YES ANASTASIA, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A SANTA CLAUS

My Dear Anastasia,
Thank you for your very kind greetings on this very special season when we all take time to celebrate the birth of our lord Jesus Christ. It is also the very special time when we remember to give thanks for all the good things that we were able to enjoy and all the good people that have shared our lives during the last year. As I have told you before, this indeed is the true meaning of Christmas, and that all the dazzling lights, the shopping, the gift-giving and the commercialization of the season, should bear no relationship to its real importance to each and every one of us.
I have noted your concern about the over exploitation of “Santa Claus” and its effect on all the children around you. While I agree with you about the “exploitation”, I am sorry that you feel so strongly that “the whole story of Santa Claus is but a myth made up to impress children at Christmas time, and reinforced by society for economic reasons, with very little attention to the birth and life of Jesus Christ”. Although I cannot really disagree with your comment, allow me to qualify it with my own observation that in all matters of living, nothing is strictly black and white and at all times we must never ignore other people’s opinions as well as other possible options.
More than 100 years ago, Francis P. Church, a newspaper correspondent, wrote a beautiful editorial in the New York Sun in response to a question from his eleven year old daughter. Entitled “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus,” he explained in a simple and eloquent way the reason for believing in the existance of Santa Claus. Here is a part of what he wrote:

“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life at its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight and the eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.”

I am sure you will agree with me that these beautiful words do indeed make a strong and compelling case for children to believe in Santa Claus and his special place in their hearts and minds. Notice however, it does not in anyway negate the real purpose of this blessed season, to honor and give thanks to the Almighty for the birth of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.
The real problem lies in the fact that people are so busy buying gifts, writing cards, organising menus and planning for the upcoming celebrations that they inevitably lose track of the real meaning of Christmas. They even make up stories of a “Jolly Old Man” living somewhere near the north pole who is making plans to deliver presents to all the world’s children, in the hope of somehow impressing them of the truth of the myth. Over the centuries, Society, in its increasing drive to commercialization, has gradually shifted its focus from one of celebrating and thanking God for the gift of his son, to one of celebrating a tradition of giving and receiving gifts and eating, drinking and merry making, with little thought of Jesus, his message and his import.
Regrettably, we have indeed succeeded in removing the “Christ” in Christmas, and replaced it with the “X” in Xmas and in so doing we have succeeded in alienating ourselves and our children from the glory and the beauty of Christianity. We spend more time and effort in glorifying the season with joy and merryment and pay little attention to the message of the angels who announced to the world of the coming of the Savior with the words “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth, peace and good will to men.”
But, this fact not withstanding, I want you to know that these two concepts are not mutually exclusive and in fact, when you think about it, there is a lot of basic similarities in the messages they bring. The message of Jesus Christ is primarily one of love, sacrifice and giving without expecting anything in return. Even as he died for us on the cross, all he asked from us is our love. So too is the concept of Santa Claus, who spends his life in preparing and giving happiness to children the world over, without any expectation of payback or reward. Don’t you see that in both cases the over-riding message is one of “love and goodwill to all.”
Someone, whose name I do not recall, once wrote:

“Jesus believed in us and gave to us, asking nothing in return. Santa is that symbol of believing and giving without expecting anything. Isn’t this what we want our children to believe and keep alive?”

This indeed my dear Anastasia, is the real meaning and spirit of Christmas; a time to rejoice the birth of Christ, to celebrate his life and his teachings, and to give thanks for his sacrifice on our behalf. In a similar way Santa Claus represents all the goodness of this message in a way a small child is able to understand and identify with.
...... Do you really think we should remove this opportunity?
In our headlong desire to commercialize and profit from the event, we have lost the dignity and integrity of the true christmas spirit in our hearts. Instead of dwelling on the goodness and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we have chosen to spend more time worrying about the material trappings of the season. It is no wonder that the true meaning and intent of Santa Claus has also been buried by the ensuing garbage, and adapted to suit the greedy desires of a distorted society. This indeed is the real problem that is worthy of our concerted efforts to change and improve.
So, you see my dear Anastasia, do not equate the “Santa Claus” projected by the media and by big business, with it's true concept and wholesome symbol of love, sacrifice and commitment. Instead, let us continue to allow him to be the wonderful spirit in the imagination of the young child who is as yet not able to assimilate, as you no doubt are, the true spirit and message of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Uncle Doc

LIFE AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

'Remember the five simple rules to be happy;

-Free your heart from hatred,
Free your mind from worries,

live simply, give more and expect less.”

The above advice by an unknown author is to my mind, the most simple yet most eloquent description for happiness I have ever encountered. By its simplicity and clarity, it underlines, in dramatic effect, the necessary steps needed to achieve the reward of a happy life.
Happiness is never ever an entitlement; it is never automatic nor is it ever inherited or passed on.

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, in a discussion with students at the Florida International University expressed this concept in the following terms:

"Happiness is not something ready made.

It comes from your own actions"

In his book entitled The Art of Happiness, published in 1998, he further elaborated his vision in these words:

"I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness.
-That is clear.
Whether one believes in religion or not,
Whether one believes in this religion or that religion,
We all are seeking something better in life.
So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness."

In all his discussions the Dalai advocated that the aim of successful life is not in the acquisition of material fame and fortune, or even in the public recognition of these acquisitions, but rather in the degree of pleasure and happiness we are able to achieve along the way. He stressed that this right of happiness and the ability to find it, is available to everyone who is willing to make the effort to do what is necessary to achieve it. He went further to identify steps that we must all follow in our pursuit of personal happiness. These include:
-Establishing the right mental attitude and expectations.
-Achieving the correct discipline and calmness of mind.
-Controlling emotions, encouraging positive thoughts and suppressing negative ones.
-Recognizing and cultivating good habits and removing bad ones.
-Learning from our failures, recognizing that suffering is the opposite of happiness.
-Identifying and welcoming positive changes and removing older, unproductive ones.
-Developing long-lasting and deep-rooted relationships based on truth, honesty and respect.
The late Sai Baba, the renowned Indian guru, mystic, spiritual figure and educator, describes Happiness as actually being natural to human beings. He is quoted as saying that “Since our beings consist of consciousness-energy, the nature of which is well-being, happiness is our nature. We don’t need good fortune or any new circumstances to be happy, and we don’t need material goods, fun activities or success or power. It’s possible for us just to be happy, without any reason at all, because happiness is just there, inside us, in the same way that the sky and the air are outside us.”
The well known phrase contained in the U.S. Declaration of Independence as an unalienable right, “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is considered to be one of the most powerful and influential statements in the English Language and has served to underline the caliber and quality of the original framers. Unfortunately, as a society we have failed to live up to the advice and expectations of these great leaders. Instead of choosing the path to happiness as one that encompasses a meaningful life, utilizing your strengths and abilities in assisting others, and living with purpose and compassion, we chose to measure our happiness by our conquests, our successes and our material status.
It is a crying shame that our present-day society beset by useless and expensive wars, openly manipulated by greedy business leaders and governed by selfish and self-directed politicians, has lost the fundamental meaning of true happiness. Instead, we have succeeded in replacing this noble and worthy direction by one which aims at projecting the ‘individual’ at all cost while ignoring the legitimate needs of the less fortunate masses. We have no hesitation to glorify, to the point of adoration, the successful athlete, or entertainer, or CEO, or politician, with our praise and our money, even as they engage in a whole range of unacceptable behavior designed to provide personal pleasure and self-gratification. We have replaced the selfless happiness of Buddha and Aristotle with the cult of Individualism. We have sacrificed the true joy of Happiness on the altar of Persons and Personality as we are persuaded that “only wealth can buy happiness”. And we have done all this in the name of progress!
But true happiness should not ever be measured on a yardstick of personal gain, or wealth, or popularity, nor for that matter should it be arbitrarily assumed for services rendered. Happiness is a state of being, a feeling of inner peace and acceptance that combines a whole range of attitudes and expectations. It is a very personal experience and cannot be transferred or exchanged. In this respective it is absolute, in that there can be no ‘relative happiness’ and you cannot share happiness of others unless it becomes assimilated within you. In every respect, I believe happiness is a choice that we each have the option to choose or to reject. It really depends on our willingness to look deeply into our own souls and to determine our own needs and purpose in life and our willingness to choose our happiness.
It is sometimes difficult to understand why others can be so happy even though they function under conditions which we may regard as unacceptable. Consider the example of Mary, a middle aged lady whose life read like a series of disasters that included a life of drug and sex abuse, rejecting religion, dealing with the occult, living in the streets and losing her only son as a young adult, until she found faith and religion. Yet if you were to meet her, you will not fail to recognize a deep seated happiness and love radiating from her and in every word she utters. Whenever she is asked to explain why she is so happy under these difficult circumstances, she will reply:
“Happiness does not mean that we will never get sick or have no problems or experience no difficulties. Happiness means that when we do have them, I believe we will always find that God is at our side, holding our hands and guiding us to find a solution. To me this special relationship with God is what true happiness is all about.”
Mary clearly has learnt the real meaning of happiness and I have no doubt that her faith will continue to support her for the rest of her life.
I believe that the potential for true happiness exists within each one of us and that in the majority of cases they remain buried under the debris of modern living to such an extent as to render them unattainable. In our headlong drive to conform to, and live like our neighbors, we have lost sight of our unique ability to be ourselves, to make choices for ourselves and above all, to recognize the wisdom of the great Greek philosopher Aristotle, who recorded:

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life,
the whole aim and end of human existence.”



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“In Buddhism, True happiness is called Riyaku Sesshua Fusha

"Riyaku" means peace, satisfaction and joy which refer as happiness.

"Sesshu" means embraced firmly and satisfied completely.

"Fusha" means never forsaken and changed.”
…..Buddhist Teaching

You may traverse the world in search of happiness,

When it is within the reach of everyman.

-A contented mind confers it all.

.....Horace

Events will take their course, it is no good of being angry at them; he is happiest who wisely turns them to the best account.
…..Euripides

The word "happiness" would lose its meaning,
If it were not balanced by sadness.
……Carl Jung

Happiness is like a butterfly which when pursued,
is always beyond your grasp;
But if you sit down quietly may alight upon you.
…….Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Happiness is like a kiss.
You must share it to enjoy it.
….Bernard Meltzer

The search for happiness,
is one of the chief sources of unhappiness.
…….Eric Hoffer

Happiness is when what you think, say, and do,

are in harmony.

.....Mahatma Gandhi

You cannot always have happiness,

but you always give happiness.

.....Author Unknown

It is a sad thing to look at happiness
only through another’s eyes
…..Marguerite Blessington

When one door of Happiness closes, another opens;
But often we look so long at the closed door,
that we do not see the one which has opened for us.
…….Helen Keller

LIFE AND REMBERING KIND DEEDS

Editor’s Note:
The following story has been around for many years and has been read by

millions of people worldwide. It has never failed to touch me with its power

and its message and to remind me of the truth of that wonderful quotation

by an anonymous author, which is still one of the most repeated statements

in any language:
“We will not be remembered by our words;
But by our kind deeds.”
It is being reproduced entirely in its original form in the hope that others will

have the opportunity to derive as much pleasure and satisfaction as I have

obtained, and perhaps learn, as I did, the true meaning of human kindness:

During the waning years of the depression in a small south eastern Idaho community, I used to stop by Mr. Miller's roadside stand for farm-fresh produce as the season made it available. Food and money were still extremely scarce and bartering was used, extensively.
One particular day Mr. Miller was bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to me.

"Hello Barry, how are you today?"

"H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas ......sure look good."

"They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?"

"Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time."

"Good. Anything I can help you with?"

"No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas."

"Would you like to take some home?"

"No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with."

"Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?"

"All I got's my prize marble here."

"Is that right? Let me see it."

“Here 'tis. She's a dandy."

"I can see that. Hmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?"

"Not 'zackley .....but, almost."

"Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble."

"Sure will. Thanks, Mr. Miller."

Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said:

"There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, perhaps."

I left the stand, smiling to myself, impressed with this man.
A short time later I moved to Utah but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys and their bartering. Several years went by each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died.
They were having his viewing that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon our arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts ...very professional looking.
They approached Mrs. Miller, standing smiling and composed, by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary, awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had told me about the marbles. Eyes glistening she took my hand and led me to the casket.
"Those three young men, that just left, were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim 'traded' them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size... they came to pay their debt. We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world, but, right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho."

With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband.

………Resting underneath were three, magnificently shiny, red marbles.

LIFE AS MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

“And love will hold us together

Make us a shelter to weather the storm

And I'll be my brother's keeper

So the whole world would know that we're not alone.”

The above quotation is taken from a song entitled "Hold us Together", written and performed by Matthew Maher, a critically acclaimed Canadian-born contemporary religious singer, songwriter and record artist. It draws attention to the question that has been asked over and over throughout the ages, and has plagued humanity since its original record in the biblical story, when Cain murdered his brother Abel in a jealous rage and then replied to God’s enquiry:

“I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The term “brother’s keeper”, especially in the Judeo-Christian traditions, has come to symbolize the willingness to accept the welfare of your fellow man and the unconditional responsibility to exercise the necessary choices. In its truest sense it implies a moral obligation and a directive as children of God, to care for your brother. Jesus Christ, in teaching us the prayer to God, started off with “Our Father who art in heaven” clearly implying the brotherhood of mankind and our individual responsibility to one another. St. Paul in his letter to the Galitians,Chapter 3, Verse 28 was direct and unambigous when he wrote:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus"

And when Jesus, in Matthew Chapter 22, Verse 39, instructed us to “Love your neighbor as yourself”, he was confirming the principle of responsibility for the caring of one another.
The real tragedy and failure of humanity throughout the ages is that, although we have given lip service to this concept, we have never as individuals, or a group, or a society or a nation, seriously acknowledged its relevance. Except for the occassional individual, who by example and life choice have strived to fulfill this directive, we have chosen to place our selfish needs ahead of all else, securing our own comforts at all cost. We will very seldom admit to the fact, but the truth is abundantly clear, that in all things, we do everything in our power to secure our own welfare and more, while giving little attention to our neighbors’ needs. Without question, we are motivated by our in-bred animal instinct which dictates a “Me First” response.
Over the years, the world has seen many examples of people who voluntarily abandoned a life of potential glory and success to follow the advice of Christ and become their brother’s keeper. My personal favorite is Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a German theologian, an accomplished world class organist, philosopher and physician, who forsook a life of fame and recognition in Europe, to become a medical missionary to the inhabitants of Lambarene, a small outpost in French Equatorial Africa, founding and maintaining a hospital to serve the population. He was motivated by an ethical philosophy of sharing, which he called “Reverence For Life”, for which he received a Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. Despite the multitude of accolades and awards he received from all over the world, Schweitzer, who died and is buried in Lambarene in 1965, remained dedicated to his principle of reverence and responsibility to life.
But Schweitzer is but one outstanding example of many, many others who on a daily basis spend their lives guided by the principle of caring for the welfare of others. Each day, in thousands of ways and often at great personal expense and inconvenience, people can be found going the extra mile in order in some small way, to alleviate the pain and suffering of others. When a very successful and prominent Neurosurgeon leaves his comfortable offices in Miami to travel and spend weeks at a time in Haiti under appalling conditions after a devastating earthquake, or when a fireman goes into a burning building to save a victim, or a 16 year old student saves her weekly allowance to send to a children’s fund, these are all examples of living as your brother’s keeper. Consider the example of Mary, a kind lady who has suffered her share of misfortunes, losing her only son at 31, fired from her cleaning job by an ignorant boss, with no source of income yet continues to collect clothes and food to give to her needy brothers and sisters in her neighborhood. All these people, in their own special way, were indeed living the life described by Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Matthew when he said:

“Whatever you do to the least of my brothers,
You do to me”

The image and kindness of these people, quietly doing their work without pomp and glory, stands out in stark and glaring contrast when compared with so many of the “famous” people whose names and faces inhabit the daily newspapers, the weekly magazines and the nightly television programs and whose claim to fame is the absurd and immoral exploitation of self gratification. A young woman who is said to have collected 15 million dollars to participate in a public marriage ceremony and then breaks it up after 90 days, or the investor who successfully cheated and schemed thousands of people out of their life savings, with no intention of repayment, or the college coach who used his position and trust to abuse young children are but a few examples of what appears to be the norm in present-day society. By any standard, in any society, these actions are both a gross abomination and a shameful indictment of ungodly behavior. Yet society is determined to glorify and reward these people to absurd levels and we, as members of society, encourage this transgression by our support or even worse, by our silence. It makes the true believer feel that Jesus Christ suffered and died in vain and that his teachings of love and caring remain buried in the sands of selfish behavior.
But irrespective of the prevailing conditions it is essential that we all make the effort to embrace the spirit of respect, caring and tolerance towards our neighbors and to recognize that we are indeed our brother’s keepers. Without this principle firmly implanted, we are destined to continue to live in a world of suffering, turmoil and distrust. In the setting as presently exists, dominated by wars, racial and religious distrust, indiscriminate killing and absurd social imbalances, it is no surprise that Schweitzer’s principle of Reverence of Life has been discarded on the altar of expediency. The task is not easy, but not impossible, and must begin with the acceptance and recognition of the fact that each one of us are indeed keepers and instead of asking, we rise up and accept the responsibility with diligence and determination.
Many years ago, when during a very trying time in my life, I found myself in need of others to help me deal with a difficult situation, I was sustained by the words of a beautiful song, recorded by “The Hollies” entitled “He Ain’t Heavy.” This has since served to constantly remind me of the need, role and strength of a keeper. I sincerely hope they will serve the same purpose for you:

It's a long, long road

from which there is no return.

While we're on our way to there,

why not share?

And the load doesn't weigh me down at all.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

LIVING WITH OLD AGE

Many years ago, one of France’s greatest personalities, a talented actor, comedian and goodwill ambassador, Maurice Chevalier, commented, to the delight of his sold out show that:

“Old age isn’t so bad, when you consider the alternatives.”

He continued to lead a full and active life until he retired in 1968 at age 80 years, 4 years before he died. His statement however has continued on, taking a life of its own and has been used globally as an excellent comment on getting old.

For most people, particularly those who have led a full and active life, the thought of growing old with all its perceived handicaps and inadequacies, can be daunting and humbling. Very few people ever admit to looking forward to old age, and when they do, there is always a slight hint of nostalgia and disappointment in their voices. But the reality is that irrespective of what we do, or try to do, or hope for, the nature of events are such that life leads relentlessly and inexorably to an end and the best we can do under the circumstances, is to try to do what we can to “enjoy the ride.” The fact is, despite all the claims made and all the hopes we harbor, there is only one alternative to getting old and irrespective who you are or what you do, it is only a matter of time before each one of us arrive at that final point.

During the early phases of our lives few of us ever give any thought to the aspect of growing old. We become so deeply involved in building relationships, establishing careers and finding out more about ourselves that we make no plans beyond the present. As we spend every minute of each day in dealing with the needs and the demands of that day, we are not inclined, nor do we have the time or the inclination to be concerned with planning for the future. It does not take much to persuade ourselves that there will be time to think about getting old later, but for now this is not relevant in today’s needs. And even as we encounter and deal with older people along the way, we seldom pause enough to think about ourselves eventually joining their ranks. Instead we use these encounters to improve ourselves by learning from them, or competing with them or even replacing them. This after all is the way of life.

Someone once described life as being a journey climbing up a mountain. You start at the bottom slowly and deliberately as you learn the art of climbing. As you progress upwards, you gain assurance and travel further and plan more confidently. You are satisfied as you survey what you have achieved, and you are encouraged to make plans for your continued progress. Your journey is exciting and rewarding and you cannot wait to reach the top. However, as you get to the top, you soon find that this euphoria does not last and the journey gets more difficult, there are more obstacles and you realize that the road was getting tougher and that you are not coping as well, as you begin to descend downhill. The journey going down seems to be much faster and you begin to get the feeling that it takes a lot more effort to achieve than you previously needed. You realize, ready or not, old age is catching up and sooner or later the road will reach an end. You do what you can to slow the decline, you might even succeed temporarily but in the end you cannot hold back the inevitable.

But old age does not have to be the frightening monster that it is portrayed to be. You do not have to feel like an old garment to be tossed aside as the impetuous youth take over. Nor should it be the opposite where we feel committed, at all cost and with increasing effort, to hold on to the present, completely oblivious of the problems you cause or damage you do. These actions are both inappropriate and worse, can and do result in unnecessary pain, frustration and unhappy experiences.

In fact, old age, properly managed, can be the best and most satisfying phase of living. Older people, having lived through and coped with a bewildering series of experiences, are better able to solve problems, to control their emotions, to accept misfortune and admit responsibility. The advancing years have generally made them more tolerant, less prone to anger or to pass judgment, and more willing to understand and to forgive. And even as their health becomes increasingly compromised, they become much more accepting and therefore more cheerful. This, to my mind, is the single most gratifying finding in individuals who have successfully adapted to the demands of getting old and indeed in the words of an author, whose name I do not recall, “is one of life’s greatest empowerments.”

Every person is endowed with their own peculiar personality, attitude, ambition, image and expectation which impact upon their individual lives in their own unique way. It is not surprising therefore that they each approach old age in their own special way. While a small percentage will inevitably reject the obvious and continue on as if there is no end, the great majority will, at some point along the way, take time to look back and review their lives and their work. If you live long enough and live right enough, your joy and satisfaction will more than compensate your own fading star. This indeed is the true reality of life!

As I look back upon my own journey along life’s road and recall my experiences as I crossed over from one stage to another and remember the many mistakes I made and equally, the many correct decisions I took, I am left with a sense of contentment. In a paradoxical way, getting old does have its advantages for it implies that you have lived long enough to have done things worth doing, to have influenced people who appreciate your efforts, to have memories worth treasuring, and in a small way, to have made your world a little better than you found it.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the great American author, poet and educator spoke on behalf all those older people when he wrote:

“For age is opportunity no lessThan youth itself,

though in another dress,

And as the evening twilight fades away,

The sky is filled with stars invisible by day.”

LIVING WITH YOUR THOUGHTS

"Carefully watch your Thoughts, for they become your Words.
Manage and watch your Words, for they will become your Actions.
Consider and judge your Actions, for they have become your Habits.
Acknowledge and watch your Habits, for they shall become your Values.
Understand and embrace your Values, for they become your Destiny."

These words spoken by Mahatma Gandhi, one of the world’s greatest statesmen, preeminent leader of non-violent independence movements, founder and father of Modern India, gifted politician and philosopher, have always impressed me as the most exquisite and perfect explanation of the effect of thought in our life and living.

Few people will dispute the fact that the quality and content of our daily thoughts have a direct bearing on our life and on the condition and circumstances of our living. Your thoughts are dictating and influencing your every action, during each waking moment, and even when you are asleep. Each action you perform, every thing you perceive, every plan you develop and every decision you make has its origin in that poorly understood inner world of your thoughts. They are the key to your world and unless you are able the take control of them and direct them, they will surely destroy you, even as they paradoxically act to "protect" you.

From the dawn of civilization, the greatest thinkers and philosophers have wrestled with the problem of understanding and explaining the origin and influence of thought on human behavior. The ancient Chinese schools of thought including Confucianism and Taoism, that flourished 4000 years ago during the period known as the Golden Age of Chinese Philosophy offered many theories but no real answers. So too, during the period of enlightenment of the Ancient Greco-Roman Era led by philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, who are considered to be fathers of modern philosophy, as well as during the subsequent Indian-Persian Era, dominated by the teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism and Zarathustra, man has searched for answers, offered many theories but no conclusions. In fact, our state of knowledge today, despite thousands of years of search and study, has not significantly advanced, and we are still at the point of offering theories, not conclusions.

The power of thought is the master key in creating and maintaining the person who you are. Left uncontrolled, it is driven by a relentless desire to “protect” you at all cost, even when that cost is your self-destruction. Just consider the unfortunate outcome of the severely Obsessive Compulsive patient who is driven by his abnormal thoughts to commit repetitive actions that are useless, non-productive and destructive and which so enslave the victim that they become imprisoned in a world of their own making. Equally, consider the victims of drug and alcohol abuse, in which the over-riding thoughts of self-gratification drive them inexorably into the hell of addiction. Then there are the unfortunate victims of pathological thinking as in Depression and in Schizophrenia which, if not corrected, will lead to frightening conclusions. In all of these instances, the single dominant culprit is the victim’s thought processes which have gone astray and resist correction or control.

To become master of your life, you must learn to control the nature and the content of your thoughts. By doing so you will be able to bring order, make choices and exercise options related to the actual and prevailing circumstances of your life. By controlling instinctive thoughts and replacing them with relevant options, you will in effect, bring order and reality to your living and avoid the destructive influence of negative thinking. By doing so, you will be able to choose your direction, exercise your options and plan and predict your future course based, not on blind impulse, but on considered action. It is important that we understand that the mind, if not controlled, will react automatically in the direction to which it is conditioned and imprinted. Negative thoughts, if not altered, will automatically influence everything you do, or feel, or say and your life will be dominated by this negativity which will then become the standard of behavior.

It is for this reason that Gandhi’s advice is so definitive, as he carefully traces the sequence of events from the initiation of a single thought to the ultimate expression of one’s final destiny. Indeed, I have no doubt that anyone of us, with very little effort, will have no difficulty in recalling examples of this happening in our lives on a daily basis. This is why it is so very important that we take time and effort to teach our children the importance of critical review of thought processes and to avoid, at all cost, the tendency to respond and react impulsively because, “it sounds good”, or “it makes sense”. Napoleon Hill, the great American author and one of the most successful inspirational and self-help pioneers, summarized this most effectively in the following quotation:

“Life is a mirror of your consistent thoughts.”


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Man's greatness lies in his power of thought.
………Blaise Pascal

The wise ones fashioned speech with their thought,
Sifting it as grain is sifted through a sieve.
…….Buddha

Some men use thought only as authority for their injustice,
And employ speech only to conceal their thoughts.
……Voltaire I have always thought the actions of men,
Are the best interpreters of their thoughts. …….John Locke

One thought fills immensity.
……William Blake

Thoughts are living things.
A thought is as much solid as a piece of stone.
We may cease to be, but our thoughts can never die.

......Sri Swami Sivananda

Thought must be divided against itself,
Before it can come to any knowledge of itself.

…….Aldous Huxley

The greatest weapon against stress,
Is our ability to choose one thought over another.
……William James

Shutting off the thought process is not rejuvenating;
The mind is like a car battery - it recharges by running.
……..Bill Watterson

A VIEW OF TALK AND LIFE

“You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;

And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart,
You will live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.”

These words were written by the great Lebanese-born poet and philosopher, Khalil Gibran, in his universally recognized masterpiece, The Prophet. They have always impressed me as one of the most effective and appropriate description of the role of talk in human living.
From time to time, I find myself returning to ponder and meditate upon them in an attempt to identify where exactly I fall in the scheme and how others compare. In the chapter dealing with “Talk,” Gibran went on to describe the many ways man may use talk as an expression of himself and his underlying personality. He spoke of those who chose to be with the talkative, to escape their own insecurities and fear of loneliness, and of others, who deliberately become talkative to conceal their own ignorance and emptiness. And there are those who actually speak the truth without even knowing or understanding it, and yet again there are others who have the truth within them, but who suffer because they cannot find the right words to express it. He concluded that talk was the true window through which, and by which, we view the rest of the world and most importantly, how, consciously or unconsciously,
we all make use of talk as a window into our innermost selves. He expressed this thought most beautifully in the following comment:

“When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market place,
Let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue.

Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear.”

From time immemorial, the art of successful speech has been the single most effective way man has used to influence others, institute change and generally draw attention. Throughout history every great leader succeeded in controlling the masses and reinforcing his image as their leader by the effective use of talk. The great Roman Emperor Julius Caesar gained much of his popularity with the masses as a result of his commanding speaking ability. Who will ever forget the great speeches of Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler whose resounding orations served to rally the citizens of their separate countries against one another during World War II. In the United States, as in every other countries, great leaders are remembered more for the famous speeches they made than the changes they caused. Leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and John F. Kennedy are but a few of many, who are fondly remembered more for their oratorical abilities than for the content of their speeches.
Even at the individual level, it is far easier, and certainly much more effective, to initiate and maintain a relationship in the presence of a good verbal exchange. The ability to successfully communicate immediately induces a feeling of confidence and allays anxiety so that the recipient is rendered more accessible and much more willing to conform. No one can ever forget the actions of a good salesman as he works to convince the buyer to acquire a product. His success is not based on the content of what he says, but rather on the degree of confidence and empathy he projects. His ability is not in the words he uses, but on the way he uses the words. He is indeed a master of Talk.
But we do not all have to be master salesmen to lead successful lives. What we do need to recognize is the fact that, except for the accomplished confidence trickster, we are all, in one way or another, a reflection of what we think or say. We are in fact conditioned to feel and think and act by responding to a series of words. Whether these words come in the form of a request, a command, a reaction or a rejection, we respond instinctively. We are undoubtedly subject to the influence of Talk.
Since we are all a reflection of what we say and how we say it, it behooves us all to remember that the only way we can ensure acceptance and avoid rejection is by remaining true to ourselves and avoiding the easy road of choosing to say what you think they wanted to hear, than the more correct truth. In this context, I am reminded of the famous quotation by Duke University’s very successful Basket ball coach Mike Krzyzewski on truth in talk:

I have a rule on my team:
When we talk to one another,
we look each other right in the eye,
because I think it's tough to lie to somebody.

You give respect to somebody.