Sunday, February 24, 2013
Food for Mind : Enjoying life
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Food for your mind : Two Pots
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, Perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was Ashamed of its own imperfection. And miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes Water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my Flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw. So I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house?
Moral of the story: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape. Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Food for your mind : LOGICAL THINKING
A farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain.
He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.
They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag.
He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking.
The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.
What would you recommend to the girl to do?
Try to answer before scrolling down.
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Well, here is what she did ....
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."
Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Most complex problems do have a solution. It is only that we don't attempt to think.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Food for your mind : attitude
But the three sons understood that his father wants them to sell those combs.
First son, He went to the mountain on the way he saw devotees coming very tiered & dull face. They refreshed themselves before starting to their home. He studied the situation & he opened a small sales point to sell the combs at the place where people used to refresh. He found very easy to sell all his combs to the devotees for Rs: 5 / comb. He returned to his Dad with total of
Second son, Went to the top of the mountain as it is a tourist place he saw many devotees taking photos on the sceneries. There was all type of shops except for combs & other make up kits .So he opened a small sales point in the top of the mountain & sold all his combs for Rs. 10/ combs. He also took additional order for another 100 combs on the next day. He returned to his Dad with total of
Third son, after his both brothers returned home with money he went to the mountain. Really it was a tough situation to sell his combs since both his brothers had used all the easy chance of selling the product. He did not give up his hope. He studied the devotee’s mindset that, they were trying to find something in the shops as a remembrance of their trip to this Mountain. So he came up with a brilliant idea of writing the golden gospel of Lord Buddha in the comb. This attracted most of the tourist and they were ready to buy that comb on any cost as a Remembrance of their trip .He sold each comb for Rs: 100 and made a grand total of
It was because of his attitude third son was able to adjusting to the situation by thinking differently. He was not only able to impress his dad but also the minds of many young aspirates Rs 50 as the first person to sell. His dad was Happy on seeing his cleverness. Rs: 100 as the second person to sell. His dad was very happy on seeing his talent. Rs: 1000 to his dad. Since his business dragged many foreigners too he had an extra order of 1000 more combs.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Food for your mind : Team work that really Matters
Team work that matters
load... Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best... But it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction. Finally the day came when due to frustration the washer man killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys. It’s an endless story....... .. But the
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Food for your mind : Pencil and Eraser
Pencil and Eraser
Pencil: I'm sorry
Eraser: For what? You didn't do anything wrong.
Pencil: I'm sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you're always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.
Eraser: That's true. But I don't really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I'll be gone and you'll replace me with a new one, I'm actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad.
I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They're always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad. All my life, I've been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I'm left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have.
Eraser: For what? You didn't do anything wrong.
Pencil: I'm sorry because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I made a mistake, you're always there to erase it. But as you make my mistakes vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each time.
Eraser: That's true. But I don't really mind. You see, I was made to do this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. Even though one day, I know I'll be gone and you'll replace me with a new one, I'm actually happy with my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad.
I found this conversation between the pencil and the eraser very inspirational. Parents are like the eraser whereas their children are the pencil. They're always there for their children, cleaning up their mistakes. Sometimes along the way, they get hurt, and become smaller / older, and eventually pass on. Though their children will eventually find someone new (spouse), but parents are still happy with what they do for their children, and will always hate seeing their precious ones worrying, or sad. All my life, I've been the pencil. And it pains me to see the eraser that is my parents getting smaller and smaller each day. For I know that one day, all that I'm left with would be eraser shavings and memories of what I used to have.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Food for your mind : What goes around comes around
One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road, but even in the dim light of day, he could see she needed help. So he pulled up in front of her Mercedes and got out. His Pontiac was still sputtering when he approached her.
Even with the smile on his face, she was worried. No one had stopped to help for the last hour or so. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry. He could see that she was frightened, standing out there in the cold. He knew how she felt. It was those chills which only fear can put in you. He said, “I’m here to help you, ma’am. Why don’t you wait in the car where it’s warm? By the way, my name is Bryan Anderson.”
Well, all she had was a flat tire, but for an old lady, that was bad enough. Bryan crawled under the car looking for a place to put the jack, skinning his knuckles a time or two. Soon he was able to change the tire. But he had to get dirty and his hands hurt.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.
As he was tightening up the lug nuts, she rolled down the window and began to talk to him. She told him that she was from St. Louis and was only just passing through. She couldn’t thank him enough for coming to her aid.
Bryan just smiled as he closed her trunk. The lady asked how much she owed him. Any amount would have been all right with her. She already imagined all the awful things that could have happened had he not stopped. Bryan never thought twice about being paid. This was not a job to him. This was helping someone in need, and God knows there were plenty, who had given him a hand in the past. He had lived his whole life that way, and it never occurred to him to act any other way.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.
He told her that if she really wanted to pay him back, the next time she saw someone who needed help, she could give that person the assistance they needed, and Bryan added, “And think of me.”
He waited until she started her car and drove off. It had been a cold and depressing day, but he felt good as he headed for home, disappearing into the twilight.
A few miles down the road the lady saw a small cafe. She went in to grab a bite to eat, and take the chill off before she made the last leg of her trip home. It was a dingy looking restaurant. Outside were two old gas pumps. The whole scene was unfamiliar to her. The waitress came over and brought a clean towel to wipe her wet hair. She had a sweet smile, one that even being on her feet for the whole day couldn’t erase. The lady noticed the waitress was nearly eight months pregnant, but she never let the strain and aches change her attitude. The old lady wondered how someone who had so little could be so giving to a stranger. Then she remembered Bryan.
After the lady finished her meal, she paid with a hundred dollar bill. The waitress quickly went to get change for her hundred dollar bill, but the old lady had slipped right out the door. She was gone by the time the waitress came back. The waitress wondered where the lady could be. Then she noticed something written on the napkin.
There were tears in her eyes when she read what the lady wrote: “You don’t owe me anything. I have been there too. Somebody once helped me out, the way I’m helping you. If you really want to pay me back, here is what you do: Do not let this chain of love end with you.”
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.
Under the napkin were four more $100 bills.
Well, there were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. That night when she got home from work and climbed into bed, she was thinking about the money and what the lady had written. How could the lady have known how much she and her husband needed it? With the baby due next month, it was going to be hard….
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”
She knew how worried her husband was, and as he lay sleeping next to her, she gave him a soft kiss and whispered soft and low, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”
There is an old saying “What goes around comes around.”
Food for your mind : You are a masterpiece
Just because a group of people do not accept you as you are, there is no necessity for you to strip yourself of your originality. You need to think good of yourself, for the world takes you at your own estimate. Never stoop down in order to gain recognition. Never let go of your true self to win a relationship. In the long run, you will regret that you traded your greatest glory – your uniqueness, for momentary validation. Even Gandhi was not accepted by many people. The group that does not accept you as you is not your world.
There is a world for each one of you, where you shall reign as king /queen by just being yourself. Find that world… in fact, that world will find you.
What water can do, gasoline cannot and what copper can, gold cannot. The fragility of the ant enables it to move and the rigidity of the tree enables it to stay rooted. Everything and everybody has been designed with a proportion of uniqueness to serve a purpose that we can fulfill only by being our unique self. You as you alone can serve your purpose and I as I alone can serve my purpose. You are here to be you… just you.
There was a time in this world when a Christ was required and he was sent;a time when a Mahatma was required and he was sent; a time when a J.R.D.Tata was required and he was sent. There came a time when you were required on this planet and hence you were sent. Let us be the best we can be. Don’t miss yourself and let the world not miss you.
In the history of the universe, there has been nobody like you and to the infinite of time to come, there will be no one like you. Existence should have loved you so much that it broke the mold after making you, so that another of your kind will never get repeated. You are original. You are rare. You are unique. You are a wonder. You are a masterpiece… your Master’s piece. Celebrate your Uniqueness.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Food for your mind : There is no Ctrl + Z in life
Keep Goingggggggg !!!!!!
This Guy took the decision to accept the challenge, he got an ordinary question with medium toughness but in tension he choose a wrong option! This whitewashed his entire prize money and made it as 0 Rupee. He was totally drowned; he felt like he should not have accepted the challenge & he scolded, insulted himself for choosing wrong answer. He questioned his 15
On the very next day he reached office but with his mind on those lost minutes, his 15
"Man often squander his today by thinking about his Yesterday. He has to understand that there is No Ctrl + Z in life. Once milk spilled is spilled!! .
So Never Look back at your life & feel for your Mistakes.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Food For your mind : Dont be so fast in life
Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me." Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay.
"Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger. Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the little boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message: Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Food for mind : Facing adversity positively
There was man who used to live with his family and a dog. The dog had been with the family for quite a long time and had grown old. With age the family had slowly began to realize that the dog was becoming useless and they now required a new dog who could serve them better.
One day the man took his dog for a walk, the street was deserted and it was getting dark. Suddenly the dog fell into an old well and started howling for help. The man looked around him and found no help. Soon enough the man realized that the dog was not worth the trouble of saving. So instead of saving the he decided to bury the dog in the well and put him out of his misery.
The man found a shovel nearby, he used it to dig dirt and throw them into the well. Initially the dog started panicking and howling even more, but sooner he realized that it was of no use. Once the dog regained its calmness a thought suddenly struck him. If only he could use the situation to his advantage he would get out of the well safe. He realized that he has to just shake of the mud over him and step on the accumulated dirt to rise up slowly.
For the whole night the man shoved mud into the well and the dog just shook them and stood on a pile of dirt. Finally at dawn break when the whole of well was covered in mud, the old dog found himself out of the well safe. Seeing his brilliance the man burst into tears and hugged the old friend.
This is life and how we face our problem and deal with it positively. No matter how much worse the situation is, being calm and having a positive attitude will ensure that we emerge victorious.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Food for your mind : The Window
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.
One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should he have all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life.
Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.
The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.
Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.
Moral of the story:
The pursuit of happiness is a matter of choice...it is a positive attitude we consciously choose to express. It is not a gift that gets delivered to our doorstep each morning, nor does it come through the window. And I am certain that our circumstances are just a small part of what makes us joyful.
Food for your mind : This is called INNOVATION
Japanese grocery stores had a problem. They are much smaller than shops in the USA and therefore don't have room to waste. Watermelons, big and round, wasted a lot of space. Most people would simply tell the grocery stores that watermelons grow round and there is nothing that can be done about it. That is how majority of people would respond. But some Japanese farmers took a different approach. If the supermarkets wanted a square watermelon, they asked themselves, 'How can we provide one?' It wasn't long before they invented the square watermelon.
The solution to the problem of round watermelons was not to solve as the farmers did not assume it was impossible - and simply asked how it could be done. They found out that if you place the watermelon in a square box when they are growing, the watermelon will take on the shape of the box - and grow into a square fruit.
This made the grocery stores happy and had the added benefit that it was much easier and cost effective to ship the watermelons. Consumers also loved them because they took less space in their refrigerators which are much smaller than those in the US meaning that the growers could charge a premium price for them.
DOES THIS MESSAGE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO IN LIFE?
YES!!!
DON'T ASSUME:
DON'T ASSUME:
The major problem was that most people had always seen round watermelons so they automatically assumed that square watermelons were impossible before even thinking about the question.. Things that you have been doing a certain way your entire life have taken on the aura of the round watermelon and you likely don't even take the time to consider if there is another way to do it. Breaking yourself from assuming this way can greatly improve your overall life as you are constantly looking for new and better ways to do things.
QUESTION HABITS:
The best way to tackle these assumptions is to question your habits. If you can make an effort to question the way you do things on a consistent basis, you will find that you can continually improve the way that you work. Forming habits when they have been well thought out is usually a positive thing, but most of us have adopted our habits from various people and places without even thinking about them.
BE CREATIVE:
When faced with a problem, be creative in looking for a solution. This often requires thinking outside the box. Most people who viewed this question likely thought they were being asked how they could genetically alter water melons to grow square which would be a much more difficult process to accomplish. By looking at the question from an alternative perspective, however, the solution was quite simple. Being creative and looking at things in different ways in all portions of your live will help you find solutions to many problems where others can't see them.
LOOK FOR A BETTER WAY :
The square watermelon question was simply seeking a better and more convenient way to do something. The stores had flagged a problem they were having and asked if a solution was possible. It's impossible to find a better way if you are never asking the question in the first place. Get into the habit of asking yourself, 'Is there a better way I could be doing this?' and you will find there often is.
IMPOSSIBILITIES JUST DON'T EXIST:
If you begin with the notion that something is impossible, then it obviously will be for you. If, on the other hand, you decide to see if something is possible or not, you will find out through trial and error.
Take away the lessons from the square watermelons and apply them to all areas in your life (work, finances, relationships, etc) and you will find that by consistently applying them, you will constantly be improving all aspects of your life.
I AM SURE WE CAN BRING ABOUT CHANGE IF WE REALLY WANT TO. YOU ARE WHAT YOU BELIEVE; BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Food for your mind : How could you win?
After several years, the boss promoted Jing to sales executive but Chuan remained a sales rep. One day Chuan could not take it anymore, tender resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not value hard working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that Chuan worked very hard for the years, but in order to help Chuan realize the difference between him and Jing, the boss asked Chuan to do the following. Go and find out anyone selling water melon in the market? Chuan returned and said yes. The boss asked how much per kg? Chuan went back to the market to ask and returned to inform boss the $12 per kg.
Boss told Chuan, I will ask Jing the same question? Jing went, returned and said, boss, only one person selling water melon. $12 per kg, $100 for 10 kg, he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 15 kg, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.
Chuan was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Jing. He decided not to resign but to learn from Jing.
My dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, think more and understand in depth. For the same matter, a more successful person sees several years ahead, while you see only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, how could you win?
Think! how far have you seen ahead in your life? How thoughtful in depth are you
food for your mind : Power of Words
Food for your mind : A Shared Vision
Each was busy cutting a block of stone.
Interested to find out what they were working on, he asked the first stonecutter what he was doing.
"I am cutting a stone!"
Still no wiser the traveler turned to the second stonecutter and asked him what he was doing.
"I am cutting this block of stone to make sure that it’s square, and its dimensions are uniform, so that it will fit exactly in its place in a wall."
A bit closer to finding out what the stonecutters were working on but still unclear, the traveler turned to the third stonecutter.
He seemed to be the happiest of the three and when asked what he was doing replied: "I am building a cathedral." Real leadership quality is demonstrated through both seeing that picture, and through ensuring others see it. By building a shared vision.
Food for your mind : Be The Coffee Beans
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, n about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied. 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, 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 coffee beans
'
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. Which are you?' she asked her daughter. 'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. May we all be COFFEE
Food for your mind : CONFIDENCE
Basketball tryouts was starting in one week. He made sure he didn't miss the chance to sign up. He played against the people that made the team the previous year. He would play one-on-twos. They would laugh at him because he was getting destroyed and tired. He still kept the "heavy weight" mentality. During tryouts, he was the fastest on defense. His defense was like a wall--hard to go through. His ball-handle was smooth. He was able to go through people with ease. His shots were dropping like rain drops in a barrel. The final day he went to the wall to see if his name was on the list. He made it! Not only made it but he was a starter. The kids that were on the team last year looked at him with much respect. He was right...he would not only make the team, but be better than the team.
He was able to accomplish all this because he already had it in his mind that he would make it. Hard work and strategy is what got him on the team as a starter. He is the prime example that confidence starts in the mind.
Food for your mind : Story of Hell or Heaven after death
First he went to Hell house, it was really amazing neatly furnished, with lots and lots of different variety of food items & many people were around it. The thing he noted is all the food items are kept in separate gatherings in separate tables with one person on each table. But NO ONE IS EATING, no one is happy, no one is healthy everybody was weak in that house.
Secondly he went to heaven house, it was too really amazing neatly furnished with lots of food items & many people were around it. Here all the food items are placed in a common table and all the people are together eating, singing & enjoying. Everybody looked healthy & happy in that house.
This Guy came to the GOD as he was little confused since everything was same between the two houses but in one house people was weak , sad , no one was eating or chatting but in another people where happier , healthier , eating , chatting & enjoying together .He asked the reason to GOD. For that GOD replied.
Son, you have not clearly noticed them. All those people in both the houses were tied with a 4 feet spoon & fork to their hands. In One House, people are so selfish that they want to have those food themselves so they separated, discriminated & named even the tables as their property. They tried to intake those food themselves since they can’t they are not able to eat and they were weak.
But in the another house people loved each other , so they were together .They helped the person next to him to feed hence they were eating and they were healthy, happy & enjoying .
GOD said him that HELL & HEAVEN is not something which is away from Earth .Its only up to us how we behave with our surroundings either to make your place as HELL or HEAVEN .
Friday, November 11, 2011
My Travelogue to Velankanni, The land of miracles
Velankanni, officially spelled as Vailankanni (Virgin of Velai, the town), also spelled as “Velanganni” (due to Tamil to English Transliteration), is a Parish under Tanjore Roman Catholic Diocese and a panchayat town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a small town located on the shores of the Bay of Bengal 350 km south of Chennai (Madras) and 12 km south of Nagapattinam on the Coromandel Coast, in Tamil Nadu, India. (From Wikipedia). Though no historical records exist, according to an age old and strong tradition Our Lady appeared to two poor boys besides saving the Portuguese sailors from shipwreck in Vailankanni and this led to the origin of a Marian Shrine at Vailankanni centuries back.
When to Visit
Vailankanni festival is celebrated every year from August 29 to September 8. During these days the church complex will be crowded with lots of people and you can expect all the demerits of a crowded area like unable to get a hotel room, pollution, difficult for silent prayer etc. We planned to visit Velankanni in November since it is a time we expect not to have much crowd there. Also there will be slight raining in November and hence the atmosphere will not be hot. Weekend days will also be crowded.
Travel
We booked train tickets online through www.irctc.co.in\
The train is ERS Nagore Express (former Tea garden express). This train ply between Ernakulam South (Junction) Rly station to Nagore Railway station and is awailable on all days in a week. We need to get down at Nagapattinam(NGT) railway station. Our starting station was Ernakulam North (ERN). The return train is Ernakulam Express.
Ticket Cost
| Type | Adult | Child | Senior Male | Senior Female |
| Sleeper | 241 | 141 | 161 | 141 |
| First class | 737 | 401 | 469 | 401 |
| 3 AC | 650 | 368 | 424 | 368 |
| 2 AC | 891 | 498 | 577 | 498 |
| 1 AC | 1484 | 810 | 945 | 810 |
Train Schedule
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Reaching Velankanni from Nagapattinam
2 passenger trains ply between nagapattinam to Velankanni (VLKN) railway station .
1) Nagore Velankanni Passenger train (Number : 76813) - at 9:45 AM2)
2) NGT Velankanni Passenger (Number : 76817) - at 11:40 AM
It will take around 30-40 minutes to reach Velankanni railway station. Passenger train goes very slow. The ticket charge is Rs.2/- Since these are connection trains, you can always find any of these trains even if the Nagore express train is late. If you want to reach early, then there are frequent bus services and tempo travellers plying between Nagapattinam railway station and Velankanni. The road is in very good condition when we visited. For return journey also you can get any of these options. The Railway station and Bus stand are at a walkabale distance from Velankanni Churches and Hotels. You can find lots of Autoriksha services in Velankanni. Minimum charge is Rs.30/-
Accommodation
There are lots of private hotels and church’s pilgrim quarters. As usual private hotels will charge a higher rent.
http://www.hotelsinvelankanni.info/hotelsinvelankanni/ - this is a good site having information about the hotels in Velankanni.
http://www.hotelseagate.co.in/index.htm - website of seagate group of hotels in velankanni.
There are numerous cottages and dormitories arranged by the church itself for the pilgrims. These are also have moderate budget, luxurious rooms etc but price is very less compared to private hotels. I think for Non-AC double bedroom, its only Rs. 270/- in a church cottage but in a private hotel, the same will be above Rs.800/- . But you can expect more cleanliness and facilities in a private hotel . I am not sure since I have seen only private hotel rooms. On the way to church, I saw St.Joseph’s Quarters (its one of church cottages) . It looks very shabby. May be its an old building. But there are some newly built cottages which looks good from outside. Don’t know how the rooms will be. The church rooms are booked from a single station. It is located in front of the Velankanni Bus stand. I think we can book through phone also.
Contact Address:
Very Rev. Fr. P. Xavier Rector ,Shrine Basilica, Vailankanni, 611 111. Nagapattinam, District Tamilnadu, INDIA
04365 : 263 530 (Father’s personal) 04365 : 263 517 (Father’s Fax) 04365 : 263 423 (Shrine Number)
For Accommodation: 04365 : 264 890 (Ask them to direct you to the Room booking place) 04365 : 263 421
Food
There are lots of hotels, Tea shops and church canteens available near to the churches. I have tried seaside church canteen, Restaurant in hotel Sea-Gate and Kerala restaurant in front of hotel Picnic. Out of this Kerala restaurant in front of hotel Picnic is a very good one with moderate price but very less seats inside this restaurant. Seaside church canteen is not at all hygienic. But there is a church canteen near to “Lady’s Tank church”. We can see it when we walk through the holy path. This canteen looks good from outside. Apart from these there is hotel Aryabhavan, hotel Saravanas etc.
Church campus Maps
| Details of the above Vailankanni Sketch | |
| 1. Shrine Basilica 2. Our Lady of Dolours Church 3. Museum of Offerings 3A. Blessed Oil Counter 3B. Book Stall-Museum Upstairs 4. St. Antony’s Qts 5. Shrine Depot (presbytery-groung floor) 6. Presbytery 7. Car & Sapparam Shed 8. Stores 9. Little Flower Qts 10. Fountain 11. Home for the Aged 12. Adoration & Reconciliation chapel 13. Generator Room 14. St. Luke’s Qts 15. Infant Jesus Qts 16. Christu Raja Qts with Open Mahal 17. Jubilee Qts 18. Missionaries of Charity Convent 19. DMI Convent 20. Retreat House 21. Institute of Mariology 22. Shrine Public Lavatories 23. Canteen annex 24. Pilgrims rest shelter 25. Our Lady’s Tank Church Tower 26. Hall for distribution of holy water 27. Our Lady’s Tank Church 28. Our Lady’s Tank 29. Depot for religious & Plastic goods 30. Kamarajar road 31. IHM Convent 32. Our Lady of Health Hospital 33. St. Joseph’s Church 34. Hr. Sec. School for the Handicapped & High School for the Hearing-impaired 35. Jesus Convent 36. Karunai Illam 37. Boys Hostel 38. Our Lady of Health Hr. Sec. School 39. St. Joseph’s Qts 40. St. Sebastian’s Church 41. Tourist Bus Stand | 42. State Express Bus Stand 43. Cemeteries 44. Main Road from the Arch Entrance 45. Town Bus Stand 46. Govt. Primary Health Centre 47. Panchayat Office 48. Market 49. Stations of the Cross 50. Stations of the Rosary 51. Holy Path 52. Shrine Dispensaries 53. St. Xavier’s Ground 54. Seven Sacraments 55. St. Xavier Qts 56. Railway Booking Office 57. Shrine Rooms Booking Office 58. Naduthittu Church 59. Our Lady of Health Primary School 60. Indian Overseas Bank 61. Police Station 62. Shrine Community Hall 63. Bon Secours Convent 63A. Girl’s Hostel 64. Shrine Road on the west 65. Shrine Open-Auditorium 66. Don Bosco Qts 67. Post Office 68. St. John’s Qts 69. Uthariamadha Tourist Hall 70. Uthariamadha Road 71. Uthariamadha Bachelor’s Qts 72. Way to the Sea 73. M.M.Qts 74. St. Thomas Qts 75. St. Thomas Annex & Tourist Hall 76. Road on the East of the Shrine 77. Shrine Canteen 78. Shrine Tonsure Hall 79. Road to the Sea 80. Cloak Room 81. Vennaru River 82. Bay of Benga |
(Courtesy : http://www.jaysonjc.com/travel-reviews/velankanni-shrine-basilica-travel-report-%20trivandrum-to-velankanni-via-trichy.html)
Daily Holy Mass services
Every Morning:
5:45 a.m. Holy Mass in Tamil
6:45 a.m. High Mass in Tamil
9:00 a.m. Holy Mass in Malayalam
10:00 a.m. Holy Mass in English
12:00 a.m. Holy Mass in Tamil
Hospital
There is a hospital inside the church complex. Medical store is available there and also outside the church.
Churches and Places to visit
Ø Naduthittu church – near the entrance to main basilica complex.
Ø Main basilica church
Ø Church on the upper floor of Main basilica church
Ø Old church – behind the Main basilica church. Constructed as a single building.
Ø Church of Adoration and Reconciliation – towards the left side of main basilica church.
Ø Lady’s tank church – opposite side of main basilica church
Ø Holy path – path to Lady’s tank church.
Ø Seaside shopping – it’s the road to Velankanni beach. Infront of the old church. Around 500 mtrs. Lots of shops on both sides of this road.
Ø Velankanni beach – front side of old church. Around 500 mtr from the church
Ø Museum of offerings – offerings to Mother Mary are displayed here
Ø Museum Book stall – you can buy prayer books, bible and lot other books
Ø Shrine depot – church administration centre. Here you can buy gift articles.
My Experience on visiting Velankanni
I went to Velankanni with my husband and 3 year old kid. We booked 3AC tickets in ERS Nagore express from Ernakulam North to Nagapattinam. The train started at 10:30 (bit late) . As we already had our dinner from home, we directly went to sleep. The train was fast and the night journey was a good one. Got a good sleep. Woke up at 7 am. We have brought breakfast – chapathi and tomato fry – from home. Bought coffee from Thanjavur railway station and had our breakfast. There was no pantry in the train. The scenes outside the train were interesting. I had visited Velankanni in 2000, at that time these places were a dry land with no trees and no traces of water. But its changed. Now I can see lots of paddy fields, coconut and banana tree cultivations and lots of water filled lakes. These lakes seems to be man made. May be for growing prawns or for extracting salt. I am not sure. Anyway the view is nice. The train was expected to reach Nagapattinam at 10:10 AM but it was 30 mins late. After getting down from the train we crossed the overbridge to reach the first platform where the passenger train to velankanni was waiting. We took tickets worth Rs.2/- per person and got into the train. It was neat and not much passengers. We reached velankanni railway station by around 11:10 AM. It’s a newly built railway station with its front view constructed similar to a church. From there its walkable distance to Hotels and lodges, but since we were having some heavy baggage, we get into one jeep infront of the railway station. We had to pay Rs.10 per person.
During this time its not difficult to get a hotel or a church quarters. We selected Hotel SeaGate for our stay. For AC 2 bedroom the rent is Rs.1300 + 12% tax. For Non-AC 2 bedroom the rent is Rs.800 + 10% tax. The rent was calculated on 24 hour basis. But they allowed us to stay upto 1 PM next day. We were accompanied by a room boy to our room. The room was neat. We asked the room boy to get us a dust bin, a blanket and some hot drinking water. A TV was there but only one Malayalam channel – Asianet was available. Bathroom was narrow but neat. Hot water and ordinary water available inside the bathroom. A big mirror and a spacious cupboard etc was also available. The windows opened to a distant view of main basilica church.
We took bath and had some rest. After lunch we planned to visit the churches. But suddenly it rained though not heavy. But the rain ended up within some 10-15 minutes and so we walked to the church complex. The road was dirty due to the rain. There was not much pilgrims on the way. We reached the main entrance of the church complex which is to the right side of the road. Towards the left side it is the “Naduthittu” church. We planned to visit the main churches first.
The Basilica church is an architectural beauty. Main basilica church was closed at that time due to some cleaning works going inside. So we first went to the Old main church which is behind the main basilica. We spent some time praying there. It’s a small church. Here we can see lots of people bring things like rosaries, car keys, pens, sprouted coconut plants and other such important personal things to get it touched and blessed by the statue of Mother Mary. Also we can see people kneeling through the middle of the church in prayer. We can not use cameras and videos in any of the church.
Then we went to the upper church which is above the main basilica. I like this church a lot since here only very few people were there and there is pin drop silence. Its somewhat a big church and here I spent around 1 hour in silent prayer. On the right side of Altar is a beautiful statue of Velankanni Matha. Here people offer sarees which are put on this statue and then given to poor ladies during their marriage.
Then we went to the church of Adoration and Reconciliation which is left to the basilica church. A beautiful pathway is built towards this church. It is a place for silent prayer and meditation. There is no altar here, instead a great depiction of Jesus carrying the cross is built there. Near to this church there is a centre for confession, counselling and are offered in different languages. There is toilet behind this area. Near to this area is a huge depiction of Baptism of Jesus, a beautiful garden with statues of birds , elephant etc.
After visiting all these we went to the road between the basilica church and church of Adoration. Few quarters like Little Lourde Qts etc are on this way. Also there is a museum of depicts and paintings. Its an awesome show. Hats off to the people behind this initiative. We reached infront of the seaside road. We had Tea from church canteen. Food is available for moderate price but we have to adjust on neatness.
Then we went through the seaside road. Both sides of this road are covered by shops. We get a good shopping experience. But the road is very dirty. If we walk looking at the shopping enchants, its sure we will land in cow’s dung!! Some shops sell things at very low prices. But you can see different prices in different shops for the same piece of things. The road leads to the Velankanni Beach. It was around 6:45 PM and its getting really dark. The beach was crowded with pilgrims and ice cream sellers. We spent sometime watching the greatness of the sea and went back. I think there is boating facility somewhere near the beach. We didn’t go there.
A famous offering at Velankanni is the shaving of head. We can see lots of pilgrims with clean shaved head. My husband also shaved his head from the church’s centre for this. Its at the start of seaside road (near church canteen) . Rs.10 was charged for this. My kid was shy to shave his head. So he didn’t do. Then we went back to our hotel room. We had our dinner from Hotel seagate’s restaurant. Its very costly and I didn’t like it much. The night was calm and quiet and got a nice sleep.
Second day morning – We had breakfast from Kerala restaurant infront of Hotel Picnic (near to hotel Seagate) . Moderate cost and tasty food. We hired one auto to church. Minimum charge is Rs.30. We attended the holy Mass at 9 AM in Malayalam from the Main basilica church. Then we went to see the museum and shrine depot which is infront of the old church. People’s offering to Mother Mary is displayed here. We can read through their experience in the letters displayed there. There is a separate section for Gold offerings. At the end of this is a small bookstall where variety of religious and self help books are available to buy. Next to this building is the Shrine depot. You can buy a lot of stuff including handicrafts and other religious materials. There is an information counter and a security office on the same building.
Then we went to see the Lady’s tank church. On the way to Our Lady’s Tank, Stations of the Cross and Mysteries of the Rosary were constructed. We stopped at each station and did a small prayer. The middle of the road is sand filled which is used as the Holy Path. Pilgrims kneel through this sand road towards the Lady’s tank church. It’s a painful experience I guess!
At the end of the holy path you will find Lady’s Tank Church. This is where Mother Mary first appeared to a milk. In front of the church you can see a covered tank which is believed to be created by Mother Mary. There is no altar inside this church. A beautiful depiction of Mother Mary’s apparition to the milk boy is there. Here also we spent a good amount of time in prayer. Outside of this church, there is a place to buy holy water. On the left of the church you will see “cloth cradles” and “thaali charadu” hanging from tree branches. Couples tie these “cradles” as an offering to mother Mary asking the gift of a child in return. The other one is for marriage.
Then we went back to our room and packed up things. At 1 PM, we checked out from the room. We had lunch from kerala restaurant. This time it was crowded there. Very few seats. Lunch was good. Then we went to visit Naduthittu church at the entrance of church complex. This is the place where Mother Mary appeared to a crippled boy and healed his legs. Here you can see a large depiction of this apparition. We were planning to spent our time there till we go to railway station. But the place was full of insect flies and so after sometime we went for small shopping. By around 3:30 PM we went to Velankanni railway station. From there we went to Nagapattinam railway station in a passenger train. we got into Ernakulam Express by 6PM. We bought our dinner from Trichy station. And had a good sleep in train. Next day morning at 5:30 we reached Ernakulam.
That’s it!! I had two days of peace and contentment. If you want to visit Velankanni, following links will be helpful.
http://www.velankannichurch.com/pages/aboutvailankanni/aboutvailankanni.html
http://www.tour.vailankannishrine.org/
Photos
| Velankanni Railway station | Hotel Seagate |
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| Main basilica church | Old main church |
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| church of adoration | Our Lady's tank church |
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| Seaside shops | Beach |
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| Naduthittu church | Jordan garden |
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| Hotel room | Seagate resorts |
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| Kerala restaurant | Art Museum |
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