No One's Bound to a DUTY !!!

It is not mine, neither yours nor anybody's else Duty.

No person is bound to any kind of duty or favor towards anyone. God has given choices to each one of us and we have a free will which one we want to choose. If I am in a problem and my friend has a solution than it is not his duty to help me or he is not bound to help me. It is his free will with which he choose either helping me or not.
It is your parents choice to give you an enriching life not their duty, It is your teachers choice to teach you honestly with love and understanding, It is your younger ones choice to respect you , It is your own choice to offer prayers with devotion or not and the same way its everyone's choice not any duty that they do.

A girl got married and her husband was the best person she could have imagined . He gave her respect , make her smile, gave her all the comforts in this world, loved her dearly and did everything a girl could dream of . She was not really happy about it but ONE day she felt extreme happiness and thought she was the luckiest person on this earth.
Do you know what changed her feelings ---- Simply a THOUGHT.
Earlier she used to think that all that her husband did for her was his duty . So she used to think OK he does all that for me but that is his duty so what's the big deal. And she took everything for granted.
But the other day she realized that her husband is not bound to any kind of duty( as no one of us is) but it is HIS FREE CHOICE OR WILL that he does all that for her . And it was that day she realized his importance, felt TRULY LOVED and grateful .
Nobody is bound to be good to you. Always remember this and then you will see how grateful and thankful you feel for every person who does even the smallest favor to you. Just remember if anybody gives you a smile to wear than it is not his duty to do so , just a free choice he has taken. Don't take anybody for granted , just don't think "Oh!! that was his duty " You are absolutely wrong in thinking that as No one is bound to a duty.

Time for the third step --- Appreciate and feel Grateful !!

" God Gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today . Have you used one to say "Thank You ??"" - William A Ward.

Have you ever thought about this? How many times do we actually feel grateful for all that we have? How much have we appreciated others for all that they do for us?

In our lives there are million things to be grateful for but only if we bother to see them. We often take things for granted and forget to feel gratitude for that. Being grateful and appreciative is something we all need to learn.
Make a habit of sitting down everyday and spend few minutes to think about things you have for which you should be thankful and for the one's you should have appreciated but you never did.
Say Like it can be :

• Feel grateful for the wonderful parents god has given you.
• For all the things you got from your parents when you were a child.
  
• For a loving and understanding life partner.
• For good health, For the hands to write, legs to walk, five senses to enjoy everything around you
  
• For a perfect day you had.
• For the blessings and love you got from your elders.
• For the help you received today from say anyone.
• For a relaxing and refreshing sleep you had last night.
• For the healthy food you eat
• For having friends to share your feelings.
• For the lesson you have learnt today
  
• For the loving kids you have
• Or as small as just for the smile you have on your face .

It can be anything and when you will sit down to see all the goodness around you in your life , your appreciation for everything will grow further . You will be able to see those million things which you should have been feeling great about . All those things which you never asked for but still you enjoy them and never acknowledged them .
I realize it everyday that how lucky I am , as I can really see what all things I possess even before asking for it. Like I went to the hospital someday back for a regular check up and there I saw how much problem and pain people have and I felt grateful that how healthy I am and I thanked God for that meanwhile blessing the ones I saw there in pain. So its just the matter of acknowledging. Respect and love the life God has given you.
Remember to appreciate yourself too , for don't expect others to treat you the way you don't treat yourself. So appreciate yourself :

• When you make your life partner feel how special he or she is .
• When you solve a hard problem
• When you show love to all.
• When you look good.
• When you are at peace with others and make someone smile.
  
• When you work hard and sincerely.
  
• When you make food for your husband or when you take your wife for shopping
• When you spend quality time with your kids
  
• When you handle a difficult situation efficiently ... etc

Always support yourself , first appreciate and then find the room for improvement . Appreciate everything your associates , family , friends do for you . Nothing else can quite substitute for a few sincere words of praise.

I can say this that - Often have we heard people complaining but rarely do we hear them appreciating. So just stop complaining and make it a habit to thank for even the smallest thing you receive. "Who does not thank for little will not thank for much". And remember to express what you feel , don't just keep feeling grateful but express it too in the form of appreciation and thankfulness as :
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it ". So do express it for sure .

Appreciation also brings along ENCOURAGEMENT. If you will appreciate someone for what he has done than it is inevitable that it will encourage them to do even more the next time.
The same key applies for children. Just imagine if it can encourage the egoistic elders what wonders it will create for those innocent kids. If you want your kids to perform or learn something worthy or to do more than don't criticize their attempts but appreciate them . Tell them how good they are . Give them an appreciative and encouraging atmosphere to learn and grow. Teach them how to see the good things life has offered them and feel grateful about them.
So learn this 4th step of appreciation and gratitude and let the kids follow you through.

Don't Just say you care , Express it too !!

Our parents have done so much for us. Have been there with us through all our trials and triumphs. Guided us, supported us, loved us , corrected us, nurtured us and so much more. What all they do for us cannot be expressed in words . We often acknowledge what they have done and say that we really care for them .
But how many of us truly express it to them?? I think very few. Its equally important to show or express the love , respect and dignity we have for our elders. All our elders deserve true respect and love which should actually be EXPRESSED to them rather then just saying " We really care." Through my own experience and many others I have felt that elders don't need anything else than love , affection and true respect. Then why does it become so difficult to express that love to them.
Don't think that there is no need to express when they already know how much I care for them. Its equally important and essential to say it . Just think, if everyday you express some of your love to them How happy they would be. Sometimes the simple gesture of saying , "OH !! Mom Dad, I love you so much !!" makes them feel so special . And what does it takes from you , just nothing. Infact whenever you will make them feel special, you yourself will feel so happy and will love them even more.
I do it daily , I make it a point that I make them feel special some way . Let me list some things that I often try.
-- I often go in the kitchen and hug my mom and say " I love you so much !! . You are so special"
-- Whenever Dad is tired , just acknowledge the hard work he does for all of us and say "Papa you must be tired , you work so hard for us. I am really grateful to have you ".
-- When mumma is tired and doesn't want to cook , I offer her that I will make the dinner today . ( Not very often I say this but sometimes I do :) )
-- Just tell them the good qualities which you would like to imbibe from them. Like I want to be a great human being like my mother and yes I make it a point I say it to her .
-- Make mother's day and father's day a special day for them. Some occasions are great opportunities to express your love . It can be by giving them a surprise, going out , giving a card, a gift, or just a hug saying "How precious you are for me."
There are so many other million things you can do , What I wanna convey here is that just don't hide the love you have for your elders , express it and see the change it brings in your relationships.
All the best to all of you !! I just love my parents so much !! They are really special and I take care that I make them feel it very often !!

First create , than Spread Happiness !!

I have made a rule in my life that I will create more happiness for myself and for the people around me. I truly believe that true happiness entirely depends on your attitude towards life. If your attitude is positive, forgiving than no situation can bring sadness in your life. Often it happens that problems do come in your life but it again depends on your attitude that whether you focus on the problems or the solution for those problems. Its quite insane to resist what has already happend in your life. It cannot be undone , so the most logical step to follow is to look for solutions rather than talking about the problems and feeling bad.

By applying this simple rule into my life , I am able to create happiness in each moment and thus spread more happiness to others as well. As it is been said that one who is happy fom inside can create outer happiness for others. I feel so blessed that whatever happens in my life is always for my good . When you start feeling this way and have the feeling of satisfaction that I have talked about in my previous post than automatically happiness comes into your life.

Now that I have followed the first step of creating happiness from within so I can go on to next step to spreading it effortlessly for those around me. Everyday I make it a point that atleast I help any two people in this world and bring smile on their face. I have been regularly doing it past some days and at the end of the day when I think about what I have done today I feel so happy and cheerful. Its really an amazing feel. You all try it too , today make a promise to yourself that everyday you will do some good and bring smile to atleast two persons in this world . Just imagine that if everybody starts creating happiness for others how lovely this life will become for each one of us. So come on join in and create more happiness !!! Just stay happy , Life is really amazing and beautiful !!! :)

Satisfaction ..... A simple WAy to Inner Peace and Eternal Happiness!!

Satisfaction in a person's life is a way to peace and harmony. Here I am not talking about aimless life or desireless life but what I am saying is not attaching to those outcomes and desires, rather being happy , content in the present while setting goals for the future. The future will take care of itself but what we truly have with us is NOW , the eternal present.

Being satisfied doesn't mean that your desires are dead for the future or the conviction and intention to achieve something ends. No, it doesn't mean this. It simply means that you are satisfied with the present situation of your life having no regrets, no hard feelings like resentment, deficiency, jealousy, hatred etc which thus helps you to attain inner peace and happiness maintaining the optimism to achieve what else you want in the future.

By following this act of satisfaction , which brings happiness to a being he is even more energised to achieve greater things in the future as well . This is because his mind power is not leaking away in unnecessary regret, worries , sadness from the past , but in contrast he is very happy in the present and thus focusses all his power in the present for attaining even bigger goals in the future. Only a happy being can create more happiness into his life.

Thus by accepting the NOW, embracing the present without any complaints and feeling grateful to what you have received You attract long lasting peace and cheerfulness.

As said by Zen masters Dont try to force outcomes , let them happen. Be open to what emerges in your life as you never know what will happen or what opportunities will arise , until you arrive at that moment. So just learn to be content satisfied and happy with what God has offered you now keeping the faith that when the time will be right you will get what all you want in your life.

We have no way to predict the future . We cannot control it. And when we admit we can't predict or plan or control the future whats the next logical step? Just accept the present moment gracefully with content and smile and have faith in God !! He can see the bigger picture and gives you what is the best for you. Believe me on this !!

Teaching Co-opeartion is what we actually need!!

If someone advocates that teaching Competitive spirit is more important than cooperation and team work , as in the world today everyone thinks that you need to be competitive enough than I would OPPOSE this belief. I see it as a short term vision story. Basically it just speaks up for the early stages of a child's life and that too to a very small extent. But if we talk about it in a long term than I would say that Cooperation is much more important than competition.
For Example: When you join an organisation than no management would like the employees to compete among themselves and thus have hard feelings for each other's success rather they would appreciate and long for a collaborative , cooperative team spirit to be present in all of its employees.
Here is when the problem arises now , a child who has been taught the virtues of competition since childhood is not at all able to work in cooperation with others and thus often lacks the team spirit . Then the organizations arranges team work training programs for them. After attending those trainings they try to follow it for some days but than 95 % of them come back to their childhood old lessons of competition. Such situation thus becomes very difficult to overcome both for the employee as well as the employer.
Now you only tell me is it right? Is it the way it sholud be going? It is obviously difficult to change a habit you have been following since 18-20 years , untill and unless someone wants to do it from within by self realization and self awakening . There is no other way to bring a change at this stage of a person's life. And the percentage of such people would be very small.

So the best possible and sane method to solve this problem is the awakening that a child needs to be taught the right lessons of cooperation since form the early stages of his/her life. We need to be clear on what we want from them when they grow up and teach them that only since the very beginning. If we do not teach right virtues to them how can we expect that they will follow what they don't know.
Children need to be taught that there is abundance of everything in this universe and they need not compete to achieve or get something. With cooperation they can get better results and make long lasting relationships as well. When they think this way then abundance will flow into their lives automatically. They need to be told that the only competition they have is with themselves so that they run their own race . As has been righty said " True nobility does not lie in being superior to others , it lies in being superior to your former self ."

EDUCATE THE EDUCATOR !!!!

Today as the value system, habits and behavior of kids is changing, we have to find out what is the reason for this and how it can be corrected.
Feeling of love, respect for others dignity, freedom to express and follow your dreams, patience, warmth, using the power of now ,connection with the soul etc is just some alien thoughts for them and will be more so in the generations to come . It is the education of the child which sets the foundation for all this , so if these qualities are absent or say vanishing than the biggest role played is by the education of the individual right from when he was a small kid. Setting up a wrong foundation gives destructive results which the world is facing in the present and will face in the future as well.

Now when we know the problem and the cause for it than the next thing to be done is to find a solution for the same. The solution is simple but as it happens always , simple things are never seen and often neglected . It is clear that to set up right values, ethics, habits and intelligence in the kids it is very essential that the education has to be appropriate and correct in every aspect . The right kind of education begins with the educator , who must understand himself , for what he is , that he imparts. If he has not been rightly educated, what can he teach except the same mechanical knowledge on which he himself has been brought up? The problem, thus is not the child but the parent and the teacher. So the prime need of the hour is to EDUCATE THE EDUCATORS of the world. The educators have to realize that the future depends on them and their power , understanding to teach the right things in the right manner at the best time in a child’s growth cycle is really important . It is very essential to teach them the right ways they have to follow to impart good valuable education to the kids.

When the educators were kids wrong education system and procedures have made them faulty themselves, so first they have to be educated to bring them in a different mould and simultaneously break that mould in which they were casted when they were small kids. This is relevantly difficult to do than to make a right mould for a child right from the very beginning. Because most of us are already crystallized within a system of thought or a pattern of action, we have already given ourselves to some ideology, to a religion or to a particular standard of conduct. That is why we teach the child what to think and not how to think. We are not deeply aware of ourselves, our thoughts and feelings are stereotyped, automatic. We learn a few subjects, gather some information and then try to pass it on to the children. If we educate the educators in the right way then it is inevitable that the education and foundation of the kids whome they will teach will automatically be corrected.

If the educator is to help the student to examine and understand the values and influences that surround him and of which he is a part, must not he be aware of them himself?
If one is blind , can one help others to cross to the other shore???

The child is influenced by the people and the things about him, and the right kind of educator should help him to uncover these influences and their true worth. Merely to follow a system whether political or educational will not solve any purpose for the educators, they have to be awakened that they need to break those boundaries created around them and feel the importance of their roles as educators in this world. So the prime need of the hour is to EDUCATE THE EDUACTOR!!!