God Created Children (And In The Process Grandchildren).

Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God’s omnipotence did not extend to His own children.

After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve.

And the first thing he said was “DON’T!”  

“Don’t what?” Adam replied.  

“Don’t eat the forbidden fruit.” God said.  

“Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve we have a forbidden fruit”      

“No Way”! Said Eve.

“Yes way” replied Adam

“Do NOT eat the fruit!”  Exclaimed God.

“Why?“

“Because I am your Father and I said so” God replied, wondering why He hadn’t stopped creation after making the elephants.

A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked!  “Didn’t I tell you not to eat the fruit?” God asked.  

“Uh, huh”, Adam replied.  

“Then why did you? asked God.  “I don’t know,” said Eve.

“She started it!” Adam said.  

“Did not”, exclaimed Eve

“Did too” exclaimed Adam.

“DID NOT”, shouted Eve.

Having had it with the two of them, God’s punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.  

If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven’t taken it, don’t be hard on yourself.  

If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?  

Something to Ponder On:

1.  You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend
the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.  

2.  Grandchildren are God’s reward for not killing your own children.  

3.  Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.  

4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said. 

5.  The main purpose of holding children’s parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.

PS: I was and am a very good kid still 🙂

Inspirations.

I was Inspirationally tagged by Shiwani. This was an interesting tag, the real thing is that I usually find it very difficult to write about my own self, however this one was not that big a struggle.

So, what inspires me? There are loads of things that do: 

1. Most of my inspiration comes from real people. People whom I know and what’s going on in their life. I have believed that nothing can inspire you more than what some people in and around you have experienced or been through in their life.
   Examples: Some of my friends have gone through the worst phases in their lives. Most with broken relationships or having had to deal with some really tough situations at home. Some have not been able to achieve their true dreams, however went on to achieve something even more exceptional. It’s inspiring to see and understand how the human angle comes to function here. I have always maintained and believed in the fact that “Human Beings have an uncanny ability to heal”. It’s inspiring to see some of my friends rise above the occasions and prove how strong they are. I read people and their lives. I like to learn from the real world around me. It keeps me in check of myself and reminds me how lucky I am in comparison to a lot of other people I know. It keeps me grounded and reminds me to give my gratitude for all that I have achieved in life.
    
2. Sanity Found: She came from no where in my life. She is the best example of what I have mentioned above. Read some of her posts like Modern Day Recipe For Insanity or Being A Marble or The Dice or The Story of How I Almost Killed Myself will make you stop and re-think about a lot of things in your own life. Thank You is all I can tell her for making giving me those silent realizations about myself.
    
3. The Secret: Most of you would have read my previous posts on The Secret – Part I & The Secret – A Review. Again, something very strange as how this came across in my life. The book is strong and some how it is something that I have started to refer back to when I am looking for some answers to some of my questions. It’s helped me touch base with my own self. There were lot of aspects mentioned in this book that I knew I was already following and believed in, however it just made me more aware of some of the things around me.

To follow up: Anyone who would like to do this Tag is more than welcome to.

Signs…

Ever been or seen one of those relationships (any relationships – friends or family) where you have done everything. I mean just everything. You would have been the person who would have followed all the rules that needs to be followed in that relationship down to its every bit and core and still it wouldn’t have worked out the way you would have wanted it to?

Ever had those feelings where you knew right from the bottom of your heart that you were honest. You trusted the way you should always have. You said exactly what you felt to the opposite person. You were there for that person. You were there and I mean went out of your way to be there every time, every second of the day, the minute your loved one called you out for help.

You played the role of a friend & confidant. You ensured that you never did anything that would upset or hurt them even if it was as good as walking over ice. You wanted to love that person so much that never that person felt insecure in his/her life. You wanted to protect your loved one from anyone who tried to harm him/her? You practiced being patient and staying calm during those times when things went out of hand, even though at times it would have irritated and frustrated you. You never complained about being hurt or showing that you were even when there was something that they did, upset you. You let go and never carried forward any arguments or questions unto the next day as you felt it was best to let go and start a brand new day in that relationship all over again.

You understood exactly what that person felt even without them expressing it out to you and you were there for them – either by making that phone call or being there in person. You were available to take that phone at any time of the day or night when he/she would have needed you and have conversations for hours. You made that effort and you always were the one to make that effort. You played a role of a soul mate available for anything at any point in time in their life.

Why? Because that relationship mattered the world to you.

Why? Because there was something in that person that made a difference in your life.

Why? Because being around that person made you “FEEL”

Why? Because this person was important to you.

You did all of the above and more than any words could describe. You did because you felt it was the right thing to do – simply because you wanted the person to know that you cared and you loved them. You did all of the above to insure that you “communicate to make them feel secure”. You communicated with your words or actions all of the things that need to be communicated in a relationship – again any relationship.

However, at the end of it felt – as if the things that you would have needed to know from the opposite person didn’t quite come as strongly as it should have. You quite didn’t receive back the same communication that you would have wanted? Ever felt that now it’s important for you to know if your loved one cares and loves you the way you do?

If you are the one who has been receiving all of the above, have you ever stopped to think if you have told the opposite person much more strongly and truly how important they are to them? Have you given back the same communication much more strongly than you have received all this while in your relationship? Have you given it back at all?

You may have – has it come truly out from your heart or have you just said “I love you” in response to the opposite person’s. Let’s be honest, people will know or hear the truth in your voice whenever you tell them “I Care for you” or “I love you”. They will always be able to make out the difference if it’s really coming out from that heart beat or just been said to close some arguments out.

After an argument or a fight – have you realized that there may come a point in your relationship where it’s become even more important for the opposite person to know if you really care about this relationship? It’s important for them to know, how much you need them. Have you given those signs out by knocking on their doors, phone calls, smses or emails? People always read signs. Maybe they are waiting one from you as now it’s become very important for them to know for a change if you care and love them just exactly the way they did always.

If you really loved someone or really and deeply cared about someone and currently its not the best time in your relationship then just go up or do something that speaks your heart out – spare your loved one the trouble to sit and read any signs. If you truly love them – then they don’t deserve to go through the pain and anguish that they currently might be going along with you.

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar!

 

“No one can make you serve customers well. That’s because great service is a choice.”

Years ago, my friend, Harvey Mackay, told me a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey.

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: “I’m Wally, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk I’d like you to read my mission statement.”

Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It said:

Wally’s Mission Statement:
“To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.”

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, “Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.”

My friend said jokingly, “No, I’d prefer a soft drink.”

Wally smiled and said, “No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.”

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, “I’ll take a Diet Coke.”

Handing him his drink, Wally said, “If you’d like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.”

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card.
“These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you’d like to listen to the radio.”

And as if that weren’t enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he’d be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

“Tell me, Wally,” my amazed friend asked the driver, “have you always served customers like this?”

Wally smiled into the rearview mirror. “No, not always. In fact, it’s only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the  personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called “You’ll See It When You Believe It”. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you’ll rarely disappoint yourself.

He said, “Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don’t be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.”

“That hit me right between the eyes,” said Wally. “Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.”

“I take it that has paid off for you,” Harvey said.

“It sure has,” Wally replied. “My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I’ll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don’t sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can’t pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.”

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I’ve probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn’t do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.

The above is based on a true story. This cabbie is based out of NY City. And I personally and truly love such customer service.

Give it a thought, how true it is. How many times we just start our day by complaining; – “Oh No! It’s a Monday.” And then go feeling miserable the entire day.

How many times, have we got up in the morning, felt the excitement within and exclaimed “This is going to be the BEST day of my life”. Now even if after saying that you seem to not have a good day then turn around and do say and feel “This too shall pass”.

At the end of the day, go to bed content that you know and feel right from the bottom of your heart that you have done the best you could. At the end of it, you will be the one who would have changed your own life forever.

It’s About Time…

An elderly man in India calls his son in  New York and says, “I hate to ruin your day son, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are getting a divorce; 35 years of marriage… and that much misery is enough!”

“Dad, what are you talking about?” the son screams.

“We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer,’ the old man says.

“We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Hong Kong and tell her!”

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone.

“Like heck they’re getting divorced,” she shouts, “I’ll take care of this.”

She calls India immediately, and screams at the old man, “You are not getting divorced. Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR??” and she hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife.  “Okay”, he says, “It’s all set. They’re both coming for Diwali and paying their own airfare!!”

Moral Of The Story:

No man / woman is busy in this world all 365 days. Work is not everything in life. Money making is not everything in life.

The sky is not going to fall down if we take few days off to meet our dear ones. Especially in cases where it’s the distance and time that overrides your relationship. Most often, we haven’t given it a thought, the longer you would go without talking to someone whom you have been so close to all long, the wider the distance is created.

Yes, time is a good factor in cases where you probably need to figure out a few things in your relationship, however even that has its limits and constraints.

Once those limits are crossed and wider the distance, you have basically allowed other factors to come and play on the playground of your relationship – Ego, being the main one. Both the sides will feel, why should I be the first one to make that move? Irrespective, that you may be missing that person like hell.

Overall, what would the above lead to in the end, no one making that move to re-kindle that relationship? No communication in place to clear the air – basically, to clear something when there was nothing wrong in the first place.

Wake up folks! May be its time to pick up the phone and make that phone call.

PS: This is my 50^th Post. Thank you all for being my encouragement to blog.  

The Dark Knight – A Review.

I saw “The Dark Knight” over this weekend and it was just awesome. Oh! Let me give some background here. I am a hard core, die hard Batman Fan since childhood. I used to always follow the Batman Series earlier when it used to be aired on some channel. I am not sure, but maybe because of my love for techs and gadgets may have got me hooked on to this particular super hero as he is the only one out of the lot that has the most amazing gadgets. 

I am so dead in love with the batmobile. It’s the most amazing beauty I have seen. How can I forget the suit, the mystic batman sign which has this air of mystery & eeriness to it! The Batman logo that gets flashed in the night over a dark sky has been a scene that I just adore. This is one particular scene that will always be there in each and every movie and every series. Another one, which I just love, is when he is on top of the building in the night – standing just at the edge, looking down and the camera swoons over him. Ooooo!! Such a cool shot. 

The movie was running house full and since we were smart enough to have already done our bookings online, we did not face any hassle in getting our choice of seats or the preference for the show timings as some of the people who were literally seen begging for the tickets. It was hilarious to see some mothers pleading with the theatre management to give them “just three” tickets for the show. Their desperation was so high that they were ready to even make their children sit on their laps or down below on the stairs if they had do. I am a nice human being most of the time, but my mood swings would make me sadist sometimes, and it was a lazy Sunday, so I was having fun standing and watching them – ah Na, it was fun watching that they were so desperate for the movie only AT that Show for THAT time. I was desperate too, and would have killed if I had to, to watch the movie, but wouldn’t have sat on any one’s lap let alone agreeing to sit on the floor to watch it. 

There was a lady, who literally was begging and pleading with the ticket guy so much that she also told him, to just span his look over at her 8 year old son’s innocent face and that he had come out to the movies after three years. How unjust would it be to him?
[Gaping Me! That FACE! I mean – “THAT INNOCENT FACE” was a mirror reflection of an innocence who would tear open the theatre seats and stick some chewing gum on them – takes one, to know one. Now, trust me, even I wouldn’t have been able to come up with such a melodramatic scene.] 

The most irritating part for me is when the movie has just begun; there will be this fleet of people who will walk in to take their seats. Oh C’mon! I went for the movie so early to even catch the ads before the show. I had even checked it up on the net to see if the seats on my row were occupied already before leaving home, as I had booked the aisle seats. And as anticipated, we had to sit straight up to allow the late comers to pass through us to get into their seats. Some of them are so darn annoying – first, they enter late after intermission and to top it that they even forget their seats so much so that they start screaming their companion’s name in the dark as if to check if they are robbing the correct bank. Phew! And since I am destiny’s favorite child, he had to be seated in the same row as mine. So there again, I missed my valuable micro seconds of the film thanks to the screaming fat chimp.

Well, lesson learnt the hard way, will book the corner seats next time {much to the annoyance of my friends}. 

I succeeded my best by not allowing any of the above to dampen my excitement for the film and truly just was over the moon with this flick. Amazing Plot with an even more Amazing performance – especially by Heath Ledger who played the Joker. How tragic, that this was his last performance. 

Seems like Batman has done economically well over the past years. His cave door that earlier used to open to let his techie dark beauty out has been replaced with this huge space with multiple screens and better computers and techs. 

I somehow thought that the earlier version of the batmobile from its exterior’s was more sleeker with the predominant design that includ a large, dark-colored body and bat-like accessories, including large tailfins scalloped to resemble a bat’s wings. However much to my surprise this one was more sleeker from inside – in some of the scenes they give you a real good peek of the techs like the navigation, the use of joysticks, rocket boosts for increased speed and advanced automotive customization. 

 Bruce Wayne’s house is fantastic with a brilliant view having an attached helipad at the terrace. The action scenes take your breath away, how brilliantly and well thought off. I just loved some particular scenes in the movie, where the Batman’s car has been crashed out and he turns it into a bike and races off in the tunnel. Another was a plot to kill the joker who is driving a truck which the Batman entangles in some wires while riding his bike all the while they are racing on the road. 

And yes, my favorite scenes that I had mentioned above were so aesthetically shot. Christian Dale’s performance is just about ok as Bruce Wayne in comparison to Michael Caine & Heath Ledger. Morgan Freeman is at his usual best playing the Batman’s trusted Mr. Fox. Heath Ledger has definitely taken away the share of the biggest cake with his performance as the psychotic joker. I must commend the make up artists of this film, for giving Heath the look of an outstanding villain – annoying personality yet funny. Personally, I would still prefer Katie Holmes from Batman Begins to play Rachel Dawes in comparison to Maggie Gyllenhaal – Batman’s sweetheart. 

Overall, a must watch and an absolutely a brilliant film. I wish they have more of the Batman Series soon.

Pen Stand…

This one just had me rolling to pits on the floor with laughter.

The is the Highest Selling Pen Stand in IRAQ

And I am still Laughing…

 

The Optimist’s Creed!

For those who know me well, would account that I need changes in my life to keep me going. I need to change to grow. Also, I just get bored of being the old myself. I need to know where I have to improve to move on and move ahead in life. I want to change for my own betterment. 

A change for me is something that has to be positive all the time. I believe in having the faith that when you want good things to come in your life; they WILL – simply because you are positive about them coming to you. I understand and have experienced that sometimes it just hard to be positive continuously day in & day out in your life. There are times and minutes and seconds that you forget that you are being attracted towards negativity and you then get a constant flow of negative thoughts in your mind. Then what do you do? How do you come back to being positive, cheerful, satisfied and content during those times? 

A simple thing that has been working for me is music, my friends and a constant reminder of certain things that I keep in front of me. Now, I know, a lot of people may have tried this and said, that over a period of time this fades away, however I challenge that you come out and challenge your own self to avoid letting it fade away from your life. 

Now, my main intention for writing this post is to share what I have put up in front of me everyday. All that I ever believed in, I found it all consolidated on Website of “The Secret” {Previous posts on “The Secret Part – I” & “The Secret – A Review”}.

It is called the Optimist’s Creed which has been written by Christian D. Larson almost 100 years ago. It’s very strange or call it God’s will that I landed on that exact page and also had it delivered in my mail box couple of days ago. This one contains just about everything that I have always talked about with people, just about every word that I completely BELIEVE in to its very core. 

I now have its print out on my soft board on my desk where I see it everyday and all it helps me do is to remind me to make a Promise everyday. Make sure to use the words “I Promise” at the beginning of every statement.  

Hope it helps & hits some of you as well. Let me know how it goes though, irrespective.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Door…

I am standing near the half opened door,
Turning back, looking
Searching for some signs from you…
I have been standing since a long time…
Searching for your heart…
Searching for your True Soul
Waiting for it to come back to speak to me
Waiting for it’s sound, waiting for its whisper…
Haven’t heard the whisper that I was hoping to hear
Haven’t got my sign that tells me to move away from the door
Alas! I have waited for too long…
Still Standing at the half closed door
Raising my right foot…
Taking up the first step to walk out…
The door closes…
Never to be opened again!

Give Me A Job – The Most Amazing Job Application Ever

Here’s a copy of a real job application letter received this year by recruiters at one top Wall Street firm. (hereisthecity.com)  

‘Greetings from Takijistan!

I am wishing of coming to your great street in the wall to work in bank for investments. My experieence is nice. My uncle had freind who held golfing sticks for Jimmey the Cayne in rounds when bank was dying. My father knows Sir Eliot Spitzer’s girl nice well. Very, very preety, but worth nothing to lose big top job for. Big shame that. At school my teecher always siad that I know price of everytinge and value of nothinge, just like your traders of the subprime.

I never lie. I forget easy and in my country that is not for good. If they catch you in lie in Takijistan, they do terrable things too you with electric sticke. I had problam with the walkings for a little time, but I recover good now well. Not all do well after electric sticke, especial if many stickeings take.

I am wanting to be trader. In markeet, I always get good price. I never misprice, as I don’t know how to do math – see, I have much in commun with your risky peeple. If trader jobs are finished, I could do risky as good.

My friende says you have lost plenty money by your tradings. I am sorrey for that. Perhaps I come and trade nothing – then you lose no money. Already I have good ideas to run your bank. Tell traders to stop losings. I can bring electric sticke.

I here about your bare stearn. Good that your government covers it with much guarantee. In my countrie, the poorings people pay all the bills for the rich too, so your grate countrie is the same. It is good to be at top in your bank. I want to be near top. To take much money when there is none for the rest is my dream. God bless yourr aMERICA.

Your sytem is also good – the politic. A black and woman for top job is nicely. In Takijistan we love Oprah Winfrey to. Sometimes the fat girl, sometimes the thin is very good. You are true free peeple. Even I here your bankers are in streete with sign looking for good jobs. In your aMERICA they don’t knock on door in night if you beg on streete, and you are not taken away off to see family again never. americans just laugh ha-ha and call loser for poor the peeple with no jobs. I want to be loser in aMERICA some day. But now just I want job. If your jobs are finished, do you know place for job signs pleese ? I like ha-ha too.

I hope your bank is prosper and you have good job for me. My father says he knows you will give me good proper job. He says to tell you he now owns 15% of your stocke equity and will buy much more when you make more big losings soon. He has many electric sticke now and most money in all Takijistan .

I will be arrivings next weak. If no job, please send money immediately. Do not defer if I am not to make it in staff (like bonus, which now comes never). If cash is short just sell more housings of your trailer trash poorings people and send mee quick fast.

I am your servant, and my father is your boss top soon now.

Thanks to you for understandings.
—————————————————————————————————————
God save the Bank where he is hired him, especially in today’s times of Inflation and Job Cuts everywhere.