Sense of Humor
When you lose your sense of humor, you lose your footing
When the going gets tough, how does one keep a firm footing and avoid slipping and falling into an abyss of despair? There is no better tool than a sense of humor. To support this claim, here are the words of three great men who acknowledged the power of humor to overcome adversity. First, renowned Psychiatrist, author of "Man's Search for Meaning", and 32 other books, developer of Logotherapy and Existential Psychology, and Holocaust survivor, Victor Frankl (1905 ~ 1997) had this to say, "I would never have made it if I could not have laughed. Laughing lifted me momentarily. out of this horrible situation, just enough to make it livable. survivable."
Second, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln (1809 ~ 1865) interrupted a meeting by reading an amusing story with the hope of dispelling the black clouds hovering over his staff. But no one as much as smiled. Finally, Lincoln said, "Gentlemen, why don't you laugh? With the fearful strain that is upon me day and night, if I did not laugh I should die, and you need this medicine as much as I do." Third, like David who slew Goliath, frail Mahatma Gandhi (1869 ~ 1948) overcame The British Empire. How did he do it? He explained, "If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide."
One of the main causes of suffering and stress is a sense of helplessness, powerlessness, or lack of control. But a sense of humor can put one back in control. For example, instead of giving in to depression, a Multiple Sclerosis patient may use humor and say, "You know, one good thing about MS is you don't have to worry about stirring your coffee anymore." Humor may not cure MS, but it will cure a bleak attitude and continue to make life worth living, for if we can learn to laugh at ourselves, we'll always have something to laugh about. Even if humor cannot extend our life, it can end it on a positive note. For instance, the head of the firing squad asked the condemned man, "Before we shoot you, would you like a last cigarette?" And the prisoner replied, "No thanks, I'm trying to quit smoking!"
Genuine humor points out the weaknesses of humanity, but without contempt. It is a commentator of life, not a critic of it. Its purpose is to uplift, not tear down, and to lighten the burdens of others, not add to them. Good humor does not belittle or promote stereotypes, for it springs from the heart, not the mind. It is a shock absorber that helps us get over the bumps in life. Those with a good sense of humor have a good sense of life.
Although it is not the proper role of humor to make fun of others, self-deprecating humor is positive because it encourages humility. It also fosters courage, for that is exactly what is needed to remove the mask one normally wears and expose one's weaknesses to all. It is because of their courage and honesty that we hold comics in high regard. When we dispense with the false notion of our self-importance, we will eliminate a major cause of suffering. With similar thoughts in mind, Francis Bacon (1561 ~ 1626) wrote, "Imagination was given to man to compensate for what he is not, and a sense of humor to console him for what he is." Life is not so much a path as it is a tightrope. By that I don't mean it is a difficult road to tread, but merely that we must keep our balance. That is, it makes sense to take our work and responsibilities seriously, but not ourselves.
Much research has been done on the on the effects of humor and laughter on our health. The benefits are enormous and include boosting our immune system, reducing stress, relaxing muscles, lowering blood pressure, increasing our tolerance for pain, and hastening the healing process. By now, almost everyone is familiar with the link between our body and mind that has been proven. For example, it has been shown that our attitude is more important than our physical health in determining how long we live. That is, senior citizens with a good sense of humor and a positive attitude, but poor health, survive longer than those that are in good health but have poor attitudes.
Another way of expressing this is to say that what jogging does for the body, humor and laughter do for our emotional, mental, and physical health. Yes, it's true; laughter is the best medicine, so we can become our own best medicine. Those with a good sense of humor are cheerful. Every day to them is a sunny one. If storm clouds should appear, they rely on laughter, for like lightning, it adds moments of brightness to the darkest days.
Use the acronym L.A.U.G.H.T.E.R. to remind you of some of its benefits. 'L' stands for LIVE life to the fullest. When we share humor, we are living in the moment and spreading joy. 'A' stands for an AWARENESS and APPRECIATION for the incongruities of life. The inconsistencies and ironies you face offer unlimited opportunities to laugh at them. For example, what can be more ridiculous than the way I look as I type this article? I am wearing long johns and trousers, an undershirt, tee shirt, two sweaters, a winter jacket, and a winter hat. Not to be funny, but to stay warm. You see, the heater in my house is not working, and neither is the repairman - because today is a holiday. I have to type fast just to keep my hands warm!
'U' stands for USE your brain to drain pain with laughter. USE humor to discover delight, joy, and peace of mind. 'G' stands for GOOD HUMOR at all times. I repeat, at all times, for as George Bernard Shaw (1856 ~ 1950) wrote "Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh." 'H' stands for HEALTH. Laughter detaches us from our problems and releases negative emotions; it is the best medicine.
'T' stands for TRANSFORM. Laughter transforms our thoughts, which in turn transforms our feelings for the better. 'E' stands for EXUBERANCE, which is the zest that laughter brings to our lives. And 'R' stands for the RESILIENCE we acquire by learning to deal with hardship and pain, for humor is the strongest weapon against adversity.
Summarizing, a good sense of humor keeps us lighthearted, and hopeful. Like Thomas Edison (1847 ~ 1931), we'll be able to say, "When down in the mouth, remember Jonah. He came out OK." As long as we maintain our sense of humor, we'll never be poor. How will you know if you have a good sense of humor? Frank Tyger explains, "The ultimate test of whether you posses a sense of humor is your reaction when someone tells you you don't."

Skills needed for teamwork
Companies today want people who are team players, people who are able to get along with their colleagues and work together in a cohesive group.
There are seven essential skills that one must learn in order to be able to successfully adopt the concept of teamwork. These skills are:-
1. Listening - it is important to listen to other people's ideas. When people are allowed to freely express their ideas, these initial ideas will produce other ideas.
2. Questioning - it is important to ask questions, interact, and discuss the objectives of the team.
3. Persuading - individuals are encouraged to exchange, defend, and then to ultimately rethink their ideas.
4. Respecting - it is important to treat others with respect and to support their ideas.
5. Helping - it is crucial to help one's coworkers, which is the general theme of teamwork.
6. Sharing - it is important to share with the team to create an environment of teamwork.
7. Participating - all members of the team are encouraged to participate in the team.

The Story Doesn't End Here…
The nice thing about teamwork is that you always have others on your side.
Once upon a time a tortoise and a hare had an argument about who was faster. They decided to settle the argument with a race. They agreed on a route and started off the race. The hare shot ahead and ran briskly for some time. Then seeing that he was far ahead of the tortoise, he thought he'd sit under a tree for some time and relax before continuing the race. He sat under the tree and soon fell asleep. The tortoise plodding on overtook him and soon finished the race, emerging as the undisputed champ. The hare woke up and realized that he'd lost the race.
The moral- "Slow and steady wins the race. This is the version of the story that we've all grown up with."
THE STORY DOESN'T END HERE, there are few more interesting things.....it continues as follows......
The hare was disappointed at losing the race and he did some soul-searching. He realized that he'd lost the race only because he had been overconfident, careless and lax. If he had not taken things for granted, there's no way the tortoise could have beaten him. So he challenged the tortoise to another race. The tortoise agreed. This time, the hare went all out and ran without stopping from start to finish. He won by several miles.
The moral - " Fast and consistent will always beat the slow and steady. It's good to be slow and steady; but it's better to be fast and reliable."
THE STORY DOESN'T END HERE
The tortoise did some thinking this time, and realized that there's no way it can beat the hare in a race the way it was currently formatted. It thought for a while, and then challenged the hare to another race, but on a slightly different route. The hare agreed. They started off. In keeping with his self-made commitment to be consistently fast, the hare took off and ran at top speed until he came to a broad river. The finishing line was a couple of kilometres on the other side of the river. The hare sat there wondering what to do. In the meantime the tortoise trundled along, got into the river, swam to the opposite bank, continued walking and finished the race.
The moral - " First identify your core competency and then change the playing field to suit your core competency."
THE STORY STILL HASN'T ENDED.
The hare and the tortoise, by this time, had become pretty good friends and they did some thinking together. Both realized that the last race could have been run much better. So they decided to do the last race again, but to run as a team this time. They started off, and this time the hare carried the tortoise till the riverbank. There, the tortoise took over and swam across with the hare on his back. On the opposite bank, the hare again carried the tortoise and they reached the finishing line together. They both felt a greater sense of satisfaction than they'd felt earlier.
The moral - "It's good to be individually brilliant and to have strong core competencies; but unless you're able to work in a team and harness each other's core competencies, you'll always perform below par because there will always be situations at which you'll do poorly and someone else does well.
Teamwork is mainly about situational leadership, letting the person with the relevant core competency for a situation take leadership.
Note that neither the hare nor the tortoise gave up after failures. The hare decided to work harder and put in more effort after his failure. The tortoise changed his strategy because he was already working as hard as he could."
In life, when faced with failure, sometimes it is appropriate to work harder and put in more effort. Sometimes it is appropriate to change strategy and try something different. And sometimes it is appropriate to do both. The hare and the tortoise also learnt another vital lesson. When we stop competing against a rival and instead start competing against the situation, we perform far better.
To sum up, the story of the hare and tortoise has much to say:
Chief among them are that
fast and consistent will always beat slow and steady;
work to your competencies;
pooling resources and working as a team will always beat individual performers;
never give up when faced with failure;
& finally, compete against the situation - not against a rival.

Frog in a Milk-Pail
A frog was hopping around a farmyard, when it decided to investigate the barn. Being somewhat careless, and maybe a little too curious, he ended up falling into a pail half-filled with fresh milk.
As he swam about attempting to reach the top of the pail, he found that the sides of the pail were too high and steep to reach.
He tried to stretch his back legs to push off the bottom of the pail but found it too deep.
But this frog was determined not to give up, and he continued to struggle.
He kicked and squirmed and kicked and squirmed, until at last, all his churning about in the milk had turned the milk into a big hunk of butter.
The butter was now solid enough for him to climb onto and get out of the pail!
"Never Give Up!"

Story of a baby frog
Once upon a time there was a bunch of baby frogs.... participating in a competition.
The target was to get to the top of a high tower.
A crowd of people had gathered to observe the race and encourage the participants..... The start shot rang out.......
Quite honestly:
None of the onlookers believed that the baby frogs could actually accomplish getting to the top of the tower.
Words like: "Åh, it's too difficult!!! They'll never reach the top." or: "Not a chance... the tower is too high!"
One by one some of the baby frogs fell off… ...Except those who fastly climbed higher and higher..
The crowd kept on yelling:
"It's too difficult. Nobody is going to make it!"
More baby frogs became tired and gave up... But one kept going higher and higher..... He was not about giving up!
At the end everybody had given up, except the one determined to reach the top!
All the other participants naturally wanted to know how he had managed to do what none of the others had been able to do!
One competitor asked the winner, what was his secret?
The truth was....... The winner was deaf!!!!
The lesson to be learned:
Don't ever listen to people who are negative and pessimistic...
…they will deprive you of your loveliest dreams and wishes you carry in your heart!
Always be aware of the power of words, as everything you hear and read will interfere with your actions!
Therefore: Always stay… POSITIVE!
And most of all:
Turn a deaf ear when people tell you, that you cannot achieve your dreams!
Always believe: You can make it!

THE VALUE OF CHALLENGE
Challenge is life's way of making sure that you truly desire the things you achieve. Challenge is an excellent tool for keeping you focused on the things that really matter to you.
Imagine for a moment what it would be like to live in a world with no challenge. In such a world, you could obtain anything and everything with no need for effort, discipline or commitment.
Does that sound like a great setup, with your every wish fulfilled the moment you think of it?
Well, it might be nice for 20 minutes or so, but it would soon grow extremely tiresome. For such a world would literally overwhelm you with meaningless triviality.

Sure, every wish would be instantly granted, but it would all be painfully empty.
The value of achievement is in the achieving, in the overcoming of the challenges, in the person you become as a result of going through the process. To have the reward without the effort is to have no reward at all, nothing but an empty and meaningless token.
Challenge is difficult, often painful, always demanding, and as such, challenge is what makes true value, beauty and fulfillment possible. Challenge can be tough, yet indeed it brings about the richness and fullness of life.

Swap Success for little Comforts
Most people give up success for small comforts and rewards. They watch TV,sleep-in, go out frequently. They put things off until tomorrow. Things pass them by. Successful people also enjoy their comforts, but they take them when they've become successful. They take their rewards in a terrace cafe in Monaco.
Luckily there is a trick where you can have some comforts now, say to yourself I will go to Starbucks when I've finished writing that report. I will allow myself to watch the film if I get a chapter of me eBook finished.

No steam or gas drives anything until it is confined. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.
~ Harry Emerson Fosdick

Success is Predictable
It's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking successful businesses and world-class people started out that way. So easy to be seduced into thinking that those who achieve the extras got there through lucky breaks and superior talents. Not true. Every dream starts off small.
Sam Walton started with a single store (Wal-Mart is now the world's largest company). U2 started with its first gig. Picasso started with his first painting. And then each and every day they took small, focused steps into the direction of the mountaintop.
Success is no accident. Instead, it's a choice - and one you can make today. By reaching higher. By being bolder and by investing in yourself. Because as you learn more, you can be more.

The place where your greatest fears live is also the place where your greatest growth lies.--Robin Sharma

Self Esteem
The Single Best Way to Build Real Self-Esteem that Lasts
Forever - By Glenn Shepard
Our nation became obsessed with self-esteem in the 1990s. Teachers in several school
systems were told to discontinue using red ink when correcting students’ homework
because it “hurt their self esteem”. Kids received trophies even if they came in last place, so
that no one would feel left out. The problem now is that this trophy generation is entering
adulthood and isn’t prepared for the dog-eat-dog world that doesn’t care about their feelings.
They’re having a very hard time adapting to an environment where they aren’t praised just
for showing up. True self-esteem cannot be given; it must be earned. It feels good to receive
attention from a member of the opposite sex; praise from an authority figure such as a boss,
parent, or teacher; or compliments from a colleague or friend, but this feeling is temporary
because it only lasts as long as that person is there to give it. We usually end up feeling
hungry for more when he or she isn’t around. This can create an unhealthy and ultimately
destructive habit of relying on other people for validation of ourselves, which makes us
weak, needy, and dependent, and leaves us with no self-esteem whatsoever.
So how does one earn self-esteem? A radio talk show host recently gave the best answer
I’ve ever heard – “Impress yourself!” Our character, compassion, conscience, courage, or
accomplishments are ways we build true self-esteem. We must work to earn it. Think about
the people in your life with the highest and lowest self-esteem. Those who perpetually have
the lowest will be the ones who have done the least to earn it and are the most miserable.
Those with the highest will always be the ones who worked at it and will be the happiest. If
you don’t know people at both extremes, just look at who’s in the news. Paris Hilton and
Anna Nicole Smith have fame, fortune, and beauty, but lack self-esteem because they’ve
done nothing to earn it. At the opposite extreme, Mother Theresa was the humblest person
in the world, but she had high self-esteem. The same is true of the brave men and women
who unselfishly put their lives in jeopardy to serve our country in the military or protect our
communities by working in law enforcement. A dear friend of mine in Texas recently told me
about how he is helping the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It comes as no surprise
that Kent not only has high-self esteem now, but also had it when he lost his job a few years
ago and to make some major career decisions.
Self-esteem comes only when you’re truly proud of who and what you are. In order to build
your self-esteem, name three ways you impress yourself. Be honest because you are the
one person you can’t lie to. You might fool others but you can never fool your own
conscience. If you can honestly name three ways you impress yourself, you’ll have high selfesteem
no matter what others say or think about you. If you can’t, make this the day that you
start working on becoming the person you were meant to be.
Glenn Shepard is a management consultant

Thoughts of Richard Bach

• Nothing happens by chance, my friend... No such thing as luck. A meaning behind every little thing, and such a meaning behind this. Part for you, part for me, may not see it all real clear right now, but we will, before long.
  • Nothing by Chance: A Gypsy Pilot's Adventures in Modern America (1969)

• For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.
  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970)

• The gulls who scorn perfection for the sake of travel go nowhere, slowly. Those who put aside travel for the sake of perfection go anywhere, instantly.
  • Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970)

• A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.
  • A Gift of Wings (1975)

• You have no birthday because you have always lived; you were never born, and never will die. You are not the child of the people you call mother and father, but their fellow-adventurer on a bright journey to understand the things that are.
  • There's No Such Place As Far Away (1978)

• Fly free and happy beyond birthdays and across forever, and we'll meet now and then when we wish, in the midst of the one celebration that never can end.
  • There's No Such Place As Far Away (1978)

• If it's never our fault, we can't take responsibility for it. If we can't take responsibility for it, we'll always be its victim.
  • Running from Safety: An Adventure of the Spirit (1994)

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977)

• We're all the sons of God, or children of the Is, or ideas of the Mind, or however else you want to say it.

• You are led through your lifetime by the inner learning creature, the playful spiritual being that is your real self.
  Don't turn away from possible futures before you're certain you don't have anything to learn from them.

• Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours.

• "There is no problem so big that it cannot be run away from."...
  "You're quoting Snoopy the dog, I believe?"
  "I'll quote the truth wherever I find it thank you."

• Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself. Being true to anyone else or anything else is not only impossible, but the mark of a false messiah.

• The simplest questions are the most profound.
  Where were you born?
  Where is your home?
  Where are you going?
  What are you doing?
  Think about these once in awhile, and watch your answers change.

• You are never given a wish without being given the power to make it true.
  You may have to work for it, however.

• Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.

• Your friends will know you better in the first minute you meet than your acquaintances will know you in a thousand years.

• A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed, it feels an impulsion... this is the place to go now.
  But the sky knows the reason and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.

• "Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends."

[edit]

The Bridge Across Forever (1984)

• That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning.

• We're the bridge across forever, arching above the sea, adventuring for our pleasure, living mysteries for the fun of it, choosing disasters triumphs challenges impossible odds, testing ourselves over and again, learning love and love and LOVE!

Messiah's Handbook: Reminders for the Advanced Soul - The Lost Book from Illusions (2004)

Most of the statements in this book come from the earlier book Illusions (1977)

• Perspective— Use It or Lose It. If you turned to this page, you're forgetting that what is going on around you is not reality. Think about that.

• Remember where you came from, where you're going, and why you created the mess you got yourself into in the first place.

• Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers.

• The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.

• There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.

• Imagine the universe beautiful and just and perfect.
  Then be sure of one thing:
  The Is has imagined it quite a bit better than you have.
  The original sin is to limit the Is. —Don't.

• If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats.

• In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice.

• The best way to avoid responsibility is to say, "I've got responsibilities."

• Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.
  • Variant: Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't.

• Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.

• The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.

• You're going to die a horrible death, remember. It's all good training, and you'll enjoy it more if you keep the facts in mind.
  Take your dying with some seriousness, however. Laughing on the way to your execution it not generally understood by less advanced lifeforms, and they'll call you crazy.

• Everything above may be wrong!

An idea is never given to you without you being given the power to make it reality. You must, nevertheless, suffer for it.

• Ask yourself the secret of your success. Listen to your answer, and practice it.

• Can miles truly separate you from friends... If you want to be with someone you love, aren't you already there?

• Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.

• Evolution made civilization steward of this planet. A hundred thousand years later, the steward stood before evolution not helper but destroyer, not healer but parasite. So evolution withdrew its gift, passed civilization by, rescued the planet from intelligence and handed it to Love.

• Happiness is the reward we get for living to the highest right we know.

• I don't want to do business with those who don't make a profit, because they can't give the best service.

• I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth it?

• If you love someone, set them free. If they come back they're yours; if they don't they never were.

• If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem.

• In order to win, you must expect to win.

• In the United States Christmas has become the rape of an idea.

• It is by not always thinking of yourself, if you can manage it, that you might somehow be happy. Until you make room in your life for someone as important to you as yourself, you will always be searching and lost.
• Jonathan is that brilliant little fire that burns within us all, that lives only for those moments when we reach perfection.

• Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.

• Live never to be ashamed if anything you say or do is published around the world, even if what is said is not true.

• Not being known doesn't stop the truth from being true.

• Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.

• Strong beliefs win strong men, and then make them stronger.

• The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.

• The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work.

• There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go.

• There's no disaster that can't become a blessing, and no blessing that can't become a disaster.

• We wait all these years to find someone who understands us, I thought, someone who accepts us as we are, someone with a wizard's power to melt stone to sunlight, who can bring us happiness in spite of trials, who can face our dragons in the night, who can transform us into the soul we choose to be. Just yesterday I found that magical Someone is the face we see in the mirror: It's us and our homemade masks.

• You don't want a million answers as much as you want a few forever questions. The questions are diamonds you hold in the light. Study a lifetime and you see different colors from the same jewel.

• You teach best what you most need to learn.

Thoughts of Chanakya

• A good wife is one who serves her husband in the morning like a mother does, loves him in the day like a sister does and pleases him like a prostitute in the night.
• An egoist can be won over by being respected, a crazy person can be won over by allowing him to behave in an insane manner and a wise person can be won over by truth.
• A human being should strive for four things in life - dharma, arth (money), kaam (desires) and moksha (salvation). A person who hasn't strived for even one of these things has wasted life.
• A man is great by deeds, not by birth.
• A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and honest people are screwed first.
• A rich man has many friends.
• As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it.
• A woman is four times as shy, six times as brave and eight times as libidinous as a man.
• Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead.
• Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person.
• Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.
• Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous.
• If you get to learn something even from the worst of creatures, don't hesistate.
• In a state where the ruler lives like a common man, the citizens live like kings do. And in the state where the ruler lives like a king, the citizens live like beggers do.
• Jealousy is another name for failure.
• Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness.
• Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest.
• One who is in search of knowledge should give up the search of pleasure and the one who is in search of pleasure should give up the search of knowledge.
• The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.
• There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth.
• The four greatest enemies of a man are - the father who has taken a loan, the characterless mother, the beautiful but promiscuous wife and the stupid child.
• The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.
• The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman.
• Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends.
• Whores don't live in company of poor men, citizens never support a weak administration and birds don't build nests on a tree that doesn't bear fruits.

Life's Little Instruction Book........................

Have a firm handshake.

Look people in the eye.

Sing in the shower.

Own a great stereo system.

If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

Keep secrets.

Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen everyday.

Always accept an outstretched hand.

Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the
difference.

Whistle.
Avoid sarcastic remarks.

Choose your life's mate carefully. From this one decision will come 90
per cent of all your happiness or misery.

Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.

Lend only those books you never care to see again.

Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.

When playing games with ! children, let them win.

Give people a second chance, but not a third.

Be romantic.

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is
as important as it first seems.

Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments. It's there for
your convenience, not the caller's.

Be a good loser.

Be a good winner.

Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.

When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.

Keep it simple.

Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to
cross the same river.

Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets

Be bold and courageous. When you look back on life, you'll regret the
things you didn't do more than the one's you did.

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

Remember no one makes it alone. Have a grateful heart and be quick to
acknowledge those who helped you.

Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you.

Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only
stay a few minutes.

Begin each day with some of your favorite music.

Once in a while, take the scenic route.

Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, 'Someone who thinks you're
terrific.'

Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table. Million-dollar
ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.

Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how
trivial their job.

Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

Make someone's day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.

Become someone's hero.

Marry only for love.

Count your blessings.

Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home.

Wave at the children on a school bus.

Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on your
ability to deal with people.

Don't expect life to be fair.

Pround Indian

Here is a personal experience, as well as a moment of national pride, which I want to share with you. Hope you find it worth the time you put in reading it :

"In the middle of 1965 India-Pakistan war, US govt - then a close friend of Pakistan - threatened India with stopping food-aid (remember "PL-480"?). For a food deficient India this threat was serious and humiliating. So much so that in the middle of war, Prime Minister (Late) Lal Bahadur Shastri went to Ram Leela Grounds in Delhi and appealed to each Indian to observe one-meal-fast every week to answer the American threat. As a school boy, I joined those millions who responded to Shastri ji's call. I continued the fast even when the war was over and India became self sufficient in food. Hurt deep by the national humiliation suffered at the hands of the US govt, I had vowed
to stop my weekly fast only when India starts giving aid to USA.

It took just 40 years. Last week THE day arrived. When Indian ambassador in Washington DC handed over a cheque of US$ 50 million to the US govt, two plane loads of food, medical aid and other relief materials were waiting to fly to the USA. Time to break the fast? With no bad feeling about the USA, and good wishes for the Katrina victims, this humble Indian feels proud of the distance India has covered in 40 years. Let's celebrate a New India!"

Value your Life

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $ 100 note.

In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $ 100 note?".
Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this note to one
of you but first let me do this.". He proceeded to crumple the note up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?".
Still the hands were up in the air."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.He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who
still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did
not decrease in value. It was still worth $ 100/-.
Many times in ur lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the
dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come 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.
You are special Don't ever forget it!
Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.


Moral of the story:
VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED BY YOU

Thoughts of Dale Carnegie
Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do.

Applause is a receipt, not a bill.

Are you bored with life? Then throw yourself into some work you believe in with all your heart, live for it, die for it, and you will find happiness that you had thought could never be yours.

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.

Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.

Do the thing you fear to do and keep on doing it... that is the quickest and surest way ever yet discovered to conquer fear.

Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.

Each nation feels superior to other nations. That breeds patriotism - and wars.

Fear not those who argue but those who dodge.

Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition, is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have.

Flaming enthusiasm, backed up by horse sense and persistence, is the quality that most frequently makes for success.

If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done.

If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.

If you want to be enthusiastic, act enthusiastic.

If you want to conquer fear, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

If you want to gather honey, don't kick over the beehive.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.

Keep on raging - to stop the aging.

Men of age object too much, consult too long, adventure too little, repent too soon, and seldom drive business home to the full period, but content themselves with a mediocrity of success.

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed.

Naturalness is the easiest thing in the world to acquire, if you will forget yourself-forget about the impression you are trying to make.

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.

Only the prepared speaker deserves to be confident.

People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.

People say I'm cocky, but am I supposed to sit here and be insecure and not know where my future's going or not realize that moviemaking is the greatest thing to happen to me?

Remember happiness doesn't depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely on what you think.

Speakers who talk about what life has taught them never fail to keep the attention of their listeners.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.

Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.

Tell the audience what you're going to say, say it; then tell them what you've said.

The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure.

The ideas I stand for are not mine. I borrowed them from Socrates. I swiped them from Chesterfield. I stole them from Jesus. And I put them in a book. If you don't like their rules, whose would you use?

The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.

The person who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.

The person who seeks all their applause from outside has their happiness in another's keeping .

The royal road to a man's heart is to talk to him about the things he treasures most.

The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.

There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say, and how we say it.

Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still.

When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.

When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade.

You are merely not feeling equal to the tasks before you.

You can close more business in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get people interested in you.

You can conquer almost any fear if you will only make up your mind to do so. For remember, fear doesn't exist anywhere except in the mind.

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.

You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.

You never achieve success unless you like what you are doing.

Your purpose is to make your audience see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel what you felt. Relevant detail, couched in concrete, colorful language, is the best way to recreate the incident as it happened and to picture it for the audience.