Install Love

This piece from today's Times of India is a great one under The Speaking Tree. A great way to express a wonderful truth. Will definitely want to store so I can read while visiting again...and again.

Install Love, It Is Really Quite Simple (E-mail forward)

Tech Support: Yes, how can i help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, i’ve decided to install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, i’m not very technical, but i think i’m ready, as long as you walk me through the steps. Tell me now, what do i do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programmes running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: Er... what programmes are running, can you list them for me?

Customer: Let’s see i have Past Hurt, Low Self-esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, you can go right ahead. Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but it will no longer disrupt other programmes. Love will eventually override Low Self-esteem with a module of its own called High Self-esteem. However, you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programmes prevent Love from being properly installed. Tell me, can you turn those off?

Customer: Umm... let me see. Actually, i don’t know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how? Please help.

Tech Support: With pleasure. It’s really quite simple. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Wow, Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base programme. It’s quite basic. You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says, ‘Error — Programme not run on external components.’ What should i do now?

Tech Support: Don’t worry, relax. It means that the Love programme is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In nontechnical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should i do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive Self; Realise Your Worth; and Acknowledge Your Limitations.

Customer: Okay done. That wasn’t too difficult.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the ‘My Heart’ directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Selfcriticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes a while, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to pass it and its various modules around to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, thank you so much.

http://spirituality.indiatimes.com

Crosswalk

This is yet another wonderful piece from Attitude Is Everything. Thanks Guys...It really reminds to appreciate life's treats and is all about being alive.


CROSSWALK

As I slowly pulled myself into work this morning, I was overwhelmed with exhaustion; with full speed stress headed my way. Anticipating the "mind over matter" feeling I needed, my eyes not wanting to open my "inbox" to start the day, I remembered the crosswalk.

I was on my way to work a couple weeks ago, frustrated at how late traffic was making me, annoyed at my bad hair day. It was already scorching hot, humid and NO wind. I just wanted to stay in bed and sleep. While being frustrated and annoyed and just plain angry at the day, I was held at a stop light for what seemed like forever.

I glanced over to my left and saw a woman probably in her mid twenties, waiting for the crosswalk sign to allow her to cross. She was dressed in bright colors, gorgeous shoes, with a purse at her side and a glowing smile! Along with these striking things, she also had her dog along for the stroll.

A joyful golden retriever, hopping along on the leash, excited for the day and to be outside with his owner. He just couldn't sit still with how much energy he had. So the woman petted him with her hand, and was talking to him with so much expression, and love - they were so happy! It made me smile underneath my gloomy bad mood.

One detail not mentioned; the woman dressed in bright colors, gorgeous shoes, purse and a glowing smile, with her pal at her side was handicap, in an electric wheel chair, which she could only operate with her right hand. As the crosswalk sign changed, and she pushed the black knob forward to operate her wheelchair across the street, her dog followed happily beside her as the leash was tied to the arm of her chair.

A tear filled my eye, and I smiled! Someone else's situation can kick your mind into gear and remind us what to be thankful for! I have no doubt this woman and her dog were put there for a reason, so I would wake up, and enjoy my day no matter what my hair looked like, no matter what traffic I was stuck in, and no matter what my day had in store for me!

I greatly appreciate this woman and her golden retriever, for teaching me a wonderful lesson! Pay attention to the smallest moments, they will teach the most!

By Amy Sandlin

Strong @ Sixty One

A great moment for India. My country. Our country. Number of years, as such, do not enhance or diminish the importance but an occasion arrives to celebrate and one just relishes getting mixed up in a lot of emotions associated with the day.


This August 15 was one such day when individuals, by default, have to take a backseat against thousand others who made this journey a worthwhile one. Great sacrifices, great efforts and amazing resilience by millions of people...there can be no substitute to the feeling of pride and belonging.


Right now, it's really a mixed feeling. There are thousand great things brightening up. There is something for everyone here to feel proud.


And then, sadly, there are also few things that we could do much much better.


The economy, of course. I am no expert on this, but the rising costs, sudden black out of certain essential commodities, the mad rush for petrol & diesel we faced recently, for example...these things clearly indicate a gaping hole in our system. The worst part is that other than making statements on issues, we haven't seen any real action from the empowered leaders. If we cannot assure certain basic things to our people, then what have we done with the 61 years of our lives as a country? This is an area of real concern. Has the exercise of choosing our own governments not ensured a steady movement towards a better system, however incremental whatsoever, over all these years?


The chain of events that have rolled out in the last one month where common man was targeted through a series of blasts speaks of the mess we are right now in.


Independence days are clearly marked as terror-targeted days. We see more check posts and restrictions on such days. Sadly, individuals with limited options and powers are trapped in these situations and cannot do much about these things other than thanking one's stars for reaching home safely every day.



Whenever a catastrophe strikes a city there are reports praising the resilience of 'the common man' who bounces back. Frankly, do we have a choice to do anything else?

Looking at the medal tally in the Olympics brings a lot of comparative revealations among the countries of the world. Much smaller and much younger countries are sweeping the stakes while we are struggling. We win one gold but then we understand that it was won despite our system.

The scarcity, the prices, threat to peace could all be taken care by an effective system put in place and nurtured by effective Governance.

Abhinav had to build his own practice range at home and had to go out of the country for his training. And at last, he earns his gold but there are stories - real or fictitious, they have done enough damage already - of attempt to sabotage his rifle. And then, we complain that he did not display enough pride and patriotism at the podium while receiving the medal.


Is it enough just to praise our past? Is it enough to just say we are the biggest democracy in the world? I have no idea what it takes. Like the Spidey says...with great powers come great responsibility. Let's hope that the people with power realise this.

At 61, there is no doubt that our country is strong... but we could have been even STRONGER.

I hope and pray that at 62 we get a bit more stronger.