How's Your Romantic Intuition?

 

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"Maybe it's intuition, Something you just don't question...I knew I loved you before I met you, I think I dreamed you into life, I knew I loved you before I met you, I have been waiting all my life, There's just no rhyme or reason, Only a sense of completion, And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces, I'm searching for, I think I've found my way home" -- Savage Garden
Can we love someone before meeting them? I believe we can, in the same way that we might "know" that we will not love someone even before we've met her or him. Our love is often based upon our romantic intuitions, which have developed before we meet someone.
Is such intuition helpful?

Romantic intuition is not a mysterious sixth sense. It is based on previously-formed evaluative structures, schemata that have been set during evolution and our own personal development. Our individual and evolutionary history is embedded in these structures. Hence, we may be predisposed to love a certain type of person even before getting to know a specific individual. Thus, someone may tend to love wise, caring men with an ironic sense of humor and preferably a British accent. Meeting an individual who matches (to a great extent) this pattern activates our inbuilt schemata and enables us to benefit from this implicit knowledge.

As Steve Jobs said: "As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

The romantic intuition that is activated in loving someone before meeting them is somewhat similar to love at first sight. However, while love at first sight mainly involves an activation of an aesthetic schema, the intuition in loving before actually knowing is broader and is a response to perceived admirable character traits.
The initial fit to our preferences does not guarantee the growth of profound love, which depends on developing joint activities that promote the lovers' flourishing. It also does not guarantee the long-term duration of this love; with better knowledge of the person, gaps between our ideal image and the individual's reality might become apparent, or the schemata may change as we grow older. However, the initial fit is a considerable boost to the establishment of long-term profound love.

We should not waste our lives searching for a certain ideal that may not exist; instead, we should invest more effort in making our actual relationship as close as possible to the ideal and be prepared to make some compromises and revisions to our ideal while not giving up the essential aspects of romantic love. As Tom Robbins said: "We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.”
Finding true love often involves a rocky road, and the destination is not always known. Not everyone is lucky enough to "find" a person they love before they even meet, or wise enough to stick to a good enough partner when they find him or her.

To sum up: We should not mistrust our romantic intuition, but we should also not base our relationship decisions on such feelings alone. But just as Intuition by itself can be wrong, so can intellectual thinking. So listen to your heart, take into account other perspectives—your own and others'—and then make your decision. Intuition is an excellent starting point. It cannot replace thinking. It can, however, be of great value in the romantic decision-making process.

                                                                                         Aaron Ben-Zeév, Ph.D. in In the Name of Love

Try this simple meditation for falling asleep and waking up ...

 First thing in the morning, imagine yourself tremendously happy. Get out of bed in a very happy mood — radiant, bubbling, expectant — as if something perfect, of infinite value, is going to happen today. Get out of the bed in a very positive and hopeful mood, with the feeling that this day is not going to be an ordinary day — that something exceptional, extraordinary, is waiting for you; something is very close by. Try and remember it again and again for the whole day. Within seven days you will see that your whole pattern, your whole style, your whole vibration, has changed.

When you go to sleep in the night, just imagine that you are falling into divine hands...as if existence is supporting you, that you are in its lap, falling asleep. Just visualize it and fall asleep. The one thing to carry is that you should go on imagining and let sleep come, so that the imagination enters into sleep; they are overlapping.
Don’t imagine any negative thing, because if people who have an imaginative capacity imagine negative things, they start happening. If you think that you are going to get ill, you will get ill. If you think that somebody is going to be rude to you, he will be. Your very imagination will create the situation.
So if a negative idea comes, immediately change it to a positive thought. Say no to it. Drop it immediately; throw it away.
Within a week you will start feeling that you are becoming very happy — for no reason at all.

                                                                                                     Osho, The Passion for the Impossible

10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier, Backed By Science

Happiness is so interesting, because we all have different ideas about what it is and how to get it.

 I would love to be happier, as I'm sure most people would, so I thought it would be interesting to find some ways to become a happier person that are actually backed up by science. Here are ten of the best ones I found.

1. Exercise more - 7 minutes might be enough

You don't have to be depressed to gain benefit from exercise, though. It can help you to relax, increase your brain power and even improve your body image, even if you don't lose any weight.

We've explored exercise in depth before, and looked at what it does to our brains, such as releasing proteins and endorphins that make us feel happier, as you can see in the image below.

2. Sleep more - you'll be less sensitive to negative emotions
We know that sleep helps our bodies to recover from the day and repair themselves, and that it helps us focus and be more productive. It turns out, it's also important for our happiness.

Of course, how well (and how long) you sleep will probably affect how you feel when you wake up, which can make a difference to your whole day. Especially this graph showing how your brain activity decreases is a great insight about how important enough sleep is for productivity and happiness:

3. Move closer to work - a short commute is worth more than a big house
Our commute to the office can have a surprisingly powerful impact on our happiness. The fact that we tend to do this twice a day, five days a week, makes it unsurprising that its effect would build up over time and make us less and less happy.

4. Spend time with friends and family - don't regret it on your deathbed
Staying in touch with friends and family is one of the top five regrets of the dying. If you want more evidence that it's beneficial for you, I've found some research that proves it can make you happier right now.

5. Go outside - happiness is maximized at 13.9°C
This is pretty good news for those of us who are worried about fitting new habits into our already-busy schedules. Twenty minutes is a short enough time to spend outside that you could fit it into your commute or even your lunch break.
6. Help others - 100 hours a year is the magical number
One of the most counterintuitive pieces of advice I found is that to make yourself feel happier, you should help others. In fact, 100 hours per year (or two hours per week) is the optimal time we should dedicate to helping others in order to enrich our lives.

7. Practice smiling - it can alleviate pain
 Smiling is one way to reduce the distress caused by an upsetting situation. Psychologists call this the facial feedback hypothesis. Even forcing a smile when we don't feel like it is enough to lift our mood slightly (this is one example of embodied cognition).

8. Plan a trip - but don't take one
 Shawn Achor has some info for us on this point, as well:

One study found that people who just thought about watching their favorite movie actually raised their endorphin levels by 27 percent.If you can't take the time for a vacation right now, or even a night out with friends, put something on the calendar--even if it's a month or a year down the road. Then whenever you need a boost of happiness, remind yourself about it.

9. Meditate - rewire your brain for happiness
Studies show that in the minutes right after meditating, we experience feelings of calm and contentment, as well as heightened awareness and empathy. And, research even shows that regular meditation can permanently rewire the brain to raise levels of happiness.

10. Practice gratitude - increase both happiness and life satisfaction
This is a seemingly simple strategy, but I've personally found it to make a huge difference to my outlook. There are lots of ways to practice gratitude, from keeping a journal of things you're grateful for, sharing three good things that happen each day with a friend or your partner, and going out of your way to show gratitude when others help you.

 

The Key to Solving Any Problem

                                                         My father is a physicist, and whenever and I had some tough physics problem in my homework I would come to him for help. There is one advice he would give me that I can still remember. He would say: “sketch out the problem and understand what is going on before you try to solve it.”

The interesting thing is that this exercise will help you solve pretty much any problem in your life, be it a professional or a personal one.
Why? Because we almost never take the time to analyze and understand our problems before we try to solve them. We think we do, but we don’t.
For example, we all go through some kind of financial problem sooner or later. In order to solve it, however, we just “think” about it, maybe before going to sleep, maybe on the commute to work, and then we take a decision. Some of us might talk with other people asking for their opinions, but that is it.
How many of us actually sit down with pen and paper (and a calculator in this case), sketch out the parts involved in the problem and analyze what is going before trying to find the best decision to take? I would guess not many.
And keep in mind that the sketching part is essential. When you draw and write things down you basically increase the processing power of your brain, because it becomes much easier to visually the elements involved, to understand how they are related, and to discover new aspects of the problem you hadn’t considered forehand.
So remember, whenever you are trying to solve a tough problem, sit down with pen and paper and sketch the parts involved, trying to understand what is going on before you choose the right solution.

Daniel Scocco

I AM NOT SAYING I AM THE BEST...I AM JUST DIFFERENT

I am my own story. I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve because I take relationships seriously. Maybe I am old school or out dated but I am the kind of girl who wants a back in the fifties kind of love because I don’t believe in one night stands and casual love affairs.

 I don’t dress to please men because ..
I don’t follow a book of do’s and don’ts. I laugh when I want to laugh and I cry when I feel like crying. I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve because I take relationships seriously. Maybe I am old school or out dated but I am the kind of girl who wants a back in the fifties kind of love because I don’t believe in one night stands and casual love affairs. I don’t dress to please men because i love to wear what i feel comfortable in. So unless you are in my shoes don't make assumptions about me and don't judge me by what you see. I know what i want, i know what i need, i know what i want to my future....

                                                                                                                                      Aarti Khurana

Aarti Khurana

Aarti Khurana

The Kind of Love That Does Your Heart Good

 

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Love is a universal human emotion that permeates all aspects of life. We love our families, our friends, our partners, and even our pets. We can also love our jobs, music, artwork, landscapes, and certain foods. Love can be defined as a strong emotional attachment toward another person or thing that can produce feelings of euphoria and joy—or sadness and despair. There is no doubt that love is one of the most powerful emotions a human being can experience, yet we spend so much time focusing on loving everything around us that we often forget the most important recipient of love: ourselves.

5 Easy Ways to Love Yourself More:

 1. Stop Beating Yourself Up and Start Being Kind to Yourself

We can all be our own worst critics, sometimes to our detriment. A certain amount of introspection is healthy, but when you constantly focus on your flaws or failures, you start to develop a skewed sense of self that can spill over into your external world. Instead of focusing on the negative, remind yourself of the things you like about yourself. Give yourself compliments and be compassionate toward yourself. When you are kind to yourself, that positive energy will shine through, making it easier for you to accomplish your goals and easier for others to treat you with the same kindness.

2. Spend Time With Yourself
The better you know yourself, the easier it is to love yourself. One of the best ways to develop a sense of self is to spend time alone. Schedule in some time every week when you turn off your phone and your computer and simply concentrate on you. Read a book, meditate, go for a walk, or take yourself out to dinner or the movies. The more time you spend with just you, the more centered and grounded you will become, and the better equipped you will be to battle negative emotions and to live life with more meaning.

3. Do What You Love
 How many times a week do you do something you truly love? How many times in a month? A year? Part of loving yourself is nurturing your soul with the things that make you happy. This could be dancing, singing, traveling, learning a new language, or even just sitting quietly with a cup of tea and a crossword puzzle. Feed your soul with joyful activities, and that happiness and contentment will resonate through your life and extend to the people around you.

4. Choose to Be Around Positive People
The people you choose to spend your time with are a direct reflection of how much you value yourself. Surround yourself with positive people who are caring, supportive, and nonjudgmental, and you will feel loved, appreciated, and respected. Studies show that individuals who associate with cheerful people have a happier demeanor and consequently a better sense of well-being. If, on the other hand, you surround yourself with toxic people who bring you down, how can you not feel unloved and unappreciated? Life is too short to waste time with people who suck your happiness and energy, so make the choice to allot your time to those who encourage and inspire you.

5. Be Your Own Caregiver
At times it may feel as though your job in life is to care for and support those around you. But how can you properly care for others when you neglect your own health and happiness? Make an effort to take care of your body by eating healthily, getting plenty of rest, and exercising regularly. Manage your stress by meditating or making time for yourself. Instead of relying on others to take care of you, take the initiative to look after your own physical and emotional well-being, and your confidence and sense of self-worth will grow.
Loving yourself is not about being selfish. It’s about taking care of your own needs so that you can be the best person possible to yourself and others. When you truly start to love yourself, you will find that your health improves, you become happier and more balanced, and you are able to enjoy good people and good things in your life.

                                                                                                                           Cynthia M. Thaik, M.D.

 

                                                                                                                  

How to Be a Beautiful Person?

Do you want to feel really beautiful and confident on the inside? This article provides some pointers on the qualities of a beautiful person from the inside.

Step 1 :

 

Don't point out other people's flaws. Nobody is perfect and even the models have cellulite, air-brushed photos and feel guilty for not doing enough to help make the world a better place. You're beautiful just for being you.

Step 2: 

Leave a sweet smile on your face. Smiles are the one thing that always get returned, well, at least about 99% of the time. They cost nothing but they mean everything. Practice wearing one more often.

Step 3:

Keep your appearance nice. Avoid overdoing the makeup and always prefer natural, light and unclogged looks. 

Step 4:

Be a positive soul. Singing and humming quietly when it's a cloudy day, when you feel down and need to feel up, or when you just need to keep calm, is a really great thing to try.

Step 5:

Give to others and to yourself. A person who neglects their own needs ceases to be beautiful as they become embittered and self-involved. Paying attention to your needs some of the time makes you a more balanced, giving, and forgiving person with everyone else. Always make a little time for yourself amidst your good deeds and treat you once in a while too.

Step 6:

Don't curse. Don't start fights and don't get involved in fights unless you need to stick up for someone. Even then, use pleasant words to disarm and never raise your voice or your anger to others.

Step 7 :

Be optimistic. Don't be gloomy unless it's as bad as a divorce or funeral. Even then, you need to be ready to move on when the grief unfolds. Be glad of the presence of others and realize how beautiful everyone else is and the world around you. Optimism is a vibe that is catching.

Step 8:

Be nice to everybody! Forgive! Forgiveness and compassion are at the root of all good. We all have the power to forgive a person what they do to us personally and in letting go of past hurts, we let go of a powerful and negative hold that damages our inner beauty. Be ready to let go and think good of others.

Step 9:

Accept that it is all right to get angry or sad at times. To not do so would not be human. The really important thing is to balance our emotions and to err on the side of respect, good faith, belief in others and optimism; with a good dose of reality checks where needed to prevent yourself from becoming anyone's doormat. Assertiveness is the word we're looking for here and it is a lifelong learning experience.

 

PARABLE OF THE PENCIL

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box.

“There are 5 things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “Before I send you out into the world.
Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.”

One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in
someone’s hand.”

Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you’ll need it to become a better
pencil.”

Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.”

Four: “The most important part of you will always be what's inside.”

And Five: “On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.”

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
Now replacing the place of the pencil with you. Always remember them and never forget, and you
will become the best person you can be.

One: “You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God’s
hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.”

Two: “You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various
problems in life, but you’ll need it to become a stronger person.”

Three: “You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.”

Four: “The most important part of you will always be what’s on the inside.”

And Five: “On every surface you walk through, you must leave your mark. No matter what the
situation, you must continue to do your duties.”

Allow this parable on the pencil to encourage you to know that you are a special person and only
you can fulfill the purpose to which you were born to accomplish.

Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change.

 THE FARMER AND THE STORK

 

Finding that cranes were destroying his newly sown corn, a farmer one evening set a net 

in his field to catch the destructive birds.

When he went to examine the net next morning he found a number of cranes and also a stork.

 

“Release me, I beseech you,” cried the stork, “for I have eaten none of your corn, nor have

I done you any harm. I am a poor innocent stork, as you may see - a most dutiful bird, 

I honor my father and mother. I...”

 

 

But the farmer cut him short. “All this may be true enough, I dare say, but I have caught 

you with those were destroying my crops, and you must suffer with the company in 

which you are found.”

 

People are judged by the company they keep.

DON'T CHANGE THE WORLD

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. 

One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he was back to 

his palace, he complained that his feet were very painful, because it was the first time that he 

went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony.

He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather.

Definitely, this would need thousands of cows’ skin, and would cost a

huge amount of money.

 Then one of his wise servants dared himself to tell the king, “Why do you have to spend that 

unnecessary amount of money? Why don’t you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet?”

The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a “shoe” for himself.

There is actually a valuable lesson of life in this story: to make this world a happy

place to live, you better change yourself - your heart; and not the world.

Never Feel Rejected

Never Feel Rejected

Once, there was this guy, who was in love with a girl. She wasn’t the most beautiful and gorgeous but for him, she was everything. He used to dream about her, about spending the rest of life with her. His friends told him, “why do you dream so much about her, when you don’t even know if she loves you or not? First tell her your feelings, and get to know if she likes you or not”.
He felt that was the right way.

The girl knew from the beginning, that this guy loves her. One day when he proposed, she rejected him. His friends thought he would take alcohol, drugs etc and ruin his life. To their surprise, he was not depressed.
When they asked him how was it that he is not sad, he replied, “‘why should I feel bad? I lost one who never loved me and she lost the one who really loved and cared for her.”

Moral: True Love is Hard to Get. Love is all about giving to
other person without greed of gaining anything in return, if other person
rejects it, its him/her who will be losing most important thing in life. So
never feel rejected

Love is the Most Important Thing in Your Life

Our culture is driven by our ego’s needs, which means that if we are important, we have a chance of being recognized as wonderful, great, or admirable.

Yet, hidden from us is life’s true meaning to love. This is not held in our ego’s position, but by our Highest Self which carries the mission to love. 

 Love is what we live for and is truly the most important thing in our lives, whether you’re a king, queen, or a person who lives on the street, whether you’re poor, unemployed, alone, struggling, old, or just graduated with a Ph.D

The real mark of greatness is shown through love’s actions of kindness, compassion, helpfulness, and caring. You feel this in your heart. You’re on the right path and in your right place if …
you  feel love in your heart and let it live there to motivate, guide, heal, and influence yourself and others. Let all be done through love.
                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                        Shannon Peck

When a friend does something wrong to you

Friendships can only save. There are times, or it really happened that both will test in circumstances, but if you love & give understanding to each other and too realize how was your friend being good to you. Take a little time to realize that having a bad feelings is normal then don’t forget to talk first before letting go of each other because its always happened this to me, and I’ve come to realized that friendship is very important and precious.

                                                                                                                                      -Cristy Ponzaran-

What is happiness?

  It is a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. It is usually experienced, when there are no worries, fears or obsessing thoughts. This usually happens, when we do something we love to do, or when we get, win, gain, or achieve something that we value. It seems to be the outcome of positive events, but it actually comes from the inside, triggered by external events.

 For most people, happiness seems fleeting and temporary, because they allow external circumstances to affect it. One of the best ways to keep it, is by gaining inner peace through daily meditation. As the mind becomes more peaceful, it becomes easier to choose the happiness habit.

A BEAUTIFUL WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS

A Father was reading a magazine and his little daughter every now and then distracted him. To keep her busy, he tore one page on which was printed the map of the world. He tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again.

He was sure she would take the whole day to get it done. But the little one came back within minutes with perfect map……When he asked how she could do it so quickly, she said, “Oh…. Dad, there is a man’s face on the other side of the paper….. I made the face perfect to get the map right.” She ran outside to play leaving the father surprised.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
There is always the other side to whatever you experience in this world. Whenever we come across a challenge or a puzzling situation, look at the other side…. You will be surprised to see an easy way to tackle the problem.

 

The False Human Belief

As a man was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime can break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.
He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

 The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Moral: Failure is a part of learning. We should never give up the struggle in life. You Fail not because you are destined to fail, but because there are lessons which you need to learn as you move on with your life.
 
                                                                                                                Submitted By: Abasa Glory
                                                                                                                 warri, Delta state, Nigeria

 What is the best way to spell love ? 


 Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.

It is not enough to just say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless. "My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action." Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is "T-I-M-E.”

― Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?-

GREAT ATTITUDE

Once a bird asked a Bee, after a continuous hard-work, you prepare the honey.
But a man steals the honey. Do you not feel sad?

Then the Bee replied: Never… Because a man can only steal my honey not the art of making honey..!!

Everyone has a Story in Life

A 24 year old boy seeing out from the train’s window shouted…
“Dad, look the trees are going behind!”
Dad smiled and a young couple sitting nearby, looked at the 24 year old’s childish behavior with pity,
suddenly he again exclaimed…
“Dad, look the clouds are running with us!”
The couple couldn’t resist and said to the old man…
“Why don’t you take your son to a good doctor?”
The old man smiled and said…
“I did and we are just coming from the hospital, my son was blind from birth, he just got his eyes today.

Every single person on the planet has a story. Don’t judge people before you truly know them. The truth might surprise you.

The important things in life

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, about 2 inches in diameter.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

 The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up the remaining open areas of the jar.
He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “Yes.”
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, your partner, your health, your children – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter – like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else, the small stuff.”
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party, or fix the disposal.”
“Take care of the rocks first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

Author Unknown

Tips for a beautiful life!

This story contains some “tips” that may bring you a beautiful life. Read them, live by them more fully, and I promise you will experience a beautiful life!

• Take a 10-30 minute walk every day and while you walk, smile.
   
• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
   
• When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to … today.”
   
• Live with the 3 E’s: Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy, and the 3 F’s: Faith, Family, Friends.
   
• Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
   
• Dream more while you are awake.
   
• Try to make at least three people smile each day.  

         

• Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass all your tests. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
   
• Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.
   
• Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
   
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
   
• Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
   
• You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagreements.
   
• Make peace with your past, so it won’t mess up the present.
   
• Don’t compare your life with others’. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
   
• Burn the candles, use the nice sheets. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
   
• No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
   
• Forgive everyone for everything.
   
• What other people think of you is none of your business.
   
• Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
   
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
   
• Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will stay in touch.
   
• Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful, or joyful.
   
• The best is yet to come… Believe.
   
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, and show up.
   
• Do the right thing!
   
• Call your family often.
   
• Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: “I am thankful for…” – “Today I accomplished…”
   
• Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
   
• Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. Make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

Author Unknown

Story submitted by John C

Salt, Glass of Water and the Lake

Once an unhappy young man came to an old master and told he had a very sad life and asked for a solution.

The old Master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and then to drink it.
“How does it taste?” – the Master asked.
“Terrible.” – spat the apprentice.

The Master chuckled and then asked the young man to take another handful of salt and put it in the lake. The two walked in silence to the nearby lake and when the apprentice swirled his handful of salt into the lake.

The old man said, “Now drink from the lake.”
As the water dripped down the young man’s chin, the Master asked, “How does it taste?”
“Good!” – remarked the apprentice.
“Do you taste the salt?” – asked the Master.
“No.” – said the young man.

The Master sat beside this troubled young man, took his hands, and said, “The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. The amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the ‘pain’ depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things. Stop being a glass. Become a lake.”

                                                                                                                           

Author Unknown
Story Submitted by Camilia

Coffee On The Wall

I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighboring town of Venice, Italy, the city of lights and water.

As we enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us. He called the waiter and placed his order saying, “Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall.”

We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two.
When he left, the waiter put a piece of paper on the wall saying “A Cup of Coffee”.

While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he put a piece of paper on the wall saying, “A Cup of Coffee”.

It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.

After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. While we were enjoying our coffee, a man poorly dressed entered. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, “One cup of coffee from the wall.”

The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying.
We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the trash bin.

Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear. The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears.

Ponder upon the need of what this man wanted. He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem… he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee… without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him… he only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.

A truly beautiful thought. Probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see anywhere!

Author Unknown
Submitted by H H Chanchani

Finding Happiness

Once a group of 50 people was attending a seminar.

Suddenly the speaker stopped and started giving each person a balloon. Each one was asked to write his/her name on it using a marker pen. Then all the balloons were collected and put in another room.

Now these delegates were let in that room and asked to find the balloon which had their name written, within 5 minutes.

Everyone was frantically searching for their name, pushing, colliding with each other, and there was utter chaos.
At the end of 5 minutes, no one could find their own balloon.
Now each one was asked to randomly collect a balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within minutes everyone had their own balloon.

The speaker began: This is exactly happening in our lives. Everyone is frantically looking for happiness all around, not knowing where it is. Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people. Give them their happiness, you will get your own happiness.

And this is the purpose of human life.

Author Unknown
Submitted by Hemendra Chanchani