Tough Decisions ??

When the need arises to make tough decisions always consider, what's the worst thing that can happen. Once that is identified, then ask yourself, can you cope with that? If you can, then go for it. If not, it may be best to decline.

Tarbooj poem (Hari)

बाहर से मज़बूत
नाम इसका तरबूज

हरा भरा यह फल
लाल मीठा इसका जल

पानी और विटामिन से भरपूर
शीतल इसका स्वरुप

फलो में अध्भुत
मेरा प्यारा तरबूज 

Daddy Granny Cook (Poem for Hari School Event)

My daddy is so cool,
every morning he drops me to school.

My granny is so nice,
pure and soft like a steamed white rice.

Together today, we all three cook,
without any recipie book,
when all my friends and teachers joyfully look. 

On Climbing a hill

Oh, so tough is this mountain climb
pulling myself step by step, I sigh.

I don't have a car to take me up the hill,
to reach my place I must do this drill without taking a pill adding to my thrill.

I have to do this to reach home eveytime,
exhausting all my energy, with my headphone on, I still climb.

Till I buy a car this is only my option prime,
all my health is regained by drinking one soda lime with a big smile.

Sridharo Pakhyanam

hadoop vocha spark rada anni sandhehamu valadu,
sridharudu programmeru,
aey language ichinina code cheyagaladu,
interviewer ayinani moorkhulu vintey ||

Ahista chal zindagi......

Gulzar sir ki pankthiyo ko apney zindagi se jod ke banayee gayee kuch pankthiyaan.....

Ahista chal zindagi, hdfc ka karz chukana baaki hai
car loan lena baki hai, home loan chukana baaki hai
tumhare saath bhagtey bhagtey itnaa door aagaya
paisa kamana baki hai, ghar wapas jana baki hai
Ahista chal zindagi par jaldi aa salary, loan ka bhoj bahut bhari hai
Ahista chal zindagi, hdfc ka karz chukana baaki hai.

On Losing a job

He called me and said you are fired
And I could see all my dreams and hopes backfire

Thinking of the next I made my resumes float
Adding to my anguish recruiters wrote,
All openings closed.

With no income source, my savings drain
I don't have a job to catch the next morning train

For jobs I  find, I fanatically apply  with my spirits high
But to what I say, Interviewers don't buy leaving me with a deep sigh and a mournful cry

All this started with that one word, "You are Fired"
And will last till I hear someone say  "You are Hired".

Evening Sun

This is something I wrote sitting by the side of a window in Dublin US. The view was beautiful and every evening I used to see the sun go down a mountain.

Every day I watch the sun go down
sitting by my window, miles away from my hometown

behind the mountains, it looks like a diamond crown
watching it set, in my fears I drown.

He says  he'll be back tomorrow,
I reply, don't bother you will go down again leaving me in sorrow.

अपनी ज़िन्दगी

अपनी तो ज़िन्दगी है अजीब कहानी है,
जिस चीज़ की चाह है वो ही बेगानी है,
हँसते भी है तो दुनिया को हँसाने के लिए,
वरना दुनिया डूब जाये इन आखों में इतना पानी है।

HOW TO MAKE HAPPINESS YOUR PRIORITY

Below are some techniques to reclaim and strengthen happiness:

Practice Mindfulness: Live your life with more depth, contemplation, and sincere contentment. Focus on yourself and do not compare yourself with others.

Think Happy: Thoughts create feelings. And feelings behavior. Positive behavior and smiling attracts more positivity. This re-stimulates happy thoughts.

Surround Yourself With Happy People And Nurture Relationships: A beautiful trigger of happiness!

Treat Yourself Well: Spoil yourself. Respect and love yourself. Do more of what you really love and spend more time with loved ones.

Catch And Memorize Great Moments: Put the bad ones aside. Slow down to enjoy the joys of life. Write them down and read them whenever needed.

Be Active And Take Care Of Yourself: Go outside, go for a walk, do sports, etc. Learn new things. Stimulate yourself. Challenge yourself.

Set Meaningful, Achievable Targets: Be committed and take one step after another.

Help Others And Be Generous: Practice acts of kindness and learn to forgive.


Courtesy: https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140320212922-175081329-make-happiness-your-priority?trk=mp-details-rc

What 10 Things Should You Do Every Day To Improve Your Life?

1) Get out in nature
You probably seriously underestimate how important this is. (Actually, there’s research that says you do.) Being in nature reduces stress, makes you more creative, improves your memory and may even make you a better person.

2) Exercise
We all know how important this is, but few people do it consistently. Other than health benefits too numerous to mention, exercise makes you smarter,happier, improves sleep, increases libido and makes you feel better about your body. A Harvard study that has tracked a group of men for more than 70 years identified it as one of the secrets to a good life.

3) Spend time with friends and family
Harvard happiness expert Daniel Gilbert identified this as one of the biggest sources of happiness in our lives. Relationships are worth more than you think (approximately an extra $131,232 a year.) Not feeling socially connected can make you stupider and kill you. Loneliness can lead to heart attack, stroke and diabetes. The longest lived people on the planet all place a strong emphasis on social engagement and good relationships are more important to a long life than even exercise. Friends are key to improving your life. Share good news and enthusiatically respond when others share good news with you to improve your relationships. Want to instantly be happier? Do something kind for them.

4) Express gratitude
It will make you happier.
It will improve your relationships.
It can make you a better person.
It can make life better for everyone around you.

5) Meditate
Meditation can increase happiness, meaning in life, social support and attention span while reducing anger, anxiety, depression and fatigue. Along similar lines, prayer can make you feel better — even if you’re not religious.

6) Get enough sleep
You can’t cheat yourself on sleep and not have it affect you. Being tired actually makes it harder to be happy. Lack of sleep = more likely to get sick. “Sleeping on it” does improve decision making. Lack of sleep can make you more likely to behave unethically. There is such a thing as beauty sleep.Naps are great too. Naps increase alertness and performance on the job,enhance learning ability and purge negative emotions while enhancing positive ones. Here’s how to improve your naps.

7) Challenge yourself
Learning another language can keep your mind sharp. Music lessons increase intelligence. Challenging your beliefs strengthens your mind. Increasing willpower just takes a little effort each day and it’s more responsible for your success than IQ. Not getting an education or taking advantage of opportunities are two of the things people look back on their lives and regret the most.

8) Laugh
People who use humor to cope with stress have better immune systems, reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, experience less pain during dental work and live longer. Laughter should be like a daily vitamin. Just reminiscing about funny moments can improve your relationship. Humor has many benefits.

9) Touch someone
Touching can reduce stress, improve team performance, and help you be persuasive. Hugs make you happier. Sex may help prevent heart attacks and cancer, improve your immune system and extend your life.

10) Be optimistic
Optimism can make you healthier, happier and extend your life. The Army teaches it in order to increase mental toughness in soldiers. Being overconfident improves performance.

Courtesy: http://time.com/14047/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-improve-your-life/

Aansoo

Aansoo ko bahut samjhaya ke 
Tanhaai mein aaya karo,
Mehfil mein hamara mazaak na udaya karo,
iss par aansu tadap kar boli,
itne logo mein aapko tanha paate hai,
isi liye hum chale aate hai…

Ek tha Bhagwan..... Ek tha Shaitan....

Ek tha Bhagwan..... Ek tha Shaitan.....
Dono me jab jhagda hua to bahut hua Nuksaan.
Dono ne milkar samasya ka nikala ek samadhan.
Ek khilona banaya aur uska naam rakha INSAAN.
Shaitan ne apni Taaqatein di..... "Krodh, Ghamand
Aur Jalan".
Bhagwan ne apne ansh diye..... 
"Pyaar, Daya 
Aur Sammaan".
Bhagwan se Muskurakar bola fir Shaitan.
"Na tera Nuksaan..... Na mera Nuksaan.
Tu Jeete ya Mein Jeetu,
HAAREGA INSAAN."
Aur Esiliye Kehte hai ...
"Koi Toote To Use Sajana Seekho ...
Koi Roothe To Usse Manana Seekho ...
Rishte To Milte Hain Mukaddar Se ...
Bas
Unhe Khoobsurti Se Nibhana Sikho!"

Zindagi kya hai ???

Zindagi ek abhilasha hai,
ajab iski paribhasha hai,
zindagi kya hai yeh math poocho yaaro,
sawar gayee tho janat,
bikhar gayee tho tamasha hai.

Samshaan ke bahar likha tha......

Manzil tho theri yehin thi,
bas zindagi gujar gayee athey aathey

kya mila tujhe is duniya se,
apno ney hi jala diya tujhe jatey jatey.

Decided to Quit !!!

One day I decided to quit.I wanted to quit my life.

I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor.Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful and again, nothing came from the bamboo seed.But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. "I would not quit." He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.It had spent the five years growing roots.Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots." "I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others." He said. The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful." Your time will come, God said to me. You will rise high!

How high should I rise?" I asked.

How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can? I said.

Yes. " He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can.

I left the forest to bring back this story.

I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life.

Good days give you happiness; Bad days give you experiences; Both are essential to life.

The Number One Secret to Life Success: Baby Steps

We’re all in a hurry, it seems. The pace of life has increased and rushing through our days—through our lives—has now become the norm. We want everything now; happiness now, success now, health now, love now. Not surprisingly, this is the way we approach our goals and life changes as well. Patience is hard to come by: we expect results now, and if we haven’t reached our goal yet, it must be because we’re not working hard enough or fast enough or we’re lazy and undisciplined.

life is a marathon

Hard work and discipline are certainly valuable traits when trying to make changes in our lives or attain important goals, however, even diligence and persistence are often not enough to get the results we’re looking for. The lack of an effective strategy is often our greatest obstacle. In our impatience for results, we try to change too much at once, and expect too much of ourselves, and this impatience usually leads to frustration and failure. This is why most people fail to keep their New Year’s resolutions.

Sometimes we don’t even take the first step because our dreams, goals, and desires seem so overwhelming, so intimidating, and so unachievable that we give up before we even start. Maybe we just need to try a different strategy. I’m reminded of the popular saying, “Life is a marathon, not a sprint.” That same philosophy can be applied when we’re attempting to make changes in our lives: it’s true of career advancement or building a business, educational goals, weight loss or fitness, organization, habits, and certainly when trying to build or change relationships.
Learn to take baby steps

This may be the simplest, yet the most effective strategy we can use, as consistency, and learning to build on small victories are the keys to success.The happiest and most successful people will tell you that they have achieved their level of life and work success by taking small steps, and making one positive choice after another.

Look for the mini victories

What is a mini victory? A mini victory is a realistic, quickly-achievable, smaller portion of a larger objective. This bite-size goal will vary depending upon our specific intention, time frame, and motivation.The reason this strategy works is because we are able to see tangible progress, rather quickly, so we feel a sense of accomplishment and are encouraged to move on to our next mini goal, using the small successes as stepping-stones to larger change.
A few examples:

Consider health goals. When we are attempting to lose weight, be more fit, or achieve better health, it’s much more effective to set intermediate targets than to fixate on what might be a massive change.

    Set a mini-goal of losing 5 pounds each month, rather than a goal of 60 pounds in a year.
    Swap out one unhealthy snack for piece of fruit, or eat one vegetarian meal a week, and replace one soda or cappuccino with a glass of water. When we try to eliminate all sugar, or soda, or junk food from our diets, we usually fall off the bandwagon within the first week or two. That’s not a very good success rate.
    Train to run a 5K, then a 10K, then a half marathon rather than training for full marathon all at once. This advice holds true even when tackling the full marathon as well: many successful long-distance runners say that they don’t run 26 miles, they run 1 mile 26 times.

Most of us want career success, but it usually comes one rung up the ladder at a time.

    Take one course at a time.
    Achieve one certification.
    Improve one skill.
    Make a few new contacts at each event, conference, or gathering and slowly build your list of business contacts.

It’s better to cultivate good relationships with a small network of contacts, and then gradually expand that network.

We all want to be more organized, but when we attempt to organize or de-clutter our entire home or office all at once, we usually get overwhelmed and don’t finish the project. Instead, when we try to organize one area at a time, change one messy habit, or develop one productive routine, we have better success. Tackle one project, and then add in another change when the first one is well established.

    Make a master list of everything you need to do.
    Eliminate one or two piles.
    Clear off your desk or the kitchen counter.
    Sort through old mail.
    Clear out your email inbox.
    Start cleaning off your desk at the end of the day.
    Study or read for one hour a day.
    Gather the empty cups, bags, and papers each time you get out of the car.

This strategy is useful in almost every area of life, and when trying to achieve nearly any goal. Just work towards one mini-victory at time and make sure you celebrate each achievement in some small way—a little success goes a long way in propelling us to the finish line.

Courtesy:  http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/secret-to-life-success-baby-steps.html

Don't Worry - Be Happy

Are you still waiting for your circumstances to change before you’ll allow yourself to be happy? Most of us have preconceived ideas of what would make us happy, and we refuse to be satisfied until those things happen.




The problem with this pattern of thinking is that, even if those specific things happen in our lives, we’re rarely satisfied with them! Instead, we shift our focus to something even bigger and better, believing “it” will make us happy (or happier). We never allow ourselves to reach a point of contentment. Have you done the same thing to yourself?

Be happy NOW!



The good news is that you can decide to be happy NOW – even if everything in your life isn’t perfect. Below you’ll find 3 easy ways to do so:



1) Be grateful. Gratitude is one of the most powerful states of mind that you can adopt. Not only does it make you feel good, it shifts your focus from what you don’t have to what you DO have, and keeps it there! As you focus more on what you are grateful to have in your life (even the really small blessings!), you worry less about anything that may be lacking. The result? A more pervasive sense of happiness!



2) Take time to smell the roses. If you spend most of your days feeling rushed and scattered, it’s hard to feel happy and content. In order to be truly happy, you need to make time for yourself to relax, dream, and take pleasure in life’s simpler moments. Beginning today, make sure to spend time doing things you love on a regular basis. Read a book that stimulates your imagination; listen to music you love; take long walks, and allow yourself to enjoy your life as it is right now.



3) Love the journey. Many of us make the mistake of pinning all of our expectations on some vague, far-off result, like the completion of goals. We believe that once we “get there” everything will be perfect and we’ll finally be happy. However, there is much to be gained from enjoying the journey toward your destination! Make it your mission to revel in every moment that you’re moving toward a higher goal. Enjoy the sense of growing self-mastery and accomplishment you gain with every goal you achieve. Make it a worthwhile journey and you’ll savor the end result that much more!

Make a choice to be happy!



The most important thing to understand about happiness is that it is largely a CHOICE you make from moment to moment. Though certain serious situations make it difficult to feel happy at times, most often we allow the little things to bother us and block any happiness we would otherwise feel. Embrace happiness, and it will grow to incredible proportions in your life!     Courtesy: http://advancedlifeskills.com/blog/dont-worry-be-happy/

Take Back Your Life in Ten Steps

You're smart, hard-working and good at what you do, but the truth is you also too often feel your life is just a relentless set of demands you have to meet, and too rarely a source of satisfaction. You long to feel more in control of your days, but the reality is you're frequently racing just to keep up.


The suggestions are in order from the most basic and fundamental, to the highest level.

1. Get sufficient sleep every night. Sleep is often the single most undervalued behavior in our lives and the one with the most immediate power to improve our experience in every waking moment. If you sleep in the 6-6½ hour range, like the average American, just one more hour of sleep a night will leave you feeling more physically energized, emotionally resilient, and mentally clear.

2. Move more. It's not only good for your heart's health, but also for your mental health. Do some form of exercise that significantly raises your heart rate for 30 minutes at least four times a week and move frequently during the day.

3. Eat less, more often. Food is fuel. Lean proteins and complex carbohydrates are high-octane fuel. You're best off when you keep feeding your internal furnace in small doses throughout the day, beginning with breakfast.

4. Renew more. Human beings aren't designed to work continuously. We're meant instead to move between spending and renewing energy. Ideally, take a break every 90 minutes, even if only to spend a minute or two breathing deeply.

5. Invest in those you love. The greatest gift you can give is your absorbed attention. Better to be fully present with someone for an hour than physically present, but distracted, for multiple hours.

6. Give thanks. We're far quicker to notice what's wrong in our lives than we are what's right. At least once a week, hand write and mail a note of appreciation to someone who deserves it, telling the person precisely what you're grateful for.

7. Do the most important thing first. Early in the morning, you're likely to have the most energy, and the fewest distractions. Start your workday by focusing without interruption, for 60 to 90 minutes, on the most important and/or challenging task you can accomplish that day.

8. Practice reflection. We're so preoccupied with the urgent that we rarely take time to think about what it is we're doing. Set aside 15 to 30 minutes at the end of each work day (or in the evening) to reflect quietly and without interruption on what you learned that day, and what your highest priorities are for the following day.

9. Keep learning. Our brains work better if we challenge them, and life becomes more interesting when we do. Reading books is a simple and surefire way to learn and grow, but so is building a daily practice around learning a new language, a sport, a musical instrument, or around how to write code, fix a car, or draw.

10. Give back. Take at least one hour a week to put your own needs aside and devote that time instead to adding value to the world at large. One hour a week is very little time, but it's a start — and it's also more than most of us regularly give.

Courtesy: http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2013/01/take-back-your-life-in-ten-ste.html

How to Turn Off Negative Thoughts in Your Mind

Barring psychological illness, we are all largely responsible for our own emotional health and well-being. What does that mean? That what we say to ourselves over and over for days, weeks, months, and sometimes years, has a dramatic effect on how we see ourselves. This also contributes to many of the mental health disorders we see rampant today: what we choose to have continually playing in our brains stays there, and there’s a  real problem when we start buying into the negative thoughts we have about ourselves.

I discovered how powerful the effect of conditioning is firsthand when I was listening to some oldies the other day on the radio—I was amazed at how quickly I could belt out the words to songs I hadn’t heard in decades. How could I remember all those lyrics from so long ago? Because I was conditioned by them. I listened and sang those words day in and day out for what seemed like forever, until they were burned into my brain cells, and some of those old songs even provoked strong feelings in me as I took a quick trip down memory lane.

The mind is a powerful thing, and in a nanosecond, it can elevate or crush our mood because of the beliefs lurking behind our feelings.

If you think I’m kidding, try it yourself: think of an old song, or even the lyrics to one of your favorite television shows. Those of us who are old enough can belt out the opening line to The Beverly Hillbillies in our sleep.

So, what does all this have to do with our emotional health? Everything.

Many of us have problems with negative thoughts playing on the channel of our minds, but if you’re engaging in it consistently, and you believe it, it could be eroding your sense of self-esteem. Here are a few beliefs that indicate you may need to switch the station:

    I’m a loser
    I’m not good enough
    I don’t deserve….
    No one likes me
    I suck at relationships
    I’m a failure

Negative thoughts conjures up bad feelings and hooks you into believing that what those old tapes in your head are playing is actually true. In short, it brings your focus to your failures, and that gets you nowhere.

What can you do?

Here are some suggestions:
Notice when that same old song starts playing, and switch the channel

Self-talk is so subtle that we often don’t notice its effect on our mood and belief systems—as previously noted, one song can conjure up an entire series of thoughts and memories. Key things to notice are “if only or “what if” statements: the former keep you stuck in the past with regret, while the latter keep you fearful of the future. There is nothing you can do about the past, and the future isn’t here yet, so stay in the present moment.
Visualize the good things

Three scoops of ice cream: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry. Fresh crushed pineapple and strawberries, warm luscious hot fudge. Ripe sweet banana. Fresh whipped cream and a juicy red cherry. Get the drift? By now, you’re not only thinking of the banana split, you can taste it. If we want to change the negative tapes playing in our heads, we have to visualize ourselves positively—that means seeing yourself non-judgmentally. Picture accepting yourself. How would that look? Draw a picture in your mind and expand on it.
Recognize that actions always follow beliefs

Whatever you believe, you’ll experience more of, and you’ll also find yourself behaving in ways that are congruent with your beliefs. So, start believing the best about yourself: act as if you believe that you’re a valuable and worthy person.
Pay attention to triggers

Triggers are anything that can start the old tapes playing. If a certain person is a trigger for you, set boundaries with them.
Develop positive counterstatements to refute negative self-talk

Instead of always putting yourself down in your head, think of some things you actually like about yourself. What are your strengths, what are you good at? Developing counterstatements requires you have some degree of belief in their veracity. Keep your counterstatements in the here-and-now, instead of saying “I’m not good enough” try saying, “I am capable. I’m good at ______. I accept myself the way I am.”

Thinking poorly about ourselves gets us nowhere and is extremely self-limiting. Decide today to turn off the negative self-talk channel in your mind and develop your true potential.

Courtesy: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-to-turn-off-negative-thoughts-in-your-mind.html