WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR …..?

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR …..?

By jules beaulac

What is the good of being powerful

if you crush the weak?

What is the good of knowledge

if you use it to deceive the ignorant?

What is the good of being rich

if you make the poor more wretched?

Power is given,

not to enslave others

but to serve!

Knowledge is given,

not for oneself

but for others!

Riches are given,

not to heap up money

but to share!

He has pulled down princes from their thrones

and exalted the lowly! (Luke 1:52)

He has filled the hungry with good things,

the rich sent empty away (Luke 1:53)

POSSESS COURAGE. NEED LITTLE ELSE.

POSSESS COURAGE. NEED LITTLE ELSE.

Courage is one word that needs no introduction. When it surges in you, then in spite of sorrow you smile, and in spite of decline you rise. Courage is one boon that makes up for the absence of all others. There is nothing in this world superior to it. With the company of courage, you are equipped for life and prepared for death. You can endure desertion and downfall with the same goodwill as you would bear a fortune. What is courage? Living without protecting your self-interest is courage, as it requires placing endless trust in nature to look into our needs. Vulnerability is courage, when you are no longer afraid to be hurt, robbed or cheated. Complete expression of who you are in intense bravery. You indeed are gallant when unconcerned about a critical opinion, you express your sentiments fully, explore your sensitivities to the hilt and recognize your emotions honestly. Love by nature is courageous, for it is not afraid of rejection. Above all, living in the world exhibiting desirelessness is the supreme act of audacity. To inculcate this shade of courage, understand that nothing can be snatched away from you, for you truly possess nothing. Realize that nothing can be added to you, for you lack nothing. What you are, can neither be increased nor diminished. For you lack nothing, you require nothing, and when you desire nothing, you fear nothing. The world calls it courage. You know it is just your natural state of being!

“Walk fearlessly, and walk safe.”

Rachna singh

THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD

THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me”? God asked.

“If you have time” I said.

God smiled.

“My time is Eternity”.

“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?”

God answered.

“That they got bored with childhood, they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again!”

“That they lose their health to make money…and then lose their money to restore their health!!!”

“That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present; such that they live in neither the present nor the future”

“That they live as if they will never die, and die as though they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mine and we were silent for awhile. And then I asked,

“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?”

“To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is let themselves be love”

“To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others.”

“To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.”

To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them.”

To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.”

“To learn that there are people who love then dearly, but simply do not yet know how to express or show their feelings.”

“To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.”

“To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”

“Thank you for your time.” I said humbly.

“Is there anything else you’d like your children to know?”

God smiled and said

“Just know that I am here.”

“Always”.

PRACTICE GIVING WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED

PRACTICE GIVING WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED

Give in any form you like - cash, kind or just by giving a blessing or praying for someone

There are three kinds of service:

First: material service, e.g., Helping others with money, food, clothes, medicines, etc.

Second: physical services or service with the body e.g., cleaning places, carrying water, serving food, etc.

Third: service with the mind, e.g., Giving good wishes, sending good vibrations, prayer to God about the welfare of others, etc. In the context of subtlety, service with the mind is the highest service: nothing can be compared with that. It is a concealed service and cannot be noticed by others. Service with the mind brings in immense bliss that is superior to material pleasures. A jiva who sends good wishes or vibrations to others, also helps himself. The good wishes or vibrations that are sent out influence others and affect the sender in return. He who is without good wishes is farther from God. If you wish your wellbeing, you must wish others well.

by:Dr Hari Rochaldas

QUESTION YOUR EXISTENCE

QUESTION YOUR EXISTENCE

We all seek answers, without asking the right questions. Ask if the proof of your existence is merely a rising and falling breath, persistent pangs of hunger, and beads of sweat that sprout on your brow. If you are told that you exist in spite of all these, that you are not the one who ages and dies, do not believe. Question it. Believe only your experience, your own truth. Never borrow understanding. Invoke our own! Question incessantly the plight of being encased in folds of flesh, torn by polarities, chased by ghosts of empty ambition. Be not game to this futile game of wits anymore. Inquire persistently what your purpose is. For once, know who you really are, why are you here, and where do you belong. Discover your origins. It is true that you are timeless. So also is true that your stay on this planet is timed; because till the illusion of time exists, time exists. To pierce this illusion, there is very little time! Hasten to set yourself free. Like a horse with blinkers who sees only one goal ahead, focus all your seeking at the sole burning quest for self-knowledge. Ask only this one question, till the knowledge finally exudes in your being, that you were, will always be.

“In this world where nothing is real, play with images!”

rachna singh

SATAN'S MEETING: (Read even if you're busy)

SATAN'S MEETING: (Read even if you're busy)

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said,

"We can't keep Christians from going to church."

"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."

"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior."

"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."

"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:

"Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty life! ! styles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."

"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."

"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive." To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."

"Pound their minds°with the news 24 hours a day."

"Invade their drkving moments with billboards."

bFlood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter qnd promtional offering free products, services and false hopes.."
"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."

"Give them headaches too! "

"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."

"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."

"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."

"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences. "

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."

"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

"It will work!"

"It will work!"

It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.

Having little time for their God or their families.

Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

You be the judge!!!!!

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Please pass this on, if you aren't too BUSY!

I don't think I know 10 people who would admit they love Jesus.

Do You Love Him?

PLAY THE GAME OF LIFE AND AIM TO WIN

Rachna Singh

At every turn life throws up a challenge, proposes a war, wherein one of the two must happen- our triumph or defeat. Life wishes to lead us to a point where it no longer matters whether we win or lose, but we have to win to reach that point! Till the time it poses as an opponent, we must respond as one. Firstly, stop expecting denials and obstructions from the Universe. We are more often our own hindrance than anything else and victory lands at our doorstep just like that, when we overcome our resistance to win. Be total; totality is a pre-requisite in war, like in love. Aim at conquering the mind of the adversary, not individual moves, for oft you may mess the moves, yet win the game. Play fearlessly. Let not your fear assume as threat situations that are opportunities. Keep your cool. When you appear to have been overthrown, you can still overcome, if you do not yield to helplessness disguised as prayer, but offer to be your own help. Remember, for a true feat, you often have to rise from the shreds of our debris, not always from the pedestal of good fortune. You must not surrender when you can surmount! Always think ahead, the next step, forgetting the previous. Play to your own conviction. Then, even if you fail, you would have succeeded.

“Fight when you know you cannot win. When victory is certain- resign!”

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISE

Hebrews 6:10-15

God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for him in the help you gave and are still giving to your fellow Christians. Our great desire is that each one of you keep up his eagerness to the end, so that the things you hope for will come true. We do not want you to become lazy, but to be like those who believe and are patient, and so receive what God has promised.

When God made his promise to Abraham, he made a vow to do what he had promised. Since there was no one greater than himself, he used his own name when he made his vow. He said, “Promise you that I will bless you and give you many descendants.” Abraham was patient, and so he received what God had promised

THE TWELVE BASIC VIRTUES (PART 3)

9. COURAGE

· It takes courage to be a real winner – not a winner in the sense of beating out someone else by always insisting on coming out on top – but a winner at responding to life. It takes courage to experience the freedom that comes with autonomy, courage to accept intimacy and directly encounter other persons, courage to take a stand in an unpopular cause, courage to choose authenticity over approval and to choose it again and again, courage to accept the responsibility for your own choices, and, indeed, courage to be the very unique person you really are. New ways are often uncertain ways and, as Robert Frost expressed it, “Courage is the human virtue that counts most –courage to act on limited knowledge and insufficient evidence. That’s all any of us have. –Muriel Jones

10. GOOD HABITS

· Character is necessarily strengthened by the cultivation of good habits. Habit is second nature. As it is said: “All is habit in mankind, even virtue itself.”- S.Smiles

11. PATIENCE

· The patient man is surely one who is unhurried in his mind and who finds it possible to relax within. One thing is sure, so long as the din and jar of life do not get into the inner essence of a man, he is safe.

A ship in a storm at sea may be pounded hard by the wind and waves, but if she has a steady captain and a dry engine room with her motors throbbing on, she will ride out the storm.-Norman Vincen Peale

12. UNSELFISHNESS

· There is a difference between self-love and selfishness. Self-love means having the personal security, knowledge and skills to be able to affirm your existence. Self-love is based on sufficiency, not deficiency.

Selfishness on the other hand, is a deficiency disease. The selfish person does not love himself too much but too little; in fact he hates himself.- Richard Nelson Jones

· When you put yourself in the center of all your thoughts, to the exclusion of everyone else, you are close to committing personality suicide. Self-pity and self-interest are destructive maladies causing the personality to wither and die. A person at any age, under any circumstance, can feel better by reaching out to others. Helpful people are joyous people, and joy “does good, like medicine.”-Norman Vincent Peale

Chandru Gidwani

THE TWELVE BASIC VIRTUES (PART 2)

4. SELF-DISCIPLINE

· Voluntary habit-building is self-discipline in its highest and noblest form of application! And all voluntary positive habits are the products of willpower directed toward the attainment of definite ends.

· Self-discipline is the principle by which one may voluntarily shape the patterns of thought to harmonize with his aims and purposes. The privilege carries with it a heavy responsibility because it is the one privilege which determines, more than all others, the position in life which each man shall occupy.- N. Hill

· Self-discipline is the basic ingredient of self-control and the foundation of self-respect. If an executive lacks self-discipline, self-control, or self-respect, even if he is the person in charge, he will not, in fact, be the leader.

· Self-discipline means, at its most personal level, that you do not attempt to deceive yourself. Always be careful what you think. Practice self-restraint in your private life. Remember that a person’s opinion of himself eventually shows in his face and is reflected in his outward behavior. A true leader exercises self-discipline through controlling his thoughts and actions even when he believes that no one else can see him. –Donald Krause

5. TRUSTWORTHINESS

· Trust means a firm belief in the honesty and reliability of another. It implies a confident belief in another’s trustworthiness.

· Trust involves being confident that the other person will abide by the formal and informal rules of your relationship even when out of your presence. Untrustworthy behavior which is obvious to you includes breaking promises and commitments that you can check on. Untrustworthy behavior that may deceive you includes lying, breaking confidences and cheating on you with a third party.

· In developing and maintaining a relationship you too need to demonstrate your trustworthiness. You need to show characteristics like honesty, reliability, acceptance and commitment. If you are mean, suspicious, uncaring, hostile and selfish, people are unlikely to view you as trustworthy.-Richard Nelson-Jones

6. FORGIVENESS

· To forgive the other does not necessarily mean that you like him or want to associate with him. Nobody can be compelled to like someone, neither can a government legislate good will, love, peace, or tolerance. We can, however, love people without liking them. Love means wishing for the other health, happiness, peace, joy, and all the blessings of life. There is only one prerequisite, and that is sincerity. You are not being magnanimous when you forgive, you are really being selfish, because what you wish for the other, you are actually wishing for yourself.

· Forgiveness of others is essential mental peace and radiant health. You must forgive everyone who has ever hurt you if you want perfect health and happiness. Forgive yourself by getting your thoughts in harmony with divine law and order. You cannot really forgive yourself completely until you have forgiven others first. –Dr Joseph

· Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it. –Mark Twain

7. KINDNESS/GENTLENESS/CHEERFULNESS

· Cheerfulness gives elasticity to the spirit. Specters fly before it. Difficulties cause no despair, for they are met with hope. Thus, the mind acquires that happy disposition to improve opportunities, which rarely fails to bring success. The fervent spirit is always a healthy and happy spirit. It works cheerfully, and stimulated others to work. It confers dignity on even the most ordinary occupations. Cheerfulness, no doubt, goes a long way to contribute to the success of work.

· If a person works under stress, worries much, lives in anxiety and fear, he suffers a breakdown in his health. Therefore, the converse must be true. If a man is cheerful all the time, if there is love, faith, hope within him, he should overcome illness. If stress, anxiety, fear, worry pull a man down, faith, hope, love and laughter should life him up.- Norman Vincent Peale

· Kindness is words creates confidence

Kindness in thinking creates profoundness

Kindness in giving creates love. –Lao-Tzu

· Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.

Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.

Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it. –Martin Luther King

· If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain:

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto its nest again.

I shall not live in vain –Emily Dickinson

· I shall not pass this way again

Through this toilsome world, alas!

Once and only once I pass;

If a kindness I may show,

If a good deed I may do

To a suffering fellow man,

Let me do it while I can,

No delay, for it is plain

I shall not pass this way again.

-Anon

THE TWELVE BASIC VIRTUES (PART 1)

1. HONESTY AND INTEGRITY

2. MORALITY AND ETHICS

3. LOVE,HOPE,FAITH AND BELIEF

4. SELF-DISCIPLINE

5. TRUSTWORTHINESS

6. FORGIVENESS

7. KINDNESS/GENTLENESS/CHEERFULNESS

8. HUMILITY

9. COURAGE

10. GOOD HABITS

11. PATIENCE

12. UNSELFISHNESS

1. HONESTY AND INTEGRITY

Truthfulness, integrity and goodness form the essence of manly character. He who possesses these qualities, along with sense of purpose, carries with him a power, which is irresistible. He is strong to do good, strong to resist evil, under difficulty and misfortune. It is in misfortune that the character of the upright man shines forth brightest. When all else fails, he relies on his integrity and courage.-S. Smiles

Integrity is words and deeds is the backbone of character. Loyal adherence to truth is its most prominent characteristic. There is a truthfulness in action as well as in words, which is essential for uprightness of character.

We all know some very prominent and successful leaders who are not too meticulous when it comes to ethics. It is amazing how bright they are in some areas, how they can motivate people, but are still motivated by greed themselves. Greed does have a way of blurring and making fuzzy one’s ethics.

2. MORALITY & ETHICS

· Belief in high morals means having a personal philosophy based on the ability to know right from wrong. What we believe about right and wrong affects our thinking and shapes our character traits. Morals are a philosophy.

Practicing ethics are the high standards of honest and honorable dealings based on our morals. Ethics are a set of basic working tenets for life and business. How we act and what we do, our methods of functioning, and how we apply our morals is our ethical behavior. Ethics are application.

The stronger our behavior, the better leaders we become

-Sheila Murray

· If you make a list of words related to ethics, it would include morals, integrity, honesty, values, trust, duty, virtue, truth, decency, courage, prudence, loyalty, honor, goodness, fidelity, and conscience. Ethics represent actions based on a concept of right and wrong.

3. LOVE, HOPE, FAITH & BELIEF

· Hope and faith help you to walk with all men, both the saints and the sinners, and still remain the master of your own fate, the captain of your own soul! They keep your ego alert and active, yet humble and grateful.

· Faith in yourself and faith in God are the key to mastery of fear.

· The power of thought is the only thing over which any person has complete, unquestionable control – a fact so astounding that it connotes a close relationship between the mind of man and the universal mind of infinite intelligence, the connecting link between the two being faith.

· If there is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see, it is the language of love!

· There are too many counterfeit forms of love and too many people who say, “I love you because I need you” or “I love you because I want you”. Such possessive forms of love are not real. They seek to get something from the other person instead of giving something.-Robert Schuller

· Love is patient and kind, it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not evil, but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and its faith, hope and patience never fail.- New Testament

· To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.

· The person who has faith in God, even though his problem remains unchanged, shall indeed gain victory over it.

· Faith is indeed the greatest miracle-working power imaginable. Faith never fails a person – we fail when we give up on our faith. –Robert Schuller

· Sigmund Freud, the Ausurian founder of psychoqnalysis said that unless the personality has love, it sickeîs and dies. Love includes understa~ding, goodwill. and resðect for the divinity in the other person. The more love and goodwill you emanate and exude the more comes back to you.

· Love ant freedom go together – you cannot choose one and leave the other. A man who knows freedom is full of love, and a man who knows love is always willing to give freedom. If you cannot give freedom to the person you love, to whom can you give freedom? Giving freedom is nothing but trusting.

Freedom is an expression of love.

You see bird on the wing in the sun, in the sky, and it looks so beautiful. Attracted by its beauty, you can catch the bird and put it in a golden cage. Do you think it is the same bird? Superficially, yes, it is the same bird which was flying in the sky; but deep down it is not the same bird because where is its sky, where is its freedom?

This golden cage may be valuable to you; it is not valuable to the bird. For the bird, to be free in the sky is the only valuable thing in life. And the same is true about human beings.- OSHO

· Faith is the basis of all “miracles,” and all mysteries, which cannot be analyzed by the rules of science!

· Faith is the only known antidote for failure!

· Faith is the element, the “chemical” which, when mixed with prayer, gives one direct communication with infinite intelligence.

· Faith is the element, which transforms the ordinary vibration of thought, created by the finite mind of man, into spiritual equivalent.

· Faith is the only agency through which the cosmic force of infinite intelligence can be harnessed and used by man.

· Still another mental and spiritual medicine is that of hoe: “and now abide faith, hope, love.” Everyday, send down into your mind three great words – faith, hope, and love- and your health will be stimulated –Norman Vincent Peale

· In reality, sharing of affection, perfect relationships are as much an illusion as perfect love. Loving relationships do not just involve sharing your strengths. They involve trying to confront and satisfactorily manage your own and others’ vulnerabilities and anxieties. There can be strength in this too. –Richard Nelson Jones

· Love is defined as making choices that affirm both yourself and others in your relationships. This giving of yourself may entail receiving another’s love. However, my main focus is on the messages you send rather than on those that you receive. Such love is expressed in your daily choices with a range of people and not just in your intimate relationships. To the extent that your thoughts, feelings and actions affirm rather than hurt others, you are a loving person.

· Believers are aggressive, they are positive. They know that bigness can be created from smallness. A big oak comes from an acorn. Believers are thinkers. They never spend their time being emotional about how badly off they are. They never clutter their minds with negative thoughts. They think positively and believe, and so ideas come and often those ideas turn into blessings for humanity.-Norman Vincent Peale

A STORY OF LOVE

I have a friend whose son developed an avid interest in baseball. My friend wasn’t interested in baseball at all. But one summer, he took his son to see every major league team play one game. The trip took over six weeks and cost a great deal of money, but it became a powerful bonding experience in their relationship. My friend was asked on his return, “Do you like baseball that much?”

“No”, he replied, “but I like my son that much.”

-Norman Vincent Peale

RESIST THE DEVIL (Defeating Temptation)

By Rick Warren

After we have humbled ourselves and submitted to God, we are then told to defy the Devil. The rest of James 4:7 says, “Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.” We don’t passively resign ourselves to his attacks. We are to fight back.

The New Testament often describes the Christian life as a spiritual battle against evil forces, using war terms such as fight, conquer, strive, and overcome. Christians are often compared to soldiers serving in enemy territory.

How can we resist the Devil? Paul tells us, “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” The first step is to accept God’s salvation. You won’t be able to say no to the Devil unless you’ve said yes to Christ. Without Christ we are defenseless against the Devil, but with “the helmet of salvation” our minds are protected by God. Remember this: If you are a believer, Satan cannot force you to do anything. He can only suggest.

Second, you must use the Word of God as your weapon against Satan. Jesus modeled this when he was tempted in the wilderness. Every time Satan suggested a temptation, Jesus countered by quoting Scripture. He didn’t argue with Satan. He didn’t say , “I’m not hungry,” when tempted to use his power to meet a personal need. He simply quoted Scripture from memory. We must do the same. There is power in God’s Word, and Satan fears it.

Don’t ever try to argue with the Devil. He’s better at arguing than you are, having had thousands of years to practice. You can’t bluff Satan with logic or your opinion, but you can use the weapon that makes him tremble –the truth of God. This is why memorizing Scripture is absolutely essential to defeating temptation. You have quick access to it whenever you’re tempted. Like Jesus, you have the truth stored in your heart, ready to be remembered.

If you don’t have any Bible verses memorized, you’ve got no bullets in your gun! I challenge you to memorize one verse a week for the rest of your life. Imagine how much stronger you’ll be.

HAPPINESS IS A HABIT

HAPPINESS IS A HABIT

12 Profitable Pointers

1. HAPPY EXPERIENCES ARE TRANSITORY

· You might have felt very happy when your child was born, when you got married, when you graduated from college, or when you won a great victory or a prize. You might have been very happy when you became engaged to the loveliest girl or the most handsome man. You could go on and list innumerable experiences which made you happy. However, no matter how marvelous these experiences are, they do not give real lasting happiness- they are transitory.- Dr Joseph Murphy

2. WHOSOEVER TRUSTETH IN THE LORD, HAPPY IS HE

· When you trust in the Lord to lead, guide, govern, and direct all your ways, you will become poised, serene, and relaxed. As you radiate love, peace and goodwill to all, you are really building a superstructure of happiness for all the days of your life.-

Book of Proverbs

· Bliss is the highest dimension of joy. The first is pleasure – that is animal. The second is happiness – that is human. And bliss is divine. In knowing bliss one comes to know one’s godliness. –Osho

3. DESIRE TO BE HAPPY

· There is a story of a farmer who seemed to be always singing and whistling and was full of humor. He was asked the secret of his happiness, and his reply was. “It is a habit of mine to be happy. Every morning when I awaken and every night before I go to sleep, I bless my family, the crops, the cattle, and I thank God for the wonderful harvest.” This farmer had made a practice of this for over forty years.

Thoughts repeated regularly and systematically sink into the subconscious mind and become habitual. He discovered that happiness is a habit.- Dr Joseph Murphy

· There is one very important point about being happy. You must sincerely desire to be happy. Everyone can be happy, if they choose to. Begin now to choose happiness.

· When we watch a sunset, we don’t hope that we’re the only persons enjoying it. Instead, we would want as many people as possible to share it. After all, happiness is contagious.

· When you open your eyes in the morning, say to yourself, I choose happiness today. I choose success today. I choose right action today. I choose love and goodwill for all today. I choose peace today. Pour life, love, and interest into this affirmation, and you have chosen happiness.- Dr Joseph Murphy

· There is no block to your happiness. External things are not causative, these are effects, not causes. Take your cue from the only creative principle within you. Our thoughts is cause, and a new cause produces a new effect. Choose happiness.

· Those who wish to sing always find a song.

· A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes. –Norman Vincent Peale

4. THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS

· Many people choose unhappiness by entertaining negative ideas like: “today is a black day; everything is going to go wrong.” Marcus Aurelius, the great Roman philosopher and sage, said, “A man’s life is what his thoughts make of it.” Emerson, America’s foremost philosopher, said, “A man is what he thinks all day long.” The thoughts you habitually entertain in your mind have the tendency to actualize themselves is physical conditions.

· You cannot buy happiness with all the money in the world. Some millionaires are very happy, some are very unhappy. Many people with very little worldly goods are very happy, and some very unhappy. Some single people are happy, and some are very unhappy. The kingdom of happiness is in your thoughts and feelings. –Dr Joseph Murphy

· Happiness is the harvest of a quiet mind. Anchor your thoughts on peace, poise, security, and divine guidance, and your mind will be a product of happiness.

· Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

5. BE HAPPY WITH YOURSELF

· When people start to feel better about themselves, the world seems a brighter place. Unfortunately most people tackle it in reverse order. They believe that once they’ve sorted out the world, only then can they work on themselves. But unless you are happy with yourself, you will not be happy with what you do, what you have, where you are and who you are with. Make the decision to smile at whatever life throws at you.

· A cloudy day is no match for a sunny disposition.

6. HAPPINESS IS AN INWARD STATE

· The things that determine whether or not a person is happy is an inward state or condition. – Norman Vincent Peale

· Happiness is to be found in sources deeper than man-mad things.-Norman Vincent Peale

· The ultimate in happiness is this moving upward to a higher state.

· The happy man is the one who, without any direct search for happiness, inevitably finds joy as an added bonus in the act of forging ahead and attaining the fullness and finality of his own self.-Pierre Teilhard De Chardin

7. HAPPINESS AND VIRTUE COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER

· The happiest man is he who constantly brings forth and practices what is best in him. Happiness and virtue complement each other. The best are not only the happiest, but the happiest are usually the best in the art of living life successfully. God is the highest and best in you. Express more of God’s love, light, truth, and beauty, and you will become one of the happiest persons in the world today.- Dr Joseph Murphy

8. HAPPINESS IS IN HUMAN SERVICE

· Life will never lose its romance for the person who, unselfishly, does good for people. Those who do lose the thrill of living are the ones who develop the habit of thinking exclusively about themselves, who are constantly concerned with their own interests or their own pleasures, or, what is more common, their own troubles. Start the habit of doing good to the people nearest you. This policy will make you so happy that you will sing inside, and the whole world about you will take on richer color. The grass will be greener; the songs of the birds will be sweeter; the stars will be brighter; the skies bluer; and even if the bank account is low and things are tough, the dreariness of life will depart if you learn the secret of finding our happiness is human service.-Norman Vincent Peale

9. RISE ABOVE LITTLE THINGS

· One key resolution to make always to keep is this –“to rise above little things”. We allow little annoyances, little criticisms, little gossips, little disturbances to destroy our poise and make life miserable. But the person whose mind is stayed on God is kept in perfect peace because his mind rises above insignificant matters. –John Burroughs

10. HAPPINESS IS NOT FOUND IN GETTING BUT IN GIVING

· The great secret is that is not to be found in getting but in giving. It is not what you do for yourself that will give you the greatest happiness but, rather, what you do for others. That is why the great thinker, Jesus, who talked much about these things, said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.- Norman Vincent Peale

· Helen Keller counted her blessings and was profoundly grateful for them. Then she shared the wonder of these blessings with others, and caused them to feel delight. Because she shared that which is good and desirable, she attracted unto herself more of that which is good and desirable. For the more you give, the more you will have. And if you share happiness with others, happiness will grow richer within you.

But if you share misery and unhappiness, you will attract misery and unhappiness to yourself. And we all know of persons who are eternally having trouble – not problems, or opportunities in disguise. Theirs are spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. No matter what happens to them, it just isn’t good. And this is because they are always sharing their troubles with others.

Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

The more you give, the more you will receive, because you will keep the abundance of the universe circulating in your life. In fact, anything that is of value in life only multiplies when it is given. However, if you give grudgingly, there is no energy behind that giving.

It is the intention behind your giving and receiving that is the most important thing. The intention should always be to create happiness for the giver and the receiver, because to create happiness is life-supporting and life-sustaining and therefore generates increase. The return is directly proportional to the giving when it is unconditional and from the heart. That is why the act of giving has to be joyful – the frame of mind has to be one in which you feel joy in the very act of giving. Then the energy behind the giving increases many times over.- Deepak Chopra

11. HAPPINESS IS THE BY-PRODUCT OF A COMMITMENT TO WORTHY CAUSES

· Happiness will never come if it’s a goal in itself; happiness is the by-product of a commitment to worthy causes.- Norman Vincent Peale

12. THINKING HAPPINESS

Think of the things that make you happy,

Not the things that make you sad;

Think of the fine and true in mankind,

Not its sordid side and bad;

Think of the blessings that surround you,

Not the ones that are denied;

Think of the virtues of your friendships,

Not the weak and faulty side;

Think of the gains you’ve made in business,

Not the losses you’ve incurred;

Think of the good of you that’s spoken,

Not some cruel, hostile word;

Think of the days of health and pleasure,

Not the days of woe and pain;

Think of the days alive with sunshine,

Not the dismal days of rain;

Think of the hopes that lie before you.

Not the waste that lies behind;

Think of the treasures you have gathered,

Not the ones you’ve failed to find;

Think of the service you may render,

Not of serving self alone;

Think of the happiness of others.

And in this you’ll find your own!

-Robert Farley

By Chandu Gidwani

Olog08/01/08 07:27am