Happiness is a State of Mind
A man of 92 years, short, very well-presented, who takes great care in his appearance, is moving into an old people’s home.
After waiting several hours in the retirement home lobby, he gently smiles as he is told that his room is ready.
His wife of 80 has recently died, and he is obliged to leave his home.
As he slowly walks to the elevator, using his cane, I describe his small room to him, including the sheet hung at the window which serves as a curtain.
“I like it very much”, he says, with the enthusiasm of an 8-year-old boy who has just been given a new puppy.
“You haven’t even seen the room yet, hang on a moment, we are almost there.”
“That has nothing to do with it”, he replies.
“It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision I make every morning when I wake up.”
“Happiness is something I choose in advance. Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or the decor rather it depends on how I decide to see it.”
“I can choose. I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well, or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that are still in working order.”
“Every day is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes, I will focus on a new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life.”
“Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way.”
Remember these simple guidelines for happiness.
- Free your heart from hate.
- Free your mind from worry.
- Live simple.
- Give more.
- Expect less.
Brazilian man buries Bentley to prove a point!
One of the richest and most powerful men in Brazil, Thane Chiquinho Scarpa, made waves when he announced plans to bury his million- dollar Bentley, so he could drive around his afterlife in style. He received lots of media attention, mostly negative and was severely criticised for the extravagant gesture and wasting of a precious commodity. Why wouldn’t he donate the car to charity? How out of touch with reality is this guy? He still went ahead with the ceremony.
But, there’s a twist.
Moments before lowering the car in the ground prepared for the burial of his Bentley, he declared that he wouldn’t bury his car and then revealed his genuine motive for the drama: Just to create awareness for organ donation.
“People condemn me because I wanted to bury a million-dollar Bentley, in fact, most people bury something a lot more valuable than my car,” Scarpa said during a speech at the ceremony. “They bury hearts, livers, lungs, eyes, kidneys. This is absurd. So many people waiting for a transplant and you bury your healthy organs that could save so many lives!”
Who is your life partner?
- Mom?
- Dad?
- Wife?
- Son?
- Husband?
- Daughter?
- Friends?
Not at all!
Your real-life partner is your body.
Once your body stops responding no one is with you.
You and your body stay together from birth till death. What you do to your body is your responsibility and that will come back to you.
The more you care for your body, the more your body will care for you.
What you eat, what you do for being fit, How you deal with stress, how much rest you give to it; will decide how your body going to respond.
Remember, your body is the only permanent address where you live
Your body is your asset/ liability, which no one else can share. Your body is your responsibility. Because you are the real-life partner.
Be fit. Take care of yourself. Money comes and goes. Relatives and Friends are not permanent.
Remember, no one can help your body other than you.
- Pranayama - for Lungs
- Meditation - for Mind
- Yoga - for Body
- Walking - for Heart
- Good food - for Intestines
- Good thoughts - for Soul
- Good karma - for World
By Sri Sri Ravishankar
Strange but True!
In the 1400s a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have ‘the rule of thumb.’
Many years ago in Scotland, a new game was invented. It was ruled ‘Gentlemen Only... Ladies Forbidden’... and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.
In Shakespeare’s time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase, ‘goodnight, sleep tight.’
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them ‘Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down.’ It’s where we get the phrase ‘mind your P’s and Q’s.
Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. ‘Wet your whistle’ is the phrase inspired by this practice.
In 1696, William III of England introduced a property tax that required those living in houses with more than six windows to pay a levy. In order to avoid the tax, house owners would brick up all windows except six. (The Window Tax lasted until 1851, and older houses with bricked-up windows are still a common sight in the U.K.) As the bricked-up windows prevented some rooms from receiving any sunlight, the tax was referred to as “daylight robbery”!