Saturday Story from Siva (64): The simple secret for a joyful living from 'The Strawberry Story"

Hi,
Take a moment. Ponder over the way you are living your life. Are you carrying the burden of the past? Worried out about the future? No, not really!! Great!! You are one of those who know how to live life in the present. But, is your present loaded with issues to be resolved and struggles that are making your life more difficult and  less joyful? Then, you should read this zen story that will reveal the secret for joyful living.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The simple secret for joyful living: The Strawberry Story
Adopted from a zen story published at http://www.taoism.net/living/2003/200301.htm
  
Once upon a time, there lived an young man. One day he walking through a jungle. He stumbled upon a tiger and started running away from it as the tiger was chasing him. He ran and ran, but soon came to the edge of a cliff where he could not run any farther. But to his good fortune, he found a strong vine hanging down from the cliff. To save himself, he hung on to the vine and started climbing down the cliff. Half way through the cliff, he noticed another tiger down there at bottom of the cliff waiting for him. 

There was a tiger above the cliff, and another at the bottom, and he was precariously hanging in the middle holding on to the vine. Then, adding to his troubles, a couple of rats that came out of a hole from the cliff and started gnawing on the vine above him. He tried scaring them away but they kept coming back and gnawing on the vine. He knew the vine would not be able to continue to hold his weight if the rats kept gnawing like that. That moment he spotted a red ripe strawberry on the vine. Holding on to the vine with one hand, he reached out to the strawberry with the other, plucked it, and ate it instantly. It tasted very very delicious to him. he felt that that was the best strawberry he ever ate in his life.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Just like the situation in the story above, is life not full of uncertainties? Can anyone know for sure what would happen tomorrow? Can anyone change the past? Do you have issues that are nagging you in your day-to-day life? There are threats. At the same time, there exist opportunities. If we get worried about the past experiences and the future threats and in the process miss out to enjoy the opportunities in the present, we will never be able to taste the joys of life. As revealed in the story by the man who enjoyed to the core the opportunity of strawberry despite the threats in the form of tigers above and below him, it is important for us to understand that the secret of joyful living is in 'living in the present.' 

To your continued success,

With love,

Siva

PS: For Saturday stories published earlier on this blog, please click on the link below:
http://value4value.blogspot.in/search/label/Saturday%20Stories

Saturday Story from Siva (63): How do you love? The Story of Sandra V Abell.

Hi,
Tomorrow the 14th February is celebrated as a Valentine's Day. It is a day on which love is expressed more than on any other day of the year. But what is love? Does it have a shape or a colour or a smell or a taste? How does it look? Have you seen it anytime? You might say, YES. Have you felt it anytime? You might say, YES. Then, how do you love? How do you express it? How can you make others see and feel your love? How can you also find it, see it, experience it, and feel it when others love you? 

Here is the story of Sandra V Abell presented in her own words wherein you can find answers to these questions. Sandy is a Business and Life Coach and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is also the author of 3 books: 1) Moving Up To Management: Leadership and Management Skills for Caregivers; 2) Self-Esteem: An Inside Job, and 3) Feeling Good About You.
-------------------------------------------------------------
How do you love? The Story of Sandra V. Abell.
Adopted from Bob Proctor's http://www.proctorgallagherinstitute.com
( http://www.proctorgallagherinstitute.com/9229/how-do-you-love#comments )
  
Yesterday I broke a crystal vase that was important to me. Someone I love gave it to me, and I was really upset with my clumsiness.

My husband, seeing my distress, was soothing and calm, and said, “Let me see what I can do with this.” While I continued to rant at myself, he quietly took the pieces away, worked his magic and made it like new again.

When he brought it back to me his face was filled with sweetness, and it occurred to me that this repaired vase was a gift of love.

I began thinking about all the ways he shows me he loves me. Words are nice, but his actions speak volumes, and I’m so very blessed to have him in my life.

I then thought of a woman I know who complains that her husband and children don’t love her. She says they never say it, and she feels that nobody cares. However, when I look at her family I realize that there is a lot of love being given. She just doesn’t recognize it so doesn’t know how to receive it.

When her husband goes to work at a job he doesn’t like, so that she can do what she wants, which is stay home and raise the children, that’s a gift of love. When her adolescent son offers to pick up something at the store so she won’t have to pack up the smaller kids to go out, that is his way of telling her he loves her.

Love is all around us, but we’re often like my friend who expects it to come in a specific form. When it doesn’t, we miss it and feel unloved.

So in this month of Valentines and love, I’m reflecting on being aware of ALL the ways people show me love, and being happy and grateful to receive it in whatever form it’s given.

How about you?

Sandy Abell
-------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy is the author of the book 'Feeling Good About You.' For the next 4 days she is giving away the book in kindle version on Amazon for FREE. I have just downloaded the book and took a quick look at it. It is indeed a very good book. Just go and get your free copy of it right away before it is taken away. Links for downloading the Kindle version are given below:

1) India: http://www.amazon.in/Feeling-Good-About-Sandra-Abell-ebook/dp/B00J7XYFC0/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1455327089&sr=1-2

2) Others: http://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Good-About-Sandra-Abell-ebook/dp/B00J7XYFC0/

To your continued success,

With love,

Siva

PS: For Saturday stories published earlier on this blog, please click on the link below:
http://value4value.blogspot.in/search/label/Saturday%20Stories

2)You can read more about Sandy and her activities at her Selfgrowth.com website at the link given below" 
http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/sandra_abell.html

Saturday Story from Siva (62): The lady whose name means the 'rarest of rare victories'

Hi,
She is 70 years old now. She is the most beautiful woman in the world today. She is also among the bravest women the world had ever seen. She is also the most liked woman in her country. She came to India a few years ago and went to a small village that is named after her in Anantpur district in the state of Andhra Pradesh and met a group of women there. She told them, "Do you know the meaning of my name? It means the 'rarest of the rare victories.' As women, my wish is that, you also get such victories in what you do." And the woman is Aung San Suu Kyi. Let us take a look at her inspirational story today.
-------------------------------------------------------------
The lady whose name means the 'rarest of rare victories'  
Yesterday, the 13th November, became a red letter day for people of Myanmar, as it marked a new beginning for the whole nation with the declaration of victory of Aung San Suu Kyi's party in the recent elections. What a victory! Indeed a rarest of the rare victories! What a struggle she went through to see this day in her life and to give the gift of a democratic rule to the people of her nation!

She sacrificed a lot on her way for decades in order to achieve this rare victory. She faced innumerable dangers, hurdles, and obstacles in this journey of years. But she never lost her hope. She never gave up. She held on to her faith. She believed in herself. She retained a smile on her face even in the face of threats to her life. She is Aung San Suu Kyi.

She is rare. Her personality is rare. Her heart is beautiful, but brave too. Her face is gentle, but firm too. Her courage is quiet, but deep and determined too. Her faith in herself and her mission's success is undaunting and indomitable. She is Aung San Suu Kyi.

She was house-arrested for more than 15 years. Her family members were not allowed to see her. She faced life threats and attempts of assassination on her several times. She could not even go to her husband's funeral, lest she would fail in her mission. The military tried their best to discourage her, frustrate her, and foil her plans. But, she withstood every such attempt with a smile on her face. She is Aung San Suu Kyi.

Why is all this? What made her sacrifice so many things in her own life? How could she live on despite the worst of the hardships that were meted out to her? It was the PURPOSE for which she decided to live her life. A purpose beyond herself and her family! A purpose to give freedom to the people of a whole nation! A purpose to see a smile on the faces of the women who were imprisoned along with her in the jails of Myanmar! A purpose that brought her closer to the hearts of the people of the whole nation! A purpose which even her enemies had to ultimately appreciate and accept! And she brings the rarest of the rare victories - Aung San Suu Kyi - to the people of her nation and along with it the freedom to operate, to govern, and to give life to an otherwise dying nation.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Now that her NLD Party's victory in the elections was accepted and she was invited for discussions by the military, let us hope that her path to give a free and fair democratic rule to the people of her nation is clear. Let us stand by her and get inspired by her in this moment of her great victory. Let us learn that a life filled and lived with a purpose beyond oneself will surely achieve victories that are rarest of the rare.

To your continued success,
With love,
Siva

PS: For Saturday stories published earlier on this blog, please click on the link below:

http://value4value.blogspot.in/search/label/Saturday%20Stories

2)You can read more about her at the links given below:

http://www.biography.com/people/aung-san-suu-kyi-9192617
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aung_San_Suu_Kyi