THERE IS ALWAYS A SECOND CHANCE IN LIFE

Hello,

I received two stories from a friend. The connections are vague to begin with but at the end of the second story you really wonder on how the elements combine to give you a second shot.

STORY NUMBER ONE



Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago . Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street . But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his p ockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still."


STORY NUMBER TWO


World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.
He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and real ized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing- mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent..

Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as m any enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft. This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son

How to say No and live with it

Hello,

As discussed in my previous post on the subject I will now list down the seven main ways people use to say 'No' when they are not ready to commit to your request for help.
It is also important to understand that whenever people approach you for help they already have the idea that they may hear a 'No' for the answer. It is not always a shock or a reason for grief if we say 'No'.

The 7 simple ways to say no. Use the method that best meets your needs in the situation.

1. “I am sorry but as my priorities are different right now I can’t commit to this.”

Most of the times we are actually busy doing something for ourself and if the request for help comes for doing something absolutely out of the way, e.g. if you are committed to staying indoors and the request is for some outdoor chore you can easily opt for this method of saying 'No' without hurting the person making the request.
2. “Can we talk about this later after I finish attending to something I am doing right now."

This way you can actually show that you empathize with the problem of the requester and would attend to it when you have time. Sometimes it is even better if you fix a time instead of saying later. The request gets held off temporarily, gets solved by itself during the cooling period or the requester finds someone else who can attend to his issue on immediate basis.

3. “It is so much up my street but..."

The requester feels that you really wanted to help. You show that you could have helped but due to reasons beyond control you can not.
4. “Give me some time, I’ll get back to you.”

With this 'Maybe' kind of reply the requester is pushed away for a while. This gives you time to think over and decide whether you have the time and inclination to help out.

5. “I’ll surely keep it in mind.”

This is once again not a direct 'No' but it is also not a 'yes'. The requester knows that you are not interested presently but there are chances you may get interested later. This works well with Sales people who will persist with a sale idea. This kind of reply helps you avoid an unneccesary purchase but does not break the relationship which can be used for later purchases.

6. “Have you asked X, I think he/she is the right person for this job?”

Once again you have not said 'No' outright but you have indicated that you do not feel you can contribute much and instead have offered an option that is more suitable. If your suggestion clicks and the person gets the help from the source you have identified for him/her you have earned their loyalty as well.
7. “Sorry but I have to say No.”

As stated in the beginning most people who ask for help are ready for this answer. In most case you may find out that you were just one of the option he/se had in mind when asking for help.
Once we have said 'No' we can devote time and energy to tasks we need to focus on and continue to maintain a harmonious relationship with the person who was asking for help.

Best regards,
Manoj

Saying No and living with it

Hello,


It has been happening regularly. Yes, I have found that a lot of time and energy is spent on attending to work not related to me in any way. If a colleague asks me for help I go out of the way to help even when I know for sure that the work I am doing is actually disturbing my work schedule.

Sometimes people have asked me to do their work and then have even bossed over me about deadlines. Imagine trying to help someone and then seeing their grumpy face when you delay it a bit. Especially after you have worked hard at the task and ignored your personal work.

This is not only restricted to the work place. It happens with friends, clients and family as well.

So one day I sat down to analyze. What is it that makes me say ‘Yes’ when I want to say ‘No’.

I found that at different occasions there were different reasons for not say ‘No’ but the reasons could all be grouped together in 6 main categories.

1. I actually want to help: When someone comes asking for help I take the request at face value and try to accommodate even when I know that I will be neglecting my work in the process.

2. I am afraid of being rude: Right from childhood I have seen my parents do the same and justify it by saying that being able to help is a gift and saying ‘No’ is being rude. Faces do drop when you say ‘No’ and this disappointment is seen a reaction to the rudeness associated with a ‘No’.

3. I wanting to be part of a group: Several times I have said ‘Yes’ when I wanted to say “No’ just because of the feeling that my ‘No’ may make me an outcast.

4. I fear conflict: I always feel that my saying ‘No’ will not be taken kindly by the recipient and might lead to a confrontation immediately or create an enemy for the future.

5. I fear that I will lose opportunities: When my boss asks me to do some personal work at the expense of my official work I want to say ‘No’ but end up saying ‘Yes’ because I fear that saying ‘No’ may affect my career.

6. I fear burning bridges: I feel that some people may take my saying ‘No’ as a sign of rejection. It might lead to bridges being burned and relationships severed.

And then I followed the masters. The people who were able to say 'No'.
 
The results in my next post.
 
Till then,
Manoj

RAMADAN KAREEM

Praise be to Allaah.  

Hello,

We are in the month of Ramadaan.

For the ignorant amongst us a brief on the significance of the holy month of Ramadaan is as under:

Ramadaan is one of the twelve Arabic months. It is a month which is venerated in the Islamic religion, and it is distinguished from the other months by a number of characteristics and virtues, including the following: 

1 – Allaah has made fasting this month the fourth pillar of Islam, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong). So whoever of you sights (the crescent on the first night of) the month (of Ramadan i.e. is present at his home), he must observe Sawm (fasts) that month…”[al-Baqarah 2:185]  and it was narrated in al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari, 8; Muslim, 16) from the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Islam is built on five (pillars): the testimony that there is no god except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; establishing prayer; paying zakaah; fasting Ramadaan; and Hajj to the House (the Ka’bah).” 

2 – Allaah revealed the Qur’aan in this month, as He says in the verse quoted above (interpretation of the meaning): 

“The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong)…” [al-Baqarah 2:185] And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree).”

[al-Qadr 97:1] 

3 – Allaah has made Laylat al-Qadr in this month, which is better than a thousand months, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree).

And what will make you know what the Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is?

The Night of Al-Qadr (Decree) is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allaah in that night is better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months).

Therein descend the angels and the Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] by Allaah’s Permission with all Decrees, (All that night), there is peace (and goodness from Allaah to His believing slaves) until the appearance of dawn” [al-Qadar 97:1-5] “We sent it (this Qur’aan) down on a blessed night [(i.e. the Night of Al-Qadr) in the month of Ramadan — the 9th month of the Islamic calendar]. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of worship]” [al-Dukhaan 44:3] 

Allaah has blessed Ramadaan with Laylat al-Qadr. Explaining the great status of this blessed night, Soorat al-Qadr was revealed, and there are many ahaadeeth which also speak of that, such as the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There has come to you Ramadaan, a blessed month which Allaah has enjoined you to fast, during which the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the rebellious devils are chained up. In it there is a night which is better than a thousand months, and whoever is deprived of its goodness is indeed deprived.” 

Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 2106; Ahmad, 8769. classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 999. And Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous sins.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1910; Muslim, 760. 

4 – Allaah has made fasting Ramadaan and spending its nights in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward a means of forgiveness of sins, as was proven in al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari, 2014; Muslim, 760) from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” And al-Bukhaari (2008) and Muslim (174) also narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever spends the nights of Ramadaan in prayer out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” 

The Muslims are unanimously agreed that it is Sunnah to pray qiyaam at night in Ramadaan. Al-Nawawi said that what is meant by praying qiyaam in Ramadaan is to pray Taraweeh, i.e., one achieves what is meant by qiyaam by praying Taraaweeh. 

5 – In this month, Allaah opens the gates of Paradise and closes the gates of Hell, and chains up the devils, as is stated in al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari, 1898; Muslim, 1079), from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah who said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When Ramadaan comes, the gates of Paradise are opened and the gates of Hell are closed, and the devils are chained up.” 

6 – Every night Allaah has people whom He redeems from the Fire. Imam Ahmad (5/256) narrated from the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “At every breaking of the fast, Allaah has people whom He redeems.” Al-Mundhiri said: there is nothing wrong with its isnaad; and it was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 987. 

Al-Bazzaar (Kashf 962) narrated that Abu Sa’eed said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has people whom He redeems every day and night – i.e., in Ramadaan – and every Muslim every day and night has a prayer that is answered.”  

7 – Fasting Ramadaan is a means of expiation for the sins committed since the previous Ramadaan, so long as one avoids major sins. It was proven in Saheeh Muslim (233) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The five daily prayers, from one Jumu’ah to the next and from one Ramadaan to the next are expiation for (sins committed) in between, so long as you avoid major sins.” 

8 – Fasting in Ramadaan is equivalent to fasting ten months, as is indicated by the hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim (1164) narrated from Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan then follows it with six days of Shawwaal, it will be like fasting for a lifetime.” Ahmad (21906) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadaan, a month is like ten months, and fasting six days after al-Fitr will complete the year.” 

9 – Whoever prays qiyaam in Ramadaan with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer, because of the report narrated by Abu Dawood (1370) and others from the hadeeth of Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever prays qiyaam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded for him that he spent the whole night in prayer.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Salaat al-Taraaweeh, p. 15 

10 – ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj. Al-Bukhaari (1782) and Muslim (1256) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to a woman among the Ansaar, “What kept you from doing Hajj with us?” She said, “We only had two camels that we used for bringing water.” So her husband and son had gone for Hajj on one camel, and he left the other for them to use for bringing water.” He said, “When Ramadaan comes, go for ‘Umrah, for ‘Umrah in Ramadaan is equivalent to Hajj.” According to a report narrated by Muslim, “… is equivalent to doing Hajj with me.”  

11 – It is Sunnah to observe i’tikaaf (retreat for the purpose of worship) in Ramadaan, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) always did that, as it was narrated in the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to spend the last ten days of Ramadaan in i’tikaaf until he passed away, then his wives observed i’tikaaf after him.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1922; Muslim, 1172. 

12 – It is mustahabb in the sense of being strongly recommended in Ramadaan to study the Qur’aan together and to read it a great deal. You may study the Qur’aan together by reciting it to someone else and by having someone else recite it to you. The evidence that this is mustahabb is the fact that Jibreel used to meet the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) every night in Ramadaan and study the Qur’aan with him. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6; Muslim, 2308. 

Reading Qur’aaan is mustahabb in general, but more so in Ramadaan. 

13 – It is mustahabb in Ramadaan to offer iftaar to those who are fasting, because of the hadeeth of Zayd ibn Khaalid al-Juhani (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever gives iftaar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the fasting person’s reward in the slightest.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 807; Ibn Maajah, 1746; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 647.

 

And Allaah knows best.

DEADLY SINS - CHRISTIANITY

Hello,
Continuing with the deadly sins we list the seven deadly sins as per christianity.

Deadly Sin of Pride: Pride (Vanity), is excessive belief in one's abilities, such that you don't give credit to God. Aquinas argued that all other sins stem from Pride, so critiques of the Christian notion of sin generally should start here: "inordinate self-love is the cause of every sin...the root of pride is found to consist in man not being, in some way, subject to God and His rule." Among the problems with Christian teaching against pride is that it encourages people to be submissive to religious authorities in order to submit to God, thus enhancing institutional church power. We can contrast this with Aristotle's description of pride, or respect for oneself, as the greatest of all virtues. Rational pride makes a person harder to rule and dominate.

Deadly Sin of Envy: Envy is a desire to possess what others have, whether material objects (like cars) or character traits, like a positive outlook or patience. Making envy a sin encourages Christians to be satisfied with what they have rather than object to others' unjust power or seek to gain what others have.

Deadly Sin of Gluttony: Gluttony is usually associated with eating too much, but it has a broader connotation of trying to consume more of anything than you actually need, food included. Teaching that gluttony is a sin is a good way to encourage those with very little to not want more and to be content with how little they are able to consume, since more would be sinful.

Deadly Sin of Lust: Lust is the desire to experience physical, sensual pleasures (not just those which are sexual), causing us to ignore more important spiritual needs or commandments. The popularity of this sin is revealed by how more gets written in condemnation of it than for just about any other sin. Condemning lust and physical pleasure is part of Christianity's general effort to promote the afterlife over this life and what it has to offer.

Deadly Sin of Anger: Anger (Wrath) is the sin of rejecting the Love and Patience we should feel for others and opting instead for violent or hateful interaction. Many Christian acts over the centuries (like the Inquisition and Crusades) may seem to have motivated by anger, not love, but were excused by saying the motivation was love of God, or love of a person's soul — so much love that it was necessary to harm others physically. Condemnation of anger as a sin is useful to suppress efforts to correct injustice, especially the injustices of religious authorities.

Deadly Sin of Greed: Greed (Avarice) is a desire for material gain. Similar to Gluttony and Envy, gain rather than consumption or possession is key here. Religious authorities too rarely condemn how the rich possess much while the poor possess little — great wealth has often been justified by claiming that it's what God wants for a person. Condemning greed keeps the poor in their place, though, and prevents them from wanting to have more.

Deadly Sin of Sloth: Sloth is the most misunderstood of the Seven Deadly Sins. Often regarded as laziness, it is more accurately translated as apathy: when a person is apathetic, they no longer care about their duty to God and ignore their spiritual well-being. Condemning sloth is a way to keep people active in the church in case they start to realize how useless religion and theism really are.

Best regards,
Manoj

The Deadly Sins - Gita

Hello All,

After the list if the deadly sins in Islam we have the following quote from Gita:

“Hell has three gates: lust, anger, and greed”

Obviously with the large liberty to worship God in any form, Hinduism does not have a sin that asks the worshipper to to loyal to one God.

Lust, Anger and Greed - These words encompass a myriad of senses, feelings, desires.

If this was unforgiveable it would be difficult to reach heaven.
God forgives those who seek forgiveness.

Best regards,
Manoj

DEADLY SINS

Hello,
Look at the list of sins according to Islam:
I bet if these sins were not forgiveable not a single Muslim would go to Jannat.
Luckily only # 1 is the unforgiveable sin. The rest can be forgiven by Allah if proper repentence is done during one's lifetime or else if Allah wills so.

Allah Most High says: Surely, Allah does not forgive associating anything with Him, and He forgives whatever is other than that to whomever He wills. (al-Nisa 4:48 and 116)
01. Associating anything with Allah
02. Murder
03. Practising magic
04. Not Praying
05. Not paying Zakat
06. Not fasting on a Day of Ramadan without excuse
07. Not performing Hajj, while being able to do so
08. Disrespect to parents
09. Abandoning relatives
10. Fornication and Adultery
11. Homosexuality(sodomy)
12. Interest(Riba)
13. Wrongfully consuming the property of an orphan
14. Lying about Allah and His Messenger
15. Running away from the battlefield
16. A leader's deceiving his people and being unjust to them
17. Pride and arrogance
18. Bearing false witness
19. Drinking Khamr (wine)
20. Gambling
21. Slandering chaste women
22. Stealing from the spoils of war
23. Stealing
24. Highway Robbery
25. Taking false oath
26. Oppression
27. Illegal gain
28. Consuming wealth acquired unlawfully
29. Committing suicide
30. Frequent lying
31. Judging unjustly
32. Giving and Accepting bribes
33. Woman's imitating man and man's imitating woman
34. Being cuckold
35. Marrying a divorced woman in order to make her lawful for the husband
36. Not protecting oneself from urine
37. Showing-off
38. Learning knowledge of the religion for the sake of this world and concealing that knowledge 39. Bertrayal of trust
40. Recounting favours
41. Denying Allah's Decree
42. Listening (to) people's private conversations
43. Carrying tales
44. Cursing
45. Breaking contracts
46. Believing in fortune-tellers and astrologers
47. A woman's bad conduct towards her husband
48. Making statues and pictures
49. Lamenting, wailing, tearing the clothing, and doing other things of this sort when an affliction befalls
50. Treating others unjustly
51. Overbearing conduct toward the wife, the servant, the weak, and animals
52. Offending one's neighbour
53. Offending and abusing Muslims
54. Offending people and having an arrogant attitude toward them
55. Trailing one's garment in pride
56. Men's wearing silk and gold
57. A slave's running away from his master
58. Slaughtering an animal which has been dedicated to anyone other than Allah
59. To knowingly ascribe one's paternity to a father other than one's own
60. Arguing and disputing violently
61. Witholding excess water
62. Giving short weight or measure
63. Feeling secure from Allah's Plan
64. Offending Allah's righteous friends
65. Not praying in congregation but praying alone without an excuse
66. Persistently missing Friday Prayers without any excuse
67. Unsurping the rights of the heir through bequests
68. Deceiving and plotting evil
69. Spying for the enemy of the Muslims
70. Cursing or insulting any of the Companions of Allah's Messenger

SCIENCE GOING WRONG AGAIN

Hello All,

I am sure all of you are closely following the news of the gaffes of the IPCC. The 'Top Scientists' who are part of this international panel have now goofed their report on Global warming and its link to hurricanes and floods. This comes immediately after their major error on Himalayan glaciers.

There is something complicated about some 'Hockey Stick model' and several other claims are also being investigated.

The finger pointing have made the 'Top Scientists' indignant and they are fighting back with statements like hypothesis and estimations are part and parcel of science and discovery. They now resemble 'Dope Scientists' as they move around in a daze trying to figure a way out of the maze they created for themselves.

I totally agree with the fact that Science is actually based on hypothesis and estimations and it is for this reason that I firmly believe that Science can never replace God, who does not use them for his natural creations. While it is so simple to understand the creativity of God why is it so difficult to understand what the scientists have to say about nature.

Again it will be unfair if I do not state that I am not a student of science and have no idea why the scare on glacier melting, swine flu, bird flu, etc, etc was created but it is quite evident that it was a money making commercial gimmick.

Now when the financial crisis has beseiged the countries that were funding the bogus researches, they have started questioning the expenditure on such research and the skeletons are tumbling out. As usual we will see the 'snowball' effect and the size of the scandal will continue to grow with passage of time.

Best regards,

Manoj

DO SCIENTISTS LIE TO US ? SCIENCE V RELIGION AND NATURE

Hello,

Sample this:

Most alarmingly IPCC is withdrawing it's claim of doom.

In 2007, the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued an "official report" that predicted the glaciers of the Himalayas would completely melt by the year 2035. While there were sceptics to this claim the chief of the IPCC went so far as to dismiss these skeptics as advocates of "voodoo science."
It now turns out that the report was not based on any scientific research at all. Questioning has revealed that the report was based on a speculation by a small time Indian scientist who has confirmed that he has no research to back his speculation.

This is an example of how careless UN climate scientists are in writing their official reports, it is a wonder that any reasonable scientist would ever trust their conclusions or wild warnings of doom.

Follow it up by the exagerrated claims of possible doom from bird flu, swine flu, hepatitis B and you have your answer..

If scientists say that religion and astrology is humbug what do we say of them?

Best regards,

Manoj

WHERE IS SCIENCE?

Hello,

When people were witnessing the devastation caused by the earthqauke in Haiti, I wondered where was science.

If Science was the all emcompassing, ever so powerful knowledge tool why did it fail to predict the quake? What were the satallites put up in the sky to sense the earthly disturbances doing?

I do not say that following nature could have saved the lives but when it is earthqaukes it is better to look at animals who have continued to benefit from their reliance on nature rather than human brains and machines that try to prove that they are smarter than God. A classic example of the superiority of 'knowledge of nature' over 'dependence on machines' was provided by the Onges, Jarawas and Sentinalese tribes, who survied the massacre of the Tsunami that hit the Indian coastal areas in 2004 and killed more than 150,000 people. The tribes survived because they read the natural signals correctly and did not have any scientific warning signals to rely on.

But we are once again discussing the mysterious ways of God and wondering as to why God took away so many lovely people from Haiti when there are mass murderes and terrorists roaming freely on earth. His logic is difficult to understand but I totally disagree with televangelist Rev. Pat Robertson, who on Wednesday linked the earthquake in Haiti to a "pact with the devil".

Every living man has made a pact with the devil and if the logic of Rev. Pat Robertson is correct, human life should have gone extinct by now.

So what is the explanation for this calamity? Why are so many children, old people, young energetic innocent people taken away so suddenly?

Does the Satan vs. God (Tree of Knowledge vs. Tree of Life Choices) really make sense?

Best regards,

Manoj

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

Hello,

I have been writing a lot about positive attitude towards life even when facing difficult circumstances.

Positive attitude requires a lot of guts and it is easier said than done.

Several times in my life I have gone through phases akin to depression. I am sure I was good enough to hide this fact from the rest of the world as I still carry the reputation of having a 'devil may care' attitude.

This is absolutely incorrect as I hurt easily. I also have a tendency of giving up when the situation becomes too hot and also have the bad habit of running the knife over the nose to spite the face.

When I analyze the difficult phases in my life I realize that I did manage to get through them because of my interpretation of the situation. This interpretation and my conclusion on its impact on my future was hardly positive.

In most occasions I considered myself in what is called 'Back against the wall' or 'down in the dumps'. It was a situation where I have felt lost (both metamorphically and physically). This I believe is a very negative way of looking at things. But this attitude did give the desired focus and strength at those times.

When I have found myself cornered due to unexpected attacks from unlikely sources or when I have dug a hole for myself due to inappropriate action I have found a way back by clawing at the thought that it can not be worse.

Some people say that this desire to clutch on to the opportunity, the tiny ray of sunshine, is a sign of having a positive attitude.

But to be honest it was a Hobson's choice. It was not cultivated and forced upon, it was the only choice I had, except of course the idea of suicide, which was too frightening for me to contemplate.

It is more like a prey turning around to attack the predator when it finds itself in the corner.

Therefore could it be possible that being negative without pushing the self destruct button is also a way to combat your crisis.

Would love to get a feedback on my thoughts.

Best regards,

Manoj

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

Hello,

What is easier? Having a 'Positive Outlook' or becoming 'Negative'?

Having a 'Positive Outlook' is not easy.

We have conferences 'Under Water' in Maldives, on the 'Mount Everest' in Nepal, 'Carbon Emission' conference in Copenhagen and '2012' in the movie theatres.

What does it predict? Doom with a capital 'D'. Can we be positive in such circumstances?

We have rapes on page 3 of every newspaper. We have murders, robberies, break-ins and terrorist attacks on every page of the newspaper. We have Fathers imprisoning and raping daughters and Man eating human flesh.

What does it tell us? The World is full of shit, Can we be positive in such cicumstances?

We have a world class footballer, Thiery Henry, accepting that he used his hand to score a football goal against the plucky Irishmen. We have FIFA claiming that several matches have been rigged. We have the smiling Marion Jones being stripped of her Gold medal for drug abuse and second placed Katerina Thanou not getting the Gold because of her tainted history. Finally we have Tiger Woods getting clubbed by his wife for being too friendly with club managers amongst others.

What message do we get? Even the relatively clean world of sports is getting corrupted beyond repair. Can we be positive in such circumstances?

I do not talk about the corruption riddled Financial markets. A mere mention of that and the Earth start resembling Hell.

So what it is it that still keeps people sane, makes Man help Man and keeps the world moving. Yes, being positive is not easy and therefore only a minor percentage of people are sane. Yes, being positive is not easy and therefore only a minor percentage will trust the neighbor. But the energy that arises out of their positive thoughts is so strong that it makes us forget the burden we are loaded with.

Being Positive is not easy but that is the only path.

Be Positive. Be the Legend.

Best regards,

Manoj

EASIER SAID THAN DONE

Hello,

I have been concentrating on being honest even for the most minute and insignificant issue and have faltered and stumbled a number of times.

I can justify my telling small white lies with the most logical reasons but I know that even the best reasons can not convert the lie into truth.

For example, in the morning today, a colleague asked me if I would like to have coffee. I wanted to real badly but I said no.

WHY? Why did I lie?

She is a nice middle aged Lebanese woman who frequently uses my help to get her office work done. She is helpful and helped me get my Driving Licence (this is a really big deal in Kuwait) and we give each other stuff (mainly exchanging Indian and Arabic sweets) when we return from vacations.

When we get breakfast or coffee we invite each other. My colleague makes sure that I reciprocate everytime she spends on such issues and will wait for my invitation and expenditure before inviting me again. I also make sure that the balance of expenses does not go askew.

Spending on a coffee and sandwich is not a big deal but the problem is that this lady then tom-toms about the fact and makes it appear as if she is the only one spending. Although I am sure she does this just to enhance her own image of being free with money and generous, her attitude makes other feel that I am always looking for a free meal.

I am somehow touchy about this and I have therefore decided that I will accept any food/drink invitation from her.

It is fine till here but I do not want to hurt her as we share a good relationship otherwise and therefore I have to be tactful when I decline her invitations.

So i lie.

I lied today and then felt bad about it. Such a small thing and I have to lie about it.

Following the path of speaking the truth is easier said than done.

Best regards,

Manoj

AVOIDING BAD HABITS

Hello,

Do you know that the most common bad habit is telling lies?

It is not murder, rape or robbery. Yes it may not be as heinous as murder or rape and it may not be bad as taking away things that do not belong to you. But it is the most widespread and grows rapidly.

Getting into this habit is as easy as slipping into a cloak two sizes too big.
Imagine coming late for office and meeting the boss at the door. Can we say we got up late and regret the delay or will we lie about an imaginary traffic jam or punctured wheel and try to sneak through the small gate the lie offers?

Most of us have surely gone in for the second option.

Harmless lie we tell ourselves.

Does not hurt anyone and we get away from a situation where the truth would have either made us a butt of office jokes or allowed the boss to pass some ugly remarks on our unprofessional attitude.

Just like the cloak, a lie conceals the flaws temporarily but again just like it, it also puts unnecessary burden on our shoulder.

Now imagine a similar scene with minor changes. We are late for an appointment and we lie about the reason for the delay. This time we are accompanied by our kid whom we have been coaching on the importance of telling the truth.

Unwittingly we have spread the habit. The child now picks it up from us. If telling lies works for the parent it will surely work for the child.

We say it is fine if the lies are harmless, but we are planting a seed that can grow into a tree. Are we ready to live under the shade of a tree full of thorns?

I'm sure the answer is no.

Cutting this habit is easy. Do we know how?

Best regards,
Manoj

AVOID NEGATIVE ACTION

Hello,

Negative action will not happen if you conquer the tempation of using negative words and nip any growth of negative thoughts.

But the basic problem with humans is that we are sometimes controlled by external factors that makes us do things that is against our nature and wish.

So, what do we do when tempted into negative action? How do we avoid negative action?

If you have failed in your effort with negative words and thoughts, the chances of your ability to resist negative action has already gone down to maybe 25%.

But you still have a chance. You can still curb the desire for negative action through a mechanism called retardation.

When negative thoughts dominate your thoughts, it gives momentum and acceleration to your action.

If even at this juncture you want to avoid negativity all you have to do is press on the brakes. Slow down the action. Let the action simmer, let friction take effect. Delay it as much as you can.

How to delay?

Move away from the scene.

If you are having an arguement just get out of the room, drink a glass of water and if you are brave enough just go and hug the other person.

It works. The retardation produced kills the momentum and brings the vehicle to a stop.

Try it and soon it will become a habit you can be proud of.

Best regards,
Manoj

AVOIDING NEGATIVITY - BANISHING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS

Hello,

In my last post I had written about the impact of negative words and how we can avoid using them.

However, it is not always possible to be on guard and therefore even after our best effort we do end up using the words that create fear and apprehension.

In my earlier posts on positive thinking I had spoken about my personal example of how my heart would start palpitating if the phone rang at work. I always connected the ringing of the phone bell with negative words like 'angry boss', 'irrate customer', 'problems'.

As expected my words got converted into thoughts and my heart started to beat faster givng me unwanted tension.

These thoughts were so strong that several times I had to deal with an angry boss, an irrate customer or unexpected problems.

When I think of those times now I realize that I would almost always get what I was looking for.

As I wrote earlier I got over the problem by trying to avoid picking up the phone from the boss, going up to their cabin and reading their thoughts on their faces. I tried to manage the irrate customer by being polite and civil. It has worked and now I no longer fear the telephone. The negative words associated with the telephone ring is no longer in use and therefore the negative thoughts that dominated my thinking at the ringing are no longer dominant.

Negative thoughts have a very strong growth pattern. Once such a thought enters your mind it begins to dwarf all others and slowly but surely it leads you to a stage of depression where everything looks negative and everyone appears to be an enemy.

But if you stop these negative thoughts from growing by countering their growth, nipping them at the bud with positive action or words it does not grow into a monster and you are back on track.

So everytime a negative thought starts gnawing your brains, focus on the positive aspects of the word that gives rise to the thought. Focus on the action related to the word that brought in positive results and you can banish this negative thought from your mind.

Make a conscious effort to safeguard your subconscious.

Think Positive.

Best regards,

Manoj

Avoiding Negativity – Use of Negative words

Hello,

Avoiding Negativity – Use of Negative words

Most of us realize the importance of positive thinking but small issues that impede our effort towards building this attitude has escaped our attention.

It is also obvious to us that any negative attitude starts with use of negative words.

Avoiding the use of negative words is the first step that helps us avoid negative thoughts entering our subconscious mind.

The subconscious mind stores images and feelings. It does not value words. Therefore sentences like “do not clutter your room” or “do not drink the whiskey” get translated into exactly the opposite.

By using any word that says “not” we create a barrier between ourselves and success.

When we use “cannot” or “can’t”, you are already destined for failure.

When you replace it with “give it a try” or “I’ll try” the obstacles get smaller and you see the opening.

You can move closer to the goal by saying “I will”, as the road then appears clear and then when you start using “I am” you are saying that the goal is yours and then you have set in motion your thoughts that will lead you to success.

One example of the effect of negative words can be seen in people who blink when pictures are taken. Every time they pose for the camera they keep repeating to themselves that they will not blink. The power of suggestion then works its magic and we find them with closed eyes in every picture they have posed for.

The same people have their eyes wide open when they are not conscious of the camera.

The first step towards avoiding negativity is the usage of positive words.
“I will smile into the camera with a twinkle in my eyes”

Best regards,

Manoj

HOW TO AVOID NEGATIVITY

Hello,


Negativity have a unique way of creeping into your life.


It can start with a single word.


Take care of the words you use. Every word gives rise to thoughts.


It can start with the smallest thought.


Take care of your thoughts. A thought gives rise to action.


It can start with the most innocuous action.

Take care of your action. Every action goes to become a habit.

It can start with a small habit

Take care of your habits. Habits become lifestyles.

It can be a result of your lifestyle.

Take care of your lifestyle. Your lifestyle defines your destiny.

Once Negativity becomes your destiny it is very difficult to cut it off.

Do not sow a seed that can grow into a thorny bush.

Best regards,

Manoj

POSITIVE THINKING - SQUASHING THE ANTs

Hello,

Many of us might have struggled with ANTs in our daily lives.

So what are ANTs and how do we get rid of them?

In his book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life," Dr. Daniel Amen talks about "ANTs" - Automatic Negative Thoughts.

These are the bad thoughts that are usually reactionary, like "Those people are laughing, they must be talking about me," or "The boss wants to see me? It must be bad!"

I had this ANT bothering me whenever I used to get a telephone call. I always used to think of the worst when the bell would start ringing.

My heart would beat furiously if the boss or a customer was on the other end of the line. I was always the dreading the worst; always concluding before picking up the phone that it was going to be a reprimand for a mistake I have made or a complain for not doing the assigned task properly.

When I started analyzing the cause of my anxiety I realized that it was my own creation.

I started keeping track of the calls and noticed that a majority of the phone calls were either enquiries or requests.

Even when I had concluded so, I could not help my heart from feeling the anxiety.

I had no one to coach me on how to handle these anxiety pangs and I learnt it the hard way.

I did not know that I was squashing the ANTs but this is what I exactly did.

If it was my boss calling I did not pick up the phone. Luckily my boss was always seated a couple of cabins away and so whenever I saw his/her number in the caller identity I just rushed across to their cabin.

The boss generally calls you when they need some clarification/ suggestion and this face to face interaction helped me gauge the mood in a better way. This helped in killing my anxiety and thereby improving my responses.

In the case of customers I adopted the simple technique of starting with a greeting. By the time we have finished the greetings formalities in the typical long drawn arabic style the complain, if any got whittled down to a friendly suggestion.

After practising it for some time I realized that I no longer panic when I get the phone calls.

I managed to squash the ANT and realized that it was only an artificial creation, a mirage that showed itself to quench my thirst for anxiety and worry.

Once the thrist was conquered the mirage disappeared.

Negative thoughts are nothing more than ANTs.

Squash them!

Best wishes,

Manoj

POSITIVE THINKING - SOME EXAMPLES

Hello,

Some of the important events in history of mankind started with just one person's imagination.

Just imagine the power of Imagination that lead Newton to the path breaking law of Gravity.

It is imagination that lead to the creation of the wheel, discovery of fire, electricity, the alphabet, numbers, language, printing press, etc.

If it can do such great things can it not accomplish our small tasks.

Yes, imagination backed by belief can help us achieve our dreams.

Our desires and dreams are very puny when we compare it with what Newton, Stevenson, Braille, Wright brothers, etc have thought of and achieved.

Our belief in self plays an important role in achieving any kind of success and goal.
As stated in my previous post we achieve minor goals on a day-to-day basis, because we know what we want.

This is the basic requirement of success - we must know what we really want.

A vague need does not bring your thoughts into focus. Being famous is a vague need but being a famous writer/player/actor/dancer is a focussed need.

We can get to our aim in life with focused and clear thinking. This ability can be improved and strengthened by practice.

The next step is to put the thought into action through a plan.

If the goal is well defined we can very easily find a way to reach it. This is well explained in my post on 'EKLAVYA'. Our imagination, our power of the mind can make us all 'Eklavya'.

As with Eklavya we have to have a clear mental image of our aim, and then regular training of this imagination can do wonders.

Always keep your focus on what you want to achieve, and then let your imagination take control. This will enhance our ability to succeed.

But success is not easy. Patience, self-discipline and the power to persist in the effort to succeed will once again require the utmost of positive thinking.

Affirmation is a very essential mental tool. Affirmation allows the idea to sink into the subconscious mind and consequently affects our behavior and actions. If our affirmations are positive, they lead you to success.

If we pour our positive thoughts into our subconscious every day they become strong and affect our attitude, expectations, behavior and actions. Our positive thoughts not only work magic on us but also affect other people, who go out of the way to offer help or opportunities.

Positive thoughts create coincidences and opportunities.

One thing that has no place is doubt. If we are clear about of aim, have the concentration, control over thoughts, willpower, self-discipline and patience there will be no place for doubt. Doubt, fear arising out of doubt and worries related to failure is the biggest reason for failure.

So, Positive thinking with no place for doubt is the road to success.

Best regards,

Manoj