FORTIFYING THE FRAGILENESS IN OUR LIVES....

THE TRAGEDY OF LIFE IS NOT DEATH, BUT WHAT WE LET DIE INSIDE OF US WHILE WE
LIVE.
-Anonymous
To live happier and more fulfilling lives, we must keep shifting our perspective when we encounter a difficult circumstance, and continually ask ourselves, “Is there a wiser, more enlightened way of looking at this seemingly negative situation?
Ponder for a while!..Are the problems or challenges you might currently be facing really as serious as you perceive them?
“You are not here to merely make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand. I’ll make you this promise: on your deathbed, in the dusk of your life, it will not be all the risks you took that you will regret the most. Rather, what will fill your heart with the greatest amount of regret and sadness will be all those risks that you did not take, all those opportunities you did not seize and all those fears you did not face. Remember that on the other side of fear lies freedom. And stay focused on the timeless success principle that says: “life is nothing more that a game of numbers – the more risks you take, the more rewards you receive.”
One of the deepest of all the human hungers is the need to be understood, cherished and honored. Yet, in the fast – paced days we live in, too many people believe that listening involves nothing more than waiting for the other person to stop talking. And to make matters worse, while that person is speaking, we are all too often using that time to formulate our own response, rather than empathizing with the point being made. Taking the time to truly understand another’s point of view shows that you value what he has to say and care about him as a person

“Anyone can become angry – that’s easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way – that is not easy,” taught Aristotle. With all the stress and pressure in our lives, it is easy to lose our cool at the slightest irritation. While we are rushing home from work at the end of another exhausting day, we scream at the slow driver in front of us who apparently has all the time in the world. While we shop at the grocery store, we get annoyed with the stock clerk who sends us to the wrong aisle . And while we have dinner, we yell at the telemarketer who has the nerve to interrupt us in an attempt to tell about his customer care sevices.

Tough times call for cool people and they are always cool and calm when the pressure is on. Keeping your cool in a moment of crisis can save you years of pain and anguish. Hurtful words unleashed in a single minute of anger have led to many a broken friendship. Words are like arrows: once released, they are impossible to retrieve. So choose yours with care

When we hate our enemies, we are giving them power over us: power over our sleep, our appetites, our blood pressure, our health, and our happiness. Our enemies would dance with joy if only they knew how they were worrying us, slashing us and getting even with us! Our hate is not hurting them, but our hate is turning our own days and nights into a hellish turmoil. Who do you suppose said this: "If selfish people try to take advantage of you, cross them off your list, but don't try to get even. When you try to get even, you hurt yourself more than you hurt the other fellow"? ...One sure way to forgive and forget our enemies is to become absorbed in some cause infinitely bigger than ourselves. Then the insults and the enmities we encounter won't matter because we will be oblivious of everything but our cause…
So when you are kicked and criticised, remember that it is often done because it gives the kicker a feeling of importance. It often means that you are accomplishing something and are worthy of attention. Many people get a sense of savage satisfaction out of denouncing those who are better educated than they are or more successful. Instead of waiting for our enemies to criticise us or our work, let's beat them to it. Let's be our own most severe critic. Let's find and remedy all our weaknesses before our enemies get a chance to say a word. And understand that if you have failed more than others, there is a very good chance you are living more completely than others. Those who take more chances and dare to be more and do more than others will naturally experience more failures.

Often, we perceive in others the weakness we most need to address within ourselves. Stop blaming and condemning. Accept complete responsibility for the way things are and resolve to work and changing yourself before seeking to change others. This is one of the truest measures of a person of strong character. As Erica Jong said, “Take your life into your hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame.

We live in an age where we have conquered the highest of mountains but have yet to
master our selves. We have taller buildings but shorter tempers, more possessions but less happiness, fuller minds but emptier lives.
Do not wait until you are on your deathbed to realize the meaning of life and the protagonist role you had to play within it. All too often, people attempt to live their lives backwards: they spend their days striving to get the things that will make them happy rather than having the wisdom to realize that happiness is not a destination to reach rather a state to create. Happiness and a life of deep fulfillment come when you commit yourself, from the very core of your soul, to spending your highest human talents on a purpose that makes a difference in others’ lives. When we fortify all the frailness in ourselves, the true meaning of life will be clear : to live for something more than yourself. Stated simply, the purpose of life is a life of purpose.

We walk this planet for such a short time. In the overall scheme of things, our lives are mere blips on the canvas of eternity. So have the wisdom to enjoy the journey and savor the process.