The Banana Peel

Rameez was an extremely naughty boy. He loved to play tricks and pranks on everyone around him. His favorite trick was to scatter fake insects on the floor, under the bed sheets, in his father’s car, or hide them in the food being served to a guest and then watch them freak out.

Sometimes he would hide a monstrous plastic spider in his sister’s bed and laugh his head off when she would scream at the top of her lungs. Once he put an ugly cockroach in his grandfather’s tea-cup and watched in glee as the old man spewed out the tea in horror.

Rameez had a vast collection of such bugs. Almost all his family members, school friends and teachers and even his neighbors had become victims of his pranks. They were fed up with his constant antics and often complained to his parents. His mother always told him that playing practical jokes or pranks on others that could harm them was a terrible thing to do but Rameez never paid much heed to her words.

One day, Rameez was eating a banana on the terrace outside his house. His father had confiscated his entire collection of fake insects and he feeling quite down in the dumps. Suddenly an idea struck him.

He thought it would be great fun if he left the banana peel on the street and then watch someone slip over it. Rameez was not concerned that somebody might get hurt. He just thought that it would a very amusing spectacle to watch someone tumble head over heels over the banana peel.

After finishing his banana, he quietly placed the banana peel on the street and then sat back to watch who would be his victim. He watched an old man with a walking stick walk by. Rameez waited with baited breath to see if he would slip but the old man passed by safely. He watched a few people come and go but no-one fell. By this time, Rameez was quite bored. He went inside and forgot all about the banana peel.

Later that evening, an ice cream man came by. Hearing the tinkle of his cart bell, Rameez rushed outside. He bought his favorite cone ice-cream and slowly unwrapped it. As he turned back, he slipped over his own banana peel with a terrific whoosh.

The cone flew up in the air and landed on his head while he fell on the street with quite a thump. The other children in the street laughed and laughed at the comic view while a few sympathetic ones came to his aid.

It was not much fun to become a victim of one’s own prank and Rameez felt very sorry for himself. He also felt quite ashamed of his actions once he experienced the terrific pain in his ankle and the cold ice cream dribbling down his shirt.

From that day on-wards, he became careful that no-one got hurt because of his actions. His sister, though, would still find a fake lizard or two under her pillow sometimes!

Make Your Home an Oasis

Of Homes and Health:

Our home environment has a great deal of influence on our health and sense of contentment. A clean, well maintained home adds to our sense of well being and a badly kept one just adds stress to our life. Our home is also a reflection of our personality, taste and aesthetic sense.

In spite of our best efforts and desires, not all aspects of our home can be controlled or changed easily. However, there are a few areas that should be assessed regularly because failing to do so imposes unnecessary stress on ourselves.

Identifying the problem areas in our homes:

Walk around your home or apartment and ask yourself the following questions:

Is my home comfortable?

Am I using the space efficiently?

Do I have adequate cooling, heating and ventilating facilities?

Are my walls clean?

Is my house cozy and cheerful or dull or drab?

Do I get too much outside noise like traffic sounds?

Do all members of the house have enough space and privacy?

Do my electric appliances and faucets etc work properly?

On basis on these questions, assess whether your home is giving you unnecessary stress and take measures to remedy the situation.

Tips to spruce up your home

A house that is cluttered, dirty, poorly maintained and does not give privacy can cause us to feel depressed and put us under emotional strain. If you are not happy with how your house looks, follow the following tips to remedy the situation:

If lack of space is an issue, get rid of all clutter. Getting rid of old clothes, shoes, newspapers, crockery etc can free some space and give you a cleaner house.

A coat of paint can take care of dirty walls.

Re-organize the furniture to make the house more spacious. Small houses do not need too many decoration pieces.

Use rugs, cushions, wall frames and indoor plants for a more cheerful, vibrant appearance.

Check fans, light fixtures, taps, knobs etc for maintenance issues and replace inefficient appliances with more energy saving appliances.

Make your home your oasis and a place of physical comfort and mental well being!

When Lying becomes a Habit

When Lying becomes a Habit

“I’m not upset that you lied to me; I’m upset that from now on I can never believe you.”

We have all lied at one point of our lives or another. Sometimes we tell a lie to escape from punishment. Sometimes we tell fibs so that our friend or sibling does not get into trouble. Some children tell tall tales to impress others and appear cooler, richer or groovier than they really are. Some seek attention and sympathy by lying. Some evil geniuses can even create stories to set friends against each other or get others in trouble.

A lie may take care of the present, but it has no future. 

How telling lies harms the personality

No matter what the reasons for evading truth are, habit of telling lies can be a very destructive personality trait. You might think, “What is the harm in telling my boss that I could not do the project because my wife was so ill, we had to take her to the hospital?” 

Can you imagine your embarrassment when during a chance meeting, this topic comes up and your lie comes out in the open? How deceived your boss will feel and how your integrity will suffer Worst of all, he will begin to question your each and every statement and that will be very unpleasant.

Telling the truth is always the better option, no matter what the consequences. Sometimes it can be really hard. If you think that your classmates/colleagues  will laugh at you if you are not well off or do not have a fancy car and invent stories to impress them, you are actually making matters worse. If you have strict teachers or parents, it might seem easier to lie your way out of an unpleasant situation but it never happens that way.

In trying to cover the first lie, you have to tell another lie and this leads to an endless cycle of lies. And all these lies can come crashing down on your head any time. You will live in constant fear of truth being discovered and it can have a very bad effect on your nerves. You might constantly feel guilty and apprehensive and it will seem as if all joys are seeping out of your life.

What this habit reveals about your personality:

Telling lies is fact an expression of being afraid….. afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out about us, afraid of facing the reality. Every time we tell a lie, the thing that we fear grows stronger till it gains control over us. When children lie about various aspects of their lives and pretend to be something they are not, they are actually exhibiting inferiority complex and want to appear to be something they are not.

Telling lies also shows weakness of character. A liar makes up stories to cover up something he has done wrong. Or he makes excuses for something he was given responsibility for and did not fulfill. Then when he lies about the reasons, he is in fact being cowardly as he is not willing to take the consequences for his actions.

How to avoid telling lies

Now that we have seen how harmful lying is for our peace of mind, let us try to find out ways how to avoid telling them in the first place.

Show courage and integrity:

If you did not do your school assignment, go up to the teacher, own up and apologize. Maybe you will get a punishment but be a brave and endure it.  You might get another chance and you can use it to finish your work. Once, the whole episode is behind you, you will be stronger, more responsible and conscientious about your work.

Stop and think before you tell lies

Remember what happened to the boy who cried, “Wolf!" Keep on reminding yourself that the truth has a way of coming to the surface. Once you lose people’s trust, you lose the power to be heard by other people - because they will stop listening and believing you.

Confess and apologize. 

When you force yourself to admit that you have done something wrong, you are taking the first step in breaking this terrible habit. Suppose you broke an expensive vase. You might be tempted to say that your five year old brother did it. But ask yourself,”Is it fair? Is this right?” What is the worst thing that can happen? Your parents might be angry with you for a little while but they will always appreciate your honesty and courage when you tell the truth.

Save yourself from total disgrace:

Sometimes people tell lies to create trouble or get others in trouble. This is again a very cruel and wrong thing to do. We must realize that lies always get exposed and then the liar will have to face shame and embarrassment.

Avoid situations that might tempt or cause you to lie. 

If you have friends who are constantly boasting and it impels you to lie, maybe you need new friends or you just need enough self confidence to know that while your life is different from others, it is equally worthy and blessed in many ways.

For example, your friend went to Dubai during summer holidays and you spent them with your grandparents. She has lots of exciting things to tell and you do not have much to say. So what? Maybe you brought lots of laughter and joy into your grandparents’ lives and had loads of fun with your cousins. Who knows…..Maybe your friend did not have such a grand time in a foreign place. Learn to take pride in yourself, your belongings, your family and your heritage and the need to tell lies will go away.

When friends lie:

When friends lie to each other, it can eventually destroy friendships. You do not have to tolerate anyone’s lies. If your friend tells lies in front of you, change the subject or let him know privately that it is not a good habit. Even with words like: “Are you sure?” or “I can’t believe this,” you can let others know politely that you are not falling for their stories. This will eventually stop them. Remember, if you are honest and truthful, it becomes easier for your friends to be open and unpretentious too.

So chuck this bad habit out of your life and enjoy your life!

Fear of Failure

“I won’t be able to do this.”
“I am not just good enough.”
“Why bother trying when I am not going to succeed anyway?”
“I can never learn/perform or be as good as others.”

We all harbor a fear of failure in our hearts. It could be failure to do well in school, failure to qualify for a team, failure to accomplish a target or failure to succeed in life in general. Fear of failure can sometimes be so strong that we do not even attempt to achieve our goal and quit even before we try to get it done. This is because failure is associated with many negative terms like defeat, shame, disappointment and frustration.

It is true that failure can be very traumatic. Sometimes this emotion can be so strong that we decide never to try again. It can shatter our self confidence and make us wary of setting new goals or make any further efforts. And this, young friends, is a big mistake. A wise person once said, “This thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.”

If we allow the fear of defeat to overwhelm us, we will miss great opportunities in life. So how can we overpower this dread of failure that can make us so afraid that we go through life without attempting anything new or try to pursue greater heights? Let’s take a look at this monster and learn how to deal with it.

Signs that you are afraid of failing:

Some signs that you have an overwhelming fear of failure is feeling excessive stress, unwillingness to participate in school activities, not wanting to speak in front of large groups and afraid to present your point of view in class discussion. You might not want to take up any extra-curricular activity, learn a new craft or even take up a hobby.

Causes of this fear:

A bad experience in the past can make some children very reluctant to try again. For example, during a school drama or debate, you forgot your lines and let your team down. Your fellow students might have said something sarcastic or supporters of other teams might have made fun of your mistakes making you feel like a failure. 

Maybe during an important match you have a bad day which could happen to any sportsman. You decide that you have failed and decide to quit. Strict teachers, unrealistic expectations from parents and unsupportive friends can also make such situations worse. 

Being lazy and self centered can also make some children afraid of trying new things and failing in the endeavor. Such children keep on thinking about themselves. “What if “I’ fail? What if ‘I’ can’t do it? What’s in it for ‘me’ anyway?’ Instead the focus should be “By trying, I can make my parents proud. By hard work, I can make my school name shine’ or ‘By giving my best, I can do something for my country’. 

How to overcome this fear:

The first thing you have to tell yourself is that everyone fails at one point or the other in his or her life because life is not a smooth and easy journey for anyone. The setback can come in any form but it should not be the end of the world for you.

The second most important thing is that you have to evaluate yourself honestly. Were you really good enough or were your expectations unrealistic? Did you work hard enough? Did you prepare as much as you should have because in today’s competitive era you have to give your best shot every time. 

The third thing is to pick up yourself and try again…. and again and again. This is your life and these are your dreams. Nobody else is going to fulfill them except you. You do yourself a big disservice when you say “Never again. I quit” because that is when you truly fail. The previous flunks were just temporary setbacks. 

Seek help from others. The future is bleak if you think you know it all.

Never be shy or too arrogant to ask questions from those who can help or guide you. You might face a few rebuffs but every crumb of knowledge helps. 

Read biographies of great people and keep inspirational quotes to help you in moments of despair.

Do you know that failure can teach you more important life lessons than success?

It is true that you learn more from your setbacks, failures and losses than your wins and successes. Failure helps you discover how strong a person you are. It can also show you who your true friends are. It can motivate you to discover your true talent, do more, be better and overcome obstacles. It can reveal your strengths and weaknesses and this self knowledge is key to success in life.
Failure can also make you more understanding and compassionate towards others because you can understand their pain and anguish better. It trains you to be more disciplined, persevere in face of adversity and never take things for granted.

Inspirational stories of great men and women:

Do you know Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor? Reason given: “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas?” Disney’s other businesses also failed and he became bankrupt. Today Walt Disney’s name is synonymous with creative cartoon characters and a multi-billion dollar entertainment business. 

Albert Einstein was labeled ‘mentally handicapped, slow and anti-social’ by his teachers. He was expelled from his school. Einstein later became a Nobel Prize winner and world renowned physicist. 

Oprah Winfrey was fired by a TV station where she worked as reporter as she was declared “unfit for TV” because of her weight and bad hairstyle. Today she is one of the most iconic faces on TV as well as one of the richest and most successful business women in the world.

Actor and director Sidney Poitier was told by the casting director after his first audition: “Why don’t you stop wasting people’s time and go out and become a dishwasher or something?” Poitier never gave up, won an Oscar and became one of the most respected actors in Hollywood.

You might not believe it but Michael Jordan was actually dropped from his high school basketball team.

Maybe you keep sending your stories and poems to publishers and they never get published. Failure to see your name in print can make you very angry and dejected and you decide never to write again. Do you know Enid Blyton, Stephen King, Dr. Seuss, Emily Dickinson and Jack London each received hundreds of rejection slips from editors and publishers before they became bestselling authors of their times?

Do you know why these people were so successful in life? Not because they were born lucky or were super-rich or had influential family members.  They all had to battle their inadequacies, their personal problems and yet they never let the fear of failure or rejection stand in the way of their dreams. 

So dream on, work hard and treat failure as stepping stones to success! You’ll be amazed at what can be accomplished!

Meet Will….. The Ultimate Power!!

Each and every day in our life, we are presented with situations that demand we make a choice. Should we tell the truth or wriggle our way out of a tough situation be telling a lie? Should we eat the healthy food or gobble up all the junk food in the house? Why do household chores when it is much more fun to lie in bed and read a book. Who wants to do homework when we can watch the latest movie or play computer games? 

“Great souls have wills; feeble ones have only wishes.” Chinese Proverb

What you decide to do in tempting situations comes down to one thing only…your will power. Your will power is the quality that controls your impulses and behavior. You might consider these situations to be very trivial but how weak or strong your self-control is, ultimately decides what sort of a person you are likely to become as an adult.

Why do we need will power?

Willpower is the ability to resist short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals. It is one of the most important factors in achieving a healthy, successful and happy life. Willpower determines whether or not you will reach the goals you have set for yourself or you can persevere at tasks others, like your parents, teachers etc. set for you. 

Good News for the Strong-Willed:

A study has proved that academic achievement is higher in children who are determined and self disciplined rather than those with high IQs. This is because children with strong will power are better at concentrating and blocking out distractions. So even if you are not the most intelligent child in class, in the long run you can do better in studies, if you have the ability to persevere and focus on your goals. 

For those who find it difficult to say no to temptations, procrastinate, waste time or never get things done, here are a few tips to help you develop a strong will power.

“Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.” – Niccolo Machiavelli

Decide what’s important

Setting up your priorities goes a long way in helping you become a strong-willed person. Is watching the whole match more important than the result of your final exams? Even if you are a big cricket fan you have to realize that your priority should be your studies. You can easily watch the highlights later or learn the outcome of the match once you are done studying. 

Know that anyone can cultivate will power:

Your past mistakes and lapses do not have to become your future failure as well. No one has to remain weak willed unless he wishes to remain so and does not attempt to change his habits. If you are weak in your studies or addicted to wrong type of food, you only have to find the strength to take a new step in the right direction and then keep on walking towards your goal. If you slip up, start afresh again and again and you will find that you go further each time. Never quit. 

Make a goal/Write it down

Let’s suppose you want to get rid of a bad habit or improve in some field. Once you have a goal, write it down and check your progress periodically. For example, let’s suppose you are not in the habit of brushing your teeth at night. Make a chart with 30 boxes and each day that you brush your teeth, put a sticker or a smiley face in a box next to the date. Maybe the first month, you’ll have a low score but your score will be better after three months and great after six. 

“The biggest enemies of willpower: temptation, self-criticism, and stress. ― Kelly McGonigal

Or you get poor marks in geography. Make a list of chapters in your geography book. Each day, devote 10-15 minutes to this subject and thoroughly revise just 2 pages. Even if you are bored and want to close the book, sternly tell yourself to persevere and stay focused. Put a small tick after every two pages and a big star after each chapter on your list. After two weeks, you will find that you have made great progress and your will power in tackling a difficult subject has strengthened. 

Make a list of 4-6 things that you want to change about yourself right now and keep charts or a diary. Visualize the end goal: better grades, better health, cleaner room, a more disciplined you and this will help you in developing a strong will power.

Remove temptations:

If you have not developed a strong will power, then remove temptations from your vicinity. If you wish to focus on your work or studies, do not study in the room where the TV is placed. If you are addicted to junk food and decide to give it up, don’t keep any in the house. 

Be Ready for the Struggle:

It is not always easy to cultivate a strong will power. It is more fun to do things that we want to do rather than things that need to be done, isn’t it? So start in small doses. For example, if you are overweight, promise yourself that you won’t eat candies and lollipops. After a week, say no to cold drinks and chips. After a month, cut our other junk food from your diet and replace them with healthier choices. If you are addicted to TV, computer games, etc, cut down your screen time by 10 minutes per week. 

Willpower and self-discipline are vital for achieving success. They are essential for self improvement as they give you more control over your life, help you change and improve habits. Remember your willpower is like a muscle. If you have never used it, initially it will grow tired quickly. With practice and continued use, it will strengthen and take you over the success line like Usain Bolt or Mo Farah sprinting across the Olympic track. 

“The most important thing in life is to stop saying 'I wish' and start saying 'I will.' Charles Dickens

Jinnah of Pakistan, by Prof. Dr. Stanley Wolpert.

"Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Muhammad Ali Jinnah did all three.”

                                             Stanley Wolpert

These are the opening lines of the preface of Stanley Wolpert’s book, “Jinnah of Pakistan” and serves to entice you to read an extremely thorough, comprehensive and detailed study about one of the most pragmatic and charismatic leaders of South Asia, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Stanley Wolpert is an American academic who is considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on the political history of modern South Asia. During a trip to Bombay in 1948, he became interested in the complexities of Indian culture, history and politics. Since 1962, he has published many fictional and non-fictional books on his favorite subject.

“Jinnah of Pakistan” was published in 1984. This unique and insightful biography explores the fascinating public and private life of founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah from his birth in 1876 till his death in 1948.

In recording the events that unfold and shape Jinnah’s life, Wolpert also chronicles almost eight decades of Indian history to the point where India achieves independence from British rule amid growing Muslim-Hindu antagonism.

Physically a frail man, Jinnah alone gave courage, hope, strength and voice to millions of Muslims of South Asia who were dismissed as second class citizens in United India before partition in 1947.The book reveals Jinnah’s loneliness, his pain, his broken marriage, his estrangement from his only daughter, his long and fatal disease which he kept under wraps and yet the true worth of his gigantic accomplishment can only be more appreciated when viewed alongside his human weaknesses.

'Jinnah of Pakistan’ is an absolute must read for the students of political history of South-Asia and for every Pakistani who is interested in knowing the extent of debt owed to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for freedom and a separate country after the end of British Raj in the sub-continent.

Have you read the book? What is your opinion?

Be Friends, Not Enemies

Zaheer was playing cricket with his friends in the street when he saw Babar and his gang come their way. Babar was big and strong and a bit of a bully. 

He liked to tease other kids. Sometimes he would take away their cricket ball or bat and not give it back. No one liked to get on his wrong side and tried to avoid him if they could. 

Other than the children, Babar and his friends liked to tease the old gardener who came to their neighborhood every evening to tend the gardens. Sometimes they would hide his gardening tools or wreck his carefully prepared flowering beds. 

At times, one of the boys would keep a look out while Babar punctured the old man’s bicycle. Once he had even cut the gardener’s watering hose in half.

“He complained to my father about my behavior. How dare he? I will teach him a lesson.” Zaheer heard Babar angrily talking to his friends.

Zaheer guessed that Babar was talking about the old gardener, Chiragh Deen. Fed up with his constant pranks, Chiragh Deen had finally complained to Babar’s father. Zaheer wondered what Babar was planning to do. Nothing good it seemed!

“I am going to steal his gardening tools and destroy them. “ Babar said spitefully. “Without his tools, he won’t be able to work and buying new ones will cost him a lot of money.”

Zaheer was horrified. He knew Chiragh Deen was poor and had a large family to feed. Just then he saw the old gardener cycling over. His satchel which contained his gardening tools was strapped to the back of the cycle. As Chiragh Deen dismounted and went to Babar’s house to begin his work, Babar and his friends also walked casually towards his bicycle.

Their plan was to steal the satchel when Chiragh Deen was busy watering the plants. 

Zaheer was afraid to confront Babar when the big boy was in such a bad mood. But then he made up his mind. He quickly walked up to them.

“Don’t do this, Babar. He is an old man who works hard for his living.”

Babar laughed. “Who is going to stop me? I am not afraid of anyone.” He boasted. 

“I will stop you. I won’t let you take his satchel.” Zaheer said bravely.

There was silence all around them. Some of the children were amazed by Zaheer’s courage. Others thought him to be an idiot to get in trouble with Babar for a gardener.

The two boys stared at each other. Babar shrugged and turned towards Chiragh Deen’s bicycle again.

Zaheer caught hold of his arm. “I said I won’t let you do it. You better leave the old man alone.”

Something in his voice made Babar stop. He noticed a steely determination in Zaheer’s eyes. Like all bullies, he was really a coward at heart. He looked at his friends. None of them wanted to pick a fight and get in trouble with their parents.

“Stealing someone’s things does not make you brave or popular. Babar. It makes you a thief.”




Shame-faced Babur turned away. He knew Zaheer was right.

“Why not come and play cricket with us? It will be much more fun and we could use a big, strong batsman.”

“Yes, let’s play cricket, Babar,” chimed in one of his friends, Yasir. “Nobody plays with us and it is not much fun to be alone all the time.”

The mood of the whole place changed in a second. All the boys enthusiastically made new teams and had a great game of cricket. 

It is more fun to make friends than enemies…don’t you agree?

Money Is Not Everything

Money, lots and lots of it. That was all she ever wanted.

Money to buy diamonds, designer clothes, expensive perfumes, to go around the world in a luxury cruise… money that never ran out, money that multiplied by itself.

Albert would laugh and shake his head. He was such a simple man, content with the little that they had.

“Julie, learn to be grateful for your blessings. You have a roof over your head, food on your table, warm clothes in winter… you have your beauty, your health and you have me,” he would always add laughing.

She would pout and throw a cushion at him and secretly wonder how he could be content with such simple things in life.

“Be patient, sweetheart. We are just starting off. I have been making some investments. In a few years time, we will have everything that you so desire,” he would say whenever she gazed yearningly through glass windows of elite shops which the rich frequented.

Then one day, he was dead.

Julie’s mind saw everything in a blur. The policemen who informed her of her husband’s death due to a hit and run accident, seeing his body in morgue, the friends and family members who came and went in a steady stream, the flowers and then silence in their small but neat apartment.

She had visitors. One was the head of HR department of the company for which he worked. The other was an agent from an insurance company. Her brain registered words like ‘a fine employee,’ ‘great loss to company’ and then ‘accidental insurance’. They talked about stocks and shares and money getting doubled with careful investments. One patted her on the shoulder. The other shook her hand while handing her a check.

The amount astounded her!

Tears ran down her face as she realized that she had everything her heart had desired within her grasp…except for the man she loved.

Be the Helping Hand

“No, I won’t!”

Rabia paused in the doorway, surprised by the sharp tone of her younger sister and watched in amazement as Faria slammed down the phone.

“Who was that, Faria?”

“It was Hira!” Faria answered disdainfully.” She wanted my history and geography copies to cover up the work she had missed because of her illness. Our tests are starting next week.”

“And you refused to help her? That’s not like you,” the older sister commented.

“I had asked her to lend me the book ‘Scorpia Rising’ from Alex Rider series last week and she had said no. So I decided to say no to her today.” Faria explained a little sulkily.

“Hmm. And do you feel happy about your decision?”

Faria did not answer immediately. She had a good heart and was usually very helpful and generous but she had felt very angry when Hira had refused to lend her the book which she badly wanted to 
read.

“No, actually I don’t feel happy. Hira had been ill and it isn't her fault that she has missed so much of the school work. Maybe I should have helped her.”

“Did you ask her why she could not lend you the book?”
“She said that it belongs to her older brother and he does not let anyone touch his stuff.”

“So it’s not Hira’s fault that she could not give you the book, Faria. You should not have been so hard on her,” Rabia said gently.

“It seemed so right to say no to her when she had said no to me in the first place. But now I am all confused.”

“Faria you should not let other people dictate how you behave. Otherwise you will spend your whole life reacting to other people’s attitude and not develop a mature personality of your own.”

“What do you mean? I don’t understand.”

“I mean that you should be kind and generous and helpful even if the other person does not return your kindness or does not show gratitude. Not many people are in a position to reciprocate at once. If each one of us waits for someone else to be good and kind first, no good deed will ever get done.”

“But sometimes people are mean and selfish intentionally. Are you saying we should be nice to them too?”

“You should not let anyone take advantage of you. But if others are callous or uncooperative, it should not mean that we should harden our hearts and not help them when they are in trouble or need our help. What difference will be left between those who you call ’mean and selfish’ and us, if we copy their behaviour? Besides, who knows your good nature and kindness might inspire others to take a good, hard look at their own attitude towards others and change.

You know, I once read some very special words which had a deep impact on me. Let’s see if I can remember them….”

Rabia closed her eyes and concentrated and then recited the poem from memory.

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered; 
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives; 
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; 
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; 
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;

It was never between you and them anyway.

 “Wow! These are really very inspirational words. Who wrote this poem?” asked Faria.

“They were inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta, and are attributed to her but I don’t know who the original author is. The important thing to remember is that you should not be nice to be pretentious or for showing off.  Doing the right thing always brings you inner peace 
even if the person hasn't been that nice to you.”

“You are right. I had felt very bad after I refused to give Hira my copies. An inner voice kept on telling me that it is not right to say no when I could have helped her so easily. I’ll call her right now...”

With these words, Faria went to call Hira to offer her help. 

After all, being the helping hand has its own rewards. It’s just a matter of looking at things in a different way!

Lala musings: What Inspires Me

Lala musings: What Inspires Me:

I would like to say I am inspired
By the glistening morning dew,
Chirping birds, rainbows,
And skies of brilliant blue.
Snowcapped...

A Random Act of Kindness