Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Quotes on Hope

Hope has been the prime reason that man has survived all these years. But, for the thought of "my dreams will come true some day," we wouldn't be here in this Digital Age. "Hope is the sustenance of Life," as Eric Fromm, US psychologist, said. We sleep with the thought that we'll wake up next morning. We welcome dusk with the hope that the sun will rise tomorrow. Hope is the lifeline for humans in despair.

Hope is like a bird that senses dawn and carefully starts to sing while it is still dark.
Anonymous

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.
Dale Carnegie

Our past is not our potential.
Unknown

Never talk defeat. Use words like hope, belief, faith, victory.
Norman Vincent Peale

Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.
Anonymous

Love lives on hope, and dies when hope is dead; It is a flame which sinks for lack of fuel.
Pierre Corneille

He who does not hope to win has already lost.
Jose Joaquin Olmedo

The miserable have no other medicine But only hope.
William Shakespeare

Know then, whatever cheerful and sereneSupports the mind, supports the body too: Hence, the most vital movement mortals feelIs hope, the balm and lifeblood of the soul.
John Armstrong, Art of Preserving Health

Expect to have hope rekindled. Expect your prayers to be answered in wondrous ways. The dry seasons in life do not last. The spring rains will come again Sarah Ban Breathnach Simple Abundance: If it were not for hopes, the heart would break.
Thomas Fuller

Practice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit.
Norman Vincent Peale

For hope is but the dream of those that wake.
Matthew Prior

But what is Hope? Nothing but the paint on the face of Existence; the least touch of truth rubs it off, and then we see what a hollow-cheeked harlot we have got hold of.
Lord Byron, English poet

If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.
Martin Luther King

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am for myself only, what am I?
If not now, when?
Eric Fromm, psychologist

When the world says, "Give up,"Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
Anonymous

Hope Proverbs

One who has health has hope, and one who has hope has everything.
Arabic Proverb

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
English Proverb

Hope is the physician of each misery.
Irish Proverb

Hope dies last
Mexican Proverb

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill, British Priminister

Hope" is the thing with feathers –That perches in the soul –And sings the tune without the words –And never stops – at all
Emily Dickinson, poet

He who has never hoped can never despair.
George Bernard Shaw, British Playwright in Caesar and Cleopatra

Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
Corrie ten Boom

Your hopes, dreams and aspirations are legitimate. They are trying to take you airborne, above the clouds, above the storms, if you only let them.
William James

Hope never abandons you, you abandon it.
George Weinberg

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Parenting Tips for Teaching Your Children Right from Wrong

How often do we hear a child say, "Mummy Jennie is not giving me her toys, but when she comes home she plays with my toys." A child does seem to know rights and wrongs. This he actually learns by watching parents, elders, neighbours and relatives. And possibly television and movies.

Teach 'em early
Children must be taught morals from their formative years when much of life's vital learning takes place. If parents take care to steady the child's values he will grow up straight. Else he'll become like the angled plant which can't be straightened later.

Set examples
The best way to teach children what's right and wrong is by practicing those values you want to instill. When you don't quarrel, get angry or hurl abuses, he knows that it's the approved behaviour. Let them learn from the way you behave with your spouse and others.

Even if you are upset or in a mood to hurl abuses at your spouse, hold yourself when the child is around. Try postponing the issue and dealing with it when your child has gone out to play. That way you'll ensure that the child understands morals when you talk about them.

Practice what you preach
One day when a friend of mine admonished her child for walking into the house with her slippers on, the child shot back saying, "But even you came inside yesterday with your slippers on." Needless to say the mother was stunned to silence, more so because I was there. This happens to most parents. Remember, children don't forget certain things. If you say something and act to the contrary, the child believes that there's isn't much of a problem doing the same.
Be consistent
Sometimes when parents are busy they tend to overlook a fault in the child. Parents must be consistent with the values that they seek to inculcate in their children. One parent admonishing the child for a wrong and the other condoning it for the same does a lot of damage to the child's psychology.
Worse still is another common mistake of parents. To argue with each other when a child is spanked by one of them. The child will be perplexed not knowing which is right and which is wrong.

Reward good behaviour
"That's like a good boy. Well done!" Well, this is exactly what the child needs. Little praises when he is on the right side. Children tend to learn faster when there's pleasure attached to it. When you reward him you not only boost his confidence, but also subtly tell him that good behaviour makes him acceptable, loving to all around him. Every child loves to belong.

At times you've got to be tough
When I took my child to the family physician one day, my little one after the doctor's examination wanted to be picked up but I asked her to sit on the chair for sometime since I was listening to the doctor's advice. My daughter cried and sat on the floor yelling all the while. For a moment I intended to pick her up but the doctor was cool, "No.. don't…leave her there.. she'll soon learn that stubbornness doesn't pay… then she'll quietly come back to you". That was an important lesson I learnt. Don't give in to everything.

Violence isn't the answer
Spare the rod and spoil the child, you did read when you were young. But, remember, lashing the child for every little wrong only breeds contempt for you. The child could build such resentment inside that everything you say will be discounted. Worse still, the child may begin to think that violence is might. And that it's the way to dominate over others. And soon you'll find him threatening, bullying and picking up fights regularly. You need to be patient with kids, because they are kids, not adults.

Stimulate their thoughts
Whenever you tell them a story ask them a moral question that sets their minds ticking. For example, if you were narrating the story of the Hare and the Tortoise, ask them why the hare lost. Let them come up with their explanations. In the end tell them the true reason. And teach them that being slow and steady in everything you do ensures success.

Teaching your children right from wrong
The best to teach is to
a. Set an example.
b. Be consistent in your behaviour.
c. Openly talk about values.
d. Reward good behaviour.
e. Use Characters in stories, movies and TV serials to drive home your point.
f. Attach a pleasure to practicing good behaviour.
g. Stop giving into everything.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Epitaph on Friendship

Remember friends as you pass by,
As you are now so once was I.
As low as I you once must be,
Prepare yourself and follow me.

19th Century epitaph

Monday, September 15, 2008

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Cute Honeymoon Tip

Go to a place where you're not going to be stressed, because a honeymoon itself can be a stressful thing. But the wonderful thing about a honeymoon is traveling with someone you love who you can share experiences with. Just don't go to a place where everything is too expensive...it'll put your husband in a bad mood.


Diane von Furstenberg, Fashion Designer

Motivational Words for Children

How should I best talk to
my daughter about this?
I'd rather she never knew
that such depravity
existed – especially now,
at 15! But, talk we had to
do, and our conversation
went quickly to the
subject of good and evil,
acknowledging that the
human spirit can sink into
evil using holocaust
parallels.

We Are The New Civilization.
We are here.
We are waking up now, out of the past, to dream a bigger dream.
We are friends and equals.
We are diverse and unique, and we’re united for something bigger than our differences.
We believe in freedom and cooperation, abundance and harmony.
We find our own guidance, and we discern our own truth.
We go in many directions, and yet we refuse to disperse.
We have many names. We speak many languages.
WE are local. We are global.
We are in all regions of the world. We’re everywhere in the air.
We are universe being aware of itself. We are the wave of evolution.
We are in every child’s eyes. We face the unknown with wonder and excitement.
We are messengers from the future, living in the present.
We come from silence, and we speak our truth.
We cannot be quieted, because our voice is within everyone.
We have no enemies. No boundaries can hold us.
We respect the cycles and expressions of nature, because we are nature.
We don’t play to win, we play to live and learn.
We act out of inspiration, love and integrity.
We explore, we discover, we feel, and we laugh.
We are building a world that works for everyone.
We endeavor to live our lives to the fullest potential.
We are independent, self-sufficient and responsible.
We relate to each other in peace, with compassion and respect, we unite in community.
We celebrate the wholeness within and around us all.
We dance to the rhythm of creation.
We weave the threads of the new times.
We are the new civilization.

Annie B. Bond

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Art of developing relationships

Well because we tend to project the unexpressed parts of ourself, the unaccepted parts of ourself out onto the other person and we keep trying to get them to change so that we'll be happy.



And really what the value of a relationship is, is to reflect back and mirror back to us the parts of ourself we haven't integrated love in order to express fully.



So, if we learn that then we can create a great relationship so that when my wife, I, you know, "is making me angry," I really look inside and say "Well what is it about me that I'm rejecting in her that I need to clean up?" And if I can do that, then the relationship becomes a fabulous place to grow and a fabulous place for fulfillment.



Jack Canfield, famous author of CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL, on LARRY KING LIVE

Motivational Self Discovery Words

To know oneself is not, indeed, to discover and describe an object that is itself, it is to arouse in oneself a hidden life. Consciousness reveals to me powers that it sets in motion. For me it is at once an analysis and a bringing to light.
Louis Lavelle

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

True Love Words

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.
Saint Exupery


Finding True Love
Sun Rise



The grey began to fade,

As the colours filled the sky,

The chill began to warm,

As the sun began to rise.



A lost girl found direction,

As the eastern orb rose high,

The dark sky turned to blue,

Like the colour of his eyes.



Dark turned to light,

Grey turned to blue,

Lost became found,

That's when I met you.

Keri Jolly

Monday, September 8, 2008

Optimism wins

An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere. The pessimist sees only the red light. But the truly wise person is color blind.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.
Helen Keller

Friday, September 5, 2008

Motivational words on confidence

The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one's destiny to do, and then do it.
Henry Ford, Inspiring American Industrialist

The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear.
William Jennings Bryan

Managing Fears of Child Positively

Almost every child exhibits fear of some kind. And parents must understand positively that this is quite normal.

Little children are very dependent on parents and feel inadequate to handle certain situations. They may imagine strange noises, scream at the shadows or be scared to death of ghosts. Most parents deal with it in two ways. “Oh, Akshay you aren’t afraid of that. Are you? or “Don’t act like a pussy. You aren’t a child anymore.” The pep talk and the shaming do more harm than good. Infact it adds to the agony of the child that he has to loose parental respect or love because of his fears. This couldn’t instil inner conflicts in the child.

Telling a child that its normal goes a long way towards solving this problem, “Its just normal. Even I was afraid of strange noises when I was young.” This reassures the child that his feelings aren’t abnormal. Better still hold his hands, take him onto you lap and calm him before trying to reason with his fears.

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal
- Henry Ford

Among the common fears in children is fear of separation. Since they are so dependent on parents, pre-schoolers often think their parents would leave them and go away. This may result in clinging to the mother, because she is the one who spends most of the time with the child. Parents may find it so irritating that they can’t go out even for a minute, leaving the child at home. Many parents compound this by threatening, “If you behave like t his one day I’ll leave you here and go out.” This will confirm to the child its fears that the parent will go away.

Instead one should comfort the child and later tell the child that you love it so much and you’re away just for an hour. And that you’d come back and play with her or take her to the garden. Psychologists say this is a deeper feeling than you think. Jealousy and rivalry with one the parents for the affection of t he other is often the actual cause. But, that is too complicated for most of us to understand.

Many children are scared of dogs. Much of this fear stems from parental instructions on dogs and at times a parent’s own fears are transmitted to the child. The best way to handle this would be to deal with it matter-of-factly. And put his anxieties to rest. Would getting a dog home actually calm his fears? Well, it may or may not. Since most of the time fear of dogs is just a manifestation of a deeper inner conflict.

Fear of darkness is a universal problem. Children may wet in their beds or wake up three to four times at night asking for water. Don’t be peeved or over-excited about this. Calm his nerves and put him to sleep. “There’s really nothing to worry dear.” Switch on the light for him to see. Leave the light on for some time to reassure him. A dim light would be advisable in the bedroom.

Starting to school and the arrival of a sibling at home creates fear in many children. Parents have to be understanding about the anxieties of the older child and not criticize or be judgemental about his feelings. Let the child be reassured that his feelings are perfectly normal. At the same time you should help the child realize that going to school is fun, so is having a younger brother or sister.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Motivational Words from Maya Angelou

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life".

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

Maya Angelou, poet, educator, historian, best selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, on the Oprah Winfrey Show

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Positive Goal Setting

We’re not saying it only takes a minute to manage. We’re saying to take an extra minute to make sure people are clear on goals, take an extra minute to catch them doing something right, take an extra minute to reprimand or redirect them when they get off track.
Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D., award-winning speaker and business consultant. Author of The One Minute Manager

Monday, September 1, 2008

Motivational Quote on Inner Peace

We often unconsciously resist this kind of "positive thinking", because we know it is not based on confronting the reality of our situation. Deep inside, we resist because letting go means accepting a situation we find unacceptable.

Inner peace stems from a sense of knowing who you really are: You have asked ourselves the difficult questions. You have listened to our yown answers, deep inside. You accept them.
Proactive Coach