Yes! You can..

Experience is not what happens to a man. It is, what a man does with what happens to him.

-Aldous Huxley

What if at age 46 you were burned beyond recognition in a terrible motorcycle accident, and then four years later were paralyzed from the waist down in an airplane crash? Then, can you imagine yourself becoming a millionaire, a respected public speaker, a happy newlywed and a successful business person? Can you see yourself going white water rafting? Sky diving? Running for political office?

W. Mitchell has done all these things and more after two horrible accidents left his face a quilt of multicolored skin grafts, his hands fingerless and his legs thin and motionless in a wheelchair.

The 16 surgeries Mitchell endured after the motorcycle accident burned more than 65 percent of his body, left him unable to pick up a fork, dial a telephone or go to the bathroom without help. But Mitchell, a former Marine, never believed he was defeated. "I am in charge of my

own spaceship," he said. "It's my up, my down. I could choose to see this situation as a setback or a starting point." Six months later he was piloting a plane again.

Mitchell bought himself a Victorian home in Colorado, some real estate, a plane and a bar. Later he teamed up with two friends and co-founded a wood-burning stove company that grew to be Vermont's second largest private employer.

Then four years after the motorcycle accident, the plane Mitchell was piloting crashed back onto the runway during takeoff, crushing Mitchell's 12 thoracic vertebra and permanently paralyzing him from the waist down. "I wondered what the hell was happening to me. What did I do to deserve this?"

Undaunted, Mitchell worked day and night to regain as much independence as possible. He was elected Mayor of Crested Butte, Colorado, to save the town from mineral mining that would ruin its beauty and environment. Mitchell later ran for Congress, turning his odd appearance into an asset with slogans such as, "Not just another pretty face."

Despite his initially shocking looks and physical challenges, Mitchell began white water rafting, he fell in love and married, earned a master's

degree in public administration and continued flying, environmental activism and public speaking.

Mitchell's unshakable Positive Mental Attitude has earned him appearances on the "Today Show" and "Good Morning America" as well as feature articles in Parade, Time, The New York Times and other publications.

"Before I was paralyzed, there were 10,000 things I could do," Mitchell says. "Now there are 9,000. I can either dwell on the 1,000 I lost or focus on the 9,000 I have left. I tell people that I have had two big bumps in my life. If I have chosen not to use them as an excuse to quit, then maybe some of the experiences you are having which are pulling you back can be put into a new perspective. You can step back, take a wider view and have a chance to say, "Maybe that isn't such a big deal after all."

Remember: "It's not what happens to you, it's what you do about it."

True Love

Moses Mendelssohn, the grandfather of the well-known German composer, was far from being handsome. Along with a rather short stature, he had a grotesque hunchback.
One day he visited a merchant in Hamburg who had a lovely daughter named Frumtje. Moses fell hopelessly in love with her. But Frumtje was repulsed by his misshapen appearance.
When it came time for him to leave, Moses gathered his courage and climbed the stairs to her room to take one last opportunity to speak with her. She was a vision of heavenly beauty, but caused him deep sadness by her refusal to look at him. After several attempts at conversation, Moses shyly asked, "Do you believe marriages are made in heaven?"
"Yes," she answered, still looking at the floor. "And do you?"
"Yes I do," he replied. "You see, in heaven at the birth of each boy, the Lord announces which girl he will marry. When I was born, my future bride was pointed out to me. Then the Lord added, 'But your wife will be humpbacked.'
"Right then and there I called out, 'Oh Lord, a humpbacked woman would be a tragedy. Please, Lord, give me the hump and let her be beautiful.'"
Then Frumtje looked up into his eyes and was stirred by some deep memory. She reached out and gave Mendelssohn her hand and later became his devoted wife.

One at a time

A friend of mine was walking down a deserted beach at sunset. As he walked along, he began to see another man in the distance. As he grew nearer, he noticed that the local native kept leaning down, picking something up and throwing it out into the water. Time and again he kept hurling things out into the ocean.
As friend approached even closer, he noticed that the man was picking up starfish that had been washed up on the beach and, one at a time, he was throwing them back into the water.
Our friend was puzzled. He approached the man and said, "Good evening, friend. I was wondering what you are doing."
"I'm throwing these starfish back into the ocean. You see, it's low tide right now and all of these starfish have been washed up onto the shore. If I don't throw them back into the sea, they'll die up here from lack of oxygen."
"I understand," my friend replied, "but there must be thousands of starfish on this beach. You can't possibly get to all of them. There are simply too many. And don't you realize this is probably happening on hundreds of beaches all up and down this coast. Can't you see that
you can't possibly make a difference?"
The local native smiled, bent down and picked up yet another starfish, and as he threw it back into the sea, he replied, "Made a difference to that one!"

The Magic Of Believing

I'm not old enough to play baseball or football. I'm not eight yet. My mom told me when you start baseball, you aren't going to be able to run that fast because you had an operation. I told Mom I wouldn't need to run that fast. When I play baseball, I'll just hit them out of the park. Then I'll be able to walk.

Edward J. McGrath, Jr. "An Exceptional View of Life"

Fear : Do We Let it Win?

We all born with huge potentiality to grow and evolve while undertaking our life’s journey. As we travel, all of us grow continuously but uniquely. The quality of our life depends on the quality of the seeds that lie deep in our mind. Some seeds we get from our ancestors (by way of genes) and some are sown by others like our parents and teachers during childhood while remaining seeds we grow and nurture, as we age, in our mind. All our life or the destiny depends on the choices we all make while growing and watering those seeds. If we give water to the seeds of love and compassion then we grow spiritually, peacefully and get our life enlightened. If we choose to water seeds of hatred, anger and self-contentedness then we get stress, tension and eventually pain and suffering in our life.

According to Buddhists philosophy our mind is a field in which every kind of seed is sown – seeds of love and compassion, joy and hope, seeds of anger, sorrow, fear and aggression. Every day our thoughts, words and acts plant need new seeds or we water those seeds which are already present in our mind consciousness. Buddhism also says that the practice of mindfulness helps us identify all the seeds in our consciousness and with that knowledge we can choose to water only the ones that are the most beneficial. As we cultivate the seeds of joy and transform seeds of suffering in ourselves, understanding, love and compassion will flower (Thich Nhat Hanh in Understanding our Mind).

Modern brain science has now established that we all have two brains – one that deals with anger, aggression, selfishness and self centeredness and another deals with compassion, reasoning, open minded and kindness. Since we live in a world filled with anxiety about uncertainties so both parts of brain are constantly on active mode. There is a famous parable (story) of Cherokee that says there are two wolves very often fighting inside us. One is greedy, selfish and aggressive with full of arrogance and pride while the other is compassionate, serene, peaceful and generous. They often struggle for supremacy over our actions and behavior and that part will win or dominate which we choose to encourage. Let’s read first what the original is ‘Cherokee parable’:

An old Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson about life...

"A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.

"One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego.

"The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.

"This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,

"Which wolf will win?"

The old chief simply replied,

"The one you feed."

The origin of this duality in our actions and behavior lies in our brain means two neurological wolves lies in our brain. The old reptilian brain, the most ancient part, lies in the limbic system and this part is responsible for emotions including anger, fear and aggression. This original part of brain solely exists for our survival. When we experience the emotion of fear and aggression, our reptilian brain goes into action and the rest of the brain shuts down. As human evolves other parts of brain were added while retaining this original part. The most recent part that has been added to our brain is frontal lobes and anterior cingulated, where reason, logic and compassion resides

According to Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman in How God Changes Your Brain argue that when it comes to making sophisticated moral decisions which part of the brain will come? The selfish brain or the cooperative/compassionate part? Again, as with the two wolves, it depends on the one you feed. If you allow anger and fear to dominate, you will lose the neurological ability to think logically and act compassionately towards others. In face, it is nearly impossible to find peace and serenity if your mind is preoccupied by negative, fearful or hateful thoughts.

Heart Song

Once upon a time there was a great man who married the woman of his dreams. With their love, they created a little girl. She was a bright and cheerful little girl and the great man loved her very much.

When she was very little, he would pick her up, hum a tune and dance with her around the room, and he would tell her, "I love you, little girl."

When the little girl was growing up, the great man would hug her and tell her, "I love you, little girl." The little girl would pout and say, "I'm not a little girl anymore." Then the man would laugh and say, "But to me, you'll always be my little girl."

The little girl who-was-not-little-anymore left her home and went into the world. As she learned more about herself, she learned more about the man. She saw that he truly was great and strong, for now she recognized his strengths. One of his strengths was his ability to express his love to his family. It didn't matter where she went in the world, the man would call her and say, "I love you, little girl."

The day came when the little girl who-was-not-little-anymore received a phone call. The great man was damaged.

He had had a stroke. He was aphasic, they explained to the girl. He couldn't talk anymore and they weren't sure that he could understand the words spoken to him. He could no longer smile, laugh, walk, hug, dance or tell the little girl who-was-not-little-anymore that he loved her.

And so she went to the side of the great man. When she walked into the room and saw him, he looked small and not strong at all. He looked at her and tried to speak, but he could not.

The little girl did the only thing she could do. She climbed up on the bed next to the great man. Tears ran from both of their eyes and she drew her arms around the useless shoulders of her father.

Her head on his chest, she thought of many things. She remembered the wonderful times together and how she had always felt protected and cherished by the great man. She felt grief for the loss she was to endure, the words of love that had comforted her.

And then she heard from within the man, the beat of his heart. The heart where the music and the words had always lived. The heart beat on, steadily unconcerned about the damage to the rest of the body. And while she rested there, the magic happened. She heard what she needed to hear.

His heart beat out the words that his mouth could no longer say....

I love you I love you I love you Little girl Little girl Little girl

And she was comforted.

World To Get A New SUN

The Earth could soon have a second sun, at least for a week or two.

The cosmic phenomenon will happen when one of the brightest stars in the night sky explodes into a supernova.

And, according to a report, the most stunning light show in the planet's history could happen as soon as this year.

Earth will undoubtedly have a front row seat when the dying red super-giant star Betelgeuse finally blows itself into oblivion, the Daily Mail quoting the Australian website news.com.au. reports.The explosion will be so bright that even though the star in the Orion constellation is 640 light years away, it will still turn night into day and appear like there are two suns in the sky for a few weeks. The only real debate is over exactly when it will happen.In stellar terms, Betelgeuse is predicted to crash and burn in the near future. But that doesn't necessarily mean you have to rush out and buy sunglasses.Brad Carter, Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia, claimed Saturday that the galactic blast could happen before 2012 or any time over the next million years. "This old star is running out of fuel in its centre," Carter told news.com.au. "This fuel keeps Betelgeuse shining and supported. When this fuel runs out, the star will literally collapse in upon itself and it will do so very quickly.

-via RETURS

Distress.. The Poem

And something,
And then you don’t talk.
And life dries up,
And there’s no moisture for my soul.
I need to redeem myself,
Held tight, and talked to.
I need some warmth, some comfort and water,
I feel powerless against the abbreviations of my name.....

No Words Left For Tomorrow

Well, for starters, you should visit the place that you never do- that’s the gym” he said, looking up from his wrinkled copy of “The Week”.

She stood there, the wet dish in her hand dripping soap suds onto her gloves into her sleeves.

“Well you asked,” he said, now getting pissed it was going to become an argument. She always had to do it, ask the question to which there was no right answer. And even if there was, she always found it so unconvincing or blatant. “Goddamn,” he mumbled and slammed down his magazine. “Here we go again.” As the tears started to roll down her face, it made him cringe more, somewhere inside.

In truth, he couldn’t bear to see her cry. Sometimes she used that as a weapon. But at that time, it just seemed that it did not matter to him much.

He walked to the TV, switched it on and shouted over a commercial for Baby wipes. This was all just a mistake. You want me to do, what you feel like doing, you want me to say, what you want to Hear. In truth, you just wanted a Dog, not a Husband.

She stared at the wall with glassy eyes. It just made him more angry.

Standing over the sink full of dishes, she touched the back of her hand to her forehead and turned away from him. He knew she was doing it so he couldn’t see her shiver and her eyes tearing.

It didn’t matter. He knew her well enough. Or that’s what he thought he did. He always had a way to look at life at a telescopic level, his rationality ruling over emotions or microcosm of feelings.

“Oh fuck this,” he said, knowing he’d never win. “What the hell am I supposed to say to you? How the hell do I get out of these ridiculous situations you set up? It’s like, all I want is some peace and quiet when I get home from work and you’re not happy unless there’s an argument.”

Next to his shoulder on a shelf was a Hummel figurine he’d bought her for their anniversary. He didn’t know why he threw it until after it shattered against the wall. He felt no better. He missed his whole life that he gave up and for what, he thought. He missed them all, his friends, his social life. His whole life hurt. It never stopped. Sometimes he could forget about it for a while. But it never went away completely. It left him helpless and hating the life that surrounded him.

She flinched at the sound of her breaking gift. It made him hate her more.

It was all about control. She was turning into a goddamned shrew and he was not going to be a mindless lump. He’d show her. He would not turn into a dog that she wanted for as her pet.

When she gasped, as if his words were punches, he knocked over the kitchenette table and she held her hands over her mouth.

He knew he would have to hit her if he stayed so he grabbed his car keys off the counter. Why the hell had he gotten married in the first place? It was the “buy the cow” scenario his best friend told him about that got him in to this mess. Now he was attached to someone who would never understand what he wanted in life and couldn’t help him get it.

It was a mistake. He’d fix it. There were people who understood him. There were things he enjoyed doing. There were things he resorted to for his escape.

He thought she would have hated it when he went there because he felt good there. She didn’t want him to do anything that made him happy.

He told her not to wait up for him. He told her she looked like a fucking scullery maid kneeling on the floor and crying, and what the hell did she think she was, Cinderella? And he was proud of himself for thinking of the analogy. At least one of the guys would find a way to laugh at that.

When he slammed the door and her sobbing faded behind the metal and wood what pissed him off most is he was sure she had no idea what a huge favor he was doing her by leaving.

This is Why We Are Fat!!!!! :D

The 3 tiered grilled cheese birthday cake.... Hwdie??? Like it!!!!

My new year’s resolution is to get you to stop asking me about my new year’s resolutions.

People keep asking me what my New Year’s resolutions are and I tell them that I don’t have any and then they get all pissy because they assume that I think I don’t need to change but it’s really just that I’m too bored with myself to invest any more time thinking about me, and also because “What are your new year’s resolutions?” is kind of code for “So tell me what you think is wrong with you.”

That’s why my new resolution for 2011 is to get into something so blatantly reprehensible that when 2012 comes I will have an obvious choice for what I need to give up next year and I won’t be sitting here trying to figure out which one of my many vices is the most obvious to everyone else.   And then I’ll be all “This year I’m going to shoot up less heroin!”  Or stop burning books.  Or stop burning kittens.  Or stop burning books about kittens.  I haven’t really decided yet.  Whichever thing seems more likely to have people remark about how brave I am, probably.

PS.  You never realize how many terrible life-choices are in front of you until you think about how nice it will be to tell people you’ve given them up.  This is probably why so many people are shooting up heroin right now.


PPS.  OMG.  I GOT IT.  This year I vow to start shooting up. It’s gonna be a brave, brave 2012.

The Salty Coffee..

This is not my own work.This is from a guy's profile in one of the dating sites that I am a member of. I did ask him for permission if I can put this story on my blog as I find the story trully sweet and romantic. and wishes people to read it.and would not feel bad if you feel you cannot publish it or not.just a story, whether the guy had made it up himself or found it in a book,I myself do not know.. but i want to share it.

The Salty Coffee.. a love story.. He met her at a party. She was so outstanding, many guys chasing after her, while he was so normal, nobody paid attention to him. At the end of the party, he invited her to have coffee with him, she was surprised, but due to being polite, she agreed. They sat in a nice coffee shop, he was too nervous to say anything, she felt uncomfortable, she thought, please, let me go home.... suddenly he asked the waiter: "would you please give me some salt? Everybody stared at him, so strange! His face turned red, but still, he put the salt in his coffee and drank it. She asked him curiously; do you have this hobby? He replied: "when I was a little boy, I was living near the sea, I like playing in the sea, I could feel the taste of the sea, just like the taste of the salty coffee.

Now every time I have the salty coffee, I always think of my childhood, I think of my hometown, I miss my hometown so much, I miss my parents who are still living there". While saying that, tears filled his eyes. She was deeply touched, that's his true feeling, from the bottom of his heart, a man who can tell out his homesickness, he must be a man who loves home, cares about home, has responsibility for home. Then she also started to speak, spoke about her far away hometown, her childhood, her family. That was a really nice talk, also a beautiful beginning of their story. They continued to date. She found that actually he was a man who meets all her demands; he had tolerance, was kindhearted, warm, careful. He was such a good person. Thanks to his salty coffee! The story was just like every beautiful love story , the princess married the prince, then they were living the happy life... And, every time she made coffee for him, she put some salt in the coffee, as she knew that's the way he liked it. After 40 years, he passed away, left her a letter which said: "My dearest, please forgive me, forgive my whole life lie.

This was the only lie I said to you, The Salty Coffee". Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous at that time, actually I wanted some sugar, but I said salt, it was hard for me to change it, so I just went ahead. I never thought that could be the start of our relation! I tried to tell you the truth many times in my life, but I was too afraid to do that, as I have promised not to lie to you for anything.. Now I'm dying, afraid of nothing, so I'm telling you the truth: I don't like the salty coffee, what a strange bad taste... But I have had the salty coffee for my whole life! Since I knew you, I never felt sorry for what I did, having you with me was my biggest happiness in my whole life, if I could live for a second time, I would still want to know you and have you in my life, even though having to drink salty coffee again". Her tears made the letter totally wet. One day, someone asked her: What's the taste of salty coffee? "It's sweet", she replied.

Love is not to forget but to forgive, not to see but to understand, not to hear but to listen, not to let go but to HOLD ON !!!!

Happyy neuuu yearrr!!! :)

Happyy neuuu yearrr!!! :)



A new year is dawning at us.. And here is a great opportunity to start breathing at our best.. at every moment of life! Its a great time to start becoming awesome in whatever you do! Remember, as the great Kungfu Panda says.. There is no charge for Awesomeness!! ”Be Awesome! Happy 2011″

Heres a quote from Mark Twain to start the year!

Work like you don’t need the money.
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
Sing like no-one’s listening.
Dance like no-one’s watching.
Live like there’s no tomorrow.

BE AWESOME!!!!

Baileys® Iced Coffee

"Enjoy this simple Baileys® iced coffee for a 5 o'clock coffee break or an after dinner treat."

 

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 ounces Baileys Original Cream
• 7 ounces freshly-brewed coffee

Directions

• Brew coffee and allow to cool
• Pour Baileys and coffee into a tall, ice-filled glass
• Stir and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 387

• Total Fat: 0.4g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 11mg
• Total Carbs: 48.1g
•     Dietary Fiber: 0g
• Protein: 0.2g

Baileys®
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