Look for the extraordinary in the ordinary

Two workers were approached by a reporter. The reporter asked the first worker, “What are you doing?” His response was to complain that he was virtually a slave, an underpaid bricklayer who spent his days wasting his time, placing bricks on top of one another.

The reporter asked the second worker the same question. His response, however, was quite different. “I’m the luckiest person in the world,” he said. “I get to be a part of important and beautiful pieces of architecture. I help turn simple pieces of brick into exquisite masterpieces.”
They were both right.

The truth is, we see in life what we want to see. If you search for ugliness you’ll find plenty of it. If you want to find fault with other people, your service, or the world in general, you’ll certainly be able to do so. But the opposite is also true. If you look for the extraordinary in the ordinary, you can train yourself to see it. This bricklayer sees cathedrals within pieces of brick. The question is, can you?

Many times we feel as though we are worthless

A well-known speaker started off his public speech in a strange manner – by holding up a Rupee 1000 Note! Holding up the Note high in the air in one of his hands, he addressed the curious audience, "Who would like this Rupee 1000 Note?"
   
With great cheers almost all of them raised their hands with the shout, "I want it", "I want it”!! He said, "Oh! That’s nice. Well, I am going to give this Note to one of you... But, first let me do this." Then, he crumpled the Note in his hands vigorously & now showed the awkwardly wrinkled 1000 Rupee Note by holding up high in his hand. He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
The same hands went up in the air this time too.
   
"Well", he replied, "What if I do this?" and he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe like a mad man. It seemed he is deriving great merriment in his unusual act. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. It was so smudgy that no one could recognize it now as a 1000 Rupee Note. "Now who still wants it?" Strangely, now also, all the hands were up in the air with equal cheers & spirit.
  
Now he addressed his audience with great feeling. "My friends," said he, "You have all learned a very valuable lesson today. No matter what I did to this valuable Rupee Note, all of you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth the same - Rs.1000/-
   
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt of shame & insult by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come in our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. In the eyes of God, you are the same "most precious jewel of His".

Change what you can & accept the things you can't

There is prayer that says: “Lord, grant me the strength to change the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.” 

In life there are things we must deal with. There are things we can change, that we have some power to control. There are other things that are absolutely beyond our control. Yet how often do we spend our time and energy doing absolutely nothing about the things we do have some control over, while whining and complaining about those things we can’t do anything about? Often, because we have our priorities twisted in the wrong direction, we end up chasing our tails and wasting time. Once we change gears, and focus only on those things that we have some capacity to control, it’s easy to get back on track.

It’s tempting to focus on aspects of life that are beyond our control. How often do you hear people complaining about taxes? While no one likes to pay taxes, and certainly no one should pay any more than he or she is legally required to pay, there is a great deal of wisdom in spending your time creating more wealth rather than complaining about taxes.

Go ahead and lobby for lower taxes if you must. Voice your opinion if you choose to do so. But once you have done what you can do, let go of it. Know when to quit. Expend your energy doing what you can do – focus on creation, creativity, positive ideas, and solutions. Stop complaining about taxes; focus, instead, on making so much money that taxes will seem irrelevant! 

Never write an email when you’re mad or upset..

The Internet – specifically, e-mail—has done wonders to increase our capacity to communicate. With lightening speed, we can now write letters, share ideas and even close deals. The benefits are astonishing.

There’s a downside to e-mail, however, that’s important to be aware of. The problem is, it’s tempting, when you’re mad or upset; to fire off an e-mail that you might very well live to regret. 

In a reactive or upset state of mind, or when you’re lacking judgment or perspective, it’s easy to act impulsively rather than with composure and wisdom. In the blink of an eye, you can confuse someone, hurt their feelings, enrage them, or even destroy a relationship.

The good news is, the flip side of this issue is also true. If you’re mad at someone and are tempted to share your feelings via e-mail – but you manage to resist – your restraint can pay enormous dividends.

Who knows how many relationships are ruined, or at least adversely affected, every day, by someone clicking “send” instead of simply walking away?

Some practical advice is this: Whenever possible, when you’re upset, refrain from sending e-mails. It’s dangerous territory. Instead, wait until you cool off. In the long run, you’ll maintain good relationships, and avoid unnecessary conflict.

Never ever let success go to your head!

There’s an alarming trend taking place: People who have had some degree of good fortune and success tend to lose their humility and become at least slightly arrogant. This is very unfortunate for many reasons. First, and most obviously, no one really wants to be around someone who is arrogant. It’s boring, and it’s annoying! Arrogance implies a lack of gratitude. The assumption is, “I did this all by myself; it’s all about me.” Factors such as Lord’s blessings, good fortune, and so on are forgotten or disregarded.

In addition, when you allow success to go to your head, your stress levels skyrocket and your quality of life gradually disappears. People will stop liking you, and eventually, you’ll stop liking yourself.

Friendships slip away; obsessive busyness and a lack of time take over. Someone who was happy and relatively easy to please is now impossible to satisfy.

I’ve read articles about celebrities, athletes, and business people who have done really well – their talent, timing, hard work, luck, and all the rest of it kicked in at just the right time. Yet, rather than being grateful and keeping a sense of perspective, they think that they are somehow better or more important than others simply because they’re good at something and have enjoyed some success.

Never ever let success go to your head! 

Four Ways to Increase Sales in a Recession ( Curtsey- bnet.com)

Surviving a recession is tough enough for entrepreneurs; managing to grow your company when the economy flagging is nothing short of miraculous. Or is it?  Scott Stropkay and Richard Watson, the co-founders of Essential, in Boston, seem to have hit upon a winning formula for growth in good times and bad. Essential is a product and service innovation consultancy that does work for companies such as, iRobot, P&G, Altec Lansing, EMC and Puma, and was started in 2001, after the tech bubble had burst and right before 9-11.  “We established ourselves when things were really bad,” says Stropkay. And that taught them a thing or two about operating in the current environment: Essential is on track to do $4 million in revenue in 2010 - the company’s best year ever.  “We learned a lot of lessons about ourselves, what it takes to stay business and what it means to be responsible for our employees and their families,” says Stropkay. I recently spoke to him about how he and Watson kept Essential healthy and growing during the recession.
Maniacal focus on sales. “We engaged the whole office in thinking about selling,” says Stropkay. The company has no official sales force, and prospecting responsibilities usually fall on just a handful of senior people.  But with the recession, Essential increased its Salesforce subscriptions from three to seven to “get people involved in tracking every lead.” And everyone was required to network. “We’d say, we’re going to an industry event and during the breaks, we’re going to introduce ourselves to people because everyone has to start sniffing around,” says Stropkay. The practice paid off. A connection made at a conference by a young employee with no sales training resulted in a significant amount of work form Dell.
Expanded scope of work. When times are good, you can afford to be fussy about they type of work you’ll do. In a recession, not so much. “We expanded our definition of what we would do,” says Stropkay. “We would take smaller projects, or even phases of projects, offering clients bite-sized ways to engage us that would offer them high value and low risk.” For instance, the company began marketing three day brainstorming workshops to clients - a service they had always offered but one that they marketed more aggressively when times were tough. Taking smaller jobs meant that the company could keep its employees motivated and engaged. In 2009, Essential laid off only one person on its staff of 16.
Shared sacrifice. “When things were getting tough, my partner and I took a serious pay cut,” says Stropkay.  “Then we asked the directors to take a cut, and then we asked everyone else to take to a cut.”  The company, says Stropkay, has a reputation for not laying off employees, so the staff understood that the pay cuts, which took effect in June of 2009, were necessary to keep everyone employed. That kept moral up and employees motivated to help grow revenue. “By the fall of 2009, all of our networking paid off and we were back to full pay by January. We’ve been busy ever since,” says Stropkay. “And we’re having our best year ever.”

Strategic partnerships. Essential competes with big companies like Ideo (Stropkay’s former employer, actually) by partnering with five other small companies that have complementary skills. The partnerships allow Essential to be involved in big projects that require the kind of multidisciplinary thinking that no one firm could manage on its own. Collectively, the alliance has expertise in technology development, service design, management consulting, communication design, and electrical engineering. “We’ll pitch together and whoever has the biggest chunk of work will take the lead, ” says Stropkay.  “You have to check your ego at the door and say ‘I’m happy to be a subcontractor to you’.”
Have you managed to grow your company during the recession? Tell us how you did it.

Our Greates Enemy- Lust

In a certain place the fishermen were catching fish. A kite swooped down and snatched a fish. At the sight of the fish, about twenty crows chased the kite and made a great noise with their cawing.

Whichever way the kite flew with the fish, the crows followed it. The kite flew to the south and the crows followed it there. The kite flew to the north and still the crows followed after it. The kite went east and west, but with the same result. As the kite began to fly about in confusion, it tired itself out and let go of the fish in its mouth. The crows at once let the kite alone and flew after the fish. Thus relieved of its worries, the kite sat on the branch of a tree and thought, “That wretched fish was the root of all my troubles. I have now got rid of it and therefore I am at peace.”

As long as a man has the fish, that is, lusty desires, he must perform actions and consequently suffer from worry, anxiety and restlessness. No sooner does he renounce these lusty desires than his activities fall away and he enjoys peace of soul.

The kite cannot live without the fish, for it needs the fish to survive. But luckily for us, there is no compulsion. Lusty desires and suffering come bundled together in a take-it-or-leave-it package.

Lord Krishna tells us in the Bhagavad-gita 3.37:
“It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.”

अकारण प्यार से

स्वप्न में
मन के सादे कागज पर
एक रात किसी ने
ईशारों से लिख दिया अ....
और अकारण
शुरू हो गया वह
और एक अनमनापन बना रहने लगा
फिर उस अनमनेपन को दूर करने को
एक दिन आई खुशी
और आजू-बाजू कई कारण
खडें कर दिए
कारणों ने इस अनमनेपन को पांव दे दिए
और वह लगा डग भरने , चलने और
और अखीर में उड़ने
अब वह उड़ता चला जाता वहां कहीं भी
जिधर का ईशारा करता अ...
और पाता कि यह दुनिया तो
इसी अकारण प्यार से चल रही है
और उसे पहली बार प्यारी लगी यह
कि उसे पता ही नही था इसकी बाबत
जबकि तमाम उम्र वह
इसी के बारे में कलम घिसता रहा था

यह सोच-सोच कर उसे
खुद पर हंसी आई
और अपनी बोली में उसने
खुद को ही कहा - भक... बुद्धू...
भक...
अ ने दुहराया उसे
और बिहंसता जाकर झूल गया
उसके कंधों से
अब दोनों ने मिलकर कहा - भक...
और ठठाकर हंस पड़े
भक...
दूर दो सितारे चमक उठे...

दर्द

पूरी दुनियां में
जैसे उस वक्त रात थी
वह अपनी दोनों
खाली कलाइयों को
एकटक देखती है
और फ़िर सामने पड़ी
चूड़ियों को ....

तभी
वक्त आहिस्ता से
दरवाज़ा खोल बाहर आया
कहने लगा ....
नचनिया सिर्फ़ भरे हुए
बटुवे को देखतीं हैं
कलाइयों को नहीं...

दर्द ने करवट बदली
और आंखों के रस्ते
चुपचाप ....
बाहर चला गया ....!!

इक लड़की पागल दीवानी,...!!!!

इक लड़की पागल दीवानी, गुमसुम चुप-चुप सी रहती थी
बारिश सा शोर न था उसमें, सागर की तरह वो बहती थी
कोई उस को पढ़ न पाया, न कोई उसको समझा तब
छोटी उदास आँखें उस की, न जाने क्या-क्या कहती थी

शख़्स जो अक़्सर दिखता था, उस दिल के झरोखे में
दर्द कई वो देता था, रखता था उसको धोखे में
जितने पल रुकता था आकर, वो उस में सिमटी रहती थी
छोटी उदास आँखें उस की, न जाने क्या-क्या कहती थी

इक दिन ऐसा भी आया, वो आया पर दर नहीं खुला
दरवाज़े पर हँसता था जो, इक चेहरा उस को नहीं मिला
आँसू के हर्फ़ वहाँ थे, और था वफ़ा का किस्सा भी
तब जान गये आख़िर, सब कैसे वो टूटी, कहाँ मिटी

समझा तब लोगों ने उसको, कैसे वो ताने सहती थी
छोटी उदास आँखें उस की, न जाने क्या-क्या कहती थी


बाद उसके ख़त भी मिले, जिनमें कई प्यार की बातें थी
सौगातें थी पाक दुआ की, भेजी चाँदनी रातें थी
लिखा था उसने, सम्हल के रहना, इतना भी मत गुस्सा करना
अब और कोई न सीखेगा, तुम से जीना, तुम पर मरना
अब वो पागल लड़की नहीं रही, जो तुम को खूब समझती थी
हर गुस्से को हर चुप को, आसानी से जो पढ़ती थी

समझा वो भी अब जाकर, क्या उसकी आँखें कहती थी
था प्यार बला का उससे ही, वो जिसके ताने सहती थी
इक लड़की पागल दीवानी, गुमसुम चुप-चुप सी रहती थी

अजनबी देश है यह / सर्वेश्वरदयाल सक्सेना

अजनबी देश है यह, जी यहाँ घबराता है
कोई आता है यहाँ पर न कोई जाता है

जागिए तो यहाँ मिलती नहीं आहट कोई,
नींद में जैसे कोई लौट-लौट जाता है

होश अपने का भी रहता नहीं मुझे जिस वक्त
द्वार मेरा कोई उस वक्त खटखटाता है

शोर उठता है कहीं दूर क़ाफिलों का-सा
कोई सहमी हुई आवाज़ में बुलाता है

देखिए तो वही बहकी हुई हवाएँ हैं,
फिर वही रात है, फिर-फिर वही सन्नाटा है

हम कहीं और चले जाते हैं अपनी धुन में
रास्ता है कि कहीं और चला जाता है

तुम्हें देखे ज़माने हो गए हैं...!!!

भरी है धूप ही धूप
आँखों में
लगता है
सब कुछ उजला उजला
तुम्हें देखे ज़माने हो गए हैं

प्यार-- चाँद-सा ही होता है

जाने कितने लम्हे बीते
जाने कितने साल हुए हैं
तुम से बिछड़े
जाने कितने
समझौतों के दाग़ लगे हैं
रूह पे' मेरी

जाने क्या-क्या सोचा मैंने
खोया, पाया
खोया मैंने
ज़ख्मों के जंगल पर लेकिन
आज
अभी तक हरियाली है

तुम ने ठीक कहा था
उस दिन -
प्यार-- चाँद-सा ही होता है
और नहीं बढ़ने पाता तो
धीरे-धीरे
ख़ुद ही
घटने लग जाता है....!!!!

क्यूँ ज़माने पे ऐतबार करूँ ,..!!!!

क्यूँ ज़माने पे ऐतबार करूँ
अपनी आँखों को अश्कबार करूँ
सिर्फ़ ख्वाबों पे ऐतबार करूँ
दिल ये कहता है तुझसे प्यार करूँ

मेरी रग-रग में है महक तेरी
मेरे चेहरे पे है चमक तेरी
मेरी आवाज़ में खनक तेरी
ज़र्रे - ज़र्रे में है धनक तेरी

क्यूँ न मैं तुझपे दिल निसार करूँ
दिल ये कहता है तुझसे प्यार करूँ

तुझपे कुरबां करूँ हयात मेरी
तुझसे रोशन है कायनात मेरी
बिन तेरे क्या है फिर बिसात मेरी
जाने कब होगी तुझसे बात मेरी

कब तलक दिल को बेक़रार करूँ
दिल ये कहता है तुझसे प्यार करूँ

मेरी आँखों की रोशनी तू है
मेरी साँसों की ताजगी तू है
मेरी रातों की चांदनी तू है
मेरी जां तू है, ज़िन्दगी तू है

हर घड़ी तेरा इन्तिज़ार करूँ
दिल ये कहता है तुझसे प्यार करूं

तू ही उल्फ़त है, तू ही चाहत है
अब फ़क़त तेरी ही ज़रूरत है
हसरतों की ये एक हसरत है
इश्क़ से बढ़के भी इबादत है?

तुझको ख्वाबों से क्यूँ फरार करूँ
दिल ये कहता है तुझसे प्यार करूँ

kal Chaudvin ke raat thi..awsome song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tbXcTUfHSc&feature=related

Hmmm..this is my first post on my blog.

Its 2 o clock in the morning and why i am not feeling happy...??

why i am feeling sad...??

i want to cry but i cant

my heart is asking ..are you ok..??

my brain is saying everything is ok

but why i m feeling sad...

Only God Knows.