Have an Attitude of Gratitude

 (Author unknown. Received in WhatsApp)

Nearby, a building construction work was going on.

Lots of poor labourers were working there and their small children used to hold on to one another's shirt and play "train-train".

Someone would become the engine and others would become bogies.

Every day, these children used to take turns becoming the engine and bogies.

But, there was one small boy wearing only a half pant who used to hold one small green cloth in his hand and become the guard daily.

So, once I went to him and asked him, "son, don't you also wish to become an engine or a bogie some time?"

He softly replied, "Sir, I don't have a shirt to wear so how will the other children catch me to make the train?"

I could see the slight wetness in his eyes.

But, it taught me a lesson. He could have cried and sat at home and sulked that his parents could not afford to buy him a shirt.

But instead, he chose another way to play and enjoy himself.

In life, we don't get all things we desire and we keep complaining.

I don't have a bike, I don't have car, I don't have a big house, etc, etc.

Life is like that. It is upto us to make it beautiful and be grateful for what we have ..🙏🏼

My two cents:
When things do not work for us or when things go wrong in our lives, we tend to go in a depression making it increasingly difficult to be grateful for what we have. It requires an effort to have an attitude of gratitude at such times. But studies show that thankfulness increases levels of happiness and decreases levels of depression. Making thankfulness a daily routine makes it easy to have an attitude of gratitude at troubled times.

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!

A Son teaches a lesson to all

A son took his old father to a restaurant for an evening dinner. 

His father, being very old and weak, while eating, dropped food on his shirt and pants. The mess that he made disgusted the other diners in the restaurant while his son remained calm.

After they were finished eating, the son, who was not embarrassed at all, quietly took him to the wash room, wiped off the food particles, removed the stains, combed his hair and fitted his glasses firmly, When they came out, the entire restaurant was watching them in dead silence, not able to grasp how someone could embarrass themselves publicly like that.

The son settled the bill and started to leave the eatery with his father.

At that time, an old man amongst the diners called out to the son and asked him, “Don’t you think you left something behind?”

The son replied, “No sir, I haven’t.”

The old man retorted, “Yes, you have! You have left a lesson for every son and hope for every father.”

The restaurant went silent.

It is said old age is another childhood. Parents take extreme care of their off springs, love them with all their heart and stand with them even when they start a family of their own. All one can do is to love them and take care of them in their second innings.   

What's in my cup?

Received in Social Media.

I love this analogy!

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere.

Why did you spill the coffee?

"Well because someone bumped into me, of course!"

Wrong answer.

You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup.

Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea.

Whatever is inside the cup, is what will spill out.

Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It's easy to fake it, until you get rattled.

So we have to ask ourselves... “what's in my cup?"

When life gets tough, what spills over?

Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility?

Or anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions?

You choose!

My thoughts: As I write this now in Sept 2020, the entire world is going through a strange phase for the past six months. A lot has been happening which we had never faced before and which we never thought in the wildest of our dreams. Covid is shaking us all making us spill what is inside us. What we carry within, is what we toss around when shaken. Today let's fill ourselves with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation; and kindness, gentleness and love for others.

Positives in Negatives

A woman was sitting at her dining table, worried about taxes to be paid, house-work to be done and to top it all, her family was coming over for Thanksgiving the next day. 

Worried and Tired as she was, she was not feeling very thankful at that time.

As she turned her gaze sideways, she noticed her young daughter scribbling furiously into her notebook. She asked her, “What are you writing?”

“My teacher asked us to write a paragraph on “Negative Thanksgiving” for homework today,” said the daughter. “She asked us to write down things that we are thankful for, things that make us feel not so good in the beginning, but turn out to be good after all.”

With curiosity, the mother peeked into the book. This is what her daughter had written:
“I’m thankful for Final Exams, because that means school is almost over.
I’m thankful for bad-tasting medicine, because it helps me feel better.
I’m thankful for waking up to alarm clocks, because it means I’m still alive”.

It then dawned on the mother, that she had a lot of things to be thankful for!

She thought again…
She had to pay taxes but that meant she was fortunate to be employed.

She had house-work to do but that meant she had her own home to live in.
She had to cook for her family for Thanksgiving but that meant she had a family with whom she could celebrate.

My thoughts:

Learning to stay positive in life is vital. Looking for the positives in a negative situation can completely change your perspective on the situation at hand. Not that they will allow you to be happy in life but they will no doubt give you strength to deal with any challenges in life. Accepting a situation and finding a solution and by being thankful to what you have are sure ways of looking at a negative situation with positivity. 

Gratitude can change destiny

Shared from a Facebook post of a friend

There was a small bird living in a desert.

With no sign of greenery the bird had to hop around on the hot sand through the day.

An angel, while on his way to God, saw the little bird and felt pity.

He went and asked, “O little bird! What are you doing in this hot desert? Can I do something for you?”

The little bird said, “I am very pleased with my life, but this heat is unbearable. Both my feet are getting burnt. Only if there was a tree here, I’d be delighted”.

Angel said, “Growing a tree in the middle of desert is beyond my scope. I am going to meet God, let me speak to Him and ask if He could fulfill your desire”.

Angel asked God, if he could help the bird. God said, “I could grow a tree, but her destiny doesn’t allow it and I can’t change that. However, you can give her my message, which will help her survive the heat. Ask her to hop with one foot at a time. That way she can rest the other one for a while and change foot often. This way only one of her feet will have to bear the heat and other one will be able to rest and recover. Also tell her to remember all the good things that have happened in her life and be thankful to God for that."

Angel came back to where the bird was and gave her this message from God.

The bird was delighted by the idea and thanked him for the effort he made to make her comfortable.

After a few days......

Angel was crossing the same desert and thought of checking on the little bird.

He saw the bird sitting on big green tree, right in the middle of the desert. Angel was happy to see the bird in comfort but was very disappointed with God who suggested that there was no tree in this bird’s destiny.

He went to meet God and told Him the whole story.

God replied, “I never lied to you. There was no tree in the bird’s destiny. However, after you gave her my message, which asked her to be grateful to God for the kind things, she did put those words to action. She remembered every possible thing from her life and thanked God with a pure heart. I was moved with her feeling of gratitude and that’s what made me change her destiny”.

Angel was pleased with the answer.

A small gratitude can bring so much in our lives. Always thank God & Stay blessed

Hearts of living

Once a saint saw a man with a bandage tied round his head. “Why have you tied the bandage?” he asked.
“Because my head aches,” the man replied.
“How old are you?” he demanded.
“Thirty,” he replied.
“Have you been in pain and anguish the greater part of your life?” he enquired.
“No,” the man answered.
“For thirty years you have enjoyed good health,” he remarked, “and you never tied
the bandage of thankfulness. Now because of this one night head ache, that you have, you tie the bandage of complaint!”

_________________________________________________________________

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone & asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation.

The traveler left, rejoicing his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

“I’ve been thinking,” He said, “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious: Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”

_________________________________________________________________


A person once heard a pious man say that “For the last thirty years I am repenting for a sin and I don’t know how God will deal with me regarding it?”

The listener asked: “What was your sin?”

The man said: “I used to have a shop in the Bazaar. One day I heard that the whole Bazaar was burning so I rushed to see my shop. When I reached there I saw that all the shops except my shop were razed to the ground. I said ‘Thank God!”, but immediately I realized my mistake. How can I call myself pious when I couldn’t feel the loss of my neighbors? That is why I am repenting for that lapse on my part for the last thirty years.”

_

What goes around comes around.

Author: Unknown

One day a man saw an old lady, stranded on the side of the road with her Mercedes. He could see she needed help. His humble Pontiac was still sputtering when he got out of his car and approached her.

It was obvious that the lady was frightened on seeing him. Was he going to hurt her? He didn’t look safe; he looked poor and hungry.

He could see that she was frightened. He knew how she felt. 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.”

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, the lady 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.

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.

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 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 Anderson.

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.

Well……..the story doesn’t end here……

There were tables to clear, sugar bowls to fill, and people to serve, but the waitress made it through another day. 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…

That night when she got home from work she saw how worried her husband was, and whispered soft and low to him, “Everything’s going to be all right. I love you, Bryan Anderson.”

Who is the richest person?

Author Unknown

A rich landowner often rode around his vast estate so he could congratulate himself on his great wealth.

One day while riding around his estate on his favorite horse, he saw an old tenant farmer sitting under a tree and praying with folded hands. His humble food was lying before him. The rich man asked him why he is praying instead of eating.

The farmer said, 'I was just thanking God for my food.'

The rich man protested, 'If that is all I had to eat, I wouldn't feel like giving thanks.'

The farmer replied, 'God has given me everything I need, and I am thankful for it.'

He then added, 'It is strange you should come by today because I had a dream last night. In my dream a voice told me, 'The richest man in the valley will die tonight.' I don't know what it means, but I thought I ought to tell you.'

The rich man snorted, 'Dreams are nonsense,' and galloped away, but he could not forget the old man's words: 'The richest man in the valley will die tonight.'

He was obviously the richest man in the valley, so he invited his doctor to his house that evening. He told the doctor what the farmer had said. After a thorough examination, the doctor told the wealthy landowner, 'You are as strong and healthy as a horse. There is no way you are going to die tonight.'

Nevertheless, for assurance, the doctor stayed with him, and they played cards through the night. The doctor left the next morning and the man apologized for becoming so upset over the old man's dream. At about nine o'clock, a messenger arrived at his door.

'What is it?' the rich man demanded.

The messenger explained, 'It's about that old farmer. He died last night in his sleep.'

The richest man is not he who HAS THE MOST but he who NEEDS THE LEAST. The richest people are not necessarily happy. He may be a successful person. But its more important for anyone to heed to the lessons of the failure. The experiences taught by success and failure make one more richer than the material wealth. "Being the richest man in the cemetery does not matter to me. Going to bed at night saying that we've done something wonderful.....thats what matters to me," says Steve Jobs.

The need for Grace of God

A story from the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna

Once a Sadhu attained occult power while going through spiritual practices. He then forgot all about the highest of the spiritual attainment, merging in the divine.

The lord wanted to point that out to him, so He appeared as a common man in front of the Sadhu.

He asked Sadhu if he had great occult powers, to which the Sadhu affirmed with pride.

Pointing at an Elephant close by, the man asked the Sadhu, “Can you kill that huge elephant?”

With the smile of arrogance, the Sadhu said, “Not a big deal”. He took a pinch of dust, did some mantra chant and threw the same in air. The Elephant instantly was brought down on earth, struggled a while in pain, and was dead.

“Impressive”, said the man. “Now can you revive the elephant back to life?”, he asked.

The sadhu again picked some dust, did some mantra chant and let go the dust in air, with an arrogant smile on his face. The elephant came back to life. Got up and went off in search of food.

Then the Lord said: "Wonderful is your power. But may I ask you one thing? You have killed the elephant and you have revived it. But what has that done for you? Do you feel uplifted by it? Has it enabled you to realize God?"

Saying this the Lord vanished.

Though its a small word, if we make 'EGO' the biggest word in our vocabulary, it will start controlling our thoughts, words and actions. Ego is like dust in the eyes. It prevents us from seeing things clearly. It comes in the way and steals the joy. To let the Love shine through, we have to get the ego out of our way. Where God is, the ego cannot be.

Are You Blessed?

If you can read now, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation.......you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness.......... you are more blessed than the million who have not survived.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are luckier than 75% of this world's population.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace....... you are among the top 50% of the world's wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married........you are among the top 25% of this world's blessed ones.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful.....you are among the top 10% and blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you prayed yesterday and today........you are in the minority because you believe God does hear and answer prayers.

B: Begin your day with
L: Love in your heart
E: Ever ready to help
S: Sharing love and
S: Spreading light like the sun
I: Inspiring all and
N: Never forgetting that
G: God is with you all the time

God Knows

~Author Unknown~

When you are tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts;
God knows how hard you have tried.
When you've cried so long and your heart is in anguish;
God has counted your tears.

If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed you by;
God is waiting with you.
When you're lonely and your friends are too busy even for a phone call;
God is by your side.

When you think you've tried everything and don't know where to turn;
God has a solution.
When nothing makes sense and you are confused or frustrated;
God has the answer.

If suddenly your outlook is brighter and you find traces of hope;
God has whispered to you.
When things are going well and you have much to be thankful for;
God has blessed you.

When something joyful happens and you are filled with awe;
God has smiled upon you.
When you have a purpose to fulfill and a dream to follow;
God has opened your eyes and called you by name.

Remember that wherever you are or whatever you 're facing;

God Knows!!

Mother's Love

When you were 1 year old, she fed you and bathed you.
- You thanked her by crying all the night.

When you were 2 years old, she taught you to walk.
- You thanked her by running away when she called.

When you were 3 years old, she made all your meals with love.
- You thanked her by tossing your plate on the floor.

When you were 4 years old, she gave you some crayons.
- You thanked her by coloring the dinning room table.

When you were 5 years old, she dressed you for the holidays.
- You thanked her by looping into the nearest pile of mud.

When you were 6 years old, she walked you into school.
- You thanked her by screaming, "I'M NOT GOING".

When you were 7 years old, she bought you a baseball.
- You thanked her by throwing it through the next-door-neighbor window.

When you were 8 years old, she handed you an ice cream.
- You thanked her by dripping it all over you lap.

When you were 9 years old, she paid for piano lessons.
- You thanked her by never even bothering to practice it.

When you were 10 years old, she drove you all day, from soccer to gymnastic to one birthday party after another.
- You thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.

When you were 11 years old, she took you and your friends to the movies.
- You thanked her by asking to sit in the different row.

When you were 12 years old, she warned you not to watch certain TV shows.
- You thanked her by waiting until she left the house.

When you were 13, she suggested a haircut that was becoming.
- You thanked her by telling her she had no taste.

When you were 14, she paid for a month away at summer camp.
- You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.

When you were 15, she came home from work, looking for a hug.
- You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.

When you were 16, she taught you how to drove her car.
- You thanked her by taking it every chance you could.

When you were 17, she was expecting an important call.
- You thanked her by being on the phone all night.

When you were 18, she cried at your school graduation.
- You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.

When you were 19, she paid for your college tuition, drove you to campus, carried your bags.
- You thanked her by saying good-bye outside the dorm so you wouldn't be embarrassed in front of you friends.

When you were 20, she asked whether you were seeing anyone.
- You thanked her by saying "It's none of you business".

When you were 21, she suggested certain careers for your future.
- You thanked her by saying "I don't want to be like you".

When you were 22, she hugged you at your college graduation.
- You thanked her by asking whether she could pay for a trip to Europe.

When you were 23, she gave you furniture for your first apartment.
- You thanked her by telling your friend it was ugly.

When you were 24, she met your fiancee and asked about your plans for the future.
- You thanked her by glaring and growling, "Muuhh-ther, please!"

When you were 25, she helped to pay for your wedding, and she cried and told how deeply she loved you.
- You thanked her by moving halfway across the country.

When you were 30, she called with some advice on the baby.
- You thanked by telling her, "Things are different now."

When you were 40, she called to remind you of a relative's birthday.
- You thanked her by saying you were "really busy right now."

When you were 50, she fell ill and needed you to take care of her.
- You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to their children.

And then, one day, she quietly died. And everything you never did, came crashing down like thunder on your heart.
If she's still around, never forget to love her more than ever. And if she's not, remember her unconditional love

Understanding others' sufferings

Unknown Author

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?"

The youth answered, "none".

The director asked, "Was it your father who paid for your school fees?"

The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.”

The director asked, "Where did your mother work?"

The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner.”

The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, "Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?"

The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.”

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.”

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: "Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, "I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes.”

The Director asked, "Please tell me your feelings."

The youth said, 

“1.I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today.
2. By working together and helping my mother, only now I realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done.
3. I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.”

The director said, "This is what I am looking for in my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.”

The Spider web

A young soldier was battling for his country. His army was being defeated by the enemies. The soldier and his friends started running away from the enemies who were chasing them. Soon, he found himself separated from his friends. 

Full of fear and desperation, he chanced upon a cave. He decided to hide there. He crawled into the cave, fervently praying to God to save him. He vowed to God that he would serve Him for the rest of his life if He saved him.

As he was praying, he saw a spider beginning to weave its web at the entrance of the cave. The fine threads from the spider’s mouth started to make a web soon. He prayed, “God I’m asking you to save me and you are showing me this insignificant spider? How is he going to help me?” The young soldier lost all his hopes thinking that the enemy would find him soon.

Soon he could hear the footsteps of the enemies near the entrance of the cave. His heart was in his mouth. He was waiting for the moment to be caught.

As the enemy came near the entrance, he saw the spider’s web which was by now complete. The young soldier heard the enemy telling his comrades, “There’s spider’s web here. If anyone has gone inside they would have had to break this web. Hence there can’t be any one here. Lets move on.”

The young soldier thanked God profusely for sending the spider to save him. 

And yes, as he promised God, he became a preacher to serve Him the rest of his life.

God is only a prayer away

--Author Unknown--

Good morning. I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems.

Please remember that I do not need your help. If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. It will be addressed in MY TIME, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem.

If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that it is the proper resolution.

Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there is no need for you to lose any sleep. Rest my child. If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.

God's Blessings

A newly arrived soul in heaven was met by St Peter. The saint toured the soul around the heaven.

Both of them walked inside a large room filled with angels.

St Peter took the soul to the first section and said, “This is the receiving section. Here, all petitions to God said as prayers are received.” The soul looked around. It was a terribly busy section with all the angels sorting out voluminous petitions from all over the world.

St Peter took the soul to the nest section. “This is the packaging and dispatch section. Here, the blessings and graces are packed and delivered to the people on earth who prayed for them.” This was an equally terribly busy section too. There were so many angels working in that room to pack and deliver innumerable blessings and graces.

St Peter took the soul to the last and final section. To its total surprise, unlike the other busy sections, there was only one angel sitting idly for want of work.

“How is it there is no work here? What section is this?” asked the soul.

“This is the acknowledging section. The saddest thing is after they receive the blessings, very few send their acknowledgements.”

“How does one acknowledge God’s blessings?” asked the soul in wonder.

“Simple. Just say, ‘Thank you Lord,’” answered St Peter. 

World Environment Day

“World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated every year on 5th June to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental action.” Says Wikipedia.

Today, on this environment day, I have this riddle for you:

A potato's key tool, I have all the power.
I am generally used on the half or full hour.
If my cells were deceased or lost or the such,
My partner would only respond to your touch.
Who am I?

Answer A television remote control. 

Often used by a "couch potato". Channels are most often changed between programs, which end on the hour or half-hour.If you lose the batteries, the only way to control the TV is by hand.

Here comes the next question. 

Who invented the remote control? (There is a reason for my asking this question).

I recently read in http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-18164200 “TV remote control inventor Eugene Polley dies at 96”. 

Frankly, until I read this news, I never knew that he was the one who invented this magic gadget called "remote control". That set me thinking. Day in and day out I keep using this gadget. But it never stuck me to find its inventor nor appreciate him. How lazy I am? When I thought more about it, i realized that more than laziness, it was indifference on my part which made me act so.

More deeper thinking and I realized that this remote control is only a tip of the iceberg. Do I know who invented Mixie? Do I know who invented the blender? Do I know who invented the electric oven? Who invented Microwave oven?  I don’t! (for all questions). I’m using all these gadgets left, right and centre, 247! Shame on me! As my mind pressed the panic button, quickly my hands pressed the “Google” button. Even if you know, please check your answers with these: 

"in 1908, Herbert Johnson invented the mixer"

"The first electric blender was developed and in 1932, its inventor Stephen J. Poplawski received patents for it."

"The electric oven was invented by Thomas Ahearn,1892 who was a Canadian inventor."

"Dr Percy Spencer invented the first Microwave oven after World war II from Radar technology"

It was a shame that I ignored to find out the inventors all these days, let alone appreciate them. 

Now a little voice in me peeped out. “You are talking about manmade inventions. Have you ever appreciated the feeling of the fresh air on your skin, the sweet smells of the tiny flowers, the whispering sounds of rustling leaves, the tall mountains that stand majestically, the water that quenches your thirst, the (etc, etc) ………......which is around you 24*7?" 

Of course, I am sensible enough NOT to google to find its creator.

I realized how i've ignored to appreciate Nature and its Creator. Trees, plants, flowers, ocean, mountains...... It got me to thinking that, to be true citizens of the planet, shouldn't we be paying more attention to these and offer our gratitude to the Creator? Don't we take too much for granted? 

Consciously or unconsciously, we always link our physical / mental state with Nature. When we are happy we say “I feel sunny,” when we follow our dreams, we say “I’m shooting for the star,” to reach our goals, we say “I climb mountains”. Nature bestows us with peace and harmony. When we are at peace, we attract more peace. Isn’t that what laws of attraction say? When we take the time to protect our Environment and feel gratitude for it, we attract more of that value into our lives and more means to preserve and protect Nature in a harmonious way. Our appreciation, our gratitude and action in harmony with Nature can protect this planet and improve our lives on it.

These are the gifts that the Creator has given us with lots of love. Shouldn’t we offer him a return gift in gratitude? What is it that we can offer him? Protecting this planet from pollution of all kinds, keeping our minds from pollutions of all kinds by living in peace and harmony and spreading it. If we do it constantly every day, we don’t need to earmark 22^nd April as earth day, 5^th June as Environment day, etc. Do you agree?