Attitude

” Namaste to a Pain Free Life …” !!!

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We don’t need to live with pain. Pain is a sign of imbalance and non-alignment, of neglect and disconnection. Being pain-free means tuning into our life, our lifestyle, our emotions and our daily choices, with keener attention to the details. Every action, and the lack of it, determines the quality of our overall health. So fine-tuning our well-being is something that we can actively take charge of by investing in small actions that release pain and boost overall health.

A simple example to illustrate my point would be the stiff necks, painful shoulders, rounded backs and carpal tunnel syndrome that most people who sit at computers for hours suffer from. A simple posture done regularly through the day can reverse and prevent the crippling pain that they experience.

The following is a modified version of a posture that can be done multiple times at any point of the day to relieve stiffness in your shoulders and wrists. The shoulder girdle is built for mobility rather than strength and, therefore, the joints need to put through their full range of motion, so that they remain supple and fit for life.

The posture drains lymph and boosts circulation to the wrists and fingers. The chest and upper back muscles also get a break from the constant contraction and pressure that they are under.

Simplified Parsvotasana (The Rotating Posture)

Stand with your feet four to five inches apart.

Turn your feet parallel to the sides of the mat, with your toes turned slightly inward and your heels turned slightly outward.

Tuck your tailbone in, contract your gluteus muscles, tighten your thighs and pull your knees upwards.

Get used to the steadiness of your lower body.

Relax your shoulder joints by rotating them up to your ears and backwards five times.

First rotate your wrists and then your head and neck, clockwise and anti-clockwise five times.

Bring your palms together behind your back in a namaste position. The fingers should be pointed up.

You will find it tough in the beginning if your shoulders and arm joints are stiff, you might even have muscle cramps, but keep trying.

If you are able to bring your palms together, breathe deeply and hold this position for at least 15 counts. Release gently.

Keywords: Yoga on the move, fitness

Source ……..DIVYA SRINIVASAN in http://www.the hindu.com

Natarajan

” ஆணவமும் பொறாமையும் அறிவுக்கு சத்துரு …”

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பொறாமை! அது, மனிதர்கள் அனைவரையுமே ஆட்டிப் படைக்க கூடியது. அதற்கு, படித்தவர் – படிக்காதவர் என்ற பேதமில்லை; பொறாமை, உத்தமமான பக்தர்களைக் கூட ஆட்டிப் படைத்திருக்கிறது என்பதற்கு, இக்கதையே உதாரணம்.


கிஞ்சன்வாடி என்ற கிராமத்தில், கணேச பட்டர் எனும் விநாயக பக்தர் வாழ்ந்து வந்தார். விநாயகர் மீது அவர் வைத்திருந்த துாய பக்தியின் காரணமாக, அவர் அளிக்கும் விபூதி பிரசாதத்தால், நோய் மற்றும் பிரச்னைகள் தீரும்; வறுமை நீங்கும் என்று அப்பகுதி மக்கள் நம்பினர். அதன் காரணமாக, அனைவரும் கணேச பட்டரைப் போற்றினர்.
அதே காலகட்டத்தில், துகாராம் என்பவர் வாழ்ந்து வந்தார். அவர், ஞான திருஷ்டி படைத்தவர்; அத்துடன், அவர், பண்டரிநாதனுக்கு படைக்கும் உணவை இறைவன் உண்டு செல்வார் என்றெல்லாம் அவரின் புகழ் பரவியிருந்தது.
இவ்விஷயத்தை கேள்விப்பட்ட கணேச பட்டருக்கு, ஒரு குடம் பாலில், துளி விஷம் கலந்தாற் போல, மனதில் பொறாமை தீ வளர்ந்தது.
‘நாளை துகாராமிடம் போய், என் கண்முன் பண்டரிநாதனை
வரவழையுங்கள் பாக்கலாம் என கேட்கப் போறேன். அப்போது, அவரோட பொய் வெளிப்பட்டு விடும். அத்துடன், நான் விநாயகரை வரவழைத்து, துகாராமை விட நான் தான் பெரிய பக்தன் என, அனைவர் முன்பும் நிரூபிப்பேன்…’ என, சபதமிட்டார் கணேச பட்டர்.
மறுநாள், நீராடி, துாய ஆடைகள் அணிந்து, ஆசார அனுஷ்டானங்களை முடித்து, கோவிலுக்கு புறப்பட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தார் பட்டர். அப்போது, ‘ஸ்வாமி… உள்ளே வரலாமா?’ எனக் குரல் கேட்டது. வெளியே வந்து பார்த்தார். அங்கே, துகாராம் நின்று கொண்டிருந்தார். ‘ஸ்வாமி… நீங்க என்னைப் பாக்க விரும்புவதாகவும், அவருக்கு சிரமம் கொடுக்காமல், நீயே அவரைப் போய் பார்ன்னு பண்டரிநாதர் எனக்கு கட்டளையிட்டார். அதன்படி உங்களப் பாக்குறதுக்காக வந்துருக்கேன்…’ என்றார் துகாராம்.
அதைக் கேட்டதும், பட்டருக்கு கோபம் வந்து, ‘பொய் சொல்லாதீர்; இன்று நான் உங்கள சோதனை செய்ய வரப் போறத
எப்படியோ தெரிஞ்சு, பண்டரிநாதன் சொன்னதாக பொய் சொல்கிறீர். ஒரு சாதாரண வணிக குலத்தில் பிறந்த நீர், உயர் குலத்தில் பிறந்த என்னிடம் பொய் சொல்லாதீர்…’ என்றார்.
துகாராம் எவ்வளவோ சொல்லியும், அதை ஏற்கவில்லை பட்டர். இதனால், ‘சரி… இதோ நான் பண்டரிநாதரை அழைக்கிறேன், என் பக்திக்கு இரங்கி அவர் வருவார். நீங்க உங்க விநாயகரை அழையுங்க, நானும் அவரை தரிசிக்கிறேன்…’ என்றார்.
இதைக் கேட்டதும், பட்டருக்கு கோபம் அதிகமாகி, ‘அப்படியா… இதோ விநாயகரை அழைக்கிறேன்; அவர் கண்டிப்பாக வருவார்…’ என்றார்.
தகவல் அறிந்து ஊரே கூடி விட்டது. கணபதி பட்டர் கைகளைக் கூப்பி, மந்திரங்களைச் சொல்லத் துவங்கினார். ஊஹூம்… என்னென்னவோ செய்தும், விநாயகர் வரவில்லை.
அப்போது துகாராம், ‘ஸ்வாமி… விநாயகரின் பக்தர் ஒருவர், குளிப்பதற்காக குளத்திற்குச் சென்றிருந்தவர் படிக்கட்டில் வழுக்கி, குளத்தில் விழுந்து விட்டார். ‘கணேசா காப்பாற்று…’ என்று கதறிய அப்பக்தரை விநாயகர் காப்பாற்றி கரை சேர்த்து, அமைதிப்படுத்திக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார். அதனால் தான் உங்க குரலுக்கு வரவில்லை…’ என்று கண்களை மூடியபடியே சொன்னார்.
ஆனால், அதை நம்பவில்லை பட்டர்.
‘நான் சொல்வதில் நம்பிக்கை இல்லன்னா நீங்க பூஜை செய்யும் விநாயகர் கோவில்ல போய் பாருங்க உண்மை தெரியும்…’ என்றார். அதன்படி, பட்டரும், மற்றவர்களும் கோவிலுக்கு சென்று பார்த்த போது, அங்கே ஈரக் காலடிச் சுவடுகள் இருந்தன. விநாயகரின் திருமேனி முழுவதும் நனைந்திருந்தது. விநாயகர் அணிந்திருந்த ஆடைகளில் இருந்து, தண்ணீர் சொட்டிக் கொண்டிருந்தது.
அனைவரும் வியக்க, உண்மையை உணர்ந்த கணேச பட்டர் தலை குனிந்தார். அவர் மனதில் இருந்த பொறாமையும் அகன்றது.
ஆணவமும், பொறாமையும் அறிவுக்கு சத்ரு; அதுவும், ஆன்மிகத்தில், பொறாமை அறவே கூடாது.
பி.என்.பரசுராமன் in Dinamalar.com

திருமந்திரம்!
என்பால் மிடைந்து நரம்பு வரிகட்டிச்
செம்பால் இறைச்சி திருந்த மனை செய்து
இன்பால் உயிர்நிலை செய்த இறை ஓங்கும்
நண்பால் ஒருவனை நாடுகின்றேனே!
கருத்து: எலும்புகளால் பின்னி, நரம்புகளால் இழுத்துக் கட்டி, ரத்தம், சதையால் அமைக்கப்பட்ட, உடம்பு எனும் வீட்டில், உயிர் என்பது இன்பமாக நிலை பெற்று இருக்கிறது. அவ்வாறு உடம்பையும், உயிரையும் சேர்த்துத் திருவருள் புரிந்த இறைவனை, துாய்மையான அன்பினால் நான் நாடுகிறேன்.

Source……….www.dinamalar.com

Natarajan

” எத்தர்கள் எத்தனை விதம் ….Eiffel Tower ” விலைக்கு வந்த கதை …” !!!

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‘உலக மகா எத்தர்கள்’ நூலிலிருந்து  ………….

:பாரிஸ் நகர இரும்பு வியாபாரிகளான அந்த ஐந்து பேரும், அந்நகர பொதுக் கட்டடங்களைப் பராமரிக்கும் அரசு அதிகாரியான விக்டர் லஸ்ட்விக் சொல்வதை, வியப்புடன் கேட்டுக் கொண்டிருந்தனர். ‘பாரிஸ் நகரின் பெருமையை உலகுக்கு உணர்த்தும் சின்னமான, ‘ஈபில் டவர்’ விலைக்கு வருகிறது. அதைப் பராமரிக்க ஆகும் செலவு அதிகமாவதால், அரசு கஷ்டப்படுகிறது. எனவே, அதை அடியோடு இடித்து அப்புறப்படுத்த முடிவெடுத்துள்ளது. அதற்கு குத்தகை எடுப்பவர்கள் தங்கள், ‘டெண்டர்’களை முத்திரையிட்ட உறைகளில், தனித்தனியே கொடுத்து விட வேண்டும்…’ என்றார் லஸ்ட்விக்.
ஐந்து வியாபாரிகளும், மனக் கணக்குப் போட்டனர். ‘ஈபில் டவரை உடைத்தால், மிக உயர் ரக இரும்பு, 7,000 டன் கிடைக்குமே… என்ன ஒரு அதிர்ஷ்டம்!’ என நினைத்து மகிழ்ந்து, ஐந்து வியாபாரிகளும், ‘டெண்டர்’ அனுப்பி வைத்தனர். மறுநாளே, ஆண்ட்ரி பாஸன் என்பரின் டெண்டர் எடுத்துக் கொள்ளப்பட்டிருப்பதாகவும், பணத்தைக் கட்ட வேண்டும் என்றும் தகவல் சொல்லப்பட்டது.
பணத்தை தயார் செய்து விட்டார் பாஸன். ஆனால், அவருக்கு ஒரு சந்தேகம்… ஈபில் டவரை இடிப்பது, டெண்டர் எடுப்பது போன்ற மிக முக்கியமான விஷயத்தை ஒரு அரசு அலுவலகத்தில் கூப்பிட்டுப் பேசாமல், ஓட்டல் அறையில் ஏன் பேசுகிறார் என்று!
மறுநாள், விக்டர் லஸ்ட்விக்கை அவரது அரசு அலுவலகத்தில் சந்தித்த போது, இச்சந்தேகத்தைக் கேட்டார் பாஸன். உடனே விக்டர், தன் உதவியாளரை வெளியே அனுப்பி விட்டு, ‘ஒரு அரசு ஊழியன் வாழ்க்கை இருக்கிறதே… அது ரொம்ப மோசம்; இதுபோன்ற பெரிய, ‘டெண்டர்’ விஷயங்களில், நாங்கள் பல கோடீஸ்வரர்களைக் கூப்பிட்டு, விருந்து கொடுக்க வேண்டும்; அன்றைக்கு பிரமாதமாக ஆடை அணிந்து, ஓடி ஓடி உபசரிக்க வேண்டும்; இவற்றை எல்லாம் இந்த அரசு கொடுக்கும் பிச்சைக் காசிலேயே முடிக்க வேண்டும். முடிகிற காரியமா? அது தான், இந்த மாதிரி, குத்தகை விடும்போது…’ என்று கூறி, ‘ஹி… ஹி…’ என்று சிரித்தார்.
புரிந்து கொண்ட பாஸன், ‘டெண்டர்’ கொடுத்ததற்காக அதிகாரிக்கு, ஒரு பெரிய தொகையைக் கொடுத்து விட்டு, ராஜநடையில் வெளியேறினார்.
ஒரு மணி நேரத்தில், ‘செக்’கைப் பணமாக்கிக் கொண்டு தலைமறைவாகி விட்ட விக்டர், அதன் பின், இன்று வரை போலீசிடம் பிடிபடவே இல்லை. !!!

Source………www.dinamalar.com

Natarajan

Do You Know That ‘Cholesterol’ is an essential molocule for our health and Life …?

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    How to Reduce Your Cholesterol Levels!

Before blaming family genetics, or panic over the latest blood test, it’s important to first remember that cholesterol is, first and foremost, an essential molecule, without it there would be no life, and also – that we have the ability to influence the level of cholesterol in our bodies.

The level of cholesterol in our body is a result of the process of creating cholesterol by the liver. In fact, over 85% of our cholesterol is created by the liver. The rest comes from eating animal products: Beef, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy

The body is an amazing system, and if a healthy body creates cholesterol, then it is indeed an essential material in our bodies:

–  Cholesterol is used to build needed steroids.
– Cholesterol is used to build hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
– Cholesterol is vital for the creation of vitamin D.
– The membrane of every cell in our body contains cholesterol.

When there’s too much cholesterol

A situation of higher than normal levels of cholesterol can be worrying, because it may build inside the blood vessels and cause coronary diseases and problems with blood flow.

As of today, the normal range of cholesterol in the body is up to 200 mg.

The common medicine to take care of additional cholesterol delay the enzyme that takes part in the process of creating cholesterol in the liver so in fact we limit the rate of building our own cholesterol. But is it logical for us to limit the internal creation of cholesterol without addressing the external source? Nutrition will always be at the forefront of dealing with a surplus of cholesterol.  

How can we reduce the levels of cholesterol?

– Reducing or eliminating animal foods: Beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products and especially foods rich in fat and cholesterol.

eggs

– Consuming Phytosterolsthat come from vegetation. Phytosterols have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol and because of this similarity they both compete for absorption by the lower intestine, and so consuming them will reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed.  A good daily amount would be 1.5-2.5 grams a day.

Best sources for Phytosterols: Sesame oil and corn oil but also grains, nuts and seeds: wheat germ, flax seed, wheat bran, peanuts, almonds and cashews, fruits and vegetables: beets, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, onions, oranges and legumes: peas and beans. Legumes and grains are a good source of proteins instead of the fat rich foods.

– Staying away from trans-fats. Trans fat also appears as vegetable oil that has gone through hydrogenation in order to make it harder. This fat is not recommended at all and you’d be best staying clear of it. It is mainly found in processed foods such as margarine, puff pastry, pastries such as croissants, and processed cakes and cookies.  

A few more tips…

– Consuming anti-oxidants will help limit the oxidation of cholesterol and consuming them will help getting the cholesterol off  the artery walls.

– Consuming soluble fibers, which are abundant in full wheat products, oatmeal, vegetables and fruit. These absorb conversion salts in the digestion system and the body then uses cholesterol to make new ones, thus reducing the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream.

– Daily exercise.  We know it’s tough, but you’ll thank us when you get less bad cholesterol, and more good cholesterol. 

Source…………wwwba-bamail.com

Natarajan

IIT Mumbai ‘s Prank on April 1….Goes Viral…A Good One … Watch …

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IIT Bombay's Prank On April Fool's Day Goes Viral. It's A Good One.

Screengrab from YouTube video uploaded by IIT Bombay

On April Fool’s Day, Google pranked users with its Pacman doodle, Uber said it has launched supercars and Ola launched a fictional helicopter ride service for Rs. 499/hour.

But, guess whose prank is still getting major online props, even two days later?

It’s the one by IIT Bombay, whose video has been viewed over 3 lakh times on YouTube.

Students used hidden cameras to film others on campus picking up 100-rupee notes lying on the ground. When they unfold them, there’s a bit of a twist.

Watch the video here to find out (or scroll down if you just want to read about it)

 

The currency notes have a message on them-“It takes equal effort to pick up a piece of garbage. #PickItUp.”

Well played, IIT Mumbai, well played.

Source:::: http://www.ndtv.com

Natarajan

” How are You Related to each other …” ?

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Shri Amravaneshwaran was a close devotee of Mahaswamigal. He used to do all the sundry work at Kanchi Mutt. One day his friend’s in-laws expressed their desire to have His darshan and he agreed to take them. Swamigal was in His mid nineties and used to give just an hour’s darshan that time. People had queued and were walking by Him one by one. At that time Shri Amravaneshwaran happened to stand close to Him and heard Him remark to another person,

“I am unable to see clearly at all, I am getting old!”.

To which that person replied in a nice sort of way that, “Yes, age is catching up with Swamigal’, what to do.”

People were moving on in the line. Then came the turn of Shri Amravaneshwaran’s friend’s in-laws. Swamigal looked at them and told Shri Amravaneshwaran to call back another couple who already had Darshan and were standing at a distance. They were brought to Him.

Swamigal looked at both the families and asked,

“How are you related to each other?”

Both the families blinked and said they have never met each other at all.

Then He asked Shri Amravaneshwaran to take both the families away and find out how they were related.

Shri Amravaneshwaran came to know that the family who were brought back were Chettiars. And his friend’s family were Madhwas! Shri Amravaneshwaran was flabbergasted! How could there be a connection between the two families!

But Shri Amravaneshwaran was wise enough to quickly realize that as the words had come from The Sarveshwaran Himself, it was bound to be true and decided to pursue the matter deeper.

He asked them more questions in the next 30 minutes. His friend’s family resided in Madras and the Chettiars in Coimbatore?! As he started to dig deeper and deeper it came to light that once the niece of his friend’s in-laws was hospitalized in Madras. At the same time the Chettiars has come to Madras for a different reason. And it so happened that it was the Chettiars who had donated blood to this Madhwa girl. They were Blood Relations indeed!!! The families were stunned when this truth revealed itself.

Shri Amravaneshwaran came to Swamigal to apprise Him of the story.

That ‘Old, Who-had-trouble-seeing’ Sarveshwaran gently nodded His head and said, “Oh, appadiyaa, is that the matter!”

Without the trace of any excitement, and very calm and matter of fact was He. Like Dakshinamurthy Himself…

Source:::: http://www.periva.proboards.com

Natarajan

Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/thread/3219/blood-relations#ixzz3WIKydIdG

Message For the Day…” Remember that God is Omnipresent everywhere…”

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Love can be cultivated through two methods: Always consider the faults of others, however big, to be insignificant and negligible. Always consider your own faults, however insignificant and negligible, to be big, and feel sad and repentant. Through this path, you avoid developing bigger faults and defects and acquire the virtues of brotherliness and forbearance. Next, whatever you do, with yourself or with others, do it remembering that God is omnipresent. He sees and hears and knows all. Remember that God hears every word; discriminate between the true and the false and speak only the truth. Discriminate between right and wrong and do only the right. Endeavour every moment to be aware of the omnipotence of God. The body is the temple of the individual, so whatever happens in that temple is the concern of the individual. So too, the world is the body of the Lord, and all that happens in it, good or bad, is His concern.

Sathya Sai Baba

” Tips For Leading a Good Life ….”

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40 Life Tips From Those Who’ve Been There
These 40 life tips were collected from men and women 85 or older. Some have been through wars, others through depressions, sickness, and even concentration camps. They are a generation that was unlike any other, and we can all benefit from their advice. Even those of us over 85 ourselves, because these days, it is never too late to get good advice.
Health

 
1. Drink lots of water.
2. Eat your breakfast like kings, your lunch like princes, and your dinner like beggars.
3. Eat more things that grow on trees and plants and less things that are made in factories. Remember your digestive system doesn’t know it’s the 21st century, so help it out by feeding it stuff it’s built for.
4. It’s always a good time for some TEE – Truth, Energy and Empathy!
5. Walk 10-30 minutes a day.
6. Get more actual games in your life, games that have no gain but the simple pleasure of playing them.
7. Read more books than you’ve read last year.
8. Sit silently (without a tv) for at least 10 minutes a day and take time to ponder things (for some – pray).
9. Invest at least 7 hours a night in your sleep. It’ll pay back big time later on.
Character
10. Smile while you walk those 10-30 minutes a day.
11. do not compare your life to those of others, it’s easy to see the good but the bad is as well hidden as yours, or better. You have no idea what their lives are really like or if they are happy inside, get on with yours instead.
12. Don’t waste time and energy thinking of things you will never be able to change. Instead, use that energy to works towards future positive moments. Make your spouse laugh for a moment, isn’t that better than feeling bad?
13. Don’t be extreme in any action. Remember that truth is mostly in the middle, and life is hardly black and white.
14. Accept the fact that you will sometimes lose the arguement, and that you were wrong. Or if you still think you are right, agree to disagree. Very few people have ever been shouted into true agreement.
15. Don’t waste your energy complaining about people you don’t know and their actions. You have no idea what motivates or what lead them to that decision. Judging is so easy even 4 year olds can do it. The driver honking at you might have had a horrible day, or is anxious to see his sick wife at the hospital while worried about making rent. We only see the behavior, never the events leading to it.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have what you need, and being envy won’t create more for you.
18. Try to never again bring up your spouse’s past mistakes. It WILL destroy your present happiness, and even being right –  just isn’t worth it.
19. Life is too short to hate people. You should fear some and pity others, but hate is a bigger waste of time than any other emotion.
20. Make peace with your past, or it will make short work of your future.
21. No one controls your level of happiness but you.
22. Life is the school, remember that you are here to learn. Problems are like tests, and the lesson you take will help you solve the next one correctly.
23. Smile and laugh more with your entire face, including your
eyes. Find humor when you can.
24. Don’t take yourselves so seriously, no one else will!
Community
25. Call your family often enough so they feel like you are walking besides them in this life.
26. Every day – do at least one good thing for others that really helps them out. It will make you feel better about your own and later on – someone grateful will help you when you need it.
27. Try to forgive, it’s the hardest thing there is, much harder than hate, but it’s doable.
28. Spend some time with people over 70 and under 6 – it will teach you patience and empathy.
29. Try to make at least 3 people smile, every day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your concern, since they’ll never tell you! So why bother? Live your life and stop wondering what’s on the other side of their skulls, you will never know the complete truth!
31. Your work buddies won’t take care of you when you’re sick. Your family and friends will. Don’t let people that care about you out of your life. We all need help at some point, don’t throw caring away.

Life
32. Do the right thing.
The kind that doesn’t leave anyone hurt, despite your personal feelings. It will be worth its while in the long run.
33. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful, sentimental or brings you true pleasure in life.
34. Forgivness can heal more than you can ever imagine. It can revive relationships and rekindle love and true appreciation. Forgivness is way to show strength, and strength is impressive and attractive.
35. Doesn’t matter how good or bad the situation is – it will change at some point. So plan for either and don’t lose your head to overjoycing or over fearing.
36. Doesn’t matter how you feel at this particular moment – get up, get dressed and be there on time. A good start will help get rid of that feeling.
37. If actors can become huge successes in their 70’s, you can believe that the best is yet to come. And if it isn’t, then try to create the best for someone else, it will often be surprisingly great for you as well.
38. When you wake up alive in the morning, don’t take it for granted – embrace life!
39. The biggest secret is that anyone can be happy. But some decide they won’t be and then look for reasons to support that theory. Don’t fall for that! Assume you are happy and find reasons to support that claim! Keep creating these reasons, and you just might start believing it.
40. Enjoy yourself, every day. Remember, life is just a ride, and you are shown many different things, some wonderful, other awful. But you always continue and it is always just a ride. Enjoy it.
So remember! “Enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think… enjoy yourself, while you’re still in the pink… The years go by… as quickly as a wink….“
Natarajan

 

” The Best Management Lesson I Have Learned….” See What Dr. Kalam Says …

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IndiaKnowledge@ Wharton : Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how leaders should manage failure?

Kalam: Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India’s satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India’s “Rohini” satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources — but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal.

By 1979 — I think the month was August — we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts — I had four or five of them with me — told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal. It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish Dhawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference — where journalists from around the world were present — was at 7:45 am at ISRO’s satellite launch range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure — he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite — and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, “You conduct the press conference today.”

I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

What a wonderful leader!

Source::::::: http://www.mastegg.com

Natarajan

Message For the Day…” What is the Characteristic of a True Devotee…” ?

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Three types can be recognised among those who seek to do good deeds and tread the path of self-realisation – those who are too frightened by troubles, losses, and difficulties to even begin the endeavour; they are of the lowest type. The next are those who, after having undertaken the journey and gone some distance, are depressed and defeated by obstacles and disappointments and give up in the middle; they are of the middling type. Lastly, those who steadfastly adhere to the path with calmness and courage, whatever the nature of the travail or however hard the road; these are, of course, of the highest type. This steadfastness, faith and constancy, is the characteristic of the devotee. You may be deluded by attachment to this illusory world and attracted by temporal joy, but never barter away the means of achieving permanent and complete happiness. And carry on your spiritual duties with full devotion.

Sathya Sai Baba