Thursday, July 30, 2009

STEPPING – NOT ‘STOPPING’ STONES


STEPPING – NOT ‘STOPPING’ STONES

There is a fable which says that God called his special angels and gave them seeds and told them to scatter them over the earth. The Evil One, hearing about the seeds, called his little special demons, and gave them dirt. He instructed them to go out and cover up the seeds to stop them from growing.

But the "obstacle" didn’t work in the way the Evil One had planned. Instead, the dirt helped to grow into sturdy, healthy plants. They never would have been able to reach their full maturity without the dirt.

So it is with people. Our failures and disappointments can help us to grow. Our setbacks can make us reach higher; but only if we look at them with a positive viewpoint; only if we use the obstacles in our way as stepping stones, and not ‘stopping’ stones.

Adopting the positive view point does not mean ignoring the problems that confront you, and pretending that they do not exist. But it does mean facing them squarely and asking yourself, "What can I do about this?" And then going ahead and following constructive thought with constructive action.

The negative thinker, when presented with an obstacle or problem, let his mind become so filled with thoughts of self-pity that he has neither the incentive nor the energy to do anything to solve his problem. He is too busy trying to solve the riddle of Why did this happen to me? As long as he continues to try to figure that out he will be going in circles and digging a deeper negative rut for himself.

People who are successful have reached that success not because life was without its problems, but because they viewed those problems with the positive approach. Their problems helped them to grow into success, just as the dirt helped the seedlings to grow.

Several years ago, as a member of senior high school class, I visited the Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan. The class was given a grand tour of the thriving company’s buildings. I didn’t know then about the positive spirit on which the company was founded.

Herbert Dow had discovered a way of obtaining potassium bromide from brine by using the electrolysis method. This discover had great potentialities, but it needed perfecting. The bromide made by this method had too many impurities. As a result, few sales were made, and the company failed financially. Within a short time, however, Dow formed another company, with the idea of perfecting his original discovery.

But one night an accident happened that proved to be the turning point for the company. An employee was supposed to be watching the kettles to see that the liquids in them did not overflow. However, when he learned that something was wrong in the engine room, he went to check, leaving the kettles unguarded. When he came back the liquid had boiled so long that there was only fused salts in the bottom of the kettles.

Mr. Dow, hearing this, could have fired the employee or become angry or wasted time in self-pity that this had happened to him. But he did none of these. Instead of berating the employee for the accident, he immediately asked about the results. What did the residue in the kettles show?

He checked samples from the kettles and found that they had the purity for which he had been searching through many experiments! His positive approach to difficult situation led him to success.

Such an open mindedness often leads to new opportunities. You will not be able to see the opportunities, of course, if you rivet your thoughts on the negative aspects of a situation. In worrying and complaining about a situation you don’t like, you are using precious energy and time that could be used in finding a solution to the problem.

We have to work at being positive-minded. It is often a test of faith to look through a problem or situation, knowing that somewhere there is a solution, even though the appearance for the time being is to the contrary. It is also requires persistence, especially when you are in the company of negative thinkers and talkers. Not long ago a woman said to me, "Oh, I could keep my viewpoint lifted if I were around positive mined people. But this family of mine – honestly they’re always talking down, and I catch it from them."

Thoughts are contagious. Other persons’ thoughts and words can uplift or downgrade yours. It is well to be with positive minded persons as much as you can, but like the woman quoted above you may be frequently in the company of negative thinkers. What then?

You can learn to immunize yourself against negative mental contagion. Here again mental discipline must be practiced. You can deliberately attempt to keep your thoughts on the positive side; you can deliberately try to see the good of the situation, regardless of what the other person is thinking or saying.

Alphonse Karr has said, "Some people are always grumbling that roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses."

Try to make it a habit to be a positive thinker; Whether you are a positive or negative thinker is largely a matter of habit. It is the way you habitually see things, so why not try to see them in their best light?

The English writer Samuel Johnson wrote 200 years ago: "The habit of looking on the best side of every event is worth more than a thousand pounds a year."

You may not be able to become a positive thinker overnight, but you can work daily at the "becoming" and see improvement. Your faith in God and in good is your greatest bulwark against negativity.

As your faith becomes stronger and your mental discipline becomes greater, others’ negation will have less and less affect you. Their gloomy words and views will no longer have the power to pull you down to their level. In fact, in many cases you will be able to draw them up into a higher level of thought and freshen the atmosphere.

I have a friend who is a master at this. She not only refuses to be drawn into a negative conversation but exerts her own exuberant personality and joy so that anyone who is with her is lifted up mentally and spiritually.

The positive minded person refuses to respond meekly to the negative. Instead of reacting passively to it, letting the problem or situation have the upper hand, he does the acting on it. He takes the initiative. He does something about it, either to improve or solve the problem.

Lydia O’Leary was born with a problem. She came into this world with a large red birthmark on her face. Surgery could not help her. For many years Miss O’Leary reacted negatively to this birthmark, and became immersed in an inferiority complex. But later, she began to act on the problem. She worked with a chemist to try to find a special cosmetic that would cover the mark. They eventually discovered and developed a preparation that completely covered birthmarks and other skin discolourations. the cosmetic could not be detected, not would it rub off.

This was Miss O’Leary’s positive answer to her own problem. Her life was changed because of it. To help others who were afflicted with similar skin discoloration she began to manufacture her cosmetic.

She was requested by doctors to demonstrate her product in hospitals. Many war veterans and others found that her discovery was an answer to their own particular problem.

So often when a person reacts positively to his problems others are helped of benefited in some way. Lovers of Beethoven’s music would never have had that to enjoy of Beethoven had reacted negatively to his deafness. He would not let deafness be the master and keep him from composing music. He was the master of the situation.

In June 1952, the play "Wish You Were Here" opened on Broadway. The critics were blunt about their lack of enthusiasm for it, and for the first month the play lost money.

This was a blow to its producer Joshua Logan, but he didn’t sit and mope about it. He recognized the problem – the play did have low spots that, no doubt, had dampened the critics’ views.

Then he acted to remedy the problem. He called the author Arthur Kober and the composer Harold Rome and the three of them worked out revisions, which improved the play greatly and made it a hit.

"It’s never been done – remaking a play after the opening." Joshua Logan said, "but I decided to do it – and it worked."

The positive approach has "pulled many chestnuts out of the fire" and solved many problems. The negative approach has never accomplished anything, and had only caused headaches, ulcers, and general misery. The choice is yours as to which approach you will take.

If you choose the positive your home, your work, your entire environment will reflect a lighter, happier atmosphere. Your faith in life, your belief in the good, will enrich not only your own life but the lives of others.



(Written by: Aldrich Wake Ford)

POWER OF THOUGHTS


POWER OF THOUGHTS


One day and his disciple arrived to the big city. They had no money with them, but they needed food and a place to stay. The disciple was sure that they were going to beg for their food, and sleep in the park at night.

Disciple: "There is a big park not far from here. We can sleep there tonight."

"In the open air?" asked the yogi.

"Yes", responded the student.

The yogi smiled and said: "No, tonight we are going to sleep in a hotel and eat there too."

The student was amazed, "How?"

"Come", said the yogi "sit down".

They both sat down on the ground and the yogi said: "When you focus your mind intently on any subject, it comes to pass."

The yogi closed his eyes and started to meditate in full concentration. After about ten minutes he got up and started to walk, with his disciple following him. They walked through several streets and alleys until they arrived to a hotel.

"Come, let’s enter inside", the yogi said to his disciple.

They just set foot in the entrance, when a well-dressed man approached them.

"I am the manager of this hotel. You look like travelling swamis and I believe you have no money. Would you like to work in the kitchen, and in return I’ll give you food and place to stay?"

"Fine" responded the yogi.

The disciple was perplexed and asked yogi: "do you use any magic? How did you do that?"

The yogi smiled at him and answered, "I wanted to show you how the power of thoughts works. When you think with full and strong concentration, and your mind does not resist the subject of your thought, your thought materializes."

"The secret is concentrating, visualizing, seeing details, having faith and projecting mental and emotional energy into the mental scene. These are general prerequisites. When your mind is empty from thoughts, any one single thought that is allowed to enter gains a very great power. One should be very careful what he thinks of. A concentrated thought is powerful and exerts a very strong influence.

The disciple looked at his teacher and said, "I see that I have to sharpen my concentration in order to be able to use this power."

"Yes, this is the first step", responded the yogi.
.

THIS IS DIVINE LAW


THIS IS DIVINE LAW



The assembly of gods once met and decided to appoint a man to the position of Lord of Death, the official title being Lord Yama. They selected the most righteous man for this post. His duty was to take (escort) man at the proper time (upon death) to the celestial regions.

A man by the name of Amrita, living on earth, thought to himself that the one thing he feared most was death. He hit upon a bright idea that if he befriended the Lord of Death, then may be death can be kept at a distance. Amrita practised austerities and concentrated his mind upon Lord Yama, the Lord of Death. Lord Yama was pleased and granted a vision to Amrita.

Lord Yama said: I know, by the aid of my divine powers, that you seek to befriend me. Your wish has come true. My presence is only available to those upon whose deaths my messengers or I take their souls to my domain. Those that are born must die and those who die will be born again. This is the eternal law. No one can escape death. Yet I grant you my vision while you are still living.

Amrita said: As a token of our friendship, I ask this favour of you. If death is inevitable, I ask that if I am to die, then at least let me know beforehand of the time when my end is to come so that I can make proper provision for my family before departure.

Lord Yama said: Sure, this is a simple matter. I shall certainly inform you beforehand. But as soon as you get the message, please set about making the preparations.

With these words Lord Yama, the Lord of Death, vanished.

Many years passed. Amrita’s hair began gradually to turn grey, but he was living happily with not a thought about the fear of death. His life was full of sensual pleasures and enjoyments. He did not look forward to receiving any correspondence from his friend, Lord Yama, and he was pleased that so far no letters had arrived from the Lord of Death.

Some more years passed by. By this time Amrita had lost most of his teeth. But he was living without any worries about death or dying. Still no letters had arrived from his friend, the Lord of Death.

As the years rolled by, Amrita’s eyesight became dimmer. Old age is catching up with me, he thought. But I am thankful that my friend has still not sent any letter addressed to me. I know that my friend, Lord Yama, always keeps his promise. He will surely send a message beforehand.

Some more years passed by. Amrita was now an old man who could not stand straight up. With his back bent forward, he could not walk without the support of a walking stick. His skin was all wrinkled. One day he suffered a stroke and became paralysed. People said his condition was very critical. But Amrita was still in a happy frame of mind. As long as his friend Lord Yama had not sent any letter, the thought of death and dying never entered his mind.

Then the inevitable happened. Lord Yama, the god of death, entered the room. Amrita was startled and his mind was seized with fear.

Lord Yama said: My friend, come now, you have suffered greatly. Today I have come to take you with me.

Amrita was trembling with extreme fear. He said: Alas, you have betrayed me. You have not kept your word. You did not send any letter to me. You have now come with your fearful form to take me away. Are you not ashamed to thus deceive a friend?

Lord Yama said: O man! You spent all your life in shameless sense indulgence. Now you cast aspersions on me, the Lord of justice. Pleasures and enjoyments made you blind. How then could you know the letters I sent you? Not one, but four letters did I send to you. But you heeded them not.

Amrita was greatly puzzled: Four letters did you say? But not one reached me. It is just possible that they may have gone astray in the post.

Lord Yama said: With all your cleverness you were fool enough to think that I would take up pen and paper to write letters to you. O deluded mortal! Time is my messenger who brought my messages to you. Now take your mind back in time and recollect, years ago, your hair turned grey. That was my first letter. You did not heed my message but blackened your hair with dye.

My second letter reached you when your teeth began to fall out. Then too, you took no warning, but got yourself a set of false teeth.

My third letter was sent to you when your eyesight failed.

The fourth message was when your body became paralysed.

Amrita said: Oh no! I have grievously erred. Unforgivable is my error. Yet once more I crave your indulgence, Lord Yama.

Lord Yama replied: Indulgence! What more indulgence is there for me to give? What use did you make of the priceless opportunity bestowed on you of the gift of this human birth? Sensual indulgence and drunkenness- with these you wasted your life. Wasting this precious human life, fit on you! Now you shamelessly ask for more time. Time for what?

Amrita said: O friend, remember our past friendship? Please recall those days now and bestow on me one more chance.

Lord Yama said: That friendship was of that time. Now it’s done. I come neither as friend nor as foe. I come as the dispenser of the granite law. This law is above love and above hatred. This law is just, true and impartial. No human servitor am I who for gifts or money would from duty’s path swerve. My course is straight and true to the end. I carry out the stern dictates of destiny. All mortals have to bend to my final mandate. This is the divine law. Now let us go.

Lord Yama, the god of death, puts the noose over the dying man’s neck. The man begins to gasp and then chokes. An agonised expression fills his face.

People said: Amrita is dead.


(from the writings of Swami Shivananda, DLS, Rishikesh)

THE GOOD THAT YOU DO


THE GOOD THAT YOU DO

The Polish Air Force Pilot, Roman Tursky, was flying his plane over Germany when the plane developed mechanical trouble and he made a forced landing on German soil. He sent his plane for repairs and spent the night at a hotel.

The next morning, as he left his room, and was walking in the corridor a little man came running and collided against him. Roman Tursky naturally felt offended. But as he looked at the face of the little man, he found it pale with fright.

The man cried, "Gestapo! Gestapo!" (Gestapo was the German Secret Police). It was obvious that the man was being hounded by the Secret Police and he wanted to escape them. Roman Tursky understood the situation and instantly pushed the man into his room, under his bed. Soon thereafter, the police came in and interrogated Tursky. He did not understand their language, and the police went away.

The pilot offered to take this man to Warsaw where he was flying, but suggested that he get off a little before the plane reached the airport, as it was possible the police there would search his plane. So he dropped the man in a field a little before he reached the main airport. Sure enough, when he landed at Warsaw, the police was already there in search of the man.

Soon thereafter, the second world war broke out. Poland was occupied by Germany. Tursky flew to England and there joined the RAF, and became a war hero. He was a brave man, and after destroying a number of enemy planes, his own plane was hit. It crash-landed. The rescue party arrived there but found Tursky more dead than alive. He was shifted to the nearest hospital. The doctors despaired of him and hesitated to operate upon him.

The next day newspaper flashed the news of Tursky’s accident. Tursky was in a state of coma.

However, when he recovered, he found a short man looking at him through bright eyes.

"Do you remember me?" he asked Tursky.

"I was the one whom you saved. This morning, I read the news that you were in a state of coma, hanging between life and death, and immediately, I flew here."

"What for?" asked Tursky.

"Because," the man answered, "I thought I might be of help. They say that I am one of the best brain surgeons. I came here and performed the operation which has saved your precious life."

When you do good, that good will return to you. The evil you do remains with you!




(East and West Series)


LESSON TO LIFE - CARE A LITTLE, CARE A LOT


CARE A LITTLE, CARE A LOT

Randy, a kindergartner, came to the school library one afternoon after class. "See," he said, tugging timidly at my sleeve while extending a carefully bandaged hand, :I hurt myself." A careful examination revealed no evidence of injury – perhaps a small cut or bruise. "This bandage is getting soiled," I told him. "Would you like to have a clean one?"

"Oh, no," he protested, hiding his arm behind him. "I’ve got to keep this one. My teacher put it on for me."

There was such love and pride in his voice that I had to blink back with tears. It’s a beautiful bandage, Randy," I said. "If your teacher put it on you, then we won’t change it."

Randy’s parents are divorced, and his mother works long hours. An older brother and sister are seldom home. I suspect he cherished that soiled bandage because it eased the pain – not of a hurting hand but a hurting heart. Each time he looked at it, there must have been an assurance that someone in his small world cared.

Ours is a troubled, rapidly changing society. Yet one basic reality doesn’t change: we humans are caring creatures. From birth to death we must care and be cared for. Too often we think of caring in terms of impersonal gestures, involving large sums of money. These have their place, but money alone can never release a person from the prison of loneliness. More important are countless small acts of kindness – bandages for the heart.

There are many ways to say, "I care" – the letter when it isn’t our turn to write; a sincere "I’m sorry" when we’re not sure who was wrong; a warm smile; a friendly word to a stranger. Trifles, costing little or nothing but coming from the heart, they say, "To me you are a special person."

Psychologists agree that older people often become senile because they no longer feel useful. We discovered this when grandfather came to say after grandmother died. In deference to his grief, I insisted that Tom, our seven year old son, not bother him. And, under pressure of daily chores, I tended to push him aside. One day he was cleaning the garden. "Someone else can do that," I said, steering him towards a lawn chair. "Just sit and enjoy the sun. It will do you good."

But nothing seemed to do him good. Daily he grew more despondent. Then, returning from an errand one afternoon, I found him digging and Tom breaking up clods of mud with a small rake. "Grandfather and I are making a garden, "Tom announced joyously. He’s made lots of them. He’s showing me how!"

I was about to protest, when I noticed that grandfather’s eyes were alert and shining, and the old familiar smile was back. "Great" I said, "You two make a list of the seeds you need, and we’ll get them tomorrow."

The garden was a source of considerable pride to both Tom and his grandfather. From then on grandfather has his full share of responsibility. He weeded the flower border, filled the bird-bath, even washed dishes. And he remained active and cheerful well into his nineties.

Today many homes are too small to have room for elderly relatives; and with divorce rampant and commitments seemingly made to be broken, the number of people who feel that no one cares has reached epidemic proportions. Never has there been a greater need for us to show that we care.

A widow in our church had devoted her life almost exclusively to her two children. When they married and moved away, she told her pastor: "My life is over. The children don’t need me anymore."

"Your children may no longer need you," he said, "but there are many who do. Now is the time to find them." He sent her to a hospital ward where there were toddlers who would enjoy stories she had once shared with her own youngsters. There children were precious too. She discovered that when we reach out, the world becomes as wide as we choose to make it.

"We all carry bandages in our hearts for the world’s wrongs. There’s not a single problem that can’t be solved by caring". Each of us can develop a capacity for caring if we make an honest effort. Habits of self-centredness and indifference are hard to overcome. But if we daily make a promise to ourselves to reach out to just one person, we’ve taken the first step.





(by Aletha Jane Lindstorm)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

VALUABLE WORDS – 03


VALUABLE WORDS – 03


Birds of a feather flock together. That is the law of attraction. The word “attract” means to draw. You are a magnetic field of mental influence. That about which you constantly think, you pull, draw, and attract toward you. What you attract depends upon that which you dwell upon in your thoughts, words, and actions.


Men only fail because they lose enthusiasm. Many people start with a clear vision, and then when things get blurry, they stop. Never share your dream with people who don’t have similar dreams. Winners hang with winners, and losers hang with losers. I don’t need a crystal ball to predict your future; all I have to do is look at the company you keep.


We all have dreams that we want to materialize. In Genesis, Joseph had a grand dream, and his brothers hated him for it. Rule number one is everyone will not celebrate your dream. When you have a big dream some of the people closest to you will discourage you. Joseph never doubted his dream and kept on dreaming and went from slave boy to Prime Minister. Never stop dreaming. Never!


Love is the most powerful principle you can work with! A noted psychiatrist has stated that the greatest human need is the need for love, and that none of us can survive without it. Love is the greatest power on earth. Here is a way to make love work for you. Affirm these words every day and watch the magic begin: I love all people, and all people love me. It will bring harmony.


Where are definite rules that will bring happiness and joy to you, but you must follow the path of enlightenment.
The first rule is contentment. The second rule is simplicity. The third and most important is thankfulness. People suffer because of desire. Once you become very thankful and count all your blessings you will be on your way to enlightenment! Be content . . . be thankful!


Positive thinking is very important. The best way to begin thinking positively is to talk to God constantly. Develop a relationship with God and nothing will be able to stop you. Stay in constant union with God. A very good book to read concerning positive thinking is The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.


Today we will talk about the process versus the prize. We must learn to enjoy the process! Do you enjoy the creative process of writing poetry, decorating, drawing, helping others build a company, entertaining, serving people with excellence? Never, never chase the prize, which is rewards, awards, or pats on the back. The process is the prize, so have fun while you are at it.


How do you receive answered prayer? The Bible says ask and you shall receive. And in asking, you must be definite with the infinite. Until a man selects a definite purpose in life he dissipates his energies and spreads his thoughts (prayers) over so many subjects and in so many different directions that they lead not to answered prayer but to indecision and weakness! Make up your mind.



In order to have peace, make money, or to stay healthy you must put mind over matter. Never let problems become your reality; you must always appraise your mind higher than the matters that seek to disturb your peace. It’s all in the mind. The eyes behind the eyes! You must always imagine greatness and never let your circumstances rule. Always value mind over matter.


You only have what you believe you have mentally. A good example of this is winning the lottery. Many people win the lottery and then within a few years they are broke again. Prosperity is a mental thing.


Stop all negative thought! Think only about what you want, and never think about what you don’t want. If there is something in your life that you do not want there, stop fighting it. Forget it. Think positive thoughts all the time! Think happy thoughts, thankful and exciting thoughts! In case you did not know it, being happy is a choice!
_

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY


WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY


“Photos your photographer won’t take at your wedding….unless you ask for them!”


It has been my experience, with 40 years as a wedding photographer, that the most forgotten people when it comes to photos at a wedding are often the individual parents of the bride and/or groom.


Most photographers will be sure to include the parents in photos with the bride and groom, but most will never think to inquire about doing groups of the individual dads of the bride or groom with all his brothers and sisters who are present at the wedding. And of course, the same is true with the individual moms of the bridal couple, too.


While you’re getting these photos taken, be sure to include any parents and grandparents of those brothers and sisters that are there, too, to capture their entire core family group in photos.


A wedding is almost the perfect place to take these kind of photos with the individual parents and their siblings. Everyone in the families has gathered for the big event, many times from far flung regions of the country.


Their child’s wedding may well be the first time the brothers and sisters have gotten together in years. It may be many years in the future before they are ever together again. If the opportunity to take these group photos is passed over because nobody thought much about the importance of this fleeting opportunity, then those photos may end up never being captured. These photos often turn out to be the most important and most appreciated of all the photos I take regularly at the wedding.


I’d be willing to bet that less than 10 percent of wedding photographers plying their trade today know to get these photos for you. You will have to specifically ask for them to be taken, or they just won’t be done!


Other important people that most photographers will probably overlook photographing for you at the wedding, unless you give them your written photo request list, are the bride and/or groom’s god parents, groups of the bride and/or groom’s co-workers, high school friends, youth camp friends, fellow fraternity and sorority members, fellow sports team members for high school or college.


The one thing no wedding photographer can do is look at a room full of total strangers and figure out how they interlock with each other just by looking! I gave up trying to do that after photographing my very first wedding 40 years ago!


Now I send each bride an email before the wedding requesting exactly this sort of information, so that I don’t end up missing anyone of importance to the bridal couple on their special day.


You will want to see to it that your wedding photographer is thoroughly armed with this often overlook information, so that they will get these photos for you.


Remember, your wedding photographer can’t read your mind when it comes to who among those present on your wedding are important to you and need to be photographed with you.


You might also help make getting these photos easier for your photographer by making sure that the people who are going to be included in these special group photos are told to be available for the photos being taken when the other groups are done…either before or immediately after the wedding ceremony.


You will not want to be trying to pull these groups together at the reception, because getting them all together at the same time at the reception is often one of the most difficult things you’ll do on your wedding day. It is better to avoid doing these photos at the reception altogether, if possible and get them done early in the day.


Also, be sure that all the people to be included in your photos know to stay in the room the photos are being taken until all the groups are done. If someone slips off because they think they are through being photographed and it turns out that they are needed for an impromptu additional last minute group request, everything grinds to a halt photo-wised, until someone tracks them down and brings the back.


If you aren’t careful, this could be repeated over and over again as various people slip outside for a smoke or to use the restroom after their group as been taken. When this happens, it can extend the time needed for the photos by as much as an extra half hour…and that time is probably cutting into your reception time, too.


A lot of churches today have church services scheduled pretty soon after the wedding concludes, so many times the photographer ends up being rushed time wise on getting the group photos for you. I’ve had priests tell me immediately after the receiving line concludes, “You have only 20 minutes to get all your groups done. We’ve got a church service starting soon.”


In my email to be bride before the wedding date, I always try to avoid having this happen by asking if there is a church service planned for after the wedding…and, if so, how soon will it begin after the wedding . I point out that everyone will need to RUSH back in immediately if we are crowded for time by the church. Don’t let others complicate it for your photographer by them slipping out of the room before all the group photos are taken.



Author: Ericka Smith

UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE


UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE

This happened a long long time ago.

A little boy asked his father : "Daddy, what is the difference between gods and demons?"

The father said to the little boy: "Son, I will organise a big banquet at our residence where I will invite both the gods and the demons. At the end of the banquet you will get your answer."

And the father sent out invitations to both the gods and the demons. On the appointed day, a most lavish banquet was organised and hundreds of gods and hundreds of demons arrived at the house.

The demons were an impatient lot, disorganised and noisy. They asked the host that they wanted VIP (very important person) treatment, and therefore wanted to have their food served first to the demons and the gods must eat last.

The host agreed to their request on one condition that the demons tie wooden planks to both hands when eating. The demons said that if the same condition was also applied to the gods as well then they had no objection to tying the wooden planks on both their hands when eating.

All the demons had wooden planks tied to both their hands and they immediately sat on the floor, seating one next to the other in one straight line. They were all very eager to be served with delicious food.

The first course of food arrived. It was the best smelling soup in a bowel with spoon. Now when the demons got spoons filled with the soup, they realised that they could not bend their hands to bring the spoons to their mouths. They tried to lift their hands over their heads and tilt the spoons with their mouths wide open. They got the soup falling in their eyes and all over the face and also on their expensive garments.

The demons got noisier, became angry and started swearing at the host. Some of the demons wanted to beat up the host. Some demons tried to restrain the other demons and they started fighting among themselves. The demons agreed that it was totally useless for them to remain at this banquet as it was not possible to eat the food without bending their hands. It was impossible to eat the food without messing up their beautiful and expensive garments. With angry words the demons left the banquet.

Now it was the turn of the gods to eat. The gods were of a peaceful nature. They also sat in a line on the floor. Both their hands were also tied with wooden planks. When the first course of food was served, which was the delicious soup, the gods first recited the food prayer. The gods realised that they could not bend their hands, and therefore it was impossible to eat the soup.

Each of the gods thought: "Never mind if I cannot eat the soup, but let me be of help to my fellow brother who is seated next to me."

The gods turned towards each other and started feeding each other. They thus enjoyed the most delicious soup. Then the next course of meal was served and they enjoyed that delicious meal. They went through five course meals and ate to their hearts content. They thanked the host; presented the host with gifts they had brought, and peacefully went back to their homes.

The son was observing all that happened. The father told him that a major difference between the gods and the demons was the difference in their attitude of ‘Giving’ and the attitude of ‘Taking.’ The demons thought only about their individual self-interest whereas the gods thought about selflessly serving others.


When you open your heart and give selflessly, you receive also much more than you give.

INTENSE FAITH GIVES INSTANT RESULTS

INTENSE FAITH GIVES INSTANT RESULTS

A long time ago, there was a severe draught in certain parts of India. One village in particular was caught up right in the middle of this draught belt. The economy of this village was entirely dependent on agricultural produce. Without rains, the villagers faced a bleak future, indeed. The extreme heat of the sun had dried up the rivers and the lakes. There was hardly any water left in the wells. The people were really desperate for water.

The villagers approached the village pundit (priest) and asked him to organise a prayer-for- rain meeting in the temple. The whole village turned out at this prayer meeting. One man was among the last group of people who arrived at the temple and every body with strange quizzical looks on their faces, was looking at this one man. This man was carrying an umbrella and he was the only man who brought his umbrella to this prayer meeting. No villager was ever seen carrying an umbrella outside of the rainy seasons. To the villagers, it was as strange as seeing a housewife going everyday to the vegetable market dressed in a bride's costume! For it seemed unconventional to carry an umbrella when there was not one rain cloud in the sky.

The prayer meeting commenced and at the end of all the rituals and ceremonies, when people were about to leave the temple, they could not hold back their curiosity about the man and his umbrella.

'Why was he carrying the umbrella?' the people asked.

Upon being questioned, the man with the umbrella replied:

"The Lord will provide. He gives and He takes away. The Lord will surely answer our prayers for rain and I will need the umbrella for the rains".

The villagers laughed him off. Not one of the villagers could appreciate the absolute and sincere faith of the man with the umbrella. The scorching heat of the sun outside the temple was still fresh in their minds.

And then……..

Behold, a miracle took place. As the people were streaming out of the temple door and putting on their shoes, rain clouds appeared in the sky, the gentle breeze gave way to gusting winds, the pallor of the sky darkened and thunder and lightning heralded the coming of the rains. And a sudden downpour opened the eyes of the villagers. Their ridicule of the man with the umbrella changed to amazement, disbelief, and they now understood the intense faith of this man. All the villagers agreed that it was the sincere prayer of this one man with his total faith and devotion that the Lord simply had to answer.
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EXIT TO ARGUMENT – ENTER IN TO AN ADJUSTMENT

EXIT TO ARGUMENT – ENTER IN TO AN ADJUSTMENT

A very very narrow bridge was improvised connecting two high mountaintops. The bridge was like a narrow wooden plank slung across the two mountaintops and had neither railings nor even ropes for protection. From the bridge, looking below, long way down, ran the treacherous rapids of a mighty river meandering through giant boulders.

One day, a mountain goat came along and wanted to go across the bridge to the other side of the mountain. The goat started walking over the narrow bridge. Mountain goats are sure-footed animals and are fearless mountain climbers.

At about the same time, another goat started crossing the bridge from the other end. The two goats came face to face in the middle of the bridge. The bridge being very narrow, the two goats could not go past one another. And there was no way the goats could make about turns. There was absolutely no possibility that the goats could turn back.

The second goat spoke arrogantly to the first goat: "You are obstructing my path. Get out of my way, you silly goat! I am in a hurry to go to the other side."

The first goat replied: "I was first to step on to the bridge and therefore I have the right to cross the bridge first."

The second goat retorted angrily: "I am the strongest goat around. I have never lost a fight with other goats. Look at my great big horns and think again. Either you quickly get out of my way or else…!"

The two goats started fighting. Their horns locked and it was indeed, a strange sight to behold. High up above on a narrow bridge two goats could not come to terms with each other. They threw caution overboard and as a result there ensued a battle between two fools. Both goats lost their balance and fell to their certain deaths.

After one week, by a strange co-incidence, two other goats started crossing the bridge from the opposite ends. One goat from this end of the bridge and the other goat from the other end. And the two goats met in the middle of the bridge.

The first goat spoke most politely: "I beg your pardon sir! It was too late when I realised that you were also crossing the bridge from the other end. Anyway, I am much younger than you are. I have been taught by my parents and by my teachers that I must respect my elders and that we should be gentle and kind to all creatures.

Furthermore, I remember the advice that when confronted with any problem, first offer a prayer to the Lord and seek His guidance. Problems and solutions always go together. Think of a bath-towel. If one end of the towel is where problems like to reside then the other end of the towel is where solutions reside. Both ends go together wherever the towel goes. Problems and solutions are inseparable. One has to merely search for the solution. I must first think about a clever solution."

The second goat said: "And what might that (solution) be?"

The first goat said: "Let me sit on this bridge with my head turned to one side so that you can slowly and carefully step over my back and cross over. I will then get up and be on my way."

Thus the two goats crossed the bridge safely.
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THE SEED _ What you plant now What you will reap later

The Seed - What you plant now What you will reap later


A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business.

Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were Shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will bethe next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful - in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My young Executives, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said. Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

* If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant hard work, you will reap success

* If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

* If you plant faith in God , you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later..

"Whatever You Give To Life, Life Gives You Back"

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR


TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR


The child is still a mystery to me. Does God come in the little ones to teach our hard and wayward hearts?

Children come with radiant faces and singing hearts. Do they come to renew the child-heart that slumbers still in the grown-up ones?

The simple child-soul will save civilization and lead us to gentleness and purity, and humble mindedness and to simple-hearted faith in "Our Father in Heaven".

Great kingdoms crumble to their fail: and God grows weary of thrones and dynasties. But God is radiant in the roses and the rosy faces of the little children.

When the disciples asked Jesus who was the greatest in the Kingdom of God, he called the little child unto him and set him in the midst of them and said: "Verily, I say unto you: except ye become as little children ye shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven. And he who humbles himself as this little child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."

Mystery-filled are the children and radiant are they as stars: for they rise from afar: they come as witness to our Unseen Home. In the eyes of a child floweth Eternity: and in the heart of a child is the Light that heals!

Philosophers have evolved systems and built up schools, but I know of no better touchstones for truth and falsehood than the child heart.

Kingdom lie prostrate at the feet of conquerors and kingdoms crumble to dust one day. But there is a kingdom that crumbles not – a kingdom introduced by time. It is the Kingdom of Light. Of that, the child-heart is a symbol. Riches and glories of the earth pass away: but in the pure eyes and lisping words of a child lie hidden a wisdom that abides.

I have looked at children: I have seen them sit silent: and I have sometimes felt they understand things better than the grown-ups! Are they thought-readers? Do not disregard what a little ones say to you. A child will say suddenly: "Do no do that!" You will do well to listen to what the little ones say to you. Don’t be rough to them! And to understand them you should love them. You then may know that life is beautiful: you then may cling to this faith of childhood in the face of all disappointments of difficult days.

O yet that would grow in the life of the spirit, go and hug you children to your hearts and kiss you little ones in the cradle and beneath the stars. Love your children and ask them to bless you and your earth-pilgrimage!



(Author: Sadhu Vaswani)

WHAT’S IN A NAME


WHAT’S IN A NAME


An elderly gent was invited to his old friend's home for dinner one evening. He was impressed by the way his buddy preceded every request to his wife with endearing terms - "Honey," "My Love," "Darling," "Sweetheart," "Pumpkin," etc. The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love.

While the wife was in the kitchen, the man leaned over and said to his host, "I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your wife those loving pet names."

The old man hung his head. "I have to tell you the truth," he said. "I forgot her name about 10 years ago."

REAL SHARING OF LIFE



REAL SHARING OF LIFE


He ordered one hamburger, one order of French fries and one drink.

The old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half. He placed one half in front of his wife. She then carefully counted out the french fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of her husband.

He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them. As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them kept looking over and whispering.

You could tell they were thinking, "That poor old couple - all they can afford is one meal for the two of them."

As the man began to eat his fries a young man came to the table.

He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said they were just fine - They were used to sharing everything.

The surrounding people noticed the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite.

She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink.

Again the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said, "No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything."

As the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with his napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked

"What is it you are waiting for?"

She answered....

"The teeth."

Valuable Words - 02


Life meets you like you meet life. Set your day up every day with positive affirmations. You must make yourself happy. Being happy takes practice. I find that every time I say I’m thankful, I end up with more for which I am thankful.


What are you focused on? What are your goals? What are your desires? Our desires are far more motivating than our needs. Desire inspired the Wright brothers to fly. Desire motivated Thomas Edison to persist through
ten thousand experiments before perfecting the light bulb. FOCUS. Don’t surrender to the distraction.


When I look back over my life I realize that I only feel great when I’m serving or giving in some capacity. May be that’s why the Bible says it’s better to give than to receive. Maybe that’s why when some people give and someone says “Thank you,” they say in return, “No. It was my pleasure.”


Move must start with you. You cannot love or be loved correctly until you love yourself correctly. Your love life is the result of the way you love yourself. Your relationship with others is the result of the way you relate to yourself. If you want to love and be loved, you are the starting point.


What is a miracle? What is luck? I believe the harder I work, the luckier I get! I believe that our habits create our blessings.


Teamwork makes the dream work. Always remember, your network determines your net worth.


We are what we repeatedly do. You must despise where you are before you will ever be where you want to be. You simply set goals. You must have a goal to measure progress. Set one goal today, enjoy the process, and don’t stop until you are done.


What is your lifestyle? Two of the basic ingredients that contribute to a person’s lifestyle are routines and habits. You can yell, scream, cry, and pray about a routine you want to break, but if you can’t change your habits, you can’t bring about a better life. If you want to lose weight, I suggest a triple bypass: bypass bars, restaurants, and bakeries!


Stay encouraged. If you can find what you’re excited about, you can find your money. If you can find what excites you, you can find your mentor. Many people are depressed because they have not found their calling.
Many sell out for money or out of desperation. I tell people, do what you love and the money will follow.



You don’t need to know everything. There is great wisdom in uncertainty. I would rather live in a world where my life is surrounded by mystery than live in a world so small that my mind could comprehend it. You don’t know everything and you don’t need to! Let go and let God. Remember, sometimes the blessing is in the mystery.


The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness while they snub contentment. I have discovered over the years that riches are not from an abundance of worldly goods but from a contented mind.



Treat every day as if it were your last. You never know when your time is up. I wonder about the people who die in car accidents on the way home. Did they tell their loved ones how much they love them? Do you hug your spouse or children enough? Cherish life! Cherish today!

A Nice Tribute to Mothers


A Nice Tribute to Mothers


Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.

Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, normal is history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct.

Somebody never took a three-year-old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring.

Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.

Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good."

Somebody thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.

Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices.

Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her child hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.

Somebody never helped a fourth grader with his math.

Somebody said you can't love the fifth child as much as you Love the first.

Somebody doesn't have five children.

Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing questions in the books.

Somebody never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery.

Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten or on a plane headed for military "boot camp."

Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back.

Somebody never organized seven giggling Brownies to sell cookies.

Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married.

Somebody doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.

Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home.

Somebody never had grandchildren.

Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to tell her.

Somebody isn't a mother.

NONE CAN MATCH PARENTS


NONE CAN MATCH PARENTS

An old man was sitting in the courtyard of his house along with his son who had received tertiary education. Suddenly a crow perched on a wall of the house.

The father asked the son: ‘What is this?’ The son replied: ‘It is a crow.’

After a little while the father again asked the son: ‘What is this?’ The son said: ‘It is a crow.’ After a few minutes the father asked his son the third time: ‘What is this?’ The son said: ‘Father, I have just now told you that this is a crow.’

After a little while the old father again asked his son the fourth time: ‘What is this?’ At this time some expression of irritation was felt in the son’s tone when he said to his father with a rebuff, ‘Father! It is a crow, a crow.’

A little after the father again asked his son: ‘What is this?’ This time the son replied to his father with a vein of temper. Father: ‘You are always repeating the same question, although I have told you so many times that it is a crow. Are you not able to understand this?’

A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old diary. Opening a page he asked his son to read that. When the son read it the following words were written in the diary: “Today my little son was sitting with me in the courtyard, when a crow came there. My son asked me twenty-five times what it was and I told him twenty-five times that it was a crow and I did not at all feel irritated. I rather felt affection for the innocent child.”

The father then told the son the difference between a father and a son’s attitude, ‘While a little child he asked me this question twenty-five times and I felt no irritation in replying to the question twenty-five times and when today I asked him the same question only five times, he felt irritated and annoyed.’

Lesson: None can match the generosity of our parents

Monday, July 27, 2009

MARRIAGE HUMOUR

MARRIAGE HUMOUR

1. Marriage is not a word. It's a sentence (a life sentence).

2. Marriage is love. Love is blind. Therefore marriage is an institution for the blind.

3. Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor's Degree and the woman gets her masters.

4. Marriage is a three-ring circus: engagement ring, wedding ring and suffering.

5. Married life is full of excitement and frustration: In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens.In the third year, they both speak and the NEIGHBOUR listens.

6. Getting married is very much like going to a restaurant with friends.You order what you want, and when you see what the other person has, you wish you had ordered that instead.

7. There was this man who muttered a few words in the church and found himself married. A year later he muttered something in his sleep and found himself divorced.

8. A happy marriage is a matter of giving and taking; the husband gives and the wife takes.

9. Son: How much does it cost to get married, Dad? Father: I don't know son, I'm still paying for it.

10. Son: Is it true Dad? I heard that in ancient China, a man doesn't know his wife until he marries her. Father: That happens everywhere, son, EVERYWHERE!

11. Love is one long sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock.

12. They say that when a man holds a woman's hand before marriage, it is love; after marriage it is self-defense.

13. When a newly married man looks happy, we know why. But when a 10-year married man looks happy, we wonder why.

14. There was this lover who said that he would go through hell for her. They got married, and now he is going through HELL.

16. When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.

17. Eighty percent of married men cheat in America, the rest cheat in Europe.

18. After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin. They just can't face each other, but they still stay together.

19. Marriage is man and a woman become one. The trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

20. Before marriage, a man yearns for the woman he loves. After the marriage the "Y" becomes silent.

21. I married Miss right; I just didn't know her first name was Always.

22. It's not true that married men live longer than single men, it only seems longer.

23. Losing a wife can be hard. In my case, it was almost impossible.

24. A man was complaining to a friend: I HAD IT ALL-MONEY, A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE, THE LOVE OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, THEN POW! IT WAS ALL GONE. WHAT HAPPENED, asked his friend. He says MY WIFE FOUND OUT.

25. WIFE: Let's go out and have some fun tonight. HUSBAND: OK, but if you get home before I do, leave the hallway lights on.

26. At a cocktail party, one woman said to another: AREN'T YOU WEARING YOUR RING ON THE WRONG FINGER? The other replied, YES, I, AM. I MARRIED THE WRONG MAN.

27. Man is incomplete until he gets married, then he is finished.

28. It doesn't matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same boss.

29. A man inserted an ad in the paper - WIFE WANTED. The next day he received a hundred of letters and they all said the same thing - YOU CAN HAVE MINE.

30. When a man opens the door of his car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing - either the car is new or the wife is.

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7 Ways To Put A Smile On Somebody Else’s Face


7 Ways To Put A Smile On Somebody Else’s Face


1. Write an encouraging note to others that have encouraged you or that need encouragement. Handwritten notes that are given to encourage, not just for thanking someone for a gift, are rare. That makes handwritten notes even more special. Start a new practice of sitting down and writing an encouraging note on a regular basis. You just might start an epidemic!


2. Take a friend out to lunch or invite her to your home for a meal. You will get to know each other even better than you do right now. If you feel like being more adventurous, throw a party for several of your friends and put smiles on a multitude of faces.


3. Give someone an inspirational book to read. You will feel good doing it, reading the book will change the person, and they will think of you every time they read it.


4. Ask a friend or relative if you can take care of their kid(s) for a day or evening. If you have been a parent, you know the value of being able to have a few hours of `adult time` without worrying about the children. Don't wait to be asked to baby-sit when it is required. Offer to do it at a time when the parent can do something fun and relaxing.


5. Deliver a meal to someone you know that is sick or having a rough time. We have all been sick and know the last thing you want to do is be out of bed. There are also times when life is tough and it is hard to do all of the daily chores. You can be a tremendous help by providing a meal that can be enjoyed.


6. Volunteer time to supporting your local church or charity. Every minute you dedicate to a church or charity will cause many smiles. You will put a smile on the face of each leader just for helping without being asked. You will also be putting smiles on the faces of those that are being helped through the organization.


7. Thank everyone that supports you throughout the day. The list of those that you come in contact with is endless. Remember family and friends, secretaries, co-workers, teachers, Sunday school teachers, pastors, store employees, janitors, gas station attendants, those that deliver your mail and newspaper, and servers at restaurants.





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Make Up Tips: Avoid Wearing Too Much

Make Up Tips: Avoid Wearing Too Much

 
Makeup is meant to enhance features not bring negative attention to you. That's what wearing too much makeup will do; it will bring you unwanted attention. Don't wear too much of anything such as:

. Eyeliner : dark, thick eyeliner will make you look overdone and will ruin the rest of your makeup.

. Mascara : too much mascara looks fake and will flake. It looks especially bad if worn with thick eyeliner or dark blue eye eye shadow.

. Foundation : Make sure your foundation is the same color as your skin. Foundation is meant to protect and give the face a smooth look. The magic word is blend.

. Powder : The same holds true for powder - not too much. Also, be sure to blend your makeup so there are no obvious lines.

. Lips: Apply lip liner to completely cover the lips, add color and your lipstick will stay on much longer. Make sure your lip liner doesn't show. Also, your lip color should match your skin tone; wear cool colors if you have cool coloring and warm colors if you have warm coloring. If you want to make your lips look smaller, keep your liner on the inside of your lips. However, if you decide to make your lips look larger, going outside the natural outline of you lips is a mistake. This can look quite messy and unnatural.

. Appropriate makeup: Wear makeup that is appropriate for the occasion. If you are going to the beach you shouldn't wear the same or as much makeup as you would if you were going dancing. Also, when you are in daylight your makeup should be a lighter than when you are out for the evening.

. Too little or no makeup: Some women don't wear makeup because they are not sure how to use it and are afraid of being overdone. If you are unsure, start will light colours in your shade. Start slowly and add one product at a time. Maybe start with foundation, add mascara, blush or lipstick. If you are not used to wearing makeup, using a lot a first may be a little too much for you, so start slowly. The bottom line is a little is better than none. If you are still unsure seek professional advice.

. Overall look: When your makeup is completed it should look natural. That means avoiding colours that clash. If you have dark skin and hair you will look better in darker shades; light colours will make you look washed out. If your hair and skin tone are light, light colours will look better on you. Dark makeup will make you look older and harsh. If you haveoily skin, first use oil control moisturizer and foundation. Then be sure to wear loose powder, keeping pressed powder with you for touch ups.

. Hair color: Your hair color should also be in harmony with your skin. If you have dark hair and you want to add color, keep it close to the same shade. If you have light hair, use light colors. As you age your skin will lighten, so should your hair color. One last thing about hair color - if you do color you hair be sure you keep it up, don't let your roots show.

. One last thing: Keep makeup looking fresh all day by doing regular touch ups. Don't let your makeup fade or crease. Smile!