The winners code

I have not written anything in my blog for sometime now. Was just browsing through some articles when i came across this eloquently written piece. One of those i think everybody should abide by for the benefit of the greater good. This is definitely meant to be shared. Written by GEORGE CHINGARANDE

Here it goes, The Monitor :: The winners code


"The winners code


A new way of looking at life

Loren Eiseley was a renowned American sociologist who published extensively. In his book The Star Thrower he recounted an incident that happened one day at the beach. He is the old wise man in the story retold below.Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean.""I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it towards the ocean. When the starfish hit the water he said to the man, "It made a difference for that one."

Never underestimate the magnitude Of your small actions
In the grand scheme of things or the larger picture as contemporary scholars prefer to call it, the actions of the young man were in vain. As the old man correctly pointed out, there were miles and miles of sandy beach and millions upon millions of starfish. The young man could not possibly make a difference. Could it be that there is another way of looking at the situation? Yes, there is.

Let us imagine for a while what happened to the one starfish that was thrown into the ocean and survived.Suppose that it found a partner or even partners of the opposite sex and meted and produced offspring. These offspring also found their partners and meted and also produced their offspring. And as the act of procreation continued from one starfish that survived courtesy of the kindness of the young man millions of other starfish were born.

Therefore, in the grand scheme of things the young man made a big difference to the kingdom of the starfish.We must always remember that our actions go far beyond the four walls of our offices and beyond the mere lives of the people we touch directly. In every seed there is a potential tree, and in every tree there is a forest. However, it is only a discerning person who can realise that there is a forest in every seed. Similarly in every child there is a potential family and in that family there is a tribe or even a nation of people. An act of kindness, a word of encouragement or a helping hand given to the child is actually service rendered to a whole nation of people. In much the same way a brutalisation or shabby treatment of one child is also an act of injustice against a whole nation.
There are many needs and there are many needy people. Practically we cannot individually make a difference in all their lives. It is easy to get discouraged and be cynical. However, it is time to adopt a new perspective. We all need eyes that can see beyond the present, and therefore, spur us to act in a manner that makes a difference in one little life knowing that in the process we may be touching many more lives. We all have opportunities to do this with our customers, subordinates, superiors, friends and different other interlocutors.

Baby steps are the beginning of giant steps
The young man was faced by a colossal problem. In one way or another, at one time or another, all of us will find ourselves faced with mammoth challenges. The millions of starfish that needed help was a staggering challenge for the young man.
He could easily have been paralysed and demoralised if he had looked at the challenge at hand in its stark enormity. The young man saw that the big challenge was made up of numerous small challenges. He could be overwhelmed by the big challenge, but the smaller challenge of one starfish at a time was no match to him. By a mile a journey can be staggering, but by a centimetre and a cinch that same journey becomes manageable.

We all need this ability to chunk down our challenges. For most of us the problem is that we are chunking up our challenges thereby demoralising us and paralysing us into inaction. Challenges have a way of exaggerating themselves, but the young man teaches us that if treat every little chunk different and separately they are actually manageable. As long as we have opportunity, let us do something about our lives on a daily basis no matter how infinitesimally small those actions may appear to be in the eyes of our critics.

You will pass this way only once, if you have an opportunity to teach, then teach with grace. If you have an opportunity to help, then render help with humility. If you have an opportunity to do evil, then refrain from doing so because your act of self-restraint may turn out to be benevolence that saves a nation. In life there are no small actions, but there are many small-minded critics. Let them not deter you."GEORGE CHINGARAND

Out for a bit :)

Values

Values

We live in a very fast world. Everything has to be just in time. We want up to the minute updates about anything and everything. Our friends, this weekend happenings, family, academic and professional obligations. The need for us to constantly stay connected with the rest of the world. The need to be in many places at once. That’s just a lot sometimes. As a result we get 'lost' in the world and that which is important to make the better person we truly want to be. We lose sight our goals both long term and short term. This are eroded by the need for us to satisfy our short term pleasures with disregard to the future. This later hurts our long term goals.

I was feeling a little off and down before I revisited this excerpt from " Inspiration and Motivation to go" by David Leonhardt.

"A rooster was scratching the ground in search of some good grain to eat, when he happened upon a sparkling jewel. The jewel was a joy to behold, but the rooster was unsure what to do with it.

"What a beauty you are, and surely you are of great value," the rooster said to the jewel. "But I would happily opt for a single grain of delicious barley than all the jewels in the world."

This fable, adapted from Aesop, reminds us to place our own personal value on things. A high price tag does not bring happiness. A bright shine does not bring joy. Usefulness, sentiment, personal meanings are all more important.

Do the things that bring you happiness. Spend time with people who make you complete. Surround yourself with things that bring you comfort, and you will create daily happiness for yourself. " David Leonhardt,

Home Advantage

Home Advantage

"Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."
Raymond Lindquist”

Having been back home in the country for sometime now I started to observe or should I say notice the home advantage. Was with who I would like to call my uncles but are more like my friends now.. in the hood they are known as ‘marasta’ in the ‘kasi’. I have stayed in Asia for over 5 years now since I was in my early 20’s. Meaning I have developed most of my adult character outside my family. This has in turn made me a different person from the one I would be should I have grown with my family.

Home sometimes is does not refer to the physical structure itself but where the heart is. It refers to the people moistly your own blood and the surrounding you have grown around. These are all familiar territories and faces which I find enough to keep me distracted from all my worries if they are any. At that same time I noticed something has to bother me enough to act on it. However here at home my heart is all settled at home and I seem to worry less about all my responsibilities. I do think about the consequences of not meeting certain obligations while remembering that am at home and I have a place and someone to fall back on. Back to my boys..Just a thought, everybody is home which is good because I do miss the comfort myself. At that same time I came back to think about how lenient they were letting themselves be on their inner characters. I am not saying that they are not hard workers. They are my blood. Am just saying that being at home destroys the independent character inside of them that so wants to fly to new horizons. This ends up in people being less hard working and losing touch with their ambition to grow. Just as birds that have grown do not know that they can fly. They just fly out without fear. Which some would like to call the leap of faith. We are too comfortable enough to not want to think outside our realities and take the leap of faith.

Home being home this is where I have to drop the pen. It’s been a while.

Getting there...

" What we can achieve in one year we think we can achieve in one day and what we can achieve in one day we think we can achieve in one year. " Unknown Author

Ok, Yesterday late afternoon i had a chit chat with my friends after a long boring Sunday all locked up in the house with the anxiety of Monday kicking in. Preparedness, that was the word to keep in mind. Its high time i begin the week on a good note.

During the time i had with my friend, a lot of things came to my mind. Our conversation was not that deep, really casual though and yet relieving as we got to share some of concerns and worries. Isn't it just cool to have someone to confide in. You unload the burden that was weighing u down. Yeah you feel much lighter after that more like a bird, ready to fly. Our time together was quite therapeutic. We got to share ideas on life approaches, goals, visions, dreams whatever you might choose to name yours.

We wake up everyday, work, study, it doesn't matter what it is that you do maybe you are just idling around suffering from procrastination. How do I really get started on my goals? am not even doing anything about them. I don't even know where to start. Heheee!! wrong!! that's not what on my mind. However big whatever you wanna achieve maybe. It may seem near impossible. It is important that we build castles in the air and remember not to forget to lay down the foundation. The foundation which i am talking about refers to the accomplishments, daily, weekly , monthly, but just try to keep em as manageable as possible. This smaller objectives are actually the numerous components that guide you and also the "making of the foundation of your future castle.

Off course it is not as easy as it sounds, they are bound to be challenges and obstacles. Wouldn't it just be plain boring if life did not have some of this challenges?? Instead of yielding to the obstacles we could instead think of them as pointers in continuous learning about life. This comes in handy later on as you face more challenges as is always the case.

It is important to watch ones daily habits, as they contribute to what you can achieve in a week, and what you can achieve in a week is always in most cases a reflection of what you could do in a month and soon enough if you will be drawing the new years resolution from last year again.

In a nutshell, ask yourself what you wanna be and where u wanna be. Now think about what you have to do to be that u have always wanted to do. A leader for example...start acting like one, you will be one.

Always remember " A field that rests gives bountiful crop" :)

Am sure to give you some useful motivational quotes to keep you gaining momentum.

Out to stay busy :)

The lighter side

I visit this all the time. You should too..

GEORGE CARLIN (His wife recently died...and George followed her, dying July 2008

Isn ' t it amazing that George Carlin - comedian from the 70's & 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate.

A Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We ' ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We ' ve added years to life not life to years. We ' ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We ' ve done larger things, but not better things.

We ' ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We ' ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We ' ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn ' t cost a cent.

Remember, to say, ' I love you ' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

At the end of the day...

Once again hi! As you are reading this I want you my friend to look back into the moments in your life when you wished the earth could just open up and swallow you...... Ok now get back! how did it feel? miserable? hopeless? demoralised? beaten down? this are quite familiar feeling aren't they? I guessed :) You went through them and here you are. Lesson well learnt.

"A samurai sword is a things of beauty, its blade unsurpassed by any sword. Those that wield it have earned the greatest, unparalleled respect and honour. In times of great difficulty, we look for the sharpest edge to end our pain and suffering, however like that sword, it is through heat and fire and years of being beaten that the finest swords in the world are made. If you remember, when you feel that there is no hope, if only you wish for the end to take you. Remember that you are a samurai sword and nothing can stop after you get through this."

On some days, have you ever noticed how good it feels at home when kick back and relax after a long day of getting more stuff done. it could be anywhere, in the house doing chores, at work, getting that leaking tap fixed, finally replacing the bulb in the bathroom at home. Its is the feeling of accomplishements that gives quite that rewarding feeling not matter how small the accomplishment. Sometimes it maybe not be about the reward but finally fulfilling some of the responsibilities that you have. This sets you free. It is the feeling of accomplishment that propels you to go even further.

Well then its time i finally (after months...) cancel out "Replace the light bulb" of my to do list, get some work done.