Here's a quote that may ring a bell to many of you...

"If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably does not lead anywhere."

This quote may be familiar to many because it might be something you remember your parents saying, in some way shape or form, as you grew up. They explained that there is no success without failure. It would surely be pleasant, but otherwise, humans would not be humane. Everyone has faced some hardship throughout the course of their life and most likely still will. But remember - each failure brings you closer to success. 

When Thomas Edison failed thousands of times, they were not merely failures; they were successful failures.  To many, at first, this sounds like an oxymoron - even to me. However, after thinking about it, I realized it was completely common sense! Each failure is more successful because you've eliminated yet one more possible way to find your solution! So, each time Thomas Edison failed, he failed better, because he knew that the wiring he just attempted was not correct. 

Without failure, a human would not be humane. To be human, one needs to have qualities such as generosity, kindness, and forgiveness. This does not mean that that a human is perfect at all times. They can absolutely be angry, frustrated and sad. These qualities all add up to humanity. If everyone had everything they desired, the world would be catastrophic. That's why when situations don't turn out as you want, people say 'You know what? It's actually better that it didn't happen your way because it happened God's way.'

So, without obstacles on your road, you will end up at a dead end. We all know that there are potholes, speed humps, toll booths, police cars, and whatnot on our road to success. However, after overcoming those obstacles and reaching the ultimate destination, the feeling will be indescribable. That is why the perfect path or "...the path with no obstacles..." does not lead anywhere.

You choose - 

The Destination or The Dead End
It's all based on one turn...

http://humanityhealing.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Animal-Spirituality_Humanity-Healing-2.jpg

As stated by an Italian Proverb:

"After the game, the king and the pawn go into the same box,"

The goal of many in life is to have the most wealth, the most fame, etc. However, what we need to keep in mind is that when it is time for us to go, people remember us by our character - not what we had. At the end, we will all leave in the same way, so why does it matter who has the worldly riches or who is the most well-known? 


The person who is genuinely rich is the one who respects his values and carries them out with full sincerity. The person who respects everyone no matter how the other person behaves is the genuinely rich person. The richest person may be the pawn in worldly eyes, but inside, he is truly The King. Take a few moments, and think whether the outside king or the inside king will eventually hold the most importance. 


We all know that on a gravestone, only a little 'dash' represents our entire life. That is why what we do during that 'dash' is very important, for it is the last people will  remember of you. 


That little 'dash' represents the biggest thing - LIFE.

People are reminded of the way you manage when you have nothing in hand and the way you manage when you have everything in hand.

The Performance of The Night

As she sat in the passenger seat of her mom's car, Kate couldn't have been more excited. Her lips continuously curved in an ear-to-ear smile, her legs bounced from foot to foot, and her heart beat as fast as the cars passing by her window. The past month, Kate had practiced her act for the talent show audition and made sure that it was something unique, something never before seen. Kate was going to recreate Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'. She was aware that there were a few other Van Gogh lovers in her school trying out for the audition, so she couldn't have been more confident about her performance. Day after day, with unfailing diligence, Kate painted and painted the 'Starry Night' because Kate believes that there is always room for improvement. For three weeks, Kate's recreations were done on white cardboard - but for the last week, Kate convinced her mom to purchase a few professional canvases, so that she would get the feel of it.

Kate rolled down the tinted window, let the breeze blow her fears away, and closed her eyes in complete silence. The vehicle steadied to a stop as Kate's mom approached a parking space and slowly drove in. Kate opened the door, and looked down as to watch her step, and admired the sparkle in the pavement as the streetlight above shown on the area. Adoring the radiant glitter, she imagined the spotlights in the auditorium shining upon her in the same way, making her the center of attention. Reaching out for the door handle to the entrance, Kate spotted the talent show banner across the top of the auditorium doorway and felt another rush of excitement, enthusiasm, and energy flow to her very soul. The organizers who had volunteered to make all the arrangements guided Kate behind the stage, where she spotted all the others, practicing their acts one last time, before the big game. She noticed a student, unaware of who, towards the back of the room. Step by step, as Kate became closer, she noticed a canvas, paint bottles, and a paint brush pallet set. Drawing back from tapping the shoulder of the student, Kate pondered over how she missed one person who was practically performing the same act as hers, but instinctively tapped the shoulder. He turned around, and Kate was shocked at the face in front of her.

The sullen, silent face of Albert greeted her with an unenthusiastic 'Hello'. Albert was the typical, quiet student who never interacted with anyone, except on occasions like group projects. Kate broke the silence, saying, "I had no idea you were trying out, forget painting. You just never seemed the type to paint."Oh," Albert mumbled and looked at Kate's painting supplies every now and then. "It was a last minute decision. Um, it looks like you're painting too. If you don't mind me asking, what are you painting?" Kate wished to remove that look of nausea and nervousness across his face, so in the most polite, friendly, yet normal manner, she replied, "I'm painting Vincent Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'. What about you?" Albert slowly raised his head and met eye-to-eye with Kate. His eyes widened. Kate thought it impossible. They now both had the same act. There was only one thing that could have been done, but it was all worth it.

Kate explained her plan to the head organizer, and she nodded her head. Stepping onto the stage, with the spotlights shining on her exactly as she imagined, she introduced herself, and her partner - Albert. "Together, we will be painting 'Starry Night' by Vincent Van Gogh. I will start off." And with that, Kate began with the delicate swirls of the moon and the sky, handing it over to Albert, who finished off with the city of the night. That night, as Albert and Kate bowed down to the audience of the night, they knew inside of them, that they were...

The Performance of The Night. 

http://johnbriner.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/starry-night.jpg

What Teamwork Really Is

Many a times, we feel as if the only way a task can be completed properly is by doing it ourselves -  sometimes, I feel that way myself! We feel that it needs to be done with full potential - our potential. However, during the past week, Nature has taught me something of which I was either unaware of, or had no idea that it would actually be effective. Sometimes, what we don't realize is that we can achieve much more and reach places beyond our expectations - with an even greater speed...

I sat in the car, on that rainy day, and in silence, I observed the wind as it shook the trees. I heard it whistling, and that's when I noticed the drops of condensation on the windows of the car. The force of the wind and the speed of the car traveling in opposite directions caused the water droplets to join together - and when they did, something remarkable happened. They moved faster. They moved faster than they did when they were by themselves, but when they joined, they took off, going somewhere beyond the vision of the eye.

Here are the characters:

• Wind=Conscious
• Water Droplets=Us

In the same way, the wind is our conscious - sometimes, it's a soft breeze and may not speak up, but other times, it howls and you are compelled to listen to it. We are the water droplets and when we join together, we combine into an even greater force that can take us beyond what we see.

Remember, the sky is NOT the limit.

http://data.whicdn.com/images/3838263/the_sky_is_not_the_limit_by_flabnbone-d2yh7a0_thumb.jpg?1284196826

http://thewaterproject.org/community/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/natural_water_droplet_1600x1200.jpg

Life is Like Photography

Even though we all know the answer to "Why does life bring so many troubles?", we still ask that question. Nobody escapes from life's sorrows - because if one did, they wouldn't even be in this world. Sometimes, we take a few glances at a person, hear a little about them, and think that their life is perfect and their life has no place for hardships - but deep down, they might be suffering a great loss.

As an unknown author stated,

"Life is like photography, you develop from the negatives,"

Now, if there were no negatives, or situations we dislike in our lives, how would be become mentally strong? The reality is that this world is filled with difficulties and we have to be prepared for them. So, to prepare for them, we need to endure hardships, and become capable of handling the tough times.

This is the process:

1. We face interminable hardships and our faith feels broken
2. Finally, the harsh times have ended and happy times seem to germinate once again
3. Our film roll of the harsh times is ready to be developed
4. We make our way to the photo department and develop the negatives
5. The negatives are transformed into a more clear image and we have everlasting memories!

Now, it's up to you whether you will make your way to the photo department and develop those negatives into everlasting positive memories.

Will you?


http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhmg083TGm1qzidboo1_500.jpg

The Game of Life - Play Carefully

Dear Readers, 

It occurred to me that it was a difficulty for a few readers to leave comments due to the fact of needing a specific account. Although, this problem has been resolved! You can now comment using the existing accounts, but also with your name or website URL! For those who are not comfortable leaving their name, there is an 'Anonymous' option as well! 

Now everyone can comment...So,

Comment away!

Sincerely, 

Rishika
________________________________________________________________

The following saying was by Mom. There may be quotes similar to the following, but this is her wording:

"It doesn't matter if you lose a game in life, but it does matter if you lose the game of life."

The moment these words reached my ears, they created harmonious tunes and I knew that this was something that should be known to more. Many people become 'depressed', or are filled with anxiety when they lose something that is of value to them, such as peace of mind. The reason that 'depressed' is put in quotations is because there is no such thing as 'depression'. It is simply a mere word that is in the dictionary - but it is not an actual emotion. You may think it is, but give it a few thoughts - that stressed out feeling is simply the action of negative feelings overcoming you.

In life, there are many mini-games in which we have to face. Sometimes, we win, and sometimes we don't. Although, these games are only preparation for the most imperative game that really matters - Life. These mini-games are present as a beneficial support - so we can learn from our mistakes and later perfect them. If winning wasn't in our destiny, we shouldn't let it cling to our hearts and let it be the cause for losing our peace of mind. There are many other chances, and after all, what matters is to win Life - by conquering your goal.

Show those mini-games how mini they are and overlook whether they defeated you or not - and always remember...

 "It doesn't matter if you lose a game in life, but it does matter if you lose the game of life."

Good Luck!

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSKHkgw2hEKYKv5uOgfr-0OiwwS7BKKyZVycRxzGZsb6taLWKnPg&t=1

The Secret Cameras

Have you noticed that whatever you do has been recorded by secret video cameras implanted by secret agents? Who are these secret agents?

Sun, the determined agent who comes out everyday during daylight, capturing our smiles - only, if we are smiling. Moon, the generous agent who gives a soft-looking glance every night - putting us on the spotlight. Lightning, the all-knowing agent who comes out all of a sudden and takes a picture with lightning fast speed, but finds out everything. These secret agents, as you now know who they are, work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

The reason that they are up-to-date with our progress is to see that we are accepting whatever comes in our lives. To see that we are always smiling makes them happy - but if we are not smiling and are ungrateful for what comes in our lives, you will not look good for the picture, and that will affect you in the long run.

Sun - Sun is the determined agent that, when comes out during daylight, comes to check for your smile. If you are not smiling, he will try to get that positive feeling in you by letting the radiant light fill your soul. At the end of the day, Sun retires for the night shift of Moon.

Moon - Moon, the generous agent who gives a soft-looking glance to end the day and have a restful night. He looks upon you with a loving glance to make sure that you sleep well and chases the nightmares away as not to disturb his precious angel.

Lightning - Lightning is the all-knowing agent whom one can never know when he strikes. No one can escape from the flash of his camera. He knows everything - but it is important that you smile for the picture. The longer you hold your sorrows, the more sad your life ahead will be.

Only you can make their job easier - by gracefully accepting whatever life has to offer with a smile and an attitude of gratitude.

Be prepared, for everyday is picture day...

http://www.purplemoon.com/Stickers/images/sun-moon-cloud2.jpg

Microsoft Word Clip Art 

Dare to be Different

There's a special feeling about being your own person - because it's a special blessing to have the ability to be different from others and not care what they think of you. You are content with who you are, and you do things your way. You don't have to be someone you're not. It takes courage to be your own person, no matter what the world may think. Not having to care about what others think - is truly a blessing.

Along with being your own person, comes your own, uniques ideas that astound those around you. This is because you have your own individual way of thinking, unlike the rest who all think the same, and those thoughts eventually develop into the same actions. That's why, when unique ideas are presented, they attract everyone. These ideas are filled with so much purity that they inspire others, and help others - but they always have a positive impact. As an example, here is the story of a 6th grader who dared to be different:

Jeff was considered the class clown but he was an innovative individual. He had a great mind..but didn't perform so well in school. One day, his class needed to take part in a contest to see who could fly their airplane the farthest. Tom, on the other hand, was one who believed in Jeff's capabilities and chose him as a partner.

Soon enough, the time for the contest had approached and Jeff was still 'thinking' with the unfolded paper hidden behind his back. Tom, being a supportive partner, requested the teacher for his group to fly last. At their turn, the distance of Tom's plane exceeded average - but Jeff's plane soared higher and farther than all the others. Why? Jeff's ability to 'fly' outside of the box and his ability to think simple. He revealed his unfolded paper from behind his back and simply wadded it into a ball.

So, Dare to be Different - you'll be surprised at what you can do.