Keep your Eyes and Ears open

(Received in WhatsApp. Author unknown. If you are the author, please get in touch)

ANYONE CAN TEACH US SOMETHING NEW!

Why the name AUTO for the most popular vehicle in Chennai?

(For the uninitiated, AUTO, in Indian cities refers to mechanically operated rickshaws, otherwise known as auto-rickshaw) 

One early morning some time in 2016, on reaching Central Station from Coimbatore, I engaged an Auto to go home.

The Auto driver appeared to be a well informed person. I struck up a conversation with him enquiring about competition that he faced from call taxis. He admitted that it was tough but was confident that autos would survive. While he pointed out the short life of call taxi companies like Bharathi, NTL, Friends etc. he was confident that Autos would survive.

Suddenly he asked me whether I knew the meaning of "Auto".

I said "No".

He surprised me with his explanation.

"During the British Rule, medicines were transported to hospitals from the Central medical Depots initially by hand pulled rickshaws, then by pedalled tricycle rickshaws.

At that time an enterprising Sardar from Jallandar fixed a motor to the cycle rickshaw which was used to draw water. After making innovative alterations to the vehicle, it was faster & could carry heavier loads.

So, the British Government Invested in more such motorised vehicles to transport urgent life saving medicines to hospitals.

These were called "An Urgent Transport Option".

The AUTO became very popular and slowly they were used for various other purposes including transporting passengers.

Over the period, this was modified technically and in appearance."

I realized that to gain knowledge, one has to keep one's Eyes and Ears open always because we never know from where it comes to us!

Should you compare?

(Received in WhatsApp Group. Due credits to whoever has authored this)

Comparisons

Shweta covered a distance of 10 km in one hour.

Akash covered the same distance in one and a half hours.

Which of the two is faster and healthier??

Of course our answer will be Shweta.

What if we say that Shweta covered this distance on a prepared track while Akash did it by walking on a sandy path???

Then our answer will be Akash.

But when we come to know that Shweta is 50 years old while Akash is 25 years old??

Then our answer will be Shweta again.

But we also come to know that Akash's weight is 140 kg while Shweta's weight is 65 kg.

Again our answer will be Akash

As we learn more about Akash and Shweta, our opinions and judgments about who is better will change.

The reality of life is also similar. We form opinions very superficially and hastily, due to which we are not able to do justice to ourselves and others.

Opportunities vary.

Life is different.

Resources differ.

Problems change.

Solutions are different.

Therefore the excellence of life is not in comparing with anyone but in testing oneself.

You are the best. Stay as you are and keep trying your best according to your circumstances.

Stay healthy, stay cool, stay satisfied, keep smiling, keep laughing, keep on serving society and the country.

 (WhatsApp forward)

To all the wonderful moms:

We tend to care a lot and hence want to decide everything for our family members. Sometimes it stresses us too. This mom teaches us how to overcome it.

LESSON FOR LIFE💝

My mom felt exhausted. She was irritable and grumpy, until one day, suddenly, she changed.

One day my dad said to her:  I'm going to have a few beers with friends.

My mom replied:  Okay.

My brother said to her:  I'm doing poorly in all subjects in college.

My mom replied:  Okay, you will recover, and if you don't, you repeat the semester, but you pay the tuition.

My sister said to her:  I smashed the car.

My mom replied:  Okay, take it to the car shop & get it fixed.

All of us were worried to see these reactions coming from mom. We suspected that she had gone to the doctor and was prescribed some pills called "I don't give a damn”.

We then proposed to do an "intervention" with my mother to remove her from any possible addiction she had towards some anti-tantrum medication.

But then mom gathered us around her and explained:

"It took me a long time to realize that each person is responsible for their life. It took me years to discover that my anguish, anxiety, my depression, my courage, my insomnia & my stress, does not solve your problems but aggravates mine.

I am not responsible for the actions of anyone and it’s not my job to provide happiness.

Therefore, I came to the conclusion that my duty to myself is to remain calm and let each one of you solve what corresponds to you.

I have taken courses in yoga, meditation, miracles, human development, mental hygiene, vibration and neuro linguistic programming and in all of them, I found a common denominator.

I can only control myself, you have all the necessary resources to solve your own problems despite how hard they may be. My job is to PRAY for you, LOVE you, ENCOURAGE you, but it’s up to YOU to solve them and find your happiness.

I can only give you my advice if you ask me and it depends on you to follow it or not. There are consequences, good or bad, to your decisions and YOU have to live with them.”

Everyone at home was speechless.

From that day on, the family began to function better because everyone in the house knew exactly what it is that they needed to do.

The Journey is Short
(WhatsApp forward)

An elderly woman got on a bus and sat down. At the next stop, a strong, grumpy young woman climbed up and sat down beside the old woman, hitting her with her numerous bags.

When she saw that the elderly woman remained silent, the young woman asked her why she had not complained when she hit her with her bags?

The elderly woman replied with a Smile: "There is no need to be rude or discuss something so insignificant, as my trip next to you is so short, because I am going to get off at the next stop."

This answer deserves to be written in gold letters: "There is no need to discuss something so insignificant, because our journey together is too short."

Each of us must understand that our time in this world is so short, that darkening it with useless arguments, jealousy, not forgiving others, discontentment and bad attitudes are a ridiculous waste of time and energy.

Did someone break your heart? Stay calm.

The trip is too short.

Did someone betray you, intimidate, cheat or humiliate you? Relax - Don't be Stressed

The trip is too short.

Did someone insult you without reason? Stay calm. Ignore it.

The trip is too short.

Did a neighbour make a comment that you didn't like? Stay calm. Ignore him. Forgive that.

The trip is too short.

Whatever the problem someone has brought us, remember that our journey together is too short.

No one knows the length of our trip. Nobody knows when it will arrive at its stop.

Our trip together is too short.

Let us appreciate friends and family.

Let us be respectful, kind and forgiving,

Because we will be filled with gratitude and joy, after all

Our trip together is very short.

Share your smile to everyone....

Our trip is Very Short!

 Take time to care for yourself

(WhatsApp forward)

A cobbler lived in a large village and he was the only cobbler in town, so he was responsible for repairing the boots of everybody else.

However, he didn’t have time to repair his own boots.

This wasn’t a problem at first, but over time, his boots began to deteriorate and fall apart.

While he worked feverishly on the boots of everyone else, his feet got blisters and he started to limp.

His customers started to worry about him, but he reassured them that everything was alright.

However, after a few years, the cobbler’s feet were so injured that he could no longer work and no-one’s boots got repaired.

As a consequence, soon the entire town started to limp in pain, all because the cobbler never took the time to repair his own boots.

This simple principle is so often disregarded.

If you are in a responsible position and are one of the important links in the groups survival chain and if You do not look after yourself, after a while you’ll be no good to anyone else either.

Your best intentions will mean nothing and you’ll be unable to do what you’re meant to do.

This goes for leaders, social workers, teachers, even parents, breadwinners, homemakers and daughters-in-law. 

If you don’t take the time to care for yourself, no-one else will. So start taking care of your health both physical and mental health so that you can be happy and help others also.

Hope sees the Invisible

(WhatsApp Forward)

Dr. Frank Mayfield (1908-1991, a renowned Neurosurgeon in the US) was touring Tewksbury Institute when, on his way out, he accidentally collided with an elderly floor maid. To cover the awkward moment Dr. Mayfield started asking questions.

"How long have you worked here?"

"I've worked here almost since the place opened," the maid replied.

"What can you tell me about the history of this place?" he asked.

"I don't think I can tell you anything, but I could show you something."

With that, she took his hand and led him down to the basement under the oldest section of the building. She pointed to one of what looked like small prison cells, their iron bars rusted with age, and said, "That's the cage where they used to keep Annie Sullivan."

"Who's Annie?" the doctor asked.

Annie was a young girl who was brought in here because she was incorrigible—nobody could do anything with her. She'd bite and scream and throw her food at people. The doctors and nurses couldn't even examine her or anything. I'd see them trying with her spitting and scratching at them.

"I was only a few years younger than her myself and I used to think, 'I sure would hate to be locked up in a cage like that.' I wanted to help her, but I didn't have any idea what I could do. I mean, if the doctors and nurses couldn't help her, what could someone like me do?

"I didn't know what else to do, so I just baked her some brownies one night after work. The next day I brought them in. I walked carefully to her cage and said, 'Annie, I baked these brownies just for you. I'll put them right here on the floor and you can come and get them if you want.'

"Then I got out of there just as fast as I could because I was afraid she might throw them at me. But she didn't. She actually took the brownies and ate them. After that, she was just a little bit nicer to me when I was around. And sometimes I'd talk to her. Once, I even got her laughing.

One of the nurses noticed this and she told the doctor. They asked me if I'd help them with Annie. I said I would if I could. So that's how it came about that. Every time they wanted to see Annie or examine her, I went into the cage first and explained and calmed her down and held her hand.

This is how they discovered that Annie was almost blind."

After they'd been working with her for about a year—and it was tough sledding with Annie—the Perkins institute for the Blind opened its doors. They were able to help her and she went on to study and she became a teacher herself.

Annie came back to the Tewksbury Institute to visit, and to see what she could do to help out. At first, the Director didn't say anything and then he thought about a letter he'd just received. A man had written to him about his daughter. She was absolutely unruly—almost like an animal. She was blind and deaf as well as 'deranged.'

He was at his wit's end, but he didn't want to put her in an asylum. So he wrote the Institute to ask if they knew of anyone who would come to his house and work with his daughter.

And that is how Annie Sullivan became the lifelong companion of Helen Keller.

When Helen Keller received the Nobel Prize, she was asked who had the greatest impact on her life and she said, "Annie Sullivan."

But Annie said, "No Helen. The woman who had the greatest influence on both our lives was a floor maid at the Tewksbury Institute."

 Choose your battles wisely

Source: WhatsApp sharing

An elephant took a bath in a river and was walking on the road. As it neared a bridge, it saw a pig fully soaked in mud coming from the opposite direction. The elephant quietly moved to one side, allowed the dirty pig to pass and then continued its onward journey.

The unclean pig later spoke to its friends in arrogance, “See how great I am; even the elephant was afraid of me and moved to one side to let me pass”.

On hearing this, some elephants questioned their friend, the reason for its action. Was it out of fear?

The elephant smiled and replied, “I could have easily crushed the pig under my leg, but I was clean and the pig was very dirty. By crushing it, my leg will become dirty and I wanted to avoid it. Hence, I moved aside.”

Realized souls will avoid contact with negativity not out of fear, but out of desire to keep away from impurity though they are strong enough to destroy the impurity. We need not react to every opinion, every comment, or every situation. We must choose our battles wisely… Not everything deserves our time and attention. Reacting or behaving in a same way will take away our peace of mind.