Saturday, April 30, 2011


NARA'S NOTEPAD

VOLUME 7

MAY 2011

NUMBER 5

SUPPORTED BY

READERS LIKE YOU

MEMO FROM NARA





Complaining has become a habit with many people. In fact, we all complain. Some of us complain less and others do it a lot. We complain mainly because someone is not carrying out the duty assigned, or someone is doing unlawful activities or someone is harming us verbally or physically or someone is misbehaving or someone is stealing our things. Thus there are many reasons for complaining. Complaints are filed against a single individual or a group or an organization. Invariably complaints are made to the authorities who have control over the persons who are the cause of complaints. When we get angry or annoyed due to other’s undesirable activities, we try to complain. Expression of anger is one way of show that one is not satisfied with the happenings. One thinks that s/he is perfectly justified to express her/his anger to vent away the grievances. At the same time one tries to complain to his friends or relatives who can not do something to solve the root cause of the complaint. I have heard my friends finding fault with others and complain to me thinking that I can solve it. But it is not always possible because I have no control over the person who is at fault. It is always said: 'all complaints would go to the person who can do something about it.' I used to direct the person who complains to the one who can do something about it. It is not proper of course, but still it is the best policy by which one can find a good solution for the complaint, about one's grievance will not help to get a solution. Therefore in order to find a solution for one's complaint, the best option would be the person who has the authority to do something or talk to the person against whom the complaint is made. People think it is easier and non-embarrassing to complain to someone who is not involved, but such complaining will not get a solution. Finding fault with others is a kind of complaining. Everyday every one is finding fault with others because such people do not have understanding about others. If there is no power in the city, petrol price is increased, pay is not increased, and people show their anger and complain either in an organized or unorganized manner. They may show their grievances by hunger strike or taking out processions or burning buses and damaging public properties. Very often we see in our day-to-day life such unlawful activities. Complaining the grievances to persons who can do something is the sensible thing one has to do. Instead, taking the law in hand due to anger and annoyance is not a proper way of complaining. There are false or real complaints which have to verified carefully before taking action. Hence it takes time and one has to wait patiently to get answer for the complaint. That is the way judiciary moves. Nothing can be done if we complain to someone who cannot do something and even we complain to someone who can do something takes time to verify the validity of the complaint before coming to a proper conclusion. Complaining, in fact, is essential  for reasonable grievances, not for every silly things.









SUPPORT FROM SPONSORS SOLICITED





To meet the printing charges of NARA’S NOTEPAD

Sponsors are requested to contribute:

For 3 issues Rs. 1000/- or for 6 issues Rs. 2000/-

For 9 issues Rs. 3000/- or for 12 issues Rs. 4000/-

Local Cheque or Demand Draft may be sent favoring: A.Narayanan, Coimbatore.



THEY SAID...




Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric. – Bertrand Russell



Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. – Victor Hugo



There is no odor so bad as that which arises from goodness tainted. – Henry David Thoreau




JUST TO LAUGH





‘Open wide,’ demanded the dentist as he began his examination of a new patient. ‘Good grief!’ he said, ‘You’ve got the biggest cavity I have ever seen – the biggest cavity I have ever seen!’‘You don’t have to repeat it,’ snapped the patient. ‘I didn’t,’ said the dentist. ‘That was the echo!’





Patient to doctor examining him: ‘And another thing I noticed, doctor – I’m tired and irritable after spending a solid hour in that waiting-room of yours.’




Woman complaining to a doctor’s receptionist: ‘All he does is make appointments for me to see a specialist! Is he really a doctor or just a booking agent?’




The first-aid instructor asked a group of Girl Guides, ‘Why does a surgeon wear a mask while performing an operation?’
One girl replied, ‘So that if he makes a mess of it, the patient won’t know who did it.’












CREATE A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS LIFE




Life has taught me that success, abundance, prosperity, peace, and happiness are all created through exercising a planned routine. To create a happy and prosperous life, we need some instructions, or rules, for living.

Rule 1: Spread love. In order to produce great achievements, we have to take great risks. The greater the required achievement, the greater the personal risk involved.

Rule 2: Learn from life. We have to learn from the lessons in life. When we dolose, as we all will from time to time, we should lose gracefully and learn fromthe lesson that life has taught us through the experience, turning it into a positive to build on.

Rule 3: Show respect. We need to respect others as we respect ourselves. Above all we should respect ourselves and show that respect. In today's society, there seems to be a great lack of self-respect. Just look at the way people behave and dress.

Rule 4: Be responsible. We need to take full responsibility for all our actions. Always do things for the right reason and from a position of love for your fellow man. Remember that anything done for the greater good will always succeed.

Rule 5: Be ethical. Live a life that is honorable and ethical. Especially in today's world, there seem to be a lot of questions about ethics and deceit. It is very important to stay true and honest to the fundamental rules of ethics and fairness.

Rule 6: Admit fallibility. Remember to take immediate action when you realize you have made a mistake. It is very important that you admit when you have made a mistake and that you take immediate steps to correct the mistake. It is a sign of maturity and of courage to own up to your own fallibility.

Rule 7: Show forgiveness. Do not let little things interfere or destroy a great relationship. Whether in your personal life or in business, relationships are precious and should not be taken lightly, so when minor disagreements occur, do not let these destroy the relationship.

Rule 8: Allow change. Be open to change, but do not compromise on your values and ethics. Through change we grow and learn.

Rule 9: Learn to listen. There are times when it is better to be silent than to speak. Too often, we feel the need to say our piece, but there are many situations in life where it is better to be quiet and listen. It is through
listening that we learn the other person's point of view and get a better understanding of the situation under consideration.

Rule 10: Create abundance. Create a loving and harmonious atmosphere in the home. When we create an atmosphere of love, we create the foundation for happiness, abundance, and prosperity.

Rule 11: Practice quiet reflection. Spend some time alone at least once a day. This is the time you can spend to meditate and reflect on the happenings of the day. This is your opportunity to recharge and to connect with your inner self. Here you will create the foundation for your abundance and prosperity.

Rule 12: Give of yourself. Remember that in any relationship your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. In other words, it is in the giving of yourself without any attachments or expectations that you receive the greatest satisfaction and rewards.

These twelve simple rules, when followed in a consistent manner, will bring you lots of abundance, prosperity, and happiness . - Andreas Stark

TO LEAD A PEACEFUL LIFE





Life essentially consists of certain ways and means within our control and certain happenings and circumstances beyond our control. By acting on those within our control we can strive for leading a peaceful life. A spiritual and philosophical mindset would add fillip to our efforts.

Here are some steps to lead a peaceful life:

Do not compare yourself with others: Your life is your own. Your likes and dislikes, tastes, expectations and standards are your own. Your neighbor or your colleague need not be a bench mark for you to compare yourself or compete with. Their level of education, financial status, social status or spending pattern need not be yours. If at all you have to compare, compare yourself with those who are less privileged than you; those whose lives are more peaceful and less complicated than yours.

Do not aspire to make other’s dream your reality: Your father’s unfulfilled dream of becoming a doctor need not be your dream. Your mother’s dream of becoming a successful dancer need not be yours – unless and until, you, on your own uninfluenced self-judgment think the same way.

Have a clear cut self judgment about your true capabilities, strengths and limitations: You might possess excellent Cricket playing skills within your local league. But it need not mean you are competent enough to play for the national team. Compare yourself with better players and make a sincere judgment: ‘Do I really play or am I capable of playing to that level? Do I have the physical, psychological and financial resources to make myself fit enough to come up to that level? Above all, is such a yearning worth the effort?’Sheer positive thinking alone will not do wonders. In the scheme of nature, all are not endowed with same set of skills and resources. If you are capable of judging yourself correctly, you will be endowed with the peace of mind – by not pursuing on something beyond your reach.

Live within your means: This is a time-tested age-old wisdom which is unfortunately forgotten in today’s Credit Card culture. What you buy using Credit Card should be payable IN FULL by you when the bill arrives from the Credit Card firm. If you get lured by the “Minimum Amount due Now”, it paves the way for accumulation of debt and consequently loss of peace sooner or later. If the object of desire can be purchased by you only through Installment by utilizing the “Minimum Pay out Money”, DO NOT SUCCUMB to the temptation of purchase. By bringing in this self-control, you may lose short-term pleasures, but you will enjoy long term peace.












































LINES I LIKED

                                                   
  • Nothing heals like a sincere apology.
  • No one is perfect.
  • Anything is good in moderation.



 

 

 

 

THE OTHERR SIDE


A Father was reading a magazine and his little daughter every now and then distracted him. To keep her busy, he tore one page on which was printed the map of the world. He tore it into pieces and asked her to go to her room and put them together to make the map again.
He was sure she would take the whole day to get it done. But the little one came back within minutes with a perfect map. When he asked how she could do it so quickly, she said, "Oh... Dad, there is a man's face on the other side of the paper... I made the face perfect to get the map right." She ran outside to play, leaving the father surprised.
There is always the other side to whatever you experience in this world. Whenever we come across a challenge or a puzzling situation, look at the other side... You will be surprised to see an easy way to tackle the problem.





QUANTUM PHYSICS




Quantum physics is the study of how the world works on the smallest scale, at a level far smaller than the atom. And as scientists studied the nature of reality on a smaller and smaller scale, something strange began to happen: The deeper we went into reality, the more it seemed to dissolve from view. The search for the smallest known particle of matter had instead turned up distinct yet elusive little packets of energy, which physicists called quanta.
The Einstein breakthrough comes down to this: Everything is energy. A rock, a planet, a glass of water, your hand, everything you can touch, taste, or smell - it's all made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are made of protons and electrons and neutrons, which are made of nothing but vibrating packets of energy.



Happiness is not a destination, it is a journey!

Meet you next month – JUNE 2011

Prof. A. Narayanan, Ph. D., FISPP


www.nara.tumblr.com (NARA’S DIGEST)



Ph : 98422 42301





Monday, April 4, 2011



NARA'S NOTEPAD

VOLUME 7
APRIL 2011
NUMBER 4

SUPPORTED BY
READERS
LIKE YOU

EXPECTATION

BRINGS

FRUSTRATION

MEMO FROM NARA



Some say that the future is in our hands and some others say that the future is not in our hands. Both appear to be correct. But these two contradictory statements stimulate us to think – which statement is correct and which is incorrect? I pondered over these two statements for a while. I came to a conclusion that for those who have a positive thinking, the future is in their hands and those who have negative thinking, the future is not in their hands. However, my thinking is not absolutely correct because certain events are beyond our control, such as earthquake, tsunami, flood, drought etc. We have seen last month on 11 March, the future was not in the hands of those unfortunate Japanese who lost their lives due to tsunami. They never thought about the earthquake and tsunami which will hit them so hard and instantaneously. Their future was in the hands of the tsunami and not in the hands of the Japanese people. Therefore we need to think of our future and take appropriate precautions. For example, the climate change and human activity are the ones everyone knows to take precautions well in advance. There are indications all over the world for the climate change consequences and also we all know that in future our next generations are going to face the drastic damages. Therefore, there are organizations and governments trying to do something so that the climate change can be at least minimized if not controlled. So such actions are in our hands. Similarly many of us can decide and determine our future life with careful planning. For example: our health and wealth. Our mind-set should be positive and it will help us to keep the future in our hands. Controlling and moderating the future are very essential for all of us since we are growing in numbers. The population is exploding to challenge the ability of humans. If we do something to save our planet, then the future is in our hands. If we are not willing to think of the future in terms of tomorrow, next week, month, year, decade or century, then the future is not in our hands. Although the statements are contradictory to our mind, they provide us an opportunity to think about our future in our Planet Earth.






JUST TO LAUGH...





Five surgeons from big cities are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on.



The first surgeon, from New York, says, “I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered.”


The second surgeon from Chicago, responds, “Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded,” The third surgeon, from Dallas, says: “No, I really think librarians are the best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order.”


The fourth surgeon, from Los Angeles chimes in: “You know, I like construction workers…those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over.”


But, the fifth surgeon, from Washington, shut them all up when observed: “You’re all wrong! Politicians are the easiest to operate on. There’s no guts, no heart, no brains and no spine.”

THEY SAID...





Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. – Mirilyn vos Savant




Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? – Abraham Lincoln.



If you are born poor, it’s not your mistake. But if you die poor,
It’s definitely your mistake. – Bill Gates



My eyes are my favorite part of me – not for how they look, but for how they see. – Chris Sebastian

SUPPORT FROM SPONSORS SOLICITED




To meet the printing charges of NARA’S NOTEPAD

Sponsors are requested to contribute:

For 3 issues Rs. 1000/- or for 6 issues Rs. 2000/-

For 9 issues Rs. 3000/- or for 12 issues Rs. 4000/-

Local Cheque or Demand Draft may be sent favoring:

 A.Narayanan, Coimbatore.

THE BENEFITS OF BEING STUCK


 

 



You know what you want. You have a vision and a plan. You try to implement that plan but for some reason you can’t. You are officially “stuck.” You feel like you can’t move forward, but can’t discern why? You say to yourself, “Okay, today I’m going to get that proposal written. No matter how I feel, I’m going to sit down and do it.” But you can’t – no matter how hard you try. You might feel grumpy, confused or mad at yourself and possibly the world.


While being stuck may feel uncomfortable, it’s actually an opportunity. It’s your soul’s way of painting out that there is something you need to see, understand, learn or experience before you’ll be ready to make your vision a reality.


Being stuck:


Forces to step back and reflect on what you really want.


Gives time and space to let an underlying issue emerge.


Gives an opportunity to receive the help and assistance you need.


Lets pause and focus on any fears.


Lets you rest and recharge.

 - Claudette Rowley


THE SECRET OF LONG LIFE





Myth No. 1. Thinking happy thoughts reduces stress and leads to a longer life.


Myth No. 2. Gardening and walking aren't enough to keep you healthy.


Myth No. 3. Lighten up; being serious is bad for you.


Myth No. 4. Take it easy and don't work so hard. You'll live longer.


Myth No. 5. Get married and you will live longer.








MOMENT OF POWER




Most people spend their time living in a past that is forever gone and a future that hasn't even been realized yet. For some reason we seem intent on avoiding the present moment with all manner of daydreams and self-distractions. However, when we allow our minds to be free from regret and anxiety, and focus clearly on the present moment, we have access to the virtually limitless power of mindfulness. By simply deciding to be aware of our bodies, thought processes, and surroundings without getting lost in our internal chatter, we open the door to an abundance of new possibilities. Enhanced physical energy, the ability to focus our attention more sharply and think more clearly, and a heightened sense of intuition are only a few of the benefits we gain as we practice daily mindfulness ( the activity of paying attention to what we are doing in the present and letting our minds flow freely without participating in the "mental movies" that make up much of our day.

You can begin this sacred yet simple exercise immediately just by taking account of what you are doing right now. Feel the physical sensation of your body in the chair. Allow yourself to hear the sounds around you without becoming distracted. Read the words on this screen and watch your mind flow without interruption. Give it a try. You'll find yourself slipping back into a state of distraction after only a few seconds. It's amazing how difficult it can be for our minds to simply stop chattering away at us and pay attention for as little as five minutes! But with practice it becomes easier, and your whole life begins to open up in a way you never imagined possible.
- Timothy Aaron Whiston



RAISE YOUR MOOD



1. Respond to good news enthusiastically. It's called "capitalizing." If your spouse tells you some good news, how do you respond? Four possible ways to respond are: 1) enthusiastically, 2) negatively, 3) positively but subdued, or 4) uninterested. Studies show when you respond enthusiastically, it makes a big difference in how satisfied your spouse is in your marriage, how committed s/he is, and how in love s/he is with you.


2.Look at personal photos. Listening to music and eating chocolate didn't really change experimental subjects' moods very much. Alcohol and TV each gave people a 1% rise in their happiness score. But the clear winner was looking at personal photos. It gave people, on average, an 11% rise in their mood.


3.Experiment with your posture. Someone who feels down tends to slump. Someone who is happy tends to sit up straighter, walk more upright with the head held up, looking ahead instead of down. If you have been paying attention, you know this already. Posture tends to be a reflection of mood.


4. Compare your situation to something worse. Think of something you are unhappy about. Now notice that the reason it makes you unhappy is that you are comparing your situation to something better. You're comparing your situation to something more ideal. Whatever you are unhappy about, you can easily find a worse situation to compare it to. And from that perspective, you are lucky to have the problem you have, even though it is obviously not ideal.


5.Pretend the universe is in a conspiracy to make you happy. When something bad happens, pretend the universe is in a conspiracy to make you happy and it gave you this bad thing as the perfect way for you to learn something — a lesson that will ultimately make you happy. This way of reframing a setback will improve your mood in the moment, and will raise your mood in the long run.


6.Think of something you're grateful for. It is surprisingly easy to think of something you're grateful for. It only takes a few moments. And as soon as you think of something, you feel noticeably better.


7. Take some time and sit still quietly. Simply sitting and thinking can raise your mood consistently. All you have to do is sit still without doing anything. When you sit still, after about fifteen minutes, your mind seems to go into a defrag mode. Unresolved issues bubble up and get resolved.


8. Do some exercise. Exercise beats depression, but even if you're not depressed, a little exercise usually raises your mood. It's an all-purpose mood-raiser that just about anyone can use.


9.Get a little done on a purpose you care about. Think of one small goal you really want. And it's really important you think of something you want. For real enjoyment, you need: 1) something you want to accomplish, that 2) you enjoy accomplishing. Do a little of your joyful purpose today.


10. Reframe a circumstance that makes you feel bad. "Reframing" means interpreting the situation differently. When something happens, you interpret it a certain way, and your mind usually does it automatically. The situation just seems a certain way to you, and you have feelings appropriate to the way you look at it. – Adam Khan





STUPID LOGICS

 

If your father is a poor man, it is your fate but, if your father-in-law is a poor man, it's your stupidity.



Practice makes perfect..... But nobody's perfect......so why practice?



If it's true that we are here to help others, then what exactly are the others here for?



How come 'abbreviated' is such a long word?



One should love animals. They are so tasty.



Behind every successful man, there is a woman.
And behind every unsuccessful man, there are two.




Every man should marry. After all, happiness is not the only thing in life.


If you look at what you have in life, you have everything.


Meet you next month – MAY 2011

Prof. A. Narayanan, Ph. D., FISPP

E-mail: arumugakannu@gmail.com

www.nara.tumblr.com (NARA’S DIGEST)

www.nara2007.blogspot.com (NARA’S NOTEPAD)

www.narapcard.blogspot.com (NARA’S POSTCARD)

Phone : 98422 42301