Art of Knowing when to ‘Stop’

As an artist we were always told that we should be aware when we should stop working on a piece of art. The knowledge of this ‘Stop’ is thin as a line. You stop too early and your work looks incomplete. You over-work and it looks confused.

Doesn’t this knowledge apply to everything in life?  If you cook, you will understand what I trying to say. It’s a difference between undercooked and overdone food.

Sometimes we just want to share our thoughts with our friends. But no sooner than we put our thoughts forward, there comes a stream of opinion back at us. And then there are few who don’t even acknowledge your thoughts. Knowing when to ‘Stop’ is a balance between introvert and extrovert.

This knowledge is extremely rare. In fact I come across spiritual well intended people unaware of this line. People going through spiritual metamorphosis, instead of absorbing the changes they are going through start expecting their family and friends to follow suit. And this expectation ruins the beauty of their path.

This brings a wise quote to mind which resonates with me “Respond, not react”.  I have come to realize that we have three buttons with us at every stage “Play” “Pause” and “Stop” which we should use consciously. When in doubt pause and decide whether you need to Stop or continue to Play.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Influencing and getting influenced

In the Journey of life we use influencing very effectively in many areas, but would not have seriously analyzed, why we are able to influence others or why I am getting influenced by -

What is Influencing - It is, understanding yourself and the effect and Impact you have on others when you interact with them. (For example)

a) Parents influence their children by identifying the positive traits  in them, keep reiterating those good aspects and empower them to make them understand that they are good in that aspect which makes them more confident to take the decisions in life. This method is called Empowerment approach.

b) Husband - wife, Mother-in-law - daughter-in-law, or any other close relations, if you take as examples, if I can understand the likes and dislikes of other person, preferences and choices of other person, the words they use often, their body language, colour preferences and so on. I can use this to influence the other people for a positive cause not to get any mileage from this relationship, but be of value to them. This method is called Interpersonal awareness approach.

This is an interesting topic which can be discussed in length. There are eight different ways of Influencing people in personal as well as in professional life.

I have shared with you two different approaches. You can help me by contributing what other approaches you feel is of value.

Keep sharing, let us evolve and influence the society for a positive cause and enjoy this journey called life.

By : Venkatesha Sharma

Contact - consultantvenkat@gmail.com

Soul mate

The word soul mate is often associated with spouse or a lover. Especially in our culture where we have grown up hearing mythical stories of Savitri and Satyvan and where wife’s fast and pray for their husband’s long life, it is natural to assume so.

A soul mate as I understand can be any one with whom you feel deeply connected, loved and cherished. It necessarily need not be of the opposite sex or having any physical relationship with him or her. In fact they need not be humans at all. Animals, trees or even non-living things like a body of water which energizes you can make that difference in your life. In fact soul mate need not be just one. You can have a number of soul mates.

I bring forth this explanation and understanding to remove the blame and hurt that many of us cause our loved ones by accusing them with words like cheating and affair which often lead to deep, painful lifelong wounds. Anyone expressing their deep connection to others should not be tainted shame. A soul to soul relationship should be valued and honored.

By Pushpa Ramesh

Sense of Awe

Each morning I sit with my tea in the presence of nature and marvel at it’s beauty. The stillness and the peace it provides is a meditation in itself.

In younger days, nature was of little value. I knew that the beach or the presence of water made me feel good or perhaps a nice scenic place. As years have gone by our relationship has become deeper. A beautiful sunrise or sunset adds value. Sometimes trees and greenery amaze me. I can enjoy the bloom of spectrum of flowers during various seasons.

Birds oh dear…they amaze me

Call of the Owls, feel as if chatting and communicating with me. And of-course they keep a keen gaze to see if I am responding to them. And the little black Bushchat bird comes each day into my home, just to check if I am still there.

Peacocks call, as if they lack attention. Bulbuls gather to dance. The Sunbirds hover over flowers and sucking the nectar. The gorgeous Kingfisher, make my heart dance. Squeals of the Hornbills or the soothing call of the Cuckoo bird, both unique and attractive in their own sense. The sharp flight of a Kite or an elegant swoop of the Egret, such a treat to watch.

And ah, the Squirrels running around and holding food with their two fore legs, just to remind us 'that we are similar ’. I enjoyed watching them gather cotton and make a nest. And out comes those small little babies running around learning to navigate through trees and bushes.

What a sense of amazement and awe nature provides us with. Small blessings which we so easily ignore, but the bliss it provides is priceless.

By
Pushpa Ramesh

GOD (As I know it)

Probably we all know deep down in our hearts that at our core we are 'Child of God' and in our humanness we forget that. Or probably we just shut it down because we as humans are entwined in our social web. If we say don't follow a religion we are outcast by the society. As we join this society since birth, we fear being outcast.

All religions describe God in almost similar way. Hindu philosophy -  'Aham Bhramasmi' (I AM GOD) the literal translation. Or, there is GOD in each of us . Christianity & Judas call it the concept of 'I AM THAT I AM'.

Even the vibrations created by different religions is similar - AUM, AMEN & AMEEN -. Concept behind it is - Everything we see or don't see is energy. And energy vibrates on different frequencies. All 3 words have a same higher frequency derived from aaa... & ummm.... So, basically same words pronounced differently in different religions. 

To know more about 'OM' read my earlier post http://coffeetableconversation.blogspot.in/2013/07/om.html

Anita Moorjani describes beautifully in her book ' Dying to be me' - 'GOD isn't a being, but a state of being......and I was now in that state of being!' 

So GOD can't reject us even if we are the worst kind of humans. I read in a book that even Heaven & Hell are just a state of being. So we won't even go to Heaven or Hell, but experience them depending on which state we are in.

Purity of thoughts is the only spiritual evolution. Peace, Joy, Bliss, Love, Abundance is nothing but our GOD self, which we should strive to maintain at each ad every moment of time.

Even with all this knowledge that GOD is one or within us, I myself insist, that my child prays every morning. I am not a religious person, but when I needed that support & protection from someone greater than me, I know that I can pray to GOD. Prayer gives us hope, in hopeless situation. And I wish that my child feels that support.

If humanity awakens to their GOD-self, then there can be, no hate, no religious intolerance, no caste inequalities, But Pure Humanness. 

By 
Pushpa Ramesh

Having Faith....

Taking the cue from your post Pushpa on Faith

Faith - Face Anything In Trusting Him. 
I would like to share with you a real incident which I read in a book. 

A Steel Manufacturing Company has a division called "Steel Melting Shop"and it is the heart of Steel Plant.In this shop the raw material iron ore is mixed with chemicals like limestone, coal etc to produce Ingots. The temperature in the Steel Melting shop would be 600 - 1000 degrees centigrade.

In earlier days there was no automation and people work in this Steel Melting stop would work for 15 mins and then take a break and an alternative person would do the job as they face the heat of 600 degree centigrade. We during the summer time, for 42 - 45 degrees centigrade express that it is scorching heat outside.The people working in the Steel Melting Shop have tattooed the words "JAI BHAJRANG BALI' (In Praise of Lord Hanuman) They had enormous faith on Lord Hanuman and because of that faith, they got a positive feeling that any task howsoever hard it may look can be accomplished. (FAITH WORKS, IF WE HAVE FAITH AT WORK)

Contributed by

Venkatesh Sharma
Mercuri Goldmann (India) Private Limited
consultantvenkat@gmail.com

Having Faith

The word 'Faith' has been loosing it's value in our atheist society, because people relate faith to religion. But Faith isn't about religion, it's about trusting a power far greater than ourselves. That can be God for some people, for others it can be higher intelligence or energy or simply trusting their own self or perhaps one look's upon somebody.

Personally 'Faith' has given me the knowledge that I am unsinkable, even when I stand in the midst of a chaos. Each day I have dialogue with the higher power of my challenges and my aspirations, waiting for magical solutions to appear. The solutions are some times 'perfect' and sometimes they are not in my favor. When I fight with it and want things my way - it brings in a conflict within me and peace is lost. But when I accept these unfavorable solutions whole heartedly I begin to see a more clear picture of my life.

Most of us loose faith when we face danger and fear overpowers us. Life has shown us, people magically getting cured of life threatening diseases or were saved at the last moment when they were facing death. And we have seen examples of healthy people losing their life because they didn't have faith that they could lead a happy life.
Sometimes just being an observer of life creates amazing possibilities which we miss when we are over-reacting in a situation. Choosing a possibility with which one resonates most and having the willingness to overcome the challenge, will not only help us to expand but also live our life with purpose.

By 

Pushpa Ramesh

The dance of Guilt and Shame

Guilt and Shame go hand in hand.
The whole world seems to be on a guilt trip - for something from their past that they did or didn't do 'RIGHT'. Of course, many times the guilt programming starts at a young age. Socially our life has become so entwined that society has a say in pretty much everything. From childhood if the child does not behave in  a certain way, that kid is scolded, shamed and made to feel guilty because the child has failed the family, socially. This guilt & the feeling of ' I am not good enough' carries with this kid throughout his life.
We as a society can't even accept, if a child's pace of growing up is not, up-to the acceptable social standards. Instead of accepting the individual pace, we blame the parent as irresponsible and uncultured.
Educated mothers - are on a guilt trip, if they are stay at home mom's and those who work are guilty for not being able to give their 100% to their family.
Each and everyone of us on some level (including the top models), have guilt consciousness about our physical body because of the social judgement around looking good as per standards is imperative.
Successful people are viewed as duplicitous and unsuccessful ones are blamed as losers.
We as individuals or as society are constantly blaming, shaming or making someone or ourselves feel guilty. Our media which affects and shapes our thoughts is also constantly doing the same with institutions and individuals. Rarely does our media celebrate the good in society.

David R Hawkins on the Map of Consciousness has given Shame and Guilt are one of the lowest levels of frequency. At this frequency we are much further away from finding peace, joy and happiness. Moreover these low frequencies creates stress, which in turn cause diseases.

We as conscious individuals, have the power to help and uplift each other. At each individual level, we need to be mindful of our thoughts and take a little care in expressing ourselves loving with kind uplifting words. Sometimes, we just need to stand with our friends and loved ones in their ordeal to overcome their guilt and shame. Other times we need to be kind and loving towards ourselves and seek the help we need to overcome our judgement on a situation. This is how we can raise our frequency and live in a space of peace and happiness.

By
Pushpa Ramesh

EFT - The quick fix pain reliver

At some point in our life we do deal with some kind of pain (physical or emotional). Some of us take drugs to numb that pain and others just accept it and deal with it. Easy pain relief is in your hands literally for free. And it just takes few minutes to be pain free.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) or Tapping as it is called is a simple, easy and quick way to relieve physical or emotional pain. In fact some practitioners of EFT have gone ahead and used this process to change their beliefs and even to lose weight as well as to let go addictions.

The simple process is done by tapping with your fingers at certain points in your body for few minutes. Using affirmations along with deep relaxed breathing is even more beneficial.

Why it works - Acupuncture has for thousands of years have described meridians. Meridians are pathways through which our energy flows (prana or chi). Most of these meridians are associated with our organs. These points are the end points of the meridians. When you tap these points, any blockage in the meridian starts to open up and energy starts to flow smoothly.

This video will help you teach the process and get relief from pain.

Energy Healing – Basics

We humans as any other life form are meant to self-heal.

Energy healing methods like chakra/ aura healing, crystal healing, reiki etc…work on the basic principle that world including all life forms are made up of energy. If these energies are in perfect balance then we are in perfect health, both physically and emotionally. Imbalance in energy creates, pain, dis-ease and emotional up’s and down’s. The practitioner always starts with self, hence called a “healed healer”.

A healer removes the dark energy from the person and puts in light instead. The most important tools of the healer are faith (in the modality / God), Intention, Intuition & love. With faith the healer sets the pure intention to heal the person with love while trusting his ‘intuition’ as his guide. This can be developed by anybody, just by practice and faith.

Simple way of making these energies work in our favour is by correcting our thought process choosing more loving, peaceful and joyous thoughts, instead of negative thoughts of guilt, shame, anger, worry, etc…. The happier you are, the higher vibration you are at. Next important thing which we all can do is - be in the company of positive loving people, because we tend to attract others energy & vice versa. Or just by being aware changing the negative reactions into more positive ones. Water is a good purifier of energy, that’s why we feel fresh and energetic after a shower in the end of a tired day.

Let's, make the most of your energy.

By

Pushpa Ramesh

Art of Receiving

We often forget that receiving and giving are ‘two sides of the same coin’.

From childhood, we have been programmed & encouraged to give unconditionally. From generations, the giver is seen in a greater light than the receiver. That’s great; but it has led to a mental block which puts receiving in poor light.

Let’s look into why receiving is so important – Firstly, giving is directly dependent on receiving eg; if we have money then we can donate it whole heartedly to the cause we believe in. Remember that we come into the world empty handed. Secondly, we are all humans and hence we have needs. Even the spiritual saints have spiritual needs. These needs can only be fulfilled when we are open to receiving.

Sometimes when we have a deep desire for something we pray and ask God/ higher powers to help us fulfill them. The best way our higher powers can help us is through fellow humans and when such help, knocks at our door step, our ego steps in and we very often reject this help.

Here’s how we can improve our receiving ability.When somebody showers us with gifts or when someone opens up for helping us, we need to just take a moment and accept it graciously with genuine gratitude. Yes, “take a moment” because otherwise out of habit we would half-heartedly disgrace it by calling it “formality” or even worse accept in ungraciously by expressing “this isn’t what I wanted”. Please remember – The giver has already received, and to complete circle they are giving.

ByPushpa Ramesh

Is your Battery 100%

Yes, it’s about “You” not your gadgets. When we have slept well and wake up, fully charged. That’s a feeling most people hardly experience these days. Oh! I do wish we humans were as simply wired as our gadgets, so we could connect ourselves to a power plug when we are low on battery.
What depletes our battery? Surely over usage without rest, stress, ill health, wrong food & drinks.

Negative thoughts create stress and anxiety and hence insomnia. A good way to controlling negative thoughts is by first recognizing that it exists in you. Next, understand that it is not a reality but just a thought. Mind, like our body needs care for our wellbeing. Meditation is a good place to start.

With a peaceful mind, comes peaceful sleep. Over the years, it’s become hip to sleep less because it is viewed as a frivolous activity, hence considered waste of time (which ‘successful people cannot afford’). But in reality, sleep is like meditation it can recharge you and you will be able to give more output in less time. Arianna Huffington, Forbes #12 most influential woman in media, once collapsed due to lack of sleep and since then became a “sleep evangelist”.

When health is making us feel drained… that’s the way our body reminds us to pay more attention to our-self. Half of all diseases can be resolved psychologically. For rest of the diseases we have advance medicine on our side. Most of the common diseases these days are lifestyle diseases, for which a simple lifestyle change is needed.

Still feeling dull??? Check your diet. It’s not only alcohol and caffeine that saps on our craving mind but also heavy junk food and sugary sweets too. They give us instant energy and gratification and then, they drain us out. Still we give ourselves reasons for having them. Can we stand proud, when we make a healthy choice next time and give a pat on the back to someone who has done the same.

By Pushpa Ramesh

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