Live Life....STOP Analysing It...

The natural tendency of the mind is to be restless. Thinking seems to be a continuous and ongoing activity. The restless mind lets thoughts come and go incessantly from morning till night. They give us no rest for a moment. Most of these thoughts are not exactly invited; they just come, occupy our attention for a while, and then disappear.

Our true essence can be likened to the sky, and our thoughts are the clouds. The clouds drift through the sky, hide it for a while and then disappear. They are not permanent. So are thoughts. Because of their incessant movement they hide our essence, our core, and then move away to make room for other thoughts.

Thoughts resemble the waves of the ocean, always in a state of motion never standing still. Some people think incessantly about a certain subject, always haunting the mind while others never think about it. The human mind has the capacity to access his thoughts in liking and disliking certain things according to his desires. It likes to compare, to reason, and to ask questions. It constantly indulges in these activities. Ones thoughts cannot coincide with others.

This activity of the restless mind occupies our attention all the time. We pay a lot of energy and attention towards certain thoughts that are not important. They just waste our time and energy. We enjoy freedom only when we are able to still the mind and choose our thoughts. We live in freedom, when we are able to stop the incessant flow of thoughts.

Stopping the flow of thoughts may look infeasible, bu training and exercising with concentration and meditation, eventually lead to this condition. Every human being has the power to control his mind. It can be taught self-discipline and obedience to a higher power. Concentration and meditation show us in a clear and practical manner that we, the inner true essence, are this controlling power. We are the bosses of our minds

To gather together the ability to learn and information is like trying to give a number to infinity. Mankind has attempted ways and means to accumulate principles and facts. Means to communicate information can be vital to enhance knowledge. Libraries have stored knowledge in the form of books for years. But new technology has improved the skills of compiling, storing and displaying this vast amount of data. Accessibility to this technology and consequently this has now become possible.

In today's economy, knowledge to people is money, leverage, learning, flexibility, power, and competitive advantage. Knowledge is more relevant to sustained business than capital, labour or land. Nevertheless, it remains the most neglected asset. It is more than a justified true belief and is essential for action, performance and adaptation. Knowledge provides the ability to respond to novel situations.

A holistic view considers knowledge to be present in ideas, judgments, talents, root causes, relationships, perspectives and concepts. Knowledge is stored in the individual’s brain or encoded in organizational processes, documents, products, services, facilities and systems.

Knowledge is the basis for our growth and the driver of our post-industrial economy. It is the result of learning which provides the only sustainable competitive advantage. Knowledge is the next paradigm shift in computing data processing and information management. Knowledge is action, focused innovation, pooled expertise, special relationships and alliances. It is also value-added behavior.

Computer science has changed the outlook of the century. All that needs to be done is proper application of this technology to benefit the vast population of the world. The three major divisions of higher middle and lower income groups need to understand the value of this power. Today, a common villager in India has access to bank loans, and weather forecasts. This enables him to sow his invaluable hybrid seeds to reap a bumper harvest. Therefore, we can assimilate knowledge and increase our intellect if we persevere towards our set defined goal.

To apply knowledge is to attempt to gather the vast amount of information available in the world today. We are on a quest to improve ability to compile knowledge. This pursuit is on and very much permissible.

“Nothing comes from nothing, Nothing ever good………..”

So goes the popular song of yesteryears. This is a very true dear friend. A good thought, word or action leads to another good behaviour. We are all the recipients of the fruits of the hard work and good habits of important persons in our lives.

Habits! A much-used word, which means any behaviour, that is in practice or regular use. It also means a compulsive need. Habits can be both positive and negative which we respectively identify as Good or Bad Habits.

How do we identify habits as good or bad? Practices, which help us to become more productive, successful which help us to become better persons are good for us. On the contrary, practices, which harm us or those around us, become stumbling blocks in progress, which have a negative effect on us are bad.

Change is the only constant in life. Yet there are some things, which are best, left unchanged. Such is the quality of a good practice, which often leads the individual to greater heights than otherwise. People from different walks of life need different sets of positive habits. These are better learnt when young. The popular saying goes that a child is never too young to form good habits.

So, first as always, in the lineup of good habits comes getting up early. This has several advantages each of which leaves you with a positive satisfaction on each day you rise early. Consequently, this brings you closer to success. A refreshing bath to begin, nutritious food, physical exercise and good sleep are all healthy habits that lead to a healthy body and mind.

Besides these, there are other practices such as honestly facing your positive and negative qualities. Self-knowledge equips you with a better understanding of yourself and also to reach more realistic goals for the future. Planning your time for the day, week, month and year, and setting achievable goals is a habit, which gives unfailing results. This allows a long-term view of yourself, your future, and helps you identify which activity comes before and which follows.

However, developing a good habit requires regular practice of any of the above activities. An important cause of the failure of a good habit being formed is dawdling. Dawdling is either wasting time or being unable to focus on your goal. Leaving loose ends while achieving goals is another thing, why a good habit is not formed. Every goal has other ancillary goals which one should have to make a habit of completing without which the main goal seems incomplete. For example when you are studying for the 12th class you should make sure there are no gaps in your knowledge of all the previous years.

Finally ones good habits beget good results.

All things in life have a purpose. Right from the tiny mitochondria that live inside each cell to the huge mountains, they all serve some higher purpose than to simply exist. All the other beings in the world perform their pre-assigned tasks by instinct. But we, as humans have the power to identify our purpose in life and work towards performing it with perfection.

But the only problem is, many of us do not know the answer to the question, ‘What is my purpose?’

This is a question that troubles most young men and women, and sometimes, even adults. It sets them thinking and when there is no immediate answer, it worries them. All human beings perform some task or the other and contribute at some basic level to the society. But only those people who are clear about their purpose in life are able to achieve great things and become better people.

As students, this is the right time and age to find out and identify your purpose in life. The moment the question arises in you, you must begin to search within yourself and around you for the answer. Finding your purpose in life is neither impossible nor too difficult. All it requires is a keen sense of observation and a little bit of instinct.

The first step towards finding your purpose is to observe those who have found their achievements. Each of us knows some people in our lives whom we respect, adore or admire for what they are or what they have achieved. You may begin by observing such people and asking them how they knew that this is what they wanted to do. By doing this, you will not only understand the importance of having a purpose, but will also be inspired to search harder.

Second, you will need to write down all those things that you wish to achieve in the future. It may be your childhood dreams or something that you wish to become. Once you have written this down, identify that dream or goal that is most important to you from the list. In all probability, that will be your purpose in life.

But the story does not end once you have found out your purpose or goal. It is now that it truly begins. Once you have answered this question, you must motivate yourself to achieve it as soon as possible. And in the process, you must learn to help and inspire others while you fulfill your purpose.

It is said, that to be born as a human is a very rare event, for we are currently at the top of the pyramid of evolution. Therefore, each of us is important to the society in which we live in. And, unknown to us, we will realize our purpose with or without our effort. But the sooner we do so, the better we become as citizens and individuals.

Aloke, an only son of higher socioeconomic parents was in the 8th class and attended a good school in the city. His mother most willingly arranged for all personal needs such as brushing teeth, bathing, made his favourite breakfast, put out his uniform and other things needed for school, packed his school books and bag, then woke him for school about half an hour before school time His father dropped him to school in his car before leaving to his office.
All Aloke needed to do was go to school and study. Back from school he would leave his bag in the living room when he went home, his shoes and clothes wherever he changed and his toys where he played. His mother willingly put them away for him. She reasoned that he would learn them automatically. Whatever his demand chocolates, toys or entertainment it was satisfied immediately without effort and he had many things that many other children did not have.
He worked when felt like and just managed to go from one class to next with the marks that he acquired. He often lost his books at school which his father replaced without much effort. At such times his mother would help rewrite all the notes he has lost. Well! What went wrong? His teacher told Aloke’s mother that he was careless in his work, and his uniform was never in its place and untidy most of the time. At home his mother knew that he spent more time watching Television and playing.
His parents were not very happy the way he was shaping but were at a loss to explain it. They had given him everything then why was he not performing at school better? Have you noticed by now, that Aloke made very little to put appropriate effort and was unused to being responsible and haven't think about others even his parents. He was accustomed to receiving love and not to giving it.
Today, the trend is small nuclear families wherein there are two children or an only child. With technology stepping in, parents are also left with lots of free time and money. Due to improper ways to utilize this time and money properly, parents invest them in their children, which backfires in a way and leaves them astonished.
Too much love spoils children. They become accustomed to large doses of love only making them unable to be satisfied with smaller amounts of love later in life. Since there is very little that they do to themselves. They do not see themselves as capable persons. Their confidence in themselves is affected making them incapable of facing life’s problems alone.
Such a child becomes over dependent for his needs, focusing his attention on himself all the time. This makes him selfish and lacking the motivation to express affection for others. In today’s trend where there is the need for greater soft skills, he may later present a negative picture which could lead to maladjustment.

Did you know?...Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

Did you know?...Coca-Cola was originally green.

Did you know?...Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

Did you know?...More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.

Did you know?...The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.

Did you know?...The Eiffel Tower in Paris weighs over 1000 elephants.
Did you know?...13% of Americans actually believe that some parts of the moon are made of cheese...yummy

Did you know?...The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.

Did you know?...Fish that live more than 800 meters below the ocean surface don't have eyes. Eeewwwwww

Did you know?...Hydrogen is an explosive gas. Oxygen supports combustion. Yet when these are combined it is water which is used to put out fires.
Did you know?...Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave. Go on, try it then.
Did you know?...Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history.
· Spades - King David
· Hearts - Charlemagne
· Clubs - Alexander the Great
· Diamonds - Julius Caesar

Did you know?...In Texas, a recently passed anticrime law requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed. Only in Texas....
Did you know?...Bill Gates has enough money to buy every house in Alaska

Little Bobby came into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner.
His birthday was coming up and he thought this was a good time to tell his
mother what he wanted.
"Mom, I want a bike for my birthday." Little Bobby was a bit of a
troublemaker.
He had gotten into trouble at school and at home. Bobby's mother asked him
if he thought he deserved to get a bike for his birthday. Little Bobby, of course, thought he did.

Bobby's mother wanted Bobby to reflect on his behavior over the last year.
"Go to your room, Bobby, and think about how you have behaved this year.

Then write a letter to God and tell him why you deserve a bike for your
birthday." Little Bobby stomped up the steps to his room and sat down to
write God a letter.

Letter 1
Dear God,
I have been a very good boy this year and I would like a bike for my
birthday. I want a red one.
Your friend,
Bobby

Bobby knew that this wasn't true. He had not been a very good boy this year,
so he tore up the letter and started over.

Letter 2
Dear God,
This is your friend Bobby. I have been a good boy this year and I would like
a red bike for my birthday.
Thank you.
Your friend Bobby

Bobby knew that this wasn't true either. So, he tore up the letter and
started again.

Letter 3
Dear God,
I have been an "OK "boy this year. I still would really like a bike for my
birthday.
Bobby

Bobby knew he could not send this letter to God either. So, Bobby wrote a
fourth letter.

Letter 4
God,
I know I haven't been a good boy this year. I am very sorry. I will be a
good boy if you just send me a bike for my birthday. Please!
Thank you,
Bobby

Bobby knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get him a
bike.

Now, Bobby was very upset. He went downstairs and told his mom that he
wanted to go to church. Bobby's mother thought her plan had worked, as Bobby
looked very sad.
"Just be home in time for dinner," Bobby's mother told him.

Bobby walked down the street to the church on the corner. Little Bobby went
into the church and up to the altar. He looked around to see if anyone was
there. Bobby bent down and picked up a statue of the Mary. He slipped
the statue under his shirt and ran out of the church, down the street, into
the house, and up to his room. He shut the door to his room and sat down
with a piece of paper and a pen. Bobby began to write his letter to God.

Letter 5
God,
I'VE KIDNAPPED YOUR MOM . IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN,
SEND THE BIKE! !!!!!!!!!

Everything requires maintenance. Whether it is a piece of furniture, a computer, a vehicle or even our own body and mind, they all need to be maintained for as long as we use them.

Maintenance is usually understood as performing some repairs in case of some problem. It is common practice to wait until something goes wrong and then fix it by tightening a screw, reformatting an operating system or popping some pills. But we have to think, it lacks common sense? It is said that prevention is better than cure. What we need therefore is a kind of maintenance that will prevent, rather than cure.

Preventive maintenance is one such concept that is catching on in the world today. It is being applied in the management world to a large extent and is being used on a daily basis by professionals as well.

As the name suggests, preventive maintenance is the process of avoiding problems in the system by keeping it is good shape. The basic principle behind preventive maintenance is to spend some time at regular intervals to check, clean and spruce up the system.

Preventive maintenance can be used on ourselves too. We usually ignore the needs of our body like proper food and exercise, until we become sick and are treated for the illness. Similarly, we ignore the needs of our mind, like rest and timely stimulation, and end up with hypertension or nervous imbalance.

But by practicing preventive maintenance, our body and mind will not only be consistently fit, we can also save the trouble of being sick.

There are many advantages of preventive maintenance over conventional maintenance. One is that it makes life much more economically. A timely check up and a regular maintenance of the system may cost a bit. But it will definitely be cheaper than the time and money that will be spent in repairs and recovery otherwise.

Another important advantage is that through preventive maintenance, the efficiency of the machine, the tool or the individual is consistent. It does not reduce until it crashes down for repair, as it is the case with the usual form of maintenance.

All one needs to do is determine the timetable of maintenance and remember to do it at that specific time. For example, regular exercise, timely rest, occasional medical check ups and proper diet all constitute preventive maintenance of our body and mind

Life is full of a great number of things. Things that we can see and touch and those that we simply feel. Some of these things we call good and some are considered bad. And how our life will be depends on what we choose.

Let us take a small incident for example. A man wakes up one hour late on one morning because his alarm fails
to ring. These are the two ways in which his day could unfold:

Scenario 1: He rushes to the bathroom and does everything with extreme hurry. In the process he cuts himself while he shaves. He blames the blade for the mistake and dresses hurriedly and comes down for breakfast.

During breakfast, his little girl spills coffee on his shirt. He scolds his daughter for being careless for 10 minutes and then goes back up to change. His daughter begins crying. He pacifies her and finds that his daughter has missed the school bus because of his little lecture. So he drops his daughter in school and then rushes to the office. The boss is mad at him because he is late and forces more work on him.

He works over time and comes home. His wife welcomes him. He vents the anger he feels for his boss on his wife. She scolds him back and leaves. He goes to bed, got-tired, unhappy, frustrated, irritated and totally stressed out.

Scenario 2: He goes to the bathroom and instead of rushing everything, concentrates on each task. Because he concentrated on his work, he shaves carefully and gets dressed as efficiently as possible and comes down for breakfast.

During breakfast, his daughter spills coffee on his shirt. He smiles at her, rubs her hair and asks her to be more careful next time. The daughter feels relieved but has learnt her lesson. He goes up quickly to change. When he comes down, his daughter waves smilingly at him as she boards her school bus. He goes a little late to the office, so the boss is not very angry.

He comes home slightly tired because of the work and pressure. His wife welcomes him. He in turn smiles at her and shares his day. She listens to him and helps him relax with some soothing words. He goes to bed, tired, but happy, contented and peaceful.

In both these instances, the situations were the same. He woke up late, had coffee spilt, faced an angry boss and had a hectic day. But what made the difference between the first and the second scenario is the choice he made of how to handle them.

Things go wrong many times in one's life. What matters is how you handle the difficulties. You can either get tensed up, angry and upset. Or you could simply take it as another interesting chapter of your life and smile through the day while you doing what you can