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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Avial: Stress – You are the Medicine

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Avial: Stress – You are the Medicine

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Monday, September 1, 2008

Stress and IBS

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Happy Days and Stress


The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.


Stress brings about IBS and IBS, Stress. They both are intertwined and inseparable.

The day begins with our visit to the toilet. The free bowel movement which makes one feel light and happy is the mark of the beginning of a pleasant day. Many face ugly moods of persons who suffer from either constipation or improper bowel movement. The relationship with others gets strained due to physical irritations and the consequent irritable mood. This may at times bring on stomach ache. There are many web sites which can give you the symptoms. I have also come across people who take a glass of hot water in preparation to the visit to the toilet.

There are people who suffer from regular irritable bowel, which marks itself by the look they have on their faces. I have seen many who always have a frown. You say anything to such people, they counter it with a sarcastic remark and complete their reply with a remark that the whole thing is basically foolish and impossible.

The relief for this type of irritation as well as the consequent relief from stress lies with the individual. The best course may be to regulate one’s food habits. There are medicines and elaborate treatments available in the market for chronic sufferers but such treatments and medicinal relief are all purely and totally temporary and any permanent relief lies in one's habits-particularly food habits.

Green vegetables, leaves, banana fruits (yellow and ripe) and many other ripe fruits will certainly help.

Light on meat and more of vegetarian food intake and drinking of enough water are some suggestions. Those who suffer from irregular bowel movement should also check for worms and de-worming will help. There are certain external symptoms which point to worms. Children may get slight discoloration in patches in their cheeks and may also poke into their nostrils often. Grown-ups may also poke unconsciously and they may also grind their teeth while sleeping. Such symptoms point to worms.

Oranges are easily available in the market and one should not make juice of it and take it. Take time to peel the outer thick skin but eat along with the thin inner skin after removing the seeds. The thin skin is not digestible but cleans the stomach and bowels while it travels through the alimentary canal.

One should also take into account one’s daily routine. If one is tied to the seat and meets people or uses the system or looking after accounts, one is sure to become stressed and irritable. So a change in life style is needed. Go for long walks and involve yourself in sports and games.

Many medicines that are available in the market have side effects and they also warn you of the same. Better fall back on alternative medicines and I know people who had excellent results and relief with Silicea, a Homeo remedy. But whatever you do, the relief depends on your food habit.


Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness. - Richard Carlson


You may wish to see this video on frown at YouTube. I also embed this for ready viewing.

Quotegarden

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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Avial: Sun Screen lotion or cream and SPF

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Avial: Sun Screen lotion or cream and SPF

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Stress Causes Dreams

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Whatever we do lays a seed in our deepest consciousness, and one day that seed will grow. - Sakyong Mipham


Dreams are taken by psychoanalysts as the outcome of the preoccupied mind. If one is an obsessed chess player, he may find the coins stumbling in his dream and himself losing, if he had lost unwittingly a winning game in the recent past. The same is true with all people involved in actions- both mental and physical.

Coleridge was said to have written down the lines he got in a dream – Kubla Khan, which he himself called an opium influenced reverie.

Stress causes dreams. Ambition, expectations, anxiety, fears are all not just reasons for stress alone but also for dreams. I know the person who attended the funeral of his grandfather at the age of three. For years he had dreams of his grandfather laid out covered in a red cloth.

The fevered mind is the cause for such dreams. The stress might not show when one is awake. I had known a woman whose daughter died delivering a child. For years after that until her own death, she used to weep and cry out loudly in sleep, bereaving her daughter’s death. During daytime, when up and moving about, she went about normally.

Stress of any nature may be cause for a dream or nightmare. Love and affection too bring about dreams. The stress encountered while crossing a road may bring about a nightmarish chase by car or even cars.

People usually get nightmares of being chased up a steep by snakes or elephants or other animals and then falling fast down from a precipice. If you have an important appointment or travel the next day, for which you attach a lot of importance, you may dream, most likely a nightmare and while you fall from the precipice, you hear the alarm going or someone calling you or a knock at the door and you wake up to find the alarm clock actually going or your spouse waking you up calling out your name or your friend has come ready to pick you up and knocking at the door.

Shakespeare has immortalized this knocking in his Macbeth.
Though the following was not a dream, it is the reaction of the fevered mind on hearing the knocking at the door.

MACBETH
To know my deed, 'twere best not know myself.
Knocking within
Wake Duncan with thy knocking! I would thou couldst! Act 2 scene II
(This knocking continues into Scene III too.)


People who suffer from stress, mild or severe, are sure to get dreams or nightmares. A likely way to get at the root of the problem may be to psychoanalyze these dreams. For ages people have been aware of this relationship between stress and dreams, but only in the modern times dream analysis is given serious consideration. Some research is also going on in the use of hypnotism in cases where the causes are difficult to trace through normal enquiry.

Homeopathy takes into account the mental symptoms along with what the patient says about his illness and its history. They have the strong belief that even the imple and tolerable headache should have some connection with the mind and its reactions to events and environments. The main benefit is that they don’t saturate the system with drugs which may have very serious effects on the system and those effects may remain permanent or last for years. But one thing is sure. The present day medicines make one weak. So my own preference is to homeo remedies. Even if we use the wrong remedy and don't get the desired results immediately, the remedies do not harm us and destroy our basic health.

Freud has written

“…every dream will reveal itself as a psychological structure, full of significance, and one which may be assigned to a specific place in the psychic activities of the waking state. Further, I shall endeavour to elucidate the processes which underlie the strangeness and obscurity of dreams, and to deduce from these processes the nature of the psychic forces whose conflict or co-operation is responsible for our dreams.”

To complete let me quote Camus:

Life is the sum of all your choices. - Albert Camus

I came across a video of the famous soliloquy ‘To be, or not to be” in YouTube archives. I embed the same for you to view.

Hamlet_ to be or not to be





Video thanks to Youtube
Quotes from quotegarden.com
Read Macbeth Act 2 Scene II
Image: ImageShack

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Monday, August 18, 2008

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Stress – You are the Medicine

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A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs. - Joan Welsh


Who comes to your mind when you hear the word 'Obama'- Obama the Deliverer or Obama the Destroyer?

You can evaluate your own stress by that.


I recently came across an article which wanted people to consider three steps in dealing with stress - first the symptoms and then tracing and analyzing the cause and the last coping up with stress and steps to get relieved. As for methods to cope up, many are suggested from going out into the open air to practicing yoga. In the outset this seems to be logical.


But it is strange that a person has to analyze the cause. The symptoms appear only because the person has become aware of a situation that brings about the symptoms. So for any normal individual the cause is well known and it creates the symptoms.


Unless a third party has to give a helping hand to people who have become mentally ill due to some strong impact of stress, these first two are not necessary. Even there the relatives can very well inform about the immediate cause and the psychiatrist can proceed from there. I have seen a film in which the sound of the approaching train brought about stress and extreme discomfort in which the individual cried out. There are people who go into fits on seeing flames rising high or even hearing a whistle.


The article did not deal with such extreme cases but only day-to-day stress factors and relief. I feel he has misunderstood stress and allergy. For the latter, the steps mentioned can be beneficially adopted and there will be sure relief.


Day-to-day stress


Habits and environment keep one fit to face the day-to-day stress. The happy family is a sure answer. Going to bed early and getting up early, followed by ease at normal daily chores without any hitch and simple stretch exercises for a few minutes, should keep one hale and healthy, both physically and mentally, and also fit for the day whatever be the problems one may have to face during the work-hours. A good breakfast will certainly help.

The Monday blues will become a thing of the past. Thereafter you will look forward to go to work fresh every Monday after the refreshing week-end.


Stress is basically a mental factor and this may cause from simple discomfort, headache, and anger to serious effects like depression. So instead of living a haphazard life where even simple things create noticeable stress, it is better to regulate one’s habits first to suit one’s family and work and accommodate physical exercise into one’s daily routine. Beer and wine may find place in joy as well as sorrow but fruits and vegetables are never thought of as things that thwart stress. The latter, fruits and vegetables, one should regularly take to energize one’s body and be fit to face stress.


The mind is not unrelated to the body and body is not also unrelated to the mind. Homeopaths have certainly understood this. Both co-exist and like eyes when affected both are affected. There is a saying I have heard that the guests and medicines remain guests and medicines only the first three days. There after they become family members and food. So taking prolonged medicine can not be the answer for relief from stress. It is like taking daily a purgative in the night to ease motion in the morning. If something has to be called medicine it should relieve. The relief should also be lasting and come within three days.


For relief from stress apart from what has been suggested on environment and habits, one may adopt the oft repeated ‘taking deep breath’ or counting up to ten – backwards should be a better course.


Try to spend sometime with your parents and children. If it is not possible to live together, make it a point to meet them at regular intervals. The feeling that there is some one who thinks about you with love and affection is better than any chemical. Try to have family get together as often as possible, exchange gifts and gather also friends around you - real friends. Laughter is the best medicine. To have a free hearty laugh at some trivia is a great reliever of stress than any medicine. See that you don’t laugh at others' suffering. Use drinks to the minimum and only when you feel happy and good.


The day-to-day stress is something everyone feels and there is nothing strange you also feel stress.

Picures :Image shack.

Quotegarden

Take out your notepad and pencil before you start reading -

the interesting article which misunderstood stress and allergy
A video is embedded and the author does not recommend or canvass anything. It is just to make known what help one can get from various sources.Video: You Tube





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Monday, July 21, 2008

Stress-Behavioral Symptoms and Ailments

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Stress Siren


Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.—Voltaire
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.—Jonathan Swift
I already knew my bank account would be down to zero by the time I get to Portland, and today it just got worse- SaylaMarz

Recession and foreclosures have created a lot of problems. Many have lost their homes and struggle to make ends meet. Loss of house and job are enough to make one decide to end one’s life. The stress felt by students or novices in jobs are easily overcome, unless they are extremely emotional in nature. But for a man with wife and children to take care of, recession, foreclosure, pink slip and loans on credit cards will create unmanageable stress. Relationship problems pose a greater danger.

Apart from the physical symptoms we saw in ‘Stress—its surface level symptoms’ that preceded this article, stress brings about varied behavioral changes in a person. The two main things that bring about these are anger, at self and at others, and deep-felt sorrow. These two result in confused and troubled thinking, negative thinking, poor analysis and end up in either destruction or withdrawal.

Anxiety may create racing heart symptoms and racing thoughts and which may result in unnecessary hurry in doing things without proper judgment. Forgetting the most important things and unnecessary worry and fear or anger may increase the stress.

If others get affected by one’s actions, guilt may also create stress and this may result in self-punishment and withdrawal from near ones. Withdrawal from social gatherings may also occur due to disease of self, or near ones and /or death of loved ones. Death, loss of limbs due to accident or other causes, chronic illness, all will affect an emotionally attached person very much.

Anger on the other hand may affect self as well as others. When one becomes angry, he may lose all mental balance and act very destructively. Those who suffer from inferiority complex may withdraw from social gatherings and become angry at themselves because of their incapacity to meet with occasions and this they may explode on near ones.

Stress will make one irritable and dissatisfied at everything and one’s mood may change at short notices. He may try to show off as normal and in seconds turn wild.

The stressed anger or sorrow increases with advice or solace. When people advice them to control their anger, they become much angrier and on the other hand soothing words make sad people weep uncontrollably.

Some others may turn to chain smoking or drinking. Drugs may also seem to bring solace to such stressed people. Impending danger to life or family or arrest or financial loss may make one worry a lot and lose objectivity. These may the result in a feeling of insecurity and make them suspect everyone and behave strangely.

Uncontrolled anger may turn into lunacy and sorrow may bring about withdrawal from society and end up in depression. One may start eating too much or too little. Insomnia or sleeplessness loss of weight and nervous breakdown will follow suit. Muscle non-co-ordination will also result.

So stress, in its extreme levels may result in insomnia, heart problems, digestion problems, nervous breakdown and depression. The remedy seems to be not in medicines, though medicines may reduce the external symptoms artificially and make it possible for others to maintain such affected people.

My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants.—J. Brotherton

Humor can certainly give relief. Get some relief : view this video




Video Youtube
Image from flickr
Subscribe for free at Nosle channel 'Stress, Stress, Stress' and participate for a better understanding of Stress and help yourself and many others.
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Friday, July 18, 2008

Stress—its surface level symptoms

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You can't run away from trouble. There ain't no place that far.—Uncle Remus
Stress is directly related to our ambitions, feelings, emotions and passions. So to remain calm even in adverse conditions and atmosphere is the best thing. To control one’s anger and not to get over attached to one’s children or parents, or to any possessions like house or business or material is another way to avoid the bad effects of stress. Dispossession, (to live without the use of things which we think we can not do without) is one way of training ourselves to be dispassionate and ready to meet adverse conditions.

Stress may affect us temporarily or permanently. It depends on how deep a person gets involved emotionally.

Getting angry or weeping may be the first reaction in many when things go wrong. For some this may appear in the form of headache developing into migraine later. A person may get this severe headache on the least mention or remembrance of the original incident-directly or indirectly even as in sun-migraine.

As written earlier, expectations bring about disappointments. The greater the former, the greater the latter. Disappointments may turn into dissatisfaction, frustration, disillusion, resulting in distress, turning into depression. All these start with the fast racing heart leading to chest pain and strokes. High pressure, the racing heart, pain in the chest are some related to heart and severe passion. Increased bile secretion and muscle tension are some other effects of tension and stress.

The need to concentrate and meet with a dead-line may cause many physical imbalances which include diarrhea or constipation, a hollow feeling in the chest, trembling in the lower extremities, and sweating even when in air-conditioned rooms. But these disappear when the work on hand comes to a pleasant end.

Living constantly in a stressed atmosphere may create weight loss and relationship problems. The person may be eating well or near ones may even say that the person is overeating but still the loss in weight may occur.

Some may get simple skin problems like eczema and some may develop allergy to certain things they have used regularly-eggs, fish, certain vegetables or even the smell of food. Nausea or vomiting may result.

Sleeplessness or insomnia is a dangerous symptom and should be immediately attended to.
But Stress is basically an emotion and ambition related problem. Everyone gets into stress now and then. So there is no escape from getting stressed. The escape lies with our attitude. Avoid the seven sins and one can live happily.

We have no right to ask when sorrow comes, "Why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every moment of happiness that comes our way. —Unknown

To discuss visit Nosle, register, log in and subscribe to the Channel "Stress, Stress, Stress."


The above video shows how stress can change a person.
Video: You Tube
Quotes from quotegarden
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Monday, June 30, 2008

Stress-The breaking point

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No man can climb out beyond the limitations of his own character. - John Morley



Stress can be good as well bad. It is the achiever and the destroyer. The good ones create elation. But the bad ones have to be taken care of. It is a psychological factor. Treatments vary where a bad stress has caused strange results.


Stress expresses itself in its own way. It differs in its expression from person to person. It is purely dependent on one’s individual likes, dislikes and one’s intensity to feel. Expectations create stress. When expectations turn into ambitions the more is the stress that is felt. In humans the stress is directly elated to their love, affection and expectations.

Stress can be transitory or permanent. This depends on the actions and incidents. When one goes on a ride on a giant wheel there is stress. This is purely transitory and one expects to suffer this and bears this with the ultimate aim of completing or with a feeling of adventure and its resultant joy. Even the simple crossing of a busy road may create stress.

The sudden or accidental loss of a loved one or the separation from a partner who one held dear can create permanent stress. This may turn to be severe in some cases and such people affected by this type of intense stress may need treatment. I have heard of people who keep to themselves and remain aloof and non-communicative after some such incident.

Work related stress is another factor. The need to complete a job and that too successfully or to overcome competition will certainly create stress. This stress may turn into fear and result in loss of perception and attention. Any failure may turn into stress that develops into a severe mental strain leading to lunacy.

Children also feel intense stress and are affected by that. This may be because of the comparison of oneself with other children. Parents, on most occasions, become the cause for stress in children. They unconsciously create this stress by comparing them with others and on many occasions compelling them to do things which they value high and want their children to become skilled in that.

Will Power plays an important role. The positive attitude that everything is for the good and life is enjoyable because it travels in an undulating path will make one overcome stress and its bad effects.

But all these are dependent on one’s intensity to feel. People who are affected by intense feelings are clear targets for stress and stress related problems. Help comes in the form of prayers and people who have religion in them nearly overcome the bad effects. A knowledge and understanding of forces that are external which act for and against us is a basic quality to bear stress in a positive way.

Music, by far the soft music which calms the mind, certainly helps one to overcome and face the ill-effects of stress.

There is just one life for each of us: our own.- Euripides

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Stress

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Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you. - John De Paola

Megan, a 13-year-old who suffered from depression and attention deficit disorder, corresponded with Josh for more than a month before he abruptly ended their friendship, telling her he had heard she was cruel. The next day Megan committed suicide. A Fox news report

News anchor suicide, Australian reporter jumps to Death. A Cjreport.

Stress has become a household name in American homes. This is being discussed at length by all. (That includes me too) Our simple existence involves stress. None escapes; the young and the old; the employer and the employee. Those who are obese have stress as well as those who are very lean. Let me recollect Uncle Sam represented as a very lean figure standing with a stick; the lean figure, the hat, colors and posture - American to the core.
Every action involves certain amount of stress. Expectations generate stress. The more you act and the more you expect, the greater is the stress you feel. Stress should first be understood as an inbuilt thing in every action. If we want to understand stress, its nature and intensity are matters to be considered in relation to the particular individual who experiences it and reacts to it.

Researchers have classified stress into normal and harming; the stress that gets resolved in expected successful execution of action is considered normal and the stress that creates fear or leads to abnormal behavior in an individual as harming. Crossing a road may increase the heart beat but this will come down once it is completed successfully. From examinations , loss, shame, anger, excitement, harm to person, pain, fear, morbid fear, disease, death of a near relative to even winning a lottery may increase one’s heart beat and possibly result in harming stress leading to abnormal behavior.

The resultant actions to events that create stress show the intensity of stress experienced by any individual. The harmful stress reactions express themselves in emotions such as flying into a rage, uncontrollable weeping or in distancing oneself from others; becoming sick, fever or insomnia are some others from among the innumerable expressions of stress. Unresolved stress in extremely emotional people may end up in suicide. The news items are samples of extreme reactions to unmanaged or unresolved stress.

One who completes a work to his and others satisfaction gets complete relief from any stress experienced before and during the work. Any failure in an undertaking and others finding fault make one feel greater stress. So for stress and the normal or abnormal reactions that result, the individual is not solely responsible but the people who communicate with him also become responsible in varying degrees.

(To be continued)

There is more to life than increasing its speed. - Mohandas K. Gandhi

Quotes from quotegarden
Pictures: the American






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Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Indian Billionaire Talks

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The talk of Forbes with Azim Premji of Wipro looks like a crisp and short lesson on management and economy. He attributed his success to early entry into the new industry, ‘We caught the wave at the right time.’ The Indian success in this field, according to him was because of its ability to produce large number of good engineers (kudos to our educational system). Compared to the US figures, it is nearly 8 times more according to the available figures with him.

The weak dollar was the result of the lack of savings-habit among the Americans. He was also critical of the health care in the States. Hard work was behind the success of the company ‘Wipro’ and he condemned commuting to work as waste of time and energy and he elected to stay just five minutes from work. His comment on the spending culture created artificially by the American big businesses only reminded me of another blog which appeared here a month back. A reading of 'buy and save' would be of interest.

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Thursday, May 22, 2008

Leg Pain

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The Americans never walk. In winter too cold and in summer too hot.—J.B.

Leg pain is a normal occurrence and on many occasions little care is needed and one gets relief without any medication; standing for long, sitting with legs cramped or hanging down, walking and doing exercises are a few. The last one may be a cause particularly in the days when you start doing the exercises and would disappear as you make exercising a habit.

A hurt, a sprain, a turned ankle or simple hair crack to the bone are other causes which require immediate care and if needed medication and other hospital care. The most common pain that people suffer from seems to be the sciatic nerve pain which is due mainly to the vertebral disc problem and even severe and long lasting pain normally goes away, if one takes medicine under proper guidance from a doctor.

Loss of essential minerals like potassium, calcium may also cause the pain. Arthritis is another cause for the pains and any red swelling in the region of the knees may indicate rheumatism. These can be controlled effectively by taking proper care and medicines. Varicose veins also cause pain.

Excruciating pains have clear causes. The simple pain that comes without any explainable cause is much more dangerous. This may indicate serious internal disorders but seem to be not so serious in its occurrence; the pain in the legs of smokers. If one has used tobacco for years, this may occur. This pain is felt even when one is at rest and may be not very painful but felt. One should stop smoking to help oneself and get oneself checked for serious heart problems and make sure that one is not suffering from any bad heart conditions. This may also indicate some damage to the nerves as in persons suffering from diabetes.

Severe pain may be felt because of the clot formation in large veins in the legs. This may turn to be dangerous, if not fatal, if left undiagnosed for the causes. The legs may go numb without any explicit cause and for some this may occur frequently and stay numb for long and make it impossible for them to do the normal functions easily. Initially this may show as pain after a short walk or standing even for a short while and go away with rest. Such leg pains which come and go but can not be associated with any immediate cause should be attended to immediately, particularly in smokers and people who have heart problems in the family.

I would like to share what I have read in a forum. A person who had bypass was having excruciating pain in his leg from where the doctors removed the vein during surgery. The leg has no open wounds and the person was reported to be healthy for all other purposes but felt this pain which occurred off and on. No treatment seemed to cure him and he went to this forum where homeopathic treatment and medicines are discussed. One of the participants had given the exact medicines for this type of pain. A lot of persuasion is needed to make people take homeopathic remedies. One, who readily smokes and drinks, hesitates to take homeopathic remedies. It is not known whether the person tried those remedies or not and with what result. Sharing one’s experiences may at times reveal unusual remedies for diseases and help many.

A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time - pills or stairs. - Joan Welsh

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quotegarden

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Recession

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‘The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money.’—Unknown.

Merriam Webster defines recession as a period of reduced economic activity and is extended by others as decline in GDP for two or more quarters.

National Bureau of Economic Research defines recession as "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real gross domestic product, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales."

For the individual the pay check and the size of it are indicative of recession or no recession. With many companies laying off employees and shutting down shop, the employment opportunities should have declined to a great extent and any one in this situation would not be surprised if he gets the pink slip.

The common man sees only the effect of fall in the indices like GDP, wholesale-retail sales etc. as an extra out-go from his kitty and decline in the size of his pocket book. It is an approved fact that the US news has reported the loss of many jobs; the government has brought in various measures to stimulate the economy and help the people survive. A report yesterday records that the economy may not get back on its rails of near 3% growth for another year or two. This outlook is a certain approval that the country’s economy is going into a recession, official or not.

The common man realizes the impact through the rise in oil prices, food prices, high interest rates, loss of job and the loss of his mortgaged house. His mutual fund investments show negative growth and funds disappear fast from his account. The stock market losses reported everyday is indicative of reduced value and returns to the common man on his dear investment, the real insurance for his future welfare or his retired life.

The report that some 65K jobs have disappeared in a single month from the face of the nation creates panic. The news that the price of rice has gone up and people line up to buy and the stores announce quotas are certainly unnerving. The cost of health insurance is already high and the news that the equity on the house which represented life’s dream and savings has disappeared should bring depression of spirits and impending feeling of doom. The oil price in the international market has doubled in a very short time resulting in gas crossing the $4 mark. The houses with the ‘for sale’ indicators remaining unsold for months on end on one’s route to work are eye-sore pieces indicative of recession, creating a flutter deep down in the stomach of other house owners. Money is a fast spreading disease for which money is the cure.

The solace lies in sitting before the TV with coke and chips and watch CNN telecasting news on presidential elections.

‘Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.’— Benjamin Franklin


Housing Woes Sweet Home Woes

Market watch

Quotes from 'quotegarden'

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Go Green - Under the Green Wood Tree

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For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. -Martin Luther

Pipal tree is found all over India and other Asian counties. It is considered a sacred tree among Asians, particularly by those who follow Hinduism and Buddhism. This is also widely known as the bodhi tree, the tree under which Buddha got enlightenment. This tree is classified into the ficus group and the botanical name itself contains religion added to it- ficus religiosa. Today it stands as a symbol of peace of mind and calm and serenity—all what Man needs today. In countries where Buddhism has spread, like Thailand, this tree is used in many paintings and decorative articles and is famous as the ‘enlightened tree.’



The pipal stands some 70 or 80 feet, grows very big and lives long. It grows quickly and grows into a strong tree and its roots can break even rocks. Some trees in Asia are said to be thousands of years old. It is the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ for the East. If Buddhism has made it the enlightened tree, Hinduism considers this sacred in many ways. In India it is venerated.



The tree grows so big that with the presence of one great one a whole region gets purified air. Traditional medicine uses all parts of the tree in various combinations as cure to various diseases. It is said to have the healing power. It is said that sitting under this tree itself is cure for many diseases. There seems to be no insect capable of harming it; only human beings cause great harm to such big trees. Now research is going on in using an aqueous solution along with neem in pesticides and insecticides to make useful crops and plants resistant to insects 'for life' without losing any of their original properties.



The Indian traditional medicine uses all parts of this tree as medicine from disorders of blood, problems in the alimentary canal, lumbago, problems of women, to the well known demands like using this as aphrodisiac. The fruits are considered to have purgative properties and the barks are believed to check uncontrollable vomiting sensation. Some use the twigs in treating snake bites.


It is common to find a Bo or pipal tree on the banks of every pond as well as river in southern India and also a statue of the venerable God ‘Pillaiar’ underneath. It is believed that praying to him will show them the way to successfully complete any venture. This goes well with the belief of calling this to be the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ in these parts of the world. Many Indians start their day’s work after praying to him. The tree is believed to cure sterility among women; so its popularity among women.



I personally feel the elders on realizing the healing properties of this tree have made it a habit to have a statue of a god underneath to stop people from cutting down the pipal. Now one can find a host of god-statues underneath every pipal tree.



Trees are the first living antiques.
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The Tree Of Health

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Monday, May 19, 2008

Oil as Medicine

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I learned a long time ago that minor surgery is when they do the operation on someone else, not you. - Bill Walton

Oils have been considered to give relief from pain in muscles and cure nerve problems. In all countries we can see people using oils traditionally after having experienced their medicinal and curative properties. Most of these oils have been found to relieve pain at joints.

Gingili oil or Sesame oil is called in South India the ‘Oil of Goodness’ as it is said to be do only good and create no problem. It is used in cooking and for taking ‘oil bath.’ Oil bath is being slowly faced out by the modern medical practitioners as doing no good to the body. But those who take oil bath report that it takes care of the skin and help retain the smooth and shiny soft skin, the muscles are messaged and relaxed and the nerves are rejuvenated.

The bath results in reduction of heat and all related problems are cleared. It is said to cool the body well and anyone who is not accustomed to it is advised to use only a very small quantity on the vertex and not to message the oil deep into the body and take bath immediately, shampooing out to remove this oil from the hair and scalp. The messaging and soaking time may be increased only after one gets accustomed to it. In Southern parts of India there used to be masseurs at rich house holds to give oil massage to the men folk every Saturday. Even today one may find masseurs at the foot of waterfalls, who offer the visitors oil massage before they bathe in the falls. Special herbal oils are still available in most of the shops which claim to cure sprains easily and many use these and never go to a hospital for treatment or meet a practicing doctor, for such ailments.

Neem oil is said to stop hair falling when regularly used and also cure all scalp problems like, dandruff. Castor oil has good medicinal value. Traditionally this is used in India to remove stomach pain by applying it on the stomach and slightly massaging the region. It is also used internally to clear problems connected to alimentary canal and babies after they start taking solid food are administered a dose a month to relieve any digestive problems. Coconut and mustard oils are used in not just cooking media but also in medicines.


Many other oils have their own renowned oils having special medicinal effects. Olive oil is good as a skin toner and people use this to remove scars on skin and to get back the skin color after problems like burn injury. It is also said to control LDL and raise HDL level thus helping the heart.

Tea tree oil is considered to cure many problems and is used as medicine by the aborigines of Australia. Eucalyptus oil is used as a pain reliever, for getting relief from pain in limb joints apart from clearing chest congestion when suffering from cold. It is also used to get relief from head ache.

Thus there are many natural, herbal and green ways which one can use to stay away from problems that arise due to our irregular diet and habits. The various oils play a great role in keeping one healthy.

One of the first duties of the physician is to educate the masses not to take medicine. - Sir William Osler

Sciatica; neem; allergy; autism; water; swollen fingers; Alzheimer

quote from quote garden and quotationpage.

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Friday, May 16, 2008

Content Management - Public Speaking - 5

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If Churchill had had a speech writer in 1940, Britain would be speaking German today
- James C. Humes

A good speaker has an eye on the content as well as on the method of delivery. Unless one is a seasoned speaker one should not accept public speaking assignments at very short notices. This may not give one enough time to make proper preparation.

Relevance

Relevance to the topic gets the importance. Simple digressions are used to retain the interests of the audience. Digressing into various other matters, returning to the subject and bringing the talk to an end quickly, won’t add credit to the speaker.

Treatment

The topic requires differences in treatment based on the audience. They may be young people below fifteen or above fifteen; young men and women, middle class gathering, religion oriented, only men, only women, mixed, club invitation, passed fifty, or motley. One can not use the same approach, even if one is talking about cinema.

The venue will also have a say on the treatment of the topic; the club, the closed school or university auditorium, an exclusive meeting hall, or the open place. The venue will also give the speaker an idea on the nature of the audience; their seriousness or lack of it and their imbibing level.

Preparation

Let the speaker prepare his own speech as that would make him familiar with what he has on his notes, if he carries one. I know about busy speakers who employ freelance writers to prepare their speech and make a hardcopy and read from it, jotting down the broad topics in the margin. What would happen, if the speaker had little time to peruse the pages?

Create your own power point presentations or get it prepared well in advance so that you make a study of that. A speaker once sent the materials to a freelancer and got the presentation created while he was on his way to the venue. If you don’t have time to study the presentation, you may find it impossible to fuse it relevantly into your speech. The same is the problem with maps and charts or slides and photographs.

Flexibility

There should be flexibility. The preparation should take into account possibilities of last minute changes. There may be occasions to slightly change the approach or to modify that to suit the immediate needs that arise on stage.

Contingency

The speaker should be prepared for any contingency. If he is going to talk on controversial topics, there may be discussions and so one should be ready to face protracted question and answer sessions. If there are many speakers one may have to be on one’s toes. Listening to them and adding relevant comments during one’s speech will make the audience realize the seriousness with which one has approached the topic.

Knowledge is confidence

One should have the required level of knowledge of the topic and that will give him enough confidence while talking about it.

In toto, the management of the content should, without explicitly telling it, show the audience the seriousness the speaker shows in executing the assignment given to him.

"We learn from failure, not from success!" - Bram Stroker

Coducting the self Good speaker Fear at Podium Public Speaker

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Thursday, May 15, 2008

Public Speaking 4 – Conducting the Self

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If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. - Mark Twain

The ten points to ponder

Decorum

From the time you get the invitation to make a speech to the time your car departs, people watch you and judge you. A good speaker should always remember to conduct himself well in the eyes of the public to create the proper opinion that is needed for his job. You might have recently heard about the resignation of a mayor from his post for not keeping up the decorum needed for the post. People who voted for him should have felt ashamed of themselves.

Dress

Your dress that suits the occasion should bring in half of the success. A running for a cause may require you go in race track suit, to address the runners and then participate in their activity; make necessary changes to unobtrusively distinguish yourself from the crowd. If you are going to address a group of youngsters select a dress suitable for the occasion and environment. If you go there in full paraphernalia, as if to a company board meeting, even as a speaker, you may be out of place.

Punctuality

Never be late reaching the spot. A few minutes of interaction with the people who invited you and casual talk with the audience, if you can mingle with them before your talk, will certainly give you an idea of the audience and their expectations and boost your confidence. This will initiate the personal touch even if it is a whole new place.

Low voice

Never be garrulous, be always a listener until you go on stage. Don’t speak louder than necessary. In these days of high technology managed halls you speak only in a normal and low voice. Get your voice recorded or video taped to know how you sound or are seen and remedy yourself. Don’t use words like, ‘you see’ or ‘look’ often in a habitual manner.

Language skills


Take care of your intonation and stress and if your pronunciation too is not up to the mark, get proper training, if you want to stay with public speaking. People never support one who can not speak clearly. Have a happy and contended look and don’t laugh or even smile unnecessarily. Don’t ever get into a verbal combat with anyone before, during or after the show.

Preparation

One should remember that good preparation will stand in good stead. But just reading out of a paper may make people think that you have done lot of homework like a school boy. You should make your speech look like an impromptu one and use the minimum of external help like video clippings, presentations, maps or charts. Avoid using an audio recording. Many may get frustrated with that.

Contingency

Remember to check the facilities you get at the venue. Don’t utter uncouth words when they fail. Take it as casual and continue.

Time

Be sure to manage your time. Try to take much less time than expected of you, but make that time interesting and useful to the audience.

Introspection

One last thing to note; you prepare a speech and deliver one. They both won’t be the same unless you read out your speech. At the end you would be wondering about your lapses and left out points and wished you could have done better. This is nothing new and every good speaker feels that way. Inner scrutiny is necessary to stay alive. You should check back every now and then to make sure that you are wanted.

Falsehood

Mark Twain’s words are worth everything a speaker possesses. It is true that you should say the truth; otherwise you will be all alone soon.

"Any man may be in good spirits and good temper when he's well dressed. - Charles Dickens.

Good speaker Fear at Podium Public Speaker




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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Public Speaking 3 - Good speaker

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"We must meet reverses boldly, and not suffer them to frighten us …” – Charles Dickens

Who can become a good speaker?

The present day environment presents may occasions for anyone to speak to groups. Many companies arrange for presentations of work progress, every week or month and boards require many other presentations, like overview of ventures, new or old.

So anyone who is in a responsible position has to speak in an acceptable manner. In work-spots if you are not the boss, you may be laughed at and your dear ventures may go down the drain, if you can not present them properly.

So speaking has become a necessary characteristic to advance one’s position in society or work-spot or business. Using charts and multimedia will be discussed elsewhere. Here only people who are involved in public life and only the basics of public speaking are discussed.

It is normal for any speaker to be considered good, not so good or bad by those who hear him. It is very commonly seen in schools and universities, where students love to attend the class of a particular teacher and wish to avoid some others. Among your colleagues, you might have noted some having stage fright, some speaking well and that only a few are welcomed with smiling faces and considered good speakers.

Here speaking well is distinguished from being considered good speakers. One may present his points and say what is needed in a clear manner but fail to create the interest needed to make the audience get involved. The importance lies in creating interest among the speakers and getting them involved. This will have better effects than presenting points in a clear but plain manner or even using multimedia.

Apart from not having stage fear and presenting one’s matter in a casual manner, one should have the following to become good speakers.

Become familiar with one’s field

Have a good knowledge of what one deals with, a knowledge of both the ‘fors’ and ‘againsts.’ This is a one of the basic necessities required of a good speaker.

But what other things are needed in general?

Listen to learn

A good listener alone can be a good speaker. Whether one likes the speaker or not one should listen to him to avoid what all he considers bad. That is not all. A listener will gather information and knowledge of things which he may not come across otherwise. He will learn what he can not learn in years by listening to another good speaker. Every good speaker brings with him on to stage his experience and wisdom gathered through years of hard work. This wealth will help the listener in future.

Read to know

This is the second aspect needed for a good speaker. This reading excludes all reading connected to his business. An interest in reading books that are of general nature, like fiction and poetry, will help one indirectly. This will come in handy to beautify his speech and make that interesting.

Today is ours; future with audience.

Other blogs
Public Speaking
Fear at Podium – Public speaking

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Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Leg pain –Sciatica

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Knowing that there is worse pain doesn't make present pain hurt any less.

Leg pain is one of the common occurrences in our daily life. For many it goes away even like the simple headache. The nature and severity should be considered for proper treatment. One of the causes for leg pain seems to be discomfort to the sciatic nerve. The pain occurs when this long nerve - the sciatic nerve is affected in some manner.

This sciatic nerve runs from the lumbar or lower back regions to the foot, along the back of one’s thigh. So the pain is normally felt in lower regions of back, backside and along the back of thigh, running to foot. This may incapacitate a person. One may feel shock waves running along the leg and make one rest taking some soothing posture. A loss of sensation along the nerve route may also occur. These may go away for many and if these persist one may have to consult the doctor.

The occurrence may be due to simple inflammation or some easily correctable malfunction of the vertebral column creating some inconvenience to this sciatic nerve. In most cases they seem to cause the pain. But for some this may require elaborate treatment and take weeks for them to return to normalcy. In rare cases, the correction involves surgery. This is not classed with others which require emergency treatment. A simple pain killer and a regular visit to a doctor after making a leisurely appointment should be enough.

Alternative medicines may also be considered. Normally homeopathic remedies are seen to be effective in sciatica when administered at the early stages. It is claimed that they cure and the pains disappear permanently. Homeopathy seems to be not using any pain killers. This may be a comparative statement considering that the pains return when the power of the pain-killer’s power wanes in our usual treatment methods. Better consult a homeopath and decide on your treatment. Most homeopathic remedies are harmless and create no side effects. So there is nothing wrong in trying. Healthcare has not only become very costly and scaring but has also effectively closed the doors of the benefits of alternative medicines to all.

One surprisingly encouraging thing that is reported is that in sciatica nearly 90% require simple medicine and only less than 1% of sufferers require elaborate treatment including physiotherapy and surgery and mostly all recover. It is better not to read all the discouraging materials found on the Internet. They have other objectives beyond proliferation of knowledge.

I think it is a wonder that some people reach old age without suffering from any of the innumerable diseases. It should be considered fortunate of one and a record or feat in life to remain normal and active, hale and healthy at some sixty years - without wearing glasses, lean not stout, without blood pressure –high or low, diabetes mellitus or insipidus, back ache, or stomach ache, or any of the multitudinous affections, benign or malignant, which we hear of.

What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.
Thomas Paine


Read:
Tree of Health Swollen Fingers Allergy Foot Care Autism Water Cures

See images of sciatic nerve in Google.

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Monday, May 12, 2008

Fear at Podium – Public speaking

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It is easy to be brave from a safe distance. – Aesop

Once bitten twice shy is a great proverb which is normally true here. For many this fear has its origin at school level where the presentations are giggled at by classmates. This grows along with the child and exhibits itself in trying to avoid talking to a group or going on stage. Accumulated fear may result in total disaster.

The podium causes fear. The lion that roars inside its cage mews when comes out. A leader is admired because he has the ability to speak out casually, stir emotions, speak to the point and also carry on a repartee. Without these one may not be a leader. So there is the innate wish within everyone to get over the fear at podium.

Recognizing and analyzing one’s fear is the first step to get out of it. Today, from the politicians to the normal businessmen, all may have to face situations which make them stand before an audience and speak.

To be unperturbed when not appreciated by others is a virtue. This fear is said to be the cause of inferiority complex as well as a negative approach.

This fear may be seen as nervousness in hands and legs, a gone feeling in the stomach, a fluttering sensation, stammering and at times a tremor (quake like!) particularly in legs. For some this may express itself through extreme symptoms like nausea, vomiting and fever. So it is absolutely necessary to grab it at the early stages and overcome this fear.

Normally this fear is only at the surface level for many. Encouragement by others will help them overcome this easily. If this encouragement is given at school through teachers and fellow students, everyone can overcome this fear. A discussion of this fear with fellow class mates along with the teacher, and making the students go often on stage to say something on anything should clear this fear.
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This fear is also due to a negative approach on the acceptance of what one says. But one should remember this. If someone has asked you to go on stage and give a speech, that itself is recognition enough of your worth by some and the next step is only to prove that you deserve that and deserve much more, and make many invite you. If you are good behind closed doors and feel all gone when on stage, it is but only a simple step to overcome this fear.

Applause is a tonic. To get this one may have to do a lot of homework. Many great people have gone through speech training involving intonation and stress. One who can not speak clearly can never be a success. Practicing the postures and gestures should certainly help. For a few, the comic postures and expressions have helped them become popular. But that is one of the uncommon things that happen.

Not having a lot to say may also cause this fear. A speaker need not have a string of important points to say. Even if one has only one important point to say and plans the approach of the culmination properly, one can be certain of success. The people expect something they can appreciate and remember. Don’t make a long list of things to say. Being pedagogic won’t promote success.

There is a time to take counsel of your fears, and there is a time to never listen to any fear. - George S. Patton

This fear belongs to the latter and practice makes one perfect.

Quotes from quotegarden

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Sunday, May 11, 2008

Public Speaking

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'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat…'Churchill.

It was said that Churchill practiced the use of proper postures and gestures before the mirror in the early days. When he was very famous, it was reported that one asked him about the great secret of his success as a speaker. He said that he considered his audience stupid and himself the single wise one.

Shaw another great speaker advises people to practice proper intonation and the throw of voice to make oneself heard.

The great Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his ‘I have a Dream.’

Swami Vivekananda became the overnight favorite of the American public with the expression, ‘Sisters and brothers of America!’

When a great man was asked about speaking, he said that he was not speaking for anyone else but to himself. He was listening to every word he spoke and criticized them as objectively as possible. So he was in a position to give what the audience needed.

Everyone who takes up public life needs to be successful in attracting his audience. Today there are many training institutes and individuals to teach public speaking. These courses are becoming popular even as dance classes, as politics has become a 24x7 job.

A man may have fears on being seen on the dais and have doubts about what to present and how to present. Many are undecided about their acceptance. Even great speakers make the mistake of not learning about the audience who they are to address. To know their interests and the background beforehand will always help the speaker decide on the selection of materials and approach.

The audience expectations are many; some like literary tidbits, some emotions, some wise sayings, some simple anecdotes, some parables, and still others humor. All may not like all. But everyone expects to hear something he would like is true. So the Chruchill’s approach of considering them all stupid won’t go well with normal speakers. One may find halls emptying during his speech, unless one has become as popular as Churchill.

Adding some humor and introducing new bylines until the end will help maintain the interests of the audience. If you are going to share a platform, learn about other speakers and their interests and add something about their interests, for or against, so that they refer to you and become your unpaid advertisers.

It is advised not to get disheartened by the behavior of a few in the front line or try to appease them. This may distract the speaker and even make him disheartened. Addressing the audience in general will be a great advantage to the speaker. Talk, if you had committed to. I have read about G.B. Shaw speaking for more than an hour at Hyde Park in pouring rain to none but just six policemen in their overcoats and shining helmets, who were compelled by duty to stand there to listen to what the socialist said.
Finally don’t talk about something in which you don’t believe. Just read what these two advise:

To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks. - Ben Jonson

It is better to keep one's mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and resolve all doubt. - Abraham Lincoln

Image courtesy: Abraham Lincoln Memorial
Quotes: Churchill
Wish to see 'n' hear Churchill click here.

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Saturday, May 10, 2008

Deny Oneself

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`My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Ozymandias—Shelley


Ego is defined in two ways—referring to self as different from the others and the world in general and as an exaggerated importance given to self, a sort of exaggerated self-esteem.

A revered hermit was there whose soothing words have given solace to many. The King of the country heard about the hermit and met him. He asked the hermit. “O! Revered one! I want to feel joy and remain bereft of worries and sorrow. Tell me what I should do?”

The hermit answered him, “Serve people.”

The King returned after a few months. “O! Revered one! I made all that are possible and expected of me by the people. I made my ministers to look into every problem my subjects face and ordered them to take action. But still I feel sorrow in here, I am not as happy as I wished,” so saying, he indicated his heart.

The hermit told him, “Give everything away.”

The king returned after a few months and told the Hermit, “O! Revered one! I have made all arrangements for all wealth to reach people. I don’t own a single thing. I have nothing except the clothes I stand in. But even now I feel a tinge of sorrow and am not happy.”

The hermit replied, “Deny yourself.”

He who has extinguished desire is one who has achieved joy on this planet. The one, who transcends the ‘I’, gets joy and reaches the eternal truth. To attain absolute joy which is synonymous of truth is attained through denying oneself.

‘Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.’ Matthew 16:24

Picture thanks to returnoninter

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Friday, May 9, 2008

The Believer

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The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Exodus 15:2
Our achievements are mainly based on our unquestioning belief. I heard a story a few years back. A religious person who had duties to perform early in the morning used to get his milk supplied from across the river. The woman who was supplying it got the help of a boatman, to take her across the river.

The woman used to wait for the boatman to arrive to take her across. But he was never on time and this caused delay. The religious person had to be at his place on time to start his oblations and every time she was late, he used to advise her to be duty conscious and because of her he was delayed.

When this delay became a regular affair, the woman told the priest to use his powers to make the boatman be ready at the wharf on time to bring her across. The priest replied that she could even walk across, if she believed in her God. Asked her to utter the name of God and walk across.

The woman was never late thereafter.

The priest was surprised. He asked her whether the boatman had made it a point not to be late. The woman surprised him saying that she never waited for the boatman but walked across the river on water, on his advice. The priest laughed at her. But when she returned, he followed her to the banks and spied on her. The woman just like that stepped on water and walked as if walking on stable grounds.

The priest who had been doing oblations for years thought he could also walk on water, if she could, pulled up his dress, called out loud to his god and stepped on water and lo! went straight down. On hearing his cries, the woman retraced her steps and saved him.

Why did the priest go down?

God would have made him walk on water, if the priest had not bothered about his dress getting wet.

Absolute faith brings in absolute success.

Moses stretched out his hand and the sea went back, driven by a strong wind and the sea bed dried for his followers to cross.

Go to Exodus

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