environment

Joke of the Day…” You people have a penchant for doing things wrong …” !!!

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An American soldier, serving in World War II, had just returned from several weeks of intense action on the German front lines.

 

 He had finally been granted R&R and was on a train bound for London. The train was very crowded, so the soldier walked the length of the train, looking for an empty seat.

 The only unoccupied seat was directly adjacent to a well-dressed middle-aged lady and was being used by her little dog.

The war weary soldier asked, “Please, ma’am, may I sit in that seat?”

The English woman looked down her nose at the soldier, sniffed and said, “You Americans. You are such a rude class of people. Can’t you see my little Fifi is using that seat?”

The soldier walked away, determined to find a place to rest, but after another trip down to the end of the train, found himself again facing the woman with the dog.

Again he asked, “Please, lady. May I sit there? I’m very tired.”

The English woman wrinkled her nose and snorted, “You Americans! Not only are you rude, you are also arrogant. Imagine!”

The soldier didn’t say anything else; he leaned over, picked up the little dog, tossed it out the window of the train and sat down in the empty seat.

The woman shrieked and railed, and demanded that someone defend her and chastise the soldier.

An English gentleman sitting across the aisle spoke up, “You know, sir, you Americans do seem to have a penchant for doing the wrong thing. You eat holding the fork in the wrong hand. You drive your cars on the wrong side of the road. And now, sir, you’ve thrown the wrong bitch out the window.”

Source….input from a friend of mine

Natarajan

THAT TIME A FLYING PIG GROUNDED EVERY PLANE AT LONDON’S HEATHROW AIRPORT….

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Imagine if you will that you’re sitting in an airport waiting to go on vacation. Suddenly and without warning you hear a voice over the tannoy system informing you that every single plane scheduled that day had been grounded. As your mind begins to think of all the horrible things that could have caused the delay, you hear the voice again informing you that flights have been grounded not by a freak storm, crash or technical glitch, but by an escaped flying pig.

flying pig

As unbelievable as it’s going to sound, this is genuinely something that once happened in London in the 1970s thanks to the band Pink Floyd and their gigantic pig shaped balloon.

In 1976, Pink Floyd recorded an album called Animals which drew inspiration from the 1945 novel Animal Farm, a thinly veiled allegory of Soviet communism that prominently features pigs as characters.

After the album was recorded, the band met with a design team called Hipgnosis to create the album’s cover. Despite being regarded by many as some of the best album designers of all time (working with and designing albums for the likes of AC/DC, ELO, Styx and Rainbow), all of Hipgnosis’ ideas fell flat with the band.

Battersea-Power-StationAfter some deliberation, bassist Roger Waters suggested to Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis that they use Battersea Power Station as the backdrop for the cover. Waters later explained to Rolling Stone, “I’d always loved Battersea Power Station, just as a piece of architecture. And I thought it had some good symbolic connections with Pink Floyd as it was at that point. One, I thought it was a power station, that’s pretty obvious. And two, that it had four legs. If you inverted it, it was like a table. And there were four bits to it, representing the four members of the band…” (I’m getting a definite This is Spinal Tapvibe here… Just me?)

The band had recently commissioned a gigantic 40 ft. inflatable pig for their upcoming tour.  Putting two and two together, Powell stated in an interview that when the pair were discussing the power station idea, “Roger and I both looked up at the Station, and said, ‘let’s fly the pig between the chimneys’. Just like that.”

After applying for what we can only assume was an ungodly amount of permits to float a giant balloon shaped like a pig above an (at the time) operational major power station, the band with help from Powell picked out the best angle from which to shoot the cover. Other prep work included hiring an expert marksman who was given orders to shoot the pig down should it escape. The band then decided on a date on which to shoot the photo- December 2, 1976, a day which was supposed to be mostly clear with some cloud, which the band specifically wanted so that the sky didn’t look “boring”, or as boring as it could be with a giant floating pig in the middle of it.

However, on the day of the shoot, the pig wouldn’t inflate for reasons never explained in any interview we could find. This annoyed Powell to no end because, “that day there was the most incredible, Turner-esque sky. But for some reason, the pig wasn’t inflating. I shot the Station anyway, because the sky was so amazing.”

After trying and failing to inflate the pig for several hours, the band gave up and they agreed to come back the next day.

The group returned and, oddly, this time the pig inflated just fine. After painstakingly attaching the pig to Battersea’s southernmost chimney, disaster struck as the tether holding the balloon in place broke during a wind gust, causing the gigantic inflatable porcine to begin lazily drifting away.

The pig was loose.

So what happened to the sniper they hired for just such a bizarre event? Well, apparently the manager simply forgot to tell him or his gun that they required his services the next day. So he never showed up.

As the pig began to climb ever higher, rising to heights no pig, inflatable or otherwise, had ever hoped or dared to dream, a terrible realisation crept over those watching it sail toward the heavens- the pig was flying directly towards Heathrow airport. As panic began to set in, the band did what many would do in such a situation, according to Powell, “Pink Floyd left the site.”

Moments after the skyward swine escaped, Heathrow officials received several communiqués from pilots in passing planes matter-of-factly telling them that they’d just seen a giant pig float past their windows. After realising that the calls weren’t a joke, all flights from the airport were grounded.

As the pig danced around in the sky, police helicopters and eventually the RAF were called in to chase it down, but to no avail; by the time they arrived the pig was gone and, despite their sincerest efforts, they couldn’t find it.

With the pig off enjoying its freedom and the band having absconded the scene of the crime, this left Aubrey Powell to take the fall. After police arrived, according to Powell, he was promptly arrested and taken in for questioning.

Meanwhile the band, who’d managed to retain their freedom, set about trying to find the pig- giant inflatable pigs not being cheap, after all. Using their status as Pink Floyd, they were able to convince radio stations across the country to plead with listeners to keep their eyes peeled for a giant floating pig, providing a number they could call if they happened to see it.

Almost immediately this number was flooded with prank calls because, of course it was. However, at around 9:30 pm that evening, a phone call from an irate farmer in Kent (about 40 miles or 65 km away) came in, with the farmer sharply asking “Are you the guy looking for a pig?”

After having this fact affirmed, the farmer angrily told the group that such an object had landed on his farm and was currently scaring all his cows. After getting the man’s details, Powell, along with the police, went and collected the swine which was miraculously undamaged from its adventure.

pink-floyd-animalsSurprisingly, the police and officials at Battersea allowed the band to come back and re-shoot their album cover, with the proviso that they actually bring the sharpshooter along this time. Although Powell was able to get shots with the tethered pig, the sky that day was entirely clear and he ended up hating how they looked initially. However, he was able to get the shot he wanted by using a photo from the first day and superimposing the pig on top of it. Sans Photoshop, this did not look that great if you looked too closely at the picture.

As such, this all went against Waters’ original requirements that the “picture should be real”, rather than superimposing the pig, as Powell had at one point suggested before the whole debacle. This nevertheless all ended up working out for the band swimmingly. As Powell later noted, the escaped pig “was front-page news: Pink Floyd couldn’t have got better publicity if they tried.”

After its little adventure, the pig went on tour with the band later the following year.

Source…….www.today i foundout .com

Natarajan

 

 

வாரம் ஒரு கவிதை….” எப்படி மறப்பேன் …” ?

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Brother-Anslem

எப்படி மறப்பேன் ?
………………
அன்பும்  அறிவும் பண்புடன் பாசமும்
 ஒன்றுக்கு  ஒன்று குறையாமல்
 என்றும் உன் மாணவன்   வாழ்வில் இருக்க
 அன்றே வழி காட்டிய ஆசான்  அய்யா  நீ !
 எப்படி மறப்பேன் நீ காட்டிய வழியை நான் ?
 பள்ளி கணக்கில் கூட்டலும் கழித்தலும் உண்டு
 ஆனால் நன்னெறி வாழ்க்கைக்   கணக்கில் கூட்டலும்
  பெருக்கலும்  மட்டுமே என்று   சொன்னவன் அய்யா நீ !
 உன் மாணவன் நான் …இன்றும் உன் மாணவன்தான் !
 எப்படி  மறப்பேன்  உன் பாடத்தை  நான் ?
 தமிழ் செய்யுள் பாடம் படிக்கும் நேரம்  …செய்ய முடியும்
 செய்யுள் ஒன்று உன்னாலும்  என்று சொல்லி நாலடி
 கவிதை பல என்னை எழுத வைத்து நீயும் நல்ல கவிஞன் ஆவாய்
 ஒருநாள் என்று நீ சொன்ன சமயம் விண்ணில் பறந்தேனே  நான் !
 எப்படி  மறப்பேன் உன்னை  நான் இன்று ?
 தினம் ஒரு திருக்குறள் கரும்பலகையில் எழுதி வாழ்க்கையின்
 நியதி என்னவென்று  உன் மாணவர்கள் மனதில் பதிய வைத்த
 ஒரு நல்ல ஆசிரியர்  நீ …இன்றும்  அதுவே என் வாழ்வின் மந்திரம் !
 எப்படி மறப்பேன் நான் என் வாழ்வை சிறக்க வைத்த உன்னை ?
Natarajan
My Kavithai published in http://www.dinamani.com  on 27th June 2016

From Digitally Illiterate to Networking Guru… Story of Mudassir Ansari, Chanderi Madhya Pradesh…

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Mudassir Ansari had not seen a computer till he turned 18. Today, he uses technology to bring internet connectivity to rural India and empower thousands with digital literacy.

Coming from a long line of weavers, Mudassir Ansari grew up to the rhythmic clacking of handloom machines in his hometown of Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh. For the Ansari family, weaving was more than just a means to earn a living – it was a legacy shared with their children, generation after generation.

By the 1990s however, most of their machines fell silent. Globalisation and easy access to cheap, printed material meant that many weavers across India were out of work.

BIDDING GOODBYE TO A BYGONE ERA
In a bid to cope with the changing world around him, Mudassir’s father became a tourist guide. The family even went on to set up a phone booth. Despite this, making ends meet continued to be a challenge.

Thoughts of the future weighed heavily on Mudassir’s mind and he came to the conclusion that something radical had to be done to change the status quo: “I realised that every generation brings with it its own set of changes. If you don’t change with the times, you will be left behind.”

Providing for his family and securing their future gave Mudassir sleepless nights, till he hit upon a solution.

“I noticed that PCs were fast becoming an integral part of all aspects of life. From government and corporate offices to hospitals, schools and colleges, PCs were making their presence felt in all fields. I understood that if we didn’t make an attempt to learn computing, we would be confined to our small town and to our limited income. There would be no change and that would prove detrimental for the family. Learning how to use this device was our ticket to a better life,” he said.

“In the 1990s, knowing how to operate a computer was a big deal in our town, especially since there were no institutes or classes that imparted the skill. People who wished to learn computing had to travel to other cities and attend classes there. The nearest city was just 30 kilometres away but I had never been there. When I decided to learn how to work on a PC, my life changed,” he added.

Mudassir attended classes and, through continued practice, became proficient in using the PC.

“My father was overjoyed. He would tell everyone he met that his son knew how to use a PC. It became a sign of progress, of a higher social status even,” he recalled with a smile.

In 2006, confident about the value that owning a PC would add to his son’s life, Mudassir’s father bought him his very first computer. “We travelled all the way to Bhopal to buy the computer. It was the first time I had ever been to such a big city. Once again, I had technology to thank for helping me explore the world,” he said.

In 2009, the Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), an NGO dedicated to promoting connectivity in rural India, set up an Internet Resource Centre in Chanderi.

Impressed by Mudassir’s hard work and resolve to learn how a computer works, the organisation took him in and began to instruct him. In addition to being trained in basic computer skills, he learnt about wireless networking.

After completing his training, Mudassir joined DEF as a networking engineer.

“In 2010, DEF decided to bring Wifi connectivity to Chanderi. I played an integral role in ensuring that the railway station, the hotels and numerous monuments became Wi-Fi zones. I was ecstatic to help the entire city get connectivity. We were among the first few cities in India to have this facility,” he said with justified pride. From thereon, there was no looking back for Mudassir.

“Guna, Shivpuri, Alwar, Nagaon, Sonapur…,” Mudassir rattled off the list of towns he had helped bring Internet connectivity to. To date, he has helped more than 50 towns and villages get online

His work doesn’t end with just ensuring connectivity either. “When we brought connectivity to a zilla in Madhya Pradesh, I helped set up a two-month course for the local women. I taught close to 2,500 rural women basic computing skills so that tomorrow they are able teach their children. My hope is that once they realise how important PCs are, regardless of their economic status, they will ensure their children learn basic computing. After all, it is a tool that can lift them out of poverty.”

In yet another village, Mudassir helped hire an instructor to impart computer training to 20 children:

“Today, ten of those children are using PCs to earn a living. These are girls who were not allowed to step out of the house, but now, working from the comfort of their homes, they are able to support their families. That’s something!”

In this day and age, when people have moved from desktops to portable computing devices like laptops, there are still places in India where people have never even seen a computer, much less worked on one. I get immense satisfaction from knowing I am able to introduce such people to this magic machine. When I see the joy on their faces, I know what I am doing is good,” he said.

PCs have brought a sea-change in Mudassir’s personal and professional life. “I did not study beyond the 12th standard and don’t have a university degree, so just based on my qualifications, my prospects for a job were limited. And yet, today, thanks to my computer skills, I am able to work as a networking engineer and earn more than Rs. 20,000 a month. I have also had the opportunity to lead a team of 20 engineers. Thanks to my job, I have even travelled to different parts of the country – remarkable considering I had not stepped out of the village until I turned 18!” exclaimed Mudassir.

The PC was also an invaluable tool for him to learn English.

“When I started working, I realised that all emails I received were in English. I didn’t like the idea of replying in Hindi, so I started using Google Translate. I would translate the mail that was sent to me, understand the context, and then compose a reply in Hindi. I’d then use Google Translate to translate it into English. That’s how I picked up English!” he revealed.

His success at work has translated to financial security for his entire family, “I am able to fund my younger brother’s education, and I am confident I will be able to give my three children access to quality education,” he added with satisfaction.

“If it weren’t for the PC, I would probably still be manning a small phone booth in a small town in a corner of the country,” concluded Mudassir.

Source…. Anandita Jumde in http://www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

Have you heard of the word ” Lexophile ” ?

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வாரம் ஒரு கவிதை….” அலையின் தாகம் …” !!!

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How a Class 7 Indian-Origin Girl in Texas Raised Rs. 13 Lakh to Distribute Free LED Bulbs in Delhi…?

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This Class 7 student in the US raised funds to buy and distribute LED bulbs for free to poor people in India. This is the story of her determination to do something concrete for the future of the planet.

meera2

“Small things can make a difference – provided all of us do our part. I am asking you to join me in the effort of replacing 77 crore incandescent bulbs in India with energy efficient LED bulbs. This will go a long way in reducing energy consumption and carbon emission along with the electricity bills of those who can least afford these bulbs. For the sake of India and for the sake of this planet, let’s all change our future, one bulb at a time.” – This is 13-year-old Meera Vashisht’s message to children of her age around the world.

An Indian-origin girl who was born and raised in the US and lives in Sugar Land, Texas, Meera will soon be in Delhi to distribute LED bulbs for free to those who cannot afford them.

Meera’s interest in the project came about when she was researching a project in school. She stumbled across a news article about the LED revolution in India. The Indian government is in the process of replacing 77 crore incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, as a part of the Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme. She was intrigued to learn that simply changing a bulb at home can not only change the lives of people by offering increased energy savings, but reduce our carbon footprint as well.

Under the UJALA scheme, the Indian government is distributing LED bulbs across 16 states, in the price range of Rs. 75-95.

“But even at these subsidised rates, people belonging to the poorest sections of society would find it difficult to afford these bulbs,” Meera concluded.

“This was my moment of reckoning. After all those days when I had thought of doing something for India but didn’t know what to do, I suddenly discovered something that I could actually do and make a difference,” she wrote in an essay.

Meera’s first thought was to save her allowance money and send it to India as her contribution to the UJALA scheme. But that wouldn’t be enough she realized, so she thought of something else: “Let’s distribute the bulbs for free!” Her parents encouraged her to develop the idea further and it was then that she came up with the idea of a fundraiser.

She picked up a telephone directory and started writing letters to random people in the US, asking for help in making LED bulbs available to those who need them the most in India.

The challenge here was – why would anyone in the US want to fund something that was going on in India? But Meera was willing to take on this challenge. She told us – ‘The planet is one. We all share this planet. Whatever happens in India affects everyone. So let me try and draft this letter,’” says her mother Sunanda Vashisht, who works as a writer and columnist.

To everybody’s surprise, the first cheque arrived for Meera in just a few days, and the money kept coming in after that. Meera sent 500 letters and collected $ 2,000 (approximately Rs. 1,40,000) over the span of a year.

“In my letter, I explained why an LED revolution in India can save the whole planet and why we all should participate and contribute. I explained that a simple action of switching a light bulb in India could help achieve the goal of providing 24/7 electricity across the country. What most of us don’t understand is that electricity is empowerment. In rural areas it helps kids study after dusk, it helps ease the workload of people, it improves agricultural output, it helps set up small scale industries and connects remote areas with the world at large via the Internet and smartphones. This is empowerment in its truest sense and real democracy in action,” she wrote.

Now Meera had to find a way to reach those people who would need these bulbs the most. Sunanda contacted India’s Ministry of Power, informing them about Meera’s desire to visit and contribute to their mission, and the authorities were more than willing to help.

Sunanda and Meera will reach Delhi in the first week of July, and the Ministry will help them identify the underprivileged families that need these bulbs.

Meera’s father is an engineer and her family’s ancestral home is in Punjab. “We have family in India and we keep going back to visit them all the time. We are inculcating affection for India in Meera. She always says that she wants to work for people there,” says Sunanda. Through this distribution drive, Meera also wants to create awareness about the use of LED bulbs among people who might think that giving Rs. 75 for a bulb is a waste of money.

The teenager also stays connected to her roots through music and dance. She learns Hindustani classical vocal music and has been learning Bharat Natyam since she was four years old. Her grandfather’s passion for environmental causes has inspired Meera to work for the environment as well.

“He is an avid lover of nature, an artist, and an environmentalist. He is very considerate and compassionate. From him I have learnt to respect all life…I am so glad to be finally able to now come to India and make a contribution to the cause of cleaning the environment in a tangible way. I couldn’t be happier,” she says.

Here’s hoping this young environment enthusiast finds success in all her endeavours towards making the planet greener and more compassionate towards the less fortunate.

You can contact Sunanda by writing to her at sunanda_vashisht@yahoo.com.

Source….TanayaSingh in www. the betterindia .com

Natarajan

” நீ திருப்பாவை படித்தாய் …கண்ணன் உனக்கு கணவன் …” !!!

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நீ திருப்பாவை படித்தாய், கண்ணன் கணவனாக வருகிறான். திருவெம்பாவை படித்தாய், பரமேஸ்வரன் மாமனராக வருகிறார்,”

13442188_1273387012679287_8859585920371746160_n

காஞ்சிப்பெரியவருக்கு 40 ஆண்டுகள் கைங்கர்யம் செய்த குமரேசன் என்பவர் கூறிய தகவல் நம்மை பரவசமடைய செய்கிறது.

பல ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன், ஒரு கார்த்திகை மாதத்தில் தஞ்சாவூர் அருகிலுள்ள திருக்காட்டுப்பள்ளியில் இருந்து ஒரு தம்பதி தங்கள் மகளுடன் காஞ்சிபுரம் வந்தனர். மகாபெரியவரை தரிசிக்க காத்திருந்தனர். அவர்கள் முறை வந்ததும் அந்த குடும்பத்தினர் பெரியவருக்கு நமஸ்காரம் செய்தனர்.

அவரைப் பார்த்து தயக்கத்துடன் நின்ற குடும்பத்தலைவரிடம், “என்ன விஷயம்?” என்று பெரியவர் கேட்டார்.

“பெரியவா! இவள் எங்களுக்கு ஒரே மகள். இவளுக்கு திருமணம் தள்ளிக்கொண்டே போகிறது. தாங்கள் அனுக்கிரகம் செய்து, திருமணம் விரைவில் நடக்க ஆசி வழங்க வேண்டும்,” என்றார் குடும்பத்தலைவர்.

பெரியவர் அந்தப் பெண்ணிடம், “உன் பெயர் என்ன?” என்றார்.

“ராதா’ என்றாள் அவள்.

பெரியவர் அவளிடம், “உங்கள் ஊரில் பெருமாள் கோவில், சிவன் கோவிலெல்லாம் இருக்கிறதா?” என்றார்.

“ஆம்’ என்றாள் அவள்.

“சரி…அடுத்த மாதம் மார்கழி. தினமும் அதிகாலையில் நீராடிய பிறகு வீட்டு வாசலில் கோலம் போடு. பெருமாள் கோவிலுக்குப் போய் திருப்பாவை பாடு, சிவன் கோவிலுக்கு போய் திருவெம்பாவை பாடு. உனக்கு போக முடியாத நாட்கள் வருமில்லையா! அந்த நாட்களில் வீட்டில் இருந்தே அந்த பாடல்களை பாராயணம் செய்,” என்று சொல்லி ஆசிர்வதித்தார்.

ராதாவும் பெரியவர் சொன்னதை தவறாமல் கடைபிடித்தாள். தை மாதம் பிறந்தது. ஒரு நன்னாளில் அவள் வீட்டுக் கதவு தட்டப்பட்டது. ராதாவின் பெற்றோர் கதவைத் திறந்தனர்.

வெளியே ஒரு பெரியவரும் அவரது மனைவியும் நின்றனர். அவர்கள் ராதாவைப் பெண் கேட்டு வந்துள்ள விபரம் தெரியவந்தது.

“எங்கள் பூர்வீகம் பாலக்காடு. உங்கள் பெண்ணைப் பற்றி அறிந்தோம். அவள் ஜாதகம் எங்கள் மகன் ஜாதகத்துக்கு பொருத்தமாயிருக்கிறது,” என்றனர்.

திருமணப் பேச்சு நடந்தது. நிச்சயதார்த்த நாள், முகூர்த்த நாள் குறிக்கப்பட்டது. தை பிறந்ததும் ராதாவுக்கு வழியும் பிறந்து விட்டது.

திருமணத்துக்கு முன்னதாக பெரியவரிடம் ஆசி பெற ராதாவும், அவளது பெற்றோரும் காஞ்சிபுரம் வந்தனர். பெரியவரை அவர்கள் தரிசித்தனர்.

ராதாவிடம், “உன் பெயர் ராதா தானே! உனக்கு வரப்போகும் ஆத்துக்காரர் பெயர் என்ன?” என்று கேட்டார்.

“கண்ணன்” என்ற ராதாவிடம், “உன் மாமனார் பெயர் பரமேஸ்வரனா?” என்றார்.

“ஆம்…என்றாள் ராதா ஆச்சரியமாய்.

“மாமனார் பெயர் பெரியவருக்கு எப்படி தெரிந்தது?’ என்று அவள் ஆச்சரியப்பட்ட வேளையில், “நீ திருப்பாவை படித்தாய், கண்ணன் கணவனாக வருகிறான். திருவெம்பாவை படித்தாய், பரமேஸ்வரன் மாமனராக வருகிறார்,” என்றார்.

இதைக் கேட்ட எல்லாருமே அதிசயித்துப் போனார்கள். முக்காலமும் உணர்ந்த ஞானிக்கு இவர்கள் பெயர் தெரியாதா என்ன? !!!

 

Source ….facebook input

Natarajan

” Give and Take ” Principle in our Life….A Moral Story !

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‘Give-Receive’ – The Abundance Principle

 

Once a man got lost in a desert. The water in his flask had run out two days ago, and he was on his last legs. He knew that if he didn’t get some water soon, he would surely die. The man saw a small hut ahead of him. He thought it would be a mirage or may be a hallucination, but having no other option, he moved toward it. As he got closer, he realized it was quite real. So he dragged his tired body to the door with the last of his strength.

   The hut was not occupied and seemed like it had been abandoned for quite some time. The man entered into it, hoping against hope that he might find water inside.

   His heart skipped a beat when he saw what was in the hut – a water hand pump…… It had a pipe going down through the floor, perhaps tapping a source of water deep under-ground. He began working the hand pump, but no water came out. He kept at it and still nothing happened. Finally he gave up from exhaustion and frustration. He threw up his hands in despair. It looked as if he was going to die after all.

   Then the man noticed a bottle in one corner of the hut. It was filled with water and corked up to prevent evaporation.He uncorked the bottle and was about to gulp down the sweet life-giving water, when he noticed a piece of paper attached to it. Handwriting on the paper read :

    “Use this water to start the pump. Don’t forget to fill the bottle when you’re done.”

   He had a dilemma. He could follow the instruction and pour the water into the pump, or he could ignore it and just drink the water. What to do? If he let the water go into the pump, what assurance did he have that it would work? What if the pump malfunctioned? What if the pipe had a leak? What if the underground reservoir had long dried up?

   But then… may be the instruction was correct. Should he risk it? If it turned out to be false, he would be throwing away the last water he would ever see. Hands trembling, he poured the water into the pump. Then he closed his eyes, said a prayer, and started working the pump.

    He heard a gurgling sound, and then water came gushing out, more than he could possibly use. He luxuriated in the cool and refreshing stream. He was going to live!

   After drinking his fill and feeling much better, he looked around the hut. He found a pencil and a map of the region. The map showed that he was still far away from civilization, but at least now he knew where he was and which direction to go. He filled his flask for the journey ahead. He also filled the bottle and put the cork back in. Before leaving the hut, he added his own writing below the instruction:

        “Believe me, it works!”

This story is all about life.  The Morals It teaches us that ‘We must GIVE  before We can RECEIVE Abundantly’. 

 

More importantly, it also teaches that ‘FAITH  plays an important role in GIVING’. 

 

The man did not know if his action would be rewarded, but he proceeded regardless. Without knowing what to expect, he made a Leap of Faith.

 

   Water in this story represents the Good things in Life something that brings a smile to your face. It can be Intangible Knowledge or it can represent Money, Love, Family, Friendship, Happiness, Respect, or any number of other things you Value. Whatever it is that you would like to get out of life, that’s water. The water pump represents the Workings of the Karmic Mechanism. 

 

‘Give it some Water to Work with, and it will RETURN far more than you put in.’

Source…..unknown….Input from a friend of mine

Natarajan

Lessons one can learn from Negative thoughts….!

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We all experience negative thoughts at times. Unfortunately, our social and environmental conditioning can lead us to treating them as things to be fought against, avoided, or a sign of our weakness. As a result, the negative thoughts are often coupled with anger towards ourselves. These negative thoughts can keep us “stuck in our own heads”, and hinder us from moving forward with our lives in a positive manner. With that being said, there’s much to learn from these so-called negative thoughts. They can teach us some very important lessons, and it is our fear of negativity itself that keeps us from learning these lessons. Next time your mind wanders into negative thinking, don’t try to suppress such thoughts. Instead, use them as a ladder to haul yourself back up. Here are the seven most important lessons you can learn from negative thoughts:

1. If you’re lost, negativity can be your compass

Being angry at yourself in times of crisis can cause you to become lost in a sea of thoughts, and even forget how you got to this state in the first place, thus preventing you from avoiding it next time. Instead, try using your negative thoughts as a compass – think of why you became angry in the first place to try and find the source of your frustration, as well as remind you where you want to be. You can guide your search with questions such as:

  • When did I become angry with myself?
  • Has this sort of thing happened in the past?
  • Were my reactions to this situation different last time?
  • If I acted differently, was I more or less frustrated?

Another way of using negative thoughts as a compass is by mapping out your fears or the obstacles in the way of you feeling better. Try asking yourself:

  • Am I mad at myself because there’s something I could have done differently?
  • If so, can I avoid this type of obstacle next time?
  • Are there other ways to approach this problem?
  • What can I do differently next time?

2. Falling into familiar holes doesn’t become less painful

Imagine walking down the street and suddenly falling into a hole. The first time it happens, you’ll be mad at the city for its negligence. The second time, you’ll be mad because it still hasn’t fixed the problem despite the risk. The third time, you’ll be mad at yourself because you didn’t remember that there’s a hole there. Why did you fall into that hole time after time? Most likely it’s because you weren’t looking where you were heading, and were too busy blaming others, thus avoiding your own responsibility.

The best way to deal with such “holes” in your life is in stages – by covering the hole if you can, finding a way around the hole while it’s still there, or looking forward to avoid falling into that hole (or others) in the future. Instead of blaming others for your predicament, take responsibility for what you can do differently, and do it.

3. Your best friend is you

Negativity turns you into your own judge, jury, and executioner. As proof, we still remember certain mistakes we made in the past that others have already forgotten. However, we tend to ignore the most important lesson that each negative thought carries with it – just as we are our own harshest judges, we are also our own best friends.

Instead of running in circles, finding yourself guilty time and time again, try looking at the problem impartially, as if a friend is telling you about their problem and asking you for your opinion. What your advice be? Is it really a problem that cannot be overcome? When you look at an issue from the sideline, you can often find a solution more easily. If you keep practicing this lesson, you’ll find it easier to connect with yourself, and stop judging yourself so harshly.

4. No one knows everything

Many of our negative thoughts originate from the false assumption that they are indisputable facts. We can be sure that there is only one reason for our failings, or that people act a certain way because of one specific reason. These assumptions can be completely wrong, making them into the feet we use to trip ourselves over when dealing with future problems.

If we think that a colleague has no time for us because they don’t like us, we won’t be able to communicate with them positively in the future, even if their reason was that they were busy, or weren’t feeling well when we approached them. Such an incident can lead us to analyze our relationship with others incorrectly, as well as causing us to make the same mistakes time and time again in future. In quite the same way, being rejected when applying for a job can make us think we’re not talented enough when that position may have been made redundant for a variety of reasons.

Try reminding yourself that in any negative situation, some things that you’re not aware of and are beyond your control may have taken place. Remember that nobody is omniscient, and that’s perfectly fine.

5. If you think you’re drowning in negativity, you’re probably wrong

Do you think that everything bad that happens to you is the result of personal malice, and that bad things keep happening to you all the time? It may be time to stop for a moment and remind yourself that the worst thing that is happening is what you’re doing to yourself. Every negative thought provides us with two options – to fall into despair, or to learn and grow. Sadly, most of us choose the first option.

In order to help yourself see the situation from a broader perspective, assign every negative thought a couple of new friends – factual proof, and a different interpretation. Factual proof forms the basis of assessing your situation (for example, if a friend is mad at you, what are we basing our understanding of that anger on?), at the same time, even if you’re sure that your interpretation is correct, train yourself to come up with an alternative, logical interpretation of the situation. It might just be the right interpretation after all.

6. Some positive thoughts are disguised as negative ones

Not all thoughts that begin in a negative tone are necessarily negative themselves. It may surprise you, but if you think about it, you’ll find out that it is indeed the case. You may be imagining the worst possible scenario about something that may happen to someone you hold dear, but this thought is actually a positive thought, originating from a place of love and care for that person.

Try and express as many negative thoughts in a positive way and you may find out that people who originally reacted to these thoughts in a negative way now react to them differently after they understand the source of your fears or anger.

7. To move forward, stop collecting trash

After you’ve sifted through your negative thoughts and learned as much as you can from them, you can divide them into negative thoughts that can help you, and those that are nothing but “trash”. In other words, don’t let the trashy thoughts take up space in your head – they’ll only slow you down and make you feel unhappy.

No one likes to live in a house that is filled with trash, and the same goes for you and your mental space. Instead of punishing yourself by preoccupying yourself with these unnecessary thoughts, which exact a heavy toll on your mental state, try disposing of them as soon as you can. If a negative thought pops up, treat it as a memo to clear your mind up and make room for positivity instead.

Source…www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan