Be Thankful

Be thankful when you don't know something ... for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times ... during those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations ... they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge... which will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes ... they will teach you valuable lessons.

It's easy to be thankful for the 'good' things ... yet, a life of rich fulfilment comes to those who are thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive ... find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they can become your blessings!

It's called Mindset

As I was passing by the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg.

No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. I saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.
   
"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.

"I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.
   
Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Wise say, “Your attempt may fail, but never fail to make an attempt.”

With complaining out of the way

If you’re black or white; a woman or a man; or if you were abused, taken advantage of, or bankrupt – these facts cannot change. If your parents couldn’t afford to send you to college or if you had to work your way through school, or walk ten miles to school – these are all things in your past. It’s time to get over them and move on.

You’ll find that life will be a lot easier when you make the decision to drop your complaining. All it does is make you feel sorry for yourself – sad, angry and victimized. When you argue for your limitations, your thoughts and words merely get in your way and greatly interfere with your ability to create.

With complaining out of the way, you’ll create the space for an explosion of creativity and brilliance. Instead of focusing on problems, you’ll begin to see solutions. Instead of maintaining an “I can’t attitude, you’ll quickly develop a more positive vision for yourself.

Stop complaining!

Take responsibility by creating an ideal working environment

You’d be amazed at what people can (and will) do if you not only give them a chance but also believe in their potential. It’s important to know that everyone has unique gifts and talents. It’s your job to assist in bringing those gifts and talents out into the world.

What happens to someone when she is insecure, resentful, or frightened? Very simply, she loses most of her motivation and other positive work-related qualities.

Consider the following example: You have an assistant. Every day when we walk in the door, you remind him how incompetent he is. You point out his weaknesses and flaws. You belittle him in front of other people. The question is how does your assistant feel? It’s hard to know for sure, because people react differently to the same set of facts. But it’s a good bet that he’s frightened, insecure, resentful of you, or, most likely, all of the above.
    
Most people, given the right environment, are hard-working, talented, creative, and productive. They want to please others just as you and I want to. Unfortunately, however, most people are hardly ever exposed to an ideal working environment.

Rather than sitting back and waiting for people to be perfect – and being frustrated when they are not – take some responsibility in the process by creating an ideal psychological working environment.

The Painting on the wall

There was a king who was a great admirer of art. One day an artist came and said to the king, “Oh King! Give me a blank wall in your palace and let me paint a picture on it.”

The artist was given the job. Just then, another young man said, “Oh King! Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I too am an artist.”  The king said, “What would you like to make?” The man said, “My Lord, I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, I shall do so, without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so that either of us cannot see the other.”

Everyone in the king’s court, including the king was intrigued. He decided to give the young fellow a chance. The following day a thick curtain was put into place and both the artists got to work. The first artist brought in a regular supply of paint, oil, water etc. The second one worked with some cloth and a bucket of water. After a month the first artist told the king that his work was complete. The king sent for the second artist and asked him, “Young man, when would your work be ready? I am coming to see the first wall this evening.” The man said, “My Lord, my wall is ready too!”

The king went to see the first artist’s wall. He was very, very impressed with the painting and gave a hefty sum as a reward to the artist. He then asked for the curtain to be opened up. Lo and behold! The same painting was to be seen on the opposite wall too! Amazing! But true! Each line, each minor detail was exactly as it was on the first wall. But this man had not been seeing what was going on, on the other side of the curtain. So how had he done it?
The king wanted to know the secret. He gave a double reward to the fellow. Then he said, “Young man, I am indeed very happy with your work. But you must tell me; how did you do it?”
The lad said simply, “It’s very easy! I just polished the wall every day till it shone like a mirror!” It was a wall made of white marble! The reflection of the painting across the room, showed up in it!

That is what it means to polish yourself. World is a reflection of you. Whatever you are, the world will seem to be that too. If you are happy, the world will look to be happy. If you are sad; jealous; angry; restless... that is what the world will seem to be to you!

Value of Finger

A screw that is connected with a machine is valuable because it is working with the whole machine. And if the screw is taken away from the machine, or if it is faulty, it is worthless. My finger is worth millions of dollars as long as it is attached to this body and is serving the body. And if it is cut off from this body, then what is its worth? Nothing. Similarly, our relationship is that we are very small particles of God; therefore our duty is to dovetail our energies with Him and cooperate with Him. That is our relationship. Otherwise we are worthless. We are cut off. When the finger becomes useless the doctor says, "Oh, amputate this finger. Otherwise the body will be poisoned." Similarly, when we become godless we are cut off from our relationship with God and suffer in this material world. If we try to join again with the Supreme Lord, then our relationship is revived.

We cannot have anything that is not in God. That is not possible. Therefore in the Vedanta-sutra it is said that everything that we have is also found in God. It is emanating from God. So our relationship is that because we are small, because we are minute, we are the eternal servitors of God. In this material world also, in ordinary behavior, we see that a man goes to serve another man because the other man is greater than he and can pay him a nice salary. So naturally the conclusion is that if we are small, our duty is to serve God. We have no other business. We are all different parts and parcels of the original entity.

The story of the eagle

The eagle has the longest life-span among birds.

In its 40’s…..It’s long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey which serves as food. It’s long and sharp beak becomes bent. Then, the eagle is left with only two options: die or go through a painful process of change which lasts 150 days.

The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountain top and sit on its’ nest. There the eagle knocks its’ beak against a rock until it plucks it out. After plucking it out, the eagle will wait for a new beak to grow back and then it will pluck out its’ talons. When its’ new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old-aged feathers. And after five months, the eagle takes its’ famous flight of rebirth and lives for 30 more years.
   
Why is change needed? Many times, in order to survive we have to start a change process. We sometimes need to get rid of old memories habits and other past limiting beliefs.
     
Only freed from past burdens, can we take advantage of the present. Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results. Let’s change to make a change!!!