Life and it's confrontations...

For many, and personally for me, Yes, Life has always been the most fascinating, with its myriad colors, lengths, the varieties it presents itself with, it's many faces, it's many ideals, it's dark and bright sides and the list goes on. But no matter how fascinated we are, it's still hard when our's confronts us with negative walls and fearful possibilities. I am sure many agree. We do realise that in life, no matter how hard we try, sometimes, things do happen the other way around and the best thing we could do then, is just to surrender to the moment and give it , all our best, for when we do that, Life itself steps in to help us... It's my precious experience and sure many of yours too. In any case, the one lesson I have always learnt again and again, is 'Life is ALWAYS worth living!'

Here is a story am sure, you will love to read... So go on...

In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth. She finds a remote grass field near a strong-flowing river. This seems like a safe place. Suddenly labor pains begin.At the same moment, dark clouds gather around above & lightning starts a forest fire. She looks to her left & sees a hunter with his bow extended pointing at her. To her right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her. What can the pregnant deer do? She is in labor!
What will happen?
EWill the deer survive? Will she give birth to a fawn? Will the fawn survive?
Or will everything be burnt by the forest fire? Will she perish to the hunters' arrow? Will she die a horrible death at the hands of the hungry lion approaching her? She is constrained by the fire on one side & the flowing river on the other & boxed in by her natural predators on the remaining two sides. What does she do? (Well, it's not a trivia question ... It's story and here is what she does! )
She focuses on giving birth to a new life. The sequence of events that follows are:
- Lightning strikes & blinds the hunter.
- He releases the arrow which zips past the deer & strikes the hungry lion.
- It starts to rain heavily, & the forest fire is slowly doused by the rain.
- The deer gives birth to a healthy fawn.
-----
So as we proceed on with out life, let's not forget, that with any situation, no matter how confronting and stumbling it seems, we always have a choice to make. Just like the deer,  lets get to focus, know our priorities and then make a worthy choice and give it the best. Life itself will take care of the rest! No harm giving it a try, when all you could otherwise do is brood and curse life... As the saying goes, if we win the situation, we merge victorious and if we loose we still have gained valuable gems of experience. In life, no situation is a loss, if we learn to  pick the gems out. And not to forget, the best of gems are manufactured in the worst of ditches! Well, smile and get through you day. Live and celebrate life.  

Life's lessons through a Pencil...

What I am about to share is something I read a very very long time ago. It took a while for me to recollect and put it in here. It is such a beautiful read. I am sure, every single one who stumble here and read it will love it and hopefully will be inspired.

A pencil maker told a newly made pencil, 5 important lessons, just before putting it in the box...

1. Everything you do will always leave a mark.
2.You can always correct the mistakes you make.
3.What is important is what is inside of you.
4. In life you will undergo painful sharpening, which will only make you better.
5. To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be held and guided by the hand that holds you.

Isn't our human life very similar! Whatever we do leaves a mark either in a small way or big: We can correct the mistakes we make; We all need to be constantly sharpened. This parable may encourage us to know that we are all special , with unique God-given talents and abilities. Only we, can fulfill the purpose which we were born to accomplish.

Painful times are part and parcel of this journey of life. Therefore we should never allow our self to get discouraged and think that our life is insignificant and cannot be changed. Like the pencil, we need to always remember that the most important part of who we are, is what's inside of us and then just allow our self to be guided by the hand of God.

Right Attitude, Effort and Grace!

There were a few sculptors working on a statue. A passerby approached one of them and asked, "What are you doing?" Without even raising his head, he snapped, "Can't you see that I am chirping away at a rock?" He then approached another sculptor and asked him the same thing. Wearily putting down his chisel and hammer, he looked up at the passerby and said with a sigh, "I am trying to earn a livelihood." The passerby approached yet another sculptor. He was chiseling away in the most relaxed way, singing while doing so. When the passerby asked him what he was doing, he smiled cheerfully and replied,"I am creating a sculpture." Saying so, he started singing again and joyfully resumed his work.

The three men were doing the same work, but each had a different attitude. When the first was cursing his lot as he worked, the second did it solely for his survival. In contrast, the third man transformed the same action into a blissful experience.

In a similar way we can turn anything we do into a blissful experience.  As we enjoy what we do, we do it better and better and thereby it turns out to be one of the best.  When life hands us out tasks, we have no choice but to carry it out. We cannot run away from it unfortunately!. So why not face it with the right attitude and win it over. However when the going gets tough, its just, 'Do your best and let the rest to God!' Because the right attitude, helps us put in our best effort, which inturn draws the grace of Almighty God, who inturn helps us finsh the task... Here's another story you will just love...

There was a soldier, who in the midst of a fierce fight, gets separated from his unit. He tries in vain to fight the enemy by himself. But still, he does his best. At some point he realizes that he cannot stand against anymore and tried his best to stay safe until help arrived. He saw a series of small caves and hid inside one of them. However he soon realized that the enemy army is searching the caves and that he would soon be caught. Having done all he could do, he now sent in a silent prayer... " God, I did everything I could, now please protect me." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy draw close.

He thought, "Well, I guess God isn 't going to help me out of this one. " Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. Suddently he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what God has sent me is a spider web!"

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realised that with the spiderweb over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.

"Oh, god, forgive me, " prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that with your grace, a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."

Well, the battle of Life does seems cruel at times, but there is always a path to victory in any given situation, if only we give it the best we have. Life asks no more from us. And when our part is done, the Almighty who put us in, reveals to us the road to victory... all for just a little effort from our side. And how sad that we refuse to put in even that much- that little much that we CAN DO, when it comes to the battlefield of our Life!

Not to forget... its the Right Attitude that sets us on our path to victory. And as we try to take every step towards the goal, that effort, automatically draws the magic power of grace, which just makes the rest of our going easier. No matter how many steps we are capable of taking, just five or fifty, does not matter, lets take as much as we can, b'cas once we do our part, the rest will be taken care of.... and that would be one sweet acomplishment to be proud of when we turn back in life someday!

Everything will pass by.... this includes your sorrow!

This is a beautiful story with a true gem in it.

There once was a king who tried to play some fun on his trusted minister.  He therefore asked his minister to go in search of a special ring , which he knew does not exist. When the minister enquired what was special, the king replied, "The ring possed magic powers, that if a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad and if a sad man looks at it he becomes happy.". The minister who got six months to find the ring set out in search of it. He searched far and wide but to no avail. On the last day before the end of the six months, as he was walking sadky, throught he poorest of the streets, he saw an old merchant to whom he asked, "Do you by any chance know of a ring that can make the happy sad and the sad happy?" The old merchant immediately took out an old ring from his collection and etched something on it and gave it to the minister. The minister's sad face beamed the moment he read the inscription. Happily he took it to his king. Waiting to see the fun unfold, the kind questioned him with a face filled with smile and eagerness.  The minister handed the ring to the king  and immediately noticed the smile fading away. As he read the inscriptions on the ring, 'This too shall pass!', the king had realized that all his wealth, power and influence would get to pass by and someday he himself would be nothing.

Enjoying this world and its material possessions is fine as long as we do not loose our selves when we loose our possessions. Enjoying everything with the right attitude that nothing in this world stays forever, would strengthen us and make our life and its challenges worth a marvellous experience!

Are you rich?

What do we mean by being rich. In today's world, richness is defined by luxury, money and status.But in truth, it is the mind that makes one rich and poor. That is precisely why we see happy men among beggars and sorrowful ones among the rich and celebrated. Here is a story that not only give us the right ourlook to learn but also a  true meaning of 'being rich'. Enjoy!

One day, a rich dad took his son on a trip. He wanted to show him how poor someone can be. They spent time on the farm of a poor family. On the way home, the dad asked, "Did you see how poor they are? What did you learn?". Son said, "We have one dog, they have four, we have a pool, they have rivers, we have lanterns at night, they have stars, we buy foods, they grow theirs, we have walls to protect us, they have friends, we have encyclopedias, they have Bible." Then as they headed home, the boy turned to his dad and said, "Thanks dad for showing me how poor we are."

Most times in this world it is not money or such things that make one rich... rather it is the simplicity, love, happiness and faith one holds that makes one's life rich and worh living.

Shake off and Step up!

This is a story some good soul sent out to me over the internet. It is one of the best stories I have ever heard with a beautiful message. Read on...

One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.

He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quieted down.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.

As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.

Lets not overlook our own faults!

One day a man complained to the health department about his brothers. "I have  two brothers and we all live in one room. They have too many pets. One has five monkeys, the other has six dogs. It is terrible and there is no air in the room at all. You must please do something about this." The official asked, "Have you got any windows?" to which the man promptly replied, "Yes!" Why don't you open them to let fresh air in?", suggested the official. The second the official finished, the man yelled..."What? And loose all my pigeons!"

When everything goes well in life, we readily take the credits to it. However when our attempts end in failure, we immediately point our fingers in the opposite direction, overlooking our own faults, just like the man in the story!


Life becomes far more liveable when we are true to our innerself. If we can remember that there is no life without struggles and failures and that they are here only to make us stronger individuals we will be able to face it with far more ease. There is no shame in failures, whoever says whatever. The more the failures the more we learn. Ofcourse easier said than done! But we donot have a choice? When we fail, lets cry and brood, who cares, but lets remember not to stop there, lets get up to try it all over again... no matter whether it would fail again or succeed...lets just not give it! Thats not us!

Peace of Mind?

There was once this man who was hearing a radio personality giving a talk on how to get peace of mind. He said"... the best way for anyone to get peace of mind is to complete those things that you have started but never finished." The man who was listening immediately looked around, found a champagne that was opened but not finished. he gulped it empty. Then he saw a bag of potato chips lying around, he sat to finish it and also chewed empty a box of chocolate chip cookies that was opened a few days before. So on he went to finish a few more. When he could eat no more, he got up to give his friends a call about the new found way to get peace of mind, but half the way to his phone he fell unconcious. He woke up to the bright lights of the emergency room.


Well, this is how many of us strive for peace of mind.... taking a lot of wrong turns all the way of life. In my personal opinion, peace of mind comes from our attitude, our way of approach, our outlook of life. I believe that the right outlook gives us the right 'peace of mind'! What say you?

Life's Surprise Packages!

Many a time in life, Life gives us something that is totally unexpected. A wise man still sees it as a good gift, while the majority of us curse Life for always throwing at us things and situations we never ever wanted. This is a story, a very beautiful story that clearly portrays Life's ways...

There was once a rich young boy who loved an old classical and expensive car( I forgot the name of the car). He hoped that he would one day get it. Years rolled by and he was a young man graduating from school. His dad asked him what he wanted as a graduation gift and without an second's pause, named it- the car that he had always wanted. On the morning of his graduation he went up to his dad with lots of expectations about the car. His dad gave him a small box. He curiously opened it.  But to his diappointment saw a bible inside it. Without even touching it, he closed it and yelled at his dad. He said, that his dad had all the money in this world but could not get him something he had longed for all his life. Saying that he walked off that home and on his dad. He made a life of his own and never met his father again. Many years later he received a telegram stating that his father had expired and has willed all his wealth to his son. Suddenly he felt a pain deep inside him. He started feeling remorseful for his behaviour. He visited the home where he last saw his dad. When he walked to his dad's study he noticed that the gift he refused to accept, was still lying safetly inside a glass case. He opened the box  and this time took the bible out and out fell a key for a brand new car that he had always wanted with a key chain note  saying... 'Happy Graduation Son!'.

 I very much believe that Life always gives us what we want , but fortunately or unfortunately, does not pack it the way we expect. Only a man with patiance and acceptance can discover the true gifts hidden inside strange boxes, all wrapped very carefully by our Life.

Don't judge Life by one difficult moment...

This is a  story I read long back... one with a lot of precious gems in it....

There was once a wise man who had four sons. One day, he decided to send them, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was quite a distance away. He sent the  first son in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall. When they had all gone and come back, he called them together and asked them what they had seen. 

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son disagreed with the first and said that it was covered with green buds and looked promising. The third son disagreed with the previous two  and said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful. He also said that it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them and he said that it was ripe and drooping with fruit, filled with life and fulfilment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all speaking the truth, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.He told them that one must not judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that comes from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up. If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your  spring, the beauty of your summer and the fulfilment of your fall.
 Remember:
                  Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
                 Don't judge life by one difficult season.
                Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come sometime or
                  later.

Our outlook of life...

There was once a beggar who inspite of living without even proper food would long to have great shoes. Everytime he sees rich men around his place his gaze would move to their shoes. He always felt, "Oh... how I wish I had those shoes... I am not that lucky in life!". This he would think everytime he sees people around with great shoes. One day, as he was walking around a street, he saw a pair of abandoned,  slightly worn out shoes near a thrash pick up. He was so happy and he wore them and walked so very majestically. As he turned over the corner, he noticed a man, struggling to stand up. He had lost both his legs and was in rags. He seemed to be another beggar, a beggar with no legs and no thoughts for shoes! Something stuck him hard. As he helped the man up, he realised how lucky he was that he atleast had two healthy legs to walk. He felt ashamed that he wasted a lot of time whining for not being lucky to wear shoes when there are many who donot even have legs. For the first time he felt happy... whole heartedly happy and above all he felt lucky!.


Many a time in life, we are like the beggar who wished for shoes. We often forget our blessings and keenly count our losses or shortcomings. We look at those who are better off than us and feel jealous or sad that we could not be like them. And every such time we totally forget that there are a lot many below us , the less fortunate ones, who donot even have a fraction of what we have. Happiness and peace in life comes from our outlook of life. It all depends on how we see each thing in life... When we have a situation, we could see above us and feel upset or see below us and feel lucky. I had always felt that in any kind of situation, however hard they might be, there are people suffering far more than us somewhere in this world. We may or maynot know them, but if we could just remember it and realise how true it is we would feel lucky in any situation and Life will then give us the strength to go on and win it.

Life...wonderful Life...

I have often wondered about how challenging it is to live here on Earth, yet people succeed in every walk of life. Life here on Earth, has its own problems, big and small, for every single soul, but still there is something so magical in it that we all want to keep living here admist all the problems we face.  The biggest miracle of all: Life!

Everything about Life is marvellous... right from the minute we come to existence to the very day we leave from here. And the most thrilling part is the journey inbetween, an unusual yet right mix of masalas: joy, pain, earning, loosing, giving, getting, love, hurt, healthy, sick,  laugh, cry , trust, betray and on and on and on goes the list... all making life what it really is, to every single one of us... just unique and not so easy, yet so special!