learnings

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

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Man lives 555 days without a Heart …

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While waiting for a human heart transplant, Stan Larkin lived 555 days without the organ at all.

To passers-by, the 25-year-old Ypsilanti, Michigan, resident appeared to be a typical young adult. He enjoyed taking his three toddlers to the park and hanging out with his younger brother, Dominique.
What wasn’t obvious was that a gray backpack Larkin carried was what kept him alive. Inside that bag was the power source for an artificial heart pumping in his chest.
Larkin’s real heart was removed from his body in November 2014. It was replaced with a device that allowed Larkin to stay home instead of in a hospital while waiting to receive a transplant.
It finally arrived this year, in May. Now, Larkin is recovering from his procedure at the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center. He is scheduled to return home as early as next week.
“Most people would be scared to go so long with [an artificial heart], but I just want to tell them that you have to go through the fear, because it helps you,” Larkin said. “I’m going home so fast after the transplant because it helped me stay healthy before the transplant.”
At any given time, there are about 4,000 patients nationwide waiting for human heart transplants, according to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
Some patients with end-stage heart failure may wait months or even years before a suitable donor heart becomes available, said Dr. Billy Cohn, a cardiovascular surgeon and director of the Center for Technology and Innovation at the Texas Heart Institute.
“Many of these patients have hearts that are so weak, the kidneys, liver and other critical organs will fail while they are waiting,” said Cohn, who was not involved in Larkin’s care. “Many of these patients would die without some form of support,” such as an artificial heart.

‘A machine was going to be my heart’

Larkin didn’t realize that his heart was suffering until nine years ago, when he collapsed without warning while playing in a basketball game. It turned out that Larkin had a genetic form of heart disease called familial cardiomyopathy. His brother, Dominique, 24, was soon found to have it, too.
The condition occurs when heart muscle stretches and enlarges the open area of at least one heart chamber, inhibiting the organ from pumping blood efficiently.
TransMedics device keeps organs alive outside the body
The box that keeps organs alive outside the body
The type of cardiomyopathy seen in Stan and Dominique, called arrhythmogenic dysplasia, causes arrhythmias and failure on both sides of the heart, said Dr. Jonathan Haft, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Michigan who operated on the brothers.
“It’s an awful condition to have,” Haft said. “But the technology available and the technology that is evolving in the field of heart failure is very exciting. … The total artificial heart falls into that category.”
Both brothers eventually progressed to heart failure and cardiogenic shock, and they were equipped with artificial heart devices in late 2014. Dominique stayed in the hospital with his device for six weeks before receiving a human heart transplant.
But Larkin, who was thriving with the device, was the perfect candidate to live outside the hospital, Haft said.
“I was shocked when the doctors started telling me that I could live without a heart in my body and that a machine was going to be my heart. Just think about it — a machine,” Larkin said.

‘It feels like a real heart’

It’s not the first time a patient has lived for a long time with an artificial heart, but Larkin became the first patient in Michigan to go home with the portable device.
The SynCardia temporary artificial heart in Larkin’s chest replaced his failing heart, including its chambers and four valves. Two tubes, exiting the left side of Stan’s body beneath the ribcage, connected the artificial heart to a 13-pound machine called the Freedom Driver.
 
The driver, which was carried in a backpack, not only powered the artificial heart, it delivered pumps of compressed air into the heart’s ventricles, allowing blood to be pumped through the body.
“Stan was very active and did an immaculate job taking care of himself and taking care of the equipment used to keep him alive,” Haft said.
With his life-saving backpack in tow, Larkin played pick-up games of basketball, enjoyed time with his children and rode in the car with his friends.
“It’s just like a real heart,” Larkin said. “It’s just in a bag with tubes coming out of you, but other than that, it feels like a real heart. … It felt just like a backpack with books in it, like if you were going to school.”
Voncile McCrae, Larkin’s mother, often helped him change the bandages covering the holes in his body where the tubes emerged.
We had to be careful so that he wouldn’t get an infection,” McCrae said, chuckling about how she had been scared to touch the tubes and handle the Freedom Driver machine. “Now, I’m a pro.”

‘An amazing brother’

The technology that, temporarily, was a part of Larkin’s body shows just how advanced artificial heart devices have become since the world’s first self-contained artificial heart was implanted in a patient in 2001, said Dr. Laman Gray, Jewish Hospital chair in cardiovascular surgery at the University of Louisville.
Gray was one of the celebrated surgeons who performed that first artificial heart procedure. He has closely followed developments in the fields of cardiac surgery, such as Larkin’s case.
“I think there’s good science here, and there have been really great advancements in this area,” Gray said. “We’re making great progress, and people are living normal lives. There’s definitely a place for total artificial hearts and a need for them.”
Dominique said he and his brother are grateful that their needs were met — and that they survived.
“I have an amazing brother,” Dominique said. “He has been here with me since the beginning and has never let me down. … I’m blessed to have him in my life.”
Source…..By Jacqueline Howard, CNN ….www.stumbleupon.com
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Shakuntala Railways: The Only Train Line In India That Is Still Not Owned By India !!!

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The Indian Railways is India’s lifeline. Every day millions of passengers avail its facilities.

It has become such an integral part of our lives that we cannot imagine a life without it. The Indian railways were nationalized way back in the year 1951. But today, we are not going to talk about the Indian railways but we are going to talk about of its long forgotten relative ‘The Shakuntala Railways’. I am sure that for most of you this sounds a bit alien. Hearing the name you might think of it as a name of some train or maybe a little-known rail zone.

Shakuntala Railways is one of only a few operational railway lines in India that remains with private owners and perhaps the only one that belongs to a British firm.

Beyer.Garrett

But Shakuntala is neither one of them. In fact, it is an independent railway which does not come under the Indian Railways. So, technically the Indian Railways does not enjoy a monopoly. When Nationalization happened in 1951, Strangely this line was left alone. Interestingly till date, nobody knows the exact reason why this line was never de-privatised.

The birth of Central Province Railway Company (CPRC) or The Shakuntala railways took place way back in 1910. It was founded by a British Firm called Killick-Nixon.

11travel-kalka

It was formed during the British Raj. During those times, most of the rail lines were operated by individual firms. The location of the track was quite strategical as this route was used to transport cotton from Vidharba. This cotton then made its way to Manchester.

During those times, there was a deal between the CPRC and the Great Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR). This deal stayed in place even after GIPR became Central Railways.

Soon, not only cotton but the line was used even to ferry passengers. The GIPR used CPRC’s lines to run its trains and paid a compensation or rent to the company. The deal continued even after GIPR was replaced by the Central Railways. To this day, the Central Railways pays the British firm a compensation for using its lines. Interestingly, in recent times, the Indian Railways has not paid the decided rent instead has been adjusting it from the cost of repairs and maintenance.

Unlike most train lines in India, this train line still uses a narrow gauge.

The rail line itself is quite unique as the unlike most of the rail lines that are broad gauge lines, Shankuntala railways still use narrow gauge lines. The British company still gets more than 1 crore rupees from the Indian Railways for running a train on its tracks called the Shakuntala Express.

The Shakuntala Express is a passenger train that runs from the towns of Yavatmal to Murtijapur

Shakuntala-Express-yavatmal-train-service-suspended

The train runs through the beautiful cotton growing areas of Achalpur, which falls under Amravati division. If you are ever lucky enough to board this train then this train journey is sure to take you back to the 19th century. Everything about it is old school. It seems that when modernisation happened everywhere it forgot about poor Shakuntala.

Every day it covers just one return journey and even today it is a lifeline for hundreds of poor people, who cannot afford to take the road, as it almost 5-6 times the train’s fare

It covers a journey of almost 190Km in about 4 hours.  For these people, it is the cheapest means of transport and they can’t imagine their lives without it. The train runs through a narrow gauge which itself gives it a very toy- train kind of feeling.

It still runs on a steam engine and the rail signals have been there right from the British Raj

Most of the official works are also done manually. In times when our trains run on electric engines ,  Shakuntala Express still uses an old steam engine. Another interesting thing that you would find when you board this train is that all the existing rail signals are still from the British era with the words ‘made in Liverpool’inscribed on it.

This journey literally takes you on a trip down the memory lane.

Source….Abir Gupta in http://www.storypick.com

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படித்து மெய் சிலிர்த்தது ….!

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“இன்று மாலை காஞ்சிபுரம் மகா பெரியவா பிருந்தாவனம் சென்றிருந்தேன். அற்புதமான தரிசனம் (இரவு ஆரத்திக்குப் பின் எடுக்கப்பட்ட படத்தை இணைத்துள்ளேன்). மகா பெரியவா சரணம்.
கடந்த 5.6.2016 ஞாயிறன்று கோவைப்புதூர் பிராமண சேவா சங்கத்தின் சார்பாக அங்குள்ள சுந்தர விநாயகர் ஆலயத்தில் ‘ஷீர்டி பாபா மகிமை’ என்ற தலைப்பில் சொற்பொழிவு நிகழ்த்தினேன்.
எனது நிகழ்ச்சிகள் குறித்து முகநூலிலும், மெயிலிலும் முன்கூட்டியே பதிவிடுவது வழக்கம். அந்தந்த ஏரியாவில் உள்ள பக்தர்கள் கலந்து கொள்வதற்கு வசதியாக இருக்கும் என்பதால் இப்படி. சமீப நாட்களில் முக்கியமான எனது சொற்பொழிவு விவரங்களை வாட்ஸப்பில் சில குரூப்களிலும் நானே பதிவிடுவது வழக்கம்.
அதுபோல் ஒரு வாட்ஸப் குரூப்பில் கோவை நிகழ்ச்சிகள் குறித்துப் பதிவிட்டேன். அதில் ‘ஷீர்டி பாபா மகிமை’ குறித்து நான் சொற்பொழிவு நிகழ்த்தப் போவது குறித்து அதே குரூப்பில் ஒரு அன்பர் தனது கண்டனத்தைத் குரல் வாயிலாகவே பதிவு செய்திருந்தார். அதன் சாராம்சம் – ‘மகா பெரியவா மகிமை பற்றிப் பேசி வரும் தாங்கள் ஷீர்டி பாபா பற்றி பேசுவது சரியல்ல. இதை ஏற்றுக் கொள்ள முடியவில்லை. கண்டனத்துக்குரியது’ என்பது போல் பதிவு செய்திருந்தார்.
நான் இதைக் கேட்டு விட்டு, எல்லாம் மகா பெரியவா லீலையே என்று விட்டு விட்டேன். காரணம் – ஷீர்டி பாபா பற்றிப் பேசுவது இது முதல் முறை அல்ல. மயிலாப்பூர் ஷீர்டி சாய்பாபா ஆலயத்தில் பாபா பற்றிப் பேசி இருக்கிறேன். பொதிகை ‘குரு மகிமை’ நிகழ்ச்சியில் அவ்வப்போது பாபா பற்றிப் பேசியும் வருகிறேன். எனவே, இவரது கருத்துக்கு முக்கியத்துவம் கொடுக்காமல் விட்டு விட்டேன். என்றாலும், அவர் ஏன் இப்படிப் பேசினார் என்று எனக்குள் ஒரு கேள்வி அவ்வப்போது எழுந்து கொண்டே இருந்தது.
இன்று பெரியவா பிருந்தாவனத்தில் அவரது சந்நிதிக்கு நேர் எதிரில் நான் அமர்ந்திருக்கும்போது இதற்கு பதில் கிடைத்தது, சிலிர்க்க வைத்த ஓர் அனுபவம்.
காஞ்சிபுரத்தில் வசிக்கும் பாரதி என்ற பெண் மகா பெரியவாளின் அத்யந்த பக்தை. இவர் ஒரு மாற்றுத் திறனாளி. என்றாலும், சிரமத்தைப் பற்றிச் சற்றும் பொருட்படுத்தாமல் வீல் சேரில் மடத்துக்கு வந்து விடுவார்.
அவர் இன்று பெரியவா சந்நிதிக்கு எதிரே அமர்ந்திருந்தார். பக்கத்தில் நான் அமர்ந்திருந்தேன். அப்போது, ‘‘உங்ககிட்ட ஒரு விஷயம் சொல்லணும். இங்கே சின்ன காஞ்சிபுரத்துல அமுதானு என் ஃப்ரெண்டு இருக்கா. அவகிட்ட பெரியவா ஒரு அற்புதம் பண்ணி இருக்கா. தோ, அவளே வந்து சொல்லுவா. இங்கேதான் பிரதட்சிணம் பண்ணிண்டிருக்கா’’ என்று ஆரம்பித்தார் பாரதி.
அடுத்த ஒரு சில நிமிடங்களில், பிரதட்சிணத்தைப் பாதியில் நிறுத்தி விட்டு வந்த அமுதாவும் அருகே அமர்ந்தார். அமுதாவே ஆரம்பித்தார். ‘‘எனக்கு மகா பெரியவாதான் எல்லாம். எங்க வீட்டுல தினமும் பூப்பறிச்சு மகா பெரியவா உள்ளிட்ட எல்லா சாமிங்களுக்கும் வைப்பேன். சமீபத்துல ஒருத்தர் என்கிட்ட ஷீர்டி சாய்பாபா விக்கிரகம் ஒன்றைக் கொடுத்தார். அதையும் வீட்டு பூஜையறையில வெச்சிருந்தேன். ஏனோ தெரியலை… அதற்கு பூ வெச்சதில்லை. ஆனா, பிரார்த்திப்பேன்.
திடீர்னு ஒரு நாள் பெரியவாளே என்கிட்ட ‘தினமும் ஷீர்டி பாபாவுக்கும் பூ வை. அவரும் நானும் வேறில்லை’ சொல்றதைப் போல் இருந்திச்சு. ஷாக் ஆகி அடுத்த நாள் முதல் ஷீர்டி பாபாவுக்கும் பூ வெச்சு பிரார்த்தனை பண்றேன்’’ என்றார்.
வாட்ஸப் குரூப்பில் அந்த அன்பர் கேட்டதற்கான பதிலை, இதைவிட வேறு எப்படித் தெளிவாக மகா பெரியவாளால் தர முடியும்?!
என்னைப் பொறுத்தவரை – மகான்களுக்குள் பேதமே இல்லை. என்னைப் பொறுத்தவரை ஆதி சங்கரரும் ஒன்றுதான். ராமானுஜரும் ஒன்றுதான். காவாங்கரை கண்ணப்ப ஸ்வாமிகளும் ஒன்றுதான். என்றைக்குமே நான் பேதம் பார்த்ததில்லை.
மகா பெரியவா சரணம்.
அன்புடன் .
சுவாமிநாதன்  “
Source…. Input from My friend Shri Swaminathan , Chennai thro his mail to me today.
Natarajan

Message for the Day….” Have faith in Vedas and Sastras…”

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To have faith in the Vedas and to accept the injunctions of the Veda is being regarded by the modern youth as outmoded and uncivilised. Young people today are not making an enquiry as to what is contained in the Vedas or in the Sastras (scriptures). They go further and say that those Have faith in the Vedas people who have faith in the Vedas and the Sastras are only having blind faith. If one argues, after acquainting oneself with the contents of what one is arguing about, one can argue for any length of time, but if a person is arguing without knowing the contents, it is not possible to have an argument. Our Vedas have been teaching us several aspects of Satyam or truth, of Jnanam or wisdom, and ofAnanta or infinity. We should ask ourselves whether the people who describe truth as truth and knowledge as knowledge are foolish, or the people who describe truth as untruth and knowledge as ignorance are foolish.

Message for the Day…” God always plans and takes care to protect HIS Devotees from harm….”

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As is the common practice even today, the chauffeur of a car is expected to open the door of the car when the owner gets down. One day, in Mahabharatha, after war, when the chariot returned and stood in front of his house, Arjuna insisted on Lord Krishna, his charioteer, getting down first and opening the door. Krishna disagreed and, in a strong language, admonished Arjuna, asking him to get down first and go inside. Not recognising the inner significance of Krishna’s words, Arjuna reluctantly accepted and no sooner did he go inside, Krishna jumped out of the chariot. The next moment, the entire chariot was in flames. When the surprised Pandavas asked why did the chariot get burnt, Krishna explained that all the powerful arms from the battle were subdued and kept under His feet; now when He left the chariot, they exploded. God always plans and takes care to protect His devotees from harm.

The Devil”s nose Railroad ….

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When Ecuador President General Eloy Alfaro took office in 1895, and announced that a new railway line would be built connecting the coastal city of Guayaquil with the capital, Quito, in the highlands, a fierce opposition arose starring both conservatives and liberals. Many people at that time thought the Andes could not be conquered by rail. Despite protests and discouragement, General Alfaro hired a couple of US contractors and tasked them to build the “most difficult railway in the world.” A partnership between the government and a North American firm was forged leading to the foundation of the Guayaquil and Quito Railway Company, and construction of the historic line began in 1899.

Photo credit: trenecuador.com

Building a railroad in the highlands was not an easy task. Frequent seismic activity, heavy rainfall, jaguars, poisonous snakes, malaria, dysentery, and yellow fever delayed progress. The most technically challenging part of this rail route, however, was a sheer rock face known as the Devil’s Nose, or Nariz del Diablo, that stood between Alausi and Sibambe. To ascend this 800 meter cliff, the engineers carved a series of steep switchbacks that allowed the train to climb at a gradient of 1-in-18 by alternately advancing and reversing up the tracks.

The railroad will rise with a grade of 3.5% along a narrow cornice cut by blasting the wall of the perpendicular rock of the Nose and will extend beyond the bifrucation of the railway.  When the train goes beyond the bifrucation, a switchman will jump from the locomotive and raise the lever to change the track; then , the train will continue on its way up to the next narrow cornice, in reverse, until the next switchback.  Then, the switchman will change the tracks again, and the train will continue on its way through the cornice, until crossing the Devil’s Nose.

It was said that the Devil’s Nose was damned by the Satan because he didn’t want a railway to be built there. And acts that goes against the Devil’s wishes are paid for in human lives. By the end of construction of the Nariz del Diablo portion of the track, more than 2,000 workers had died from disease, labor, or the climate. Among the casualties were workers brought from the English colonies in the Caribbean, mostly from Jamaica, hundreds of prisoners who were forced to work with promises of freedom, and Major John Harman, the chief engineer of the project himself.

Nevertheless, the completion and the first ascent of Nariz del Diablo in 1902 was one of the most incredible feat of railway engineering at that time.The line continued operating, with interruptions, until 1997 when landslides during El Nino devastated the tracks, effectively shutting down the entire line. Currently, only a 12-km stretch from Alausí to Sibambe is open that take tourists through gorgeous mountain scenery and a thrilling descent over Devil’s Nose

Sources: Wikipedia / Rough Guides / takhte-sarah.blogspot.in / railroadinthesky.com  and www. amusingplanet.com

Natarajan

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Priceless Lessons A Mother Teaches ….” Think Positive”…!

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My mother was the smartest person I’ve ever known, not because she had a fancy job or a high level of education, but because of her experience and wisdom. When I was a little kid she used to share her thoughts, ideas and life lessons with me. I can honestly say I would not have been the person I am today without her.

In an effort to save her words and pass them on to my children, I have written down her snippets of advice and thoughts on life. A few years after my project was done she passed away in her sleep. Today, I want to share some of her inspiring words with you, I hope they will help you as much as they have helped me.

1. Breathe in the future, breathe out the past

No matter where you are or what you’re going through, remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Never expect, assume, or demand anything – just do your best, control what you can, and let go of what you can’t.
2. Others should accept you for who you are
Speak your truth even if your voice shakes and you know it won’t be well-received. You are something beautiful and unique, so if you hold that back, the whole world becomes a little less amazing. Walk your path confidently and proudly – don’t expect anyone else to understand your journey.
3. You are not who you used to be, and that’s okay
People go through many ups and downs in life, and it changes them. You are no different. Your perspective has changed, your likes and dislikes have changed, your political views may have changed, and that is all normal. When people accuse you of changing, just reply by saying:  “Of course I’ve changed. That’s what life is all about. I’m still the same person, just stronger and wiser.”

4. Everything that happens helps you grow

Whatever happens, hold on to hope. Learn from everything and don’t be afraid to make the same mistake twice, three times, or as many times as necessary.

5. Life should be simple
Focus on one thing at a time. You don’t have to do everything, and you don’t need to do something every second of your life. Breathe, be present, and do your best – it’s the most anyone, including yourself, could ever hope for.

6. Educate yourself to be happy, not to be rich
There is a big difference between knowing the price of things, and knowing the value of things. In the end, you will come to realize that the best days are the days when you don’t need anything special to make you smile.
7. Always be positive

Your misery or unhappiness is determined not by your circumstances, but by your attitude. Smile at those who want to hurt you – show them that they can’t take away your happiness from you. Your willpower is stronger than you know.
8. Pay close attention to those you care about
When people say “I’m okay,” you need to look them in the eyes, hug them tight, and reply, “I know you’re not”. Don’t be too upset if some people only seem to remember you when they need you, only be upset if they are not there when you need them.
9. Learn how to let go of people
Some people are bad for you, some people need to do things on their own, and some people might need you to teach them a hard lesson. It’s not easy to say goodbye when you don’t want to but you know you need to, it’s for the benefit of both sides.

10. Sometimes getting results means stripping yourself of people that slow you down
As much as you may love them, some people can make it a lot harder for you to reach your goals. Almost everyone will encounter such a person during their life. As you find out who you are and what you want, you realize that people you’ve known forever don’t see things the way you do. Keep the wonderful memories you had with them, but move on to achieve your happiness.
11. “I can’t believe I did that”, is much better than, “I wish I did that.”
Don’t live your life trying to impress others. Live it so you’ll impress yourself. If you know you will regret not doing something, just do it. It’s that simple.
12. If you can’t find your happy ending, maybe it’s time to look for a new beginning.

We all fail from time to time, it’s just a part of life. Don’t be stubborn and just accept it. The strongest people out there are the same people who have fought the toughest battles, lost, and moved on to a new beginning.

Source….www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Message for the Day…”Dharmakshetra and Kurukshetra…”

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SI_20160512It is said that King Dhritarashtra asked a question and described the battlefield of Kurukshetra as Dharmakshetra, field of virtue (The Gita begins with King Dhritarashtra asking what his sons and the Pandavas are doing in Kurukshetra). Referring to his sons he says, ‘Mamaka‘ — that is, those to whom I am bound by attachment. Dhritarashtra, in his ignorance, asked a question which really means, what are the thamo and rajo gunas (slothful and passionate qualities), represented by the Kauravas, doing in the battlefield with the Pandavas who representsattvic gunas (pure qualities). This battle is continually being waged, in the body which is the true Dharmakshetra, in Kurukshetra which symbolises the sensory organs. And Lord Krishna in the form of the consciousness or Atma is a witness to this battle all the time.

Message for the Day….” Who is the creator of this Universe ….” ?

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When you wear a wristwatch, and someone asks where it was manufactured, you will state that it was made by a Swiss company. We have neither seen the Swiss company nor the watch manufacturer, but are using the watch. Did this watch appear miraculously or did someone take time to manufacture this? You agree that the knowledge and process of assembling watches must exist somewhere and we readily accept that some individual has assembled this watch. If a watch has a creator, what about the Universe? Who can create all these things which are so permanent and steady? When we ask such a question, people simply push away the question and say that these are natural. They do not recognise the creator who has created all this. Not to accept the existence of such a creator is to be foolish and hard-headed.