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Showing posts from 2007

Taare Zameen Par - A very good Movie

Yesterday I saw the movie Taare Zameen Par. An Excellent movie about a boy called Ishaan Awasthi who is affected by Dyslexia. And how an art teacher helps him to recover. The portrayal of characters are really good. The initial scene show how the boy acts his age. He fights when provoked. But he is scared of his own anger and his own lapses. Though he puts up a brave front he runs. He runs to weep in isolation. He is hurt, but doesn't want anybody else to see him during his weak moments. His father is a typical father who expects his children to excel and is unable to settle for anything less that the best. Be it his elder son Yohaan or his younger one Ishaan. He is unable to understand the younger one's problems and tries to discipline him. The portrayal of a caring mother and protective brother are all too good. The characterisation of the elder brother is good. Yohaan is good in his own work. At the same time he is protective of his Younger brother also. Ishaan is honest to

The Magic words.

The hurried exit out of the Wedding hall into the car was creating an unusual anxiety in me. He was beside. There was an eerie silence in the car. The journey upto the new home that stretched nearly for twenty minutes was creating so many waves of thoughts stretching from my past to the present and future. I had heard about the bridal send off at weddings. They were supposed to be tearful moments. But there was nothing of the sort here. It was a very silent night. Pardon the pun, it was supposed to be a holy night too. Everything was calm. I lowered the car window shield. The air was little cold. Though covered in silk, I was perspiring. Fear!! Of What?? I knew not. I looked at him. He wasn't looking at me. He was preoccupied. Holding his hand firmly to the handle of the door. What was he thinking of?? I then looked away. Probably I shouldn't make him conscious. I was aware I was staring at him. It was asthough I was seeing him for the first time. Destination reached. He dashed

Lord Byron...er...Sreejith again...

Lord Byron...or commonly called as Sreejith by we friends, was at his poetic bliss again on seeing my wedding snap. He writes... "Hi, YOU ARE GREAT!!!! because you are trying to keep up relationships - Keep going. I remember writing once in a poetry or so, something like - "Relationships are not to be broken when you get new relationships, where communication makes relationships and relationships make communication necessary." - but I realize how much expressive I was in a dream world but how much reticent I am in reality. Infant, I wish to be, for aeons, for I may be amnestied for my cons, for I will be touched, loved and cared for, for nothing in return for them, who make my yore."

Flash Moments - Again

This Sunday, I woke up with a nagging headache. No specific reason. I tried distracting myself with some work but then it was still persisting. Throughout the day, the trip to a temple, or watching a movie or trying to sleep was not really of any help. I tried going to my friend's place and being with her. I poured out my heart to her. But then, it only increased the pain bring back painful memories. I headed to Udhavum Karangal. All this while I was like in a trance. Only reacting. The moment the kids touched me, I felt a snap in front of my face. Like someone snapped me out of my trance. The kids wanted me to tell them a story. I told them the story of Krishna & Sudhaama. I did not finish the story though..You know ...Kids...I wasn't really very good in my story telling skill I guess (should remember to develop that skill too). Then I was transported to their play ground. The kids brought a basket ball which wouldn't qualify for playing basket ball if not for it's

Aditya hridhayam

Verses 1,2 : Having found Rama weary with fighting and buried in deep thought, and Rávan standing before him ready to engage in battle, the holy Agastya, who had come to see the battle, approached Ráma and spoke to him thus: Verses 3,4, and 5: O mighty Rama, listen to the old mystery by which thou wilt conquer all thy foes in the battle. Having daily repeated the Adityahridaya (the delighter of the mind of the Sun) the holy prayer which destroys all enemies (of him who repeats it) gives victory, removes all sins, sorrows and distress, increases life, and which is the blessing of all blessings. Verses 6 – 15: Worship the rising and splendid sun who is respected by both the Gods and demons, who gives light to all bodies and who is the rich lord of all the worlds. Since yonder sun is full of glory and all gods reside in him (he being their material cause) and bestows being and the active principle on all creatures by his rays; and since he protects all deities, demons and men with his ray

Aditya Hridayam - Literal translation - by one Venkat

Aadityta Hridyam is part of the Yuddha Kaanda (or the war chapter) of Valmiki Ramayana. 1&2 Sage Agastya arrived at the battlefield to watch two warriors – Lord Rama and the demon king of Lanka – the ten headed Ravana. Due to incessant war the tired Ravana rested a little and got ready for war again. As Lord Rama was wondering as to how the formidable Ravana could be bested, Agastya began his advice to (Lord Rama to) do the same. 3 O long limbed Rama, dear Child, I will now reveal to you an ancient secret (method) to win against one’s adversaries. Listen to me (therefore), carefully. 4 Chanting the (divine verse) Aaditya Hridayam would grant you merits. The verse will help you annihilate all your foes. It is very auspicious and (will render you) beyond destruction. 5 The best amongst auspicious verses, (Aaditya Hridayam) will destroy all sins, dispel all doubts, worries and increase the longevity of life. 6 Worship the Sun God who is revered by t

What Will Matter

Ready or not, Someday it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, No minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, Whether treasured or forgotten, Will pass to someone else. Your wealth, Fame and temporal power Will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned Or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, And jealousies will finally disappear. So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, And to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses That once seemed so important Will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from, Or on what side of the tracks you lived, At the end. It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant. So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought, But what you built, Not what you got, But what you gave? What will matter is not your success, But your significance. What will matter is not what yo

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all up hill, When the funds are low and the debts are high And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don't quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about When he might have won had he stuck it out, Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far, So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Courage and Love Of A Butterfly

by David L. Kuzminski Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia , I saw a water puddle ahead on the path. I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water and mud. As I reached the puddle, I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for the attack was so unpredictable and from a source so totally unexpected. I was startled as well as unhurt, despite having been struck four or five times already. I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me. Instead of attacking more, he hovered in the air on graceful butterfly wings in front of me. Had I been hurt I wouldn't have found it amusing, but I was unhurt, it was funny, and I was laughing. After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly! Having stopped laughing, I took a step forward. My attacker rushed me again. He rammed me in the chest with his head and body, striking me over and over again with all his might, still to no avail. For a second time, I retreated a step

The Last "I Love You"

Written by Debbi Smoot Carol's husband was killed in an accident last year. Jim, only fifty-two years old, was driving home from work. the other driver was a teenager with a very high blood alcohol level. Jim died instantly. The teenager was in the emergency room for less than two hours. There were other ironic twists: It was Carol's fiftieth birthday, and Jim had two plane tickets to Hawaii in his pocket. He was going to surprise her. Instead, he was killed by a drunk driver. "How have you survived this?" I finally asked Carol, a year later. Her eyes welled up with tears. I thought I had said the wrong thing, but she gently took my hand and said, "It's all right; I want to tell you. The day I married Jim, I promised I would never let him leave the house in the morning without telling him I loved him. He made the same promise. It got to be a joke between us, and as babies came along, it got to be a hard promise to keep. I rem

Being the one I am

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life. One day he passed a wealthy merchant's house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. "How powerful that merchant must be!" thought the stone cutter. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant. To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. "How powerful that official is!" he thought. "I wish that I could be a high official!" Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day,

A Phase of Turmoil

The beginning stages of life had been wonderful. Though lonely. Despite the fact that I had the best of everything that parents could afford, I had always felt the lack of a proper companion. A one to share. But I never did allow it to surface much and kept myself fierce. Many found me aggressive. As a person I kept a lot of expectations in life towards myself and towards anybody with whom I could relate to. But as time flew, and I started to physically grow, a minute flicker of fear also grew. God brought before me some characters who displayed supreme protectiveness towards their younger sibling - more specifically - towards their younger sister. God showed me my brother then. It was like a dream come true. Though I maintained my aloofness and fierceness even then, slowly I became weak. I let myself thoroughly enjoy the protectiveness and care that my brother showered on me. Life was perfect - well not without exceptions. I had a family which was complete. I was the apple of everybod

chat with Mr. God in msn

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 analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated. Me: why are we then constantly unhappy? Go

How to overcome obstacles - a philosophic overview

My brother read this somewhere and sent it across for me. I am recording it for my posterity. Some act till they meet obstacles, others act inspite of obstacles, and conquer them; but some act not, fearing the possibility of some obstacles that might arise en route." The very word OBSTACLE indicates to us the attitude required to overcome obstacles. Invoking these attitudes is to invoke the 'Ganesha' within us - O - Objective Knowledge - "Knowledge is Power." Gain functional knowledge and skills in your chosen field. Lack of knowhow poses many obstacles. B - Broadmindedness - "Life, when properly tuned, can round the sharp edges in our character." In a broader vision of Life in its entirety, obstacles are stepping stones to cultivate an inner perfection and an outer excellence. S - Sensitivity - "Be like a flower. Give happiness and fragrance to all." A flower produces fragrance from mud, dirty water, manure, etc. T - Toughness - "The

Devastated - Nice one

One Rakshita Verma (God Bless her innocent soul) has written this... Energy can be transformed but never destroyed or created. I am devastated yet not destroyed. I am shattered, yet not alone. I am broken, yet am alive. She concludes saying "Devastated - yet not destroyed".

My brother Mahesh

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The one posing with a hand on his cheek is my bro..Aint he a DUDE!!

29th April 2007 - The Ceremony

I landed there on Saturday the 28th of April. Sriram was too busy. So we had not spoken since Thursday. I was not sure if he would be there to attend the function. (Despite family commitment, there was also his professional commitment to consider. I could understand that part of his life quiet well, since I had trodden that path some time in my life too. There was a part of me which felt it would be nice if he was there and also a part which scolded me for not being a professional in heart too). I spoke very less about it to him. I did not want to add up to the queue that was already getting him tensed. I went by Cheran. His uncle also traveled in the same train. Sriram wasn't there to pick them up from the station. Only his elder brother was there. And he too did not recognize me. On reaching home, I was in for a sweet surprise. Mom welcomed me in with a aarathi. I was wondering why this special invitation. Enjoy the wind so long as it is blowing. Then I was shocked to see the hou

Now Today's highlights

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Count

A Nice one which I read.. Count your blessings instead of your crosses; Count your gains instead of your losses. Count your joys instead of your woes; Count your friends instead of your foes. Count your smiles instead of your tears; Count your courage instead of your fears. Count your full years instead of your lean; Count your kind deeds instead of your mean. Count your health instead of your wealth; Count on God instead of yourself.

A New Phase

Life is bringing in a new phase. I am getting married. I have read a lot about it. Sensed things. Heard. Yet mind isn't all that set to accept that I am changing. They say that Change is the only permanent thing in this world. Yet, I resist it so much. I don't know if it is because I am not over loaded with some other priorities that I keep observing the change and resent it so much. At the same time, the uncertainity that exists in that change also scares the wits out of me. People try to reassure me. But then I am not all that convinced. Life does revolve around partners being exclusive amongst themselves. I have learnt this the hard way. Probably that was a turning point in my life that made me decide to approach this new change. Left alone, I am able to handle things. Accept people and adjust. But when it comes to losing our beloved and learning to prioritise all our thoughts for a total stranger, that isn't something I can digest all that very well. Worldly wisdom call

Article on my Brother

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Modified Song

Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Bhaiyya Hai Saari Umar Hamein Sangg Rehna Hai Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Bhaiyya Hai Saari Umar Hamein Sangg Rehna Hai Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Jabse Meri Aankhon Se Ho Gaye Aap Durr Tabse Saare Jeevan Ke Sapne Hai Choor Jabse Meri Aankhon Se Ho Gaye Aap Durr Tabse Saare Jeevan Ke Sapne Hai Choorr Aankhon Mein Neend Na Mann Mein chehna Hai Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Bhaiyya Hai Saari Umar Hamein Sangg Rehna Hai Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Dekho Hum Tum Dono theh Ek Daali Ke Phool Mein Na Bhooli Aap Kaise Mujhko Gaye Bhool Dekho Hum Tum Dono theh Ek Daali Ke Phool Mein Na Bhoola Aap Kaise Mujhko Gaye Bhool Aap Meri Paas NAa ab tho durr hogaye Hai Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri bhaiyya Hai Saari Umar Hamein Sangg Rehna Hai Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Jeevan Ke sukhon Se yun baagthe Nahi Hai Aise Mujhe Saaza dehthe Nahi Hai Jeevan Ke sukhon Se yun baagthe Nahi Hai Aise Mujhe Saaza d

Song

Original Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai Saari Umar Hamein Sangg Rehna Hai Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai Saari Umar Hamein Sangg Rehna Hai Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Jabse Meri Aankhon Se Ho Gayi Tu Durr Tabse Saare Jeevan Ke Sapne Hai Durr Jabse Meri Aankhon Se Ho Gayi Tu Durr Tabse Saare Jeevan Ke Sapne Hai Durr Aankhon Mein Neend Na Mann Mein Kehna Hai Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai Saari Umar Hamein Sangg Rehna Hai Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Dekho Hum Tum Dono Hai Ek Daali Ke Phool Mein Na Bhoola Tu Kaise Mujhko Gayi Bhool Dekho Hum Tum Dono Hai Ek Daali Ke Phool Mein Na Bhoola Tu Kaise Mujhko Gayi Bhool Aa Meri Paas Aa Kehdo Kehna Hai Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai Saari Umar Hamein Sangg Rehna Hai Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai Jeevan Ke dukhon Se yun Darte Nahi Hai Aise Bachke Sach Se Guzarte Nahi Hai Jeevan Ke dukhon Se yun Darte Nahi Hai Aise Bachke Sach Se Guzarte Nahi Hai

Suprabatham - In English

Sri Rama! Kausalya's endearing son! Wake up, dear! You have to do your day-to-day duties do wake up please. O Govinda, wake up! O Garudadhvaja! Wake up. O Kamalakanta (i.e., the husband of Kamala)! All the three worlds are under your rule, they have to prosper, Wake up, my child. May it be an auspicious dawn (morning) to Thee, O Lakshmi, the Mother of the Worlds, the ever dweller on the chest of Vishnu ( i.e., the enemy of the demons, madhu and Kaitabha), of attractive and divine form, the Mistress and of the nature of granting the desired objects of those seeking refuge! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee, O Lakshmi of the eyes like the lotus, of a bright face like the Moon, worshipped by the wives of Brahma, Shankara and Indra and a treasure of compassion. You have an endearing attachment to your devotees. Having worshipped the morning twilight (i.e., having said the morning prayer, namely, the sandhyavandana) the seven sages like Arti, bringing the beautiful lotuses from the

Castles

Henry David Thoreau says, "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. " This is what most of us fail to do. We fail on two counts. One neither is the castle a perfect enough to project our real dream/Vision nor do we ever put efforts enough to start laying foundations for that castle. Building a castle has to be done by an architect cum an engineer. Not in literal terms. As an architect, I know, the technicalities of what exactly is my perception. As an engineer, I know, what it takes to convert that perception into a reality. The far more important point is that, I, as a person, should know that that dream castle of mine is still far ahead of mine. I should start building my foundations (of the right proportion, at the right way with a correct timing) so that reaching my castle is made possible. But the journey does not end there. Life is still a journey. The castle is not my destinati

Spiritual Quotient - a nice article

From IQ to EQ, we have travelled this far. The new Buzzword most of the organisation is speaking about now is SQ- Spiritual Quotient. Lets see what SQ is all about: In today's fast-changing world, materialism and stress have become part of our everyday lives. We are constantly looking for answers: How to live a successful and happy life? One way of finding out answers to this question could be to explore the Spiritual Quotient (SQ), relating to our ability to understand and comprehend the spiritual aspects of life, which, contrary to popular belief, are not necessarily connected to religion. Most of us are familiar with the concept of the Intelligence Quotient (IQ). In the mid ‘90s, Daniel Goleman started talking about EQ or Emotional Quotient. Danah Zoher and Ian Marshal in their recent work SQ: Connecting with our Spiritual Intelligence observe that "While computers have IQ and animals can have EQ, it is essentially an SQ that sets human beings apart". Therefore, for th

Failure quotient

Your Failure Quotient by Dr Michael Norwood - A very nice article. The president of my college gave the best speech any luminary ever could have at my graduation. Addressing the hundreds of students, he said that now that we were graduating, our success in life no longer depended on our I.Q., but rather on our F.Q. - our Failure Quotient; how many times we could be knocked down but keep getting back up and slowly moving forward. I don't know if any of my fellow graduates remembered those words, but I never forgot them. I have seen over and over again in my life and in the lives of others how a high F.Q. is the key to success - the one factor that all people of accomplishment have in common. Having a high Failure Quotient is a paradox; we aren't accustomed to equating failure with success. When we think of super-winners or super-successful people - whether they be superstar athletes like Michael Jordan, renowned politicians like Rudy Giuliani, or famed entrepreneurs like Ross Pe

Transition - A Hawk to a man.

This is about my friend Sreejith. I call him Lord Byron. A nice friend that God gifted me way back during my school days. A Poet by heart. That's the way I wish to remember him. To read his poems, I usually have to use either Oxford dictionary or Roger's Thesaurus to translate that into working English and then try to understand it. He as a poet dates back to William Wordsworth period. It takes some time. But then, I spend time usefully at least. Reading his poems makes me feel as though I am floating back to the ages of our school days. 12 C. We did have a great period those days. Days filled with fun. The name of Sreejith will always bring back - Our game of "Find the song from the humming". Sreejith's fight with Deepthi Raghavan because she teased Dhanya (his younger sister) - That incident made me realise the value of having a brother. His first crush - Krithika. Sri Hari Prashanth's first crush and first display of fear, when that girl's brother was a

Freeze Moments

I intend to update these freeze moments more often now. If I had a remote control to freeze moments of life and live it to eternity - That's what I call "Freeze Moments". I have had many such in the past. But due to lack of records, I have lost track of them. I no longer intend to do so henceforth. Perhaps these will bring back nostalgic memories back to me years down the lane. On 4th March 2005, We all went to Mahabalipuram and from there to a movie "Mozhi" in mayajaal theatre. Travelling in the car, with the men folk occupying the front seats and women at the back, the air from the open beaches in the ECR road was blowing fresh air in my mind. Though I was down with work pressure, I felt much better going in the air. I was thinking, one of the days, I must travel on that road in a bike or some two wheeler leaving my hair free and trying to hug the air with both my arms. (No Titanic effects - Just the feel of free fresh air through out my body and mind). We wer

Mozhi - A language of Silence

I saw the movie "Mozhi". It was a nice one. A story about 2 set of friends. The hero is a musician who falls in love with a dumb and deaf girl. His reaction on realizing she was dumb and deaf - Silence has its own serenity to be enjoyed. There were quiet a number of enjoyable comedy scenes. Nothing vulgar or mushy. The movie was quiet decent. There has been a stiff competition amongst the characters to excel themselves in showing their acting skills. I don't know how to say. I am not sure if the heroine excelled because it was her eyes which spoke every single dialogue to the audience or the hero because he really seemed to live his character. The hero, made his impression in my heart. Compassionate. Even to the girl showing off her love, he is kind enough not to hurt her. To the man who has refused to accept the loss of his only son, he is understanding. At a point when he is depressed, this father-figure comes to him talking about his son's accident as though it ju

When Silence Kills

I see it every day Every way in which you change I try to keep the cold out I only know that you are now Sold out So when silence kills You know it can and it will For the ones I look upon When I'm dead and gone When you are back It would have been too long Only then will you learn the truth About the life you cared least at youth So when silence kills You know it can and it will Have your fill, By then my heart would be still.

St. Valentine

There is this much hyped Valentine's day that comes on every 14th day of February. Although, many might say that it is a marketing strategy or westernised culture seeping into India or what ever. The days before Valentines day are indeed magical. Call it the age acting or because of the media hype. I used to hear a lot of love songs floating in almost all Radio channels (Can't afford a TV in a hostel life). And of course mails relating to Valentines day celebrations. The internet was also filled with Valentines day specialities. What to gift, What to dress, How to express, How to "prepare", Valentines day superstitions etc etc. Some came up with some sensible valentines day gift suggestions also. I was surprised to know that India had a 1200 crore valentines day business going on. I was totally stumped that guys in Punjab actually spend 60k to have a 15 minutes ride on Helicopters to propose to their valentine is a romantic way. (That was quite way off I believe). Fin

A nice poem about me...

Preethika, a nice friend of mine, wrote a poem (impromptu) about me... I know a girl who loves to talk, And talk she does with such a style That she leaves a lasting impression on anyone who's known her even just for a while.. ~#~ I know a girl with the kindest heart who cares for you like her own self She knows what her friends like the most and fulfills their wishes like a magical elf.. ~#~ There is a lot to say about this girl Who goes around in her moped all day She is the best companion one can have At work as well as in times of play.. ~#~ She's like the banyan tree which will never fall even if the toughest of winds pulls at her roots She will overcome tough times by being herself and later get to enjoy all of life's sweet fruits..

Morning Posts to make me cheerful

Dream... And as you dream,Remember... That only you can make Your dreams come true. Reach... And as you reach,Remember that... Success takes time, Devotion, And sometimes a little Disappointment. Believe... And as you believe, You will find Reaching gets easier, Setbacks get More manageable, Life becomes More meaningful.

Dare to dream

To dare to dream that for every question there's an answer... for every answer yet another question... and that in the asking there is renewed adventure... in that daring and dreaming is a symphony of ambition. To dare to dream that my thinking and understandingmight be heard and find its wayinto the shape of the future -- in that daring and dreaming is my energy for today. To dare to dream that my skills might affect the destinyof other people -- in that daring and dreaming is my hope for tomorrow. To dare to dream that the yearnings of my soul have a purpose which only I can find -- in that daring and dreaming is the road to discovery. To dare to dream that the spirit of school might continue in me -- tempered with time, but relevant -- in that daring and dreaming is a yet greater symphony.

Steps To Happiness

Everybody Knows: You can't be all things to all people. You can't do all things at once. You can't do all things equally well. You can't do all things better than everyone else. Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's. So: You have to find out who you are, and be that. You have to decide what comes first, and do that. You have to discover your strengths, and use them. You have to learn not to compete with others, Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*. Then: You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness. You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions. You will have learned to live with your limitations. You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due. And you'll be a most vital mortal. Dare To Believe: That you are a wonderful, unique person. That you are a once-in-all-history event. That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are. That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to

Life is..

Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a gift - accept it. Life is an adventure - dare it. Life is a sorrow - overcome it. Life is a tragedy - face it. Life is a duty - perform it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a mystery - unfold it. Life is a song - sing it. Life is an opportunity - take it. Life is a journey - complete it. Life is a promise - fulfill it. Life is a beauty - praise it. Life is a struggle - fight it. Life is a goal - achieve it. Life is a puzzle - solve it. Life is eternal - believe it.