CHANCE !

You take chances
once too many times.
As a child you think -
"Oh no, never me."
Life is a gift,
Given and taken at some
Unknown time.
When your time comes
your life ends in a flash.
The fun you shared,
The joy you brought,
All just a memory -
Left behind.

She walks in beauty

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

Gone with the Wind

Well ’Gone with the Wind’ is a classic and a good reader must once read it. The love story is great. The way she falls in love and the different stages of love are truly splendid. But each character in the story is too broadly described. Almost five to ten pages per character, which makes the book gradually boring. When one tries to read a story, one must remember the story from the beginning to move forward in the plot, but in this particular book the characters are so broadly described the one forgets the main theme of the story and gradually looses interest. The main character in the book, the girl is described too often and her relationships are also defined too elaborately. More over the elaboration of the scenes and the scenic beauty and the different events is stretched vastly. All in all its character description is what which makes it a bit boring.

This is a story of love, of loss, and of courage. It is by far the greatest story ever written. Set in the backdrop of the American Civil War in the eighteen century, it tells the story of the Southern belle, Scarlett O'Hara. We follow Scarlett from her carefree childhood, into a war that causes nothing but pain and fear. We watch Scarlett get married three times, each time to men that she doesn't believe that she loves. We see Scarlett as she loses it all, and vows to get it all back. And she does. We see the glory of the old south resurrected in this timeless classic.

Here two aspects ran parallel, beautifully interwoven. On the broader aspect it depicted a resistance of the Southerners, living in the realm of 19th -century kingly ideas, to grow up to the maturity of equal status of Mankind. In the parallel plane it showed the inner journey of the immature Scarlett to accept her own persona and the realities of life. Both the struggles were painful and prolonged- spanned through the entire period of the bloody civil war. Gone with the wind is the story of a time when gallantry was the ultimate virtue for American men and women needed an escort while courting a man.

This novel was indeed captivating throughout from the first page to the last page and was highly recommended to those who love to read romance stories. Gone with the Wind is not a quick read - it's over 1000 pages long when unabridged. I understand if it is purposefully overlooked for something else. If you're a reader, challenge yourself. If you're not as much of a reader, try an abridged version. The movie is good - the book is better. It is riveting. It is a good picture of Georgia and the Southern United States during the latter part of the 1800's. I recommend this book highly.

Silence builds an awful wreckage of a girl
It feeds on loneliness and creates a void
Gray shadows haunt and torment and torture
A teenager is stricken and destroyed

There is no sound of laughter or happiness here
The little one has thrown in the towel today
Somber, melancholy moods decay the soul
It is futile to hope and dream and pray

Emptiness builds a home in this woman
In this girl, this child where hollows have bred
A deepening sea of nowhereness consumes
And eats away at every connecting thread

Confusion feeds like a savage inside her,
Leaving nothing considered worthy remains
Destined to walk through life less ordinary
Alone, exiled, different and disdained.

EVERYTHING HAS ITS SEASON

As a child, I was taught that everything had a season. There is a time and purpose for everything we do. There is a reason for everything that we say. Everything in life has a cause and effect. I believe that God puts you through a series of test to see whether or not you can endure that obstacle. It is up to you whether you can go through the obstacles with your head held high or waver in disbelief.

One thing that we can be sure of in life is that everyone has a time to live and everyone has a time to die. This is the cycle of life. Everyone goes through there obstacles in life. What you do during that tribulation and how you react after that tribulation affects your soul and your lifeline.

There is a time of love, a time to hate, a time of war, and a time of peace. There is a time to cast away and a time to gather together. But most importantly, there is a time to speak and a time to keep silence. In the stillness and silence, you are allowed to hear listen objectively because there is peace even in the silence.

So as you go through your obstacles, people will try to bring you down. As you go through your obstacles, stones will be thrown at you. As you go through your obstacles, people will talk about behind your back or maybe to your face. As you go through your obstacles, people will say things that try to bring you down to make they feel better. As you go through your obstacles, you may stumble. As you go through your obstacles, you may fall...

But once you stand, get through your obstacles; you will understand the stones that were cast at you. You will remember the people who talked about you or maybe to your face. You will remember yourself stumbling and you picking yourself back up. You will remember that god was right there all along. You will remember the battle made you stronger.

Most importantly, when people try to bring you down, you will smile to yourself and think that today may be your time to get through your obstacles. However, tomorrow will be the time when you have gotten through your obstacles. Thus, next week will be their season.

Everything has a season. It is how you deal with that particular season that will show your true character, your true self, and your true soul. There are only two people that you get your grade from. You and the Lord!

To everything there is a season and

A time to every purpose under the heaven.

A time to be born and

A time to die.

A time to plant and

A time to pluck up that which is planted.

A time to kill and

a time to heal.

A time to break down and

a time to build up.

A time to weep and

a time to laugh.

A time to mourn and

a time to dance.

A time to cast away stones and

A time to gather stones together.

A time to embrace and

a time to refrain from embracing.

A time to get and

A time to lose.

A time to keep and

a time to cast away.

A time to rend and

a time to sew.

a time to keep silence and

a time to speak.

A time to love and

a time to hate.

A time of war and

a time of peace.

WALK YOUR TALK

Can you say you walk the talk???

I had this quote for quite some time as a reminder to me to be consistent.

This message means: Be who you say you are at all times, in public and in private. Be a walking example of the philosophy you expound, not just sometimes but at all times. If you say you are an honest person, be scrupulously so. You know what I mean...don't cheat anyone when it comes to money, to work done, to pulling your weight, to taking responsibility, to gossiping.

Others are watching and listening. They notice when we don't live up to what we say we believe in. It's a matter of integrity. I heard a woman recently promote her acrylic nail and manicure business at a networking evening. I was sitting next to her and glanced at her fingernails. They were short, unattractive and completely different to what I expected. If you say you are good at doing other's fingernails you had better be the best living example around.

I have heard salesmen describe the golden rules of giving good customer service and then have seen them treat clients with disdain. I have noticed a man telling his boss what a dedicated employee he is but I know that he steals stationery from the company.

Walking your talk is a matter of having integrity. Of course we are tested on this. I often think we have the equivalent of a line in the sand to negotiate each day. On one side of the line is our list of what we stand for. On the other side is the ocean. Small and large waves can roll in and wash away our line and our good intentions very quickly.

Each situation, personally and in business, calls for us to be on the dry side of our line in the sand. Position the line so that this is possible. If you know that you are too close to the vagaries of life and the ocean, move your beliefs to firmer and dryer land. When the waves of temptation assail us, and they will, stand firm.

If it means saying "no" to money, power, influence or offered friendship which have their foundations in wet sand, know that a day of reckoning has arrived.

I can assure you it is much easier to walk your talk than not. Then and only then are you authentic. You don't need to live a lie. You don't need to remember the complexities of your lie. You don't need to make excuses. What you say and what you do will be easy. It will be automatic. It will give you a sense of pride and deep satisfaction.

Live up to what you say you believe in and be a living, breathing, walking example of the best of you, always.

If you don't take control of your life, don't complain when others do. - Beth Mende Conny

आयुष्य खूप सुंदर आहे

आयुष्य खूप सुंदर आहे,
सोबत कुणी नसलं तरी,
एकट्यानेच ते फुलवत रहा,
वादळात सगळं वाहून गेल,
म्हणुन रडत बसू नका,
वेगळ अस काही, माझ्यात खास नाही असं म्हणून उदास होऊ नका
मृगाकडे कस्तुरी आहे,
फुलात गंध आहे,
सागराकडे अथांगता आहे,
माझ्याकडे काय आहे, असं म्हणून रडू नका,
अंधाराला जाळणरा एक सूर्य तुमच्यातही लपला आहे.
आव्हाहन करा त्या सूर्याला!!!!! मग उगवेल तो तुमच्या आयुष्यात नवीन क्षितिज घेऊन.
अंधारामय रात्र संपवून सोनेरी किरणांनी सजून
मग रोजच उगवेल एक नवी सकाळ,
उत्साह ध्येयाने भारुन म्हणून.........
आयुष्य खूप सुंदर आहे,
सोबत कुणी नसल तरी
एकट्यानेच ते फुलवत रहा |