Thursday, June 25, 2009

Thought of the Day - 26/06/2009

" If you lose an opportunity, don't close your eyes with tears. Keep your vision clear, so that you don't miss the second chance."


" Honesty is always the best policy sometimes."


" Every man is the architect of his own fortune."

Never Give Up

I will never give up
No matter what the odds are
No matter what people say
No matter how far
I will never give up

If I throw it away time after time
If I am one step behind try after try
If I miss dime after dime
I will never give up

Even when it seems all over
Even when no one else believes
Even when it seems I can go no further
I will never give up

For I know I have strength within
For I know I can persevere
For I know that I can win
I will never give up

Because it's someone else's fault
Because I am settling for good enough
Because I fear that I will fall short
I will never give up

There is so much I can still do
There is too much talent to waste
There is so much in me that I want you to see
I will never give up

Why squander all of my hard work and dedication
Why not show the world that I am a fearless baller
Why quit when I still have the opportunity to go on
I will never give up

If I do, I will not be the best me that could live
If I do, I will never know what I am capable of
If I do, I am not giving the world all I can give
I will never give up

"Be a 'Human Being' instead of a 'Human Having'".

So often we try to create our identity with what we have, with our possessions and our position, yet our identity is actually created by our behavior, by what we do and more importantly by how we do what we do. What really matters is not what you have got or the position that you hold, but who you are and how you behave.

We have become a society where we tend to measure a persons status by their possessions and their position. We no longer measure them by their contribution to society. This has created an enormous pressure to constantly flaunt the trappings of "success" the material things that create the impression of status.

Yet the very drive to constantly acquire the trappings of "success" creates a problem. The problem of spending money that you don't have, to buy things that you don't need, so that you can impress people that you don't like.

This leads to constant insecurity, firstly can I afford these things and secondly, what if someone gets something bigger, better, faster, brighter. You sacrifice your peace of mind for the illusion of material comfort and power.

We have to learn to do more with less. Realise that your personality is more important than your possessions. Realise that what you do is more important than what you've got. Realise that how you do what you do is more important than what you do.

Your actions have a greater influence on your reputation than the position you hold or the possessions you accumulate. The one thing that you take with you where ever you go, is you. Make sure that you are worth taking along. Realise that all possessions and positions are transient, here today gone tomorrow. Think of all the changes that have already taken place in your life. The only constant is "you".

So choose to "Be a 'Human Being' instead of a 'Human Having'".

Where are you God?

Where are you God?
I need to know.
How do I find you?
Where should I look or go?

God answered,

"I am the air and a breeze.
I am the tall majestic trees.
I am the west, east, south, and north.
I am the sky, heaven, and earth.
I am the bright morning star.
I am the strength you need when opening a jar.
I am the enchanting moonlight and radiant sun.
I am the Almighty One.
I am the Artist that painted nature's canvas.
I am the man, woman or child you walk past.
I am the wind that kisses your cheek.
I am the creator of the seven days of the week.
I am the first and the last.
I am the present and the past.
I am the breath you take.
I am the ocean, sea, bay and lake.
I am the only way.
I am the night and day.
I am the truth, life and vine.
I am the judge of all mankind.
I am the destructive hurricane and tornado.
I am the cause of many calamities and fiascos.
I am the light of the world.
Did I answer your question my child, my girl?"

"So, my child, just remember that I am always around.
And that my greatness and splendor can always be found.
Spread this revelation and goods news all over town.
Go and let your poetry be like a trumpet sound."

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Just One



One song can spark a moment,
One flower can wake the dream
One tree can start a forest,
One bird can herald spring.

One smile begins a friendship,
One handclasp lifts a soul.
One star can guide a ship at sea,
One word can frame the goal

One vote can change a nation,
One sunbeam lights a room
One candle wipes out darkness,
One laugh will conquer gloom.

One step must start each journey.
One word must start each prayer.
One hope will raise our spirits,
One touch can show you care.

One voice can speak with wisdom,
One heart can know what's true,

One life can make a difference,
You see, it's up to you!

The Story of the Butterfly



A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours
as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn't go further.

ButterflySo the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but
it had a swollen body and shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge
and expand enough to support the body,
Neither happened!
In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life
crawling around.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle
required by the butterfly to get through the opening
was a way of forcing the fluid from the body
into the wings so that it would be ready
for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly
what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been
and we would never fly.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

How Important is Goal Setting?


How Important is Goal Setting?

You say you have set your goals?

Congratulations!

Are they set for the right reason?

We set goals for short term objectives. Most of these objectives concern materialistic wants: money, and physical things.

Here is a suggestion to take a different point of view when working on goals.

Start with deciding what your life should be. Take some time to define your life five years from now. Here are some questions you might ask yourself.

* What are my surroundings?

* What kind of places am I in?

* What am I feeling?

* What are my emotions?

* What types of people are around me?

* What kind of feelings do I get from them?

* What am I doing? Physically?

* Where am I going? My future?

* Where have I been?

Notice there are no questions dealing with money, or named places, or named people. The answers to these questions will provide you with attitudes, feelings, values, perceptions and other non-tangible ideas that make life worth living no matter where you are, who you are with, or what you are doing!

If we have created a lifestyle that we like, then the physical part of our lives will fit right in and accompany the lifestyle because it has to!

My suggestion is to look at the lifestyle you want to create, and set your plan to achieve the lifestyle instead of the physical side of life most of us set our goals to achieve.

To go even deeper, define your values very clearly and make sure that your vision of your life in five years fits with your values.

Is it worth it?

You have heard the phrase 'plan your work and work your plan'? If you do not create your life by setting goals and a plan to reach them, someone is doing it for you. If you think about it, that is really scary! What kind of vision would some else have for you?

Think of it this way. Look back five years ago in your life. Are you today where you imagined you would be five years ago? Or are you where someone else imagined you would be?

Don't you think your life would dramatically improve if you made the plan instead of 'them'? Don't you think you might have a little more interest in your life than someone else?

I should hope so.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Be careful what you say

A group of frogs were hopping contentedly through the woods, going about their froggy business, when two of them fell into a deep pit. All of the other frogs gathered around the pit to see what could be done to help their companions. When they saw how deep the pit was, the rest of the dismayed group agreed that it was hopeless and told the two frogs in the pit that they should prepare themselves for their fate, because they were as good as dead.

Unwilling to accept this terrible fate, the two frogs began to jump with all of their might. Some of the frogs shouted into the pit that it was hopeless, and that the two frogs wouldn't be in that situation if they had been more careful, more obedient to the froggy rules, and more responsible. The other frogs continued sorrowfully shouting that they should save their energy and give up, since they were already as good as dead. The two frogs continued jumping as hard as they could, and after several hours of desperate effort were quite weary.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to the calls of his fellows. Spent and disheartened, he quietly resolved himself to his fate, lay down at the bottom of the pit, and died as the others looked on in helpless grief. The other frog continued to jump with every ounce of energy he had, although his body was wracked with pain and he was completely exhausted. His companions began anew, yelling for him to accept his fate, stop the pain and just die. The weary frog jumped harder and harder and - wonder of wonders! Finally leapt so high that he sprang from the pit.

Amazed, the other frogs celebrated his miraculous freedom and then gathering around him asked, "Why did you continue jumping when we told you it was impossible?" Reading their lips, the astonished frog explained to them that he was deaf, and that when he saw their gestures and shouting, he thought they were cheering him on. What he had perceived as encouragement inspired him to try harder and to succeed against all odds.

This simple story contains a powerful lesson. The book of Proverbs says, "There is death and life in the power of the tongue." Your destructive words can cause deep wounds; they may be the weapons that destroy someone's desire to continue trying - or even their life. Your destructive, careless word can diminish someone in the eyes of others, destroy their influence and have a lasting impact on the way others respond to them. Your encouraging words can lift someone up and help them make it through the day.

Be careful what you say. Speak life to (and about) those who cross your path. There is enormous power in words. If you have words of kindness, praise or encouragement - speak them now to, and about, others. Listen to your heart and respond. Someone, somewhere, is waiting for your words...

What really matter is your attitude and your perception.

What really matter is your attitude and your perception

This is a real story happened between the customer of General Motors and its customer-care executive...A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors: This is the second time I have written to you, and I don't blame you for not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of ice cream for dessert after dinner each night. But the kind of ice cream varies so, every night, after we've eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. It's also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem.

You see every time I buy a vanilla ice cream, when I start back from the store my car won't start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds: "What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?"The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter, but sent an engineer to check it out anyway. The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighborhood. He had arranged to meet the man just after dinnertime, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store.

It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn't start. The engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, they got chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start. Now the engineer, being a logical man, refused to Believe that this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And toward this end he began to take notes: he jotted down all sorts of data: time of day, type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc. In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavor. Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to check out the flavor.

Now, the question for the engineer was why the car wouldn't start when it took less time. Once time became problem - not the vanilla ices cream, the engineer quickly came up with the answer: "Vapor lock". It was happening every night; but the extra time taken to get the other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still to hot for the vapor lock to dissipate. Remember: Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all problems seem to be simple only when we find the solution with a cool thinking. Don't just say its "IMPOSSIBLE" without putting a sincere effort...Observe the word "IMPOSSIBLE" carefully... You can see "I'M POSSIBLE"...