SMS that made my day!

Sometimes we complicate things.....even by being quiet!
Silence is not always understood!

U miss some1?
Call.

Wanna meet?
Invite!

Wanna b understood?
xplain urself!

Have questions?
Ask.

Don't like it?
Say it.

Like it?
State it.

U r in d mood?
Do it.

Want something?
Ask in d best possible way to get a yes.

If u already have a "no", have the courage to let go.

We just have one life....

Do what makes u happy!

50 Questions that will free your mind!

A good mail from a friend, worth sharing with everyone.

Please take your time on every question and do share your opinions on any or every questions, if you feel so!
 

These questions have no right or wrong answers.......

Because sometimes asking the right questions is the answer..........

1.     How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are?

2.     Which is worse, failing or never trying?

3.     If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

4.     When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

5.     What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?

6.     If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

7.     Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing?

8.     If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently?

9.     To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken?

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do?

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be?

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one?

14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?

15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people?

16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What’s holding you back?

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of?

19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?

20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?

21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton?

22. Why are you, you?

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend?

24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you?

25. What are you most grateful for?

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones?

27. Is is possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?

30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?

31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive?

32. If not now, then when?

33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?

37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?

38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?

39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?

40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?

41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?

42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?

43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living?

44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?

45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?

46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing?

48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?

49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?

50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is:  Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

The Window!

A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. Next morning while they are eating their breakfast, the young woman sees through their window, her neighbors hang their washed clothes outside.

"That laundry is not very clean." She said, " She probably doesn't know how to wash clothes correctly! Perhaps she needs a better laundry soup!" Her husband looked on but remained silent.

Every time her neighbour would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would pass the same comments.

About one month later, the young woman was surprised to see nice bright well washed clothes on the line and she said to her husband, " Look, she has finally learnt how to wash correctly! I wonder who taught her that!"

Her husband said, " I woke up early in the morning and cleaned our windows!"

And so it is with life:

"What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look. Before we give any criticism it would be better to check our state of mind and ask ourselves if we are ready to see the good rather than to be looking for something else in the person we are about to judge!"

Why I KIlled Gandhi?

Got this amazing fwd! It is my humble request to all the readers to read this piece because it has that rare part of our history that is so important but is shunned all the time and is treated as a taboo. I've maintained the original format of the mail. WHY I KILLED GANDHI!!! NATHURAM GODSE 'S ADDRESS IN COURT* *Gandhiji Assassin: Nathuram Godse's Final Address to the Court*. Nathuram Godse was arrested immediately after he assassinated Gandhiji, based on a F. I. R. filed by Nandlal Mehta at the Tughlak Road Police station at Delhi . *The trial, which was held in camera, began on 27th May 1948 and concluded on 10th February 1949. He was sentenced to death..* An appeal to the Punjab High Court, then in session at Simla, did not find favourable and the sentence was upheld. *The statement that you are about to read is the last made by Godse before the Court on the 5th of May 1949**. * *Such was the power and eloquence of this statement that one of the judges, G. D. Khosla, later wrote, "I have, however, no doubt that had the audience of that day been constituted into a jury and entrusted with the task of deciding Godse's appeal, they would have brought a verdict of 'not Guilty' by an overwhelming majority"** * *WHY I KILLED GANDHI* "Born in a devotional Brahmin family, I instinctively came to revere Hindu religion, Hindu history, and Hindu culture. *I had, therefore, been intensely proud of Hinduism as a whole. * As I grew up I developed a tendency to free thinking unfettered by any superstitious allegiance to any isms, political or religious. *That is why I worked actively for the eradication of untouchables and the caste system based on birth alone. I openly joined RSS wing of anti-caste movements and maintained that all Hindus were of equal status as to rights, social, and religious and should be considered high or low on merit alone and not through the accident of birth in a particular caste or profession. * I used publicly to take part in organized anti-caste dinners in which thousands of Hindus, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Chamars and Bhangis participated. *We broke the caste rules and dined in the company of each other. I have read the speeches and writings of Ravana, Chanakiya, Dadabhai Naoroji, Vivekanand, Gokhale, Tilak, along with the books of ancient and modern history of India* and some prominent countries like England , France , America , and Russia . Moreover I studied the tenets of Socialism and Marxism. But above all *I studied very closely whatever Veer Savarkar and Gandhiji had written and spoken, as to my mind these two ideologies have contributed more to the molding of the thought and action of the Indian people during the last thirty years* or so, than any other single factor has done. All this reading and thinking led me to believe it was my first duty to serve Hinduism and Hindus both as a patriot and as a world citizen. *To secure the freedom and to safeguard the just interests of some thirty crores (300 million) of Hindus would automatically constitute the freedom and the well-being of all India , one fifth of human race. This conviction led me naturally to devote myself to the Hindu Sanghtanist ideology and program, which alone, I came to believe, could win and preserve the national independence of Hindustan , my Motherland, and enable her to render true service to humanity as well. * *Since the year 1920, that is, after the demise of Lokamanya Tilak, Gandhiji's influence in the Congress first increased and then became supreme *. His activities for public awakening were phenomenal in their intensity *and were reinforced by the slogan of truth and non-violence* which he paraded ostentatiously before the country. No sensible or enlightened person could object to those slogans. In fact there is nothing new or original in them. They are implicit in every constitutional public movement. But it is nothing but a mere dream if you imagine that the bulk of mankind is, or can ever become, capable of scrupulous adherence to these lofty principles in its normal life from day to day. In fact, honour, duty, and love of one's own kith and kin and country might often compel us to disregard non-violence and to use force. *I could never conceive that an armed resistance to an aggression is unjust*. I would consider it a religious and moral duty to resist and, if possible, to overpower such an enemy by use of force. *[In the Ramayana] Rama killed Ravana* in a tumultuous fight and relieved Sita.. [In the Mahabharata] , * Krishna** killed Kansa *to end his wickedness; and Arjuna had to fight and slay quite a number of his friends and relations including the revered Bhishma because the latter was on the side of the aggressor. It is my firm belief that in dubbing Rama, Krishna , and Arjuna as guilty of violence, the *Mahatma betrayed a total ignorance* of the springs of human action. *In more recent history, it was the heroic fight put up by Chhatrapati Shivaji that first checked and eventually destroyed the Muslim tyranny in India* . It was absolutely essentially for Shivaji to overpower and kill an aggressive Afzal Khan, failing which he would have lost his own life. In condemning history's *towering warriors like Shivaji, Rana Pratap and Guru Gobind Singh as misguided patriots, Gandhiji has merely exposed his self-conceit. * He was, paradoxical as it may appear a violent pacifist who brought untold calamities on the country in the name of truth and non-violence, while Rana Pratap, Shivaji, and the Guru will remain enshrined in the hearts of their countrymen for ever for the freedom they brought to them. The accumulating provocation of thirty-two years, culminating in his last pro-Muslim fast, at last goaded me to the conclusion that the existence of Gandhi should be brought to an end immediately. *Gandhi had done very well in South Africa to uphold the rights and well-being of the Indian community there. But when he finally returned to India he developed a subjective mentality under which he alone was to be the final judge of what was right or wrong. If the country wanted his leadership, it had to accept his infallibility; if it did not, he would stand aloof from the Congress and carry on his own way. * Against such an attitude there can be no halfway house. *Either Congress had to surrender its will to his and had to be content* with playing second fiddle to all his eccentricity, whimsicality, metaphysics and primitive vision, *or it had to carry on without him.* *He alone was the Judge of everyone and every thing*; he was the master brain guiding the civil disobedience movement; no other could know the technique of that movement. He alone knew when to begin and when to withdraw it. The movement might succeed or fail, it might bring untold disaster, and political reverses but that could make no difference to the Mahatma's infallibility. 'A Satyagrahi can never fail' was his formula for declaring his own infallibility and nobody except himself knew what a Satyagrahi is. *Thus, the Mahatma became the judge and jury in his own cause. These childish insanities and obstinacies, coupled with a most severe austerity of life, ceaseless work and lofty character made Gandhi formidable and irresistible. * Many people thought that his politics were irrational but they had either to withdraw from the Congress or place their intelligence at his feet to do with as he liked. *In a position of such absolute irresponsibility Gandhi was guilty of blunder after blunder, failure after failure, disaster after disaster. Gandhi's pro-Muslim policy is blatantly in his perverse attitude on the question of the national language of India .* It is quite obvious that Hindi has the most prior claim to be accepted as the premier language. In the beginning of his career in India , Gandhi *gave a great impetus to Hindi but as he found that the Muslims did not like it, he became a champion of what is called Hindustani.. Everybody in India knows that there is no language called Hindustani;* it has no grammar; it has no vocabulary. It is a mere dialect, it is spoken, but not written. It is a bastard tongue and cross-breed between Hindi and Urdu, and not even the Mahatma's sophistry could make it popular. But in his desire *to please the Muslims he insisted that Hindustani alone should be the national language of India .* His blind followers, of course, supported him and the so-called hybrid language began to be used. The charm and purity of the Hindi language was to be prostituted to please the Muslims. All his experiments were at the expense of the Hindus. >*From August 1946 onwards the private armies of the Muslim League began a massacre of the Hindus. The then Viceroy, Lord Wavell, though distressed at what was happening, would not use his powers under the Government of India Act of 1935 to prevent the rape, murder and arson. The Hindu blood began to flow from Bengal to Karachi with some retaliation by the Hindus. The Interim Government formed in September was sabotaged by its Muslim League member right from its inception, *but the more they became disloyal and treasonable to the government of which they were a part, the greater was Gandhi's infatuation for them.* Lord Wavell had to resign as he could not bring about a settlement and he was succeeded by Lord Mountbatten. King Log was followed by King Stork. *The Congress which had boasted of its nationalism and socialism secretly accepted Pakistan literally at the point of the bayonet and abjectly surrendered to Jinnah. India was vivisected and one-third of the Indian territory became foreign land to us from August 15, 1947.* Lord Mount batten came to be described in Congress circles as the greatest Viceroy and Governor-General this country ever had. The official date for handing over power was fixed for June 30, 1948, *but Mount batten with his ruthless surgery gave us a gift of vivisected India ten months in advance. This is what Gandhi had achieved after thirty years of undisputed dictatorship and this is what Congress party calls 'freedom' and 'peaceful transfer of power'. The Hindu-Muslim unity bubble was finally burst and a the ocratic state was established with the consent of Nehru and his crowd and they have called 'freedom won by them with sacrifice' - whose sacrifice? When top leaders of Congress, with the consent of Gandhi, divided and tore the country - which we consider a deity of worship - my mind was filled with direful anger. * One of the conditions imposed by Gandhi for his breaking of the fast unto death related to the mosques in Delhi occupied by the Hindu refugees. But when Hindus in Pakistan were subjected to violent attacks he did not so much as utter a single word to protest and censure the Pakistan Government or the Muslims concerned. Gandhi was shrewd enough to know that while undertaking a fast unto death, had he imposed for its break some condition on the Muslims in Pakistan , there would have been found hardly any Muslims who could have shown some grief if the fast had ended in his death. It was for this reason that he purposely avoided imposing any condition on the Muslims. He was fully aware of from the experience that Jinnah was not at all perturbed or influenced by his fast and the Muslim League hardly attached any value to the inner voice of Gandhi. Gandhi is being referred to as the Father of the Nation. *But if that is so, he had failed his paternal duty in as much as he has acted very treacherously to the nation by his consenting to the partitioning of it. I stoutly maintain that Gandhi has failed in his duty*. *He has proved to be the Father of Pakistan*. His inner-voice, his spiritual power and his doctrine of non-violence of which so much is made of, all crumbled before Jinnah's iron will, and proved to be powerless. Briefly speaking, I thought to myself and foresaw I shall be totally ruined, and the only thing I could expect from the people would be nothing but hatred and that I shall have lost my entire honor, even more valuable than my life, if I were to kill Gandhiji. *But at the same time I felt that the Indian politics in the absence of Gandhiji would surely be proved practical, able to retaliate, and would be powerful with armed forces. No doubt, my own future would be totally ruined, but the nation would be saved from the inroads of Pakistan . *People may even call me and dub me as devoid of any sense or foolish, but the nation would be free to follow the course founded on the reason which *I consider to be necessary for sound nation-building. * After having fully considered the question, I took the final decision in the matter, but I did not speak about it to anyone whatsoever. I took courage in both my hands and I did fire the shots at Gandhiji on 30th January 1948, on the prayer-grounds of Birla House. *I do say that my shots were fired at the person whose policy and action had brought rack and ruin and destruction to millions of Hindus. There was no legal machinery by which such an offender could be brought to book and for this reason I fired those fatal shots. I bear no ill will towards anyone individually but I do say that I had no respect for* the present government owing to their policy which was unfairly favorable towards the Muslims. But at the same time I could clearly see that the policy was entirely due to the presence of Gandhi. *I have to say with great regret that Primes Minister Nehru quite forgets that his preaching's and deeds are at times at variances with each other when he talks about India as a secular state in season and out of season, because it is significant to note that Nehru has played a leading role in the establishment of the theocratic state of Pakistan,* and his job was made easier by Gandhi's persistent policy of appeasement towards the Muslims. I now stand before the court to accept the full share of my responsibility for what I have done and the judge would, of course, pass against me such orders of sentence as may be considered proper. *But I would like to add that I do not desire any mercy to be shown to me, nor do I wish that anyone else should beg for mercy on my behalf. My confidence about the moral side of my action has not been shaken even by the criticism leveled against it on all sides. I have no doubt that honest writers of history will weighs my act and find the true value thereof some day in future.* ? NOW YOU DECIDE HOW HISTORY SHOULD JUDGE ME? JAI HIND

Rare Specimen!

Here's something we don't hear a Brit say!

If I were....

Came across a blog ''A Whimsical Bohemian" , and I found a very interesting post!

I am filling up my details, I would love to read your answers too!

If I were a Month, I would be June ;

If I were a Day, I would be Wednesday ;

If I were a time of the day, I would be Dusk ;

If I were a Direction, I would be West ;

If I were an Element, I would be Mercury ;

If I were a Liquid, I would be Water ;

If I were a gemstone, I would be a Diamond ;

If I were a Tree, I would be a Mango Tree ;

If I were a Bird, I would be an Eagle ;

If I were a tool, I would be a swiss knife ;

If I were a pair of shoes, I would be a pair of floaters ;

If I were a color, I would be Yellow ;

If I were an emotion, I would be Happy ;

If I were a Fruit, I would be An Apple ;

If I were a Sound, I would be Laughter ;

If I were a car, I would be A SUV ;

If I were a Food, I would be A Salad ;

If I were a Taste, I would be Sweet ;

If I were a place, I would be an Island ;

If I were a Material, I would be Lycra ;

If I were a Body Part, I would be the soul ;

If I were Music, I would be Instrumental ;

If I were a Dance, I would be Contemporary ;

If I were an Animal, I would be a Monkey ;

If I were a gift , I would be anything Hand Made ;

If I were an Element Of Earth, I would be the Air ;

If I were a Historical Figure, I would be Jhansi Ki Raani ( :-) ;

If I were A Famous Actor, I would be Meg Ryan ;

If I were a Book, I would be Anne Frank's Diary ;

If I were a Poem, I would be " Even This Shall Pass Away" ;

If I were a Room of the House, I would be The Study Room .

What would you be, If you were....... ??

Anything different than what is listed that describes you better?

Let me know :-)


Here's some more I picked from Sharvani

If I were a smell, I would be the smell of fresh Cucumber ( closely followed by the smell of earth after the first rains) ;-) ;
If I were a Dessert, I'd be a Roshogulla,
If I were a Clothing, I would be an Elegant cotton- pastel shade saaree;
If I were a Gadget, I'd be a Camera;

Some More from me:

If I were a film, I would be " Hazaron Khwaishein Aisi";
If I were a game, I would be "Monopoly";
And,
If I were some other common person other than me,








Naah!
I always want to be me! :-)

Speech by Chetan Bhagat at Symbiosis

Following is the speech by Chetan Bhagat given at the orientation programme for the new batch of MBA students at Symbiosis, Pune.

Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who are my new classmates – there is so much to be curious about. I call this excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or to put it another way, how to be happy most, if not all the time.


Where do these sparks start? I think we are born with them. My 3-year old twin boys have a million sparks. A little Spiderman toy can make them jump on the bed. They get thrills from creaky swings in the park. A story from daddy gets them excited. They do a daily countdown for birthday party – several months in advance – just for the day they will cut their own birthday cake.


I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That means as we age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first half of Jab We Met vs the second half? That is what happens when the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?


Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing – to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.


To nurture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what is possible for you. It isn’t any external measure – a certain cost to company pay package, a particular car or house.


Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have grown up where money constraints force everyday choices, financial freedom is a big achievement. But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr. Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars already. Why do they do it? What makes them come to work everyday? They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because it makes them feel alive Just getting better from current levels feels good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level. Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of genes and circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to accept it and make the most of nature’s design. Are you? Goals will help you do that. I must add, don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.


There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.


You must have read some quotes – Life is a tough race, it is a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is one of those races in nursery school, where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.


One last thing about nurturing the spark – don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One student asked him if these jokes would take away something from the yoga practice. The teacher said – don’t be serious, be sincere. This quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my job, my relationships or any of my goals. I get thousands of opinions on my writing everyday. There is heaps of praise, there is intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather, how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.


I’ve told you three things – reasonable goals, balance and not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment, frustration, unfairness and loneliness of purpose.


Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you the expected return. If things don’t go as planned or if you face failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do come out stronger. What did this failure teach me? is the question you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit, like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some IITians kill themselves over low grades – how silly is that? But that is how much failure can hurt you. But it’s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they would cease to be a challenge. And remember – if you are failing at something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that’s where you want to be.


Disappointment’ s cousin is Frustration, the second storm. Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck. This is especially relevant in India. From traffic jams to getting that job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don’t know if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release. Frustration saps excitement, and turns your initial energy into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved – movies take a long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result – at least I was learning how to write scripts, having a side plan – I had my third book to write and even something as simple as pleasurable distractions in your life – friends, food, travel can help you overcome it. Remember, nothing is to be taken seriously. Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.


Unfairness – this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads, beautiful faces, pedigree find it easier to make it – not just in Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck. There are so few opportunities in India, so many stars need to be aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not always linked to achievement in the short term, but the long term correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize, there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English means you are pretty damm lucky by Indian standards. Let’s be grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we don’t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers cannot even imagine it. However, I don’t get literary praise. It’s ok. I don’t look like Aishwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are more beautiful than her. It’s ok. Don’t let unfairness kill your spark.


Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is Isolation. As you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are little, all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in, what makes you feel, may be different from even the people closest to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with others. And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have their second child. They give up something that meant so much to them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies. Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then others.


There you go. I’ve told you the four thunderstorms – disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let the spark die.


I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life. If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, your eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next 2,500 weekends. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any moment in history. And there is something cool about saying – I come from the land of a billion sparks.
Thank You.

--------------------------
Cheers!!

Life is too short to be anything but happy

"There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it , and surround youself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good . After all, life is too short to be anything but happy! "

Crossroads

There are moments in our lives where we find ourselves at crossroads.
Afraid, confused, without a roadmap.
The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days.
Of course, when faced with the unknown, most of us choose to turn around and go back.
But once in a while, people push on to something better,
something found just beyond the pain of doing it alone,
and just beyond the bravery and courage it takes to let someone in,
or give someone a second chance,
something beyond the quiet persistence of a dream.

Because it's only when you're tested,
that you discover who you are, that you discover who you can be.
The person you can be does exist,
beyond the hard work, faith, belief, and beyond the heartache, and…
fear of what lies ahead.

- One Tree Hill

Powerful Words

The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve.
Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity..
An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with
negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates
will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want
you to stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb will want you
to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those
that don't increase you will eventually decrease you.


Never receive counsel from unproductive people. Never discuss your problems
with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who
never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how. Not everyone has
a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the
bargain when you exchange ideas with the wrong person. Don't follow anyone
who's not going anywhere.

With some people you spend an evening: with others you invest it. Be careful
where you stop to inquire for directions along the road of life. Wise is the
person who fortifies his life with the right friendships. If you run with
wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you
will learn how to soar to great heights.
"A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the
kind of friends he chooses."

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you
closely associate - for the good and the bad.


"In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our friends."

"Never make someone a priority when you are only an option for them."
"If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit
in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing
attitude..". . ............ ...... ...

Lessons from baby camel

The Cow

The Secret to a Happy Married life

This is an old joke really, nevertheless I love reading it everytime I get it as a fwd !




Once I was asked by my Friend, "What is the secret behind your happy married life?"

I said, "You should share responsibilities with due love and
Respect each other. Then absolutely there will be no problems."

He asked, "Can you explain?"

I said, "In my house, I take decisions on bigger issues where as
my wife decides on smaller issues. We do not interfere in each other's
decisions."

Still not convinced, Friend asked me "Give me some examples"

I said," Smaller issues like, which car we should buy, how much
amount to save, when to visit home town, which Sofa, air conditioner,
refrigerator , monthly expenses, whether to keep a maid or not etc are
decided by my wife. I just agree to it"

He asked, "Then what is your role?"

I said," My decisions are only for very big issues. Like whether
America should attack Iran , whether Britain should lift sanction over
Zimbabwe , whether to widen African economy, whether Sachin Tendulkar
should retire etc etc and Do you know one thing,

my wife NEVER, NEVER, NEVER objects to Any of these".

5 Minutes Management Course

Lesson 1

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.
The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.
When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.
Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'
After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.
When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'
'It was Bob the next door neighbor,' she replies.
'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'

Moral of the story

If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.
________________________________________

Lesson 2

A priest offered a Nun a lift.
She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.
The priest nearly had an accident.
After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.
The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'
The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'
Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.
On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story

If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.
________________________________________

Lesson 3

A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.
They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.
'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'
Puff! He's gone.
'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'

Moral of the story

Always let your boss have the first say.
________________________________________

Lesson 4

An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.
A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'
So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story

To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.
________________________________________

Lesson 5

A turkey was chatting with a bull.
'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'
The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.
The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch..
Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.
He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story

Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.
________________________________________

Lesson 6

A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.
While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.
As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.
The dung was actually thawing him out!
He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.
Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!

THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

The New English

For all of you English teachers. Hear is something for laughs

or shall we say lafs.


European English:

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.



As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5-year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".

In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph" will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.



In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where! more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.



By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil

sensibl riten styl.



Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey

vunted in ze forst plas.



If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl .

Impact of job change

A taxi passenger tapped the driver on the shoulder to ask him a question.
The driver screamed, lost control of the car, nearly hit a bus, went up on
the footpath, and stopped centimeters from a shop window.

For a second everything went quiet in the cab, then the driver said:

"Look mate, don't ever do that again. You scared the daylights out of me!".


The passenger apologized and said, "I didn't realize that a little tap
would scare you so much."

The driver replied, "Sorry, it's not really your fault. Today is my first
day as a cab driver - I've been driving a van carrying dead Bodies for the
last 25 years.......u can imagine what went into my mind when u touched my
back!!

WHY I AM A HINDU

(This is the most interesting mail I got about my religion! Its a must read. This mail says it all!)

Four years ago, I was flying from JFK NY Airport to SFO to attend a
meeting at Monterey , CA. An American girl was sitting on the right side,
near window seat. It indeed was a long journey - it would take nearly
seven hours.

I was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible unusual of young
Americans. After some time she smiled and we had few acquaintances
talk. I told her that I am from India. Then suddenly the girl asked:
'What's your faith?' 'What?' I didn't understand the question.

'I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian? Or a Muslim?'

'No!' I replied, 'I am neither Christian nor Muslim'.

Apparently she appeared shocked to listen to that. 'Then who are you?'
'I am a Hindu', I said.

She looked at me as if she was seeing a caged animal. She could not
understand what I was talking about.

A common man in Europe or US knows about Christianity and Islam, as they
are the leading religions of the world today. But a Hindu, what?

I explained to her - I am born to a Hindu father and Hindu mother.
Therefore, I am a Hindu by birth.

'Who is your prophet?' she asked.

'We don't have a prophet,' I replied.

'What's your Holy Book?'

'We don't have a single Holy Book, but we have hundreds and thousands of
philosophical and sacred scriptures,' I replied.

'Oh, come on at least tell me who is your God?'

'What do you mean by that?'

'Like we have Jesus and Muslims have Allah - don't you have a God?'

I thought for a moment. Muslims and Christians believe one God (Male
God) who created the world and takes an interest in the humans who
inhabit it. Her mind is conditioned with that kind of belief.

According to her (or anybody who doesn't know about Hinduism), a
religion needs to have one Prophet, one Holy book and one God. The mind
is so conditioned and rigidly narrowed down to such a notion that
anything else is not acceptable. I understood her perception and
concept about faith. You can't compare Hinduism with any of the present
leading religions where you have to believe in one concept of god.

I tried to explain to her: 'You can believe in one god and he can be a
Hindu.. You may believe in multiple deities and still you can be a
Hindu. What's more - you may not believe in god at all, still you can be
a Hindu. An atheist can also be a Hindu.'

This sounded very crazy to her. She couldn't imagine a religion so
unorganized, still surviving for thousands of years, even after
onslaught from foreign forces.

'I don't understand but it seems very interesting. Are you religious?'

What can I tell to this American girl? I said: 'I do not go to temple
regularly. I do not make any regular rituals. I have learned some of
the rituals in my younger days. I still enjoy doing it sometimes..'

'Enjoy? Are you not afraid of God?'

'God is a friend. No- I am not afraid of God. Nobody has made any
compulsions on me to perform these rituals regularly.'

She thought for a while and then asked: 'Have you ever thought of
converting to any other religion?'

'Why should I? Even if I challenge some of the rituals and faith in
Hinduism, nobody can convert me from Hinduism. Because, being a Hindu
allows me to think independently and objectively, without conditioning.
I remain as a Hindu never by force, but choice.' I told her that
Hinduism is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. It is
not a religion like Christianity or Islam because it is not founded by
any one person or does not have an organized controlling body like the
Church or the Order, I added. There is no institution or authority..

'So, you don't believe in God?' she wanted everything in black and
white.

'I didn't say that. I do not discard the divine reality. Our scripture,
or Sruthis or Smrithis - Vedas and Upanishads or the Gita - say God
might be there or he might not be there. But we pray to that supreme
abstract authority (Para Brahma) that is the creator of this universe.'

'Why can't you believe in one personal God?'

'We have a concept - abstract - not a personal god. The concept or
notion of a personal God, hiding behind the clouds of secrecy, telling
us irrational stories through few men whom he sends as messengers,
demanding us to worship him or punish us, does not make sense. I don't
think that God is as silly as an autocratic emperor who wants others to
respect him or fear him.' I told her that such notions are just fancies
of less educated human imagination and fallacies, adding that generally
ethnic religious practitioners in Hinduism believe in personal gods.
The entry level Hinduism has over-whelming superstitions too. The
philosophical side of Hinduism negates all superstitions..

'Good that you agree God might exist. You told that you pray. What is
your prayer then?'

'Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,'

'Funny,' she laughed, 'What does it mean?'

'May all the beings in all the worlds be happy. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.'


'Hmm ..very interesting.. I want to learn more about this religion. It
is so democratic, broad-minded and free' she exclaimed.

'The fact is Hinduism is a religion of the individual, for the
individual and by the individual with its roots in the Vedas and the
Bhagavad-Gita. It is all about an individual approaching a personal God
in an individual way according to his temperament and inner evolution -
it is as simple as that.'

'How does anybody convert to Hinduism?'

'Nobody can convert you to Hinduism, because it is not a religion, but a
set of beliefs and practices. Everything is acceptable in Hinduism
because there is no single authority or organization either to accept it
or to reject it or to oppose it on behalf of Hinduism.'

For a real seeker, I told her, the Bible itself gives guidelines when it
says ' Kingdom of God is within you.' I reminded her of Christ's
teaching about the love that we have for each other. That is where you
can find the meaning of life.

Loving each and every creation of the God is absolute and real.
'Isavasyam idam sarvam' Isam (the God) is present (inhabits) here
everywhere - nothing exists separate from the God, because God is
present everywhere. Respect every living being and non-living things as
God. That's what Hinduism teaches you.

Hinduism is referred to as Sanathana Dharma, the eternal faith. It is
based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. The most important
aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no
monopoly on ideas.- It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God (not a
personal one) expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless
and formless entity.

Ancestors of today's Hindus believe in eternal truths and cosmic laws
and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them But there is a
section of Hindus who are either superstitious or turned fanatic to make
this an organized religion like others. The British coin the word
'Hindu' and considered it as a religion.

I said: 'Religions have become an MLM (multi-level-marketing) industry
that has been trying to expand the market share by conversion. The
biggest business in today's world is Spirituality. Hinduism is no
exception'

I am a Hindu primarily because it professes Non-violence - 'Ahimsa
Paramo Dharma' - Non violence is the highest duty. I am a Hindu because
it doesn't conditions my mind with any faith system. A man/woman who
change's his/her birth religion to another religion is a fake and does
not value his/her morals, culture and values in life. Hinduism was the
first religion originated. Be proud of your religion and be proud of
who you are.

Law regarding Arrest of Woman

An incident took place in Pune - a young girl was attacked by a man posing as a plain clothes officer; he asked her 2 come 2 the police station when she & her male friend didn't have a driver's license 2 show.

He sent the boy off 2 get his license and asked the girl to
accompany him to the police station. Took her instead to an isolated area where the horrendous crime was committed.

The law [which most of us are not aware of] clearly states that between 6 pm and 6 am, a woman has the right to REFUSE to go to the Police Station , even if an arrest warrant has been issued against her. It is a procedural issue that a woman can be arrested between 6pm and 6am, ONLY if she is arrested by a woman officer & taken to an ALL WOMEN police station..
And if she is arrested by a male officer, it has to be proven that a woman officer was on duty at the time of arrest.

Why go to the Temple

A 'devotee' goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and
complained that it made no sense to go to the Temple .
'I've gone for 30 years now, he wrote, and in that time I have heard
something like 3,000 mantras.
But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I
think I'm wasting my time and the Gurus are wasting theirs by giving
services at all.

This started a real controversy in the 'Letters to the Editor' column,
much to the delight of the editor.. It went on for weeks until someone
wrote this clincher:

I've been married for 30 years now.
In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life
of me, cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals.
But I do know this... They all nourished me and gave me the strength I
needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would
be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to the Temple
for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees
the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!
Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

lateral thinking

1. There is a man who lives on the top floor of a very tall building. Everyday he gets the elevator down to the ground floor to leave the building to go to work.Upon returning from work though, he can only travel half way up in the lift and has to walk the rest of the way unless it's raining! Why?

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2. A man and his son are in a car accident. The father dies on the scene, but the child is rushed to the hospital. When he arrives the surgeon says,

"I can't operate on this boy, he is my son! " How can this be?

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3. A man is wearing black. Black shoes, socks, trousers, lumper, gloves and balaclava. He is walking down a black street with all the street lamps off.


A black car is coming towards him with its light off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

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4. Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones?

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5. A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?

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6. A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says 'Thank you' and walks out.

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SOLUTIONS
1. The man is very, very short and can only reach halfway up the elevator buttons. However,if it is raining then he will have his umbrella with him and can press the higher buttons with it.

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2. The surgeon was his mother.

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3. It was day time.

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4. A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down the manhole. So for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round.

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5. The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When the man Drank the punch, the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch.


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6.. The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups-so the man no longer needed the water.