How you create Hell for Yourself
A man once came and spat on Buddha’s face. Buddha wiped his face and asked the man, “Do you want to say something more, or is this all?’
Ananda, his close disciple, was very angry. He was fuming that some man came and just spat on his master and that too for no reason at all. He said to Buddha, “Master, if you give me permission I will handle the man.’
Buddha replied, “Have you forgotten that you are a monk, a sannyasi (renunciate)? That poor man is already suffering with his anger. See his angry face, his body shaking with that anger. And before spitting on me, do you think he would have been celebrating and dancing? He is mad with his own anger. In that state of madness, he came and spat on me.
What is bigger punishment for him than being in such a state? And what harm has he done to me? I just had to wipe the spit off my face. Now you don’t get agitated, otherwise you are building the same anger inside you. Why are you punishing yourself? That is foolishness. Feel compassion for the poor man instead.’
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The man was listening and was surprised and confused to see Buddha behave in this way. He was expecting Buddha to become angry. That is what he wanted. Instead the compassion and understanding Buddha showed was just too shocking for him!
Buddha said to him, “Go home. You look tired, you have punished yourself enough. Forget about what you did to me. You did not harm me. This body will return to the earth and people will do all kinds of things like spitting. Go home and relax.’
The man was completely shaken by Buddha’s response. He went back home. He came back that evening, fell at Buddha’s feet and cried, “Please forgive me!’
Buddha calmly said, “I was not angry in the first place. How can I forgive you? But I am happy to see you relieved from the anger and in a state of harmony. Just remember: never do such acts again, this is how you create hell for yourself
Contributed by: n.jambunathan @ yahoo.co.in
Become 'the most likely to succeed'
That moniker had mixed implications. A recent survey reported in The Wall Street Journal showed that about one third of the respondents described the award as a "burden," creating pressure to live up to expectations. I suppose that could create some uncomfortable moments at the high school reunion.
But about 40 percent who received that designation found themselves more motivated to live up to the title. They are probably the folks you call "the boss."
And then there are the rest of us. We didn't necessarily have more brains, more talent, more money or more opportunities. But we knew what we wanted and we had the desire to get there.
Success comes in many forms and means different things to different people. In the working world, it is often defined as landing the perfect job, achieving a targeted income level, occupying a corner office, or owning a business.
However you measure it, success is sweet. And it doesn't happen overnight.
Bumps in the road -- and there will be plenty of bumps -- can derail a successful career and lead down a path of negativity. Discouragement, disappointments, even occasional failures are not the end of the road. Reroute your thinking. Zero in on your achievements. Take a success inventory. Focus on these five categories:
- Education. List the classes you have completed, the degrees you have earned, professional certifications and specialized training.
- Professional positions. Include every major job you've ever had, and identify the responsibilities and authority you held. Don't forget those entry level positions that probably taught you lessons you will never forget.
- Projects. Start with the job-related projects that have been successful because of your contributions. Then move on to volunteer projects that worked with your involvement. You should also make note of community events, church activities and hobbies that you are proud of.
- Accomplishments. This category is for career achievements such as awards, promotions, significant praise from supervisors, letters of commendation, or recognition that represents your importance to your organization, community, family or self.
- Potential. What are you prepared to do with all that successful experience? Is throwing in the towel an option anymore?
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Rethink your strategy if necessary. Surround yourself with positive people who can provide the encouragement that will help you realize what is possible.
Re-evaluate your goals. Are they realistic, achievable, specific and measurable? All those components are necessary if you want to measure your success. How else will you know if you have succeeded?
Focus on improvement, not perfection. You can always do more, achieve more, get more. Track your progress so you can see how much closer you have come to reaching your goals and ultimate success.
Be proactive. Create your own opportunities by working on what you can control instead of what's beyond your reach. Before you know it, more will be within your reach.
Don't be afraid to fail. Put your ideas out there and give them a chance to succeed. Learn from your mistakes. The annals of business history are full of stories of how splendid successes resulted from colossal failures. Make history repeat itself!
A man walking down a narrow, twisting road spotted a guru sitting on the grass in meditation. He approached the guru and asked, "Excuse me, master, is this the road to success?"
The old man nodded silently and pointed in the direction the traveler was headed. The traveler thanked the guru and went on his way.
An hour later, the traveler returned, bleeding, exhausted and angry.
"Why did you tell me that was the road to success?" he asked the guru. "I walked that way, and right away I fell into a ditch so deep it took me almost an hour to climb out. Why did you tell me to go that way? Was that some kind of joke?"
The guru stared at him. After a long pause, he started to speak. "That is the road to success. It lies just beyond the ditch."
Mackay's Moral: It's never too late to be "Most likely to succeed."
Contributed by: HSGRAO @ GMAIL.COM
The Woman
An angel came by and said: "Why spend so much time on that one?"
And the Lord answered:
"Have you seen all the specifications I have to meet to shape her? She must be washable, but not made of plastic, have more than 200 moving parts which all must be replaceable and she must function on all kinds of food, she must be able to embrace several kids at the same time, give a hug that can heal anything from a bruised knee to a broken heart and she must do all this with only two hands."
The angel was impressed. "Just two hands...impossible! And this is the standard model? Too much work for one day...wait until tomorrow and then complete her."
"I will not", said the Lord. "I am so close to completing this creation, which will be the favorite of my heart. She cures herself when sick and she can work 18 hours a day."
The angel came nearer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft", said the Lord, "But I have also made her strong. You can't imagine what she can endure and overcome."
"Can she think?" the angel asked.
The Lord answered: "Not only can she think, she can reason and negotiate."
The angel touched the woman's cheek. "Lord, it seems this creation is leaking! You have put too many burdens on her."
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"She is not leaking...it's a tear" the Lord corrected the angel.
"What's it for?" asked the angel.
And the Lord said, "Tears are her way of expressing grief, her doubts, her love, her loneliness, her suffering and her pride."
This made a big impression on the angel; "Lord, you are genius. You thought of everything. The woman is indeed marvelous!"
"Indeed she is! Woman has strengths that amaze man. She can handle trouble and carry heavy burdens. She holds happiness, love and opinions. She smiles when feeling like screaming. She sings when she feels like crying, cries when she is happy and laughs when she is afraid.
She fights for what she believes in. Stands up against injustice. She doesn't take "no" for an answer, when she can see a better solution. She gives herself so her family can thrive. She takes her friend to the doctor if she is afraid. Her love is unconditional.
She cries when her kids are victorious. She is happy when her friends do well. She is glad when she hears of a birth or a wedding. Her heart is broken when a next of kin or friend dies. But she finds the strength to get on with life. She knows that a kiss and a hug can heal a broken heart.
There is only one thing wrong with her…
"SHE FORGETS WHAT SHE IS WORTH."
Contributed by: HSGRAO @ GMAIL.COM