GOD IS GOOD; ALWAYS

It’s fairly early still, this new day has just begun and I think, from what I see in these early hours it is going to be one of those gorgeous days that is filled with warmth and renewal and new life that comes with the spring after the bitterness of winter storms and struggles when life is filled with slippery paths and ever present dangers. 

The sun rose brilliant over the mountaintops, its rays filtering down through the canopy of leaves in their springtime green gowns, crowned in jade and emerald with touches of olivine.  It is wonderful to wake up and see a new day, new dawning come to life and spread its light into the darkness.

I watched the sun (or was it the Son) spread light across the newly planted fields that glittered after last night’s rain and the light spread its way into the village casting what seemed a zillion sparkling diamonds on the river as it rippled its way through the heart of the village.  I heard the birds begin to sing their morning praises and watched a couple of squirrels skitter down from somewhere in the high branches of the old oak in my back yard.  They almost bounced onto my deck and then froze.  They weren’t expecting me and I startled them.  I didn’t move.  I just watched and took a sip of my morning coffee.  Their goal had been a visit to the bird feeder at the opposite end of the deck but there are no treats there now.  Of course they were going to check it out anyhow, just in case.  It looked like a good and promising path they had chosen. 

Though I think they must know I won’t hurt them they didn’t chance skittering by me.  In a flash they were gone in the opposite direction to show up again on the stone wall across the yard from my deck.  They scolded a bit and I went inside and cut up an apple and spread it with just a skimming of peanut butter and a sprinkle of chopped walnuts.  They didn’t get all of it.  I kept three sections for myself.  Carrying the pieces of apple outside, I put them on the stone wall and went back to the deck to watch and wait and enjoy these quiet and peace filled hours of this new day.  I didn’t have to wait long.  The squirrels were back and happy with their morning feast. 

I really shouldn’t do that; feed the squirrels, this time of year.  God provides well for His creatures.  There is plenty for them to eat.  I enjoy their company though so now and then I slip them a special treat and it makes me happy to see them enjoy it.  As that thought crossed my mind it was quickly followed by another; God enjoys our company too and now and then He gives us a special treat, something really good we are not expecting.  God is good, always and always provides for us when we need it, and gives of His store house according to our need.  My birdfeeders are empty now.  I don’t feed the birds from spring through autumn.  They don’t need me now or my handouts.  Everything they need is all around them.  All they have to do is go get it.  

I will soon be placing some potted plants in them for the summer and fall, until winter comes again.  I really don’t want to tempt the skunks, raccoons and possum to my dooryard along with other possible creatures from the wild.  As much as I enjoy watching these creatures that venture into town from the wild, they don’t belong in the village.  They could get hurt and they could hurt us.  Sometimes we don’t belong on the path we have chosen either and if we continue on that path we can get hurt, no so unlike the wildlife that venture into the village tempted by thoughts of something better and their own way. 

“I slipped them a special treat;” those words seemed to hang in the air around me as I watched this new day come to life.  God had slipped me a special treat this morning too, sort of like I did with the squirrels, only better.   This morning shed new light, a different point of view, new perspective.  I’m thankful, more than words can ever express.  God is good, always, even when we think life is bad.

My life lately has been filled with a lot of sadness; I’ve been deeply grieving and have gone through and still am facing a lot of fears, intimidation and having to be confronted with gossip and emotional hardships.  I’m seeing a lot of hate and anger going on and have felt like my life is shrouded and suffocating beneath a heavy shroud of gloom and doom, not knowing what tomorrow may bring; hoping for the best but anticipating even greater sorrows before all this comes to end.  I’m seeing loved ones being terribly hurt, a hurt that seems nearly unbearable and a situation that is so unnecessary if people would lay down their greed and jealousy, use some common sense, look in the mirror and quit playing the blame-game.  The gossip, the rumors, the vile tongue, the false accusations, the bold faced lies and twisting of the truth, the slander and stalking, the bullying are overwhelming. 

I’ve been feeling crushed beneath the weight of it all. Feel like I am drowning in the tears being shed with nothing I can do to stop the onslaught and it has little to nothing to do with me personally, directly, just with those I love unconditionally.  All I can do is continue to love them despite all that is going on.

Thinking about this as the morning spread out its light before me I couldn’t help but think how God must feel as He watches us; all those things we do that cause Him to grieve not so different from my own grief.  He loves us unconditionally, despite our mistakes, the wrong things we do.  He doesn’t like the wrong but He still loves us very much and God is always good and blesses us and gives to us even in the bad times, even when we do wrong.  He doesn’t like the wrong but He loves us, even those who are doing the evil that is causing us such pain.  How deeply it must hurt God to see His children ignoring Him, refusing to listen and behaving in such manner as we do, destroying, abandoning His blessings but scrambling for the special treat, putting want ahead of need, our selfishness first. 

I thought about these things as I watched those two squirrels.  Had they proceeded on their original path there would have been no reward at the end.  The feeders are empty.  Instead they used common sense, some discernment and didn’t confront the danger but avoided it by not following the path they were on.  Even though it wasn’t their way or maybe what they wanted in the beginning their needs were met by using common sense and they even got a special treat as well.

God has given us a new day filled with His light, a fresh start, a chance to do things right, follow the right path, make good and wise choices.  When we do that He provides for our every need, even a special treat now and then…But we need to keep our trust in Him and follow as He leads, not get caught up in the sorrows around us and not let the world around us trip us up or block our path and try to go it our own way.  There is danger lurking out there, pitfalls and snares we can get caught up in if we don’t follow the path God directs us on.  All we can do is help where we can, do our best and let God do the rest…get out of God’s way so He can bring forth that special treat, the happiness we hope for.  God knows where we need to be, what steps we should take and how to get there from here.  Sometimes we need to be like those squirrels, be discerning and not walk into a situation that has an ever present and possible danger staring you in the face where temptation lurks with its snares and traps and false promises.

God never said life would be easy or that we would not see sorrows and know pain but He did say we never have to go through it alone, that He is always with us and will guide us if we will follow Him.  God is always in control even when our life may seem out of control.  When we keep our trust in God we have nothing to fear, no matter what the world may throw at us however vile and humiliating it may be.  When we trust God, use common sense and a bit of discernment and listen to God, He provides all we need to get through each day, gives us the strength and courage to keep moving forward.  He fills us with hope and song. 

Life still may be tough and the walking rough but even in the darkest moments there is light that comes with each new dawn…and sometimes an apple with peanut butter and walnuts on it. God is good; always.

Q. How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

A. Concrete floors are very hard to crack! (UPSC Topper)

Q. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?

A. No time at all it is already built. (UPSC 23rd Rank Opted for IFS)

Q. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in the other hand, what would you have?

A. Very large hands. (Good one) (UPSC 11 Rank Opted for IPS)

Q. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?

A. you will never find an elephant with one hand. (UPSC Rank 14 Opted for IES)

Q. How can a man go eight days without sleep?

A. No Probs, He sleeps at night. (UPSC IAS Rank 98)

Q. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?

A. It will Wet or Sink as simple as that. (UPSC IAS Rank 2)

Q. What looks like half apple ?

A: The other half. (UPSC – IAS Topper )

Q. What can you never eat for breakfast?

A: Dinner.

Q. Bay of Bengal is in which state?

A: Liquid (UPSC 33 Rank)

Interviewer said “I shall either ask you ten easy questions or one really difficult question. Think well before you make up your mind!” The boy thought for a while and said, “my choice is one really difficult question.” “Well, good luck to you, you have made your own choice! Now tell me this.

“What comes first, Day or Night?”

The boy was jolted into reality as his admission depends on the correctness of his answer, but he thought for a while and said, “It’s the DAY sir!”

“How” the interviewer asked.

“Sorry sir, you promised me that you will not ask me a SECOND difficult question!”

He was selected for IIM!

Technical Skill is the mastery of complexity, while Creativity is the master of presence of mind.

This is a famous paper written for an Oxford philosophy exam, normally requiring an eight page essay answer and expected to be backed up with source material, quotes and analytical reasoning. This guy wrote the below answer and topped the exam!

OXFORD EXAMINATION BOARD 1987, ESSAY QUESTION

Question: What is courage? (50 Marks)

Answer (After 7 blank pages, at the end of the last page…): This is courage.

All rights reserved  as per original content developer

He faced many challenges and the most important is learning to trust other people again.

First of all stands his bravery that’s spread throughout the book.

David had to swim to Italy.  But before long he realized that it wasn’t so easy to swim for so long.  Several hours passed before he reached land.  David’s courage can clearly been seen when he rescues a girl from a burning shed.

“With all the bravery he could muster he sprang into the blazing fire.  He could see a little girl tied to a chair.  After coughing and cutting David finally carried the girl out of the burning shed.”

David is an open minded boy who does not have any background knowledge but in spite of that he is eager to learn new things and that’s how he manages to survive.  It took him such a long time to write such a short note to Maria.  David sat down and thought for a long time.  Then he wrote very very slowly and very carefully.

For the first time ever he had entered a church, he had wanted to for such a long time.  David crept quietly towards the priest.

“If it were someone praying, he wanted to listen, he might learn something.”

Through the book David has shown his best problem solving skills. He faced major difficulties but succeeded to find solutions.  On the ship that he had to go on “He found a corner where there were only a couple of sacks, and where he could stay well hidden even if someone came into the hold.

In another occasion, he had to stay awake all night in order to get on with his plan.  The stable was a wooden building.  His knife grew blunter.  But at last he managed to hack out a big square hole large enough to get through.

In Conclusion David is a very determind boy and for this reason he could survive the long journey through Europe.

David never gave up and at the end of the book managed to find his mother.

At the end of the day, you just comfort yourself by saying “just go with the flow”; although the question: Is it worthy? Do I miss something else? Stick to your mind all the time.

Well, there’s a simple experiment: “If you want something new to happen; do something that you’ve never done before”. The moment you say: it’s my first time you will grow as a person and can become a life long learner; besides, learning should not stop fromgraduation and having a work.

All first time feeling is a mixed emotion of joy, excitement, and fear. Keep in mind that all people feel the same way as you. The secret is COURAGE – “it is not the absence of fear; but having right judgments on things to conquer fear”. Try to accept the fact that new adjustment after trying something new will be awkward at first, but will be easier and good in time. Anyway, all of your favorites come from first time, remember?

Here is simple story:

One day, a Pencil and an Eraser are having a conversation. The Pencil said: Eraser, thank you for always correcting my mistakes, I really appreciate it; however, I’m sorry too; because every time you correct me, you’re being consumed little by little. So the Eraser replied: Oh! Common, it’s nothing. It is my honor to do my job; to correct is my purpose, if ever I’ll be gone in this world, I’ll leave with a big smile knowing that you have grown so well. Pencil: well, then I promise to refrain from committing mistakes, so we can be together for so long.

The commonly neglected to do is see yourself bigger than your mountain in front. Don’t focus on What IF I FAIL?

Yes, life is full of uncertainty; but the only key is TRUST – it should not only reside in mind but with heart. Give 100% trust to God and you can see that nothing is impossible despite of loosing trust to yourself and in others.

Here is a simple story:

A 3 year old boy is walking with his father in an overpass foot bridge, one rush hour, afternoon at Monumento. The father said: son, hold to me tightly so you can’t let go with the crowd; however, the son said in reply: Father, Kindly hold me instead of me, holding you; so if ever I can’t hold on, still I can’t be apart from you; because I know you will never let go of me.

Often human would always have a miserable life, because of too much confidence in self. Almost forgotten that he doesn’t own his life and everything his possession is only lend by God. Attachment to material things the world can offer and people around will never last. So to be able to survive, let him hold your hand to guide you all through out your journey. God is so much willing to walk with you and just waiting for so long. Let him be the driver of your life and you will be the happiest passenger of your time.

What’s on your mind? Do you know now? what something new you want to do? Think you are given all the opportunity, if you will not grab it now, when?

All of it is just waiting for you. Give yourself a break, there’s no harm in trying new things… you are given life to be happy.

For more inspiring articles, feel free to visit my FACE BOOK PAGE:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Articles-for-a-cause-read-and-help/241203122605818

Are you one of the person, who wonder why every time you wake up in the morning, you can’t distinguish Monday from Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday; Because it feels the same? There is no difference even though you’re at home, work or vacation? It seems your life is so busy yet boring, routine yet exhausted, and promoted yet no direction; and the worst reality is that, it’s not only in days and weeks; but for 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 years of living.

At the end of the day, you just comfort yourself by saying “just go with the flow”; although the question: Is it worthy? Do I miss something else? Stick to your mind all the time.

Well, there’s a simple experiment: “If you want something new to happen; do something that you’ve never done before”. The moment you say: it’s my first time you will grow as a person and can become a life long learner; besides, learning should not stop from graduation and having a work.

All first time feeling is a mixed emotion of joy, excitement, and fear. Keep in mind that all people feel the same way as you. The secret is COURAGE – “it is not the absence of fear; but having right judgments on things to conquer fear”. Try to accept the fact that new adjustment after trying something new will be awkward at first, but will be easier and good in time. Anyway, all of your favorites come from first time, remember?

Here is simple story:

One day, a Pencil and an Eraser are having a conversation. The Pencil said: Eraser, thank you for always correcting my mistakes, I really appreciate it; however, I’m sorry too; because every time you correct me, you’re being consumed little by little. So the Eraser replied: Oh! Common, it’s nothing. It is my honor to do my job; to correct is my purpose, if ever I’ll be gone in this world, I’ll leave with a big smile knowing that you have grown so well. Pencil: well, then I promise to refrain from committing mistakes, so we can be together for so long.

The commonly neglected to do is see yourself bigger than your mountain in front. Don’t focus on What IF I FAIL?

Yes, life is full of uncertainty; but the only key is TRUST – it should not only reside in mind but with heart. Give 100% trust to God and you can see that nothing is impossible despite of loosing trust to yourself and in others.

Here is a simple story:

A 3 year old boy is walking with his father in an overpass foot bridge, one rush hour, afternoon at Monumento. The father said: son, hold to me tightly so you can’t let go with the crowd; however, the son said in reply: Father, Kindly hold me instead of me, holding you; so if ever I can’t hold on, still I can’t be apart from you; because I know you will never let go of me.

Often human would always have a miserable life, because of too much confidence in self. Almost forgotten that he doesn’t own his life and everything his possession is only lend by God. Attachment to material things the world can offer and people around will never last. So to be able to survive, let him hold your hand to guide you all through out your journey. God is so much willing to walk with you and just waiting for so long. Let him be the driver of your life and you will be the happiest passenger of your time.

What’s on your mind? Do you know now, what something new you want to do? Think you are given all the opportunity, if you will not grab it now, when?

All of it is just waiting for you. Give yourself a break, there’s no harm in trying new things… you are given life to be happy.

For more inspiring articles, feel free to visit my FACE BOOK PAGE:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Articles-for-a-cause-read-and-help/241203122605818

The battle horn sounds

The army rises as the king calls

From the great halls to the marble fountains

As soon as the gates open

The army marches forth

Raise the banner, raise your hope

March on! To the north!

Hear the sound of the battle drums

Far across the mountains the bagpipes sound

We march forth before the enemy comes

We shall stand and defend our ground

I can see the fires in the distance

As the battle rages on for our lands

Hold your ground as we fight for our existence

Honour our ancestors with their blood on the snow and sand

Rally the battle call, for one last stand

People are afraid to TRY but to those who made it, it was worth a try. The answer to poverty is not just dreaming and to PLAN alone but rather to do what you’ve planned for. May you find no means to start it but as you go along, there are ways to put all your plans together. 

When I graduated college, my mind set was just to pass the licensure examination and to get a good jod but as I spent years with an employer, I realized I could have done better and I know there’s a way for me to do it. Then, I take time to plan and courage to take the step. 

Fortunately, I managed. That’s why I love to share good thoughts to people who really wanted to succeed. Life is indeed a battle to face but sometimes it pays to face it tough enough rather than staying at your comfort zone.

   How can we as a society improve ourselves? There are many answers to this question. There is acceptance, understanding, respect, and courage. These are just places where in we can begin to reshape society into something better than it currently is. Society, even with the polluted governments that we had before, was much better and much different than it is now. However, history as always, eludes the truth of the way things were.

   Modern society likes to believe that in the past we were very barbaric, that we had no sense of oneness and such that we have now. This however is not the case. Look at the Native Americans just a few hundred years ago. These people lived together, albeit they considered themselves tribes but that was mainly because they were wanderers. Those that believe the same thing and thought the same way were the ones who lived together. This made it easier for them to get along. They believed themselves one with the land they lived on. Taking only what they needed and giving everything back to the land. When they killed something they used every part of it that they could. It seems to me that we today are more barbaric than they were. We destroy the land around of us for pleasure. We use only parts of things and leave the rest to rot. We take from the land and each other and give nothing back, and generally we live around more people that we hate than we like. Is this better? Not by any means is it better, however we have been taught to think that it is, and so we act accordingly.

   The first thing society would have to do in order to improved would be learning acceptance. There must be acceptance of what we have become, where we are headed, the mistakes that we have made and will make, and most importantly acceptance of each other. Without realizing it society has become the very savages and barbarians that they want to say others have been or are. Society is made up of many diverse people, from different backgrounds, with different heritages, and most of all different ways of thinking. We call ourselves educated, yet we continually destroy the very planet on which we live. We develop weapons to make killing more efficient instead of making it something that takes time to learn and skill to be able to do. How much more barbaric and savage can we really get than that? We fight wars over grievances, resources, and just because we want to. In the past when wars were fought there was good reason for them. We stood up against oppression, we stood up for our beliefs, we stood up to be able to say our homes are ours and no one elses. Todays wars are more barbaric by comparison just in the reasons we use to start them in the first place. We cut down trees without replacing them, we wipe out entire species of animals because we are scared of them and refuse to try and learn about them, we do so much to take life and such away from our planet, including digging deep into the planet just to take stuff out of it for no better reason than it might make use more comfortable. We have to accept that all the things we hate, we have become or we are leading ourselves into. We are the barbarians, the savages, and whatever else you want call it. We are headed down a road that will cause everyone to start fighting each other because we cannot accept that we are a direct reflection of the planet on which we live. For hundreds of years we have been taught that our purpose on this planet is to dominate it, to rule it. Over all societies health is failing, people spend more time seeing doctors then not. We are always looking for the latest medical treatments and we have all sorts of diseases popping up for which we have no cure, only ways of prolonging the agony. Yet we wonder why this is. We have no acceptance of those of a different faith than us, or as is a more popular issue, homosexuals. Some might wonder why I bring that up, and it’s actually two fold. One is that homosexuals are what keeps the population from growing so out of proportion that the planet can no longer support it. The government and NASA have realized that the planet itself can only support so many more people before we become over crowded. That’s the reason the have been looking for other suitable planets that have supported or can support life. If we don’t find it, we will kill ourselves with over population. The second reason is that you see such things in nature all the time. It’s always been like that in nature and still is, so what is the real reason behind it being a problem, besides the fact there won’t be more people to make money off of, as if we don’t have enough of them already? We are the animals on the entire planet that have a problem with homosexuals. As a society we have killed them and done everything possible to try and stop it, and yet it still exists. Why is that unless it’s suppose to? We have to learn acceptance of all things in order for our society to even begin to make the step into being better than we are, and better than what we have ever been.

   The next thing we would have to do in order to create a better society is gain Understanding. The more we take the time to understand ourselves, the things going on around us, and each other the better off we will be. Understanding ourselves and our motivations for doing things can help us in making the better decision. For instance, knowing if we are doing something for ourselves or for other reasons can sometimes prevent us from making some of the mistakes that we commonly make. The same with understanding what’s going on around us. If we take the time to understand what’s around us and why, we can make better decisions about what to do to help change the long effects of what’s to happen. If you understood that no matter what you did, if you climbed into a car you would get into accident, would you still climb into the car? The same principal applies to everything. In the same way understanding the people your around can help you. If you knew that the person you just met and have been hanging out with could easily be someone who wants to steal your identity or any number of things. Understanding them could help you to better prevent things like this from happening. Just as understanding why your friend is sad could assist you in make them happier, or understanding why your child is mad could help you get them calm again. Until you have that understanding though, there’s no telling what could happen.

   This is the biggest one of them all. RESPECT. We all want to be respected, but how much respect do we actually give others? Do we bother trying to give the person behind the counter at the grocery store a little Respect? Or do we just ignore them? Respect for ourselves and others is something we tend to majorly ignore. We like to think that we have respect for ourselves, and we tend to think that we give respect to others, but how much do we actually give? Society as a whole needs to have more respect for one another. A little respect would keep a bully from being a bully. However we don’t have respect enough for ourselves, others, or our children to prevent things like bullying from happening. I know this subject tends to be one that has been popular in the media, at least where I live, lately with all the kids committing suicide because of being bullied. I was bullied personally when I was in school and I turned those same bullies into friends. I like to think I was able to help some of them. All I did was show them a little respect and friendship and it changed the way they treated myself and other people. Just a little RESPECT can go a very long way. Perhaps we should start examining our actions and try to be sure to show respect to others and the things they do, instead of snubbing them like most of us tend to do.

   Finally society needs courage. The same courage all of our forefathers had in seeking a change in the way the ruling class treated us. This is not the courage to jump of a canyon just because we think we can do it. This is the courage to stand up for what we believe is just and right. The courage to hold your ground regardless of what people may think of you. The courage to just be yourself. No person should fear being themselves. You parents have a problem with you? That’s their problem, not yours. Your boss doesn’t like you being outspoken? That’s his problem, not yours. I’m not saying that you should go crazy, but how many of you actually take action when you think something is wrong? Society could be a lot different if people just had the courage to stand up and do the right thing. I just probably have underlined courage, because you have to have courage to go through this article and apply the things needed in order to make a difference.

   Regardless of whether or not you like this article in it’s entirety, I hope it gives you something to think and hopefully something to work towards as well. Society as a whole needs a change, but the change always starts with one person. Each person has to become the change they want to see and to be able to pass it on to others.

Life is a yearn to reside, and better still a desire to reside joyously. As we strive to satisfy this yearns, we encounter obstacles that perplex or frustrate our efforts. This difficulty or annoyance allowances to pain because it stands in the way of satisfaction.

Wisdom is designed to help us contend with this suffering. It is an adaptive product of cause in the face of strong circumstances. Thanks to it, joyfulness is conceivable and achievable in spite of everything. It is thus the supreme good.

Actually, religion is a good that numerous grade equally high, since it serves the identical reason as wisdom, if distinctly. The difference lies in the way belief and wisdom depict suffering and characterize the meaning of life.

From the perspective of religion, pain betrays a state of worldly imperfection that is in contradiction with the human yearn for perfect joyfulness. Consequently, life here underneath – where humans are condemned to suffer – is absurd in itself. Or rather, life is significant strictly in terms of means to a fantastic end in the large after: A life of virtue organizes the way for an afterlife of bliss. The religious accept as true this in agreement with the teachings of an motivated religious foremost, who assertions to know the transcendental environment of the hereafter.

While personally I cast a skeptical eye on these teachings, I keep my brain open. They are highly doubtful, but the transcendental environment of their object places them after the come to of any discredit founded on conclusive clues.

anyhow, as I glimpse it, wisdom is independent of belief, though it can complement the latter. According to it, life in itself has significance, regardless of its imperfection that people can discover to accept. Better still, they can discover to worth this imperfection as they recognize that perfection, contrary to well liked conviction, is not infinitely attractive.

Indeed, flawless happiness leaves certain thing to be desired. By delineation, it omits pain and therefore all forms of complication or frustration. It supposes that attenuating factors are wholeheartedly favorable – that is, not strong in any way. Thus, no effort is essential while every dream is likely. At first glimpse, this noise like the most magnificent position imaginable, and yet taking another gaze at it will dispel this illusion.

What odd whim, in the annals of humankind, has compelled persons from every stroll of life to depart their cozy dwelling and embark on risky projects? Perhaps this whim is not so odd after all. A multitude of conquests have been made for the sheer joy of conquering against large odds. The operative phrase is pride, accompanied by exhilaration. To conquest-minded persons the infinite alleviate of heaven entails infinite boredom. To them life – simultaneously with the struggle that is integral to it – is the very thing that flawless happiness departs to be desired. It is an opportunity to verify courageous and victorious, though it is furthermore a risk of falling short painfully.

Joyfulness is about grasping this opportunity with bravery and profiting a victory over the obstacles that stand between us and achievement in all the activities that most issue to us. This victory is often strenuous and always restricted, precarious, and transitory, and we are bound to lose the battle in the end; but that makes the triumph all the more prized and worthy of savoring.

When endeavoring to characterize the undertakings in which we most care to do well, we are compelled to study our environment to know our reason. Our growing shrewd depends on this study and this information, leading to this definition. It begins with a perception of our animal will to endure, as survival is the base on which life, in the truly human sense, is constructed. The awareness of life in this sense follows. It takes into account both our humanity and our individuality, as constituents of society with specific flavors and abilities to which a broad variety of undertakings are matched.

The clearer we are about our reason, the more we can live our lives with conclusion and passion, and so with a larger possibility of doing well and accomplishing happiness. The reverse is equally factual. It thus stands to cause that in striving after wisdom we lay the groundwork for achievement and happiness.

Someone said “One of the greatest diseases is to be nobody to anybody”.

To love your neighbour is an obligation. A world without love is a desert even if it is entirely a forest. I am here to talk of someone who dared to love; someone who stood for love all through life.

This person said “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty”. This person also said “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread”. 

I am here to talk of none other than Mother Teresa. She was a very brave woman and was not afraid of what others thought of her. She stood for values and never compromised on her core beliefs under any circumstance. She was not the type to say anything just to be diplomatic, or to soothe anyone’s ego.

In 1997, in the midst of thousands, and with the US President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton on stage, she courageously spoke out against legalized abortion. She said “The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between”.

Mother Teresa was a firm opponent of the death penalty. In the year 1990, when a prisoner named Robert Harris was condemned to death, she phoned up the governor of California, Deukmejian, and requested him to grant clemency. The governor spoke of how he simply could not do that as it would be against the law. Mother Teresa told him, “Do what Jesus would do”.  He talked again about how it was in the state’s hand, but Mother Teresa repeated what she said-“Do what Jesus would do if he was in your position”. She cut to the heart of the matter.

The execution was stayed.

Mother Teresa was very clear about one thing. She was not a social worker but a Catholic nun, and wherever she went, she put the faith first. She helped thousands of terminally sick street people die a peaceful death surrounded by love. The last thing that bothered her was the allegation of Hindutva groups that her work was a cover for the conversion of people to Catholicism.

Many people speak and give great discourses, but very few walk the talk. Mother Teresa was one of them.

Thank you!