Breakfast at McDonalds

This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end!
(After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology.

The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with.

Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'

The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning.

It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son.

We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did.

I did not move an inch... An overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside of me as I turned to see why they had moved.

As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men.

As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance.

He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.

The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation.

I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm).

Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes.

That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action.

I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray.

I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand.

He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.'

I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.'

We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give.

We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand.

I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?'

I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed.

In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn : "Unconditional Acceptance"

Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

Gud Cool Message

True Love Story

The last thing you know Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad for, is its love stories. about Siddharth Choudhary, from IIMA (then an undergrad) and Nidhi from a college near-by. Then, people said their love story was sweet and that it would weather all storms.

Months later, the couple did weather a huge storm when Nidhi was diagnosed with cancer. The duo came out strong and unscathed from it and this journey is now encompassed in a book titled 'Eagle Spotted, Message Decoded.' The book is written by Siddharth and has just about hit the stands.

Siddharth says much of his learning in life happened after his graduation from IIMA. "There are lots of things you don't learn at a management school. Life tests you and you have to learn quickly without any prior training. But yes, my MBA degree gave me the confidence to bounce back in life," he says.

Girl meets boy

Siddharth first spotted Nidhi at a small time tea stall just along side the IIM-A campus boundary wall. Ram-bhai's ketli, (Gujarati name for a tea-stall) has always been a lifeline for students of the institute anytime of the day or night. Nidhi was visiting the ketli with some of here college friends. There started the little college romance between the two, Nidhi being a localite and studying in a city college.

After graduation in 2005, Siddharth and Nidhi got married and started living in Mumbai. As part of final placements, Siddharth got placed with Monsanto India Limited in Mumbai in a marketing role. Later he moved to Johnson and Johnson, Mumbai, also in the marketing line.

Life takes a u-turn

Life seemed perfect. An IIMA degree to boast about - a plush job, a home and a loving wife. But about a year or so after marriage, Nidhi was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour called Medulloblastoma.

"We were also told it was an aggressive tumour for which there was no cure in allopathy," said Siddharth.

Nidhi's case got further complicated because the tumour had spread to rhe spine, making her case even more rare. This was the beginning of a rather tumultuous journey for the couple, where they realised that no degree prepares you for these situations.

Nidhi went through agonising pain and constant black-outs. She was finally operated on in Mumbai. Post the operation, however, Nidhi was moved to Ahmedabad for chemotherapy and post-operative treatment as her parents were there.

"I travelled every weekend to see her and made it for every doctor's appointment. But I realised, she needed me more than just these visits. The doctors were giving up on her and I decided to take that one big step," recalls Siddharth.

Goodbye job

The IIMA grad just chucked away his well-paying job and went to Ahmedabad to be with his wife. "Everyone told me I was doing the wrong thing. My parents, colleagues and all our friends. But I was adamant. My wife needed me more. When and if things turn out well, my degree will get me another job, I justified to myself," Siddharth told Pagalguy.

In Ahmedabad, Siddharth spent many sleepless nights with Nidhi since the chemotherapy sessions were painful. That was when Siddharth told her stories about IIMA days and the days before IIMA when he was a marine engineer. "After a few such sessions Nidhi told me to pen down my little stories in a book. Since I used to wait for Nidhi to sleep first and then sleep myself, I used that time to jot down my stories in my diary. I thought then that my stories were too simple and only meant for Nidhi to cheer-up," said Siddharth.

The coming days turned out to be worse. "One after another, the doctors began giving up on Nidhi and at that time I wanted to throw the diary out," recalls Siddharth.

Hope returned

But hope came again. A doctor in Kolkata took up Nidhi's case and slowly and surely life came back into her body. Regular doctor visits, a strict control on diet and proper medicine intake made Nidhi come back on track. Today after many months, Nidhi is off medicines too. "Somewhere during Nidhi's recovery, I came back to Mumbai and almost immediately got a job again. I guess I owe that to my management degree. Today Nidhi is also in Mumbai and our life has started again," said Siddharth.

MBA degree

"There were many lessons from IIM-A that might have helped me during my crisis. It teaches you to deal and live in pressure, race against time and win most times. But one thing that comes to my mind when I look back at my years at IIM-A, I feel my course would have been complete if I was also taught life skills. How to deal with people and their inflated egos, how to lead and make people see the bigger picture as you see it. Education needs to go beyond careers, placements and packages".

(Siddharth's book, 'Eagle Spotted, Message Decoded', is the story of a marine engineer who on his first job on the ship lacks confidence to face life at sea. The book is on how he learns to gather his strengths and overpower his fears - exactly what he did when he learnt of his wife's cancer. Siddharth himself is a trained marine engineer who sailed for over three years before joining IIM-A. The book is dedicated to his wife.)

Excellent story with a great moral. Don't neglect to read.

Raaaajjjeeeessshhhh.... Raaaajjjeeeessshhhh. - what!! I woke up from a sudden jerk. Raaajeeessshhh.. .I heard my wife yelling. Whats wrong with her?

Always yelling for something or the other. I can t be in peace even in my dreams. Shucks!! Angrily, I kicked my blanket and got down.
Raaajesssh.. Coming Meera..what s wrong with you. Why are you shouting like this.. .

I hurried down the stairs. I saw Meera, my sweet(??!!) wife, sitting in the couch giving breakfast to my 7yr old daughter Achala. Both looked happy,watching TV.
I got confused at the whole scenario. I came running down, expecting some kind of earthquake, but instead here everything was in place.
I looked at my wife & daughter. She smiled at me back. Now, I more got confused, what s happening here? Am I in a dream?

Meera.
Yeah Rajesh.
You called me. In fact yelled.
Yes. You are right!
Everything is fine here right? Why you screamed like that then.
It s cos it s going to be 8am now.
I couldn t understand what she was trying to say. Is she playing some kind of prank? Is this the time for all these? I have to be in office by 9am for a meeting.
Yes. It s going to be 8am.Right! So.?
Rajesh, don t tell me, you forgot.today is 27th
27th..What 27th?
Don t tell me you don t remember?
Meera gave me an I ll kill you look. Is it her birthday? No it s somewhere at the year end. Is it my daughter s? No no , we celebrated last month only right. Got it. Should be our Anniversary.
Hey Meera, How will I forget our Anniversary.
Whaattttttt????..Anniversaryyyyy???...
Got it. It s not our anniversary. Before I get killed.What s w/ 27th. What ?? what?? Come on Rajesh!! Think. Nothing hit my mind. I looked at my daughter for a clue.
She turned her face away. What s with all women? Why can t they be straight forward & say things. With so much work pressure, how on earth I am supposed to remember all the dates?.
If I say something, then Meera will pick up a fight, and I will miss the meeting, my whole day will be gone.
I made up my mind to surrender.
Meera, Sorry, I don t remember. This medicine I am taking for cough, Something happened..my memory is deteriorating ..What s today? Meera doesn t seem like buying that excuse from me.
Meera, please tell me I asked in a pitiable tone..
Rajesh..You don t remember at all? I moved my head left & right meaning NO. I kept my face like I am a patient suffering from amnesia .
Rajesh, As part of annual day celebrations, today is Daddy s Day in Acchu s school. I have been telling you for the past 3 weeks. Now don t tell me you forgot. You already promised that you will go with her to her school
I couldn t believe that I accepted for something like that. Meeraa..did I??
Yes. You did
at what time it starts..?
By 8:30am and ends at 1pm .
Gosh!! 9am!! I have such a critical meeting. How I will attend all these.
"Meera, you could have reminded me yesterday right?
Oh I didn t remind you? Great. I didn t call to your office. Or remind you in the evening and before going to bed
Might be I wouldn t have heard it. Or slipped out of my memory. Whatever!!
Meera! Can t you attend all these. Why should I??
"Rajesh. It s Daddy s Day!...DADDY ss!!!!!
Oh yeah....but...
But what????...
errrh....might be some other day...
What? You want the school to postpone the function?
No..No.actually..what..I am saying is..
What Rajesh??? What?? Tell me. You promised Acchu and are you going to disappoint her?
I stood there totally helpless. I looked at my daughter. She was all dressed up and ready to go. She looked like, she will cry any time. I saw Meera. She gave me a murderous look. I thought for a moment and my mind raced with many calculations. Important meeting. I can t miss for sure. Half a day is too much. So many deliverables will get affected. I can t face Meera again if I don t go. Might be I can postpone the meeting by an hour and for name sake visit that function and escape to office.
Meera, I will go, but I can spend only 1 hour..
No...that s not..
Before Meera finished the sentence, Acchu rushed to me Thanks daddy. 1hour. Mom, 1hour is enough mom. Please don t fight mom. Daddy, get ready soon..
she nudged me.
Do you know her school name and the route for the school or you want me to tell??? Asking that Meera threw me an angry look and left the living room.
I rushed up, got ready. Called my manager & told that I got stuck in traffic jam and postponed the meeting to 10am.
I took Achala to her school. I felt somehow entering the school, cos it s the 2nd time, I am entering her school. In fact 1st time. I once dropped her outside her school gate. The school had a big playground, Small Park with all kids playing equipments. Some stalls were put up. So many kids with their fathers moved around here & there. Suddenly I felt some one touching my hand
Are you achala s daddy? - A small kid asked. She had curly hair and bubbly smile.
Yes,,,My Daddy... - Achala responded in an excited tone. And some kids ran towards me and Achala started introducing everyone.
Daddy! this is Rohit, this is zakir, Anis, Sylvia, Divya.. - I told hello to everyone.
Daddy, Daddy, Zakir is my best friend. - I smiled at that cute blue eyed boy.
Uncle, Acchu told that you have so much work and you won t be able to come. She told she won t come in today. You don t have work Uncle? - Zakir asked me.
I suddenly felt very bad on how my daughter has understood me. No Zakir, I don t have work
Daddy, they are calling for the games. . Zakir ran to his father and waved his hands at me & achala. I took achala by hand and walked towards the stage.
They were announcing the 1st game. Fathers will be given a sheet containing questions about their kids. Fathers have to fill about their kids which will be verified with the kids response.
Achala was all excited about the game and she was all set to go. But I felt shivers. I looked at my daughter. Suddenly, I felt very far from her, and the reality hit me, that I don t know anything about my very own daughter. I blurted out Acchu..we will attend the next game..This one .. She gave me a deep stare. I thought she is going to cry or shout or do something. But instead she pulled out a small paper from her jeans pocket and gave it to me. Completely baffled, I opened the sheet.

My name is Achala. My birthday March 21st. I am 7yrs old. I like butterfly. Superman. Dairy milk. painting. dancing. I am in 1st standard A section.
I like Dora. Mango. Apple. Fried rice. Jelly. I don t like banana. I drink boost.. I like yellow color. My nick name is Honey dew
And the list went on with small, small spelling mistakes. I looked at Acchu. Daddy, read it, I know they will keep this game. So I wrote it 2 days back itself, to give you if you come. If they ask anything about me, write there. Ok Now go & attend the game . Most of the things, my daughter has written & gave me, I never knew anything about it. I suddenly felt a lump in my throat. I went to the stage waved my hand to Acchu and got the question sheet.

Since Acchu gave the sheet, I came to know about her & I answered almost all the questions. Then they asked Acchu on stage and asked the questions to her.
We got the 2nd highest mark in that game. Acchu came running towards me and hugged me. They gave a toy guitar . Everyone congratulated us. Thou I won that game, I felt like a loser. I know, I don t deserve this. I don t know anything about my daughter.
She looked very happy showing that guitar to her best friend, zakir . What a kid she is. Understanding that her dad is totally hopeless and don t want to let her dad down, before others she prepared that sheet and gave to me. The lump in my throat started getting bigger and my heart became heavy. I caressed her hair. What a beautiful smile she has and such big eyes. Does she miss a wing to get qualified as an angel? I have never admired my daughter or even watched her in all these years. She has that cute dimple of Meera s as well as her eyes. Does that curling lip edges when she smiles, is mine? How I missed all this in my life.

Achala pulled me to the stalls there and I got some eatables and ballons for her and zakir.. She kept talking about the next game and suddenly my mobile rang. Oops!! Is it already 10am. I looked at Acchu . Suddenly her face became dark. She looked totally upset and asked in an low voice Daddy! You have to leave now?

I looked at my mobile. My manager was calling. It s already 10am. I looked at Acchu. I looked around. All those happy kids with their fathers. I thought about my school days, where my dad used to come for all sports day, annual day, sit with me, cheer me up. Every day morning, while dropping me to school, he will wait near the gate until my head disappear. Evening, he will come & pick me up in his cycle, and I will be telling him all the stories that happened that day in school.

I saw Acchu. How many untold stories my daughter has kept in her heart to say me? I thought about all those days, where I yearned for a girl child and I wonder, how much of my time I gave her.

I pulled her closer, gave a kiss on her fore head No Honey! I am not going. I will be here only.we will attend all games and roam around whole day.ok?
Really? - She asked in an unbelievable tone.
Yes sweetz
Thank you Daddy! - Achala kissed my cheeks and ran to her friends. School teaches you something or the other always. This time, back to school has taught me a wonderful life s lesson. I called my manager & told that am running high fever and can t come in today. I know, I can handle things tomorrow. Today my daughter needs me more than anyone can need me in this world. With a lighter heart, I got up; ran towards Acchu, lifted her and gave her a big swing. She erupted into an uncontrollable laughter.

The lump in my throat started melting away.

Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you ...!

The Law of Germination

This law says whatever is planted requires some time before it comes to
fruition. `Every idea, everything you plant, requires a certion action, a
certain amount of time before the outcome is realized. You need to sow your
ideas, allow them to germinate, give them lots of energy and then you will
reap the rewards. The only way something will grow is if it receives energy.
You have to apply a lot of energy, but be patient. You'll get what you
choose, but you must give it some time. Sometimes people become impatient
when they want to acquire higher incomes. If it dosn't happen for them in
the first couple of days of couple of weeks, they give up. They quit. It
didn't work because they misunderstood the law of germantion. You cant force
things to happen. If you plant a carrot, it's not going to do you any good
to sit there and, as the little shoot comes through the ground, try to yank
it a little bit every day. That isn't going to make the carrot grow any
faster. What you often have to do with some of these ideas, especially these
wealth-building ideas, is relax and let them take their course. It will
happen, it simply requires energy applied consistently over time. So keep
giving it energy and be patient. Remember, force negates. This is going to
require some thinking and some change and it is a process that will occur,
but you have to understand the law of germination.


Money Making Habits -

Most people know what they need to do to become wealthier. Most people know
their finances would be in better shape if they refused to buy on credit.
Most people understand the need to save a certain percentage of their income
for retirement or contingencies. Most people know that if they watched less
television they would have more time to generate income. once these habits
become a part of your lifestyle, you will be on your way to financial
freedom.

Suggested Money Making Habits

- Read a postive, personal development book for 30 minutes per day.
- Plan the next day before you quit for today.
- Listen to an instructional audio tape in your car.
- Watch sixty fewer minutes of television.
- Refuse to gossip. Speak positively of others.
- Write a Thank You note to someone every day.
- Save 10% of your income.
- Refuse to buy anything on a credit card for which you canot pay cash.
- Create one MSI(Multiple Souece of Income) per month.
= Attent a mastermind group once a month.
- Work on your goals every day.
- Take a sucessful person to lunch every month.
- Find a mentor and do what he/she says.
- Start a date night with your spouse.
- Write one page per day of your novel.
- Exercise to relive stress.
- Read a book about selling.
- Do something kind for someone every day.
- smile.

NEED & GREED

This one makes so much sense...

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican fishing village.
A tourist complimented the local fishermen on the quality of their fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long." they answered in unison.

"Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?"

The fishermen explained that their small catches were sufficient to meet their needs and those of their families.

"But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"We sleep late, fish a little, play with our children, and take siestas with our wives.
In the evenings, we go into the village to see our friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs.

We have a full life."

The tourist interrupted,

"I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat."

"And after that?"

"With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man,
you can then negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant.
You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City , Los Angeles , or even New York City !

From there you can direct your huge new enterprise."

"How long would that take?"
"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years." replied the tourist.
"And after that?"

"Afterwards? Well my friend, that's when it gets really interesting, " answered the tourist, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start buying and selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really? And after that?" asked the fishermen.

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

"With all due respect sir, but that's exactly what we are doing now. So what's the point wasting twenty-five years?" asked the Mexicans.

And the moral of this story is:

Know where you're going in life.... you may already be there

GUIDE TO A BETTER LIFE - GOOD ONE

This is amazing, he died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book ˜The last lecture before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behind

In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life" for his wife and children to follow.
May you be blessed by his insight.

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't over do; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you
12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.
Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
13. Smile and laugh more
14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:
15. Call your family often
16. Each day give something good to others
17. Forgive everyone for everything
18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
19. Try to make at least three people smile each day
20. What other people think of you is none of your business
21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.
23. GOD heals everything
24. Do the right things
25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change
26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
27. The best is yet to come
28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it
30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with,
people you play with, people you work with and people you live with.
Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.

The Taste of Life

An experienced & wise master grew tired of his apprentice complaining. One morning he sent the apprentice for some salt.
When the apprentice returned, the master instructed the unhappy young man to put a handful of salt in a glass of water and drink it.

"How does it taste?" the master asked.

"Bitter," spit the apprentice.

The master chuckled and then asked the young man to put a handful of Salt in the lake nearby.

The two walked to the nearby lake. After the apprentice swirled his Handful of salt into the water, the old man said, "Now drink from the lake.."

As the water dripped down the young man's chin, the master asked, "Now How does this taste?"

"Fresh & Sweet" remarked the apprentice.

"Do you taste the salt?" asked the master.

"No," said the young man.

At this, the master sat beside the young man who so reminded him of Himself at one time and held his hands.

He told the young man, "The pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less.

The amount of pain in life remains exactly the same. However, the amount of bitterness we taste depends on the container we put the pain in.

So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things . . .

"Stop being a glass. Become a lake."

Kiss Miss

Circle Of Life

Life is a coin.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it"

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

************ ****

Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over them.

And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the end.

"Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only spend it once."

How to propose marriage?

One of the biggest moments in your life is when you propose marriage or are proposed to.Here's how to make your marriage proposal a memorable and delightful experience.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Just a few minutes

Here's How:

1. Find the right person.
2. Fall in love.
3. Know enough about your future in-laws to know if asking permission from them first would be appreciated.
4. Know enough about your future spouse so you can create a meaningful and delightful experience.
5. Decide if you are going to purchase the engagement ring before or after you propose marriage.
6. When purchasing an engagement ring, stay within your budget or financial capability.
7. Pay attention to timing. Don't plan on proposing marriage when your future spouse is stressed or overwhelmed.
8. Pick a memorable place, song, or occasion such as where you first met, or first kissed, etc.
9. Set a romantic tone.
10. Keep it fun.
11. Keep your marriage proposal simple.
12. If you are thinking of tying the ring to the end of a kite string or fishing line, be certain that your intended has a great sense of humor and that you know how to tie a good knot!
13. Make sure you don't lose the engagement ring if you've purchased one. Some folks hide an engagement ring so well that even they can't find it.

Tips:

1. Be prepared to have your best-laid marriage proposal plans fall apart.
2. Focus more on the moment than on the engagement ring and other externals surrounding your marriage proposal.
3. Try not to give your plans away by showing how nervous you are.

What You Need:

• A plan
• A location
• An engagement ring
• Lots of love

We Would like to inform you that we have shifted to a new destination

LIFE

Things in your life sometimes don't go the way you want them to.
You might get what you want and think that that's what
will make you happy, but then you are unhappy.
People like me, you, all of us, have a time in our lives
when we cannot deal with what we are going through.
That's where your true friends, the people you can trust,
come in. Use them wisely, that is what they are here for,
so never hurt your friends because when you really need them,
they might not want to be there

Thank you and I'm sorry are two of the most powerful words
at our command. The first can open the doors
to the heart and the latter to heal the wounds of the heart."

Experience is always the hardest teacher,
Because you take the test before you learn your lesson.

When opportunity knocks

A young man wished to marry the farmer's beautiful daughter. He went to the
farmer to ask his permission. The farmer looked at him and said, "Son, go
stand out in that field. I'm going to release three bulls, one at a time. If
you can catch the tail of any one of the three bulls, you can marry my
daughter."

The young man stood in the field awaiting the first bull. The barn door opened
and out came the biggest, meanest looking bull he had ever seen.. He decided
that one of the next bulls had to be a better choice than this one, so he ran
over to the side and let the bull pass through.

The barn door opened again. Unbelievable. He had never seen anything so big
and fierce in his life. It stood pawing the ground, it eyed him. Whatever the
next bull was like, it had to be a better choice than this one he thought. He
ran to the fence and let the bull pass through.

The door opened a third time. A smile came across his face. This was the
weakest bull he had ever seen. This one was his bull, he said to himself. As
the bull came running by, he positioned himself just right and jumped at just
the exact moment. He threw his hands to grab..... But alas..... The bull had no
tail.

Moral: Life is full of opportunities. Always grab the first one.
When you hire people who are smarter than you , you prove

The Law of Garbage Truck

One day, I hopped into a taxi and took off for the airport . We were driving in the right lane when suddenly, a black car, jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed the brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. I mean, was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck'

He explained, "Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. NEVER take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on with the routine life." Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...... 'Love the people who treat you right.. Pray for the ones who don't.'

A very rightly said quote: Life is 10% what you make and 90% how you take!!!!

Visualise your Goal

Visualise your Goal

The Catalina Island is twenty-one miles away from the coast of California, and many people have taken the challenge to swim across it.

On July 4th 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the water off Catalina Island to swim across to the California coast. She started well and on course, but later fatigue set in, and the weather became cold.

She persisted, but fifteen hours later, numb and cold, she asked to be taken out of the water.

After she recovered, she was told that she had been pulled out only half a mile away from the coast. She commented that she could have made it, if the fog had not affected her vision and she would have just seen the land.

She promised that this would be the only time that she would ever quit.

She went back to her rigorous training. And two months later she swam that same channel. The same thing happened. The fatigue set in, and the fog obscured her view, but this time she swam with faith and vision of the land in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind the fog was land.

She succeeded and became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. She even broke the men’s record by two hours.

SUCCESS PRINCIPLES

When you set your goal, keep pressing on even when you are tired, physically and mentally, and even though there are many challenges ahead.

Keep the vision of your goal crystal clear before you and never, never, never… give up!

See the reaching, commit to it, and you will surely see your goal realized.

A very touching one indeed...!!!

But I know many of you will have only one thought in mind “who will read such a big mail”. It doesn’t matter for me as I feel atleast one of you understand and this will be move forward to enlighten someother’s life. Just think for a moment what you are doing for others in your busy life.

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?'
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued... 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'
Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball.... Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father Ialso understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'
Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.
Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!
Run to first!'
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!
Shay, run to third!'
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team
'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.
Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
AND NOW A LITTLE FOOT NOTE TO THIS STORY:

We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.

The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the 'natural order of things.'
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats it's least fortunate amongst them.

Miracle

“Everybody has something special inside of them;
sometimes we need someone or something to
happen for us to know. It only takes one person
to say thank you, or one person to say that
you've made a difference for that special thing
to come out. Anybody can be a hero, if you listen to
someone else in their time of need,
you are a hero. There's no set definition of a hero,
anybody can be one by being a selfless,
wonderful friend."
We never know what miracles are right in front of us!
Remember, often times, things are not
as they seem to be. Things can change
instantly with a 'change' of perception.

Remember: “Every miracle begins with a problem."

LIFE

"The reality of life is that your perceptions - right or wrong - influence everything else you do. When you get a proper perspective of your perceptions, you may be surprised how many other things fall into place."

Good morning

Sometimes in life, you find a special friend...
Someone who changes your life just by being part of it...
Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop...
Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world.
Someone who convinces you that
there really is an unlocked door just waiting for you to open it......

“An arrow can be sent forward only by pulling it back. So when life is pulling

you backwards, it means it’s going to launch you to a victory!"
"Hold on to what you want, as well as believe in.”

Happiness is not something u postpone 4 the future.
It’s something u design 4 the present.
Make each moment a happy one.
I just did it by remembering U!

When asked what forgiveness is
A little girl gives the beautiful answer
"Forgiveness is the sweet scent that a flower
gives when it is crushed"

If a drop of water falls on lake, it loses its identity.
If it falls on a rose, it shines.
If it falls on a shell, it becomes a pearl.
The drop is the same, but the company matters.

MAY BE…

Maybe. . we were supposed to meet the
wrong people before meeting the right
one so that, when we finally meet the
right person, we will know how to be
grateful for that gift.

Maybe . . . it is true that we don't
know what we have until we lose it,
but it is also true that we don't know
what we have been missing until it
arrives.

Maybe . . . the brightest future will
always be based on a forgotten past;
after all, you can't go on
successfully in life until you let go
of your past mistakes, failures and
heartaches.

Maybe . . you should hope for enough
happiness to make you sweet, enough
trials to make you strong, enough
sorrow to keep you human, and enough
hope to make you happy.

Maybe . . . the happiest of people
don't necessarily have the best of
everything; they just make the most of
everything that comes along their way.

Maybe .. . . the best kind of friend is
the kind you can sit on a porch and
swing with, never say a word, and then
walk away feeling like it was the best
conversation you've ever had.

Maybe . . . happiness waits for all
those who cry, all those who hurt, all
those who have searched, and all those
who have tried, for only they can
appreciate the importance of all the
people who have touched their lives.

May be . . you should do something nice
for someone every single day, even if
it is simply to leave them alone.

Maybe . . . there are moments in life
when you miss someone -- a parent, a
spouse, a friend, a child -- so much
that you just want to pick them from
your dreams and hug them for real, so
that once they are around you
appreciate them more.

Maybe … giving someone all your love
is never an assurance that they will
love you back. Don't expect love in
return; just wait for it to grow in
their heart; but, if it doesn't, be
content that it grew in yours.

Maybe .. . . you should dream what you
want to dream; go where you want to
go, be what you want to be, because
you have only one life and one chance
to do all the things you dream of, and
want to do.

"Life is only travelled ONCE;
Today’s MOMENT becomes Tomorrow’s MEMORY.
Enjoy every moment, good or bad, because the GIFT of LIFE is LIFE itself…."