Difference

‘I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverge in a wood, and I

Took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.’

~~ Robert Frost

Every person who wants to do something different with their life will face some or the other difficulties. What decides your success is how you handled those difficulties. Did the obstacles make you lose heart or did they make you more determined? I have always looked at life as full of possibilities. Even as a child I wanted to do so many different things. I never worried if others my age where doing it or not. I didn't want to blend into the crowd, i still don't. I believe life is about continuously changing. It is not about finding a perfect state and sticking there till the end. That is like being dead. Life is about living with compassion, joy, taking risking, losing, getting hurt and  getting up back on your feet. Life is to live with reverence for all other beings, big or small, around you.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays with Morrie is a lovely story of life's greatest lessons. I have read this book many times and still go back to it . I believe that there is immense wisdom hidden in every page of this book.  This is a simple , heart touching story.

From the book:

So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things.

The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.

Teacher

 

'Imagine that every person in the world is enlightened but you. They are all your teachers, each doing just the right things to help you learn perfect patience, perfect wisdom, perfect compassion.'

~~JACK KORNFIELD

Consciousness: One of the last great mysteries of life

Interesting article in Guardian UK about consciousness. Alok Jha introduces a lecture by Christof Koch of the California Institute of Technology on how the brain creates the sensation of consciousness.

In the video, Christof Koch, a professor of biology and engineering at the California Institute of Technology, introduces the neurological basics upon which scientists hope to build our future study of consciousness. Are bees conscious? Can you replicate consciousness in a machine? Are you sure that you're conscious of most of the things your brain is up to?

A.J. Jacobs' year of living biblically

Interesting talk by A J Jacobs . He tried to live life for a year biblically -- following the rules in the Bible as literally as possible.  Listen to his experience and ideas!

Lost

Have you ever given a book to someone and never got it back from them? How did it feel ? 

 

I have lost many books to many friends over the past several years. I love reading books and also like sharing them with anyone I know that likes reading. So many times my friends forget to return my book. Sometimes they go away to other places and take my book away with them , sometimes they are here and don't remember that they took my book and worst case they really lost it!

I have tiny list in which I maintain the names of the books and the borrowers. In case I don't get back a book after many , many months. I write it off as a 'Gift' to that friend.  :-) I feel a bit sad if it happens to be a book that I really liked.

I don't like books stagnating on my home library shelves. Books are meant to be read and if it means I lose few books while I lend them around, I am Ok with that. I just hope people who take those books away read them or at least share them with someone, somewhere.  I think I am a chronic 'book lender' and minor setbacks don't hold me back. I love reading and sharing the joy of reading. 

Books are fun and there is so much knowledge hidden in so many books around the world. If only I knew more languages, I could have read more books from authors from other countries too in the original languages instead of their English translations.  

Integrity

"With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity."

~~Keshavan Nair