transformation

I do not ask to walk smooth paths nor bear an easy load.
I pray for strength and fortitude to climb the rock strewn road.

Give me such courage and I can scale the hardest peaks alone;
And then I shall learn to transform every stumbling block into a stepping stone.

You Are The Hero Of Your Life.

You Are The Hero Of Your Life. Each of us plays the starring role in the drama that is our life. We co-create the script along with our Higher Power. Sometimes we forget our lines, and so we improvise as best we can. We are heroes, each of us, as we move through the events of the day, refining our character and using our gifts to shape the action of every scene. We can each be a hero in the drama of recovery. To the casual observer, what we do and say may not appear to be at all heroic. But we - as insiders who are only too well acquainted with our individual limitations - can appreciate and applaud a difficult decision or action. When we accept our role in life, when we pledge to use our energies to do the best we can, and when we rely on our Higher Power for guidance and support, we will be well on our way toward recovering. I can be a hero today, even if it doesn't show. Courtesy: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Spiritually_Speaking Aseem Kaistha It's your attitude and not your aptitude that determines your altitude.

Notorious war criminals

From: j harihar

Date: 8/16/2008 11:12:55 AM

To: Aseem Kaistha; Aseem Kaistha Men are born to Win not Lose

Now that former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic is stewing in The Hague, what other notorious war criminals are still on the loose?

Omar Hassan al-Bashir
President of Sudan

Crime and status: Indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for three counts of genocide, five of crimes against humanity, and two of murder. His indictment is currently pending in the U.N. Security Council.

Bounty: none

Why the world is after him: The ICC's latest centerfold is the first sitting president ever to be accused of genocide by the court. Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup, is considered a chief culprit in the more than 35,000 confirmed deaths (and reportedly 300,000 others) that resulted from a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" in Darfur by government troops and the notorious Arab Janjaweed militia. Many also blame Bashir for the ongoing suffering of the 2.5 million conflict-displaced Sudanese citizens who have been subject to militia and government-sponsored rape and torture in refugee camps. Bashir is having none of it. He claims the indictment is part of a "historic plot" to break Sudan up into smaller states, refuses to recognize the court, and denies any wrongdoing.

Joseph Kony
Leader of Uganda's rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)

Crime and status: Indicted by ICC judges in July 2005 for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Kony has reportedly been hiding out near the border of southern Sudan and the Congo for the last several years

Bounty: none

Why the world is after him: One of the world's most infamous poster boys for combat crimes, Kony has led the LRA against the Ugandan government for the past 20 years, employing young boys as warriors to wage his "spiritually based" campaign of violence that infamously includes hacking off victim's lips and limbs. Much of the carnage has happened in Kony's native northern Uganda, where he is thought responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of two million more. Hoping to bring an end to the LRA's reign of terror, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni offered a general amnesty to Kony and his rebels in 2006, the same year the two parties finally struck a truce. But with the ICC arrest warrant still out, Kony and Uganda are caught in a Catch-22: The leader refuses to disband his army until the court drops its charges. And in April, Kony balked at further peace, claiming he needed "more time to consult elders and contemplate the charges." With all the damage he's done, he might be contemplating them for quite some time.

---

Ratko Mladic
Chief of staff for the Bosnian Serb Army during the Bosnian war

Crime and status: Wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal of the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) as of 1995 for 15 criminal counts, including genocide, crimes against humanity, and violation of war customs

Bounty: 6 million euros (5 million from the United States; 1 million from Serbia)

Why the world is after him: Propelled back into headlines with the recent arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb army's top dog is wanted for a slew of atrocities committed during the Balkan war. Foremost among Mladic's crimes is the 1995 slaughter of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys, carried out in Srebrenica under Bosnian Serb troops' campaign for regional "ethnic cleansing." He's also wanted for the shelling Sarajevo that same year, for subjecting thousands of Bosnian Muslim civilians to rape and torture, and for destroying homes, businesses, and religious sites. But being one of the world's most sought-after fugitives doesn't seem to have scared Mladic away from his crime scenes—he's allegedly hiding in Serbia in plain sight and was spotted in downtown Belgrade in early 2001.

Aribert Heim
Nazi doctor at Mauthausen concentration camp

Charges and status: Indicted by Germany on charges of murder

Bounty: $495,000 (offered by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and the German and Austrian governments)

Why the world is after him: Known as "Dr. Death" and "the butcher of Mauthausen," Heim is wanted for conducting some pretty gruesome experiments on his concentration-camp victims, including removing organs without using anesthesia and injecting poison and petrol into their hearts. Captured by the U.S. military in 1946, Heim was held for just two years before being released without trial. He went on to work as a gynecologist in Germany until whispers of a pending indictment caused him to flee to South America in 1962. If alive, Heim would be one of the oldest war criminals today at 94 years old. Investigators on the case believe they are closing in on the notorious Nazi somewhere near Chile, where one of his daughters lives. With the Argentinean government helping out on the case, there's still hope Heim could be found—and perhaps stay alive long enough to face justice.

Félicien Kabuga
Multimillionaire Rwandan businessman

Crime and status: Indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in 1998 for genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the Geneva Convention

Bounty: $5 million (put up by the U.S. government)

Why the world is after him: Kabuga is best known as the bucks behind the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which half a million people were butchered by government forces and Hutu militias. The cofounder and chairman of the Fonds de Défense Nationale (FDN), Kabuga reportedly used his organization to supply Rwanda's government with machetes and other weapons used in its campaign of terror. He also gave money to Rwanda's infamous radio station that incited hate and violence against the country's Tutsi population. Even in the genocide's wake, Kabuga continued to back violent Hutu militias, including the Congo-based Interahamwe militiamen. Now in his 60s, he's still on the lam—but no one's quite sure where. The U.N. Tribunal pegs him in Kenya, where he has reportedly secured government protection, but a conflicting report in May said he could be hiding out in Norway.

Bosco Ntaganda
Military chief of staff of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), a militia group based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Charges and status: Arrest warrant issued by ICC in 2006 and unsealed in April 2008, for war crimes of enlistment, conscription, and active use of children under the age of 15 for military activities.

Bounty: None (yet)

Why the world is after him: Nicknamed "the Terminator," Ntaganda has been at the center of the Congo's conflict since 1999, when he fought on the side of the Rwandan-backed rebels in a multi-front war that involved eight African countries. Ntaganda is wanted for enlisting children in the 2002 to 2003 conflict in the DRC's northern district of Ituri, when he served as the chief of military operations for the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC). The Terminator's path of destruction, however, doesn't end there. In 2006, he became military chief of staff of the CNDP, which is blamed for violence against citizens in the country's eastern regions. A ceasefire between several DRC parties this past January has led to renewed calls for Ntaganda's handover, but so far CNDP leaders have refused, claiming that the authorities should instead focus on bringing bigger fish to justice

Mr. Natesan K Iyer representing Prerna231 Group at Yahoo Moderator Meet, Mumbai

Osho Speaks Part-20

Wisdom by Swami Vivekananda Part-55

Wisdom by Swami Shivananad Part-56

Words of Wisdom Sai Baba Part-49

Thought for the Day

Changing Lives...

Changing Lives By Duane Spears Some years ago I attended a self-improvement seminar and the speaker was Jim Rohn. He said, "Everything matters in life, some things a little and some things a lot, we just don't know which is which." And I believed him. Now if I may, I would like to relate a personal experience which occurred when I was a motorcycle officer that strengthened this belief and taught a young man that everything in life does indeed matter. I was a motorcycle officer with the Los Angeles Police Department and I was working speed complaints out of West Traffic Division. On the 6th of January, 1986, I was working a speed complaint on one of the streets in the hills of Bel Air. It was around 9:30 in the morning. I was stopped at the base of a hill and had set up my radar on the handlebar of my motorcycle and was watching the traffic coming down the hill. This was a residential area and the road was narrow with numerous curves and was posted at 25 miles per hour. I had just finished writing a couple of tickets when I heard the audio on the radar, looked up the road and saw a small sports car coming down the hill. I glanced at the digital readout on the radar unit and saw that the car was traveling close to 50 miles per hour. I stepped out into the street and waved the driver over to the curb. The driver was a young man in his early 20's on his way to UCLA for a morning class. I told him why I had stopped him and started to write him a ticket. He, of course, didn't want the ticket and tried to talk me out of it. His name was Christopher and he was a good kid. But he was trying his best to get me to not write him a ticket. Never rude, always polite, but determined to convince me to let him go. We bantered back and forth, he would raise his voice in support of his position, but I calmly explained why he should get the ticket. When he saw I was still going to write him the ticket, he asked me, "What If I had not stopped, you were not on your motorcycle, would you have chased me?" I replied, "Most likely not". About this time, I heard the audio on the radar and noticed that the digital readout registered 52 miles per hour. I looked up and saw a young man coming down the hill on a motorcycle. I stepped out in front of him and waved him into the curb. He was going too fast and passed us, but he was slowing down. I walked towards the motorcycle rider and my back was to Christopher. The motorcyclist had turned around and was coming back to me. The he suddenly made a quick U-turn and sped down the hill. I turned around and walked back to Christopher and said, "Well, one got away." He said, "I waved him on". I said, "What?" He said, "I waved him on." I replied, "Oh, no! You should not have done that." He had a puzzled look on his face and asked, "Why not, it won't matter?" I told him everything in life matters, some things a little and some things a lot. We just don't know which is which. The look on Christopher's face clearly indicated to me that he did not believe me. I finished the ticket and we talked a little more about life and philosophy, then Christopher went to class and I went to court. Three days later, I was back working that same area and had three cars stopped. While I was writing the tickets, I noticed that a car coming up the hill had stopped across from me. There were three or four guys in the car. It was obvious to me that they were waiting to talk to me. I finished the last ticket and the driver of the car got out and walked over to me. He had a very sad look about him. I could tell something was bothering him. As he approached me, he asked, "Do you remember me?" "Yes," I replied, "you are Christopher." He then said, "You taught me a valuable lesson the other day when you told me that everything in life matters. I didn't believe you then, but now I do." "How do you mean?" I asked. "Do you remember the boy on the motorcycle?" he asked. "Yes," I replied, "I do remember him." "Well," he said, "he was my roommate and that is why I waved him on. I thought I was helping him. After he turned around he made a wrong turn and went down a street, which ended in a cul-de-sac and hit a large planter in the center of the cul-de-sac. He died instantly. You were right when you said everything in life matters." I was shocked and found it hard to believe, even though I had been with LAPD for 18 ½ years. We talked for a few more minutes. I expressed my sorrow, we shook hands and then we both left. I rode to the station in Venice and looked up the traffic reports for the 6th of January and sure enough there it was. I still could not believe it. I mentioned what had happened to another officer whose was in the station at the time. His response was that the kid deserved to die for fleeing the scene; I thought this cannot be happening; I don't want to be like him. As police officers and especially motor officers we are suppose to be saving lives, not pleased because some kid made a bad decision and died. Over the next several days I gave a lot of thought to this situation and my life in general. I decided I didn't want to be a police officer anymore and I needed a change. So I resigned in February 1986 after 18 ½ years with LAPD to pursue my passion, network marketing. I thought that I should listen to my own advice about how everything matters and look at this situation as an opportunity to make some serious changes in my life. I've never regretted leaving LAPD even though my business plans didn't quite work the way I had hoped back in 1986. But over the years they have and I have had a successful network marketing business since 1995. Could now be the time for you to make a life change? If it is, I would encourage you to do so. Based on my experience you will not be sorry. I will be 65 in September 2008, I'm in great health and could not be happier.

Don't Criticize...

Once upon a time there was a painter who had just completed his course under disciplehood of a great painter. This young artist decided to assess his skills of skills so he decided to give his best strokes on the canvass. He took 3 days and painted beautiful scenery. Suddenly an idea flashed in his mind and he decided to display it on a busy street-square of that small town he was resident of. He wanted people's opinion about his caliber and painting skills.. He put his creation at a busy street-crossing. And just down below a board which read- "Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. Please put a cross wherever you see a mistake." While he came back in the evening to collect his painting he was completely shattered to see that whole canvass was filled with Xs (crosses) and some people had even written their comments on the painting. Disheartened and broken completely he ran to his masters place and burst into tears. Sobbing and crying inconsolably he told his master about what happened and showed the pathetic state of his creation which was filled with marks everywhere. Such was the state that colors were not visible, only things one could see were crosses and correction remarks. This young artist was breathing heavily and master heard him saying "I'm useless and if this is what I have learnt to paint I'm not worth becoming a painter. People have rejected me completely.. I feel like dying" Master smiled and suggested "My Son, I will prove that you are a great artist and have learnt a flawless painting." Young disciple couldn't believe it and said "I have lost faith in me and I don't think I am good enough.. don't make false hopes.." "Do as I say without questioning it.. It WILL work." Master interrupted him. "Just paint exactly similar painting once again for me and give it to me. Will you do that for your master?.." Master instructed. Young artist reluctantly agreed and two days later early morning he presented a replica of his earlier painting to his master. Master took that gracefully and smiled. "Come with me." master said. They reached the same street-square early morning and displayed the same painting exactly at the same place. Now master took out another board which read "Gentlemen, I have painted this piece. Since I'm new to this profession I might have committed some mistakes in my strokes etc. I have put a box with colors and brushes just below. Please do a favor. If you see a mistake, kindly pick up the brush and correct it." Master and disciple walked back home. They both visited the place same evening. Young painter was surprised to see that actually there was not a single correction done so far. But master wasn't satisfied as yet and he told his disciple "May be one day was too little a time for people to come up with ideas and take out time out of their busy schedules to correct it so let us keep it here for one more day. Tomorrow is Sunday, so we can expect some corrections coming in." Next day again they visited and found painting remained untouched.. They say the painting was kept there for a month for no correction came in! Moral of the Story: It is easier to criticize, but difficult to improve.

Making Memories

Making Memories Tonna Canfield After eating breakfast, my little girl says, “Mommy, will you watch this show with me?” I look at the breakfast dishes in the sink and then at her big brown eyes. “Okay,” I say, and we snuggle together on the couch and watch her favorite show. After the show, we put together a puzzle and I head for the kitchen to wash those dirty dishes when the phone rings. “Hi,” my friend says, “What have you been doing?” “Well,” I say, “watching my little one’s favorite show with her and putting together a puzzle.” “Oh,” she says, “so you’re not busy today.” No, I think to myself, just busy making memories. After lunch, Erica says, “Mommy, please play a game with me.” Now I am looking at not only the breakfast dishes but also the lunch dishes piled in the sink. But again, I look at those big brown eyes and I remember how special it felt when my mom played games with me when I was a little girl. “Sounds like fun,” I answer, “but just one game.” We play her favorite game, and I can tell she is delighting in every moment. When the game ends, she says, “Please read me a story.” “Okay,” I say, “but just one.” After reading her favorite story, I head for the kitchen to tackle those dishes. With the dishes now done, I start to fix supper. My willing little helper comes eagerly to the kitchen to help me with my task. I’m running behind and thinking about how much faster I could do this if my sweet little one would just go play or watch a video, but her willingness to help and her eagerness to learn how to do what her mommy is doing melts my heart, and I say, “Okay, you can help,” knowing it will probably take twice as long. As supper is about ready, my husband comes home from work and asks, “What did you do today?” I answer, “Let’s see, we watched her favorite show and we played a game and read a book. I did the dishes and vacuumed; then with my little helper, I fixed supper.” “Great,” he says, “I’m glad you didn’t have a busy day today.” But I was busy, I think to myself, busy making memories. After supper, Erica says, “Let’s bake cookies.” “Okay,” I say, “let’s bake cookies.” After baking cookies, once again I am staring at a mountain of dishes from supper and cookie baking, but with the smell of warm cookies consuming the house, I pour us a glass of cold milk and fill a plate with warm cookies and take them to the table. We gather around the table eating cookies, drinking milk, talking and making memories. No sooner have I tackled those dishes than my little sweetie comes tugging at my shirt, saying, “Could we take a walk?” “Okay,” I say, “let’s take a walk.” The second time around the block I’m thinking about the mountain of laundry that I need to get started on and the dust encompassing our home; but I feel the warmth of her hand in mine and the sweetness of our conversation as she enjoys my undivided attention, and I decide at least once more around the block sounds like a good idea. When we get home, my husband asks, “Where have you been?” “We’ve been making memories,” I say. A load in the wash and, my little girl all bathed and in her gown, the tiredness begins to creep in as she says, “Let’s fix each other’s hair.” I’m so tired! my mind is saying, but I hear my mouth saying, “Okay, let’s brush each other’s hair.” With that task complete, she jumps up excitedly, “Let’s paint each other’s nails! Please!” So she paints my toenails, and I paint her fingernails, and we read a book while waiting for our nails to dry. I have to turn the pages, of course, because her fingernails are still drying. We put away the book and say our prayers. My husband peeks his head in the door, “What are my girls doing?” he asks. “Making memories,” I answer. “Mommy,” she says, “will you lay with me until I fall asleep?” “Yes,” I say, but inside I’m thinking, I hope she falls asleep quickly so I can get up; I have so much to do. About that time, two precious little arms encircle my neck as she whispers, “Mommy, nobody but God loves you as much as I do.” I feel the tears roll down my cheeks as I thank God for the day we spent making memories.

Happy Independence Day

Aseem Kaistha It's your attitude and not your aptitude that determines your altitude.

Thought for the Day

Laxman's Best...

Rumi Quotes Part-10

Osho Speaks Part-19

Enjoy...

For This Senior Citizen, Life Starts At 60...

For This Senior Citizen, Life Starts At 60... At 69, RG Desai got his law degree, he then wrote five books, now he's off to the US to study the Vedas. Retirement comes in with an unhealthy load of fear. Retirement and old age become synonymous with life's full-stop. and with full-stops come endings. But there are people who, like old wine, get better with age. A testimony to this is RG Desai whose life began at 82, and he has walked through the wonderland of post-retirement gracefully. For those of you who perceive retirement as a doomsday of sorts, take a cue from Desai's recent book: The Best Is Yet To Be - the title is inspired by a Robert Browning poem Rabbi Ben Ezra. Desai's agile gait and alert gaze belies his age, and not only has he authored five books - mainly on India's ancient wisdom, but he also attended the Government Law College at the age of 69. Ask him if he felt awkward to be the oldest student in college and he quips: "When I entered the classroom I was mistaken for a lecturer. Young students thumped their desks and gave me a hearty welcome. But teachers weren't too happy to have me as a student. They were always out of their depth with my barrage of questions." He fought his first case for a friend in the High Court, and he is presently dedicated to taking up public causes. "I'm taking up cases concerning customer- unfriendly practices followed by banks and the hostility of public hospitals toward poor patients," he says. His quest for knowledge didn't end with a law degree. At 82, he is all set to visit the Indology Department at Harvard University in the US. "The department has a library dealing with the study of ancient India, and I want to work on the Vedas," he says. While most senior citizens worry about money, Desai has a simple recipe to handle finances in his twilight years. "All your working life you should build up resources in such a way that you do not have to depend on your children or society for money, and liberate yourself from the need to make a living," he says. Follow this recipe says Desai and when you're at the threshold of old age, you can quote Robert Browning, and sing the lines John Lennon wrote: "Grow Old with me. The best is yet to be. Face the setting sun, when the day is done…." 10 Commandments For Living Happily: Use your time wisely Enjoy by giving Learn to understand death Add value to your life Simplify your life Keep learning Set new goals Reach your full potential Stay involved, stay detached Find new roles FROM: Nisha Wadhwa

Thought for the Day

Success Depends...

Contributed by: Mr. S.V.Subramaniam

The Big Rocks...

OLD BUT GOLD One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.” Then, he pulled out a one-gallon, wide mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?” Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Then he said, “Really?” He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel work themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not,” one of them answered. “Good!” he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is the jar full?” “No!” The class shouted. Once again he said, “Good!” Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager beaver raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!” “No,” the speaker replied, “That is not the point. The truth that this illustration teaches us is : If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you will never get them in at all.” What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life? Your children; your loved ones; your education; your dreams; a worthy cause; teaching or mentoring others; doing things that you love; time for yourself; your health; your significant other. Remember to put these BIG Rocks in first or you will never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you will fill your life with little things you worry about that do not really matter, and you will never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks). So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question : What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life? Then, put those in your jar first. ********

God’s Creation

God’s Creation On the very first day, God created the cow. He said to the cow, “Today I have created you! As a cow, you must go to the field with the farmer all day long. You will work all day under the sun! I will give you a life span of 50 years.” The cow objected, “What? This kind of tough life you want me to live for 50 years? Let me have 20 years, and the 30 years, I will give back to you.” So God agreed. On the second day, God created the monkey. He said to the monkey, “Monkeys have to entertain people. You have got to make them laugh and do monkey tricks. I will give you 20 years’ life span.” The monkey objected, “What? Make them laugh? Do monkey faces and tricks? Ten years will do, and the other 10 years, I will give you back.” So God agreed. On the third day, God created the dog. God said to the dog, “What you are supposed to do is to sit all day by the door of your house. Any people that come in, you will have to bark at them! I will give a life span of 20 years.” The dog objected, “What? All day long to sit by the door? No way! I give you back my other 10 years of life!” So God agreed. On the fourth day, God created man and said to him, “Your job is to sleep, eat and play. You will enjoy very much in your life. All you need to do is to enjoy and do nothing. This kind of life, and I will give you a 20-year life span.” The man objected, “What? Such a good life! Eat, play, sleep, do nothing? Enjoy the best and you expect me to live only for 20 years? No way, man!… Why don’t we make a deal? Since the cow gave you back 30 years, and the dog gave you back 10 years and the monkey gave you back 10 years, I will take them from you! That makes my life span 70 years, right?” So God agreed. AND THAT IS WHY…………….. In our first 20 years, we eat, sleep, play, enjoy the best and do nothing much. For the next 30 years, we work all day long, suffer and get to support the family. For the next 10 years, we entertain our grandchildren by making monkey faces and doing monkey tricks. And for the last 10 years, we stay at home, sit by the front door and bark at people!

AWESOME MESSAGE

AWESOME MESSAGE I ran into a stranger as he passed by, “Oh excuse me please” was my reply. He said, “Please excuse me too; wasn’t watching for you.” We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said good bye. But at home, a different story is told, how we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that day, cooking the evening meal, my son stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked him down. “Move out of the way,” I said with a frown. He walked away, his little heart broken. I didn’t realize how harshly I had spoken. While I lay awake in bed, God’s still small voice came to me and said, “While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, but the children you love, you seem to abuse. Go look on the kitchen floor, you will find some flowers there by the door.” “Those are the flowers he brought for you. He picked them himself; pink, yellow and blue. He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise, and you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.” By this time, I felt very small, and now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by his bed; “Wake up, little one wake up,” I said. “Are these the flowers you picked for me?” He smiled, “I found them out by the tree.” “I picked them because they are pretty like you. I knew you would like them, especially the blue.” I said, “Son, I am very sorry for the way I acted today; I should not have yelled at you that way.” He said, “Oh, Mom, that’s okay. I love you anyway.” I said, “Son, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue.” Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days? But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don’t you think? …….

A CARROT, AN EGG AND COFFEE

A CARROT, AN EGG AND COFFEE A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each one on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in another bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a third bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me what you see.” “Carrots, eggs and coffee”, she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean?” Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity……boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. “Which are you?” the mother asked the daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?” Think of this : Which of these am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changed the hot water, the very circumstances that bring the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and the flavour. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? ***** Contributed by: Prerna231 Group