your goals and succeed in life and still feel something is missing inside. Or perhaps you have thought that your purpose in life is to be found in making a name for yourself, to be remembered. Perhaps you are looking for purpose in life by staying alive as long as you can. Or maybe you believe that life's purpose is found through pleasure ? the weekends cannot come around quick enough!

    Only in God, our creator, can we discover the true meaning and purpose for life.

    Without God life makes no sense. God created you for a purpose. The Bible says God is love and wants to express his love through you. You matter to God.

    King David experienced God's loving kindness. He declared, "Because Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You." (Psalms 63 verse 3.)

    How does God show His loving kindness to us?

    God shows His loving kindness to us in many ways. One way is by answering our prayers. Prayer is listening and talking to God.

    Leanne, our eldest daughter, was five years old when she heard my wife and I pray for a house. Each time we prayed Leanne would add, "and thank you God, for a trailer home too." Not wanting our small daughter to be disappointed, we explained that getting a house was a very big thing and perhaps she should just ask God for a house. Leanne did not give up. She continued to add her request each time we prayed. The same day we found the house we wanted, a relative phoned and said they were going away to work for two years and asked us to look after their large trailer home. The relatives knew nothing about Leanne's prayer request. God had shown Leanne his loving kindness by answering her prayer and we were able to stay in the trailer home until our new house became available.

    God has a plan for you.

    God affirms this in the Book of Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 13, "I know the thoughts and plans I have for you...thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome."

    An unmistakable inner thought filled my mind at the age of sixteen. God told me that after doing nurses' training I would get married and go to Ethiopia to work for Him.

    I had been a single missionary in Ethiopia for five years when God spoke to me through a strong impression while I was praying. God told me he would give me a wife when I returned to Australia on leave. On my way home, to save money, I stopped in Singapore and bought the engagement and wedding rings. I had just enough money left to buy a watch. The brand of the watch was "Rebecca". God spoke to me again as I was reading the story of Rebecca in the Bible, and said "Just as I led Abraham's servant to find a wife for Isaac, I will lead you to your future wife." (Genesis, chapter 24)

    Upon arriving in Australia, I went to visit the college where I had trained. On the way, I heard an inner voice saying, "She is in the college." I prayed, "God, let it be the first girl I meet." Wilma was the first girl I met!

    We were so sure of God's plan for our lives that the next time we met we were engaged. It has been a great marriage because we allowed God to direct us in the purposes that he had for us.

    God made us to have a personal relationship with himself that would last forever.

    Is it possible to have a personal relationship with Almighty God? God is knowable. Jeremiah 9, verse 24 reveals this when it says of God, "Let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, and that I am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, justice and righteousness on earth."

    King David knew his God. He learnt to praise God in the good and bad times because he believed God was greater than his circumstances. He said, "I will praise the LORD at all times; his praise is always on my lips. My whole being praises the LORD." (Psalms 34 verses 1-2)

    God's purpose for each of us is that we would have a relationship with Him that would go on forever. This life is not the end; our time here on earth is a preparation for eternity.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #26 on: June 25, 2007, 07:44:16 AM »
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  • The Challenge To Succeed

    So much has been written about success that one often gets confused about what success is all about. Success is such a personal thing that it may mean different things to different people. Yet we need to have a simple definition which should apply to all successful people and situations. The ultimate purpose of being successful is to take pride in one's achievements and be happy; and I think one of the best description has been put forward by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

    "To laugh often and much;

    To win the respect of intelligent people

    and the affection of children;

    To earn the appreciation of honest critics

    and endure the betrayal of false friends

    To appreciate beauty;

    To find the best in others;

    To leave the world a bit better, whether by

    a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

    To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;

    This is to have succeeded."

    Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Here is the simplicity with which such a complex subject like success has been explained . If we just analyze every line we would realize that each aspect adds up to a value leading up to a successful life.

    And this is the challenge of success. To have such values as to 'laugh often' or 'to find the best in others' is being successful. So simple yet when we look at ourselves and all around us we will find very few people laughing often or appreciating beauty.

    The other day I met a young person working for a social organization on lowly wages hardly eking out a decent living. But what I found amazing was he talked very positively and with love to everyone he met, and he met a lot of people on our short walk. There was no bitterness in him because of his economic status nor any disgust for his work which paid him low wages. He did his work with great love. When I praised him for his positive and sunny nature he was thrilled and became a great friend though we had just met an hour back and went out of the way to help me with my assignment.

    It is often the most difficult thing to praise anyone. We may admire so many people and their work but fail to give credit openly or acknowledge and praise the persons concerned.

    This is what I did and it was a win win day for both of us. Now let us just think about how much success can be achieved in a day if we follow all of Emerson's success formula.

    The challenge of success is to follow the simple values. The few simple things in life will always account for the major successes in our life. It is not to suggest that there are only these simple ideas that would affect our successes but it is our focus on the simple things that will have the greatest impact in our lives. What we read above of Emerson's words are proven wisdom that have flowed down for centuries but yet retained their ageless and timeless relevance.

    While success training is becoming more and more complex with new programs with fancy success matrixes or best sellers being touted as the ultimate answer, hitting us everyday, I invite you all to look at the challenge of understanding the simple yet powerful wisdom of the the great thinkers such as Emerson.

    About The Author

    R.G. Srinivasan is a certified trainer and a management consultant.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #27 on: June 25, 2007, 07:49:05 AM »
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  • Turning Your Life Over To God and Trusting Him To Lead You Is Like . . . . .


    . . . . . riding a roller coaster for the very first time. You've heard things about roller coaster rides, but what you heard depended on who was doing the telling. From some people (usually kids, or chronological adults who remained kids at heart and kept their iron stomachs) you heard glorious stories about the thrilling climbs and descents, about the twists and turns and maybe even roll-overs. Their words and facial expressions and body language were filled with exhilaration and excitement. Even if they didn't tell you outright, you just knew from listening to them that they would jump at the chance to do it again and again and again. From other people, such as older folks, the faint-at-heart, etc., you heard about wrenched backs, whiplash, and the inevitable nausea.

    You listen over and over to both types of reports and realize that sooner or later you will have to decide for yourself who is right because living vicariously doesn't work for you anymore. If you listen to the nay-sayers, you will never really know, so you decide to try for yourself and trust that you will survive the experience.

    You, too, are filled with anticipation as you wait to get into the roller coaster car. Finally you are buckled in and as you start to roll away from the loading platform, you realize that you now have completely put your trust and faith in the roller coaster operators and their equipment. You have no control over what will happen for the next few minutes until the ride is over, so you decide to sit back and enjoy the ride. And what a ride it is! You go up at such a steep angle that you cannot possibly see what is ahead; you just have to trust that the ride has all been planned out for you before you ever got on and everything will be OK. You go down so fast you wonder how they ever keep control of this thing and keep it on the track, but afterwards you realize you were never in any real danger. You go through loops that seem to defy the law of gravity, and yet everything is under control, even though you have no idea how. You may go through a dark tunnel where you cannot see in or out and you realize that your trust is at it's strongest point here precisely because you cannot see in or out. You just have to trust that you will be where supposed to be when you are supposed to be there.

    Suddenly, it's over. You are at the end of the ride. You look back and realize how much you would have missed had you not taken that first step and trusted. And the best part is, unlike a roller coaster ride, if you fall out or mess up or get sick, God does not get annoyed with you for His grace and mercy are endless. He will pick you up, clean you up, and bring you home with Him. On the other hand, your "friends" at the amusement park might want to pretend they don't know you!

    . . . . . visiting Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone National Park has many geysers, pools of boiling hot mud, bodies of hot water filled with chemicals that could remove your skin, and dangerous wild animals capable of doing all sorts of bodily harm to you should you make the wrong move. Interestingly enough you are free to explore and experience these wonders with one caveat: STAY ON THE MARKED PATH! The paths and walkways are very well marked. There are wooden walkways right out over the pools of boiling mud. Some even have railings. Only by your own stupidity and disobedience would you ever leave these marked pathways, and those who do always pay a price, sometimes the ultimate one. Rangers are there to guide you if you have questions, and explain some of the dangers that maybe shouldn't need explaining, but not everyone is perceptive. In spite of all that we read now and then of someone who strayed off the walkway, fell through what looked like solid ground and wound up scalded or worse. Disobedience can be very costly.

    God has provided a walkway for us. He has put up boundaries to let us know where the edges are. He tells us in His Word what the rules are, and He even gives us plenty of examples of consequences for not following the rules. There are many "if . . . then" examples in the Bible. The gist of them all is that IF you obey God and do what He tells you to do, THEN your life will be much better than if you choose stubborn, obstinate, self-centered, "my-way" disobedience. God does not honor or reward such a heart and mind-set. The Bible has easy verses for us to memorize to help us on our walk through life. One of the best is Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." If we can do that, we will not wander off into pools of boiling mud. We will not step onto deceptively crusted chemicals that look safe enough to us, only to find out later that we were oh so wrong. We will never mistake the outwardly calm and placid appearance of a powerful animal for an inward demeanor of tameness, kindness or friendliness. If we ever become lost or confused, we can go to the Word of God for advice. We can seek Godly counsel from those on whom He has showered the gift of wisdom. And unlike boiling chemical pools, charging bison and defensive mama grizzly bears, God is waiting with forgiveness if we just confess, repent, and ask. I take great comfort in that.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Re: Inspirational
    « Reply #28 on: June 25, 2007, 07:51:10 AM »
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  • Tomorrow May be Too Late

    A high school senior, looking forward to going to college, inspiring to become a doctor kisses her parents and dashes out the door to go to school, smiling, and waving goodbye -- never realizing that before day's end, she would meet the fate of a deadly bullet.

    A husband and wife have a lover's quarrel, laying back to back in bed -- he, thinking about apologizing, she, thinking about talking tomorrow. They fall asleep, never realizing that before daybreak, tragedy will hit home, bringing a lifetime of regret.

    Two friends, departing, and promising to stay in touch -- to write -- to call. Days, weeks, months go back, both thinking about the other but finding no time to express their thoughts. One friend finally, picks up the phone never realizing that time would find a terminally ill friend on the other end.

    Later, and I'll tell her how much I love her. Tomorrow, I'll say I'm sorry. Later, I'll call my friend. Tomorrow. Later. Tomorrow ? Too Late.

    We too often look for the negative, the unflourished qualities in those that we say we love, and too often push them away, instead of drawing them into our lives. Regret ? grief -- pain can come suddenly, without warning. We must cherish the moments that we have to spend with our loved ones, and not take them -- or life for granted. We must give ourselves to life -- give ourselves to others -- give ourselves to love, realizing that if tomorrow does not come ? we will have no regrets.

    Take a moment -- this day, to express your love, to give that overdue apology, or contact that friend ? because you never know -- tomorrow may be too late.

    Offline pramanisa

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    Take Out Time -- To Just Be Thankful
    « Reply #29 on: June 25, 2007, 07:53:21 AM »
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  • While sitting here tonight, watching the conclusion of "There Are No Children Here," my heart pulsated as I heard a little innocent boy say, "When I wake up in the morning, I feel good that God gave me another chance to stay alive." This statement as innocent as it was, was true to him because of where he lived, and the lethal possibilities that he faced daily of being killed by someone's bullet.

    Oh -- I thought, just how much do I really mean those words when I wake up in the morning? Are those words as true to me as they are to this little boy, or have they become a ritual -- empty words with no meaning?

    In our often-stressful lives, we are constantly absorbed by negativisms, feeling that our troubles are insurmountable and that no one else in this world is troubled by such circumstances.

    We are often absorbed by meaningless thanksgivings -- being thankful only in empty words for the things that we have. We are so absorbed with the things that we do not have, that we effortlessly forget about the things that we do have. Things such as loved ones, a place to lay our heads, food on our tables and clothes on our backs. Things such as -- LIFE.

    Things that we often complain about -- that we often yearn -- overpoweringly forces us to forget to be thankful for what we have. While we are often concerned with the things in life that we feel like we cannot live without, there are millions of others, of young girls and boys, men and women, who are genuinely thankful to just be alive.

    Just to be alive -- is enough alone to be thankful. Take out time -- this day -- to just be thankful.

     


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