Desiderata for Happiness

"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be critical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. 

Be careful. 

Strive to be happy."

© Max Ehrmann 1927

Why does money matter so much!

 Why does money matter so much? That is the topic that is eating away my mind today. I decided to put my mind over money and did a web search for it and liked the following excerpt I found:

"We like to think that we are logical, rational beings. We want to believe that we weigh the pros and cons of each decision and choose the most effective course of action before we act. However, when it comes to money, our brains haven't evolved much beyond those of our furry friends.

Money is a hot topic. Studies show that it is the no. 1 source of stress in our lives, in good times and bad. Money is a primary source of conflicts in couples, and the no. 1 cause of divorce in the early years of marriage. Whether it is a steady build-up of funds over the years or a significant real or imagined sudden financial gain or loss, money comes wrapped in an emotional package; and when we are emotionally charged we become rationally challenged. Neuroscience has shown that when our emotions run high, our logical, rational brain shuts down. When it comes back online, we typically rationalize our behaviors. Simply put, when it comes to investment decisions made when we are anxious or excited, we can't trust our instincts. When we let our animal brain make our investment decisions, it wreaks havoc on our financial lives.....Resist the urge to run with the herd. Whether it is today or tomorrow, one thing we know for sure: the herd will always run itself right off a cliff."

 Another interesting link:

http://www.dibbleinstitute.org/Documents/MH-SL-color-LR.pdf

I strongly believe in Dr. Billy Graham's quote : "When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost."

I don't disrespect money in any way. I have never wanted to be a millionaire. I only want enough money to live a happy, healthy life. I realize that there are honest ways to make money and there are devious (not-so-honest) ways to make money. I am not sure if I will be able to differentiate between the honest rich people and the not-so-honest rich people. Almost as a defense mechanism, I am just wary of anybody who is rich. I probably need to grow up some more and learn to discern.

The whimsical me - Part 1

Patriotism 

"Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism - how passionately I hate them!" -  Albert Einstein

"A nation is a society united by a delusion about its ancestry and by common hatred of its neighbours." - William Ralph Inge

I have always wondered about what exactly patriotism means. To me, the country I was born in means nothing more or nothing less than the country I live in. Although, I have to admit that I do feel a strange connection and superfluous pride when I talk about my native country.  I am more aware of the way of life, the cultural heritage in my native country than anywhere else in the world.   I understand that it is very common for a human being to be attached to something, or someone that they are used to, rather habituated to. I got to experience it first hand recently when I lost my coffee mug. I felt  miserable for the next few days. I actually mourned its loss! I could not believe that I became so disgustingly materialistic. That realization   got me to think more and I ended up comparing the feelings of patriotism to that of materialism. Both arise from a sense of attachment. Perhaps, it is this attachment that is the key to all sorrows in life. What about attachment to another human being? Is it glorified as love?

My Basic Values

Why do you need values to live life? Does having values make you feel that you are living life in a better way?  Having a set of values to live by surely make one happier and more lovable. There are three basic value that I treasure; honesty, modesty, and courage. They are the core value that I yearn for in myself and in the people I interact with. I am lucky to have in my life people who have those values and much much more. Everyone I know is a better person than I am and that keeps me inspired to strive for a better me.

I recently read an article that said that modest people are not usually successful. After thinking about it for a while, it started to make sense to me. The few successful people I know usually directly or indirectly brag.

 The spiritual background I am from, sees even the very word  'I' as something that is not true. When there is no 'I 'and no 'you', then there is no fear. When there is no fear, all the values that I treasure, freely exist. The chase for success, fame, and money eventually erodes these values.

"What About me?"

I found this very appealing while browsing and decided to just have it in here.

"Women through the ages have lived life on terms laid out by men. She has lived a straight – jacketed life, trained by her father, reined by her husband and buried by her son. Her intellect, emotions and attitudes have been fine-tuned to suit men, the way men want her. The laws of the country and the civilized world today profess equality of man and woman, while accepting an inherent difference; yet this equality has not permeated into real life. The woman of today as of yore, is still given roles to play, rules to live, by men; who carve her into a more acceptable form as defined by an unconscious culture.The collective conscious that decides of how and what a woman should be, is finally what decides the fate of the woman, however much we profess equality of man and woman."

‘I Must Have Been Crazy’

Madness seems to be an escape route for most. Why should one even listen to what someone so sick and perverted? Oh! Natural Justice!! Natural justice to someone who is so against nature. Makes me sick and want to puke. How is it possible for him to even try to justify what he has done? Even worse, the lawyer who chose to defend him. Sick, perverted men. The truth is getting scarier than fiction. I need some place to air my feelings and disgust. Not that its going to be better after this but, I do get a fake sense of satisfaction that I did something rather than just think, think and think some more about it. Even though I know that revenge is bitter, somehow I am all for 'Revenge'. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is kind of my moto. That old ****** does not even have enough life left for any of that. I don't know, I hope there is a God. I hope the 'karmic cycle' and 'karma' really exist.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/world/europe/09dungeon.html?ref=world

Random Thoughts and Confusions

Travelling is one of the best parts of being alive. I love to travel, just seeing places and the beauty in nature. So, thats not very confusing. What is confusing is that I am not sure what should be the differences between a man and a woman. Why is it not possible for people to look beyond the physical differences? I have never been able to comprehend that. I feel, the didiferences other than the physical ones are mostly those that are imbided by the upbringing. I hate the fact that most men think of women only as objects of desire. Hate it when women think of themselves as inferior to men. Very confused about life in general:).