mAd : Making A Difference

The Last Lecture

2008-10-11T22:38:00.000-07:00

We cannot change the cards we are dealt,
just how we play the hand.

เราเปลี่ยนไพ่ที่จั่วขึ้นมาไม่ได้
แต่... เราเลือกวิธีเล่นได้

When you're screwing up and
nobody's saying anything to you anymore,
that means they gave up.

ถ้าคุณทำเรื่องแย่ๆ และไม่มีใครว่าอะไรคุณเลย
นั่นหมายความว่า
พวกเขาหมดความพยายามแล้ว

Experience is what you get
when you didn't get what you wanted.

ประสบการณ์คือสิ่งที่เราได้รับ
เมื่อเราไม่ได้สิ่งที่หวัง

~ Randy Pausch

Da Vinci's Masterpiece

2008-10-07T21:17:00.001-07:00

" The smallest feline is a masterpiece "

~ Leonardo Da Vinci

Destiny

2008-10-07T21:12:00.001-07:00

"One meets his destiny often in the road he takes to avoid it. "

~ French proverb

illustration by Gustave Dore' of Dante in the dark forest

2008-10-05T21:19:00.001-07:00

... "Every crisis carries two elements, danger and opportunity.
No matter the difficulty of the circumstances,
no matter how dangerous the situation...
at the heart of each crisis lies a tremendous opportunity.
Great blessings lie ahead for the one who knows
the secret of finding the opportunity within each crisis."...

The best and most beautiful things

2008-10-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

The best and most beautiful things,

cannot be seen or even touched,

But they can be felt with the heart.

สิ่งที่ดีและสวยงามที่สุด

อาจมองไม่เห็น หรือไม่อาจสัมผัสได้

แต่.. สามารถรับรู้ได้ด้วยใจ

The Wise Old Man

2008-08-02T00:48:00.000-07:00

A man of 92 years, short, very well-presented, who takes great care in his appearance, is moving into an old people’s home today.

His wife of 70 has recently died, and he is obliged to leave his home.
After waiting several hours in the retirement home lobby, he gently smiles as he is told that his room is ready.

As he slowly walks to the elevator, using his cane, I describe his small room to him,
including the sheet hung at the window which serves as a curtain.

”I like it very much”, he says, with the enthusiasm of an 8 year old boy who has just been given a new puppy.

“M. Gagné, you haven’t even seen the room yet, hang on a moment, we are almost there. “

” That has nothing to do with it “, he replies.

“Happiness is something I choose in advance.
Whether or not I like the room does not depend on the furniture, or the decor – rather it depends on how I decide to see it.”

“It is already decided in my mind that I like my room. It is a decision I take every morning when I wake up.”

“I can choose.
I can spend my day in bed enumerating all the difficulties that I have with the parts of my body that no longer work very well,
or I can get up and give thanks to heaven for those parts that are still in working order.”

“Every day is a gift, and as long as I can open my eyes, I will focus on the new day, and all the happy memories that I have built up during my life."

“Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw in later life what you have deposited along the way."

So, my advice to you is to deposit all the happiness you can in your bank account of memories.

Thank you for your part in filling my account with happy memories, which I am still continuing to fill…

Remember these simple guidelines for happiness.

1. Free your heart from hate.

2. Free your mind from worry.

3. Live simply.

4. Give more.

5. Expect less.

คนบ้าผู้กล้าเปลี่ยน

2008-07-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

คนบ้าผู้กล้าเปลี่ยน
เรื่อง : ว.วชิรเมธี

เชื่อหรือไม่ว่า ที่โลกของเราก้าวหน้ามาถึงทุกวันนี้ได้ก็เพราะอาศัย “คนบ้า” เสียเป็นส่วนใหญ่
คนปกติ มีส่วนทำให้โลกพัฒนาอยู่บ้าง แต่เมื่อเทียบอัตราส่วนแล้ว ดูจะน้อยกว่าคนบ้า

ในอินเดียสมัยโบราณ คนยุคนั้นมีความคิดกันว่า ทางที่จะทำให้บรรลุสู่ความดับทุกข์มีเพียงสองทาง หนึ่ง คือ ทางทรมานตน (ทุนิยม) และสองคือทางตามใจตน (สุขนิยม) ต่อมาเจ้าชายสิทธัตถะ ทรง “บ้า” กว่าคนในยุคนั้น คิดไม่เหมือนใครว่า ต้องมีทางสายอื่นที่ดีกว่าสองทางนี้อย่างแน่นอน แล้วก็ทรงแสวงหาทางเลือกใหม่ตามตรรกะที่ทรงตั้งสมมติฐานไว้ ทรงบ้าอยู่ได้ตั้ง 6 ปี ผิดหวังครั้งแล้วครั้งเล่า แต่ถึงกระนั้นก็ไม่ทรงล้มเลิก

ใครบางคนเคยกล่าวว่า “ไม่มีใครล้มเหลว หากเขาไม่ยอมล้มเลิก”

คำกล่าวนี้ นับว่าใช้ได้กับกรณีของเจ้าชายสิทธัตถะ เพราะหลังจากทรงบ้าทดลองแสวงหาทางดับทุกข์มาทุกวิถีทางกินเวลากว่า 6 ปี ในที่สุดก็ทรงสมปรารถนา ทรงค้นพบมรรคาแห่งความสำเร็จในคืนวันเพ็ญเดือนวิสาขะ นับแต่นั้น พระองค์ทรงเปลี่ยนสถานภาพเป็นพระสัมมาสัมพุทธเจ้า

โลกยังคงจัดงานเฉลิมฉลองวันแห่งความสำเร็จของพระองค์มาจนถึงทุกวันนี้

หลังจากผู้กำกับภาพยนตร์ชื่อดังนาม “อั้งลี่” สำเร็จการศึกษาจากมหานครนิวยอร์กแล้ว เขามีความฝันว่า สักวันหนึ่ง โลกจะต้องจดจำเขาในฐานะผู้กำกับภาพยนตร์ชื่อก้องให้จงได้ แต่จนแล้วจดรอด ฝันของเขาก็ไม่เคยเป็นจริง แทนที่สำเร็จการศึกษากลับมาแล้ว อั้งลี่ จะได้เป็นผู้กำกับสมใจ เขากลับกลายเป็นพ่อครัวอยู่ในร้านอาหาร

เขาช่วยภรรยาทำกับข้าวอยู่ในร้านอาหาร จนภรรยาเริ่มเซ็ง และถามว่า “เมื่อไหร่ คุณจะได้เป็นผู้กำกับเสียที” ในขณะที่คนรอบข้างมองไม่เห็นว่า อั้งลี่ จะเป็นผู้กำกับหนังได้อย่างไรนั้น ตัวเขากลับคิดอีกอย่างหนึ่ง
เขาคิดว่า ความสำเร็จต้องเป็นของเขาแน่นอน เพียงแต่ว่า ในการเดินทางมาหาเขานั้น ความสำเร็จต้องใช้เวลาทำวีซ่านานหน่อยก็แค่นั้น

เมื่อได้ตั้งปณิธานบ้าๆ ว่า ผู้กำกับเอเชียจะโกอินเตอร์ให้ได้แล้ว อั้งลี่ ไม่เคยอยู่เงียบๆ เขาซุ่มเขียนบทภาพยนตร์มากมาย และเพียรส่งให้กูรูด้านภาพยนตร์ทั่วโลกพิจารณา และในที่สุด หลังการรอคอยอันยาวนานถึง 6 ปีเต็ม โอกาสก็เดินทางมาถึงเขา และไม่นาน

หลังจากนั้น วีซ่าแห่งความสำเร็จก็ได้รับการอนุมัติอย่างเป็นทางการ
เขากลายเป็นผู้กำกับภาพยนตร์จากเอเชียที่บุกตะลุยไปถึงรางวัลออสการ์อันทรงเกียรติเป็นผลสำเร็จเป็นคนแรก จากผลงาน “หุบเขาเร้นรัก” หรือ Brokeback Mountain นับแต่นั้นเป็นต้นมา อั้งลี่ ไม่ใช่พ่อครัวปรุงอาหารกายอีกต่อไป แต่เขากลายเป็นพ่อครัวผู้ปรุงอาหารใจหล่อเลี้ยงคนทั้งโลก

ใครบางคนเคยกล่าวว่า “สำหรับผู้รู้จักอดทนและรอคอยอย่างใจเย็น ความสำเร็จต้องเป็นของเขาไม่เร็วก็ช้า”
คำกล่าวนี้ นับว่าใช้ได้สำหรับกรณีของอั้งลี่

นานหลายร้อยปีมาแล้ว มีนักเดินเรือคนหนึ่ง เกิดมีความคิดบ้าๆ อยากรู้ว่า โลกกลมหรือโลกแบนอย่างที่เขาเล่าลือกันหรือไม่ เขาเริ่มท้าทายแนวคิดที่ว่าโลกกลม จนถูกสังคมต่อต้าน ระหว่างหาทางพิสูจน์ทฤษฎี เขาหายไปจากสังคมนานกว่า 4 ปี แล้วต่อมาเขาก็กลับมามีตัวตนอีกครั้งหนึ่ง คราวนี้ เขาไปหาพระเจ้าแผ่นดินของสเปน ขอรับพระบรมราชูปถัมภ์ เพื่อไปค้นหาโลกใหม่ที่ปลายสุดของมหาสมุทร แต่จริงๆ เขาต้องการทราบว่า โลกกลมหรือแบน ด้วยลูกบ้าที่กล้าคิดและทำแหกคอกไม่เหมือนใคร ในที่สุดชายคนนี้ก็ค้นพบทวีปอเมริกา

แต่กว่าจะค้นพบ เขาต้องฝ่าฟันอุปสรรคนับไม่ถ้วน วันหนึ่งระหว่างเรือแล่นไปกลางมหาสมุทร ลูกเรืออยากกลับบ้าน จึงพากันฟันเสากระโดงเรือ แต่เขาก็ไม่เลิกบ้า สั่งให้ซ่อม แล้วเดินทางต่อ อีกครั้งหนึ่งลูกเรือลุกขึ้นประท้วง เจาะเรือจนรั่ว เพื่อหาเหตุขอให้เขาพากลับบ้านเกิด นักเดินเรือบ้าคนนั้นใช้กุศโลบายหมุนเข็มทิศเปลี่ยนทิศทางพลางบอกลูกน้องว่า เรากำลังบ่ายหน้ากลับบ้าน แต่แท้ที่จริงเรือยังคงมุ่งไปข้างหน้า เมื่อบ้าจนได้ที่แล้ว วันหนึ่ง คณะของนักสำรวจเลือดบ้าคนนี้ ก็ค้นพบทวีปใหม่ ซึ่งต่อมาก็คือ สหรัฐอเมริกา และนั่นจึงทำให้เขาได้รับเกียรติ นำเอาชื่อของเขามาเป็นชื่อของเมืองหลวงกรุงวอชิงตัน ดี.ซี. (ดี.ซี.มาจาก District of Columbus)

ใครบางคนเคยกล่าวไว้ว่า “จุดหมายคือเป้านิ่ง นักเดินทาง คือ ผู้เคลื่อนไหว เมื่อจุดหมายอยู่ที่เดิมตลอด หากเราเดินเพียงวันละก้าว ไม่เร็วก็ช้า ต้องบรรลุจุดหมาย”

คำกล่าวนี้ นับว่า ใช้ได้กับกรณีของโคลัมบัส

เชื่อหรือไม่ว่า โลกของเราก้าวหน้ามาถึงทุกวันนี้ก็เพราะอาศัย “คนบ้า” เสียเป็นส่วนใหญ่

ผลแห่งการบ้าคิดนอกกรอบของเจ้าชายสิทธัตถะ ทำให้โลกเกิดศาสนาใหม่ ทำให้อารยธรรมของมนุษย์เปลี่ยนโฉมหน้าไปอย่างสิ้นเชิง ผลแห่งการบ้าของคนอย่างโคลัมบัส ทำให้เกิดประเทศใหม่อย่างสหรัฐอเมริกา ผลแห่งการบ้าของอั้งลี่ ทำให้คนเอเชียก้าวขึ้นสู่ยุคทองของโลกภาพยนตร์ในตะวันตก

คนบ้าๆ นี่แหละที่เปลี่ยนแปลงโลก คนนิ่งๆ คนเชื่องๆ คนเงียบๆ คนหงอๆ คนประเภท “เห็นด้วยนะ แต่ไม่แสดงออกหรอก” ยากมากที่จะก่อให้เกิดความเปลี่ยนแปลงในทางสร้างสรรค์

สังคมไทยกำลังต้องการคนบ้าอย่างเร่งด่วน เราต้องการนักการเมืองบ้าๆ ที่กล้าลุกขึ้นมาประกาศว่า จะเล่นการเมืองโดยไม่โกง เราต้องการทหารบ้าๆ ที่กล้าประกาศว่า จะไม่ย้อนกลับไปปฏิวัติ เราต้องการตำรวจบ้าๆ ที่กล้าประกาศว่า จะไม่รับส่วย เราต้องการพระบ้าๆ ที่กล้าประกาศว่า จะไม่พาคนโง่ลงกว่าเดิม เราต้องการคนไทย ที่กล้าลุกขึ้นมาประกาศว่า บ้านเมืองก็ของเรา และเราทุกคนต้องมีส่วนร่วมในการสร้างสรรค์การเมืองใหม่ และเราต้องการคนไทยบ้าๆ ที่กล้าประกาศว่า นักการเมืองที่ฉ้อราษฎร์บังหลวง ไม่ควรมี ที่อยู่ ที่ยืน บนผืนแผ่นดินไทยอันเป็นที่รักยิ่งของเรา

หากเราไม่ลุกขึ้นมาบ้า เราก็คงจะต้องเป็นยายแก่ตาแก่ขี้บ่นกันไปอย่างนี้ชั่วนาตาปีทั้งประเทศ แล้วก็ปล่อยให้คนด้อยคุณภาพทั้งหลาย บริหารจัดการประเทศกันไปอย่างไร้ทิศทาง และมองไม่เห็นอนาคต

Say what you feel

2008-05-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

~ Theodor Seuss Geisel

ชีวิต - การเดินทาง

2007-09-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

หากชีวิตคือการเดินทาง

ใยจึงยึดมั่นว่าที่พักต้องถาวร

Life is pretty simple

2007-08-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Life is pretty simple.
You do some stuff.
Most fails.
Some works.
You do more of what works.
If it works big, others quickly copy it.
Then you do something else.
The trick is the doing something else.

~ Leonardo da Vinci

If Life is a Game, These are the Rules

2007-08-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

Rule One

You will receive a body. You may love it or hate it, but it will be yours for the duration of your life on Earth.

Rule Two

You will be presented with lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called ‘life.' Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or hate them, but you have designed them as part of your curriculum.

Rule Three

There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of experimentation, a series of trials, errors, and occasional victories. The failed experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that work.

Rule Four

A lesson is repeated until learned. Lessons will be repeated to you in various forms until you have learned them. When you have learned them, you can then go on to the next lesson.

Rule Five

Learning does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

Rule Six

‘There’ is no better than ‘here’. When your ‘there’ has become a ‘here,' you will simply obtain a ‘there’ that will look better to you than your present ‘here’.

Rule Seven

Others are only mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects something you love or hate about yourself.

Rule Eight

What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you.

Rule Nine

Your answers lie inside of you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.

Rule Ten

You will forget all of this at birth. You can remember it if you want by unravelling the double helix of inner knowing.

Summary

Your time here on Earth is brief. Time passes and things change. You have options and choices in which to make your wishes, dreams, and goals become reality.

When you ask yourself, ‘Why am I here?’ or ‘Why is this happening to me?’ or ‘What's it all about?’ turn to your spiritual primer. Ask yourself, ‘What is the lesson?’ If you hear a defensive reaction using the words ‘never’ or ‘always’ in your response, you haven’t yet learned the lesson. Next, go a little deeper and ask, ‘What is there for me to learn from this experience?’

Each time you view your circumstances as possessing value, regardless of the apparent confusion or hardship, you grow. Your personal evolution will depend on how readily you embrace your lessons and integrate them into your life. Remember, the only consequence for resisting lessons, is that they will keep repeating themselves until you learn them. When you have learned a lesson, you will always be tested. When the lesson is learned, the test will be easily passed, and you then move on to more complex and challenging ones.

You can look back on the incidents in your past and see clearly the lessons you have learned, resisted, and are still repeating. ‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, that is why we call it the present.’

It is more challenging to look at your present situation and see exactly what your lessons are. Looking into the future is the most difficult. Wishing that you had already graduated from the school of life does not accelerate your progress or make the lessons any easier. Examining the situation for the real lesson is the scavenger hunt.

Remind yourself that you are here to learn lessons. Be present with your process. Pay attention to what you are experiencing. Be diligent with actions which enable you to ‘get' the lessons presented to you. Ask for answers and you shall receive them. Listen with an open heart. Explore all options. See your judgment as a mirror. View each crisis as an opportunity. Trust yourself. Believe in yourself. Look within yourself, to your higher self, for guidance on all your choices. Extend compassion to yourself.

Remember, there are no mistakes, only lessons (Rule Three). Love yourself, trust your choices, and everything is possible!

A Sense of Purpose

2007-08-01T17:13:00.000-07:00

Helen Keller, blind and deaf from childhood, had no way to communicate with the outside world. In fact, she didn’t realize the world communicated at all.

Her teacher, Ann Sullivan, was determined to show Helen the world around her, and introduce her to it.

After more than a year, Ann made Helen realize that the world was filled with people and wonderful things. From that moment she had a sense of purpose.

It is hard to say which had the greatest determination - Ann Sullivan before this point, or Helen Keller after.

Helen learned to read and write and speak. She graduated from Radcliffe College, and even became a famous writer and lecturer.

The search for purpose should last a lifetime, especially if the final goal is happiness. Helen Keller, remembering her struggles, said, “Happiness is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” Anne Sullivan would no doubt have agreed.

Keep on beginning and failing

2007-08-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Keep on beginning and failing. Each time you fail, start all over again, and you will grow stronger until you have accomplished a purpose - not the one you began with perhaps, but one you'll be glad to remember.

~ Anne Sullivan quote

I am only one

2007-08-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
and because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do something that I can do.

~ Helen Keller

it is up to you

2007-07-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you.

~ Richard Bach

only one difference

2007-07-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

There is only one difference between a madman and me.

The madman thinks he is sane.

I know I am mad!

The road less traveled

2007-07-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

~ Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)

Dog Quote

2007-07-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.
~Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.
~ Andrew A. Rooney

No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog does.
~ Christopher Morley

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man.
~ Mark Twain

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
~Ben Williams

If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience.
~Woodrow Wilson

Try - Fail

2007-07-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

Try again.

Fail again.

Fail better.

~ Samuel Beckett

One Red Paperclip

2007-07-14T23:02:00.000-07:00

Something Bigger or Better

Simply started with one red paperclip on July 12, 2005.

Later, on July 12, 2006 Kyle MacDonald got a house.

visit his blog @ http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/

From Paperclip to House

2007-07-14T22:52:00.000-07:00

A 26-year-old Montreal man appears to have succeeded in his quest to barter a single, red paper-clip all the way up to a house.

It took almost a year and 14 trades, but Kyle MacDonald has been offered a two-storey farmhouse in Kipling, Sask., for a paid role in a movie.

MacDonald began his quest last summer when he decided he wanted to live in a house. He didn't have a job, so instead of posting a resumé, he looked at a red paper-clip on his desk and decided to trade it on an internet website.

He got a response almost immediately — from a pair of young women in Vancouver who offered to trade him a pen that looks like a fish.

MacDonald then bartered the fish pen for a handmade doorknob from a potter in Seattle.

In Massachusetts, MacDonald traded the doorknob for a camp stove. He traded the stove to a U.S. marine sergeant in California for a 100-watt generator.

In Queens, N.Y., he exchanged the generator for the "instant party kit" — an empty keg and an illuminated Budweiser beer sign.

MacDonald then traded the keg and sign for a Bombardier snowmobile, courtesy of a Montreal radio host.

He bartered all the way up to an afternoon with rock star Alice Cooper, a KISS snow globe and finally a paid role in a Corbin Bernsen movie called Donna on Demand.

"Now, I'm sure the first question on your mind is, "Why would Corbin Bernsen trade a role in a film for a snow globe? A KISS snow globe," MacDonald said on his website "one red paper-clip."

"Well, Corbin happens to be arguably one of the biggest snow globe collectors on the planet."

Now, the town of Kipling, Sask., located about two hours east of Regina with a population of 1,100, has offered MacDonald a farmhouse in exchange for the role in the movie.

MacDonald and his girlfriend will fly to the town next Wednesday.

"We are going to show them the house, give them the keys to the house and give them the key to the town and just have some fun," said Pat Jackson, mayor of Kipling.

The town is going to hold a competition for the movie role.

MacDonald said: "There's people all over the world that are saying that they have paper-clips clipped to the top of their computer, or on their desk or on their shirt, and it proves that anything is possible and I think to a certain degree it's true."

MacDonald, who has attracted international media in his quest, said the journey has turned out to be more exciting than the goal.

"This is not the end. This may be the end of this segment of the story, but this story will go on. "

source: CBC NEWS

Friday, July 7, 2006

mistake?

2007-06-18T03:49:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

~ Albert Einstein

Communicate With Animals

2007-06-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

If you ever had a pet, you are likely aware that animals have their own personalities, they have likes and dislikes and feelings of affection and, at times anger. It often seems that they are trying very hard to tell us things and trying let us know what it is they want. If we could just understand them. Which with just a bit of practice and understanding, we can.

All animals can be communicated with on a psychic level, in fact they always do!
Every time you meet an animal, your subconscious mind lets them know how you feel about it, and in turn, they respond by sharing the same information about their thoughts and feelings with you. Every single time. The trick, then, is becoming aware of this communication and using it in a way that will create a bond of understanding between you and our animal friends.

To do this we need to understand how psychic communication with animals takes place, how animals think and react on a mental level and what to expect from your "conversations" with animals.

All psychic communication with animals takes place in the generally subconscious strata of your brain, for that matter, most psychic and intuitive processes do. Animals think like this all the time. This means that animals think in ideas rather than words. They simply "know" what they want or need. They "feel" their way through the world, rather than using reason and logic.

In a manner of speaking, every animal is psychic, as they live and exist in a manner that is completely intuitive in both the manner of thought and the parts of the brain used. They lack our higher brain functions however and our ability to learn to focus such abilities. Which explains how a dog may travel over a thousand miles to find his family, yet still not know that he is going to be hit by a car when he gets there. He just doesn't understand what the information received means.

When trying to connect with an animal, it is important to remember that there won’t be any words or clear pictures coming from the them, at least most types of creatures, so all information that presents itself that way is your own interpretation of their thought, or, more likely, your own imagination filling in information. If you can resist the, very normal, urge to "put words in their mouths" you can get a lot of information from them.

By dealing with them on this level you can get very clear understanding of what they think and want. In turn you can, by clarifying your position, let them know what you think. They are animals though and will have a limited ability to understand abstract information, letters or numbers. This is alright though, because on the deep subconscious level you will have to reach to connect with them, you will have some trouble with those concepts too!

Communicating with an animal is not the same thing as seizing control of their minds and forcing them to do your bidding! They are still separate entities that have their own needs and wants. If you demand that they do things they don’t wish to, they will ignore, or perhaps, even resent you. If you try to scare them into behaving the way you desire, say with threats and intimidation, you may find immediate success, but they will come to fear you. The way to gain good behavior from an animal is the same one we always use. Offer them a reward for doing what you want.

For instance I can gain instant good behavior from my cat by offering her a dish of tuna. This includes such things as calling her from a distance, sitting on demand and standing up to "beg" for food. All I have to do is make good on my offer each time I make it.

For her part she tells me if she wishes to be petted, fed, have her litter box cleaned and be let in or out. Including at times attempts to call me from a distance. It may seem a little lackluster as far as communication goes, but she is a cat, so you can only ask for so much. (As I wrote this she walked into the room and glared at me for almost a minute.)

This same technique will work with any animal. I recommend that once you pick it up, you make an effort to connect with every animal you meet throughout your day. They tend to like it when you don't confuse them with conflicting thoughts and strange ideas they don’t comprehend. These methods can help you do that.

*You will wish to quiet your mind as much as possible. When you reach a calm state, pay attention to any concepts, ideas, or feelings that cross your mind.

*Focus your attention on the animal you are addressing or listening to. This does not mean you have to stare at them. That is intimidating to most animals. Just think about them in a conceptual fashion, keep the idea of them in mind.

*After a few moments you will feel a connection grow between you. At this point you are in communication with them.

*They will present information to you freely. To send them a message, hold the idea you wish to present to them in mind for a few moments, until they respond to you, on a psychic level.

*Now that the channel is open, you can ask them to do things and respond to their needs far more accurately than you could otherwise.

This all happens in a matter of seconds and with only a small bit of practice you will find yourself open to this form of information all the time.

With this basic technique you can do much more than talk to animals, such as connect with plants and even humans. Animals are easier to understand in some ways, because they have a great clarity of thought on this level, that humans often lack, and a strength of presence rarely found in plants.

Experimenting with this skill is fun and easy to do, once the basic method has been learned, so think outside of the box and try communicating with different things you encounter. You may be surprised at what answers you.

D O G

2007-06-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

When GOD had made the earth and sky, the flowers and the trees, He then made all the animals and the birds and bees.

And when His work was finished and not one was quite the same,
He said "I'll walk this earth of mine and give each one a name".

And so He traveled land and sea and everywhere He went, a little creature followed Him until it's strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth and in the sky and sea, the little creature said:
"Dear Lord, there's no name left for me!".

The Father smiled and softly said,
"I've left you to then end, I've turned my own name back to front and called you "DOG", my friend.

~ unknown

Let The Music Heal Your Soul

2007-06-12T01:44:00.000-07:00

By Blackstreet Boys

Oh if someone writes a song with a simple rhyme

Just a song where is feeling show

And if someone feels the same about the simple song

Oh sometimes you can hear them sing

Music gives you happiness or sadness

But it also, it also heals your soul

Chorus:

Let the music heal your soul

Let the music take control

Let the music give you the power to move any mountain

Oh if someone plays piano with some simple chords

So melodic and endearing too

And oh if someone plays guitar with the old piano

And maybe you can hear them sing

Music gives you happiness or sadness

But it also heals your soul

Chorus:

Oh, yeah

Let the music heal you soul

Let the music take control

Let the music heal you soul

Oh, oh yes

Let the music heal your soul

Let the musice take control

The 90/10 Principle

2007-05-29T01:36:00.000-07:00

By: Stephen Covey

Have you read this before? Discover the 90/10 Principle.

It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations).

What is this principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?

We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How? … By your reaction.

You cannot control a red light., but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; You can control how you react.

Let's use an example.

You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened.

What happens when the next will be determined by how you react.

You curse.

You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus.

Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit.

After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home.

When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.

Why?... Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?

B) Did your daughter cause it?

C) Did the policeman cause it?

D) Did you cause it?

The answer is " D".

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.

Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference?

Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why?

Because of how you REACTED.

You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle. If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you!

React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them?

WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive?

Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.

The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on.

Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse.

Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.

The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle.

The result?

Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache. We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.

It CAN change your life!!!

Seven Wonders of the World

2007-05-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following got the most votes:

Egypt's Great Pyramids
Taj Mahal
Grand Canyon
Panama Canal
Empire State Building
St. Peter's Basilica
China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one quiet student hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.

The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

to touch
to taste
to see
to hear

She hesitated a little, and then added

to feel
to laugh
and to love"

The room was so full of silence you could have heard a pin drop. Those things we overlook as simple and "ordinary" are truly wondrous. A gentle reminder that the most precious things in life cannot be bought.

Memory Test

2007-05-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

Take the following quiz.

You don't need a pen, pencil, or paper.

Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name the last five winners of the Miss Universe contest.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.
Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for Best Actor and Actress.
Name the last decade's worth of World Series Winners.

How did you do?

» THE LESSON

NONE of us remembers the headliners of yesterday.
There are no second-rate achievers on the above quiz. They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Now here's another quiz.

See how you do on this one:

List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Name a half dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Wasn't that a lot easier?

» THE LESSON

The people who make a difference in your life aren't the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.
They're the ones who care enough to spend personal time and effort for you.

The Hidden Shoebox

2007-05-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

There was once a man and woman who had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day, the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box.

When he opened it, he found two crocheted doilies and a stack of money totalling $25,000. He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you I should just keep quiet and crochet a doily."

The little old man was so moved, he had to fight back tears. Only two precious doilies were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with happiness.

"Honey," he said, "that explains the doilies, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the doilies on ebay."

silence

2007-04-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.

~ Elisabeth Kubler Ross

2007-04-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from.

~ Elisabeth Kubler Ross

Dog Wisdom 101

2007-04-20T01:55:00.000-07:00

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue. ~Anonymous

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult. ~Rita Rudner

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise. ~Unknown

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. ~Robert A. Heinlein

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. ~Mark Twain

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them. ~Phil Pastoret

My Dream Book!

2007-04-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

IMPOSSIBLE < = > I'M POSSIBLE

2007-03-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting real story that happened between the customer of General Motors and its Customer-Care Executive.

A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors:'This is the second time I have written to you & I don't blame you for not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of Ice-Cream for dessert after dinner each night, but the kind of ice cream varies so, every night, after we've eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have & I drive down to the store to get it. It's also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem...

You see, every time I buy a vanilla ice-cream, when I start back from the store my car won't start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I'm serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds "What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?"'

The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter, but sent an Engineer to check it out anyway. The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighborhood. He had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn't start. The Engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, they got chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start.

Now the engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man's car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And toward this end he began to take notes: He jotted down all sorts of data: time of day, type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc.

In a short time, he had a clue: the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavor. Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to check out the flavor.

Now, the question for the Engineer was why the car wouldn't start when it took less time. Eureka - Time was now the problem - not the vanilla ice cream!!!! The engineer quickly came up with the answer: "vapor lock". It was happening every night; but the extra time taken to get the other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapor lock to dissipate.

Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all problems seem to be simple only when we find the solution, with cool thinking.

Don't just say it is " IMPOSSIBLE" without putting a sincere effort.

Observe the word "IMPOSSIBLE" carefully.

Looking closer you will see, "I'M POSSIBLE".

What really matters is your attitude and your perception.

Hear - See - Do

2007-03-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

I hear and I forget.
I see and I remember.
I do and I understand.

~ Confucius

Hold My Hand

2007-03-17T03:43:00.000-07:00

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.
The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter,
"Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into theriver."
The little girl said,
"No, Dad. You hold my hand."
"What's the difference?"
Asked the puzzled father
"There's a big difference," replied the little girl.
"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours.

Courage

2007-03-13T04:40:00.000-07:00

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying,

"I will try again tomorrow".

Sharing

2007-02-23T03:56:00.000-08:00

If you have an apple
and I have an apple
and we exchange apples
then you and I will still each have one apple.
But if you have an idea
and I have an idea
and we exchange these ideas
then each of us will have two ideas.

~ George Bernard Shaw

Nature

2007-02-22T21:43:00.000-08:00

Eagles soaring through the air
Flying along calm and smooth
Bothered by nothing, just flying
What men are we to see such beauty
The beauty of life, past and present
The small things are what matters
The clouds, the stars, the wildlife
So amazing, so wonderful
The small things are life

~ Gary R. Hess

Crying for no reason

2007-02-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

...And crying for no reason could well send the same message as laughing for no reason, although far more people do it than the other. So although I’m scraping and scratching around in my current scenario looking for the reasons I need to cry, I find nothing except ‘normalcy’.

I washed my eyes with tears that I might see,
The sober heart I have is good for me.
I took it all apart and looked inside,
Where all my bummed out thoughts tend to reside.

I swept away the things that made me blind
And then I saw the clouds were silver-lined.
And now I understand it was to be,
Washing my eyes with tears has helped me see.

It is MIND that moves

2007-02-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Two men were arguing about a flag flapping in the wind.

"It's the wind that is really moving," stated the first one.

"No, it is the flag that is moving," contended the second.

A Zen master, who happened to be walking by, overheard the debate and interrupted them. "Neither the flag nor the wind is moving," he said, "It is MIND that moves."

Life's Judgement

2007-02-21T20:56:00.001-08:00

At the end of life
we will not be judged by
how many diplomas we have received,
how much money we have made,
how many great things we have done.
We will be judged by
I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat.
I was naked, and you clothed me.
I was homeless, and you took me in.
Hungry not only for bread,
but hungry for love.
Naked not only for clothing,
but naked for human dignity and respect.
Homeless not only for want of a home of bricks,
but homeless because of rejection.
Therefore boldly love, respect and accept.

~ Mother Teresa

Not In Vain

2007-02-21T20:44:00.000-08:00

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

~ Emily Dickenson

ถ้าฉันช่วยหัวใจแม้แต่ดวงเดียวไม่ให้แตกสลาย
ชีวิตของฉันก็ไม่ไร้ค่าแล้ว
ถ้าฉันบรรเทาชีวิตที่ปวดร้าวสักชีวิตหนึ่ง
หรือนำความร่มเย็นมาสู่ความทุกข์ยาก
หรือช่วยนกตัวหนึ่งที่กำลังสิ้นแรง
ให้กลับคืนสู่รัง
ชีวิตฉันก็ไม่ไร้ค่า

Tomorrow Is Not Promised

2007-02-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they were meant to be there, they serve some sort of purpose, teach you a lesson or help figure out who you are and who you want to become.

You never know who these people may be: your neighbor, child, long lost friend, lover, or even a complete stranger who, when you lock eyes with them, you know at that very moment that they will affect your life in some profound way.

And sometimes things happen to you and at the time they seem painful and unfair, but in reflection you realize that without overcoming those obstacles you would have never realized your potential strength, will power, or heart.

Everything happens for a reason. Nothing happens by chance or by means of good or bad luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul.

Without these small tests, whether they be events, illnesses or relationships, life would be like a smoothly paved straight flat road to nowhere, safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

The people you meet who affect your life and the successes and downfalls you experience create who you are, and even the bad experiences can be learned from. In fact, they are probably the poignant and important ones.

If someone hurts you, betrays you or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart...

If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you would have never seen or felt without them.

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from it everything that you possibly can, for you may never be able to experience it again...

Talk to people you have never talked to before, and actually listen, let yourself fall in love, break free and set your sights high...

Hold your head up because you have every right too. Tell yourself you are a great individual and believe in yourself... for if you don't believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either.

Create your own life and then go out and live in it! "Live Each Day As If It Were Your Last...Tomorrow is Not Promised"

~ Author Unknown

2007-02-21T10:50:00.001-08:00

There is only one difference between a madman and me.
The madman thinks he is sane.
I know I am mad.

Madness

2007-02-21T00:53:00.000-08:00

"Madness is the first step towards unselfishness.
Be mad and tell us what is behind the veil of 'sanity'.
The purpose of life is to bring us closer to those secrets,
and madness is the only means."

~Kahlil Gibran

Each Life Affects Another

2007-02-14T09:32:00.000-08:00

We may not always realize
That every thing we do,
Affects not only our lives
But touches others, too!

For a little bit of thoughtfulness
That shows someone you care,
Creates a ray of sunshine
For both of you to share.

Yes, every time you offer
Someone a helping hand ...
Every time you show a friend
You care and understand ...

Every time you have
A kind and gentle word to give ...
You help someone find beauty
In this precious life we live.

For happiness brings happiness
And loving ways bring love;
And Giving is the treasure
That contentment is made of.

~ Amanda Bradley

How to get there

2007-02-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

Go to the end of the path until you get to the gate
Go through the gate and head straight
out towards the horizon
Keep going towards the horizon
Sit down and have a rest every now and again
But keep on going
Just keep on with it
Keep on going as far as you can
That's how you get there.

Let it go

2007-01-12T18:49:00.000-08:00

Let it go. Let it out.
Let it all unrevel.
Let it be and it can be
A path on which to travel.

i see more

2007-01-05T04:31:00.000-08:00

I find that with the passing year my pace is just a little slowed; I may not go far or fast but I see more along the road.

Live ~ Die

2007-01-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

“Learn how to live, and you'll know how to die; learn how to die, and you'll learn how to live.”
~ Morrie Schwartz

I don't know
how to live...

I don't know
how to die...

Sanity

2006-12-15T00:49:00.000-08:00

Eagles never display wonder, or say "Tis marvel of the age."
For in nature we the children Only hold the sane as strange.

~ Kahlil Gibran

หนทางยังอีกยาวไกล...

2006-12-14T04:20:00.000-08:00

ก้อนหินขวางทาง
ข้ามได้... ก็ข้ามไป

ภูเขาใหญ่ขวางหน้า
อยากไป... ก็ต้องอ้อมไป

ต้นไม้ไร้ใบ

2006-12-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

เห็นต้นไม้ไร้ใบ...

อย่าเข้าใจว่ามันกำลังจะตาย

อาจเป็น...

การผลัดใบ

เพื่อเตรียมตัว

สำหรับการเติบโตครั้งใหม่...

"Yes" to it all.

2006-12-11T09:57:00.000-08:00

I nod my head up and down instead of side to side. I let go of my resistance and allow in new possibilities.

I delight in the opportunity to touch all that life has to offer... the bitter along with the sweet.

In order to discover new lands

2006-12-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

In order to discover new lands, one must be willing to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.

~ Andre Gide (1869–1951) French Writer

"อ่อนไหว" - มิใช่ - "อ่อนแอ"

2006-12-11T05:56:00.000-08:00

To be continued...

Thanks...

2006-12-10T22:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks...
For Guiding Me The Brigthen Ways.

...

I accept who I am

2006-12-10T20:49:00.000-08:00

I am my own best friend. I am pround of who I am learning to be. I pat myself on the back for how far I have come...