10 Powerful Life Quotes from George Bernard Shaw
Life is Short…Live it Now!
I was lying in the hospital bed. I just heard the doctor whisper to my wife ‘In the next 24 to 36 hrs.…nothing can be done now. It’s over!’ I raised my eyes and saw the expressionless face of my wife and son. Gosh! I am to die in the next 24 to 36 hrs. Isn’t it too early for me? Why so soon? My God! So many things I have to do which are still incomplete or not touched at all. I need at least some more time…God, what are you doing to me? Why are you doing this? I was talking to myself with tears rolling down both my cheeks. I’ll be leaving this planet in the next few hours…will not be able to see my wife and son and my dear friends again…ah! It’s so painful! I felt sad, very sad. It was not the fear of death but the sadness that engulfed me because so many of my wishes were still unfulfilled. Suddenly, I hear a loud sound of the divine conch blowing in my ears. Oh God!, the Yamraj (the God of death as per Hindu mythology) has already arrived! Has he come too early? The doctor has given me 24 to 36 hrs…why has he come now? I hear the loud sound of the divine conch again in my ears and this time I get up on my bed. Sweating on my forehead I look around and see my wife sleeping peacefully next to me. I further look around and find out that I am in my bedroom. Oh, what a frightening dream! But it leads to a thought process in my mind…
These days it is raining heavily in Mumbai restricting people to venture out. Unless one has to go to the office or for other important work, people prefer to remain inside their cozy home just lazing around. As I sat at my study table looking outside the window, I could see rain showering down with full intensity. Mumbai has witnessed a good rainy season this year. Enjoying the rains from my room, I decide to get some hot coffee for myself. Once back at my table with the coffee mug, I pulled out my journal from the bookshelf. I keep this journal to record my thoughts and ideas and visit it periodically. Sipping my coffee I turn over the pages and see my long term life goals page. I see a lot of scribbles on this page where the goals had been modified, added and ticked off which were achieved. One thing appears very apparent on this page; my top two goals are still intact i.e. not achieved so far. These two were my biggest and all-time life goals set with high priority when I had jotted them down a long time ago. Years have passed but they still remain unachieved. I did achieve other goals to a great extent along with adding new ones but my top two goals remain intact. No action taken till now. Why? Because these two are my big life goals and I am just waiting to finish some of my other goals before I find the right time and other means to work on these two top goals. How foolish I have been! I should have been working on these two goals from the beginning which were my life goals so that by now a good amount of progress could have been made by me. But I was waiting all this while to finish some other things before I could start working on these goals. Did I waste my precious time? Is there enough time left to achieve these two goals which are my life goals?
Actually, these two un-complete ones are not goals; they are/were my dreams. These were the dreams that I had woven while growing up. And somehow they just remain a dream for me till now. Why? Because I have taken it for granted that I am here on this planet for eternity and will work on these later! How stupid!
Actually, we take it for granted that we have unlimited time at our disposal and we will take action on our dreams some fine day when the right time comes. That time will never arrive! And neither do we have unlimited time. Rather we have very limited time. In fact, we are not even sure how much time?! It can be just a tomorrow or maybe just the next moment! Who knows?
If you are still in slumber then please wake up! Get up and take stock of your goals and dreams. Block your time for the next two/five/ten years against all the unfinished tasks that you have listed as your life goals or dreams. Make them happen NOW. Don’t procrastinate. This is the time and the only time you have. If you don’t do it now you will never be able to do it again. Remember, time flies like an Arrow, you will never know when it flies away.
I have started work on my long time pending goals now and I am slowly inching towards achieving them. Yes, I have given myself a deadline too…
Life is like that. That one fine day never comes. One has to make it happen. Slow and steady progress need to be made each day so as to have the compounding effect later on. It’s like one cannot live unhappily day in and day out hoping that one fine day some magic will happen and then he or she will become happy. No, it will never happen that way. You have to work for it to make it happen. And I would suggest, please make it happen right now. As I said earlier, we all have limited time at our disposal.
Do you know what renowned author Paulo Coelho has said in this context? He quotes “One day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time left to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Do it now.” How true!
So, if you want to learn a musical instrument, get into any sports, learn singing, open a restaurant or a coffee shop, visit a particular place of interest, enroll in the course of your interest, write that long-pending novel or book …please do it NOW. Work hard and leave no stone unturned until you achieve your dream. And always remember, no defeat is final until you stop trying!
I have almost finished my coffee now. I look out of the window and see that the rains have stopped for time being. But still, it is wet and misty all around. I decide to go for a quick walk down the road and come back to work on my pending goals. Yes, I have limited time and I need to achieve my goals soon. You too work on your dreams and ensure that you achieve them sooner!
Cheers!
10 Effective Ways To Fight Hard Times
Life has its ups and downs. This is a fact. Each one of us has experienced this fact. Unforeseen developments both at work and at home can be devastating for anybody. Losing a parent or a dear one, losing a job, health problems,spouse issues, family issues, financial crunch …the list is endless. And If the time is too unkind then many of us may find us grappling with multiple of these issues at the same time. Hard times can hit us at any time…even at times when things seem to be going great for us. What to do! As I said earlier, Life has it’s ups and downs…!
During your hard times you might have to face insults and face humiliations. There would be a feeling of hopelessness, feeling of being extremely alone and being lonely. It’s a fact that during hard times, your friends and relatives, whom you trusted so much would suddenly distance themselves. Some of them would even take this opportunity to hit back at you knowingly that you are facing hard times.
Well, well…life is like that! You never know who would behave in what manner when you go through hard times. It’s better that you be prepared or at least prepare to face the hard times without getting too much affected. Also, you need to workout a plan to get out of the hard times at the earliest.
Now the question arises ‘How to deal with hard times?’…especially when you are almost down and out, emotionally drained, mentally disturbed and what not! Be calm and patient.There is only one way to deal with it- Fight it out! Yes, don’t just sit and bear the pain but be strong enough and fight with grit and determination. This is the time to re-shape your destiny. And remember one thing- it’s your battle and only you will be fighting it out, nobody else would do it for you.
And how should one fight the hard times? Not an easy job but believe me, very much doable. I list down some of the doable things that you need to incorporate in your day to day living. Be honest and sincere with these action points and I am sure you would see and feel the change yourself. So, with all calmness and attention, go through each point and see what action plan you can make for yourself. All the best!
1. Routine
This is the most important thing to remember when you are facing any kind of adversity. You need to have a fix and meaningful routine each day. Ensure that you are following this routine without fail and are not lost. Don’t just wander aimlessly. Don’t just waste your time. The point I am trying to make here is that you should be able to feel worthy of yourself. When we are engaged in physical and mental activities, we don’t waste time thinking too much about our problems. We become more constructive in our thoughts and seek solutions to our problems. Remember what our grandparents used to say- An empty mind is a devil’s workshop! So, follow a meaningful routine whether you are at work or at home.
2. Health
Try to maintain a good health. You might be having specific health issues but still ensure you are taking care of yourself. Healthy and timely eating habits pave way for a happy and healthy life in the long run. Don’t let your ‘mood’ decide your menu. And don’t skip meals. At the same time, ensure that you are engaged in some sort of physical activity in your daily routine. If nothing works out, just ensure to walk for at least twenty minutes. If you are restricted in your physical movements, ensure you do basic breathing exercise like Pranayaam. It will help you immensely in your overall well being- both physically and mentally.
3. Acquire Knowledge
Adversity or no adversity – never stop the learning process! This will help you to keep away the negative thoughts and will give you a sense of achievement. You can also enroll yourself in some course which you think would add value to you. It can be an online course or a classroom course. Also, do some reading every day. It helps. I have found some books very helpful to me and I can recommend few of them for you here:-
These books are Bible of our lives. They not only teach us how we can lead a purposeful life but also how to achieve our goals. Knowledge never goes waste. It will not only make you feel empowered.
4. Networking/Friends
Never try to avoid people during this phase i.e. when facing hard times. Whatever be your situation, maintain a positive stance and be bold enough to accept the situation. The more you try to avoid people, the more they will try to intrude in your life. You face them boldly and they will be on their own. Try to build a support group. Say, one or two persons with whom you can be comfortable. They can be among your close friends, colleagues or family members. I found great comfort in talking to my seniors and mentors.
Whenever you feel down, try to reach out to them and share a bit of what you are going through. Remember, no self-pity here. World does not like people who either complain or are in a self-pity mode. You are not seeking sympathy…you are seeking support to lighten your pain. Just a word of caution here- don’t narrate your sorrow to each and every person you meet in your network! So, the bottom line is – don’t avoid people and continue to maintain your friendly relations with your friends and colleagues.
5. Up-to-date with current affairs
Keep a tab on the current affairs. Be informed about what’s happening around you. Read Newspaper daily. You will come across many news items that might act as an opportunity for you. Being informed always helps. The world is a happening place with new opportunities coming up every day. You just need to be aware of such opportunities to grab your share of the pie.
6. Family
Family is important. Unfortunately, when people hit rough patch, the first thing they try to do is to make themselves aloof from their family. This is not correct. Seek support and make them understand. Tell them about your problem you are facing and share your plan of action. I am sure they would understand and help you to cope with the hard times.
But it might also be possible that you don’t get the required support from your family. What to do in such a scenario? Well, as I said earlier, reach out to your support groups. They can act as family members. The crux of the matter is- seek support and company. It will help you fight the hard times with greater power.
7. No Drugs/Alcohol
When one goes through hard times one may fall into the trap of getting into intoxication like using drugs and consuming alcohol. This would apply more to those who already are in the habit of taking alcohol within limits (consuming alcohol once or twice a week) either as a social drinker or as a regular drinker. Some of you might take to smoking as well. This is not right approach. These bad habits would further create problems and you will never be able to come out of your hard times. Never indulge in these habits. Be careful about your company. Seek medical help if required.
8. Self-Time/Meditation
Try to find some ‘me-time’ every day- any time when you could be just yourself. Close your eyes and do little talking with yourself. Be honest during this time. In your thoughts review your activities and your life style and see if any betterment can be achieved. Review your progress. Ask yourself ‘Am I doing all that is needed?’ ‘What more can I do?’
You can do it immediately after your bath or may be in the night time before retiring to bed. It’s totally up to you to find an appropriate time for yourself.
9. Pray
Nothing can replace a prayer coming straight from the heart! Believe me! Yes, one never knows the power of prayer. Make it simple, straight from the heart affair! Just bow down and surrender yourself completely to the almighty. No ego here. Howsoever difficult the hard times may be, howsoever difficult the struggle may be…always pray and thank God! Power of the universe is immense. And your prayer will never go waste! Believe me! Pray with all honesty and all heart! Not as a ritual or a routine. It’s your time with God! Make use of every second!
10. Good sleep
Have a sound sleep every day. Try to go to bed early. Have your meals in time. Six to seven hours sleep every day is essential. Never sleep during the day if you are at home. When you retire to bed, be calm and just blank your mind. Before doing that, have a quick stock taking about the next day’s plan and activities. Retire with a sense of gratitude to the almighty and fall asleep! Make sure you have sweet dreams!
Last word:-Never lose humour
One last word! …never lose your sense of humour! Incorporate humour in all walks of your life. You would see that life is not that tough! It’s just a matter of time when the bad times changing into good times again! Smile, humour, laughter etc. make hard times more bearable and less bitter. Is it that difficult to incorporate a little humour and occasional laughter in our lives? Bad times or no bad times….ensure you smile as much as you can and never miss an opportunity to have a hearty laughter! Remember the song’ Jindagi….hasne gaane ke liye hai pal do pal’ (‘Life is too short to laugh and sing for a moment or two…’)
Wishing you Great times ahead!
Cheers!