This too shall Pass

Once a king called upon all of his wise men and asked them,” Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time. In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? One answer for all questions? Something which can help me when none of you is available to advise me? Tell me is there any mantra?”

All the wise men were puzzled by the King’s question. They thought and thought. After a lengthy discussion, an old man suggested something which appealed to all of them. They went to the king and gave him something written on paper, with a condition that the king was not to see it out of curiosity.

Only in extreme danger, when the King finds himself alone and there seems to be no way, only then he can see it. The King put the papers under his Diamond ring.  

Sometime later, the neighbours attacked the Kingdom. The King and his army fought bravely but lost the battle. The King had to flee on his horse. The enemies were following him. Getting closer and closer. Suddenly the King found himself standing at the end of the road - that road was not going anywhere. Underneath there was a rocky valley thousand feet deep. If he jumped into it, he would be finished…and he could not return because it was a small road…the sound of enemy’s horses was approaching fast. The King became restless. There seemed to be no way.

Then suddenly he saw the Diamond in his ring shining in the sun, and he remembered the message hidden in the ring. He opened the diamond and read the message. The message was - ” THIS TOO SHALL PASS”

The King read it. Again read it. Suddenly something struck him- Yes ! This too will pass. Only a few days ago, I was enjoying my kingdom. I was the mightiest of all the Kings. Yet today, the Kingdom and all his pleasure have gone. I am here trying to escape from enemies. Like those days of luxuries have gone, this day of danger too will pass. A calm came on his face. He kept standing there. The place where he was standing was full of natural beauty. He had never known that such a beautiful place was also a part of his Kingdom.

The revelation of the message had a great effect on him. He relaxed and forgot about those following him. After a few minutes he realized that the noise of the horses and the enemy coming was receding. They moved into some other part of the mountains and were nowhere near him.

The King was very brave. He reorganized his army and fought again. He defeated the enemy and regained his empire. When he returned to his empire after victory, he was received with much fanfare. The whole capital was rejoicing in the victory.
 

Everyone was in a festive mood. Flowers were being showered on King from every house, from every corner. People were dancing and singing. For a moment King said to himself,” I am one of the bravest and greatest King. It is not easy to defeat me. With all the reception and celebration he saw an ego emerging in him.

Suddenly the Diamond of his ring flashed in the sunlight and reminded him of the message. He opened it and read it again: “THIS TOO SHALL PASS”.  

He became silent. His face went through a total change - from the egoist he moved to a state of utter humbleness. If this too is going to pass, it is not yours. The defeat was not yours, the victory is not yours. You are just a watcher. Everything passes by. We are witnesses of all this. We are the perceivers. Life comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Sorrow comes and goes.

Now as you have read this story, just sit silently and evaluate your own life. This too will pass. Think of the moments of joy and victory in your life. Think of the moment of Sorrow and defeat. Are they permanent? They all come and pass away.

Life just passes away. There is nothing permanent in this world. Everything changes except the law of change. Think over it from your own perspective. You have seen all the changes. You have survived all setbacks, all defeats and all sorrows. All have passed away. The problems in the present, they too will pass away. Because nothing remains forever. Joy and sorrow are the two faces of the same coin. They both will pass away.

You are just a witness of change. Experience it, understand it, and enjoy the present moment - this too shall pass

Being Human.....

We are born as human beings but in reality we talk and act inhumanly.

We lack humane, ethical and compassionate approach. 

Why is it so? Is it because of our ego and selfishness?

Read below an inspiring story worthy of emulation by humans.
What we Think, Say, and Do and what the birds/animals do..

Once a group of pigeons lived on the elevated structures of an ancient temple. As the festival of lights was nearing, the temple management thought it fit to commence renovation. The pigeons had to look for an alternate dwelling and found nearby a church. 

As they flew to the church, they found some pigeons living there, and freely mingled with them and found their space.

As Christmas approached, the church management decided to renovate its building. The pigeons were disturbed again. Nearby they found a mosque. They all flew to the mosque and adjusted once again with the pigeons living there. When Ramzan came they all had to fly to a nearby Gurudwara. Finally disturbed by all these festivals, they settled on nearby trees as all religious communities were busy enjoying their festivals.  

One day communal clashes erupted. Between Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs. The baby pigeon wondered why the humans were fighting. Mother pigeon explained: 'They are human beings, the Hindus are from the temple, the Christians from the church, the Muslims from the mosque, and the Sikhs from the Gurudwara.

The baby pigeon then asked why humans are divided so. We were called pigeons whether we lived in a Church Mosque or Temple. So why they are just not called humans.

The mother pigeon said we have understood the concept of communal harmony and benefits of living together, whereas human beings are still to understand this

The Wisdom of Failure

Looking back, as we approach another year end and tabulating whether my successes have been more than my failures. It’s clear that failure has left its imprint.

The hardest blow came in the form of failing a major exam. The pain was crippling. It did knock me out for a bit. But after all, how do you climb back onto the saddle when the horse has flung you off: when your plans fall to pieces? Life will constantly test your resolve and level of commitment.

If only we could have patience in the midst of our trials. Coping with rejection and apparent failure is a serious matter. The tragic death of John Kennedy Toole (American novelist born in 1937) screams this truth. No publisher would touch Toole’s book. He began suffering from paranoia and depression. In a vain attempt to kill the pain, he committed suicide at the age of 31. Toole's novels were rejected during his lifetime. However, posthumously, he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1980.

If you focus on positive thinking, even the harshest defeat is only a stepping-stone.

Never let Success get to your Head. Never let Failure get to your Heart. “I didn’t get consumed by losses,” said the legendary NFL coach Don Shula, “and I didn’t get overwhelmed by successes.”

Many of us have stifled our life by heeding some misguided critic who implied we were not good enough. Few things in life are certain but failure is.

Failure seems as something to be avoided at all cost. Although it leaves a sour taste, we should embrace failure for the learning opportunity it is. Failure is the oldest teacher, and perhaps the wisest of them all. Some things are impossible to completely grasp without first falling down.

We live in a culture that values perfectionism and failure is often viewed as a sign of weakness. People become so fixated on not failing that they never move forward.When it comes to failing, our egos are our own worst enemies. It's easier to accept failure in private, but once the failure is obvious to everyone around you, it's becomes harder to accept it. Holding onto failures for way too long is destructive.

The Importance of Failure

• It’s a learning Experience – Failure drives us to change. It represents opportunity and growth. It gives new direction. There is always one or more lessons to learn in what you may see as a failure.

• It builds Character – We learn how to behave when we finally accomplish our goals. The humility we gain through our failures allows us to better handle and appreciate success.

• It makes you Stronger – It’s with persistence we overcome failure to achieve success . When people fail, they feel unaccomplished, and so they try again and again, until they finally reach success.

• Your chances of Succeeding Increases – Failures are the pillars for success. You gain experiences you could not get any other way. Some things can only be learned through trial and error.

• Failure is a type of Freedom – Why? Because the worst has happened. Now, you can relax and rebuild again.

Success does not come easy. Everyone must face one hurdle after another. If you think that once you have the success you crave, you can relax, you are sadly mistaken.

Failure can be costly, not only emotionally but financially as well. Some industries are very unforgiving as one or more failures may instantly get you the boot. The worse thing anyone can do, is not learn from failures.

In recent years, more and more executives have embraced the point of view, that failure is a prerequisite to invention. The fastest way to succeed,” IBM’s Thomas Watson, Sr., once said, “is to double your failure rate.” The growing acceptance of failure is changing the way companies approach innovation.

However, distinguishing between excusable and inexcusable failure is crucial. Managing failure is key. Some mistakes are unpardonable for example producing and marketing a dysfunctional product caused by poor quality control. Encouraging failure doesn’t mean abandoning or supervision or respect for sound practices. Managing for failure requires leaders to be more engaged, not less.

I would like to share 20 Powerful Quotes on failure:

1. "You always pass failure on your way to success." ~Mickey Rooney

2. "A failure is a man who has blundered, but is not able to cash in the experience." ~Elbert Hubbard

3. "Failure is the tuition you pay for success." ~Walter Brunell

4. "Feeling sorry for yourself, and your present condition is not only a waste of energy but the worst habit you could possibly have. ~Dale Carnegie

5. "Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is called failure." ~Soichiro Honda

6. "The season of failure is the best time for sowing the seeds of success.” ~Paramahansa Yogananda

7. "Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe." ~Sumner Redstone

8. "Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor." ~Truman Capote

9. "There is no failure. Only feedback." ~Robert Allen

10. "Remember that failure is an event, not a person." ~Zig ziglar

11. "Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough." ~Og Mandino

12. "Its fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure." ~Bill Gates

13. "Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again." ~Richard Branson

14. "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying." ~Michael Jordan

15." Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." ~Napoleon Hill

16. "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."~Henry Ford

17." My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure." ~Abraham Lincoln

18. "I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward." ~Thomas Edison

19. "Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat. "~F. Scott Fitzgerald

20. Our best success often come after our greatest disappointments. ~Henry Ward Beecher

Finally, don’t let the fear of failure hold you back.

Remember to take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise. Always find joy in your journey for as George Bailey said it best “It’s a Wonderful Life!”

I wish you the very best in life, success and prosperity for 2015 and onwards.