The Obstacles in our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway.
Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.
Many loudly blamed the king for not keeping the roads clear, but no one did anything to move the big stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables.
On approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.As the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been.
The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the king indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many others never understand.

Reflections :
“Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve one's condition”.
Blaming others is not the solution for all the problems.
The story portrays the importance of taking initiative.

It’s Never Too Late

It was an unusually busy day for the hospital staff on the sixth floor. Ten new patients were admitted and Nurse Susan spent the morning and afternoon checking them in. Her friend Sharron, an aide, prepared ten rooms for the patients and made sure they were comfortable. After they were finished she grabbed Sharron and said, “We deserve a break. Let’s go eat.”  Sitting across from each other in the noisy cafeteria, Susan noticed Sharron absently wiping the moisture off the outside of her glass with her thumbs. Her face reflected a weariness that came from more than just a busy day.

“You’re pretty quiet. Are you tired, or is something wrong?” – Susan asked. Sharron hesitated. However, seeing the sincere concern in her friend’s face, she confessed, “I can’t do this the rest of my life, Susan. I have to find a higher-paying job to provide for my family. We barely get by. If it weren’t for my parents keeping my kids, well, we wouldn’t make it.” Susan noticed the bruises on Sharron’s wrists peeking out from under her jacket.

“What about your husband?” “We can’t count on him. He can’t seem to hold a job. He’s got . . . problems.” “Sharron, you’re so good with patients, and you love working here. Why don’t you go to school and become a nurse? There’s financial help available, and I’m sure your parents would agree to keep the kids while you are in class.” “It’s too late for me, Susan; I’m too old for school. I’ve always wanted to be a nurse, that’s why I took this job as an aide; at least I get to care for patients.”

“How old are you?” – Susan asked. “Let’s just say I’m thirty-something.”

Susan pointed at the bruises on Sharron’s wrists. “I’m familiar with ‘problems’ like these. Honey, it’s never too late to become what you’ve dreamed of. Let me tell you how I know.” Susan began sharing a part of her life few knew about. It was something she normally didn’t talk about, only when it helped someone else. “ I had an abusive husband….”Now it didn’t matter if the bruises showed. Susan continued, “I soon discovered that waitresses with grim faces didn’t get tips, so I hid behind a smiling mask and pressed on. I remarried and had a daughter. She became my reason for living, until she went to college.

“Then I was back where I started, not knowing what to do with myself – until the day my mother had surgery. I watched the nurses care for her and thought: I can do that. The problem was, I only had an eighth-grade education. Going back to high school seemed like a huge mountain to conquer. I decided to take small steps toward my goal. The first step was to get my GED. My daughter used to laugh at how our roles reversed. Now I was burning the midnight oil and asking her questions.” Susan paused and looked directly in Sharron’s eyes. “I received my diploma when I was forty-six years old.”

Tears streamed down Sharron’s cheeks. Here was someone offering the key that might unlock the door in her dark life. “The next step was to enroll in nursing school. For two long years I studied, cried and tried to quit. But my family wouldn’t let me. I remember calling my daughter and yelling, ‘Do you realize how many bones are in the human body, and I have to know them all! I can’t do this, I’m forty-six years old!’ But I did. Sharron, I can’t tell you how wonderful it felt when I received my cap and pin.”

Sharron’s lunch was cold, and the ice had melted in her tea by the time Susan finished talking. Reaching across the table and taking Sharron’s hands, Susan said, “You don’t have to put up with abuse. Don’t be a victim – take charge. You will be an excellent nurse. We will climb this mountain together.”

Sharron wiped her mascara-stained face with her napkin. “I had no idea you suffered so much pain. You seem like someone who has always had it together.”

“I guess I’ve developed an appreciation for the hardships of my life,” Susan answered. “If I use them to help others, then I really haven’t lost a thing. Sharron, promise me that you will go to school and become a nurse. Then help others by sharing your experiences.”

Sharron promised. In a few years she became a registered nurse and worked alongside her friend until Susan retired. Sharron never forgot her colleague or the rest of her promise. Now Sharron sits across the table taking the hands of those who are bruised in body and soul, telling them,

“It’s never too late. We will climb this mountain together.”

Tips to keep cool in summer

Visit amusement parks
As an example - Wonderla in Bangalore

Water sports and amusement parks in metro cities and other major cities offer loads of fun along with adventure and at the same time allows you to sooth your sweat glands.

Fruits, coconut, special Indian summer drinks and soothing foods are what you need to replace your high calorie and fatty foods to stay cool and enjoy your travel in India.

Green tea is a good option which also is a great source of antioxidants.

Water intake should be over 8 glasses. Due to excessive sweating water, salts and mineral lose is high hence a glass of lemonade made of lemon extract, sugar and salt would be helpful to replenish vital substances required for active life during hot days.

“Ragi” a drink rich in iron and calcium makes a very enriching drink to beat the heat in the India summer. This drink made with ground ragi and buttermilk is a popular drink for many Indians.

Another popular drink is the “lassi” and is a life saver for many Indians during the summer.

Try to eat high water content raw salad over cooked meals. Eating a lot of cucumbers and lettuce is a good idea when eating out. If you’re not used to eating street food then its best avoided.

Butter milk and “shrikhand” are other great refreshing Indian summer drinks that you must give them a try.

Always carry bottle with you.

Protect yourself from the heat
Wear shades in the Indian summer

Wear shades
Sun tanning and rashes due to harsh sun rays is a common in Delhi and Rajasthan. If you are not from a topical country then barring the heat in some of the hottest places in India becomes even more difficult.

Apply some sun cream lotion to protect yourself from the sun. Make sure that the SPF is at least 30.

In addition to modern spas, you will also get a chance to treat yourself with the traditional Ayurvedic massages typically the cooling mud baths and packs, shirodhara, herbal spa etc which are known for its soothing sensations to beat the heat while also helping to remove skin toxins.

Beware of sunstrokes in the summer, wear loose fitting cotton clothes, and cover your head preferably with cotton scarf or cap to prevent direct exposure of your head to sun. Light colour clothes work even better and reflect away the sun rays keeping you cool.

Nice, aerating shoes should be the preferred footwear to avoid sweat and grime developing into fungus or athlete’s foot. I wear flip flops or leather sandals in the summer.

A pair of sunglasses will do wonders to keep that glaring heat away from eyes.

You can also wear a cap to prevent the sun getting to your face.
Choose the right place to visit in the summer

It is best time of the year to enjoy your stay is by choosing to hide in the hill stations of the country. Help yourself to get the glimpse of the beauty of the hills while keeping away from heat of the plains. The hill stations  are splendid getaways.
Dal Lake Srinagar

Dal Lake Srinagar. Source: shahbasharat's photostream Flickr

Some of the popular hill stations are:

Manali – It was also known as summer capital by the British. Manali is situated at an altitude of 2,050 metres in the valleys of River Beas in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Gulmarg Hill Station – It is also known as the “Meadow of Flowers” situated in the Baramula district of Jammu and Kashmir. Its scenic beauty with the lush green slopes, flowers of different colours and the valleys come together to create an illusion of a dreamland.

Leh in Ladakh – Leh is the capital of Ladakh and is the centre of Tibetan-Buddhist culture. Ladakh is also favourite destination for adventurous people. Some of the places to visit in Ladakh include Khardung La, Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley and Zanskar.

Srinagar – Srinagar is the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is set around the beautiful Dal Lake, where houseboats (or shikharas), carry tourists on boat rides around the lake.

Munnar, Ooty and Kodikanal are popular hill stations situated in South India. These places provide great summer vacations ideal for summer getaways both natives and tourists alike.

We have some great summer getaways. Even if you do wish to travel, all you need to do is to keep yourself cool.

Laughter is indeed the Best Medicine

Many years ago, Norman Cousins was diagnosed as “terminally ill”. He was given six months to live. His chance for recovery was 1 in 500.He could see the worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to, and perhaps helped cause, his disease. He wondered, “If illness can be caused by negativity, can wellness be created by positivity?”

He decided to make an experiment of himself. Laughter was one of the most positive activities he knew. He rented all the funny movies he could find – Keaton, Chaplin, Fields, the Marx Brothers. (This was before VCRs, so he had to rent the actual films.) He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something funny. His pain was so great he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the pain for several hours so he could sleep. He fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy, healthy and productive years. (His journey is detailed in his book, Anatomy of an Illness.) He credits visualization, the love of his family and friends, and laughter for his recovery.

Give yourself permission to laugh – long and loud and out loud – whenever anything strikes you as funny. The people around you may think you’re strange, but sooner or later they’ll join in even if they don’t know what you’re laughing about. Some diseases may be contagious, but none is as contagious as the cure. . . laughter.

By Peter McWilliams -From “Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul”

The Three Dolls

A sage presented a prince with a set of three small dolls. The prince was not amused. “Am I a girl that you give me dolls?” – He asked.

“This is a gift for a future king,” Said the sage. “If you look carefully, you’ll see a hole in the ear of each doll.” The sage handed him a piece of string. “Pass it through each doll.” – He said. Intrigued, the prince picked up the first doll and put the string into the ear. It came out from the other ear. “This is one type of person,” said the sage, “whatever you tell him, comes out from the other ear. He doesn’t retain anything.” The prince put the string into the second doll. It came out from the mouth. “This is the second type of person,” said the sage, “whatever you tell him, he tells everybody else.”

The prince picked up the third doll and repeated the process. The string did not come out. “This is the third type of person,” said the sage, “whatever you tell him is locked up within him. It never comes out.” “What is the best type of person?” – Asked the prince.

The sage handed him a fourth doll, in answer. When the prince put the string into the doll, it first came out from the other ear. “Do it again.” – Said the sage.
The prince repeated the process. This time the string came out from the mouth. When he put the string in a third time, it did not come out at all.

“This is the best type of person,” said the sage. “To be trustworthy, a man must know when not to listen, when to remain silent and when to speak out.

The Ripples

A man was sitting by a lake. He was throwing small pebbles into it from time to time. A young boy happened to cross by. He was intrigued to see that after every few minutes or so, the man would toss a pebble into the lake.

The boy went up to the man and said, "Good pastime, this stone throwing, huh?" "Hmmm," said the man. He seemed to be deep in thought and obviously did not wish to be disturbed. Sometime later, the man said softly, "Look at the water, it is absolutely still." The boy said, "Yeah, it is."

The man tossed a pebble into the water and continued, "Only till I toss a pebble into it now do you see the ripples?" "Yeah," said the boy, "they spread further and further."

"And soon, the water is still again," offered the man. The boy said, "Sure, it becomes quiet, after a while." The man continued, "What if we want to stop the ripples? The root cause of the ripples is the stone. Let's take the stone out. Go ahead and look for it." The boy put his hand into the water and tried to take the stone out. But he only succeeded in making more ripples. He was able to take the stone out, but the number of ripples that were made in the process were a lot more than before.

The wise man said, "It is not possible to stop the movement of the water once a pebble has been thrown into it. But if we can stop ourselves from throwing the pebble in the first place, the ripples can be avoided altogether! So too, it is with our minds. If a thought enters into it, it creates ripples. The only way to save the mind from getting disturbed is to block and ban the entry of every superfluous thought that could be a potential cause for disturbance. If a disturbance has entered into the mind, it will take its own time to die down. Too many conflicting thoughts just cause more and more disturbances. Once the disturbance has been caused it takes time to ebb out. Even trying to forcibly remove the thought may further increase the turmoil in the mind. Time surely is a great healer, but prevention is always better than cure."

Before you allow a thought or a piece of information to enter your mind, put it through the triple filter test of authenticity, goodness and value.

Learn to Live While you Work...!

Father was a hardworking man who delivered bread as a living to support his wife and three children. He spent all his evenings after work attending classes, hoping to improve himself so that he could one day find a better paying job. Except for Sundays, Father hardly ate a meal together with his family. He worked and studied very hard because he wanted to provide his family with the best money could buy.
Whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family. The day came when the examination results were announced. To his joy, Father passed, and with distinctions too! Soon after, he was offered a good job as a senior supervisor which paid handsomely.

Like a dream come true, Father could now afford to provide his family with life’s little luxuries like nice clothing, fine food and vacation abroad. However, the family still did not get to see father for most of the week. He continued to work very hard, hoping to be promoted to the position of manager. In fact, to make himself a worthily candidate for the promotion, he enrolled for another course in the open university.

Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family. Father’s hard work paid off and he was promoted. Jubilantly, he decided to hire a maid to relieve his wife from her domestic tasks. He also felt that their three-room flat was no longer big enough, it would be nice for his family to be able to enjoy the facilities and comfort of a condominium. Having experienced the rewards of his hard work many times before, Father resolved to further his studies and work at being promoted again. The family still did not get to see much of him. In fact, sometimes Father had to work on Sundays entertaining clients. Again, whenever the family complained that he was not spending enough time with them, he reasoned that he was doing all this for them. But he often yearned to spend more time with his family.

As expected, Father’s hard work paid off again and he bought a beautiful condominium overlooking the coast of Singapore. On the first Sunday evening at their new home, Father declared to his family that he decided not to take anymore courses or pursue any more promotions. From then on he was going to devote more time to his family. Father did not wake up the next day. Try to be content with the little you have if it comes at the cost of your family. Try and spend as much time as possible with your family and loved ones. For the company in which we work can replace us in a couple of days. But our love ones will miss us forever.