HOW TO LEAVE BAD HABITS ?

 

It was evening time and Jack was heading towards home just then he saw bar right across the street.  The bright lights attracted him as if they were inviting him to come and have a drink.  Jack couldn’t resist the temptation and continued walking towards the bar instead of home.

He entered the bar and sat on the stool next to the bartender.  Bartender smile, “Sir, what would you like to have?”  Jack said, “The usual.”  Bartender filled a pitcher of beer and moved it towards Jack.

Jack after having one after another was now disoriented to time, place, and person.  He was like translated into some beer land where there were just pitchers of beer all around.  It was time to close the bar and the bartender looked towards the assistant, as if he was saying “Just check out on him, is he in sense of walking to his home or we will have to assist him?”

Assistant tapped on Jack’s shoulder.  Jack moved his head around with his droopy eyes looked at assistant and said, “Yeh, I know it is time to go now.”  He got up from his seat and started walking towards the door.  Opened it and went out.  It was pitch dark now.

Somehow Jack reached home.  He just opened the lock and went straight to the bed and passed out.

Next day, he woke up at 11 o’clock in the morning.  When he saw the time he got worried as he had meeting in the office early morning at 8 a.m.  He had missed it.  Quickly, he called the office.  Jennie, his secretary, picked up the phone and she said, “Sir, client waited for an hour and then went back.  The deal is canceled.”  Jack was totally shattered by what Jennie had told him.

Jack after thinking for some time just went to the phone when he kept his black dairy.  He picked it up and started to find out the address once someone had given him.  It was of Stephen Jones.  He was the one who could help him.

Jack was attending rehab for intoxication, but to no avail.  He was a very bad drinker, sometimes binging and not able to recover for many days.  Because of this habit he had lost several jobs, people could not recognize him socially, tagged him as drunkard.  Jack knew he had to leave this habit but where to start and how to start as he was also into rehab but it was no use.  He couldn’t resist the temptation last night and again had gone to the bar for a drink and as a result suffered a loss at his job.

He knew Stephen Jones was the only person who could help him.  He just picked up that black book and turned some pages, found his address.  Jack quickly got ready to go.  Stephen’s place was quite far from where he was living.  He packed his bags and got in the car and headed towards his place.

The concrete had vanished and the greens had started on both sides of the highway.  He took left turn and he saw a little cottage near the river.  He knew he was heading right way.  Just little bit far from cottage he stopped.  He got out from the car and started walking towards the cottage.  Just then he noticed some sound as if someone was chopping firewood.

He went towards the back of the cottage and he saw an old man wearing brown shirt and white pajamas was chopping firewood with his back towards Jack.  Just then the man said, “I was expecting you Jack !!”  Jack was astonished as to how he knew his name, but not too astonished because he had heard from the people that Stephen was having some powers.  He could feel the presence of other people.

Jack just stood there and Stephen turned and said “I know why you have come here.”  Jack said, “I want to leave it at any cost.  Tell me what do I have to do for it.”  Stephen said, “Just pick up this firewood for me and put in the cottage, would you, then we will talk on this.”  Jack followed what Stephen had said and went into the cottage with firewood.

It was night now.  Jack and Stephen were sitting on the table having their dinner.  Stephen said, “Finish your food and go to bed.  Tomorrow you and me have to do lot of work in jungle.  Be ready for it.”  Nodding his head Jack responded as he was pretty exhausted.  He went to bed early that day.

Next day morning Jack woke up.  He stood up and freshened himself and went out of the cottage and there was Stephen sitting down on the grass meditating.  He just kept looking at him.  There was a sort of halo around Stephen.  Jack was not able to understand what was it.  He just called “Stephen, I am ready.  Let’s go.”  Stephen opened his eyes and just smiled.

Both of them headed towards the woods.  After they had walked for quite some time, there came a Bannayan tree and no sooner Jack could say a thing Stephen just went and clinged on to the tree.  Jack paused for a while and then looked at Stephen, he thought that he will get down on his own but he didn’t.  He was just clinging to it as if the little monkey baby clings to his mother.

Jack said, “Stephen why don’t you just leave this tree, so that we can walk on and do the things we came for.”  Stephen said, “What ! do you think I am holding on to this tree.  It is the tree who is not leaving me.”  Jack said, “What the heck are you talking about?  Tree is not leaving you?  This can’t be.  How a tree can hold you back.  It is you who is clinging to it not the tree.”  As soon as Jack said this Stephen left the tree and was standing in front of Jack.  He said Jack that is the answer to you problem, “It is you who are clinging to alcohol and not alcohol to you.”  He said, “You are as strong as your will.  The stronger the will, more stronger you are able to resist.”

Habits are nothing but part of human nature.  Unknowingly, we tend to develop some good ones and bad ones, but it is up to our will whether to leave it or stay with it.  Let a habit be habit and not a need or else you are completely destroyed.  When it becomes a need then you can’t see anything beyond it.  It camouflages your mind, your will, your inner strength and makes you useless, worthless soul just a walking blob, nothing more than that.

 

It is just up to you what you want to be as, “You are as strong as your will.”

INSIGHT

It has never been easy to write for me.  Sometimes you like to write about the things which have happened in the past or about the things which you dreamt of, or which are happening at present.

 

Every now and then people tend to ask me about the reason behind all this. It’s very simple, “I just like to put my heart into it.”

 

Sometimes speaking truth isn’t that easy.  Being true to yourself takes lot of courage. It is just because everyone cannot understand what you are going through and what your circumstances are.  Just because everything seems right it doesn’t mean that everything is right.  Everybody in this world has a mask put on, which they never take off.

 

Speaking truth is just like removing the mask and revealing your inner self to let people know who you are. The chances are that you can lose your friends, your near ones, your dear ones, and whom you have known from long time.  It takes great bit of courage and strength to speak of truth.

 

All my life I’ve always tried to speak truth.  It was a little bit difficult because I lost many friends who were quite close to me.  People fail to understand that to speak lie it is very easy but to hide it, it is very difficult.  It is just like an infection, which cannot be cured.

 

I write because it is easier to tell the truth by writing.  It makes my heart feel free, my mind without any burden, and my soul without any guilt.

 

Speaking truth makes you feel weightless, it frees your mind, it makes you strong and bold to face the world that you have done no wrong and when you stand in front of the mirror and see yourself you feel proud that one more day you have faced the world without saying a lie.

 

Just try yourself speaking once for awhile the truth and facing the world as it is. I’m sure it will make you more than happy than you were before.

 

“You just live once, but if you do it right then once is enough.”

 

POTENTIAL

 

Reggie was just walking down the aisle which led to the mall.  It was the shortcut from his residence.  Just then he heard sweet voice as if some bird was chirping.  He turned around and looked to right just near the garbage can were two eyas (babies of hawk).

 

He was very kind hearted.  He picked them up and took them to his residence.  He lived near the river and his residence was the last after which the dense forest started.  He thought that he can not bring up eyas and thought of giving them to his friend who was an ornithologist, Jack Palmer.

 

He went to Jack and handed over the young ones to them.  Time passed by, Reggie was just sitting on the porch one day and was thinking what might have happened to eyas which he handed over to Jack.

 

So, he went to Jack.  He was very excited to see that they had turned into beautiful, elegant hawks by now.  He requested Jack that he wanted to see them fly.  On Reggie’s request Jack let them loose and they took flight.  One of them was flying sky high and the another one, he just took one round and went to the tree nearby and sat on the branch of the tree.

 

Reggie after seeing this asked Jack, “what has happened to this one? Why he is not flying like the other one?”  Jack had no answer.  He also said that whenever he let them go for a flight one of them used to fly high in the sky and the other one just took one round and sat on the branch of the tree.

 

Observing this Jack thought of consulting his colleague who was like him an ornithologist, Augustus Pablo.  Augustus told Jack that he would like to come down and observe both hawks.  Jack agreed to his decision.

 

Next day, Augustus came, Reggie was also there with Jack.  All three of them sat inside the room discussing about the hawks.  Just then suddenly Augustus stood up and said, “You guys stay here, I will just come in a second.”  Saying that he went towards the cage where the hawks were there.

 

Then after some time he called Jack and Reggie screamingly, “Jack !! Reggie !! guys come here.  You will just like to see this.”  Reggie and Jack ran outside and to their amazement they saw that both the hawks were flying in the sky very high.  All three of them look at them and just started laughing.

 

Reggie and Jack asked Augustus, “Hey man, what did you do?  How are the both hawks flying so high in the sky?”  Augustus replied, “Guys, nothing.  I just cut the branch on which that hawk was sitting again and again.  So, now his favorite place is gone where he was used to sitting for a long time that is why he is flying high with his fellow hawk in order to find new one.”

 

We all have potential to fly high and dream big, but sometimes in the life we are so used to sitting at one place that we are afraid of taking risks and moving ahead in life.  By doing this, we are just becoming our own obstacle.  We stop to grow, forget our potential, what we are, what we can be, and what we should be.

 

So, if you are at one place for so many long years and you feel like this is the place where I should not be then cut that branch and move ahead because there is much more potential in you than what you think of yourself.  Motivate yourself towards progress, never be stagnant.  The day you are still you fail yourself, you fail to grow, forget your worth, your potential, your strength.

 

So, stop being a zombie, get up and move ahead.  I know you still have it in you.

 

ONE WORD THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE !!!

 

 

It had been several days now, but there was no improvement in grandma’s health.  Doctor’s tried every option on hand still the prognosis was grave.  Grandma was not showing any signs of recovering, just lying still on the bed, not able to respond to any commands, as if just a stone sculpture was kept in the corner of the room with all the ER machines beeping around, nurses trying to attend, it was clear that there was no hope.

Three days past without being able to eat or take liquids, just staring at the walls and thinking when all this will end — doctors now felt the need to contact the family.

The telecaller from the hospital team called up the residence, a full ring — but no one picked up the phone.  Answering machine started and the caller left the message.  The telecaller informed the hospital staff of not being able to contact the family and hence had left a message.

The physician in-charge got desperate and checked who was the next of kin and tried to contact again but in vain.

Next day morning, a young man in his 30s, Fred, came to the hospital.  After inquiring on the help desk, he turned towards the room where grandma was there.  He went in slowly so as to not disturb grandma, but as soon as he opened the door and stepped in the nurse sitting by grandma saw that the fingers of grandma move and she blinked, as if she knew who was there in the room.

Fred sat down and asked the nurse about the state of grandma.  She said all the things that were in the chart note.  Hearing what the nurse said there were tears in the eyes of Fred.  The nurse requested Fred that he should talk to grandma and ask her to eat and drink so that she could improve and be out of here.

He talked to her, but she was just staring on his face.  He said to her many times and in return she babbled some words that he couldn’t understand.  Fred said many times but to no avail.  Everything seemed so still and listless.  There was complete silence in the room.  Fred’s mind had stopped working now — he wanted that grandma should become healthy and come with him but what he was not able to understand that why she was not able to listen him and why he was not able to understand her ?  This question was constantly running in his mind.

Just then Aunt Claire arrived to the hospital.  Claire lived across the street where grandma and Fred lived.  Claire saw that Fred was sitting near grandma; a smile came on Claire’s face, but was halfhearted.

Fred talked to Aunt Claire, he said that he told grandma to eat and drink but she is not listening at all.  Nurses are trying to make her eat and drink still she is not responding. “She just keeps of babbling.  I just cannot understand her !!  What she is trying to say?”  Listening to what Fred was saying Aunt broke into tears.

Wiping her tears she said dear Fred, you say that you are not able to understand what she is saying.  She is the one who brought you up when your mom and dad died in car accident when you were 1-year-old.  At that time you cried, you babbled, but she knew every little gesture of yours, what you want and what makes you happy.  Now when she is in a state that she is not able to speak and is babbling you are saying ” I can’t understand what she is speaking !!!”

Fred, my dear, she does not want anything else than love, care, and a will to survive that his grandson is there by her side.  Just go and sit besides her, make her sit, give her something to eat and drink, and you will see the change.

Fred following the advice went and did the same.  After few days the doctors saw the miracle.  Grandma who was not willing to eat, who was just staring at the walls, was now hale and hearty, wanted to go home again and wanted to live.

Will is very strong in a person’s life as are love and care.  Love and care gives us the will and strength to fight against all odds in life.  No matter how difficult the time is, no matter how dark the night is, the dawn beckons.

 “A will will find a way.”

7 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR LOVE STRONG

It all started with love.  Love is a beautiful feeling, a state of mind where we feel relaxed, secured, and absolutely carefree in the company of one we love.  Nowadays, there are times when people have failed love, and that is where the counselors have stepped in.

Love in a relation is replaced with depression, anger, fights, tension, and altercations.  All this just because they fail to keep up with the spark which all started the relation.  People are getting married and in two months getting divorced – the beautiful feeling of love being replaced by anger and pain of broken relationships.

Well keeping up with love isn’t that hard guys.  Just imagine a couple when in love they care, they spent time with each other, they share, they feel, they live every moment together whether be it pain or happiness, joy or sorrow.  Then what do they do wrong just after the marriage that they can’t keep up with the love they have it in their hearts? – A simple but a typical question who just can’t understand what went wrong.

There are ways to keep up with love.  Here are some of them just give it a try if you think that your relationship is going through a tough time or the spark you had before marriage isn’t there now, or something is missing in your relationship.

 

SPEND TIME

Never miss out the time with your beloved.  As you have spent a lot when you were in love and what after the marriage? Have you done it religiously?  If you haven’t, give some time to her, talk to her like you did, and be there for her.

 

APPRECIATE

Well small things do matter, appreciation is a small gesture which can make a person know that you care about what she does.  It keeps the love alive.

 

LIVE THE MOMENT

Cherish each and every moment with your beloved, make it special.  Whether it is by taking her out for dinner to a restaurant or just cook a nice candle light dinner for her.  A little change in routine can make the difference.  Treat her like she is special, someone who is just for you.

 

AVOID ANGER

There are times when we do not choose the situation, but it chooses us.  Just remember to not get angry in a relationship, it won’t solve a thing — will just make it even worse.  The biggest thing to avoid is anger.  Just see beyond it why and what made it happen.  What was the discussion that started it all, get to it and resolve.  Never take any decisions when you are angry because anger makes your mind unstable and impairs your decision making quality.

 

TALK IT OUT

Love is all about caring for each other, talking with each other.  People tend to talk very less day by day.  There are times when the talk becomes routine like “I am going to job honey.”, “I have come back from job”, “how was your day”, “anything new ?” and just weaning day by day.  Communication between partners is what makes your love strong and understanding better because by talking only you come to know how a person is thinking, what he cares about, what he likes or what he doesn’t, what are the priorities and what are the plans for future.  It is better to talk than keeping mum.

 

RESPECT

One of the integral part of a relation is respect or honor.  It is what you give that comes back.  Respect each other and each others decisions, dreams, and opinions.  This can cultivate a great bond between the two.

 

DOMINATION

It is not one would expect from anybody who loves.  Avoid domination in a relation if you want the love to grow.  Domination would just restrict a person in many ways thereby creating a feeling of aversion.

 

One thing I know that love is a feeling that comes from inside, it is pure, it is pious, it is true, and strong.  People in love do care for each other.  Lets us try to make this world a better place to live.

 

Spread the love, as it is infectious.

Spread the love because it pious

Spread the love because it heals

Spread it because it makes you feel

Spread it so no one gets hurt

Spread it because it is so much more

Spread it because it never fails

Spread it because it’s only love and love is all I have to take you heart away.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY

He is the one with whom I started to learn my life.  He is the one who made me who I am.  He is the reason why I am here writing this up.  Words are very less to describe him.  Thinking where to start from – the first time when he picked me up in his arms or when he kissed my forehead and felt the joy that cannot be defined or when he was out there shouting to the world that he had become a proud father.

He is my mentor.  I still remember the time he used to teach me, make me study hard, trying to take out the best of me.  I still miss the time when he used to play with me and run behind my cycle when I was learning to ride it.

He never stopped for a while to think about himself, always on the go, doing some thing or the other, keeping himself busy with what he could do to make me a better person.  Still I can recall the time when he used to go to work on bicycle kilometers and some times take us movie on it.  Those days I really cherish.

Walk with him and the picnics which we went, times when we enjoyed together are some of my life’s best moments.  The moments which are framed right in the center of my heart glowing with pride, honor, and respect for him.

He has always been there for me whether it was the good times or bad.  He has always been like a friend, a colleague, a mentor, a guide, a teacher, and what not when the time required to be.

He made me grow under his shadow protecting and caring me all the time.  He was there when I first started walking and fell down; he was there when I first started talking and babbled, and when I first said “dada”.  He taught me how to do the things which I could have never done without his help.

It is true that one never realizes until when he has experienced what it is to be a father.  It is the time when my 4-year-old son came to me this morning and kissed me and said, “Dad, Happy Father’s Day”, just tears came in the eyes as it flashed to me that I am too a son to a father and a father to a son.

This piece of write-up cannot define the love, respect, honor, faith, trust, believe, warmth, care that I have for my father, as words are very miniscule to define what he is to me.  He has stood up for me for the times when no one was there to support.  He is my courage, my strength, my hope and faith.

It is never too late to say Happy Father’s Day whether be it or not; for me it is and always will be everyday a Happy Father’s Day everyday.

Be there for him as he has been there for you all your life.