Self Improvement – Page 72 – Take off with Natarajan

Message for the Day…” Get Yourself Acquainted with the outlines of Dharma …”

August 21, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Sathya Sai Baba

Beautiful fields and groves run wild with neglect and soon become unrecognizable bushland and thorny jungle; fine trees are hewn by greedy men and the shape of the landscape is changed. With the passage of time, people get accustomed to the new state of things. This has happened to Dharma also. Misunderstood by incompetent intelligence, unbridled emotion and impure reasoning, the scriptures have been grossly diluted and their glory has suffered grievously. Just as the raindrops from the clear blue sky get colored and contaminated when they fall on the soil, the unsullied message of the ancient rishis, the example of their shining deeds, and the bright untarnished urges behind their actions are all turned into ugly caricatures of the original grandeur, by uncultured interpreters and scholars. Hence, every one of you must acquaint yourselves with the outlines of Dharma, expounded in the Vedas, Sastras and the Puranas.

Message for the Day…” Place all Your burden on God…You will then be Care-free and Grief-free…”

August 20, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Sathya Sai Baba

You are not a despicable creature, born in slime or sin, to eke out a drab existence and be extinguished forever. You are immortal and eternal. So when the call comes, respond with your whole heart. The Principle of Divinity must be experienced, for it is beyond expressions and explanation. The richness, fullness and depth of that experience can never be communicated in words. You must feel that it is your highest destiny to attain that experience. You are a mixture of Deha and Deva – the mortal and the immortal. Liberation means stoppage of grief and acquisition of joy. All that you have to do is to place all your burdens on God. It makes you care-free and grief-free. Then you will take everything as a divine play of the Lord you love and live in bliss just as He is, when His plans are going through!

A Green Taxi of Kolkata…”Rooftop Garden on an Ambassador Car.”..!!!

August 19, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Dhananjay Chakroborty, a taxi driver in Kolkata, has decided to use his green hands and transform his taxi into a miniature, mobile garden. A green crusader on the move.

Imagine our surprise when we came across Mr. Dhananjay Chakraborty, a taxi driver in Kolkata, who has created a rooftop garden on his cab and has a mini green cavern in the trunk of his car with potted plants. It was truly an amazing and awe-worthy sight. He calls it the ‘subuj rath’ or the green chariot.

The car has metal containers on the rooftop whose bottom is laid with soil, white sand and stone chips and the original green grass grows up with the aid of those mechanizations. It weighs about 65 kgs and cost Mr. Chakraborty about Rs. 22000 to build. It continues to cost him with the increased fuel consumption because of the added weight. However, Mr. Chakraborty said he does not mind it.

The Kolkata cabbie is 40 years old and works from the taxi stand at Tollygunge Karunamoyee in Kolkata. In fact, he has planted flowers at the taxi stand too.

His Taxi, an Ambassador, apart from having a green grass-bed on the roof, has eight potted plants in the trunk and has a green interior completely to promote the message that trees and plants should be planted and taken care of.

Mr. Chakraborty’s project came to fulfillment in parts. It began three years ago when he potted a money plant in a beautiful glass bottle that a passenger had left behind in the back seat. Mr. Chakraborty took care of it and nurtured it, while keeping it in the Taxi.

The bigger idea of a green garden taxi, came from one of his friends who found something similar on Internet and suggested the initiative to Chakraborty. He, being so much in love with nature and trees, decided to give it a try.

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Making of the green taxi. Mr. Chakrobarty, with help, adjusting the metal tray onto the roof. His inspiration also came from fellow passengers who appreciated the small money plant that he had begun with. –

The painting of the metal tray on the Subza Rath. He has also been distributing leaflets with messages and sketches that he has made to passengers who are curious and delighted by his initiative. –

He has also been distributing leaflets with messages and sketches that he has made to passengers who are curious and delighted by his initiative. –

However, Mr. Chakraborty does not own the Taxi that he has morphed into a mobile awareness masterpiece on environmental preservation and conservation. He had to sell his taxi, about eight years ago, when he required funds for his treatment post an accident.

But the owner, Mr. Amrish Singh, who owns some five more taxis, has stood up in full support of Chakraborty’s efforts. He says that Dhananjay is one of the safest drivers out there, and since this is for a good cause, he cannot do anything but extend his full support

This is how the Taxi looked before it underwent the transformation to become a miniature mobile garden.

Although, it was not an easy ride, some fellow drivers ridiculed him. In fact, most people before looking at it in a deeper perspective thought he was crazy to even think of such a thing. But Mr. Chakraborty did not pay it any mind, and decided to go on with the project anyway.

Mr. Chakraborty gives an added message. According to him, planting trees is not enough; taking care of them and nurturing them is crucial. Because tree planting initiatives keep happening but most of the saplings just wither away due to lack of water. It is time people, all of us, begin doing our bit.

Apart from being an eye opener on environment, there are other benefits of the plants and the grass in the car. Mr. Chakraborty drives a Non- AC Taxi and because of the plants, his taxi remains much cooler than any other non-AC taxi. –

Also, we believe people would be fascinated with such an idea. We know we are. So, the next time you are in Kolkata, do not miss a ride in the green taxi, or as Mr. Chakraborty likes to call it, the ‘sabuj rath’. –

Source….Surabhi Katyal….www.the betterindia.com

Natarajan

Gifts Everybody Deserves to Receive…

August 19, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Everybody loves receiving gifts – For their birthday, for Christmas or randomly. There’s nothing more thrilling, but deep down the real treasured gifts are intangible. These gifts are priceless and everybody deserves receiving them at some point in their lives.

gifts

Source…www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day…” Every Single Unselfish Act is a Righteous Act…”

August 19, 2015Natarajan1 Comment

Sathya Sai Baba

Sacrifice ignorance (ajnana) and ego (ahamkara) at the altar of wisdom (Jnana), and install righteousness(Dharma) therein” – this is the message of the scriptures. Every single unselfish act, which prepares the ground for the merging of the Soul with the Over-Soul, which broadens the vision towards the Divinity immanent everywhere, is a righteous act. Each such act is a tiny stream that swells the river of holiness rushing towards the sea of knowledge of Divinity. Your acts and activities are all rituals in the worship of the Paramatmathat pervades the Universe. Whatever is done in an attitude of dedication and surrender is a component of the Dharma, which leads to Realisation. The strategy of the ancient Bharathiya (Indian) way of life is directed towards the sanctification of every moment and every word, thought and deed as a step towards realising the Divine.

No mission is impossible….Meet Mr. K.R.Pechimuthu of Trichy…

August 18, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

THE HINDU

K.R. Pechimuthu with his self-published Thirukkural booklets. Photo: M. Srinath

From blood donation to tree-planting, vermicompost and Thirukkural dissemination, retiree K. R. Pechimuthu has espoused each cause with gusto

K.R. Pechimuthu has clearly never thought of retirement as an end. What else would push him (literally) to cycle from his home in Kumaresapuram, on the outskirts of Tiruchi, distributing free booklets of the Thirukkural to primary-level school students?

“Instead of expecting the Government to come and bail us out each time, why cannot we do something ourselves?” he replies with a question.

And so, motivated by the idea of inculcating good values in youngsters, Mr. Pechimuthu and a helper hop on to their bicycles, packed with at least four 25-kilo bundles of booklets at 7 a.m., and visit the schools. Mr. Pechimuthu holds a value-orientation class using the Tamil literary classic as a foundation, for an hour, and encourages children to learn how to recite the poetic lines precisely. To keep them engaged, he offers a prize of Rs. 10 per correct recitation.

“We used to have moral science in our education system earlier, now it’s gone,” says Mr. Pechimuthu. “I use the Thirukkural to unite young children in learning how to venerate their parents and teachers, who are our founts of knowledge.”

It is 17 years since Mr. Pechimuthu stopped working as a mechanical engineer in BHEL, Kailasapuram, and 15 years since he started the Thirukkural project through his Akarur Educational Trust.

Mr. Pechimuthu reckons that at least 10,000 copies are given away every one or two months. He has cycled up to Manachanallur, 15 km from Tiruchi, on this unique mission, eager to use his retirement benefits to fund his dreams.

Father’s lessons

And there has been no dearth in the dreams department either. “People often wonder why I do all this,” he says. “When you grow older, shouldn’t you be getting more careful about your money? But then, no matter how much you earn in this lifetime, are you going to take it all with you when you die? So I thought, ‘let me look for people who need help.’”

Mr. Pechimuthu, born in Mayiladuthurai, and brought up in Devakottai, names his father A. Karupaiyya, a farmer, who worked briefly in Burma before setting up a timber depot in Devakottai, as his chief source of inspiration. “My father was a spiritually-inclined person, and used to recite theThevaram Thiruvasagam (sacred poems written by Saivite saints known as Nayanmars). “I used to be entranced by the recitation, though I couldn’t really understand their full meaning until I was much older,” recalls Mr. Pechimuthu.

“In his advanced years, my father handed over his timber depot to Periyasami, a worker who had joined us at the age of 10, as a symbol of gratitude for his long years of service,” he says. “Besides, as both my brother and I had moved on in our education and career and my sisters had settled into married life, he felt it was the best thing to do. My father’s selfless gesture convinced me to become more socially conscious.”

Social concerns

Mr. Pechimuthu’s social work started with blood donation in 1966, when he was a foreman in BHEL’s design engineering department. He donated blood around 75-80 times until he was 58 years old. He then shifted his attention to raising awareness about eye donation. In the mid-1980s, he got interested in organic farming and vermicompost, and got guidance in the subject from Chennai-based soil biologist Dr. Sultan Ahmed Ismail and Dr. Kalai of Bangalore University.

Popularising the concept through All India Radio broadcasts and workshops for Tamil Nadu Women in Agriculture, Mr. Pechimuthu mastered vermicomposting enough to develop his own study material that was used in many institutions.

Approaching retirement, he decided to set up an industrial training unit for rural youth in Vaiyyampatti block. Its students were also roped into the voluntary tree-planting drive overseen by Mr. Pechimuthu. Some 10,000 neem and laurel saplings (given free by the Agriculture Department), had been planted throughout the block by 1996, with Mr. Pechimuthu paying Rs. 10 per month out of his own funds for the maintenance of each tree planted in a public place. Unable to sustain the institute due to land problems, Mr. Pechimuthu shifted to Kumaresapuram, still keen to be of some use to the youth of the area.

And a new cause soon suggested itself to him. Approached by a tearful mother for aid to pay her child’s school fees, Mr. Pechimuthu wondered why the poor couldn’t have an affordable savings programme that would help them to educate their children.

He decided to act on the advice of his insurance agent friend, and offered to enrol the mother in an endowment assurance scheme where a Rs. 300 premium would ensure a substantial payout at maturity. “I asked her to give half the premium, and I offered to pay the other half,” he says. “By the grace of God, some 568 children have been able to pay their school fees through this policy.” It was while interacting with the students that he realised the need to teach them good manners and ethical awareness through the Thirukkural.

The man who gets up at 4 a.m. to sweep the street outside his home and clean out the open ditches, then accompany his wife on their daily stroll through the neighbourhood and finally gets ready for his school visits, is an inspiring figure. He doesn’t accept (or expect) any kind of financial or ideological sponsorship for his work.

“I don’t want people to praise me, just to absorb the ideals and values I’m putting across,” he concludes.

Mr. K. R. Pechimuthu may be contacted on 9715426463.

Source….Nahla Nainar …www.the hindu.com

Natarajan

How to handle criticism at work….

August 18, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Feedback is essential for the growth of any professional. But are you equipped to handle it well?

Dealing with criticism in a positive manner is extremely important.

At some point in your professional life you will be criticised.

It may seem unfair and difficult. But you can use it in a positive manner — as a means to better yourself, or in a negative manner — causing yourself stress, anger and lowered self-esteem.

Below are the ways in which one must handle criticism:

Is it really criticism?

Most people get their defence up the minute they feel somebody is giving them an opinion not necessarily aligned with their own.

It is important to understand if the opinion is criticism or constructive feedback.

Instead of being extra sensitive, it is essential to absorb the person’s outlook and analyse whether it can be incorporated in anyway.

Do not reject any idea by labelling it as criticism.

It might be a stepping stone to bettering yourself.

What is the intent?

You need to evaluate why are you being criticised.

Is it for the betterment of your task quality, behaviour, productivity, or is it simply done to ridicule you?

In case the feedback is in your best interest, utilise the opportunity to learn and outperform your previous efforts.

However, if the person’s intent is to simply pick on you, you must be assertive and stand up for yourself.

Accept that you are not perfect.

‘Nobody is perfect; neither are you.

If you are good, there is scope to become great.

If you are great, there still is scope to become outstanding.

Take feedback with a pinch of salt and do not get offended. Look at it as an opportunity to stretch your boundaries and explore further into your potential.

Do not get offended easily.

Do you find yourself getting hurt, crying at the drop of a hat or stressing out the minute anybody criticises your work?

The solution is not to cut the critics out of your life but to toughen up.

Do not be over sensitive. Listen intently to what the person is saying.

Weigh the significance before dismissing the person.

Is the feedback accurate?

Be completely objective and unbiased in assessing feedback.

Just because it is different from your line of thought, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is wrong.

Think of every piece of feedback/criticism as a means of improving your knowledge, skills, attitude and efficiency.

If it doesn’t help on any of these parameters, brainstorm your ideas with the person before putting your foot down and rejecting it.

Stop making excuses.

Do you display strong displeasure whenever someone is pointing out something to you?

This will lead to conflicting situations with the person or discourage the person from walking up to you and sharing his/her honest and possibly valid feedback next time.

Either way, your relationship will suffer, along with any future probability of getting fresh perspective on self-improvement.

Is the criticism destructive?

If you are sure that the intention behind the criticism is destructive, try to find the hidden motive and communicate with the person.

An open communication serves the purpose majority of the time. Be assertive and yet empathetic when you do so.

Trust yourself and be confident of what you bring on the table. Let the critics not succeed in pulling your morale down.

Remember: If you have received criticism that was delivered in a warm manner only to bring a positive shift in you, take the effort to display your gratitude and appreciation to the person.

Thanking people who give you honest criticism is a sign of maturity.

Lead image used for representational purposes only. Credit: Diego Rodriguez-Vila/Creative Commons

The author is co-founder and head of business development at Work Better Training.

Source….Ruchira Karnik…www.rediff.com

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An Indian diplomat’s gift to the people of the UAE….

August 18, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Dr Tiju Joseph, an IFS officer who studied medicine, has set up the first public online blood donors registry in the UAE where he is currently posted. He speaks to Shobha Warrier/Rediff.com

Dr Tiju Thomas is a diplomat and a doctor by training. He studied medicine in Kottayam, Kerala, before becoming an Indian Foreign Service officer in 1999. Currently, he is posted as the Consul (Economic and Education, Press and Communication) in the United Arab Emirates.

After joining the consulate general in 2012, the doctor in him took him to some of the best hospitals in Dubai as the UAE has been honoured by the World Health Organisation for being among the top five countries in the world with the best blood transfusion services.

One of the hospitals he visited had a very large blood bank.

Doctors at the hospital told the consul about the blood shortage experienced by the hospitals in summer and during Ramadan.

Also, the shortage was more for rare blood groups.

“Blood donation goes down drastically when people fast and also when summer is at its peak. The UAE needs a lot of blood due to various health issues. I am told that more than 40% of the blood goes to thalassemia patients and they need blood regularly; on a fortnightly or monthly basis, Dr Thomas explained.

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder.

“The shortage of rare blood groups is because even in blood donation camps, donors with normal blood group are more, compared to rare groups. There is a shortage of such groups all the time which becomes acute during summer and Ramadan,” he added.

When Dr Thomas became aware of this problem and belonging to the rare O negative group himself, he donated blood right at that moment itself. He also promised a solution to the problem.

Back home, he wondered how he as an Indian could help the UAE where Indians are the biggest expat community. He thought of a blood donor registry, which is very common and successful in many cities in India, but a similar online registry was not available in the UAE.

“There are organisations with small groups who regularly donate blood, but the list is available only to them and not to the outside world. There was no way a hospital or a person in need could contact the regular donors. That is why I felt an exhaustive online public blood donor registry was needed which could be accessed by anyone,” Dr Thomas said.

The Consul started the process by first designing a Web site www.blooddonors.ae and then contacting various Indian organisations for their list of donors.

To his surprise, he found that they did not have a proper database of donors. The organisations were given the option to operate pages on the Web site where they could add, delete or correct the information.

They were also given the facility to add photographs of the blood donation drives organised by them.

“It took some time for us to develop all this. Though it was free for all and for a free Web site, being a diplomat, I had to get the necessary permission to go about it.”

On June 14 which is World Donation Day, the first and the biggest blood donor directory in the UAE had a soft launch, and on June 21 — International Yoga Day, Dr Thomas decided to officially launch the Web site.

“16,000 people had assembled to celebrate International Yoga day and we thought that would be the ideal day to launch the Web site too. Yoga is a gift of India to mankind, to the entire world. Similarly, this is a gift of the Indian community to the UAE community.”

Dr Thomas was overwhelmed by public enthusiasm. 110,000 visitors accessed the Web site.

“It is remarkable and I should thank the Indian community here for the response.”

The site has separate options for individuals and groups. Individual donors can go to the Web site and register themselves and there is a page for organisations, associations and large groups that can be contacted to organise instant blood donation drives in case of shortages.

Dr Thomas says 1,650 people have already registered. With the Sikh community group of 2,500 members already joining; the Dubai Kerala Muslim community organising a one week campaign to enrol 1,000 to 1,500 people; the Christian church giving a list of another 1,500 names; Bharatiyam, the friends of India offering to enrol their 1,000 members and also the Indian Schools Association promising to enrol parents and teachers once schools reopen — the response has been heartening.

Dr Thomas hopes to have at least 10,000 names in the registry very soon.

“This is only the beginning. The UAE has an Indian population of around 2.5 million. Though not all can and will donate, we are trying to get the maximum number of people from the age group of 18 to 55 to enrol in the registry. Anybody in need of blood can enter the Website and see the name of the donor, mobile number, gender, blood group and the last date of blood donation. Later on, we plan to add the donor id given by the Dubai blood bank so that anyone can reliably contact the person.”

Other than functioning as a registry, the Web site has many articles on blood and blood donation, both in English and Arabic, and also an audio visual game on how to match various blood groups.

As it was an Indian diplomat who launched such an initiative, it received a lot of media attention. Dr Tiju Thomas says African countries like Ethiopia and Kenya, and other Middle Eastern countries have evinced interest and requested him to replicate such a Web site in those countries.

“I believe this is how we build bridges between various nations and communities,” he says.

While it will be the blood banks at hospitals that would mostly use the registry, Dr Thomas says: “Even if a single person gets a life out of this registry, we will feel the work rewarding. India is very advanced as far as such registries are concerned, but many countries in the world are in need of such an initiative.”

“My dream is to see this is put to use in many countries to save lives. This is a stepping stone to a bone marrow registry and I see many other possibilities in the future.”

Source….Shobha Warrier in www. rediff.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day…” Time Wasted is Life Wasted…”

August 18, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

Sathya Sai Baba

You are wasting a lot of time in meaningless pursuits. Time wasted is life wasted. Our ancients never wasted even a minute. They considered God as the embodiment of time and extolled Him thus: Kalaya Namah, Kala Kalaaya Namah, Kalaateetaya Namah, Kalaniyamitaya Namah(Salutations to the Embodiment of Time, to the One who conquered time, to the One who transcends time and to the One who ordains time). Why have you forgotten the truth that time is verily God? You eagerly await a Sunday thinking that you can relax and enjoy. In fact, you should feel sad that you are wasting time without doing any work on a Sunday. You have to utilise your time in a proper way. If you do not have any work, undertake social service. Help your fellowmen. Life becomes meaningful only when you make proper use of time.

Maturity is….

August 17, 2015NatarajanLeave a comment

What is Maturity ?

Maturity is when you stop trying to change people, and instead focus on changing yourself.

Maturity is when you accept people for who they are.

Maturity is when you understand that everyone is right in their own perspective.

Maturity is when you learn to “let go”.

Maturity is when you are able to drop “expectations” from a relationship and give for the sake of giving.

Maturity is when you understand that whatever you do, you do for your own peace.

Maturity is when you stop proving to the world how intelligent you are.

Maturity is when you focus on positives in people.

Maturity is when you do not seek approval from others.

Maturity is when you stop comparing yourself with others.

Maturity is when you are at peace with yourself.

Maturity is when you can differentiate between “need” and “want”, and you can let go of your wants.

Maturity is when you stop attaching “happiness” to material things.

Be simple.. Be positive..Be relaxed.. Be Matured…

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

Natarajan