Be like a solid rock before tides of difficulties

When situation is tough, be tougher. This is the motto of CA Chirag chouhan. He faced all the problems with this attitude. After his father’s death with intention to support his family he decided to stand on his feet. As career option he opted to become a CA and enrolled himself for the course in ‘Institute Of Charted Accountancy Of India’ [ICAI]. Simultaneously he took admission for  Graduation also. He worked hard for both. Got good marks in Graduation and also cleared PE II stage of CA course. Full of hope and enthusiasm he started doing his Articleship from a reputed firm of Mumbai M/S A J Shah & Co. Everything was going smoothly. He was enjoying working there.

11 July 2006 was started as normal day. He went for his work. As he was free a little early he boarded a local train to return home as usual. But a series of blast in local trains shook the whole Mumbai. Around 180 people were killed and many more left injured.  Chirag found himself on hospital bed. His Spinal Cord was badly damaged. All of a sudden the smiling face of life turned harsh. He was devastated. All his dreams were shattered. He started  complaining to God ‘Why Me.’ In this dark situation Motor control scientist Dr Rajul Vasa came for his help. Soon Chirag realized that lamenting on his condition could not help him. So he decided to get a better control on his body and worked hard according to plan made by Dr. Vasa.

His determination and dedication of Dr. Vasa brought positive result. Now he was independent. He decided to resume studying for CA Final exams. It was not easy but strong will power of Chirag was ready to face everything. On 12th July 2008 when results of May examinations were announced only 25% candidates got success. Chirag was one of them.

Presently he owns a firm ‘Chirag & Associate’ and also a cofounder of an online startup company ‘Expertmile. com’.

His determination proved that hardships can’t stop you to move on.

Be like a solid rock before tides of difficulties

If hope lost everything lost

Whatever happens in this world is possible because of 'Hope.' If there is no hope nothing can be achieved.

"Everything that is done in the world is done by hope."
Martin Luther king Jr.

Hope is the biggest treasure. It shows us possibility of something to be happened in future which is unknown.
Hope is the basis of all our actions. If we lose hope we will become inactive.

A farmer hopes to reap a good crop. So he ploughs his field. sows the seed, removes the weeds and water his crop. No matter what happens in future but he works hard in hope to get a good crop. But if he has no hope. He will not work hard in his field.

Hope is a great gift of God which motivates us to work hard even in difficult times.

Bible says"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they  will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. "

Yes Hope has a power to do wonder. Hope rejuvenate you when you feel tiered. It gives you strength to move on when there is pitch dark and path you are treading is unknown to you. When you are feeling to give up it is hope which helps you to retain your faith.

Faith can be defined as the substances for which we can't give evidence but feel their existence.
Hope and Faith are interdependent things. When you have hope that God will take care of me then you can have faith in Him. When you have faith it strengthens your hope.

Faith and Hope help you to sustain in the worst condition. Both help you to keep possibilities alive. Always think that their is a possibility. There is a chance for you to come out of the difficult situation you are in.
Hope shows you the brighter side. Remember even the darkest night sees the dawn.

Always be 'Hopeful'.

If hope lost everything lost on Speakingtree.com

A 'HOPE' for special children

when innovative thought and courage combine together the outcome is always unique. 'Sai Bakery' came into existence through such a combination. This bakery is unique in itself. This bakery is run and managed by youth in their twenties and thirties who are suffering from various kinds of Developmental Disabilities like Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation, Autism etc. Here these children get a chance to mingle with each other. Which helps them to communicate with each other and society. Working here they also feel that they are also productive members of society. Such feeling boost their morals. They get a sense of self confidence.

This project is supported by DORAI Foundation (Development Opportunities Resources Access Insight) which is dedicated to the cause of such children.

Sai Bakery is the result of positive attitude of Sumithra Prasad (General Secretary of DORAI) and courage of his son Srinivas suffering withAsperger's Syndrome.  Being a renowned social activist Sumithra Prasad knew that their is hardly any institution which can help adult people suffering from learning disabilities to get proper opportunities. So when her son Srinivas expressed his desire to open a bakery taking his friends together she welcomed his idea. 

Sai bakery produces 25 varieties of delicious eggless cookies of whole wheat multi grain. Here everyone gets a job according to the interest and capacity. 
The atmosphere of bakery is always positive and full of joy. It is like a family where all members live happily. They help each other to learn and grow.

Sai Bakery is a hope to children with special needs and their parents.

The Better India Talkies: SAI BAKERY

A'HOPE' for special children on Speaking tree.com

Indiffference

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not Hersey, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."
ELIE WIESEL

Society is an amalgamation of different kind of people. Though we are living our own lives and work for making it comfortable and happy. But our lives are depend on each other.
A society can progress only when it's benefit reaches even to the weakest section of society. If we want to march ahead leaving a section of society behind it will create a havoc. Hence the real progress is in taking every section of society together in journey of progress.

But we don't act on this principle. We hardly think about others. We are just concerned to our own benefit.
Slowly and gradually we are becoming 'Indifferent' to each other.

Lot more is happening around us but we hardly get affected by it. For example if someone met with an accident and is lying on the road bleeding badly. Many people will stop for few moments and then will move on without giving the person any help. They think that someone else should call the police or ambulance because it is not their job. Why they involve themselves in this and get into trouble. This is why many people die in road accidents as they don't get help in time.

This indifference is the cause of many troubles. We fail to understand that something similar can happen to us also.

"Indifference" on Speakingtree.com

Broad vision of a sightless man

"The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight, but has no vision."

Helen Keller

It is not true that one who born with any disability is worthless. To do something we need patience, courage and positive approach towards life. One who has self confidence and a right thinking can make his own place despite his physical challenges.

Srikant bolla has proved himself. He is CEO of a 50 crores worth company Bollant Industries Pvt Ltd. This company provides job opportunities to differently able persons. This is appreciable as Srikant himself was born sightless. 

The villagers advised his parents to end the boy's life as it will end their miseries. But his parents accepted him as God's gift. His early education began in village school where he used to sit on back bench. Teachers didn't pay attention to him. Still he patiently walked 5 km distance on his foot for two years. Finding no improvements in him his father decided to admit him in a school for children with special needs at Hyderabad. The love compassion and care given there had a positive effect on him. He was acquainted with the game of cricket and chess. He learned the things  very fast and performed well in his class. He also got a chance to participate in Lead India project of former President late Sri APJ Abdul Kalam Azad.

Despite all these achievements he was not allowed to study science for his 12th board examination on the ground that he was blind. Instead of giving up and to study Arts he fought for his right. After six months struggle he received a letter saying he could opt science on his own risk. He took the challenge and scored 98% marks in 12th board examination. But when he applied for IIT BITS Pillani and other engineering entrance examinations he was again denied on the same ground. This he decided to search colleges outside India. He applied for colleges in US and was selected for MIT {Massachusetts Institute of Technology} on scholarship. 

After completing his course he had to choose whether to accept opportunities offered to him in US or to come back and work for differently able persons who were not getting fair chance. He decided for second option and returned to india.  He created a service platform to help these people in getting education, training and equality. But soon he realized that it was difficult for them to get a job. So he decided to do something in this regard. In this way the Bollant industries Pvt Ltd came into existence. It produces Eco friendly products and packaging materials for domestic and international market. In this way industry works for three causes. It creates job opportunities for differently able people. As the raw material used is mostly agricultural waste it gives farmer a chance to earn and makes environment free from hazards of plastic and Styrofoam to some extent. Bollant Industries pvt Ltd is lead by an efficient team. Apart from Srikant Ms. Swarnlata  Takkilapati, Mr. S Prabakar Reddy and Mr. Ravi Mantha are there to help the cause. It is Srikant's efforts that many differently able people are getting a chance to live with dignity.

Srikant's life gives us a hope that no matter what your condition is if you have patience and work hard with courage and positive attitude you can make your life an ideal for others.

Broad vision of a sightless man on Speaking tree.com

Accept yourself

We are very concerned about how others will accept us. How they will react upon the way we dress, talk and live. We need approval of others.
Why we want others to accept us. Why we have fear to be rejected by others.
The answer is we don't accept ourselves as we are.

"Accept yourself as you are otherwise you will never see opportunity. You will not feel free to move towards it. You will feel you are not deserving."
MAXWELL MALTE

By not accepting ourselves we create a sense of doubt for ourselves. This doubt becomes the cause of low self-esteem. A person without self confidence is like a gadget without power. A gadget which has in built functions but can not be used due to lack of power.
Believing in self helps us to know our strengths. It gives us a sense of our ability to do things. We accept those opportunities which come to us and work hard to get success.

"The worst loneliness is not to be comfortable with yourself."
MARK TWAIN

We live in a society. Where we are surrounded by people related to us as family, friends, neighbours. Being a social creature we want to be loved and cared by them. But most of the time we find ourselves lonely. We think that no one likes us or cares for us. We started to think that there is a problem with me. I am not so attractive or successful like others. That is why people avoid me. This results in a low self-esteem. We create a shell around us and try to hide ourselves in it. In this way we make ourselves more lonely.
The problem here is same. We don't accept ourselves. To be loved and to get respect from others it is necessary to love and respect yourself.
One who is a friend of himself can make friends easily. A person who is satisfied with himself is satisfied with others.

"Friendship with oneself is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world."
ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Be friend with your own self you will find the whole world is a friend of you.

"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of a person you are."
MARILYN MONROE

You are unique in your own way. Nature has blessed you with many qualities. You don't need to fit yourself in other person's shoe.
Most of the time we fail to understand the fact that if we try to mould ourselves in someone else's cast we will destroy ourselves. We can't be anyone else because we have our own personality. Our own way of thinking, our strengths and weaknesses. Which separates us from others.
Instead of trying to be someone else accept your unique self.

"If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation."
JIDDU KRISHNAMURTI

Accept yourself on Speaking tree.com

What you offer to life

Most of the time we complain about life. Whatever life has given us we hardly satisfy with it. We have so many "If".
'If I have more mony' 'If I am a little more taller' 'If I have looks like him/her'
All these 'If' always remain with us. We always want more from life.
But we hardly consider what we are giving to life. Are we utilizing in full whatever life has given us.
The question is not how much you have but how efficiently you utilize it.
Instead of asking more from life start giving it back. Use your strength, your intelligence, your thinking for the progress of yourself and your surrounding.

"In whatever condition your life is, If you want you can use it for better. "

Don't think what is the condition of your life. In all situations life is bigger than anything. Complaining about it is not going to help us. Find the ways to make it meaningful.

"Focus on your dream and do everything in your power. You have the power to change your life circumstances."NICK VUJICIC

You have ability to change the circumstances of your life if you act according to your ability.
So do whatever you can to make your life beautiful for you and your society.

"In life you have two choices 'Bitter' or 'Better', Choose better. Forget bitter."NICK VUJICIC

Choice is your. Complain about life and be bitter or utilize your power to be better.

What you offer to life on Speaking tree.com

A little change in you can change the world

Once upon a time there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. Once a thorn pricked his princess's sole. He loved her vary much. He couldn't bear her screaming in pain. So he ordered his ministers to cover whole land with leather. The ministers were in a difficult situation. They didn't know how to arrange so much leather. But they could not tell this to king. The youngest of the ministers was a wise man. He bought a pair of leather shoes and offered them to princess.

This story gives us a very important lesson. Sometimes we exaggerate a problem and try to find big solution for it. While it can be solved by a little thinking. As the king presented the problem in a very big way and gave an impractical solution of it. But his minister looked at the problem as it was and came up with a practical solution for it.
Another lesson which can be learnt from this story is that trying to change the world around you is not a wise thing to do because it is not possible. So it is better to change yourself. The solution of the problem is not in outside world but it is within you.

A little change in you can change the world on speaking tree.com

Sarve bhavantu sukhina

There is so much disruiption in this world. Bombings, Terrorist attacks, Murders, Rapes taking place around us.
We fail to understand a simple fact that all this is affecting the psychology of our children. They will grow up in a society where there will be no peace. Without peace there will be no happiness.
This is the nature of law every action has its reaction. So by disturbing the peace of outside world we are destroying the peace within us. When there is no peace within us we can't think properly. This will affect our ability to make right decision. Because only a calm and peaceful mind can think properly. 
We are responsible to provide our children and coming generations a world where they can live happily.
To create a world of harmony and peace the first lesson we need to learn is that every life is valuable. We should respect other person's feelings. Everyone has a right to live his life on his own term. Every individual has a different personality. He has his own thoughts, likes and dislikes. We should accept the person as he is and let him live his life according to them.  
The other lesson we should learn that the way you don't like to be treated is not good for others too. So while treating other persons we should be careful and try not to act in a manner which can hurt others.
Similarly if someone hurts your feelings or disrespects your thoughts try not to get upset. Try to forgive that person as if you don't do this and try to take your revenge it will destroy your inner peace.
" Forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve peace. "
The desire of power is another thing which is the cause of feuds. One man wants power over another man. A nation tries to suppress another. The follower of one sect considers his sect superior to other sects and tries to persuade others to follow his sect. 
When there is desire to gain power over other there is also a sense of superiority. This leads to hatred for others. This hatred gives birth to violence. Violence kills peace. 
To maintain peace it is needed to replace love of power with power of love.
Happiness is the product of peace. If we want happiness for us and for our coming generations we should try to restore peace. 
Love all, give respect and treat everyone with dignity.The only path for happiness is ' Peace '
Let us all pray that everyone be happy and peace be every where.
Om Shanti  Shantiऊँ शांति शांति

Sarve bhavantu sukhina on Speaking tree.com

Life is to create

We are on this earth to live. But what is the meaning of living a life. 
Is it just passing your time which allotted to you.
No certainly not. Living a life means to create. Utilize whatever God has given to you. 


To create does not mean to do extraordinary things. Creation is making your life useful for you as well as for others within your capacity. It is to create small moments which give happiness.
Small differences made by you in your surrounding make you different.

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is 

what difference we have made to the lives of others that will 

determine the significance of the life we lead."

Nelson Mandela

Do not waste whatever good qualities are lying within you. Utilize your qualities in full within your capacity. 
It is your duty to add meaning to life given to you. Sometimes situation is hard. It is not easy to live. But giving up can't be a solution. Only keeping your hope alive and giving a challenge to hardships will do. Only you can make your life valuable. No one else can do this for you. So don't waste your life. Just Live it. 


' Paint your picture on canvas of life with whatever colours life has given you. '

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.

Helen Keller

Life is to create on Speaking tree.com

The mountain man

Dashrath Manjhi is an epitome of determination, hard work, selflessness.

He was a labourer in Ghelur village in Gaya. Using only a hammer and chisel he carved a path through mountain single handedly which shortened the distance between Atari and Wazirganj from 55 to 15 Km. When he started his work people called him lunatic but instead of dissuading him this steeled his resolve. It took 22 years from 1960 to 1982 to complete his work. In the beginning people used to taunt him but his determination changed the outlook of many who later started to help him and supported his cause. 

His wife Falguni Devi died from lack of medical help as to get medical help one had to travel 70 Km. around the hill.

In the memory of his wife he decided to carve a path through Ghelur hill so his village can have an easy assess to nearest town where medical facility was available. For 22 years he worked tirelessly day and night for this cause. His patience and perseverance resulted in shortening the distance and made it easy to travel for others. He died on 17 August 2007 while suffering from cancer of gall bladder.

Dashrath Manjhi's life teaches us many lessons. 

The first lesson which we can learn is of selflessness. He worked hard to make the lives of his villagers easy. Though they made fun of him. Called him mad but he was not distracted. He lived the teaching of Bhagwad Gita to work selflessly without worrying about fruit of action.

Second lesson we can learn is of determination. He showed us what single mindedness can do. He was born in low caste mushahar family which is lowest of low in caste ridden society. He was a landless labourer. It was hard for him to earn his bread. But this couldn't stop him. As there was no electricity he had to do this with the help of hammer and chisel only. People of village were against this idea thinking that it is impossible. Dashrath's determination proved them wrong.

He showed us that with determination one can do any miracle.


Perseverance is the third lesson which is given by life of Dasharath Manjhi. He worked for 22 years continuously without giving up. Your persistent efforts bear fruit. 
Perseverance comes with patience. If one can remain patient then he can face failures without losing focus. Patience enables us to go on irrespective of hardships.


Above all his example shows us that there is no limit of human capabilities. 
Dashrath Manjhi's life is a source of inspiration for us.


http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/the-mountain-man-559802?track=cntshem

Tryst with destiny

On the eve of India's independence our first Prime minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru gave his famous speech ' Tryst with destiny '. Addressing the members of constituent Assembly he asked them to work hard selflessly to build new India which was getting freedom from many years of bondage. It was like a new beginning. A new young and hopeful nation was rising on the horizon. 

When I read this famous speech I feel a sense of elation and responsibility towards nation building. This speech is very relevant even today.

Let us discuss its relevance.

India is emerging as a young and energetic nation. A large number of its citizens are below 35 years of age making it a young nation. The whole world is looking at us with anticipation. Now it is our duty to take India to such heights where every nation look us as an ideal for them. Now the time has come to leave behind our old image of a corrupt, polluted and lethargic nation and create an image of honest, clean and enthusiastic nation. 
But that is possible only when all the marginalised persons will be brought to mainstream of society. All the backward classes of India must be given a chance to grow. If this is not done then the the gap which is created by the unequal distribution of opportunities will tear the nation in two parts. Therefore it is essential that everybody should get a fair chance to make progress. It is the responsibility of all Indians to help each other and create a perfect society.

This great nation has witnessed many ups and downs during her centuries old history. But India has never given up her quest for spirituality. Never forgotten her ideals which were the source of strength. Which helped her to sustain lean periods and to remain steadfast in her golden phases. Now we must try to carry all those values and ideals with us in the arduous journey of taking this nation on the path of progress. 

Our unity and integrity will play an important role in the success of this motive. We need to rise above boundaries of religion, cast, state and language and come together as a nation heading forward to achieve common goal.

Non violence which was basis of our struggle for freedom should not be left behind. Non violence is not just refraining ourselves from hurting others in physical term but try not to hurt anyone with harsh words. Now in this age of social media many people hurl obscenity and ill words on others. It is very easy to criticize others. But unreasonable criticism creates differences between various sections of society. Therefore destructive criticism should be avoided. An environment of cooperation should be developed where everyone takes responsibility in nation building. With rights come duties. Growth of a nation depends on how much  its citizens are aware of their duties. 

This is the age of globalization. The whole world is becoming one large family. The growth of one depends on the growth of other. Instead of being competitor we all try to be associates of each other.
In this scenario we try to make a balance. Retaining our cultural values we should try to broaden our horizon so we can accept new ethics of this changing world.

Now we have a responsibility to paint a vibrant and new picture of our nation. We all should strive to get this goal.

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/tryst-with-destiny?track=cntshem

Blessings of your life

What is blessing. Is it getting what we asked. Is it possessing what we desired or it is leading a happy life with all comforts.  

All these are blessings indeed but true blessings are more than these.

For a child a set of loving and caring parents is a blessing. Having parents who not only love but also guide one  through confusion is biggest blessing.

The friends who stay with us when things are really tough are blessings in human form. Friends who don't hesitate to tell truth for your good no matter how harsh the truth is are most valuable treasure. 

Your siblings who stand with you in crisis and give you strength to fight are precious gift of God.
Your neighbours, your colleagues, your boss and all other persons who help you, encourage you are like pleasant surprises. 

These are all blessings of external world but many precarious gifts are stored within you.

Feeling of love. This not only gives you a sense of fulfillment but it brings others closer to you. It creates a bonding with people around you. With love you can conquer many without raising arms.  

A smile on your face can enhance your charm. A little smile can create the atmosphere of friendlies and connects you even to a stranger. Smile comes from within. Only a person with pure heart and open mind can smile like this.

Intelligence is a great blessing. Outcome of intelligence is knowledge. Knowledge helps you to understand your surroundings. Intelligence helps you to take decisions in life which play an important role in your progress. You can tell right from wrong. 

Self-confidence which helps you to face adversities of life. Without it nothing is possible. All achievements of mankind are result of self-confidence. It provides you a fighting spirit. So you don't succumbs before difficulties. It gives you willpower to do tasks which seem impossible to perform. 

Patience is very powerful virtue. When nothing seems to be in your favour patience gives you strength not to give up. It gives you hope that everything will be fine. It helps you to continue with your efforts. An impatient person very easily gets frustrated. Frustration can take you no where. In the end your patience wins.

Virtue of contentment makes  you happy. Happiness is in satisfaction. If you feel satisfied with whatever you have only then you can enjoy your possessions. If you always desire for more you can never enjoy what you have and feel happy. You must understand that all your desires can not be fulfilled. So learn to be contended.

Faith is strong belief which is unflinching. Faith in humanity, in goodness above all in Divine power gives us strength to move on. A man without faith loses hope easily. But person with faith can survive adversities without giving up. 

These are all blessings. Other than these anything which gives you positivity, strength and happiness is a blessing.


http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/blessings-of-your-life?track=cntshem

Maintain a balance

There are four purusharth or goals of human life according to Vedic philosophy. These are


Dharma ( Righteousness )


Arth ( Wealth and prosperity )


Kaam ( Worldly desires )


Moksha ( Liberation )


One has to obtain all four in his life. The motive to achieve these four goals is create a balance in life. Only an enlightened one can lead a life focusing only on single aspect of Moksha. But for ordinary persons it is necessary to maintain a balance in all four. First we need to understand these four goals.


Dharma is power of discrimination. What should be done ( Vidhi ) and should not be done ( Nishedh ). Dharma is also duty. Duty towards one's family, towards society, towards country and also his religious duty. 
To achieve this goal one should develop understanding of right and wrong. He should perform all his duties sincerely without any complaint. 


Arth Is getting wealth and prosperity. As a human beings we have some basic needs to be fulfilled. We have to maintain our family. For the benefit of society and country we have to pay taxes. For all these purposes we need money. 
To lead a comfortable happy life we accumulate wealth. Earning money or creating wealth is not bad. But this should be done within limits of Dharma. Money should be earned through right ways. While creating wealth one should not steal what belongs to others. One should not ignore his duties in order to earn money. 


Kaam are material and physical desires. No one is free from desires. Desires have power to control us. No one can subdue desires completely. It is better to fulfill them. 
Can all desires be satisfied. No because if one desire is fulfilled the another desire takes its place. Then what is the solution. Fulfilling the desires does not mean that one should surrender himself before them. One should try to develop a wisdom to draw a line and try his best not to cross it. Right conduct  (Dharma) gives us power to develop this wisdom.


Carnal desire is above all desires. It is really hard to control it. It is also related to reproduction. For progeny it is to be satisfied. To control this desire and maintain a discipline Institution of marriage is established. This institution is basis of society. When a man and a woman enter into this institution as husband and wife they lay foundation of smallest unit of society called Family. 

An householder is in a position to get all the three above mentioned goals.

Moksha is liberation. Liberation from repeated birth. But that is final. But what is Moksha before this. This is freeing yourself from all attachments. Surrendering yourself completely on God with all your successes and failures. Accepting without complaint whatever comes to you. 
When you leave everything to God and detach yourself from everything you feel liberated. 

Life is not one sided affair. It is multidimansional thing. Maintaining balance in all of its affairs is life. 

Attaining these four goals is possible only when you don't deviate from center point where you are balanced. And the balanced life is happy life.

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/maintain-a-balance?track=cntshem

Power of encouragement

Do you remember the episode in epic Ramayana where the army of monkeys led by Angada and Hanuman were sitting on sea shore frustrated as they couldn't find Sita. They were thinking to end their lives. Then Sampati brother of Jatayu informed them that with the help of his powerful sight he could see Sita sitting in Ashok Vatika in Beautiful city Lanka across the ocean. This news made monkeys happy. But soon a new problem arose before them. Who will cross this vast ocean and meet Sita.


No one had the courage to do this difficult task. Even brave and intelligent Hanuman had no clue how that job could be done. 


The wise Jambvan looked at Hanuman who was sitting apart silently. He admiringly told him " Son of Vayu you are the one who can do this job. You are skilled in all branches of knowledge. In strength and splendor you can surpass  all brave warriors. You are equal to Vali and Sugriva. Like Garuda the carrier of Lord Vishnu you can cross this vastness. Once when you were a child you tried to swallow sun considering it a fruit. Indra being concerned about sun's safety hurled his thunderbolt at you. Struck by it you fell on mountain and broke your jaw. This gave you name Hanuman. Remember your prowess and intelligence. No one else can do this. O' son of Anjana don't sit idle. Get up and cross this ocean in one leap. " The wise Jambvan praised  Hanuman and reminded him his strength and roused his dormant courage.

After hearing these encouraging words Hanuman got up and started to swell in form. The radiance of his body filled all the monkeys with joy and hope. Determined to do Sri Ram's job he climbed the Mahendra hill. Standing on the hill he directed his mind towards Lanka and roared with confidence. With a resolute mind he prayed Gods in heaven. He pressed his foot hard against earth and took a giant leap. He crossed ocean avoiding all distractions and reached Lanka. There he met Sita and set the Lanka on fire to teach Ravana a lesson.


The encouragement of Jambvan played an important role in Hanuman's success. No doubt Hanuman was very intelligent and powerful. But he was not so sure. He had doubts about his prowess. 
The words of praise spoken by Jambvan removed all confusion and instilled confidence in him. This shows power of encouragement. 

Sometime we need someone to tell what is hidden inside us.

" Everyone has inside them a piece of good news is you don't know how great can you be. How much you can love. What you can accomplish. And what your potential is. "
Anne Frank

Words are very powerful. One should take care in their use. Harsh and insulting words not only hurt someone but can bring the moral of person down. While sweet and encouraging words can fill a person with indomitable self-confidence.

Everybody has some quality in him. With a little encouragement this quality can be brought out. One should try to speak in such a manner that his words can help a person to improve. But try not to speak words which demoralize a person.


Always speak encouraging words.

“Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be.” 
 Ralph Waldo Emerson

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/power-of-encouragement?track=cntshem

Into that heaven

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore's poem 'Where the mind is without fear' is 35th poem of his famous work Geetanjali.

In this poem which is titled as 'Prarthana' the writer prays to God to lead his country into the perfect land where everyone can live in peace and harmony.

Gududev Tagore wrote this poem when India was struggling to get freedom from British rule. This poem inspired many freedom fighters who were ready to sacrifice everything for this noble cause.

Now India is a free country. After 67 years of its independence it is a matter of contemplation whether the prayer is answered or not.

The poem not only has political meaning but also has Spiritual aspect.

I will try to understand and explain these lines within my capacity.

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

Fear is the cause of many evils. Being fearless we can overcome all our shortcomings. While describing Divine qualities in Bhagvad Geeta Lord Sri Krishna mentioned fearlessness as prime quality. A man who is fearless lives in confidence with his head held high. As he does not has fear he listens to his heart and do what is right. He does not worry about how people will judge his actions but opts to do what is right. A fearless man is liberated in true sense. So he lives with dignity.

Considering the present time we are living in state of fear. A fear of how we are going to be judged by others, the fear of losing what we possess, fear of staining our image. Most of our decisions are taken not because we feel so but because they are acceptable by others. We even fear to take responsibility of our own decisions. This fear gives birth to worries. We want someone who can free us from these worries. Try to find a guide who can lead us out of confusion. But most of the time we find ourselves deceived by people who claim to mitigate our sorrows. This happens because we leave everything to them in blind faith.

Fear is due to darkness. In darkness one can't see properly. This creates confusion. Confusion gives birth to fear.

The darkness is absence of knowledge. Knowledge comes through education. A society where everyone has a fair chance to educate himself can remove the darkness. Where knowledge is free means that everyone is given an equal right for education. But one has to strive to get knowledge.

Knowledge is not mere set of various informations but it is wisdom to tell right from wrong. Colleges and other educational institutions can't provide this wisdom. The college education can help us only to some extent but we have to develop it by our own intelligence.

In this age of internet it is easy to get information about this world. Whatever we want to know can be make available by few clicks. Still there is so much  misunderstanding.

Due to this misunderstanding so many feuds take place.

Why we can't understand each other properly. Because we have divided the society in small sections. We are living in our self-created cells like prisoners and don't want to see outside the walls of our prison. This division creates distrust among people and we try to maintain a distance with other sections of society. Our ego strengthens this division. One section of society  consider itself superior to other sections of society. When one section of society Considers other sections of society inferior to it then a feeling of disliking for others arises which gradually turns into hatred. This hatred gives birth to struggle among all sections.

Words are powerful. What we speak affects others. So the care must be taken while we speak. Try to be honest. Don't promise anything if you can't fulfill your words. If you fail to do what you have promised you lose your credibility.

In present time most of us hardly care for what we say. Our deeds don't match with our words. That is why there is lack of trust for each other.

If you are a leader or an ideal for others then your responsibility is more than others to set an example. But most of the time these role models fail to do so. As others are looking at them for guidance they are mislead.

Its true that no one is perfect but one must strive for perfection. There are many flaws in society but only through are efforts we can get rid off them. Instead of complaining one must do what is in his capacity.

As Swami Vivekananda said
" Arise awake and stop not till the goal is achieved. "

Perfection comes with open mind. When you are not bound by rituals and practices which have lost their relevance. When before doing something you ask yourself why I should do this. Is doing so will help me or society to make progress.

But most of the time we follow those rituals which have no meaning in present time. We just follow them without any questioning with a simple reason that everyone is doing this or it is been  practiced for a long time.

We must try to widen our outlook and all our actions should be done with the aim of self-progress.

The prayer is not yet answered  because without our own efforts nothing can be achieved.
Everybody wants a change in  society but one must remember that to bring change one needs to change himself.

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/into-that-heaven?track=cntshem

Move forward

What is the motive of your life. Have you ever considered about this question. The purpose of your life is to grow. It doesn't matter what is your condition. Whether you are rich or poor. Physically strong or weak. It is your duty to move forward. Don't surrender before hardships.

You are born as a human being. The purpose of it is to make progress.

If there is no struggle there will be no progress.
Frederic Doughlas

To make progress one has to struggle. Without facing the challenges which are thrown by life you can not move forward. Struggle makes you strong to face the hardships of life.

Even a person who surrenders before hardships has to struggle. But his struggle never takes him ahead instead it pulls him down.

But if a person is ready to bear all hardships and struggles to come out of them can make progress.

Nature has given you many valuable gifts. You have a power of Discrimination. You can easily understand what is good for you and what is harmful. You have power to think which can help you to take necessary step to bring desired change in your life. You have power to judge your situation correctly.

You have five senses through them you can understand your surroundings. Apply all these gifts of nature to move forward.

Don't sit idle lamenting on your current situation. It will not help you. In whatever situation you are in try to come out of it.

Even if your progress is slow don't worry about it. But don't give up and sit idle.

No one else can help you. Only your own efforts can take you out of hardships.

Be ready to bear all hardships because even if you try to escape from them you can't do so. Therefore it is better to face them. In this case you have a chance to defeat them.

Make yourself strong. Physical strength is necessary but your inner strength helps you more to sustain hardships.

This inner strength is the result of contentment. When you face whatever comes to you without complaint and accepts whatever is given by God with gratitude. Then you are ready to face anything without fear.

Enjoy the journey of life. Use whatever you possess in your self-improvement. Have a positive approach and be happy.

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/self-improvement/move-forward-540220?track=cntshem