Let’s start A SMILE Epidemic Oct 27, 2009 3:41 am 286 Views Too often we underestimate the power of a smile, which have the potential to turn a life around. A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside. Life is short but a smile takes barely a second. Every tear has a smile behind it. The real man smile in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection. A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. A smile starts on the lips, A grin spreads to the eyes, A chuckle comes from the belly; But a good laugh bursts forth from the soul, Overflows, and bubbles all around. There are a good many real miseries in life that we cannot help smiling at, but they are the smiles that make wrinkles and not dimples . One word or a pleasing smile is often enough to raise up a saddened and wounded soul. Nobody needs a smile so much as the one who has none to give. So get used to smiling heart-warming smiles, and you will spread sunshine in a sometimes dreary world. Smiles are the language of love. A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks. Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful. If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours. A warm smile is the universal language of kindness. Smiling is infectious; you catch it like the flu. When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too. I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin. When he smiled I realized that I passed it on to him. I thought about that smile then I realized its worth. A giggle smile could travel around the world. SMILE, don’t leave in undetected. Let’s start an epidemic, get the world infected. Keep the SMILE going, by sending a SMILE along. Everyone needs a SMILE! I have been continuously told that I make people smile when they see me…so I guess I do make someone smile every day and I am acknowledging this fact. Cheers everyone………Let’s start A SMILE Epidemic. 18 Comments

May the Radiance of Diwali bring you Peace, Joy and Prosperity Oct 15, 2009 12:45 am 401 Views May the Radiance of Diwali bring you Peace, Joy and Prosperity Diwali is celebrated on Amavasya - the 15th day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartik every year. "Diwali" is the corruption of the Sanskrit word "Deepavali" - "Deepa" meaning light and "Avali", meaning a row. It means a row of lights and indeed illumination forms its main attraction. Every home - the hut of the poor or the mansion of the rich - is lit with the orange glow of twinkling diyas-small earthen lamps - to welcome Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity. Multi-colored Rangoli designs drawn with rice flour on the grounds in their houses; floral decorations and fireworks lend color and grandeur to this festival which heralds joy, mirth and happiness in the ensuring year. This festival is celebrated on a grand scale in almost all the regions of India and is looked upon mainly as the beginning of New Year. As such the blessings of Lakshmi, the celestial consort of Lord Vishnu are invoked with prayers. Diwali or more aptly Deepavali is very enthusiastically celebrated for five continuous days and each day has its significance with a number of myths, legends and beliefs. The First day is called DHANTERAS or DHANTRAYODASHI which falls on the thirteenth day of the month of Kartik. The word "Dhan" means wealth. As such this day of the five-day Diwali festival has a great importance for the rich mercantile community of Western India. Houses and Business premises are renovated and decorated. Entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her long-awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder all over the houses. Lamps are kept burning all through the nights. This day is auspicious for women to purchase some gold or silver or at least one or two new utensils. "Lakshmi-Puja" is performed in the evenings when tiny diyas of clay are lighted to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. "Bhajans"-devotional songs- in praise of Goddess Lakshmi are sung and "Naivedya" of traditional sweets is offered to the Goddess. There is a peculiar custom in Maharashtra to lightly pound dry coriander seeds with jaggery and offer as Naivedya. In villages cattle's are adorned and worshipped by farmers as they form the main source of their income. In south cows are offered special veneration as they are supposed to be the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and therefore they are adorned and worshipped on this day. A very interesting story about this day is of the sixteen year old son of King Hima. As per his horoscope he was doomed to die by a snake-bite on the fourth day of his marriage. On the fourth day of his marriage his young wife did not allow him to sleep. She laid all the ornaments and lots of gold and silver coins in a big heap at the entrance of her husband's boudoir and lighted innumerable lamps all over the place. And she went on telling stories and singing songs. When Yam, the god of Death arrived there in the guise of a Serpent his eyes got blinded by that dazzle of those brilliant lights and he could not enter the Prince's chamber. So he climbed on top of the heap of the ornaments and coins and sat there whole night listening to the melodious songs. In the morning he quietly went away. Thus the young wife saved her husband from the clutches of death. Since then this day of Dhanteras came to be known as the day of "YAMADEEPDAAN" and lamps are kept burning throughout the night in reverential adoration to Yam, the god of Death. The SECOND day is called NARKA-CHATURDASHI or CHOTI DIWALI which falls on the fourteenth day of the month of Kartik. The story goes that the demon king Narakasur ruler of Pragjyotishpur (a province to the South of Nepal) after defeating Lord Indra had snatched away the magnificent earrings of Aditi, the Mother Goddess and imprisoned sixteen thousand daughters of the gods and saints in his harem. On the day previous to Narakachaturdashi, Lord Krishna killed the demon and liberated the imprisoned damsels and also recovered those precious earrings of Aditi. As a symbol of that victory Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with the demon king's blood. Krishna returned home in the very early morning of the Narakachaturdashi day. The womenfolk massaged scented oil to his body and gave him a good bath to wash away the filth from his body. Since then the custom of taking bath before sunrise on this day has become a traditional practice especially in Maharashtra. In South India that victory of the divine over the mundane is celebrated in a very peculiar way. People wake up before sunrise prepare blood by mixing Kumkum in oil and after breaking a bitter fruit that represents the head of the demon King that was smashed by Krishna, apply that mixture on their foreheads. Then they have an oil bath using sandalwood paste. In Maharashtra also, traditional early baths with oil and "Uptan" (paste) of gram flour and fragrant powders are a `must'. All through the ritual of baths, deafening sounds of crackers and fireworks are there in order that the children enjoy bathing. Afterwards steamed vermicelli with milk and sugar or puffed rice with curd is served. Another legend is about King Bali of the nether world mighty power had become a threat to the gods. In order to curb his powers Lord Vishnu in the guise of a Batu Vaman- a small boy- visited him and begged him to give him only that much land which he could cover with his three steps. Known for his philanthropy King Bali proudly granted him his wish. That very moment that small boy transformed himself into the all-powerful Lord Vishnu. With his first step Lord Vishnu covered the entire heaven and with the second step the earth and asked Bali where to keep his third step. Bali offered his head. Putting his foot on his head Vishnu pushed him down to the underworld. At the same time for his generosity Lord Vishnu gave him the lamp of knowledge and allowed him to return to earth once a year to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. This Narakachaturdashi day therefore is dedicated to lights and prayers heralding a future full of joy and laughter. The THIRD day of the festival of Diwali is the most important day of LAKSHMI-PUJA which is entirely devoted to the propitiation of Goddess Lakshmi. This day is also known by the name of "CHOPADA-PUJA". On this very day sun enters his second course and passes Libra which is represented by the balance or scale. Hence, this design of Libra is believed to have suggested the balancing of account books and their closing. Despite the fact that this day falls on an amavasya day it is regarded as the most auspicious. The day of Lakshmi-Puja falls on the dark night of Amavasya. The strains of joyous sounds of bells and drums float from the temples as man is invoking Goddess Lakshmi in a wondrous holy "pouring-in" of his heart. All of a sudden that impenetrable darkness is pierced by innumerable rays of light for just a moment and the next moment a blaze of light descends down to earth from heaven as golden-footed Deep-Lakshmi alights on earth in all her celestial glory amidst chanting of Vedic hymns. It is believed that on this day Lakshmi walks through the green fields and loiters through the bye-lanes and showers her blessings on man for plenty and prosperity. When the sun sets in the evening and ceremonial worship is finished all the home-made sweets are offered to the goddess as "NAIVEDYA" and distributed as "PRASAD". Feasts are arranged and gifts are exchanged on this day gaily dressed men, women and children go to temples and fairs, visit friends and relatives. One of the most curious customs which characterizes this festival of Diwali is the indulgence of gambling, especially on a large scale in North India. It is believed that goddess Parvati played dice with her husband, Lord Shiva on this day and she decreed that whosoever gambled on Diwali night would prosper throughout the ensuring year. This tradition of playing cards- flush and rummy with stakes on this particular day continues even to-day. One very interesting story about this Diwali day is from Kathopanishad of a small boy called Nachiketa who believed that Yama, the god of Death was as black as the dark night of amavasya. But when he met Yama in person he was puzzled seeing Yama's calm countenance and dignified stature. Yama explained to Nachiketa on this Diwali day of amavasya that by only passing through the darkness of death, man sees the light of highest wisdom and then only his soul can escape from the bondage of his mortal frame to mingle with the Supreme Power without whose will not an atom moves in the world. And then Nachiketa realized the importance of worldly life and significance of death. With all his doubts set to rest Nachiketa whole-heartedly participated in the Diwali celebrations. The FOURTH day is PADWA or VARSHAPRATIPADA which marks the coronation of King Vikramaditya and Vikaram-Samvat was started from this Padwa day. Govardhan-Puja is also performed in the North on this day. As per Vishnu-Puran the people of Gokul used to celebrate a festival in honor of Lord Indira and worshipped him after the end of every monsoon season but one particular year the young Krishna stopped them from offering prayers to Lord Indra who in terrific anger sent a deluge to submerge Gokul. But Krishna saved his Gokul by lifting up the Govardhan Mountain and holding it over the people as an umbrella. Govardhan is a small hillock in Braj, near Mathura and on this day of Diwali people of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar build cow dung, hillocks, decorate them with flowers and then worship them. This day is also observed as Annakoot meaning mountain of food. In temples especially in Mathura and Nathadwara, the deities are given milk bath, dressed in shining attires with ornaments of dazzling diamonds, pearls, rubies and other precious stones. After the prayers and traditional worship innumerable varieties of delicious sweets are ceremoniously raised in the form of a mountain before the deities as "Bhog" and then the devotees approach the Mountain of Food and take Prasad from it. The FIFTH and final day of Diwali Festival is known by the name of "BHAYYA-DUJ" in the Hindi-speaking belt "BHAV-BIJ" in the Marathi-speaking communities and in Nepal by the name of "BHAI-TIKA". As the legend goes Yamraj, the God of Death visited his sister Yami on this particular day. She put the auspicious tilak on his forehead, garlanded him and led him with special dishes and both of them together ate the sweets, talked and enjoyed themselves to their heart's content, while parting Yamraj gave her a special gift as a token of his love and in return Yami also gave him a lovely gift which she had made with her own hands. That day Yamraj announced that anyone who receives tilak from his sister will never be thrown. That is why this day of Bhayyaduj is also known by the name of "YAMA-DWITIYA" Since then this day is being observed as a symbol of love between sisters and brothers. It became also imperative for the brother to go to his sister's house to celebrate Bhayyaduj. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore has so aptly put forth the true significance of Diwali in these beautiful lines: "The night is black Kindle the lamp of LOVE with thy life and devotion." WISH YOU ALL A BRIGHT, HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS DIWALI. 3 Comments

True Friendship Oct 9, 2009 4:16 am 672 Views Different people have different definitions of true friendship. They form definitions based on the kind of experiences they have had. For some, it is the trust in an individual that he / she won't hurt you. For others, it is unconditional love. Sometimes people talk about the true value of friendship actually without knowing what it stands for. True Friendship is a feeling of comfort and emotional safety with a person. It is when someone knows you better than yourself and assures to be your side in every emotional crisis. It is when you do not have to weigh your thoughts and measure words, before putting it before your friend. It is when you can sleep fighting and get another morning with a better understanding. Friendship is much beyond roaming together and sharing good moments, it is when someone comes to rescue you from the worst phase of life. The trust between true friends is such that if one friend falls in trouble, the other will not think twice to help. If the bond between two friends is strong, true friends can endure even long distances. For them, geographical separation is just a part of life. It would not affect their friendship. They stay in touch even in the verge of being exhausted due to the work of everyday life. True friendship never fades away. In fact, it grows better with time. It thrives on trust, inspiration and comfort. True friends can even understand each other's silence. To experience what is friendship, one must have true friends. If you have even one true friend, consider yourself blessed. They say a person who has found a faithful friend has found a priceless treasure. 15 Comments

Betrayal in Friendship Oct 9, 2009 4:12 am 820 Views A unique blend of affection, loyalty, love, respect, trust and loads of fun is perhaps what describes the true meaning of friendship. But true friends are hard to find, most of the time, people land up with wrong people, who are difficult to adjust with. It has become more difficult to find a person, who can be blindly trusted and looked upon in need. With the increasing selfishness and materialist approach, betrayal of friendship has become very common and coping up with a broken friendship is quite hard, more so if you have no fault of yours. But, life goes on and you make new friends. You push away your hurtful past and learn a valuable lesson from it. Sometimes the reason why friends betray you is just not known, which leaves you with a feeling of guilt that may be something went wrong from your side. In case of betrayal, you feel hurt, confused and angry. You demand answers as to why have you been betrayed for absolutely no fault of yours. The talks end abruptly, phone calls are not returned and there is no contact whatsoever. Hate it as much as you want, you will have to come to terms with reality and accept that things were not meant to be. When friends let you down and are not there for you when you need them the most, it’s very hurtful. Don't be embarrassed to cry and scream. You have been hurt and you have the right to vent out your frustration and once you take out all the frustrations, you will feel a lot better, after seek out other friends and talk to them, take out time from your busy schedule and explore world again. Once you overcome the dejection phase, you will be surprised to see that it was not very difficult. All that you needed was to make yourself understand that this friend was not meant for you. Also, remember these betrayals are experiences that taught you valuable lessons in life especially about your compatibility and your priorities in life. Make sure you do not become intolerant after all betrayals should not stop you from trusting people and making new friends. Remember, in this world of back stabbers, there are still some people who are worth being friends with. They have to be recognized and respected for being best friends, for the lifetime. 25 Comments

Life is a journey not the destination........ Sep 23, 2009 5:05 am 1083 Views This post is dedicated to my friend Life is a journey, a sacred adventure. Within everyone’s inner solitude, there is that bright and warm hearth where the spirit dwells waiting to be roused. Time to time we experience crises from different life changing unpredictable events and transitions, which arriving and intruding into our “well groomed” lives. We wonder we didn’t ask for this intrusion then why it has arrived bringing with it havoc and confusion. But no matter what the source, each crisis has a common bond…a threshold. Many a times our inner soul prompts us to cross a threshold involving both a leaving behind and stepping toward, but we often choose to ignore that inner calling. We need to ask ourselves, has the time arrived to push past our comfort zone and begin the slow process of transformation? It is true that transformation is the scariest thing that might happen to a person. Sometimes you need to get hurt to realize to change for the betterment of yourself and of your life. Sometimes you never expected to be hurt by people whom you think could not do such things to you, but guess what! With all these changes, the only thing which remains is you and yourself. Life with its sweet facade may crumble as changes happen and it may crumble you too if you are not ready. Life is precious gift and it is our responsibility to lead and live our best life. We need to re-generate our authentic self which wears many masks. Celebrating, mourning or struggling with a life passage is an extraordinary act. Slow down and listen to your inner feelings. Be kind and loving to yourself. Act from your spirit and heart and don’t forget to BREATH! 23 Comments

Embracing imperfection!!! Jul 12, 2009 9:31 pm 1967 Views I have read this post somewhere and wanted to share .......... "When I was a little girl, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage, and extremely burned toast in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed! Yet all my dad did was reach for his toast, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember Watching him smear butter and jelly on that toast and eat every bite! When I got Up from the table that evening, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad For burning the toast. And I'll never forget what he said: 'Baby, I love burned toast.' Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and I asked him if He really liked his toast burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, 'Debbie, your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides-a little burnt toast never hurt anyone!' You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best housekeeper or cook. What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each other's faults - and choosing to celebrate each other's differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. And that's my prayer for you today. That you will learn to accept the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of your life. Build a relationship where burnt toast isn't a deal-breaker!" We could extend this to any relationship in fact, for understanding is the base of any relationship, be it work related or personal - husband-wife or parent-child or friendship!! 15 Comments

Think differently and positively Jul 2, 2009 4:46 am 1937 Views A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: 'I am blind, please help.' There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, 'Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?' The man said, 'I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.' What he had written was: 'Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.' Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. 10 Comments

***** TRUST IN FRIENDSHIP ***** Jun 11, 2009 8:48 am 2355 Views Trust in Frendship…………. Sometimes we believe in certain people.. have expectations from them.......... They says we should not expect……. its always better to maintain relationships without having much expectations…....BUT we are human….and expectations and human go together……. There are so many complications in life.. and most of it is because of these expectations..Be it professional .. be it personal.. these always have some value.. Its a different topic if we are able to meet other's expectation or not.. We might not be raising upto that level.. and when we dont and see the pain in our loved ones... we feel guilty... and not go and advise.. dont have any expecations from me.. or nobody has ever had any expectation from me.. These are words of escapism... ……What is relationship without expectations.... Well its very easy to define what to expect from whom etc.. but very difficult to follow. When in a relationship.. be it parent child, brother sister, husband wife.. even in friendship.. .we need to know that a little bit of affection is always expected... You need to be confident that when the whole world leaves me alone... my friend is always there for me... That is what is friendship after all... The confidence in the other person, the trust which you have on that person irrespective of whether the person will really do it for you. A friend is, simply, another self. Someone you can speak to as freely as to yourself, someone who will rejoice in your happiness as much as yourself, and someone wherever you turn is at your side, never untimely, nor in your way. There's three essential features of friendship: 1. There is affection between you 2. There is honesty. 3. There is trust. What if there comes a situation you are no longer going to trust your friend... the friendship is off on a vacation.. probably that is the day, you realize, you did a mistake... They say.. parents are by chance frineds are by choice So choose your friends wisely... Choose your life wisely!!! 33 Comments

5 Shades of Love May 22, 2009 8:29 am 1955 Views "Love in the heart was not meant there to stay. Love is not love till you give it away". For love to be ever lasting and eternal every one should be aware of the different stages of love and know its significance. Following are the different phases through which you will travel in your love life and only those who pass it will have an endless love. ATTRACTION Attraction can be defined as something, which is more than friendship and is a step towards getting ready for a relationship. Now attraction is of two types: a. Physical Attraction - happens when your body reacts to another person. Heart rate increases; temperature rises, palms get sweaty; stomach flutters; throat tightens; etc. This is what will tell you that you are ready for the first contact and also whether you are comfortable in the company of the other person. b. Emotional Attraction - develops next if the circumstances are right. After being drawn to a person physically, you then begin to come closer. If you find you have things in common -- hobbies, ideologies, career, education, or some other common ground -- then an emotional attraction starts to form. Sometimes an emotional attraction can occur even when a physical attraction does not. And in this case, the bond will be stronger between the two who connect, since no preconceived notions based on physical appearance has occurred. INTIMACY Intimacy is something, which a person experiences when you learn to trust and believe your lover. It is a close association with another person of the deepest nature. You share you thoughts, feelings, and dreams. You feel free to discuss everything with this person and you are absolutely comfortable in his company. Thus intimacy develops gradually. If you can't establish intimacy with your partner, your relationship may work for a while, but is unlikely to endure throughout the years. Intimacy is actually the path to a true, healthy and beautiful relationship. ROMANCE Romance is the essence of a relationship. Without romance your love life will not exist. Romance is the true identity of your love. It brings out your true self and helps you be a better lover, husband and partner. Romance is a celebration of the life you live as part of a couple. It springs naturally and originates from within your heart. It makes you do things that you possibly couldn't have imagined to do otherwise. It shows you who you are and reminds you of the role you play in a relationship. Romance is not responsibility but it is caring about your responsibilities towards your lover and partner. Romance is the appreciation of two people who are celebrating the lucky coincidence that they found each other. PASSION The third stage is passion, which basically means a desire for another person, which has grown to an intensity that can't be ignored. This is often where an emotional relationship turns into a physical relationship. The passion stage is very important. For from here you will understand the true meaning and nature of your relationship. If there is no passion then its best to let go but if there is passion in your relationship then it is time to go on to the next stage. COMMITMENT The last stage is commitment. This is when you know that you want to spend your whole life with this person you love and you can do anything for him. It is when your whole world just revolves round your lover and you take a pledge to remain true to your mate throughout good and bad times, be by his side whenever he needs you. 13 Comments

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