Inspiration Bonanza

Innovation at The Gas Station

2012-02-16T08:53:00.002+05:30

Seriously, don't laugh seeing this. It must be a safety measure against break in burglaries.

Where're we headed?
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Why We Don't Experience God

2012-02-10T21:25:00.002+05:30

If God or Truth is present everywhere, including us, why do we not see or experience this Truth? As it is within us, we only need to look within and we should see. The signs of a person who is experiencing God are: happiness in spite of any kind of outer circumstances, and not needing a crutch for happiness.

There are two main reasons:

Our attention is always turned outward. We hardly ever look within.
Our minds are constantly vibrating so that even when we look, our vision is blurred. Imagine a pool of muddy water in constant motion. To see through the water, first we need to allow the mud to settle down, by letting the water stand still for some time. Secondly, we should not keep disturbing the water.

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Steve Jobs' Words of Inspiration

2012-02-09T17:03:00.001+05:30

Of the 300 million Apple ipods sold (as on October 2011), I happen to use one. This had been my only connection with Steve Jobs so far. A video on Youtube changed my perception of Jobs.

Apart from being the game changer in the electronic entertainment industry, Steve Jobs also had a deep, uncanny philosophical outlook on life that combined ancient truths with personal observations and experiences. Experiences that were far from what one would expect for a top achiever like him.

Many of us may be unaware that his early life was full of hardships and uncertainties. Startlingly, here was a man who was given away by his biological mother to a childless couple, a man who had to drop out of college because he didn't want to study on his parents' hard earned money--but look at what he became, what he achieved. Stupendous!

Here's Steve Jobs' Stanford 2005 commencement address:

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The Motivation to Change

2012-02-08T21:47:00.002+05:30

Pain is the motivator that forces instant change.

At some point in our lives, we might have endured immense pain-physical or psychological-which left us desperately seeking a remedy: Oh God, I'd do anything to get rid of this, to be out of this terrible experience.

What about those who commit major offences?

Students who get caught cheating in exams, cheating partners, corrupt officials and ministers who get caught, all have their fall from grace, their moments of ignominy. Recently, three ministers in the state of Karnataka (India) were caught on camera viewing porn in the state legislative assembly. They were forced to resign, and their political career and stature would be difficult to redeem.

We read of many officials and ministers around the world getting retribution for their shameful acts. Some of them pay with their lives-like Gaddafi. Others are subjected to disgrace-public inquiries, trials, impeachments, which are worse than death. Lets not make a list of those people here.

If even after such painful experiences, such people do not reform, greater and greater tragedies await them.

Mata Amritanandamayi, modern day renowned mystic and spiritual teacher, relates this story to stress the importance of commitment to duties-worldly and spiritual:

"A corrupt businessman was not willing to pay taxes. According the law of his land, the punishment for not paying taxes was either to drink 10 glasses of salt water or to receive 30 whip lashes. "I'll take the punishment," he said, thinking he could easily drink salt water.

The day of punishment arrived. The officials took him to the public square and put the glasses of salt water before him. He took a sip, and reeled back, nauseated. He was used to dainty dishes and wines, and the taste of the intensely salty water was too much to stomach. "OK, I'll take the whiplashes", he said, still not wanting to part with his money.

As the first blow landed on his back, he cried out, wincing in pain." Oh, I'm going to die", he thought. Never having had done any sort of physical work, his body was like butter.

When the guard raised the whip again, he fell on his knees and begged,"Enough, enough, pleeease! Let me go, I'll pay all my taxes with interest".

He not only drank salt water, but also had to endure blows, and in the end, paid the taxes as well.

If man does not evolve, nature will force him to evolve, even at the point of the bayonet, said Swami Vivekananda, a saint and social reformer of the early 20th century.

So whenever a small inner voice from inside whispers to us: "Don't do that......do this...it is the right thing to do", we better heed it.

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Lessons From an Animal

2012-02-05T23:35:00.001+05:30

We humans are impatient with everything. We want instant solutions to everything- jobs, money, career skills, marriage, health…When something goes wrong, or doesn't work out well, we are frustrated, have a bout of depression, trauma, and what not.

Recently, I learnt a lesson in patience from a neighbor. It was an animal, a female dog. Every year, she gets pregnant and gives birth. The births occur during the winter, and sadly, few pups survive the intense Delhi cold which dips down to 3 degrees Celsius.

Last year, I had seen her with a fresh litter, cuddled under the staircase of a building. People did provide blankets and food, but only one survived. It was too sad to see the tiny pups lying dead, the lone survivor moving over their bodies. The mother was unusually silent, weeping out her sorrow in a corner. She didn't usually allow anyone to pass that way, but that day, she didn't even lift up her head. Perhaps she was angry with us humans for not providing a shelter, for not protecting her pups from the chilling winds.

This year, to atone for that, we did not drive her out when she came for shelter inside our compound. We let her have a portion of the portico, and there were blinds to keep out the wind. Tonight I heard sounds of licking tongues, and moments later low pitched squeals. She was in labor! We watched as she patiently tugged the pups out of her abdomen, one by one. It went on for hours.

She had every reason to give up when her pups died last year, but the instinct of life innate in her made her go on. We humans could take a cue from this when faced with setbacks: Keep on keeping on, there's light at the end of the tunnel.
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For a Change..Laugh, Seriously!

2012-02-05T12:44:00.000+05:30

Oh my God! Laughing Buddhas!

Inspired? Why not try it out ? See this video below:

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Self-belief For Better Personal Relations

2012-02-02T01:02:00.001+05:30

He didn't look at me, she did not greet me, these people don't smile...these are pet peeves of people at social gatherings: How often have you gone to social functions and felt that people don't show warmth or consideration? This is more true in big cities. If you are a teacher or a public speaker, you must've felt exasperated sometimes by the expressions of people in the audience-blank stares, angry glares,...never acknowledging your best efforts.

I believe it is possible to have a nice time even if you go to a place where you know no one. You need to be happy with yourself. Somebody said: You've to be comfortable with yourself if you're to be comfortable with others. You've to like that person whom you see in the mirror. Only if you accept yourself unconditionally, as you are now, will you get that self love-not regarding your past, your failures, your errors and omissions-not withstanding. It doesn't matter at all who you are or what you have achieved.

All that matters is -to ACCEPT YOURSELF AS YOU ARE NOW. You'll feel instant relief, a lightening of the heart, a relaxed, lighter state of being. You have acknowledged your divinity, you're at peace with yourself.

You might need to work on this, contemplate this fact, meditate on this-and be convinced. Then it will form the solid bedrock of self-belief on which you can have fun developing your skills in whatever way you want.

ACCEPT THIS: No matter what I have been in the past, no matter what I have done, I AM GOOD. I ACCEPT MYSELF UNCONDITIONALLY. I APPROVE OF MYSELF. I LOVE MYSELF.

There is no limit to reinforcing this belief-one may do it all the time till it becomes second nature. You'll feel gradual transformation, you'll forgive yourself when you make mistakes.You'll be more open to others, to observe evolving life situations from a neutral vantage point and respond in a balanced way. You wont get caught up and give off knee-jerk reactions which complicate matters. You will learn to free yourself from the grip of circumstances.

And when you have that freedom, you'll be able to view others' shortcomings with compassion. Instead of attacking them and deepening their wounds, you'll be able to let go of your hurts, and accommodate others.

Everybody is the result of their circumstances, and people are doing the best they can.
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The Vanishing Muse

2012-01-26T13:19:00.000+05:30

By muse I mean the rare thought train that inspires you to write. Lately I'd been gifted with many ideas to write but I kept postponing putting them down. I thought I had so many ideas I needed only to choose one of them-and write. Surprisingly, when I sat down to write, I was left with a blank mind. No topic to write about. Nada.

Perhaps the muse had deserted me for the lack of attention I showed, it must have affronted her.
However, Joel Saltzman came to the rescue. I had been reading his If you can talk, you can write! and it inspired me pretty well. In fact, I had not wanted to reveal any information about this book: it is a treasure. Losing the advantage by making it public didn't seem a good idea. But now I realize whatever you share comes back to you multiplied many times over, so just out of selfishness, here it is:

If you are a professional writer or intend to make a living out of writing, you can't afford to miss this book. Written in a disarmingly frank style, this book has tons of inspiration for the disheartened writer. Those who find it too audacious to attempt creative writing will also find it impossible to not write after reading it.

Have a look at some of my favorites from Saltzman's book:
If you gave a typewriter to a chimpanzee and let him type long enough, in time, he'd produce the complete works of Shakespeare (the intention of course, is to emphasize the point that skill in a task develops naturally when we repeat it long enough).

Another one on the same theme, (its a Hollywood legend):
If you want to be a famous writer, keep at it for ten years. By that time everyone else will have quit and they'll have to hire you.
Grab your copy!:
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Addictions : Why and How

2012-01-24T22:52:00.000+05:30

People who don't take charge of their own lives, expose themselves to various risks: a major risk is posed by addictions. I came across the following videos on two of the main addictions: porn and drugs. It is not pretty, sad actually -but that makes it all the more a reason for including here: it is what some people go through:

Source: PornographyAddiction.com

Also see this tragic video about Heroine addiction from National Geographic.
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Little Hands Can Make a Difference

2012-01-22T21:22:00.001+05:30

The song is in Hindi, but the message seems universal: Be the change you want see.

How often have you wished we would all join hands to tackle the world's problems instead of fighting one another?__________________________________________________________________________________
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Is Majority All That Matters ?

2012-01-17T12:39:00.003+05:30

We have all heard it, though no one dares to write about it in public. It's our secret desire to convert everybody else to our own lifestyle, thought, philosophy, and religion. Everybody wants to be the majority. It probably arises from the fear of being overwhelmed as a minority. Propaganda goes on at all levels- religion, politics, philosophies, sexual orientation, lifestyles,...We are constantly subjected to evangelism, and do it on our own. Everybody is trying to win others over to their own way.

The minority tries persuasive methods, and the majority uses forcible coercion- to convert others. Now we see less of open force in the more civilized societies, because the world immediately gets to know of any excesses. Perhaps, the media is also being suppressed-we never get to know some news.

Lets look at the futility of attempts at religious conversion using some historical examples, and what might really work, using a story at the end.

Religious fanatics have long believed that if all of the population were converted to their own religion, all problems would vanish. The 'enemy'-the people of the other religion must disappear-either by conversion or by elimination. Lets conveniently forget that this contradicts the very foundation of all major religions-GOD or the SUPREME POWER is everywhere, and therefore, in the 'people of other religions' also.

The most recent examples of religious states (theocracies) that failed are Nepal (Hindu), Pakistan (Muslim), and Libya(Muslim). One can say the Colonial Empires (British, Spanish, Portuguese,...) also failed because they could not adhere to the principles of their guiding religion (Christianity)-their colonies would not have struggled for independence if all were well. One can go back through history to revisit the gory details!

If one religion was sufficient for the entire mankind, there would not have developed numerous sects within that religion (take any religion). Differences of opinion arose among followers because each individual is inherently different.

The "gaining majority" solution is doomed to fail, sooner or later, wherever it is tried-whether religion or politics. Eventually, differences arise due to ego or selfish interests of the leaders and the followers. All 'isms' are thrown to the wind then.

Religion does not guarantee the experience of the Truth that it professes. One needs spiritual practice for that. And that starts when we start seeing the essential unity of human beings. It is not possible for love and hate to dwell in the same heart together. Only one can survive.

The solution?
Perhaps the following story indicates a way out: It's the lament of an old man on his death bed:
In my youth, I tried to change the world. By middle age, I realized it was futile, and started trying to correct my family instead. I couldn't change my family either-they only resented it. Now I don't have much time left- Oh how I wish I'd tried to change myself all this time!
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Divorce: A Solution?

2012-01-15T23:43:00.002+05:30

Once the honeymoon period is over, couples wake up to the realities in their relationship: the intimacy brings out hitherto hidden ugly sides in each partner's character. They get revealed only when two people live and share an intimate common space, 24 hours. That's why friends and acquaintances gape when they hear of the character accusations about the nice 'guy' or 'gal' they know.
Well-meaning in-laws and relatives step in, with biased views, and worsen the situation. I found this voice in the Internet breathing some sanity into the chaos, it belonged to Michele Weiner-Davis:
http://www.divorcebusting.com/sb_the_divorce_remedy.htm

To purchase her excellent resources on marriage survival and thriving, click the images below. Readers in India can use www.flipkart.com to order the books.

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Communication Challenge: How to Empower Children Against Abuse

2012-01-09T09:07:00.003+05:30

One of the challenges of professional communicators like instructional designers and technical writers is, adapting their message to the level of the audience, the readers. It is even more daunting when the message is sensitive and complex and the audience consists of little children. Borderlines are blurred and still we need to get the message across clearly.

I found the following instructional ad addressed this challenge in an innovative way. It uses the method of "minimum words", with simple, yet powerful pictures.

Source :http://www.childsexualabuseinindia.blogspot.com/2011/11/secrets-about-touching-need-to-be-told.html
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God And Negative Thoughts

2012-01-08T11:03:00.000+05:30

However great the successes people achieve, there are times when they are mired down in negative thoughts. It can be because of domestic issues or personal relationships. It can be very trivial issues that hit a raw spot at a vulnerable moment.

What about the ones who are not successful ? They wallow in negativity- day in and day out-blaming parents, neighbors, colleagues, their children, the Government, and of course, God.

I have had my own share of this negative patch, which was very intense in the beginning. Now, I am getting better, thanks to repetitive positive self-talks, fairly regular Meditation, Yoga, and keeping myself busy.

In the nadir of our negative patch, we are at war with the world, with God, and with ourselves. The train of negative thoughts increases in speed. We may seek some relief by external diversions-cinema, food, alcohol, sex, drugs. When it goes too far, and if we never try to look within ourselves for the reason, it can hit the deepest trough-suicide.

Where does God come in all this? Why doesn't He (or She) lift a finger to rescue us hapless beings from our misery? Why does he allow mass massacres in Cambodia, wars all over the world, genocides in Bosnia, tsunamis in Asia, torture, starvation deaths in Eritrea and Somalia?

I haven't yet received an authentic response from God for this question, but I've concluded that God has nothing to do with this: it is all about ourselves.

Yes, taking the responsibility squarely on our own shoulders is the best option. I alone am responsible for whatever I am now. Buddha said: We are what we think. What we are now is what we have thought. What we will be is what we are thinking NOW.
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The Truth About Dale Carnegie

2012-01-08T00:48:00.002+05:30

Like most self help fans, I too had been an ardent follower of Dale Carnegie. His "Stop worrying, start living", " How to win friends and influence people", and other works were the primary inspiration in personal development for me.

So, it came as a rude shock when a friend told me that Dale Carnegie had committed suicide. A shock that left a wound in my teenage faith.

Those were the days prior to the Internet and I never got to verify the truth. Today, I finally found it in Wikipedia: Dale Carnegie died of Hodgkin's disease, complicated with uremia, on November 1, 1955.

Still curious as to the origin of the rumor, I found the answer on Yahoo Answers (please see link below):

Another author by the name of Irving Tressler wrote “How to Lose Friends and Alienate People” as a satirical parody of Dale's classic " How to win friends and influence people". Tressler later committed suicide. Sadly, it was attributed to Dale Carnegie also, probably by a mischief maker, him being more famous.

Justice prevails.

Sources:

http://www.thoughtclusters.com/2007/01/dale-carnegies-death/

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080516111228AAbjy7g

http://mrontemp.blogspot.com/2008/07/strange-case-of-irving-dart-tressler.html

BUY DALE CARNEGIE BOOKS
!

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Meditation To Calm Wall Street Jitters

2011-12-31T20:57:00.004+05:30

Liked this talk for its simplicity. Rasanath Das, the Wall Street investment banker turned monk speaks on being true to yourself, as a balm for work life anxiety.

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I Left Her At The Stream !

2011-12-30T20:15:00.000+05:30

This story is about detachment, about living in the moment. It isconvenient to attach to and detach from situations as our need. Being alwaysattached to anything, always carrying it in the mind is a handicap- adependency.

Two Zen monks were on a pilgrimage. On the way, they came upon arapid stream. They were about to wade through when they saw a beautiful womanin distress, by the bank of the stream. One of the monks went up to her andenquired about her problem.

She wanted to cross the stream to go to her village. But she wastoo afraid to step into the rapid waters and the slippery rocks.

"Is that all?" He said, "I'll carry youacross."

And he lifted the woman on to his shoulders, and waded across thestream.

The other monk, who had listened to this exchange stood dumb,looking on at the duo. After a while, he too crossed the stream.

The woman thanked the monk and went on her way.

The monks completed the rest of the day's walk in silence, without the philosophical chat they used to have on long treks.

In the evening, they reached a village, and stopped to rest there.

"I just can’t believe what you did today!" the secondmonk finally blurted to his companion.

"About what?" asked the monk who had helped the lady.

"You have broken the sacred vows-we monks are not supposed toeven look at women or speak to them. You spoke to her, and even touched her!Sacrilegious!" the rant continued.

"Oh, her! My friend, I left her at the stream. But you'restill carrying her!"

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Wouldn't it be nice for you to have a collection of Zen stories on paper back at your bed side ? Paul Reps' Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, has a large collection of Zen stories classified under various desirable qualities. A really good read. To order, click the following image:

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A Woman To Be Admired, Not Pitied, Not Shamed!

2011-12-29T17:36:00.000+05:30

You would have seen the video of the protesting Egyptian woman being brutalised by her country's soldiers.
The brutality leaves one at a loss for words.

WARNING: This video is not for the faint-hearted:
http://www.myweku.com/2011/12/shock-and-outrage-as-blue-bra-egyptian-woman-protester-is-beaten-to-unconsciousness/
More on the incident here: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/12/video-egyptian-soldiers-beat-tahrir-woman-couple/1

However, she has risen to be Egypt's Joan of Arc. Her plight shown all over the world through the Internet and TV, has awakened public consciousness about the atrocities of the dictatorship. After the dastardly act took place, thousands more of Egyptian women came out, protesting against the military junta. The message was loud and clear: No fear.

Karrin Anderson writes in BagNews:
The photo also serves as an important reminder of the hypocrisy of regimes that pay lip service to modesty and respect for women’s bodies, but systematically shame and abuse women, especially those who seek political agency. Leaders whose operatives punish a woman protestor by stripping her cannot convincingly invoke religious justifications for keeping women separated from men (and, consequently, undereducated, underemployed, and disenfranchised).

The image would be even more useful, however, if the narrative surrounding it was wrested from its misogynistic moorings. Rarely are women, themselves, viewed as agents in conflict—as individuals whose bodies can effect military, political, and historical change. This image does not portray a victim. It portrays a hero—a warrior waging a battle for democracy. Whether or not her name is revealed, she should proudly join the ranks of other women whose bodies have been battered to secure their political rights: the militant suffragists whose hunger strikes triggered brutal force feedings in prison; the female shirtwaist factory workers whose strike in 1909 was met with brutal police beatings; the civil rights activists whose will could not be broken by fire hoses, billy clubs, or dogs. The Egyptian protester is a woman to be admired, not pitied, and certainly not shamed. Don’t go to battle for her. Go to battle with her.
(Karrin Anderson is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Colorado State University)
http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2011/12/woman-stripped-by-egyptian-military-not-shamed-not-a-victim-in-spite-of-what-male-media-has-to-say/

However, those who did this cowardly act have blackened their own faces and Egypts' before the world community. It looks certain that such atrocity foretells the fall of this regime, as did Taliban's destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in March 2001, precede its fall from power by December 2001.
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I Believe

2011-12-28T21:06:00.002+05:30

Magnificent video, originally made by BBC One - Planet Earth :
http://www.andiesisle.com/creation/magnificent.html
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Hope For The Suicide-Prone: Perspectives From The Other Side

2011-12-27T15:04:00.001+05:30

It may be difficult to find individuals who have not contemplated suicide at some point in their lives.
Suicide is not an easy, forever escape from the problems of life. At least that is what documented studies of suicide NDEs (Near Death Experiences) report.
This the true story of a woman who was so disgusted with life that she tried to put an end to it-- not once but two times-on successive days:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/suicide03.html
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The Power of One

2011-12-15T14:45:00.002+05:30

Do you have such a lot of ideas and goals that you find it hard to manage them all? This article could be of use to you in that case. It is for people who have too many plans on hand that they are left confused, not finishing any thing.

I collect books of all sorts-from Self help to Massage therapy, Yoga to Software development. And it has happened many times that I did not complete the ones I bought before buying the next one. Perhaps it is a disorder or a bad habit-finding release in shopping for books- Biblioholism?

Those entrepreneurs who ambitiously aim for a number of goals at the same time, find that it drains their energy. It discourages, for they can't see any measurable results, as they are firing off in all directions-writing books, developing software, learning languages, starting charities...

Harnessing the Power of One can help us overcome this roadblock and set us moving forward once again.

So what is the Power of One here?

You unleash the Power of One when you take only one thing off your task list at a time.
No matter how many other tasks you have, focus only on the one task at hand.
The Power of One is a natural outcome of practicing being in the Here and Now.

For example, if you are on the phone with your partner at 3:00 and you have a sales presentation at 4:00, you'd have a nice time if you just forget the presentation while talking on the phone. And when you hang up, what next? Switch off the conversation from the mind as well, and focus on the presentation.

"Banal, and I already know that", could be your reaction. However, few people actually try to focus on one thing at a time. Otherwise, we wouldn't have so many road fatalities. Studies show that using mobile phones while driving greatly increases the risk of accidents. See this. And this. The second article is about plane crashes happening because pilots tried to combine flying with drinking.

So, welcome the Power of One into your life, to lead a safer, saner, and successful life. One at a time.

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Happiness Metaphors

2011-11-29T16:51:00.001+05:30

We all do things for a common reason: happiness.

Perhaps we do not realize it: Nobody does actions that (he/she believes) bring unhappiness to them. Paradoxically though, most people stumble through life not knowing why they're doing something in the first place: it's for happiness. Whether its sex, eating out, reading, having a conversation, holding a job, building a house,...down to the minutest actions like scratching an itch and blinking--all are for attaining happiness.

Happiness may not be the right word that you prefer: perhaps it is satisfaction, fulfillment, joy, or bliss...

But what are the results we are getting? Are we searching in the right place ? Are we getting the final beatitude -the ONE experience that ends our endless quest?

Consider: we set out on our sensual pursuits-again and again. Each time we have a vague notion: this is it. I'm going to do my favorite thing now. And I will be happy-forever. Or I am going to have a relationship with that wonderful person and my life is going to bloom into bliss-forever.

The growing rate of marriage failures and re-marriages illustrate the above fact. My last partner was not the right one for me, so it did not work out. Let me find the right one, and it will be perfect, for ever after.

Are we missing something here? We'll try to see in the coming paras.

I'd like to share with you some anecdotes that point out mankind's (elusive) search for happiness.
These stories come from all over the world: the Indian subcontinent, the middle-east, the far east, and the west and the far west. They are also from different religious paths: Hindu, Buddhist, Judaism, Christian, Islam, ...
These stories and examples illustrate why our actions do not yield the happiness that we crave- and offer a hint as to where we need to look.

The first example is about an old lady who has lost her sewing needle and is searching for it. It appears in the Mullah Nasrudin stories.

Looking in the right place?
An old lady was busy searching for something under the street lamp at a junction. A bystander got curious, and asked her what she was looking for. She replied she had lost her sewing needle at home.

"But then why are you searching here? You should be looking for it at your home." he asked.
"That's fine. But there is no lamp there and its dark. So I am searching here".

The next one is famous. It is about how travellers are deceived by the mirage in the deserts.

Seemingly so, but not really
When travelers in the desert run out of water, they become desperate and frantically search for it. They may see mirages and mistake them for water. The hot desert air produces mirages. (You can see mirages on a hot day on a tarred road too). The mirage is the hot air's reflection in the distance which gives the appearance of rippling water. Not realizing this, the travellers go after it,... of course they will never reach it.

Just like this, man pursues sense pleasures in the hope that they will give lasting happiness. If only we looked within our minds, we would find it.

The promise of lasting joy draws people forward on the path of sense-enjoyment
A donkey pulls a cart. The driver uses a trick to get the donkey moving, without using a whip.
He sits in the cart, ties a carrot to a long stick, and holds it in front of the donkey. The donkey moves forward, trying to get the dangling carrot. As he moves forward, he pulls the cart and the driver forward, along with the carrot. However much he tries the donkey cannot get the carrot.

Isn't humanity repeating the same actions forever, hoping to get happiness out of them?

Searching for Joy, but in the wrong place again
This one is based on another animal, the Musk deer. The Musk deer exudes the fragrance of musk. The musk fragrance is extracted from its glandular secretions (I realized this just now, from a Wikipedia search. Till then I had thought this was another folk tale.)
The animal does not however, realize this fact. It is enchanted by the fragrance and goes around in search of its origin. Alas, if it had only looked at itself, it could realize this fact, and stop the wandering.

Isn't this story pointing at us humans who search all over the world for happiness, which is actually within us?

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The Neurology of Awakening

2011-11-17T13:44:00.001+05:30

I found this slide show by Rick Hanson on slideshare.net. It starts with an analysis of thought, lists out the prerequisites of meditation, and nicely tells how to go about it. There are also research findings on meditation, if you're interested. However, if you need just to know about practice, you can skip those slides

The Neurology of Awakening: Using the New Brain Research to Steady Your Mind
http://www.slideshare.net/drrickhanson/the-neurology-of-awakening-using-the-new-brain-research-to-steady-your-mind

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist and author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom and Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time. Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom and Affiliate of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, he’s taught at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and in meditation centers worldwide. His blog – Just One Thing – has nearly 30,000 subscribers.

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Your Twin Wings to Success

2011-11-16T12:08:00.001+05:30

Dream vision and baby steps-your twin wings to success

Lets look at two critical items most people need to reach success. We will call them as Dream vision and Baby steps. Self-help authors call them by different names- however, you get the idea: broadly, it is making use of (1) the conscious mind (baby steps) and (2) the unconscious mind (dream vision).

Unfortunately, most self-help systems emphasize only one of them-using the unconscious mind. Some people tend to expect miracles just by feeding some suggestions or affirmations into their subconscious mind. This does work-at a fast pace for prepared minds and for others, at a slower pace. We will see how both methods are essential to manifesting your ideal life.

Dream vision

This is actually the end goal that you want to reach: a magnificent career, a desired amount of money, owning a magnificent mansion or other possessions, getting the desired life partner etc. It is contrary to daily goals, it must be huge that is something people say the stuff dreams are made of.

Dream visions give spring to our steps, put energy into our efforts. They give us joy while beholding the promise even though it may be in the distant future. Athletes, artists, and entrepreneurs derive energy from periodically visualizing their dream goals. It makes our daily chores interesting, and inspire us to persist.

In short, having a long term dream vision:

Generates ideas from the subconscious
Helps notice opportunities conducive to our goals
Inspires while performing routine tasks
Energizes us when we feel worn out

This is not necessarily a long term one; in fact your dream goals may manifest in a short period of time, if you have mastered the flow of thoughts in your mind. Now mastering the flow of thoughts to turn them in your desired direction at will, requires commitment and consistent practice. If you are already able to do that, you probably acquired it earlier. For the rest of us, that is the majority; it is an eye opener to discover the state of our own self-mastery. We realize who is the real master: we or our minds?

How to generate and feed your long term dreams
People generally use one or more of these exercises:

Affirmations (writing and saying)
Visualization
Auto suggestion
Using a vision board

Besides these, there are many more exercises that you can find on the Internet. Just google.

The Secret (Movie and book) elaborates on the subconscious aspect of manifesting your ideal life.

Waiting for Dreams to become real

However, dream goals may not manifest overnight. Expecting that can lead to frustration. So how do we carry our day to day life activities?

It is helpful to break down our long term dream visions into small, achievable daily chunks that you are sure to reach. For instance, if I were to achieve a high level of expertise in a foreign language so as to be an instructor, it might seem a far-off goal. However, if I memorize a few words/ grammar rules daily, I will be sure of achieving it, through repeated efforts. This also gives me the satisfaction of having achieved something. It is a baby step that I take towards my dream goal.

Baby steps are the actual conscious steps to reach your dream
You can say these are the solid steps that you take on a daily basis towards your dream. Thus, if you aspire to be a writer, five minutes of grammar review everyday would be one of the baby steps towards that goal. One needs to identify the skill sets required to reach a goal and spend some time every day developing them.

Baby steps help us be not overwhelmed by the enormity of the dream. To think of how to be a best-selling author may be bewildering. It may be disheartening to discover how your current performance bears in relation to your goal. At the same time, following a small step at a time enables to build confidence, establish a habit and a liking for the path, and keeps us centered. Another important benefit is that you will be better able to receive hints from the subconscious that will speed you up towards the final goal.

If you are not sure of what steps to take, start with the first part (Affirmations/Visualizations/...)-the subconscious will reveal to you what to do.
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What the Bleep do We Know ?

2011-11-15T11:31:00.001+05:30

This movie can change the way you look at yourself and your world. The visuals really take off from 3:38 onwards. Its a bit archaic till then.
For an introduction, see :http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/what-the-bleep-do-we-know/

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Are You Discussing or Arguing ?

2011-11-14T23:59:00.001+05:30

Most of us wouldn't pass up the chance to tout our favorites- be it beliefs on religion, politics, career, lifestyle or anything within societal norms. We would say it is a discussion. But it doesn't take long to see that most discussions are crusades to win others over to one's own point of view.

Isn't this the dreaded fear of being outnumbered ?

If anybody dared challenge our favorite dogma or belief, how many of us are willing to hear out their side of the argument, impartially, weigh its pros and cons, and take an unbiased decision?

Life and its numberless issues are too complex to be disposed of with blind, one-sided arguments.

So each time we try to bulldoze others' opinions, we lose a chance to gain a fresh perspective, and probably a closer approach to the truth.

There is even a book in the market titled :" How to argue and win every time".
It may be useful for debaters and lawyers and others of like professions.

However, when people try to adopt the same approach in their relationships, one can imagine the damage wreaked. This is normal, considering that arguments are from the head (intellect), whereas an open discussion requires us to be considerate of others (this is an aspect of the heart, that is, feelings).

The intellect cuts and separates, while the heart unifies (stitches together). (This is a quote from Mata Amritanandamayi, a world famous mystic).

The intellect analyses, and the heart synthesizes. We do need both, in their relevant places.

So the next time you get into an argument, try to listen and consider the other person's point of view. Thank you for considering this!
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The Law of Karma: Is It True ?

2011-09-20T00:18:00.004+05:30

Even though there are unanswerable questions like the ones posed here :Have you been born before?, which strongly support the existence of the law of Karma, there are also questions which cannot be answered by the Law of Karma. For example: what was the first action that set off the Karmic cycle?

But either way, we only stand to gain: both-the existence as well as the non-existence of the Law of Karma offer a tremendous opportunity for us.

The benefits if the Law of Karma is true:

We never need grudge our fate again. All that we are going through is the result of our own actions, words, and thoughts. So nobody can be blamed for our experiences. We only need to cultivate the subtlety of intellect to discern the causes. We can alter our karma by suitable good actions and spiritual practices.

The benefits if the Law of Karma is not true:

If our past actions will not rebound on us, we will not be held accountable for our actions (except by human law). There are no unseen elements from the past which hold sway over us. Which means our life is totally in our control. We have absolute freedom of will, not dictated by our past. This means our future is entirely in our hands.

So it is a thumbs-up either way.

One can question Karmic law, however, evidence is overwhelmingly in its favor. See here. (The same article linked at the top of this article)

The fact remains that to get the true picture of Karma and existence, one has to rise above Karma, beyond the pairs of opposites. A vision unbiased by our past.

The School of Medicine at the University of Virginia has several resources on documented reincarnation.
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The Happiness Experience -II

2011-09-14T17:49:00.009+05:30

Click here for The Happiness Experience - I

According to Yoga* and Vedanta**, happiness or bliss is within us. It is our intrinsic nature. This is why the sages of India called truth as SAT-CHIT-ANANDA (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss). They asserted that everything contains this Truth. You and me, too.

Proof that happiness is within us is in the fact that we in our most blissful moments, we close our eyes, we are no longer conscious of the external world. This happens in the fraction of a second, that we may not detect it. If you observe people in the pinnacle of any form of extreme pleasure or ecstasy, you will notice this fact: closed eyes. Even if the eyes are open, they will be blank, indrawn, not seeing outside.

We can see further proof of this fact in deep sleep. Everybody enjoys deep sleep. It is an indescribable experience. After a bout of the deepest sleep, we feel as if we have drunk some divine elixir, from deep within us. As soon as our mind is ruffled by desires and thoughts of the everyday world, this bliss fades away.

Which points us to how this happiness is experienced.

We experience real happiness in stillness. When a desire is fulfilled, there is a temporary lull in the ever rippling mental lake. This infinitesimal stillness enables us to catch a tiny glimpse of the bliss within us. We can experience this bliss by short-circuiting the process. That is, by avoiding having a desire, and developing stillness of mind.

Mind you, this is a wakeful stillness. It is experiencing the bliss of deep sleep while being wide awake. It is stillness achieved through constant, focused action and meditation. It has nothing to do with inaction.

*Cognitive meditation is accompanied by reasoning, discrimination, bliss and the sense of 'I am.'-The Yogasutras of Patanjali, 1.17. , translated by BonGiovanni.

**I am indeed, that eternal knowing and bliss, Shiva, love and pure consciousness- Atma Shatakam by Sri Sankara.

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The Happiness Experience-I

2011-09-07T23:28:00.006+05:30

What is it that you really enjoy doing? What gives you true happiness ?

For most people, it is a fun activity-like football, baseball, tennis, swimming, camping, or any other sport. For others, it is enjoying delectable delicacies at their favorite restaurant. It may be reading their favorite authors for some others. Movies, sex, sightseeing, hanging out with friends, conversing with your partner, playing with kids, indulging your hobbies, immersing in the work which you love-favorite activities for happiness are many.

Then there are the extreme, not necessarily wholesome ones like alcohol, drugs, other intoxicants, porn,...

There is also the minority which derives their happiness from perversions-and other serious disorders...

You may protest at grouping all of these together-enjoying a game of cards is not in the same league as that of pedophilia.

I agree, but all of these have a common denominator-happiness. It is what all of us seek-perverts included. Aren't there people who derive happiness by teasing and taunting? In fact, the pursuit of happiness is such a complex, deep domain that lack of clarity about it can lead to hazardous habits, often self-destructive.

Lets try to analyse how we experience happiness. As a sample, we will take food. Many people try to drown their frustrations and sorrows by binging.

Anatomy of the happiness experience
Suppose you have a friend who likes Chocolate ice-cream very much. He is always ready for a cup. But how many cups can he take? At the most 3 or 4. Beyond that, if you keep on feeding him ice-creams (free of course!), he will reach a point where he will vomit, if he eats any more of it.

Here, the same ice-cream which gave him happiness, is now giving pain. How can the same object give pleasure as well as pain? Would that be possible, if it really were the source of happiness?

Lets consider another scenario, when a person is sad because of some personal tragedy. He will be in no mood to take ice creams. If you were not in the mood, you wouldn't be able to enjoy your favorite dishes. Would we try to comfort a bereaved adult by feeding him tasty food? That would be childish. It would cause him more pain.

Objects like ice-cream are unable to give happiness, all the time. Our mental condition has to support the enjoyment.

Now a third situation: I've some friends who can't stand the smell of ice-cream. They're averse to all milk products. You may know somebody like that too. How come the same object gives happiness to some and unhappiness to others? That shows again that ice-cream is not the source of happiness.

If so, why do people enjoy ice-cream?

Ice-cream entertains you only if you have a desire for it. The desire is like a ripple in the mind. When that desire is satisfied, the ripple disappears. The person experiences stillness of mind, for perhaps a nano second. This stillness or 'captivation of the mind' is the actual source of happiness.
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Addictions: To Overcome or Not?

2011-08-27T23:23:00.012+05:30

Most of our lives, we try to satisfy the demands of our senses. We go sight seeing and watching movies, gorge on foods and drinks, fragrances, and a myriad other entertainments-treats for the eyes, ears, tongue, skin, nose, and the sex organ not the least. Often, we find ourselves indulging-even when we know deep inside that this is not good for us-or for our goals. Our senses take command over us and nudge us forward...enjoy it once more..just this one more time.

I've been fooled by this 'just once more ' argument many times-be it that tempting slice of chocolate cake, or while getting up early, or while skipping a TV program for a more productive use of time. It was as if the sense organ takes control over me, convincing me with its rationalizations. That is, until recently, when I started listening to the inner dialogue of the senses:

I realized they had only one voice: more..... more...... more.......Remember the creature Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy ?

It was just a never ending "more..........". The senses just want you to indulge till you drop down fatigued, till you are satiated to redundancy or exhaustion. Obviously then one cannot indulge anymore. It seems as if apparent wisdom awakes in the person within as he looks with some detachment towards indulgence. But this is only for a short while. As soon as the energy levels are restored, again the clamor starts:
"more.....more....more...."

This is to say that the arguments the mind advances in favor of enjoyment are just fallacies with which the person fools himself.

I recently lost a relative to alcoholism. He was a nice man within, eager and ready to help everybody. However, he did not try to face the issues within him which made him take relief in alcohol. He was too proud to accept help either. Each time he gave in to the temptation, he would say: "this is just one more time that I will drink...I can stop whenever I want...you see?".

Hardly past 50, he suffered multiple organ failure: failure of the lungs and kidneys, dipping blood pressure and high blood sugar-a tragic testimony to the tyranny of the senses. The dance of desires is the dance of death- I remembered what I had read somewhere.

If we could enjoy pleasures without it being the other way-pleasures enjoying us-we can avert such tragedies. It is wise to take precaution and start spiritual practices at the earliest.
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A Storm of Change

2011-08-22T23:18:00.005+05:30

Have you ever had to face/witness an unjust action from the powers that be ? Did you want to raise your voice in protest, but could not, as the nexus of evil was too deeply rooted?

I have faced a few such situations in my life. The most recent one was when I had to pay 3 times the normal amount to remove the bank loan hypothecation from my R.C. book. Not only were we forced to pay the bribe, but we also had to trek three times to the Regional Transport Office, Wazirpur, Delhi, where it happened.

Imagine poor patients in government hospitals being harassed for bribes ! Yes, that too happens. An educational system that focuses only on intellectual development, conditions us to be moronic machines.

Such incidents happen with the full support of higher officials, reaching up to ministry levels, and every one gets his share of the bribe. But the common man, hasn't felt bold enough to stand up and raise a finger in protest. Just three days back, an environmental activist, Shehla Masood was gunned down for campaigning against Tiger poachers.

A man called Anna Hazare is changing all that. He has embarked on an indefinite fast against corruption in India. He, along with a group of social activists, seeks a stringent anti-corruption bill which includes the Prime Minister and the Judiciary also under its purview. But the government has been fighting tooth and nail against this.

It has been a week since this anti-corruption storm has been sweeping across India, which can have global implications also.

I earnestly hope the activists in Libya, Syria, Egypt and other troubled countries seriously consider this method of protest that reduces the scope of damage to life and property. It is based on spiritual power, a method introduced by Mahatma Gandhi.

The least that a patriotic Indian can do now for his country is, to be ready to offer his everything towards this end.

Here are the pictures and videos from the venue of his fast, Ram leela maidan. This is the main site: INDIA against corruption.

Being on wheel chairs did not prevent him from doing his bit for the country!

The grand old man leads the fight from the front (in white)

Supporters singing songs at Ram leela maidan.

Supporters lighting candles near Chhatrasal stadium, Delhi University

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A Humbling Lesson

2011-08-20T10:01:00.002+05:30

Today while searching for my blog in Google, I found a post labeled Inspiration by another blogger named Sudhir. Intrigued. It was a moving story, which was also humbling. The upshot was that I decided to make amends with my mother, against whom I'd been cribbing for giving me a heavily restricted childhood. Here is the story for you:

A story on appreciation - Inspirations by Sudhir Krishnan

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A Visitor from the Skies

2011-08-18T23:48:00.005+05:30

It was when I opened the gate that I noticed the strange bird on the ground. I had wanted to fill the water bowl for the stray puppies.

On closer scrutiny it was found to be an eagle. It was trying to reach the water bowl. It sought rest and a little water, but was unable to even drink from the water bowl. It seemed to have been crippled by heat stroke. Delhi's heat in May spared neither humans nor animals.

Badly hurt, it couldn’t even stand straight on its legs. But that didn’t seem to mellow its ferocity even a bit. When I came too near, it flapped its wings violently and reared up, baring big, sharp beaks.

It was in stark contrast to the zealous display of friendship with which the stray puppies greeted. The eagle was of an entirely different character. Perhaps it had no acquaintance of humans, being a bird of prey.

We (my wife and I) felt it needed to be kept in a safe place until it heals.There were large dogs in the compound which could harm it. Also the heat was there.

But the bird didn’t seem to appreciate the idea: it reared up on its hind legs, beaks flashing, wings flapping- a picture of menace.

It looked up with its black dotted golden eyes. There was no hatred, though there seemed to be some distrust.

Cautiously I tried to grab it from behind, but it beat its wings fiercely. It was unnerving, but then it fell back down the next moment, head lolling.

I stealthily moved up my hands from behind and grabbed it with both hands.

It was built a make-shift shelter to shelter from the merciless sun and also from the dogs.

For three days it rested, not moving, except to drink water, to which we added turmeric. We felt turmeric being medicinal, would help to heal its inner wounds if any.

It drank the water without any protest, allowing us to feed it in teaspoonfuls. But the wariness was always there, never allowing humans to become too friendly.

Occasionally it would gaze intently into our eyes as if trying to say thanks. But it had an air of ferocity about it always. Perhaps it was asserting its independence.

We were not sure it'd become better, for it was really weak. But on the third day it hopped out a few meters outside, and then collapsed. This photo was taken at that time.

I coaxed it to allow me to take it back to the shelter.

A few more days of rest, during which it drank only water. It was risky to try feeding it solid food. Sick animals have the instinct to know when to end the fast. Also, we had once found a small bird's dead body, with the stomach split open, and inside there were a lot of food grains.

The day it left, I was preparing to leave for some work outside.

I needed to open the gate-but was startled to see the eagle perched on top of the gate, in all its majestic grandeur, gazing intently. It was then that I saw its full size, about two feet long, and with a wingspan of three feet end-to-end.

It didn't move when I approached.

Ok buddy, you stay here... I will be back. I very gently opened the gate; the eagle just sat there, not scared, not trying to fly off. It was still there while I took out the car and closed the gate.

All the while it gazed, as if expecting something, but I couldn't get it. Anyway it could fend for itself.

By the time I returned home, it had left.

It continued to visit us for a few weeks afterwards. It’d announce its presence by noisily flitting about on the Neem trees in the frontyard.

This encounter was memorable for the awe this bird inspired, and the dignity with which it carried itself.

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When Will You Wake Up?

2011-08-15T15:27:00.003+05:30

"....The cold was penetrating through my thin shirt and lungi into my bones...I tried to push myself deeper into the wedge between the pillar of the flyover, under which I was trying to shelter myself. It was the Akshardham flyover, a few minutes' walk from the famed Akshardham temple in Delhi.

Sudden gusts of wind blew, shattering my bones, the cold seeped deeper within, my tattered shirt could hardly resist its onslaught. My legs have been locked stiff, unmovable. I dared not try to straighten them, for fear they would snap. I had arrived here a few weeks ago, from a southern state, in search of a job. I had not expected that Delhi's cold would be as merciless as its summer.

The thick fog made visibility very poor. In the distance, I could see the red taillights of a receding police van as it went about its beat.

I wanted to call out, but the shrill howl of the wind drowned out my feeble cries.....

As the night advanced, I started shaking uncontrollably, I had a high fever. My senses, thankfully fade away. God or whoever it is that gives experiences to men, has made me insensitive to the ordeals that I'm about to face. I felt a chilling cold envelope me as darkness covered me from all sides...."

I was trying to visualise how the 3 persons who died of cold this January (2011) in Delhi, must have endured. Sorry for the unpleasant scene, but somehow I feel I'm also responsible.
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Which is Easier-Enlightenment or Riches?

2011-08-13T23:31:00.000+05:30

Enlightenment is available to all. All that you have to do is open yourself to life and train your mind to observe. This requires sustained practice. When your inner gaze is steady and undeviating to passing attractions, you see the Truth of yourself as it is. However, few people seek enlightenment.

Worldly riches, on the other hand, are sought by vast numbers of the human population. Here the prevailing beliefs are that the toughest competitors, the ones who can blow their trumpets the loudest, win the trophies. This triggers a sort of unhealthy rat race as can be seen in web sites' trying to gain no1 Google search rank by loading themselves with key words. This sometimes can create content unusable to human beings.

This is also what advertisements are continually prompting us to do. However, this form of success is short lived and does not give satisfaction. Enduring success can be built through honest and hard work.

After all, worldly success is not a permanent companion. Your mental training and character are.
The point is, it is more worthwhile to strive for permanent benefits (spiritual development) while at the same time, make a living by providing honest service. It is sure to become a lasting support for you. You will build up your reputation and success with peace of mind, enjoying your work, while at the same time you develop yourself spiritually.
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How to Write Without Judging Yourself:Invisible SOC Writing

2011-08-03T17:38:00.028+05:30

You might need this tool if you are a writer who uses SOC (stream of consciousness) writing. Stream of Consciousness writing requires you to not judge your writing, so that you can write non stop, letting your subconscious speak.

The best way for this to work is to make your writing invisible to you. You can do this in the following way:

Download the Dark Room software from CNET. It's free.
You can keep the Dark Room app on your desktop (no installation needed).
Run it by double-clicking.
If the app runs full screen, reduce it by pressing Esc.
Click Edit, and then, Preferences. A dialog box opens (see Figure below).
The Preferences dialog box
You need to change the font color to the same color as the background. Here the default font color is green (Marked in red in the figure above).
Click on the color tab (green here). A color palette opens.

The Color Palette

Select the black color and click OK (because the background is also black).
Start writing SOC.
When you have finished, remember to save the file.
To view what you have written, either copy and paste to Microsoft Word (or any other text editor), or change the font color back to the default green.

That's it! No Rocket science.

You'll be writing in a screen looking like this:

Darkroom invisible writing

If these instructions are not clear, do let me know. I shall be glad to post more screenshots.

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So you want to be a writer? Check out these great resources for writers !

Delhi's Deadly Dialect

2011-08-03T09:34:00.003+05:30

At first glance, Delhi conveys an image of stark opposites: chaos vs. order, pompous prosperity vs. abject poverty, orthodox grooming vs. ultra liberal fashion. You can see teeming vehicles hopelessly meshed up in traffic jams vs. a well-coordinated tube transit, Rolls royce and other luxury cars vs. bullock carts on the same road, tilak and rosary clad orthodox dressing vs. tattoo covered youngsters in micro minis. While I'm confused as to what exactly is ideal for Delhi-it does provide you with startling experiences.

Expect anything in Delhi

It has been about 3 years since I moved to Delhi. The stay here has been punctuated with unexpected results while trying to use English to make a point. This happens especially at the local shops. Some of the results can leave you speechless.

The problem lies in the fact that every other man here tends to add an irreverent "pf" or "sh" before every English word. Thus when I wanted to buy a big shopper jute bag (the one with with wooden handles), I was nonchalantly handed a chopper-a huge butcher's knife ! I should have remembered that sh=ch (chopper=shopper) here.

The other incident was funny-but it was also a traumatic one. It happened while taking a driving lesson.

My Delhi driving instructor was a grandpa in his sixties who smoked beedis nonstop, especially when we got stuck in traffic. Traffic jams are plenty here, which means I inhaled a lot of beedi smoke.

The problems occurred when he told me to change gears: first, second, third, fourth. But all sounded the same: pfarss, pfsacann, pfaarrr, pfaarr. In the din of trucks, buses, and autorickshaws around us, my untrained ears could hear only the sound ppffaar.

Here I was, stuck in the middle of a pot hole ridden, 100 feet road, with huge trucks and buses around me honking like mad. And an instructor mad as hell as well.

Now that is what you can call : the Delhi commoners' average daily experience.
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Why Meditate?

2011-07-31T23:44:00.002+05:30

Meditation has become a buzzword. People have accepted it as a normal activity. Perhaps it is because of the mass trends, or because of celebrities taking it up.

But at one point, we may ask ourselves, on some uninspired day, when we place ourselves on the meditation seat: What am I doing ? Why am I spending time on this? Couldn't I just chill out and watch TV?
It is a good WIIFM (What's In It For Me) question.

For one thing, people are pushing themselves hard today. The frantic pace of life blurs our objective thinking, reducing our choices. We follow along with the herd's rush, and are less likely to look for innovation. It is a bit difficult to stand apart and have your own stand, not to be swept off in the crowd's pull.

Meditation has a hundred (or thousand?) other benefits, but this one strikes me as most important now: being able to find your feet and take your stand. Be level headed. With practice, you learn to be level headed in the face of adversity also.

Life is about making choices. Your choices each moment determine which direction your life goes-choices in the matter of thoughts, words, and actions. (inaction too).

We are all subject to the tyranny of the thought process, it goes on all the time, whether we like it or not. Our thoughts determine our reactions to stimuli from the outer world too. And this is what the world expects. You are to follow the pack. Don't think for yourself.

This may not be in our best interests all the time.For example, consider a recovered alcoholic diagnosed with damaged liver. His old drinking companions want him to continue drinking. Why? Because they don't want to change. When someone known to them changes, it forces them to look at themselves and shows the difference. It makes them uncomfortable.

Meditation frees you from struggling with the thoughts. In it, you focus on the breath (or some other medium like a prayer). It lets you watch your thoughts like an observer, like you watch traffic from your balcony.

When you cease to identify with your thoughts, you're free. You feel calm, relaxed and full of power. You don't feel the need to conform to the crowd. You truly feel you are the maker of your destiny.

Note: Sudden changes in life habits are not recommended. It is better to first gather strength through regularly meditating and educating ourselves about wholesome living. Selftalk and constant engagement in activity also help to stem the mind's turbulence.

Sustained practice helps build up your spiritual power. Here, the following adage is all the more relevant:
Have patience with all things, but most of all, with Yourself.
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They Gave and Got Rich: Andrew Carnegie

2011-07-27T22:36:00.003+05:30

Andrew Carnegie, the steel tycoon, had such riches that he offered the people of Philippines $20 million, if they wished to buy their freedom from the United States. This was the price for which the United States bought the island nation from the Spanish.

His net worth was estimated at $290 billion. He spent more than $350 million in charitable works.

Andrew Carnegie's philanthropic works:

Established 3,000 public libraries in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, and Fiji.
Donated £50,000 to set up the University of Birmingham
Ardently supported the Spelling reform movement to promote the English language
Founded the Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT), Pittsburgh (now part of the Carnegie Mellon University)
Founded the Carnegie Institution, Washington, D.C.
Set up the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland
Set up the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust
Established pension funds for his employees at Homestead
Pension funds for college professors in the U.S.
Funded 7,000 church organs in the US..
Built the Carnegie Hall in New York City
Was a large benefactor of the Tuskegee Institute for African-American education
Helped Booker T. Washington create the National Negro Business League.
Founded the Carnegie Hero Fund for the USA, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and Germany. It recognizes deeds of heroism in these countries.
Contributed $1.5 million for the Peace Palace, The Hague
Donated $150,000 for a Pan-American Palace in Washington for the International Bureau of American Republics.

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They Gave and Got Rich: Rockefeller

2011-07-26T11:30:00.003+05:30

We start with arguably the wealthiest man in recent history: John_D._Rockefeller.

Rockefeller accumulated about $1.4 billion by the time he died in 1937. This was 1.5% of the GDP of the United States ($92 billion) at that time.

Rockefeller founded Standard Oil which became ExxonMobil, the petroleum giant.

From the beginning of his career as an assistant bookkeeper at age 16, he used to tithe regularly: 6% of his income to charity. Later he increased this to 10%. His salary was 50 cents a day at the time.

He was a staunch believer in the motto " gain all you can, save all you can, and give all you can" (attributed to John Wesley, Christian theologian). Rockefeller believed his staunch belief in God and philanthropy were the sources of his success.

Rockefeller's Contributions:

The University of Chicago
The Rockefeller University, New York (earlier named the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. 23 Nobel laureates are associated with it )
Major funding for the Spelman College, Atlanta (America's first college for African-American women)
Founded the General education Board, for providing education at all levels in the U.S.
Financial support to the Yale, Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley and Vassar Universities
Founded the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission (research conducted here eradicated the hookworm disease that plagued Africa)
Assisted in developing the Peking Union Medical College (now known as the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences )
Provided World War I relief

Rockefeller gave away a total of $550 million in his life time.

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The Real Secret of Getting Rich: Giving

2011-07-26T11:27:00.002+05:30

Online statistics reveal that there are at least 5 million queries every month, globally, about making money quick. Searchers also want to know how to become a millionaire, billionaire, trillionaire etc. Obviously, people are after money in a big way.

However, there is a quirky turn to the science of getting rich. It is a characteristic shared by many rich people-they did just the opposite of getting riches: they gave away riches. In the rush of getting rich fast, this facet has been largely ignored: giving to others.

Inspiration Bonanza features a list of people who gave and got rich: They gave and got rich.

Benefits of Stream of Consciousness Writing, with Example

2011-07-22T17:33:00.015+05:30

Stream of Consciousness writing, or Free writing as it is called in this article, has many health benefits. People have waxed eloquent about it being a source of creative ideas. I have not experimented deeply in that terrain. But I can vouch for its therapeutic effect.

To understand this, we need to first appreciate the amount of repression that an individual is subjected to while growing up, and later forced to conform to as an adult. All expressions of spontaneity are actively discouraged- you cannot laugh unless the occasion warrants it, out of fear of offending others. Those who do may be labeled a peculiar type among many things. Similarly, other expressions of emotion are also discouraged-no crying, no show of warmth unless the occasion sanctions, you can’t express anger, sometimes you even have to swallow your indignation and appear pleasing and happy.

"Children start out emotionally honest. They express their true feelings freely and spontaneously. But the training to be emotionally dishonest begins at an early age. Parents and teachers frequently encourage or even demand that children speak or act in ways which are inconsistent with the child's true feelings. The child is told to smile when actually she is sad. She is told to apologize when she feels no regret. She is told to say "thank you," when she feels no appreciation. She is told to "stop complaining" when she feels mistreated. She may be told to kiss people good night when she would never do so voluntarily. She may be told it is "rude" and "selfish" to protest being forced to act in ways which go against her feeling....more here ".

I remember the cancer patient (recuperating from chemo) who was interviewing for a sales post. The interview went well, and the manager enthusiastically clapped him on the back. The poor man, nearly doubled over with pain, for he was not fully healed. His face turned deathly pale, and he struggled to keep balance-that is until he noticed the manager watching him with growing consternation. To regain his footing, he put on his best smile and shouted,” I’m loving it! I’m loving it!” this made the manager even more skeptical. He was not selected. (Incident mentioned in A Funny thing happened at the interview by Gregory F Farrell*).

So you see, the brutal repression of society prohibits us from all forms of expression which are not in sync with its established norms. Because of this, people of opposing races or religions cannot fall in love or get married, if they do they may face persecution.

Children are most charming, for they are not encumbered with these societal norms. The emotions pass through them freely-when they’re sad they cry, when happy they laugh, when angry they show it-it does not stay in them. It passes through. And this keeps them emotionally healthy and so refreshingly innocent that adults crave their company. This innocence lasts until the child is forced to learn society’s adult ways to conform, for society has a mortal fear of spontaneity.

All this makes the individual lose esteem in himself or herself. What I inherently am, is of no value, I have to conform to what is imposed from outside. Children are silenced immediately when they speak up or express an idea or opinion. This happens in most families except the few progressive ones, where parents are introspective.

Bound up as we are in this hopeless mesh, we still have a ray of hope-to be ourselves as we were born. A child does not doubt itself nor the world.
Free Writing (Stream Of Consciousness writing) offers some hope so that we can regain some of our spontaneity.

In Free Writing, we just write- we just move the pen. We do not think. We do not judge. And we do not stop until the timer is up. We don’t bother about spelling, grammar, logic, punctuation, meaning, coherence, commonsense, taboos, nothing. That is it. It does not have to make any sense. We are not even to think of sense. We only have to keep moving the pen. Or keep typing on the keyboard. It isn’t important to keep the i dots and t crosses and other marks correctly, either.

When we stop judging the subconscious, it develops trust in us, and slowly reveals more of its treasures. You have accepted the subconscious, this gives an increased sense of self-esteem from deep within, as the subconscious is also part of your being.

Free Writing provides a sympathetic listener who will not judge you for your thoughts and feelings. You can write whatever you want, about whomsoever you want, in whatever way you want, and as for whatever length you like. You can’t be that open with humans, of course.

In the beginning the onrush of repressed feelings can be a bit intimidating. It may be like a dam about to burst. Please read the following para carefully:

CAUTION: It is likely that unpleasant thoughts and feelings that have been repressed for long come forcefully to the surface. If you find that some unpleasant thought recurs in your free writing, you can write “Why am I writing this way ?” again and again. You may or may not get the answer. But it has a sobering effect that calms the turmoil. (Dr. James.W.Pennebaker, who has researched this topic in detail, advises to consult a psychotherapist if the obsession persists. He has authored the book “Opening up: The Healing power of expressing emotions**”. Most likely, if you detach yourself from your thoughts (because you are not them), and keep writing the question calmly, you’ll be able to come through any turmoil that may arise.

Because we give ourselves unconditional, non-judgmental attention, (heck that’s why we freewrite everything that we think, right?) our craving for attention is reduced. This attention seeking has caused more problems than one can imagine.

It is quite likely that miraculous results are produced, over time, because the subconscious is a treasure house. Many important discoveries happened when the logical mind was not working. The best example that comes to mind is of August Kekule who discovered the molecular structure of Benzene. He had thought deeply about it prior to that, and the alternating double bond structure was revealed to him in a dream.

I’ve also found that when I’ve something important to do (a meeting or decision-making), a session of free writing (say 5-15 mins) clears up my thinking, and I can get through the task smoothly.

The books referenced for this article are available at Amazon:
A Stream of Consciousness Writing Sample

There are lots of Stream Of Consciousness writing samples on the net, however they contain very few errors, and few logical contradictions. And no trace of taboo topics. These are items that are very likely to surface when you take away the dos and donts of writing. Seriously leads one to believe that these samples have been edited, which makes them non SOC. So here is one of my SOC samples, just in case, anyone is wondering what it might really look like:

"if yiu ahve ever wondered what youa re going to do in the event of a manually powered recesssion, i can only tell you that it is but an imopossible mandream for the big biibs of istrionics calim that ather is notheing sucha s a manually powered recession. To top oit all, you have to check out once in every while to see if you have been triccking yourself into fourteen year okld recession. it is in the interests of the netehr lands ther htha you have to et used to a manually powered recession in the event of ewhich you will find yourself nbeinf anonymously prooeeled foerward into a big pithoe that will only laugh at the stupiditieds of what you ahve don in your whole lifetime of aesthetic perfection."

This one does not contain profanities, but if it did, they'd be marked something like *&^#$@. No need to show you the dirt!

Note: Keep your SOC writing private. People who are ignorant about this process can misinterpret you.
Why People Don't Reap the Rewards of Stream of Consciousness Writing
Here I've to differ from the notion that Stream of Consciousness Writing is writing your thoughts as they occur. It would be, if we did that. However, from the examples available, we can see that people are not really writing down their thoughts. They do, till it is agreeable. When an unpleasant memory rears it head, we recoil, and divert ourselves to some other topic. We may even pretend that such a thought did not arise.

People do not like to relive the memories of traumas like disease, abuse, rape, bereavement, and others. Because they also give rise to associated feelings of guilt, shame, fear, and so on. If these issues have been addressed through therapy, it may be easier.

But it is possible to face, if we remember these points:

Express the trauma a few times in writing.
If they become repetitive, use the technique mentioned in the para labelled CAUTION above.
Remember that our thoughts or actions are not us.

By far, this is one of the most exhaustive resources I found on Stream of Consciousness writing:
http://www.letterstomyabusers.com/article_frombecomingwhole.html
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Do We Need to Change?

2011-07-19T00:34:00.002+05:30

For a while, I thought I was obsessed with Anger management ( Overcoming Resentment and Other Negative Feelings: Part 2 and Part 1). Do human beings really need to do something about their violent behavior ?

The statistics gravely say : Yes.
These are the approximate figures of the death toll because of wars and anthropogenic (man made) disasters in human history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_and_anthropogenic_disasters_by_death_toll

That is, humans have killed approximately 4-5 billion from their own race. The actual figure will be much higher, if we consider individual crimes.

People kill for pride, vengeance, racial and religious bigotry. The modern world has invented newer reasons devoid of emotion: profit. Yes, wars mean profit for the arms dealers. The more wars, the merrier they are.

In this world, one has to be extra careful about maintaining one's emotional balance. The sole reason for this malady of the world is that it has mistaken the goal of human existence. It thinks life is only for enjoying more and more pleasures, for accumulating more and more wealth. This is a fallacy. We are still running after the same pleasures that we sought decades ago-in the vain hope that the next experience will quench our thirst. At best, pleasure experiences can have but one benefit: they can teach us about their own emptiness.

The spiritual masters and scriptures have declared the true purpose of human life: to know Oneself.
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Meditating Wonder Boy Transforms Village into Thriving Township in 10 Months!

2011-07-11T16:16:00.007+05:30

Anybody who has tried prolonged sitting meditation will have faced the rebellion of the body, the senses, and the mind. I find it quite a struggle to sit still and awake during meditation, even after having been at it for years.
So I found this news astonishing. See the video: (Recorded by DISCOVERY TV)

More on him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Bahadur_Bomjon

Organisational web site:http://paldendorje.com/en/ (Contains the most current information, including talks given in 2010)

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How to Come Out Smelling Like a Rose

2011-07-07T23:33:00.005+05:30

You might have experienced it. Your day was going along wonderfully, until that colleague made a cutting remark. Or you were having a fine time with your spouse when he or she made an unjust statement. Cut to the quick, we seethe inside. Caught unawares, we are confused as to how to react.

Obviously, the person was really insensitive to say or think like that. Should we get even in the same way, hitting back? Should we distance ourselves from them?

These are difficult questions, especially when the concerned person is your spouse, child, sibling, intimate friend or your buddy in your project team. The situation is very delicate.

I won't make any comment now about how you deal with that person, mainly because there is somebody else who has to be handled before that. Who ? Me of course.

Yes, we need to regain our composure and mental serenity, first. Lets get back our balance and equipoise first. We cant do this by struggling with our hurt feelings and anger. It'll be like taming a wild elephant.

Instead, use your breath.

Your breath is your ever present friend-and sometimes, it is the only one.

Recently, a great spiritual teacher (Mata Amritanandamayi) said that the breath is divine. To watch the breath is to meditate on your innate divinity which is ever calm and blissful. Breath is the life-giver.

It is mighty, it can heal-anything. All that we need to do is to be aware of it-as it moves in and out of our body. Gradually, one can feel the vice like grip of negativity loosening and falling away, leaving us in peace and freedom. We have overcome another wave of turbulence!

Here, we are actually practicing being in the Here and Now. The NOW is where healing occurs. As Eckhart Tolle says: The NOW is the fresh smelling rose, the eternal present. It cant hold the unpleasant odors from the past. Nor the anxieties about the future.

So when you come here, you are free of unwholesome feelings. The breath is an excellent key to come here.

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Having Fun in Learning Skills

2011-06-27T21:36:00.014+05:30

If you are a student, or if you are interested in acquiring more knowledge, you can gain inspiration from the game of Darts. Darts is a game similar to archery, only that you throw darts at a target. See the picture below:

It is easy to train in Darts. Perhaps this is because it is a game (unlike serious academic study). The objectives are clearly defined. It is easy to evaluate yourself. You can see the results immediately. It is another matter if you give up, if you get discouraged when you dont hit the target. You may hit the target:

a) most of the time
b)only sometimes

c)not at all

If you keep yourself focused on the target, it is quite possible to hit the target a reasonable number of times. It's a guarantee. Perhaps the time for learning varies from person to person.

This is a skill that you can learn.

We all need many skills to move forward in life. Career skills, educational skills, social skills, relaxation skills, anger skills (to manage and use your anger constructively).

People find it hard to train in learning skills and academic subjects. The reasons which would be obvious from the above Darts example are:

Objective is not clearly defined
Lack of sight of objective
Outcome not visible or measurable
Giving up too soon (lack of repetition)

Based on the above, we could use a learning methodology for learning any subject with the least trouble, actually with fun. (We will consider an example later)

This is the outline of the method:

Identify the skill to learn
Break it down into various objectives (sub skills)
Define ideal outcome for each sub skill
Learn the sub skills, one at a time.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Combined application of the learnt skills in more complex activities

Example: Learning to Drive with Fun!

We break down the composite skill of Driving into several components. Examples are: Gears, Starting the vehicle engine, Traffic signs etc.
Now we break down these component skills into their sub skills:
Sub skills:

a)Gears:

Knowledge of gear positions
Practice shifting gear on a stationary car
Learning when gears are to be changed (e.g-1st gear is for bumpy road, uphill road, slow speeds,...)

b)Shifting to 1st gear from neutral when the vehicle engine is running

c)Starting the engine:

Turn gear to neutral
Turn ignition on
Change into 1st gear

Similarly, the rest of the skills for driving can be broken down into smaller sub skills. While actually starting to drive, they can use these skills, combined.

If we spent time learning specific skills, then it would be easier to recall them for their combined application. This can help avoid the terror and trauma involved in learning new skills. Most of us would have experienced this situation while learning how to drive.

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Two Simple Keys to a Happy Family

2011-06-26T03:49:00.018+05:30

Family Ties Need Commitment

By following two simple rules, anybody can have a happy family life.

Happy Family Rule 1: Think like a salesman

You may not agree with me here, however a good family life is a lot easier if you try to think like a salesman. It depends on how you sell your ideas to your family. You’d have tried to sell your ideas to others-your boss or colleague-at some point in your career.

Successful, happy families are built on solid values and self-discipline. When you, your spouse, children, and other members cooperate with one another in living these values, it’s a successful family life. But they may be ignorant of your cherished values, which are your ideas now. Your family is yet to accept them. You need to sell your ideas to your family.

Everybody needs to sell.

If you are a candidate for an interview, you need to sell yourself as an employee to the interviewer.

Before marriage, you need to sell yourself as a life partner, to the person whom you have chosen.

At home also, you need to sell your ideas.

Sometimes this can require you to do some creative thinking. For example, you may need to persuade your three-year-old to brush teeth before going to bed. Don’t rely on arguments here. It’s more a matter of listening and speaking from your heart.

Just as important as creative thinking, or even more, is putting yourself in the other’s shoes. If you do this, you will be quickly able to identify their needs. Insights and solutions follow naturally. That creates a win-win situation for both of you.

For instance you may want your son to drive responsibly, or you want to ensure your teenage daughter turns in at home on time.

It is easy to give commands to those who are junior to us in the family, but that’s very one-sided. The way of shoulds and donts doesn’t accord much respect to the receiver, and can get into arguments and ego conflicts. It may not make a happy family life, but may actually worsen relationships.

This is where we need to take a cue from salesmen.

Imagine I am trying to sell you something. Do I barge in on you, start my sales pitch and demand that you listen? No! You must feel like listening! How? I listen to you. I ask you for your opinions, comments on things, about what interests you, what you don’t like. And if you find that I’m putting on an act, just for my sale, you’d detect it easily and back off. Sincere interest is the key. I need to relate as a trustable friend to you.

That’s right. To convince you, I need to respect you. We can’t demand that our family members listen to whatever we say. Some people still go by that rule. If such families stay together, it is because they have no other choice. What will happen when each member in the family has an option, like a source of income or a person to support them emotionally or financially?

You need to take the first step by giving respect by first listening to them. Just listen patiently, hear them out. Let them express their feelings and opinions. Let them begin, and finish their sentences.

You will be amazed at the change this will bring in your family relationships! Just because you have acknowledged their value and space as individuals.

HOWEVER: Listening does not mean you have got to follow thorough their every whim.

How to handle it if you have urgent work to do, and your spouse or child wants to talk? Discretion is needed here. If it’s urgent, they need to be given time. If it’s not critical, promise another time and see that you remember.

Which brings us to Rule No. 2.

Happy Family Rule No 2: Self-discipline.

If you’re to practice Rule No1, sharing time with your family, you need to be organized which means self-discipline.

Try to master your own self. Be a self-discipline model for others in your family to follow.

Well you may not be a perfect role model, none of us are. But it goes without saying, if you are the thinking member of the family, it begins with you.

Children may not listen to everything you say, but they sure will not miss anything you do.

I'd say your family members may be behaving unreasonably, but we need to start with ourselves. Let’s do the best we can.

That can create a win-win situation for both of you.

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If you'd like to further improve your selling capability using a very simple technique, see How to Improve Your Sales.

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How to Increase Your Sales Easily

2011-06-23T11:30:00.023+05:30

As a salesperson, you are focused on achieving your target. Just as important as target oriented thinking, or even more, is putting yourself in the customer's shoes. If you do this, you will be quickly able to identify their needs. That can create a win-win situation for both of you.

The following story is about how a visit to a sports shop turned into an important lesson on improving sales.

I needed a toy ball for the stray puppies that visited our home for food. They needed some exercise.
There was a sports shop nearby and I visited them.

There were two people in the shop. One appeared to be the manager or owner. The other was the salesman. It seemed as if he was free, so I went up to him and asked if they had small footballs or handballs.

No answer. In fact, he looked away.

I repeated the question, to make sure he heard.

He showed the least interest, and did not bother to answer.

I felt very small-there was another customer now who was talking with the owner. Generally it is better to be indifferent to such things, and I was about to take my leave quietly, making a mental note never to visit that shop again.

I turned towards the door and saw the owner. He seemed approachable. Delhi was a big metro and sometimes getting things as simple as a ball could involve traveling a long distance-this also motivated me to ask!

I repeated my question to him. He made sure that he had understood correctly, and produced a football of the normal size.

It was big and heavy. The little puppies would not be able to move it. A smaller, lighter one would be better. He showed another sample. But it cost 350 bucks. It was possible to get a ball like that at a much cheaper price elsewhere. Also the need was for a light weight plastic or rubber toy ball.

This shop was for real sports goods, not toys.

OK, he said, without any sign of irritation. The salesman was watching the incident, and looked at the owner, like ‘I told you so.’ This guy will just keep asking questions, and not buy anything. Waste of time.

I did feel a bit small. However, there was no need to buy something just to make myself big in their eyes.

Just then, something that had been at the back of my mind, popped up. I had wanted a board of magnetic darts, some time back.

But there was slim chance this shop would have it, small that it was. I took a chance and dared to ask.

"Why yes. It sells here. I even might have one right now” said the owner and pulled a long black cylinder off the rack.

It was a magnetic darts board.

He opened it for me to see. He patiently answered my questions; and let me test its magnetism. Good.

The look on the face of the young salesman when I paid the bill and had it packed was incredulous. Too bad for him.

There are other factors also at work here: I had already thought of buying a dart board. But, who would have bothered to ask if the manager had not shown interest ?

Point: Be considerate and value your customers as you would like to be valued. The manager did not go overboard to please; he just listened, and patiently answered queries.

Result: a sale in 5 minutes!

Afterthought: Perhaps the salesperson may not have received his pay, or maybe he had some other gripe. Sure, but a customer is not a doctor!

Clients and customers can behave unreasonably. But their feedback is vital to your business. Salesmen need to find mature ways to resolve their issues.

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5 Ways to Keep Yourself Relaxed

2011-06-21T22:47:00.006+05:30

The need for relaxation cannot be overemphasized. You need to be relaxed to function at your optimum potential. Without relaxation, you may miss the ideas and solutions that your subconscious throws at you. You are not able to listen to conversations with balance, you are not able to handle crises. It will be just a blur of thoughts and emotions and we react in the same old conditioned way- KABOOM!! I'd dare to say that many relationships run aground just because people are perpetually tense, they do not take the time and effort to relax.

I can see your brows going up. Effort to Relax? Is not Relaxation a state of being? How can one reach a state of being through effort? Will not that make us more tense, further away from Relaxation? Perhaps you imagine a person working himself into a frenzy trying to relax himself.

Agreed, relaxation is a natural event; but you need to give the time and space for it to occur. A bucket of muddy water needs to stand still for some time, if the mud is to settle and the water to become clear.

Here are some exercises that can help you be more relaxed. Relaxation is a common result if you do any of them. That is, you do not have to do all of them. They have other effects as well, which are different. For example, Taichi and Yoga aim at physical development also.

1.Taichi
Taichi is a form of dynamic meditation. It was developed by Taoist masters in ancient China. It is a series of poses which progress in an uninterrupted flow. It resembles slowed down Kungfu Kattas (forms or series of postures). One derives the maximum benefit when the attention is held in the movement or on the breath or in the Tan tien, the energy centre in the abdomen.
It heightens awareness and speeds up response time, while also making you relaxed.
The type of the energy experienced is slightly warm and quite buoyant (like the solar (Pingala) energy in Yoga). Ideally, one should acquire preliminary training in Taichi from a good teacher.

2.Yoga
Yoga of the body (Hatha Yoga) originated in ancient India. It is believed to have been handed down by the great Yogi God Siva himself. Yoga consists of static poses (Asanas) that you hold for extended periods. You will pay attention to:

Relaxation (avoid forcing your body into difficult postures but approach them gradually-over days/weeks/months)
Slowness (while approaching a pose and descending from it)
Awareness (of your movements and breath)

However, in recent times, variations like Vinyasa yoga (Power Yoga) have developed, which are more dynamic.

The energy experienced in the traditional Hatha Yoga is very cool, soothing, and refreshing. The internal organs receive a good, invigorating massage. After performing Yoga asanas as above for some time, you are ready for a session of meditation.

3.Meditation
Meditation for the modern man consists of two types:
(1)Sitting meditation in which the practitioner becomes aware of his thoughts and bodily movements so that they gradually reduce to zero (this can take quite a long period of practice). This need be practiced only for 15 to 30 minutes in the beginning.

(2)Dynamic meditation for the rest of the day:
The practitioner tries to maintain relaxation and focus throughout all daily activities. This is possible through awareness. Again, it requires sustained practice.

The benefits of Meditation have never been fully documented. This is partly because, as the practitioners go deeper into it, they are interested more and more in self-effacement (merging individuality), as they become aware of the Infinite Truth within. They are interested then only in experiencing it, not in communicating it.

4.Free Writing
Also known as Stream-of-Consciousness writing, in Free Writing we let our mind express itself freely on the paper-without the limits of grammar, meaning, punctuation, logic, or spelling. You can set a timer for 5-15 minutes and write non-stop- whatever comes to you.

CAUTION:In case you find an (unpleasant) issue recurring again and again, keep writing: Why am I feeling this way? You will get answers in due course. Some people get them immediately, for others it is a gradual calming in which things become clearer. Dr. James.W.Pennebaker has analysed Free Writing in detail in his book "Opening Up: The Hidden Power of Expressing Emotions."

Free Writing can cause you to enter a state of altered (heightened) consciousness.
5.Laughter Therapy
You can perform Laughter Therapy by yourself in privacy. In this, you laugh as much as possible, for no reason, for 5-10 minutes.You will feel a bit artificial at first, then you start enjoying the laughter, and you feel the relaxation spreading in your insides.

Nothing can frighten a man who can laugh. And we have the choice to laugh in any situation, it is our choice. Obviously, people in authority may misunderstand. If you are apprehensive of offending others, laugh silently inside you.
Here is a post on Laughter therapy in Gaza.
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Part 2: Overcoming Resentment and Other Negative Feelings

2011-06-17T23:14:00.008+05:30

The first part of this article did not mention the law of karma. It is a very useful concept to understand, irrespective of one's faith. It can significantly improve our mental equanimity and quality of life.

The Law of Karma boils down to this: you create your own destiny. What each of us is experiencing is the result of our own actions.

If we produce a line from our current location and extended it infinitely, and lived long enough to see it, it would describe a huge circle/ellipse in space and return to the point of its origin (See bottom for the explanation).

So, the point is, we have nobody to credit for our experiences but ourselves. We have brought on ourselves everything in this life by our thoughts, words and deeds.

As you sow, so shall you reap.

Newton’s third law of motion seems to corroborate in the metaphysical plane too: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

In the house of my Father are many mansions; and if not, I would have told you; I go on to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

One need not change one’s faith or religion to understand and accept the law of karma. You are not bound to accept other related philosophies if you accept this law. It is your choice.

At present, we cannot mathematically prove the law of karma and rebirth. But some documented cases point to this theory. You can check out this post here.

To understand karma in its real form, one needs to transcend karma. If we are inside the ocean we see only water; to see the ocean, we have to rise out of it.

It does not matter if we do not understand how and why each event arises in our life or how we go through each experience, the fact remains that we ourselves are behind it all. The action may have been performed in some previous birth.

Even in daily life, you can experiment: a smile begets a smile, a frown another frown. Efforts breed corresponding results.

How can accepting the law of karma benefit us? We can stop complaining about anything and everything, and if we want to change something, we can take constructive action towards it. Action performed with a calm and focused mind delivers results.

Accepting the law of karma means taking responsibility for oneself, which means we stop blaming others or God. It is like taking a huge burden of negativity off the mind. You will feel calm and relaxed.

(Explanation for infinite line becoming a circle: This seems plausible if we assume that the universe is spherical with a curved surface. All heavenly bodies-planets, their satellites, and stars, are spheroids. They have geodesic shape-that is, giving the appearance of straight lines even though having curved shape. Everything in the universe is found to rotate and revolve, so it seems fair enough to assume that the universe is a spheroid as well. Riemannian space theory (named after the German mathematician Bernhard Riemann) assumes that space is curved as opposed to Euclidean flat space. If this be so, a line (in mathematical terms, a ray) extended to infinity moves on a curved trajectory, and has to return to its originating point.)

Do you agree with this theory ?

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Overcoming Resentment and Other Negative Feelings-1

2011-06-13T11:02:00.009+05:30

When misfortunes strike us, our first reaction is non-comprehending surprise. Then we think: why me? Why did it have to happen to me? Why was I fired? Why did I have to face indignity?

A lot of energy is expended in this way. It clouds our judgment and the way we interact with others, and prospective positive outcomes can be lost on us. Who wants to deal with an unsmiling, resentful, angry person who is so hung up on his past misfortunes that you can’t entrust an enterprise or responsibility to him? You wouldn’t, if I were to react with suspicion to your offer of help.

Too often we find people licking their old wounds long after the unfortunate incident has passed, holding grudges, spreading rumors about the accused perpetrator, and in general seething with anger and sometimes going to the extent of wreaking vengeance.

These actions may provide a temporary sense of relief, a vent; however in reality they are conditioning us to react to future incidents in the same immature way, for life is unpredictable and no one can think it is going to be a bed of roses. And people are of all kinds—kind, vicious, gentle, spiteful, opportunistic, cheating, vengeful, proud, slighting, unfaithful, lazy, irresponsible, loving, truthful, dishonest, loyal… You have a kaleidoscope open; that is what makes life interesting isn’t it?

But our issue is how to deal with the misfortunes and injustice meted that we may have to face sometime. And how to come out of it unruffled, like the feathers of a bird, on which water drops don’t stay, but roll off.

If we had the detachment to let these issues just roll off our mind, we could come out of potential disasters smelling like a rose.

I had to confront many bullying personalities at work and in personal life. I couldn’t stand up to them and would seethe for months and sometimes years.

But when I learnt of how to face situations without getting agitated, it was a different story altogether. I could pass through these situations, or, let them pass through me, without any negative residue.

For instance, when in college, I used to go by bus. The bus staff did not like students as they have concession, they could make more money by letting an adult passenger on that spot. On one day, I was getting off the bus at my college stop. The cleaner put his hand across the doorway, blocking the path so that I had to duck beneath it. It was a deliberate insult. There was nobody else in the bus. After getting down, I considered the situation. I could tell my friends in the college union and have the fellow dealt with properly. But such incidents have gone out of control and resulted in road blocking, stone pelting, bashing up the bus staff, and sometimes, buses being burnt up.

Instead, I tried to reason with myself. I did not lose anything here. I could think of him as a poor, uncultured, boor who did not know how to give respect and get respect. And now, the incident is long over, now I am being miserable by bringing it up and agonizing over it. Coming to think of it, you wouldn't expect a buffalo to give way to you, if ever you were to cross one’s path, would you? But let such thoughts be private.

I decided I would not follow his example and took slow, deep breaths. These helped me relax and detach. I soon forgot all about this incident and was back to normal.

Try to see the present moment, feel the present moment. That is to say, feel the breeze, feel your breath, feel the ground beneath your shoes, feel your stomach rising and falling with each breath. Gradually try to be aware of your feelings and thoughts. It is possible to be aware of each of our thoughts, even fluttering of eyelids.

When you notice a negative emotion, just watch it without critiquing or judging it, just note, I am angry, anger is arising. Breathe. Breathe into your stomach. Breathe through the feeling. And continue to observe it. Now you have unknowingly distanced yourself from the emotion. You will find it has lost its intensity and grip on you.

You have become calmer and can now think objectively.

This is an absolutely needed skill because many people behave irrationally nowadays.

Part 2 of this article.
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Shortcuts to Success

2011-06-11T13:18:00.005+05:30

Do we need to work all the time to succeed ?

What if we are already working all the time? Our minds are never idle, thoughts race through them all day, even in sleep. So nobody can be called idle. Not even the loafer who just eats, drinks, and sleeps and does nothing else all day.

From childhood, we are exhorted to never sit idle, to always be engaged in work. I want to make a point that our notion of industriousness needs a slight modification. The thoughts racing in our mind are involuntary. Involuntary thoughts also need exertion. That is why we get stress (Stress is the result of involuntary thoughts-Hans Selye)

So if we are already working all the time, why are we not getting desired results? This is because our thoughts are scattered. Recall the lens which can create fire using sunlight. The same sunrays when not focused cannot ignite anything.

Focus is the lens which creates results from our thoughts. Focus makes thoughts unidirectional (in a single direction). If we do not focus, all our thought energy is going to waste being frittered way in multiple pursuits, leading to nowhere. Have you timed yourself how long you can stick to a task as simple as watching a youtube video? A recent study revealed that 90 % viewers watch a video in full only if it is 10 seconds long. Only 9.42% of viewers watched in full if it was a 5 min. long video. (See bottom for source)

It is much less with our minds. We may have multiple thoughts in one second. Studies estimate a human being to have around 40,000 thoughts per day; however, the actual figure could be many times that. Each thought is composed of several other thoughts. Some may last only micro seconds.

He is successful who can make each thought last for several seconds; to begin with, this is the aim of concentration.

What happens when we align our thoughts in a single direction? They gain in power and intensity. They can burn away problems and obstacles and reveal solutions and ideas and opportunities that we never knew existed. They can bring out latent powers inside us, that we never believed in.

All great achievers in all fields-be it industry, business, politics, arts, or literature-could concentrate their thoughts calmly for long periods of time.

Therefore we only have to change the direction of our thoughts to succeed-change negative thoughts into positive, constructive thoughts, disbelieving thoughts into those of belief and affirmation, scattered thoughts into those of a single direction and focus.

The study on Youtube viewers' attention span is here :http://philcooke.com/online_attention_span/)
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What to Do When Depressed / Bored / Lethargic ?

2011-06-09T11:51:00.006+05:30

All of us know strategies for succeeding in life. You might have shelves full of how-to books on all aspects of life. They require us to follow certain steps in a certain way to be successful. For example, to achieve your goal through affirmations, you are asked to write your affirmation several times everyday.

However, what do we do when we are in the blues ? You just don’t feel like making that effort. Sometime back, I wanted to rise early at 5 the morning. I tried everything, buying fancy sonic shaker alarms that would shake me awake. However, I found myself switching off the alarm and going back to sleep.

Or perhaps you are feeling depressed after some setbacks in business or career or relationships or your health. You don’t feel motivated to do anything. Advice given at this point may make us feel more negative and resentful.

There is a way out of this gloomy mental state. It originates in the mind, so the solution is in the mind. You only need to repeat some affirming phrases to yourself, wherever you are-even if slumped in bed under the blankets.

I accept myself!

I approve of myself!

I love myself!

I help myself!

Let’s take a practical application: you have an exam tomorrow and you haven’t prepared well enough, you don’t feel motivated to take up the challenge and burn the midnight oil.

Just repeat the above thoughts to yourself as many times as possible.

I accept myself!

I approve of myself!
I love myself!

I help myself!

Slowly, you can feel hope rising with in, belief in yourself will start coming back, and you feel motivated and energized to take action.

Along with that, I have also found this affirmation very helpful. The French psychotherapist Émile Coué developed it :

Every day, in every respect, I am getting better and better !

These two techniques combined give wings to surmount any depression and heartache caused by negativity –whether in our mind or from others. But we would be better off keeping the depression far away, by engaging in constant activity. As the sayings go...Idle mind is the Devil's workshop and Flowing water remains fresh, and free of worms. Activity is the best known cure for depression and other negative moods.

(For the chronically depressed, this could be a source of hope: http://selfdeveloping.blogspot.com/2011/12/hope-for-suicide-prone-perspectives.html)

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A Drop of Water !

2011-06-08T13:34:00.009+05:30

It was 6 in the morning, on a wintry Bangalore day. I was on my irregular morning walk, through the narrow streets of Benniganahalli, off Old Madras Road. As I moved past the government residential quarters in nearby CV Raman Nagar, I saw the water tank overflow and spill over into the street below. I walked on.

6:45 am. I was on my return. Passing the quarters again, I looked up and was aghast to see the tank still overflowing. I wanted to stop it. There were two guards near the gate and I approached them. They did listen to my concern and said they would look for the person responsible, to stop the pump. That was as much as I could go. I did not belong to that residential colony.

For many people, water is an infinite resource, that can be used lavishly. There is a lot of effort behind each drop of water; as you can see from the hydrological cycle (see figure below).

In addition to this, there are processes of absorption and transpiration in trees and plants, and the movement of running water as it percolates through the ground strata to meet ground water reserves. All these are processes that happen before each drop of pure water falls from the clouds.

But isn't water an inanimate object, formed by an automatic natural process, and can't we use it as we like ? The best and most vital things in life are all free-air, water, and the earth we stand on. We human beings are also a part of nature. Nature is not complete without us. We cannot stand apart from it, and are subject to the forces of nature like all other creatures. The recent Tsunamis and earthquakes are reminders of man's punitive stature before the stupendous forces of nature.

Great scientists like Isaac Newton have recognized this. He famously said: I am just like a small child playing with a few grains of sand on the infinite seashore. He knew what he had discovered about natural laws was just a very tiny part of the real thing.

If we can accept our stand relative to the grand Cosmos, it will be easy to be humble. A humble mind will always think twice before spending any resource.

How to conserve Water

There are many ways in which we can conserve water. For instance, dish-washing after kneading dough at home. We knead the dough in a bowl. Afterwards, if we keep it aside without washing off immediately, the dough sticking to the vessel dries up and is harder to remove. Then you need to fill the vessel to the brim with water and let it soak, to clean. If you had cleaned it out while still fresh, you could have saved at least 3 liters of water, for an average bowl.

Mighty Water

Here is a real story from Japan showing what potential a drop of water has! Tetsui was the disciple of a Zen master. He performed various chores as part of his responsibilities at his monastery. They involved watering the garden. One day, after finishing watering, he saw that there was a little water at the bottom of the bucket. He upturned the bucket and emptied it on the ground. Unseen by him, the master of the monastery who had been watching him all along, shouted: How dare you waste that water!

Tetsui's mind opened inwards and he experienced the truth. It was after this incident that he came to be known as Tetsui. It means ‘a drop of water.’

(Image courtesy: Wikipedia)

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Why Focus ?

2011-06-05T16:25:00.005+05:30

If you were a soldier and you had only one shot at your target, and if your life depended on it, you would realize how vital it is to have concentration. An archer must concentrate, if he is to hit the target. Scientists must focus their thoughts, in order to uncover the mysteries of nature. Students need to focus to study effectively, to imbibe their study material.The deeper your focus and attention, the more effective and long-lasting results you can achieve.

Lack of Focus can result in mishaps of all kinds. Many accidents occur because of this. Relations can be harmed if people are not mindful of what they think, do and speak. Being aware of our thoughts and words, is being focused on the well being of our relationship.

In short, bad and ineffective actions of every kind are a natural result of lack of Focus. Focus here also connotes mindfulness, awareness, and concentration.

Focus is not a stressed out state. People try to maintain concentration under stress -this happens in critical situations. For instance, students cramming on the night prior to exams. Fighters engaged in a duel to death. The persons are in a state of focus mostly out of fear-for survival-but it is very stressful and exhausts. Such kind of situations do not occur everyday. We need to practice maintaining focus in a relaxed state of mind. Such a training benefits us during emergencies also. Emergencies cease to be emergencies then.

It is the Relaxed and focused state of mind that we need to be in. How to be in Relaxed focus ? It is a matter of daily practice, 24 hours a day.

Do we need to practice so much ? Actually it is not a matter of practicing a lot. It is just practising this moment. If you practice this moment, it will take care of the coming moments, days, months and years.

So, yes, take a deep breath, relax. Watch your breath flow in an out. And swing into action.

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The One Factor That Can Sustain Relationships

2011-06-03T20:08:00.005+05:30

In one word, it is Introspection. Holding a mirror to yourself, to see your actions, words, and thoughts, as others see and experience them.

In relationships, people point to each other :"it is his/her fault ! She/he is responsible ! He doesn't do it right! She is always complaining !" In all likelihood, we will be having our own hideous sides that we cherish. We never think of casting a glance at how it may be affecting others. Even in this age of education, elders who may be post graduate, still abuse their adolescent younger generation.

We are conditioned to look outside us for the cause and the solution. Of course, we can never be the problem. I find I have a strong tendency to blame the outside world for the way things are. It never occurs to me that I may be, in some way, contributing to the situation.

I complain about the banana peel lying on the road; but I never thought of cleaning it up myself. (Gandhi: Be the change you want to see)

People accuse their partners of behavioral problems, yet turn a blind eye to the secret sins that they themselves commit. It is impossible to accuse others when one is aware of his own shortcomings. There would be no time-one would be too busy working on himself.

So the next time you find yourself pointing your finger at your partner, look closely at your hand. See ? Your three fingers are pointing back at you. There is something to be set right first, my friend.

Note: I am not implying that one should take all injustices lying down. Correcting others is more easier when you do it with consideration and love-just as you would like to be corrected. One needs to practice separating the action from the person. And if we find ourselves losing our emotional balance at others' faults, perhaps that is where we should start-being aware of our own feelings ! This works like pricking a balloon-it takes the sting out of your emotional turmoil. Keep at it and you can see the difference, slowly.

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The Paranoid Printer Paradox

2011-06-01T09:58:00.012+05:30

People buy printers in great hopes. As for me, it was to avoid the long wait at the Xerox shop which also doubled as a printing outlet. Naturally, they would be more interested in churning out copies for DU belles who visited there in droves (DU- Delhi University-I live nearby there).

So when a web mall featured Canon's range of low cost printers, I felt the decision was final :buy one. No need of haggling with salesmen who try to sell you things that you don't want.

I did a thorough search on the net on the economics of printing, that is, the cost per page. Surprisingly, there were no forthright answers to this question. Or were those pages being masked ?

The printer arrived very quickly. It was the Canon MP 276 color Ink jet all-in-one model. It could do printing, photocopying, and scanning. It cost Rs.5595/-($124).

It ran very smoothly. Everything was fine, till the ink ran out.

It needed a new cartridge or an ink refill. An online search for the price, revealed it to be Rs.950/-($21) for the black cartridge and Rs.1260/-($28) for the color cartridge.

The math : by the time one bought 6 black cartridges, it'd cost more than the printer, that is 950 x 6 = 5700/- ($127) ! Replacing both the black and the color cartridges, would cost Rs.2210/- ($44). In this case, you will have busted money equal to the cost of a new printer by the time you changed cartridges 3 times-(2.5 to be precise).

A record had been kept of the number of printouts taken, before the cartridge ran out. It came to 90 black and white printouts. The cost per page worked out to 950/90 = Rs.10.50 ($0.23).

The Xerox shop gave me printouts at Rs.1 ($0.02) a page, 1/10 the cost as the Canon MP 276 prints.

I was shattered, but did not give up hope. After frantic searches for cartridge refilling outlets, the same Xerox shop refilled my cartridges for Rs.130/- ($3). But the printer refuses to acknowledge they are filled- it prints blank sheets with ink blotches :Canon has installed chips in the cartridges to ensure that this source of income is not lost.

I am in a quandary : what to do with this printer, a veritable white elephant ?

An even deeper ethical dilemma : whether to keep this and not use it, or sell it off to somebody ignorant about these facts, and get myself a printer that can be refilled ?

This is a blow below the belt, Canon !

Don't Believe Me! Believe in Yourself

2011-05-23T13:57:00.006+05:30

The ancient scriptures tell us that there is no limit to human accomplishment.

The powers achievable through Raja Yoga are unlimited. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali document the powers or Siddhis (as they are called in Sanskrit) which a dedicated yoga practitioner comes upon.
The Bible: "I can do all things in Christ which strengtheneth me" and "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

The point is, you have unlimited powers within you, whatever be your religion, and you can uncover them.

But how many have have done this, through history ? We can see few people rising above the average human level of achievement. Occasionally we can see somebody like THIS HERE.

There are many reasons why people do not achieve highly, but first let us take a look at how to uncover these powers.

HOW:
The magic key is concentration. Normally we have a constant chatter of irrelevant thoughts passing through us all the time. This dissipates our energy. Sunlight has the power to burn grass if you let it pass through a convex lens. Otherwise, it cannot, it is dissipated everywhere.

We need to focus ourselves. We need to make intentions. An intention is a concentrated thought.
Concentration coupled with calm achieves incredible results. You need to practice concentrating-slowly, taking small steps at a time. Sudden practice of prolonged concentration can be a health hazard. Build it up gradually.

Now why do people fail to achieve, even after concentrating ?

REASONS FOR GETTING STUCK:
After achieving a certain amount of success through concentration, people tend to get bloated egos. They think that they are something special, a cut above the commoner. They may exercise their powers for very selfish ends, which are harmful to others. All this boomerangs on them badly. As you know, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This is true here also. Gradually they loose their powers of concentration.

Another reason is indulgence in pleasures without moderation. It squanders your powers.

HOW TO OVERCOME PITFALLS
Obviously, one needs humility to avoid ego. Practitioners should realise it is just the power of the Universe which is flowing through them. Again, one should exercise restraint in indulgence and take to better and better self-discipline.

Ideally, one should have a Preceptor. Or one would do well to pray to his chosen form of God to whom one can look up to for guidance.

If you follow instructions diligently, you'll discover treasures upon treasures, the succeeding one much more enthralling than the previous one. If you keep going, not yielding to them, you would come face to face with your own ultimate Truth !

Anything is Possible, Even Catching a Bullet Shot

2011-05-23T13:22:00.002+05:30

I have read about the miracles that Yogis and Qigong masters perform, and have witnessed a few. This video shows a Qigong master catching a fired bullet, among other incredible feats. It appears after 5 minutes into the video. This just goes to verify the infinite potential within you.

Love Can Do Anything

2011-05-22T22:33:00.001+05:30

The power of love is understated in today's competitive, alpha-spirited world. Or rather, it is rarely visible. You catch glimpses of it in random acts of tenderness, such as the smile of an unknown child when it looks at you through the passing vehicle's glass. It is love in action. What motivated that child to smile at you ? We will never know-perhaps its innate Godliness (which is still unsullied in children) made it do it.

Terry Dobson, world famous martial expert, narrates an incident of kindness that changed his perception of martial arts and life itself. It happened while he was travelling in a suburban train in Japan. He had been learning Aikido (a martial art) there.

A drunk man in the compartment started bullying people near him. He shoved an old lady, and knocked an attendant down.

Dobson stood up, his youthful enthusiasm for adventure coupled with the desire to test his newly acquired skills in Aikido. But he wanted the drunk to make the first move, so he blew him a kiss to infuriate him. As expected, it provoked him and a fight was about to erupt when an elderly man who had been sitting quietly till then, intervened.

He spoke soothingly to the drunk man, and gently eased him away. Soon he was listening with a heart of empathy to his tale of woes. It turned out that he had lost his job and his wife too had left him !

Soon, the hulking man was sobbing in his lap like a child ! The old man's loving approach had melted the bitter hardness of his heart, embrittled by life's misfortunes.

What a way to resolve a conflict !

Have You Been Born Before ? An Argument for Rebirth with a Documented Event

2011-05-16T18:39:00.005+05:30

The debate on rebirth has been raging for centuries. In the latter half of the twentieth century, leading authorities in various fields began publishing their experiences, research and views on the subject. Notable among them were Elizabeth Kubler Ross (M.D), George Ritchie (MD), and Brian Weiss (MD). We can find many arguments in favor of rebirth.

Is there life after death ?
For one thing, we would never know. For nobody would live to tell it, even if there were. NDEs( Near Death Experiences) are the nearest that we can come to documented study. But we can advance several case studies towards this theory.

Here I present for your consideration (for rebirth):

An argument
A documented event

1.The Argument
You need a blank sheet of paper and a pen. Take the pen and draw a line from left to right (straight or curved) on the paper. Name the end points as A and B. Your line might look like this :

A B

Now please answer these two questions :

Where is the origin of the line?
Where is its end ?

If you are like most people, you would have pointed to A and then B (or vice-versa if you had drawn right to left).

However, consider this : Precisely the line originated when you moved your hand, took the pen, then you placed its tip on the paper to draw the line AB. And before that, you were reading this post. Before that? You landed on this page somehow. Before that.....................it just goes on...and on...
And does it end at B ? No. You kept the pen down, and now you are reading this...it will continue...

So the line AB here represents the visible life on earth (from our birth to death). There definitely can be, has to be, events associated with you before your birth. You cannot assign individuality just from a point, simply because it is the only one visible.

Coming to think of it, how much can you remember of what you did and thought today ? Yesterday ? Before that ? Were you even aware ? If you were aware you would have remembered every single one of your actions (and your births).

2.The Event
This is a well known incident, documented in all major Indian newspapers, at-least those in South India. It is about a child prodigy painter called Clint who lived in Kerala, India from 1976 to 1983. A street in Kochi (his home town) is named in his memory and a film has been made about him.

He drew over 25,000 paintings in his short life span of, six years and eleven months. He never received formal training. And he drew pictures in elaborate detail.

Before you read Wikipedia's article on Clint : A question--How did Clint acquire his abilities ? He was born and raised a Christian. He drew pictures of Hindu Gods as well.

He did not acquire this ability in this life time.

The same can be said about artists and athletes who exhibit extraordinary skill in a particular art or sport early in their lives, before any formal training can be given.

Read about Clint on Wikipedia :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Thomas_Clint
See also: http://edmund-thomas-clint.co.tv/

Guidelines for Job Candidates

2011-05-06T19:18:00.002+05:30

If you are a candidate for a job, you will do well to know some booby traps in the recruiting arena. Here are some points to bear in mind while applying to new jobs:

Get everything on record. This is specially important about the job profile. You can avoid surprises at a later stage such as : We are looking for a creative person. Your profile is not what we had in mind etc.

I recently faced an interview with a leading law consultancy firm that had branches all over India. I was warned by my wife about the high handed nature of their recruitment policies. The head of corporate communications quizzed me on my writing career and then let loose: your profile is highly technical. It doesn't suit our requirement. I controlled the urge to ask : why did you shortlist me in the first place ?

Ask the recruiter to mail you the interview schedule and venue- for every round.

Good companies do this without being asked. If you do not have an email invite, you can face scenarios like change of interview venue and date, not knowing the contact person and phone number etc.

If you are offered a post, ask for a soft copy of the contract agreement, complete in all respects. Also request for a break up of the salary structure. You can avoid additional conditions being added later on in this way. For example, a surprise withholding of the salary when you serve notice, just out of the blue !

Don't let the other side know your cards. Then you lose whatever edge you have. Don't let them know even if you are down to your last penny. If you are offered the job, accept it graciously, as if it is a pleasure. Your haste in accepting will betray desperation and the salary offer can go down.

It is the truth: job seekers are at a disadvantage. Knowledge of the game will help you prepare against surprises.

Why Corruption ?

2011-05-05T16:37:00.004+05:30

The lure of the additional easy bucks has led many honorable office bearers off to a life of greasy palms. One can see this in every strata of society-from ministers to security guards succumbing cheaply to the lure of easy money. What they don't realise is that, they are degrading themselves lower and lower, till their positions which held them immune to scrutiny, cease to hold any remnant of dignity. They become like the grass on the ground on which anybody can trample. The constant vigil with which they covered up their incursions, slips one day, they fall into one of the pits dug by themselves.

The erring babus are well aware about the consequences if they are caught, but this does not deter them from fleecing the common man. When the entire system is rotten, who is there to be scared of ? Only one's destiny.

To get an idea of the state of affairs, just take a look at the roads in Delhi. The capital city of the largest democracy in the world has roads that do justice to bullock carts ! For instance, the roads in and around Pulbangash and Malkaganj-guarantee you a bone rattling ride. This is my experience while driving in a Maruti Suzuki WagonR-perhaps the babus do not feel the shocks, cushioned in their Mercs and BMWs. These roads can generate a copious income for the government if it rents them out as testing grounds for auto-makers. For the same reason, they qualify as possible venues for Cross-country race tracks also.

Why Germans are Great Inventors

2011-04-10T13:39:00.007+05:30

Ever wondered why Germany is known for so many scientific and technical innovations? And about its excellent engineering products? (Scroll down to the bottom to get straight at the answer).

Germans make excellent cars (Benz, BMW, Volkswagen)
They invented the modern rocket (Verner Von Brown)
Movable type printing (Gutenberg)
Geigercounter-for measuring radioactivity (Hans Geiger)
The first functional program-controlled Computer (Konrad Zuse)
Uncertainty principle (Werner Heisenberg)
Theory of Relativity (Albert Einstein)
X-rays (Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen)

For a more complete list of German innovativeness, click the links at the bottom of this post.
Well, what forced this conclusion was a discussion on German grammar. I had been studying German for the past two months and its hair-splitting logic gave me the notion that the German society is very rule-based. This reflects the absolutely structured nature of their thought process.

For example, they distinguish between the state of repose of objects on the same platform. Suppose we have, on a table, a pen, a book, and a cup. Now in German, one has to specify like this:

The book and the pen lie on the table while the cup stands on the table.

Why do they distinguish like that ? The first two objects are horizontal whereas the cup is vertical. Now, if we were to turn the cup over on its side, so that it lies horizontally, we would have to say :the cup lies on the table.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_inventors_and_discoverers

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Delayed Gratification :The Marshmallow Test

2011-04-06T17:55:00.002+05:30

Do you have it in you to delay your pleasures so that you can have a better reward ?
How do kids do on this ?

Here is the video of a study on kids on this topic. It is both funny and thought provoking:

The Truth Seeks Itself

2010-09-24T19:43:00.008+05:30

There was this seeker after Truth who wandered all over the land, desperately. He went to Gurus and plied them with questions.

Their answers did not satisfy him. They did not open his eye to the truth, and his quest went on...

Then one day he sought out a less known sage. He was living in a remote area, shunning the public eye.

After the formalities, he, as was his wont, unleashed his question:

"Sir, where is the truth ? How may I see it ?"

The master looked up from the cup of tea he was holding in his hands, and gazed silently into the seeker's eyes. After a long silence, he said:

"It is verily the Truth that is asking this question!"

The answer homed into the seeker's heart like an arrow, and silenced it. His mind opened inward, and he knew:

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Perplexing Printer Puzzle

2010-08-30T23:39:00.005+05:30

Recently I was learning to use a new computer printer from a leading manufacturer. It came through a Mail order service, on a web site.

Having been using printers as part of my job, still, I had not gone into the nitty-gritty of it-installation, ink cartridges etc. However, since it was a DIY manual, I decided to face up to the task.

The manual was well structured and the topics were easy to find, in logical sequence. I moved along smoothly through installing the printer software, making the settings, connecting printer and computer, even the totally unfamiliar task of loading the ink cartridges. Ah, now to print! But we needed to load the paper. Where was it? Of course, in the paper tray.

Unsuspectingly, I put the sheet of paper in the protruding tray in the front. No need of the manual for this. I switched on the power, opened a document and gave the print command.

Nada. Nothing.

I checked the manual. A picture was given of the paper tray, how to pull it out, etc. It was a close-up, and unfortunately, it did not have a reference. That is, one could not make out on which part of the printer this tray was located. I tried hard to locate any part that resembled that in the figure. The only protruding part (a paper tray should protrude, right?) was in the front, but it did not have any of the tabs mentioned in the manual and the figure. I pressed and pulled at various other parts in the hope that the tray would spring open.

Mortified that my tech savvy, super fast installation had been botched just at the finishing line by a most plain task, I stalled, perplexed. A good thirty minutes must have gone on it.

I sat before the printer, eyeing it with growing exasperation. My plight reminded me of the proverbial simian with the coconut. More than that, it hurt when one's pride in being tech-savvy was reduced to rubble.

Who would have guessed that the paper tray would be covered and be at the back of the printer? Somehow this idea clicked in my brain and I tried pulling a latch at the back of the printer. Lo! There was the paper tray. Having used only Laser jets till now, and their paper trays being opened from the front, I was conditioned to look for the tray in the front.

It was a bit frustrating that the creators of the manual did not try to think from a possible perspective that some users would have. They just cannot assume that all users will know the location of the tray. What is the point in showing a close up of the paper tray, without showing where it is located? All parts are straight lines and look alike to the first time user.

Showing a picture of the printer and referencing each part with a letter can avoid this unsavory situation. It should be easy to distinguish the front, back and the sides-left and right.

That will save time and make for a great user-friendly manual that even Grandmas can use!
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Message Magic: Answering Machine Humor$666.52

Take Charge of Your Life...or We Will !

2010-04-06T12:53:00.005+05:30

If you do not rule yourself, you are asking to be ruled, and you will be.
If you do not manage yourself, you will be managed.
If you do not discipline yourself, you will be disciplined.

If you do not manage your time, somebody else will do it.
If you do not set your own goals, somebody else will do it.
If you do not make your choices this moment, somebody else will.

If you do not think for yourself, somebody else will do it, and not in your best interests.

After all,
you alone can eat to sate your hunger, others cannot !
you alone can breath your breaths, every single one of them !
Then why not think for yourself ?
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Aikido as a De-stresser

2009-12-07T18:25:00.013+05:30

Today, dealing with day to day situations and yet enjoying a reservoir of inner peace is challenging enough. Life has built up a frenetic pace, especially in the metro cities. Throw in drugs, terrorism, porn, communal and religious politics - we have a Pandora's box open.

Chasing as we are our dream of material super wealth, when mishap strikes, we are like deer caught in headlights: ill equipped to deal with life's exigencies. Forget about the external issues, how do we handle issues within our families and in our relationships ? The age old tit-for-tat rule reigns even now, and well wishers who come in to resolve disputes end up aggravating them.

We need to equip ourselves to have a balanced perspective on life. We need a poise to be able to deal with life's challenges. Why?

We have to eat for ourselves, breath for ourselves, and pretty much everything else. Why not think for ourselves as well ? Nobody else can do that for us. If they did, even if with the best of intentions, it would be from a skewed view of situations. Only you have the true picture of your life.

Let us see how Aikido's(a Japanese martial art) philosophy can help us in our challenging issues.

Aikido's basic philosophy is non-resistance. It is not just non-resistance: neutralization is a more accurate description. While Christ exhorts us to turn the other cheek to an attacker, Aikido advises to turn your cheek before being hit. in other words, it entails us to maintain a constant alertness.

Aikido does not aim at vanquishing and destroying an opponent. It aims at tuning in to the attacker's energy so that we can harmonize and neutralize it. For this reason there are no attacks practised in Aikido, except for training. Also, fending off an attack, an aikidoka does not look at how it turns out- it is just a deflection of energy of the attack- executed smoothly.

This is in contrast to conventional martial arts where participants aim for a decisive win. The word Aikido in Japanese means the way of Universal Harmony. It was founded by a Japanese martial artist, Ueshiba Morihei. He underwent prolonged training in Jujitsu and Judo before he developed his own unique art, Aikido.

Apart from the physical art, the principles of Aikido can be applied to day to day life situations as well. An excellent example is given by Terry Dobson.

It is about an incident that happened to Dobson while he was learning Aikido in Japan. You can see the essence of Aikido in real life. Please see Terry Dobson for the full story.

This incident demonstrates the secret of how Aikido can help us defuse tensions in real life situations: refuse to yield or fight against the anger in the other person. Instead we neutralize the energy by harmonizing.

In simple words, on a physical level: move in the same direction as the offending energy-push when you are pulled, pull when you are pushed.

Aikido practice has meditation as an important part of it. It is through meditation that one can achieve the thought free state, a prerequisite for seeing things as they are. Through meditation and Aikido practice, practitioners achieve such feats as having irresistible power in hands such that they cannot be stopped etc.

As there is no winning and losing in Aikido, it does not have tournaments either. Perhaps you can say a practitioner loses when he becomes angry.

Suppressing anger is not the way to resolve it. When we maintain a non-critical, non-judgmental awareness of the thoughts and emotions arising in us, they automatically quiet down. The peace that you experience forms an aura around you and transfers to others.
Note: This article was posted on Articlesbase.com on Dec 8, 2009. Link: Here
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The Secret of a Successful Economy

2009-12-01T13:51:00.008+05:30

Transparency International has published the results of the corruption rankings of countries.

See Transparency 2009 Corruption Survey Results.

The 2008 leader Iceland has been dislodged to eighth rank. Now New Zealand heads the list as the least corrupted country, followed by Denmark, Singapore and Sweden.
There are a number of Asian, African and South American countries in the less corrupt groups. Singapore,Botswana and Chile are some of them.

While going though the list, the inescapable link between corruption and economic condition becomes clear. All the countries at the top of the list are making rapid strides in economic development(Botswana rank 37,Barbados rank 20,Qatar 22) or are currently having stable economies( Sweden, Denmark, Canada...).

India ranks at 84, China at 79 while Bhutan is at 49.

A search in Wikipedia showed that the economical condition of the countries at the top of the list was in good condition. Economy is in inverse relation to the level of corruption.

You got it again : Honesty does pay well.

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Three Stunning Movies

2009-11-20T14:18:00.002+05:30

Movies are supposedly for our passing time. That is what they are classified as : entertainment.
But too much of entertainment desensitises. We become bored with the same old themes coming up again and again. Still it is hard to resist the thrill of hair raising action, enchantng romance or an uproarious comedy.
Having accustomed to these standards, I was jolted out of my slumber by three movies I saw recently:
*Hotel Rwanda
*No Man's Land
*Saviour

The stark realities of life when the characters survive on a day by day basis is shown in these movies. It is not namby pamby pop corn filmography. You have to see it to believe it.

It is bitterly comical when you see how riots and genocide break out based on people's skin or hair color or the length and shape of their noses or other body parts or because of their languages/beliefs. My, are we human ?

I believe this is the true purpose of art : to bring man to face the realities of life, to wake up to the sufferings of others, and to nudge him into creative action.

Hyperlinking to extremes

2009-11-20T13:59:00.002+05:30

The other day I was looking up an article on thefreedictionary.com. I had browsed the Freedictionary many times before. But now, funny things started to happen. If I accidentally clicked anywhere on the page, it would take me to a linked page(Don't forget, it's a dictionary, so every single word has a page!)

I could'nt read through the page without diversions. A page on "and/a/the etc" coming up when you are reading an article on the dark figures of crime ? Not very useful.

Perhaps linking should be transferred to the right click.

Note: By the time I finished this post, thefreedictionary.com has solved the problem. It now links only on double clicks.

But I will not be denied a post.

Why the world is like it is...

2009-06-24T12:31:00.002+05:30

Ever wondered why the world is the way is the way it is now?

We have the porn industry thriving...then we have the porn recovery organisations which are also doing quite well.I didnt mean to pick on porn but it is just a sample of the scores of addictions...The self help movement making a killing of it,...raking in the millions..

We have people with debilitated self images languishing in misery and later they find their saviour therapist/therapy who leads them to light and success and fulfillment...But what does he do in reality?

He just convinces them of their potential, that their problem is self-created and hence can be resolved by themselves..In effect the therapist/guide only opens their eyes to the reality to which they had blinded themselves...I would like to quote the vedantic simile of the Cow who was imaginarily tied to its shed.

The story is this: a farmer used to take his cow out to graze in the grasslands everyday. In the evening he brought her back to the shed and tied her with a piece of rope. One day the rope was frayed and broke.In the evening the farmer was at a loss.He did not have a spare rope. He hit upon an idea, a very clever one. He led the cow to the shed as usual. Once at the shed, he pretended as if he was tying the cow to her post, passing the imaginary rope around her neck. And the cow lay down as usual, not knowing that she was free and could walk away any time!

If we analyze the story a little more, we can see why the cow could not enjoy freedom. She was not aware of what was going on. She was, like most of us, sleep-walking. Going through life like a machine, conditioned and hypnotized by circumstance. We take circumstances as permanent and all powerful. Once we learn to look steadily and deeply, we can be free, we can be whatever we want to be.

Coming back to our question: Why are people like this? If we are perfect and masters of our destinies, how come we suffer ? We have been conditioned by the society in which we grew up: parents, elders, siblings, teachers, friends and the media. Everyone projects these limitations of what a human can be in their conversation and behaviour. It becomes the norm. Until you begin to look and question the limits.

Again, why are the limitations imposed? Perhaps it is to enjoy the thrill of rediscovering yourSelf.

Solving your problems

2009-05-17T00:08:00.007+05:30

Understanding a problem incorrectly can lead us into all sorts of side tracks, wasting enormous amounts of time, effort and money.

I will narrate an experience that illustrates the various errors that can happen in analysing a problem. A proper analysis can present a simple solution that was right there under your nose all the while.

The incident happened around my mini stereo system. It developed a snag. It had two small speakers and one big speaker. The big speaker was fixed in a cabin. One of the small speakers stopped producing any sound. Well. Not totally silent. It would come on and off, with just some hissing noises in between.

For a long time I thought the speaker was gone, and blamed the company for robbing me. I tried to pry open the speaker, naively hoping that the problem was with some wire connection and that I could set it right myself.(I was no electronics engineer and had no experience with repairing gadgets.) The speaker frame was a molded whole and there was no way to open it. I thought I would have to buy a new one. But would a single speaker be available ? Would the company insist on my buying a new set ?

Then I happened to switch the speaker channels, just to test and found that there was nothing wrong with the speaker. It was only one channel that was not responding. If I connected the speaker to the other channel, it did produce sound. That was a relief. Now I did not have to change the small speaker.

But the channel came out of the Main speaker cabin(It housed the amplifier). Now I had to open the cabin. I resolved to make an attempt, before showing it to an expert. In fact, one of my acquaintances, a cd shop owner, had offered to service it. But I hated to lug the big box across the street to his shop.

Opening the cabin was easy. I used a pocket knife, improvised as a screwdriver. Peering inside, I could see a PCB( Printed Circuit Board) with a lot of small devices on it. Capacitors, transistors, ICs…? what the heck was all that ? I have’nt had to deal with them ever, since college. I strained my eyes to find a piece of wire pulling on which, the sound would come back. Nope. Everything was screwed and soldered properly; there were no loose ends in sight.

I guessed I had no option but to take it to my friend for his expert opinion. He should have. All day he sits around DVD players, TVs and Stereo systems.

Then the break came which was a sort of Aha moment for me.(I seriously believe I might have awakened to “The Zen of speaker tweaking.”)

The speaker had been coming to life off and on while I moved the cable which carried the signals from my computer to the speaker system.There! That meant the channels were being seperated in that cable itself. Otherwise it would not have affected a single channel. It would have affected both channels.

Now I knew that the problem lay in this cable. It was broken at some point along its one and a half metre length. All that I had to do was get a new cable.

Moral : Before attempting to repair audio equipment, do check the various connecting cables. Do it safe. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Bigger moral: Often a problem is not as complicated as it seems to be. Just relax and observe. The solution will show itself.

Are you going to finish strong ?

2009-05-16T10:31:00.003+05:30

It is amazing how much we can accomplish if we focused on what we have, instead of lamenting about misfortunes. This is what I learnt from the man in this stunning video.

Maximize Your Study with Mind-mapping Software

2009-05-02T00:19:00.006+05:30

In today's frenzied world, you don't get much time for study and revision. You need to get the concepts clear fast. That way you can hit upon innovative ideas faster. If you are hard pressed for time and have a lot of concepts and facts to internalise, you need the aid of a study software.

I have tried quite a number of study-aid software that promise to test you using multiple choice questions and mind maps.Recallplus has a simple interface and is moderately easy to use.

Students who can't afford to buy the paid version, can still reap the benefits of the software, with most of the essential features.The paid version has a sophisticated testing mechanism. It does not require you to create questions and answers either., like flash card software. You can test yourself on the mind map itself.

Unfortunately, this is the only additional feature that the paid version offers at the first level. To get more features like auto organizing of mind maps, you need to pay more $. Altogether there are three levels of paid versions.

I would recommend Recallplus4 for anyone who wish to make study pleasurable. Freemind is also an excellent mindmapping software, which is absolutely free. Download it here

A key requirement for effective study is to be really relaxed and have your goal very clear in your mind.

The Plain Miracle

2009-05-01T00:34:00.008+05:30

This is about a fact that all of us forget in the rush of life, what no one appreciates until it's too late: It's a great miracle to be alive and to love each other.

We don't need to go through a tragedy to realise this fact. Let us express our love to our near and dear ones while we still can.

I had to write this post after I chanced upon this site by Andreas Ramos. As I read the letters, I could not stop the tear drops.

Andreas is a well known author. His first hand account of the fall of the Berlin Wall has been published in many books like The Berlin Wall and The Cold War: Chronicles of America's Wars.

Experiences with The Secret

2009-04-28T15:25:00.004+05:30

Here is a gift :

Click on the title of this post and you can read through the real experiences of people who have used The Secret.

The Secret does not say anything new. But it expresses the Law of Attraction and other principles of Abundant Living in a most effective manner, so that it is indelibly printed in our minds.

I had read the Science of Getting Rich(from which Rhonda Byrne gathered the inspiration for The Secret) years ago, but it did not click in my mind. Now
when I watch the Secret, it all appears so easy and possible.

What goes into our ear can influence our actions

2009-02-28T23:01:00.004+05:30

A study by scientists on teenagers has proved that teen kids who habitually hear degrading lyrics are more likely to indulge in under age sex. This is a case for the principle that our behaviour can be influenced by what we habitually hear. If that is true, then this principle also holds good: If we constantly hear about what we desire to be, i.e. a better and transformed image of ourselves, that also will materialise ! In other words, habitually listening to self help cds, self talk cds, hypnosis cds and wholesome songs will grant us the desired result. Which means self talk that we give ourselves will also give concrete results.

Here is the link to the report.

Overcoming the recession and changing it into an upturn

2009-02-16T19:49:00.006+05:30

The recession has been in for quite a while now. It has become a reality to people who have lost their jobs. Let's see if a change of perspective can do any good in overcoming it. If it does on an individual scale, it definitely can help in overcoming on an international level also. It's not possible to wish it away. Yet, it does seem to be man-made for a large part. I remember a real incident narrated by Norman Vincent Peale in one of his books.

It was the Great depression of the 1930s. In a remote American village an old man ran a hotel. His business was good, he had a plentiful clientele, for he was a cheerful person, always happy to serve. His cafe was always bustling with people.It was a meeting point for the villagers to catch up on the latest developments in town.

His son was educated, and worked in an office in one of the big cities.When the recession struck, his firm was one of the first to close. He came home.

Things were not as he had expected to be at the village. He did not see glum faces, he did not hear grim discussions of tumbling markets and closing businesses. On the contrary, everyone was having a good time, and his father's hotel was always full with merry villagers.

This cannot be, he thought. Perhaps they had not heard of the recession, and he felt he should inform them.

So he told his father about it and how it was playing havoc in the country. We had better be careful, it can pounce on us anytime.

The father listened. His son was college educated and must be having better sense. He thought it would be prudent to go by what he said. In time the customers too heard and came to believe the tale of the recession.

Gone were the days of cheer and merry business. Everyone started preparing for the recession. Few people now came to the hotel.

It wore a desolate look. In no time, it closed down.

The recession had finally arrived at the village (!)

Note : Although you may argue this point, a recent incident in the Indian stock market supports this theory. It is about the Reliance group which is owned by the Ambanis, one of the richest families in the world. Before they split, the Reliance stocks were booming. Then Mukesh and Anil parted ways to establish their own empires. Immediately the Reliance stock came tumbling down. It had nothing to do with reality. It was the news that caused the panic, as in the above story.

The Ultimate Technique for Success

2009-02-15T00:24:00.007+05:30

The most effective and reliable personal development tool : Yourself. Your body, your thoughts, your words. Do it by yourself : through Self-talk, Free writing(stream of consciousness writing), Self-suggestions, Exercise, Meditation,....

External aids like books, CDs and seminars are only props or route maps. They require conditions-electric power, visibility, money etc. But when you internalise their content and start DOING it, you are transforming yourself.

I realised this after reading The Secret. It held a mirror to me and showed where the correction was to be done: my thoughts. I have to overhaul my thoughts- be aware of my thoughts, state of mind...And that is a 24 hour job.
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Vipassana for sanity

2008-12-13T17:52:00.005+05:30

Can we see prisoners as lesser beings?

The line that separates them and us is very thin. When people do not maintain awareness of their thoughts and actions, anything can happen.

Thousands of prisoners at India's once-dreaded Tihar jail did the Vipassana course initiated by Ms.Kiran Bedi. Many of them say that had they known Vipassana earlier, they wouldnt have been here now.

Here are photos taken from Vipassana courses conducted at Tihar Jail, New Delhi. The end of the ten-day course witnesses many dramatic scenes.You can see a prisoner crying on the shoulders of a police officer, after doing the Vipassana course.

Image Copyright:
Vipassana Research Institute, Igatpuri, India.

The value of everything

2008-09-02T22:55:00.002+05:30

I had a friend during my college days who was a voracious reader. He used to read heavy books. I remember him buying Churchill's complete speeches at a book fair. I was incredulous: How would he read them ? Makarand was blind.

At that time we (his classmates) took turns reading the books to him. Later he was gifted a software which helped him read alone. He could scan the text and feed it into his computer. The software read out the entire book to him.

When I heard of how much struggle he went through just to read a book, I was struck with a sense of shock at how people gifted with fully functioning organs spend their days. They have fully functioning eyes, ears, tongue, hands, legs and brain.

Have we ever stopped to realise the value of the gifts given us? And how we are using them ?

The two-rupee miracle that kicked my smoking forever

2008-08-29T00:11:00.005+05:30

NOTE: This is an inspirational true story. It happened during the author(Ashis Kumar Gupta) visit to a temple in India. Well, it was not the diety in the temple who did it, but who knows ? Who has seen a diety to recognise one? Read on...

SOME years ago, on the last leg of the Rajasthan tour, we were headed towards Pushkar.Pushkar is famous for its Brahma temple. Pushkar is the only city in India(and the world) with a Brahma temple.

As we neared the desolate area, sandy landscape made way for people dressed in a riot of colours.Typical of rajasthani villagers.

We reached the Brahma temple, where a serpentine queue awaited the darshan. While some from our group of friends went looking for a ‘quick’ way to get entry, others tried to use the opportunity for a cup of tea, a cigarette or paan(something like chewing tobacco). Like other temple cities, we were chased by beggars for alms on every street.

As my friend and I lit a cigarette standing at a nearby paan shop, a grey-haired, spectacled and wrinkled old beggar woman approached us, leaning on a long stick. She wanted one rupee to help her buy lunch. We looked at her in distaste and refused to oblige. At that moment, a friend called to ask us to hurry up for darshan. We crushed the cigarette with our shoes, I took my son in my arms and asking my wife to follow, left for the temple gates.

Behind me,I could overhear the woman say that, “these young men will burn more than a rupee for their bad habit, but will never give a rupee to a hungry person.” I left the place nonchalantly. However, during the darshan, her remarks resounded in my ears. I began wondering if there was some truth to what she had said.

On our return, I found the old woman standing near a shop. I beckoned to her and she came promptly. I asked her who would give her lunch for a rupee. She replied, “At an alms house. It's virtually free, but they have stipulated this token amount for each meal. We have to deposit the amount before lunch.” I gave my son two rupees to give it to her. Before accepting the money, she promptly took my son's hand in her own and embraced him in her emaciated arms with love and affection, ran her fingers through his hair and prayed to the Almighty for his well being and prosperity. Tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks.

I had never witnessed such heartfelt blessings and could never have believed that two rupees(about 5 US cents) could reflect such unbounded joy in a person's eyes.

About an hour later, as we were returning to the hotel after lunch, we found the old woman having her lunch sitting on a stone under the shade of a tree. A little girl in a dirty, torn dress sat beside her, who also she was feeding. I went up to her and asked, “Amma(Mother), who is that girl?”. She replied, “Sir, this poor girl is new in the city and yet to learn how to beg a rupee from the tourists. She couldn't manage a rupee today. So, I have brought lunch for her out of the money you gave for dinner. Don’t worry, God will arrange for my dinner.”

I was astonished at her generosity and could not utter a single word. It was a true lesson. The woman who was not sure whether she would be able to arrange a rupee for her dinner did not hesitate to feed a hungry girl. Her remarks were correct and the proof of how the cost of two cigarettes could feed two hungry people was before me.

For the last time, I tossed the half-burnt cigarette and crushed it under my shoes. I got the strength to quit the habit at that moment. No ‘statutory warning’ on the cigarette packet could teach me the lesson that the beggar woman did that day.

- Ashis Kumar Gupta-

Thanks to Sushanta for forwarding this article.

Affirmation music to the rescue !

2008-08-21T00:41:00.005+05:30

The idea has been there for quite a while.It was that no one had taken the initiative to make it real. Not just initiative, there had to be a combination of talents: musical, composing, internet technology and team play. Plus, a good intention. An intention to really benefit people.

Ken Laderoute just happened to be the person who could do all of these things together. He and his team of musicians(his wife, a talented singer included), have brought out what could well be the first affirmation music cd ever.

I happened to listen to a sample of his music while searching for affirmation music online.I felt that repeating affirmations could become a mechanical chore, losing its effectiveness, while music can gently ease them into your mind. Soon your mind will be humming the affirmations by itself, surprising even you !And this is exactly what Ken Laderoute's music does.

I have by now made it a habit whenever I am working on my computer or elsewhere to switch on Ken's affirmations music. And I am able to focus easily.All tension melts away.

You can check out the sample on Ken's web site here, at Affirmation Power.

And don't forget to read this fine blog as well.

Prayer protected them from the Tsunami..

2008-08-19T00:11:00.000+05:30

Friends, here is a link to a blog that relates the amazing power of prayer-it even protected this blogger's family during the 2004 tsunami that struck South India.Read on..

Values or self interest ?

2008-07-17T12:19:00.003+05:30

I had been reading a few books on office politics. They tell of how you should tout your own horn; how to capitalise on your colleagues' and your boss's weakness etc to get to the top.

Afterwards, a friend mailed me this story about Prof.Satish.D.Dhawan- India's pioneering space scientist.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/articlepdf/4276.pdf?CFID=61372437&CFTOKEN=68791519&jsessionid=9a30a987c67d823a3485

The story is given in brief here :

'A Leader Should Know How to Manage Failure'

(Former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam at Wharton India Economic forum , Philadelphia , March 22,2008)

Question: Could you give an example, from your own experience, of how leaders should manage failure?

Kalam: Let me tell you about my experience. In 1973 I became the project director of India 's satellite launch vehicle program, commonly called the SLV-3. Our goal was to put India 's "Rohini" satellite into orbit by 1980. I was given funds and human resources -- but was told clearly that by 1980 we had to launch the satellite into space. Thousands of people worked together in scientific and technical teams towards that goal.

By 1979 -- I think the month was August -- we thought we were ready. As the project director, I went to the control center for the launch. At four minutes before the satellite launch, the computer began to go through the checklist of items that needed to be checked. One minute later, the computer program put the launch on hold; the display showed that some control components were not in order. My experts -- I had four or five of them with me -- told me not to worry; they had done their calculations and there was enough reserve fuel. So I bypassed the computer, switched to manual mode, and launched the rocket. In the first stage, everything worked fine. In the second stage, a problem developed. Instead of the satellite going into orbit, the whole rocket system plunged into the Bay of Bengal . It was a big failure.

That day, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, Prof. Satish D hawan, had called a press conference. The launch was at 7:00 am, and the press conference -- where journalists from around the world were present -- was at 7:45 am at ISRO's satellite launch range in Sriharikota [in Andhra Pradesh in southern India ]. Prof. Dhawan, the leader of the organization, conducted the press conference himself. He took responsibility for the failure -- he said that the team had worked very hard, but that it needed more technological support. He assured the media that in another year, the team would definitely succeed. Now, I was the project director, and it was my failure, but instead, he took responsibility for the failure as chairman of the organization.

The next year, in July 1980, we tried again to launch the satellite -- and this time we succeeded. The whole nation was jubilant. Again, there was a press conference. Prof. Dhawan called me aside and told me, "You conduct the press conference today."
I learned a very important lesson that day. When failure occurred, the leader of the organization owned that failure. When success came, he gave it to his team. The best management lesson I have learned did not come to me from reading a book; it came from that experience.

Catch that ball !

2008-07-17T12:15:00.002+05:30

Each moment, life throws us a ball that we can choose to do with whatever we wish: shoot it out of the court, ignore it, or basket it.

It is like being handed a blank cheque every second: you can write out an amount, botch the cheque or tear it up or throw it away- it is up to you.In other words - you create your future each second.

What he took away.....he can't give back..

2008-05-15T10:33:00.001+05:30

This was forwarded by a friend, and it narrates a true incident:

I was walking around in a Target store, when I saw a Cashier hand this little boy some money back.

The 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 the old woman next to him: ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?''

The old lady replied: ''You know that you don't have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.''

Then she asked him to stay there for just 5 minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly.

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 fo r Christmas.

She was sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her.'

I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus would bring it to her after all, and not to worry.

But he replied to me sadly. 'No, Santa Claus can't bring it to her where she is now. 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 said: '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 himself. He was laughing. He then told me 'I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me.'

'I love my mommy and I wish she didn'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 without 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.'

A few minutes later, the old lady retu rned and I left with my basket.

I finished my shopping in a totally different state of mind 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 news paper 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 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.

The value of a man or woman resides in what he or she gives, not in what they are capable of receiving.

Sticking to a personal development program

2008-05-13T17:02:00.001+05:30

While working on our personal transformation, we need to be infinitely patient. As the saying goes, “Be patient with all things, but most of all with you”. Our attitude has to be : I will not hate myself even if I fail a million times or more. I am still lovable and acceptable. I accept myself still, even with all my defects. I am a magnificent being.

We need to repeat this self talk to ourselves as much as we can. For we do not work at improving ourselves because we do not feel good about ourselves. And why ? Because we are not saying the right things to ourselves.

When you make repeated attempts, along with self encouraging and supportive self talk like this, you can notice gradual improvement in your performance, in whatever field that you have chosen.

Writing affirmations is another effective tool, that helps us to keep on track towards our goals.

Befriending your feelings

2008-04-29T01:53:00.003+05:30

We live in an era of repressed feelings. We are taught that our feelings are not ok, from child hood, so we are afraid of expressing our feelings freely. The child expresses itself without fear, without reservation; that is why it is attractive.

The first step in asserting your right to be an individual is to be comfortable with your feelings. We need to recognize and accept that it is ok to be angry, that we have a right to be angry. In fact, we need to honor our emotions. I do not remember where I read that, but that is a very important point.

When we learn to accept our feelings as normal, we come to accept our worth as individuals, as unique beings. Unique does not become just another word. We recognize our uniqueness as the uniqueness of a diamond.

When you feel intensely negative feelings building up inside, do not try to stifle them; instead, keep asking yourself: Why do I feel this way? Again and again. It will be useful to write down the question many times. The subconscious may reveal the answer at an appropriate time. But, as you keep questioning yourself without being critical or angry with yourself, you will feel the pressure of the negativity gradually melt away.

This is not a panacea, not a one-time-solution. You have to work at it day after day, may be a minute at a time, or as much as you are comfortable with. It can bring out latent talents you never thought you had, it can transform you into a more peaceful person. When we are comfortable with ourselves, we can be comfortable with others.

Qi Gong Master Projects Chi Energy

2008-04-28T01:29:00.000+05:30

The Gift of Relaxation: Free music

2008-04-13T12:16:00.003+05:30

Here's a piece of excellent music by David M.Pierce. It is a rare treat of relaxation music, the instructions are given in a pleasantly soothing voice that gently lulls you into a state of profound care free state. It is ideal for a pre hypno or pre meditation session, or just to sit back and relax ! Relaxation is a precious free gift that you give yourself, as David says. Good Work,David !

You can visit his site at http://www.dpierce.com/trance/hypnomp3.html.

To listen :The audio will start playing as soon as this page is loaded. Click the Pause button. Wait for a few minutes. Then click the Play button.This will allow you to listen without interruption as the music downloads.Enjoy !

Telling Ads

2008-04-10T10:32:00.003+05:30

Great Awareness Ads

2008-04-08T15:43:00.001+05:30

Pornstars are also human

2008-04-04T01:58:00.002+05:30

Ex Porn Star Shelley Lubben On The 700 Club TV Show. - The funniest videos clips are here

Being human/Infatuation

2008-03-25T18:57:00.001+05:30

She turns to cast another glance as she leaves
wisps of her fragrance linger in her wake
a light touch, a smile
an eye lock - hard to withdraw from
Is this the maya you foretold
the ancient drama repeats again and again
Beings keep falling for it
Is it kundalini the primal energy
that seeks to unite through opposite poles

On the Slow dance

2008-03-05T16:14:00.001+05:30

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round
Or listened to the rain
lapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?"
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done,
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow
And in your haste, not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
'Cause you never had time
To call and say "Hi"?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away...
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

David L. Weatherford

This is an afterthought on the poem given above, ”the Slow dance” by David L. Weatherford.
Along with many other things that resemble or follow their own rhythm or nature’s rhythm, are the wisps of smoke wafting up from an incense stick, flowing water in a stream, the gliding eagles, the floating clouds, the willowy palm fronds and the blades of grass that sway with the wind, the frolicking calf, playing children, the breeze that sighs in the woods and caresses us, the rising sun and stars- all these have no set rhythm or pattern to adhere to- hence they are delightful and liberating to watch.
Do they have a goal ? Does'nt seem like they have-yet they convey immense joy to persons who behold them;some of them are also the sources of life to living organisms. What beauty! What are our million and billions worth before these specters?

Best skill in life to have-1

2008-02-21T18:56:00.003+05:30

The ability to detach and attach at will is one of the best skills to possess.
Imagine you are in a distant city and you have missed the flight back home. You have an important interview scheduled the next day morning in your home town. What would you do? Or rather, could do ?

Most of us would spend the rest of the day fretting and fuming about the impending loss.But suppose we are able to forget about the issue for some time.Like, say you ask a travel agent to book the next available flight. He says, he is not sure, but will try and get back to you.

Now you have a few hours to spend before you get his response.If you are able to switch off the issue from your mind, and focus on something else, you have a rare ability that will benefit you at times of trial.

To spend this time, you went to a restaurant and ordered a hot drink. As you sip it, forget everything else and focus on the drink.Inhaling the aroma, savoring the taste(or distaste)...will lift your mind out of its frantic frets...you will experience a rare form of peace in your heart.

An excellent zen story that illustrates this art of being in the present is that of the monk who lifted the woman across the stream.

Give Yourself Non-critical, Non-judgmental Listening

2008-02-19T09:55:00.006+05:30

The title could well be Why do you get angry ? As yet, we do not know really the answer to that, but we can do something about it.

Each of your movements, the varying speed of your breaths, the tension in each part of your body, has significance. It requires you to be aware to realize their presence. For example, we need to be aware of the batting of our eyelids. It is not a grabbing of the events in our mind and body, to be aware of them. It is just letting the attention drift over them. Many events occur in our body-mind complex every second. We possibly cannot be aware of them all, in our present state. But our attention will flit from one of them o the other. Be aware of where your attention is at the moment. It can only be on one thing in a given instance.

If you study body language, you will have some idea of the emotions associated with each part of the body.

Coming back to non-critical listening and its healing power, recall the time when you were with a person who really was non-critical, non-judgmental. It might have been a doctor, and elder, a teacher or a friend. Remember how relaxing and reassuring was their listening. You felt totally accepted.

You can give that listening to yourself. You need to realize the importance of the events in you. Each movement, each breath, each emotion, each tension, each thought…Do not be alarmed if negative emotions surface. Just make a mental note of their presence. A Zen master said: Your feelings, your breath, your movements…are your treasures. You need to be aware of them.
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