5 Minutes per day... Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gum...

Forget Conventional Dream Interpretation: Learn to Cultivate Your Dreams Today!

2011-01-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite quotes of all time and I am sure many of you share my thoughts, is the speech by Martin Luther King at the civil rights march in Washington, 1963, which went like this:

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit together at the table of brotherhood..."

"I have a dream..." Indeed. Inspiring stuff. I want to discuss our dreams in a very practical way today.

I want to talk about how to cultivate your dreaming. It really is a tremendously valuable thing to do. I want to steer away from conventional dream interpretation and will explain why.

As of today, pay attention to your dreaming and your daydreaming. Dreams are important to us in many ways, because they do the following:

Firstly, when you dream you actively process information and feelings.

Secondly, dreams are always involving many senses, so the highly sensory experience is very rich. It is quite rare for us to use all our senses at once as we do when we dream.

Thirdly, dreams give us valuable information about what is going on in our lives, whether directly or more often in a disguised or symbolic form.

Fourthly, dreams are strongly sequenced, though often in a way which is emotionally rather than logically organised.

Finally, dreams draw upon a rich range of unconscious, associative, creative links between many kinds of information.

Some people remember their dreams; others tend to forget all but the most dramatic bits as soon as they wake. When you dream or daydream, take time to replay as much of it as you can in your mind before the events of the day overlay it. Relive the story of that dream. Remind yourself of the events, pictures, sensations and other sensory information it involved.

This dream was the product of your mind. Marvel at your own creativity! This is amazing stuff here; get excited by it.

If you get into the habit of asking yourself when you wake, "what did I dream?" you may at first only remember a few particularly strong feelings or vivid images: write them down and review it regularly. I actually used to write a dream journal and wrote everything down as soon as I opened my eyes each morning. It provided me with such inspiration when I required it.

Naturally, lots of you may want to start with dream interpretation straight away. Resist the urge for dream interpretation, ok?

Do your best not to assume that there is necessarily a single clear meaning which can be interpreted according to psychological theories or books on dream significance or dream interpretation. How can your dreams have the same meaning as someone else? Is your brain the same as that persons? For now, ease off the dream interpretation.

I have found that the most useful assumption to make about dreams is that they have some kind of significance for you, the dreamer: they come from your internal, unconscious mind's storehouse of feelings, experiences and images, and are an active and useful way of processing that is quite different from – and just as useful as – the processing that belongs to the logical conscious part of your mind.

Often a strong feeling will be your first clue to the meaning a dream has for you: so note it, and wonder about it, but don't try to rush to tie it down by conscious analysis. The real work of the dream is often done simply in the dreaming of it: the conscious mind does not always have to understand, and when it tries to translate dreams into its own terms it may be limiting it, just as poetry translated from another language usually loses something of its more subtle tapestry of meanings.

Think about the value of dreams.

Dreams demonstrate a different level of mental functioning from conscious, disciplined thought. When you pay attention to them, and even cultivate them, you are learning to become familiar with, to trust and to draw upon a fuller range of your own mental resources: in other words, you are using more of what you've got. Hey, this stuff is going to keep happening, so why not really use it.

The mind works both consciously and unconsciously. Conscious thought is formally taught in our education system. Its strength is its systematic and disciplined way of handling information. Its limitation is that it tends to be rule-bound and too narrow in its problem-solving approach.
The brain also processes information at an unconscious level: mostly, this is associative and depends on links, similarities and feelings. This processing produces dreams, as well as much of our other "creative" or "expressive" experience. That is why we are often surprised by the spontaneous connections we make or insights we have, and by our imaginative inspiration: it is not what we would have come up with consciously at all, yet it seems somehow completely "right". This way of thinking works "laterally" – it expands, goes sideways and finds multiple avenues rather than just one.

We need both kinds of functioning if we are to make the most of our brain power. Logic and intuition, discipline and divergence, are all vital tools that enrich and enable us. But whereas we are used to working with the conscious mind, in part because we are aware of it and can monitor it as it works, many people are less at ease trusting and using the unconscious processes. Paying attention to your dreams, and deliberately cultivating daydreaming, are both ways of stretching yourself into this area.

So let us have a look at the value of deliberate daydreaming. Where dreams come unbidden, you may find it useful to deliberately evoke the conditions for daydreaming, if, like many people, you have not really valued the activity before now.

How is it valuable? Daydreaming brings us escape and relaxation; visions of the future that inspire and help us to bring about what we have dreamed of; solutions to apparently unsolvable problems; inventions and creative possibilities. Daydream states allow the unconscious, associative parts of the mind to work in their own playful and imaginative ways, bringing not only pleasure but results that our usual deliberate, attentive, rational thought does not. We need space in our lives for both ways of processing if we are to realise ourselves as fully as possible.

The key to daydreaming is to be in that right state. If you want to practice, please visit my website and download the free hypnosis session there, or learn self-hypnosis, read my book "The Secrets of Self-Hypnosis" or invest in the self-hypnosis masterclass audio programme, there is nothing else as good in the world today, really there isn't. There is a kind of automatic abstractedness that goes along with daydreaming. Mostly it just seems to happen – but when you know about creating and changing states, you can choose to make it happen.

Here are some ways you can cultivate and work with your daydreams:

Firstly, notice when you have been daydreaming. Is there any pattern of circumstances that helps bring about your particular daydreaming state?

Some people find that repetitive, relatively automatic, activities such as jogging, ironing or walking create the right state. Perhaps it is a warm bath, swimming a few lengths, or sitting in the garden. Or it may be swaying to the movement of a train, staring into space, looking out of the window of a bus on the way to work, or going on a long drive.

Once you find what helps you daydream, use it and make space for it in your life on a regular basis, imagine that you are in that experience, recreate those circumstances inside of your mind. Let daydreaming come to you, and notice what kinds of windows it opens from our ordinary world into what other kinds of possibilities. Some of your best ideas and inspirations may come at these times.

Secondly, next time you have a decision to make, or a problem to solve, or a challenge to overcome, you can set up the circumstances so that you can trigger your daydreaming state – and allow yourself to explore your problem or decision in this way. When you have done so, make some notes of what you experienced and discovered. Add that to your conscious thinking on the subject: you now have much more information, and the advantage of having engaged more of your mental resources.

Thirdly, for today, forget dream interpretation. That is a conscious and limiting thing to do. Did I make myself clear? Forget conventional dream interpretation. For now use your dreams in personal ways to you.

Happiness: The Ultimate Birthright

2011-01-07T10:48:00.000-08:00

The key to happiness is both simple and complex. It is the sum total of more than 2,000 years of philosophy, psychology, speculation, and discussion about the meanings and sources of happiness. From Aristotle in 340 B.C. through to the modern thinkers, speakers, and writers of today, this key to happiness has hardly changed. It is the same for virtually all men and women in every country and all walks of life. The key to happiness is this: Dedicate yourself to the development of your natural talents and abilities by doing what you love to do, and doing it better and better in the service of a cause that is greater than yourself.

This is a big statement and a big commitment. Being happy requires that you define your life in your own terms and then throw your whole heart into living your life to the fullest. In a way, happiness requires that you be perfectly selfish in order to develop yourself to a point where you can be unselfish for the rest of your life.

YOUR HAPPINESS MUST COME FIRST

In Edmond Rostand's Play Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano is asked why he is so intensely individualistic and unconcerned with the opinions and judgments of others. He replies with these wonderful words: "I am what I am because early in life I decided that I would please at least myself in all things."

Your happiness likewise depends upon your ability to please at least yourself in all things. However, most people are reluctant to use their own happiness as the standard by which to judge the events in their lives. This is primarily because we let others define or affect what brings us happiness. And we often believe it is more important to make other people happy than it is to make ourselves happy. This is nonsense.

Human beings are happiness-driven organisms. Everything we do in life is oriented toward maintaining and increasing our level of happiness. We are psychologically constructed so that it is impossible for us to be any other way without making ourselves mentally and emotionally ill. The fact is that you can't give away to anyone else what you don't have for yourself. Just as you can't give money to the poor if you don't have any, you can't make someone else happy if you yourself are miserable.

The very best way to assure the happiness of others is to be happy yourself and then to share your happiness with them. Suffering and self-sacrifice merely depress and discourage other people. If you want to make others happy, start by living the kind of life and doing the kinds of things that make you happy.

LET HAPPINESS BE YOUR GUIDE

Make happiness the organizing principle of your life. That is, compare every possible action and decision against your standard of happiness to see whether it would make you happier or unhappier. Soon, you will discover that almost all the problems in your life come from choices that you have made - or are currently making - that do not contribute to your happiness.

There will of course be countless times when you will have to do little things that don't make you happy in pursuit of your larger happiness. However, as Earl Nightingale said, "Happiness is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal." You feel really happy only when you are moving, step-by- step, toward the accomplishment of clearly defined goals that you feel will enhance the quality of your happiness.

Since you can't be truly happy until you are clear about your inherent possibilities, it's important that you take some time on a regular basis to analyze yourself and identify your strengths and weaknesses. There is an old saying, "Success leaves tracks." You can look back on your life and identify who you really are and what you should be doing with your life. One of the best ways to do this is to constantly ask yourself this powerful question:

"WHAT ONE GREAT THING WOULD I DARE TO DREAM IF I KNEW I COULD NOT FAIL?;

Imagine that you are absolutely guaranteed success in the pursuit of a particular goal, big or small, short term or long-term. Imagine that you have all the money, all the time, all the education, all the contacts, all the resources, and everything else that you could possibly need to achieve any one big goal in life. What would it be? This is a very important question because when you remove the limitation from your thinking, you often get a very clear idea of exactly what you should be doing with your life. Your greatest dream is an indication of your natural abilities and of what is really important to you. All successful men and women are big dreamers. They imagine what their fortune could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, goal or purpose. Step-by-step realization of their ideal makes them genuinely happy.

LIFE'S 4 CATEGORIES

Dr. Viktor Frankl, who wrote the book Man's Search for Meaning, said that you can divide the thing you do in life into four categories. The first category consists of the things that are hard to learn and hard to do. An example for many people is mathematics. Many of us struggled with math in school and still struggle with bookkeeping, accounting, financial statements, and tax returns as adults. If you find mathematics hard to learn and hard to do, this is the sort of activity for which you are clearly unsuited. No matter how much of it you do, or how good you get at it, you will never achieve any lasting satisfaction or happiness from it.

The next category consists of things that are hard to learn but easy to do. Riding a bicycle, driving a car, and tying your shoes are hard to learn but easy to do once you've practiced enough. These are seldom the sort of activities that cause you to feel terrific about yourself when you engage in them. They do not demand your best.

The third category consists of things that are easy to learn but hard to do. Physical labor falls into this category. Digging a ditch with a shovel and chopping wood with an ax are easy to learn but they are hard to do, and never get any easier.

The fourth category is the key. These are things that are easy to learn and easy to do. You seem to have a natural proclivity for them. When you are engaged in this sort of activity, time flies. The things that are easy for you to learn and do are the sort of things that you should be doing with your life. They indicate where your natural talents and abilities lie. Engaging in these activities with your whole heart, and committing yourself to become better and better, will give you all the joy, satisfaction, and happiness you could want in life.

HAPPINESS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT

Everyone has an area of excellence. Everyone has something that he or she can do in an outstanding fashion. It may take weeks, months, or even years for you to develop yourself in that area so that you can really perform in an extraordinary fashion, but you will be strongly attracted to that sort of activity from the beginning. You will enjoy reading about it and talking about it and thinking about it. You will find yourself admiring people who are outstanding in that area. You will look longingly at that field and wonder what it would be like to be in it and to be successful at it. That is very often your heart's desire. That area of activity where you can become excellent is probably what you were put on this earth to do.

So resolve to persist until you succeed. The first part of courage is the resolve to launch in faith toward your objectives; the second part is your willingness to endure in the face of the inevitable disappointments and setbacks you will encounter on the road.

Happiness is not an accident. Happy people are those who deliberately do the things that invariably lead to happiness. Happy people are those who know what they want and then throw their whole hearts into using their unique talents and abilities to make a contribution to the world in the achievement of their goals.

You are put on this earth with a special purpose, programmed with unique talents and abilities that have not yet been fully tapped and utilized. When you focus all your energies on unlocking your true potential, you can claim your ultimate birthright: happiness

Positive Thinking and Your Creative Mind - 7 Steps to Success

2011-01-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

You have a bright idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out. The question is, do you really want to bring it out into the light? What could motivate you to churn your creative, inspiring juices to their utmost flavor?

Did you know that it always helps to set a time limit to your personal goals? Set yourself up so you can accomplish the most tasks in record time. For example, mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even enjoyable.

It's simple. If you begin to allow yourself a bit of positive thinking then you will begin to realize things that you never thought possible. Thinking big is indeed the American Way and that what made our country prosperous. You can follow other great Americans who tapped into their creative mind and began to thing big..

Discover some tips to make it through your first week of possibility thinking even if you're just sitting in your favorite couch. Your mind is constantly at work for you. Tap into it's great resource while doing everyday activities.

1. Act. You must take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = deposits in the bank of a passionately authentic future. My mother (probably quoting someone else) always said, "Action speaks louder than words". Without action, passion is void.

Dreams become reality when you simply start by tinkering with your mind, then with your hands. And if the idea weakens or falters you can always go back to it later until you finish it. Thomas Edison and his Dream Team had to go back to the idea of a light bulb and recalculate it over 1,000 times before the first working light bulb begin to light the world.

2. Love. Commit to yourself. Then commit to those you love to powerfully create a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. The American Dream will always be there, but a dream will still be a dream without motion. Be amazed as the transformation begins.

3. Live. Embrace moments and opportunities. Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme why not give it a shot anyway. See if it will work. You may be surprised with the results. If you are not then decide to use that moment to learn from it and make the appropriate shift. Learning and growing from mistakes and failures is a part of living.

4. Be grateful. Dwell completely in a place of gratitude. Learn to utilize what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most constructive way. Necessity is the mother of invention. Have you ever been stuck without something you needed and had to make do with something else? (MacGyver,from the famous tv show, was famous for that!) How grateful were you that you had the means to solve your situation? Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude and away from poverty consciousness.

5. Be Passionate. Use a Passion Formula of Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda whirlwind. The former is based on increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. As you face people or tasks that may seem harder than scaling the summit of the Himalayas, allow yourself to realize that the task is just as important as giving out orders to your subordinates. You would rather be richly passionate!

6. Laugh. Keep humor at the forefront of thought, laughing at and with yourself whenever possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up! I have yet to see a comedian ever go hungry even though his jokes are as 'old as great-grandma'. Life has too much to offer to allow yourself to mope around in self pity. Humor is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.

7. Discover Your Purpose. Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. Realizing how you wish to be remembered when you pass from this life is a truly driving force. Your purpose for being can be a seemingly simple as being a great parent to as elaborate as discovering miraculous cures.

When you have a strong purpose no one can take your passionate future from you except for you! Truly, as long as there's still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime. Discovering and following your purpose will enable you to enjoy your work. Celebrate in the discovery that acting on your creative mind's thoughts is fulfilling your purpose. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.

Activate your positive thinking. Stretch your imagination. Think bigger than you feel comfortable. Act on your thoughts. The number one tip here is action. You want to start practicing these steps.

Think about this: It is unfortunate that so many people still do not use a computer because it appears too complicated to begin using. Or maybe they just keep putting it off till a more convenient time. These are just a couple of limitations one can set up for themselves. Limitations and failure to act on ideas and opportunities leave many as a dim bulb in a dark corner.

Alert! You are not doomed to darkness. You are interested in living a life of purpose and love. The wonderful, creative idea in you is about to be released. You are interested in doing this because you are reading this article. Fortunately if you truly desire something, the will to attain it will open your creative mind to find a way.

Now you need only to begin to act on your desire to create. Act now! Make your path to creativity and follow your purpose. Take your first step today with a positive attitude.

DREAMS

2010-12-30T05:04:00.000-08:00

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and

challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I

stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my

shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up

at me with a smile that that lit up her entire being.

She said, "Hi, handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven

years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and

enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave

me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I

asked.

She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get

married, have a couple of children, and then retire and

travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated

her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

"I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm

getting one!" she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and share

a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day

for the next three months we would leave class together and

talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time

machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she

easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up

and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the

other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our

football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She

was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to

deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five

cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she

leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so

jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing

me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell

you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: "We do not

stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop

playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being

happy, and achieving success. "You have to laugh and find

humor every day. You've got to have a dream. When you lose

your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around

who are dead and don't even know it!"

"There is a huge difference between growing older and growing

up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full

year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty

years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for

a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody

can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The

idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in

change."

"Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for

what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only

people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing The Rose. She

challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in

our daily lives. At the year’s end Rose finished the college

degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in

tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's

never too late to be all you can possibly be.

The evil you do, remains with you...

2010-12-30T05:01:00.000-08:00

The evil you do, remains with you...

"The evil you do, remains with you: The Good you do, comes back to you!"

A woman baked bread for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra bread on the Window-sill, for whosoever would take it away. Every day, a hunch-back came and took away the bread. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way:

"The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" This went on, day after day. Every day, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself... "Everyday this hunch-back utters this jingle! What does he mean? "

One day, out of desperation, she decided to do away with him.” I shall get rid of this hunch-back," she said. And what did she do? She added poison to the bread she prepared for him! As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said. Immediately she threw the bread into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window- sill. As usual, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The hunch-back proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman.

Every day, as the woman placed the bread on the window-sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him. .. She prayed for his safe return. That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway.... He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I'm here. While I was but a mile away, I was so hungry that I collapsed. I would have died, but just then an old hunch-back passed by. I begged of him for a small part of his food, and he was kind enough to give me whole bread."As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!" "As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale and red. She leaned against the door for support.

She remembered the poisoned bread that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!

"Do Good; don’t ever stop doing Good, even if it's not appreciated at that time.

Thanks Giving

2010-12-30T04:58:00.000-08:00

Offering thanks teaches us a valuable lesson to appreciate the here and now.

Stop wishing for what-might-have-been and yearning for what-is-not, and enjoy what-is-now. Focus on the present moment and experience its full wonder.

A friend who worked in Pune was transferred to Mumbai. He was so upset he had nothing but complaints about the city. "I hate the noise and the pollution," he groaned. "This is just a concrete jungle," he would say. "The traffic is terrible! I can't stand the mad rush of this city!"

I lost touch until he came to see me in Pune. I asked him how he was doing in Mumbai, and was surprised to learn that he was back in Pune now. "That must make you happy!" I remarked. "I miss Mumbai!" he said.

"Mumbai is a vibrant city, full of life! It spoils you, it changes you! If you have been in Mumbai, you just can't be happy anywhere else! I now find Pune dull and boring." We only diminish the value of what we are and where we are, if we do not pause to be thankful for the present.

How can we appreciate the here and now? Imagine what your condition would be if you lose all that you have now. Each day, make a list of all the things ‘big and small’ for which you are grateful. Stay conscious of them throughout the day. Help those who are less fortunate than you are and feel grateful to God for giving you the opportunity to help someone in need.

The wise ones are aware that the blessings we have received from Him are infinite. Every moment of the day, every aspect of your mind, intellect, body all these are God's gifts to you.

The roots of this custom dates back to the Pilgrim Fathers who first arrived in America after a long and arduous journey across the Atlantic. Here, after a difficult winter in which they lost several of their loved ones, a winter also marked by great starvation and privation, they reaped a rich harvest in the new land. The whole of America observes Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday. It is marked by church services, family reunions and sumptuous dinners.

Every day in India is a Thanksgiving Day for we have to thank God for all that we are and all that we have, every day of our lives! We cannot, indeed, confine our thanksgiving to any single day. Ideally every day, every moment of every day should be an occasion of thanksgiving. The spirit of thanksgiving should so infuse our life that it should transform our life into a constant remembrance of His infinite mercy on us.

A man who wished to dispose of his home went to his friend in the real estate business and asked him to help him sell the house. The friend wrote out an advertisement on the basis of what he had heard, and read it out to the owner.

"Beautiful 50's house with spacious garden," he read. "Gabbled roof, spacious verandahs, well-ventilated rooms and large dining, drawing rooms. Ideally suited for families with children."

"Read that again," said the owner. His friend obliged. "This house is not for sale," said the man. "All my life I've wanted a place like the one you have just described. But I never knew I had it until I heard what you have written."

Normally, the act of saying "Thank you" puts a certain distance between the giver and the receiver. Some people even say "thanks" automatically, without so much as looking up at the person they are giving thanks to, or even meeting her eyes.

God should not be thanked in such a superficial, mechanical way. The dynamic way of thanksgiving is to make your life an offering to the Lord. Affirm to Him that you are His, and that all your words, deeds and thoughts are dedicated to His glory.

THE SITUATION

2010-12-30T04:55:00.000-08:00

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

After 6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

After 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

After 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:
In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

Just Think....
Binamra

2008-11-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

2008-11-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

World's most expensive saree

2008-08-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

How often have you come across a

Rs. 40 lakh ($100,000) silk saree?

Chennai Silks

, a textile unit has come up with one
of its kind and it is seeking an unmistakable entry into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most unique and expensive saree.

The exceptionally stunning saree is meticulously woven with 12 precious stones and metals to depict 11 of Raja Ravi Verma's popular paintings. Explicitly projected is

'Lady Musicians'

, one of the painter's very famous works that displays women belonging to diverse cultural backgrounds.

Besides, the border of the saree pictures 10 other paintings of the artist that pays tribute to 20th century artist.
The best part of the saree being that the women in the paintings are intricately hand-woven and beautified with jewels of gold, diamond, platinum, silver, ruby, emerald, yellow sapphire, sapphire, cat's eye, topaz, pearl and corals.

Already in the Limca Book of Records, this 40 lakh saree will be the first silk saree that required the use of 7,440 jacquard hooks and 66,794 cards during the weaving process. Moreover, a group of consummate workers took nearly 4,680 hours

Now gals start asking your boy friend for this saree
and
Boys don't forward this mail to ur gal frnd, then you will be in big trouble.

2008-05-17T00:33:00.000-07:00

Creative Inventions

cool creative items which may prove very useful watch this..............

Creative Inventions - Click here for the most popular videos

Can you escape the mysterious Crimson Room

2008-04-12T00:44:00.000-07:00

Your playing: Crimson Room

SAND ARTS From ORISSA

2008-04-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

The culture of Orissa, India, makes for an interesting study. Situated along the Bay of Bengal coast, Orissa is an Indian state that exemplifies the unique and commendable blend of ancient glory and modern initiative. Orissa is a place where nature unfurls her one of the most beauteous aspects. Unsullied beaches, rivers, gorgeous waterfalls and majestic hills all contribute in accentuating the appeal of the state as a popular tourist destination. The culture of Orissa also generates considerable interest among both the domestic and the foreign travelers.

In Orissa an unique type of art form is developed at Puri . But it spreads all over the world, To carve a sand sculpture, the raw material is the only clean and fine grained sand mixed with water.
With the help of this type of sand and with the blessings of God and by the magic of fingures, an artist can carve a beautiful and attractive sculpture on the beach.

No arms, NO legs, No worries.......

2008-04-09T15:22:00.001-07:00

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE...

My name is Nick Vujicic and I give God the Glory for how He has used my testimony to touch thousands of hearts around the world! I was born without limbs and doctors have no medical explanation for this birth "defect". As you can imagine, I was faced with many challenges and obstacles.
"Consider it pure joy, my Brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds."
....To count our hurt, pain and struggle as nothing but pure joy? As my parents were Christians, and my Dad even a Pastor of our church, they knew that verse very well. However, on the morning of the 4th of December 1982 in Melbourne (Australia), the last two words on the minds of my parents was "Praise God!". Their firstborn son had been born without limbs! There were no warnings or time to prepare themselves for it. The doctors we shocked and had no answers at all! There is still no medical reason why this had happened and Nick now has a Brother and Sister who were born just like any other baby.
The whole church mourned over my birth and my parents were absolutely devastated. Everyone asked, "if God is a God of Love, then why would God let something this bad happen to not just anyone, but dedicated Christians?" My Dad thought I wouldn't survive for very long, but tests proved that I was a healthy baby boy just with a few limbs missing.

This is really unbelievable, but a sheer example of curses from the last life.....dats all I can say.

Understandably, my parents had strong concern and evident fears of what kind of life I'd be able to lead. God provided them strength, wisdom and courage through those early years and soon after that I was old enough to go to school.

The law in Australia didn't allow me to be integrated into a main-stream school because of my physical disability. God did miracles and gave my Mom the strength to fight for the law to be changed. I was one of the first disabled students to be integrated into a main-stream school.

I liked going to school, and just try to live life like everyone else, but it was in my early years of school where I encountered uncomfortable times of feeling rejected, weird and bullied because of my physical difference. It was very hard for me to get used to, but with the support of my parents, I started to develop attitudes and values which helped me overcome these challenging times. I knew that I was different but on the inside I was just like everyone else. There were many times when I felt so low that I wouldn't go to school just so I didn't have to face all the negative attention. I was encouraged by my parents to ignore them and to try start making friends by just talking with some kids. Soon the students realized that I was just like them, and starting there God kept on blessing me with new friends.

There were times when I felt depressed and angry because I couldn't change the way I was, or blame anyone for that matter. I went to Sunday School and learnt that God loves us all and that He cares for you. I understood that love to a point as a child, but I didn't understand that if God loved me why did He make me like this? Is it because I did something wrong? I thought I must have because out of all the kids at school, I'm the only weird one. I felt like I was a burden to those around me and the sooner I go, the better it'd be for everyone. I wanted to end my pain and end my life at a young age, but I am thankful once again, for my parents and family who were always there to comfort me and give me strength.

Due to my emotional struggles I had experienced with bullying, self esteem and loneliness, God has implanted a passion of sharing my story and experiences to help others cope with whatever challenge they have in their life and let God turn it into a blessing. To encourage and inspire others to live to their fullest potential and not let anything get in the way of accomplishing their hopes and dreams.

One of the first lessons that I have learnt was not to take things for granted.

"And we know that in all things God works for the best for those who love Him."
That verse spoke to my heart and convicted me to the point where that I know that there is no such thing as luck, chance or coincidence that these "bad" things happen in our life.
I had complete peace knowing that God won't let anything happen to us in our life unless He has a good purpose for it all. I completely gave my life to Christ at the age of fifteen after reading John 9. Jesus said that the reason the man was born blind was "so that the works of God may be revealed through Him." I truly believed that God would heal me so I could be a great testimony of His Awesome Power. Later on I was given the wisdom to understand that if we pray for something, if it's God's will, it'll happen in His time. If it's not God's will for it to happen, then I know that He has something better.
I now see that Glory revealed as He is using me just the way I am and in ways others can't be used.

I am now twenty-one years old and have completed a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Planning and Accounting. I am also a motivational speaker and love to go out and share my story and testimony wherever opportunities become available. I have developed talks to relate to and encourage students through topics that challenge today's teenagers. I am also a speaker in the corporate sector.

I have a passion for reaching out to youth and keep myself available for whatever God wants me to do, and wherever He leads, I follow.

I have many dreams and goals that I have set to achieve in my life. I want to become the best witness I can be of God's Love and Hope, to become an international inspirational speaker and be used as a vessel in both Christian and non-Christian venues. I want to become financially independent by the age of 25, through real estate investments, to modify a car for me to drive and to be interviewed and share my story on the "Oprah Winfrey Show"! Writing several best-selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year. It will be called "No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!"

I believe that if you have the desire and passion to do something, and if it's God's will, you will achieve it in good time. As humans, we continually put limits on ourselves for no reason at all! What's worse is putting limits on God who can do all things. We put God in a "box". The awesome thing about the Power of God, is that if we want to do something for God, instead of focusing on our capability, concentrate on our availability for we know that it is God through us and we can't do anything without Him. Once we make ourselves available for God's work, guess whose capabilities we rely on? God's!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!!!!!

Blood Bank

2007-07-31T00:56:00.001-07:00

There is website
www.bharatbloodbank.com where u can search for a particular blood group, u'll get thousand of donor addresses.

Pass this MSG 2 all u know. It will help many.

Pls don't delete it without forwarding. U will really help some 1 without Ur knowledge!

Blood Bank

2007-07-31T00:56:00.000-07:00

There is website
www.bharatbloodbank.com where u can search for a particular blood group, u'll get thousand of donor addresses.

Pass this MSG 2 all u know. It will help many.

Pls don't delete it without forwarding. U will really help some 1 without Ur knowledge!

Its Laughter time.........!!

2007-07-31T00:42:00.000-07:00

Sardar Gurbachan Singh is appearing for his University final examination which consists of Y/N type questions.He takes his seat in the examination hall, stares at the question paper for five minutes, and then in a fit of inspiration takes his wallet out, removes a coin and starts tossing the coin and marking the answer sheet - Y forHeads and N for Tails. Within half an hour he is all done whereas the rest of the class is sweating it out.During the last few minutes, he is seen desperately throwing the coin,swearing and sweating.The invigilator, alarmed, approaches him and asks what is going on. "Oye, I finished the exam in half and hour". "But yaar", he says, "I amrechecking my answers and am not able to tally them with what I wrote."

15 Things for you....

2007-07-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

1. At least 5 people in this world love you so much they would die for you.

2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way. !

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. If not for you, someone may not be living.

8. You are special and unique.

9. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.

10. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

11. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take a look: you most likely turned your back on the world.

12. When you think you have no chance of getting what you want, you probably won't get it, but if you believe in yourself, probably, sooner or later, you will get it.

13. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

14. Always tell someone how you feel about them,.You will feel much better when they know.

15. A Minute: They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them. Take the time .. to live and love.

2007-04-23T09:53:00.000-07:00

Dry Leaf.. My Life . . .

2007-04-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Dry Leaf.. My Life . . .

In the sea shore I walk alone.. at nights
My eyes filled with tears
My lips crushed between my teeth
My hands wrapping myself tightly
My heart crying for its own death..

I see no future in front of me
May be I don’t see the one I wished to
It’s hard to get ready for another future
The future where I won’t see you any more
The future where I will forget you completely..

Everything around me is empty now
Everything that had had life before
I will look for a shop where I can buy a new heart
This time I will be careful not to let it fall
At least for the one who is not going to catch it..?

I will start a new beginning
I will color myself in a different brush
To hide my pains from others
I won’t let myself get wet in emotions
I’m just afraid to learn about love again . . .

Wishing, You Loved Me Again . . .

2007-04-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

Wishing, You Loved Me Again . . .

Ask me, just one more time
To be yours, for ever more
To share, for better or worse
And this time I won’t let you go.

Tell me, just one more time
That you dream of me, and nothing else
That without me, you’re incomplete
And this time, I won’t be such a fool.

Hear me, just one more time
Forget all that I said before,
Why, I do not know
But now, I really want you back.

Look back just one more time,
See the smile fade away,
See these eyes longing,
Wishing you loved me again . . .

Unforgettable first love . . .

2007-04-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

People say first love is unforgettable
I smiled, when my friends were talking about memories of their first love.
It was a joke for me..
Until my heart feel you.
I never knew love is so powerful
Until I say, “I love you”.
I could not understand why people die for their love
Until I lose you.
Now I do believe
First love is unforgettable.
But..
It’s too late now.
You are not with me, I’m alone.
But..
Still I’m living with our sweet memories.
Coz those are unforgettable . . .

Miss u a lot...

Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye

2007-04-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye
Sanjh Ki Dulhan Badan Churaye
Chupke Se Aaye
Mere Khayaalon Ke Aangan Mein
Koi Sapnon Ke Deep Jalaaye
Deep Jalaaye
Kahin Door...

Kabhi Yun Hi Jab Hui Bojhal Saansen
Bhar Aai Baithe Baithe Jab Yun Hi Aankhen
Tabhi Machal Ke, Pyar Se Chal Ke
Chhuye Koi Mujhe Par Nazar Na Aaye
Nazar Na Aaye
Kahin Door...

Kahin To Yeh Dil Kabhi Mil Nahin Paate
Kahin Pe Nikal Aaye Janmon Ke Naate
Thami Thi Uljhan, Bairi Apna Man
Apna Hi Hoke Sahe Dard Paraaye
Dard Paraaye
Kahin Door...

Dil Jaane Mere Saare Bhed Ye Gehere
Kho Gaye Kaise Mere Sapne Sunahare
Ye Mere Sapne, Yehi To Hai Apne
Mujhse Juda Na Honge Inke Ye Saaye
Inke Ye Saaye
Kahin Door...

Madhusaala

2007-03-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

Madiralay jaaney ko ghar se chalta hai peeney wala,

Kis path se jaoon, asmanjas mein hai bhola bhala,

Alag alag path batlatey sab, par main yeh batlata hoon,

Rah pakad tu ek chala chal, pa jayega
madhushala!!

________________By Harivansh Rai Bachchan

Memories...

2007-03-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Memories play a confusing role.

They make u Laugh when u remember the time u Cried together !!!

But make u Cry when u remember the time u Laughed together !!!

5 Minutes per day... Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gum...

2007-03-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my Blog - 5 Minutes per day... Kabhi Khusi Kabhi Gum...

Yehi Hai Life...
Kabhi Khusi to Kabhi Gum.

Just give me 5 minutes a day to share our Khusi & Gum...