Life – By Bryan Dyson

This is something which I came across recently. Its really meaningful and gives us a charming energy and forces us to think deeply towards it.

Here is a speech by Bryan Dyson CEO, Coca Cola.

Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air.
You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for Balance in your life.

How?

Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.
Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find time. The quickest way to receive love is to give; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings!
Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.
Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved. Life is not a race, but a journey to be savoured each step of the way…

By
Bryan Dyson

Why I Am An Atheist? — Bhagat Singh

We all know that Bhagat Singh was one of the ardent atheist known in India. Bhagat Singh maintained the use of a diary, which he eventually made to fill 404 pages. In this diary he made numerous notes relating to the quotations and popular sayings of various people whose views he supported. Prominent in his diary were the views of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The comments in his diary led to an understanding of the philosophical thinking of Bhagat Singh. Before dying he also wrote a pamphlet entitled “Why I am an atheist”, as he was being accused of vanity by not accepting God in the face of death.

Here is the complete text of his essay :

Why I Am An Atheist?

A new question has cropped up. Is it due to vanity that I do not believe in the existence of an omnipotent, omnipresent and

Bhagat_Singh

omniscient God? I had never imagined that I would ever have to confront such a question. But conversation with some friends has given me, a hint that certain of my friends, if I am not claiming too much in thinking them to be so-are inclined to conclude from the brief contact they have had with me, that it was too much on my part to deny the existence of God and that there was a certain amount of vanity that actuated my disbelief. Well, the problem is a serious one. I do not boast to be quite above these human traits. I am a man and nothing more. None can claim to be more. I also have this weakness in me. Vanity does form a part of my nature. Amongst my comrades I was called an autocrat. Even my friend Mr. B.K. Dutt sometimes called me so. On certain occasions I was decried as a despot. Some friends do complain and very seriously too that I involuntarily thrust my opinions upon others and get my proposals accepted. That this is true up to a certain extent, I do not deny. This may amount to egotism. There is vanity in me in as much as our cult as opposed to other popular creeds is concerned. But that is not personal. It may be, it is only legitimate pride in our cult and does not amount to vanity. Vanity or to be more precise “Ahankar” is the excess of undue pride in one’s self. Whether it is such an undue pride that has led me to atheism or whether it is after very careful study of the subject and after much consideration that I have come to disbelieve in God, is a question that I, intend to discuss here. Let me first make it clear that egotism and vanity are two different things.

In the first place, I have altogether failed to comprehend as to how undue pride or vain-gloriousness could ever stand in the way of a man in believing in God. I can refuse to recognize the greatness of a really great man provided I have also achieved a certain amount of popularity without deserving it or without having possessed the qualities really essential or indispensable for the same purpose. That much is conceivable. But in what way can a man believing in God cease believing due to his personal vanity? There are only two Ways. The man should either begin to think himself a rival of God or he may begin to believe himself to be God. In neither case can he become a genuine atheist. In the first case he does not even deny the existence of his rival. In the second case as well he admits the existence of a conscious being behind the screen guiding all the movements of nature. It is of no importance to us whether he thinks himself to be that supreme being or whether he thinks the supreme conscious being to be somebody apart from himself. The fundamental is there. His belief is there. He is by no means an atheist. Well, here I am I neither belong to the first category nor to the second.

I deny the very existence of that Almighty Supreme being. Why I deny it shall be dealt with later on. Here I want to clear one thing, that it is not vanity that has actuated me to adopt the doctrines of atheism. I am neither a rival nor an incarnation nor the Supreme Being Himself. One point is decided, that it is not vanity that has led me to this mode of thinking. Let me examine the facts to disprove this allegation. According to these friends of mine I have grown vain-glorious perhaps due to the undue popularity gained during the trials-both Delhi Bomb and Lahore conspiracy cases. Well, let us see if their premises are correct. My atheism is not of so recent origin. I had stopped believing in God when I was an obscure young man, of whose existence my above mentioned friends were not even aware. At least a college student cannot cherish any short of undue pride which may lead him to atheism. Though a favorite with some professors and disliked by certain others, I was never an industrious or a studious boy. I could not get any chance of indulging in such feelings as vanity. I was rather a boy with a very shy nature, who had certain pessimistic dispositions about the future career. And in those days, I was not a perfect atheist. My grand-father under whose influence I was brought up is an orthodox Arya Samajist. An Arya Samajist is anything but an atheist. After finishing my primary education I joined the DAV. School of Lahore and stayed in its Boarding House for full one year. There, apart from morning and evening prayers, I used to recite “Gayatri Mantra” for hours and hours. I was a perfect devotee in those days. Later on I began to live with my father. He is a liberal in as much as the orthodoxy of religions is concerned. It was through his teachings that I aspired to devote my life to the cause of freedom. But he is not an atheist. He is a firm believer. He used to encourage me for offering prayers daily. So, this is how I was brought up. In the Non-Co-operation days I joined the National College. it was there that I began to think liberally and discuss and criticize all the religious problems, even about God. But still I was a devout believer. By that time I had begun to preserve the unshorn and unclipped long hair but I could never believe in the mythology and doctrines of Sikhism or, any other religion. But I had a firm faith in God’s existence.

Later on I joined the revolutionary party. The first leader with whom I came in contact, though not convinced, could not dare to deny the existence of God. On my persistent inquiries about God, he used to say, “Pray whenever you want to”. Now this is atheism less courage required for the adoption of that creed. The second leader with whom I came in contact was a firm believer. Let me mention his name-respected comrade Sachindra Nath Sanyal, now undergoing life transportation in connexion with the Karachi conspiracy case. From the every first page of his famous and only book, “Bandi Jivan” (or Incarcerated Life), the Glory of God is sung vehemently. In the last page of the second part of that beautiful book his mystic-because of Vedantism – praises showered upon God form a very conspicuous part of his thoughts.

My Favorite Quotes by Henry David Thoreau

Here I am sharing some really good quotes by thoreau I hope you will like it :

• The fate of the country does not depend on how you vote at the polls — the worst man is as strong as the best at that game; it does not depend on what kind of paper you drop into the ballot-box once a year, but on what kind of man you drop from your chamber into the street every morning.
• We are as much as we see. Faith is sight and knowledge. The hands only serve the eyes.
• The bluebird carries the sky on his back.
• Nature is full of genius, full of the divinity; so that not a snowflake escapes its fashioning hand.
• That man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.
• You must love the crust of the earth on which you dwell more than the sweet crust of any bread or cake; you must be able to extract nutriment out of a sand heap.
• Dreams are the touchstones of our characters.
• I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan- like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion. For most men, it appears to me, are in a strange uncertainty about it, whether it is of the devil or of God, and have somewhat hastily concluded that it is the chief end of man here to “glorify God and enjoy him forever.”

Impossible is Impossible — meet jessica cox

We always complain that we did not get considerable resources for living a comfortable life. Money is not sufficient, and so on, But we never know that there are some people who never stop at their obstacles. meet jessica a young, restless lady born without arms and holding a license to fly, black belt holder and moving on.

Doctors still don’t know why Jessica Cox, 25, was born without arms. Sonograms and other prenatal tests didn’t reveal her rare congenital condition. Jessica sees that condition, though, as an exercise in imagination. To put clothes on, she uses a dressing hook. To type her college papers, she used her toes.

“For the most part I don’t think about the restrictions or how I can’t do something. I think about how I can make it happen,” Jessica says. For some years growing up, she wore prosthetic arms, but hated them. She felt it was more important to be true to herself and be proud of her accomplishments, some that most people with all four limbs can’t even tackle!

When first learning to drive, Jessica was encouraged to use special modifications. Even after her car was modified, she decided to remove them and drive without. She holds an unrestricted driver’s license.

As an undergraduate at the University of Arizona, Jessica attended classes taking notes with her feet. At 25 words per minute, Jessica was able to type out her papers with a regular computer keyboard on the floor.

Jessica’s greatest challenges are not the ordinary daily tasks required for her to live independently. Putting in contact lenses, washing and brushing her hair, and fixing breakfast in the morning are all tasks that come second-nature to her as they would to anyone else. Her greatest triumph in life stands far above any physical feat. It is her unrepentant regard for herself a whole person, her high degree of self-acceptance that gives her the freedom and power to insist that society accept her, too, just as she is.

Further reading:

• CNN blog @ jessica
• http://www.rightfooted.com/index.htm

Keep Smiling

Here is a wondeful poem which I received recently, Worth reading,

Forget about the days

when its been cloudy, but

don’t forget your hours in the sun

Forget about the times

you’ve been defeated, but

don’t forget the victories you’ve won

Forget about misfortunes

you encounter, but

don’t forget the times

your luck has turned

Forget about the days

when you’ve been lonely, but

don’t forget the friendly smiles you’ve seen

Forget about the plans

that didn’t seem

to work out right, but…

Don’t forget to Always Have A Dream

Keep Smiling

The real crisis? We stopped being : Barry Schwartz

About this talk

Barry Schwartz makes a passionate call for “practical wisdom” as an antidote to a society gone mad with bureaucracy. He argues powerfully that rules often fail us, incentives often backfire, and practical, everyday wisdom will help rebuild our world.

About Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz studies the link between economics and psychology, offering startling insights into modern life. Lately, working with Ken Sharpe, he’s studying wisdom. Full bio and more links

Who says IITians can’t do farming?

I guess we are all aware of Baby elephant syndrome. A story about an elephant who was tied to a very week rope in a zoo. And somebody passed by it and realised that the giant elephant can easily break the rope and free himself, so fearing that the man asked to the manager of the zoo that how they have tied this giant animal with such a weak rope can’t he break it and set himself free.? The manager replied smilingly that when we brought this animal from jungle, at that time he was a small creature and was never able to break this rope because of his limited strength, he tried breaking it many times in his childhood but was not able to do so, And now he have made his mind that he will never be able to break this rope and now after become an adult elephant also his mindset have not changed and he do not even try to break this rope because his mind tells himself that He Can’t?

I think the above story can be compared with many of our  lives, our circumstances, past life creates our mindset and we start thinking that many things are impossible for us and we stop trying. After reading about R Madhavan, anybody can realise that nothing is impossible if we think that we can do it.

An IITian, now a farmer

This is an inspiring story.It helps you dare to think beyond the usual. It shows how single minded dedication and focused work can help one beget the dreams. One who helps himself,the devinity reaches out to help them.Read on.

Off-beat is in. The oft beaten track, not so.
One of the most interesting themes at this year’s Pan-IIT event was the session on rural transformation. IITians who have chosen an offbeat career hogged the limelight at the event. In this series, we feature some of the IITians who preferred to be different, rather than get into a corporate rat race.
The star at the event was R Madhavan, an alumnus of IIT-Madras. This is Madhavan’s success story as a farmer

Passion for agriculture

I had a passion for agriculture even when I was young. I don’t know how my love for agriculture started. I only know that I have always been a nature lover.
I used to have a garden even when I was a teenager. So, from a home garden, a kitchen garden, I gradually became a farmer! My mother used to be very happy with the vegetables I grew.

Studying at IIT-Madras

My family was against my ambition of becoming an agriculturist. So, I had to find a livelihood for myself.
I wrote IIT-JEE and got selected to study at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. I enjoyed studying mechanical engineering.
My intention was to transform what I study into what I love; mechanisation of farming. I felt the drudgery in farming is much more than in any other industry, and no one had looked into it.

My favorite Quotes by Lance Armstrong.

Here I am sharing some quotes of Lance Armstrong. I feel really elevated when I read them,

Every second counts

• You know when I need to die? When I’m done living. When I can’t walk, can’t eat, can’t see, when I’m a crotchety old man, mad at the world. Then I can die.
• The Tour (de France) is essentially a math problem, a 2,000-mile race over three weeks that’s sometimes won by a margin of a minute or less. How do you propel yourself through space on a bicycle, sometimes steeply uphill, at a speed sustainable for three weeks? Every second counts

Podium farewell speech, Tour de France, July 24, 2005

Lance Armstrong at Tour de Gruene

• But finally the last thing I’ll say to the people who don’t believe in cycling, the cynics and the sceptics. I’m sorry for you. I’m sorry that you can’t dream big. I’m sorry you don’t believe in miracles. But this is one hell of a race. This is a great sporting event and you should stand around and believe it. You should believe in these athletes, and you should believe in these people. I’ll be a fan of the Tour de France for as long as I live. And there are no secrets – this is a hard sporting event and hard work wins it

2003 Tour de France

• No one trains like me. No one rides like me. This jersey’s mine. I live for this jersey. It’s my life. No one’s taking it away from me. This fucking jersey’s mine.
  • At the team bus, after winning his fifth Tour de France in 2003.

Miscellaneous

• Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.
• Being a champion is redefining what’s humanly possible.”

The man who gave “The Last Lecture” — Randy Pausch

“We cannot change

the cards we are dealt,

just how we play the hand.”

– Randy Pausch

When randy pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon university, was asked to give the last lecture, he was not really aware that it will be his last. Since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave — “Really achieving your childhood dreams” wasen’t about dying.

It was all about importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment.

Time is all you have ….. and you may find one day that you have less than you think.

Here is Randy Pausch’s video that really changed the mindset of millions and taught them how to have a fun in life. It is really worth watching.

Some Links to Randy Pausch Work

• The Last lecture official website http://www.thelastlecture.com/
• Amazon link to the book
• Randy pausch time management Lecture
• Randy Pausch’s page at Carnegie Mellon universities site
• Randy Pausch’s page at Carnegie Mellon universities site
• Randy Pausch Wikipedia Page

Reflections from a comedian … George Carlin — A very powerful eyeopener!

I received this mail message recently. I hope you people will love to read this.

From GEORGE CARLIN (His wife recently died…)
Isn’t it amazing that George Carlin – comedian of the 70’s and 80’s – could write something so very eloquent…and so very appropriate.
A Message by George Carlin:

• The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

• We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

• We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

• We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbour. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things.