Life Is an Education

Life Is an Education
How to expand your world.

LIFE IS REALLY MEANT to be simple and easy. However, well-meaning parents and others often try to pressure their kids to excel in school so much so that children today have very high levels of stress that we never thought about when we were young. Unfortunately, we adults aren’t taught in school how to have relationships or how to be good parents. As parents, we muddle through as best we can, having learned parenthood only from what we saw in our own families. Children learn by observing their parents, so if you teach them love and forgiveness, they’ll learn how to be loving and forgiving.

It’s one of our challenges (as we grow up) to do what’s right for us even when those who care about us have other ideas. We’re not here to fulfill other people’s expectations. I believe that everything does work out for the best in the end, but sometimes it’s hard to see that while we’re going through a challenging experience.

By trusting Divine Intelligence to help us experience life in the way that’s best for us, we empower ourselves to find our own path to fulfillment and to enjoy everything that life has to offer. I truly believe knowledge is power. I’m constantly increasing my understanding. Every day I open my awareness a little more to the Divine Wisdom within me. Life, to me, is an education! I’m glad to be alive and so grateful for the good that’s come to me. We can educate ourselves by opening our mind and heart every day to discover new insights, new people, new viewpoints, and new ways to understand what’s happening around and within us. The more I understand, the more my world expands and I feel at ease with all the changes in this incredible school of life here on Planet Earth.

There are many things you can do to expand your world. You can begin with the thoughts that you think by using affirmations. Remember, affirmations are anything and everything you think and say and believe. Here are some of my personal favorites:

I am responsible for my experience.
Every thought I think is creating my future.
I need to release the past and forgive everyone, including myself.
The point of power is always in the present moment.
I am safe in the Universe, and all Life loves and supports me.
All is well in my world.

People often say “I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up” and worry themselves silly. Someone recently sent me a copy of a wonderful commencement speech given at Stanford University by the founder and CEO of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs. A highly successful businessman known for his creativity and innovation in the world of business, his speech in a nutshell was about loving what you do. Given all that he’d accomplished in the world, this didn’t really surprise me. But what did surprise me was the fact that he told the assembled crowd that for the last 34 years he has been using one of my most popular techniques to start his day. He looks in the mirror every morning and says this affirmation: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I’m about to do?” In his speech Mr. Jobs also said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, heart, and intuition.” What a powerful message!

As Steve Jobs was implying, today is the only opportunity you’ll ever have to experience this day. Stay in the now, and rejoice in every moment. Don’t let your days slip by in frustration or you’ll miss out on much of your joy. Create in your mind how you want your life to be. Study, read, and listen to CDs. If you’re already going to school, begin every morning with a few minutes of meditation. Affirm that school gets easier and easier for you all the time. Develop a feeling of gratitude for every experience you have. Learn to find joy in each moment.

It’s your life. Love it, and Life will love you in return. I promise, if you take a month of expressing gratitude at every turn, Life loves a grateful person and will give you even more to be grateful for.

Affirm: I listen with love and peace to what life is teaching me!

By Louise L. Hay
Writer of "You Can Heal Your Life"

Abstract Art

Many of us find it difficult to understand “abstract art”. That is because we look for forms and meanings, when the word “abstract” itself means something which doesn’t have a concrete shape. In simple words ‘Art’ in which the subject is, colour, line, shape, texture etc., rather than recognizable form is abstract art.

Sometimes the artist takes inspiration from real objects or nature and represents it in unrecognizable patters or shapes. For this he either simplifies the object or exaggerates it. This form of art is sometimes pleasing to the eye and sometimes lacks aesthetic beauty. To appreciate such an art, it is important to understand the environment of the artist as well as his thoughts. Sometimes the subconscious emotion of the artist is also expressed well in abstract form.

Preconception binds our imagination. To appreciate an abstract art, it is imperative that one should have an open mind. So abstract art not only needs the skill of the artist but also of the observer. Art allows us to access our subconscious feeling and emotions. Hence the role of an artist in such a case is to create a work of art, that when viewed evokes the viewer’s subconscious feelings to his awareness, keeping his distractions to minimum.


By Pushpa Ramesh

Time of my Life

You know. . . time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is... the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore... it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will... I just fall asleep where I sit!
And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...its over. A new adventure will begin!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.
So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.
· LIVE IT WELL!
· ENJOY TODAY!
· DO SOMETHING FUN!
· BE HAPPY !
· HAVE A GREAT DAY
LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:
v TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN,
v YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.
ü Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect!
ü Going out is good.. Coming home is better!
ü You forget names.... But it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!!
ü You realize you're never going to be really good at anything.... especially golf.
ü The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.
ü You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep".
ü You miss the days when everything work
ü You tend to use more 4 letter words..."what?"..."when?".. ???
ü Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.
ü You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!!
ü What used to be freckles are now liver spots.
ü Everybody whispers.
ü You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear.
But Old is good in some things:
Ø Old Songs,
Ø Old movies, and best of all,
Ø OLD FRIENDS!!

By Patti Koosed

Movie Review : Madras Cafe

Madras Cafe is based on India’s involvement in Sri Lankan civil war and it’s aftermath. Although a commercial movie, the film has a realistic feel to it. Some of the documentary footage of the genocide in Sri Lanka has been used in the movie. Movie depicts bloodbath, but violence is not repulsive. There is a steady development of story and action, gives a Hollywood Movie feel. For a change no… Bollywood musical extravaganza, romance or comedy used for entertainment.

John Abraham’s personality takes the movie forward, but John and Nargis seriously needs to focus on their acting and expressions. Rashi Khanna’s acting is passable. The supporting cast which acted as Sri Lankan’s did a good job.

On the whole, John Abraham has succeeded to create an impact with his production debut. A great must see political thriller.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Massive Open Online Courses - FREE !

In an attempt at "inclusive education", the rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offer tremendous opportunities to individuals (housewives/students/professionals) to pursue academics from reputed International Universities and Colleges, without having to pay course fees.

One of the early innovators - COURSERA (www.coursera.org) believe in connecting people to a great education so that anyone around the world can learn without limits.It is worthwhile to read what they have to offer and how it will benefit you, if you have spare time and want to upgrade your competencies.

UDACITY (www.udacity.com) is one such institution whose mission is to bring accessible, engaging, and effective higher education to the world. They believe that higher education is a basic human right and they want to empower students to develop their skills in order to advance their careers.

Some of the other "Massive Open Online Courses" providers are EDX (www.edx.org) who have an arrangement with Harvard and MIT and offer interactive online classes in subjects including law, history, science, engineering, business, social sciences, computer science, public health, and artificial intelligence (AI).

Even Stanford University (www.scpd.stanford.edu)under the aegis of Stanford Center for Professional Development has made available FREE Webinars and Live Lectures presented by Stanford faculty, industry experts, and senior researchers.

Future Learn (www.futurelearn.com) in UK, also offer online courses from some of the world’s best universities for free, enabling everyone, everywhere to enjoy learning throughout their lives.

This is a great opportunity for those seeking to validate their competencies and maybe in the next decade, one will be able to have a certificate or a degree from one of the most prestigious colleges and universities, at the click of a mouse and the only investment will be - TIME and DEDICATION to complete the course.

Contributed by an eLearning Consultant.

Choose to live a life that matters...

Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.

So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won't matter where you came from or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin colour will be irrelevant. So what will matter?

How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave. What will matter is not your success, but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence, but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.

What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice. . . . . So choose to live a life that matters.

By anonymous

Beauty!!!

There is no denying the fact that a pleasant face does bring a smile on the onlookers face. “Looks” are something we have been blessed with it (however we look), because that’s how the Creator wanted to identify us.

Beauty in today’s terms is a creation of mankind. It was man who decided that fair skin, sharp features, size zero figure, etc. is beauty. In-fact since (the features associated with what is perceived as beauty) have become a popular belief many people have gone to un-natural lengths to achieve beauty.

The opinion that a person with ‘good looks’, have the world at their feet, is a little exaggerated. They too have their ups & down’s. And there are times when beauty becomes an obstacle.  The curfew time for a good looking girl is more than, that of others. Family members always feel the need to be over protective. Many married spouses feel insecure, if their husbands / wife are friendly with a good looking person of opposite sex. Females are busy comparing their vital statistics with the slimmer lot because they assume that everyone who looks at them focuses on their waistlines and nothing else. Everyone’s eyes and ears are with the beautiful one; because it is assumed that they are flirting with each and every-one that they smile at or talk to. And.., if they don’t smile, then they are assumed to be proud and have a bad attitude.

There is beauty in each one of us. Let’s look for the beauty within.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Om

Om (pronounced Aum), is sacred and important in various religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. Same phonetic is produced in saying ‘Amen’ (in Christianity) and ‘Aameen’ (in Islam).

It is made up of the letters A, U and M. The sound emerging from the vocal chords starts from the base of the throat as "A". With the coming together of the lips, "U" is formed and when the lips are closed, all sounds end in "M". The Om chant should have the resounding sound of a bell (aaooommm). The "om syllable" in Sanskrit is referred to as ‘praṇava’, literally meaning "that which is sounded out loudly by making a humming sound" or ‘that which runs through our prana or breath’.

The three letters symbolize the three states (waking, dream and deep sleep), the three deities Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva (the creator, preserver and destroyer). The entire essence of the Vedas is enshrined in the word Om. It is said that the Lord started creating the world after chanting Om. Hence its sound is considered to create an auspicious beginning for any task that we undertake. Most mantras and Vedic prayers start and end with Om. It is also repeated as a mantra to meditate upon. Its form is worshipped upon and used as an auspicious sign. Om is the universal name of the Lord.

Om is one of the most chanted sound symbols in India. When we chant Om, we create within ourselves a vibration that attunes with the cosmic vibration which has profound effect on the body and mind of the one who chants and also on the surroundings. Such is the immeasurable power of Om.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Age is on your side

We often complain about ageing… in our forties, but surprisingly very few elders complain. Some of us complain… that they are un-healthy due to their AGE. We have grand mothers who are healthy at eighty plus, with no type II diabetes, hyper-tension and with a healthy heart, while other family members at much younger age suffer from ill health. So I feel it’s our lifestyle that makes us unhealthy. A little attention and focus on our lifestyle can lead us towards an energetic and healthy life. For good health these days exercise is a must because we lead a quiescent life compared to our previous generation.

Public perception towards “age”, especially in India is quiet negative. Thirty plus are treated as ‘somebody who has passed the prime of their age’. This negative feedback gets engraved in our brains and we tend to ignore our dress sense, attitude and body language, which in turn make us look, dull, unenthusiastic and hence old.

Secondly most of us after getting into a profession, neglect their hobbies. Hobbies not only relieve us from stress, but some hobbies keep us physically active and hence, healthy. As far as health & hobbies are concerned all that is needed is a little determination. Hesitation before starting can be resolved with determination and then one just has to pursue it, with interest. After all hobbies are stimulating and a great way to pep us!

I feel a positive attitude & a healthy life are important for feeling young. Would love to hear your feedback, so please do leave your comments…

By Pushpa Ramesh

हमसफ़र

उन्हें ढून्ढने निकला था, जवानी के नशे में,

कभी इस शहर, कभी उस,

भटखता हुआ मंजिल के तलाश में, मिला न कोई हमसफ़र,

परेशां हुआ बार बार, थक गया, मुश्किलों से झून्ज्थे,

मधुशाला के आघोष में, पता न चला, कब बरसात, कब पतझड़,

मध्होशी के आलम में, कभी इस शहर, कभी उस,

नींद से जागा, पता चला, इस रात की सुबह नहीं,

हमसफ़र की तलाश में कभी इस शहर, कभी उस,

सोच सोच कर मन घबराया, सोच सोच में उम्र बीता,

होश आया तो अकेला पाया, पर जिद्द थी निरंथर खोज की,

ऊत्हेजना मन में, ढूँढने निकला ता, उस सौम्या की,


पता न चला, कब ग्रीष्म ऋतू, बरसात, शिशिर, और बसंत गुज़र गया,

अचानक यह हुआ, हमसाया से मोहब्बत हो गया,

चेहरे में मुस्कान ताने, हमसाया को अपनाया,

विवाद में निकला विवाहित जीवन, मिठास की चादर ओदे,

साल गुज़रे, यादें बनी, बहस हुई, आसू बहे, मन विचलित हुआ, फैसले हुए,

चला हु अब एक नए सफ़र में, मन की शांति ढूँढने,

कभी इस शहर, कभी उस !

Written and contributed by

Ramesh Narayanan

Movie review : Bhag Milkha Bhag

The movie ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’ is inspired by Milkha Singh’s autobiography “The Race of My Life”.

Movie truly inspires ‘with determination and hard work it is possible to achieve your dreams’. There is a fair amount of emotion, humor and romance added to it to keep it entertaining. During the various races the movie takes the viewer, to an edge. In-fact on number of occasion the hall erupted into cheer, giving the feeling that the games were taking place in the present moment ‘live’ in front of our eyes.

The movie also focuses on Mlkha Shigh’s early life and the emotional reasons which lead to making him a great athlete. It does miss out on his later life.

Farhan Akthar’s acting is marvelous. There are very few actors who do on screen justice to living legends & Farhan was able to do that. His tough physical training for this movie is clearly visible from his physique.

The trio Shankar-Ehsaan- Loy’s music is apt for the movie. Although few songs and dance sequences have been added to the movie for Bollywood style entertainment, but the music does not distract the viewer from the theme.

It’s a “must see” movie.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Reading

Reading to me, is a personal experience. It's a secret bond between the reader & the writer. A reader's personal circumstances & exposure strongly  influence the interpretation, that is why when you read the same piece at a different stage in life it gives a different perspective. The ability to relate to it at a different level  and derive a different inference further strengthens the bonding between the reader & the writer. 

An  exceptional piece of writing is that which is able to stand the test of time and is able to offer the reader a different dimension with the passage of time. While poetry by nature is mystic and open to interpretation, to get the same effect out of prose calls for a certain amount of skill. Moreover the subject discussed should lend itself and offer such scope. It is possible only for a knowledgeable and creative writer to bring about such text and a discerning reader to unravel it. Here again each reader unravels it within the limits of his/her intellect, which again keeps evolving with new experience and exposure. So not only does each reader get his own perspective, every reader gets a different perspective every time he/she reads it. This is the magic of the written word and the basis for the secret love affair between the reader & the writer.


Written and Contributed by : 
Rajshree Anand 
Dubai, U.A.E.
Banker by profession.

When sms kills language

Do you understand

‘SUP’

‘C-P’

Have you ever read your teenagers sms? Don’t bother, even if you read you won’t be able to understand a word. “Short messaging service” has shortened the words to an extreme. Now these short words have entered even our daily life and the beauty of English language is getting lost.

My teenager greets me with “sup”, which is a short word for “what’s up” and these days what’s up doesn’t mean what is above you or above something – it means “how do you do”. The younger generation has shortened the words to such an extreme that even their talk and formal write-up’s are in short form, which not only kills the beauty of the language but is also against the netiquettes of formal writing.

When we were growing up, our elders used to stress on the need to read, in order to improve vocabulary and language skills. The present generation reads a lot because they have access to more books and reading material, available online & on Kindle which is comfortable and easy to buy. Then why are the younger generation losing touch with their language etiquette and skills? Because they use sms to an extent where it has become ingrained in memory and the brain doesn't acknowledge the difference when they are using language in any other form. So it is important to encourage the Gen-Y to use proper language skills.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Conversation....

Everything changes… So does the meaning & substance of the word “conversation”. A decade or two back, it would have meant meeting a friend - sitting & chatting. Coffee or no coffee, the pleasure of being with a friend was great. Those were the good old days when we had the luxury of time.

Now that our lives have become fast & electronically connected, what needs to be seen is… are we still personally connected???? On my regular walks I see most people fiddling with their Ipods, cell phones etc…. and rarely do few, enjoy “nature”. Didn’t we have better memory when we had less electronics on hand – we could easily remember a dozen phone numbers offhand. Now most of us don’t even remember our close family member’s phone numbers. The electronic world has it’s boon. Many have found staying in touch with friends & family members far away, easier. The loved ones birthdays are on social media, which sends us reminders to wish them (because we can’t be expected to remember everything!!!) Some of us do take the liberty to send an e-greeting, which we view once or rarely twice, before trashing it. Previously we would display the greeting cards we receive on the mantel piece for months and on a regular basis those cards would fill us with beautiful memories. Now to even, make or break a relationship, there is sms or social media on hand. Just “unfriend” them, to let them know - they have been “dumped”.

On my recent trip to Singapore, I was surprised to see that majority of the MRT users (metro users) were engrossed in their electronic devices, that they don’t even acknowledge the person standing next to them. Once while I was travelling on MRT, I noticed a family of four travelling traveling along. The two year old and the five year old, playing on their individual Ipad’s and parents browsing on their own smart phones. There was no interaction among the family members, leave alone anything around them. To add to it a friend told me that her daughter’s sms bills ran into thousand bucks on a particular month, while she didn’t even use her free calls. The reason she was told – “who calls these days….” (as if it was something against the social etiquette).

I value smart phones and latest electronic gadgets. But dear friends, let’s give real human value to people, instead of just pressing the electronic “likes”.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Welcome

Dear friends,

'A cup of coffee.... few friends.....flowing conversation....' This is the intention behind this blog, we are launching. A blog which not only puts our thoughts and view point, but yours too... Sometimes we have a great point of view on a subject, or an experience which we would like to share, or maybe unleash a creative streak.... This blog is is a collaborative space for such view points and an opportunity to the writer lurking in all of us and a place to share our views on everything under the sun.

Contributions can be in the form of post which we will be happy to publish on the blog or in the form of comments on a post (in the comments section). You can write about anything which will make a good coffee table conversation - mundane things or experiences, your vacation trip, movie /music /book reviews, your poetry, list is endless...

If you have any idea /thought worth sharing, please come forward and send us an email or a Facebook message. It'll be our pleasure to post your ideas (while giving full credit to you).

Please pick up your Coffee and join us at  http://coffeetableconversation.blogspot.in/ - our eCoffee parlour......