You are not for everyone

The world is filled vth ppl who, no matter what u do, vll point blank not like u. But it is also filled vth those who vll love u fiercely. They r ur ppl. U r not for everyone n that’s ok. Talk to the ppl who can hear u.        

Don’t waste ur precious time n gifts trying to convince them of ur value. They won’t ever want what u r selling. Don’t convince them to walk alongside u. U vll be wasting both ur time n theirs n vll likely inflict unnecessary wounds, vch vll take precious time to heal. U r not for them n they r not for u, politely wave them on, and continue along ur way. Sharing ur path vth someone is a sacred gift; don’t cheapen this gift by rolling urs in wrong direction.

Marriage advice

• Marriage advice from 1886:
1. Let ur love be stronger than ur hate or anger
2. Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than to break.
3. Believe the best rather than the worst
4. Ppl have a way of living up or down to ur opinion of them.
5. Remember that true frdship is the basis for any lasting relationship. The person u choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies n kindness u bestow on ur frds
6. Please hand this down to ur children n ur grandchildren. The more things change the more they are the same

*5 apples that changed the world*

In the history of the human race, Apple has created different revolutions that changed the world.

1. *Adam’s Apple*

When the allegorical forbidden apple was eaten by Adam, God condemned them and a revolution of sin began. 

So the Sin Revolution started by eating an un-offered apple.

2. *Newton’s Apple*

Then another apple fell on Newton’s head and he started wondering, that’s how Scientific Revolution began.

3. *Beatle’s Apple*

Beatles started Apple records which boomed a Cultural Revolution. 

The whole pop culture started rocking & rolling the world.

4. *Jobs’ Apple*

Then Steve jobs came up with Apple gadgets by which the Technological Revolution landed in everyone’s palms.

5. *Prabhupada’s (of ISKCON) Apple*

Srila Prabhupada also had an Apple. 

In the initial days in New York, Srila Prabhupada had nothing to feed visitors after the program. 

He would just cut an apple, offer it to Krishna. Then with much respect and honour, he would cut the apple into small slices and distribute to different guests that came. 

The way they received Prabhupada’s love and Krishna’s love was by eating this Apple slices. What was the result: a Spiritual Revolution began.

*An unoffered Apple had started the Sin Revolution and by eating Prabhupada’s offered apple the sin ended, a Spiritual Revolution began.*

We are very grateful to Srila Prabhupada that he gave us his offered apple (ISKCON). 

There is a saying “An apple a day keeps a Doctor away. 

Similarly *"An offered apple a day keeps Maya away”.*

Characteristic Traits of A Vaishnava

CRANE - HEN - SALT - Characteristic Traits of A Vaishnava

Once a disciple went to Parashara Bhatta a great acharya in the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya and asked him what are the 'lakshana' (characteristic) of a Vaishnava. Bhattar asked his disciple to go and see Ananthazhwar in Tirupati, who is a disciple of Sripada Ramanuja and seek the answer from him. The disciple, after several days of travel, reaches Tirupati. Ananthazhwar seated Bhattar's disciple in the first batch of visitors. After ten days, Ananthazhwar kept the man waiting, until two batches had eaten. After a few days, Ananthazhwar offered him very little food and that too was offered after everyone else had eaten. Then he said to Bhattar's disciple, "The day you arrived, you said you had a doubt. What is that?" The man asked him as to what are the characteristic traits of a true vaishnava.

Ananthazhwar replied, "A Vaishnava is like a crane, is like a hen, is like salt and is like you."

The crane waits on the banks of a lake, and waits for the big fish alone to catch it for its meals, leaving out the rest of the tiny ones. Likewise *a Vaishnava ignores all worldly things and only pays attention to that which pertains to the Lord*.

A hen runs through garbage in the hope of finding a grain to eat. Just as the hen discards the rubbish and only eats the grain, so does a Vaishnava discard that which is useless. In other words, he discards that which does not pertain to the Lord. *A Vaishnava, amidst all the shastras, picks up the essence of it alone filtering out the rest*. 

*Salt* gives any food its taste. Without salt, however carefully prepared, the dish is not palatable. It is added to every dish and yet we can't pinpoint the salt in the dish. It remains hidden imparting its flavor. So also a true vaishnava does not advertise himself. *A servant is not seen but his service is seen*.

A true Vaishnava is truly humble – like you,  (amaaninaa maanadena) *who have disregarded all the ill-treatment meted out to you and sought only knowledge.*"

Srimad Bhagavatam in 4.21.44 declares that a devotee is gunaayanam *a reservoir of all good qualities.*

gunaayanam shila-dhanam krta-jnam
vrddhaashrayam samvrnate 'nu sampadah
prasidataam brahma-kulam gavaam ca
janaardanah saanucaras ca mahyam

"Whoever acquires the brahminical qualifications—whose only wealth is good behavior, who is grateful and who takes shelter of experienced persons—gets all the opulence of the world. I therefore wish that the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His associates be pleased with the brahmana class, with the cows and with me."

------- 

Let us all with the blessings of our acharyas, endeavor to develop these characteristics of a real Vaishnava and that alone can please them and the Supreme Lord. 

If God allowed a life without obstacles

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gone as far as it could and it could go no farther.

Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

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

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

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

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been.

The Art of Conversation

సంభాషణ ఒక గొప్ప కళ..

ఇంటా – బయట వివిధసందర్భాల్లో,

వివిధ వ్యక్తులతో సంభాషించాల్సివచ్చినప్పుడు,

మనం కొన్ని మర్యాదలు (Manners) పాటించాలి...

అది వ్యక్తి ఔనత్యాన్ని ఇతరులు అంచనా వేయడానికి తోడ్పడుతుంది....

మీరు ఉన్నత వ్యక్తిత్వం గల – సందర్భోచితంగా సంభాషించగల 

వ్యక్తిగా అందర్నీ ఆకట్టుకోవాలంటే; 

మీ సంభాషణ చాతుర్యంతో ఎదుటి వారి హృదయం 

మీద చక్కని ముద్ర వేయాలంటే...

కొన్ని అంశాలపట్ల శ్రద్ద వహించాల్సి వుంటుంది...

మన్నన పాటించకుండా , ఏ భాషలో ఎంత మాట్లాడినా 

మీరు మీ ప్రత్యేకత నిలుపుకోలేరు...

కనుక మాట్లాడేటప్పుడు ఈ విషయాలను గుర్తుంచుకోండి....

*మంచి సంభాషణకు మార్గాలు*

(The Ways to Be a Good Conversation)

౧. ఇతరులు చెప్పేది శ్రద్దగా వినడం ఉత్తమం..

Be a Good Listener

౨. నమ్రతను అవలంభించండి..

Be Courteous 

౩. ఎదుటి వ్యక్తిని ఆప్యాయంగా పలకరించండి..

Be Interested in the other Fellow

౪. సంతోషంగా చక్కని హావభావాలు కనపరచండి..

Be Cheerful with Good Expressions

౫. మీరు మాట్లాడే ముందు ఆలోచించండి..

Think Before You Speak 

౬. ఇతరులకు మీ పట్ల సద్భావన కలిగేలా ఉండండి..

Be Flexible

౭. కానీ, మరీ సన్నిహితమైన చొరవ వద్దు..

Be Friendly But not Familier

౮. మీ ప్రవర్తనకు భిన్నంగా ఉండే వాటిని దరి చేరనియకండి..

Avoid any irregularities in Your Behavior

మంచి సంభాషణకు మార్గదర్శక సూత్రాలతో 

ఇంతవరకు ఏమేమి అవలంభించాలో తెలుసుకున్నాం..!

ఇప్పుడు ఏవేవి అవలభించకుడదో గ్రహిద్దాం..!

౯. స్వంత అనుభవాలు వినిపించవద్దు...

Stop Telling Personal Experiences 

౧౦. యాసగా మాట్లాడవద్దు..

Avoid too Much Slang

౧౧. అహంభావ ప్రదర్శన వద్దు...

Avoid Egoism

౧౨. నమ్మశక్యం కానంతగా అతిశయోక్తులు మాట్లాడొద్దు..

Avoid Exaggeration

౧౩. మీ సంభాషణలో నిజాయితీ లేదనిపించేలా చేసుకోకండి..

Don’t Be In-Sincere 

౧౪. వ్యర్ద పదాలు దోర్లనివద్దు..

Eliminate Superfluous Words

౧౫. మీరు వాదించే వారిగా ముద్ర పడవద్దు..

Don’t Be Argumentative

౧౬. మీరు సణుగుతూ ఉండే వారిగానో లేక పరనింద చేసే వారిగానో ఉండొద్దు

Don’t Be a Mumbler or a Dogmatic

ఈ ౧౬ సూత్రాలు ప్రవర్తనకు...

ముఖ్యంగా మాట్లాడేటప్పుడు అనుసరించాల్సిన పద్దతికి సంభందించినవి...

ఇతరులతో మనం మాట్లాడేటప్పుడు నిత్యం మదిలో మెదల్తుండాలి..

వీటితో పాటు మన హావభావ ప్రకటన మీద – శరీర విన్యాసం మీద మనకు అదుపు వుండాలి..

సరళంగా – సూటిగా సంభాషించడం ఉత్తమం..

అలాగేయ్ ఎదుటి వారి ఆసక్తిని – నిరసక్తతని గమనించడం కుడా ముఖ్యమే..

మర్యాద – మన్నన సంభాషణల్లో నేర్పుగా చూపించగల వ్యక్తులు

మొట్టమొదటి పలకరింపులోనే ఎదుటివారికి ఇష్టులవుతారు..

ఇతరుల హృదయాలను ఆదిలోనే గెలవగలిగేలా 

సంభాషణ ప్రారంభించే వారికి, 

ఏ ప్రాంతానికి వెళ్ళినా – ఏ భాషలో మాట్లాడినా విజయం తధ్యం..!

అటువంటి నిపుణులకు కాదేదీ అసాద్యం........!

8 Shortest stories, with beautiful meanings !

(1) Those who had coins, enjoyed in the rain. Those who had notes, were busy looking for shelter.

(2) Man and God both met somewhere. Both exclaimed, "My creator."

(3) He asked, are you a Hindu or Muslim? The response came, "I am hungry"!

(4) The fool didn't know it was impossible. So he did it.

(5) "Wrong number," Said a familiar voice.

(6) What if God asks you after you die, "So how was heaven?"

(7) They told me that to make her fall in love I had to make her laugh. But every time she laughs, I am the one who falls in love."

(8) We don't make friends anymore,..... We Add them nowadays.

Beautiful Message

A rich man looked through his window and saw a poor man picking something from his dustbin ... He said, Thank GOD I'm not poor.

The poor man looked around and saw a naked man misbehaving on the street ... He said, Thank GOD I'm not mad.

The mad man looked ahead and saw an ambulance carrying a patient ... He said, Thank GOD am not sick.

Then a sick person in hospital saw a trolley taking a dead body to the mortuary ... He said, Thank GOD I'm not dead.

Only a dead person cannot thank God. 

Why don't you thank GOD today for all your blessings and for the gift of life ... for another beautiful day.

*What is LIFE*?

To understand life better, you have to go to 3 locations :

*1. Hospital*

*2. Prison* 

*3. Cemetery*

At the Hospital, you will understand that nothing is more beautiful than HEALTH.

 In the Prison, you'll see that FREEDOM is the most precious thing.

 At the Cemetery, you will realize that life is worth nothing. The ground that we walk today will be our roof tomorrow.

Sad Truth* :  We all come with *Nothing* and we will go with *Nothing* ... Let us, therefore, remain humble and be thankful & grateful to God at all times for everything.