small words BIG thought!!!
Upon coming back, Arnold would still be able to lift the weight, even though he didn't know it was any heavier.
Whether you think you can or can't - you're right.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1931
A judge who was in a benevolent mood as he questioned the prisoner. "What are you charged with?" he asked.
"Doing my Christmas shopping early," replied the defendant".
"That's no offense." said the judge. "How early were you doing this shopping?".
"Before the store opened" countered the prisoner..
Worth to Follow-- WE FORGET
We quickly forget the stranger whose smile lifted our spirits and helped us get through the day.
We nearly ignore the kind driver who provided us the courtesy of slowing their progress and waving us into their lane.
What would happen if we gave those moments pause? Thanked them silently? Extolled their virtues within ourselves?
Would we become more aware of other people just like them, who, let’s say, make our experience at stores more pleasant? Our phone conversations to customer service departments less stressful? Our meal at a restaurant more enjoyable?
There are so many people who are doing kind things every day. Yet, because there are also those who remind us of past disappointments, or because we are caught up in the chatter of our busy lives, we far too often fail to become an active witness to the thoughtful efforts that the every-day person puts forth.
Although it certainly would be nice if we could expect everyone to treat us with the politeness we desire, we need to recognize that every single person serving us, passing us, moving forward in the world with us; every single person, including us, has personal issues that sometimes interfere with their ability to be as positive as both we and they would prefer.
But if we make a point to NOTICE… If we take even the briefest moment to internally thank those whose attitudes are positive, encouraging, or helpful, a palpable change occurs. Like a refreshing breeze, it passes over us and wafts on to the next person, who is also in need of its restorative powers.
I want to notice. So, today, I am making a list of the many people who have used a funny quip to lighten my spirit at work. I am including those who have paused politely when I crossed the street as a pedestrian, or stood patiently while holding a door. Those who have created a television commercial that made me laugh, or written gentle stories of courage and hope. These kind souls are passing on what they are able. They are sharing the joy and thankfulness they feel today, and by doing so, are offering the same encouragement to us.
Today, I will mentally thank the world for all the little gifts I took for granted when they occurred. And, I am offering this little note as my apology for not noticing and embracing them, the moment they happened.
Tomorrow, I resolve to appreciate them AS they occur, and to pass them on to another!
Luv,
Viji.
"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change."
-Buddha
Four Gallon Puzzle
This is a classic you may have read about before. You are next to a pond, and for whatever reason (okay, I forgot the reason) you need to have exactly four gallons of water in your bucket. The problem is that you have a bucket that holds exactly three gallons, and one that holds exactly five gallons, and they have no marks for lesser amounts.
Can you think of a fast efficient way to measure out exactly four gallons of water?
Answer at the End!
Riddle Answer: Fill the three-gallon bucket, pour it into the five-gallon one, then fill the small one again. This time when you pour the water into the larger one, there will only be space for two more gallons (3+2 = 5), so one gallon will remain. Dump out the five-gallon bucket and pour the gallon of water into it. Now just fill the three-gallon one again and add it to the gallon in the larger bucket. You'll have exactly four gallons.
Luv,
Viji.
"What other people do or say is their stuff; how we react is our stuff."
When they get there, St. Peter says, 'We only have one rule here in heaven: don't step on the ducks!'
So they enter heaven, and sure enough, there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible not to step on a duck, and although they try their best to avoid them, the first woman accidentally steps on one.
Along comes St. Peter with the ugliest man she ever saw.
St. Peter chains them together and says, 'Your punishment for stepping on a duck is to spend eternity chained to this ugly man!'
The next day, the second woman accidentally steps on a duck and along comes St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing. With him is another extremely ugly man. He chains them together with the same admonishment as for the first woman.
The third woman has observed all this and, not wanting to be chained for all eternity to an ugly man, is very, VERY careful where she steps.
She manages to go months without stepping on any ducks, but one day St. Peter comes up to her with the most handsome man she has ever laid eyes on ... very tall, long eyelashes, muscular, and thin.
St. Peter chains them together without saying a word.
The happy woman says, 'I wonder what I did to deserve being chained to you for all of eternity?'
The guy says, 'I don't know about you, but I stepped on a duck!'
Liver Trivia
The biggest organ in our bodies, is the liver. Technically, the skin is a human's largest organ, but it's on the outside of things.
Inner Man is protected and kept ticking along by more than 500 functions performed by this multi-purpose organ. Perhaps its biggest and most onerous duty, is that of filtering out impurities and contaminants. As blood carrying the contents processed by the stomach and intestines wends its way through the liver, it's purified and returned to the body. Waste is then eliminated.
Among its many other roles, the liver produces proteins and vitamins, controls glucose, controls fat storage, regulates elements of blood clotting, aids digestion, manufactures bile, turns out hormones, renders some poisons harmless, processes drugs, and manufactures cholesterol.
The liver is also the only organ in our body, which can be partially removed, and still function at a level to keep a human healthy. In fact, the liver re-grows itself over several months, depending on how much was removed. While most organ donations are the result of someone else having died, it is now possible for relatives to donate portions of their liver to a close relative, after which their own will re-grow.
Luv,
Viji.
"It's surprising how many persons go through life without ever recognizing that their feelings toward other people are largely determined by their feelings toward themselves, and if you're not comfortable within yourself, you can't be comfortable with others " -Sydney J. Harris, 1917-1986
American Journalist
According to researcher Neelima Chauhan, almonds have substances which act like cholinesterase inhibitors, drugs commonly used to treat Alzheimer's disease. The amount given the mice wasn't that large, either, the human equivalent of about a small handful of almonds daily (15 to 20 nuts). Almonds also contain calcium, magnesium, vitamin E and phytochemicals that may be good for brain health. Other studies have shown almonds to be good for heart health too, so I guess I'll keep on munching on them. ;)
One thing not discussed in the scientific literature is whether it makes a difference if they are roasted or raw. I tend to eat more raw nuts, but almonds are commonly sold roasted as well. I suspect that there isn't an important difference because the compounds that seem to be the most useful in them are not vitamins, which are more likely to be destroyed by heat.
Enjoy those almonds..
Luv,
Viji.
"Don't solve your problems, dissolve your problems--so that they should not recur again."
-Yogi Bhajan
Check out your interpersonal intelligence score. Below is mine.. :)) Your Interpersonal Intelligence Score: 81% |
Your Interpersonal Intelligence is Very High You go beyond being a "people person." Connecting with people is the most important thing in your life. You're empathetic, friendly, and outgoing. You are the kind of friend people dream of having. Your interpersonal intelligence is a gift. And you use it well. |
How could your life or your children's lives be immeasurably enhanced by adding this question, or one like it, to your daily routine? In what ways could you make this process as fundamental as eating or sleeping?
Luv,
Viji.
"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
-Hugh Downs
Pluto is the only planet in our solar system that has not been visited by a spacecraft.
Where No Spaceship Has Dared To Go
The outcast in any group is usually a contrary character, and so it goes with planets as well as people. For Pluto, the most distant planet in the solar system, is a bit of an anomaly when compared to the rest of its distant relations.
For one thing, Pluto rotates in a direction opposite to that of most other planets. It also has a bizarre orbital pattern, and while technically the furthest planet from the sun, for the twenty years between 1979-1999, it was actually closer to the sun than Neptune.
When the modern age of astronomy was still quite young back around 1930, mistaken calculations posed the theory that there was another planet beyond Neptune and Uranus. The figures were wrong, but the theory was right. Unaware of the error, Clyde W.
Tombaugh went looking in the heavens and totally by accident, found the planetary outcast.
The name Pluto is thought to have derived from the Roman god who was lord of the underworld, since the planet is in almost eternal darkness. That darkness is literal as well as figurative, since at a distance of more than five billion kilometers, it is the only planet never visited by any king of space mission.
That is about to change. Maybe as early as 2015. For in 2006, a ship was launched at Pluto, with expectations of a nine-year journey before landing.
Luv,
Viji.
"What if you gave someone a gift, and they neglected to thank you for it-would you be likely to give them another? Life is the same way. In order to attract more of the blessings that life has to offer, you must truly appreciate what you already have."
Ralph Marston
On The Wings Of A Goddess
Today, those who are fleet of foot, may very well be wearing Nike (pronounced Nigh-key) shoes on their feet. But they should be wearing Nee-kehs, for that is the original pronunciation of the Greek goddess' name.
Nike, a winged figure, was used to represent triumph and victory, and is often depicted in artworks as the bringer of things like urns, jugs of wine, etc. She and her siblings are also portrayed as friends of Zeus, although the classic flying goddess appears in major works of other gods, as a companion figure.
Nike's chief claim to fame was the speed at which she could fly or run. This served as the inspiration for the modern day company's logo, taking a stylized wing that also conveyed a sense of motion and swiftness.
However, ancient worshippers frequently paid tribute to her as being associated with Athena, particularly for her role in the Battle of Marathon. It is thought that the famous statue of Athena at the Parthenon in Greece, originally showed Nike standing in the palm of Athena's hand.
Jeff Johnson, who was one of the first people to go to work for the fledgling shoe company, dreamed of the goddess presiding over athletic events of old, and from that dream came one of the best-known names in athletic shoes today.
Luv,
Viji.
"A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark."
-Chinese Proverb
A question of courage
It was my good friend Vicky on the other end of the line. "I heard about your birthday party next week," she said. "I just wanted to let you know I'm free that evening." The moment she began talking, I realized that I had forgotten to invite her. I apologized, assuring her that she was most welcome to attend. Hanging up the phone, I was mortified by my mistake. But I was impressed with Vicky's reaction. Would I have had the courage to make such a call?
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment
that something else is more important than fear.
- Ambrose Redmoon
We should not let our fear hold us back from pursuing our hopes.
- John F. Kennedy
Bruno's commentary
I probably would have asked myself endlessly why I wasn't invited, building up resentment over being left out. I would have been hurt, failing to realize that such situations are common in today's hurry-up, high-tech days. Emails get lost in cyberspace and voicemail messages accidentally get erased. It's much better to be like Vicky and approach these situations head-on but nicely. It keeps negativity out of life. But what if the call reveals that the lack of communication was intentional? That would open the door for further clarification about the relationship ... and isn't that a good thing, too?
Is something bothering you? Make that phone call now and clarify the situation.