My dearest friends,
Hope you are all doing awesome. Here is the life lesson that
I would like to share with you. The author is unknown.
A King had, as only son, a young Prince, brave, skillful
and intelligent. To perfect his knowledge of Life, he sent
him by the side of an Old Wise Man.
"Bring Light to my Path of Life", the Prince asked.
"My words will faint away like the prints of your steps in
the sand”, the Wise Man answered. However, I want to give you
some indications. On your Path, you will find 3 doors. Read
the rules written on each of them.
An irresistible need will urge you to follow them.
Don't try and get away from them, because you would be
condemned to live again, ceaselessly, what you have avoided.
I may tell you no more.
You have to feel all this deep in your heart and in your flesh.
Go, now. Follow this path, right in front of you. "
The Old Wise Man disappeared and the Prince entered
the Path of Life.
He was soon in front of a big door, on which one could read:
"CHANGE THE WORLD".
"It was my intention indeed”, the Prince thought, “because
if some things please me in this world, others greatly displease
me."
And he began his first fight. His ideal, his ardour and his
power urged him to confront himself to the world, to undertake,
to conquer, to model reality according to his desires.
He found there the pleasure and the dizzyness of the conqueror,
but no peace in his heart. He managed to change some things but
many others resisted to him. Many years passed.
One day, he met the Old Wise Man who asked him:
"What have you learnt on your path?"
"I have learnt," the Prince answered, “ how to discern what
is within my power and what is without, what depends on me and
what does not depend on me".
"That's good!”, the Old Man said. “Use your strength to act
on what is within your power. Forget what's beyond your power."
And he disappeared.
A bit later, the Prince was in front of a second door.
He could read on it :
"CHANGE THE OTHERS".
"It was my intention indeed”, he thought. “The others are
a source of pleasure, enjoyment and satisfaction, but also,
of pain, bitterness and frustration."
And he rebelled against everything that could disturb him
or displease him in his fellow men. He tried to bend their
characters and to extirpate their defects.
It was there his second fight.
Many years passed.
One day, as he was meditating on the utility of the attempts
to change the others, he met the Old Wise Man who asked him:
"What have you learnt on your path?"
"I have learnt”, the Prince answered, “that the others are not
the cause or the source of my joys and my punishments, my
satisfactions and my setbacks. They are only opportunities
for all of them to be revealed.
It is in myself that all these things have their roots."
"You are right,” the Wise Man said. “According to what they
wake up in you, the others reveal you to yourself. Be grateful
to those who make your enjoyment and pleasure vibrate.
But be also grateful to those who create in you suffering or
frustration, because, through them, life teaches you what
is left in you to learn and the path that you still have
to walk."
And the Old Man disappeared.
A bit further, the Prince arrived in front of a door, on
which these words were written:
"CHANGE YOURSELF".
"If I am myself the cause of my problems, it is indeed what's
left in me to work on", he said to himself.
And he began his 3rd fight. He tried to bend his character,
to fight his imperfections, to abolish his defects, to change
everything that did not please him in himself, everything that
did not correspond to his ideal.
After many years of this fight, in which he met some success,
but also, some failures and some resistances, the Prince met the
Wise Man who asked him:
“What have you learnt on your path?"
"I have learnt”, the Prince answered, ”that there are things
that we can improve, others that resist to us and that we can't
manage to break."
"That's good!" the Wise Man said.
"Yes”, the Prince went on, ”but I am beginning to be tired
of fighting against everything, against everybody, against
myself. Won't there be an end to it one day? When shall I
find a rest? I want to stop fighting, to give up, to
abandon everything, I want to let go !"
"It is precisely your next lesson“, the Old Wise Man said.
“But before going any further, turn round and behold the path
covered."
And he disappeared.
On looking back, the Prince saw in the distance the 3rd door,
and noticed that it was carrying a text on its back, saying :
"ACCEPT YOURSELF."
The Prince was surprised not to have seen this writing when
he went through the door, the other way.
"When one fights, one becomes blind”, he said to himself.
He also saw, lying on the ground, scattered around him,
everything he had thrown away and fought against in him:
his defects, his shadows, his fears, his limits, all his
old worries. He had learnt then how to recognize them, to
accept them, to love them. He had learnt how to love himself
without comparing himself to the others any more, without
judging himself, without reprimanding himself.
He met the Old Wise Man who asked him:
"What have you learnt on your path?"
"I have learnt”, the Prince answered,” that hating or refusing
a part of myself, it is to condemn myself never to be in
agreement with myself. I learnt how to accept myself, totally,
unconditionally."
"That's good!”, the Old Man said, it is the first rule in
Wisdom. Now you can go back through the 3rd door."
He had no sooner reached the other side, that the Prince
perceived far away the back side of the second door, on which
he could read:
"ACCEPT THE OTHERS".
All around him, he could recognize the persons he had been
with all his life through; those he had loved as well as those
he had hated. Those he had supported and those he had fought.
But the biggest surprise of all for him was that now, he was
absolutely unable to see their imperfections, their defects,
what formerly had embarrassed him so much, and against which
he had fought.
He met the Old Wise Man again.
"What have you learnt on your path?" he asked him.
“I have learnt”, the Prince answered, “that by being in
agreement with myself, I had no more anything to blame in the
others, no more anything to be afraid of in them. I have
learnt how to accept and to love the others, totally,
unconditionally."
"That's good!", the Old Wise Man said. “It is the second
rule in Wisdom. You can go back through the second door.”
On reaching the other side of the second door, the Prince
perceived in the distance the back side of the first door,
on which he could read:
"ACCEPT THE WORLD".
“Strangely enough”, he said to himself, “that I did not see
these words on the first time”. He looked all around him and
recognized this world which he had tried to conquer, to
transform, to change. He was struck by the brightness and
the beauty of every thing. By their perfection.
Nevertheless, it was the same world as before. Was it
the world which had changed or the glance he had on it?
He met the Old Wise Man who asked him:
"What have you learnt on your path?"
"I have learnt”, the Prince said, that the world is a mirror
for my soul. That my soul can't see the world, it sees itself
in the world. When my soul is cheerful, the world seems cheerful
to it.
When it is overcome, the world seems sad to it. The world
itself is neither sad nor cheerful. It IS there; it exists; it
is everything. It was Not the world that disturbed me, but the
idea that I had of it. I have learnt to accept it without
judging it, to accept it totally, unconditionally. "
“It is 3rd rule of Wisdom”, the Old Man said.
“You are here now in agreement with yourself, with the others
and with the World.”
A profound feeling of peace, serenity, plenitude, filled
the Prince. Silence was in him.
"Now, you are ready to go past the last Threshold”, the
Old Wise Man said, “the one that goes from the silence of
Plenitude to the Plenitude of Silence ".
And the Old Man disappeared.
Have an excellent weekend!
Much Love,
Priya:))
Friday, April 30, 2010
The 3 Doors To Wisdom! (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
The Triple Filter Test (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
high esteem. One day an acquaintance met the great philosopher
and said, "Do you know what I just heard about your friend?"
"Hold on a minute," Socrates replied. "Before telling me
anything, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the
Triple Filter Test."
"Triple filter?"
"That's right," Socrates continued. "Before you talk to me about
my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what
you're going to say. That's why I call it the triple filter test.
The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what
you are about to tell me is true?"
"No," the man said, "Actually I just heard about it and..."
"All right," said Socrates. "So you don't really know if it's
true or not. Now let's try the second filter, the filter of
goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend
something good?"
"No, on the contrary..."
"So," Socrates continued, "You want to tell me something bad
about him, but you're not certain it's true. You may still pass
the test though, because there's one filter left: the filter of
usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to
be useful to me?"
"No, not really."
"Well," concluded Socrates, "If what you want to tell me is
neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?"
The Wish-Granting Tree (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
of a tree. He did not know that the tree he rested upon was a
magic tree. It is called " The Wish-Granting Tree."
Seated on the hard ground, he thought how pleasant it would
be if he can sleep in a soft bed. Instantly, a bed appeared before
him. Astonished, the man immediately climbed onto the bed. Then,
he thought that it would be nice if there would be a beautiful
young girl beside him who would massage his sore legs. At that
"I'm so hungry," the man said to himself. "Having something
to eat now would be a great pleasure." Instantly, a table appeared
with delicious foods.
The man rejoiced and began eating and drinking to his heart's
content. His head spun a little and his eyelids grew heavy as
the wine took effect. He stretched himself and was thinking about
the wonderful events that took place on that extraordinary
day.
"I'll sleep for an hour or two," he thought. "The worst that
could happen would be if a tiger wandered by while I'm asleep."
Instantly a tiger appeared and devoured the poor man.
You have a magic tree inside you, waiting to grant your wishes.
But be careful! The same tree can also make your negative thoughts
and fears come true. At the very least it will be influenced by
your negative thoughts, so that the good things you wish for do
not happen.
That's what worrying can do.
I wish with all my heart that you live a life free of worry,
negative thoughts and fear, in the shade and comfort of your
personal Wish-Granting Tree.
Achieving Success By Expecting Success (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
Dearest Friends,
Here is a great article written by Zig Ziglar that I would like
to share with you. It is called:
Achieving Success By Expecting Success
When you plan and prepare carefully, you can legitimately
expect to have success in your efforts. When you recognize
and develop the winning qualities that you were born with,
the winner you were born to be emerges.
When you plan and prepare to make a sale, for example, you
can legitimately expect to make a sale. Although not all
your expectations are going to come to pass, you give
yourself an infinitely better chance of succeeding by taking
the proper steps.
Regardless of your goal--losing weight, making more sales,
furthering your education, earning a promotion, saving money
for a new home or an exotic vacation--you can expect to
achieve your goal if you plan and prepare for it.
Also understand that the path from where you are to where
you want to be is not always smooth and straight. The reason
for the twists and bumps is simple, and it has nothing to do
with you. It has more to do with the fact that not everyone
is as interested in your success as you are.
Some people may accidentally hinder your efforts; others who
are in competition with you and have little or no integrity
may try to sabotage your efforts.
Keep in mind, though, that when you hit those roadblocks
your character, commitment, and attitude are the determining
factors in your success. Carefully review your plan of
action, seek wise counsel, and be particularly careful to
feed your mind good information.
An optimistic, positive mind is far more likely to come up
with creative solutions than a mind that dwells on setbacks
and difficulties.
The Bottom line: expect success and you can achieve
success.
So dearest friends, let us all follow the advise of the famous
Zig Ziglar and let us all live successful lives!
Much Love,
Priya:))
Posted by Priya Deelchand in Facebook group:
Happiness Is Your Birthright!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
A Million Dollar Lesson (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
The Brick (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
Monday, April 26, 2010
Bend But Don't Break! (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
You All Do Make A Difference! (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
Saturday, April 24, 2010
The Paradox of Our Time (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=15948&uid=339996970296
Friday, April 16, 2010
Get A Life - A Real Life! (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Power of Positive Talk (Posted by Priya Deelchand)
Another excellent lesson posted by my friend Priya Deelchand in my favourite Facebook group, Happiness Is Your Birthright!
My dearest friends,
I remember my dad teaching me the power of language at a very young age. Not only did my dad understand that specific words affect our mental pictures, but he understood words are a powerful programming factor in lifelong success.
One particularly interesting event occurred when I was eight. As a kid, I was always climbing trees, poles, and literally hanging around upside down from the rafters of our lake house. So, it came to no surprise for my dad to find me at the top of a 30-foot tree swinging back and forth. My little eight-year-old brain didn't realize the tree could break or I could get hurt. I just thought it was fun to be up so high.
My older cousin, Tammy, was also in the same tree. She was hanging on the first big limb, about ten feet below me. Tammy's mother also noticed us at the exact time my dad did. About that time a huge gust of wind came over the tree. I could hear the leaves start to rattle and the tree begin to sway. I remember my dad's voice over the wind yell, "Hold on tightly." So I did. The next thing I know, I heard Tammy screaming at the top of her lungs, laying flat on the ground. She had fallen out of the tree.
I scampered down the tree to safety. My dad later told me why she fell and I did not. Apparently, when Tammy's mother felt the gust of wind, she yelled out, "Tammy, don't fall!" And Tammy did. fall.
My dad then explained to me that the mind has a very difficult time processing a negative image. In fact, people who rely on internal pictures cannot see a negative at all. In order for Tammy to process the command of not falling, her nine-year-old brain had to first imagine falling, then try to tell the brain not to do what it just imagined. Whereas, my eight-year-old brain instantly had an internal image of me hanging on tightly.
This concept is especially useful when you are attempting to break a habit or set a goal . You can't visualize not doing something. The only way to properly visualize not doing something is to actually find a word for what you want to do and visualize that. For example, when I was thirteen years old, I played for my junior high school football team. I tried so hard to be good, but I just couldn't get it together at that age. I remember hearing the words run through my head as I was running out for a pass, "Don't drop it!" Naturally, I dropped the ball.
My coaches were not skilled enough to teach us proper "self-talk." They just thought some kids could catch and others couldn't. I'll never make it pro, but I'm now a pretty good Sunday afternoon football player, because all my internal dialogue is positive and encourages me to win. I wish my dad had coached me playing football instead of just climbing trees. I might have had a longer football career.
Here is a very easy demonstration to teach your kids and your friends the power of a toxic vocabulary. Ask them to hold a pen or pencil. Hand it to them. Now, follow my instructions carefully. Say to them, "Okay, try to drop the pencil." Observe what they do.
Most people release their hands and watch the pencil hit the floor. You respond, "You weren't paying attention. I said TRY to drop the pencil. Now please do it again." Most people then pick up the pencil and pretend to be in excruciating pain while their hand tries but fails to drop the pencil.
The point is made
If you tell your brain you will "give it a try," you are actually telling your brain to fail. I have a "no try" rule in my house and with everyone I interact with. Either people will do it or they won't. Either they will be at the party or they won't. I'm brutal when people attempt to lie to me by using the word try. Do they think I don't know they are really telegraphing to the world they have no intention of doing it but they want me to give them brownie points for pretended effort? You will never hear the words "I'll try" come out of my mouth unless I'm teaching this concept in a seminar.
If you "try" and do something, your unconscious mind has permission not to succeed. If I truly can't make a decision I will tell the truth. "Sorry John. I'm not sure if I will be at your party or not. I've got an outstanding commitment. If that falls through, I will be here. Otherwise, I will not. Thanks for the invite."
People respect honesty. So remove the word "try" from your vocabulary.
My dad also told me that psychologists claim it takes seventeen positive statements to offset one negative statement. I have no idea if it is true, but the logic holds true. It might take up to seventeen compliments to offset the emotional damage of one harsh criticism.
These are concepts that are especially useful when raising children.
Ask yourself how many compliments you give yourself daily versus how many criticisms. Heck, I know you are talking to yourself all day long. We all have internal voices that give us direction.
So, are you giving yourself the 17:1 ratio or are you shortchanging yourself with toxic self-talk like, " I'm fat. Nobody will like me. I'll try this diet. I'm not good enough. I'm so stupid. I'm broke, etc. etc."
If our parents can set a lifetime of programming with one wrong statement, imagine the kind of programming you are doing on a daily basis with your own internal dialogue.
Here is a list of Toxic Vocabulary words.
Notice when you or other people use them.
Ø But: Negates any words that are stated before it.
Ø Try: Presupposes failure.
Ø If: Presupposes that you may not.
Ø Might: It does nothing definite. It leaves options for your listener..
Ø Would Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen.
Ø Should Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen (and implies guilt.)
Ø Could Have: Past tense that draws attention to things that didn't actually happen but the person tries to take credit as if it did happen.
Ø Can't/Don't: These words force the listener to focus on exactly the opposite of what you want. This is a classic mistake that parents and coaches make without knowing the damage of this linguistic error.
Examples:
Toxic phrase: "Don't drop the ball!"
Likely result: Drops the ball
Better language: "Catch the ball!"
Toxic phrase: "You shouldn't watch so much television."
Likely result: Watches more television.
Better language: "I read that too much television makes people stupid." You might find yourself turning that TV off and picking up one of those books more often!
Exercise:
Take a moment to write down all the phrases you use on a daily basis or any Toxic self-talk that you have noticed yourself using. Write these phrases down so you will begin to catch yourself as they occur and change them.
These are concepts that are especially useful when raising children.
Have an excellent day!
Much Love,
Priya:))