170. An ideal mother doesn’t stop caring for her child even if he/she keeps on hurting her. That is true love. Similarly, if we really love someone we would care for such a one even if, in return, we get hurt and hatred.

- Sujit Mukerji

169. Curse the sin and not the sinner.

- Mahatma Gandhi

168. To lead a healthy life, our environment should be healthy and to keep our environment healthy, we should live a healthy life. We should keep our environment just the way we want our lives to be i.e., our environment depends on our actions and our actions depend on how we think.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

167. The environment of a place should be based on the purpose it is meant to serve.

- Sujit Mukerji

166. All the positive things can be traced back to a beneficial supportive role of a congenial environment and vice versa …

- Sujit Mukerji

165. A person can be judged by the environment he chooses.

- Sujit Mukerji

164. “Gautam Buddha left The Palace for Peace;

We leave Peace for The Palace.”

163. If we have any expectation, we can be sad;

If we just do the duties properly, we shall be glad …

- Sujit Mukerji

162. If we live for the self, we will be sad;

If we live for the others, we shall be glad …

- Sujit Mukerji

161. Even though our life is like that of a bus conductor, always traveling but nowhere to go, we must have a goal or else it will be next to impossible to pull on …

- Sujit Mukerji

160. Every person’s actions are motivated by his instincts, emotions, reasoning and, finally, spiritualism (if any) in that order. If we remember this, it would be so easy to interact with each other.

- Sujit Mukerji

159. A person is only a reflection of the environment in which he was born, brought up or has/had to spend his days. His behavioural pattern is nothing but his reaction to the environment and, over the years, such responses become his habits.

- Sujit Mukerji

158. The child only picks up what it experiences e.g., if the parents or the other elders it grows up with show selfish tendencies, then it is only natural for the child to emulate the behaviour. So, why blame it?

- Sujit Mukerji

157. The lessons of the past should be employed in the present for a better future.

- Sujit Mukerji

156. The many faces of lies can not face the one face of truth.

- Sujit Mukerji

155.  We must remember history – our own and others’ – if we want to make good progress and avoid repetition of mistakes.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

154. Optimism and positivism are two different things. Optimism means whatever happens or will happen is or will be good. Positive attitude means whatever happens or will happen, will also contain some good points. So, in positive attitude, the person looks only at the positive side but he knows it has a negative side too, which he ignores. In optimism, a person thinks there is nothing bad at all. Positive attitude not only encourages us but also helps us to be more practical and happy in our life. There might be many negative points but if we stick to those points, we would never be able to move ahead in life.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

153. The same things can be said in so many different ways with, obviously, so many different results. If we are careful enough, meeting our objectives would be a lot easier. A little tact can do wonders.

- Sujit Mukerji

152. It is indeed a formidable challenge to forgive people who create obstacles in our lives but it surely does help if we remind ourselves that to err is human and to forgive is divine. Besides, if we keep nurturing our grievances, our life will become all the more difficult for us.

In fact, our religious texts are replete with such glorious examples where the great people have gone to unimaginable extents to wash away the sins of the common folks.

Therefore, it is upon us to ensure peace in our lives.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

151. Think like a man of action and act like a man of thought.

– Henri L. Bergson

150. Since we are directly or indirectly dependent on the environment, shouldn’t it be our prime concern to make sure that it stays healthy? Shouldn’t we constantly strive hard to improve our attitude, behaviour and language?

- Sujit Mukerji

149. Some of us become so pre-occupied with ourselves that we tend to overlook the interests of our children. We even justify our actions and attitudes and say we are doing only what is required of us whereas it may be our own interests or the way we see things. Such an attitude drives us in a direction that proves detrimental to the balanced growth of the child’s persona.

- Sujit Mukerji

148. It is nothing but the sense of selfishness which makes us more right-conscious than duty-conscious.

- Sujit Mukerji

147. We must try to understand the difference between duty towards oneself and selfishness and try to safeguard ourselves against justifying our selfishness.

-  Sujit Mukerji

146. Whatever our nature (determined by the genetic factors), the habits (determined by the environmental factors) that we acquire act either as a bridle or as a driving force.

- Sujit Mukerji

145. The first and the most important step towards success is the feeling that we can succeed.

– Nelson Boswell

144. Our brain has three levels – the lowermost controls the basic body functions and instincts, the next higher one controls the emotions while the highest one controls the cognitive functions or our reasoning ability. Spiritualism, the fourth aspect, has now attracted the scientists’ attention and they are trying to find out if it is the fourth level of development of our brain. Each level is governed by the next higher level. The lower two levels are, obviously, fully developed – our instincts and emotions are so well pronounced. The third level is, again obviously, still developing – we can be so unreasonable at times e.g. we have the tendency to judge others from our own points-of-view, expect others to be like us when we can not be like them, be egoistic, inter alia. The lower three levels are subject to logic.  The fourth faculty, that of spiritualism, is beyond worldliness, i.e. beyond logic. Once all this becomes clear, doesn’t it become a whole lot easier for us to comprehend the goings-on?

- Sujit Mukerji

143.  It has been scientifically well established, beyond even an iota of any doubt, that music definitely has a rejuvenating effect on all life forms. It has been described as the medicine of the troubled mind by Haddon. It has appropriately been defined as the speech of angels and, as observed, it has the charm to soothe even the savage beast. It is something that ‘all can hear but only the sensitive can feel’. When we are happy, we feel the sound of the rain as music to our ears. Music has no language. That means in whatever language it is it will have an appeal to the mind. It is amongst the most popular things since the ancient times.

At the end of a hard day’s work, the poor farmers or the labourers, after taking their meals, get together and sing songs to soothe themselves before going to bed. In the same way, rich people quite often listen to the music with the same intention to feel good. Thus, music is an essential ingredient for the ‘feel-good’ factor.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

142. Different people define democracy in different ways. Some great personalities, like Abraham Lincoln, defined it as government of, by and for the people whereas Aristotle defined it as a government of many and Lord Bryce defined it as a government in which the will of the majority of qualified citizens rest. The dictionary defines it as a form of government in which the people vote for their representatives to govern on their behalf. In the above lines the ways of defining democracy are different but the main idea is the same.

There was once a time when the world was unaware of the idea of democracy but now more than half of the independent countries in the world are democracies. However, the expansion of democracy has not been so smooth and, unfortunately, it still remains an unstable and uncertain achievement.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

141. That some can achieve success is a proof to all that others can achieve it as well.

—Abraham Lincoln

140. From a brush with thorns, comes the beautiful rose;

From a broken heart, comes powerful prose;

From a cramped cocoon, comes a butterfly new;

From a tough mountain climb, comes a breath-taking view …

139. Our personality is the cumulative effect of two factors – genetic and environmental. The genes determine our nature while the environment is instrumental in the formation of certain habits in us and, as we all know, habit is the second nature. So, that is how we learn to act and react. Our responses to situations, though similar in certain ways, are marked by their characteristic individuality.

- Sujit Mukerji

138. Life is the biggest teacher. Yet, we fail to learn our lessons properly. This is evidenced by the fact that the same experiences get repeated howsoever undesirable they may be. That calls for introspection, doesn’t it?

- Sujit Mukerji

137. No system can continue for ever. Certain weaknesses are noticed and then, in an attempt to strengthen a system, alterations and improvisations are made. A new system gets evolved. It is a continuing process. However, certain basic lacunas remain … and the imperfections continue … thus paving the way for further changes …

- Sujit Mukerji

136. Adventure adds spice to our life which is otherwise probably a monotonous experience. It inculcates in us the spirit to break free from the established norms and so long as it does not prove to be harmful in the ultimate analysis it is one of the most advisable things to do. One has to have a lot of self-confidence because adventure means taking risks. There can be a lot of things to learn in the process. One has to have a very clear mind in order to be able to take spot decisions. So, evidently, adventures are important in personality building as well because life means situations which call for presence of mind and sport decisions.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

135. Home and wisdom are interlinked in a way. As we know, charity begins at home. So, whatever we are doing is the result of how we were taught in our homes and, as far as wisdom is concerned, we know that the man is known by the company he keeps or gets. Therefore, the mentality of a person depends on what kind of training he is given at home, what kind of moral values he is taught, and so on. What man thinks, he becomes, Mahatma Gandhi said. The type of a man’s thought is influenced by his learning at home. A child spends the majority of his time in his home and so he does what he gets to see there.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

134. No one is perfect, everyone understands that. So, none can teach any one to be perfect.

- Sujit Mukerji

133. Ever since our earliest days, we are taught the various do’s and don’ts. In fact, more don’ts than do’s!

- Sujit Mukerji

132. Isn’t it ironic that, at times, we have a tendency, even consciously, to ignore an approach that could keep us away from negative eventualities?

- Sujit Mukerji

131. Money makes the mare go. Money has also been described as a necessary evil as nothing can be procured without money. On one side, it is the root cause of many evils. It can even ruin our life. On the other side, it can make our life so much better. In other words, it can either make or break our life. It is upon us whether we want to have it in our control or let it destroy us. Acquiring money is so difficult. With all-round developments, many things are becoming necessary. We should use money to meet our needs and stop it from promoting greed. We must, however, ensure that what we describe as our need can be justified in every way.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

130. History is the study of the past. In other words, history is ‘his story’. History means the written record of events of the distant past. By studying history, we get to know about our country and the world. To know and understand our society, culture and our world, we have to know the history.

History teaches us how the terrible wars of the past have lead to havoc and destruction. It inspires us with the life-stories of great people. It motivates with lessons of human values from the teachings of great personalities like, Gautam Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, Guru Nanak, Mahatma Gandhi etc.

History teaches us about the culture of the people of various countries and civilizations. This helps us to understand and respect all societies and cultures. Thus, history teaches us to be true citizens of the world.

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

129.  Cleanliness ensures good health. For best results, it should be amongst our topmost priorities. A clean mind leads to a clean life. Clean thoughts guarantee healthy interactions and good performances. Likewise, a clean body makes its own contributions. A clean environment can improve everything so effectively and obviously lead to a definite freshness which is so likeable. Since we know God is present everywhere, we should ensure that cleanliness is also present everywhere. The best way to stay clean is firstly, to never let anything become dirty and secondly, to constantly keep working at keeping everything clean. Thus, we can say, cleanliness is godliness …

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

128. All mornings are like paintings. We need a little inspiration to get us going and a little smile to brighten it up …

127. A morning is a wonderful blessing, either cloudy or sunny. It stands for hope, giving us another start of what we call – life …

126. The shortest and sweetest definition of success – when the signature becomes an autograph …

125. THE TWO FACES OF ADVERTISEMENTS

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

In today’s age of economic progress, consumerism and commercialism, dissemination of information amongst the target segments of society has become an essential implement. Advertisement is a very potent means to serve the purpose of creating awareness. It is done through various media. Proponents of advertisements are of the firm view that it is not just the means to promote commerce and consumerism but its larger purpose is the welfare of mankind, generally speaking.

Advertisements are nothing but dream sellers, as the cliché goes. Advertisements are classified into four categories i.e. commercial, social, political and educational. Educational advertisements should have been under social advertisements. But, unfortunately, education has now become a commercial commodity. Therefore, its advertisement is self-motivated and can be misleading.

Now comes the commercial advertisement. The commercial advertisements are based on the selfish motives of the advertisers or the product managers. They are focused on their profits no matter what effect the advertisements or the products have on the common people.

Political advertisements too are, most of the times, misleading as every party makes high promises but fail to fulfill them when the time comes.

Social advertisement is the only one which can be helpful and are not misleading, e.g., the advertisements that condemn the practice of female foeticide and infanticide.

Thus, by this, it can be concluded that except social advertisements, all other types of advertisements are misleading.

At last, it should be kept in mind that nothing is totally bad or good.

124. BLAME GAME – AN ACT OF SHAME

(MODIFYING #28)

-- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

I have often wondered why many of us blame our luck or any other factor for not being able to achieve what we want. I believe, God has endowed us with certain potentials which we tend to leave latent in us. If we can be enterprising enough to exploit our hidden potentials to the full, we might not perhaps need to blame our luck so often, as the likelihood of our meeting with success gets increased manifold.

When we realize that we have done nothing worthy, we start blaming others, our own luck or even God for our failures. We should not waste our time and energy like that. In fact, we must take inspiration from those who have really used their talents. Like, Graham Bell, who has furthered the horizon of our wisdom by inventing the telephone. He not only made his but also others’ life easy. Pathetically, despite the availability of such important facilities as telephone, even electricity, which have become our basic needs today, when we fail to give our best, we again blame it on the lack of certain other facilities. As Sachin Tendulkar said, “Only losers give excuses”. So, by giving excuses, we establish ourselves as losers.

So, there is no doubt that we can get right results only if and when we use what God has given us properly. That would be our best tribute to Him.

123. When we become weary of our ‘meaningless’ toil and signs of suffering come into our faces, then we proclaim that suffering is a beauty for in suffering alone lies our meaning …

122. Faith makes all things possible.

Hope makes all things work.

Love makes all things beautiful.

121. Should we become sad if anyone doesn’t recognize our worth? Shouldn’t we rather concentrate in increasing our capabilities and doing justice to whatever we undertake to do?

- Sujit Mukerji

120.  Religion, to me, is nothing but our duties towards our responsibilities. Our responsibilities comprise anything or anyone in our charge in the order of their appearance. We must understand our priorities correctly. Thus, our responsibilities as per the order of their appearances are as follows –

(a) To keep the Soul alive: Its presence can be realized whenever we do something wrong and keep feeling uneasy till we set it right. ‘Pricks of the Conscience’, as they say. Believers describe Soul (Atma) as part of God (Param-atma) and Conscience as the Voice of God. Agnostics, however, wouldn’t subscribe to any such concept. Nevertheless, they too feel uneasy when they do something wrong and keep feeling so as long as they do not set the things right. So, our first priority should, therefore, be to keep this Guiding Spirit alive. That will automatically ensure the ultimate good. Hence, this is our first responsibility.

(b) To keep the Mind under control: The mind is selfish. It is primarily concerned with our present feelings, whatever the ultimate results. We are advised to make our Mind our slave rather than become its slave because, as I have observed so many times, the Mind can be the best of friends and the worst of foes. Thus, with the help of our intellect and will-power, we must strive to keep our Mind in our control and make it function in accordance with the vibes of the Soul to ensure the ultimate good. This, therefore, becomes our second responsibility.

(c) To keep the body fit: A healthy lifestyle, regular physical exercises … This is our third responsibility.

(d) To enhance our capabilities: Our potentials and recourses are mostly un- or under-utilized. Shouldn’t we use them to the full? This is our fourth responsibility.

(e) To live a worthy life: As has been rightly observed, life itself has no meaning in it. It is an opportunity to create a meaning … Don’t we owe it to ourselves to live a more positive, meaningful life? Thus, this becomes our fifth responsibility.

(f) To take good care of the family: Shouldn’t we strive continuously, in every conceivable way, to ensure the ultimate good in the family? Thus, this is our sixth responsibility.

(g) To improve the environment: A better environment is more helpful for our growth. So, this is our seventh responsibility.

(h) To improve the circumstances: It is an uphill task, no doubt, but can a laid-back attitude make our life interesting or even give us any hope for a better future? This, therefore, is our eighth responsibility.

(i) To respect our home: Shouldn’t our home be the one place we should respect, in fact worship, the most? After all, our home is the place where we learn to prepare ourselves to face the world outside. Our home is the place which gives us shelter and security when we need it most. Our home is the place to which we return when we are tired. Our home is the place which gives us enough time and space to relax, think, rejuvenate ourselves … In short, our home is the place where we want to return, again and again. Our home is where our heart lives. This is our ninth responsibility.

(j) To ensure a better life for our children: Our children didn’t ask to be born. We bring them to this world for our own reasons. Our duty towards them is not limited to providing them just with material resources. In fact, more important is that first we learn to think properly – if we are not happy, we are not thinking properly – and then teach our progeny the same. ‘Examples are better than precepts’ or ‘Actions speak louder than words’. We must show rather than just say. If we can learn and teach that proper management of the Self is the key to success and, therefore, a satisfying life, our job will be done.  This is our tenth responsibility.

 The list can go on. Next in order would be – our neighborhood, the less privileged, relatives (decided by God or chance), friends (chosen by the self), society, country, humanity, other living creatures and non-living things …

- Sujit Mukerji

119. Anything can be possible. So, why not

(a) be prepared i.e. take all necessary actions and precautions? Isn’t it better to be safe than sorry?

(b) keep trying for a better result?

- Sujit Mukerji

118. If complaining can help resolve a problem, then it is justified. Otherwise, isn’t it a futile exercise … a waste? After all, there can be only three types of responses to our complaints:

(a) Our well-wishers become sad,

(b) The ‘not-concerned’ become irritated and

(c) Our ill-wishers become happy.

Do we really want such responses?

- Sujit Mukerji

117.  Blaming is a negative action. It has its negative results. However, it has a positive side too! Whenever I am blamed, I do some re-thinking and become wiser and more cautious. I’ve learned to consider and treat all my negative experiences as tests of my intelligence, wisdom, correctness, goodness, patience, tolerance or, in short, my positive side. Blessings in disguise, as they say! Such experiences are opportunities for me to prepare myself in such a way as never to let them repeat themselves.

So, as a doer, I should not blame or, in fact, take any negative action against anyone or anything with a malicious motive. Blaming with malice simply cannot have any positive result whatsoever. It can only lead to more negativity. However, if the motive is benevolent, blaming or any other negative action can be justified if done with respect and politeness etc.

As a receiver, I should treat all my negative experiences as opportunities to learn and improve myself.

- Sujit Mukerji

116. We never get what we like. We never like what we get. Still, we live, love and hope that some day we will get what we like or like what we get. That’s life …

115. Total darkness can be possible but wherever there is light, there is always a shadow.

- Sujit Mukerji

114. Finding faults is easy. Everyone does it. However, credit lies in noticing the praiseworthy aspects.

- Sujit Mukerji

113. Smile increases the value of face,

Anger spoils the beauty of soul,

Faith is the force of life,

Confidence is the companion of success …

112.. Being happy doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It just means that we have learnt to see beyond imperfections …

111. Our potentials and available resources are mostly under-exploited …

- Sujit Mukerji

110. A little common sense and tact can do wonders. Otherwise, disaster can be possible …

- Sujit Mukerji

109. We need mirrors to look at ourselves. We are particular about the quality of the mirrors too. However, we decide when we should look at the mirrors and whether we want to make any change(s) in ourselves. Likewise, other’s opinions can serve as mirrors though, of course, we must ensure that we don’t get misguided …

- Sujit Mukerji

108. If 1=5,

 2=25,

3=125 and

4=625, then

5=?

Answer is 1! Remember the 1^st line: 1=5?

Moral: Don’t complicate simple things in life …

107. A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that individuality is the key to success.

- Robert Orpen

106. Every Today well lived makes every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness and every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope …

105. At the back of our mind, we must continuously keep thinking what we are doing to ensure positivity …

104. Being prepared means expecting the unexpected.

103. Misunderstanding happens only between good people.

102. There is no justification in feeling insulted because there are only three types of behaviour —

(i) General,

(ii) Selfish and

(iii) Ethical.

Or there may be some misunderstanding.

- Sujit Mukerji

101. People may lay stones in your path to success. What you do with them is up to you: make a wall or a bridge …

100. If todays were perfect, there wouldn’t be tomorrows.

99. Leave something for someone, not someone for something; as something could leave you but someone will always love you.

98. Absence of Evidence is not the Evidence of Absence.

97.  “ Neeyat kitni bhi achchhi ho

Duniya aapko aapke dikhawe se janti h …

Aur

Dikhawa kitna bhi achchha ho

Ishwar aapko aapki neeyat se janta h …”

(However good our intentions might be, the world knows us by what we show to them and however admirable we appear to be, God knows us by our intentions.)

96. We should not hear, think, see or say anything that can have a bad effect.

- Sujit Mukerji

95. All roads open but which one takes us where and how …?

- Sujit Mukerji

94. Important: wisdom, logic, dedication, common sense, intelligence, trust (in oneself), faith (in God), difference between selfishness and what is ethical, attitude, behaviour, language …

                   

93. Life has a pattern: see => recognize => know => understand => learn => remember => beware. Those who forget history are condemned to relive it.

- Sujit Mukerji

92. Every problem has a solution. In itself. If we can not find it, we should accept the problem gracefully.

- Sujit Mukerji

91. Important: Clarity of thought, awareness, self-control, effective communication.

90. If we manage the Self, we can manage everything. So, why do we blame anything or anyone else?

- Sujit Mukerji

89. Three factors determine our actions:

(i) Mann (Mind) => Swarth (Selfishness) => how we feel temporarily => ultimate bad.

(ii) Atma (Soul) => uchit (ethics) => how we feel finally => ultimate good.

(iii) Buddhi (Intellect) => to know the difference between the above two and act accordingly. 

88. If fundamentals are not clear, we can’t go far.

87. (BANGLA) Ei jatrae jokhun phire takai

Ei poristhitir karon khuje pai

Shob kichhuri kono karon to hoye

Ar shob karonero kono karon hoye

Sudhu eitukui to bojhar kotha-bolo ki na tai?

Tobey eto mushkil keno hoye bhai?

Nijer opor diye jachhe maney nijei to tar dai

Onno rokum jodi bhebe thaktam

Taholey ki emun kokhuno hotey parto?

Ki bolo bhai?

Kichhu kharap holay prosno holo ki kore ta sarai?

Kichhu to upaye hobe mon ke tai bojhai

Ar Taar dikay takai!

Upaye to achhei Se bojhae tai

Aro bhablei to hoye bhai!!

(When I look back in this journey, I find the reason behind the prevailing circumstances. Everything has some cause and every cause is also a result of some other cause – emphasis is on the multiplicity of causes that combine together to produce an effect – we have only that much to understand, isn’t it so? Then, why is it so difficult? If we are experiencing something, that means we are involved which, again, means we have a role and so, we are responsible. If we had thought differently, could things have taken such a turn? What do you say? When something goes wrong, the question that arises is how to get it right. There must be some way, I keep telling myself and look up to Him. “There sure is”, He makes me feel, “Just think more …”

- Sujit Mukerji

86. Everything is like a game:

We always get a blame

And don’t win without a fail;

But once won, we get the fame,

Our problems become tame

And certain heights we can scale …

- Sujit Mukerji

85. Most of the things we desire are expensive but the truth is the things that really satisfy us are free of cost: joy, laughter, good relations and friends …

84. Locks are never manufactured without keys …

Similarly, God never gives problems without solutions. We only need to have patience and perseverance …

83. I requested God to keep you happy…

He said, “OK! But only for four days.”

I said, “OK! Summer, winter, autumn and spring days.”

He said, “No, only for three days.”

I said, “OK! Yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

 He said, “No, only for two days.”

I said, “OK! Day and night.”

He said, “No, only for one day.”

I said, “OK! Everyday.”

God smiled and said, “OK!”

82. Q: What is worse than losing everything?

Swami Vivekananda’s answer: Losing the Hope with the help of which we can regain what is lost …

81. We should respect the old when we are young,

We should help the weak when we are strong,

We should forgive the fault when someone is wrong,

Because one day in life we will be old, weak and wrong …

80. Every day is special if we think so,

Every moment is memorable if we feel so,

Every one is unique if we see so,

Life is beautiful if we live so …

79. LIFE IS TOO SHORT

                                                  - Anonymous.

I’ve seen castles made out of sand,

Met people who believe that destiny

is engraved on the palm of their hands,

I’ve seen people change their faith,

Experienced love change into hate,

I’ve seen people grow younger with age,

And a bird who wouldn’t fly out of an open cage,

I’ve seen love sold for money,

People who are devastated inside

But outside they are funny,

I’ve seen the unicorn fall in love with the toad,

People who owned half a city

Have now hit the road,

I’ve learned to expect the unexpected,

Perfection eludes even the expert whereas

We are all so defected,

Everyone cries some just hide their tears,

They say coal turns into diamond over a thousand years,

Some may believe you are one in a million,

For others you are just nobody in the billion,

So, live life with all that you have,

Cherish all your moments happy or sad …

Feel blessed with what you are coz life is too short and we are just here for a moment …

78. Mirror is my best friend because when I cry, it never laughs …

- Charlie Chaplin

77. If someone succeeds in tricking us, it does not mean we are fools. It only means we trusted …

76. Life is a mirror. It reflects the results of our actions … Our actions can be described as inputs or raw data or raw materials and the results can be described as outputs or processed data or finished products … Life is an echo. All we do comes back to us …

- Sujit Mukerji

75. Time can make us forget Smile and Smile can make us forget Time …

74. Life itself has no meaning in it. Life is an opportunity to create a meaning …

73. A winning horse doesn’t know why it runs in a race. It runs because of beats and pain. Life is a race. God is our rider. So, if we are in pain it means God wants us to win …

72. A WOMAN’S PLACE IS AT HOME?

- daughter, Josheca Mukerji

It is a tragedy that even now, when the world has progressed so much, women are being stereotyped and treated as inferior than men. The thinking remains the same as ever.

It is not that all people differentiate between men and women but there are many who do. According to them, a woman’s place is at home. Maybe, the reason is that if the women are allowed to work outside, they will not be able to give sufficient time to their families.

Now, the question arises that why are not men being stopped from doing any job or work outside? They too cannot give sufficient time to their families.

The fact is that the people who think that a woman’s place is at home want the woman to spend time with her family because they think the need for women in their families is more than for men. They indirectly show that women are more dependable than men in household work. This must be an encouraging factor for women, though some get melancholic as they are asked to look after the household work only. They feel their potentials remain latent and unexpressed. They cannot grow. But if they manage to give sufficient time to their families and work at the same time, there is no harm in allowing them to do outdoor work and jobs.

Women who have got the chance to show their capabilities have proved that they are not less than men, e.g., Sunita Williams, astronaut, Smt. Pratibha Patil, former President of India and so on …

It would be helpful for us only if we draw inspiration from these women.

71. BIRTHDAY MESSAGE
(FEBRUARY 27)

Dear Readers,

On this happy occasion, I would like to point out that for the first time in my life, I am experiencing a strange sense of satisfaction which is coming from your continued encouraging response to my efforts towards making everyone’s life easier, through this blog, by stressing in various ways that it is only how we think that makes all the difference

(Also see #13).

On this occasion, I would also like to request you to kindly join me in spreading the message, far and wide, that if we think properly, we won’t ever be unhappy.

Hausla afzahi k liye thanks.

Sirf tumne meri kadar jana,

Ek dost ka dil pehchana,

Kabhi chup reheke na tadpana,

Phir samay mile to ana …

Thank you very much indeed.

Yours truly,

Sujit Mukerji.

70. I WAS WRONG

- Sujit Mukerji

 I thought I had given all I could give

And didn’t know why I continued to live;

It only meant He had more plans for me

What He simply did not want me to see;

I wondered what more role I had to play

And why in His call for me was the delay;

And asked if only he shouldn’t stay on

Who had anything to usher in the dawn?

Now I see how wrong was I

For more I know with days gone by;

The more I live, the more I grow -

The more I can give: life has this to show;

Experience is something that makes us wise -

So, we turn to the older when problems arise;

Thus I wish to God I live and live -

So, as I grow I can just give and give …

69. ‘Ashanti’ (disturbance) ó ‘Swarth’ (selfishness) ó Destruction.

‘Shanti’ (peace) ó ‘Uchit (what is ethical) ó Construction.

- Sujit Mukerji

68. We have only to choose between ‘swarth’ (selfishness) and ‘uchit’ (what is ethical). ‘Swarth’ means how we feel now, whatever the ultimate result; ‘Uchit’ means whatever we might feel now, the ultimate result is definitely good and desirable.

- Sujit Mukerji

67. We know that if there is a beginning, there has to be an end. Yet, we tend to hold on to certain things, just refusing to accept the inevitable, and thus invite pain.

- Sujit Mukerji

66. Destiny can be said to have had (or have) a role when nothing could have been (or can be) done about something.

 - Sujit Mukerji

65. Life in its varied hues,

Never forgets to give us the clues;

To keep us away from the horrid blues …

Is it not something for us to muse?

- Sujit Mukerji

64. Zindagi kat rahi h yahi kya kam h?

Sab Usi ki hi to marzi h -

Isi baat me dum h;

Mana kanto ki rah me fasen hum h …

Par jab Wo h to kis baat ka gam h?

(We are at least continuing - Isn’t that the good part? Everything is His wish - only this fact holds water; of course, life is a bed of thorns but when He is there then why should we worry?)

- Sujit Mukerji

63. Jab saza kis gunah ki samajh me na aye,

Zindagi ek bojh ban jaye,

Tab Us par bharosa hi kaam aye,

Usne bhala bhi to kiya- ye yaad aye,

Ek asha, ek umang, ek josh le aye,

Sapno ka ek aur daur shuru ho jaye …

(When we fail to understand the cause of our sufferings, i.e., when we can not understand why we are being punished and life becomes a burden, then only it is the Trust in Him that helps. It reminds that He has also done us good. This brings a new ray of hope which, in turn, brings the zest for life back in us. And this enables us to see and envision new dreams …)

- Sujit Mukerji

62. For every situation, we have only three options:

(i) Accept it anyhow: if there is no alternative but to accept it then what is the point in grudging about it?

(ii) Change it:  if it can be favorably altered, what is the point in not doing so?

(iii) Seek help: There is nothing wrong in seeking help but doesn’t that prove our inability to manage things on our own and our tendency to be dependent? In other words, by being dependent we prove to ourselves and to the world that we are, on such counts, pathetically handicapped deserving nothing more than sympathy. Why should we bring ourselves to a point where we have to denigrate ourselves in our own eyes and in the eyes of the world?

- Sujit Mukerji

61. Anger is nothing but manifestation of our frustration. By getting angry, we simply declare ourselves as failures in getting our wishes fulfilled. In other words, we declare ourselves as misfits.

- Sujit Mukerji

60. Life would indeed be a wonderful experience if each and every one of us could be more conscious of our own duties than of our rights.

- Sujit Mukerji

59. Bachpan ki nind to befikri aur sukoon ki nishani thi,

Aaj wahi sirf thakan ki majboori h …

Par dukhon wali raat nind kise aati h,

Aur khushi hi mil jaye to sota kaun h?

(Childhood sleep was a sign of peace and absence of concern.

Today it is just a compulsion due to fatigue.

But how can one sleep during nights of sadness and who wants to sleep when there is happiness?)

- Sujit Mukerji