Good & Bad

The death of my son brought in a lot of visitors to my place, and some of the relatives and friends who are close to us,  while they came to condole us, and in their wanting to help and empathize us were saying, why it should happen to us, when we are so good.  Why do bad thing happen to good people, I was listening to every comment, some of them were talking about my husband who is so religious, and why must he be given this pain to bear. 

This made me think about who is good and who is bad in this world, I believe that every person is good and has a divine spark within them, it is their situation and circumstances that make them behave in certain manner, which we interpret as good and as bad.   It is also a belief that good people do not encounter  problems, and  do not face suffering, which is a false belief, every person born as  human being go through a series of problem, from which he/she emerges and evolves into persons depending on the choices they make in life, and the attitude they have towards the problem.

I have heard and read about many great persons, who have encounter hardships and had to face tough times in life only to emerge stronger and victories by their attitude and the choice they made to interpret their own situations in life.  When I read about Helen Keller, Anthony Robbins and Ophrah Winfrey and Louise hay and the struggles they have faced to reach where they are at today, tells only one thing, whatever be our problems, struggles or challenges, it has got nothing to do with being good or bad, it’s the way we interpret and add meaning and value to the event and situation.

Be Happy !

 

I Will Live This Day As If It Is My Last

One of the finest book I ever read in my life, is the Greatest Salesman in the world by the author OG Mandino, I can never forget this book, for I read it so many times, I remember using some of the extracts from this book for leading the morning reflection in the office where I worked, also in small group meetings and many a time, even in workshops and conferences as a opening prayer before the proceedings. 

It was always very popular, and I used to get a lot of request from my colleagues and friends asking me to share this inspiration, wherein I used to pass this extract in the form of a print out. I It has inspired me once again today, while settling my books, I found this again, and I could not resist but read it again to be energized, motivated and make deliberate choices in my life to live every day as if it is my last.   I hold today with great reverence and sanctity, knowing fully well that I shall not pass this way again.  Here is an extract from this book read on …….

I will live this day as if it is my last,

And what shall I do with this last precious day

Which remains in my keeping? First, I will seal up its container of life

So that not one drop spills itself upon the sand. I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday’s misfortunes, yesterday’s defeats; yesterday’s aches of the heart, for why should I throw good after bad? 

Yesterday is buried forever and I will think of it no more.

I will live this day as if it is my last.

And what then shall I do? Forgetting yesterday. Neither will I think of tomorrow.

Why should I throw now after may be? Can I perform tomorrow’s deeds while standing in today’s path?

Can tomorrow’s child be born today? Should I torment myself with problems that may never come to pass? Tomorrow lies buried with yesterday, and I will think of it no more.

I will live this day as if it is my last.

This day is all I have and these hours are now my eternity.   I greet this sunrise with cries of joy as a prisoner who is reprieved from death.  I lift mine arms with thanks for this priceless gift of a new day. 

So too, I will beat upon my heart with gratitude as I consider all who greeted yesterday’s sunrise who are no longer with the living today.

I am indeed fortunate man and today’s hours are but a bonus, undeserved.  Why have I been allowed to live this extra day when others far better than I, have departed? Is it that they have accomplished their purpose while mine is yet to be achieved? Is this another opportunity for me to become the man I know I can be? is there a purpose in nature? is this my day to excel?

I will live this day as if it is my last.

 

I have but one life and life is naught but a measurement of time.

When I waste one I destroy the other.  If I waste today I destroy the last page of my life.

Therefore, each hour of this day will I cherish for it can never return.

It cannot be banked today to be withdrawn on the morrow, for who can trap the wind? each minute of this day will I grasp with both hands and fondle with love for its value is beyond price.

What dying man can purchase another breath though he willingly give all his gold?

What price dare I place on the hours ahead? I will make them priceless!

I will live this day as if it is my last.

   

Be Vitally Alive

Today I affirm aloud the following words at least once in a day, and while I do that, I stand tall, take a deep breath, and say:

I am vigorous

I am vitally alive

I am filled with boundless energy

I am radiant with good health

I am joyful

I am enthusiastic

I am filled with the life-force.

I know that in Him is life and His

Life-force is at work in me

Giving me health and energy and power

Praise His holy name!

I am sure that as I affirm myself believing sincerely, the power of the spiritual universe will flow towards me enabling me to be vigorous, alive and fill me with boundless energy making me with radiant with good health.

Be Happy !
  

Today is yours Seize it

This is an extract from Dr Peale’s books wherein he motivates the readers to be positive thinkers to get positive results. Read on and be motivated to be a positive thinker, as I reinforce this for myself..

Positive thinkers get positive results because they appreciate the inestimable value of a day, this day, not the next day, but this day and every day. Today offers at least sixteen waking hours that may be crammed full of opportunity, joy, excitement, achievement. 

The positive thinker knows that today was made for him/her and he/she makes it a marvelous creative experience.  The positive thinker’s optimistic attitude towards today and every successful day strongly tends to make every day a great day. It becomes what he/she visualizes it to be.

Today is yours. You must seize it because it is fleeting, only twenty-four hours that are soon gone by. If you live to be eighty years of age, you will have only 29,200 days. Each of them, therefore, is a precious fragment of a gift called time, your time. It only make sense to use every day well, today is yours. Use it well. Today is yours Seize it.

Be happy!

Reading - My Passion

Reading was always my passion, I loved to read, and spent a lot of my time in reading, and enjoyed sharing what I read with my friends, one of the authors who has been my all time favorite was Dr Norman Vincent Peale – I have read a lot of his books on positive thinking, positive living and why some positive thinkers get powerful results, this author always fascinated me, and has shaped my mind to a large extent to always be positive in my thinking.

Today while I was sorting and settling some of old books, I came across Dr Norman Vincent Peale’ s book “Why some Positive thinkers get Powerful Results” it’s a very old book which I purchased almost 30 years ago, and flipping through it I found that I had underlined the affirmation which was given to a women who was a negative thinker and even wanted to kill herself, Dr Peale had responded to her with this affirmation, and asked her to practice everyday to get these belief thoughts working and it did impact her.

Today I recall with love and am grateful for this author for influencing my thinking especially at a time when I had very low self esteem, and very shy and not really happy being myself, had no belief in myself, and this affirmation came in at the right time enabling me to be a positive thinker. I remember writing the affirmation he suggested and practiced it all the time, I wrote it in my diary, on small cards, kept it in my bag all the time reminding myself which helped me to believe in myself, like myself and most of all kept me enthusiastic and happy. Even after so many years I am still inspired by this affirmation which reads as follows:

I like me

I like me, I believe in me

I was created by God who never made anything badly

His creation is wonderful

So I am wonderful

Divine perfection is within me

I love life. I love people.

I have ability. I can do things well.

I am happy. I am grateful.

I treat myself with respect.

As a child of God, I believe in me.

Be happy!

Heart Prints

Whatever our hands touch -

We leave fingerprints!

On walls, on furniture

On doorknobs, dishes, books.

There's no escape.

As we touch we leave our identity.

Wherever I go today

Help me leave heartprints!

Heartprints of compassion

Of understanding and love.

Heartprints of kindness

And genuine concern.

May my heart touch a lonely neighbor

Or a runaway daughter

Or an anxious mother

Or perhaps an aged grandfather.

Send me out today

To leave heartprints.

And if someone should say,

"I felt your touch,"

May they also sense the love

that is deep within my heart.

( Author unknown)

The above lines communicate exactly how  I feel today, how about you ?

Be Happy !

Joy and Sorrow

My thoughts wandered backwards in the last few months, there has been  series of events, in my life and it was a beautiful blend of sorrow and joy, while I struggled dealing every problem, I realized that I emerged stronger and a better person.

I quit my full time job to respond to my son and ended up taking care of my husband who fractured his knee.

While I am busy trying to help my husband recover, there is a death in our family, my sister in law’s first baby girl is born and dies.

Then comes a beautiful celebration in my life, my daughter confirming her faith in Jesus, and I am filled with sense of wonder as to how quick my daughter has grown, we relive our childhood and are renewed in our faith in God.

It helped us to appreciate our parents who brought us up in faith, and taught us to pray at all times. This made me thankful for the lovely gift of my daughter, and also for the gift of faith.

Our son Emmanuel has a good time, having us around him all the time, participating in the celebration with his sister, and we assure him that we shall also have a celebration for him when he is 10 years old, he  laughs innocently, and enjoys the music and celebration.

The following month, he has mild fever and cough, he is treated for that, and then he joins in the celebration at his sister’s school, celebrates his birthday and within few days he develops cold, cough and fever, and within 25 days, he is moved into the intensive care unit.

He struggles to breathe, and it was extremely painful to watch, while we stood holding his hands on either side, letting him go peacefully was a challenge, and unforgettable moments of our lives. Finally our son leaves the earth forever.

My experiences have taught me that joy and sorrow are of the same coin. We shall always have a combination of both in our lives.  My life contains both, the  painful memories of our son, and at the same time delightful experiences of our daughter who is alive.

I recall the great author Kahlil Gibran who says, “ that joy and sorrow are inseparable, your joy is your sorrow unmasked.  The deeper the sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain."

"When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful, look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight."

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."  But I say unto you, they are inseparable. Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed. “

Be Happy!

 G Angela

Who Makes a Garden Douglas Malloch (1877-1938)

I was searching for poems to help my daughter, and I found this so good and inspiring, I read it and re read it again and interpreted it to my life.


Whoever makes a garden. Has never worked alone;
the rain has always found it, The sun has always known;
The wind has blown across it. And helped to scatter seeds;
Whoever makes a garden. Has all the help he needs.

Whoever makes a garden. Should surely not complain,
With someone like the sunshine.And someone like the rain
And someone like the breezes.To aid him in his toil
And someone like the Father. Who gave the garden soil.

Whoever makes a garden. Has, oh, so many friends;
The glory of the morning. The dew when daylight ends.
For rain and wind and sunshine. And dew and fertile sod;
And he who makes a garden. Works hand and hand with God

  

So true, in the garden of life, none of us go alone, we are always helped in some way or the other, as I go through this terrible phase,  I experience the rain,  as my friends comfort me, encourage me, inspire and offer help.

Then as a rays of the sun I can see how every person who has been part of Emmanuel’s life has touched my life too, the pediatrician who was very fond of my son, the doctors at both the hospitals who were cooperative and helpful in understanding us and giving us the permission to be with our child in the last part of his journey, and who constantly updated us, and prepared us to face the challenge, our neighbors who loved Emmanuel, and their homes were always opened for him.

Most important of all are our families who were the major source of strength, they stood by us and did everything possible to enable us to accept and pray with us,  I am being gentle and kind with myself, nothing  to complain but to look at the sunny side of life, experience the shower of rain while I meet lovely people who are out there to help me, feel the breeze and believe that I am not alone, I work hand and hand with God creating something beautiful and meaningful.

Be Happy !