God - The Key Player

'It is well said, "Himmat-e marda, madad-e khuda"- God helps those who help themselves. Some of the few real life inspiring stories and incidents explain the nectar of life to us. Those who have never lose their heart and face each and every adversity with holding the bull from its horns attitude, are the examples of motivation and courage. Lets empathize their life and after-success. May be some of us facing something like this or went through such phases of our respective life.

• Daniel Craig was once a homeless actor chasing an impossible dream while sleeping on a bench in public park.

 

• Elvis Presley was fired after just one performance telling him, “You ain’t going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to driving a truck.”

 

• Akio Morita- Sony brand's first product was a rice cooker- a super flop, selling less than 100 units.

 

• Soichiro Honda was turned down in interview by Toyota Motor Corporation for an engineer job , leaving him jobless, broken and empty pocket till he started making scooters of his own at home

 

• Colonel Sanders/ KFC started at 65 years old with his fried chicken recipe and drove/ knocking on doors, sleeping in his car, wearing his white suit and was rejected 1009 times by chefs/co.s

 

• Albert Einstein didn’t speak till four yrs and read till seven yrs and he was thought to be mentally handicapped.

 

• Steven Spielberg was denied two times to the prestigious University of Southern California film school and then he was awarded with an honorary degree from the film school that rejected him twice.

 

• John Gresham was rejected 28 times for his first book 'A Time to Kill' which sold over 250 million total copies.

 

• Walt Disney was fired by a news editor and rejected 302 times cause he lacked imagination.

 

• Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job and was told that she was not fit for TV earlier in her life.

 

• Halle Berry stayed in a homeless shelter during her struggling time.

 

• Ignacy J. Paderewski- The great pianist later become PM/Poland performed free of cost for paying fee of two students and one of them was Herbert Hoover- (US President) was respectfully paid-back with food grains etc. during the famine period in Poland.

 

• Jim Carrey -a high school drop-out, lived in a bus with his family parked in different places, eventually moved into a tent at his older sister's lawn and those tough financial times got developed his sense of humor.

 

• Jewel-the platinum singer lived on the streets as homeless for about a month after losing her job cos she refused an indecent offer made by her boss. She had kidney sickness but didn’t have insurance and ended up almost dying in the parking lot of an emergency room because she could not be admitted because of no-insurance.

 

• Chris Gardner - The author of autobiography "The Pursuit of Happiness" and "Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be." had a childhood with poverty, domestic violence, alcoholism, sexual abuse and family illiteracy inspired a real life based Hollywood's movie "The Pursuit of Happiness" starring Will Smith.

 

• Harry Houdini knew he wanted to be a magician and when 12 yrs old, ran away from home by hopping a freight car and begged for money in the NYC streets.

 

• Louis Pasteur was mediocre student with ranked 15 out of 22 in Chemistry.

• "Gone with the Wind" -Margaret Mitchell was turned down by more than twenty-five publishers.

 

• "Star Wars" was rejected by every movie studio in Hollywood before 20th-Century Fox finally produced it.

 

• Leonardo Del Vecchio- Ray-Ban and Oakley maker, was an orphaned went to work in a factory making molds for auto parts and eyeglass frames lost part of his finger for earning money to support his life.

 

• J.K. Rowling was divorced and living on welfare with a dependent child when she wrote Ist book about Harry Potter.

  

Life is full of positive surprises!!.... 

The Stone - I know you are not my destination but destiny.

"So you have come….

It is good to see you and especially when the waiting for you have ended today, I feel that the one of the purpose of my life has achieved. You know, Arun this unending waiting is an acid-test as some of times I had a thought to stop waiting for you, feeling that you would never come or you had never existed in this world but I had always kept my faith over the words spoken to me by my creator that one day he (You) would come and take me to the place where I have belonged and that makes me believe in my destiny. This long waiting for you has tested me in different ways and some of them are difficult and unforgettable. The weather was severe with lashes of storms. There were pressures of crushing and fear of losing the directions. There were times when I was covered and buried under snow, leaves, sand and soil. Sometimes the running water made slippery and kept me drowning. I was fearful but somehow hopeful. The lessons learnt during this wait are my asset and I can tell that this is worth. Thank you Arun for reaching and pick me for helping me in onward journey where I will meet with my creator and merge in him to complete my journey. I know you are not my destination but destiny." 

   

"So there you are..

I was looking for you throughout the journey and knew that when I find you, we would recognize each other from our first sight. This journey was not easy but search for you, has made my traveling interesting and worthwhile. During this journey there were times when I was over lured, angered, happy or frustrated. That had diverted my attention from finding or looking you. It was fearful too. We both are connected with each other and without finding each other, our journey could not be concluded and goal achieving. There were the times when I took wrong turns and that could lead me to another direction and that means our meeting might not be happening and then again it would be another long wait for us to meet. There were chances when I walked fast and might reach to you early, when you could be covered under snow, soil or water and we would have missed each other. Now I feel that we have met when it was destined. Now I feel that despite all those short comings and mistakes that we did before meeting would be thing of past. Now I will try to be a better one and worthy so that any of my wrong doings shall not obstruct you in reaching your creator. I will also try to be a better human-being so that you would not feel ashamed because of my deed. I would try to helpful as now I know that being helpful is a sign of God and faith in him. I know that carrying you onward for your journey is one of my purposes in life. You have taught me that waiting and surrender is unconditional love for my creator. We would not forget each other as we have become the best buddies, sharing a common destiny. Thanking you for choosing me as a friend as it is helping me knowing and realizing my importance in this world. I know you are not my destination but destiny. " 

{The excerpts are taken from an interaction between the friends who meet on the tracking path between Sonamarg and Zero Point in Kashmir}

The 80's in Blood

The 80's in blood

January 10, 2013 at 7:58pm (loaded on 05/10/2013)

Yes!! I am from 80's n I enjoyed what 70's or 90's and onwards missed. My life has started with all flavors of life. 

Here I share what I had enjoyed the most in the era of 80's:

FOOD: 

I remembered eating CHAPATI, PARANTHA, RICE on regular basis and on festival days the PURIS were the treat. There were Bhaturas, Barfi, Gulab Jamun, Rasgulle, Besan ke Laddoo on menu with Samosa, Kachchoris, Bread Pakoras. Then Dosa, Vada and Idli knocked at these shops but PIZZA, CHOWMEIN, PASTA, were not heard yet although the BURGERS were quite popular as interval snack in cinemas and then they arrived too with Chocolate Shakes and Nutty Buddy ice-creme.

DRESS & SHOES: 

The nylon shorts with elastic, pents with shirt, kurta pajamas, kids used to wear SAFARI and COAT-SUITS in marriages. Jeans were not seen except in movies. Caps were seen wearing. canvas shoes and broad leather shoes were outfits with dog collars and long elvis style hair cut, broad frames goggles. fomanchu type mustaches with long flairs bell-bottoms and skin tight jacket type zipper shirt with long chest hairs seen. Suddenly it changed, the pents were replaced with jeans so tight at bottom that the zip is fitted to allow the wearing. long sports Nike shoes were in fashion. no one wears leather shoes. the shoes brand become the style statement. colorful socks in thick material is seen everywhere. the way-farer were back in demand. Baggy pents, Baggy shirts/t-shirts are the voices.

GAMES & SPORTS:

Ludo, Business- Monopoly, Cards, Marbles, Gilli Danda, Unch-Neech, Langri Tang, Wish, Chain, Ghodi, I-spy, Kababddi, Kho-kho, Carrom, Street cork-ball cricket, Mara-pitti, Pithoo, Samandar, Kite-flying, Pari, Latoo,  Yes or no, Gallery, Badminton, Pakram-pakrai, Raj-sinhasan, were the games n suddenly they were replaced with video games parlour, tv watching, stadium visits, gyms, n then with attari, computer, PS-3, and then with online PC games etc.

ENTERTAINMENT:

A weekly TV film on Sunday, a 30 min. songs medley (CHITRAHAR) on Wednesday, a TV play on Monday, a Regional film on Saturday and one hr TV variety show on Sunday morning. Once a visit to cinema hall for movie watching. Sometimes the Govt. used to show movies on a make shift open thetere on street by pulling a screen over the Jeep. Schools have programmes to entertain us. Watching marriage procession and dancing Baratis (Guests) on band's tune is real fun. The HAWA MAHAL, FAUZI BHAYIO KE LIYE, SANGAM, ANURODH GEET, BINACA GEET MALA, were the Radio's fav. and 2 in 1- Tape with Radio was luxury. Murphy, Philips, Bush were the brands and Cassette were costly.  B&W was the era. Getting photo clicked was a special occassion at studio. Familes reached in special dress and 2/3 shots were taken to finalise the pic. It took 10/15 days for seeing the result. The B/W or artificial colored photo was to be delivered in Photo Frame. Then Minolta shots, Kodak smiles, Video in marriages. The fun watching of photos has become the punishment of today. News paper and Radio NEWS were exclusive measures and some have luxury to watch Ms. Sultana on Door Darshan while narrating the news. She never smiled back till closing the last sentence. Door Darshan tune was very depressing but soothing as it gave relief of starting the TV telecast. Sometime the TV aerial needed to be rotated n rotated. Then color tv started. many channels, vcr, cd's, laser disks, page 3 news,etc. Many channels and still nothing entertains us then MP3, Card, UBS drives are reached to us.

TRANSPORT:

I remembered traveling in Horse-cart called tonga, a Tuk-tuk ( Harley engine fitted cart) Bullock cart ride by hanging behind them as when they came to deliver the wheat, pulses to local shops. DTC buses with fare of 15 /20 paisa, Mini buses, Matador-van type,TSR, Black n Yellow Ambassdor and Fiat taxi, Premier Padmini car,  Rajdoot M/Cycle, Yezdi , Bullet, Bobby M/C, Vespa scooter, Lambretta and the most common was cycle and 11 no. bus i.e. travelling by feet and then Maruti, 100 cc bikes and now Metro, Harley, Sport bikes, Yanky Scooties, SUV, Sedan, F1 circuit and lot more to watch  

GADGETS: 

Transistor/ Radio with tubes and AM stations, B&W TV sets, Big Wall clocks with pendulum,  old hand wind wrist watches, Nib pens, books, weekly and monthly magazines, pulp fiction novel on rent, and old tape recorder/ record player and then we saw the arrival of new compact radios, Color TV sets imported from Singapore/ Hongkong, Walkman, VCR and VCP, small TV sets, 2 in 1 (Tape cum Radio) big speaker with separate amplifier, Turn table, and then Laser disks, audio cd, big screen TV sets Plasma, LCD, and then MP3, Ipod, memory storage, USB drives, blue tooth devices. 

Contd.......

My Feeling - Meri Bhavna

     My Feeling

Hey Shiva, 

I wish to become a saint....

but I shall be saint not only from appearance 

but from my soul too...

I shall understand the evil from the deed 

not choosing it the person on account of 

my friend or otherwise....

I shall not think myself as you 

but I shall see you in everything....

I shall not speak ill but 

what I speak must be taught by you..

I shall not be a flatter but

 a devotee to you....

I shall understand you through every child, weaken, aggrieved 

and tortured and whenever they look at you,

they shall not feel themselves deprived of your love.....

I shall always be in your company 

and support even when I am in difficult phase....

My silence shall be my strength 

nor my weakness.....

I shall never be retreat from my words

 and always pray to you...

I am not wise to understand you 

but it shall be your wish....

I shall not go and search you and 

no one comes w/o knowing your address....

The fiction  become the reality....

and the facts shall become the consciousness....

Hey Shiva, 

I wish to become a saint....

but I shall be saint not only from appearance but from my soul too-

 Meri Bhavna

Hey Shiva, 

Mujhe bhi sadhu bana de....

lekin main chole ke sath-2 atama se bhi sadhu hu...

 Main burai ko bura samjhu aur meri ankhe burai ko dekhte samay apne -paraye me bhed bhav na kare

Main apne ko teri awaz na samjhu

aur meri awaz bas tu ho..

 Main kuchch na bolu par tu mujh se

 wo bulwaye jo sabko bhata ho..

  Main khushmadi na hu par 

teri khushmad karu..

 Main har bachche , kamjor, bebbas aur sataye hue me 

tujhe dekhu aur wo bhi teri taraf

 jab dekhe to akela na mehsoos kare..

 Mujhe tera sath hamesh bana rahe

 aur mushkil halato me bhi tera hi sahara ho..

 Meri khamoshi mera hathyar ho

 na ki meri kamjori...

 Main apni baat se na phiru

 aur tera hi gungan gau. 

 Meri bisat nahi ki tujhe samjhu

 par ye teri chah ho ki aisa ho..

 Main tujhe dhoondene kahi na jau aur koi mujh se tera pata na puche 

 Jo baat sabko samajh aaye wo geet ban jaye 

   aur jo baat na samjhe wo sangeet...

Hey Shiva, 

 Mujhe bhi sadhu bana de....

lekin main chole ke sath-2 atama se bhi sadhu ban hu...

LiFE SKILLS: SUCCESSFUL and HAPPY.. How?

This post is related with LIFE SKILLS posts :  The Mantra of Good Life and The Mantra of Success ......


Dear friend in continuation of my previous posts  The Mantra of Good Life and The Mantra of Success ,on demand of my readers, I am sharing another post for the progress of soul and happiness in life. The life is totally unpredictable and sometimes it gives what is not asked. A good career but no family to share the fruits, A supporting family but loss in business or losing of job, a beautiful wife but no home. we shall always remember that life do not give everything to us. Whatever we get, we pay price for it. There is no free lunch for any of us. Then how could one knows that whatever is paid and received is always a good bargain. Dear friends we must remember that any food may seem to be tasty when add with a pinch of salt, not with heavy dose of it. Anything which we give shall be like a pinch and same rule applies to success. Any one who is successful  may not be happy or vice-versa. The both are two ends of a river which go simultaneously but never meet with each other but life although runs like a river but still can manage to have both end up to some extent but need for identifying the level is an important task. Ok friends let's have few points which may help in balancing the rational approach in life.

•  Always have three types of friends: They are like an institute who walk and move.

 a. Some young energetic friends- They will help you to improve your reflexes and improve your decision making. They will further help in improving your tastes and keep you update about what's happening around. They would respect you and treat you as an asset-friend.

b. Same age group friends- They have grown up with you so they know you well. They have seen you doing cheating as well as know your abilities in keeping yourself away from vices. they believe you and check you as and when they want. None of them is role model and nor you so live natural and enjoy everything.

c. Matured and successful friends- They will help you developing your skills of handling persons and providing advices. You can study them as a subject and learn a lot from them. Their positives and weak points, their temperament, their attitude and their behavior, all shall be kept under scanner of your mind.    

•  Think and plan in morning, Act in noon, Cherish and relish what life has given you in the evening.

• Be unique in life, Be regular in office, Be lazy in bed.

• Never be angry when you are awaken in the middle of night, you are important part of a decision making and got a say.

• It is better to quite then to speak irrelevant.

• Be quick but careful, you are on apex. As you can see a lot, a lot can see you too.                       

• Let your work speaks itself. You just project it well.

• Admit mistakes before pointing out by one or all.

• Be attentive and a good listener in meetings, The hearer do not participate rather obstructs.

• Body language has its language and understands by one and all.

• Have fun in parties, have work in office.Do not indulge in vice-versa at same places.

• No important person remains alone in party, found your taste before noticed by any one.

• Fulfill your dream, it includes your emotional dreams as well as professional targets.

• Sometime crying in full public view is not at all bad.

• Update your daily list of to do in afternoon so that some of tasks can be preponed.

• It is good to follow a hobby but not the addiction.

• Success touches every one but not always.

• Never have a deal with life for success, what we get is sometimes better than what we hope.

• When you are a Manager- work like a Dy. Manager, Order like a Sr. Manager and decide like a normal human being.

• Be kind, Be forgiving, Be sympathetic,  above all Be good listener,  when you would be retired, you would be happily remembered for these qualities.

• Laugh on your foolishness, learn from your mistakes, tell your story with mentioning your failures, you will be counted as successful.

• Humor is good positive drink. Have it whenever get it.

• Never argues with your life, it always give, sometimes a corn and sometimes a water melon.

• Every guest, visitor/customer comes with teaching a new lesson.

Above all a Guru in life never always come with long hairs, white beard, covered/ bald head or crowd of followers, he may glow in you life wearing a Tee's with cargo pents and introduce you directly to God in jeans. 

Have a Happy and Successful life.

Raksha Bandhan- A festival of Sisters and Brothers

Dear friends, All festivals have a symbolic meaning of togetherness and strong ties among the friends, family and society. They are the reflection of love, brotherhood and unity. Today a festival in India is celebrated with joy and happiness. Raksha Bandhan- ( The thread of Protection) is the festival of all brothers and sisters.  It is celebrated on full moon night in 'Shravan' month.This day is dedicated to the relation between brother and sister. It is refreshing memories of their sibling time spent together in affection, fraternity w/o any ego and falsehood. On this day, the sister ties a thread on the wrist of their brothers. She gifts him and brother also gives her return gift. They promise to protect and support their sisters whenever there will be any emergency. The sister also prays for long life of her brother. It is a friendly knot which unites two individual at one place. It is a relationship which always accepts the past and take care of future while living the present moment in happy note. the relationship between brother-sister helps in self-growth. It elaborates the relationship in rainbow colors.  There are many stories which explain the importance of this day. Some of the stories I am sharing with you:

The story of KRISHNA and DRAUPADI :

Shishupal- a cousin of Krishna had an ill-will and jealousy for Krishna. in addition to that, Krishna also got married with Rukmani and Shishupal was interested in marrying her. Krishna was always welcomed by abuses by him wherever they met. Shishupal's mother had knowledge about her son's death with the hand of Krishna therefore she took a promise from Krishna that he would forgive him for 100 times in a day. When King Yudhistera did the 'Raj-Surya' yaghya , invited all other kings for joining  and choose Krishna as the first man for paying his respect. Shishupal got annoyed and started abusing Krishna. All the gathered people tried to pacify him but in vain. Krishna kept control himself till he gave 100 abuses to him but he continued despite warnings of Krishna. Krishna attacked with his chakra for eliminating him. After cutting his throat when chakra came back to the little finger of Krishna, it hurt him and bleeding started from there. Queen Draupadi, who was witnessing it, immediately went to him and tore a bandage from her worn saree and tied over the wound to stop the bleeding. Sri Krishna took as the affection of a sister to her brother and declared it as Rakhi. He further promised that whenever she would need him, he would come to rescue her that is why when Dushashana pulled her saree to humiliate her in the court. She called Krishna for help and Krishna helped her by his divine power and protected her dignity.

The story of KING BALI and LAKSHMI:

King Bali- a demon king was the follower of Vishnu. As Vishnu had promised to safe guard his reign therefore he left his home i.e. Vaikuntha and his wife Lakshmi and started living in the state of King Bali. The goddess Lakshmi got sad by that and changed her appearance and went to King Bali for accepting her as a sister. King Bali agreed to do so and when Lakshmi tied the rakhi to him. He asked her what she wanted and needed most. Lakshmi asked for her husband-Vishnu to return to Vaikunth if he permitted.  King Bali allowed Vishnu to go back and lived with Lakshmi. The symbol of yellow thread which she tied to Bali is still a custom on this day.

The story of King ALEXANDER and Great PURU- King :

King Alexander's wife Roxana when reached India and heard about King Puru and strength of his army felt that King Alexander might die with the hands of King Puru. She changed her appearance and went to King Puru and requested to tie rakhi to him. Puru accepted her as sister, got tied rakhi and promised not to kill King Alexander in the battlefield. He did not kill him despite losing the battle and kept his word. This had made King Alexander to changed his mind and he shed his wish for victory over the world and went back to his country.

The story of QUEEN KARMAVATI and KING HUMAYUN:

When Queen Karmavati of Chittor was attacked by another ruler Bahudur Shah, She send a rakhi to King Humayun who returned from Bengal for defending her but as he reached late, in between Queen did the 'JOHAR' ( Self immolation to save her honor). King Humayun fought a battle with him and restored the kingdom to her son Vikramjit and kept the honor of relation. 

There are other famous stories too about this festival.

The importance of this band can be recognized as even Lord Indra got a rakhi tied by her wife-Shachi as band of protection before proceeding for war with demons.

This festival is a celebration of bindings among relations, establishing new relations, promises to take care, affection among siblings, unity and harmony among people, freedom of mind, thoughts, emotions and feelings. It spreads the message that even a spoken relation if forge is above any blood relation or family tie. It can bring change in the lives of people as well spread the message of permanent  unconditional love and bond-ship. 

Happy Raksha Bandhan to all brothers and sisters. May God protect and bring them good luck and prosperity.