Read this story..about letting go of the past (reproduced from a article)

Sometimes it seems that only animals know we’re actually here to be happy. So let’s please think about releasing old baggage. Let’s let go of the past. And I know that sometimes people do things that seem terrible and totally unacceptable. There are some incredible things that go on in our society, cruelty and thoughtlessness, and I’m not suggesting it’s easy. I’m saying it’s necessary if we want to be happy and empowered people. We clean up the past because an unfinished past leads to an unfinished future. What follows is a powerful story of just what I am saying here, in action. It’s not an easy story to read by any stretch of the imagination, but I pray it inspires you.
Sunday afternoons down in rural Kentucky, Tommy Pigage goes to church with a couple who could almost be considered step-parents, Frank and Elizabeth Morris. He’s like an adopted son to them. And after church they go out to eat. They go roller-skating on Thursday, and on the weekends they bowl together. Tommy’s around a lot, even though he doesn’t live with them. And not too long ago they had a beautiful luau for lots of friends at their Kentucky home, and Tommy spent a lot of time helping them prepare it.
They have a very unusual relationship. He’s not their real son; as I said, he’s kind of an adopted son. Their real son, Ted Morris, two nights before Christmas, 1982, was on his way home while Tommy Pigage was at a party, drunk, making a fool of himself. His drinking had gotten out of control. He left the party stone-drunk and blacked out at the wheel and hit 18-year-old Ted Morris head-on. And he killed the only child of Frank and Elizabeth Morris.
They had never heard the name Tommy Pigage until a couple of days later at the police station when they got the report. And they dug out a yearbook; they wanted to see what he looked like. They wanted to see everything about him. Frank Morris said, “I saw him. He had long hair and he looked like a punk. I hated the sight of him. Of course there was no way I was going to like him.” He took away their only son. Ted was the opposite of Tommy. Ted was a bright, polite, clean-cut kid who was a scholarship student. Tommy was a drifter and a drunk from a broken home.
Two weeks after the accident at the court hearing, Elizabeth saw him for the first time. Her legs were trembling, and she felt rage when she saw the boy who killed their only son. He got a 10-year sentence, which was suspended, and he was on probation for two years. He had to attend counseling, and he had to spend every other weekend in jail. He also had to submit to an alcoholism test, and if he was found to be drunk again, he would go back to jail. And Elizabeth admitted that she wanted to see him dead, in the grave, just like her boy.
Several months later Tommy Pigage was speaking at a MADD meeting, Mothers Against Drunk Driving. And unbeknownst to Tommy, Elizabeth was in the back of the room, and she was waiting to hear what his story was going to be, still enraged, still hating him, wanting to see him dead. And Tommy got up there, and he admitted that he had killed Ted Morris. He admitted that his alcoholism was out of control. He said that he felt horrible for the anguish that he had caused them. He said he cried all the time, day and night. And Elizabeth was not prepared for that at all. She began to feel empathy for him. It was difficult.
When the meeting was over, she walked up to him and she reached out, and he thought she was going to slap him. She put her hand on his arm and said, “Tommy, I want to acknowledge that it took a lot of courage to stand up here and say what you said.” And as she left, he started to cry. Days later, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. She found out that he was from a broken home and he had nobody to love him and he had no direction and he had problems all of his life.
A short time later he was drunk again, and so he went to jail for three months. His most frequent visitor in jail was Elizabeth. She started to look upon him like a son. She started to feel nurturing toward this boy because she realized he was a human being who’d made a terrible mistake and she wanted to be someone who would love him. Her husband Frank would not hear of it. Her husband Frank thought she was crazy because he hated that boy and he wanted that boy to get his due and he wanted that boy dead. And I think any of us could understand that.
Well, over a period of time she developed a bond with Tommy. And then she brought Frank in. And little by little they started to connect. Tommy started to read the Bible. He wanted to change his life. And one day he said, “I would like to be baptized.” And Frank said, “All right, we’ll go with you.” And they were there when he was baptized. After the ceremony, Tommy, with tears in his eyes, looked at Frank and said, “Do you forgive me?” What seemed like an eternity passed. And Frank said, “Yes. I forgive you, Tommy.” And after that, they kind of adopted him. He calls them every day between four and five. Elizabeth said she would miss it if Tommy didn’t call. He’s become like step-son.
Now, he doesn’t replace their son Ted, their only child who died. His bedroom remains exactly the way it was the night that he died. He blew up a beach ball that night, and the beach ball 11 years later still sits on the bed. Elizabeth won’t let anybody touch the room. So he’s not a replacement for her son, and nothing would ever bring her son back, but they’ve developed a loving bond.
Now I know it is not easy to let go of the grudge, of the resentment, of the anger for what somebody did. But you might want to think about the payoff. When Elizabeth was interviewed, incredibly, she said, “The hatred was eating at me like a cancer. Now I can be happy and I can really live.” And that’s what made such an impact on me. It’s not a right or wrong issue; it’s the law of cause and effect. When I talk about being a happy, empowered person, many times forgiveness is the bottom line. It may be the single most challenging thing to do, but it’s the most necessary, and it just opens up your world.
Many people have been through the long dark night of the soul. Have you known some dark moments? There’s a beautiful Chinese proverb that says, “Don’t curse the darkness. Light a candle.” Why don’t you be big enough to stand up and reach out to that other person? Why don’t you be big enough to stand up and forgive? It takes a lot of courage to do it. It’s an incredible gift we give to ourselves because it releases our personal power and it literally sets us free.
Dale Carnegie once said, “If half a century of living has taught me anything at all, it’s taught me that nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” There’s no peace in the world. There’s no peace that just “fixes” people. It’s tough to change. It’s especially tough to change dramatically. People are creatures of habit at a very deep level. Peace is inside of us, and as we create peace inside of us in a very beautiful way, our life becomes peaceful and love and support comes back to us. I can not explain how it happens but I’ve experienced it, and I’ve seen it lives of other people. We release all that beautiful, powerful living when we forgive.
Charles Dickens once said, “We forge the chains we wear in life.” And if you want to let go of your chains, then you want to let go of your judgments and your anger and your resentments. Regardless of what others did, it’s too expensive to you.
Forgiveness isn’t always easy, but it is essential. It sets us free; it opens up whole new possibilities. Extraordinary and wonderful things can happen when we forgive and make peace with our past. I’d like to give you some action steps that you can use if you feel as if you need to forgive, if this has touched you in a way that you know something like this needs to be done to release your own personal power.
Number one, make a forgiveness list of all the people who’ve harmed you, and write down the specific thing the person did. I forgive my mother for being critical. I forgive the coach or the teacher at school, and tell what that person did. And keep writing them and writing them until you feel the peace. It might be a couple of days, a couple of weeks, even a couple of months. It’s essential, however long it might take.
Number two, write a letter to them and get all of your feelings out. Write a letter to your mom or your dad, your former spouse, your former spouse’s attorney. And write down your anger and resentment and what hurt you and what was awful and swear and rant and rave and do everything you need and then, most importantly, don’t mail the letter! You read correctly; don’t mail the letter! This isn’t about getting back at them; it’s for you. Forgiveness is not for them; it’s getting the baggage out of your life.
And then number three, totally forgive yourself for anything you ever did or neglected to do. Start writing forgiveness statements for yourself and let yourself off the hook. Like everybody else, we did the best we could with the awareness and the self-esteem we had. It’s time to take ourselves off the hook. That’s every bit as much as hating somebody else or resenting somebody else. So, please forgive yourself.
And then if there’s anybody that you have a hard time forgiving, send a blessing of love to them. Say out loud, “I send a blessing of love to you.” And the payoff is freedom. The payoff is real personal power. The payoff is a wonderful life.
There are no solutions in the outer world, only inside of us. I have found that acts of forgiveness and the act of dropping the judgments and the blames and the anger is simply life-changing. And I do it along the way whenever it becomes necessary. A.J. Muste once said, “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” Let’s go out there and let’s do whatever it takes to be at peace so that we can release our personal power and have the wonderful and glorious lives we so richly deserve.

simple truths (reproduced from an article)

"As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness."
— Henry David Thoreau

Do you ever wish your life could be a little bit ... simpler?
These days, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed by our possessions, finances, commitments, obligations — the sheer amount of "stuff" in our lives. It takes up space, drains away time, and distracts us from the things that really matter: relationships, health, happiness, spirituality, and inner growth. Discover how to bring more happiness into your life by taking things you don't want out of it —step by simple step. Begin the process of creating a more balanced, peaceful life that is free of chaos and clutter.

Discover how to:

• Identify and eliminate the major sources of complication in your life
• Painlessly & guiltlessly rid your home of space-consuming clutter
• Simplify household tasks like cleaning, cooking, and laundry
• Dramatically reduce your monthly expenses without sacrificing fun
• Feel comfortable saying "no" to invitations and commitments you really don't want to accept Make wiser choices about how, when, and where you spend your time and money

If you've got drawers in your house you're afraid to open ... spend more time in your office than at home ... need a laundry basket to carry in your mail ... have a social calendar filled with engagements you have no interest in attending ... or find that 24 hours in a day just aren't enough ... make your life more livable by taking these small steps.

Fwd: Power Of Purpose theory..good read

Another article which caught my attention do go thru it is good...

All of us have what it takes to make it in today's competitive and
changing world. You may have doubted your ability to get the job done
in the past, but something else may have been getting in the way of
your success. The key to ultimate achievement has very little to do
with your education or skill level. The secret to accomplishing great
things is simple: Find and pursue the kind of work you are meant to
do—your "purpose."

No one said choosing your life's purpose would be easy. There are so
many opportunities, it's a wonder anyone finds their true calling.
While it may be difficult, understanding your life's real purpose will
give you the power to have anything you want—anything at all. Once you
figure out exactly what that is, getting there will be that much
easier. So ask yourself: "What do I really want out of my life?"

Many of the world's greatest leaders were called failures, until they
discovered their life purpose. When you choose an occupation that is
truly compatible with your preferences, abilities, and unique
personality, you will at last begin to understand the meaning of true
happiness and personal success.

The Power of Purpose helps you in the following manner:

• Experience the freedom and power of finding your life's work
• Focus and take action to pursue your greatness
• Measure and increase your self-motivation for ongoing success
• Guard against negative programming
• Live each day with integrity
• Separate what you've done from who you are
• Avoid people and situations that upset you
• Live in a spirit and attitude of gratitude
• Become a powerful presence in every area of your life
• And much, much more!

Your destiny is just waiting to be fulfilled. The Power of Purpose is
guaranteed to help you find the courage and motivation to act on your
purpose and earn the rewards that come from pursuing the kind of work
you love to do.

Forgiveness Sets You Free

This is my favourite topic in which I truly believe in. I have talked about 'letting go' to my friends since a long time. Admittedly it is not an easy process, and it did take me a long time to be able to first understand that I need to get rid of emotional baggage. Trust me this was the most difficult part and the rest was a journey which I still cherish as it opened a new world to me. A new world where I found life, abundance (more about it later)
The below article suggests some of the ways of letting go of emotional baggage (believe me all of us have some). but essentially it does not ... happen till we recognize first what is that secretly hurts us? answer that question first yourself and then decide to let go. Trust me it opens doors so wide that you will wonder is this the world I was living in? Believe me I have been successful in finding closure, though not by below method (my own one)...read on from an acticle given below (from Nightingale site i think) which may help you understand yourself a bit more. I am planning to write more on this subject later.

Do give me your feed back - Arvin
Help Clear All Conflict:- Forgiveness is the means to solve all acts of violence and war. Over time, when forgiveness is used by enough people the cycle of violence will be broken. In the meantime, anyone who goes within and uses forgiveness as a solution to a conflict will help to resolve the conflict. Recently, surveys taken in the United States showed that most people think that rudeness has increased dramatically. When using forgiveness as a daily regimen, you will have a dramatic reduction in rudeness around you. Forgiveness clears us to see more light Wherever you go, each day, give forgiveness within to those that you encounter. As the days go by, your surroundings will become more calm and peaceful. You can use forgiveness to free yourself from conflict on a daily basis. If you are driving down the highway and the drivers behind you are following to closely, give them forgiveness. The driver will withdraw to a safe distance. If someone in the office is agitated, give them forgiveness. Invariably, the individual will calm down. Try it at your next business meeting. Forgiveness is the most powerful tool because it opens our communication path to the universal energy. Every time we have a conflict, a disagreement, a negative thought we introduce confusion in our thinking. Our clarity diminishes. Our perception is distorted. And, therefore, our actions are misguided. Forgiveness is the means provided to us to clear all conflict, confusion, and misperception. We come closer to the truth and our decisions are better and more soothing. Philosophy of Forgiveness The most powerful tool that human beings possess to resolve conflict in their lives is Forgiveness. Men and women must learn to use forgiveness to bring peace to individuals, to communities, and to entire societies. Before we can apply forgiveness to our grief and grievances, however, we must dispel some myths about forgiveness. In our culture, forgiveness is usually seen as a sign of weakness. Generally, we perceive an individual in fear approaching an individual in power with cries of mercy and forgiveness. In almost every case forgiveness, in our society, is intended to release the offender from the feeling of guilt. We view forgiveness as a way for two people or two groups of people to settle disputes. The means of Forgiveness, however, are so much more. What role does Forgiveness Play to Manifest Your Desires ? By using forgiveness you clear conflict that act as blockages in your mind that block the flow of spiritual energy!

A few years back, in an article for Lifetime titled 'Forgive and Feel Better', Jeanann Pannasch wrote, "In a recent study, Charlotte Witvleit, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Hope College in Holland, Michigan, found that when individuals were able to forgive, they experienced greater joy, a more profound sense of control over life and less depression. Sound appealing?". Jeanann Pannasch concluded in the article for Lifetime, "The bottom line: Forgiving ultimately benefits the forgiver more than the person who has done wrong. So start putting your own well being first, and live life with as much gusto and love as you can." Keep your paths clear and filled with beauty. When we grant forgiveness, we release from within ourselves some form of fear, hate, anger, and guilt. We make room within us for more love to enter. Forgiveness is equally beneficial to the giver and to the receiver. But the giver has far more discretion on how forgiveness may be used in his or her life, and, that is where the power of forgiveness lies.There are no limitations to forgiveness. Forgiveness can be given openly to a person or persons face to face. However, forgiveness is most effective when given to a person or persons, to a situation, or to an entire culture from within without ever mentioning that forgiveness to another person. Why? Because the most effective use of forgiveness is to clear our own mind's paths of debris and sludge. These paths have become filled with fear, hate, anger, and guilt. Our ability to give and receive love is diminished. Our ability to communicate to our higher self is blocked. When we have a thought, any thought, that thought is communicated. If it is not communicated, openly, through speech or through writing does not mean that it does not have impact. Every thought has an impact. Thoughts of fear, hate, anger, and guilt have a great impact within. We may not be aware of the impact. But, there is an impact. Thoughts of forgiveness have a great impact within especially for the person doing the forgiving. The thought of forgiveness becomes part of universal energy and reaches the minds of all those accepting that forgiveness. Forgiveness is the greatest tool for peace that we have. If forgiveness is utilized properly, and, if everyone used forgiveness daily, worldwide peace would be achieved in 4 to 5 years. Spiritual Energy is Love!

Koncepts-

" Commerce is IDEA and CHOICE expressed. Look about you this moment: everything you see and touch was once invisible idea until someone CHOSE to bring it into being."

- Richard Bach

Do you live your life by DEFAULT or by CHOICE ? A simple question which goes to the core of your life. Every individual on this planet has a USP in him or her, but often this is overshadowed by numerous internal, external and some social factors. Throughout our life our sub conscious bombards our mind with life changing ideas, which are ignored as either being far fetched or just plain forgotten. There is no excuse for not trying enough. All the success stories we see around our lives are of those people who one day woke up to an idea or a concept and dedicated their lives to that concept, putting their whole belief and effort in it. Only thus their concept took shape.
There are many concepts on HOW TO these ideas. While Linda Goodman tells us - Image - Orient - Manifest, wherein she tells us to image in our mind about anything, and then work upon to achieve it and then in doing so it will manifest in front of you. The ancient Indian Vedas tell us that one needs three things to achieve anything namely- Ability - Capability - Will to do it. Finally it comes down to selecting a concept, then believing in it and once you start believing in it you will automatically work towards it. It is the selection and the belief which matters most. There may be many like me to help you to visualize it. However the belief part is for you to work upon and there no one will be able to help you, as someone has said " The Master is Ready When you are.

More on this if you want me to

Thanks

Arvin