When bad happens, we are frustrated, sad, helpless and alone. We question, "Why does bad thing happen only to ME?"

When good happens, we are happy and never question, "Why mE?"

A beautiful forward by my friend, when I too questioned, "Why me?" :)


God: Hello. Did you call me?


Me: Called you? No. Who is this?


God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.


Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the
midst of something.


God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.


Me: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's
rush hour all the time.


God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results.
Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.


Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was not
expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.


God: Well, I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some
clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are
comfortable with.


Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?


God: Stop analysing life. Just lives it. Analysis is what makes it
complicated.


Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?


God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are
worrying because you are analysing. Worrying has become your habit. That's
why you are not happy.


Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?


God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.


Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty...


God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.


Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?


God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified
without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer. With that
experience their life become better, not bitter.


Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?


God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test
first and the lessons afterwards.


Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free
from problems?


God: Problems are
Purposeful
Roadblocks
Offering
Beneficial
Lessons to
Enhance
Mental
Strength.
Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from
problems.


Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are
heading...


God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look
inside.
Looking outside, you dream.
Looking inside, you awaken.
Eyes provide sight.
Heart provides insight.


Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the
right direction. What should I do?


God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as
decided by you.
Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead.
You work with the compass.
Let others work with the clock.


Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?


God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to
go.
Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.


Me: What surprises you about people?


God: When they suffer they ask, "why me?"
When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?"
Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side
of the truth.


Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.
God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be.
Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here.
Create it.
Life is not a process of discovery,
but a process of creation.


Me: How can I get the best out of life?


God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear.


Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.


God: There are no unanswered prayers.
At times the answer is NO.


Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Day
with a new sense of inspiration.


God: Well.
Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs.
Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve.
Trust me.
Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

I felt that I should revisit to fulfill my blog's only wishlist (which I had ignored all the while) which hoped that some day its host would get back as usual and make its home lively, bring back its sunshine days..... and now it is indeed a silver lining! :)


Just wanted to greet "Hi". Do you still visit me? Then say "Hello". Cheer me up!

Hugs!

© Manasa. All rights reserved.

Rangoli in front of my house on Sankrathi '10.

© Manasa. All rights reserved.

I was browsing through google images and found this. It is said to be a symbol of Chinese good luck.

I wish this year at least, brings a good luck to me. :)

Dollar Bahu

A story of a middle-class family of well-respected Sanskrit school teacher and a simple man, Shamanna and his wife who is a  home maker and a mother of three. Gouramma, very fond of reaching sky high forgets her boundary limits and day dreams of visiting the US of A if her kids settle down in an foreign country such that she could show off the richness of a Dollar against the Rupee. Meanwhile, she forgets that money can only buy materialistic comforts and also cause bitterness in relationships.

Their eldest son fulfills her dream settling down in the US and being an NRI, contributes the major finances to the family, while their younger son, a clerk at a bank, is married to a school teacher, Vinutha. Their second daughter-in-law, though not from an affluent family respects and takes cares of the family by supporting them financially and doing the household chores. Though, Vinu never says NO to Gouramma, she had always found fault in Vinu to make her feel inferior. The situation goes beyond control after the arrival of the eldest daughter-in-law from a very rich family. The gifts bought in "dollars" meant a lot more than the affection and love. Vinu, who had a golden voice had stopped singing since no one would ever appreciate.

Gouramma, who had always been longing eagerly to visit the US gets an opportunity to stay there for any year to look after the to-be-mother, her elder DIL.

She learns the lifestyle was entirely different though they hail from same country. How people change once they leave home and homeland. There was good and bad about the US. She meets most of her acquaintances from Bangalore, now well established in a foreign land, inviting her for lunch and dinner. While few narrate their journey so far was a pain, few express that the country had given them joy and success than the past.

The book is a must read if you are a mother-in-law.

Dollar Bahu was also produced as an Indian Television serial http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010930/spectrum/main5.htm  that gained a huge popularity.


© Manasa. All rights reserved.

Drafted on 9th Jan 2009

Sudha Murty shares her real life experiences as a teacher, a social worker, a mother and a wife. The book is a collection of short stories she records. When her grandmother requests her to teach how to read since she was very much fascinated by a weekly column in a magazine.

The author also writes the various incidents when people donate, they give away all their stuff which are not in a usable condition or unwanted.

Whenever you want to give something to somebody, give the best in you, never the second best. That is the best I have learned in life. God is not there in temple, mosque or church. He is with the people. If you serve them with whatever you have, you have served God.

Donate with kind words,
Donate with happiness,
Donate only to the needy,
Donate without expectation because it is not a gift. It is duty.
Donate with your wife's consent.
Donate to the other people without making your dependents helpless.
Donate without caring for caste, creed and religion.
Donate so that the receiver prospers.

What we preach, we should practice.

She also shares few of her personal incidents as how she reacted when her husband decides to start a company of his own and the money she saved was useful. The letter written to Tatas that their company did not want to employ women in a technical field.

Each incident is a valuable lesson. The book has been written in a simple, free flow language and with utmost honesty. :)

My Rating: 3.5/5

© Manasa. All rights reserved.

Just a couple of months I enjoy listening to music collection my iPod everyday traveling in the bus to office-home, I lost the ear cushions of my Sennheiser headphones. After an endless search to find a spare ear cushion, I learned that Sennheiser service was not available in Bangalore, none of the showrooms including Imagine or the shops at SP Road had. :(

I shot an email to the concerned person on their website and soon I was communicated that the spare ear cushions for the head phone model I own was available and that they would send it through courier on the receipt of an AT PAR cheque.


I was happy to see the quick service by Sennheiser. Now, I enjoy listening to the music again!

For any issues, they can be contacted at:

http://www.sennheiserindia.com/india/home_en.nsf/root/contact

Address:
Sennheiser Electronics India Pvt Ltd
Office No. 503, Midas Buliding,
Sahar Plaza Complex,
Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri-East,
Mumbai - 400 0059

PS: This has been second experience after the Vodafone Recharge.

Times have really changed for good.

© Manasa. All rights reserved.

I got an opportunity to capture the famous Indian Cricketer Anil Kumble on my camera last January amidst the huge at the am phi theatre at office. The pics were taken with full zoom of my camera. :)






On the podium, Kumble spoke of highs and lows in his career. His speech was great to listen. Off the field, Kumble is a photographer too.

© Manasa. All rights reserved.