SHARED THOTS – 01-01-14.
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The world has welcomed yet another new year, with renewed hope and joy. It is but known to all, that at the end of this new year, we will welcome the next one, with more hope, same joy, for another better year .. and so on. Hope fuels life. Hope subdues fear. Hope kindles faith.
Many a new year resolutions are made and many are broken. Most of the resolutions are about making one a better person. Quit smoking may take the first place; start exercising, will not lose temper, will not use harsh words, will donate to charity and so on. The bottom line is everyone craves to be a better person. This craving is universal and manifests at the top of the agenda, at a time when one turns to look at a new page, as on a new year day.
As opposed to all external dynamics, what better way to start a new year, by looking inwards ; it is this internal introspection that triggers more sustainable self-improvement techniques than resolutions based on a craving to improve.
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Ram Ganesh ji has sent this beautiful piece that certainly has plenty of food for thought.
All over the world, wealthy neighbourhoods will have "Neighbourhood watch" arrangements. Either salaried watchman or one among the neighbours takes the responsibility to watch for any disturbance and makes the neighbourhood safe.
One day a watch man was going around the village with a powerful flash light and an old man sitting on his balcony saw this. He could see the light flashing in front of the man, but could not see the man. He was in the dark behind the flash light. Then this old man thought:
"I cannot see the man who uses the flash light , but I can only see that part where the light falls. If I want to see him, I have to request him to turn the flash light towards him." He extrapolated this thought to the divine light burning with in him. He thought:
"I am not able to see the divine light burning with in me because I have turned all my senses outward to enjoy the outside world. I have to turn them inside to see the divine spark with in me."
He was very happy that a sleepless night watching the watchman of the village gave him inspiration to look inward to watch the "watchman" of the whole Universe dwelling with in him and in all.
One really does not know which incident, which person, which book, which scene will arouse one's awareness of the eternal presence of the divinity.
May God bless us to be aware of the ever-watching presence of Him with in all of us!
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In the course of our compulsive daily pressures, we try to perform our ‘acts’ at our best whether we like what we are doing or not, dragging ourselves from one weary day to another dreary day. All this, for the sake of ‘caring’ for our loved ones. If only we can expand the horizon of our ‘care’, I believe that being thoughtful of the deprived and doing something about it, is the highest form of showing “we care”.
In the course of our compulsive daily pressures, we try to perform our ‘acts’ at our best whether we like what we are doing or not, dragging ourselves from one weary day to another dreary day. All this, for the sake of ‘caring’ for our loved ones. If only we can expand the horizon of our ‘care’, I believe that being thoughtful of the deprived and doing something about it, is the highest form of showing “we care”.
In this dispatch, here is a moving 'tale'....an illustration to show how a simple spontaneous gesture means everything to a special needs boy... Take a few minutes off.... please read thru to the end.
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What would you do? You make the choice! Don't look
for a punch line. There isn't one! Read it anyway.
My question to all of you is: Would you have made the
same choice?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves
learning disabled children, the father of one of the
students delivered a speech that would never be
forgotten by all who attended. ghx
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he
offered a question: "When not interfered with by
outside influences, everything nature does is done
with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
children do. He cannot understand things as other
children do. Where is the natural order of things in
my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query. The father
continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay,
physically and mentally handicapped, comes into the
world, an opportunity to realize true human nature
presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
treat that child."
Then he told the following story: Shay and his father
had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll
let me play?"
Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not
want someone like Shay on their team, but the father
also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and
some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of
his handicaps.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field
and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The
boy looked around for guidance and a few boys nodded
approval, why not? So he took matters into his own
hands and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game
is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team
and we can put him in to bat in the ninth inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team
shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small
tear in his eye and warmth in his heart.
The boys saw the father's joy at his son being
accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored
a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top
of the ninth inning Shay put on a glove and played in
the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he
was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on
the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father
waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored
again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the
potential winning run was on base and Shay was
scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they
let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew
that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't
even know how to hold the bat properly, much less
connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher,
recognizing that the other team was putting winning
aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few
steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least
be able to make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and
missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to
toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came
in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up
the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the
ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out
and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the
head of the first baseman, out of reach of all team
mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in
his life had Shay ever run that far but he made it to
first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and
startled. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to
second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran
towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to
second base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the
right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their
team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for
the first time. He could have thrown the ball to the
second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the
pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw
the ball high and far over the second-baseman's
head.
Shay ran toward second base deliriously as the runners
ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were
screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay".
Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran
to help him and turned him in the direction of third
base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to
third". As Shay rounded third, the boys from both
teams and those watching were on their feet were
screaming, "Shay, run home!"
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was
cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won
the game for his team.
'That day," said the father softly with tears now
rolling down his face, " the boys from both teams
helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into
this world."
Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that
winter,
having never forgotten being the hero and making his
Father so happy and coming home
and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little
hero of the day!
(thank you Raghunathan)
What would you do? You make the choice! Don't look
for a punch line. There isn't one! Read it anyway.
My question to all of you is: Would you have made the
same choice?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves
learning disabled children, the father of one of the
students delivered a speech that would never be
forgotten by all who attended. ghx
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he
offered a question: "When not interfered with by
outside influences, everything nature does is done
with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other
children do. He cannot understand things as other
children do. Where is the natural order of things in
my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query. The father
continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay,
physically and mentally handicapped, comes into the
world, an opportunity to realize true human nature
presents itself, and it comes in the way other people
treat that child."
Then he told the following story: Shay and his father
had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were
playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll
let me play?"
Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not
want someone like Shay on their team, but the father
also understood that if his son were allowed to play,
it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and
some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of
his handicaps.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field
and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The
boy looked around for guidance and a few boys nodded
approval, why not? So he took matters into his own
hands and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game
is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team
and we can put him in to bat in the ninth inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team
shirt with a broad smile and his father had a small
tear in his eye and warmth in his heart.
The boys saw the father's joy at his son being
accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored
a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top
of the ninth inning Shay put on a glove and played in
the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he
was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on
the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father
waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored
again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the
potential winning run was on base and Shay was
scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they
let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the
game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew
that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't
even know how to hold the bat properly, much less
connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher,
recognizing that the other team was putting winning
aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few
steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least
be able to make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and
missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to
toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came
in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball
right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up
the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the
ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out
and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the
head of the first baseman, out of reach of all team
mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started
yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in
his life had Shay ever run that far but he made it to
first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and
startled. Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to
second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran
towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to
second base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the
right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their
team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for
the first time. He could have thrown the ball to the
second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the
pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw
the ball high and far over the second-baseman's
head.
Shay ran toward second base deliriously as the runners
ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were
screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay".
Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran
to help him and turned him in the direction of third
base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to
third". As Shay rounded third, the boys from both
teams and those watching were on their feet were
screaming, "Shay, run home!"
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was
cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won
the game for his team.
'That day," said the father softly with tears now
rolling down his face, " the boys from both teams
helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into
this world."
Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that
winter,
having never forgotten being the hero and making his
Father so happy and coming home
and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little
hero of the day!
(thank you Raghunathan)
AND, NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY:
We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail
without a second thought, but when it comes to
sending messages about life choices, people think
twice about sharing the crude, vulgar, and often
obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public
discussion about decency is too often suppressed in
our schools and workplaces.
If you're thinking about forwarding this message,
chances are that you're probably sorting out the
people on your address list that aren't the
"appropriate" ones to receive this type of message.
Well, the person who sent you this believes that we
all can make a difference. We all have thousands of
opportunities every single day to help realize the
"natural order of things."
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two
people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a
little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up
that opportunity to brighten the day of those with us
the least able, and leave the world a little bit
colder in the process?
We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail
without a second thought, but when it comes to
sending messages about life choices, people think
twice about sharing the crude, vulgar, and often
obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public
discussion about decency is too often suppressed in
our schools and workplaces.
If you're thinking about forwarding this message,
chances are that you're probably sorting out the
people on your address list that aren't the
"appropriate" ones to receive this type of message.
Well, the person who sent you this believes that we
all can make a difference. We all have thousands of
opportunities every single day to help realize the
"natural order of things."
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two
people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a
little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up
that opportunity to brighten the day of those with us
the least able, and leave the world a little bit
colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate
amongst them.
===========================================================
The sequel to reading above tale, is the following
personal note, that I felt compelled to SHARE with you
all, in the hope that some will respond, to this noble
venture....bonafides of which I can vouch for.....
Dear All,
Happy New Year !
I had the privilege of witnessing human compassion at
work. Our long time neighbor Capt Nandakumar, a DGM
with Indian Airlines, embarked on a long journey with
the hope that he can contribute to providing education
for needy children along the Chennai coastline. He
received generous contributions from many kind-hearted
souls and today, GURUKULAM is living it's dream. The
selfless work by Capt. Nandu and many of the
volunteers cannot be captured in a few mortal words.
We are the few fortunate ones that live our lives in
comfort. These underprivileged children have amazing
capabilities and being born poor is their only fault.
We can help correct that situation in our own special
way, in our unique capacity. I request each one of you
to browse the website www.trustchildren.org and
convince yourselves of the intense passion and
commitment behind these thoughts, initiatives and
actions. If you do visit Chennai, please also pay a
visit to the school and be prepared to embrace warmth
and gratitude in equal measure.
I am doing my bit for this school within the realm of
my capabilities and solicit kind-hearted souls like
yourselves to consider making a difference. The
satisfaction of having a tiny portion of your
disposable income help a child get educated and eat
one square meal a day is beyond expression.
Thank you for taking time off your busy scheduled to
learn about Trust Children.
Best regards, Ashok G.V. GE Water. Brisbane. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
amongst them.
===========================================================
The sequel to reading above tale, is the following
personal note, that I felt compelled to SHARE with you
all, in the hope that some will respond, to this noble
venture....bonafides of which I can vouch for.....
Dear All,
Happy New Year !
I had the privilege of witnessing human compassion at
work. Our long time neighbor Capt Nandakumar, a DGM
with Indian Airlines, embarked on a long journey with
the hope that he can contribute to providing education
for needy children along the Chennai coastline. He
received generous contributions from many kind-hearted
souls and today, GURUKULAM is living it's dream. The
selfless work by Capt. Nandu and many of the
volunteers cannot be captured in a few mortal words.
We are the few fortunate ones that live our lives in
comfort. These underprivileged children have amazing
capabilities and being born poor is their only fault.
We can help correct that situation in our own special
way, in our unique capacity. I request each one of you
to browse the website www.trustchildren.org and
convince yourselves of the intense passion and
commitment behind these thoughts, initiatives and
actions. If you do visit Chennai, please also pay a
visit to the school and be prepared to embrace warmth
and gratitude in equal measure.
I am doing my bit for this school within the realm of
my capabilities and solicit kind-hearted souls like
yourselves to consider making a difference. The
satisfaction of having a tiny portion of your
disposable income help a child get educated and eat
one square meal a day is beyond expression.
Thank you for taking time off your busy scheduled to
learn about Trust Children.
Best regards, Ashok G.V. GE Water. Brisbane. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
( note - Capt Nandakumar's email id is – cptnand@trustchildren.org ;
Any responses may be addressed directly to him.
REAL JOY IS INNER BLISS, NOT MINDLESS GIGGLING)
=====================================================
SIMPLE THOTS.
With the great majority of rich people,
the chief use of riches consists in the parade of riches. ---------------------------------------
No amount of darkness can hide a spark of light. ------------------------------------------
Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.
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Any responses may be addressed directly to him.
REAL JOY IS INNER BLISS, NOT MINDLESS GIGGLING)
=====================================================
SIMPLE THOTS.
With the great majority of rich people,
the chief use of riches consists in the parade of riches. ---------------------------------------
No amount of darkness can hide a spark of light. ------------------------------------------
Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand.
======================================================================
Season’s Greetings – Enjoy the New Year. Enable someone else also to enjoy some of the days of the year.
MOHANDAS. KP.
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