Quote of the Day – 31/01/2010

Mister God didn't at all mind making himself small. People thought that Mister God was very big and that's where they made a big mistake. Obviously Mister God could be any size he wanted to be. 'If he couldn't be little, how could he know what it's like to be a ladybird?' Indeed, how could he?

~ Mister God, this is Anna


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Pic courtesy: Microsoft

The Inspiration Behind Wildflowers

Last night I decided to contact the poet who wrote 'Wildflowers' which I featured in a post recently. I wrote to inform her that I had used her poem and thank her for the inspiration. Imagine my surprise when I woke up this morning to this wonderful response from Kitty Chappell.

Ms Chappell was generous enough to let me share it with you. From her mail you'll see how if we're open to it, inspiration is all around us - in the everyday business of life.





Dear Corinne,
Thank you for affirming that what we write and say impacts others.
I wrote Wildflowers during a very difficult time in my life. My husband and I had lost almost everything in one of the worst recessions we had ever experienced in CA. We were forced to leave our small beautiful forest home with a creek and waterfall and relocate to AZ (a place I said I’d never live—the desert!) where we began all over at the age of 60. I put my speaking and writing on hold and worked nights at a local hospital while my late husband worked days. I feared we would need to work until we were 90 years old just to climb out of debt. But then I’d be too old to pursue what I truly loved.
Driving to work one afternoon, while waiting at a stop sign at the top of an on ramp to a major boulevard, I noticed a bright blue wildflower thriving in a crack in the pavement. Every day for weeks I admired the tenacity of this beautiful flower as it ignored it surroundings— little soil and water for nourishment, the blasting exhaust fumes, hot wind from passing cars, all alone—yet blooming its very best.
I realized one day, while again waiting at the stop sign, that if this wildflower had a choice I’m sure it would prefer to be in a cool, lush, mossy forest area—but who would see it? And if anyone did, so what? After all, a flower is expected to bloom in a perfect environment. But who would expect a tiny flower to bloom in a cracked pavement? I sighed and thought, Oh, if only I could be like that wildflower! Thus, this brave little flower provided motivation for my poem.
As my husband and I began to bloom in our environment, we came out of debt quicker than anticipated and I was able to resume my speaking and writing. I was 68 when my first book was published, but that was better than 90!
Thank you, Corinne, for sharing Wildflowers with others and for contacting me, because this poem has a special place in my heart—as does the memory of that sweet little flower God placed in a most unlikely spot for my encouragement. I hope you enjoy knowing this poem’s background.
Keep on blooming!
Kitty Chappell

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Quote of the Day - 30/01/2010

Promises are like crying babies in a theater....they should be carried out at once!
~ Norman Vincent Peale

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Quote Of the Day - 29/01/2010

I'm starting something new. An interesting quote everyday, as far as possible. Let me know what you think of the idea and this quote in particular.

Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead.
~ David Farragut



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Three Years and Nine Million Bicycles!

There are nine million bicycles in Beijing...that's a fact. It's a thing we can't deny. Like the fact that I will love you till I die..............

We are twelve billion light years from the edge,
That's a guess,
No-one can ever say it's true
But I know that I will always be with you.

I'm warmed by the fire of your love everyday ......(My thanks to Katie Melua for the song).



Three years today......

Three years.....one huge house renovation project, two cataract surgeries (mine), two bouts of malaria (one apiece),  one handful of a dog later .....we're still here and happy.

And for this I'm grateful.

I there was a line written for the way I feel with José, this would be it:
When it's just us, I can be myself and know you'll love
and understand me no matter what.

You don't want anything from me except my happiness.

Coretta Scott King

So thanks for letting me be me, even when I don't always let you be you!


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Too bad we missed it!

This one’s for you – Cloudcutter. Sorry we (that includes Pablo!) missed your birthday. Glad it was a good one. And need I ask if the cake was good too? Incidentally, your birthday is on my parents' wedding anniversary (59 years so far!)

Wishing you many happy days ahead. May your creativity with the word and the dough (not to forget all the other ingredients!) continue to inspire many more of us.

Love



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Jana Gana Mana (Thou Art The Ruler of All)

Today as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Indian Republic, I would like to share this version of our National Anthem - Jana Gana Mana.

The Indian National anthem, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas. The lyrics were rendered into English by Tagore himself.

It is truly a song of praise to God - the Rules of All and prays a blessing on our country.

Thou are the ruler of the minds of all people, dispenser of India's destiny.
The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujurat and Maratha. Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal.
It Echoes in the hills of Vindhyas and Himalayas, mingles in the music of Yamuna and Ganga and is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for your blessing and sing thy praise.
The salvation of all people is thy hand, thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, Victory, Victory to thee.





May the Ruler of All continue to reign India!



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Just Living Isn't Enough

Yes it is colorful !
Originally uploaded by AgniMax

"Just living isn't enough," said the butterfly, "one must also have freedom, sunshine, and a little flower."

~Hans Christian Anderson

I came across this only today and  I just couldn't resist sharing my thoughts on it with you.

I'm sure not what exactly  H C Anderson meant by this, but it got me thinking about the way we live our lives. Sometimes all we do is 'just live'. And that, according to the butterfly, my friends, is just not good enough.

Unfortunately, there are two key areas of our lives  where we may be happy to 'just live', but it would be sad if we did that.

1. Work : Are you working for a living?
It is a sad reality that many people due to their circumstances have no choice but to 'work for a living'. In other words, they have to work to feed themselves and their families. For example, right now, there are people working on repairing the road outside our home. They're poor, daily workers who obviously have no choice but to work in these hard and dirty conditions.

But what of us who do have choices? Are we really enjoying the work we do or just 'working for a living'? Recently I met a young woman who is working in a job she doesn't like, for employers she has no respect for - in fact, they treat her with little respect too. But she's too scared to move out of this job because she's afraid she won't get another opening at the same position and pay. She's a smart young woman who is just selling herself short. Is she 'just living'? Just about........ She has no freedom, no sunshine and certainly no little flower!

So are you too 'just living' when it comes to your choice of work? Do you bring passion to your work? Or does it make you unhappy and dissatisfied? As Nick Williams, the author of Unconditional Success says: The work you were born to do will have joy in it; you’ll experience inspiration and it will flow from you. You'll find it intrinsically fulfilling and nourishing. So in the traditional sense, it won’t always feel like work because you enjoy it so much!  

If our 'work' is not more than our 'job', then we are in big trouble.

2. Relationships: Have you settled down?

One question I often heard when I was single was, 'When are you planning to settle down?'. Being the smart-mouth I am, I would answer either with : 'Why? Do I look unsettled?" or "I'm settled already - I don't need marriage to do that." It's rather sad that the phrase 'settle down' has been associated with marriage. Here's what the dictionary says about the phrase :to adopt an orderly and routine way of life, take up a permanent post, etc., esp after marriage.

Perhaps some of us take the 'settling down' business a bit too seriously, especially in the context of our primary relationships - with our spouse, children, family. We don't believe that we need to work on making our marriage or relationships meaningful. We tell our partners: 'Since I've committed to live with you, I'll do that - just live!'  Too often,  I see couples who have forgotten the most basic reason  why they're together - love.

We spend too much time nagging at and grumbling about our spouses, children and family. Instead of encouraging them to be the best they can be, we're constantly finding fault and poking holes in their dreams. 'You can't clean up your room, and you want to be an event manager!'  'You're so fat, and you want to become a model?"  Whatever happened to - 'You can achieve anything you dream of' or " You can count on me" or "I'll be there, if you need me' or "Go for it' ?

So don't 'settle' in your relationship with your spouse, children and family. Work on bringing  freedom and sunshine in to your 'little flowers'. It's the little gestures like a cup of tea when you need one, or an unexpected break from taking care of the kids, that make a big difference. It's the 'Perhaps you're right', the 'I messed up - forgive me', the 'I understand the way you feel' and the "I miss you' and the all-important but so infrequently stated 'I love you' that make our lives together so much more than 'just living.'

Let Mr Anderson's butterfly spur  you on to live a life charged with passion and meaning!

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Brace For Impact

"Brace for impact,” Captain Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger instructed, and the passengers knew what that meant: they were about to perish in a plane crash. Instead, they received the gift of a “new” life! Since January 15, 2009, they have embraced the Miracle on the Hudson with hearts of gratitude, an awakened sense of purpose, an outpouring of love and appreciation for all of life, a deeper faith, and greater hope. Here are some touching insights from passengers and first responders who were there:

“Every day is a miracle. Some days they’re just bigger than normal.”
- passenger Billy Campbell

“When Flight 1549 went down in the Hudson, what spurred us all on was this: to survive, to celebrate life. Could there be a message there for us all?”
- passenger Gerry McNamara

“After I survived the Hudson, I made a vow to hug everyone I met: anyone, anytime, anywhere. Hugging is about celebrating life, and through each and every hug it feels as if my miracle is somehow extended. I’m going to keep hugging!”
- passenger Beth McHugh

“No matter what our challenges or struggles may be, it really doesn’t have to be so bad, so hopeless. We can still get up every day and appreciate the sunshine, and the rain. We can still breathe. We can still love.”
- passenger Don Norton

“Anyone can have a ‘Sully Moment’ - moments of readiness in the face of fear, total commitment even when you can’t possibly know the outcome. It can come with any situation when you are the crossroads and your whole life has been preparing you for that moment, and then you just go for it.”
- passenger Matt Kane

Before the crash I just got busy, busy, busy. Now I slow down. I take the time to smile at people and say, ‘How are you?’ I’m really here now. It’s a better life.”
- passenger Debbie Ramsey

“I have an image of walking my daughter down the aisle on her wedding day. I will be filled with joy and happiness, but I’ll also remember back to January 15th, 2009. And I’ll shed another tear, so thankful that I’m alive for that moment.”
- passenger Jerry Shanko, reflecting on the life of his daughter, born four months after the crash

“When I was growing up I led a really wild life, doing things I was definitely not proud of. But after the crash I thought ‘If what I did on that plane was the one moment of really coming through, I’ll take it.’ I was able to forgive myself.”
- passenger Brad Wentzell, who helped a mother and her baby get safely off the plane and assisted in flipping over a life raft to ensure the safety of others

“On 9/11 I got to Ground Zero a few minutes after the second tower collapsed. Mostly, there was no one to help. So on January 15, to find a miracle when I expected another scene of devastation and loss was such a wonderful relief.”
- Dr. Ray Basri, a physician and volunteer firefighter who worked at triage for 9/11 and Flight 1549

“Sometimes when I’m around other people now my heart flies open so much, I get a little choked up. Before the accident I’d worry about not maintaining my image. Now I don’t care. I’m true to myself, true to my feelings.”
- passenger Barry Leonard

“After the crash I asked myself ‘Why am I here? What is my true purpose?’ I don’t have all the answers yet but I have begun speaking at churches with this message: What if you found out right now that you only had one minute left to live?”
- passenger Bill Elkin

“Recently I was trying to assist a patient who was depressed, not motivated. So I reminded her about the Miracle on the Hudson and how all those passengers believed they were going to die but then summoned the will to survive. It inspired her to go on.”
- first responder Dr. Hilda Roque-Dieguez

“I get up there without notes and look in their eyes, and as I tell my story of this miracle I sense that I am connecting with their souls. Often I see tears in their eyes – and sometimes I cry too. This is my calling.”
- passenger Dave Sanderson, who has spoken to more than 80 groups about his Flight 1549 experience

“No matter what I do next, I expect I will continue to share what I believe the Miracle on the Hudson really means, not just for me and my loved ones but for each and every one of us. One way or another, we were all on board this flight together.”
- passenger Mark Hood

“After the crash, I made a vow to always be there for my wife and three sons. What they have taught me is that it’s just as important for them to know they will always be there for me. Love is a full circle.
– passenger Darren Beck

“I’m taking this experience back into life as a way to be more of the man I always wanted to be. The hand of fate will grab me again, and when it does I hope it will be to help other human beings, to do a good deed.”
– first responder Scott Koen

“When something like this happens to you, you won’t get your old life back. You just won’t. But whatever is going to be different in you, it’s important to keep something important from the 'old you' too.”
– passenger Glenn Carlson

“Traumatic things will happen to us all, but if we believe in our heart of hearts that we have more to accomplish on this planet, we don’t have to live our lives afraid of them.”
- passenger Maryann Bruce, a survivor of seven potential tragedies

“This experience was a blessing - a reminder that God gives us hope in the direst of moments, that sense of hope and salvation.”
-passenger Warren Holland

“Everybody has a ‘plane crash.’ You just have to figure out how to deal with it.”
- passenger Michele Davis, sharing an observation from a friend

Life presents us with 'plane crashes' from time to time. The trick, I guess, is to learn the lessons way before the 'crash'. In other words, brace for impact!



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With excerpts from  Brace for Impact: Miracle on the Hudson Survivors Share Stories of Near Death and Hope for New Life by Dorothy Firman and Kevin Quirk . The book presents in-depth, first-person stories of 25 passengers and first responders from Flight 1549. Find out more at http://braceforimpact.hcibooks.com

Pic Courtesy : Time Magazine

School = Lunch

Please read this post from The Files of Agent Green Glass
to know more about the following project. 

 


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Wildflowers

Gorman Wildflowers, 2003
Originally uploaded by MistyDays / CB

Which do you prefer - perfect, shop-bought flower arrangements or the sight of wildflowers? I'm partial to wild flowers - not much symmetry, unusual combinations of colors and often found in the most unexpected of places. I love to see a wild flower peeping out between two rocks - it always seems that they're defying the terrain and proving that beauty can be found everyplace.

While I accept the lack of symmetry, the unusual and the unexpected, in the wildflowers, I was reflecting whether I do the same about life. I often try to 'tame' life and yet it does bring me the unexpected. And though at times the unexpected is lovely, it isn't always pleasant. Often I fail to see the beauty in things that come my way - I feel 'stuck between the rocks'. I need to look deep inside to 'defy the terrain' and find the beauty deep within myself.

A prayer for today:

Lord, help me to grow as the wildflowers grow
be it a meadow or a crack in cement.
Despite the terrain, be it good or bad,
let me know I am there by intent.


Instead of my sadly complaining within
regarding life's rough terrain,
May my face, too, look upward to you
through seasons of drought and rain.


Help me to bloom as the wildflowers bloom,
regardless of where I am placed;
wherever the spot You plant me, Lord,
let the air there be sweet with Your grace.


Someday a tired pilgrim may stop to rest
from carrying his heavy load
And thank my Creator for placing me there
to brighten that spot in life's road.
~ Kitty Chappell


Life is truly beautiful if we accept it just the way it comes and respond to it with the inner resources that we have all been richly gifted with. Let the wildflowers thrive!

May you be inspired - everyday!

Making It Fun

Remember my post for the New Year, where I mentioned my focus areas this year - getting fit and working on my book? A lovely new friend from Idaho, US responded to my post with this excellent advice. I took her permission to  make it in to a post.

Hey Corinne,
My advice to you on getting fit and writing your book since I exercise regularly and recently sent my book into the publishers is :try not to over think all of it.

Just take baby steps and build on your momentum and if you really need it, pat yourself on the back or praise yourself for little accomplishments like, "I laid my exercise clothes out on the bed, yeah!" or "I walked 15 minutes- better than yesterday not walking at all, yeah!" It may sound silly but if you've been stuck, it frees up energy and pushes you closer to your goal.

Also, for me it helped thinking I was doing things for others- my dog book about shelter dogs, I will donate part of the proceeds to help them , and their stories needed telling to enlighten people about their plight.

When I walk/exercise, I take shelter dogs along or friends dogs that don't have time to walk them. It is fun for me, fun for the dogs and I don't want to stop- which is much more fun than working out on inanimate exercise equipment.


So maybe form a group of walkers and help each other, or walk and take photos for the blog. I sometimes walk in neighborhoods with beautiful homes or gardens so it feeds my soul and exercises my body, plus you get to meet and talk to people when on foot thus building community. Hope it helps you as you have helped me.

Remember, baby steps - start somewhere and the momentum builds on its own.

Good Luck!

Lorena

Excellent ideas, I think. Thanks for this Lorena.

Do read Lorena's blog: Tails from The Shelter.



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Pic Courtesy: Microsoft

Oops!

 

I mentioned in News! that I was playing around with my comment form - I'm sorry to announce that I killed it because some of you are having problems not only reading the comments but also the posts itself - especially Internet Explorer users. My apologies and thank you for your patience in letting me know.

Yesterday's post, Happiness is not elusive, by Chotu's mom got a great response from you, but unfortunately the comment form acted up and you can't see them anymore! So I'm posting your comments here - and providing a link to your blog. I will request Chotu's mom to post her responses to your comments .  Thanks so much - and do go visit her blog too.

So here are your comments-

1. Ocean Girl :

Wonderful. Thank you Chotu's mom for sharing and thank you Corrine for choosing a relevant topic. I'm off to check out the rest.


2. Gyanban :
I got reminded of the movie Bucket List.
I think acceptability brings about happiness.
Not getting drawn into comparisons brings happiness,
Having a low need for approval brings happiness,
nice post..

3. Joyce :

Nice! Happiness for me is that moment when you are so full of gratitude you can ask for nothing more but to be able to share that happiness to many more people. :-)


4. Walter:

You have an excellent realization of happiness. I have discovered some of those in my own life. One thing I've learned about happiness is that it has its requisites. If we never experience any suffering, adversity and any form of low moments in our lives, we will never know what happiness truly is. Every experience in our lives are consequential. :-)


Thanks and my apologies once again!



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Pic Courtesy: Microsoft

Happiness is not elusive

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which,if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you, said Nathaniel Hawthorne. I've been asking a few friends from the blogging community to share their take on happiness. So we had Indy, Christopher, Zeenat and Gopinath do that already.

Now I'm happy to introduce you to Chotu's mom - who writes not only about her little son but also very wisely about everyday life. I've been following her blog for a while now and am so happy that she agreed to do this guest post and write as she always does - from the heart.

Thank you, Chotu's mom for sharing your secret of happiness.

Happiness is a very relative state of mind. It spells different things to different people. For me, happiness comes from being content, from the feeling that I’m justifying my space on the planet.

By this measure, until recently, happiness was a highly elusive prospect, for me. To the world, it seemed like I had it all. A nice husband, NRI (non-resident Indian) life, which meant a fat bank balance as well - and to complete this happy circle a child. Even though, I apparently had everything going for me, when I asked myself, I was not truly happy. I always seemed to search, there was a certain void and it wouldn’t fill no matter what I did. Sometimes I thought I was being vain, just ignoring all the niceties life had given me and moaned constantly about just not being happy. So I went about this phase till it assumed some gigantic proportions and I HAD to find a solution.

I searched within, I drew up two lists, one a list of stuff that saddened me and the other a list of things that made me feel liberated and happy.

As I wrote my first list, I felt like I was admitting to myself, too many thoughts and it was scary, seeing them there in black and white. All of them were way too insignificant to fret and lose sleep over. All the points in the list denoted the fact that I held on to a lot of irrelevant things, carried a lot of baggage. The key was to let go which I was not practicing at all.

My second list was fairly simple. Do-able tasks to a more fulfilling life.

I pondered over the first list for a long time, deciding how I was going to eliminate them from my life. I realized that if I did away with them, happiness wouldn’t be far away too. I then made one final list and this is how it looked.

I have realized happiness comes from:

A) Letting go: completely.

B) Believing that some of the best efforts do not always bring the desired results. However the hard work itself never goes waste.

C) Believing that not everyone can be kept happy at all points in time.

D) Being at peace with oneself.

E) Nurturing a dream and following it whole-heartedly. It is about giving one's best to this pursuit without worrying about results.

F) Growing plants and tending for them. Keep fish too and see how this transforms your life.

G) As long as you are having fun, without causing any harm to any one else, go ahead, don't let ultimatums, deadlines, et al come in your way. You have one life to live, live it all.

These may be things we have heard time and again in our life, but believe me; they work wonders if followed diligently. I have been following all points very consciously and find that I’m slowly depleting my ‘baggage collection’. My mind is less cluttered now and I really like the way things are going now. The same stuff but seen in a different positive light.

My only qualification to dole out this gyaan has been that I went through a lot of emotional turmoil and these simple steps helped me ease all the pain.

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Pic courtesy: Microsoft

News!

Actually when I meant 'news' I meant many new things! Here's the list:

1. I'm sure you've noticed that Everyday Gyaan has a spanking new template. A couple of you mentioned that you liked the new, fresh look. Well, I liked it too and it's staying for a while. If you are on Blogger and are interested in looking at a new template do try Templates Block. When you normally download a template you're stuck with what you're offered. But I was pleasantly surprised to  get  a response from the designer, Volverene Evo, and help with the few tweaks I wanted.

2. Although I'm most comfortable with Blogger, I feel the comment form needs working  on especially with regard to responding to comments. Although I was looking at CommentLuv, I was told by its creator  Andy Bailey that it's not compatible with Blogger. Andy suggested that  I try Intense Debate. Please bear with me as I figure it out.

3. And finally announcing another blog - Ask Corinne - my life coaching blog. More about it in a few days.

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On Duckling Moments

Before you think I've completely lost it with the heading of this post, do read this lovely little reflection from Terry Hershey, the author of 'The Power of Pause':

A young couple stood in the ticket line at Knott's Berry Farm. Nearby, their two young boys were watching a family of ducks. The boys were flat on their bellies, eye to eye with the ducklings, captivated and giggling. The parents walked up, tickets in hand, saying, "Boys, get up. We've got to get into the park and start having fun."

Every day, we are bombarded the implication that life begins elsewhere. And we miss the "duckling moments."

Since José and I have our individual and corporate plans for 2010 and with last year being what it was, it's easy to get caught up with playing catch-up. So while we' make every effort to stick to our plans, we are mindful that we could get so caught up with the 'doing' that we forget the 'being'. Thankfully, we have our version of duckling moments - only we call them 'Pablo-moments'. If you don't get what I mean, look at Pablo helping José with some paper work!

I'm sure you get the general idea. Pablo suddenly appears, ball in mouth, wanting us to play with him. We could always turn him down but we choose to take those few minutes off because by the end of it we're laughing and having fun. Isn't that what life is all about, anyway?



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Pic courtesy: Beliefnet