Be Happy

If you are not happy, what's the use of having all the money in the world?
Be contented with what you have and who you are.

When you age, you realize that a lot of things that you are upset about when you are young are actually quite trivial. When you let all that go, you will be happier.

Life's Lesson 2

Every once in a while, life hands you a moment so precious, so overwhelming, that you almost glow. When you experienced one of those moments, write it down and present it to another person, so that it might provide him/her a road map in his/hers journey in life...

Here are some of the lessons learnt from life :

* Pray not for things... but for wisdom and courage

* Never take action when you are angry

* Always enter a room with purpose and confidence.

* Do Not discuss business in elevators, you never know who may overhear you.

* Never pay for work before it's completed.

* Be willing to lose a battle in order to win the war

* Do Not Gossip

* Beware of the person who has nothing to lose

* When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail.

* Do Not spread yourself too thin. Learn to say 'No' politely and quickly

* Do Not expect life to be fair

* Never underestimate the power of forgiveness

* Instead of using the word 'Problem', try substituting it with the word 'Opportunity'

Listening

When someone talks, listen and hear them out.
Put yourself in his/her's shoes.
Remember that there are always differences in backgrounds among us. even between members of the same family. Each person sees things from his or hers perspectives.

A first born child and one who has been an only child for a long time (and has been the center of attraction all the while) will worry at the thoughts of having a new additional member in the family. Child number two who has entered into a ready made family of three- with a sibling in the middle of it will view and expect things differently. Always try to reserve judgment until all facts are in.

Do not assume anything. What is being said might not seem important to you, but it is important to the speaker, or he would not have taken the time to say it. A good way to hurt someone's feeling is to ignore, even unintentionally, what he or she has to say. Take the time to listen, there's no such word as 'too busy' especially when it comes to those who are very close to you. There might not be a 'next time'..

Failure

We all go through tough times, and we all fail at one time or another.

These words by an unknown author have helped me through many times of testing. Perhaps, they will help you too:

Failing doesn't mean I'm a failure,

It just means I have not succeeded yet.

Failing doesn't mean I have accomplished nothing,

It just means I have learned something.

Failing doesn't mean I have been a fool,

It just means I have enough faith to experiment.

Failing doesn't mean I have been disgraced,
It just means I dared to try.

Failing doesn't mean I don't have what it takes,
It just means I have to try things differently next time.

Failing doesn't mean I am inferior,
It just means I'm not perfect.

Failing doesn't mean I have wasted my time,
It just means I have a reason to start over.

Failing doesn't mean I should give up,
It just means I must try harder.

Failing doesn't mean I'll never make it,
It just means I need more patience.

Failing doesn't mean I'm wrong,
It just means I must find a better way.

Failing doesn't mean God has abandoned me,
It just means I must obediently obey his will.

Better Tomorrow

I have lived a long life.

But if i could do it again, I'do some things differently.

I'd see people as people and not as shades of colour

I'd work harder and grumble less..

I'd be thankful for what I have

Rather than look at others with envy..

I'd still pray for prosperity and health

But I would'nt just wish them for myself

I'd understand

We can have disagreements

but there's no need for ill feelings

Back in my days, we hoped for a better tomorrow

But now i see..

It only begins if we take time to learn

from yesterday..

The Cab Ride

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away.

But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters.

In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness.

"It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".

"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice".

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening.

"I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have
very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me
to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when
they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now."

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that
passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we
pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have
been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.
The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

"How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said.

"You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers," I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.

Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in
my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others
may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT THEY
WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

"Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here, we might as
well dance".

Count Your Blessings

A disheartened young law student once consulted his senior. He had failed the bar examination for the second time, was out of money and felt there was nothing to live for.

The doctor took out a pad and asked him a few questions. 'Are you married?'
The young law student answered 'Yes, my wife has been terrific through this whole ordeal, though I do not know why she stays with me.'

'Any medical problem?' the doctor asked.
'No. I have a strong constitution. Played sports in university.'
'You seem ambitious.'said the doctor.
'Yeah' he said. ' I have a lot of ambition. That's what made me successful in school sports even though I was small.

The doctor then tore off the page and handed it to him. The doctor had written on it:
a) Wife loves him. Will not give up on him.
b) Health excellent
c) Ambitious: Helps him to succeed in spite of obstacles.

He stared at the list and then said, 'That's amazing. I guess I was so obsessed with failing the exam that I couldn't see any hope.'

The young man did finally pass his bar exam on his 5th try. And today he's a successful lawyer.