The Dear, Lion and Forest Fire

In a forest, a pregnant deer is about to give birth.
She finds a remote grass field near a strong-flowing river.
This seems a safe place.
Suddenly labour pains begin.

At the same moment, dark clouds gather around above & lightning starts a forest fire.
She looks to her left & sees a hunter with his bow extended pointing at her.
To her right, she spots a hungry lion approaching her.

What can the pregnant deer do?
She is in labour!
What will happen?
Will the deer survive?
Will she give birth to a fawn?
Will the fawn survive?
Or will everything be burnt by the forest fire?
Will she perish to the hunters' arrow?
Will she die a horrible death at the hands of the hungry lion approaching her?

She is constrained by the fire on the one side & the flowing river on the other &
boxed in by her natural predators.
What does she do?
She focuses on giving birth to a new life.
The sequence of events that follows are:
- Lightning strikes & blinds the hunter.
- He releases the arrow which zips past the deer & strikes the hungry lion.
- It starts to rain heavily, & the forest fire is slowly doused by the rain.
- The deer gives birth to a healthy fawn.


In our life too, there are moments of choice when we are confronted on αll sides
with negative thoughts and possibilities.
Some thoughts are so powerful that they overcome us & overwhelm us.
Maybe we can learn from the deer.
The priority of the deer, in that given moment, was simply to give birth to a baby.
The rest was not in her hands & any action or reaction that changed her focus
would have likely resulted in death or disaster.


Ask yourself,
Where is your focus?
Where is your faith and hope?

​​

In the midst of any storm, do keep it on Almighty Allah always.
Allah will never ever disappoint you. NEVER.
Remember, Allah neither slumbers nor sleeps...

11 Inspirational Quotes by the Unforgotten Bruce Lee

The inspiring Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist and the inventor of Jeet Kune Do, Bruce Lee, has surely left an impact on the world. With his philosophies being so meaningful, reflecting his positive outlook on life, it's difficult for the world to forget his successful life. Here are some of his most influential motivational quotes that are too true to not live by.

01. Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.

02. Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.

03. If you love life, do not waste your time. For, time is what life is made up of.

04. Noticed that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, whole the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.   

05. Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.

06. I fear not the man who has practiced 10 thousand kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10 thousand times.

07. Real living is living for others.

08. Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure difficult one.

09. Love is like friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame very pretty, often hot & fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep burning & unquenchable.

10. As you think, so shall you become.

11. A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.

Worrying Creates More Problems

A man having stomach pain went to his doctor. The doctor asked if he was having trouble in his personal life or at his job.

The man explained that he was worried about some incidents that had happened at work with his boss and his co-workers. Was there something the man could do to change what had happened? ''No,'' responded the man. ''But it continues to bother me." The doctor said, ''There is nothing you can do about the past. Close the chapter and move on. You are upsetting yourself and your stomach over something you cannot change.'' The doctor prescribed some medicine, and advised him to forget the past to help expedite the cure of his stomachaches.

The next patient was a woman with migraine. She explained that she was afraid of making a wrong decision about her future. Sensing that this was causing her headaches, he told her, ''If you make a decision that turns out all right, there is nothing to worry about. If you make a decision that turns out wrong, you still have the option to rectify matters. No decision is irreversible. Make a list of your options; make a counter-plan for each option and then act. Analyse the situation, and then act. Then take each step as it comes.''

People either worry about a past that they cannot change, or they worry about a future that has not yet happened. Many worry over problems they anticipate or fears that never materialise. Many of our stress-related illnesses are due to problems that we face mentally, psychologically or emotionally. What is certain is that there are always going to be problems.

Murphy's Law says that if anything can go wrong, it will. There does not seem to be anyone who has not experienced problems in life. Every time we solve one problem, a new one springs up. After a while we begin to wonder if there will be a time in life when we can be free of problems.

Nobody said that life was going to be easy or that everything was going to be perfect. The question is, how do we handle our problems? Do we face them as a challenge and try to solve them, or do we fret and worry about them? We compound our problems by worry and fretting because this added stress can make us physically sick.

The pressures of life are so great that they affect us physically and mentally. We find that people undergo anxiety, fear, depression and phobias. Offices of psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists are filled with normal, everyday people who cannot cope with life's struggles.

If our mind is positive and happy, we may feel physically better than when our mind is troubled and anxious. Our mental state can cause stress-related illnesses.

Studies have shown that when we are angry or emotionally upset, chemicals released in our body prepare us for ''fight or flight''.

We need to find some acceptable way to prevent the mental, emotional and physical effects of stress which are making us ill.

Meditation has numerous benefits for our physical and mental well-being. It is safe, effective and does not cost anything. Once we learn how to meditate, we carry within us a ready remedy which we can use at any time and any place.

Imaginary story of Car Design

Story with a lesson, worth learning from.

An engineer in a car manufacturing company designs a world class car.

While trying to bring out the car from the manufacturing area to the showroom, they realised that the car is few inches taller than the entrance.

The engineer felt bad that he didn't notice this one before creating the car.

The painter said that they can bring out the car and there will be a few scratches on top of the car which could be touched up later.

The engineer said that they can break the entrance, take the car out, and later re-do it.

A Watchman was observing & remarked "The car is only a few inches taller than the entrance so, simply release the air in the tyre, the height of the car will sink and can be easily taken out.

 

LESSON

Don't see problems from an expert's point of view. There is always a layman's outlook that gives an alternate solution. Life issues are also same. Often, a friend may seem below our stature by few inches, making us seem taller. Release some air (ego) and adjust the height. *Think Simple*

 *Live Humble*

Every Child Should Hear 40 Compliments

1. You make me proud every day.
2. Your ideas are wonderful.
3. I'm happy I'm your parent/grandparent.
4. You don't need to be perfect to be a terrific person.
5. It's important to me to hear what you think about this.
6. I believe you.             

7. I believe in your abilities.
8. Our family wouldn't be the same without you.
9. I know you did the best you could.
10. I accept you for who you are.

11. Even if you didn't succeed, your method was correct.

12. You help me a lot.

13. You made me happy today.
14. I love how creative you are.
15. It's fun to be with you.
16. Your ideas are great, never fear speaking them out loud.
17. You can make a positive change in anything you choose to do.
18. I can't wait for the moment we'll be together.             

19. I'm very interested in your stories.

20. I love seeing the world through your eyes.
21. Never stop being this curious.

22. I admire your ability to make your own decisions.
23. That was a great question!
24. Your friends are lucky to know you

25. That was a smart choice.

26. It makes me happy to see you happy.

27. Being your parent is my favorite job.

28. I'm learning new things from you every day.

29. You make me a better person.

30. I'm happy to have you here beside me.

31. I understand you, even if I don't agree with you.

32. I feel like you're becoming more mature every day.
33. That was very brave of you.
34. The way you asked for forgiveness made me realize how mature you are.
35. I'm proud of you for understanding you were wrong.
36. I knew you could do it. 

37. I'm so happy you've decided to try again.

38. It's always important to me to listen to you.
39. Your existence fills my heart.
40. Remember, I'll never stop loving you!

Remember: Like everything else in life, it's important to know when and how to say these words. We also have to remember to say them, instead of just believing the child knows it already. These sayings are just suggestions, but they can help your children and grandchildren understand exactly what you are thinking and feeling, help them face challenges as well as improve your relationship with them.​

Every Child Should Hear 40 Compliments

1. You make me proud every day.
2. Your ideas are wonderful.
3. I'm happy I'm your parent/grandparent.
4. You don't need to be perfect to be a terrific person.
5. It's important to me to hear what you think about this.
6. I believe you.             

7. I believe in your abilities.
8. Our family wouldn't be the same without you.
9. I know you did the best you could.
10. I accept you for who you are.

How Important is a Father
11. Even if you didn't succeed, your method was correct.
12. You help me a lot.

13. You made me happy today.
14. I love how creative you are.
15. It's fun to be with you.
16. Your ideas are great, never fear speaking them out loud.
17. You can make a positive change in anything you choose to do.
18. I can't wait for the moment we'll be together.             

19. I'm very interested in your stories.

20. I love seeing the world through your eyes.
  

Parenting - Reasons Behind Children's Unexpected Behavior

21. Never stop being this curious.
22. I admire your ability to make your own decisions.
23. That was a great question!
24. Your friends are lucky to know you

25. That was a smart choice.

26. It makes me happy to see you happy.

27. Being your parent is my favorite job.

28. I'm learning new things from you every day.

29. You make me a better person.

30. I'm happy to have you here beside me.

10 Highly Effective Study Habits

31. I understand you, even if I don't agree with you.
32. I feel like you're becoming more mature every day.
33. That was very brave of you.
34. The way you asked for forgiveness made me realize how mature you are.
35. I'm proud of you for understanding you were wrong.
36. I knew you could do it. 

37. I'm so happy you've decided to try again.
38. It's always important to me to listen to you.
39. Your existence fills my heart.
40. Remember, I'll never stop loving you!

52 Character Building Thoughts for your kids

Remember: Like everything else in life, it's important to know when and how to say these words. We also have to remember to say them, instead of just believing the child knows it already. These sayings are just suggestions, but they can help your children and grandchildren understand exactly what you are thinking and feeling, help them face challenges as well as improve your relationship with them.​

Every Child Should Hear 40 Compliments

1. You make me proud every day.
2. Your ideas are wonderful.
3. I'm happy I'm your parent/grandparent.
4. You don't need to be perfect to be a terrific person.
5. It's important to me to hear what you think about this.
6. I believe you.             

7. I believe in your abilities.
8. Our family wouldn't be the same without you.
9. I know you did the best you could.
10. I accept you for who you are.

11. Even if you didn't succeed, your method was correct.

12. You help me a lot.

13. You made me happy today.
14. I love how creative you are.
15. It's fun to be with you.
16. Your ideas are great, never fear speaking them out loud.
17. You can make a positive change in anything you choose to do.
18. I can't wait for the moment we'll be together.             

19. I'm very interested in your stories.

20. I love seeing the world through your eyes.
21. Never stop being this curious.

22. I admire your ability to make your own decisions.
23. That was a great question!
24. Your friends are lucky to know you

25. That was a smart choice.

26. It makes me happy to see you happy.

27. Being your parent is my favorite job.

28. I'm learning new things from you every day.

29. You make me a better person.

30. I'm happy to have you here beside me.

31. I understand you, even if I don't agree with you.

32. I feel like you're becoming more mature every day.
33. That was very brave of you.
34. The way you asked for forgiveness made me realize how mature you are.
35. I'm proud of you for understanding you were wrong.
36. I knew you could do it. 

37. I'm so happy you've decided to try again.

38. It's always important to me to listen to you.
39. Your existence fills my heart.
40. Remember, I'll never stop loving you!

Remember: Like everything else in life, it's important to know when and how to say these words. We also have to remember to say them, instead of just believing the child knows it already. These sayings are just suggestions, but they can help your children and grandchildren understand exactly what you are thinking and feeling, help them face challenges as well as improve your relationship with them.​

15 Easy Life Improving Tips

The modern rat race can cause us great stress and leave us with little to no time to take care of our health and bodies. However, there are quick and easy ways to improve our lifestyle, improve our mood and improve our health, and they only take about 60 seconds each. Even if you only turn some of these into habits, you'll still enjoy a happy and healthier life with little effort and time.    

1. Take a deep breath

We all get nervous and stressed, whether it be because of work, traffic or even household chores. In our most stressful moments, it's vital to remember that we have an innate relaxation mechanism. Taking deep, controlled breaths for 60 seconds when feeling stressed or tired can completely alter your state of mind. Deep breaths lower your blood pressure, slows down the production of stress hormones and helps to ease anxiety and internal disquiet.

2. Hug someone you love

Hugging feels great on its own, but it also has scientifically-proven health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and stabilizing the heart rate. Hugging releases dopamine - a natural painkiller and can reduce cortisol levels (a stress hormone). A hug can give you more mental energy, and help you handle most obstacles.

3. Laugh and smile

There's a reason laughter has a reputation for being the best medicine. It's one of the body's natural painkillers and shares several physiological functions with exercising. William Fry, one of the pioneers in laughter research, claims that using a rowing machine for ten minutes exercises the heart to the same extent as one minute of laughter. Laughter also improves your memory and burns calories. If you're feeling down or even somewhat depressed, a little smile (even a fake one) can change your mood.

4. Eat some dark chocolate

Isn't it great to know that some delicious treats are actually good for us (in moderation)? Dark chocolate is beneficial for your health, it lowers blood pressure, raises the levels of "good cholesterol" (HDL) and reduces the levels of "bad cholesterol" (LDL). Dark chocolate is also known to be beneficial to the cardiovascular system, and some evidence indicates that it can prevent diabetes and even keep your skin healthier.

5. Stand up whenever you can

Most of us spend our days sitting down: Working, driving and watching TV are just a few of things we do while sat in a seat. A recent research paper found that prolonged sessions of sitting can induce psychological distress. Another study has found that women who sit for 10 hours a day or more are at a higher risk heart and cardiovascular disease when compared to those sitting for only 5 hours a day. Even standing up for a few seconds will improve your circulation significantly.

6. Wash your hands

You may think it's obvious, but this simple and quick action can protect your health more than you can fathom. Most people wash their hands before eating or after visiting the restroom, but washing your hands with soap more times a day will reduce your chances of getting sick by 20-30%. Remember to moisturize your hands from time to time.

7. Wear a seatbelt

As trivial as it may seem, this easy action takes about five seconds and saves thousands of lives every year. Think about it: You're not climbing Everest or running a marathon. You're simply reaching back, and pulling on a belt. This is particularly important when you have children in the car. So don't be lazy and think about comfort first, it's better to "waste" ten seconds than risk your life.

8. Add cinnamon to your breakfast

Cinnamon has a variety of medicinal properties, including helping with diabetes by reducing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon is also beneficial in fighting obesity, lowering bad cholesterol levels, and it even warms up the body on cold days. You can add cinnamon to your breakfast by mixing it in your yogurt, oats, cereals and even your coffee.

9. Wear sunscreen

It doesn't matter if you live in a sunny place or not, UV light is still there, and it's still harmful. Avoiding the #1 cause of skin cancer takes no effort and very little time – simply put on sunscreen before you leave the house.

10. Use the stairs

It doesn't matter if we're late, busy or even just lazy, most of us don't' engage in physical exercise in our free time. The modern world doesn't give us many chances to walk: we get in the car or on the bus, use the elevator and sit at our desks. This is why it is vital that we take every opportunity to exercise. Instead of waiting for the elevator, take the stairs and burn some extra calories. It will also help you avoid stiff muscles and joint pain.

11. Take a break from staring at the screen

If you have a desk job or are just an avid technology lover, it's safe to say you spend a lot of time in front of a screen. Staring at the screen for so many hours is bad for your eyes, so it is crucial to take frequent breaks. The best method is the "20-60-20": every 20 minutes look away from the screen at an object 60 feet away for 20 seconds. If you can, take a moment to walk around the office.

12. Add lemon to your water    

Adding a slice of lemon to your water is not only refreshing, but also has many health benefits. Lemons are a superfood and are considered to be one of the most efficient detox agents, making them a great addition to your diet.

13. Clean up your desk

It doesn't matter how tidy you keep your desk, it still gets covered with germs. Take a minute to wipe down leftovers and crumbs, which are the main source of bacterial contamination in your workplace. Use an antibacterial wipe on your keyboard and mouse, they are the most used items on your desk that come in contact with your hands regularly.

14. Elevate your feet

60 seconds of lying down with your legs raised up and leaning against a wall energizes the body as much as a half-hour nap. Rest your arms at the sides of your body and remain like that while taking slow, deep breaths. Studies have shown that this position helps the blood in your legs to flow back to your chest and head.

      

15. Chew some gum

Researchers from the University of Swinburne, Australia found that chewing gum improves your levels of alertness and reduces stress. Behavioral specialists recommend chewing gum before an important meeting, a job interview, and while driving. The reason is that chewing gum tricks the body into thinking it's eating, something we associate with being safe and having nothing to fear.

Black Stones

A farmer in Bangladesh was preparing his land for planting crops. As he dug through the soil the equipment kept getting stuck in one place. Out of curiosity he decided to check out what was in there. He dug the ground and discovered a big box. 

The farmer quickly opened the box to see what was in it but to his disappointment, there were only black stones inside the box. He decided to throw those stones at the birds when they come to eat the crops at the time for harvesting. Eventually, a day came when the crops were ready and the birds come to eat them. So, he started throwing the stones at the birds from where ever they showed up. 

One day a man was walking by the field who sells precious stones such as pearls, diamonds, rubies etc. Two stones happened to fall right in front of him when the farmer threw them at the birds. The man brought the stones to the farmer and asked if he was willing to sell them to him for $5,000 each. The farmer thought that the man was joking so he replied, "No." Then the man offered $50,000 for each stone and explained that they were precious jewels. Now the farmer started crying saying that he had only 1 or 2 stones left and the rest were thrown away.

​​
This story is mentioned in the book "20 Reminders" by Abu Yusuf

In fact, every second of our time is very valuable. Today, we are just throwing them away here and there. But one day in our life, we will realize how valuable they were but it will be too late. Now is the chance to use our time properly and wisely. Now is the time to do self audit on where our time is being wasted, what are our priorities and what needs to be done. Time is precious, very precious!!!

Wise Quotes from "Lift Me Up" by Ron Kaufman

Chapter-1: Everyday wisdom:

1. Thought is the original source of all wealth, all success, all material gain, all great discoveries and inventions and of all achievement. – Claude Bristol

2. The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.   – William James

3. Great People talk about ideas, average people talk about events; small people talk about other people. – Anonymous

4. You can tell whether a person is clever by his answers, you can tell whether a person is wise by his questions. – Mahfouz Naguib

5. Going to work for a big company is like getting on a train. Are you going at sixty miles an hour or the company is going at  sixty miles an hour and you are just sitting? – Paul Getty

6. The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. – Marcus Aurelius

7. A wise man never knows all, a fool knows everything – African proverb

8. None of us is as smart as all of us. – Japanese proverb

Chapter-2: Profound Wisdom:

1. More mistakes, more experience. More experience, less mistakes.

2. If you are patient in moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow. – Chinese Proverb.

3.Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking.  – Jackson Brown.

4.Information applied gives knowledge. Knowledge applied yield wisdom. Wisdom applied brings success.

5.To the man who only has a hammer, everything looks like a nail. – Abraham Maslow (the world we see is the reflection of who we are)

6. Speak to open the minds of others, listen to open your own.

Chapter-3: Insightful Wisdom:

1.Thoughts have power, thoughts are energy. You can make your own world or break it by your own thinking – Susan Taylor

2. The commentator makes a  noise, the activists makes a difference.

Chapter-4: Acquiring Wisdom:

1. I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow. – Woodrow Wilson.

2. The ability to focus attention on important things is a defining characteristic of intelligence. – Robert Shiller

3. What we see depends mainly on what we look for. – John Lubbock

4. Being willing to change allows you to move from a point of view to a Viewing Point – A higher, more expansive place, from which you can see both sides. – Thomas Crum

5. Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. – Plato (Speak only when your words improve the silence)

6. Half of being smart is knowing what you are dumb about. – Solomon Short. (The other half is finding someone smart about it who can help you)

7. The difference between a smart man and a wise man is that smart man knows what to say and wise man knows when to say and whether or not to say. – Frank Garafola.