“Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.”

~ Orison Swett Marden

 

 

The story of the butterfly

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly.
One day a small opening appeared.
He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to squeeze its body through the tiny hole.
Then it stopped, as if it couldn’t go further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly.
He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bits of cocoon.
The butterfly emerged easily but it had a swollen body and shrivelled wings.

The man continued to watch it,
expecting that any minute the wings would enlarge and expand enough to support the body.Neither happened!
In fact the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around.
It was never able to fly.

What the man in his kindness
and haste did not understand:
The restricting cocoon and the struggle required by the butterfly to get through the opening was a way of forcing the fluid from the body into the wings so that it would be ready for flight once that was achieved.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.
Going through life with no obstacles would cripple us.
We will not be as strong as we could have been and we would never fly.

~ Author Unknown

“Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.”

~Swami Vivekananda

“It is not what we read, but what we remember that makes us learned. It is not what we intend but what we do that makes us useful. And, it is not a few faint wishes but a lifelong struggle that makes us valiant.” ~ Henry Ward Beecher

“Always remember that striving and struggle precede success, even in the dictionary.”~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

“Times get overwhelming when you begin to try to control the uncontrollable... Let go and let God!”~Author Unknown

P.S: It is important for me to clarify that I do not connect with the word “struggle” (in the context of today’s story)as synonymous with “fight - wrestle - strive - combat - contend – battle”.

For me, it means the required effort ….more like taking inspired action which is a part of the manifesting process.

When we have put in our very best……then it is time to let go and let God.

May you always be divinely guided to take inspired action….

Namaste,

Bhagya

“All spiritual paths and all religions have one mutual aim and that is merging with a divine being.In the moment of merging - this total surrendering - one's own sense of self is taken over by the divine Self. This is the moment of enlightenment.”

~Tara Springett

The Salt Doll

A salt doll journeyed for thousands of miles over land, until it finally came to the sea.
It was fascinated by this strange moving mass, quite unlike anything it had ever seen before.
"Who are you?" said the salt doll to the sea.
The sea smilingly replied,
"Come in and see."
So the doll waded in. The farther it walked into the sea the more it dissolved, until there was only very little of it left.
Before that last bit dissolved, the doll exclaimed in wonder, "Now I know what I am!"
~Anthony de Mello
“In the moment of merging with the divine, our own sense of self is wiped out and replaced with a sense of self that is pure love and wisdom.” ~Tara Springett

"The union with the divine is more than a meditative state - it is a literal sense of being a divine being with a divine body and with divine abilities and mind.”~Tara Springett

“We are Divine enough to ask and we are important enough to receive.”
~Wayne Dyer

P.S: Would  a being who knows he/she is a part of the Divine ever feel disempowered and helpless?

 

Would an Infinite being have problems???

It is when we forget who we really are that we notice problems.

What if, we could always be aware of our true identity??????

What if, life being a gift was meant to be enjoyed and lived with ease and joy ????
Namaste,
Bhagya

“The spark divine dwells in thee: let it grow.” ~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

           The Precious Gift 

Once upon a time, when God had finished making the world, he wanted to leave behind a piece of His own divinity, a spark of His essence, a promise to man of what he could become, with effort.

He looked for a place to hide this precious gift because, He explained, what man could find too easily would never be valued by him.

"Then you must hide this gift on the highest mountain peak on earth," said one of his counsellors.

God shook His head, "No, for man is an adventuresome creature and he will soon enough learn to climb the highest mountain peaks."

"Hide it then, O Great One, in the depths of the earth."

"I think not," said God. "for man will one day discover that he can dig into the deepest parts of the earth."

"In the middle of the ocean then, Master?"

God shook His head. "I've given man a brain, you see, and one day he'll learn to build ships and cross the mightiest oceans."

"Where then, Master?" cried His counsellors.

God smiled, "I'll hide it where every man and woman will be able to find it if they look sincerely and deeply enough. I'll hide it in their heart."

~ Author Unknown
 

“Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment.”~ Morihei Ueshiba


“Human beings must be known to be loved; but Divine beings must be loved to be known.” -Blaise Pascal
“In one word, this ideal is that you are divine.” ~Swami Vivekananda

 P.S: The Divine lives in each one of us.It is a pity that most of us, spend the better part of our lives searching outside for that which is within us.
We need to choose to look within or go without ever finding it.
Namaste,
Bhagya




 

“I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”
― Lao Tzu

 

George Washington 

–An embodiment of Service & Humility

 

Many years ago, a rider came across some soldiers who were trying to move a heavy log of wood without success.

The corporal was standing by as the men struggled. The rider asked the corporal why he wasn’t helping. The corporal replied: "I am the corporal. I give orders."

The rider dismounted, went up and stood by the soldiers and as they tried to lift the wood, he helped them. With his help, the task was carried out. The rider was George Washington, the Commander-in-chief.

He quietly mounted his horse and went to the corporal and said, "The next time your men need help, send for the commander-in-chief."

 

“A great man is always willing to be little.”― Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”― C.S. Lewis

 

P.S: The higher the post,the more humble the person;the lower the post the higher the ego. We get to see evidence of both in our daily lives.

What if,each and every being on this planet were to choose to BE all that they were created to be???Would we then see more humility ???????Would life be heaven on earth ????Definitely.

Namaste,

Bhagya

“Holding on to your past or looking at your past as a failure stops the flow of life. Let go of your past and let it be. There is great power in learning to adapt quickly.” ~Sasha Xarrian

‎Success Story: Indonesian Farmers Adapt To Climate Change

“We used to buy vegetables in the market, but now we are selling vegetables and all of them are grown without using chemical fertilizers," says Fredy Olin, a father of four.  Olin lives in a rural village in Indonesia where the core livelihood is dry land farming. “Initially many people thought we were out of our minds because when everyone else was doing slash and burn, we were planting trees.”

In Indonesia, changes to the local climate conditions has resulted in excessive rainfall, landslides, failed harvests and floods, all of which contribute to food shortages for many rural populations who rely on agricultural production for their livelihood.  By working with World Neighbors and their local partners, Olin and others like him have learned sustainable farming techniques that also help to reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases.

 

“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable.” ~Denis Waitley

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”  ~Victor Frankl

 

P.S: Those who are willing to adapt to change with ease and joy.…grow/thrive.

Those who choose not to do so….stagnate.

It is not a difficult a difficult choice to make…..but it is still a choice.

May you always make the best and wisest choices.

Namaste,

Bhagya

P.P.S: At one time they gathered nuts…and ate fruits off the trees.Now there are fewer trees….so they choose to adapt. How much can we learn from these small yet great teachers???

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a
listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all
of which have the potential to turn a life around.”― Leo F. Buscaglia

 

 

 

 A Smile

 

 

A smile costs nothing, but gives much-
It takes but a moment, but the memory of it usually lasts forever.
None are so rich that can get along without it-
And none are so poor but that can be made rich by it.

It enriches those who receive, without making poor those who give-
It creates sunshine in the home,
Fosters good will in business,
And is the best antidote for trouble-
And yet it cannot be begged, borrowed, or stolen, for it is of no value
Unless it is given away.

Some people are too busy to give you a smile-
Give them one of yours-
For the good Lord knows that no one needs a smile so badly
As he or she who has no more smiles left to give.

~Author Unknown

“It only takes a split second to smile and forget, yet to someone that needed it, it can last a lifetime. We should all smile more often.”― Steve Maraboli

 

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”― Mother Teresa

 

 

“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”
~Phyllis Diller

 

”A smile is a facelift that's in everyone's price range!”~Tom Wilson

 

 

"Children laugh an average of three hundred or more times a day; adults laugh an average of five times a day. We have a lot of catching up to do."  ~Heather King

P.S: Laughter !!!!!!…..it’s rare to see people smiling these days.

Do we smile because we are happy….or are we happy because we smile ???

Are you home today ?????? What would it take for you to smile more today ???

What if, you could keep smiling no matter where you are ????

Namaste,

Bhagya

 

 

“Every human has four endowments- self awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom... The power to choose, to respond, to change.”
~Stephen Covey

 Awareness

~Anthony de Mello

A prisoner lived in solitary confinement for years. He saw and spoke to no one and his meals were served through an opening in the wall.

One day an ant came into his cell. The man contemplated it in fascination as it crawled around the room. He held it in the palm of his hand the better to observe it, gave it a grain of two, and kept it under his tin cup at night.

One day it suddenly struck him that it had taken him ten long years of solitary confinement to open his eyes to the loveliness of an ant.

When a friend visited the Spanish painter El Greco at his home on a lovely spring afternoon, he found him sitting in his room, the curtains tightly drawn.
"Come out into the sunshine," said the friend.
"Not now," El Greco replied. "It would disturb the light that is shining within me."

******************************

"Whatever we are waiting for - peace of mind, contentment, grace, the inner awareness of simple abundance - it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart.”~Sarah Ban Breathnach

 

“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.”~Abraham Maslow

P.S:

I am who I choose to BE.Nathaniel Branden said“The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.”

The third step,according to me, is the desire to change . The fourth is the willingness to bring about the desired change through inspired action.The fifth step is to pat oneself on the back for the transformation….without waiting or looking for someone else to give approval.

Namaste,

Bhagya

 

P.P.S: The difference between awareness and judgment….

Awareness says “How wonderful that the prisoner in solitary confinement became aware of the loveliness of an ant!”

Judgment says,“Great !! Instead of one prisoner in solitary confinement… there were two.I wonder if the ant survived for very long in that tin.”

There is always a choice between awareness and judgment….

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”

~Charles R. Swindoll

Rocking With Me 

There was once an elderly, despondent woman in a nursing home.

She wouldn't speak to anyone or request anything. She merely existed - rocking in her creaky old rocking chair.

The old woman didn't have many visitors. But every couple mornings, a concerned and wise young nurse would go into her room.

She didn't try to speak or ask questions of the old lady. She simply pulled up another rocking chair beside the old woman and rocked with her.

Weeks or months later, the old woman finally spoke.

'Thank you,' she said. 'Thank you for rocking with me.'

- Author Unknown

 

Where there is faith, there is love;
Where there is love, there is peace;
Where there is peace,

there is God;
And where there is God;

there is no need.

~Leo Tolstoy

 

One of the most important principles of success is developing the habit of going the extra mile.

~Napoleon Hill

 

P.S: We all have angels waiting to be requested for help.

In a way each one of us is an angel too(with invisible wings). All that is needed of us is choose to BE….

Sometimes,all someone desires is to know…. that there is someone there for them….who has no judgment at all where they are concerned;who does care for them.

Would you choose to be the angel that you truly are today…and everyday???

Namaste,

Bhagya

 

 

"The world is but a canvas to the imagination." - Henry David Thoreau

I'd Pick More Daisies

If I had my life to live over, I'd try to make more mistakes next time.

I would relax.

I would limber up.

I would be sillier than I have been this trip.

I know of very few things I would take seriously.

I would be less hygienic.

I would take more chances.

I would make more trips.

I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers and watch more sunsets.

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones. You see, I am one of those people who live prophylactically and sanely and sensibly, hour after hour, day after day.

Oh, I have had my moments and, if I had to do it over again, I'd have more of them.

In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead each day.

I have been one of these people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat and a parachute.

If I had to do it over again, I would go places and do things and travel lighter than I have.

If I had to live my life over, I would start barefooted earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.

I would play hooky more.

I wouldn't make such good grades, except by accident.

I would ride more merry-go-rounds.

I'd pick more daisies.

 

By Nadine Stair at age 85

 

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for." ~Maureen Dowd

 

"If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get the situation he has prepared for." ~Florence Scovel Shinn

 

.P.S We have been schooled into achieving success and abundance in our lives….through struggle and stress.

What if, we decide to take a few things from Nadine’s awareness/realization at age 85 and change the way we choose to go about life,starting today ????

Why wait until 85 ???

It is true that those fortunate choose to learn from the experiences of others ……

Namaste,

Bhagya

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have referred to it many times as it talks of living moment by moment, appreciating the simple things and letting go of the need to strive.

We have the chance NOW to opt for a simpler life, a life of joy, appreciation and ease. Just for today, try to relax and let go, be easy on yourself, do what feels good and maybe pick some daisies.