Choose Happiness…!

Be Optimistic! Develop a positive way of thinking. That way you can keep focused on your goals. Keep yourself active. Look for exciting activities, sports, music, painting, playing an instrument or some kind of dance whichever makes you feel happy and they will surely be an excellent happiness booster for you. When we do activities that we like more it will certainly keep us excited.

Enjoy and spend time with nature. Nature has the power to heel us and will help us to stay happy and energetic. A long walk in the woods, sweet fragrance of flowers will keep our mind healthy.

Be close to your family. It is always more gratifying to be with our near and dear ones. It’s better to be in a social environment rather than being lonely. Love is first priority, showing some love to others is very gratifying. If you give love you will be loved, so if you want to feel love from others then give love back first.

Develop your sense of humor, take life lightly and get some laughs….that way you will always feel happy. Value every single moment you experience. Enjoy Life and be grateful for what you receive and give more back.

Come out of the worries and hurt feelings. The more you think about something bad, the more likely it is to happen. Forget about those things that worry you. Do not dedicate time or energy to things that have not yet occurred or things that might never occur.

Above all Be Yourself, letting other people know you exactly as who you are will make you feel free and will make you happy. And accept people as they are. Every human being is unique in a way and has both plus and minus with them. Just count on the good qualities. They will keep you stay positive.

Obstacles Are Stepping Stones, Not Stumbling Blocks

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.

Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition.

20 ways to overcome negative thoughts...

1. Realize that you only hurt yourself with negative thoughts. Don’t let them trick you.

2. Decide that you will live your day with happiness and not let negative thoughts steal it.

3. Look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I’m a positive person. I won’t let negative thoughts control me. I’m a winner in life.”

4. Read positive quotes.

5. Never say negative words in your conversation.

6. Change the tone of your thoughts from negative to positive. For example, instead of thinking “This problem is too difficult” think “This problem is cool and challenging”.

7. If you think negatively about someone, remember positive things about that person. Shift your attention to the positive side.

8. Smile. It’s more difficult to think negatively when you are smiling.

9. Walk and act confidently. Good body language helps you have good thoughts.

10. Pray or meditate. Spiritual peace and calmness is among the most effective ways to overcome negative thoughts.

11. Gather with positive people. Be careful not to choose the wrong people or the situation will only get worse.

12. Take a nap so that you will wake up with a fresh mind.

13. Read an inspiring book. Spiritual books often do well.

14. Go out and appreciate the beauty of the world around you.

15. Sing a cheerful song.

16. Make yourself comfortable with failure. Failure is the stepping stone to success, so don’t be afraid to fail.

17. Have realistic expectation. Accept the fact that people could make mistakes since nobody is perfect.

18. If you think negatively about a situation, decide that you won’t give up even if the worst happens. Prove yourself to be a tough opponent. You are a winner.

19. Accept yourself and be comfortable in who you are. You can’t be perfect but neither can anyone else.

20. Help someone. Shift the focus away from yourself and do good to others.

An Inspiring story - This too will pass...!

Once a King called upon all of his wise men and asked them,“Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time, something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me? Tell me is there any mantra?”

All wise men got puzzled by King’s question. He wanted one answer for all questions?Something that works everywhere, in every situation, in every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? They thought and thought.

After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper. But the condition was that king was not to see it out of curiosity. Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he’ll have to see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.

After a few days, the neighbors attacked the Kingdom. It was a collective surprise attack of the King’s enemies. King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. King had to flee on his horse. The enemies were following him. His horse took him far away in the Jungle. He could hear many troops of horses following him and the noise was coming closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road – that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep.

If he jumped into it, he would be finished and he could not return because it was a small road. The sound of enemy’s horses was approaching fast. King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was very small but very great.The message was – “This too will pass.”The King read it. Again read it. 

Suddenly something struck him- Yes! It too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. However when those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. Calm come on his face.He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom. The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him.

After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were not on that path.The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his lost empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fan fare at the door. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory. Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being thrown on the King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself,” I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat Me.: With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him.

Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He opened it and read it again: “This too will pass”

He became silent. His face went through a total change -from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by

We are witness of all this. We are the perceiver. Life comes and goes.

Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life.. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass away. Life just passes away. There is nothing permanent in this world. Every thing changes except the law of change.

Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. If there are problems in the present, they too will pass away. Nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away. Who are you in reality? Know your real face. Your face is not your true face. It will change with the time. 

However, there is something in you, which will not change. It will remain unchanged. What is that unchangeable? It is nothing but your true self. You are just a witness of change.

Experience it; understand the spiritual dimension behind this.

Rose For Mother

A man stopped at a flower shop to order some flowers to be wired to his mother who lived two hundred miles away. As he got out of his car he noticed a young girl sitting on the curb sobbing. He asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I wanted to buy a red rose for my mother. But I only have seventy-five cents, and a rose costs two dollars.”

The man smiled and said, “Come on in with me. I’ll buy you a rose.” He bought the little girl her rose and ordered his own mother’s flowers. As they were leaving he offered the girl a ride home. She said, “Yes, please! You can take me to my mother.” She directed him to a cemetery, where she placed the rose on a freshly dug grave.
The man returned to the flower shop, canceled the wire order, picked up a bouquet and drove the two hundred miles to his mother’s house.

      
 .........Life is Short.  Spend much time as you can loving and caring people who love you.             Enjoy each moment with them before it’s too late.  There is nothing important than family......

Love You Dad

A man was polishing his new car; his 4 yr old daughter picked up a stone and scratched on the side of the car. In anger, the furious Man took his child’s hand & hit it many times, not realizing he was using a wrench. At the hospital, the child lost all his fingers due to multiple fractures.
When the child saw her father, with painful eyes he asked ‘Dad when will my fingers grow back?’ The man was so hurt and speechless. He went back to the car and kicked it many times. Devastated by his own actions, sitting in front of the car he looked at the scratches, His daughter had written ‘LOVE YOU DAD’.

Remember, Anger and Love have no limit.  Always remember that “Things are to be used and people are to be loved”.  But the problem in today’s world is that “People are being used & Things are being loved”.

    ….share the love and happiness with someone, who loves you the most that makes your life too peaceful and happy……

Confidence of a Child

A man had been on a long flight. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: "Fasten your seat belts." Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened."

As he looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive. Later, the voice of the announcer said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us."

And then the storm broke. The ominous cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightening lit up the darkening skies and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash. The man confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him.

As he looked around the plane, he could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm. And then, he suddenly saw a girl to whom the storm meant nothing. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat and was reading a book. Everything within her small world was calm and orderly.

Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm, when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid.

The man could hardly believe his eyes. It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, he lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time. Having commented about the storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid. The sweet child replied:

"Sir, my Dad is the pilot and he is taking me home."

A gift of love!

“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked.
When the bundle was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was marred. When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy. “A boy, a big boy … called me a freak.”
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might mingle with other young people,” his mother reproved him, but felt a kindness in her heart. The boy’s father had a session with the family physician. Could nothing be done? “I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be procured,” the doctor decided.
Whereupon the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. Then, “You are going to the hospital, Son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret,” said the father. The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius, and school and college became a series of triumphs.
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. “But I must know!” He urged his father, “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.” “I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know … not yet.” The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come … one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears. “Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut,” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”
Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance, but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what that can be seen, but what that cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what that is done but not known.

No one can Hurt Us

On His First Day In office
As President Abraham Lincoln Entered To Give His Inaugural Address, One Man Stood Up, he Was A Rich Aristocrat.
He Said,
"Mr Lincoln, You Should Not Forget That Your Father Used To make Shoes For My Family"
And The Whole Senate Laughed, They Thought They Had Made A Fool Of Lincoln.
But Certain People Are Made Of A Totally Different Mettle.
Lincoln Looked At The Man Directly In the Eyes And Said
"Sir, I Know That My father Used To Make Shoes For Your Family, 
And There Will Be Many Others Here,
Because He made Shoes The Way Nobody Else Can.
He Was A Creator.
His Shoes Were Not Just Shoes
He Poured His Whole Soul Into Them.
I Want To Ask You,
Have You Any Complaint??
Because I Know How To Make Shoes Myself.
If You Have Any Complaint I Can Make You Another Pair Of Shoes.
But As Far As I Know,
Nobody Has Ever Complained About My Father's Shoes.
He Was A Genius,
A Great Creator
And
I Proud Of My Father.
The Whole Senate Was Struck Dumb
They Could Not Understand What Kind Of Man Abraham Lincoln Was.
He Was Proud Because His Father Did His Job So Well That Not Even A Single Complaint Had Ever Been Heard
"Remember"
"No One Can Hurt Us Without Consent"
"It is Not What Happens To us That Hurts Us
It Is Our Response That Hurt Us"

Happiness is a Journey, Not a destination

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another.

Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are.

After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with.

We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now.

If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza. He said,

“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life.

But there was always some obstacle in the way, Something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid.

Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my “life”.

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.

Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time…and remember that time waits for no one.

So, stop waiting until you finish school,

   until you go back to school,
 
   until you lose ten pounds,
 
   until you gain ten pounds,
 
   until you have kids,
 
   until your kids leave the house,

  until you start work,
 
   until you retire,
 
   until you get married,

   until you get divorced,
 
   until Friday night, until Sunday morning,
 
   until you get a new car or home,

  until your car or home is paid off,
 
  until spring,
 
   until summer,
 
   until fall,
 
   until winter,
 
   until you are off welfare,
 
    until the first or fifteenth,
 
   until your song comes on,
 
   until you’ve had a drink,
 
   until you’ve sobered up,
 
   until you die,

until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy.

         ..............Happiness is a journey, not a destination....................

Don`t be Serious, Be Sincere

Don’t just have career of 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.

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 is 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 success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will
start to die.

One thing about nurturing the spark – don’t take life seriously. Life is not meant 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, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews,

 take leave from work, Enjoy with your friends, fall in love, little fights with your

loved ones. We are people, not programmed devices.

Chetan Bhagat at Symbiosis

10 ways to be happy

Happiness is an unconditional emotion. Sometimes we are brought up to believe that we need a certain income or a certain size house or a certain number of friends, or look a certain way to be happy. These are all illusions and tricks of the ego. We ARE unconditional joy and happiness. It is natural for us to express this joy. It is our main guidance mechanism, that allows us as souls to evolve and express ourselves in human form, and have an enjoyable journey.

Below are 10 ways that you can cultivate the feeling of happiness in your day to day life.


Be thankful in every moment for all the good in your life.

Focus on doing what you love and enjoy.

Only relate to and interact with family, friends and acquaintances that are in your best and highest good.

Receive, accept, allow and keep what you want and like with gratitude.

Trust and follow your intuitions.

Believe in yourself.

Do what you can to achieve your goals and be successful.

Give and receive love with the people in your life.

Be flexible in your thoughts, meditate to gain mental clarity and focus.

Exercise each day and eat all the right nutrients for your body.