31 Quotes of Lao Tzu (Old Master)

Lao-Tzu was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, but he is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Although a legendary figure, he is usually dated to around the 6th century BC and reckoned a contemporary of Confucius.

01. All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power.

02. In the world, there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet, for attacking that which is hard and strong –nothing can surpass it.

03. If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them. If you want to lead the people, you must learn how to follow how to follow them.

04. Silence is a source of great strength.

05. Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.

06. Care about people’s approval and you will be their prisoner.

07. He, who has power over others, can’t empower himself.

08. Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and water is clear? Can you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself?

09. If you want to shrink something, you must first allow it to expand. If you want to get rid of something, you must first allow it to flourish. If you want to take something, you must first allow it to be given. This is called the subtle perception of the way things are. 

10. By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try, the world is beyond the winning. 

11. At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.

12. The soft overcomes hard. The slow overcomes the fast.

13. When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.

14. Give evil nothing to oppose and it will disappear by itself.

15. He, who rushes ahead, doesn’t go far.

16. He, who tries to shine, dims his own light.

17. If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.

18. He who defines himself can’t know who he really is.

19. Express yourself completely & the keep quiet. Be like the forces of nature: when it blows there is only wind; when it rains, there is only rain; when the cloud pass, the Sun shines all the way through.

20. When nothing is done, nothing left undone.

21. When you realize that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to. If you are not afraid of dying there is nothing you cannot achieve.

22. If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to be straight, let yourself be crooked. If you want to become full, let yourself be empty. If you want to be reborn, let yourself die. If you want to be given, give everything up.  

23. He who clings to his work will create nothing that endures.

24. The wise man is one who knows what he does not know.

25. Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

26. The Sage does not hoard. The more he help others, the more he benefits himself, the more he gives to others, the more he gets himself. The way of Heaven does one good but never does one harm The way of Sage is to act but not to compete.

27. Being content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize that there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

28. New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.

29. When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.

30. Health is the greatest possession, contentment is the greatest treasure, confidence is the greatest friend, and non-being is the greatest joy.      

31. If you realize that you have enough, you’re truly Rich. 

10 Scientific ways to be Happy

Every Negative Experience

Every negative experience leaves a negative mark on our mind. 

When we talk about that to someone, they too would be influenced. 

In the same way, when someone talks about others, it creates negativity in our minds too.

Although we did not have that negative experience, we tend to carry the unnecessary burden of negativity. 

Top 11 amazing health benefits of Sleep

Unusual Question

One day a professor entered the classroom and asked his students to prepare for a surprise test. They waited anxiously at their desks for the test to begin. The professor handed out the question paper, with the text facing down as usual.

 

Once he handed them all out, he asked his students to turn the page and begin. To everyone's surprise, there were no questions....just a black dot in the center of the page. The professor seeing the expression on everyone's face, told them the following: "I want you to write what you see there."

 

The students confused, got started on the inexplicable task. At the end of the class, the professor took all the answer papers and started reading each one of them aloud in front of all the students. All of them with no exceptions, described the black dot, trying to explain its position in the middle of the sheet, etc. etc. etc.

 

After all had been read, the classroom silent, the professor began to explain: "I am not going to grade you on this; I just wanted to give you something to think about. No one wrote about the white part of the paper. Everyone focused on the black dot - and the same happens in our lives. We have a white paper to observe and enjoy, but we always focus on the dark spots.

 

Our life is a gift given to us by the Almighty Allah, with love and care, and we always have reasons to celebrate - nature renewing itself everyday, our friends around us, the job that provides our livelihood, the miracles we see everyday.

 

However we insist on focusing only on the dark spots - the health issues that bother us, the lack of money, the complicated relationship with a family member, the disappointment with a friend and so on.

 

The dark spots are very small compared to everything we have in our lives, but they are the ones that pollute our minds. Take your eyes away from the black spots in your life. Enjoy each one of your blessings, each moment that life gives you. Be happy and live a life filled with LOVE,"

Of Strength and Power

Quotes of Lao Tzu(Old Master)

Lao-Tzu was a philosopher and poet of ancient China. He is best known as the reputed author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of philosophical Taoism, but he is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and traditional Chinese religions. Although a legendary figure, he is usually dated to around the 6th century BC and reckoned a contemporary of Confucius.

Blood Building Vegetables

Stress less

Memorable Quotation of Frida Kahlo de Rivera (1907-1954)

Kidneys, 15 Habits that Damage Our Healthy

It's hard to notice when we do our kidneys damage. Even if 80% damaged, kidneys can still do their job, and so we rarely realize they're on their last leg. Often, even common daily habits can cause your kidneys continual damage, and when you finally discover something's wrong, it's too late.

Our kidneys are incredible organs that work very hard. By themselves, they absorb minerals and nutrients, produce hormones, act as a filter for toxins in our blood, produce our urine and maintain a normal acid to alkaline ratio. We cannot live without our kidneys functioning properly. The Chinese, for example, have looked at the kidneys as a site of essential life force for centuries.

If you're serious about looking after yourself, then taking care of your kidneys should be one of your primary concerns. If you want to make sure your kidneys thrive and continue to serve you in the coming years ahead, here's a helpful list of habits you should definitely avoid:

1. Drinking Sodas
A study conducted on employees working at Osaka University in Japan found that drinking 2 or more soda drinks a day (either diet or regular) may well be connected to a higher risk of kidney disease. The study included 12,000 people, and those who drank larger quantities of soda were found to have protein in their urine, which is one of the first signs of kidney damage. However, early detection can reverse the disease with proper treatment.

2. A Deficiency in Vitamin B6
The healthy function of our kidneys also depends on a healthy diet, especially one that contains certain nutrients. According to a study performed at the University of Maryland, a vitamin B6 deficiency increases the risk of the formation of kidney stones. For healthy kidney function, a person should have at least 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B6 in their food every day. The best sources for this vitamin are fish, beef liver, potatoes, starchy vegetables, chickpeas and non-citrus fruits.

3. Smoking
Perhaps not surprisingly, smoking has been linked to arthrosclerosis - the narrowing and hardening of blood vessels - which influences the blood supply going to all the major organs, including the kidneys. According to a study published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, just 2 cigarettes a day are enough to double the number of endothelial cells (the cells that line our blood vessel walls) present in your bloodstream. This is a sign of arterial damage.

In addition, the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology references a number of different studies conducted in the last decade that link smoking to decreased kidney function.

4. Lack of Exercise
Another good way of protecting your kidneys is to get some exercise. A comprehensive study published in 2013 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that postmenopausal women who exercised had 31% (!) less risk of developing kidney stones.

5. Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium is what helps our body to properly absorb and assimilate calcium. If we don't get enough magnesium, we get overloaded in calcium and, once again, develop kidney stones. To prevent this from happening, add some leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts or beans to your diet. Another good source of magnesium is fresh avocados.

6. Disrupted Sleep
I just love a good night's sleep and, as it turns out, so do my kidneys. According to Science Daily, a chronic disruption in our sleep can cause kidney disease. According to Dr. Michael Sole, Cardiologist and Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the University of Toronto, kidney tissues get renewed during the night while we're sleeping, so when we can't sleep without constant interruptions, the kidneys suffer direct damage.

7. Not Drinking Enough Water
One of the most important things for our kidneys is for them to get hydrated enough to perform their functions. If we don't get enough water in our system, toxins start accumulating in our blood because there isn't enough fluid to take them through the kidneys. The National Kidney Foundation recommends drinking at least 10-12 glasses of water every day. An easy way to check if you're drinking enough is to make sure your urine is a light color or clear. If it's dark, you're not drinking enough. You can check the color of your urine with this helpful guide.

8. Not Emptying Your Bladder Fast Enough
When you hear the call to pee, you should listen to it. Obviously we're not always at a place where we can pee right away, but if you 'hold it in' on a regular basis, it will increase the pressure of urine on your kidneys, which can lead to renal failure or incontinence.

9. Having Too Much Sodium in Our Diet
Salt is an important nutrient, but a disaster when taken in excessive amounts. Over-consumption of sodium will raise your blood pressure and put a lot of strain on your kidneys. We recommend limiting yourselves to no more than 5.8 grams (0.2 ounces) of salt per day. So put down that salt shaker!

10. Consuming Too Much Caffeine
We usually drink more caffeine than we think we do. There's coffee, tea, soft drinks and sodas - before you know it, your body is full of caffeine every day, which causes your blood pressure to shoot through the roof and your kidneys to suffer damage.

11. Abusing Pain-Killers
Many of us have a daily routine of taking medications. When we suffer from pain, our first reaction is usually to swallow a pill. They do help the pain, but you should think twice before taking too many. All pharmaceutical drugs have side effects, and many of them cause kidney or liver damage. Check out some natural painkillers you can find or make at home. That said, some drugs SHOULD be taken, which brings us to my next point...

12. Not Taking Certain Drugs You Need to
If you suffer from high blood pressure and/or type 2 diabetes, two very common conditions these days, you will probably also suffer kidney damage. Don't leave these conditions untreated and take your daily meds to reduce your blood pressure and control your insulin levels. Without them, you're almost guaranteed to suffer kidney damage.

13. Consuming Too Much Protein
According to a study conducted at Harvard University, an overdose of protein in our diet can cause our kidneys damage. When we digest protein, our body produces a byproduct - ammonia. Ammonia is a toxin that your already-hardworking kidneys need to neutralize. This means that the more protein we consume, the harder we work our kidneys, which can eventually lead to kidney failure.

14. Not Treating Common Infections
We all get lazy sometimes and ignore a simple cold or a flu, which can push our body to the brink of exhaustion. Studies have shown, however, that people who do not rest or treat their infections often end up with kidney disease.

15. Consuming Alcohol
Now this is a no brainer. The toxins in alcohol not only damage the liver, like many believe, but they are also something your kidneys simply hate to deal with. 

Rose: A Great Inspiring Story

I was flabbergasted as an old lady addressed me “Hi handsome. I am Rose, eighty-seven years old. Can I have a hello with you?”

Surprised, I hesitated a moment but responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave me a giant hand shake. Her body was more bones than flesh.

She happen to be my course mate. “Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked, little confused. She replied in her apparent seriousness “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and have a couple of kids…”
 

She was an instantly likeable person, easy going, affable. However, I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having college education. Now I realized that I can't postpone it any further. So here I am. Like me?” she asked. "Yes, of course". I said.

After class, as we walked, we shared a chocolate milkshake. We were instant friends.  Every day for the next three months, we would leave class together and talk non-stop. I was always mesmerized listening to this “Time Machine”, as she shared her wisdom and experiences of long wise life with me.

Over the course of year, Rose became a campus icon since she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress well and revelled in the attention bestowed upon her by other students and faculty alike. She, definitely, was LIVING IT UP.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone and simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know.”

As we laughed, she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing". She was now speaking flawlessly ex-tempore, as if living those eighty seven years all over again. It was pin drop silence. Everyone was truly mesmerized by this little frail woman carrying the weight of her words in tons. Everyone seemed to be accompanying her down memory lane. It was a speech par excellence, the Best I had heard, and perhaps the Best I am going to hear in my life time.

As per her, there are Four Secrets to Staying Young, Being Happy and Achieving Success.

1. You have to laugh and find humor every day.

2. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.  We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

3. There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything, I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change.

 4. Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what THEY DID, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.” She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago.

One week after graduation, Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all you can possibly be.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

We make a living by what we get but we make a LIFE by what we GIVE.

Charlie Chaplin's Unforgettable 70th Birthday Poem

This is a poem by Charlie Chaplin written on his 70th birthday, on April 16, 1959. It is an utterly inspiring self-address that meant a great deal to me when I read it for the first time. It felt as if the great screen icon was communing with my spirit, understanding just what the journey of life is all about. I just had to share this touching and knowing poem with you, because I know it will ring true for many people like me who feel they have grown with age.

When I started loving myself

I understood that I’m always and at any given opportunity

In the right place at the right time.

And I understood that all that happens is right –

From then on I could be calm.

Today I know: It’s called TRUST.

When I started to love myself I understood

How much it can offend somebody

When I tried to force my desires on this person,

Even though I knew the time was not right and the person

Was not ready for it,

And even though this person was me.

Today I know: It’s called LETTING GO

When I started loving myself

I could recognize that emotional pain and grief

Are just warnings for me to not live against my own truth.

Today I know: It’s called AUTHENTICALLY BEING.

When I started loving myself

I stopped longing for another life

And could see that everything around me was a request to grow.

Today I know: It’s called MATURITY.

When I started loving myself

I stopped depriving myself of my free time

And stopped sketching further magnificent projects for the future.

Today I only do what’s fun and joyful for me,

What I love and what makes my heart laugh,

In my own way and in my tempo.

Today I know: it’s called HONESTY.

When I started loving myself

I escaped from all that wasn’t healthy for me,

From dishes, people, things, situations

And from everything pulling me down and away from myself.

In the beginning I called it“healthy egoism”,

But today I know: it’s called SELF-LOVE.

When I started loving myself

I stopped wanting to be always right

Thus I’ve been less wrong.

Today I’ve recognized: it’s called HUMILITY.

When I started loving myself

I refused to live further in the past

And worry about my future.

Now I live only at this moment where EVERYTHING takes place,

Like this I live every day and I call it CONSCIOUSNESS.

When I started loving myself

I recognized, that my thinking

Can make me miserable and sick.

When I requested for my heart forces,

My mind got an important partner.

Today I call this connection HEART WISDOM.

We do not need to fear further discussions,

Conflicts and problems with ourselves and others

Since even stars sometimes bang on each other

And create new worlds.

Today I know: THIS IS LIFE!

12 Habits of Perfectly Organized People

It's true what they say: clutter (disorder) breeds clutter. There are so many of us who dream of running a less chaotic household or struggle to remember what our office desk looks like. We crave order, yet at the same time resist due to the negative connotations attached to being perfectly organized.

There are many who believe being perfectly organized is like believing in unicorns: it's just not going to happen. There are also misconceptions that being "organized" means being a control freak or a neat freak. That if you prefer to organize the food in your fridge a specific way, you're not being efficient, you're being OCD. That you're not truly enjoying your life because you're focusing on mundane details you "shouldn't" consider important.

I'm here to say that's a huge pile of crap! As someone who's gone from chaotic and spontaneous to organized and efficient, there are so many benefits to the latter this topic could be turned into a self-help book. The top three benefits of being perfectly organized are:

Not being in a permanent state of "catch-up" decreases your stress level by 10,000 percent and increases your self-esteem by the same amount.
You're able to work less and accomplish more.
You always know where your keys are!

By being perfectly organized, you're respecting your most valuable commodity: time. It helps you accomplish all you set out to, both professionally and personally. It gives you the freedom to be exactly who you are and live a life of minimal stress, not to mention how much more enjoyable the present moment becomes.

If you'd like to feel this way too, here are 12 habits of perfectly organized people I've observed, read about, and am currently attempting to execute:

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1. They know who they want to be.

Perfectly organized people have an exact definition of how they want their life to be – from how they want their home to look, to how they want to dress, to how they spend their time – which makes it a lot easier to set goals and feel a sense of accomplishment.

2. They know how to say, "No."
Because they know exactly what they want, it's easier for them to say, "No": when they're offered a work project or invited to a social gathering that doesn't advance their lifestyle in some way, they're able to decline with confidence and aren't easily swayed by societal pressure.

3. They're mindful shoppers.
Just because something's on sale doesn't mean you have to buy it. Perfectly organized people always ask themselves, "Do I really need this?" before every purchase. Not only does this help keep your budget intact, it pushes you away from using instant gratification as a tool to cope with rough patches.

4. They've let go of their perfectionism.
If you try to do everything perfectly, it goes without saying you'll feel like a constant disappointment. Perfectly organized people channel their perfectionist tendencies into their most important tasks – work assignments, remodeling their home, exercising – and with tasks that aren't a priority, they do what they have to do to get the job done.

5. They don't believe in labeling anything "miscellaneous."
Though they don't have much to store due to their minimalist nature, when perfectly organized people do store items, they specifically label and index where everything can be found. Their bills are specifically filed, and their Christmas decorations are specifically cataloged.

6. They separate emotions from possessions.
They don't attach sentimental value to everything they own. For example, I still have my three favorite stuffed animals from when I was a kid, but not my entire collection. (I'm a big kid now!)

7. What they don't need, they don't own.
They don't buy anything until they know it's something they're going to use right away or in the near future. From personal experience, there's no worse feeling than cleaning an item more than you enjoy it. Trust me, you won't miss the dusting. At all.

8. They clean as they go.
Instead of waiting for the dishes to pile or the recycling to take itself out, the perfectly organized carve out chunks of time to maintain their lifestyle. This might sound like a drag, but there's no better feeling than having time off, andnot having to spend it running errands or cleaning, since they're already taken care of.

9. They understand the power of one.
One checking account. One savings account. One credit card. One email address. Perfectly organized people understand that consolidation and simplicity equals more freedom.

10. When it comes to planning, they're all about the details.
Perfectly organized people don't just plan in advance: they plan way in advance, and they plan in detail. Sure, their to-do lists look like scrolls, but it's only because they've broken down each of their tasks into manageable mini-tasks. Not only does this make each goal less overwhelming, it also helps you foresee any potential conflicts that could get in the way of your end result. BAM!

11. They don't procrastinate.
Because of how much respect they have for their time, perfectly organized people don't procrastinate, and they have no reason to: because of their maintain-as-they-go, to-do-list-Zorroing way of life, there's no need to.

12. They believe in quality over quantity.
To perfectly organized people, quantity equals clutter. They'd rather be surrounded by a minimal amount of items, all of which they use, enjoy, and actually have time to take care of properly. Professionally, they'd rather streamline their focus into a specialty where they can thrive, instead of working in more than one area and completing mediocre work.

Do you strive to be perfectly organized? Why, or why not?