Mother's Sacrifice

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... she was such an embarrassment. My mom ran a small shop at a flea market. She collected little weeds and such to sell... anything for the money we needed she was such an embarrassment. There was this one day during elementary school.I remember that it was field day, and my mom came. I was so embarrassed.How could she do this to me? I threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school..."Your mom only has one eye?!" and they taunted me.

I wished that my mom would just disappear from this world so I said to my mom, "Mom, why don't you have the other eye?! You're only going to make me a laughingstock. Why don't you just die?" My mom did not respond. I guess I felt a little bad, but at the same time, it felt good to think that I had said what I'd wanted to say all this time.

Maybe it was because my mom hadn't punished me, but I didn't think that I had hurt her feelings very badly.That night...I woke up, and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. My mom was crying there, so quietly, as if she was afraid that she might wake me. I took a look at her, and then turned away. Because of the thing I had said to her earlier, there was something pinching at me in the corner of my heart. Even so, I hated my mother who was crying out of her one eye. So I told myself that I would grow up and become successful, because I hated my one-eyed mom and our desperate poverty.

Then I studied really hard. I left my mother and came to Seoul and studied, and got accepted in the Seoul University with all the confidence I had. Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. Then I had kids, too. Now I'm living happily as a successful man. I like it here because it's a place that doesn't remind me of my mom.

This happiness was getting bigger and bigger, when someone unexpected came to see me "What?! Who's this?!" ...It was my mother...Still with her one eye. It felt as if the whole sky was falling apart on me. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom's eye.

And I asked her, "Who are you? I don't know you!!!" as if I tried to make that real. I screamed at her "How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter! GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!" And to this, my mother quietly answered, "oh, I'm so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address," and she disappeared. Thank good ness... she doesn't recognize me. I was quite relieved. I told myself that I wasn't going to care, or think about this for the rest of my life.

Then a wave of relief came upon me...one day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. I lied to my wife saying that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went down to the old shack, that I used to call a house...just out of curiosity there, I found my mother fallen on the cold ground. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand.... it was a letter to me.

She wrote:
My son...
I think my life has been long enough now. And... I won't visit Seoul anymore... but would it be too much to ask if I wanted you to come visit me once in a while? I miss you so much. And I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I decided not to go to the school.... For you... I'm sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you.

You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye... so I gave you mine...I was so proud of my son that was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye. I was never upset at you for anything you did. The couple times that you were angry with me. I thought to myself, 'it's because he loves me.' I miss the times when you were still young around me.

I miss you so much. I love you. You mean the world to me.
My world shattered!!!

Then I cried for the person who lived for me... My Mother

************ ********* *******

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Boss and Scientist

One day, a scientist came to his boss and told him - Sir, I have promised to my children that I will take them to the exhibition going on in our township. So I want to leave the office at 5:30 pm.

His boss replied - OK, you are permitted to leave the office early today.

The Scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8.30 p.m.Suddenly he remembered of the promise he had given to his children. He looked for his boss...he was not there. Having told him in the morning itself, he closed everything and left for home.

Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children.

He reached home. Children were not there.His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive, any talk would boomerang on him.

His wife asked him - Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry?

The man replied - If you would like to have coffee, I too will have but what about Children???

Wife replied- You don't know?? Your manager came at 5:15 p.m and has taken the children to the exhibition.

What had really happened was this -

The boss who granted him permission observed him working seriously at 5:00 p.m. He thought to himself, this person will not leave the work, but if he has promised his children, then they should enjoy the visit to exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them to exhibition.

The boss does not have to do it every time. But once it is done, loyalty is established.

That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was tremendous.

By the way, can you hazard a guess as to who the boss was????????

.
He was A P J Abdul Kalam.

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Fun Facts

Fun Facts:

1. It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body.
2. It's been proven that people can lessen reactions to allergies by laughing.
3. Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system.
4. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day.Azzlts only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
5. The middle ages, people would pin the name of their sweet heart to their sleeve on Valentine’s Day and keep it there for a week, hence “wearing their heart on their sleeve”.
6. It was during the Victorian era that the formerly nude Cupid was redesigned as wearing a skirt.
7. The human heart creates enough pressure while pumping to squirt blood 30 feet!!
8. February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
9. Tomato Ketchup was once used as medicine in the United States. Was sold as "Dr.Miles Compound Extract of Tomato"
10. When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red
11. Dating back to the 1600's, thermometers were filled with Brandy instead of mercury
12. The quartz crystal in your wristwatch vibrates 32,768 times a second
13. An earthquake on Dec. 16, 1811 caused parts of the Mississippi River to flow backwards.
14. Shoe sizes were standardized in Britain in 1885
15. The average person's eyes will be closed about 30 minutes a day due to blinking.
16. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
17. Every day 200 million couples make love, 400,000 babies are born, and 140,000 people die.
18. There are at least 40 known carcinogens in cigarettes.
19. The earliest British expeditions tackling Everest wore tweed jackets, woolen underwear, and leather boots.
    
    The amniotic fluid that surrounds a baby in the womb is completely replaced every three hours.
20. During World War II, twice as many fighter pilots were killed during training than combat
21. In 1962 an outbreak of contagious laughter in Tanganyika lasted for six months and caused schools to be closed
22. A nautical mile measures 6,080 feet while a land or statute mile is 5,280 feet
23. No one can drown in the Dead Sea. It is 25 percent salt, which makes the water very heavy
24. Plants watered with warm water grow larger and more quickly than plants watered with cold water
25. Earth's oceans contain 7 1/2 million tons of gold, dissolved in the water
26. Children who are breastfed tend to have an I.Q. seven points higher than children who are not.
27. The bird flu virus could evolve into a form that is easily spread between people, resulting in a highly contagious and lethal disease.
28. The Chinese, in olden days, used marijuana only as a remedy for dysentery.
29. If you are right handed, you will tend to chew your food on the right side of your mouth. If you are left handed, you will tend to chew your food on the left side of your mouth.
30. To make half a kilo of honey, bees must collect nectar from over 2 million individual flowers
31. Heroin is the brand name of morphine once marketed by 'Bayer'.
32. Communications giant Nokia was founded in 1865 as a wood-pulp mill by Fredrik Ides tam.
33. Tourists visiting Iceland should know that tipping at a restaurant is considered an insult!
34. People in nudist colonies play volleyball more than any other sport.
35. Albert Einstein was offered the presidency of Israel in 1952, but he declined.
36. Astronauts can't belch- there is no gravity to separate liquid from gas in their stomachs.
37. Ancient Roman, Chinese and German societies often used urine as mouthwash.
38. The average person who stops smoking requires one hour less sleep a night.
39. The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. In the Renaissance era, it was fashion to shave them off!
40. Because of the speed at which Earth moves around the Sun, it is impossible for a solar eclipse to last more than 7 minutes and 58 seconds.
41. The night of January 20 is "Saint Agnes's Eve," which is regarded as a time when a young woman dreams of her future husband.
42. There are over 25 million bubbles waiting to burst out of each bottle of Champagne
43. Google is actually the common name for a number with a million zeros
44. It takes glass one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times!
45. The "heat" of peppers is rated on the Scoville scale
46. Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years
47. Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end
48. If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. For when a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
49. Each year 2,000,000 smokers either quit smoking or die of tobacco-related diseases.
50. When it originally appeared in 1886 - Coca Cola was billed as an Esteemed Brain Tonic and Intellectual Beverage.
51. Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals
52. Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers.
53. The song, "Auld Lang Syne" is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the New Year.
54. For every real Christmas tree harvested, two to three seedlings are planted in its place.
55. Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent
56. Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn't smoke unless it's heated above 450°F
57. The Shell Oil Company originally began as a novelty shop in London that sold seashells
58. The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
59. Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean
60. The banana cannot reproduce itself. It can be propagated only by the hand of man
61. Airports at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density
62. Fish and Chip selling officially remained an offensive trade until 1940 due to the smell it produces
63. The University of Alaska spans four time zones
64. The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself.
65. In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted.
66. Do you know the names of the three wise monkeys? They are: Mizaru(See no evil), Mikazaru(Hear no evil), and Mazaru(Speak no evil).
67. Warner Comm. paid $28 million for the copyright to the song 'Happy Birthday'
68. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
69. A comet's tail always points away from the sun
70. The "Swine flu" vaccine in 1976 caused more death and illness than the disease it was intended to prevent
71. Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers that is why it is found in some medicines.
72. The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity.
73. If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day.
74. When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight
75. Trivia is the Roman goddess of sorcery, hounds and... the crossroads
76. In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed
77. Strawberries are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside
78. Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams
79. It cost the soft drink industry $100 million a year for thefts committed involving vending machines
80. The moon moves about two inches away from the Earth each year
81. The Earth gets 100 tons heavier every day due to falling space dust
82. Due to earth's gravity it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters
83. Men's shirts have the buttons on the right, but women's shirts have the buttons on the left
84. Mickey Mouse is known as "Topolino" in Italy
85. Soldiers do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down
86. The painting that won second place in a competition held by the US National Academy of Design was hanging upside down when it was judged
87. Everything weighs one percent less at the equator
88. For every extra kilogram carried on a space flight, 530 kg of excess fuel are needed at lift-off
89. The letter J does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements
90. Snake venom is ninety percent protein
91. Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature
92. Pizza Hut is the world's largest pizza restaurant serving close to 1.7 million pizzas a day
93. Beer foam will go down by licking your finger then sticking it in the beer
94. Those stars and colors you see when you rub your eyes are called phosphenes
95. A full-moon is nine times brighter than a half-moon
96. If all of the blood vessels in your body were placed end to end, they would stretch 12,000 miles
97. If you were to roll a lung from a human body and out flat it would be the size of a tennis court
98. Everyone's tongue print is different, like fingerprints
99. Two-thirds of the people in the world have not made a phone call
100. Contrary to popular belief, a swallowed chewing gum doesn't stay in the gut. It will pass through the system and be excreted
101. The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket
102. The Nobel Peace Prize medal depicts 3 naked men with their hands on each others shoulders
103. Earth is traveling through space at 660,000 miles per hour
104. In 1643, the British Parliament officially abolished the celebration of Christmas
105. Santa's Reindeers are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen
106. In 1875 the director of the US patent office resigned. He said that there was nothing left to invent
107. The Channel between England and France grows about 300 millimeters each year
108. The average person's field of vision encompasses a 200-degree wide angle
109. Offered a new pen to write with, 97% of all people will write their own name
110. On average, a person has two million sweat glands
111. Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.
112. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
113. Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is white there is a thin film of bacteria on it.
114. The attachment of the human skin to muscles is what causes dimples
115. 97% of the earth's water is undrinkable
116. The Earth gets heavier each day by tons, as meteoric dust settles on it
117. All babies are color blind when they are born
118. Babies' eyes do not produce tears until the baby is approximately six to eight weeks old
119. 14 million people were killed in World War I, 20 million died in flu epidemic in the years that followed
120. There are more than 40,000 characters in the Chinese script
121. Vision requires more brain power than the other four senses
122. On average, men are 40% muscle and 15% fat; women are 23% muscle and 25% fat.

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Attention Mobile users

*Dear All **!! Please take care*
>
> IF SOME ONE ASKS YOU TO DIAL *#09 or #90*, Please Do Not
> Dial This When Asked,
>
> Please circulate URGENTLY.
>
> *New Trick of Jehadi Muslim Terrorists to Frame Innocent People!!*
>
> If you receive a phone call on your Mobile from any person saying that they are
> checking your mobile line, and you have to press *#90 or #09* or any other number.
> End this call immediately without pressing any Number.
>
> There is a fraud company using a device that once you press *#90 or #09 they
> can access your SIM card and make calls at your expense.
>
> Forward this message to as many friends as u can, to stop it. This
> information has been confirmed by both Motorola and Nokia.
>
> There are over 3 million affected mobile phones. You can check this news at
> CNN web site also.
>
> With Best Regards

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Valentine's Day

In spite of what you have been told by everyone,
the truth is that Valentine's Day originated hundreds of years
ago, in India, and to top it all, in Punjab.

It is a well known fact that Punjabi men, continually mistreat and
disrespect their wives (Punjabans). One fine day, it happened to be the 14th
day of February, one brave Punjaban, having had enough "torture" by her
husband, finally chose to rebel by beating him up with a Velan (rolling
pin).

Yes....the same Velan which she used daily, to make chapattis for
him....only this time, instead of the dough, it was the husband who was
flattened.

This was a momentous occasion for all Punjaban women and a revolt soon
spread, like wild fire, with thousands of housewives beating up their
husbands with the Velan.

There was an outburst of moaning "chapatti-ed" husbands all over Jalandhar
and Ludhiana. The Punjabi men-folk quickly learnt their lesson and started
to
behave more respectfully with their Punjabans.

Thereafter, on 14th February, every year, the womenfolk of Punjab would
beat up their husbands, to commemorate that eventful day.The wives having
the satisfaction of beating up their husbands with the Velan and the men
having the supreme joy of submitting to the will of the women they loved.
Soon The Punjabi men realised that in order to avoid this ordeal they need
to present gifts to their wives....they brought flowers and sweetmeats.
Hence the tradition began.

*As Punjabis under the influence of Western culture, that day was
called 'Velan time' day.
*
The ritual soon spread to Britain and many other Western countries,
specifically, the catch words 'Velan time!'. Of course in their foreign
tongues, it was first anglisised to 'Velantime' and then to 'Valentine'.
And thereafter, 14th of February, came to be known as* Valentine's Day!*

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A boy in Big Bazar

Spend some time to read this! Really touching!

I was walking around in a Big Bazar store making shopping,

when I saw a Cashier talking to a boy couldn't have been more than 5
or 6 years old.

The Cashier said, 'I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy
this doll.

Then the little boy turned to me and asked: ''Aunty, are you sure

I don't have enough money?''

I counted his cash and replied: ''You know that you don't have enough
money to buy



the dolll, my dear.'' The little boy was still holding the doll in his
hand. Finally,

I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to.

'It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much .

Iwanted to Gift her for her BIRTHDAY. I have to give the doll to my mommy so

that she can give it to my sister when she goes there.'

His eyes were so sad while saying this. 'My Sister has gone to be with God.

Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so

I thought that she could take the doll with her to give it to my sister.

'' My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and

aid: 'I told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until

I come back from the mall.'

Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing.

He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so my sister

won't forget me.' 'I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me,

but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister.

' Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly.

I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. 'Suppose we check again,

just in case you do have enough money for the doll?'' 'OK' he said,

I hope I do have enough.' I added some of my money to his with out him
seeing and

we started to count it. There was enough for the doll and even some
spare money.

The little boy said: 'Thank you God for giving me enough money!

' Then he looked at me and added, 'I asked last night before

I went to sleep for God to make sure I had enough money to buy this doll,

so that mommy could give It to my sister. He heard me!'' 'I also wanted to have

enough money to buy a white rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask

God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the doll and a white rose.

My mommy loves white roses.'

I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started.

I couldn't get the little boy out of my mind.. Then I remembered a local news

paper article two days ago, which mentioned a drunk man in a truck, who

hit a car occupied by a young woman and a little girl. The little girl
died right away,

and the mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether

to pull the plug on the life-sustaining machine, because the young woman would

not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy?

Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that

the young woman had passed away.. I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch

of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young

woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before her burial.

She was there, in her coffin, holding a beautiful white rose in her
hand with the

photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest.

I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed for ever.

The love that the little boy had for his mother and his sister is still,

to this day, hard to imagine. And in a fraction of a second,

a drunk driver had taken all this away from him.

PLEASE DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE.


Now you have 2 choices:

Forward this message & spread awareness

OR

Ignore it as if it never touched your heart.

For those who prefer to think that God is not watching over us....
go ahead and delete this. For the rest of us.... pass this on.


THE VALUE OF A MAN OR WOMAN RESIDES IN WHAT HE OR SHE GIVES,

NOT IN WHAT HE OR SHE IS CAPABLE OF RECEIVING.

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A Mother's Secret

She was a beautiful young woman, just into her twenties. Happy, outgoing and extremely friendly, Kelly had no trouble making friends. She was little more than a year from completing college and her dream job would be awaiting when she finished. But now, for the first time in her life, things were in total disarray. Her boyfriend of several years had just broken off the relationship as he chose to take a job offer half way across the country. What he didn't know was that he would not only be leaving Kelly behind, but he would be leaving a daughter behind too.

Weeks before her boyfriend moved away, Kelly suspected she was pregnant, but didn't want to further disrupt things by saying anything. She knew that while she had loved her boyfriend, they would both be able to move on to independently forge happy and successful lives. After having confirmed her suspicions about being pregnant she took some time to contemplate. She had met with several doctors and finally decided it would be best to quietly end the pregnancy. A few weeks later, after having researched her options, she went in for an abortion and came out assured that she had made the right choice.

Kelly eventually got married and did in fact build a happy family. No one ever knew her secret, but it was best that way. At times she did think about the past and the daughter she almost had, but for the most part, life was good to Kelly. This afternoon, things changed.

Kelly was on her way to pick up her two teenagers from school when her car was side-swiped by a semi-trailer. No seatbelt or airbag was a match for the blunt force that likely killed her instantly. Kelly's story doesn't end here.

You see, 7 years ago Kelly had told friends and family that she had experienced something different during another mundane Sunday church service. She said for the first time she accepted what the Christian religion calls the "Gospel of Truth". Her acceptance of Jesus as her Savior and following repentance assured her that she would find herself in heaven when death came to her.

Today, death found Kelly and she indeed stands before God in heaven. It is her judgment day - a day in which we all must face God and answer to Him for our life on earth. For the first time, Kelly will look up and see the face of God the Father, with Jesus Christ sitting at his right hand side. At that moment, she will notice the face of an innocent young child who is sitting on Christ's knee. Kelly's secret was never truly hidden, and now her own daughter asks - "Why did you kill me mommy? Why didn't you choose to love and accept me the way God loves and accepts you?"

I don't know how Kelly responded to that piercing question. I can only imagine the surprise that baby girls' father will have when he dies and meets the daughter he never knew he had

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Father and son

An 80 year old man was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45
years old highly educated son. Suddenly a crow perched on their window.


The Father asked his Son, "What is this?"


The Son replied "It is a crow".


After a few minutes, the Father asked his Son the 2nd time, "What is this?"


The Son said "Father, I have just now told you "It's a crow".


After a little while, the old Father again asked his Son the 3rd time,


What is this?"


At this time some ex-pression of irritation was felt in the Son's tone when
he said to his Father with a rebuff. "It's a crow, a crow".


A little after, the Father again asked his Son t he 4th time, "What is
this?"


This time the Son shouted at his Father, "Why do you keep asking me the
same question again and again, although I have told you so many times 'IT
IS A CROW'. Are you not able to understand this?"


A little later the Father went to his room and came back with an old
tattered diary, which he had maintained since his Son was born. On opening
a page, he asked his Son to read that page. When the son read it, the
following words were written in the diary :-


"Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a
crow was sitting on the window. My Son asked me 23 times what it was, and I
replied to him all 23 times that it was a Crow. I hugged him lovingly each
time he asked me the same question again and again for 23 times. I did not
at all feel irritated I rather felt affection for my innocent child".


While the little child asked him 23 times "What is this", the Father had
felt no irritation in replying to the same question all 23 times and when
today the Father asked his Son the same question just 4 times, the Son felt
irritated and annoyed.


So..


If your parents attain old age, do not repulse them or look at them as a
burden, but speak to them a gracious word, be cool, obedient, humble and
kind to them. Be considerate to your parents.From today say this aloud, "I
want to see my parents happy forever. They have cared for me ever since I
was a little child. They have always showered their selfless love on me.


They crossed all mountains and valleys without seeing the storm and heat to
make me a person presentable in the society today".


Say a prayer to God, "I will serve my old parents in the BEST way. I will
say all good and kind words to my dear parents, no matter how they behave.


Thanks for spending ur time on reading this story…… Hope U r forwarding
this to all ur friends

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Heart Touching lines... just read..

NO LIMITS...... .

While a man was polishing his new car, his 4 yr old son picked stone & scratched lines on the side of the car. In anger, the man took the child's hand & hit it many times, not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures. When the child say his father.... with painful eyes he asked "Dad when will my fingers grow back?" Man was so hurt and speechless. He went back to car and kicked it a lot of times.Devastated by his own actions..... . sitting in front of that car he looked at the scratches, child had written "LOVE YOU DAD". The next day that man committed suicide. . .Anger and Love has no limits, so let the river of life flow in Limits so that this fresh water stream is never scattered.

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Is Life Hard ?? Think again

Truly inspirational.


Next Time You Think Life is Hard...Think Again!....



My name is Nick Vujicicand I was born without limbs and doctors have no medical explanation for this birth 'defect'. As you can imagine, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles.

heir firstborn son had been born without limbs! There were no warnings or time to prepare themselves for it... The doctors were shocked and had no answers at all! There is still no medical reason why this had happened and Nick now has a Brother and Sister who were born just like any other baby.



I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence that these 'bad' things happen in our life.

I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless God has a good purpose for it all


I am now twenty-three years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in FinancialPlanningand Accounting. I am also a motivational speaker andlove to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available. I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers. I am also a speaker in the corporate sector.




I have a passion for reaching out to youth and keep myself available for whatever God wants me to do, and wherever He leads, I follow.
Writing several best-selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year.


It will be called 'No Arms, No Legs, and No Worries!'


I believe that if you have the desire and passion to do something, and if it's God's will, you will achieve it in good time. As humans, we continually put limits on ourselves for no reason at all! What's worse is putting limits on God who can do all things. We put God in a 'box'. The awesome thing about the Power of God, is that if we want to do something for God, instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability for we know that it is God through us and we can't do anything without God


.Once we make ourselves available for God's work, guess whose capabilities we rely on? God's!

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100 XP RUN COMMANDS

Accessibility Controls
access.cpl

Add Hardware Wizard
hdwwiz.cpl

Add/Remove Programs
appwiz.cpl

Administrative Tools
control admintools

Automatic Updates
wuaucpl.cpl

Bluetooth Transfer Wizard
fsquirt

Calculator
calc

Certificate Manager
certmgr.msc

Character Map
charmap

Check Disk Utility
chkdsk

Clipboard Viewer
clipbrd

Command Prompt
cmd

Component Services
dcomcnfg

Computer Management
compmgmt.msc

Date and Time Properties
timedate.cpl

DDE Shares
ddeshare

Device Manager
devmgmt.msc

Direct X Control Panel (If Installed)*
directx.cpl

Direct X Troubleshooter
dxdiag

Disk Cleanup Utility
cleanmgr

Disk Defragment
dfrg.msc

Disk Management
diskmgmt.msc

Disk Partition Manager
diskpart

Display Properties
control desktop

Display Properties
desk.cpl

Display Properties (w/Appearance Tab Preselected)
control color

Dr. Watson System Troubleshooting Utility
drwtsn32

Driver Verifier Utility
verifier

Event Viewer
eventvwr.msc

File Signature Verification Tool
sigverif

Findfast
findfast.cpl

Folders Properties
control folders

Fonts
control fonts

Fonts Folder
fonts

Free Cell Card Game
freecell

Game Controllers
joy.cpl

Group Policy Editor (XP Prof)
gpedit.msc

Hearts Card Game
mshearts

Iexpress Wizard
iexpress

Indexing Service
ciadv.msc

Internet Properties
inetcpl.cpl

IP Configuration (Display Connection Configuration)
ipconfig /all

IP Configuration (Display DNS Cache Contents)
ipconfig /displaydns

IP Configuration (Delete DNS Cache Contents)
ipconfig /flushdns

IP Configuration (Release All Connections)
ipconfig /release

IP Configuration (Renew All Connections)
ipconfig /renew

IP Configuration (Refreshes DHCP & Re-Registers DNS)
ipconfig /registerdns

IP Configuration (Display DHCP Class ID)
ipconfig /showclassid

IP Configuration (Modifies DHCP Class ID)
ipconfig /setclassid

ava Control Panel (If Installed)
jpicpl32.cpl

Java Control Panel (If Installed)
javaws

Keyboard Properties
control keyboard

Local Security Settings
secpol.msc

Local Users and Groups
lusrmgr.msc

Logs You Out Of Windows
logoff

Mcft Chat
winchat

Minesweeper Game
winmine

Mouse Properties
control mouse

Mouse Properties
main.cpl

Network Connections
control netconnections

Network Connections
ncpa.cpl

Network Setup Wizard
netsetup.cpl

Notepad
notepad

Nview Desktop Manager (If Installed)
nvtuicpl.cpl

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Userfull Websites

sites related to Legal Affairs

www.cyberlawindia.com

www.india-laws.com

www.lawinfo.com

www.lawsinindia.com

www.vakilno1.com

www.indiapropertylaws.com

www.courtsjudgements.com

www.lawinc.com

www.icj-cij.org

www.legiz.comwww.naavi.com
sites related to Contests

www.hungama.com

www.ticklewit.com

www.contests2win.com

www.lycosasia.com

www.contestguide.com

www.2000photocontests.com

www.supercontest.com

www.huronline.com

www.beaniemania.com

www.contestworld.com

www.bluestreakcontest.com

www.artcontest.com

www.indiainfoline.com

ww.computerdrawing.com

www.sweepstakesonline.com

www.guests.com

sites related to Cricket

www.total-cricket.com

www.cricinfo.com

www.cricket.org

www.go4cricket.com

www.khel.com

www.cricket.org

www.cricketnyou.com

www.clickcricket.com

www.thatscricket.com

www.magiccricket.com

www.cricketline.com

www.yehhaicricket.com

www.cricketnext.com
sites related to Finance

www.finsights.com

www.walletwatch.com

www.moneycontrol.com

www.myiris.com

www.stockmarkit.com

www.economywatch.com

www.equitymaster.com

www.indiainfoline.com

www.sharebazaar.com

www.kotakstreet.com

www.5paisa.com

www.indiabulls.com

www.dhan.com

www.starmarkettips.com

www.paisapower.com

www.paisapower.com ]www.rrfinance.com

www.sharekhan.com

www.rupeesaver.com

www.pcquote.com

www.stockmaster.com

www.nyse.com

www.nasdaq.com

www.nse-india.com

www.sebi.com

www.khel.com

www.pcquote.com

www.stockmaster.com


Education related sites

ww.egurucool.com

www.schoolcircle.com

www.netvarsity.com

www.onlinevarsity.com

www.shiksha.com

www.buckleyourshoe.com

www.freeskills.com

www.smartforce.com/smb

www.examsonline.com

www.competitionmaster.com

www.mastertutor.com

www.zeelearn.com

www.netprotraining.com

www.careerlauncher.com

www.classteacher.com

www.gurukulonline.com

www.iln.net

www.esaras.com

Education related sites

www.lycoszone.com

www.pinkmonkey.com

www.schoolsofcalcutta.com

www.entranceguru.com

www.pentafour.com

ww.Qsupport.com

www.intelsyseducation.com

www.niit.com

www.aptech.com

www.institute.net

www.indiaedu.com

www.educationbangalore.com

www.upsc.gov.in

Education related sites

www.talentduniya.com

www.worlduonline.com

www.englishpractice.com

www.barkeley.edu

www.utexas.edu

www.mit.edu

www.talentduniya.com

www.worlduonline.com

www.talentduniya.com

www.worlduonline.com Education related sites

www.talentduniya.com

www.worlduonline.com

www.englishpractice.com

www.barkeley.edu

www.utexas.edu

www.mit.edu

www.umich.edu

www.uiuc.edu

www.upenn.edu

www.wisc.edu

www.harvard.edu

www.cornell.edu

www.unc.edu

www.education-world.com

www.novell.com Jobs related sites

www.naukri.com

www.3p-lobsearch.com

www.career1000.com

www.careerindia.com

www.employindia.com

www.indianjobs.com

www.placementindia.com

www.placementpoint.com

www.timesjobsandcareers.com

www.winjobs.com

www.redforwomen.com

www.go4careers.com

www.indiaventures.com

www.indiagateway.com

www.jobsahead.com

www.alltimejobs.com

www.careerage.com

www.headhunters.net

www.monster.com

www.careers.org Jobs related sites

www.eresumes.com

www.careerxroads.com

www.nationjob.com

www.jobweb.com

www.aidnjobs.com

www.careerforyou.com

www.careergun.com

www.go4careers.com

www.lobs.itspace.com

www.joboptions.com

www.careermosaic.com

www.jobconnection.com

www.bestjobsusa.com

www.careerpath.com

www.americasemployers.com

www.job-interview.net

www.geojobs.bizland.com Jobs related sites

www.job-hunt.org

www.e-netindia.com

www.mykeystone.com

www.gutterspace.com

www.netguide.com

www.tamilnadustate.com

www.cweb.com

www.espan.com

www.jobcurry.com

www.skillsandjobs.com

www.cioljobs.com

www.lampen.co.nz Search Engines

www.yahoo.com

www.khoj.com

www.rediff.com

www.lycos.com

www.go.com

www.Excite.com

www.altavista.com

www.snap.com

www.looksmart.com

www.askjeeves.com

www.goto.com

www.infoseek.com

www.hotbot.com

www.indolink.com

www.webcrawler.com

www.Iwon.com

www.google.com Shopping Sites

www.fabmart.com

www.noshutters.com

www.letsallsave.com

www.skumars.com

www.indiagifts.com

www.indiastores.com

www.indbazaar.com

www.indiashop.com

www.malamall.com

www.chennaibazaar.com

www.ibaya.com

www.infobanc.com

www.indianpurchase.com

www.buy.com

www.bluemountainarts.com

www.ebay.com
www.americangreetings.com

www.cdnow.com

www.mypoints.com

www.egreetings.com

www.coolsavings.com

www.bargainsbazaar.com

www.buyasone.com
]www.aolshopping.com

Read more »

Your need to get I.T Certification

IT stands for information technology. This includes several areas of knowledge that are provided to help a business. Usually, information technology experts will be in charge of the information that is in an organization. This includes making sure that the proper sets of knowledge and paperwork are manageable, organized and processed in the easiest way. They do this not only by understanding organization, but also through the use of tools and terms related to the use of information technology. From here, the certification branches out into several areas of this information technology. It has been stated that IT is the largest growing branch in the United States, as well as in the world. Because of this, it is important to know what is being done that is new and improved with technology

The first way that you would be able to use your IT Certification is by specializing in a career that focuses on technology. By knowing basic and advanced technology programs, you will become a large asset to any type of business that you would be interested in going into. There are several companies, as well as individuals, that need others who know different areas of the new technology so they can have more benefits to their company or personal lifestyle. In relation to this, most businesses will have an entire IT department to help with the technology needs.

IT Certification is not necessarily focused on those working on a career in an IT department. There are several other professions that will make this type of training a requirement. Certain libraries will ask that you get IT training to help keep records of the books as well as the people there. There are also several places that will expect for you to be familiar with information technology in order to present and manage information for the area that you are working. While several expect that you know technology, if you are unfamiliar with it, it will be best to get certification.

You can use information technology in a variety of settings as well as give yourself the ability to know exactly what types of technology can be used in different areas. For example, if you own your own business, or work for a corporation, having an IT Certificate can help you to provide resources to keep in front of the work. You will know exactly what types of technology the business needs, as well as what will benefit the company.

For those that are skeptical about what IT Certification can offer, there are several branches that you can look into for the right set of educational tools. One of the popular ways that IT Certification is used is to provide companies and organizations with the tools to build things like websites and Internet portals. There are databases that can be used online as well, which can be learned through an IT Certification.

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Group Discussion Tips

Remember the days where you used to have discussion with 2 or more of our friends sitting over a small wall wasting our time usefully on some topics like current affairs, sports, cinema, debates etc ?

If you remember those, that is what this post is all about. Group discussion takes place in many places where the people in the discussion are given the freedom to express their thoughts. Like what I said above, Parliaments, Group discussion(GD) in interviews etc.

I would like to mainly concentrate on GD in interviews and like to give some tips for GD. I have already said what is Group Discussion (GD) in general. When it comes to hiring people for Job, GD is used as one of the tool to short list people. A batch of people are allowed to speak over some topic and your way of approach, your knowledge, body language etc is analysed to select you for the next stage in the hiring process. It is next important step in hiring process after tests, so here are some tips for that.

1) First thing is we must have confidence to speak. Think of your GD mates as your friends (on small wall).

2) It is more obvious that if we know more about the given topic, we will have more confidence and we speak without problems. So try to be updated with current affairs, and know about general topics.

3) People watching your discussion see at your body language, the way you speak, the way you show your presence at the GD, the way you move with other people etc.

4) Take a pen and paper with you. Make note of important points that you have in mind and what others say.

5) When some topic is given, always grab the opportunity to speak first. The person who speaks first and last will have good attention among the people watching you.

6) If you are the first to speak, start with greetings. Say good afternoon gentleman or whatever. Introduce yourself. If you haven't done before. Just saying your name will be sufficient.

7) Just because you want to start first, don't blabber something. It will be a black mark till the end of the discussion. Understand the topic and if you are sure about your points start the discussion. First impression is the best impression.

8) Don't be too loud. Speak with a volume level that will be sufficient for the other members to hear you.

9) Don't point on to others with your finger. Use your pen (hold casually between pointing and middle finger) to point at someone.

10) Validate your points with stats. Give proofs/incidents to make your point more effective.

11) How long or how first you speak doesn't matter, The point you give is what matters.

12) Don't speak for more time. It will show your dominant character. Give chance to others. (Say if the GD time is 10 minutes. Don't keep on speaking for 5 minutes).

13) If you have 5 or 6 points on a topic. Don't say all of them at the same chance. It will make you idle for the rest of the discussion. Use 2 or 3 points and leave the rest for the next chance. But make sure you get another.

14) Have a flow in your points. Don't jump from one point to another abruptly.

15) Don't keep on repeating the same point again and again. If the discussion gets centered at the same point, try to bring in new dimension to the discussion with your points.

16) Keep your points short and simple. It will help others to understand you easily and will help you save time and you could give more points. Also don't be too fast. Speak at the nominal speed. You need not need to master the language, all that you need is to make others understand what you think, in a simple way.

17) Don't use highly technical words on general topics. Use words that others can understand.

18) If any person from the group is not coming forward to speak for a long time, kindly request him to give his views.

19) If somebody else speaks for more time, ask him to let others a chance to speak.

20) If you don't know much about the topic, listen to what the first two or three persons say and start speaking related to the topic.

21) Don't speak irrelevant to the topic. If the discussion drifts away from the topic, pull it back.

22) Don't sit quiet for a long time or till all the people finish speaking. Grab your chance as soon as possible

23) If you want to stop a person who is speaking for a long time, look at his eyes for a long time. Make him look at you. If he pauses for a moment somewhere use the opportunity.

24) If you don't want anyone to pause you, don't look at a constant place or person. Look at all the people. Move your heads/eyes towards all the people. Don't leave a pause between two points.

25) Don't look at some where else. More important don't look at the people who are seeing your discussion (evaluators).

26) Listen to what others say. Make note of points if possible. Generate points from others views.

27) If the discussion becomes like a fish market, bring it back. Stop fighting and shouting at each other all at a time.

28) Don't go hard at other persons views. Use polite words and explain your point denying his views. Use words like "My points differs from your point" instead of negatives like "I don't agree with you", I strongly object" etc.

29) Try to use words like "As my friend said", "As my friend rightly pointed out", "I agree with what he/she said" etc. If you know his/her name, use his/her name.

30) Your body language is very important. Don't shake your legs. Move your hands according to what you speak. Maintain eye contact with others while you speak or when some other person speaks look at him/her. Your gestures and mannerism are more important than what you speak.

31) Don't allow the discussion to go idle. If no one has any points to say, don't be silent. Ask others whether they have any other points. If not, conclude the discussion.

32) Grab the opportunity to conclude the discussion. During conclusion, list out all the important points that are pointed out by all the person in the discussion. You can make use of tip no 29. If someone else have already made the conclusion don't add extra points after it and start the discussion again, remember its already ended.

33) Main objective of the discussion is to select people who can work as a team. You need to go along with the group fluently, listen to others point, make valuable contributions, express your views, etc. Don't be emotional.

Keep yourself cool throughout the discussion and be the winner. All the best.

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725 IT Books

Click here to see the list of Books

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The Secret - Law of Attraction & Positive thinking

I first came to know about this film called “The Secret” a few months ago, and I’ve been hearing about it a lot in the last month or so from various sources. Last week, I finally got to watch the film. If you don’t already know about The Secret, it’s a ’self-help’ documentary film that talks about the power of positive thinking and the “Law of Attraction” — a law which can be roughly stated as, “You attract to you what you think of the most”. There is nothing new and there’s nothing secret about the concepts discussed in this film. Everything said in the film has been publicly pronounced by great thinkers and successful people all over the world from time to time in some form or the other.

Personally, I got into all this ‘positive thinking’ stuff (and spirituality) eight years ago when I read the book “Thought Power” by Swami Sivananda. That was a time when nothing was going right in my life, I can say it was the lowest point in my life, the book was a real life saver for me in that kind of a situation. Ever since, I’ve been reading and learning more and more about positive thinking and applying these principles in my life, it’s been a fascinating journey and the results have been excellent so far. But still, I won’t say life has become perfect for me, far from it. It takes lifetimes to become a master and attain perfection. I’m still playing around with ‘positive thinking’ and ‘law of attraction’, I’m still evolving, and along the way, I’ve had this wonderful opportunity of watching The Secret. Let me share a few things emphasized in the film.

Think about what you want, not what you don’t want. Is there something that is not right in your life? Forget about that something that’s not right, think about how your life would look like when everything is set right. Think about how good you’ll feel when things are perfect, close your eyes and bring those nice feelings, live those feelings in your mind right now. That’s the way to attract what you want and let go of what you don’t want, not by mulling over what’s not right and figuring out ways of how to set things right, that way, you will keep figuring out, and that something that’s not right will remain that way. You should think (and know) that you are already on your way to having right things in your life and prepare yourself to feeling good .

For example,

• do you hate war? Now, stop thinking about war and it’s destructive effects, stop participating in anti-war rallies. By focusing on war and being anti-war, you only give more and more energy to a strife filled world. The right way is to focus on a peaceful world, be pro-peace. Do whatever you can do to ignite peace and love in the minds of people.
• Worried about global warming? Stop thinking about CO2 emissions, stop worrying about cutting down of trees. You can think about Carbon-di-Oxide if you are a scientist, but you are not going to bring about a green, pure and healthy environment by speaking to people about the dangers of CO2 emissions, rather talk about the alternatives like fuel cells and cleaner energy sources, talk about planting more trees and the love you feel when you grow and nurture greens. Emphasize on the beauty and joy of living in a green, clean and harmonious environment.That’s positive thinking for you, and that’s the only way you can bring about change.

Watch your feelings — this is another thing emphasized in the film. Continuous monitoring of your thoughts can be an amusing past time, and it’s a process that can actually help in your meditation and knowing about thought patterns. But if you want to know quickly whether or not or you are thinking and acting the right way, monitor your feelings. When you feel good and have feelings of love, compassion, peace, etc., know that your thoughts (and actions) are in alignment with your purpose, and you are on heading in the right direction. When you have negative feelings and emotions like fear, anger, jealousy, sorrow, etc., know that you are not thinking right and it’s time to introspect and change your thought patterns.

I very much enjoyed watching The Secret and learnt a few things from the film, I would recommend it to anybody. But It’s not as if you watch the film, apply what’s said in it, and suddenly you get everything you want in life, no, it doesn’t happen suddenly. There could be fantastic results in the beginning, but there will also be mistakes and some frustration along the way. Thinking is an art that takes time to master… it takes time to learn, internalize and apply the law of attraction to perfection. But the film itself is a good start, it drives home the point of positive thinking and law of attraction very well…. One thing I find a little annoying in the film is too much talk about attracting money and wealth. I don’t deny the importance of money in today’s materialistic world, but money can take you only so far… money is only a means, not an end in itself. Agreed, money and material wealth can make you feel good sometimes, but not always, not eternally. There are much higher things worth pursuing as a human being.

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Your What you think , not what you think your are

You are what you think, but not necessarily what you think you are.” — Chapter 7 from the book Your Forces and How to Use Them drives home this point very well. Worth a read. Excerpts from this chapter:

Scientific research in the metaphysical field has demonstrated the fact that man is as he thinks, that he becomes what he thinks, and that what he thinks in the present, determines what he is to become in the future; and also that since he can change his thought for the better along any line, he can therefore completely change himself along any line. But the majority who try to apply this law do not succeed to a great degree, the reason being that instead of working entirely upon the principle that man is as he thinks, they proceed in the belief that man is what he thinks he is.

…

Man may think that he is great, but so long as he continues to think small thoughts, he will continue to be small. No matter how high an opinion he may have of himself, while he is living in the superficial, his thoughts will be empty, and empty thoughts are not conducive to high attainments and great achievements. Man becomes great when he thinks great thoughts…

…

You may think that you are well, but you will not secure health until you think thoughts that produce health. You may persistently affirm that you are well, but so long as you live in discord, confusion, worry, fear and other wrong states of mind, you will be sick; that is, you will be as you think and not what you think you are. You may state health in your thought, but if you give worry, fear and discord to that thought, your thinking will produce discord. It is not what we state in our thoughts, but what we give to our thoughts that determine results.

…

Your opinion of your mental capacity may be great, but if your idea of intelligence is crude, your intelligence-producing thought will also be crude, and can produce only crude intelligence. It is therefore evident that to simply think that you are brilliant will not produce brilliancy, unless your understanding of brilliancy is made larger, higher and finer. … When your thinking is brilliant, you will be brilliant, but if your thinking is not brilliant you will not be brilliant, no matter how brilliant you may think you are.

…

When you think that you are beautiful, you are liable to think that you are more beautiful than others, and such a thought is not a beautiful thought. To recognize or criticise ugliness and inferiority in others is to create the inferior and the ugly in yourself, and what you create in yourself will sooner or later be expressed through your mind and personality.

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That which you need , you already have

Let me tell you a small story first…

Once upon a time, when technology was not so advanced as it is now, lived a woodcutter in a corner of a dense forest. One day, he had to cross the forest and reach a place on the other side of the forest by the next morning for an important meeting. So, he started early in the morning and planned to reach his place before sunset. He thought that he’ll have a good rest by the night and make himself available for the appointment next morning. But due to bad weather, he could travel only half the distance and could reach only the middle of the forest at sunset. Darkness was enveloping the dense forest swiftly and he became anxious. He had no option to keep travelling throughout the night if he had any chance of reaching the other end by morning, but how can he? He didn’t even bring a lamp with him and it was getting darker and darker. He was looking around desperately and suddenly, in the middle of darkness, he faintly saw something like a hut hidden behind the trees. Hoping for help he made his way towards the hut. It happened to be a hermitage and there was a sage, a holy man sitting inside the hut and meditating. Our man was excited! He had heard others say that sages are kind souls. He had also heard that sages are very powerful, that they can perform all kinds of miracles, so he thought he can beg the sage to perform some miracle and help him cross the forest by morning. He went to the sage, saluted him and asked him if he can grant him a favour. The kind sage asked him what’s the matter. Our man explained the whole situation and requested the sage to light up his path so that he can cross the forest by morning without any difficulty. The sage gave him a small hand lamp and told him that it will help him get across. Now, this is not what our man expected! He thought that the sage will use his magic powers and spectacularly light up the whole forest and he’ll joyously walk across the forest before dawn. He revealed his disappointment to the sage and asked why only a small hand lamp. The sage laughed and said him, “Dear, even if I use my powers and light up your whole path, It’s not much of use to you. Yes, the lamp I gave you will help you see only 10 meters ahead of you, but that is all you need. As you cover up those 10 meters, the next 10 meters will unfold before you. That way, you will cross the forest by morning without any difficulty”.

Our lives are pretty much like that. I always believe that at any point in a person’s life, God (or nature as you may call it) gives exactly what he/she needs so that he/she can inch closer and closer to the ultimate destination. At this point in your life you are in the exact place you should be, you have got exactly what you need, the exact amount of resources that will help you evolve, nothing more, nothing less. But most of us, instead of looking at things we have, always think about things we don’t have. Instead of using the resources at hand in the best possible way and moving ahead, we always think about what could be and what could have been. We don’t do smaller things right, and expect much bigger things to happen in our lives.

And then, there is this tendency to feel anxious about what will happen to us in the future. We are so busy thinking about and planning for the unknown future 10, 20, 60 years ahead that we forget about the present and things that are right before us that needs our immediate attention. Yes, it’s necessary to have a vision, a goal, a sense of direction. But we can get to the top of the mountain only by climbing step by step, focusing our attention on the step immediately ahead of us, that’s the sure and steady way to get to the top. Instead, in the middle of the path, if we walk with our eyes fixed on the mountain top and our mind thinking whether or not we’ll reach there, we are sure to stumble and fall down only to start again from the basement of the mountain. We tend to look for assurance from God that we’ll be secure for the rest of our life. But this assurance is of little use to us. All we can see is the day ahead. When we can use the tools and resources given to us and spend the day in the most efficient manner, the next day will unfold. As we go on this way, day after day, we’d have gone a long way when we finally leave this human body.

As Swami Vivekananda says,

By doing well the duty which is nearest to us, the duty which is in our hands now, we make ourselves stronger and improving our strength in this manner step by step, we may even reach a state in which it shall be our privilege to do the most coveted and honoured duties in life and in society.

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Abdul Kalam meets Swami Sivananda

Dr. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India is considered a youth icon in India. He always says, “You have to dream before your dreams can come true.” That’s very true, you first have to dream before it can come true, but not all dreams come true, at least not the way you want it to. Take the case of Abdul Kalam himself. Young Abdul Kalam dreamt of flying in the sky, like a free bird. He wanted to join the Indian Air Force and become a pilot. After finishing his education, he applied to become a pilot in the IAF, quickly, he got an interview call and Kalam gladly attended the selection process at Dehra Dun. Unfortunately, he was not selected and young Kalam was heartbroken to say the least. Deeply disappointed, Kalam trekked down to nearby Rishikesh where he met Swami Sivananda. Kalam considers this meeting to be one of the most important events in his life. Here’s how Dr. Kalam recounts this meeting with Swami Sivananda in his autobiography.

I bathed in the Ganga and revelled in the purity of its water. Then I walked to the Sivananda Ashram situated a little way up the hill. I could feel intense vibrations when I entered. I saw a large number of sadhus seated all around in a state of trance. I had read that sadhus were psychic people–people who know things intuitively and, in my dejected mood, I sought answers to the doubts that troubled me.

I met Swami Sivananda–a man who looked like a Buddha, wearing a snow white dhoti and wooden slippers. He had an olive complexion and black, piercing eyes. I was struck by his irresistible, almost child-like smile and gracious manner. I introduced myself to Swamiji. My Muslim name aroused no reaction in him. Before I could speak any further, he inquired about the source of my sorrow. He offered no explanation of how he knew that I was sad and I did not ask.

I told him about my unsuccessful attempt to join the Indian Air Force and my long cherished desire to fly. He smiled, washing away all my anxiety almost instantly. Then he said in a feeble, but very deep voice,

Desire, when it stems from the heart and spirit, when it is pure and intense, possesses awesome electromagnetic energy. This energy is released into the ether each night, as the mind falls into the sleep state. Each morning it returns to the conscious state reinforced with the cosmic currents. That which has been imaged will surely and certainly be manifested. You can rely, young man, upon this ageless promise as surely as you can rely upon the eternally unbroken promise of sunrise… and of Spring.

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear–How true! Here was the teacher to show the way to a student who had nearly gone astray! “Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become an Air Force pilot. What you are destined to become is not revealed now but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential to lead you to your destined path. Search, instead, for the true purpose of your existence. Become one with yourself, my son! Surrender yourself to the wish of God,” Swamiji said.

After this, Dr. Kalam joined the ‘Directorate of Technical Develpment and Production’ as a ‘Senior Scientific Assistant’. He later worked with prestigious organizations like the DRDO and ISRO. He may not have had the opportunity to steer an aircraft and fly freely in the sky, but he was to steer the strategic Indian space program and missile program. He went on to become the eleventh President of India, it’s all history now.

Coming to Swami Sivananda… personally, I have read Sivananda’s books and they have influenced my attitude to a great extent, especially, his book “Thought Power“. I am a fan of Sivananda’s simple, uncomplicated and not so scholarly style of writing. Swami Sivananda has written 296 books in all covering subjects like spirituality, yoga, philosophy, etc. You’ll find so many repetitions in his book, but all for good purpose. Some of his books are available online and can be downloaded for free.

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