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Sunday, November 2, 2008

KANYAKUMARI


KANYA KUMARI

you might have heard so many time " kashmir se lekar kanya kumari tak ..... " look how is Kanya Kumari ..... here are some pictures of Kanya Kumari












Saturday, November 1, 2008

KANYA KUMARI

KANYA KUMARI

you might have heard so many time " kashmir se lekar kanya kumari tak ..... " look how is Kanya Kumari ..... here are some pictures of Kanya Kumari...









Balanced View Of Life

One man was standing at the top of a flight of stairs, the second at the bottom and the third in the middle.

The first said, "The steps go downward."

The second said, "The steps go upward."

What is the third man's observation? That , "They run both up and down".

The balanced view of life includes all viewpoints, not merely the one seen from a currently preferred position. Your view depends on where you stand. Everyone is right from his her own point of view.

Two Days We Should Not Worry

Two Days We Should Not Worry


There are two days in every week, about which we should not worry,
two days which should be kept free from fear and apprehension.

One of these days is Yesterday with all its mistakes and cares,
its faults and blunders, its aches and pains.

Yesterday has passed forever beyond our control.
All the money in the world cannot bring back Yesterday.

We cannot undo a single act we performed;
we cannot erase a single word we said.
Yesterday is gone forever.

The other day we should not worry about is Tomorrow
with all its possible adversities, its burdens,
its large promise and its poor performance;
Tomorrow is also beyond our immediate control.

Tomorrow's sun will rise,
either in splendor or behind a mask of clouds, but it will rise.
Until it does, we have no stake in Tomorrow,
for it is yet to be born.

This leaves only one day, Today.
Any person can fight the battle of just one day.
It is when you and I add the burdens of those two awful eternities
Yesterday and Tomorrow that we break down.

It is not the experience of Today that drives a person mad,
it is the remorse or bitterness of something which happened Yesterday
and the dread of what Tomorrow may bring.

Let us, therefore,
Live but one day at a time.

How to Optimize the Awesome Power of Thoughts and Imagination

Have you encountered a time when you were in a traffic jam and was running late for an important meeting? Did you stay calmand focused? Or did your mind wander into the dark side ofthe impending consequences that may occur?

If you're always picturing people getting mad at you and thinking of negative outcomes, then your body suffers as well. You may experience chest pains, anxiety disorders, indigestion, and other health problems. Why worry when you can't do anythingabout the situation? Moreover, you don't even know yet what will happen. Both good and bad things happen unexpectedly. Why bother to worry? It's just not worth it.

Your mind directly influences your body's capabilities and reactions; so if you always project negative thoughts andimages in your mind, your body suffers as well. But if youalways think of positive and enthusiastic stuffs, your bodywill react positively too.

The mind is an absolute powerhouse, a dream granter, andgoal achiever, all rolled into one. But do you know how tooptimize it for best performance?

Many times we've heard people say that "If you think you can or you can't, you're right."

That is so true. But do you know exactly how to use yourthoughts in reaching what you desire to achieve?

They say affirmations work. Yes, they do. But the resultsmight be minimal and might not turn out according to your expectations.

Do you want to know a method that is much more powerful? What I'm going to tell you is a technique that is so effective in itself; that if you combine it with affirmations, then you possess one of the deadliest combos of self-improvement.

Want to know the secret? Here it is.

Visualize images. It's as simple as that. Our mind communicates with our body using images. You know that the thought of people getting angry with you can negatively affect your health. Otherwise, picturing yourself relaxing at your favorite vacation spot can ease some of your stress.

Take this exercise.

Imagine the juiciest whole piece of fried chicken right in front of you. You can smell its tempting aroma. You sliced it into pieces and heard the crispy crunching sound. Pictureyourself taking a large bite and enjoying the gastronomicexperience. Did that made your mouth water? Did that madeyou hungry?

Images are very powerful and can be used to improve your health, attain your goals, and achieve anything that you put your mind into.

For instance, you're a burn victim. You have a wound thatis quite agonizing. Don't just say, "Hey, burn wound. Getout of my skin." Picture it in your mind getting smaller and smaller. Visualize it melting and vanishing into thin air.

You may imagine the wound itself healing miraculously, or youmay designate any object of your choice to represent that wound. For example, you visualize a black stone as a symbolof your illness. Imagine that object shrinking and disintegrating slowly. As you're thinking of this, feel your wound and all negative forces simultaneously goingalong with the action of the black stone. Let them becomesmaller and smaller until they have ceased to exist.

So which technique is better - imagining the real thing or assigning a representational object to it? It all depends on you. Pick and apply the method that you are more comfortable with, the one that you are more inclined tothink and visualize upon.

But it's not as easy as you think. Practice makes perfect.One way you can optimize the power of imagination is by becoming more observant and meticulous. If you're goingto use a certain flower in your visualization, go to the park and become a keen observer of that flower. Touch it.Smell it. Feel its texture. The more senses involved, themore powerful your visualization will become.

Visualization can be a very powerful tool in getting what you want in life. Practice and apply it often. You'll beamazed at the results.

Theres Gold in that Silence

Theres Gold in that Silence



Can you recall a time where you utilized silence to make a point? If you can consciously recall, you probably know your silence made more than just a point; it made an exclamation point ... and without a single word preceding it. Now that's powerful.

Silence is a widely-known, but rarely used, powerful communication tool. Why is that? Because it can be used to shed light or convey darkness. Utilizing the sound of silence is truly the "master's" art of communication. It quaintly epitomizes a spiritually and socially acceptable passive assertiveness. The ability to remain quiet confirms that one is in total control. It also confirms that the individual is disciplined and will not be lead into conversations that are counterproductive and energy-draining. Silence can help us listen, keep a secret, serve in love and receive the very core of what is being said. Silence can say "I really do care."

Have you ever had a conversation where all you were waiting for was for the speaker to pause, just so you could say, what you needed to say? You know, where you start planning to respond to that which hadn't even been said yet? We all have. When this happens, we don't absorb the full content of the conversation. Many variables influence our desire to lose focus on what our speaker is saying. For example: your schedule, what you may be watching on TV, your mental, emotional, and physical states and of the like. Listen so that both your brain and heart are passionately aligned to receive the speaker's words. Strive to increase your understanding and place it before your desire to be understood.

Learn to be comfortable with silence and master the self-control it requires. Only then will you be able to experience the "golden" within.

Our Worst Enemy

Who do you consider as your worst enemy? The criminals roaming
the dark streets? Your boss who's killing you mentally and
emotionally with stress and harsh words? The people in office
who are engaging in graft and corruption, instead of helping
those in need?

We have many implications of who our enemies are; but we have
one common foe who is the main cause of our failures and
misfortunes, and we're not even aware of this opponent.

You may not want to admit it, but our worst enemy is ourselves.

Who do you blame when something goes wrong? You blame the people
around you, the weather, maybe even God. But we are the ones who
are in control of ourselves. We can change the outcome of our
lives because we have the capacity to do that.

It is our fear, jealousy, greed, etc. that is ruining our lives.
Some people who never managed to get out of poverty blame the
government or their jobs. But they're too afraid to try out
new ventures that may improve their lives. They half-heartedly
go to work on their 9 to 5 job. Then when the day is done, they
watch TV and go out aimlessly having fun without seriously
thinking of what great opportunity the future has in store for
them, if only they would try to do something different with their
lives.

Fear has caused many to remain frigid and to never go out
exploring the wonderful things this world has to offer.
Lots of people would rather stay where they are in an
unsatisfied state than to risk difficulties and obstacles
for the sake of attaining their dreams.

If their lives are not getting any better, they have no else
to blame but themselves.

Jealousy and envy has also caused some relationship problems.
Some people immediately jump to conclusions without first
analyzing the situation. They let their sudden emotions
control their behaviors without even thinking of the
consequences that may result.

If they're having problems with their relationships, they
have no else to blame but themselves.

This goes to show that we decide what will happen to us. Of
course, there are circumstances that are beyond our control,
like natural calamities. But we can still utilize to our best
advantage the things that we have control of.

For instance, you got rejected by your dream girl. Some
people would just get drunk and feel miserable, thinking that
it's the end of the world. Some will move onwards with their
lives and find the best in what remains with them. See? It's
really up to you. You decide if you want to have a good life
or not.

You failed in your exams? So what? There's another
opportunity. You can just sulk in sorrow or you can study
harder to get a high score in the future. It's up to you.

There's no use crying over spilled milk. You don't have to
get frustrated over your misfortunes. Concentrate on how
you could get better in the future.

If we encounter problems, we can either succumb to it, or we
can treat it as an opportunity to become stronger and to
become better individuals. Winners would always treat their
dilemmas as opportunities.

Oh yes. We can be our worst enemy, but we can also be our
best friend. It's all up to you!

Involve your team members for success

1. Are you involving your team members in hiring decisions?

You live with a bad hiring decision, on average, for 18 months. And yet, what management considers a good hiring decision and what team members consider a good hiring decision may be dramatically different. Let team members meet potential new hires before an offer is made. Factor their feedback into the decision.
2. Do you know who your team slayers are and have you taken steps to deal with the problem?

Have you identified team slayers -- those individuals whose behavior detracts from team performance -- and have you spent time with them diagnosing the reason and what to do about it?
3. Do team members understand the team's vision, mission, goals, values and expectations?

These are the blueprint for the team's success, so team members must have a crystal clear understanding of these important components?
4. Are team members committed to the the team's success?

This is a situation where simply asking isn't enough -- look for an outward manifestation of commitment. More likely, it will be easier to spot a lack of commitment. Excessive questioning of why people are being asked to do what they do is one sign. Complaining, lack of performance, low morale -- all of those would suggest that the commitment to vision, mission, values, goals and expectations may be lacking.
5. Have team members been trained in teamwork skills?

Is your teambuilding curriculum in place? Training should be ongoing, and whenever possible, team members should attend sessions as a group.
6. Have team leaders been trained for their role?

There are natural born leaders, but there aren't enough of them for most organizations. Leadership skills must be developed. In addition to basic team skills, make sure team leaders get special skills training in areas like group facilitation and mediation.
7. Have you started relationship building with future team members?

Some day you're going to lose team members. They're going to quit, move away, or go to another team within the organization. When you receive notice that they're leaving, you'll need to have potential replacements identified and, if possible, already thinking about joining the team. Relationship building with potential team members needs to be done well in advance.
8. Are you holding regular team meetings that participants find worthwhile?
Regularly ask team members to assess the effectiveness of team meetings. If they feel that team meetings are wasting their time, you're either meeting too frequently or preparing inadequately. If they feel that they need more information to feel informed, you may not be meeting enough.
9. Do team meetings include both information and motivation?

You've got to have both. Use the analogy of the cherry flavored cough syrup. When you buy cherry flavored cough syrup your primary motivation is for the medicinal value -- you want to suppress the cough. Because if you really just wanted cherry flavor, you'd buy soda pop. So why do they put cherry flavor in cough syrup? To help the medicine go down more easily. You should make meetings interesting, entertaining and motivational to help the information presented go down more easily. Team members need both "how-to" and "want-to."
10. Is interpersonal communication effective?

Team communication should provide information that members can use: news rather than gossip and feedback rather than criticism. Do team members share useful information with each other in an open, honest environment?
11. Do team members feel well informed about news of the larger organization?

It's important that teams don't operate in a vacuum, but that they understand how they fit into the big picture and how they impact the organization's performance. Top managers and others outside the team should be utilized as resources.
12. What efforts has your team or entire organization taken to create interdepartmental teamwork?

There is something harder than getting people on the same team to work together, and that is getting people on different teams to work together. Have you made some active attempts to teambuild with other departments within your organization?
13. Is your team facing some of the same problems today that they were 60 days ago and if so, why?

Ignoring significant problems won't help. After two months problems that are unsolved are either insignificant or overdue for attention. Deal with problems before they become a source of perpetual frustration for team members.
14. What feedback has your team given to management and how has management responded?

At a huge organization on the East Coast, a team leader told me that one of his greatest frustrations was that his boss was a "yes man" but that he didn't represent the needs of their team to management. Does your team or team leader communicate ideas and needs to management? If so, has management responded appropriately and convinced your team that their opinions are valued?
15. Has the team leader taken time to understand the values, likes, dislikes and needs of every team member?

Because different people are motivated differently, if the team leader hasn't done his or her homework in understanding what motivates different team members, you aren't as far along in team building as you could be.
16. Does the team deal openly and effectively with conflict?

Have team members learned to use all available approaches to conflict resolution and has the team agreed on a system that allows you to deal with the problems that inevitably arise? The team vision should be the primary agenda being pursued, even in difficult times.
17. Are all team members open to feedback?

Or is feedback only accepted from the team leader? When a team member has an idea that will help another team member improve their performance, do they offer it?
18. Can you point to specific innovations that your team has made in the past quarter?

Are you innovating or simply doing things the way you've always been doing them and maintaining the status quo? Make sure to reward any attempts at innovation, even if the outcome isn't successful. Challenge team members to try new things.
19. Are you operating with a team calendar year?

Teams must be accountable for producing results in time. Have you identified top team goals for the current calendar year and do team members know what those goals are? Use action planning at every team session to translate ideas into results.
20. Do team members feel there is linkage between individual success and team success?

Do you reward people and recognize them, not just for what they accomplish, but for their contribution in helping the team accomplish its goals? This linkage is critical and must be present if team work is going to work.
21. What celebrations, formal and informal, have you undertaken to demonstrate appreciation and create camaraderie?

Evaluate results periodically. Regularly and creatively celebrate the team's efforts and victories. If you're lucky, you'll receive accolades for others, but you can't really control that. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to celebrate your own success.

Taking control of your life

Taking control of your life is getting in touch with your values, setting meaningful goals and identifying your vision. To be in control of where life is taking you means being more productive, dealing more effectively with stress, having the ability to solve problems, handing change and developing healthy optimism. Start with these 7 steps and you are on your way.


1. Get in touch with your values:
When we feel like we are working hard but not getting anywhere it is probably because our priorities are not aligned with our values. To begin identifying your values ask yourself these questions:
Ø What is important to me? Wisdom, freedom, happiness, equality, security, self-respect, romantic love, money, power, comfortable living, fresh air, beauty, controlling others, etc. Rate these values.
Ø Who is important to me?
Ø What or who is most important? Be honest with yourself.
Ø What do I need to do to feel good about myself?
Ø How would you feel if someone you respect knew this was one of your values?
Ø Would you stick by this value?
Ø Is it who you are?
Ø How is this value affecting your life?
Make a list of your 10 top values. Of that 10 choose 4 and of the 4 choose your top two. From this exercise you will see where you need to focus your time and effort.


2. Decide what motivates you:
If tomorrow you knew you could do anything and not fail what would you do? Is there something you are passionate about but are afraid of trying? If you have no idea what your passion is spend some time reflecting on it. To start, write down the types of activities you like to do and the types of activities (hobbies) that make you feel good when you do them. What are your special skills and talents ? Don't be shy ? Usually if it's something we like to do we are probably good at it. What inspires you?

3. Set Goals:
In order to get what you really want you must start by setting goals. Goals fuel your intent and make your desires concrete. Start by writing the goals for this year in area of personal relationships, work, health, finances and spirituality. List five goals in each category (add more categories if you like). Then break them down into monthly and then weekly goals. Focusing on what you intend in your life will bring it to reality. You create your life ? So start now by setting your goals.

4. Take Action:
Goals are worthless without action. If you have written long-term and short-term goals and prioritized them, you have a plan of action. Just take it one step at a time and do something everyday that takes you closer to where you want to be. Remember however, to live in the present and be thankful for what you have now, enjoying the journey toward your goals.

5. Manage Your Time:
We all have the same amount of time to use in a day. Why do some people a lot done while others do very little? You have complete control of how much time you spend productively and how much you waste. Plan your days and prioritize your time to get the most out of the time you have. Use time-wasters like standing in line or waiting in a doctor's office to catch up on reading or something else that is important to you.

6. Do What Needs to be Done:
Do what has to be done to get to where you want to go. Whether it is a mundane task or internal work, putting it off gets us nowhere. You are either going forward or falling behind; there is no such thing as standing still. Sometimes when we work on ourselves we stop when we get to a place that we need to change. Change can be difficult when we have to step out of our comfort zone. The more change is needed the more difficult it is.

7. Self-discipline:
Self-discipline is the final step that takes all that we have learned and puts it into action. This is a trait that for most of us has to be developed. To reach our goals we must visualize them as already being accomplished and have faith that we can reach them. When you believe in and trust yourself and have enough desire, self-discipline comes easily.

Taking control of your life

Taking control of your life is getting in touch with your values, setting meaningful goals and identifying your vision. To be in control of where life is taking you means being more productive, dealing more effectively with stress, having the ability to solve problems, handing change and developing healthy optimism. Start with these 7 steps and you are on your way.


1. Get in touch with your values:
When we feel like we are working hard but not getting anywhere it is probably because our priorities are not aligned with our values. To begin identifying your values ask yourself these questions:
Ø What is important to me? Wisdom, freedom, happiness, equality, security, self-respect, romantic love, money, power, comfortable living, fresh air, beauty, controlling others, etc. Rate these values.
Ø Who is important to me?
Ø What or who is most important? Be honest with yourself.
Ø What do I need to do to feel good about myself?
Ø How would you feel if someone you respect knew this was one of your values?
Ø Would you stick by this value?
Ø Is it who you are?
Ø How is this value affecting your life?
Make a list of your 10 top values. Of that 10 choose 4 and of the 4 choose your top two. From this exercise you will see where you need to focus your time and effort.


2. Decide what motivates you:
If tomorrow you knew you could do anything and not fail what would you do? Is there something you are passionate about but are afraid of trying? If you have no idea what your passion is spend some time reflecting on it. To start, write down the types of activities you like to do and the types of activities (hobbies) that make you feel good when you do them. What are your special skills and talents ? Don't be shy ? Usually if it's something we like to do we are probably good at it. What inspires you?

3. Set Goals:
In order to get what you really want you must start by setting goals. Goals fuel your intent and make your desires concrete. Start by writing the goals for this year in area of personal relationships, work, health, finances and spirituality. List five goals in each category (add more categories if you like). Then break them down into monthly and then weekly goals. Focusing on what you intend in your life will bring it to reality. You create your life ? So start now by setting your goals.

4. Take Action:
Goals are worthless without action. If you have written long-term and short-term goals and prioritized them, you have a plan of action. Just take it one step at a time and do something everyday that takes you closer to where you want to be. Remember however, to live in the present and be thankful for what you have now, enjoying the journey toward your goals. Read more information at : http://www.technoarea.com

5. Manage Your Time:
We all have the same amount of time to use in a day. Why do some people a lot done while others do very little? You have complete control of how much time you spend productively and how much you waste. Plan your days and prioritize your time to get the most out of the time you have. Use time-wasters like standing in line or waiting in a doctor's office to catch up on reading or something else that is important to you.

6. Do What Needs to be Done:
Do what has to be done to get to where you want to go। Whether it is a mundane task or internal work, putting it off gets us nowhere. You are either going forward or falling behind; there is no such thing as standing still. Sometimes when we work on ourselves we stop when we get to a place that we need to change. Change can be difficult when we have to step out of our comfort zone. The more change is needed the more difficult it is.

7। Self-discipline:


Self-discipline is the final step that takes all that we have learned and puts it into action. This is a trait that for most of us has to be developed. To reach our goals we must visualize them as already being accomplished and have faith that we can reach them. When you believe in and trust yourself and have enough desire, self-discipline comes easily.

Tips for happiness

I believe that everyone wants to feel happier -- sometimesthey just don't know where to begin. So here are tensure-fire ways to increase your happiness quotient - andachieve your goals more easily than before! 1. Don't expect perfection from yourself or anyone else.Don't forget this is planet Earth. And don't expectperfection in working these happiness tips, either. Leaninto them everyday, and your life can change. Progress isgood enough.2. Accept. Stop judgingWhen we judge ourselves, our circumstances, or other people, it leaves no opening to settle into and accept "what is." If your circumstances seem too severe to accept, try to resist less. And less. You will give yourself emotional space to move toward acceptance and change at the same time. Sounds like a contradiction, but that's the beauty. It isn't.3. Stay in the presentDo not waste time and energy regretting the past or worrying about the future. Worry is a drain. We might think that worry teaches us or motivates us, but calm presence is the best source of happiness, wisdom, and positive action.4. Be gratefulWhen we put our attention on all the good in our lives, thegood tends to increase. Remember to be thankful for thesmall blessings, the everyday things. At the University ofCalifornia at Davis, psychologist Robert Emmons found that those who wrote in a "gratitude journal" weekly experienced better health, more energy, and for patients with neuromuscular disease, less pain and fatigue. The more they found to be grateful for and the more detail they described in their journals, the greater benefits they experienced.5. Decide to be happyHaving the intention to be happy, regardless of currentcircumstances, attracts conditions that support you. The old saying that "like attracts like" even works with yourintentions. They act like a magnet and draw to you more ofwhat you are already resonating. If you want to be happy,make happiness your first desire.6. Be self-authorizedStop making choices based on what others believe you shoulddo, think, or be. Stay true to your own innate knowing ofwhat is best for you. Speak your truth in a kind manner. Let others be responsible for their reactions. 7. Choose how you feelWe often say that something or someone "made" us feel acertain way. And yet, as we watch people react sodifferently to the same event, we see with our own eyes thatpeople choose how they feel. Learn to pause. Take a moment to choose how you wish to react and feel. You may be surprised at how much leeway you have!8. Examine your beliefsOften things in our life we accept as facts are reallyself-defeating beliefs. Once you find these beliefs are nottrue, they will shift and dissolve. Beliefs influence everydecision you make.9. Expand your optionsAllow for more possibilities in the present and future,regardless of past experience. Drop the word "can't" fromyour self-talk. Allow yourself to dream big. On a weeklybasis, write down all your desires, and let the sky be thelimit. No one has to see this list but you!10.Create what you desireRather than putting all your energy into pushing away thethings you don't want, direct your energy into creating what you do want. Come up with even just one action step - and then the next - and start building the life you desire.Happiness is worth your time and attention because feelings affect every choice you make, every action and reaction. They, along with the hidden self-defeating beliefs thatunderlie them, create your life. They affect your brainchemistry, your immune system, your ability to fightdisease, and your longevity. They can make the differencebetween creating a relationship of mutual acceptance andrespect, or going your separate ways.So, go ahead, dive in. Don't feel guilty for wanting more.

Facing River of Difficulties

A very tired traveler came to the banks of a river.There was no bridge by which he could cross. It was winter, and the surfaceof the river was covered with ice. It was getting dark, and he wanted to reach the other side while there was enough light to see. He debated aboutwhether or not the ice would bear his weight.Finally, after much hesitation and fear, he got down on his knees and beganvery cautiously to creep across the surface of the ice. He hoped that by disturbing the weight of his body, the ice would be less apt to break underthe load.After he made his slow and painful journey about halfway across the river,he suddenly heard the sound of singing behind him. Out of the dusk, there came a 4-horse load of coal driven by a man singing merrily as he went tohis carefree way. Here was the traveler, fearfully inching his way on hishands and knees. And there, as if whisked along by the winter's wind, went the driver, his horses, his sled, and the heavy load of coal over the sameriver!The story illustrates how many of us go through life.Some stand on the bank of decisions unable to make up their minds about the course to take. Others stand on the banks trying to muster enough courageto cross over to the other side of the task or problem encountered. On theother hand, some individuals crawl and creep through life for fear of thin ice.Their faith is not strong enough to hold them up.Still there are those who whisked along whistling as they go. Their faithis UNSHAKABLE.…...When we face the river of difficulties, we do not have to fear, nor do we creep through life. God has promised to help, and with God's help we canmerrily make our way to the other side safely.

WIN - WIN SITUATIONS

Once a Hare and a Tortoise participated in a running race. As the story goes, the Hare, which reached the mid-point in a flash, decided to take a few minutes rest and dosed off. Alas, when it woke up, the slow and steady Tortoise had reached the goal post to become the winner. The Hare, which had a competitive spirit, could not take this insult of being beaten by a slow creature and decided that it has to redeem its honour. It challenged the Tortoise to another race. The Tortoise agreed but only if it would be able to choose the racing track. Alas, the Hare which agreed had to lose again as the track chosen by the clever Tortoise had a small river in between. Naturally, the Hare got stranded at that point and the Tortoise swam on to win.
Strangely, all this competitions had also created a brotherly bond between the two creatures. They sat down together and put a strategy in place to see whether they both can benefit. Ultimately, the Tortoise hoisted itself on the Hare and reached till the edge of the river in record time. The Hare changed places there and enjoyed to ride on the river sitting on Tortoise’s back. Their joy at discovering this team spirit was a big reward to both of them.
MANAGEMENT MORAL: Team spirit can create a Win-Win situation to all the parties. The other insight is that we should never agree to anything, without finding the tasks and the risks ahead.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Expression of love

In case you want to express your love and sympathy to your fellow persons, just think of a child.
He is innocent, godly, no desires, no ambitions, no hatred, no jealousy, no vengeance -
All he knows - a joyful smile
The child makes you forget all worries in the world
Because he is not guilty
Try to have the qualities of a child.
Be transparent, friendly and sympathetic to others - you can enrich the qualities of a child
And your world will be always a happiest one

Saturday, October 18, 2008

SELF CONFIDENCE

Once a king was defeated.
He was brought before his enemy. The opponent asked - "Where is your palace ?"
Without any hesitation, the kind replied showing his chest - "It is here."
Those who dare to do things always shine and win many more laurels. Have faith in yourselves. A person who has faith in himself has the courage and determination to even shake a mountain.

GET YOURSELF RELAXED

Relaxation is good technique by which the mind and body gets rejuvenated.
Each day, at least have your body muscles relaxed for ten to fifteen minutes.
Either relax in a chair; if possible lie down in a bed or floor. Have your two hands kept in a relaxed position. Have your legs in a relaxed position. No tension anywhere in your body. Now try to keep your mind at your will and say to your mind - relax, relax, relax. Now start telling each part of your body - relax, relax, relax.

After five to eight minutes, you can freely feel - all your body muscles are getting relaxed. You will be away from tension or worries. You can see or visualise quite a number of thoughts running here and there. Now you are watching all your thoughts without participating with them. After fifteen minutes, slowly get up and breathe slowly and deeply through your nose. Now you are fresh as a flower. You are energetic. You are fresh with new energy and you can proceed doing good number of activities during the remaining hours at your disposal.

This is called - conscious meditation through body muscles.
Do you know - each one of us are doing meditation daily without our knoweldge. That is our sleep. During sleep the entire process is taken automatically by bringing all body and mind muscles together. Once we get a good sleep, we are at deep meditation and we feel much better.

What is a defeat ?

What is meant by defeat ?
Defeat - it is nothing but an information or message shown to you that you were not having sufficient strength or calibre in achieving success in your endeavour.

Life is a miracle. Defeats are turning points through which we should understand the right direction as to where we should proceed in the future.

So, next time, when you feel defeat, dont get disappointed. Try to understand the underlined message and act accordingly.
Success is at the next door - believe it.

KNOW YOUR STRENGTH AND WEAKNESSES

This is the story of a swan.

Swan, as we all know, is a small bird - which can swim in water and cannot fly as high as an eagle.She likes to swim, likes to see nature as her friend, eats small insects and merrily enjoys with her friends.

One day, she saw quite a number of eagles flying high in the air. She thought - the eagles can fly high in the sky, they can go to various places, they can eat good number of food and of course they live a high status of life than hers.

She thought of joining the eagles group and one day she joined an eagles school.
When she arrived the school, she was given a warm welcome by a good number of eagles. The eagles were very ugly. They dont have the habit of taking bath. They smelt very bad. As a morning breakfast they offered the swan - four month old flesh of a dead rat. Swan never expected this kind of food from her new friends. She pleaded - "I am not hungry at present"

The eagles took the swan to their class room. The room was in a bad shape. Swan could see various kinds of bones of dead animals here and there. She could smell foul smell on account of rotten flesh shrewed here and there. She could see blood strains everywhere. She was told to sit on the flesh of dead dog.

Swan disliked the entire situation. She wanted to immediately run away from the scene. Somehow, she left the place and she joined in her own school immediately.

A swan is always swan. She is born to be a swan. She can reach heights as a swan nor as an eagle.

Some organisations lay greater emphasis on the strength of their employees. They understand that the knowledge, will power and capability and potential of their employees play a major role in bringing success to their organisations. They recognise the individual talents of their employees and utilise their energies and services to the fullest for their organisations.

Know yourself. Know your strength and weaknesses. Try activities suiting to your potential and you are sure to get success in your life.

In case you like dancing, try to become a dancer. In case you love music, try to be singer or a musician. In case you want to be a teacher, improve your communications skills.

Power of concentration

Whenver you do any work, do not have the practice of murmuring in your mind about you much time you had taken to complete your work.

Instead, just think over as to how much time you had been actually involved in your activities.
This is called the power of concentration.

Concentration is a habit by which you are controlling your mind and focussing your mental energies into a single activity without having any botheration about any other activity. This will enhance your vision and you will be able to do the work more effectively.

Students who are reading lessons for months together are getting poor marks whereas some students who are preparing their lessons only for a couple of days are getting good number of marks.

Since they have the power to control their mind and converge their energies into their desired activities, they are able to put their heart and soul into a single activity and they are able to grasp knowledge more than ten to twenty times than an average student.

Learn the power of concentration and learn the tricks in getting in examination and your occupation.

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR THOUGHTS

Have you noticed one thing in your life?
When you are about to complete your lessons, you say that you are getting a sound sleep. You also start saying that your mind is full of thoughts on various games, the activities relating to your friends, the cinema you had seen yesterday etc. etc.

You could have noticed this also in your life ?
When you are at a cinema hall or when you are actively engaged in any sports activities or when you are with your friends, you are not getting any thoughts relating to your lessons or studies ?

Why ?

It is the natural tendancy of the mind - to keep away from a work which seems to be very difficult for it.

However you can control your mind. Just like a sports activity, or viewing a cinema, you can also engage in your studies without any disturbance from any thoughts.
How ?
It is by sheer practice. Learn to control yourself. Once you had determined that you had to complete any work within a stipulated time, concentrate your energies and put your heart and soul into the work you are engaged in. Nothing is difficult. This you can practise within a week or ten days. Once you had mastered to control your mind, you can master any amount of your activities.

Success lies mostly in controlling our mind and our thoughts.

Thursday, October 16, 2008


On the basis of two comparative statistics, the following valuable information is made available.The average human reads less than two books a year. On the whole at present the people had lost the habit of reading. They are fond of reading newspapers, going to cinema halls, viewing TV, however, reading a book seems to be a tough subject for them.



On the contrary, notable personalities like great businessmen, poets, politicians read at least four books per week.


Whenever they find leisure time - during a flight in aircraft, idle sitting in hospitals etc., they used to read books of their choice.



We have to work for our survival. We should live with our family members, friends and relatives. However, there is an inherant need to satisfy our inner mind.


What are the benefits of reading ?


- You are calm during reading


- Your mind is at peaceful stage during the course of reading


- One part of your mind is active in reading, whereas the other parts of your mind finds leisure

KEEP YOURSELF AS POSITIVE

In view of the increasing negative events happening around the world here are five things you can do to help you stay positive.
1. Take a news sabbatical. Listening to the news can be downright depressing. All bad news all of the time can drag you down and keep you there. Give yourself permission to stop listening to the news, especially before bed time.

2. Use your influence to do good where you live. Shift your focus from what is happening in other parts of the world to your community. Get involved in making a positive change or contribution.

3. Focus on what is working in your life. Choose one thing that you are grateful for and focus on it for the rest of the day.

4. Express your appreciation to others. You can create a positive world one person at a time by saying thank you every chance you get to everyone you interact with ? from the person who holds open a door for you to your child who does a chore to a cherished friend or loved one.

5. Focus on what you can change, let go of what you can't change. When faced with a distressing situation ask yourself if you can control over the events. If you do, change what you can. If you don't, learn to let it go and move on.

LIFE IS FOR LIVING

Had you ever thought the purpose for which you have been living in this world ?More than 70% of the people live their lives without knowing the actual purpose for which they are born in this world. Is it for enjoyment ? Is it to live a life with full forms of enjoyment - with money, with as much pleasures of life as possible before the life term ends.Defintely not as such.About 20% of the people experience within themselves the slightest hint as to why they live in this world and what are their responsibilities and duties as a living human being. They have a purpose, principle and dedication to certain goals in their lives. They feel happy to live their lives; they feel happy to earn money, they feel happy to enjoy the pleasures of life as and when they come; they dont run behind blind desires to have as much pleasures as they can.The rest 10% - really understands the life to a desirable level. They understand that life is for living. To enjoy, to be happy and to be in peace. Above all they also understand that people around themselves should also enjoy, be happy and to live in peace. Their lives are in the form of sharing. Whatever they earn - they share. Wherever they are happy they share the happiness with others - their friends, colleagues or unknown people. They always make their presence everywhere - Because they are hamless

THE HARE AND THE TORTOISE

The teacher started calling her students belonging to Standard VIII - almost girls of twelve to thirteen year's old. The teacher started telling them the story. The story was that of the race between the hare and the tortoise. The students shrugged their shoulders - because they wondered whyt their teacher was telling the story meant for kids of three year's old . Once the story was completed the teacher now asked: "My dear girls - you know the tortoise was the winner and the hare was a loser. Tell me why?" First student: "The hare underestimated the talents of tortoise" Second student: "It was unfortunate that an ace winner like hare decided to compete with the dead slow tortoise" Third:"It shows the inner quality of tortoise. You can be slow - however steady. The consistent player in any field can win any race" Fourth: "Nobody should be prey to laziness. Laziness kills people" Fifth: "Hare had the potential to win - however very low determination. Poor in estimating the opponent's strength" Likewise the students started telling their opinions in regard to the qualities of hare and tortoise The teacher summed up: Never underestimate others; don't be a prey to lazines: be steadfast in your goal whatever may be the hurdles; above all have faith in yourself - the tortoise had the qualities and she won the race. Understimate others knowing fully well the inner strengths of the opponents; Forgetting goals often; lack of determination; Lack of will to reach the goal and finish the job - the hare had the above qualities and he lost the game. Be a tortoise - steadfast person aiming the goal and win your games

MOVE AHEAD

The king felt that he was not happy many times. He was not peaceful many times. He could not be happy throughout the day. Even though he was at a party or at a musical concert or with hundreds of people around him praising him to a large extent, he felt that he was not at total happiness. He could feel some sadness or grief clutching his heart from somewhere. He discussed this matter with his counsellors. They decided to meet a saint at a nearby hill and thought of getting a solution for this problem. The saint heard their view points and told the kind two words - just two words: "Move on" The kind and the counsellors could not understand the meaning of the words - "move on" What does it mean - move on ? - Moving from one place to another place - Moving from one room to another room - Moving from the palace to the mountains - Moving from one friend to another friend - Shifting the capital to another place - Shifting the spouse for another one - Shifting the children to another place or moving them to another person - Shifting the responsibilities Even after disucssion several times, they could not get the right point. Again they met the saint and asked for the solution The saint said: "Move on - means moving or shifting your mindset. When the mind is constantly doing the same thing, it loses its strength. It needs a change because change is inevitable. So, for a person he should move from one mindset to another mindset. How is this possible ? This is possible by forgetting the past and being in the present. It is also possible by forgetting the future and being in the present. In otherwords, to be at a present situation, one has to constantly active, doing something, or listening something. As a king, instead of plunging yourself into various celebrations, you should get yourselves involved in uplifting the welfare of your people by meeting them, creating various employment opportunities and you should always think about various measures in improving their living. In otherwords, do your duty to the best. It will make you - "Move On". Once you are on the move, you can be happy and at the same time you will be at peace."

IMPROVEMENT IN LIFE

There are always two ways – by which we can improve our life. One by improving ourselves by putting our best efforts in our mission in life. The other one is to think bad of others Those who want to follow the earlier path are of hard working nature and are liked by others around them. Their thoughts are like these- - How best I can perform my job ? - What best I can do for my family? - How best I can help my friends, relatives and others ? Their life is full of success . Those who follow later path in life – spend most of their time in finding fault with others and spend much of their time in exploiting other's labour and wealth. They live in an imaginary world where appreciations and floral tributes are poured on them The earlier path is presumed to be a longer one and in fact it is the shortest route for success in all walks of life. As Napoleon Hill said: "Do the thing you like best. Your life will be embellished and you will be an inspiration for hope faith and encouragement with all the persons with whom you are in contact" As a wise man said" = No route is required to remove the darkness – It is sufficient you proceed towards prosperity

TWO DAYS YOU SHOULD(NOT) FORGET

"What are the number of days in a week ?" – Let us analyse this question which is meant for one LKG student. There are seven days a week – From Monday to Sunday- Of which two days are most important Every person who wants to succeed in life, should never forget those two days. The day number one is – YESTERDAY. Yesterday was already utilized. Even if you are prepared to pay thousand crores of rupees you may not be able to get back – Yesterday. You have the privileges to mentally analyse the happenings of the past, however, you cannot have it to live in again. Bitter thoughts at home, the cutting and hurting remarks of the boss at office, criticisms from friends and enemies will pour at your heart thereby slowing down your further progress, whereas the sweet thoughts of your success, recognition and achievements fill up your heart energizing you to progress further. The day number two is – TOMORROW While nobody can guess – when it will rain or when the storm will hit – precisely, how can you decide the happening of TOMORROW which is not at all born ? You can have many ambitions however, they should be achieved – in otherwords you should have your ambitions performed Never mind – Those YESTERDAY which was already a dead one and TOMORROW which is yet to born. Just think of the present moment at your disposal. Convert each minute of your life into hard labour or fun with your family or fruitful discussions with your friends. Now, you are one among the happiest and rich persons in the world. Today well lived is the road for your tomorrow's journey

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

A Story Worth Reading . . .

I had a very special teacher in high school years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she shared some of her insight with a classroom of students. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she moved a few things aside on the edge of her desk and sat down there. With a gentle look of reflection on her face, she paused and said, "Class is over. I would like to share with all of you, a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important.

"Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is the Powers way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day."

Her eyes beginning to water, she went on, "So I would like you all to make me a promise. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent, perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground.

"Please look for these things, and cherish them. For, although it may sound trite to some, these things are the 'stuff' of life. The little things we are put here on earth to enjoy. The things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at anytime it can all be taken away."

The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester.

Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook.

Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot, or walk on the beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to get a double dip ice cream cone. For as we get older, is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do.

Remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away . .

QUOTATIONS FOR HEART

Consider what it takes to become an undeniable success with these sincere quotations that identify the fundamental factors necessary to triumph...
" Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other thing."-- Abraham Lincoln

"God gave us two ends. One to sit on and one to think with. Success depends on which one you use; head you win -- tails, you lose."-- Anonymous

"The ladder of success is best climbed by stepping on the rungs of opportunity."-- Ayn Rand

"Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get."-- B. R. Hayden

"Success is a journey, not a destination."-- Ben Sweetland

"The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes."-- Benjamin Disraeli

"I don't know the key to success,
but the key to failure is trying to please everybody."-- Bill Cosby

"The secret of success is to be in harmony with existence, to be always calm? to let each wave of life wash us a little farther up the shore." -- Cyril Connolly

"All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others." -- Danny Thomas

"Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other."-- Erma Bombeck

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must first set yourself on fire."-- Fred Shero

"Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time."-- George Bernard Shaw

"A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success."-- Joyce Brothers

"Failure is success if we learn from it."-- Malcolm S. Forbes

"The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself."-- Mark Caine

"True success is overcoming the fear of being unsuccessful."-- Paul Sweeney

"Get up one time more than you're knocked down."-- Peter's Principle of Success

"Most people who succeed in the face of seemingly impossible conditions are people who simply don't know how to quit."-- Robert Schuller

"The truth is that all of us attain the greatest success and happiness possible in this life whenever we use our native capacities to their greatest extent." -- Smiley Blanton

"When your physical environment is in alignment with your aspiration, success becomes the norm."-- Susan St Lawrence

"The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."-- Theodore Roosevelt

"The way to succeed is to double your error rate."-- Thomas Watson

"Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you're willing to pay the price." -- Vince Lombardi

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."-- Winston Churchill
"Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have."-- Zig Ziglar

The Power of Concentration - By Remez Sasson





When I was a child, I was shown a fascinating experience, how a magnifying glass could burn a piece of paper when the rays of the sun were focused through it. The fire could start only when the rays were concentrated to a small point. When the magnifying glass was moved too far away or too close, the rays were not focused and nothing happened.This experience demonstrates the tremendous power of concentration.Concentration can be described as focused attention, the ability to pay attention to one single thought or subject to the exclusion of everything else, and as one pointed mind.When our mind is focused we do not dissipate our energy on unnecessary activities. 

Developing concentration is essential to anyone who aspires to take charge of his life. It is required in order to succeed in all walks of life. Without it our efforts are dissipated, but with it we can accomplish a great deal.Concentration has many uses. Concentrating on your activities makes you perform them better, faster and successfully. Focusing on work makes work more efficient. A better concentration makes studying easier, understanding faster, and improves the memory. It helps us to focus on our goals and achieve them more easily.The concentration power enhances our inner healing powers, and helps us to send healing energies into our and others bodies. It is required for developing psychic powers. 

It is a powerful tool for the efficient use of creative visualization and the power of imagination.When this ability is developed, the mind obeys us readily, and does not engage in useless dissipating thoughts and worries, and we experience true peace of mind. Concentration, which is actually mind mastery, is also a very important tool in practicing meditation. Without it the mind just jumps restlessly from one subject to another. Last but not least, it brings us faster to the brink of Spiritual Enlightenment.Now you understand why it is very important and worthwhile to develop and improve the ability to concentrate.I have found out that I could always find the time to exercise each day, no matter how busy I was. If I could do that, you can too. Forget all your excuses that you do not have the time, or you are too busy. 

Do not say that the circumstances are not proper, and that you cannot find a place to be alone in order to exercise.I have found out that while leading an ordinary life, with a job and a family, it is possible to find the strength and the time to develop this ability. It is possible to develop the power of concentration wherever you are. I believe that if you realize the importance the power of concentration, you will certainly find the time, energy and desire for it.Thoughts claim our attention incessantly, and waste our time and energy on unimportant and useless matters. They actually rule our life. We have become so accustomed to this slavery, that we take it for granted, and have become unconscious of this habit, except on certain occasions. While breathing we do not need to pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. 

We become conscious of the process of breathing, only when we have some difficulty with breathing, such as when our nose is clogged due to a cold or when we are in an unventilated room.It is the same with thinking. We become conscious of the onslaught of our thoughts, and of our inability to quell them, only when we need to concentrate, solve a problem, study or when we have worries or fears. Look at the following familiar scene. You need to study something for your job or for an exam. You sit comfortably on the sofa with the book in your hands and start reading. After a while you feel hungry and go to the kitchen to eat something.You return to read, and then hear you people talking outside. You listen to them for several moments and then bring your attention back to the book.After a while you feel restless and switch on the radio to listen to some music. 

You continue to read for a little while, and then remember something that happened yesterday, and you start thinking about it.When you look at your watch, you are amazed to find out that one complete hour has passed and you have hardly read anything.This is what happens when concentration is not strong enough to ward off all disturbances. There are many situations in life, where a little concentration can make a great difference. Think, and find out where you could use more concentration. Imagine what you could have accomplished,if you possessed better concentration.Concentration is worth cultivation. All spiritual traditions talk about it. It is useful in many ways in our ordinary daily life, for studying or working, for meditation, developing psychic powers and for magic.A work that requires physical strength, such as carrying heavy loads for example, develops physical strength. 

Yet, it is not as going daily to the gym and training in a systematic manner. It is the same with concentration. Reading, studying and trying to pay attention to what we do, develop some concentration ability, but practicing concentration exercises diligently each day is something else, it is like training in a gym.Resistance to developing concentration In order to develop this ability we have to train our mind. Most people shun concentration and do not even want to try. They think that concentration is strenuous and tiring, and that it involves exertion and tension, which are difficult and unpleasant.One of the reasons for this belief is because most people did not like to go to school, when they were children. They preferred play to study.Teachers and parents expected them to study, do their homework and bring good grades. As children, they felt coerced and forced to do something they did not like to do. 

In this way, in the children's minds, study became associated with doing something against their will. Studying needs concentration, and as children are often reminded that they are not concentrating enough, they develop a loathing for concentration. It becomes associated with coercion, lack of freedom,doing something they do not like and which is against their will. When they grow up, it is no wonder that their powers of concentration are weak, and there is no desire to strain mentally.We acknowledge the fact that good concentration is a great asset, yet most of us do nothing to enhance it, mostly because we do not know how. Reading and thinking about the benefits of concentration and about the reasons why it should be cultivated can help us change our attitude to ward it.Concentration can be fun if approached in the right way. It should be practiced with joy, fun, optimism, and understanding of its great possibilities. It has to be approached in a positive manner and then success dawns.

The benefits of developing concentration Sometimes you can find strong powers of concentration in yourself. When you are decisive and sincerely want to excel in your studies, pass an important exam, or solve a problem, the power of concentration becomes available to you. This kind of concentration is raised because of some need, or desire. Developing it in a systematic way, brings it under your control, and grants you the ability to use it easily, with no exertion whenever you need it.Real and good concentration is developed gradually, through daily work, and with special exercises. 

It has to be approached in a reasonable and practical way.Consider what the power of concentration can give you:-Control of thoughts.-Peace of mind.-Self-confidence.-Inner strength. -Will power.-The ability to focus your mind.-Better memory.-The ability to decide and carry on your decisions.-Better functioning in daily life, whether at home or at work. -The ability to study and comprehend more quickly.-Stop being carried away with every passing thought.-Freedom from needless and annoying thoughts.-Think when you want to, about what you want to think.-Inner happiness.-Help in developing psychic abilities.-More powerful and efficient creative visualization and guided imagination.-True meditation.-Spiritual Enlightenment.-And much more…It seems too good to be true? Develop your concentration and find out for yourself!So what about beginning to develop concentration power today?

Facing River of Difficulties




A very tired traveler came to the banks of a river.There was no bridge by which he could cross. It was winter, and the surfaceof the river was covered with ice. It was getting dark, and he wanted to reach the other side while there was enough light to see. He debated aboutwhether or not the ice would bear his weight.Finally, after much hesitation and fear, he got down on his knees and beganvery cautiously to creep across the surface of the ice. He hoped that by disturbing the weight of his body, the ice would be less apt to break underthe load.After he made his slow and painful journey about halfway across the river,he suddenly heard the sound of singing behind him. Out of the dusk, there came a 4-horse load of coal driven by a man singing merrily as he went tohis carefree way.

Here was the traveler, fearfully inching his way on hishands and knees. And there, as if whisked along by the winter's wind, went the driver, his horses, his sled, and the heavy load of coal over the sameriver!The story illustrates how many of us go through life.Some stand on the bank of decisions unable to make up their minds about the course to take. Others stand on the banks trying to muster enough courageto cross over to the other side of the task or problem encountered. On theother hand, some individuals crawl and creep through life for fear of thin ice.Their faith is not strong enough to hold them up.Still there are those who whisked along whistling as they go. Their faithis UNSHAKABLE.…...When we face the river of difficulties, we do not have to fear, nor do we creep through life. God has promised to help, and with God's help we canmerrily make our way to the other side safely.

THE FAMILY - JUST THINK OVER



The man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year-old son waiting for him at the door... Son: "Daddy, may I ask you a question" Daddy: "Yeah sure, what it is?" Son : "Dad, how much do you make an hour" Daddy: "That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?" that man said angrily Son : "I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?" Daddy : "I make Rs. 500 an hour" "Oh", the little boy replied, with his head down. Looking up, he said, "Dad, may I please borrow Rs. 300?" The father was furious, "if the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or other nonsense, then march yourself to your room and go to bed. Think why you are being so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behavior" The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.

 The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money? After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think:"May be there was something he really needed to buy with that Rs. 300 and he really didn't ask for money very often!" The man went to the door of little boy's room and opened the door. "Are you asleep, son?" He asked. "No daddy, I'm awake," replied the boy. "I've been thinking, may be I was too hard on you earlier", said the man, "It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the Rs.300 you asked for" The little boy sat straight up, smiling "oh thank you dad!" He yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled some crippled up notes.

The man, seeing that the boy already had money, started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money, then looked up at his father. "Why do you want money if you already had some?" the father grumbled. "Because I didn't have enough, but now I do," the little boy replied."Daddy I have Rs. 500 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you" MORAL It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life.

We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the fami! ly & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family. An unwise investment indeed! You know what's the full word of FAMILY ? FAMILY=(F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU.

WHAT IS MOTIVATION?



The word "motivation" is often used to describe certain sorts of behaviour. A student who studies hard and tries for top grades may be described as being "highly motivated", while her friend may say that he is "finding it hard to get motivated" to study for an exam or to start an assignment. Such statements imply that motivation has a major influence on our behaviour but they don't really tell us how.

A Definition of Motivation

Motivation can be defined as a concept used to describe the factors within an individual which arouse, maintain and channel behaviour towards a goal.

Another way to say this is that motivation is goal-directed behaviour.

While it is easy to see the things that a person does, it is much harder to guess at why they are doing it. As an example let us look at our hard-working student. It may be that that student is working hard because she wants to get high marks, but it might also be that she really enjoys learning that subject. She may be striving for high marks because she wants to impress her friends or because she wants a good job, so that the marks themselves are really a step toward another goal. It is dangerous to assume that you know what is motivating someone because you really can't "read their mind".

Since it is part of a manager's job to get their work done through others, managers need to understand why people do things (that is, what motivates them?) so that s/he can convince their employees to work towards the goals of the organisation.


APPROACHES TO UNDERSTANDING MOTIVATION

Theories are ways that we try to explain and understand complex and abstract issues and ideas. Abstract ideas are ideas like truth or love. They are very difficult to talk about because they are very hard to describe and define. They are not clear cut or concrete. Motivation is a fairly difficult area and there are a number of theories which have been developed to try to explain why people behave in the ways that they do and to try to predict or guess what people actually will do, based on these theories.

Basically there are two general approaches to motivational theory.



CONTENT THEORIES - what makes people tick. what turns them on or off.

These theories suggest that people have certain needs and/or desires which have been internalised . (This means that as we have grown up we have learned that these are things that we want and need and we come to believe it so strongly that we think that it is a natural thing to want these things.) These theories look at what it is about certain people that make them want the things that they do and what things in their environment will make them do or not do certain things. For example why would a person who was getting a lot of money for a job still be unhappy? Maybe there are other things which they consider to be more or equally important such as the work environment or the friendship and support of the people that they work with.

We will look briefly at two content theories of motivation.


Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Theory

Abraham Maslow (1908 - 1970) developed a theory of motivation based on a hierarchy of needs. This is probably the most popular theory of management although the theory does have its critics..

Maslow believed that each person has five categories of needs

Physiological needs - Basic needs for the body, such as food shelter drink rest etc.

Safety needs - Where the basic needs are reasonably satisfied we turn to thinking about protection from danger, security and order so that we feel safe. These safety needs can be a concern for physical safety but also covers psychological safety needs such as job security etc.

Social needs - Once the first two needs are reasonably satisfied, social needs such as needing acceptance, giving and receiving affection and "belonging" become things that people want

Ego needs - Next comes people's need for achievement, self esteem, self confidence, respect and status

Self Actualisation needs - finally at the top of the hierarchy once all of the other levels have been reasonably satisfied is the need to become the person that we feel that we are capable of becoming. This means that we have achieved what we consider to be our very best.

Maslow believed that the lower needs (physiology and safety etc) needed to be at least partially covered before the higher needs (such as ego and self actualisation) could be activated (In fact Maslow believed that these two higher needs are very rarely satisfied in anyone). He believed that once one set of needs was at least partly satisfied people would begin to be motivated by needs from the next category. An example which might be used here is a shift in the emphasis of the union movement in Australia from wages and working hours to now emphasising issues such as job security, industrial health and other security issues. There is also a move away from unsatisfying specialisation to a team or group work system which gives workers more responsibility and hence more satisfaction. Informal groups such as sporting or friendship groups are also often encouraged in the work environment. Can you see what needs this is addressing?

Maslow also believed that people were often motivated by more than one set of needs at a time and that they place varying importance on different needs. This means that someone could be motivated by their basic need for food, shelter and comfort but may override these needs by refusing to do a job which contradicts their personal values. Their self-esteem (which is an ego need) was the dominant one. As our circumstances change the needs that we consider to be the most important to us can change too. If the physiological needs are neglected for too long we may starve or become ill. These needs may then become the dominant ones and the job taken even though it conflicts with a person's values.

In Australia as an affluent or wealthy country, most peoples lower needs are satisfied and so we are not really motivated by them because we already have them. We are fairly safe and have enough to eat so we are more often motivated by higher needs. Maslow suggests that once we have activated these higher needs we often view them as more important than the lower needs. as an example of this an employer might wonder why a job which is secure and has a good superannuation package as its main attraction does not attract applicants. It may be that the sort of person that the employer wants for the job is more attracted by the ego needs such as independence and sense of achievement in a job and considers that it is worth the risk of an insecure job environment


Hertzberg's Two Factor Theory

Like Maslow Hertzberg believed that people had higher and lower levels of needs. Unlike Maslow who had five levels of needs Hertzberg has divided human needs into two categories.

· Hygiene factors - "environmental factors" such as salary, inter-personal relationships, working conditions, style of leadership and types of supervision, security, type of work, working hours, status. Hygiene factors are so called because they are seen to work like preventative medicine. They stop you from getting sick but do not really do anything to make you the healthiest that you can be, or better than you were. In a management context this means that hygiene factors don't motivate people to do their very best but they are needed to stop people becoming dissatisfied with their jobs.

· Motivating factors - factors within a job which allow for such things as achievement, responsibility, recognition, advancement, challenge. Hertzberg suggests that these factors are the ones which encourage people to strive to do well, in other words to motivate them to do their best.

Hertzberg believed that these two levels of needs were equally important for job satisfaction however they worked in different ways. If the lower needs are inadequate workers will quickly become dissatisfied, however, as these needs are satisfied trying to motivate staff by just adding more hygiene factors such as wages or work hours is an inefficient and short term solution. A better way would be to appeal to their higher level needs by giving them more responsibility or giving them greater scope for advancement. In this way the individuals goals are satisfied as well as those of the organisation. Job enrichment programs are where jobs are redesigned to incorporate these motivating factors.



Process Theories - how and by what goals people are motivated.

Process theories of motivation look at what people are thinking about when they decide whether or not to put effort into a particular activity. Here is just one of a number of this type of approach to motivation theory.

Adam's Equity Theory

Adam's argues that people are motivated by "inequity". That means that a person looks at others who are doing the same or similar jobs to them and compare how much effort that they put into the job and how much they are rewarded for their work.
For example a person who was working very hard in a job may see a colleague who does not put in much effort at all has the same rewards of salary, prestige, promotion etc. This would probably be a negative motivator, discouraging that person from working so hard. There are, on the other hand, positive motivators where a person feels that they receive more than others in the same job and so feel that they are being rewarded for their efforts.

Know ur Value





A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a Rupee 500 note. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this Rupee 500 note?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this note to one of you but first let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the note up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty.
"Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

You are special. Don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams. "VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED BY YOU"

INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS




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1 WE CANNOT HOLD A TORCH TO ANOTHER MAN'S PATH WITHOUT BRIGHTENING OUR OWN

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2 EDUCATION IS NOT PREPARATION FOR LIFE. EDUCATION IS LIFE ITSELF * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

3 PAIN IS INEVITABLE. SUFFERING IS OPTIONAL.

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4 IF U DON'T HEAR OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING, FIND ANOTHER DOOR. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

5 WHEN IT IS DARK ENOUGH , YOU CAN SEE THE STARS.

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6 NEVER LOOK DOWN ON ANYBODY UNLESS YOU ARE HELPING THEM UP. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

7 NOTHING IS SO STRONG AS GENTELNESS, AND NOTHING IS SO GENTLE AS TRUE STRENGTH.

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8 HATEFUL PEOPLE THINK GOD IS ON THEIR SIDE BUT LOVING PEOPLE ALWAYS TRY TO BE ON GOD'S SIDE.

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9 FROM WHAT WE GET WE CAN MAKE A LIVING. WHAT WE GIVE HOWEVER MAKES A LIFE. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

10 A MAN HAS MADE ATLEAST A START ON DISCOVERING THE MEANING OF HUMAN LIFE WHEN HE PLANTS SHADE TREES UNDER WHICH HE KNOWS FULL WELL HE WILL NEVER SIT.

BE A POSITIVE MINDED PERSON





In view of the increasing negative events happening around the world here are five things you can do to help you stay positive.
1. Take a news sabbatical. Listening to the news can be downright depressing. All bad news all of the time can drag you down and keep you there. Give yourself permission to stop listening to the news, especially before bed time.

2. Use your influence to do good where you live. Shift your focus from what is happening in other parts of the world to your community. Get involved in making a positive change or contribution.

3. Focus on what is working in your life. Choose one thing that you are grateful for and focus on it for the rest of the day.

4. Express your appreciation to others. You can create a positive world one person at a time by saying thank you every chance you get to everyone you interact with ? from the person who holds open a door for you to your child who does a chore to a cherished friend or loved one.


5. Focus on what you can change, let go of what you can't change. When faced with a distressing situation ask yourself if you can control over the events. If you do, change what you can. If you don't, learn to let it go and move on.

Confident, persistent, assertive...we want you!




The other day I glossed over an advertisement that read – If you are confident, persistent, assertive, disciplined and persuasive, We Want You! Beautiful! I said. If any human being has these qualities , then not just a company, the whole world needs such a person. If we can take a deeper look into these qualities and the combination that they form, then surely we'd have a better understanding of the inherent human tendencies and groom them into a positive frame of being. Let us make an analysis of each of these qualities and then watch their impact in combination.

Confidence - usually it has always been confused with arrogance. Confidence is that state of being which arises from a very 'clear stream of reason' and when this has lost its way, there is none but arrogance. Thus, oozing with confidence, is like a perfectly ripe fruit, that is juicy. It takes a whole lot of effort on the part of the plant before its fruits are perfectly ripe, almost like the most loving gift of a Mother (Nature), bestowed upon a dear child. Which means, it arises from a high degree of perfection in the task at hand, arising from an in-depth understanding of the subject and a high level of discipline in practice.

Persistence – perseverance and doggedness is the only way to keep driving one's own self into performing. – Old saying from Sant Kabir - Karat Karat Abhyaas Te Jadamati Hot Sujaan, Rasari Aawat Jat Te Sir(l) Per Padat Nisaan. [With repeated effort and practice even a thick headed can become Knowledgeable, Just as with continuous rub of rope on a stone (over a long period) leaves its mark] This is the primary requirement for any profession – sports, music, art or natural and humanitarian sciences, et al. Think of the days immediately after the twin (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) atomic explosions in Japan. There, inside a burnt down garage, two young lads were trying to figure out how to pick up the threads of their life and take it forward. From there emerged the SONY Company, a multinational firm that became a household name in the field of electronic equipments. They strived so hard that a time came when they were unable to find any visible error in their electronic manufacturing. Since 100% efficiency is technically and practically impossible and against the laws of nature, they started observing minutely. Close monitoring revealed that their error percentage was reduced to extremely miniscule levels. That led them to coin a different term, unknown to the world till then – PPM (defective parts per million). That meant that they had less than 10 defective pieces per million, i.e. 0.000009%, a Unique Achievement by Human Standards. Only this kind of sheer grit makes achievers out of ordinary people, none else. Achievers aren't different people, they just do ordinary things differently. Persistence cannot happen mechanically, nor can it happen with over enthusiasm. The art lies in striking a balance. An article in a National daily said that India's Prized Nuclear Programme, that brings teeth to its bargaining capacity with the world, is fed by Rural India! "Interesting!" I said. The report revealed how the best of the minds are running away abroad in search of a secure Profession with a bright Future!!! Leaving, students from rural India, to work on these Super-Speciality projects. Beautiful!
Don't they need bright and secure prospects? However, such a big dream (to work on important National Projects) is enough to ignite their minds and motivate them, bringing the best out of them to the fore. Not only this, whatever they achieve, it is indigenous, giving them a higher degree of satisfaction and sense of fulfilment, that many of these 'bright and secure future' seekers don't get. With these students' work, we are competitive in the world and best in quite a few sectors in Science and technology – unbelievable, isn't it? This proves that what is necessary is passionate and sincere effort to attain a dream. An Einstein used to fail in mathematics in school and an educationist of the stature of Tagore never liked school!! This is perseverance in real sense, to fulfill a dream; not by hook or crook, but by sincere and diligent effort. Assertion – this is a quality that is usually misunderstood with stubbornness and a very fine line marks the difference. Assertion of anything comes with a great sense of responsibility. It is usually said – assert your rights, but remember rights are always paired with duties. Assertion can never take place in a desensitised manner. It always keeps in view the overall perspective and acts in tandem with collective interest in mind. A deep sense of accountability is fundamental for being assertive in the right way, absolutely uncompromising in spirit. There is another aspect to this quality. In quite a few cases, we see that people are not assertive, because they feel that they need to be considerate, like Arjuna wanted to be considerate towards all those elders who were prepared to fight against him and siding dishonest. At that point of time, Krishna says, "abandoning all weaknesses, O' Arjuna, get up." Our scriptures and saints have always said- one who bears pain without complaining as much to blame as the one who inflicts it. Both are equal partners in the scheme of sin. Discipline – that state of mind, where one can single pointedly dedicates one's own self to the task at hand. This can happen only when - one is convinced of the benefits of the actions (the role of the intellect), - motivated enough to apply without falling prey to any kind of laziness (the aspect of mind) and – has a fit and stable body. Balance in Body-Mind-Intellect is an apriori to a spirited yet controlled effort for functioning, that too with the same effort and over a long period of time. Or else it is not discipline. One has to search out newer means to maintain a discipline (in the right spirit) If a batsman scores 300 in one game and scores Zero in two matches, thus averaging 100 runs per match. Yet the team loses in 2 out of three matches and all the runs scored will surely not have much value.

Persuasive – this is a science as well as an art. When the chips are down, the best of the men falter in persuasion and sustaining the spirit and flame of constructive work. Let me quote from a talk delivered by our present President. This portrays the best picture of how positive people can be? "I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news. In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.
Why are we so NEGATIVE?" This is Persuasion. Believe me persuasion begins from persuading one's own Self. As Swami Vivekananda used to say that every communication is 30% words and other external means, while the remaining and vital 70% percent comes from inner feelings, which gets communicated, whether desired or not. If we're not convinced, we'll never mange to get the thought translated onto others. The most beautiful words that illustrate this concept, again, belong to Dr. Kalam, when he says, "I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India. For her, you and I will have to build this developed India. You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation." When thought emanates from the innermost core, the intensity with which it emerges makes the thought transform into action and at times take the dimension of a collective passion. That is why I felt that if a person has the above qualities in the correct blend, there is no stopping. Such a person is none short of a social dynamo and benefits the personal and the collective being, hence is always the Most Wanted