A Mosquito Looks Scarier Than a Lion

 Project a large picture of a mosquito on a screen. Project a small picture of a lion on that screen too. At that moment, the mosquito invokes more fear than the lion.

In stressful situations, we become very critical of ourselves. We start focusing on our small defects, mistakes of the past or others harsh comments. We enlarge them in our minds. It looks incredibly scary to us. In that mindset, we forget that in reality it is a little thing.

It is very important to say at that time, “Even though I have enlarged this problem to a 16ft by 16ft screen, the real size of this mosquito of a problem is less than half a centimeter and I can kill it with a bug spray.”

Don’t enlarge your problems in the heat of the moment.

FRENCH FRIES OR MASHED POTATOES

You buy a packet of French fries. If you find a few which are bad, you throw them away and eat the rest.

A blob of mashed potatoes is either good or bad. You either eat it all or throw it all away.

Do not put yourself down as a “failure”, “inferior” or “loser” as if you were a blob of stinky mashed potato. Ask yourself which part of you is a piece of “French fry” that is good and useful and make the most of what is good about yourself.

	Picture: a cup of French fries.		Picture: a plate with mashed potatoes on it.

 

THE ROSE BUSH AND THE MAPLE TREE

One morning the evil prince of a kingdom walked in to the royal garden. He looked at the rose bush. “This plant is covered in thorns,” he said with disgust, “ It can't even provide shade. This is a worthless plant.” He then stood facing the maple tree. After a quick assessment he groaned, “This tree doesn’t grow any flowers or fruit. Hmm… another useless plant I see.” He ordered the gardener to cut them down.

The prince’s harsh comments hurt the rose bush and the maple tree. They felt sad and inferior. About noontime, the king and his estranged queen visited the garden. The scorching heat made the queen feel faint. The king sat her down to rest under shade of the great maple tree. The king spotted the beautiful and fragrant blossoms of the rose bush and ordered a bouquet made for his wife. As soon as the queen saw the bouquet of flowers, a vast smile spread across her face; she thanked the king.

The king looked at the handsome tall maple tree and the beautiful tiny rose bush, winked and smiled at them with gratitude. He announced that the two plants be never cut down because they served the royal couple well.

You will encounter people like the critical prince who will only point out your negatives. These people will make you feel inferior. You will also meet people like the king who will appreciate your positives and make you feel good about yourself.

It is very important that you know your strengths as well as your weaknesses. If you are a rose bush and someone says you are not tall or shady, don’t try to become a maple tree. Even if you magically did, you will lose your fragrant blossoms. If you are a maple tree and someone says that you need more flowers and you try to become a rose bush, you’ll lose all your relaxing shade.

Do not panic when criticized. Accept what you are. Soon there will be an admirer for you.

Those were the days

Those were the days

Monica said, “I am fifty years old now. I look back to when I was thirty; I was so young and beautiful. Guy used to be around me all the time. I used to go to clubs. I used to dance. I was a member of a hiking club. I belonged to a volleyball team. I miss those days. Every time I think about those days, I get so depressed. Why didn’t I enjoy them more? Why did I let them pass by? I wish I were back in those days”

I asked Monica, “What are you going to say about your life at fifty when you are an eighty years old nursing home resident?”

She thought for a long time.

She was very animated when she said, “I will say that when I was fifty I was working, I had lot of friends at my work. I had family members to whom I used to visit. My friends and I went for movies often. My husband was alive and loved me so much. We made love often. He could not get enough of me. He used to say that I was so pretty. I earned well and spent a lot on clothes. I was so pretty and young. I had my own car and used to visit my aunt. Those were the days”.

From then on, she stopped talking about her days when she was in her twenties and thirties and started enjoying her life.

Welcome to my blog

I am starting this blog because Gautam encouraged me to do it. My main interest is my hobby of coin collecting. I hope to increase my interest and interaction of coins through this blog. See you!
Harish