“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”
~Abraham Lincoln 

              Who's Counting?

Napoleon was involved in conversation with a colonel of a Hungarian battalion who had been taken prisoner in Italy. The colonel mentioned he had fought in the army of Maria Theresa. "You must have a few years under your belt!" exclaimed Napoleon. "I'm sure I've lived sixty or seventy years," replied the colonel. "You mean to say," Napoleon continued, "you have not kept track of the years you have lived?"

The colonel promptly replied, "Sir, I always count my money, my shirts, and my horses - but as for my years, I know nobody who wants to steal them, and I shall surely never lose them."

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. 

Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.

Henry Ford

P.S:

The mind,body and spirit are so
inextricably linked....
they influence each other all the time.

Therefore, one is as young and energetic/
old and enervated ...as one chooses to feel/be.

So let's choose to learn and grow.....

no matter what:)

Namaste,

Bhagya.

“Miracles only happen 
if you believe in miracles.” 


― Paulo Coelho







The Ant and the Contact Lens: A True Story 


The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.   


Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff.  She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb.  As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. 


 'Great', she thought.  'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now my sight is blurry.'  She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge.  But it just wasn't there.   


She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying.  She prayed for calm, and she prayed that she might find her contact lens.  When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the lens, but it was not to be found.  Although she was calm now that she was at the top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of mountains.  She thought of the bible verse 'The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.' 


She thought, 'Lord, You can see all these mountains.  You know every stone and leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is.  Please help me.' 


Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff.  One of them shouted out, 'Hey, you guys!  Anybody lose a contact lens?' 


Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it?  
An ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it! 

P.S:

This is by far the best true miracle story...

I have ever come across. 

Amazing the way things turn out to be...

when we believe in the Power behind,

around and within us and choose to be

open to infinite possibilities.

Namaste,

Bhagya

“If you need a miracle, be a miracle.” 
― Phillip C. McGraw


           
Life is Like An Echo 

A little boy came running excitedly 
to his mother saying:
"Mom, there is a boy out there 
in the woods who is mocking me.


Everything I say he says after me. 
If I say: "Hello," he says: "Hello."
When I say "Who are you?" 
he says: "Who are you?" 


"So I got mad and jumped over the fence
and went into the woods to find him,
but he wasn't anywhere. 
So I yelled, "I'll punch you in the nose."
and he said the very same thing, 
exactly as I had said it." 


The boy's mother told him, 
"That is only an echo answering you Billy.
If you had said: 'I love you,' 
it would have said the same to you."
~ Author Unknown






P.S:
Ever so often, we are not as aware
of the vibes we are sending out.....
as we are, of what we receive.
What returns to us....
often multiplied several times over.......
is what we have sent out....
either consciously or unconsciously.
Today, let's choose to be the miracle,
we are looking for.
It's sure to be an awesome day :)
Namaste,
Bhagya

"It is by going down into the abyss 
that we recover the treasures of life. 
Where you stumble, there lies your treasure."
Joseph Campbell

    

Clay Balls


A man was exploring caves by the seashore.
 In one of the caves, he found a canvas bag 
with a bunch of hardened clay balls. 
It was like someone had rolled clay balls 
and left them out in the sun to bake.


They didn't look like much, 
but they intrigued the man, 
so he took the bag out of the cave with him. 
As he strolled along the beach, 
he would throw the clay balls one at a time
out into the ocean as far as he could.


He thought little about it, 
until he dropped one of the clay balls 
and it cracked open on a rock. 
Inside was a beautiful,precious stone!


Excited, the man started breaking open 
the remaining clay balls. 
Each contained a similar treasure. 
He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.


Then it struck him. 
He had been on the beach a long time. 
He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 
of the clay balls, with their hidden treasure, into the ocean waves. 
Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, 
he could have taken home tens of thousands but he had just thrown it away!


It's like that with people. 
We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, 
and we see the external clay vessel. 
It doesn't look like much from the outside. 
It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, 
so we discount it but we have not 
taken the time to find the treasure 
hidden inside that person. 
There is a treasure in each 
and every one of us.
~Author Unknown






P.S:
What if, we were to believe that
"there is a treasure in each 
and every one of us.??????????????"
What if, we choose to look only 
for the treasures hidden deep within 
ourselves and others ?????
What if, we could take it 
a step further....and trust 
that everything that comes our way....
even the challenges that test us...
to our very limits and beyond.......
are embedded with treasures 
we fail to see ????????????
Hereafter, I choose to learn 
to look beyond the obvious.....
even if it looks like a dry clay ball......
to find the treasure within :)
The gem could well be 
an opportunity to learn and grow:)
Namaste,
Bhagya

Recipe For A Happy Life


Take a couple of whole months, clean them thoroughly of all Bitterness, Rumors, Hate and Jealousy; in other words, make them as fresh and as clean as possible.


Now cut each month into 28, 30 or 31 different parts...


But don't make up the whole batch at once.. 
Instead prepare it One Day At A Time.


Mix well each day:


One part of Faith,
One of Patience,
One of Courage,
One of Work,


Add one part each of:


Hope,
Faithfulness,
Generosity
Kindness;


Blend with:


One part Prayer,
One part Meditation
Good Deeds.


Season the whole with:


a dash of Good Spirit,
a sprinkle of Fun,
a pinch of Play
a cupful of Good Humor.


Pour all of this into a Vessel Of Love,


Cook thoroughly over Radiant Joy


Garnish with Smiles
serve with Quietness, Unselfishness and Cheerfulness


And you are bound to have a Happy Life.




             


P.S:


Whether our recipe for a happy life
 is exactly like the one above......
or a little different........
it does not really matter.
What matters is that 
we choose to be happy 
no matter what :)
Namaste,
Bhagya

"When you stop trying to change others 
and work on changing yourself,
 your world changes for the better."
~Author Unknown







"A belief that the behavior of others 
must be controlled
—so that your observation 
of that good behavior
will make you feel good
—leaves you feeling vulnerable
to their behavior.


We would like to help you 
to understand that neither 
the good feeling you find
when you observe wanted behavior,
nor the bad feeling you find 
when you observe unwanted behavior, 
is actually the reason 
that you feel good or bad.
The way you feel is only ever 
about your alignment, or misalignment, 
with the Source within you.
It is only your relationship with
 the Source within you 
(with your own Inner Being) 
that is the reason for the emotions 
that you feel.


While it is nice to find things 
in your physical environment
that enhance your good-feeling alignment 
with your Inner Being, 
your understanding of why you feel good 
will make it possible for you 
to feel good regardless of 
the behavior of others.


Understanding that the way you feel
 is really about your 
Vibrational relationship 
with your Inner Being
—with the Source within you, 
with the expanded version of you
 who resides inside your Vortex
—gives you complete empowerment 
and absolute freedom.


--- Abraham


Excerpted from Jerry & Esther's Getting into the Vortex Guided Meditation CD


P.S:
Wouldn't it be wonderful if 
we could just focus on improving,
strengthening and enhancing
our relationship with our Inner Being...
so that we could go through life 
feeling completely empowered and free ????????
What an amazing way to live !!!!!
Namaste,
Bhagya

 "Disability is the Inability to see Ability." 
-Vikas Khanna



Puppies for Sale

A store owner was tacking a sign above his door that read "Puppies For Sale." Signs like that have a way of attracting small children and sure enough, a little boy appeared by the store owner's sign. "How much are you going to sell the puppies for?" he asked. The store owner replied, "Anywhere from $30-$50."


The little boy reached in his pocket and pulled out some change. "I have $2.37," he said. "May I please look at them?" The store owner smiled and whistled, out of the kennel came Lady, who ran down the aisle of his store followed by five teeny, tiny balls of fur. One puppy was lagging considerably behind.


Immediately the little boy singled out the lagging, limping puppy and said, "What's wrong with that little dog?" The store owner explained that the veteriarian had examined the little puppy and had discovered it didn't have a hip socket. It would always limp. It would always be lame. The little boy became excited. "That is the little puppy that I want to buy." The store owner said, "No, you don't want to buy that little dog. If you really want him, I'll just give him to you."


The little boy got quite upset. He looked into the store owner's eyes, pointing his finger, and said, "I don't want you to give him to me. That dog is worth every bit as much as all the other dogs and I'll pay full price. In fact, I'll give you $2.37 now, and 50 cents a month until I have him paid for."


The store owner countered, "You really don't want to buy this little dog. He is never going to be able to run and jump and play with you like the other puppies."


To this, the little boy reached down and rolled up his pant leg to reveal a badly twisted, crippled left leg supported by a big metal brace. He looked up at the store owner and softly replied, "Well, I don't run so good myself, and the little puppy will need someone who understands!"
- Author Unknown

P.S:
One is only as disabled...
as one chooses to believe.
There is really no such thing as disability.....
There are those society perceives as disabled......who in reality....
are as differently abled as the rest of us.
They have been some of the greatest achievers in the world....like
Albert Einstein

Alexander Graham Bell

Franklin D. Roosevelt

George Washington

Helen Keller

John Milton

Lord Byron

Lord Nelson

Ludwig van Beethoven

Robin Williams

Stephen Hawking

Thomas Edison

Vincent Van Gogh great Dutch artist

Walt Disney

Woodrow Wilson........
and in today's world people like 
Sudha Chandran, Sean Stephenson &
Nick Vujicic....to name a few....and I am sure there are several others......

        

Sudha Chandran



Sean Stephenson



Nick Vujicic

So in the ultimate analysis....we are

as able as we choose to be 
and as disabled as we think we are.
Let's choose to make it an extraordinary day :)
Namaste,
Bhagya

      


"Nobody can go back 
and start a new beginning,
but anyone can start today 
and make a new ending."
~Maria Robinson~



          


Begin Again

One of the best things we can do 
in our lives is this:
Begin again.


Begin to see yourself as you were
When you were the happiest 
and strongest you've ever been.


Begin to remember what worked for you
(and what worked against you),
And try to capture the magic again.


Begin to remember how natural it was 
when you were a child --
To live a lifetime each day.


Begin to forget the baggage 
you have carried with you for years:
The problems that don't matter anymore,
The tears that cried themselves away,
And the worries that are going to wash away
On the shore of tomorrow's new beginnings.


Tomorrow tells us it will be here
 every new day of our lives;
And if we will be wise,
We will turn away from 
the problems of the past
And give the future --
 and ourselves -- a chance
To become the best of friends. 
Sometimes all it takes is a wish
 in the heart to let yourself ..
Begin again.
~ Collin McCarty






P.S:



Another brand new day !!!!!
A chance to begin again !!!
A day to go about things differently!
A day filled with infinite possibilities!!!!!!
In fact, every moment gives us an opportunity..
to begin again in a better way.
Let's choose to fly high.......
higher than yesterday:)
Namaste,
Bhagya

“Twenty years from now 
you will be more disappointed
by the things that you didn't do 
than by the ones you did do. 
So throw off the bowlines. 
Sail away from the safe harbor. 
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”
~Mark Twain





"When building a main mast, 
shipbuilders choose the tallest, 
strongest tree they can find.


Then they cut away 
the surrounding trees,
leaving their selection 
exposed to the elements 
so it becomes even stronger 
and more flexible.


In life, your main mast 
is made up of 
your most cherished values, 
the ones that won't fail you 
when the going gets rough.


When your sails are set 
and the fierce winds of life 
begin to buffet you, 
your most cherished values
 remain strong yet resilient.


They sustain and give you strength
during difficult times."
 -Thomas L. Hardin




P.S:
Ships are ready to handle
storms at sea.......not when 
they are in the middle of one...
but even before they ever
became ships.


In the same way....
the ability and strength
to handle challenges in life.....
needs to be inculcated.....
long before they appear on
one's horizon.
Wishing you an awesome day :)
Namaste,
Bhagya

"Your day goes the way the
corners of your mouth turn." 
- Author Unknown

        

 SMILE !

She smiled at a sorrowful stranger. 

The smile seemed to make him feel better. 

He remembered past kindnesses of a friend 

and wrote him a thank you letter. 

The friend was so pleased with the thank you 

that he left a large tip after lunch. 

The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,

bet the whole thing on a hunch. 

The next day she picked up her winnings, 

and gave part to a man on the street. 

The man on the street was grateful; 

for two days he'd had nothing to eat. 

After he finished his dinner, 

he left for his small dingy room. 

He didn't know at that moment 

that he might be facing his doom. 

On the way he picked up a shivering puppy. 

and took him home to get warm. 

The puppy was very grateful 

to be in out of the storm. 

That night the house caught on fire. 

The puppy barked the alarm. 

He barked till he woke the whole household 

and saved everybody from harm. 

One of the boys that he rescued 

grew up to be President. 

All this because of a simple smile 

that hadn't cost a cent.
~Author Unknown

P.S:

Wouldn't it be wonderful.....

if we would all choose to smile more ???

After all,it's a free face lift......

apart from the fact 

that we use fewer muscles to smile.....

and lots more to frown.

So......let's choose to keep smiling.....

no matter what :)

Namaste,

Bhagya

                  
                   
"Lasting change happens when 
people see for themselves 
that a different way of life 
is more fulfilling than 
their present one.
- Eknath Easwaran"

Five Short Chapters on Change

  

Chapter 1.

I walk down a street and there's a deep hole
 in the sidewalk. I fall in. 
It takes forever to get out. 
It's my fault.

Chapter 2.

I walk down the same street. 
I fall in the hole again. 
It still takes a long time to get out. 
It's not my fault.

Chapter 3. 

I walk down the same street. 
I fall in the hole again. 
It's becoming a habit. 
It is my fault. 
I get out immediately.

Chapter 4. 

I walk down the same street 
and see the deep hole in the sidewalk. 
I walk around it.

Chapter 5. 

I walk down a different street.

~ Author Unknown, 

   Source Unknown


P.S:
Let's choose to get to Chapter 5....
asap :)
Let's choose to make it 
an extraordinary day !!!
Namaste,
Bhagya

               
          You are unique!  


Think what a remarkable, unduplicatable, 
and miraculous thing it is to be you! 
Of all the people who have come 
and gone on the earth, 
since the beginning of time, 
not ONE of them is like YOU!


No one who has ever lived or is to come
has had your combination of abilities, 
talents, appearance, friends, acquaintances, 
burdens, sorrows and opportunities.


No one’s hair grows exactly 
the way yours does. 
No one’s finger prints are like yours. 
No one has the same combination 
of secret inside jokes 
and family expressions that you know.


The few people who laugh 
at all the same things you do, 
don’t sneeze the way you do. 
No one prays about exactly 
the same concerns as you do. 
No one is loved by the same 
combination of people 
that love you – NO ONE!


No one before, no one to come. 
YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE!


Enjoy that uniqueness. 
You do not have to pretend 
in order to seem more like someone else.
You weren’t meant to be like someone else.
You do not have to lie to conceal 
the parts of you that are not like 
what you see in anyone else.


You were meant to be different. 
Nowhere ever in all of history 
will the same things be going on
in anyone’s mind, soul and spirit
as are going on in yours right now.


If you did not exist,
there would be a hole in creation,
a gap in history, something missing
from the plan for humankind.


Treasure your uniqueness. 
It is a gift given only to you. 
Enjoy it and share it!


No one can reach out to others
in the same way that you can. 
No one can speak your words. 
No one can convey your meanings. 
No one can comfort with 
your kind of comfort. 
No one can bring your kind of
understanding to another person.


No one can be cheerful and lighthearted
and joyous in your way. 
No one can smile your smile. 
No one else can bring the whole unique 
impact of you to another human being.


Share your uniqueness. 
Let it be free to flow out 
among your family and friends 
and people you meet in the rush 
and clutter of living wherever you are.
That gift of yourself was given you 
to enjoy and share. 
Give yourself away!


See it! 
Receive it! 
Let it tickle you! 
Let it inform you 
and nudge you 
and inspire you! 
YOU ARE UNIQUE!


~Author Unknown


P.S:
May the unknown poet /poetess(?)
be blessed ......for coming up 
with a poem so unique.
May reading this remind you,
once again...that.........
"YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE!"
Namaste,
Bhagya

“Your living is determined 
 not so much by what life brings to you
 as by the attitude you bring to life; 
 not so much by what happens to you
 as by the way your mind 
 looks at what happens.”
~  Kahlil Gibran 








A Change Of Attitude


The story is told of a woman 
who during the war went to live 
with her husband in camp 
on the Mojave Desert. 
She simply hated the place;
 the heat was almost unbearable, 
125 degrees in the shade, 
the wind blew incessantly, 
and there was sand - sand everywhere.


Finally, in desperation she wrote her parents
 in Ohio that she couldn't stand it 
another minute and was coming home.


Quickly came the reply by airmail 
from her father - 
just the two familiar lines:


"Two men looked out from prison bars... one saw the mud, the other saw stars."


The daughter did some real thinking, 
not only with the intellect 
but also with her heart. 
She decided to stick to her post.


She made friends with the natives, 
learned to love the country, 
and eventually wrote a book about it.


The desert hadn't changed, 
but her attitude had. 
Because she listened with her heart 
to the words her father sent, 
a whole New World opened up to her.
~ Author Unknown


P.S:




"If you don't like something, change it.
If you can't change it, change your attitude."
said Maya Angelou...and it is so true.....
we can always choose to change our attitude....
no matter what.
Let's choose to make it a great day:)
Namaste,
Bhagya

                       

If A Dog Were Your Teacher






If a dog were your teacher
These are some of the lessons 
you might learn...


When loved ones come home, 
always run to greet them.


Never pass up the opportunity 
to go for a joyride.


Allow the experience of fresh air
 and the wind in your face
to be pure ecstasy.


When it's in your best interest
practice obedience.


Let others know when 
they've invaded your territory.


Take naps and stretch before rising
Run romp and play daily


Thrive on attention 
and let people touch you.


Avoid biting, when 
a simple growl will do.


On warm days stop
 to lie on your back on the grass.


On hot days drink lots of water 
and lay under a shady tree.


When you're happy dance around 
and wag your entire body.


No matter how often you're scolded
don't buy into the guilt thing and pout....
run right back and make friends.


Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.


Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.


Stop when you have had enough


Be loyal.


Never pretend to be something you're not.


If what you want lies buried
dig until you find it.


When someone is having a bad day
be silent ........sit close by....
and nuzzle them gently.


~ Author Unknown


P.S:


It is true that dogs are great teachers.....
if one wants to learn how to love
unconditionally.
It is also true that everyone/
everything can be my teacher.........
if I am willing to learn.
Let's choose to have a great day :)
Namaste,
Bhagya

"What most people need to learn in life is how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things."

~ Author  Unknown



Once upon a time, there was an island 
where all the feelings lived: 




Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge 
and all of the others including Love.
However, one day it was announced
 that the island would sink, 
so all the feelings prepared 
their boats and left. 
Love was the only one who stayed.
 Love wanted to stay.......... 
until the island started sinking. 


When Love was almost sinking, 
he decided to ask help. 


Richness was passing by Love
 in a beautiful boat. 
Love said "Richness, 
can you take me with you?" 
Richness answered, "No. I can't. 
There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place here for you." 


Love decided to ask Vanity 
who was also passing by, 
"Vanity, please help me!" 
"I cant help you Love. 
You are all wet and can 
probably damage my boat," 
Vanity answered.


Sadness was close by so 
Love asked for help, 
"Sadness, let me go with you." 
"Oh .. Love, I am so sad 
that I prefer to go alone!" 


Happiness passed by Love too, 
but she was so happy that 
she did not listen 
when Love called her!


Suddenly, there was a voice, 
"Come Love, I will take you." 
It was an elderly voice. 
Love became so very happy that 
he even forgot to ask the name 
of the elder.


When they arrived on the other side, 
Love asked Knowledge who the elder was. 
"It was Time." 
"Time? 
But why did Time help me?"


"Because only Time is capable of understanding such a great Love." 


~Author Unknown







P.S:
When it comes to loving.....
whether oneself or others....
it is best to love unconditionally.
Wishing you a fabulous day :)
Namaste,
Bhagya