EIGHT CLUES TO HAPPINESS

By KHUSHWANT SINGH

Having lived a reasonably contented life, I was musing over what a person should strive for to achieve happiness. I drew up a list of a few essentials which I put forward for the readers' appraisal.

1. First and foremost is GOOD HEALTH. If you do not enjoy good health you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial, will deduct from your happiness.

2. Second, A HEALTHY BANK BALANCE. It need not run into crores but should be enough to provide for creature comforts and something to spare for recreation, like eating out, going to the pictures, travelling or going on holidays on the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be only demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one's own eyes.

3. Third, A HOME OF YOUR OWN. Rented premises can never give you the snug feeling of a nest which is yours for keeps that a home provides: if it has a garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, cultivate a sense of kinship with them.

4. Fourth, AN UNDERSTANDING COMPANION, be it your spouse or a friend. If there are too many misunderstandings, they will rob you of your peace of mind. It is better to be divorced than to bicker all the time.

5. Fifth, LACK OF ENVY towards those who have done better than you in life; risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be very corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.

6. Sixth, DO NOT ALLOW OTHER PEOPLE to descend on you for gup-shup. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.

7. Seventh, CULTIVATE SOME HOBBIES which can bring you a sense of fulfillment, such as gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks or to meet celebrities is criminal waste of time.

8. Eighth, every morning and evening, devote 15 minutes to INTROSPECTION. In the morning, 10 minutes should be spent on stilling the mind and then five in listing things you have to do that day. In the evening, five minutes to still the mind again and ten to go over what you had undertaken to do.

RICHNESS is not Earning More,

Spending More

Or

Saving More, but...

"RICHNESS IS WHEN YOU NEED NO MORE"

There's Always a Way Out.

"When we believe in ourselves, we can make anything happen"

Positivity

All these years, I kept wondering why negativity runs faster as compared to positivity, now, I think that the - (negativity) has a horizontal line, which does not touch the ground and has no weight, it simply flies whereas, + (positivity) has a vertical line too that touches the ground and has weight. Remember, negativity might get you the wealth and the temporary comforts in your life, will not be able to give you PEACE and STABILITY in your life. Be POSITIVE in your outlook and actions - it is the Mantra for the prosperous future community.

…Mukesh

THE RACE - A GREAT STORY

It was a Sports Stadium.

Eight Children were standing on the track to participate in a running event.

* Ready! Steady!! Bang !!!

With the sound of Toy pistol,

All eight girls started running.

Hardly had they covered ten to fifteen steps,

when one of the smaller girls slipped and fell down,

Due to bruises and pain she started crying.

When the other seven girls heard the little girl cry they stopped running,

stood for a while and turned back.

Seeing the girl on the track they all ran to help.

One among them bent down, picked her up and kissed her gently

And enquired as to how she was..

They then lifted the fallen girl pacifying her.

Two of them held her firmly while all seven joined hands together and

walked together towards the winning post........

There was pin drop silence at the spectator's stand.

Officials were shocked.

Slow claps multiplied to thousands as the spectators stood up in appreciation.

Many eyes were filled with tears

And perhaps even God's

YES, this happened in Hyderabad [ INDIA ] recently!

The sport was conducted by National Institute of Mental Health.

All these special girls had come to participate in this event

They were spastic children.

Yes, they were Mentally Challenged.

What did they teach the WORLD?

Teamwork?

Humanity??

Equality among all???

Successful people help others who are slow in learning

So that they are not left far behind.

This is really a great message... Spread it!

[Contributed by - Dheeraj Bhatia, KIPS]

What is more valuable?

There once lived a great mathematician in a village outside Ujjain. He was often called by the local king to advice on matters related to the economy. His reputation has spread as far as Taxila in the North and Kanchi in the South. So it hurt him very much when the village headman told him, “You may be a great mathematician who advises the king on economic matters but your son does not know the value of gold or silver.”

The mathematician called his son and asked, “What is more valuable – gold or silver?” “Gold,” said the son. “That is correct. Why is it then that the village headman makes fun of you, claims you do not know the value of gold or silver? He teases me every day. He mocks me before other village elders as a father who neglects his son. This hurts me. I feel everyone in the village is laughing behind my back because you do not know what is more valuable, gold or silver. Explain this to me, son.”

So the son of the mathematician told his father the reason why the village headman carried this impression. “Every day on my way to school, the village headman calls me to his house. There, in front of all village elders, he holds out a silver coin in one hand and a gold coin in other. He asks me to pick up the more valuable coin. I pick the silver coin. He laughs, the elders jeer, everyone makes fun of me. And then I go to school. This happens every day. That is why they tell you I do not know the value of gold or silver.”

The father was confused. His son knew the value of gold and silver, and yet when asked to choose between a gold coin and silver coin always picked the silver coin. “Why don’t you pick up the gold coin?” he asked. In response, the son took the father to his room and showed him a box. In the box were at least a hundred silver coins. Turning to his father, the mathematician’s son said, “The day I pick up the gold coin the game will stop. They will stop having fun and I will stop making money.”

Sometimes in life, we have to play the fool because our seniors and our peers, and sometimes even our juniors like it. That does not mean we lose in the game of life. It just means allowing others to win in one arena of the game, while we win in the other arena of the game. We have to choose which arena matters to us and which arenas do not.

Audrey Hepburn Beauty Tips

For attractive lips,

Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,

seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,

share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,

let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise,

walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things,

have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed andredeemed;

never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,

you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older,

you will discover that you have two hands;

one for helping yourself,

and the other for helping others.

- Audrey Hepburn wrote this when asked about her beauty tips.

Contributed by - Dheeraj Bahtia, Kips

Easy vs Difficult

Easy is to judge the mistakes of others

Difficult is to recognize our own mistakes.

Easy is to talk without thinking

Difficult is to refrain the tongue.

Easy is to hurt someone who loves us.

Difficult is to heal the wound...

Easy is to forgive others

Difficult is to ask for forgiveness.

Easy is to set rules.

Difficult is to follow them...

Easy is to dream every night.

Difficult is to fight for a dream...

Easy is to show victory.

Difficult is to assume defeat with dignity...

Easy is to admire a full moon.

Difficult to see the other side...

Easy is to stumble with a stone.

Difficult is to get up....

Easy is to enjoy life every day.

Difficult to give its real value...

Easy is to promise something to someone.

Difficult is to fulfill that promise...

Easy is to say we love.

Difficult is to show it every day...

Easy is to criticize others.

Difficult is to improve oneself...

Easy is to make mistakes.

Difficult is to learn from them...

Easy is to weep for a lost love.

Difficult is to take care of it so not to lose it.

Easy is to think about improving.

Difficult is to stop thinking it and put it into action...

Easy is to think bad of others

Difficult is to give them the benefit of the doubt...

Easy is to receive

Difficult is to give.

Easy to read this

Difficult to follow.

Easy is keep the friendship with words

Difficult is to keep it with meanings.

Contributed By - Dheeraj Bhatia, Director, Kips

Excerpt from a book called "Tinker Toys"

Imagine a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb toward the banana. As soon as he touches the stair, spray all the monkeys with ice-cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result - all the monkeys are sprayed with ice-cold water. Pretty soon, when another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, turn off the cold water. Remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and will want to climb the stairs. To his surprise, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.

Again, replace a third monkey with new one. The new one goes to the stairs and is attacked. Two of the four monkeys that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing the fourth and fifth monkeys with new ones, all the monkeys that have been sprayed with ice-cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs. Why not? Because as far as they know that’s the way it’s always been around here.

[Contributed by - Piyush Jha]

The Other Side

A father was trying to read the newspaper, but his little son kept pestering him. Finally, the father grew tired of this and, tearing a page from the newspaper – one that bore a map of the world – he cut it into several pieces and handed them to his son.

‘Right, now you’ve got something to do. I’ve given you a map of the world and I want to see if you can put it back together correctly.’

He resumed his reading, knowing that the task would keep the child occupied for the rest of the day. However, a quarter of an hour later, the boy returned with the map.

‘Has your mother been teaching you geography?’ asked his father in astonishment.

‘I don’t even know what that is,’ replied the boy. ‘But there was a photo of a man on the other side of the page, so I put the man back together and found I’d put the world back together too.’

Contributed by - Piyush Jha from the excerpt of Paolo Coehlo and the original link is http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2010/02/17/rebuilding-the-world-2/

Blog of Piyush - http://cyberbrahmin.wordpress.com/

Good Lesson

A pretty woman was serving a life sentence in prison. Angry and resentful about her situation, she had decided that she would rather die than to live another year in prison. Over the years she had become good friends with one of the prison caretakers.

His job, among others, was to bury those prisoners who died in a graveyard just outside the prison walls. When a prisoner died, the caretaker rang a bell, which was heard by everyone.

The caretaker then got the body and put it in a casket.Next, he entered his office to fill out the death certificate before returning to the casket to nail the lid shut. Finally, he put the casket on a wagon to take it to the graveyard and bury it.

Knowing this routine, the woman devised an escape plan and shared it with the caretaker. The next time the bell rang, the woman would leave her cell and sneak into the dark room where the coffins were kept.

She would slip into the coffin with the dead body while the caretaker was filling out the death certificate. When the care-taker returned, he would nail the lid shut and take the coffin outside the prison with the woman in the coffin along with the dead body. He would then bury the coffin.The woman knew there would be enough air for her to breathe until later in the evening when the caretaker would return to the graveyard under the cover of darkness, dig up the coffin, open it, and set her free.

The caretaker was reluctant to go along with this plan, but since he and the woman had become good friends over the years, he agreed to do it. The woman waited several weeks before some-one in the prison died.

She was asleep in her cell when she heard the death bell ring.She got up, picked the lock of her cell, and slowly walked down the hallway. She was nearly caught a couple of times. Her heart was beating fast.

She opened the door to the darkened room where the coffins were kept. Quietly in the dark, she found the coffin that contained the dead body, carefully climbed into the coffin and pulled the lid shut to wait for the caretaker to come and nail the lid shut.

Soon she heard footsteps and the pounding of the hammer and nails. Even though she was very uncomfortable in the coffin with the dead body, she knew that with each nail she was one step closer to freedom.

The coffin was lifted onto the wagon and taken outside to the graveyard. She could feel the coffin being lowered into the ground.She didn't make a sound as the coffin hit the bottom of the grave with a thud.

Finally she heard the dirt dropping onto the top of the wooden coffin,and she knew that it was only a matter of time until she would be free at last. After several minutes of absolute silence, she began to laugh.She was free! She was free!

Feeling curious, she decided to light a match to find out the identity of the dead prisoner beside her. To her horror, she discovered that she, was lying next to the dead caretaker.

Many people believe they have life all figured out... but sometimes it just doesn't turn out the way they planned it.

Best story of the month

There was a man taking a morning walk at or the beach. He saw that along with the morning tide came hundreds of starfish and when the tide receded, they were left behind and with the morning sun rays, they would die. The tide was fresh and the starfish were alive. The man took a few steps, picked one and threw it into the water. He did that repeatedly. Right behind him there was another person who couldn't understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, "What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?" This man did not reply, took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, "It makes a difference to this one.

Cycle of Evil

There was once a king who was so cruel and unjust that his subjects yearned for his death or dethronement. However, one day he surprised them all by announcing that he had decided to turn over a new leaf. No more cruelty, no more injustice,” he promised, and he was as good as his word. He became known as the ‘Gentle Monarch’. Months after his transformation one of his ministers plucked up enough courage to ask him what had brought about his change of heart, and the king answered:

“As I was galloping through my forests I caught sight of a fox being chased by a hound. The fox escaped into his hole but not before the hound had bitten into its leg and lamed it for life. Later I rode into a village and saw the same hound there. It was barking at a man. Even as I watched, the man picked up a huge stone and flung it at the dog, breaking its leg. The man had not gone far when he was kicked by a horse. His knee was shattered and he fell to the ground, disabled for life. The horse began to run but it fell into a hole and broke its leg. Reflecting on all that had happened, I thought: ‘Evil begets evil. If I continue in my evil ways, I will surely be overtaken by evil’. So I decided to change”.

The minister went away convinced that the time was ripe to overthrow the king and seize the throne. Immersed in thought, he did not see the steps in front of him and fell, breaking his neck.

Philosophy of Charles Schultz

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners .

Here's another quiz... See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with .

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

Self Assessment

A little boy went to a telephone booth which was at the cash counter of a store and dialed a number.

The store-owner observed and listened to the conversation:

Boy : Lady, Can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?

Woman : (at the other end of the phone line) I already have someone to cut my lawn.

Boy : Lady, I will cut your lawn for half the price than the person who cuts your lawn now.

Woman : I'm very satisfied with the person who is presently cutting my lawn.

Boy : (with more perseverance) Lady, I'll even sweep the floor and the stairs of your house for free.

Woman : No, thank you.

With a smile on his face, the little boy replaced the receiver. The store-owner, who was listening to all this, walked over to the boy.

Store Owner : Son... I like your attitude; I like that positive spirit and would like to offer you a job.

Boy : No thanks,

Store Owner : But you were really pleading for one.

Boy : No Sir, I was just checking my performance at the job I already have. I am the one who is working for that lady I was talking to!

This is called - "Self Appraisal"

Must Read

CRY and CARE

We make them CRY, who CARE for us

We CRY for them, who never CARE for us 

We CARE for them, who will never CRY for us

It is TRUTH of life,

but make sure you realise it on time

and make sure you do not lose your dear ones

PLACE of NAME

Dont write your NAME on SAND, it will be washed by Waves

Dont write your NAME on SKY, it will be blown with winds

Write your NAME on HEARTS of people you come in touch with,

That is where it will stay FOREVER

Power of PRESENT

You cant change your PAST actions

You cant make changes in FUTURE (as Yet to Come)

You only have Control over the PRESENT

Make your PRESENT beautiful and enjoyable as

it may make your forthcoming PAST and FUTURE memorable.

- By Ikkumpal