A Poem

Changed View (Author: Unknown)

CHANGED VIEW (Author: Unknown)

There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and she could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”

The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him.

Her boyfriend walked away in tears and later wrote a letter to her saying, “Just take care of my eyes dear.”

This is how the human brain changes when the status changes. Only a few remember what life was before and who have always been there, even in the most painful situations.

Life is a gift, today before you think of saying an unkind word; think of someone who can’t speak.

Before you complain about your husband or wife, think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion.

Today before you complain about life, think of someone who went too early to heaven.

Before you complain about your children, think of someone who desires children but they’re barren.

Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn’t’ clean or sweep, think of the people who are living on the streets.

Before whining about the distance you drive, think of someone who walks the same distance.

And when you are tired and complain about your job, think of unemployed, the disabled, and those who wished they had your job.

But before you think of pointing your finger or condemning another, remember that not one of us is without sin and we all have to answer to one Maker.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down, put a smile on your face and thank God you’re alive and still around.

Life is gift-live it, enjoy it, celebrate it, and fulfill it.

Note: Published at The Himalayan Times on 25^th June 2012

Being loved by the one you love (Author: Unknown)

Once upon a time, a very poor man lived with his wife. One day, his wife, who had very long hair, asked him to buy her a comb for her hair to grow well and to be well-groomed. The man felt very sorry and said no. He explained that he did not even have enough money to fix the strap of his watch he had just broken. She did not insist on her request. The man went to work and passed by a watch shop, sold his damaged watch at a low price, and went to buy a comb to his wife. He came home in the evening with the comb in his hand ready to give to his wife.

He was surprised when he saw his wife with a short haircut. She sold her hair and bought a new watchband. Tears flowed, not for the futility of their actions, but for the reciprocity for their love.

Moral of the story: To love is nothing, to be loved is something but to love and to be loved by the one you love, that is everything.

Published at The Himalayan Times (10 Feb 2014)

Be like ‘those’ big dreamers (Author: Unknown)

Be like ‘those’ big dreamers (Author: Unknown)

If you want to control your life, then control your attitude first. Your decision to be, have, and do something out of ordinary entails facing difficulties that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else.

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.

The more you seek security, the less of it you have. But the more you seek opportunity, the more likely it is that you will achieve the security that you desire. Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?”

All successful people, men, and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.

Note: The Himalayan Times (1 September 2014)

Small Action is Greater than the Noblest Intention

Small Action is Greater than the Noblest Intention

There was once a person, who was walking on the sea beach. He saw another person walking far ahead of him. He was picking up something from the ground and throwing it into the water. The man quickly moved closer to that person and noticed that he was picking up starfish that had been washed onto the beach and was throwing them back into the water. Astonished, he asked, ‘why are you throwing these fish back into the water?’ The man answered with a smile, ‘Otherwise they will all die lying here on the beach.’ The man asked, ‘But there are thousands of these fish lying on this beach, do you think it will matter?’ The other person picked up a fish and throwing it back into the sea said, ‘It will matter to this one.’

Note: The moral of the story is that it does not matter how much you do or for how many, so long as you do something for someone who needs it. And that is what matters.

Taken from a book Heart, Mind over Matter by Virender Kapoor.

Don’t wait to be happy (Author: Unknown)

Once a fisherman was sitting near seashore, under the shadow of a tree smoking his beedi. Suddenly a rich businessman passing by approached him and enquired as to why he was sitting under a tree and smoking and not working. To this the poor fisherman replied that he had caught enough fishes for the day.

Hearing this the man got angry and said, “Why don’t you catch more fishes instead of sitting in shadow wasting your time?”

Fisherman asked, “What would I do by catching more fishes?”

Businessman replied, “You could catch more fishes, sell them and earn more money, and buy a bigger boat.”

Fisherman questioned, “What would I do then?”

Businessman told, “You could go fishing in deep waters and catch even more fishes and earn even more money.”

Fisherman asked, “What would I do then?” Businessman said, “You could buy many boats and employ many people to work for you and earn even more money.”

“What would I do then?” the fisherman asked.

Businessman told, “You could become a rich businessman like me”

“And then what would I do?” fisherman questioned.

Businessman told that he could enjoy his life peacefully. Meanwhile the fisherman snapped back, “What do you think I am doing right now?”

Moral: We don’t need to wait for tomorrow to be happy and enjoy our life. We don’t even need to be richer, more powerful to enjoy life.

Published at The Himalayan Times (THT) 24 March 2014

Don’t Give Up! (Author: Unknown)

Don’t let today’s trouble bring

you down

or allow you to question your ability.

Don’t let life’s little obstacle keep you

from trying,

or become the reason for defeat.

Don’t let your fears keep you

from dreaming,

or from chasing your dream.

Don’t give up for any reason, believe

in yourself,

And within you’ll find strength.

Don’t let your envy destroy what

you have,

or develop hatred to others.

Don’t give up on compassion for others

or forgiveness which is the bliss.

Don’t let your selfishness tear down

innocence

or you will be the victim one day.

Don’t give up the power of curiosity

or you may have nothing to meant

for you.

Don’t let go of your hope even

in adversity

or there will not be any

happiness left.

Don’t give up on love

as love is the ultimate emotion that

can take any risk.

Note: Published at The Himalayan Times on 14^th August 2014

Where are you heading? Author: Luis Alejandro Sanchez Corrals

The captain of the boat lost his way in the middle of the storm. While trying to control the ship and maneuver to avoid sinking, he started feeling anguish and frustration. The waves became bigger; the noise of the water hitting the board, like a feather carried by the wind, almost lead him to despair. But he did not give up and tried harder every time the waves hit the boat. In his desperate attempts to stay strong and keep the boat steady, he was unable to hear one of his crew officers yelling at him.

“Captain, Captain!” kept yelling officer, while holding on to one of the deck’s bars to avoid falling off the boat. “Captain, Captain!” insisted the officer. This time while trying to approach him, a huge wave almost made the boat tip over and the officer fell and rolled on the deck till he luckily found another rail to hold on to. After several attempts, the officer finally was able to reach his fighting, drenched, and tired captain who had started to yell out his frustrations and thoughts to the raging waves.

“If I am a good hard working man, why does this happen to me? And I can’t get out of this one? I have been sailing the open ocean for years to fish the best catch and get support for my family. Why, why, why?” At that moment his crew officer was able to grab the captain’s shoulder and make him turn so that the captain could hear him. “Captain, Captain!” yelled again the officer.

The captain looked at him furiously for distracting him from his difficult task. “What do you need officer? Don’t you see I am trying to control the ship and find our way back?” complained to the captain. His officer kept holding onto the captain and pointed in the opposite direction, towards the stern. “Captain he replied. “The lighthouse is over there, on the other side. We are going in the wrong direction.”

Thought: In which direction will you decide to go during a storm in an open ocean?

Was published at The Himalayan Times on 3 Feb 2014

Let go of the ‘Branch’ Author: Unknown

Once there was a king who received a gift of two magnificent falcons. They were peregrine falcons, the most beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed, and one day the head falconer informed the king that though one of the falcons were flying majestically, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird fly. He presented the task to the members of his court, but the next day, the king saw through the palace window that the bird still not moved from its perch.

Having tried everything else, the king thought to himself, “Maybe I need someone more familiar with the countryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he cried out to his court, “Go and get a farmer.”

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court, “Bring me the doer of this miracle.” The court quickly located the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?” The farmer said to the king, “It was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch where the bird was sitting.”

Moral: We are all made to fly-to realize our incredible potential as human beings. But at times we sit on our branches, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possibilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undiscovered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, and the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre instead of exciting, thrilling, and fulfilling. Let us learn to destroy the branch of fear and free ourselves to the glory of flight.

Note: Published at the Himalayan Times on 17 March 2014