Friday, January 02, 2009

A Lesson in Dignity

Everyday as I drove through town, I saw a one-legged man going through ash cans for cigerette butts and trash cans outside of fast food restaurants looking for food. It was only a month before Christmas, starting to get cold (I lived in a town that was over 6,000 ft. altitude) and I could not quit thinking about him. It was a year where we didn't have enough money to really have much in the way of presents but I figured what was too little for us would be a lot for someone who had nothing.

So I bought a brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, pack of cigerettes, cans of tuna, just little things that didn't cost much and then I added a blanket and sweatshirts. I made a box up like a present and went in search of this man. I saw him hobble away from the dumpster next to McDonalds. I pulled over, grabbed the box and went up to him. I said, "I would like to give you a Christmas present, there are some food items in here and some things you might be able to use."

He sidestepped around me and said, "No thank you, I just had lunch. I don't need anything." Then he hobbled on down the sidewalk, leaving me standing there in tears. I took the box down to a little shop that gave things out to the poor and homeless and told them what had happened and asked that they give the box to someone who could use it. The person there said not to be upset and let my feelings be hurt as I was still crying. I told her I was not crying for me but for him because what I had done was take away his dignity by treating him like a person in need. I was so ashamed. What a great lesson for me to learn, though.

A few years later I was able to volunteer for a day in St. Anthony's Dining Room in San Francisco where 1,500 to 2,000 homeless are fed everyday. These folks give up their sleeping spot, carry everything they own and stand in line for up to 6 hours to receive the only food they will get to sustain themselves for a 24 hour period. We took one tray of food at a time, and treated them as if they were in a restaurant ordering a meal they were paying for. And when we took our break, we would sit down with one of them and talk and share our food with someone if we had too much.

Since that time, I have had the opportunity, rephrase that, the blessing of being able to sit down and visit with people who at the time just happen to be displaced. I have heard that statistically, the majority of us could not make it if we had to go two months without an income and homelessness were to happen to us. Speaking for me, yes, that would be true and my immediate reaction would be like the first gentleman I mentioned. I might have nothing else but I would want to maintain my dignity as long as possible.

Tough insight, but accepting help is sometimes harder than giving it. But I have also learned a very good lesson about that as well. Someone said to me at one time, "Please let me help you, don't take away MY blessing." And in that statement lies the whole truth of Paying It Forward. I have to accept so I can pass it on!

Have a wonderful giving and accepting day.

- by Jaydeebug

Thursday, January 01, 2009

Basic But Essential Success Strategies

Success Can’t Be Bought, It Must Be Earned

First off, success comes at a great price. That’s right, there are no free handouts. fundamental success strategy concepts follow a distinct yet proven course of action. A price must be paid in the action it takes for completion. What! Hold it right there, you mean I got to do something? There are many people who believe you can simply buy success. That’s right, just put it up on the auction block and it goes to the highest bidder. Even though you must pay a price for success, it cannot be purchased.

If you have to pay a price for success but you can’t buy it, what then, is success? This is a question you must answer clearly in your mind before you attempt to pursue it. Success has different meanings for different people. For some it is wealth, power and recognition while for others it is simply having enough to eat each day.

Is The Price To Much?

There are no clear cut explanations for success. We believe Success is simply “achieving worthwhile personal goals,” while that doesn’t sound difficult in itself; very few people are able to accomplish it. Most people live day do day in quiet desperation, never experiencing their true potential. They don’t have a life’s plan or any goals other than getting from one day to the next. Husband’s and wives argue about finances and fear the likelihood of loosing their jobs. Our whole society lives in fear of what tomorrow will bring. But they don’t have to, they can free themselves.

Is It Freedom We Seek?

Doesn’t the idea of freedom have a sweet ring to it? Many would argue that no one is truly free and success is simply chasing a dream. I say, “what is man that he can’t dream.” Dreams are what happiness is built on. If a man can’t dream then he has no hope, for hope is indeed in seeking a dream. Don’t be a day dreamer, be a dreamer of action.

Perhaps It Is Only A Dream

There are many who may find Essential Success Strategies demands too much for them and perhaps they are right. If you believe you are beaten before you begin the fight then, it’s not a fight, it’s an approved defeat. To be defeated before the battle begins, is conceding to the enemy and allowing their domination. Many people don’t realize success comes as a result of planning and is not a result in itself. Success cannot follow itself as it must be a defined path which leads toward a projected result. It demands full involvement or immersion as an approach to obtainment. Once the decision to obtain a defined result is made, the individual must make it his/her committed challenge. Like jumping from an airplane, once you leave the door, you can’t go back. You must, at all cost, do what is necessary to survive or plummet to the ground.

It Takes Planning

For example; If you decided to become a doctor, it would take a minimum eight years of higher learning and a cost of hundreds of thousands yet a degree does not make you successful. It takes thousands to set up a practice. The fact is, more than 80 percent of medical students borrow money to cover education expenses. Cost run at least $175,000 to $200,000 after adding up tuition, room and board, books and equipment and all the rest. It would be slightly less if you go to a state medical school as an in-state resident. After countless hours of classes, bookwork, lectures, internship and test you may qualify to be called a Doctor. Even then success rest squarely upon the shoulders of the person involved. No one can do it for him/her. Why? Because it is personal.

Top people in sports sign contracts for millions, at what cost? It takes hundreds of hours training and learning the game before a player becomes professional. It's the same in any industry. Airline pilot, Ships captain, architect, CEO of a fortune 500 company as well as many others, take years of study and thousands of dollars, to rise to the position. There are no free rides; everything comes with a price or doesn't come at all.

It Takes Hard Work

But wait! What if you could make the same or more money than a doctor or any other professional with much less cost and time? What if you could be making the same as any MIT. Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Stanford Universities graduate? What would you do for the opportunity to be a top wage earner? How much time and dollars would you be willing to spend?

A few years ago the wife and I hosted exchange students. I was intrigued by the fact that much of their learning came from their total immersion into our society. They had to speak our language and adhere to our customs. Their experience was the experience itself. Their perception was changed from their native point of view into ours.

It Takes Focus

Learning is a progressive process. A person must learn one thing before he/she can learn another. Like building a stone wall, each stone must fit exactly in place in order to support the next stone. A stone is only a stone but by placing many stones together, they become a wall. A wall then is designed to restrict or prevent movement across a boundary. It becomes a barrier for unwanted people and animals and provides safety for those behind it.

It Takes Mind Control

The mind is much the same. It uses experiences in place of stones. It piles each experience on top of the other until an impregnable wall is built. Unknown to the person, a wall is built so strong, so high, so thick that it can't be torn down. You may chip at it or attempt to dig under it, but you simply can't get to the other side. Look around at the preconceptions, the mind sets, the prejudice that stem from preset thinking. What we believe is an accumulation of our and others experiences. What is fed into the mind is either accepted into our belief system or rejected as untruth. Many times, false becomes truth in the mind and truths are questioned as false.

Dream, find your interest, develop a plan, set goals and work, work, work. Never give up, it’s your life at stake.

- by Donald Yates

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

God Gave Us Each A Talent

God made us all unique,
Born in a world of talents,
Giving us one each,
Helping us all to balance.

But sometimes these are used wrong,
Sometimes we forget to thank God,
When in his arms we should belong,
Singing and chanting "I love you God."

So let those who haven't found theirs yet,
Tackle their way through life,
Give them the joy of knowing they can't regret,
In using for wrong and right.

Even when we're feeling low,
Or think there's no way out,
We think we have no way to go,
Not knowing what you're about.

Finally we pull through,
Because you're our only hope,
we know it's you we'll never loose,
You give us the strength to cope.

So as you made us all unique,
Giving us different talents,
Help us to find one each,
So we can truly balance!

- Unknown

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Believe in Your Dreams and Yourself!

I hope this story encourages you in times when your dreams seem far away, or, when you are not able to believe any words of encouragement deep in your heart.

I was doing a diploma course. When the course ended, placements started. The first company came and I was not selected. My roommate got selected though. I felt good for her, but miserable myself because I started thinking that I'm not worth anything good. I'm worthless. My room mate had not come in until dark and I was feeling so miserable that I did not even want to enter the room we shared because I had memories of both of us studying in it all through the course. I felt so miserable that I found myself crying standing on the road talking to one of my classmates, unable to control my tears. When my roommate came, she consoled me, said all the words to encourage me, pointed out the mistakes I had made in the interview so that I would do better the next day. She made me gather strength for the next set of companies that were scheduled to come the next day.

She went to bed, saying that I should wake her up if I wanted to know something about the topics we had to study for the interview. After she went to sleep, I started saying to myself half-heartedly, "Tomorrow is MY day. The company cannot go without selecting me. I will get myself selected tomorrow." I did not feel this from deep inside but I kept on saying this the whole night, probably in my sleep too, and in the morning until I faced my interview. It went ok, not too good. Still I kept on saying these one-liners to myself but now there was a difference. I found a little belief started growing that "It actually IS my day" and now it was not half-heartedly that I said all that, I started to believe it. I was so charged up by this time by my growing belief that I found myself totally at ease and confident of selection that I found myself singing with my class-mates while people were going through the interview in their respective turns.

I went through the last stage of selection, which went quite well. In the evening when the results were announced I was not selected. I went home thinking that something is wrong, this was not possible. I was not in the mood to read the topics for the interview next day with some other company.

Morning came and I sat for another written exam for the first company, still thinking about what had happened yesterday. Before sitting for the exam, I was crying when one of my classmates tried to console me that I should not worry, everything will be fine. They gave the exam and it went bad.

I came out of the room and one student told me that our head of the placements was searching for me. I went to his cabin and he congratulated me saying, "You have been selected by the company that came yesterday". I couldn't believe it. I found myself saying, "I knew this had to happen". My heart said to me, "See! I told you, you could do it. Just believe in yourself!"

My belief eventually had made me achieve what I was wishing for. Then at that point I remembered that I had an intuition that I would get selected by this company when they had come to give their pre-placement talks.

So if you have a dream then just believe that you can achieve it no matter what. Even when you can't feel deep in your heart any words of encouragement, just believe in your dream and your heart will finally show you the way. And believe that there is God who sees us every moment. Believe in intuitions and gut feelings for they are voices of your sub-conscious mind.

- Author Unknown

Monday, December 29, 2008

Live Your Life To The Fullest

Today was a day similar to all other days..

I was coming back home after a busy full day. When I reached the entrance gate of my building, I found people dressed in white. I didn’t give it too much importance and went up to my floor. I got off the lift to find the door of my house open. There was a crowd of people.. I was frightened. I entered my house. I saw relatives gathered in the hall - all in white. The place was surrounded with grief. They were taking among themselves.
I saw their sad faces. and asked them what happed but they didn’t notice me. I quickly moved to the next room - I saw my parents sitting in front of a body covered with a white cloth.

Oooohhhh no. Who was it? I asked my parents but they continued crying and didn’t give any answer. I was bewildered and tried to guess who it was. I looked around the room trying to figure out which of the relatives was missing. Slowly I reached towards the body and tried to remove the cloth with my trembling hands.

It was me.

Now I realized why nobody noticed me. My life was over. Slowly I sat down in one corner and became listless. I tried to recollect what remained to be done in my life. My whole life was passing in front of my eyes.

I was surveying all my relatives who were present in the room. I try to hear what they were talking about me. I tried to recollect all my interactions with all of them. All the times that I wanted to apologize to them for my bad behavior and all the times I didn't because I was ashamed.

I am remembering the time which I missed out - to enjoy with my family, relatives and friends. I spent my whole life just running running and running - I forgot to enjoy with small kids.

I saw the wrinkles on my parents' face. I wanted to give happiness to them; I wanted to tell them how much I loved them. But now no one will hear me. I see some of my friends entering the room. I wanted to tell them ‘THANK YOU’ for their support and help...all the times I didn't do so only because of my ego.

I asked God to give me just a minute to tell all this too my family and friends..Please god give me only last one minute, only one minute …… I know, I will never get… Some tears drop. I closed my eyes.
I am remembering the goal which remains to be achieved. I wanted my family to become proud of me. I remembered all the time I wasted in what we loosely called ‘TIME PASS’. But now time has really passed. I wanted to help so many people but I couldn’t because of my laziness. I could see so many people whom I had wanted to meet and talk to, but as always I pushed it for tomorrow.
That tomorrow never came.

Please live your life today..to the fullest. We never get the last one minute to say BYE ..

- Author Unknown

Friday, December 26, 2008

Winning Means Giving It All

As I approached the final mile of the race I realized there were only three opponents left. Obstacles standing between my goal and me.....the finish line.

As I reached the first opponent, I closed my eyes and heard this message: "You only fail if you fail to try." I peddled with all my might and took his place. One down, two to go.

As I neared number two I once again closed my eyes. Knowing this one would be harder, I searched for strength. Not only was I more tired than before, but this opponent was the second strongest. Suddenly I heard the voice from within: "You only see the obstacle when you take your mind off the goal." I visualized the finish line and continued to push my body to it's limit and took position number two.

My last opponent, my last obstacle was in first place for a reason. He symbolized every goal that I hoped to achieve. Knowing this would be the toughest moment of the race, I again closed my eyes. This time I waited for the message. But it didn't come. As the fear rose from inside I realized it was up to me, not this voice, to win the race. With that in mind, I opened my eyes and it hit me. On the back of my Opponent's shirt was the message. It read "If you can read this........I'm winning!!!"

Then with every ounce of energy in my body and soul, I peddled and fought the toughest battle of my life. As I crossed the finish line, I realized that first place means nothing if you haven't given 150%. There is always someone out there who is a little faster or a little stronger, but the real champion is the one who reaches the finish line with nothing more to give.

- Unknown

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Doing The Right Thing

Each day as you wake up, make the decision to strive to do what's right.

Approach your life as you would your game....

...when you make a mistake, learn from it, correct it, and get ready for the next point. Life moves too fast to sulk and dwell on the past.

...when you're down, fight harder to get back on top. Life is full of hardships. Fight hard against those feelings of despair.

...when you're doing everything right and still can't win, be patient. No matter how good we are or how hard we struggle to make the right decisions, life often makes us wait.

...when you are on top of your game, relax and enjoy it. Life is fully appreciated when we survive adversity and can relax in the sunlight of success.

Each sunrise brings a new opportunity. No matter how bad the day before was, today is brand new. When you wake up, seek the strength and courage to do the right thing.

- Author Unknown