Savor the Coffee!, not the cups!

Many of us in our lives want to taste success. Not just once or twice, but always!... We always want the best in our lives. Right from dress to shoes to the friends and society we move with, there is always an inner feeling that I want the best!.. While for some, it comes automatically even without any search, for others they go in search of it and the search continues.....In the search process, we get stressed in our lives that we start cribbing.. That adds further..

I came across this interesting piece of story. After reading it, I felt I must share it with readers.. I am sure everyone of us would have encountered or coming across the same in our lives. A very thought provoking story indeed....

The story is about a group of alumni who have a highly established careers. They were the busiest kind of people. One day, they get together to visit their old university Professor. They were recollecting their memories in the past. The conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in Work and Life. Everybody had a story to talk about the stress they faced in life. The professor was observing all this. Offering coffee to his guests, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - Porcelein, Plastic, Glass, Crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He told his guests to help themselves.

After everyone had a cup of coffee in their hand, the professor said, "If you notice all the nice looking expensive cups have been taken up leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cups adds no value or quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more expensive and in some cases, even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup. But, you consciously went for the best cups. And you began eyeing each other's cup to see who had the best one......"

"Now relate this to life. Life is like a Coffee; the jobs, money, position in society are the cups.How true isn't it!!! They are just the tools to hold and contain LIFE and the type of cup that we have does not define nor change the quality of life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup we fail to enjoy the coffee... We are no exceptions to it!. Are we???

SAVOR THE COFFEE!, NOT THE CUPS!The happiest of the people don't have the best of everything.. They just make the best of everything..

Live simply!

Speak kindly!

Care deeply!

Love generously!

Signing off,

SPH

The Lizard story

This is a story that I received in email. But instead of forwarding it, I chose to share it this way. This is the story of a lizard.

In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan breaks open the wall. Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls. When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stuck there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet. He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 5 years ago when the house was first built!

What happened?

The Lizard has survived in such position for 5 years!. In a dark wall partition for 5 years without moving, it is impossible and mind boggling. Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 5 years without moving a simple step - since its foot was nailed!. So he stopped his work and observed the lizard, what it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating. Later not knowing from where it came, appears another lizard, with food in its mouth.

Ah!. He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stuck by nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 5 years!

Imagine? It has been doing that untiringly for 5 long years without giving up hope on its partner. Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can't. PLEASE NEVER ABANDON YOUR LOVED ONES!

Lesson from the Story:

"Never say you are busy when they really need you... You may have the Entire World at your feet.. But you might be the only world to them..."

A moment of negligence might break the very heart which loves you through all odds.

Before you say something just remember.. it takes a moment to break but an entire lifetime to make - author unknown.

BEE-ing Human, Deforestation

The title may sound wierd.. What has being human and deforestration got a connection? There certainly is...

Well, am not just refering to being human but also be(e)ing human. Yes, of late, I have been hearing and reading that Bees are constructing their hives wherever they feel like. Yes, there is a bee-hive at the back side of my apartment. I was actually petrified looking at it and it gave me a kind a goose bumps looking at it. The anxiety or you may call it paranoia remained in me for 2 days.

Setting my fear aside, I was thinking what made Bees construct their hives at the rear side of my apartment. It is a known fact that Bees make their hive in a dark enclosed or dry space such as a tree trunk or a top roof. I have also seen the bee hives at the entrance of a temple tower(near gopuram as the ceiling is very high). But, this time around, they chose an apartment ceiling and they constructed one... It is really interesting to see the bees ( different types - Worker Bee, Queen Bee, drone etc) doing different tasks to ensure their objective is met. There are lessons to be learnt from Bees/Wasps. We could seldom see them taking rest during day time. As soon as they see the sun, they start springing in to action. They go kilometers to bring in pollen and honey from flowers. In general, there are many people who eye for the honey they have in their hive. The honey is not for the humans to use, but for its larvae, and infants. It is very interesting to see the way they plan and execute their objectives.

Interestingly, the bees presume the tubelight brightness to be the natural light and they start swarming around the tubelight every morning. As a result, if I open the door in the early morning, say 5 am, I see many bees swarming. This has potential risk/danger. Although, I buy in to the concept of demolishing any insect/bird's nest is a sin, of late I see them as a potential risk to the apartment per se.

The bees constructing their hives has got a link to deforestation. Since, the trees are cut down both in forests and in residence, this results in many dangers.

1. Bees losing their location.

2. We do not inhale pure oxygen.

and many....

How mind travels through the week - Seize the day

Right from schoolhood days to college and to the next level, we have witnessed many good things, some stressful events, a lot of challenging times.. Whatever it is, we always eagerly await for Weekends. Ain't we?

Some of us could have been the best in the school, very studious, continuously performing in college, highly competent and successful, highly engaged at work place. However we are, I am sure every one of us eagerly look for the weekend with lots of plans!

According to me , there has been many stressful weeks which had made me to think on going back to work the following week! Am sure, people reading this may also have encountered this...

A small imagination on how our mind travels during the week!

Monday Blues - On a bright Monday, your mind says, "Oh my God!. 5 more days to work!". One is yet to come back from the Sunday mood. You hit the work place, see loads of mails, meetings, take on calls, so on and so forth...If your mails are positive, you kind of do away with a Monday. If you face any slightest discomfort, your entire week is souped.. So, Mondays are critical ;)

Tuesday - On a Tuesday, you come to a reality that the week has begun, you have loads of work, concentration on work. You forget about other things.. Even things you are to pick up on your way back home.

Wednesday - On a Wonderful Wednesday, a reality strikes with a pinch of sugar, that you are already approaching the mid day of the week.. So, (personally) you start planning for the weekend.. Still, focus on work and go on tight scheduled back to back meetings. If you are in a responsible position, your day gets hijacked with discussions..

Thursday - You never know how Thursday go - partly work, partly planning, partly fun,...

Fabulous Friday - a day you eagerly expect to come and countdown starts from Monday..This is when you see fun at Workplace!!

On an excellent Saturday and a Sunday your plan works - going out, meeting friends, weekend lunch/dinner, a good 8 hours of sleep, practice - anything that you learn on music so on..

I am sure this is how a week goes for all of us or at least some of us!. Some days, our time is hijacked ( yes, you are totally unaware of your time). But, all it takes is to have a liking towards whatever we do!...

The latin phrase, "carpe diem, quam minimum credila postero" translating to, "Pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the future". So, let us enjoy the day, whatever the day is, instead of saying "Ayyo, Monday vandhuduche!! ( Oh my god, Monday has come!! :( :( )!

ராஜாவின் ராஜாங்கத்திலிருந்து....

From Gnanadesikan to Ilayaraja...
1976 ல் அன்னகிளியிலிருந்து தொடங்கிய இசை பயணம் 45 வருடங்களாக தொடர்ந்து, நம் இதயத்தையும் மனங்களையும் மெல்லிய இசையால் கட்டி போட்டுள்ளது...ராஜாவின் பாடல்களை பற்றி பேச ஒரு நாள் போதுமா.. இல்லை இல்லை பல வருடங்கள் வேண்டும்..
அம்மா என்று அழைக்காத,ஆகாய கங்கை,இசை மேடையில் இன்ப வேளையில் /இளைய நிலா,ஈரமான ரோஜாவே,உன்னை நெனச்சேன் பாட்டு படிச்சேன்,என் இனிய பொன் நிலாவே /என் கண்மணி என் காதலி,ஏதோ மோகம் ஏதோ தாகம்,ஒரு ஜீவன் அழைத்தது / ஒரே ஜீவன் ஒன்றே உள்ளம், ஓம் நமச்சிவாய / ஓம் நமஹா....

How can one forget..
சின்னஞ்சிறு வயதில், வெள்ளை புறா ஒன்று, நதியில் ஆடும் பூவனம், என்ன சதம் இந்த நேரம், இதயம் ஒரு கோவில், எந்த பூவிலும் வாசமுண்டு, பூமாலையே தோள் சேரவா, காதல் ஓவியம், காளிதாசன் கண்ணதாசன், மற்றும் காலை தென்றல், மாலையில் யாரோ, இரவு நிலவு ...
ஆயிரம் மலர்களே மலருங்கள், ரோஜா ஒன்று, தலையை குனியும் தாமரை, அழகு மலராட, தென்றல் வந்து என்னை தொடும்,
இப்படி அடுக்கி கொண்டே போகலாம் மெலடி-ஐ!!!.
3 ஜூன் பிறந்த நாள் கொண்டாடும் இளையராஜாவிற்கு 'நலம் வாழ எந்நாளும் எங்கள் வாழ்த்துக்கள்'...
Over 950 movies, around 4500 songs.. 4 National awards... Lots of State awards...I listened to a Radio channel where he had told, he is yet to learn music!!.. Such is his modesty.. You can call him whatever you want..
But the underlying truth is if you listen to any of the melodies, your day or night is made...!!

To talk about his music, my wall is not enough.. err. Even Great Wall of China is not enough!.

Village things in City!

While my mother and I stopped at a coffee powder shop (a regular place) to buy Coffee powder, there was an old man selling Greens (Keerais) and alongside, he had a few Baby Jackfruit (Palamusu / Palakkai in Tamizh) arranged neatly. Curious, the coffee powder guy who hails from a village asked my mother what is that and what they make out of it!.

I was surprised!.If only a purely city bred person had asked this question, I would not have been surprised. It was an interesting question from him and my mother gave good explanation.

Adding a surprise to me was, he said in his native place(Andhra) , they pluck Agathi leaves (don't know the exact English word for Agathi keerai) and stock and feed to goats during rainy season as they would not be able to go in rain for want of food.. And also I heard from him that they do not sell Maavadu also. Rather they do not use that at all!. And he also said, "Madras la dhaan madam ellathaiyum kaasakkaranga!". (Only in Madras, they make money out of everything).

The surprise element was I was on a thought that only in villages, they make food out of such types(full utilization). Perhaps he does not know what Tamilnadu villages do!...

I heard that they make Koottu, Vegetable (poriyal/ karamathu) out of Palakkai. Why not we also try it :-)!!.

Trust

We often hear this word in one form or the other.. The word trust has several connotations. It may be a combination of emotional and a legal act. I am not going to give any gyan on Trust. And everyone of us have the trust understood in our own terms. There is always a golden rule associated with Trust - Be it creating a trust or building it or holding -'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!'.

On that note, I am going to share a short story (I came across) - I mean really short. The story is between a father and a daughter.

Once, a father and his little daughter were crossing a bridge. The father was a bit scared and wanted to be safe and told to his daughter"Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall in to the river".

The bright little daughter said, "No Daddy, you hold my hand".

The father was a little confused and wanted to know the reason behind his daughter's statement. "What is the difference?", he asked.

The girl said, "There is a big difference".

"How?" asked the father.

The daughter gave her view - "If I hold your hand, and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go" and continued saying, "But, if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go!"

In any relationships, trust is the bedrock on which it is built. The essence of trust is not in its bind but in its bond!

Signing off

SPH