Life becomes beautiful when you learn to live simply

Life is difficult.” We have often heard  these words and nodded our heads  in assent. Everyone can relate to life’s struggles, to arduous days that  begin with some unknown burden we are carrying in our minds, to nights when we slip into a troubled sleep. Everybody seems to be trapped in the same slowly sinking boat, and for most of us, life is difficult, or at least it seems so.

However, it is not the whole truth, and like all partial truths, it provides shelter and refuge to the debris that has settled over the mind. Life is difficult when you make it complex, when you make it so complex that you find it difficult to live. And it is this struggle to live, this inability to live, that reverses the paradigm that life is  easy.

Actually, life becomes easy, when you begin to live  simply. When you value simplicity, you begin to live

with awareness. Life was meant to be simple. That is why the universe gave you everything of importance in  abundance, and without any conditions.

You have never had to fight for the air you breathe,  that keeps you alive. Rain and rivers replenish the

water that you need from in abundance. In summer, life gives you fruits and vegetables laden with water to replenish what the sun takes away from you. In winters, it gives you nuts that keep you warm from within.

Life has ensured your well-being, by taking care of each one of your basic needs, because life loves you.

Life is your mother. You are born out of her. Life’s blood  flows in your veins. Like all mothers, life wants you to experience joy .

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Thanks For Believing In Life and Me……..

Learn to let go

Let go,’ two simple words, easy to understand, should be easy to practise as well, I thought smugly. Yet, from my own personal experience, I have found it difficult to practise and integrate. It is easier to believe that things happen to us, rather than that we attract them. Taking responsibility for circumstances

in our life, which may be necessary for our spiritual growth, requires letting

go of our own story line, our perception of the issue, and instead, looking at it objec-tively. But that requires us to change, which we tend to resist. Depending on your current life situation, ‘let go,’ can imply many different things. The simplest and most widely applicable meaning would be to stop expecting people to behave as we want them to. In other words, we need to drop the word ‘should’ from our vocabulary.

Letting go implies detachment and patience, the capacity to allow matters to resolve and evolve in their natural course of time. It is non-judgmental acceptance of the situation at the moment. Acceptance of your own limitations and imperfections is the first big step. Whether it is your illnesses, being kicked out of your job, or a stressful relationship that you cannot resolve, you will have to let people and things be as they are at the moment, however much you may wish to change them. Acceptance does not mean inaction. Acceptance indicates that you think constructively to manage the issue. Acceptance means that you have a different starting point for the race of life.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Thanks For Believing In Life and Me……..

A Touching Story, Tribute To All Mothers.

My mom only had one eye. I hated her… She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students and teachers to support the family.

There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out. The next day at school one of my classmates said, ‘EEEE, your mom only has one eye!’

I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, ‘ If you’re only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don’t you just die?’

My mom did not respond… I didn’t even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my Mother came to visit me. She hadn’t seen me in years and she didn’t even meet her grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, ‘How dare you come to my house and scare my children!’ GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!’

And to this, my mother quietly answered, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. I may have gotten the wrong address,’ and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip. After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

‘My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I’m sorry that I came to your house and scared your children.

I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you. I’m sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up.

You see……..when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with one eye. So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.

With all my love to you,

Your mother.

Lovely Thoughts for Lovely People Just Like You

Thanks For Believing In Life and Me……..

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Nothing in life is as certain as death. Everything living is bound to die one day. We appear on the world scene only to disappear after a short span of time. This is the cycle of terrestrial life. Finally a time will come when even the earth would cease to exist. Indeed, nothing physical can escape the march of time and remain fixed in its place without decay, death or transformation. This is settled by Nature.

The transient and ephemeral nature of life is a universally known existential reality. Yet we are hardly bothered about it, and we continue to live as though we are here forever. We try to “make hay while the sun shines”.

We spend our lives as we please. The world is all the time with us. We tend to give free rein to desires and ambitions so much so that they sometimes extend out even beyond the confines of death encircling us. Plans and programmes are laid out years in advance when no one is sure of what is going to happen tomorrow. We construct huge buildings and palatial homes that outlive us by many, many years.

The way we hanker after life is the central weakness of our life. It is because of this that we are so afraid of death, of what is predestined and so inevitable. It keeps us always restless. It prevents us not only from acting decisively during critical moments but also from enjoying the pleasure and excitement of undertaking bold adventures in life. It is the root cause of many of our setbacks due to ego, greed, pride, hatred, dishonesty, ostentatious living as against simple living.

All these things cause problems and misunderstandings. They tie us down to the earthly plane and do not allow our imagination to soar high above to catch a glimpse of sublime truths and beauty at higher planes. They are, therefore, major obstacles in the way of great artistic creations. It is because we have staked everything on life that we are so incapable of living.

If we believe in the universal truths advocated by most religions, a belief that starts with self-realisation, death is not an end but the beginning of a new life. It is rather a point of transformation. The world we enter upon death is different with an altogether different set of requirements and standards. It is eternal and exists in both space and time. It is not discernible to us as the world we now live in was nowhere in sight when we were in our mother’s womb, protected and secure.

What are the norms and requirements by which the dead are going to be judged? This is a question we ask ourselves time and again. We must find out the answers and transform our lives in the light of their revelations, if we are not to jeopardise our chances in the life hereafter.

The wise man, as the prophets say, is the one who remembers death and keeps himself in a state of preparedness to face this eventuality. Death might then be an occasion for rejoicing rather than one of sorrow and repentance.

Thanks For Believing In Life and Me……..

DON’T WE ALL

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come

from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work.

Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would

consider a bum.

From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no

money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times

that you just don’t want to be bothered. This was one of those “don’t

want to be bothered times.”

“I hope he doesn’t ask me for any money,” I thought.

He didn’t.

He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn’t look

like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke.

“That’s a very pretty car,” he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly

blond beard keep more than his face warm.

I said, “thanks,” and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never

came.

As the silence between us widened something inside said, “ask him if

he needs any help.” I was sure that he would say “yes” but I held true

to the inner voice.

“Do you need any help?” I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.

We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from

those of higher learning and accomplishments.

I expected nothing but an

outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

“Don’t we all?” he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum

in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge

shotgun.

Don’t we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I

needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus

fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those

three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter

how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you

have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or

a place to sleep, you can give help.

Even if it’s just a compliment, you can give that.

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.

They are waiting on you to give them what they don’t have. A different

perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from

daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe

he was more than that.

Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and

wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, “go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help.”

Don’t we all?

Thanks For Believing In Life and Me……..

Touching life story…..

A young man was getting ready to graduate college. For

many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s

showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told

him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited

signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the

morning of his graduation his father called him into his private

study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine

son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son

a beautiful wrapped gift box.

Curious, but somewhat disappointed the young man

opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible. Angrily,

he raised his voice at his father and said, “With all your money you

give me a Bible?” and stormed out of the house, leaving the holy

book.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in

business.

He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his

father was very old, and thought perhaps he should go to him. He

had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make

arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had

passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son. He

needed to come home immediately and take care things.

When he arrived at his father’s house, sudden sadness and

regret filled his heart.

He began to search his father’s important papers and

saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With

tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he

read those words, a car key dropped from an envelope

taped behind the Bible.

It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the

sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation,

and the words…PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God’s blessings because they are not

packaged as we expected?

Thanks For Believing In Life and Me……..