Tsunami 2...!?!

In my yesterday's post I expressed my heartfelt reverence for values demonstrated by Japanese people during the times of turmoil. Today I want you to read an open letter from world’s most famous and extremely adored astrologer Susan Miller, myself being her greatest fan and follower.

Open Letter to the Japanese People

 - By Susan Miller

You are not alone, my friends in Japan. I watched in horror as news reports concerning your recent earthquake, tsunami, and the damage to the nuclear reactors unfolded from day to day. The events were unthinkable and unfathomable - almost too much for anyone to endure.

The measure of a nation and its people, I feel, is revealed not in time of ease, but during times of peril. It is always during difficult times that we reveal the genuine character that lies beneath. I suppose in those times, we have no energy but to be our truest self. Now others will see a vast beauty that is inside you that is to be unmasked. In the case of Japan, a whole nation has shown remarkable strength and fortitude and an unshakable faith in the future.

Here in the United States, we gather in front of our televisions several times a day to get reports. We were able to see, close-up, the immeasurable suffering of those Japanese people who lost family members, their homes, and all their possessions. We saw that the relief efforts were taking a long time to get to those most needy, due to blocked roads and overwhelming destruction.

Despite much sorrow, we were touched to see the serene composure of the Japanese people and the powerful sense of community in the affected areas that linked stranger to stranger in a united brotherhood. Your countrymen's strength went far beyond what anyone would have expected under such trying circumstances. The compassion for others that was displayed by those who had lost so much touched me deeply.

We noticed that in Japan, there were no riots after the disaster, borne out of frustration and hunger. There was no pushing, shoving, or shouting - instead there were orderly lines of patient people waiting their turn to receive desperately needed food, water, and medical supplies. We all asked ourselves, under the same circumstances, would we have shown the same dignity and serenity of the people of Japan? I would like to think we would, but like any hypothetical situation, no one ever knows for sure until faced with the same severe circumstances. The people who stood in line were cold, hungry, and maybe even frightened, yet all waited calmly, as if to say, "Everyone here is equal in their pain. My needs are not more important than those of my neighbor."

God bless you, my friends in Japan. Your plight weighs heavily in the minds and hearts of every American. I live in New York City, and your situation has sparked heartfelt sympathy. We discuss your plight in every coffee shop, on every street corner, and over dinner in every household. Most of us are drawing up plans to raise money as quickly as possible. We care, and it is time to show that we do.

At times like these, many ask, why does the universe impose such suffering? We are small in the scheme of the wide universe, and in the end, we must admit that we have few answers concerning life's mysteries. We are but soldiers of a God who loves us and who will never forsake us. Despite how small and helpless we feel at times, we manage to press forward, for we have faith. The unflagging optimism and resourcefulness of the Japanese people has engendered deep admiration.

I feel you already know about the spiritual truths and mysteries of which I speak. Your people seem to be saying to us, "In times of greatest sorrow there is always comfort in caring for others." One young Japanese woman was reported to have carried her 88-year-old mother on her back over a far distance to get her mother to safety. It is scenes like that that move us and show us the spirit of the Japanese people. These scenes inspire me and other Americans, and we want to help.

Indeed, the ability to be compassionate, and to feel another's pain as if it were our own, is one of the highest of all human qualities. When one of us suffers, we all suffer. Your pain is our pain.

If this catastrophe has taught us anything, it is that the world is very small. Severe circumstances can come to any country at any time. We are all united in the family of man.

We will send you our humble donations, along with all our love and our prayers. We know you will never give up, no matter how dark the days might be on the road to recovery, because resilience is woven into the very fabric of the Japanese character. Pain can, at times, make you feel lonely and isolated, especially if others around you do not understand. Yet, we do understand. I will help you. America will help you. Other nations will help you.

I realize that you have strong national pride, as you should. I sense that you wish you would not need to rely on aid from others. Admittedly, help can sometimes be hard to accept. Yet perhaps in the midst of this disaster, the universe is whispering this golden truth to the Japanese people:

"Accept the love of others with open arms, for the ability to receive love is every bit as noble as the ability to give." Your generosity to others has always been given freely and with your whole heart. Now it is your turn to see how dearly others feel for you. In accepting love and help, there will be loving results, for the bond of our friendship will deepen and grow ever stronger.

Sincerely

Susan Miller

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I would like to find a way to help the victims of the recent tragedy in Japan. Each night I watch the news, and it has become increasingly heartbreaking to see events unfold. I can no longer stand by and watch helplessly while so many people experience such grief.

When disaster hit in Haiti last year, my two daughters and I rolled into action and collectively raised $17,000 for The American Red Cross' Haitian Effort. I know that was only a small amount of money, but I feel if each of us, in every household and community in America, can find a way to raise money, we all can make a difference to those who are suffering so much.

Many Astrology Zone readers are involved with important philanthropic causes. If you happen to be working on a major relief effort for the victims of the Japanese disaster or continue to help the people of Haiti, I would like to know about your good work. If you think I may be of help to your cause, please send me your proposal. By next month, I will choose the charity I will join to help Japan and several months later, Haiti. I will choose the charity that I feel will allow me to do the most good.

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Please send proposals to Edward Rubinstein at press@astrologyzone.com

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Tsunami...!?!

Today I am writing after so long...! Apart from being little preoccupied with the commitments, I was in search for some solid, potential message that can really inspire, motivate and teach a thing or two. Although what happened in Japan was the most unfortunate disaster of this century, the lessons to learn from Japanese comeback are for lifetime...!

10 things to learn from Japan

1. THE CALM

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY

Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY

The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.

4. THE GRACE

People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER

No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

 

6. THE SACRIFICE
Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS

Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak.

8. THE TRAINING

The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA

They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No sensationalizing. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE

When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly.

No nation could be great just as it is or just being there for centuries.

These are the things that make any nation great...

When will we learn these simplest, basic values...!?!

Stay tuned and stay valued...!

Appearance…?!?

One beautiful spring day a red rose blossomed in a forest. Many kinds of trees and plants grew there. As the rose looked around, A pine tree nearby said,
"What a beautiful flower. I wish I was that lovely."
Another tree said, "Dear pine, do not be sad, we can not have everything."
The rose turned its head and remarked,
"It seems that I am the most beautiful plant in this forest."

A sunflower raised its yellow head and asked,
"Why do you say that? In this forest there are many beautiful plants. You are just one of them."

The red rose replied, "I see everyone looking at me and admiring me."

Then the rose looked at a cactus and said, "Look at that ugly plant full of thorns!" The pine tree said,
"Red rose, what kind of talk is this? Who can say what beauty is, you have thorns too."

The proud red rose looked angrily at the pine and said,
"I thought you had good taste!

You do not know what beauty is at all. You can not compare my thorns to that of the cactus."

What a proud flower, thought the trees. The rose tried to move its roots away from the cactus, but it could not move. As the days passed, the red rose would look at the cactus and say insulting things,

Like "This plant is useless. How sorry I am to be his neighbor."

The cactus never got upset and he even tried to advise the rose, saying,

"God did not create any form of life without a purpose."

Spring passed, and the weather became very warm.

Life became difficult in the forest, as the plants and animals needed water and no rain fell. The red rose began to wilt. One day the rose saw sparrows stick their beaks into the cactus and then fly away, refreshed.

This was puzzling, and the red rose asked the pine tree what the birds were doing.

The pine tree explained that "the birds got water from the cactus."

"Does it not hurt when they make holes?" asked the rose.

"Yes, but the cactus does not like to see any birds suffer," replied the pine.

The rose opened its eyes in wonder and said, "The cactus has water."

"Yes you can also drink from it.

The sparrow can bring water to you if you ask the cactus for help."

The red rose felt too ashamed of its past words and behavior to ask for water from the cactus, But then it finally did ask the cactus for help. The cactus kindly agreed and the birds filled their beaks with water

And watered the rose's roots. Thus the rose learned a lesson and never judged anyone by their appearance again.

Stay tuned for more such stories...!

ABCD...?!?

ABCD of Motivation...

Avoid Negative Thoughts, People, Things and Habits.

Believe in yourself.

Consider things from every angle and others points of view.

Dare to Dream and Dream Big.

Energy, Excitement and Enthusiaism is in your blood.

Family and Friends are hidden treasures ; enjoy these riches.

Give more than you planned to.

Have a good sense of humour.

Ignore Critisism, Ridicule and Discouragement from others.

Jump on Problems because they are Opportunities in disguise.

Keep up the good work however hard it may seem.

Love yourself, just as you are.

Make Impossibility a Possibility.

Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.

Open your eyes and see things as they really are.

Prefect Practice makes you perfect.

Quitters never Win and Winners never Quit.

Reward yourself for every small success and achievement.

Stop Wasting your Time and Procrastinating important Goals.

Take control of your Life and your Goals.

Understand so that you could Understood.

Visualize your Goals and Dreams everyday.

Win over your own weaknesses and make them as your Strengths.

Xccelerate your efforts.

Yes, I Can and I Will.

Zap your Stress and Enjoy your Life..

Stay motivated and Stay Tuned...!

Upright...!?!

As a general and absolutely lenient observation, I discovered lately that most of the population has a tendency to sit in a bending position rather than straight and upright. Apart from a little sarcastic fact that this is the symbolic representation of the moral and value system of today’s world, this habit could prove fatal if continued and blissful if corrected.

The spinal cord of human body is straight and upright by birth naturally. Kids and children normally have straight back invariably. As they develop to become a teenager-youth-adult, matured (?) humans around make them habitual to bending with means like heavy Schoolbags, Computers, Videogames and TV to name a few. Ground sports and outdoor exercise is becoming more or less extinct allowing maximum time of the day for sitting. Study, work, rest – you name the reason and this habit enters the blood unwittingly. Taller people and women also adopt this awkward and unhealthy posture for the reasons of either inferiority complex or psychological result.

Function of lungs: Our lungs absorb the pure oxygen from the atmosphere and mix it with our blood keeping the blood healthy and pure. And ‘Pure blood makes Pink Health’ is the simplest doctrine. Lungs are encased in the ribs from all around and diaphragm puts pressure on them from below. When we sit in a bent position the pancreas put pressure on the diaphragm which transfers the pressure onto lungs. But in an upright posture lungs can enjoy about 30% more space to expand on the lower side. So to summarize the benefits of sitting straight, we can list them as –

• Body gets 30% more oxygen

• Increase in Blood purification by 30%

• Energy level increase by 30%

• Increase in immunity by 30%

• Burning of fats increase by 30%

• Refresh and rejuvenate in minutes

• And if nothing impressive personality!

Try an experiment when you feel really tired and exhausted. Instead of lying down on a coach or sitting in a relaxed posture on a chair, try to sit real straight and upright only for five minutes and see for yourself how revived you start feeling…! By sitting straight our respiratory system is exploited and put to optimum use. This one small habit will lead to an honorable and ‘upright’ old age.

What’s more, this habit will not cost you a single penny…! Great blessings come in small packages. This little habit can change the entire course of your health-life and the moment you started reading this you started straightening simultaneously and the moment you finish reading this, you are supposed to be sitting absolutely S-T-R-A-I-G-H-T and keep it that way whenever and wherever you S-I-T! You are most welcome to email, distribute and share this with maximum number of people to show that you care…!

Stay tuned and Sit Straight…!

(Original Marathi Article by – Prashant Balkrishna Kulkarni. Thank you Prashantji)

Happiness...!?!

How can you be happier? Jennifer L. Aaker, a marketing professor at Stanford University’s School of Business, Melanie Rudd, a Stanford MBA student, and Wharton marketing professor Cassie Mogilner, are here to help. Surprisingly few correlations between money and happiness are found, the trio instead set out to look at the way people spend their time and how that affects happiness. The researchers examined 60 academic studies, then tried to draw links between those findings to draw more general conclusions.

The results? Here are NINE guidelines they say anyone can use to increase their happiness.

1. Spend time with the “right people.” Sounds simple, but who exactly are the right people? Unfortunately, they’re generally not your office mates, who are the ones people tend to spend the most time with. The people that make you happiest will generally be friends, family, and romantic partners. That’s why one the most powerful influencers of general happiness is whether or not someone has a “best friend” at work and whether or not they like their boss.

2. Avoid small talk. A related predictor of happiness is how much substantive discussion a person engages in, compared to small talk. Generally, small talk makes people unhappy, and often, work relationships involve a disproportionate amount of small talk. If you want to increase your happiness, it’s far better to find one or two colleagues with whom you can have a real discussion than to engage in small talk around the water cooler.

3. Spend time on “socially connecting” activities, such as volunteering and spending time with friends. Work doesn’t count. Unless your job is particularly fulfilling and your colleagues are your best buds, work is not ’socially connecting’ and is generally one of the more unhappy parts of the day. Commuting is also gets high marks for making people unhappy.

4. Volunteering has been proven to be a good way to increase happiness. Volunteering makes it seem like you have more time. In general, spending time on someone else makes people feel like they have more spare time and that their future is more expansive.

5. Memory is important, because it helps us take an event that happened in the past and extend its ‘worth’ into the future. One way to help choose experiences that will increase happiness is to consider how you might remember them in the future. What are your happiest memories? How might you create more similar memories?

6. Day dream, or, as the researchers say, enjoy the experience without spending the time. As counterintuitive as it may seem, research has shown that the part of the brain responsible for feeling pleasure can be activated just by thinking about something pleasurable. And we often enjoy the anticipation of something pleasurable more than the actual experience that we think is going to be so great. The most common example is vacation planning, which some find more pleasurable than the vacation itself.

7. Expand your time. No, this does not mean you have to find a warp in the space-time continuum (although it might help). Focusing on the “here and now” slows down the perceived passage of time, allowing people to feel less rushed and hurried. How can we do that? Breathe slowly. Just for a few minutes. As the authors write: “In one study, subjects who were instructed to take long and slow breaths (vs. short and quick ones) for 5 minutes not only felt there was more time available to get things done, but also perceived their day to be longer.”

8. Pay people to do the chores you hate. Activities that we choose to do generally make us happier than those that are obligatory. So if you can afford it, hire someone else to do some of the ‘obligatory’ tasks, such as cleaning the house. Then use the time you’ve ‘bought’ not to catch up on work, but to do something you genuinely enjoy.

9. Be aware that aging changes the way people experience happiness. Youths tend to equate happiness with excitement, but as people get older, happiness is associated with feeling peaceful. Young people get more happiness from spending time with interesting new acquaintances, while older people get more enjoyment from spending time with close friends and family.

Stay happy and Stay Tuned...!

20 Values...!?!

Here are TWENTY Values that I relentlessly try to instill in any activity, initiative and undertaking, that help me excel in whatever I attempt and commit to. Try it and see for yourself, does it make any difference…?!?

1. Maintain your fitness, physique, mind and soul.

2. Speak less, listen more, think over, do the most.

3. Develop a right Approach, well begun is half-done.

4. Get rid of excuses – the crutches you could live without.

5. Never ever commit that you have a slightest doubt about.

6. Make integrity an immovable part of your being, don’t just praise; practice it.

7. Nothing in the world is more precious than having peace with your inner self.

8. No matter what, keep your promises at any cost; promises are never cheap anyway.

9. Try to be the part of solution and not of the problem, you have to be a part of either.

10. Wear a holistic attitude to see things from different angles and other people’s perspectives.

11. Try not to expect anything from anybody, give people more than they expect to get from you.

12. Everyday engage in at least one generous act that cannot even remotely benefit you.

13. If you are down and off, take the opportunity to outperform other on your way up.

14. Allow your dreams/passions to make you sleepless, realize and actualize them.

15. Whatever you try, use just single attribute for its manifestation – excellence.

16. Make sure that your every word/deed ‘Make a Difference’ in a positive way.

17. Always strike a balance between your personal, professional and social life.

18. Give credit of the achievement to others, especially when you crafted it.

19. Go that extra mile everyday to surpass your yesterday’s records.

20. Practice and perfect your skills to become a maestro.

Stay Tuned...!