Serenity Prayer

The prayer has been adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous, original written by Reinhold Niebuhr(1892-1971) but over the years it has been understood that anybody can recite this prayer because it gives you the strength of not being a prey to temptation, but standing out glorious.

This prayer can also be very helpful to people who are fighting various kinds of addiciton. One should be God fearing,pray to Him at all times and not only in times of trouble.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.

Amen.

Niece & Nephew

Besides the fact that children are a gift from God and are angels in our life, I believe children also help you relive your childhood.

I have 4 beautiful, smart, intelligent niece and 6 handsome, naughty, clever nephews. I don’t see them that often but when we are together, they are so much fun to be with. I would do absolutely anything for those kids and I know they adore me as well.

Singing, watching cartoon (especially tom & jerry), drawing, eating ice-cream, jokes, storytelling; it all takes me back to our childhood days, my brother’s and mine.

Ria Pereira aka chuppu, my 7 year old niece – a book lover. While she was leaving after a wonderful vacation from Mumbai, I gave her a book, as a souvenir. On the second page of that book, I wished her good luck and wrote “May all your dreams come true, Love N”…………reading this she said indignantly, “…… that means my bad and scary dreams will also come true.”

2 years old Rishon Dsouza aka munna – my cutest nephew with a beautiful smile, speaks such good Konkani (our native language / mother tongue) that he puts me to shame!

They all are spectacular, unique and loveable in their own way. My love for them is immense, I can spend all my time loving them, spoiling them and treating them like the prince or princess, he or she is.

Message to all my darlings

Just want to tell you
What joy it is to have you for my niece and nephew,
how much beauty you bring to the world,
and how much you mean to me !

Love, N.

Best things in life are free !!!

We reside in a time where everything is based on give and take or profit and loss. We always want something in return to a favour or sacrifice, always looking at our benefit.

Have we ever given selflessly? Have we ever loved selflessly? Have you ever felt a sense of accomplishment when you do something for the other without emphasizing it? To the extent even, when we love someone, we except the other person must love us and love us more than we do.

An American proverb quotes "Best things in life are free". I don't know how many people believe in this, but I do. Here are the few best things in our life that are indeed free, but seldom have we appreciated.

God
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us – quoted by St. Augustine

Mother’s Love
Mother’s love is instinctual, unconditional, and forever. She is one woman you will never turn her back on you.

Friendship
As the famous saying goes, “A friend walks in when everyone else walks out”, how true to words.

A walk on the beach
Walking barefoot through the sand and the sound of the waves splashing, complete the feeling of relaxation and bliss.

Holding a new born baby
It is so overwhelming to hold a new born baby, holding a new life in your arms. You can never trade that moment to the riches of the world.

Shooting stars
An extraordinary sight to see a shooting star, it feels unreal, yet so true and magical. Little things like this are unexpected, but worth the world.

Love, N.

Happy or Unhappy – You choose?

Dissatisfied, faultfinding, insensitive, self-centered, unappreciative, selfish, disagreeable, distasteful, miserable, not worth it, ungrateful, unrewarding – these are traits of unhappy people.

Unhappy people are usually unhappy because they have not mastered the ability to be happy within themselves. Unhappy and bitter people have made an addiction for themselves - they have a compulsion to wallow in their misery.

These people will always point out at others mistakes, as it is easier to see other people's faults than our own. Yes you do have your unhappy emotions, but you also have the happier ones. If you see the sun set you also see it rise.

Unhappy people should find ways to be happy and reduce their anguish. Happiness is not hard to attain, it’s just a feeling / emotion, which arises by our attitude or reaction in a give situation. You always have a choice, to be happy or unhappy - it’s nothing but your freewill.

Scientifically speaking, happiness is a basic sense of satisfaction with yourself and your environment and if you aren’t then your nothing but “unhappy”.

Happiness is a personal responsibility, why should someone else’s act make to happy or unhappy? If you want to be grateful, passionate, enrich the value of life, be confident, creativity, positive, have integrity, be focused & patient and appreciate the gift of life, then it’s time to realize that all the above are the ingredients of happy and content people.

Happiness can also be attained by building up your spiritual connection with God. God gives us everything we need to sustain ourselves with. If you have made room in your heart for His wisdom, knowledge and love, then you will find happiness within.

Happiness is within you and everywhere around you – its wait for you to look at it and cherish feeling!

Love, N.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui is the art of placing tangible things in appropriate place to help the flow of energy, it also helps in heighten positive energies and minimize the negative ones. Feng Shui literally means 'wind and water'.

When your surroundings are aligned with your true self, you'll have more energy and be in a better frame of mind to find your true purpose in life. I have noticed that little changes can leave a big impact - nothing fancy or expensive - sometimes merely moving a lamp or the fish tank can help. Here are 10 pointers that are easy to implement and experimented with.

Keep plants - Enliven your home energy-giving plants. But make sure they are healthy and not drooping or dead. It takes away the negativity from the house and leaves a feel of freshness.

Wind chimes - Wind chimes are a popular Feng Shui tool, used for purification, protection and to enhance a room's energy. Adding a cheerful sounding metal bell or windchimes to the space also activates the chi with lively sound.

Clear the clutter - Clean the drawers, unwanted or unused stuff like old magazines, mail, clothes, shoes, stuff collections.

Have limited furniture and fixtures – Only retain the furniture you use. Limited fixtures will increase the flow of energy and have a positive effect.

Keeping the house clean – A clean house will always bring more fortune and happiness. The place you dwell in should always be kept clean and neat for you stay positive and healthy.

Fragrance – Make sure your house always smells good. You have the feel of a home with the first smell you sense when you open the main door.

Closet - Keep all the bedroom doors, closet doors, bathroom doors closed at night, as it helps you to have a healthy relationship as well as helps strengthen your health

Clean your kitchen – That is a place from where your health begins, it is known as the “heart of the home”. To make sure you are health at all times, you have to keep you kitchen clean, neat and cluster free. Don’t stuff eateries or unwanted utensils in the fridge or closet respectively.

Adjust Lighting Levels – Adjust the light levels in your house with the help of a dimmer. This is very important, as light is one of the most powerful manifestations of energy. Your mood mostly rely’s on the kind of lights you use.

Keep Your Bedroom Clutter Free – The bedroom is a place for resting and sleeping. Always keep it clean clutter free, do not have clothes or other things scattered around. Every object or thing has its place, so keep it where it’s meant to be. Have your couple pictures in your bedroom, its pleasant to see your sweethearts’ pic when you wake up.

Love, N.