As I was passing 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 near by 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,

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How many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further….

**********

“YOUR ATTEMPT MAY FAIL, BUT NEVER FAIL TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT.”

Collectio-Hariish B. Sharma

A–Accept

Accept others for who they are and for the choices they’ve made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions.

******

B–Break Away

Break away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to accomplish with your life.

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C–Create

Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows, and happiness with.

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D–Decide

Decide that you’ll be successful and happy come what may, and good things will find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles along the way.

******

E–Explore

Explore and experiment. The world has much to offer, and you have much to give. And every time you try something new, you’ll learn more about yourself.

******

F–Forgive

Forgive and forget. Grudges only weigh you down and inspire unhappiness and grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone makes mistakes.

******

G–Grow

Leave the childhood monsters behind. They can no longer hurt you or stand in your way.

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H–Hope

Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible as long as you remain dedicated to the task.

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I–Ignore

Ignore the negative voice inside your head. Focus instead on your goals and remember your accomplishments. Your past success is only a small inkling of what the future holds.

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J–Journey

Journey to new worlds, new possibilities, by remaining open-minded. Try to learn something new every day, and you’ll grow.

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K–Know

Know that no matter how bad things seem, they’ll always get better. The warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter.

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L–Love

Let love fill your heart instead of hate. When hate is in your heart, there’s room for nothing else, but when love is in your heart, there’s room for endless happiness.

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M–Manage

Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you’ll suffer less stress and worry. Then you’ll be able to focus on the important things in life.

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N–Notice

Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your assistance when possible, and always your kindness and understanding.

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O–Open

Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you. Even during the worst  of times, there’s still much to be thankful for.

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P–Play

Never forget to have fun along the way. Success means nothing without happiness.

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Q–Question

Ask many questions, because you’re here to learn.

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R–Relax

Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember that things always have a way of working out in the end.

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S–Share

Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time with others. Everything that you invest in others will return to you many times over.

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T–Try

Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway. You’ll be amazed by what you can accomplish.

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U–Use

Use your gifts to your best ability. Talent that’s wasted has no value. Talent that’s used will bring unexpected rewards.

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V–Value

Value the friends and family members who’ve supported and encouraged you, and be there for them as well.

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W–Work

Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but never feel guilty if you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers a second chance.

X–X-Ray

Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you’ll see the goodness and beauty within.

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Y–Yield

Yield to commitment. If you stay on track and remain dedicated, you’ll find success at the end of the road.

******

Z–Zoom

Zoom to a happy place when bad memories or sorrow rears its ugly head. Let nothing interfere with your goals. Instead, focus on your abilities, your dreams, and a brighter tomorrow.

Collection-Hariish B. Sharma

All the rooms in the house were being decorated for Diwali. Everything had to be sparkling clean and bright.

The living room said: “Hey look at me, I’m so huge. I’m the one decorated with beautiful things. I’m the most sparkling room of the house. I’m the best.”

The bedroom could not resist this challenge, he retorted and said: “OK! You may be the biggest but I am the most important room in the house because everybody longs to take rest here when they are tired. The energy of everybody gets revitalised when they come to me.”

The kitchen scoffed and said: “Can you rest with an empty stomach! If it were not for me what could anybody eat? Where could the food be cooked? Where would the energy come from without food? So you see, I am the most important.”

The little bathroom was feeling neglected. He dare not speak too loud among these luminous dignitaries. He said meekly: “What about me, everybody needs to use me too, even if I’m smelly sometimes.”

Now who could decide which was most valuable room of the house? Could these rooms do without each other?

No, no… They could all be the best places in the room. But still there was something more in there which never spoke, nor could be seen, but was always there. In fact it was in & out of all the walls of the house, all the rooms were rooted in it!

It is the SPACE! The space was not confined to a single room but instead it was present everywhere…

It was because of the space that all the rooms were existing! Every room thought: “This is my space! The space was not in the rooms but the truth is that the rooms were in the space. The space existed silently, all pervasively, selflessly, and so could hold within itself all their vanities and yet it is not bound by them.
********
Similarly people belonging to different religions, like Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain or Buddhist etc., keep trying to prove their superiority. Each individual draws energy from the blissful roots of the soul. The soul which is omnipresent & is the basis of existence of all, never utters a single word. That which is the most supreme need not prove itself…

Collection – Hariish B. Sharma

Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his
followers.. This was in the initial days. While they were traveling, they
happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his
disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.”
The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that
right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a
result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How
can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!”
So he came back and told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t
think it is fit to drink.” After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the
same disciple to go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The
disciple obediently went back to the lake.
This time too he found that the lake was muddy. He returned and informed
Buddha about the same. After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple
to go back.
The disciple reached the lake to find the lake absolutely clean and clear
with pure water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it
looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to
Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,”
See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be…. and the mud
settled down on its own – and you got clear water.
Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a
little time. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in any
effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.”

Collection – Hariish B.Sharma

1.Once all villagers decided to pray for rain.
On the day of prayer people gathered and only one boy came with an Umbrella.
Thats CONFIDENCE

2.Example of feeling of one year old baby.
When you throw him in the air,he laughs because he knows… you will catch him.
Thats TRUST

3.Every night we go to bed.We have no assurance to wake up the next morning.
But still we have huge plans for the next day.
Thats HOPE

CONFIDENCE + TRUST + HOPE = LIFE

1.
The most meaningful message:
Man asked GOD : ” Give me everything to enjoy LIFE “
GOD replied : ” I have given you LIFE  to enjoy everything “

2.
The inspiring fact of LIFE :
If you can smile when you are completely broken up,
then there can be nothing that can break you next time.

3.
Legendary words by Charlie Chaplin:
LIFE  laughs at you when you are unhappy
LIFE  smiles at you when you are happy ,but
LIFE  salutes at you when you make others happy

4.
Four facts to live better LIFE :
1.Never say sorry to one who likes you
2.Never say bye to one who needs you
3.Never blame the one who really trusts you
4.Never forget the one who always remembers you

1.Once all villagers decided to pray for rain.
On the day of prayer people gathered and only one boy came with an Umbrella.
Thats CONFIDENCE

2.Example of feeling of one year old baby.
When you throw him in the air,he laughs because he knows… you will catch him.
Thats TRUST

3.Every night we go to bed.We have no assurance to wake up the next morning.
But still we have huge plans for the next day.
Thats HOPE

CONFIDENCE + TRUST + HOPE = LIFE

1.
The most meaningful message:
Man asked GOD : ” Give me everything to enjoy LIFE “
GOD replied : ” I have given you LIFE  to enjoy everything “

2.
The inspiring fact of LIFE :
If you can smile when you are completely broken up,
then there can be nothing that can break you next time.

3.
Legendary words by Charlie Chaplin:
LIFE  laughs at you when you are unhappy
LIFE  smiles at you when you are happy ,but
LIFE  salutes at you when you make others happy

4.
Four facts to live better LIFE :
1.Never say sorry to one who likes you
2.Never say bye to one who needs you
3.Never blame the one who really trusts you
4.Never forget the one who always remembers you

One evening a scholar was addressing the participants on the concept of work culture. One of the participants asked the following question:

“I am a senior manager of Materials Department and I joined an organization 25 years ago as an Engineer Trainee and over the last 25 years I have gone through every experience in the organization. During the initial part of my career, the job was very challenging and interesting. However, all those exciting days are gone since I do not find my joy any more interesting because there is nothing new in my job. I am now feeling bored because I am doing a routine job.

However, Sir, I am living in the same house for over forty years, I am the son for the same parents for over forty five years, I am the father for the same children for the past ten years and the husband for the same lady for the past twenty years! (the toughest job!) In these personal roles I do not feel bored Please tell me why I am bored of the routine in the office and not in the house?”

The response from Scholar was very interesting and convincing. He asked the executive the question: “Please tell me for whom does your Mother cook?”

The executive replied that obviously the mother cooks for others. Then the Scholar said that the mother “Serves” others and because of this service mindedness, she is not feeling tired or bored. But in an office, we “Work” and not “Serve”. Anything we consider, as service will not make us feel bored. That is difference between Serving and Working.

He asked the executive to consider his work as service and not merely a work !!

This was a very interesting analysis!!

Whenever you put a larger context around your work and see a broader meaning for your work, you will take interest in your work and it will make a very big difference in your internal energy.

Attitude Matters!!!

If you think you are working for the organization you will get frustrated. If you feel you are doing a service and getting some service charges you will feel happy.

After all – doing what you like is freedom but liking what you do is happiness!

Collection – Hariish B. Sharma

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble.

At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, “Excuse me, where are we?”?
“This is Heaven, sir,” the man answered.

“Wow! Would you happen to have some water?” the man asked.
“Of course, sir. Come right in, and I’ll have some ice water brought right up.”

The man gestured, and the gate began to open. “Can my friend,” gesturing toward his dog, “come in, too?” the traveler asked.? I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.”

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book. “Excuse me!” he called to the man. “Do you have any water?”? “Yeah, sure, there’s a pump over there, come on in.”

“How about my friend here?” the traveler gestured to the dog.? “There should be a bowl by the pump.” They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.?

“What do you call this place?” the traveler asked.

“This is Heaven,” he answered.

“Well, that’s confusing,” the traveler said. “The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.”

“Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That’s hell.”

“Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?”

“No, we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.”

Collection -  Hariish B. Sharma

Five surgeons are discussing who makes the best patients on the operating table.

The first surgeon says, “I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered.”

The second responds, “Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded.”

The third surgeon says, “No, I really think librarians are the best; everything inside them is in alphabetical order.”

The fourth surgeon chimes in, “You know, I like construction workers…those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over at the end, and when the job takes longer than you said it would.”

But the fifth surgeon shut them all up when he observed, “You’re all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There’s no guts, no heart, and no spine, and the head and butt are interchangeable.”

Collection – Hariish B. Sharma

There was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to the baker. One day the baker decided to weigh the butter to see if he was getting a pound and he found that he was not. This angered him and he took the farmer to court.

The judge asked the farmer if he was using any measure. The farmer replied, “ur Honor, I am primitive. I don’t have a proper measure, but I do have a scale.” The judge asked, “Then how do you weigh the butter” The farmer replied “Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I have been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Every day when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter. If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.”

What is the moral of the story? We get back in life what we give to others.

Whenever you take an action, ask yourself this question – Am I giving fair value for the wages or money I hope to make ?

Honesty and dishonesty become a habit. Some people practice dishonesty and can lie with a straight face. Others lie so much that they don’t even know what the truth is anymore. But who are they deceiving ? Themselves — more than anyone else.

Honesty can be put across gently. Some people take pride in being brutally honest. It seems they are getting a bigger kick out of the brutality than the honesty. Choice of words and tact are important.

collection – Hariish B. Sharma