My Happy Birthday Post

This is what I wrote 2 years ago and when I read what I had written, I guess nothing much has changed except the fact that I am lucky to celebrate my 49th birthday with my loved ones and now I know for sure that I would be able to spend many more Birthdays without any heart problems but other problems I wouldn't be able to guarantee. Now let me see, over the years I have removed my appendix, my gall bladder and recently a bypass with an open heart surgery (I guess the mother of all operations). This will keep me ticking for many years as I will be following a strict diet and having a healthy life style as I know what it is to go through whole thing.

I am going to post the article that I had posted on Opera below and also I have a birthday photo of me taken when I was 1 year old. Don't I look sweet with the knife in my hand waiting to do justice to the cake.

Happy Birthday post

Monday, 29. October 2007, 02:44:57

Today is my birthday and with me turning a different age every year it is a time of reflection. Not that I don’t do it often enough but this special day really makes me feel nostalgic and makes me feel that I am getting closer to home(heaven or hell as you may please). But looking back what I did a year ago I have noticed quite a bit of growth (getting more grey hairs) and determination. I am influenced by the books that I read and the feeling that age is finally catching up, I have also became more of an introvert finding solace in my solitude. I have accepted to accept things in life as they pass by and not to worry about it too much as I know I don't possess the power to alter or change it. But that doesn't mean; I let my life pass by. Now I just become the observer and let my heart do the thinking and guide me. Something which I guess I didn't have the capacity to do before as I was reacting then with my ego (my little voice). I have begun to realise the folly that this little voice did to me; fear, fright, anger, jealousy,worries etc. Been through many turbulent times in life and I have risen against all odds and I am thankful to God for seeing me through. And by God's grace I know I would have many more birthdays to sit and ponder about the new challenges that life would have to offer and the lessons it would enrich me with so that I could share it with others.

My birthday wish for this year is that both my boys do well in their public exams and also not forgetting my wife who is taking care of them while I am away working abroad. My final wish is that I should be back home soon with the family as I had enough of working abroad and brooding over it with my blogs.

By the way I am posting this one day in advance as my birthday is tomorrow and I honestly would like to thank God for whatever he has done in my life and for giving me this chance to post this blog and share it with my family and friends. God Bless you all.

Blast from the Past

My first trip abroad (Twilight Zone).

Saturday, 3. May 2008, 13:47:35

The surrounding was a little strange as the plane landed at the airport. I can glance from the window that the landscape looked very parched and the grass was brown. I can also see the mirage on the runway. As the pilot announced the local time at the airport that I was about to land, I changed the time at my watch and this was a brand new watch that I got as a gift for my overseas trip for my studies. I had to wind two and half hours back from the place where I was flying from.
To my surprise I saw some workers working at the airport, their skin tanned working under the blazing heat and they were wearing only loin cloths. They were doing manual work, just like a scene from a movie where you find jailbirds toiling away breaking rocks in some hill with a sledge hammer.
Now this was about thirty years ago, when I was a student in pursue of higher education to be a Doctor (now that I am engineer). Sitting alone on the flight and looking at the scenes unfolding before me was a cultural shock to me. This is the very first time that I am ever leaving my home, my comfort zone not knowing what the outside world really looks like.
I enjoyed the flight though, I had my share of the free drinks and I had managed to smoke onboard too (those were the days). But reality hit me right at my face, what am I doing in a country which looked like it was still in the stone ages. Who am I to complain as I was seeking my higher education in this so called stone aged country?
The airport was run down and there were queues a mile long everywhere for the immigration clearance. I guess I was one the last to get my passport stamped from that flight. The custom clearance was a piece of cake as I looked at it, no queue and I carried my luggage to the counter to open it for the custom officer to check it. But it was a rather embarrassing moment for me. The officer shouted at me to take my place at the queue, I was thinking to myself, what queue? Little did I realise that there was actually a queue, the passengers were very tired standing for ages and they had decided to place the luggage in line and they were seating on the benches.
Who do I know in this strange land? My guardian was fixed by my uncle who was studying his engineering in the northern part of the country. Have I seen this so called guardian or do I have a clue how he looks like? The only description that I had of him was that he is short, dark and has big round eyes. When I looked at the stream of people who were waiting on the reception hall, almost all of them fit that description. Was I doomed?
I look at my watch for the local time and to my surprise; the watch had stopped at the precise moment when the plane landed at the airport. My hair on my back was standing and I had goose bumps just thinking about it. Am I alive or did the plane crash and I am in another world or dimension so to speak.
Just before I left for my overseas trip, I had watched twilight zone on the telly and there was this episode about how the passengers on a plane were flying and the plane had encountered some turbulence due to air pockets, and after that there was calm and the plane was still flying through with an eerie silence and when some of the passengers had looked at their watches, it had all stopped at the precise moment when the plane had crashed (due to bad weather) and they were all flying in a different dimension.
I woke up from that eerie moment or feeling as in front of me was that short, dark and those big round eyes man calling my name and he had my photograph with him.

To be continued.....

©sukku2008

This was my posting at Opera and I didn't know why I had written ....to be continued...was I waiting for response from the other bloggers so that I can pen the sequel....
So do you want a sequel...it's a nice feeling when you read your old blogs....it's like a time capsule...

Blast from the past...

Why do you blog?

Wednesday, 24. October 2007, 13:34:54

I am sitting here pondering on the reasons why do I blog? Has this thought ever crossed your mind too?

Could it be to keep track of my moods,feelings and my state of being at that particular moment in time captured like a photograph but in my case its a photograph of my thoughts and my feelings.

A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger.” Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog. Postings on a blog are almost always arranged in cronological order with the most recent additions featured most prominantly. Blogs use a conversational style of documentation.

This is what I blogged on 18.10.2006 about a year back and it transported me back to that very day:


You know as I read my previous blogs, I see a pattern emerging based on the situation and circumstances. One year back my priorities were different and I guess it all depends on the present state of the mind.

I had my fair share of ups and downs and character is built by the sufferings that we undergo and on how we react to these situations. Fear is another factor that alters the way we perceive things and people. Fear is also imaginary and if you write your fear down and read it aloud, you would see that it is nothing but a story. You tend to see the folly in the fear and as they say, the greatest fear is that of fear itself.

The other thing that you realize by reading your older blogs is how you transform yourself from ideas and beliefs that you hold on too. We just have to let go of the old ideas or beliefs. In order to progress I guess we have to learn how to let go and let live. Is this really possible?

Let me pen down what I feel at this moment and capture it in my blog. Actually I can’t feel anything now as when I make myself come up with the next thought, it doesn’t work. Thoughts are random and they are an entity and they possess life. I have also learned on how to control my thoughts and not let the thoughts dictate my action. When you wake up in the morning, what are your thoughts like? How would you want your day to be? Sometimes we get up feeling lazy and we just don’t have the mood. I have that feeling these days and it’s a dreadful thing actually. Like they say, an idle mind is the devils workshop.

What are devils? Don’t you think that Devils are the figment of our imagination? What is bad or what is good. We know black from white and bad from evil. But why is there so much of evil in this world. People fight over right or wrong and they kill each other. Why can’t we just co-exist peacefully? Why do people hold grudges? Why can’t they just forgive and forget.

I am just writing, whatever that comes in my mind and composing it without giving it a thought. Does all this make sense? Does our life on earth make sense? Why is there disparity in this world? Why do I feel sad when I see the beggars with babies in their arms begging at the traffic lights(in Hyderabad)? Why are they doing it? Why can’t we be equal? What did they do to deserve this pitiful life? Sometimes I tell myself, hey you are just begging without any worries in this world but we in the comfort of our cars are the actual beggars with so much misery and sadness.

Let me end my blog with a paragraph from OSHO’s book on awareness:

“Yesterday you were thinking about today because then it was tomorrow; now it is today and you are thinking about tomorrow, and when tomorrow comes, it will be today – because anything that exists, exists here and now, it cannot exist otherwise. And if you have a fixed mode of functioning such that your mind always looks at tomorrow, then when will you live? Tomorrow never comes. Then you will go on missing. The moment the future enters, time enters. You have missed. And this has become a fixed pattern: robot like, you go on missing".

So remember one thing: whenever you realize that you have gone into the past or into the future, don’t create a problem out of it. Simply come to the present, not creating any problem. It’s okay! Simply bring back your awareness.

Whenever you feel you have missed, come back, that’s all. Don’t feel guilty.

Has my state of being changed much from then? I still have the same feelings about inequality and maybe I have become wiser on the fear part but it still daunts me...the past is always there...even now and I keep telling myself to let go but it still attaches to me like a leech....and it will fall off eventually(I guess once it has sucked enough and caused enough misery). Ah...the future....another ball game altogether....

I hope my blog has stirred the passion on your blogging and the philosophy behind it...so happy blogging...bloggers...

7 Rules for a Life Worth Living

Rule One: Never let another person dictate the terms for living your life.

Not your parents. Not your spouse. Not your kids. Leading your life means you can accept the input of other people, but the final decision is yours. This means that career choice, relationships, beliefs and way of life are to be judged by you, not anyone else.

This rule holds especially when you have doubts. Don’t let your moment of doubt become a weakness to be exploited by others. Not sure what you want to do with your life? Don’t sit passively and let other people decide for you.

Rule Two: Don’t allow yourself to be chained by consumerism.

The world is filled with stuff. Don’t let stuff get in the way of what is important. When you become chained to your stuff, you are no longer leading your life. Ask yourself: if you had to give up 90% of your net worth tomorrow to pursue your dream, could you do it effortlessly? If you hesitated, perhaps your ability to lead your own life has been weakened by your attachment to stuff.

Rule Three: Rule money. Don’t let money rule you.

Money is a resource that can be applied when leading your life. You can use it to reduce discomforts, focus on meaningful work and apply it to help you learn and improve. But if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, the money is in control.

Here are some goals to put yourself in a position to rule the money in your life:

• Maintain one year of emergency funds in the bank.
• Your lifestyle should expand at a slower rate than your income grows.
• Be able to drastically reduce your expenditures if needed.

Financial freedom doesn’t mean the ability to buy everything you could desire or live in luxury. It means that money becomes a tool and not a distraction in leading your life.

Rule Four: You come first in relationships.

Do you know people that can’t stand being single? They get out of one bad relationship only to jump into the next.

Why? Because they put too much of their needs dependent on that other person. Without emotional and possibly financial support, they can’t survive.

In any relationship you need to be the person that comes first. That means that while you might enjoy the relationship, it doesn’t become the major purpose in your life.

Your purpose and leading your life must come before any relationship you enter. The surprising fact is that when you do this, you are able to have healthier personal and intimate relationships because there is no need for jealousy or possession.

Rule Five: Never outsource your thinking.

“You can split up food between men, but each man must digest it individually.” – Howard Roark in The Fountainhead.

Leading your own life means leading your own beliefs. It means never accepting anything unless you can filter it through your reasoning and find it to be true. Think critically about everything in life. Chances are there are a lot of indigested thoughts floating around trying to bypass your mind and go straight to your gut.

Rule Six: Anything you lack can be trained.

Never accept a fatalistic view of life. So you’ve been told you lack the intelligence, willpower, strength or charisma to do something? Ignore them. So you’ve told yourself that you lack the talent? Ignore yourself.

Begin with the assumption that anything can be trained and you’ll find few exceptions. I used to be a shy, introverted kid. Recently some friends described me as an extreme extrovert, being unafraid to meet new people and having honed my abilities to speak in front of crowds. Begin with the belief that you have no idea where your talents are until you train them.

Rule Seven: Purpose comes from your creative faculties.

Want to know what your purpose in life is? Simple. Hold your hands in front of you. Now look at them. There is your purpose and means to do it.

Purpose is your ability to take the creative energies you have and communicating them with the world. You and I might pick different mediums, but the act of purpose is exactly the same. You could be a manager crafting the art of dealing with people, a programmer crafting the knowledge of algorithms or an entrepreneur crafting the art of a business.

Don’t worry if you haven’t found the right medium. Once you feel that great purpose for your life and it comes from within, that is your greatest asset. With that belief you are the leader of your own life.

Steve Jobs' 20 rules of success

Steve Jobs' rules for success:

• First thing: As soon as you join/start a company, make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper.

• Don't hesitate in throwing bad apples out of the company.

• Don't worry about too many things at once. Take a handful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones.

• People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome.

• Success generates more success. So be hungry for it. "I've always wanted to own and control the primary technology in everything we do."

• Ask for feedback, from people with diverse backgrounds. Each one will tell you one useful thing.

• If you're at the top of the chain, sometimes people won't give you honest feedback because they're afraid. In this case, disguise yourself, or get feedback from other sources (Steve Jobs actually called Apple Customer Care disguising himself as a customer, just to check on them).

• Focus on those who will use your product - listen to your customers first.

• Advertise. If they don't know it, they won't buy your product.

• Pay attention to design. "We made the buttons on the screen look so good you'll want to lick them." "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."

• "Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower." If there's a better technology available, use it no matter if anyone else is not using it. Be the first, and make it an industry standard. “I think this is the start of something really big. Sometimes that first step is the hardest one, and we've just taken it.”

• “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

• Learn to criticize your enemies openly, but honestly.

• If you partner someone whom you don't like, learn to like them - praise them and benefit from them - "Ecosystem approach"

• Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.

• Do your best at every job. No sleep!

• Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. “I want to put a ding in the universe.”

• There's always "one more thing" to learn!

• "Better be a pirate than to join the navy"

• "Think different"

Bill Gates Rules of Life

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it.
Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3: You will not make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.
Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity.
Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forests from the parasites of your parents' generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools, they may have abolished failing grades, and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life.
Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. 
Author: Jennifer Nodwell

I hope you enjoy my series on living and all this are taken from the internet.

Rules to Live By

Some say rules were made to be broken. If we make an effort to follow a few simple rules life would be so much easier. Here’s 15 Rules To Live By:
»If you move it, put it back.
»If you don’t know how to operate it, leave it alone.
»If it belongs to someone else and you want to use it, get permission.
»If you borrow it, return it.
»If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
»If you broke it, admit it.
»If you can’t fix it, call in someone who can.
»If you open it, close it.
»If you turn it on, turn it off.
»If you unlock it, lock it up.
»If you value it, take care of it.
»If you make a mess, clean it up.
»If it will brighten someone’s day, say it, do it!
»If it’s none of your business, don’t ask questions.
»If it will tarnish someone’s reputation, keep it to yourself.
(Author Unknown)

10 Rules To Live By

There’s really no way to sum up the game of life with a simple set of rules, but I’ve come up with a set of guidelines that have served me pretty good. I would love to hear your own.
1. Focus on what you want: Do you focus on the road ahead or in the rearview mirror filled with the past? By focusing on the past, you tend to worry about the future because your focus carries the negative experiences from your past into your present. “Hold a picture of yourself long and steadily enough in your mind’s eye, and you will be drawn toward it.” - Napoleon Hill
2. Never give up: Thomas Edison said it best — “”Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
3. One day at a time: We achieve our dreams one day at a time, so set goals for each day that will take you, step by step, toward your desire. The pyramids weren’t built in a week so learn to be patient. Do the best you can, enjoy this day, and be satisfied with what you’ve accomplished.
4. True happiness lies within you: Don’t waste time and effort searching for happiness, peace and contentment in the world outside. Reach inside yourself and pull out the better angels of your nature and give to someone else.
5. Learn to be grateful: “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” - Melodie Beattie
6. Expand your comfort zone: Not a whole lot can change or happen when we stop challenging ourselves. Bob Parson’s probably said it best when someone told him they we’re concerned about they’re security. His response was, “Security is for cadavers.”
7. Your closer than you think: There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes something like this: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”
8. Don’t take yourself seriously: Learn to lighten up. Life is a game. Don’t sweat the little stuff…. ’cause it’s all little stuff.
9. Be nice: What is that old saying? You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Just another way of saying you can win people to your side more easily by gentle persuasion and flattery than by hostile confrontation.
10. Get out of your way: As Warren Buffet said to a University of Washington audience several years ago regarding how he and Bill Gates became so successful: “Everybody here has the ability to do anything I do and much beyond. Some of you will, and some of you won’t. For those who won’t, it will be because you get in your own way, not because the world doesn’t allow you to.”
Written by R. H.
http://myselfdevelopment.net/index.php/2007/02/19/10-rules-to-live-by/

Cherie Carter-Scott's rules of life

(Carter Scott references this quotation:) "Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood." (Helen Keller)

Rule One - You will receive a body. Whether you love it or hate it, it's yours for life, so accept it. What counts is what's inside.

Rule Two - You will be presented with lessons. Life is a constant learning experience, which every day provides opportunities for you to learn more. These lessons specific to you, and learning them 'is the key to discovering and fulfilling the meaning and relevance of your own life'.

Rule Three - There are no mistakes, only lessons. Your development towards wisdom is a process of experimentation, trial and error, so it's inevitable things will not always go to plan or turn out how you'd want. Compassion is the remedy for harsh judgement - of ourselves and others. Forgiveness is not only divine - it's also 'the act of erasing an emotional debt'. Behaving ethically, with integrity, and with humour - especially the ability to laugh at yourself and your own mishaps - are central to the perspective that 'mistakes' are simply lessons we must learn.

Rule Four - The lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons repeat until learned. What manifest as problems and challenges, irritations and frustrations are more lessons - they will repeat until you see them as such and learn from them. Your own awareness and your ability to change are requisites of executing this rule. Also fundamental is the acceptance that you are not a victim of fate or circumstance - 'causality' must be acknowledged; that is to say: things happen to you because of how you are and what you do. To blame anyone or anything else for your misfortunes is an escape and a denial; you yourself are responsible for you, and what happens to you. Patience is required - change doesn't happen overnight, so give change time to happen.

Rule Five - Learning does not end. While you are alive there are always lessons to be learned. Surrender to the 'rhythm of life', don't struggle against it. Commit to the process of constant learning and change - be humble enough to always acknowledge your own weaknesses, and be flexible enough to adapt from what you may be accustomed to, because rigidity will deny you the freedom of new possibilities.

Rule Six - "There" is no better than "here". The other side of the hill may be greener than your own, but being there is not the key to endless happiness. Be grateful for and enjoy what you have, and where you are on your journey. Appreciate the abundance of what's good in your life, rather than measure and amass things that do not actually lead to happiness. Living in the present helps you attain peace.

Rule Seven - Others are only mirrors of you. You love or hate something about another person according to what love or hate about yourself. Be tolerant; accept others as they are, and strive for clarity of self-awareness; strive to truly understand and have an objective perception of your own self, your thoughts and feelings. Negative experiences are opportunities to heal the wounds that you carry. Support others, and by doing so you support yourself. Where you are unable to support others it is a sign that you are not adequately attending to your own needs.

Rule Eight - What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. Take responsibility for yourself. Learn to let go when you cannot change things. Don't get angry about things - bitter memories clutter your mind. Courage resides in all of us - use it when you need to do what's right for you. We all possess a strong natural power and adventurous spirit, which you should draw on to embrace what lies ahead.

Rule Nine - Your answers lie inside of you. Trust your instincts and your innermost feelings, whether you hear them as a little voice or a flash of inspiration. Listen to feelings as well as sounds. Look, listen, and trust. Draw on your natural inspiration.

Rule Ten - You will forget all this at birth. We are all born with all of these capabilities - our early experiences lead us into a physical world, away from our spiritual selves, so that we become doubtful, cynical and lacking belief and confidence. The ten Rules are not commandments, they are universal truths that apply to us all. When you lose your way, call upon them. Have faith in the strength of your spirit. Aspire to be wise - wisdom the ultimate path of your life, and it knows no limits other than those you impose on yourself.


This summary is merely a brief outline and simply does not do the book justice, nor the wisdom within it. If you are interested in making the most of your life, and helping others do the same, buy Cherie Carter-Scott's book 'If Life Is A Game, These Are The Rules'.

Quotes of the Week

"So many assume the truth is either black or white... It's all evolution or it's totally creation, for example. Reality creates consciousness; consciousness creates reality. Actually truth is inclusive, neither black nor white, nor a shade of grey. Indeed, truth is a multicolored spectrum, a beautiful hologram!" --Peter Shepherd

"Freedom is actually a bigger game than power. Power is about what you can control. Freedom is about what you can unleash." --Harriet Rubin

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life and don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. Most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become." --Steve Jobs

The Six Mistakes of Man

This is a chapter from Dr. Wayne Dyer's book entitled "Wisdom of the Ages". Let me copy down the 6 mistakes so that you can ponder and reflect on your mistakes.

1. The illusion that personal gain is made up of crushing others.
   
2. The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed or corrected.
   
3. Insisting that a thing is impossible because we cannot accomplish it.
   
4. Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.
   
5. Neglecting development and refinement of the mind, and not acquiring the habit of reading and study.
   
6. Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.
   

MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO (106 B.C. – 43 B.C.)

Let me dwell on No. 2, as "First it makes no sense t worry about the things you have no control over, because if you have no control over them, it makes no sense to worry about them. Second, it makes no sense to about the things you do have control over, because if you have control, it makes no sense to worry."

I am sure you would be having your favourites and if you want me to explain the ones that you like, please let me know.

For further reading, please visit this site http://www.spiritsite.com/writing/waydye/

A Paradigm For Nothing

This is taken from my collection of conversations for transformation by Landmark Education. I just wanted to share this with you and please read between the lines to appreciate the deep philosophy involved here.

This essay is the  a collection of six on Nothing:

1.  Nothing

2.  There Is Nothing To Get

3.  High Class Zen

4.  Joshua Is Doing Nothing

5.  A Paradigm For Nothing

6.  Nothing We Can Achieve

---

• Keep your fingers out of the machinery. Notice your tendency to want to fix the machine. That is your most human quality. But the machine is already fixed. Actually it never was broken. It doesn't need you to fix it. The machine is OK the way it is.
• This is the way it turned out. It turned out this way whether you have an opinion or not that it should have turned out this way or differently. Be gracious with the outcome. Your energy is better spent being with it rather than resisting it or arguing with it.
• Life is a roller coaster. You can ride it with joy and deliberation. Or you can resist riding it and simply be taken along held captive for the ride. But you can't avoid riding it because being born you already chose to ride it. Choosing again newly what you already chose is an opening allowing you to move on.
• Some experiences are unpleasant. Some experiences are pleasant. We avoid unpleasant experiences and we prefer pleasant experiences. Consider that both avoidance and preference are machinery and therefore automatic. Choosing the experience you are experiencing, whatever it is, and being with it is mastery.
• You have no access to knowing what drives another to do what they do. None. Everything anyone does occurs for you the way it occurs for you because of who you are not because of who they are and not because of what they do and especially not because of what they do to you.
• Arguably the damnedest trap of being human is the futility of pretending that there is an "out there" out there. All righteousness is enslaved to that. What there is for you is a world occurring congruent with who you are being. Owning the occurring world gives choice in the matter, in all matters.
•  
• Disclaimer: This is not my work.
  

It takes time to heal

I have been rather impatient with the progress of my healing; not realizing that I had a major surgery (open heart) where they had cut my sternum and it takes time to heal. I came to terms that I have be patient after I read this chapter on Patience from the book titled "Wisdom of the Ages" by Wayne W. Dyer.

Do not be desirous of having
things done quickly. Do not
look at small advantages.
Desire to have things done
quickly prevents their being
done thoroughly. Looking
at small advantages prevents
great affairs from being
accomplished.

         Confucius (551 B.C – 479 B.C)

I am feeling restless as I want to get back to normal life but if I apply my impatience, then I will be preventing the healing process. There is another proverb from the book, "With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown", and also he says that impatience breeds fear, stress and discouragement. So let nature take its own course and have a stress free existence.

Quotes from "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari" by Robin Sharma

I would love to share the following quotes by Robin Sharma from his book "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari". I have read this book a couple of times but what got me was when I was in the Hospital after my heart attack waiting for my surgery, the book had a profound impact as I could identify myself with Julian on how he had valued work more then life and had neglected it...until he had a heart attack...and that gave him a second lease of life...where he changed ....in life we never treasure anything as we take things for granted...until we are hit by "the lightning" or given a shock treatment....thats when we wake up...like I did ....so please "WAKE UP"....before it is too late...enjoy the little pleasures in life...take time to see the sunset...

Here are the Quotes:

# "Blaming others is nothing more than excusing yourself.."

# "Learn More to Earn More"

# "We receive from life not what we want but who we are".

# "Good people strengthen themself ceaselessly"

# "The most satisfied and enlightened people realize that successful and dynamic living starts from within. Before you can care for others, you must care for yourself."

# "SOW THINKING REAP ACTION, SOW ACTION REAP HABIT, SOW HABIT REAP CHARACTER,SOW CHARACTER REAP DESTINY"

# "Everything that happens in your life is beautiful"

# "The mind is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master"

# "It's not what you will get out of the books that is so enriching ,it is what the books will get out of you that will ultimately change your life"

# "Those who don't make time for exercise will eventually have to make time for illness"

# "What you resist will persist; what you befriend, you will transcend"

# "Before someone will lend you a hand, you must touch their heart"

# "Be the change that u wish to see most in your world"

# "Your Schedule Doesn't Lie"

# "I am more than I appear to be, all the worlds strength & power rests inside me"

# "We don't laugh because we are happy. We are happy because we laugh".

# "Wake-up Early, Life is Short ,what if today is the last night of my life, so enjoy life to the full" !!

# Become a Will-Power Warrior!!!

# "Pain is a wonderful teacher"

# "Those who find shall seek"

# "Never overlook the power of simplicity"

# "The less you focus on the result sooner it will come"

# "The difference between your planning and action is the measure of your lack of perfection". They keep making their today better than yesterday. The best stars have infinite energy and appetite for stretching their personal frontiers and improve each and every area of their lives."

# "A man is as old he feels, the energy to keep improving keeps them young at heart and provides positive thinking mind body and soul."

# "Health is very important part of the whole system of causing immortality and longevity."

# "Perfect health is physical, mental, social and economic well being"

# "Wealth is not only measured by how much money you have, it is also measured by how much you are at peace within"

# "Kindness is the rent we must pay for occupying space on this little planet"

# "I am an artist at living - my work of art is my life"

# "The Price of Discipline is higher than the Pain of Regret"

# "Clarity precedes mastery, unless u r clear about what exactly u want to accomplish in life you are always running behind a mirage and u fret and fume on yourself and this is just a process of self destruction.

# "AWARENESS PRECEDES CHOICE,CHOICE PRECEDES RESULTS".

# "Winners have two types of courage – the courage to act and the courage to endure – and they never quit regardless of the circumstances. Understanding that they are bigger than their circumstances is what gives them the courage to succeed"

# "When you were born, you cried while the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die, the world cries while you rejoice.

# "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when an adult is afraid of the light."

# "Learn to say NO Learn to say NO back when you are saying YES to an unimportant thing, you are saying NO to an important one"

# "Work hard & get lucky"

# "I like that thing that he says on FEAR in Monk book..... its really inspiring..do things that u fear....do things that u r comfortable....get out of your comfort zone"

# "Here are no limits for a person who accepts no limits."

# "When one door closes another opens. But we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we fail to see the one that has opened for us."

# "Either you set your goals and, in doing so, have your life governed by choice or you do nothing and gave your life governed by chance."

# "When u were born u cried while d world rejoiced....live life in a way such that when you die...the world cries while u rejoice in peace"

# The PURPOSE of life is life of Purpose!!!

# You are meant to Shine!

# This is Robins Ultimate Quote

# When You were Born,You Cried while the World Rejoiced,Live your life in such a way that when u die,the world cries while you rejoice.

# You Can be a Fool for Five Minutes if you ask a Question, however u r a FOOL for A LIFETIME if you hesitate to ask a question!!!!

# On your deathbed you will never wish,you spent more time at the office.

# Destiny unfolds according to the choices one makes

# Sow a character,you reap your destiny

# We are all here for some special reason. Stop being a prisoner of your past. Become the architect of your future.

# The most noble thing you can do is to give to others. Start focusing on your higher purpose.

# Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return again. Those who use time wisely from an early age are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives.

# Wage war against the weaker thoughts that have crept into the palace of your mind. They will see that they are unwanted and leave like unwelcome visitors.

# The Universe favors the brave. When you resolve to lift your life to its highest level, the strength of your soul will guide you to a magical place with magnificent treasures.

# Never forget the importance of living with unbridled exhilaration. Never neglect to see the exquisite beauty in all living things. Today, and this very moment, is a gift. Stayfocused on your purpose. The Universe will take care of everything else.

# The secret of happiness is simple: find out what you truly love to do and then direct all of your energy towards doing it. Once you do this, abundance flows into your life and all your desires are filled with ease and grace.

# DO YOUR BEST AND LET LIFE DO THE REST!!!

# NOTHING FAILS LIKE SUCCESS - From the Greatness Guide

# The bow too tightly strung is easily broken.

# Clarity precedes mastery.

# Every action is the offspring of a thought.

# Your thinking will create your reality.

# The price of greatness is responsibility."

# When you give your best to life, life gives it's best to you".

# The last one percent most people keep in reserve is the extra percent champions have the courage to burn.

# Live life as you would not be live tomorrow.

# You can't do good if you don't feel good. - Plato

# -adding value to others (from clients and co-workers to people in our communities)

# "Remember that we become our conversations. Our lives eventually look like the people we associate with. Surround yourself with people who are innovative, passionate, interesting, provocative, caring and doing great things and your life cannot help but get better."

# You Find What You Seek
# Every second you spend thinking about what you don't want in your life is a second denying focus and energy from getting what you do want. Every minute you worry about what's not working is a minute drawn away from creating what will work. And every hour spent reflecting on the disappointments of the past is an hour stolen from seeing the possibilities that your future holds.

# What I've discovered in my own life is that I see more of what I look for. Clarity precedes mastery (big idea there) and the more clearly I look for what I want, the more powerfully I generate that result in my life.

Quotes of the Week

"Many of our fears are tissue paper thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them." --Brendan Francis

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." --Marie Curie

"Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here. The spiritual journey is the relinquishment, or unlearning, of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts." --Marianne Williamson

Quit Smoking

Just felt like sharing this article and also as a reminder for those who are still smoking....for heaven's safe ...please stop.


When smokers quit, within twenty minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.

At 20 minutes after quitting:

• blood pressure decreases
  
• pulse rate drops
  
• body temperature of hands and feet increases
  

At 8 hours:

• carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal
  
• oxygen level in blood increases to normal
  

At 24 hours:

• chance of a heart attack decreases
  

At 48 hours:

• nerve endings start regrowing
  
• ability to smell and taste is enhanced
  

The first year after quitting:

At 2 weeks to 3 months:

• circulation improves
  
• walking becomes easier
  
• lung function increases
  

1 to 9 months:

• coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decreases
  

1 year:

• excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker
  

Long-term Benefits of Quitting

At 5 years:

• from 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
  

At 10 years:

• risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers
  
• risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases
  
• risk of ulcer decreases
  

At 15 years:

• risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked
  
• risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked
  

See also:

www.ffsonline.org

A VERY TOUCHING AND EMOTIONAL POEM....PLS PASS IT ON!!

I went to a party Mom, I remembered what you said. You told me not to drink, Mom, So I drank soda instead. I really felt proud inside, Mom, The way you said I would. I didn't drink and drive, Mom, Even though the others said I should. I know I did the right thing, Mom, I know you are always right. Now the party is finally ending, Mom, As everyone is driving out of sight. As I got into my car, Mom, I knew I'd get home in one piece. Because of the way you raised me, So responsible and sweet. I started to drive away, Mom, But as I pulled out into the road, The other car didn't see me, Mom, And hit me like a load. As I lay there on the pavement, Mom, I hear the policeman say, "The other guy is drunk," Mom, And now I'm the one who will pay. I'm lying here dying, Mom..... I wish you'd get here soon. How could this happen to me, Mom? My life just burst like a balloon. There is blood all around me, Mom, And most of it is mine. I hear the medic say, Mom, I'll die in a short time. I just wanted to tell you, Mom, I swear I didn't drink. It was the others, Mom. The others didn't think. He was probably at the same party as I. The only difference is, he drank And I will die. Why do people drink, Mom? It can ruin your whole life. I'm feeling sharp pains now. Pains just like a knife. The guy who hit me is walking, Mom, And I don't think it's fair. I'm lying here dying And all he can do is stare. Tell my brother not to cry, Mom. Tell Daddy to be brave. And when I go to heaven, Mom, Put "GOOD BOY " on my grave. Someone should have told him, Mom, Not to drink and drive. If only they had told him, Mom, I would still be alive. My breath is getting shorter, Mom. I'm becoming very scared. Please don't cry for me, Mom. When I needed you, you were always there. I have one last question, Mom. Before I say good bye. I didn't drink and drive, So why am I the one to die? Someone took the effort to write this poem. So please, forward this to as many people as you can. And see if we can get a chain going around the world that will make people understand that don't mix drinking and driving. PLEASE DO THE FAVOR

What it takes to get the crowd in....

Sounds like a restaurant or a shopping mall? No I was talking about my blogs and I don't see many bloggers commenting on what I write. I do see a lot of visitors but they could be window shopping or they must have wandered into my blog accidentally. So what does it really takes to pull the crowd?

I guess by now you must have been sick of reading stuff about my heart attack and all the minute details that I am giving you. Now who in the hell would actually have a heart attack and have the time to blog? Beats me!!! So can I list down my suggestions to get the crowd in and not that I have so many of them at my blogs that I don't have time replying.

1. Write controversial articles.
   
2. Visit other bloggers and leave your comments.
   
3. Have an interesting template.
   
4. Update your blogs on a regular basis.
   
5. Post a lot of photos.
   
6. Be as witty as possible.
   
7. Think before you write.
   
8. Have a camera handy so that you can take candid photos for your blogs.
   
9. I am out of ideas....at this stage.
   

So spare me the agony....and if you visit my blog...just write anything ....to leave your footprint....

Looking back into the past and seeking what is in store for me?

I was going through my blog on what I was doing at about the same time last year. I was with Ho Hup Construction Company Berhad and was in charge of Bukit Jalil project. I came back from India by the end of July 2008 and made a few trips after that to sort out the litigation with the Housing Board.

Was I dissatisfied with my work? I guess so and being stuck at a housing development project was not my cup of tea. Now the excitement came back into my life when I left Ho Hup and joined Econpile and took charge of a project in Johor and the pressure was really exciting and I got my adrenaline pumping back. Maybe the problem was that I was pushing myself very hard and wanted to complete the job in record time with savings for the company.

Now that I had my heart attack on site and I am to take rest until middle of November 2009, I have to relook at all my options. Where would I be next year from now? The answer is very simple, I wouldn't know. But if I have my way, I would like to be back doing what I was doing before. Take charge of a site but this time around I would like to be in Kuala Lumpur and no more outstation jobs (but that doesn't give me that much options huh).

And there is no ifs and buts for me to take care of my health and also my diet as I know what I was filling myself in Johor. They say God only gives you a chance and I have used that up and I have to last at least another 15 to 20 years. I want to see my grandchildren and maybe want to play with them.

They say that the best medicine after the CABG is a positive attitude and I guess I have plenty of it at the present moment. Anyway I am thankful to the almighty that I am still alive and kicking.

I haven't really answered my question.....more of looking into the past....well I have to get out of this rut....and start putting this heart attack thing in the past....

It’s been a month since my heart attack

How time flies and it is my first month anniversary since my heart attack. It happened on a Sunday in Johor Bahru, which is about 350 km from Kuala Lumpur. I was in charge of the Iskandar Waterfront Development project comprising of foundation works, bored piles and spun piles. The contract duration was 5 months and I managed to get ahead of schedule and things wer moving on smoothly until I had a heart attack.

I guess the heart attack was slotted for me from upstairs but only the timing. I guess I am lucky with the timing as I had it just before the Id or the Muslim festival of Idulfitri, otherwise things would have been pretty messy with the entire highway jammed with travellers and the hospitals working on half strength. The worst case scenario would be I might be travelling on the highway and God only knows what I would have done if I had the attack while I was on the highway, maybe pop in a few anti-acid tablets and maybe get a one way ticket to heaven.

What has changed in my life ever since the heart? I feel the same but I know there are certain things that I have to give up for good. Maybe I will list them down:

1. Smoking
   
2. Drinking(maybe moderate)
   
3. Cut down on salt
   
4. Eliminate fried food
   
5. No more fast food
   
6. Reduce the oil
   
7. Avoid outstation job
   
8. Avoid stressful working conditions
   

But then there are quite a few things that I have to strictly follow up which includes:

1. Exercise
   
2. Avoid eating outside
   
3. Learn to relax
   
4. Lose weight
   

I have to take rest until November 15^th and I have to recover well so that I can get back to normal life.

Quotes of the Week

"We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility." --Albert Einstein

"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not." --George Bernard Shaw

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." --T. S. Eliot

My Sunday writing on CABG

It's about 8.00 am and I have already finished my breakfast of oats and a cup of tea with skim milk (it really taste awful). Now what shall I write or share with you that would be helpful. And the best topic that I can think of at the moment is sharing with you my experience of undergoing a CABG operation. I have been searching for blogs which can help me clear all my doubts that I have on my mind and there don't seem to be much on the web.

For those who has been diagnosed with heart problems or had a heart attack and the Doctor has informed you after angiogram, boy you sure do have a lot of blockages and we can't do angioplasty due to blah....blah....blah... and they refer you to a surgeon. He will talk to you on what he is going to do....so to say the best option based on the reports and the condition that you are in. In my case I was relieved to know that I had 3 major blocks and look at the bright side, I was in a position to discuss with the Doctor on the CABG and I didn't just existed off this face of the earth on 06.09.09 (that's when I had my heart attack). Anyway getting down to business, he told me that there was a risk factor of 3% etc... etc... but I just asked him what his fatality was? And my Doctor told me it was zero out of 400 odd operations that he had performed. So that settled it and the other thing that I asked him was the cost of the operation? I had my savings and I guess I don't have a choice and when it comes to the matter of the heart, I rather spend what it takes and that too I am having a surgeon who had operated on our ex-Prime Minister twice, so what more credentials do I need?

So the date was fixed by my surgeon and it was on 17.09.09. I was discharged 1 week before the surgery and was told to take rest. How could I take rest, when I knew that I had 3 blogs and I was a walking time bomb? Anyway I manage to get things done, went to Putrajaya to get my wife's citizenship done and the following day, to sort things out with EPF and later y banking works.

On 16^th of September 2009, I checked in to Subang Jaya Medical Centre, we took a cab and the driver was very kind to wish me all the best. The Doctor explained the whole procedure and the nurses also showed the ICU, where I would be placed after the surgery. It was all like a dream and I just let everything flow by and I never doubted my operation and the Doctor. I know that I would be fine.

The operation went on schedule at 9.30 am and I was wheeled out by 4 pm. I did manage to say something to my wife. It was like a dream, I remembered nothing, just went to sleep and when I woke up everything was done. I was on morphine and it really took away my pain. For the next 2 ½ days I was in the ICU and the nurses took very good care of me and I was on my way to recovery. I was transferred to the normal ward on the 3^rd day. I had solid food minus the salt and oil but it was a good feeling that I was alive.

After the 7^th day I was discharged from the Hospital and I was at home. I was uncomfortable at first but then I got better and I could move around. I started my 30 minutes walk from the first day I was at home and my diet was like this:

Breakfast

2 slice of wholemeal bread with a little olive oil margarine or iddly sambar

A cup of tea with skimmed milk

Half bowl of oats


10.00 am

Tea – black

Low salt biscuits
 

Lunch

Brown rice

Chicken curry with less oil and no coconut/Fish curry/Tofu/Dhall

Vegetable

Fruits


3.00 pm

Tea- with skimmed milk

Low salt biscuits


Dinner

Same as lunch


9.00pm

Skimmed milk

Oats



So that gives you an idea of what I am eating. I read on the net that we should use maximum 1 tablespoon of cooking oil per day and cook with less salt. I had to take it easy with the fruits as I am a diabetic too and fruits that you should avoid would be:

1. Mangoes
   
2. Dragon fruit
   
3. Red apple
   
4. Grapes
   
5. Orange
   

I guess green apple and guava in moderation is ok but you have to check your blood sugar on a daily basis so that you can decide what to eat and what not to eat.

Above all I think what is important is that you have to take complete rest. And before I forget, for 3 weeks after surgery, please make sure that you don't wet your incisions, only have a sponge bath. Walk for 30 minutes and do your breathing exercise for your lungs.

Is there any questions that you have, please feel free to ask....

Blogging from Microsoft Word

Ever since I am recuperating at home, I am looking at various ways whereby I can work on my blog and I always felt restricted when I work on blogger web page. You can do the blogging on Microsoft Word by pressing the Microsoft Button and open the new blank document and blog template. After that you have to register your blog i.e. mine was blogger and I keyed in the username and then the password and voila I am in for business.

I am waiting for a special day that is one week from today and it is when Nokia N97 releases its latest upgrade software V 2.0 which would bring the phones performance on par with iphone. Now if the upgrade is so important, why in the hell did they market the phone with version V 1.0 in the first place? Maybe it is to take suckers like us for a ride.

I have tried everything possible to make my stay at home as comfortable as possible and I just don't want to think about what is in store after November 15^th. I know something good would happen and I am going to take rest until next year 2010 as we would be shifting our house by December 15^th 2009. The present house is sold and this would really ease my financial situation as I have a son who is studying medicine in Moscow, MMA 2^nd year.

You life is a strange thing, I could have disappeared from the face of this earth on 06.09.09 as I had 3 major blocks but somehow God was kind to me. I actually had asked the Doctor to do an ECG on me and based on that result he had concluded that I was having a heart attack otherwise it would be business as usual and I would have collapsed somewhere with a major attack.

I had bought at least 6 DVD's a couple of days ago and so far I had watched 3 of them. I really love watching movies as it transports me back to a different dimension or world. It's like being enlightened.

So here goes....my blog from MS Word....

My walking area

This is where I walk, at my residence and it is called Canal Gardens. You can see the oversized drain where the water is stagnant, whereby the surface runoff water from the highway is channelled to this so called Canal.
And we paid a premium for the Canal Gardens, in terms of view, it looks nice and green, and I guess with plenty of mosquitoes.

Anyway I shouldn't be complaining, I at least have an area to walk everyday sheltered from the traffic and pollutants. Thank God for the little mercies...and Thank God that I still could walk in the evening.