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Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 3:51 pm
by ghulam muhammed
TRUE STORY

In Phoenix, Arizona , a 26-year-old mother stared down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of terminal leukemia.
Although her heart was filled with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of determination.

Like any parent, she wanted her son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now that was no longer possible. The leukemia would see to that. But she still wanted her son's dream to come true.

She took her son's hand and asked, 'Billy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be once you grew up ? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do with your life?'

Mommy, 'I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up.'

Mom smiled back and said, 'Let's see if we can make your wish come true.'

Later that day she went to her local fire Department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix . She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her 6 year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine.

Fireman Bob said, 'Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, we'll make him an honorary Fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform for him, with a real fire hat - not a toy one with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear and rubber boots.' 'They're all manufactured right here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast.'

Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy, dressed him in his uniform and escorted him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven.

There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines, the Paramedic's' van, and seven the fire chief's car. He was also videotaped for the local news program.

Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished upon him, so deeply touched Billy, that he lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

One night all of his vital signs began to drop dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in the hospice concept - that no one should die alone, began to call the family members to the hospital.

Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a Fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he made his transition.

The chief replied, 'We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favour? When you hear the sirens screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that there is not a fire? 'It's the department coming to see one of its finest members one more time. And will you open the window to his room?

About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder up to Billy's third floor open window -------- 16 fire-fighters climbed up the ladder into Billy's room!

With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they LOVED him.

With his dying breath, Billy looked up at the fire chief and said, 'Chief, am I really a fireman now?'

'Billy, you are, and The Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand,' the chief said.

With those words, Billy smiled and said, 'I know, He's been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been singing.'

Please pass this along to people you want to be touched & blessed.

This story is powerful and there is nothing attached.

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2013 6:25 pm
by ghulam muhammed
The burger tree!
by Sunit Dhawan

Just before the beginning of his summer vacation, my four-year-old nephew, Geetansh, was being taught the Hindi alphabet at his school. In order to enhance the learning experience of the children, the teacher used to draw images of certain objects, the names of which begin with the letter being dealt with.

In this series, she drew the image of a Banyan tree and made the kids copy that on their notebooks. Now, when my sister - an accomplished artist herself - came across the sketch, she asked Geetansh what tree was that.

"It's a burger tree!" replied the little one in a matter-of-fact tone, leaving his mother baffled. She maintained that it couldn't be so as burgers didn't grow on trees, but the kid was adamant that his teacher had told him so.

When my sister went to attend a parent-teacher meeting a few days later, she found that many other parents were also trying to unravel the burger-tree mystery.

"I had told them that it was a bargad tree," revealed the Hindi teacher, and everybody burst into peals of laughter.

We also couldn't control our laughter as my sister narrated the episode. This also reminded me of an earlier one which took place last year.

We were together during the summer vacation and one fine morning we went to a zoo located near our home. We saw a variety of colourful birds, ducks, langoors, jackals, panther and tiger.

The zoo had a plenty of greenery and we could hear the chirping of birds nestled in the trees as we went around the campus. On our way to the crocodile enclosure, we heard the distinct cooing sound of the koel bird from a cluster of trees.

At once, Geetansh, who I fondly call Geeta Ram, quipped: "Mama ka phone baja…" Actually, I had set the koel's cooing as the ring-tone of my cell phone, and the little Geeta Ram could link that cooing sound only to my ring-tone.

Both episodes underline the widening gap between nature and us. Children of us, city-dwellers, don't climb trees or hillocks; they'd rather go on watching television for hours together. They're no more interested in playing marbles, stapoo or pithoo garam, and seem happy with their computer and smart-phone games.

They may not wish or greet our guests, nor mingle with other children in the park, but they don't think twice before sending or accepting friendship requests on social-networking websites.

Instead of going in for a splash in a pond or a puddle, they'd prefer a swimming pool or a water park. Nowadays moms think that their children would get sick if they play in the rain, and get dirty if they play in mud. And about their choice of eatables, the less said the better.

We may blame our fast-paced life for the unhealthy trend, but our convenience-oriented lifestyle and over-protective mindset are also equally responsible for it.

After all, when my father asks the kids where they would like to go for an outing and my two-year-old daughter promptly replies "Mall chalo", we just can't laugh it away.

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2013 6:21 pm
by ghulam muhammed
Find Good in Everything

Many tend to see a half-filled glass as half empty rather than half full. When looking at a situation, the popular tendency is to think about the bad side rather than the good. There is an instructive story regarding the character in literature known as Robinson Crusoe. He was stranded on a desert island and had to find a way to survive.

While he was on the island he made two lists. One list he called evil and one he called good. He thought over his situation and he entered what was happening to him into one of the two columns. This is what he wrote:I am stranded on the desert island, which is bad. But I am still alive, which is good. The rest of the people on the ship died, but I survived. Next, he wrote, I am all alone, which is bad. But I am not starving, which is good.

As he thought further about his situation he wrote, I have no clothes, which is bad. But, on the other hand, it is so hot here that I do not need clothes, so that is good.
Then he wrote, I have no weapons to defend myself against animals, which is bad. But there are no wild animals along this beach here, so that is good.

Finally he wrote, I have no one to talk to, which is bad. But the ship is near the shore and I can get things from the ship for my basic needs, which is good.

After going over his list, Robinson Crusoe decided that there was no situation so terrible that humans could not find a reason to have gratitude to God. There was a silver lining in everything. This attitude is a healthy one and saves a lot of time being anxious, worried, depressed, and disheartened. This time can be used instead to remember God, by staying focused on our spiritual goal. Every time we complain and fret over our situation, we are wasting valuable time.

Two people may go to the same party. One may spend time finding fault with all the people there, complaining about the food, and feeling upset that his or her expectations were not met.
Another person may find enjoyment being with the other people and selecting food from the buffet that he or she enjoys.

Both are in the same environment. One is finding what is wrong and the other is looking for what is good and joyous. When they both leave the party one will say he or she had a terrible time, and the other will say he or she had a great time. Which one will feel more uplifted and buoyant at the end of the party?

Similarly, each day we face many situations. We can choose to focus on the bad and spend the rest of our time complaining and being disappointed, or we can choose to focus on what is good and take joy and pleasure from it.
We can develop spiritually by keeping our attention on being positive and occupying our time with spiritual thoughts.
If we choose to occupy ourselves with negative thoughts that rattle around our head, we will waste valuable time that could be spent on remembering God.

Find some good in everything. Even when faced with challenges, we can think of the bright side and make the best use of our precious human life.

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:46 am
by Starwars
ghulam muhammed wrote:Find Good in Everything

Many tend to see a half-filled glass as half empty rather than half full. When looking at a situation, the popular tendency is to think about the bad side rather than the good. There is an instructive story regarding the character in literature known as Robinson Crusoe. He was stranded on a desert island and had to find a way to survive. Similarly, each day we face many situations. We can choose to focus on the bad and spend the rest of our time complaining and being disappointed, or we can choose to focus on what is good and take joy and pleasure from it. Find some good in everything. Even when faced with challenges, we can think of the bright side and make the best use of our precious human life.
Hence the reason we pray Sura Alhamdu in every rakaat of our daily namaaz - to be grateful to Allah for everything that He has bestowed on us and to see good in everything every step of our way. I am glad to be born a Muslim!

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2013 6:03 pm
by ghulam muhammed
One day a construction supervisor from 6th floor of the building was calling a worker working on the ground floor. Because of the construction noise, the worker on ground floor did not hear his supervisor calling.

Then, to draw the attention of the worker, the supervisor threw a 10 rupee note from up which fell right around in front of the worker.

The worker picked up the 10 rupee note, put it in his pocket & continued with his work.

Again to draw the attention of worker, the supervisor now threw 500 rupee note & the worker did the same, picked 500 rupee note, put it in his pocket & started doing his job.

Now to draw the worker's attention, the supervisor picked a small stone & threw it on his head. The stone hit the worker head. This time the worker looked up & the supervisor communicated with the worker.


This story is same as of our life. Lord from up wants to communicate with us, but we are busy doing our worldly jobs. Then God gives us small gifts & we just keep it without seeing from where we got it.

Then God gives us amounts (gifts) & we are the same. Just keep the gifts without seeing from where it came & without thanking God. We just say we are LUCKY.
Then when we are hit with a small stone, which we call problems, then we look up & we communicate with God.

So every time we get gifts, we should thank God immediately, and not wait till we are hit by a small stone, and then communicate with God.

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 4:25 pm
by ghulam muhammed
CHINESE ADVICE TO 50-YEAR OLD OLDER

YOUR LIFE'S STAND HERE ON EARTH
(Translated from the Chinese).

Because none of us have many years to live, and we can't take along anything when we go, so don't be too thrifty...

Spend the money that should be spent, enjoy what should be enjoyed, donate what you are able to donate, but don't leave all to your children or grandchildren, for you don't want them to become parasites who are waiting for the day you will die !!

Don't worry about what will happen after we are gone, because when we return to dust, we will feel nothing about praises or criticisms. The time to enjoy the worldly life and your hard earned wealth will be over !

Don't worry too much about your children, for children will have their own destiny and should find their own way. Don't be your children's slave. Care for them, love them, give them gifts but also enjoy your money while you can. Life should have more to it than working from the cradle to the grave !!

Take an early retirement enjoy life.

Don't expect too much from your children. Caring children, though caring, would be too busy with their jobs and commitments to render much help. Uncaring children may fight over your assets even when you are still alive, and wish for your early demise so they can inherit your properties and wealth. Your children take for granted that they are
rightful heirs to your wealth; but that you have no claims to their money.

50-year old like you, don't trade in your health for wealth by working yourself to an early grave anymore...
Because your money may not be able to buy your health...

When to stop making money, and how much is enough, hundred thousand, a Million, Ten Million? Out of thousand hectares of good farm land, you can consume only three quarts of rice daily; out of a thousand mansions, you only need eight square meters of space to rest at night. So, as long as you have enough food and enough money to spend, that is good enough. You should live happily.

Every family has its own problems. Just do not compare with others for fame and social status and see whose children are doing better, etc., but challenge others for happiness, health, enjoyment, quality of life and longevity...

Don't worry about things that you can't change because it doesn't help and it may spoil your health. You have to create your own well-being and find your own place of happiness. As long as you are in good mood and good health, think about happy things, do happy things daily and have fun in doing, then you will pass your time happily every day.

One day passes without happiness, you will lose one day. One day passes with happiness, and then you gain one day.
In good spirit, sickness will cure; in a happy spirit, sickness will cure faster; in high and happy spirits; sickness will never come. With good mood, suitable amount of exercise, always in the sun, variety of foods, reasonable amount of vitamin and mineral intake, hopefully you will live another 30 or 40 years of healthy life. Above all, learn to cherish the goodness around...
AND FRIENDS...

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 6:11 pm
by ghulam muhammed
In 1987, a 74-year old rickshaw puller by the name of Bai Fangli came back to his hometown planning to retire from his
backbreaking job. There, he saw children working in the fields, because they were too poor to afford school fees.

Bai returned to Tianjin and went back to work as a rickshaw puller, taking a modest accommodation next to the railway
station. He waited for clients 24 hours a day, ate simple food and wore discarded second-hand clothes he found. He
gave all of his hard-earned earnings to support children who could not afford education.

In 2001, he drove his rickshaw to Tianjin YaoHua Middle School, to deliver his last installment of money. Nearly 90
years old, he told the students that he couldn't work any more. All of the students and teachers were moved to tears.

In total, Bai had donated a total of 350,000 yuan to help more than 300 poor students continue with their studies. In
2005, Bai passed away leaving behind an inspiring legacy.

If a rickshaw-puller who wore used clothes and had no education can support 300 children to go to school, imagine
what you and I can do with the resources we have to bring about positive change in our world!

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:12 pm
by ghulam muhammed
A Carrot, An Egg, and Some Coffee Beans
(By Eric Mansfield)

A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the second he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. In about twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her he asked. "Darling, what do you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. She smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. She humbly asked. "What does it mean father?"

He explained that each of them had faced the same adversity, boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? "

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

How about you? Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with pain and adversity do you wilt and become soft and lose your strength? Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? Were you a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a divorce, or a layoff have you become hardened and stiff? Your shell looks the same, but are you bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart? Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water, the thing that is bringing the pain, to its peak flavor reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and make things better around you. When people talk about you, do your praises to the Lord increase? When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, does your worship elevate to another level?

How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 5:21 pm
by ghulam muhammed
Triple Filter

In ancient Greece, Socrates was reputed to hold knowledge in high esteem.
One day one fellow met the great philosopher and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me anything I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Triple Filter Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't know if it's true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "you want to tell me something bad about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass the test though, because there's one filter left, the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"

Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 7:37 am
by Starwars
My Dad had said that one who uses another person to besmirch him is equal to a slap in the face!

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 4:43 pm
by ghulam muhammed
LIFE COMES A FULL CIRCLE

Very often I am reminded of a scene from a very popular Hindi movie. A son who is a top level executive is dropping off his old father to an old age home. The father is all devastated, yet resigned to the fact that the remaining days of his life would now be spent away from his loved ones because although, he still loved them dearly, he was no longer their loved one. With a heavy heart he slowly pushes open the car door, with quivering hands collects his belongings and ever so slowly, aware of his arthritic knees, gets down from the car. In all this you see a terribly impatient son frowning and angrily motioning his old father to hurry up. ‘I have to get to the office, Dad’ he shouts to the utter consternation of his father. Rest of the movie is a blur but this was one scene that has stayed with me, deeply disturbing and questioning me. After so many years I wonder how life is treating the son who may now stand perilously close to old age!

I see the impatience in vendors, office clerks, banks, public establishments like hospitals and pension office clerks when approached by shriveled, bent, hard of hearing, painfully slow men and women wanting to get their work done. The speed of youth and static movement of old age often result in extreme irritation of one and humiliation of the other.

I hear impatient two and four wheeler horns on roads when their effort to zoom past gets marred by veterans crossing the road, even if the signal says pedestrian crossing, little realizing how difficult and scared the old heart is for the simple task of crossing a ten meter road, a task which youth does on a spinal level.

I often hear or read of family discords about the earning, constructive young members of a family and their ‘now defunct’ old members who have nothing constructive to give back to the family which they have created. Economic issues regarding spending 'my hard-earned money' on two, sometimes one, adult responsibility, who due to their advanced age contribute next to nothing to the present family coffer, become the sparks that can rage into fire consuming the family, the relationships and eventually the happiness.

Caring for old parents, with a multitude of medical problems brought in by advancing age saps away the feelings of sons and daughters already burdened by the efforts of daily survival. Loss of working hours taken away by hospital visits breaks the pocket and the fragile thread of the relationship. The space in tiny two and three room pigeon-hole apartments suddenly gets overcrowded where people seem to get into each other’s hair leaving little room to breathe. The young earning ones now start looking at what, rather who has snatched their peace and happiness. You are young only once, they feel. The anger starts building up. The resentment creeps in slowly and bursts forth in spurts of arguments and shouts. The tension is palpable, the frustration is directed at the two hapless old people who have spent their life in bringing up this family. There is now complete amnesia about their past, worry about their future and frustration in their present. Small insignificant things become all-consuming. The casualty is peace and the victims are the old ones supposedly living beyond their utility.

The little children with an impressionable mind and innocent heart become meek observers of this drama in real life. They love their doting grand-parents, fail to understand their parents and become silent witnesses to the strange ways of life.

The burgeoning growth of old homes, even with fancy names and fancier facilities, stand mute witnesses to the growing discontent in families across social strata and the culture of impatience seeping through our ethos.

Survival stresses in developing countries like ours or cultural issues in developed countries which believe in independent living are marginalizing the old, non-constructive, non-earning, dependent old people, driving them out of family structure into the wilderness of old homes.

The reality is sad, heart-breaking butscary too. Scary because in our heady journey of youth and young life we barely seem to see what is coming head-on. Little do we realize that silently in the dark alley of age, is the monster that sits on the nape of each living creature taking him towards a time when arteries harden, lens in the eyes becomes opaque, knees creak, heart weakens, lungs wheeze and the brain can barely remember the time of the day!

It’s inevitable but youth makes us forget what lies ahead, young age makes us impatient and restless, believing that it will last forever, unaware that the next generation is slowly advancing towards what we are today, their brains imprinted with the scenes of disharmony they see around with their adults.

Life is a journey, not in a straight road as journeys are meant to be, but in a circle.

The great philosopher Confucius has said, “What goes up must come down for life is like a wheel.”

Our childhood memories are not strong enough for us to recall every little thing of love and sacrifice done by our parents to give us a happy childhood but enough to remember that we are because they are.

Old age gives us a maturity to think beyond ourselves and we learn to love and give unconditionally. This is no repay time but a time that needs the young ones to take what the old can give unconditionally. Humans have been blessed with the special ability to be loved and old age is about encashing this ability rather than hard cash.

In a world of crumbling ideals and morals, of corruption and rat-race, of uncertainties and heart-breaks, of work pressures and dead-lines, of selfishness and ruthlessness, our anchors are our family that cares for us.

Our old ones at home are doing the most constructive work of scaffolding us from behind when everything seems to crumble and darkness envelops us.

We are all headed towards that inevitable stage of life. Lest we forget, life does come a full circle.

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 3:24 am
by zinger
GM, the movie was Lage Raho Munnabhai

thank you for this beautiful post. it will always act as a reminder for me who my parents were and are today.

it brought tears to my eyes


i am sure many must have seen this movie countless times, its the story of and old man, his young son and a sparrow. but, its worth seeing one time more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOYpFhxEptE

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:20 pm
by ghulam muhammed

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 4:10 pm
by ghulam muhammed
Inspirations: Shabir Hussain Khan, 45

When a massive cloudburst devastated Ladakh in August last year, an injured boy was brought to the faraway Sher-i- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, struggling for life and desperately in need of four pints of blood. With two associates, Shabir Hussain Khan rushed to the hospital to donate three pints. This was not the only time Khan had donated blood. Over 30 years, a number of people have benefited from his altruism. He has donated for earthquake victims in Kashmir and even for tsunami victims in south India. Khan made his first donation at a medical camp in 1980, when he was just 15 years old. What started out as a “pure sense of curiosity” soon became his life’s mission. By 1 October, Blood Donation Day, Khan had donated 130 pints of blood. On that occasion, J&K Health Minister Sham Lal awarded him with a trophy and a certificate for the achievement. A papier-mache artisan from the Kadi Kadal locality of Srinagar, with a meagre monthly income of Rs 7,000, Khan wouldn’t dream of accepting money for his donation. “I do it in the name of God. He alone will compensate me,” he says. “It is for my afterlife.”

Khan can be contacted at +91 99067 96451

http://www.tehelka.com/inspirations-sha ... n-khan-45/

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Thu Oct 31, 2013 5:26 am
by ghulam muhammed
During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She had an ulterior motive. Irena smuggled Jewish infants out in the bottom of the tool box she carried. She also carried a burlap sack in the back of her truck, for larger kids.

Irena kept a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers, of course, wanted nothing to do with the dog and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.

During her time of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants.

Ultimately, she was caught, however, and the Nazi's broke both of her legs and arms and beat her severely.

Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she had smuggled out in a glass jar that she buried under a tree in
her back yard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived and tried to reunite the family.
Most had been gassed. Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes or adopted..

In 2007 Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was not selected.

Al Gore won, for a slide show on Global Warming.

Later another politician, Barack Obama, won for his work as a community organizer for ACORN

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:48 pm
by ghulam muhammed
MANTRAS FOR AGING

Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, after 60 years of age, owing to the diminishing importance given to them and their opinions. But, it need not be so, if only we understand the basic principles of life and follow them scrupulously. Here are ten mantras to age gracefully and make life after retirement pleasant.

1. Never say “I am aged.” There are three ages, chronological, biological and psychological. The first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by the health conditions; the third is how old we feel we are. While we don't have control over the first, we can take care of our health with good diet, exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic thinking can reverse the third age.

2. Health is Wealth. If you really love your kith and kin, taking care of your health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them. Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Do take health insurance coverage.

3. Money is Important. Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect and security. Don't spend beyond your means even for your children. You have lived for them all through and it is time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your spouse. If your children are grateful and they take care of you, you are blessed. But, never take it for granted.

4. Relaxation and Recreation. The most relaxing and recreating forces are a healthy religious attitude, good sleep, music and laughter. Have faith in God, learn to sleep well, love good music and see the funny side of life.

5. Time is Precious. It is almost like holding a horse's reins. When they are in your hands, you can control them. Imagine that every day you are born again. Yesterday is a cancelled cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is ready cash – use it profitably. Live this moment; live it fully, now, in the present time.

6. Change is the only Permanent Thing. We should accept change – it is inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join in the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant things. We should be happy that our children are blessed.

7. Enlightened Selfishness. All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in return. We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But, our focus should be on the internal satisfaction and the happiness we derive by doing good for others, without expecting anything in return. Perform a random act of kindness daily.

8. Forget and Forgive. Don’t be bothered too much about others' mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped in one. But for the sake of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise, we will be only increasing our blood pressure.

9. Everything has a Purpose. Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique and is right in his own way.

10. Overcome the Fear of Death. We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand our loss. But the truth is no one is going to die for you; they may be depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will go on.

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Fri Nov 15, 2013 5:01 pm
by ghulam muhammed
OF WANTS AND NEEDS; PROBLEMS AND PURPOSES

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.

So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon.

The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.

Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength.........
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom.........
And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity.........
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage.........
And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love.........
And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favours.........
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I WANTED........
I received everything I NEEDED!

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 6:59 pm
by ghulam muhammed

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 6:55 pm
by ghulam muhammed

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 6:58 pm
by ghulam muhammed

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 5:29 pm
by ghulam muhammed
How I Gave My Son Autism

This is an eye-opener to anyone who hasn’t paid attention to the autism epidemic. The author has bared her soul in the hope of saving other children. Her humility is combined with a powerful sense of morality and intelligence. Though she takes full responsibility for her child’s plight, the truth is that modern medicine has a world of destroyed lives to answer for.

The mistakes I made were, by and large, recommended by healthcare professionals. That is no excuse. My son’s health was my responsibility. I could choose to follow the recommendations or not. Even a small bit of research would have changed the outcome for my son. There are women, as we speak, who are on the way to the doctor for their second or third ultrasound. There are mothers dosing their babies with acetaminophen before their shots. There are expectant moms being hooked up to Pitocin drips. Some moms are administering unnecessary antibiotics for yet another ear infection and haven’t made the connection that their baby’s immune system is failing. There are also many, many mothers who are hearing the following words for the first time, “Your child has autism.” Help them.

I truly believe that my son’s autism was preventable. Think. Research. At this point, you can’t afford not to.

http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/2013-0 ... on-autism/

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2013 6:03 pm
by ghulam muhammed
The sharp fall in Muslim representation in the political sphere , is a cause for serious concern. Gujarat has not elected a Muslim MP since 1991. There is no Muslim MLA in Chattisgarh, just one in Madhya Pradesh and two (both from BJP) in Rajasthan. The rise of BJP involves a communal polarisation that makes it difficult for a Muslim candidate to get Hindu support. The only exception is if he breaks his identification with the community, and becomes a part of the RSS/ BJP. Example -- Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Shahnawaz Hussain.

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Thu Dec 19, 2013 4:23 pm
by ghulam muhammed

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Mon Dec 23, 2013 5:01 pm
by ghulam muhammed
What Goes Around, Comes Around

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you," said the nobleman. "You saved my son's life." "No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer.

At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. "Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer replied proudly. "I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill.

His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said:
"What goes around comes around."

Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt.

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 5:30 pm
by ghulam muhammed

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2014 5:53 pm
by ghulam muhammed

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 6:27 pm
by ghulam muhammed
The Successful Tennis Player

A renowned Tennis Player, was stricken by HIV from a contaminated blood transfusion which he received during his heart bypass surgery.

He was a legendary player. People from all over the world were very sad to hear the news. He received millions of get well soon letters and cards from his fans all over the world. One of the letters read:
"It is very sad to know about your illness. Why did God let this happen to you?"

The Tennis Player wrote a reply to this fan saying:
"Millions of children start playing tennis. Hundreds of thousands of them learn to play proper Tennis. Tens of Thousands of them learn professional Tennis. Thousands of them go to Tennis tournaments around the world. Some 5 thousand make it to Grand Slam and around 100 make it to Wimbledon. Just 4 make it to Semi Finals and 2 to finals and only ONE wins. And I was that ONE out of millions of people around the world.

When I was holding the Wimbledon Championship Trophy I never asked God "Why Me?" So I have no right to ask God "why me?" during my times of hardship."

Isn't it true that a human being often forgets God during times of happiness? Whenever he achieves something in his life he attributes it to himself, his hard work and support from his family and friends and forgets to thank God. But what does the same person do when he is afflicted by a misfortune? The same person who takes credit for every achievement of his now starts blaming God for his misfortune.

Moral: God keeps reminding people of His existence by giving them trials and afflictions, because people tend to forget God during their good times and such people only become aware of God if harm touches them. Never forget God in your good times. And if you are going through bad times, thank God even more for the times could have been worse.

Source: Unknown

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 6:11 pm
by ghulam muhammed
Ek Faqir fruitwale ki dukaan pe gaya aur kaha "ALLAH ke naam par ek 'Aam (Mango) de do"...

Dukanwale ne usay ek ganda aur sadha hua Aam de diya..
Phir Faqir ne us dukanwale ko Rs.10 diye aur Aam dene ko kaha to dukanwale ne behtreen se 2 Aam usay de diye...
Faqir bahut hairan hua...
Us ne aasman ki taraf dekha aur kaha...

YA ALLAH DEKH ISS NE TUJHE KYA DIYA AUR MUJHE KYA DIYA...

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2014 5:14 pm
by ghulam muhammed
How To Live Die

I’ve often thought about what it is that makes people happy—what one has to do in order to achieve happiness.

First and foremost is good health. If you do not enjoy good health, you can never be happy. Any ailment, however trivial, will deduct something from your happiness.

Second, a healthy bank balance. It need not run into crores, but it should be enough to provide for comforts, and there should be something to spare for recreation— eating out, going to the movies, travel and holidays in the hills or by the sea. Shortage of money can be demoralizing. Living on credit or borrowing is demeaning and lowers one in one’s own eyes.

Third, your own home. Rented places can never give you the comfort or security of a home that is yours for keeps. If it has garden space, all the better. Plant your own trees and flowers, see them grow and blossom, and cultivate a sense of kinship with them.

Fourth, an understanding companion, be it your spouse or a friend. If you have too many misunderstandings, it robs you of your peace of mind. It is better to be divorced than to be quarrelling all the time.

Fifth, stop envying those who have done better than you in life—risen higher, made more money, or earned more fame. Envy can be corroding; avoid comparing yourself with others.

Sixth, do not allow people to descend on you for gup-shup. By the time you get rid of them, you will feel exhausted and poisoned by their gossip-mongering.

Seventh, cultivate a hobby or two that will fulfill you—gardening, reading, writing, painting, playing or listening to music. Going to clubs or parties to get free drinks, or to meet celebrities, is a criminal waste of time. It’s important to concentrate on something that keeps you occupied meaningfully.

Eighth, every morning and evening devote 15 minutes to introspection. In the mornings, 10 minutes should be spent in keeping the mind absolutely still, and five listing the things you have to do that day. In the evenings, five minutes should be set aside to keep the mind still and 10 to go over the tasks you had intended to do.

Ninth, don’t lose your temper. Try not to be short-tempered, or vengeful. Even when a friend has been rude, just move on.

Above all, when the time comes to go, one should go like a man without any regret or grievance against anyone. Iqbal said it beautifully in a couplet in Persian: “You ask me about the signs of a man of faith? When death comes to him, he has a smile on his lips.”
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I don’t fear death. What I dread is the day I go blind or am incapacitated because of old age—that’s what I fear—I’d rather die than live in that condition. I’m a burden enough on my daughter Mala and don’t want to be an extra burden on her.

All that I hope for is that when death comes to me, it comes swiftly, without much pain, like fading away in sound slumber. Till then I’ll keep working and living each day as it comes.

- Khushwant Singh

Re: Some Thought Provoking Issues.

Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2014 6:58 pm
by ghulam muhammed