Quotable quotes. I am a bookworm and I absolutely love reading. Books have been my best friends since I know not when and have helped me grow so much as an individual. [...]]]> CHANGE IS THE DRAMA OF LIFE

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.”  ~Richard Bach

Quotable quotes. I am a bookworm and I absolutely love reading. Books have been my best friends since I know not when and have helped me grow so much as an individual. Reader’s Digest was one of my favorite magazines during my growing up years. It was full of wonderful quotes and I love quotes. I would write them down in my diary. Wonder where the diary is now? Mmmm…

“To put the world in order, we must put the nation in order. To put the nation in order, we must put the family in order. To put the family in order, we must nurture our personal life. To cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.” ~Confucius

Anyway, when I came across this quote of the great Chinese philosopher, I was very impressed and inspired.

Logical and practical, right? I mean, the quote above, it makes such perfect sense. If you wish to build something, you have to build it brick by brick. To change the world, of course, you must change person by person. Change is inner work, changing for the better…and who better to begin with than oneself?

It made perfect sense…

When life’s like that, who can think of change? …but when you have siblings who annoy you, friends/classmates who rub you on the wrong side, difficult lessons to be learned at school, parents who expect you to do and be at your best, well, life is neither easy nor simple nor straight…

…and as you grow up, does it get any simpler? Nope! Jobs, colleagues, friends, marriage, spouse, children, new relationships, finances, – more challenges, bigger problems, difficult people, demanding situations! It’s as if the whole world is conspiring to make your life difficult!

When everything’s going well, and you are on a high, why would you want to change anything? When life’s going gets tougher, and all we can see is how the world and it’s people are conspiring against you, inner work and change don’t even cross your mind.

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” ~Leo Tolstoy

Change? Why me? Yet, we do try to change others, we want to change the world, don’t we? We get married and we try to change the other person. We have kids and we try to mould them. We have friends and we try to fix them. We have colleagues and we try to influence them. It’s as if we are on a personal mission to change others and the world.

Even if we are not actively trying to change others, we secretly and fervently hope, wish and expect the others would change. “It’s only fair, isn’t it? They are the problem, why should I change?” would be a common argument.

“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll understand what little chance you have in trying to change others.” ~Jacob M Braude

Ask anyone who’s facing a difficult situation and they would promptly give you a list of people and/or things that need to change. If only he would be like this, if only she did this, if only this didn’t happen…. yup, everything and everyone except themselves in the world must change.

Why do we resist change? Why is it so? Because, inherently, we know that change is not easy, change is not without pain, change takes time, change is lots of inner work. On top of it, we are plain afraid of facing ourselves, afraid of digging deeper, afraid of discovering our true makeup…

“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.”  ~John Kenneth Galbraith

All of us want the results of change without having to go through the process of change. We resist change with all our subconscious might, and we go about our lives, telling ourselves that we are very adaptable, that we can adjust with any person or situation. In reality, we “are very open-minded about new things – as long as they’re exactly like the old ones.” (a Charles F. Kettering quote)

Then a time comes in everyone’s life when change is inevitable. It’s either bend or break. We are forced to change. From a caterpillar to a butterfly. We change grudgingly, resisting all the way, afraid of leaving the comfort zone we have built around ourselves.

“If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.”  ~Author Unknown

How about leading change before it chases you in a race against time? Evolution is law of nature. Growth is a part of life. Metamorphosis/change is synonymous with growth and evolution.

Change is powerful. Change is evolution and growth. Change is changing for the better. Change is refreshing. Change is challenging. Change is constant. Change is consistent. Change is the drama of life. Change is natural and part of nature. Change is inevitable.

So, why not embrace change willingly and lovingly?

Come on, become a change leader, be a change magnet. Lead change before it chases you in a race against time.

Ready for some facts and tips on change? Here are a few facts and tips about change to help you appreciate the power of change, embrace change gladly, and be empowered in the process.

SOME FACTS ON CHANGE

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” ~Unknown

Isn’t this a beautiful quote? The first step is to be aware of what you can change and what you cannot. Believe me, not only does it save a whole lot of time and energy… but also plenty of heartache.

FACT #1: Laws of nature/universe are immutable. You cannot change the laws of the nature or the universe. No matter what, the laws are there to stay, the game is underway and you have to abide by the rules. 

FACT #2: Every individual is empowered with freewill. One of the laws of the universe is freewill – human beings are empowered with freewill and have the power to choose. Your thoughts, your actions, your feelings and emotions – these are your choices and an expression of your freewill. Even the universe/god/life respects an individual’s freewill and the right to make choices, it’s only human beings who try to interfere with this law.

FACT #3: We are all different and unique. Also, each person’s energetic makeup is different and their life purpose is different. Each one of us is at different stages in the path of evolution and self-realization. So, what you judge as right and perfect for yourself or others may not be right and perfect for the person next to you – be it your child, spouse, friend, parent, neighbor etc.

“I realized the problem was me and nobody could change me except myself.” ~John Petworth

FACT #4: One can change only oneself. What the above facts imply is that you have no right to change anything or anyone except yourself and no one could change you except yourself.

Attempting to change others would therefore be a futile exercise, prone to frustrations and disappointments, without yielding the results you anticipate. And in case, those people do undergo a change, it’s probably because they wished to change.

THE POWER OF CHANGE

“Change and growth take place when a person has risked himself and dares to become involved with experimenting with his own life.” ~Herbert A. Otto

Power$1: You are in control of your life. And why must you change yourself? You are responsible for yourself and your life.   You are on this planet to grow, to evolve and be a better person.

Life is a mirror of yourself. People in your life (- your parents, spouse/partner, children, family, friends, colleagues, etc. -) and the situations that you get into are nothing but a reflection of yourself. Your energetic makeup is responsible for attracting these people and situations. These are the means through which life prods you towards evolution and growth. In other words, change.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” ~Victor Frankl

Your energetic makeup is a result of your thoughts, feelings, emotions, actions and your habits. If you are facing difficult people or difficult situations, and you wish to change your life, then you ought to change your energetic makeup.

Once you take charge of your energetic makeup and alter it little by little, your life gets transformed. You are no longer dependent on the outside world or the people around you for what you want, for your peace of mind. You gain an inner strength and serenity, which is priceless!

Power$2: You can heal others by healing yourself. The universe is a matrix of energy and everything is connected through invisible (to our naked eye) lines of force. If the universe is a macrocosm, (hu)man is a microcosm, i.e., the entire universe is there inside of you. Sounds impossible and bizarre, right? It is very much true. This is the basis of astrology and the reason why the stars and planets (and the moon) supposedly have an effect on us.

And therefore, there’s a part of you that is associated with every individual on this planet. Healing that part of yourself, changing that part of yourself for the better, not only heals you but also helps in healing that individual. The ancient Hawaiian healing practice of Ho’oponopono is based on this very powerful concept.

A Hawaiian therapist, Dr. Len, used this very principle to heal an entire ward of “criminally insane patients-without ever seeing any of them. The psychologist would study an inmate’s chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person’s illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved.” (You may read the entire story here

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world: indeed it’s the only thing that ever has!” ~Margaret Meade

Power$3: You can change the world. The universe is nothing but energy, electromagnetic energy, vibrating at different frequencies that correspond to sound, light and color.

Aura is the electromagnetic field around any mass. Human beings have an aura around them and this aura is determined by the being’s energetic makeup (i.e. thoughts, emotions, actions, habits etc.)

When a person maintains a higher energy, the electromagnetic lines of force around him/her are more aligned, instead of zigzag, and the person becomes a living magnet. Ever heard of people with a magnetic personality? Higher the levels of energy, the more powerful the magnetic lines of force around the person, and therefore higher the person’s ability to attract others.

When people come in contact with such highly magnetic people and maintain sufficient contact, they themselves are transformed. Their lines of force automatically get aligned – just like iron pieces align themselves in presence of a magnet and get magnetized over time.

In India, during ancient times, students went to their guru or teacher’s ashram and stayed with the teacher until their learning was completed (that’s about ten years or more). Constant presence of the teacher was considered to magnetize the students bringing about the transformation and required learning (through induction) in a faster way.

When you start changing for the better, your aura changes. Your aura affects people around you  in a positive way and they get indirectly transformed. Thus, there’s a cascading effect.

To bring about any change in the world, a majority is not required. What is required is a critical mass of people, a small percentage of impassioned and dedicated people. For instance, there are about 6 billion people on this planet. To bring about change in this world, the critical mass would be …. about a million. That’s a very small percentage (~0.016%) but these million people with a focused intention can do wonders. How about being one of them?

When Gandhiji said “Be the change you wish to see in the world“, this is precisely what he meant.

SOME TIPS ON CHANGE

Tip@ 1: Do not attempt to change others. Be it your close family, relatives, friends, colleagues or foes, do not try to change others. Respect their freewill and individuality. Remember, you are not responsible for them, you are responsible for your self.

Tip@ 2: Embrace change willingly, joyfully and gracefully. Change is inevitable. Change is adventure. Change is life. Change is self-realization. When you welcome change and accept it with grace, it can be lots of fun. Adapt and grow.

Tip@3: Change at your own pace. Every person is different, so set your own pace. Don’t compare yourself with others. Don’t be in a hurry to change. Don’t overdo the process and try to fast forward it for better results. Remember, slow and steady wins the race.

Tip@4: Do not resist change. Change is not easy. However, one can reduce the effects of change by flowing along with it.

Tip@5: Be open-minded. This is very important. Change implies growth and evolution. To evolve and step to the next level, it’s important to be open-minded. An unlimited and wider perspective throws open doors of wisdom, presenting infinite possibilities and opportunities.

Tip@6: Listen to your intuition and follow your heart. It’s wiser to tune into your inner self and listen to your intuition. The outside world and the people around you, with their different opinions and advice, can confuse us at times.

Tip@7: Follow life. Life is the greatest teacher. Hold its hand and it’ll walk you down the path of growth and evolution. It’ll show you the best path for you.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Success & Self-Mastery Coach Prasanna Gunturi publishes the ‘The Energy Perpective’ weekly ezine. If you’re ready to live and lead your life energetically and successfully always and in all ways, get your free tips now at http://www.energysoulutionsallways.com/.

I was in third grade when we moved from one state to another state, both being different from my home state where I [...]]]> “Love is the affinity which links and draws together the elements of the world… Love, in fact, is the agent of universal synthesis.” ~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

I was in third grade when we moved from one state to another state, both being different from my home state where I was born. You’re probably wondering what’s the big deal in that. Well, it was indeed a big deal – back then.

I come from a country comprising of 25+ states, 22+ languages and nearly 2000 dialects. Even though we share a common and rich cultural heritage and a history dating back to thousands of years, each state has its own distinct language/dialect, cuisine, culture and customs. “Unity in diversity” is a slogan most often used to describe the nation.

I was seven when we moved to this new state and it was like moving to a whole new world where people spoke a different language, had different customs and mannerisms.

It was difficult in the beginning, especially at school – using sign language, struggling to understand what others were saying, and then mumbling words incoherently pretending to answer them back. 

Imagine being looked at as if you came from Mars! Classmates made fun of your state, language, your culture, your food, your accent, and what not. And when the textbooks claimed that your state lagged behind in industrial growth, production of rice etc. etc., you wished you could hide under the desk in shame as if it were a moment of personal tragedy.

Pride kept you from sharing your miseries with your parents! Not when they put your younger brother in the same school expecting you, the big sister, to take care of him.

As days rolled into months, it’s not long before you learned to speak the language … time to bully the bullies…grrr!

“So, you think we eat only idli ( a savory cake made out of rice and lentils) and sambar  (a lentil soup) for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Do you fill your tummies with rosogolla (a regional sweet delicacy made out of a type of fresh cheese) the whole day?”

It doesn’t end there. A country famous for it’s umpteen deities, religious fervor sneaked into the arguments and fights.

“My god is greater than your god. My god has eight arms while yours has only two.”

“Oh, but mine has four heads while yours has only one.”

“So what, mine is mounted on a tiger, yours has only a little mouse.”

 (Note: The umpteen deities represent the various cosmic principles. Heads, arms, mounts, colors, sounds etc used to depict the deities are symbolic of the different qualities and characteristics. Since imagery and visualization are such effective tools for manifestation, ancient seers conjured different ways to help the common man realize his/her divine potential. Sadly, however, the deeper spiritual significance has been lost over centuries and the superficial religious connotation has gained popularity.)

Eventually, peace was made, enemies became friends, lunch boxes were shared (because your mom made such boring food but theirs’ made all that amazing stuff), … and you loved one another as family.

Mind you, all this took time and effort.

How the times have changed since then! Adapting to a different state no longer is a challenge.

Technology flattens the world. With television and cable network, and a proliferation of regional and educational channels, awareness grew. People learned more about their country than they ever did before. Earlier, travel and reading were perhaps the only  means, now, you could do that sitting in your living room.

Then came the computer and software boom. Internet, cell phone, home PCs and laptops became common.

Technology has made communication and information sharing faster and easier. Not just a nation, technology has flattened the world bringing cultures and people together like never before. Business travel, tourism, proliferation of airlines etc. indirectly contributed to the flattening.

Then there’s social media, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace…today’s challenge is no longer adapting to a new culture or state but having Facebook friends or Twitter followers spanning across cultures, states and even nations. Numbers count and going global is the trend.

Any surprise that today’s revolutions are driven by the internet, (i)phones and social media?

People’s voice of freedom leads to political upheavals. Talking of revolutions, brings me to the political upheavals storming through the world today. In fact, not just today – let’s go back a hundred years or so. Two world wars, end of colonialism, third world emergence, Gandhi’s non-violence movement, Luther King’s struggle for the advancement of civil rights in US and around the world, end of the cold war, collapse of the Iron Curtain (remember the Berlin Wall?), etc.

It’s the birthright of every individual to enjoy freedom of expression and the right to live…for centuries, rights of people around the world were suppressed by power-hungry rulers and autocrats. Suppression leads to expression sooner or later as history has proven time and again.

Companies forced to go back to basics. The corporate world had it’s good share  of ups and downs, upheavals and crisis.

Companies crossed borders, investing multi-nationally, creating job opportunities and spreading wealth across the globe.

Anderson and Enron scandals raised questions on ethics and crooked practices. The sub-prime crisis, a result of greed and avarice, triggered a recession bankrupting major financial giants, leaving many unemployed one fine morning. The BP oil spill, a consequence of negligence and arrogance, endangered the environment, wildlife, habitat, health, livelihoods – impact that might affect generations to come.

All these are proving how interconnected and interdependent we are, that profits caanot be the only goal for businesses.

Economy is truly global. Any event in any part of the world – political, technological, scientific, natural etc. impacts the stock markets performance across the globe. Whether it’s a tsunami or an earthquake in Japan, the sub-prime crisis in the US, people’s revolutions in the Middle-east, our destinies are all inter-twined through the common thread that binds us all – the economy.

Groundbreaking experiments, discoveries and inventions in science. Discovery of the atom and electron, dual nature of electron- particle and a wave, Einstein’s famous E=mc2 stating that energy and matter are the same, nuclear energy, electricity, wind energy, solar power, leaf power, aeroplanes, automobiles, etc; experiments proving plants have consciousness, that human beliefs have impact on the biology of the body, the power of the mind; major leaps in medical science – sophisticated surgeries, organ transplants, stem cell research, vaccines, artificial limbs, etc.

All these are changing the world.

Nature’s fury wreaks havoc, yet brings people together. On the natural front – tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, and other natural calamities are wreaking havoc. There has been widespread devastation, innumerable loss of life and property and heartbreaking tragedy.

Nations and people have come forth offering support in whatever way they can in an outpouring of aid, relief, rescue teams, … and prayers. Innumerable stories of bravery, heroism, kindness, miracle survivors etc. inspire millions across the world as people invoked their higher selves and rose to the occasion.

Environmental awareness on the rise, better late than never! Effects of misuse of technology are being felt, especially, in the food world. Antibiotics, artificial growth hormones, pesticides, genetically modified food sources, packaged and highly processed food are taking their toll. The world is realizing how dangerous it is to interfere in nature’s ways and to treat human bodies, animals and plants as mechanical bodies to be messed up with. Dis-eases of all kinds are on the rise. Rising awareness is driving people towards organic farming, natural and whole food sources, holistic medicine (naturopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda, energy medicine, reiki, pranic treatment etc)

Massive and selfish exploitation of plant, animal and mineral kingdoms has led to depletion of natural resources, ecological imbalance, changing weather conditions with potentially dangerous consequences and other environmental disasters.

Realizing the already happening and potential consequences of our actions in the past decades, governments, corporates, non-profit organizations, communities and individuals across the world are coming together to promote a greener earth.

More and more people seek meaning and purpose of living. Religious fanaticism, killing in the name of religion, religious intolerance, bureaucracy of organized religion have disillusioned people all over the world driving them to seek answers for themselves. People are yearning for balance – a balance between spirituality and materialism.

Spiritual awareness is on the rise. Spiritual leaders, including the Dalai Lama, and scientists from across the world are coming together to discuss and share. Human Unity conferences are being held with interfaith leaders. Spirituality and science – a marriage is on the cards in the years to come.

Spiritual fusion of East and West is happening. Spiritual concepts from the great scriptures, Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, Bible, Koran etc, crystallized,  complicated, misinterpreted (for self-aggrandizement) over the years, are being presented afresh in a simple manner for people to understand and follow.

Lessons and universal laws from these sources of ageless and timeless wisdom are being woven into management and business streams, shaping business policies.

Social and cultural landscape is changing. Inter-religious, inter-cultural, inter-racial, inter-national, inter-caste marriages (or unions /partnerships) have become commonplace.

Shackles of male dominance, prevalent for centuries and taken for granted, are being broken surely and steadily, as more and more women are making their presence felt in all spheres and forms of life.

Conventions and age-old rigid rules are being broken by younger generations while the older generations bemoan diminishing authority and respect and degrading values.

More and more people are breaking superficial barriers and peeling layers and layers of false pride, illusion of greatness, fear of dilution of one’s legacy, social hypocrisy etc which bound generations of people.

Conventions, rules, traditions and customs were designed to create order and discipline so people can pursue self-realization, the ultimate goal of being on this planet, in harmony and peace. However, over centuries,  the means were given more importance than the goal itself. Bound by the means, humans forgot all about self-realization and their true nature. Basic human principles of love, kindness and at-one-ment were sacrificed in the name of conventions, rules and traditions.

Now, why am I rambling? Now, you are really wondering where I am headed with all this rambling. Please note that the above examples are just a representative sample and not a comprehensive list. The world has been changing at a rapid pace and there have been massive upheavals in all walks of life. The events apparently appear as unconnected, disparate and isolated that it’s sometimes difficult to figure out where we are headed.

But there’s a definite direction, an underlying theme and a subtle goal behind all these global events – synthesis. Let me explain. In spiritual and astrological circles, all these changes are attributed to the transition from the Piscean Age to Aquarius Age (and apparently, this is just one of the many cosmic events taking place right now) with the planet Uranus spearheading the change at a mind-boggling speed.

Bye bye Piscean Age. For nearly the last two thousand years, the world has been driven by materialism, external things, greatness, power, conflict, self-aggrandizement, avarice, greed, domination of masculine (yang) energies, analysis, divisiveness etc – all characteristic of the Piscean Age. Human beings forgot their true nature and consciousness took a major dip. (Please note that not everything is not negative about the Piscean Age.)

Welcome Aquarian Age. We are stepping into the Aquarian Age characterized by spirituality, inner power, expansion of consciousness, goodness, collaboration and sharing, balance of masculine (yang) and feminine (yin) energies (feminine energies will be dominating for some time so the balance can occur), synthesis etc.

Synthesis and At-one-ment. In short, synthesis is the word, also referred to in some circles as at-one-ment – which means that we are all connected, we are all part of one cosmic being – the “we” includes the human, animal, plant and mineral kingdom, and the countless celestial globes and the infinite space – and every thought/action of ours has an impact on the rest of us. And unless we realize this basic tenet of our very existence, self-realization, peace, happiness, abundance, harmony etc. will remain mere concepts and words in books.

But, are we ready for the change? Yes and no. The transition can be compared to a vehicle changing gears. Many of us are not belted and are not ready for the change and are feeling the jerks pretty badly.

We are encountering challenges, obstacles, stumbling blocks, crisis, at all levels – individual, family, community, national and global in the form of crisis, difficult situations and difficult people. Why? Because people have ignored repeated warnings for centuries forcing the universe/mother nature to take drastic measures…lest (hu)mankind destroy itself!

So, what can we do?

Well, basically, shake yourself from slumber, recognize that dawn is breaking and it’s time to wake up, to rise and shine. Flow with the principles of the Aquarian Age…

Collaboration and cooperation is key. Selfish motives are gonna boomerang big time. Collaborate and cooperate whether it’s at home, work or at play.

Group consciousness and group living. Look beyond individual needs. Individual consciousness has to expand to group consciousness – groups being families, teams, communities, organizations, nations, world in that ever increasing order. Say goodbye to personal agendas . Work and live for the greater welfare of life on the planet.

Service with a non-profit motive. Serve others selflessly and with a non-profit motive. Serving human, animal, plant and mineral kingdoms is the fastest way to dissolve negative karma we have accumulated over lifetimes.

Giving, sharing and distribution. Give, give, and give more. Don’t let energies stagnate by stocking up and building barriers – whether it’s love, water, money or resources – energy needs to flow constantly.

The apparent scarcity of resources will disappear when we follow this principle, scarcity is an illusion created by the mind.

Non-judgment is the way. See others through a lens of non-judgment. Everyone is on a journey of growth, change and self-realization. No one is perfect. Judging one another is nothing but a massive energy drainer and a waste of time.

Change is inevitable. If growth has to happen, change is inevitable. Listen to life and be willing to change. Be a change leader.

Love is the greatest synthesizer. Love heals wounds. Love makes the world go round. Love unites and restores. Love is magical. Love is divine. Love your spouse. Love your kids. Love your family. Love thy neighbor. Love the plants and love the animals. Love nature. Let love flow from you and through you.

Following dharma. Pursue the path of righteousness and perform your duties with gratitude, love, and kindness.

Prayers make a HUGE difference. Pray for yourself, pray for others, pray for the world. Pray that any negative energies on the planet be dissolved in the pure light of the divine. Pray that all be blessed with food and shelter and may all kingdoms experience harmony, abundance, peace, joy and love.

“svasti prajabhyam paripalayantham nyayeana margena mahim maheesah

gobrahmanebhya shubamsthu nityam lokah samastha sukhino bhavanthu

om shanti shanti shanti hi”

May all beings live well;

May the governments serve their people righteously;

May the givers and the wise  grow in number and live well forever;

May all the beings in all the worlds be happy;

Peace, peace and peace be everywhere!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Success & Self-Mastery Coach Prasanna Gunturi publishes the ‘The Energy Perpective’ weekly ezine. If you’re ready to live and lead your life energetically and successfully always and in all ways, get your free tips now at http://www.energysoulutionsallways.com/.

Live each day as if it was your last day.

Live life every day like it’s a new day.

All of them apparently mean the same thing but I prefer the last one. I feel the other two have a negative [...]]]> Live like there’s no tomorrow.

Live each day as if it was your last day.

Live life every day like it’s a new day.

All of them apparently mean the same thing but I prefer the last one. I feel the other two have a negative connotation. If there were no tomorrow, and today was my last day, well, why would I do anything? But then, that’s me…

“If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you’re going to be cockeyed today.”  ~Author Unknown

Now, if every day was a new day with no strings attached to either the past or the future, how would that be?

Well, to begin with you won’t have to wonder what day of the week it is as soon as you wake up. No Monday blues and no Thank God it’s Friday either. 

There won’t be any need to fill up your head with all kinds of (usually unnecessary) information and facts. Which means, you don’t have to read the newspaper or browse the internet as much.

Or remember the list of things to do for tomorrow, or the day after or the coming week – and get stressed out in the process.

“Would you keep a chive on your tooth just because you enjoyed last night’s potato?”  ~From the television show Boston Common

No regrets, no guilt, no grievances or grudges, no unpleasant memories or feelings. No worries about the future. Just live each day as it comes along, doing and being your best.

All this means that we would free up a whole lot of energy and time. We would feel much lighter, happier and freer. Which in turn would unlock our creativity and spontaneity. Our performance levels at work and at home would peak and be like never before. We would love more and be more authentic.

Wouldn’t that be super cool?

“Having spent the better part of my life trying either to relive the past or experience the future before it arrives, I have come to believe that in between these two extremes is peace.”  ~Author Unknown

Now, most importantly, how easy is it to live every day as if it’s a new day?

Live life every day like it’s a new day. Sounds very simple, doesn’t it? In life, some of the simplest things are sometimes the hardest to accomplish – given human nature, the fast-paced lives that we lead and a rapidly changing world.

But then, it’s certainly not impossible and with a few tips and tricks, backed up with persistence and practice should help you get started. And who knows,  you might even crack it and become a pro like Phil Connors in the movie Groundhog Day.

Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is a self-centered (not to mention cynical and arrogant) TV weatherman. He is sent out to Punxatawny to cover Groundhog Day and is accompanied by his producer, Rita (Andie McDowell), and cameraman, Larry (Chris Elliott).

For those of you who are wondering about Groundhog Day (source: wikipedia): Groundhog Day falls on February 2. On this day, according to folklore, if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter would soon end. If it’s sunny, the groundhog would see its shadow and supposedly retreat back into its burrow, which means that winter would continue for six more weeks.

The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This annual tradition received world wide recognition thanks to the movie Groundhog Day.

“There is no way this winter is ever going to end, as long as this groundhog keeps seeing his shadow. I don’t see any other way out. He’s got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.” ~Phil Connors in Groundhog Day

Coming back to Phil – boredom written all over his face, an arrogant Phil covers the event listlessly feeling the task is much beneath him.

One gets to see that Phil has a romantic interest in Rita but she doesn’t care for him, having put up with his tantrums, surliness and bad manners long enough.

On his way back to Pittsburgh, Phil is caught in a monster blizzard and is forced to stay in a small town inn an extra day. Things get worse when the next day he wakes up and finds that it is Groundhog Day all over again. Every morning he wakes up to the alarm only to find out it is Groundhog Day again…and again…and yet again…

The day won’t change until Phil does, and therein lies the story with a wonderful spiritual message.

“Old times” never come back and I suppose it’s just as well.  What comes back is a new morning every day in the year, and that’s better.”  ~George E. Woodberry

Act as if. At first, Phil Connors is frustrated and confused beyond words as he goes through each day. He realizes that he’s quite helpless in the matter because “I wake up every day, right here, right in Punxsutawney, and it’s always February 2nd, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Phil has an advantage – nobody but him seems to remember that the day is repeating. He tries to take advantage of the situation hoping the time-loop would end if he behaved outrageously and wrongfully. After many failed attempts, a despondent Phil realizes that nothing has changed. His attempts to impress Rita and get closer to her are equally futile.

When he confides in Rita and shares his predicament, she advises him to make use of the opportunity and improve himself. Having no choice, he acts as if every day is a new day, a different day, and sets about to experience the time-loop.

As they say, fake it till you make it. Pretend it’s a new day every day. Go about the day like yesterday never happened and tomorrow doesn’t exist.

“If you really want to judge the character of a man, look not at his great performances. Every fool may become a hero at one time or another. Watch a man do his most common actions; these are indeed the things which will tell you the real character of a great man.” ~Swami Vivekananda

Perform your tasks and duties with equipoise. It isn’t easy. Phil revisits his priorities and examines his life. He sees the error of his ways. He builds his knowledge and experience little by little and uses it to correct himself. As day follows day, Phil’s behavior improves gradually.

In new and unusual ways, he sets about helping others and making a difference in their lives – thus making a difference in his own life.  He discovers that no task, big or small, is beneath him. With each passing day, he is more and more relaxed and poised.

Leverage your experience and knowledge from the past but do not lug emotional baggage from the past. Perform the day’s tasks and duties without any worries about the results. Do not worry about tomorrow or the future. Be your best and do your best. No task is small or big. Put your heart and soul into whatever you do and who you are. Work for the welfare of others, and you’ll discover meaning, fulfillment and joy.

“Seize from every moment its unique novelty, and do not prepare your joys.”  ~André Gide, Nourritures Terrestres

Seize the opportunity and live every moment. Little by little, Phil transforms the day into one of fun, love, giving, sharing and caring. He breaks free from frustration, cynicism and boredom and truly starts living.

He seizes each moment to do something useful and helpful. He befriends people. He nurtures relationships. He saves lives. He learns the piano. He learns to ice-sculpt. He learns French. 

The time-loop only ends for Phil Connors when Phil is perfectly happy enjoying every moment and putting it to good use.

At the end of it, he succeeds in making Rita like him – she is surprised to see a caring and inspiring Phil. Remember, she is not aware of the time-loop.

He also produces an eloquent report on the Groundhog Day and succeeds in wowing his viewers.

Seize every opportunity to learn, to be helpful and to serve. Enjoy every single moment of today. Be your authentic self. No masks, no pretences. No need to impress anyone. Nurture your relationships with family, friends and colleagues. Love more. Share and give more. Consider it an opportunity to grow and improve. Experience the magic of life…

“When Chekhov saw the long winter, he saw a winter bleak and dark and bereft of hope. Yet we know that winter is just another step in the cycle of life. But standing here among the people of Punxsutawney and basking in the warmth of their hearths and hearts, I couldn’t imagine a better fate than a long and lustrous winter.” ~Phil Connors in Groundhog Day

 WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?

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Half glass full or half glass empty? What do you see? While you are thinking about your answer, let me share something with you.

Eat, Pray, Love: [...]]]> “Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute.” ~G. B. Stern

Half glass full or half glass empty? What do you see? While you are thinking about your answer, let me share something with you.

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia – read the book or seen the movie starring Julia Roberts? I haven’t seen the movie yet but curious to find out what the author (Elizabeth Gilbert) had to write about her journey of self-discovery and soul-searching, I read the book.

I wont spoil the fun and narrate the whole story but here’s a little background to set the context. Elizabeth, after a nasty divorce, decides to spend a year in three countries – Italy, India and Indonesia.

In Italy, she pursues pleasure, learning the “beautiful” Italian language and savoring delicious Italian food. In India, she discovers her spirituality in a sacred ashram near Mumbai, practicing chanting, prayer and meditation and following the rigors of a yogi. In Indonesia, she learns the balancing act, discovering the middle path between materialism and spirituality.

While in India, she finds the ashram eerily quiet for her tumultuous and racing mind. She wears a cheerful countenance and finding it hard to remain silent, strikes up much conversation with fellow residents.

Just when the Ashram appoints her hostess, perfect for a cheerful and chatty person like her, she decides to fall into silence. She has this funny and delightful conversation in her head – she would become the most silent girl in the ashram (with a saintly smile to go with it), so silent that people would point at her admiring her quietness and calm presence. After many days of enacting this self-imposed drama, a realization dawns upon her and she reverts back to her usual chatty and cheerful self.

“The optimist sees the rose and not its thorns; the pessimist stares at the thorns, oblivious of the rose.” ~ Kahlil Gibran

I was in splits when I read through this part. It stirred memories of a certain phase of my life when I decided to fall into silence. The reasons and motives were totally different though.

As I mentioned in a previous article, I was doing my bachelors when my aunt died. I don’t know what happened exactly but this triggered off something in me. I don’t know if I was an optimist until then but I do remember turning into a silent and serious pessimist. All I could see around me was misery, suffering, unhappiness, poverty, problems and negativity … well, you get the idea.

“Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!” ~Oscar Wilde

 Life looked gloomy and the future appeared bleak. There were a number of questions in my head. I wondered about life and the purpose of living. There didn’t seem much purpose in studying or working hard (and joining the rat race) if I was going to die one day. I mean, what a waste of time and energy!  I withdrew into myself. “Why?” was my favorite question. I was seriously quiet and quietly serious. I was guilty too for wasting my time in one of the top schools in the country.

I would sit in the front row in the classroom and wonder why I should study about optical fibers  (for example) and how they could possibly alleviate poverty and misery from the world. Since everything seemed so hopeless and pointless, I would engage myself by sleeping with my eyes open right in front of the professor, with the most attentive and intent look on my face. I know, it’s terribly insulting:( Especially, when I come from a family of professors (my dad’s one) – boo hoo:(

“Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone.” ~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

My close friends wondered and watched me for while. Bet I looked as if I were carrying the entire globe on my shoulders! I suspect I even donned the ghost of a saintly smile on my face for extra effect! Not able to figure out what came over me, they wisely left me alone.

“What we focus on, we empower and enlarge. Good multiplies when focused upon. Negativity multiplies when focused upon. The choice is ours: Which do we want more of?” ~ Julia Cameron

This went on for weeks. Others around me went about their daily life as usual. Then one day, tired and thoroughly bored of being serious, sad, gloomy, pessimistic, tragic, miserable, silly, foolish, melodramatic, idiotic, stupid, (and you have my permission to add your choice of words to the list) etc. etc. I snapped out of “that” phase. It just happened…and thank heavens for that!

The same world looked different to me now. The sun never shone brighter. The sky was a perfect blue and the clouds looked like white cotton balls. When it rained, the earth smelled wonderful. I could see bright yellow flower around and I was in love with the yellow color. Music was wonderful, friends were great, life was fun. I was back to my usual chatty and cheerful self. There was hope and life seemed full of possibilities. Everything was just perfect.

And I learned a very valuable lesson, a lesson I wouldn’t forget that easily. Life may be full of troubles, problems and suffering and it may be pointless and hopeless – but it’s equally pointless to be sad, serious and miserable and view the world with negativity! It’s very, very, very fatiguing, depressing and lonely! Brooding over (imaginary) troubles is no fun. Take my word for it. And it wasn’t like I was achieving anything significant and worthwhile by moping around.

Determined not to be caught unawares by negativity and pessimism again (and be drowned by them in the process),  I looked for ways so I could spot them at a distance and steer myself away from them.

“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.” ~Unknown

Be cheerful. I had a choice. I could choose to be cheerful or I could choose to be negative. By being cheerful, at least I wouldn’t be adding further gloom to the world outside. That looked like a good motivation to start with at that time.

Be happy, be cheerful, smile – always and in all ways, I told myself. Under one and only one circumstance – when the sky falls down – I gave myself permission to complain, to be pessimistic and negative. And in the worst case, eeeevvennnn if it were falling down, why not admire the blueness of the sky?”

So that became my yardstick or call what you may – and whenever I encountered a difficult situation, I would ask myself the question – is the sky falling down? Nope. The sky isn’t falling down yet and until it does, there’s no need to be pessimistic or negative. This is not the end of life. Move on. Laugh. Explore possibilities.

“If I had no sense of humor, I would long ago have committed suicide.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

Cultivate a great sense of humor. Humor helps. It’s taught me to laugh at myself and not to take life too seriously at times.

Cultivate a sense of humor and you will look for ways to find something funny, something that will make you laugh. It helps you to laugh at your troubles, not that they would go away but they would certainly feel lighter.

“The optimist lives on the peninsula of infinite possibilities; the pessimist is stranded on the island of perpetual indecision.” ~William Arthur Ward

Be willing to expand your perspective. Once you make a habit of looking at life with a different perspective, you will be surprised to see different dimensions, you will be surprised at the possibilities that open up.

It’s only when we tend to stick to a limited perspective, that we tend to become negative and pessimistic.

“Some people think of the glass as half full. Some people think of the glass as half empty. I think of the glass as too big.” ~George Carlin

Ok, have you thought about your answer? What do you see – half glass full or half glass empty?

Typically, this question is asked to find out the general attitude of a person. People who see the glass as half full are considered to be optimists and people who see the glass as half empty are seen as pessimists. But then, is that all?

There’s no one answer to this question. Because it depends on your perspective, your state of mind and your sense of humor. So, on a lighter note, here are some responses to the question. Do you have something that you would like to add? Go right ahead and log a comment.

My husband wants to know what’s in there. If it’s something he doesn’t like, he doesn’t care if it’s half empty or full empty.

The physics teacher sees a wonderful example to demonstrate the three states of matter to her students – glass for solid, water for liquid, air for gaseous.

The yogi sees it as the balanced and middle path to live life – the perfect balance between spirit (symbolized by air – the invisible) and matter (symbolized by water – the visible).

The motivational speaker talks about the soul-mind-body harmony – the air depicts the soul, the water the mind and the glass itself the body.

Einstein wants to know why the glass is called half empty. There’s nothing empty in there, it’s all energy.

The monkey looks curiously at the glass, turns it upside down, empties the contents in the process…

The dog waits  for you to throw the glass so he could fetch it for you.

The consultant has a strategy  and a methodology to examine the two scenarios, all for the hourly rate of …

The project manager wants to know the size of the glass, the contents of the glass, the users of the glass, the look and feel of the glass etc. so he may commit to an answer.  Why, only a few months ago, he solved the same problem for another client, there the glass was three times as big…

A perfectionist homemaker doesn’t care if the glass is half full or half empty, she sees if it’s clean enough or needs some scrubbing.

A person lost in the desert sees heaven.

And how about this? I think since one end is open, it’s not a fair question because there’s more air than water.

“One day, someone showed me a glass of water that was half full.  And he said, “Is it half full or half empty?”  So I drank the water.  No more problem.”  ~Alexander Jodorowsky

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Success & Self-Mastery Coach Prasanna Gunturi publishes the ‘The Energy Perpective’ weekly ezine. If you’re ready to live and lead your life energetically and successfully always and in all ways, get your free tips now at http://www.energysoulutionsallways.com/.

When I was pregnant, I was on a personal mission to learn all I could about pregnancy, labor and childbirth. I must have read (almost) all the books and [...]]]> “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.” ~ Vivian Greene

When I was pregnant, I was on a personal mission to learn all I could about pregnancy, labor and childbirth. I must have read (almost) all the books and seen most of the videos that were  available in our library on these subjects. It’s one thing hearing stories from your mother and grandmother and it’s another thing having to go through it yourself! Especially, since we live in times when medical interventions (most often unnecessary) have become the norm and are viewed as more natural than the birthing process itself. 

My research and self-study was inspired by a DVD series . Laugh and Learn is a series of DVD classes on childbirth, newborn care and breastfeeding. These were some of the first DVDs I brought from the library so my husband and I could watch the videos and prepare ourselves for the arrival of our baby into this world.

When I first looked at the title Laugh and Learn, I wondered why anyone would name a childbirth class that – Laugh and Learn? Pain and laughter don’t go together, do they?

Childbirth is an intense experience – physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Here’s how a midwife described childbirth to the men in the room during a class on childbirth. She asked them to imagine what it would be like to pull one’s lower lip and stretch it all the way over the head! That description would surely make first-time-dads and moms want to run…

Life is like childbirth at times. It can be intense and painful, hard and laborious. It can change your life. Life can be a brutal teacher and wear us out till we learn our lessons – and yet, at the end of it, it is rewarding. So, how about exploring ways so we can make the lessons fun and enjoy them in the process,  instead of dreading them?

“Children want to learn to the degree that they are unable to distinguish learning from fun. They keep this attitude until we adults convince them that learning is not fun.”~ Glenn Doman

Keep learning fun. Coming back to the video, it was six hours long and after watching it, I changed my mind about the title. It was indeed very appropriate. The video was very informative, humorous and entertaining. The presenter did a great job walking us through the whole process, explaining the various stages of labor, the available options and their pros and cons, conditions that will mandate medical interventions, pain coping techniques etc. etc.   She actually made us laugh throughout with her humor and jokes, and by the end of it, we were feeling more comfortable and less apprehensive (and ignorant). Childbirth didn’t seem all that scary and I was inspired to learn more.

So it is with life. Life’s gonna teach you anyway, whether you wish to learn or not. By choosing to learn and being receptive to life’s lessons, you make the learning easier for yourself. It’s the difference between a uninterested and weeping child going to school vs an excited and happy child looking forward to go to school! Life’s lessons are for a lifetime – so might as well laugh and learn life’s ways and live the life you choose:)

“When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”" ~Sydney Harris

 Don’t be afraid. One of my friends delivered a baby a few months before I did and she passed on some sagely advice, advice her boss shared with her, advice that must have been passed on from woman to woman over generations, “Don’t be afraid. You’ll get through it.”

 So true. If you are afraid, it will only increase stress and tension levels and it’s no good for anyone. Not during childbirth and not during life. Instead it is wiser to  fruitfully utilize our energies to learn coping techniques. Labor is hard work. It’s certainly not a walk in the park. However, knowing what to expect helped me (and my husband) prepare emotionally, mentally and spiritually for it. Exercise, affirmations, relaxing and soothing music, meditation, effective breathing, visualization, massage therapy, inspirational reading and listening etc. were some of the things I practiced and followed. Now, these are techniques that help in life too. They help us stay focused and calm and reduce stress levels!

“Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God, you learn.” ~C.S. Lewis

Know you are not alone. Knowing that millions of women have been through labor before (and the six billion population on the planet is testimony to this fact!) is an inspiration by itself! It’s not an impossible task and certainly doable – obviously, it’s just another natural process in the cycle of life:) Personally, I found it comforting and valuable talking to other women and learning from their experiences.

Similarly, millions have lived before us and millions will follow us. You are not alone in life. Each and every person on this planet has his/her own share of lessons to learn, their share of burdens, troubles, obstacles and problems – they just come in different packages of all shapes and sizes. Experience is valuable and you can save a lot of energy and time when you can learn from other people’s choices and experiences. Likewise, know that there are people out there learning from you.

 ”When you feel like nothing is there but pain and hurt and great despair, that is when we know we need to not give up, whatever it is we’re going through.” ~Unknown

Pain brings its due reward.  There was a time when my husband wondered why women would willingly subject themselves through the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. That said, after the birth of our son, when asked if he would go through the process again (he was in the labor room throughout and was amazingly supportful), he smiled and said yes. Why not? If you have gone through it once, you can certainly go through it once more! Because once you behold your bundle of joy, all pain is forgotten. And guess what I was doing five minutes after my son was born?  I was busy calling up family …:) Pain, what pain?

Isn’t it the same in life? Why else would athletes compete in strenuous sports? Why would people scale the tallest peaks against all odds? Why would people chase ambitions and dreams? Because pain brings its due reward in due time… I know it’s hard to appreciate this fact when you are going through a hard time, but hang in there:) Once you reap the reward, all the pain you went through will be forgotten as if it never happened.

“Continue learning, never stop striving and keep your curiosity sharp, and you will never become too old to appreciate life.” ~Unknown

 Remember, learning is for eternity. There’s something to learn always and in all ways. Somehow, after a certain stage in life, we shut our brains to learning. Either we believe we have learned everything that needs to be learned or we tell ourselves that we are too old to learn anything more.  Nah, nah, there’s always something to learn.

Attitude matters. The more interested, curious and eager you are to learn from the environment around you, the more you learn and the less brutal life is. Nature, people, animals, birds, plants, planets and stars – there’s a teacher in everything. So, stop saying “I know” and open yourself to a lifetime of learning, actually, an eternity of learning…life actually becomes more enjoyable once you do that! Test it out…because there’s an universe of universal wisdom waiting for you!

 ”All I have seen teaches me to trust the creator for all I have not seen.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 Trust life. Trust mother nature.  And last, but not least, trust mother nature (universe/creator/life..).

Now, since I read so many books and watched so many videos, if you were to ask me what’s the single most useful (pain coping) tip that helped me immensely during the birthing process? Let go and trust mother nature. Mother nature knows what it’s doing.

To be informed and educated is great, but too much information can be an overload. It’s a fine balance. Do you know what’s the ultimate goal of all the life lessons that we go through? That we may let go and learn to trust life and mother nature – because they are the reason we are here on this planet in the first place!

When you trust life and trust what’s happening is happening for the best, then you wouldn’t resist life so much. And when you don’t resist life, you flow along with it and you minimize the suffering! Pain is part of life and is perhaps unavoidable but suffering can be minimized and certainly avoided.

“I am willing to put myself through anything; temporary pain or discomfort means nothing to me as long as I can see that the experience will take me to a new level. I am interested in the unknown, and the only path to the unknown is through breaking barriers, an often painful process.” ~—Diane Nyad

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Success & Self-Mastery Coach Prasanna Gunturi publishes the ‘The Energy Perpective’ weekly ezine. If you’re ready to live and lead your life energetically and successfully always and in all ways, get your free tips now at http://www.energysoulutionsallways.com/.

My husband was browsing Facebook one day, when he came across a comment posted by his friend.  The friend’s two year old son posed the all important question “What is life?”. Since when did two year olds start [...]]]>  ”A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer.”  ~Unknown

My husband was browsing Facebook one day, when he came across a comment posted by his friend.  The friend’s two year old son posed the all important question “What is life?”. Since when did two year olds start asking such profound questions? Times have changed. Kids ask too many questions these days! Go play, son, it’s too early for us to answer the question:) We are still figuring out what life is all about!

What is life? What is the meaning of life? These are questions that we ask sooner or later in life. I don’t remember when I first asked this question. But I do remember when my aunt died (and I had to deal with death in the family for the first time) that I wanted to know about life and death – what’s the purpose of life if you had to die one day? I was in bachelors school then – a respectable age to ask such questions I presume, not a mere two year old:)

If you have kids, you’ve probably faced such questions. And I wonder what your response was! It wont be long before my son would be asking questions, all kinds of questions. How do you prepare yourself for the toughest examination of your life – being grilled by your children? Hmmm…perhaps it might be a good idea to be prepared with some answers, well, for standard questions like “What is life?” or “What is the meaning of life?” (or the all time favorite “Where do babies come from?”)? I am not sure if “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer to kids these days. Bet they promptly ask “Why?” and tirelessly keep repeating the “Why?”. And I don’t want to find myself in the predicament that Raymond finds himself one day.

I mean Raymond, as in Everybody Loves Raymond, the popular sitcom on American television that ran for almost a decade until 2005. We watch the re-runs and I love the characters and the real-life situations. Well, I am referring to this episode in which Ally, Ray’s daughter (perhaps ten or eleven years old), is interested in finding out where babies come from. Armed with books and much preparation, Ray marches into his daughter room, confident he would be able to answer his daughter this time around – only to find out that his daughter’s interest has changed. She now wants to know the meaning of life. Ray is totally unprepared for  this line of questioning and a baffled Ray  scurries out of the room as soon as he could. 

When his family comes to know of the question, he gets unsolicited advice. What follows is a hilarious and chaotic exchange amongst the members of the family. Ray’s wife Debra is proud that her daugther is asking such meaningful questions, his mother Marie skims the pages of the Bible hoping to find an acceptable answer, his older brother Robert wonders loudly about life, his father doesn’t understand why anyone would ask such questions – why not make better use of the time and watch a baseball game instead?  As the time ticks away, a desperate Ray calls up the church pastor only to hear the answering machine -  and leaves a frantic long winded SOS message for help.

“Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear.” ~Unknown

Life is like a rainbow. I came across this quote one day when I was searching for  a theme for Toastmasters. And I absolutely loved it. I have seen many a rainbow but it never crossed my mind to compare a rainbow to life. Rainbows are a delight to watch – I love them even now! Sun and rain. You need both of them for sure. Prosperity and adversity. You need both to appreciate life, to understand the bigger purpose of life. Life with it’s ups and downs, highs and lows, … like a rollercoaster ride.

“Life can be like a roller coaster…
And just when you think you’ve had enough,
and your ready to get off the ride and take the calm, easy merry-go round…
You change your mind, throw you hands in the air
and ride the roller coaster all over again.
That’s exhilaration…that’s living a bit on the edge…that’s being ALIVE.” ~Unknown

Life is like a rollercoaster ride. Just when you are getting comfortable with the rise and have settled to enjoy the view around, there’s a sudden drop..bump, bump, bump…you can either scream your head off with your eyes shut tight (that was my first ride) or you can enjoy the ride with your eyes wide open (every subsequent ride:)). And when you are ready to get off the ride, “you change your mind, throw you hands in the air  and ride the roller coaster all over again.” I know, I have done that so many times – somehow every other ride pales in comparison to a rollercoaster ride. Life is certainly full of ups and downs but when you know what to expect, you’ll learn to enjoy it more! Yes, it’s gonna be bumpy and scary at times, but at the same time it is exhilarating and lots of fun…a paradox that can only be experienced!

“The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson.” ~Tom Bodett

Life is a school. Life is a lifelong of learning. No one can drop out of this school – don’t even bother to try because life will follow you wherever you go! There are no failures in this school because life is a patient and thorough teacher and it teaches the lessons you have to learn no matter how long and no matter how many times! So, why not laugh and learn the lessons?

“Forrest Gump: My momma always said, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. “~from the book Forrest Gump

Life is a box of chocolates. Ha, the assorted box of chocolates. All kinds of chocolates. Some of them are your favorites and some or not. Some are exotic, some are plain gross. You put your hand in and pick up one. What are the chances you would love what you picked up? Life’s like that sometimes. You never know what’s gonna happen next, so smile and love the chocolate that you are eating!

“Guido to his son: The game starts now. You have to score one thousand points. If you do that, you take home a tank with a big gun. Each day we will announce the scores from that loudspeaker. The one who has the fewest points will have to wear a sign that says “Jackass” on his back. There are three ways to lose points. One, turning into a big crybaby. Two, telling us you want to see your mommy. Three, saying you’re hungry and want something to eat.” ~from the movie Life is Beautiful

Life is beautiful. Life is Beautiful is the touching and poignant Oscar winning Italian movie based in Italy during the times of the Holocaust. Guido is this funny, madcap, romantic Jewish guy who is married to his Italian sweetheart and has an adorable son. When the Nazis send the men to a concentration camp, Guido is determined to protect his son from the mounting horrors and evils around. He convinces him they are in an elaborate contest to win a tank. As the camp’s numbers continues to dwindle, he maintains the charade so his son may be safe and hidden, and most importantly he protects the little child’s innocence.  He uses these weapons – a smile on the face, a great sense of humor and an ingenious imagination, persistence and determination – weapons the Germans could not conquer! If you are armed with these weapons, then yes, life is indeed beautiful.

Life is like a treasure hunt. You spend years and perhaps lifetimes looking for treasure everywhere around you…only to realize that the treasure is right inside you and you hold the elusive key. The challenge then is to unlock the treasure – how do you do it? The key and the treasure are both right there – so near yet so far! Many more years (and even lifetimes) are spent figuring out how to unlock the treasure. Once you get to unlock, you find out that to have continued access to the treasure, you need to put it to good use and the only (and fool proof) way to do it is to use your talents and gifts for the greatest good of everyone and everything around you! Serve others and the universe will take care of you..

“Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.”~Oliver Goldsmith

Life is like a journey. The source and the final destination are the same for everyone. However, there are infinite paths to choose from and the path you follow reveals the path before you.  The journey is long and all that you need (not all that you desire) is available on the way… so travel light, don’t lug baggage from the past! All you need is a passport and the passport is you. Reaching the destination is assured, so look around and savor the moment!

“Life is the game that must be played.”  ~Edwin Arlington Robinson

Life is like a game. Yes, you cant play substitute, you cant sit on the sidelines, you cant opt out of the game. Learn the rules and play you must. It’s not about playing the game better than the guy next to you but it’s about playing better than you played yesterday until you learn to play with  your full potential! Your opponent is not the world or the people around you or the challenges you face, your opponent is your self – your lower self! It’s not about winning against your lower self but it’s about aligning your lower self with your higher self so both of you might win – it’s all about playing with a win-win attitude!

“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.”~William Shakespeare

Life is a drama. And you are an actor. You have your role, entry and exit all laid out. How well you make your entry and exit, and how well you play your part is what life is all about! The role is temporary, you may come back to play another role. You play all kinds of roles and characters because that’s the testimony to a true actor – comedian, villian, heroine, hero, prince, pauper, old, young, stupid, wise, etc… There’s no big or small role because every one gets to play every possible type of role and every role counts or it wouldn’t have a role in the drama! So, don’t be attached to the role, nor the actor’s garb nor the stage and let not them define who you are! Be the actor and focus on playing your part as best as you can…

“When I hear somebody sigh, “Life is hard,” I am always tempted to ask, “Compared to what?”" ~Sydney Harris

Life is a unique experience. There’s no perfect answer to define what life is. Life is beyond definitions. Words would only limit the experience. You have to experience life with your heart to really understand what it means and that experience would be unique to you!

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 ”There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very [...]]]> It snowed. Not on Christmas day but the day after. We were visiting friends in New Jersey. A blizzard hit us and left fourteen inches of snow. Some places had up to thirty two inches.

 ”There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow. It is the still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance.” ~William Sharp

It’s a beautiful sight watching the snow fall. Pristine white and super soft. Rooftops of houses, buildings and cars are covered with a uniform layer of snow. Even bare trees are covered with snow. During the night, it’s bright all around as if there’s a full moon in the sky. During the day, the snow reflects the brilliant sunshine and it’s dazzling white all around! It’s the most awesome sight – picture perfect!

When I was a kid, I read a lot of books and novels about white Christmases, snow storms, blizzards – White Fang, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables to name a few. Cold winters and snow sounded a lot of fun then. There was this novelty around them. When I came across beautiful pictures or paintings of wintry and snowy places, I would look at them wishing I were born there instead of in a hot and sweaty place! The pictures looked perfect – pure white snow all over, bright sunshine, adults and children snow balling or skiing! Wow! Seemed a whole lot of fun!

“The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event”~Unknown

After bachelors school, some of my friends who came to the US to pursue higher studies were based in the North East. They wrote long letters of their first adventure with snow. How they loved it! It was beautiful, it was amazing, etc etc. I was secretly envious of them. A month or two later, I received letters from the same friends – complaining about the bitter cold and the snow storms and blizzards! The novelty had worn off…and they wished desperately for the winter to end!

My first encounter with snow was in Boston on one of my many, short trips to the US. They had one of the worst winters in eighty years. I didn’t mind that very much because I knew I wouldn’t be staying in Boston (or in any other cold place) for too long. That was some eight years ago! Little did I know then that I would be spending four winters in upstate New York! 

I was born in a very hot place and I grew up in a place that had winters. But they were pretty mild when compared to the winters of upstate New York. My husband (well, he too seems to have read books and gazed at many a snowscape!!) and I sometimes wonder if we saw too many pictures of wintry, snowy places that we manifested it in real life! 

“A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water.”~Carl Reiner

There’s a downside to winter apart from the perfection and beauty. It’s bitingly cold. The sun disappears for days at a time. The days are short. The sun doesn’t rise until 8 am in the morning. And by 3pm, its dark again. Sub zero temperatures. Chilly winds lower the temperatures even further. There are snow storms and blizzards. And yes, ice storms.  Travel and commute is at the mercy of the weather. First thing in the morning, you have to dig your car out from the accumulated snow. Then there’s black ice – it’s treacherous – it’s snow that has melted and frozen into ice  – it’s invisible because it blends with the background. If you wish to step out, you have to put on your snow boots, wear layers of clothing and make sure your head is properly covered. Yup, even if it’s only to check the mailbox or to throw the garbage into the trash cans. Even my neighbors who have lived here for more than sixty years claim that they have not yet gotten used to the cold.  Don’t I sound like a crib pot? Yeah, I know I do. There was a time when I found winters depressing and I would complain everyday. And then it all changed one day…

“Weather is a great metaphor for life – sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and there’s nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.” ~Terri Guillemets

Two years ago we had icy rain. The weather forecasts were predicting wintry mixes and icy rain, like they always do, and not many of us paid much attention. We have had icy rains before, they are worse than the snow but not really that bad.

This time it was different. It rained icy rain through the night. When we woke up in the morning, the power was gone. A rare event where we live. Nothing works if there is no electricity – no stove, no heater, no phone, no internet, no TV. Basically, you are cut off from the rest of the world. My husband went to work. My cell phone was water damaged during our trip to Hawaii and I had not yet replaced it. I had no means of communication. Thankfully, the boiler was working and I managed to get a nice, hot water bath.

Outside, the scene was beautiful, was picture perfect. All the trees and branches were covered with ice – they looked like crystal trees – it was an amazing sight! When the sun shone brightly through the clearing gray skies, it was even more magnificent. I bet the whole of Northeast shone radiantly that day…

“The color of springtime is in the flowers, the color of winter is in the imagination.”  ~Terri Guillemets

Hours went by and there was no sign of electricity. I sat huddled on the sofa, trying to stay warm, adding layer upon layer of warm clothing around myself while the temperature dropped degree by degree. I wondered when the power would come, and mused how dependent our lives had become on electricity. My imagination ran wild and my mind raced as I conjured up all kinds of scenes! What if the power didn’t come for hours, days…? Where could we go? Hotels? What would we eat? What would I do if it became any more colder? Go park in the car? What if the car ran out of fuel or the battery died? How about the families who had small babies and little children? What would we eat? What if …? What if …? What if …?Is there anything we can accomplish if we had no electricity? Did we take too much for granted in life? What’s the lesson to be learned from this experience?

“Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.”  ~Pietro Aretino

We were some of the lucky few who got power by evening. And when I connected with the rest of civilization, I came to know about the havoc wreaked. Trees fell under the weight of the ice. In some places, they fell on cars parked by the roadside. Transformers had burst. More than a million homes had lost power and half of them didn’t get any for nearly three days. Some homes had no power for nearly a week. All because of an inch of accumulated ice! Forces of nature are mighty indeed!

“Weather is a great metaphor for life – sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, and there’s nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.” ~Terri Guillemets

Winter’s here again, the temperatures are sub-zero and we are expecting snow again in the next few days. Thought it might be a good idea to recollect some of the promises I made that icy-rainy day, the intentions I set, and the resolutions I made.

“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle … a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl.  And the anticipation nurtures our dream.” ~ Barbara Winkler

Appreciate and be grateful for what you have.  That day I counted my blessings once again! My mind raced over everything and everyone I could be and ought to be grateful for and to. Electricity tops my list:) Heaters. Boilers. Stoves. Cars. Fuel. Phones. Internet. Duvets. Comforters. Beds. Carpets. A place to call home. A roof over the top. People who cleared the snow 24×7. People who woke up at unearthly hours and worked during earthly and unearthly hours so the rest of us could be comfortable and warm! There was so much to be thankful for.

I was in admiration of the human spirit. Kudos for the dogged determination of the human spirit and its never say die attitude! We inhabit the coldest, the hottest, the rainiest places on earth. We have found ways and means to not only survive but thrive under almost all conditions. We owe this to thousands of years of human experience! Wow!

Also, my reverence towards nature only grew. I vowed that day that I was not going to take nature for granted but would consciously look for ways to optimally use natural resources – in my husband’s words “use respectfully and responsibly”, minimize waste, and be conscious of actions and thoughts on the environment around!

“Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.” ~John Ruskin

Focus on the brighter side. Might as well focus on the positive, brighter side of winters than focusing on what’s not gonna change – the cold! Well, here’s a list of to do’s during winter that would occupy the body, mind and soul – and when all three are occupied, there’s no time to get depressed – winter’s the time to entertain friends and family, gather together for potluck parties, invite friends to share a hot meal, spend tea-time leisurely drinking hot chai and eating spicy samosas, cook lavish meals (and put on weight in the process), watch wonderful movies by the dozens, catch up with reading, gaze at the beautiful landscapes (and perhaps paint them), holiday in Hawaii or Florida, enjoy the holiday break, spend time browsing shops and shopping for Christmas gifts, play indoor games, learn and play winter sports, take classes for ballroom dancing or yoga or painting or …, make plans for spring and summer, and of course, look forward to spring and summer!

Winters are not all that bad, are they? With so many things to do, the time’s gonna fly!

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ~Anne Bradstreet

A time and purpose for every season in life. How true that there’s a time and purpose for every season in life? I will let you ponder over this…and not philosophize about life any further – the above quote says all that needs to be said. It will certainly make a good article sometime:)

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” ~Albert Camus

For heavens sake, stop complaining! I promised myself that icy day that I would never ever complain about winters again. Not a word about the biting cold or the layers of clothing or about the dark, short, cloudy days! Mum’s the word:) I shall bear every winter, sorry, I shall spend every winter loving each day, being grateful for what I have, “discovering the invincible summer within me” that will stay with me forever…………….Amen!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Success & Self-Mastery Coach Prasanna Gunturi publishes the ‘The Energy Perpective’ weekly ezine. If you’re ready to live and lead your life energetically and successfully always and in all ways, get your free tips now at http://www.energysoulutionsallways.com/.

Nearly two years ago, I attended a weekend workshop in [...]]]> “There are four questions of value in life… What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for, and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love.” ~Don Juan deMarco

Nearly two years ago, I attended a weekend workshop in Los Angeles. There were twenty women entrepreneurs in the room. One of them owned a restaurant in Jersey City. We were curious about the name of the restaurant. Even as she uttered the name “Love is the Message”, all of us went “Wow”! The name sounded simple, sweet, and wise just like the owner!

 When I look around me now, that’s what I am reminded of, love is the message…

Holidays are here. Overcrowded malls. Heavy traffic. Overflowing parking lots. Door buster sales. Huge discounts. Heavily loaded shopping carts with gifts for near and dear ones. Christmas tree decorations and lights in front of homes, in the malls, at workplaces. Christmas movies and Christmas songs. Jingle Bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way! Yup, it’s the holiday season once again. Christmas is round the corner and Santa Claus will soon visit thousands of homes. And who knows, we might even have a White Christmas if it snows on Christmas.

“What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” ~Mother Teresa

Love is the message of Christmas. Families and friends gather together to give and receive, to forget and forgive, to eat and drink, to sing and dance, to hope and pray. It’s the season of hope, caring, giving, receiving, sharing, forgiveness, kindness, gratitude, tolerance, respect – love in its various forms.

Love is the message – four magical words indeed! Seers and teachers of all ages and times have lived, taught and spread the message of love. Many a poet and writer has dwelt on the subject of love in its various representations. Then there’s music, movies, songs, plays…created in the name of love!

Love has no barriers. If I were asked to describe what life is all about I would simply put it as “Love is the message”. Because that’s what life is all about. Period. Whether you believe in one lifetime or multiple lifetimes – life is about learning to love, experiencing the capacity of love and expanding your circle (or sphere) of love. Love is above and beyond boundaries, barriers, people, cultures, religions, languages, places, things, forms and names! It’s one language every being (animal, plant, human) on this planet can understand and feel!

“The wise see the Lord of Love in the sun,  Rising in all its golden radiance,  To give its warmth and light and life to all.” ~- Prashna Upanishad

Love and math – division or multiplication? I remember reading about a real-life conversation between two women – one the mother of eight children, the other a first time mom. The first time mom is in awe of the other woman and exclaims that she could never have so many children since she could not imagine sharing the immense love she has for her child with so many. To which the mother of eight replies very wisely, “When you have more than one child, you don’t divide your love. Love only gets multiplied.” How true indeed!

The capacity (of human beings) to love is extraordinary – it’s infinite. It can encompass the whole universe if you choose and will. And each one of us has that capacity. Each one of us is like the acorn seed of love with the potential to grow into a universe of oak trees! And realizing this potential is the ultimate purpose of life, of every single soul that embarks on this human journey! We spend multiple lifetimes (yes, I am a believer of multiple lifetimes) going through different experiences, all kinds of experiences, to finally realize the power of love…

“I don’t see if it is a man or a woman. I don’t see anyone different from my own self. A continuous stream of love flows from me to all of creation. This is my inborn nature.” ~Mata Amritanandamayi

How big and wide is your circle of love? Take a closer look at your life. When you were a baby, the first person to enter your circle of love is the mother. Since then the circle of love expands to include the father, siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends, neighbors, toys, books, music, cars, sports, pets, nature, places, job, business, colleagues, spouse/partner, children, house, real life heroes, authors, poets, actors, hobbies, colors, clothes, food, sports, … the list goes on! Yes, you can include anything and everything under the sky that you care about! Including yourself – sometimes we forget the most important person we must love is the self!

“Love isn’t finding a perfect person. It’s seeing an imperfect person perfectly.” ~Same Keen

Ever noticed that your circle of love IS constantly expanding? And life makes sure of that! It throws challenges at you, it brings all kinds (easygoing, loving, funny, difficult, troubled, annoying, exasperating) of people into your life, it also takes them away from your life once the purpose is served, it takes you to different (global) places on pretext of business or entertainment, it forces you to learn new things and unlearn the unwanted… well, you get the idea! Not only that, we are living in opportune times. Technology, social media, communication channels and globalization are connecting people all over the world and bringing them closer like never before. The world is getting flatter and smaller.  All these are just excuses to get you to understand and accept the diversity and versatility of life on this planet and perceive the unity behind the diversity.

Be grateful to your circle of love. Christmas is the time for gratitude! My husband and I have been blessed with a baby boy last summer. Needless to say, we are delighted beyond belief. And as you all know, babies provide a refresher course on love – pure, innocent, unconditional and blissful love! We are grateful not only for our bundle of joy but also for everyone and everything in our lives.

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?

You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Success & Self-Mastery Coach Prasanna Gunturi publishes the ‘The Energy Perpective’ weekly ezine. If you’re ready to live and lead your life energetically and successfully always and in all ways, get your free tips now at http://www.energysoulutionsallways.com/.