Id Mubarak, Bhaijaan

Id originates from the Arabic root word "Aud" that denotes returning times and again.  Id is an Islamic festival that returns every year to spread peace, kindness, brotherhood and equality among people irrespective of castle, creed and religion.  Silence it is also observed as a festival of distributing charity, it's called Id-ul-Fitr.

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The word "firt" or "fitra" means a form of charity from the rich to the poor to help them celebrate Id with festive joy.  Id is not just about feasting on delicious food and wearing fancy clothes, it stands for promoting a humane and noble spirit in the society.
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Id-ul-Fitr signifies living with the true spirit of brotherhood and showing compassion for the poor.  It is actually meant to achieve the highest spiritual status through selfless services towards the less fortunate ones.  Islam is a social religion that seeks to establish a well-mannered society; therefore, it reiterates the importance of good manners through different ways.  Id is one such way to imbibe this basic Islamic value among people in a festive spirit.
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Characterising men of good manners, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:  "The best among you is Islam are those with the best manners, so long as they develop a sense of understanding".  To build an idea Muslim personality, one should be generous, compassionate, humble and sincere.
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The observance of Id, in its expanded sense, symbolizes the very; bright side of an Islamic personality.  These social virtues are reflected in the true Islamic manners being displayed on the day of Id in a way that pleases others and does not cause harm to anyone.  This is precisely why Islam has enjoined that, particularly on this day, Muslims share food with others, distribute fitrah (charity) to the poor, organise feasts and invite friends and neighbours.  Obviously, such noble activities help us strengthen bonds of love, mutual harmony, brotherhood and social integrity....  GHULAM RASOOL DEHLVI is a Delhi-based writer.
 

Good Sayings - 54

1061.  Who is cynic?  A man who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.  _Oscar Wilde

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1062.  In great straits and when hope is small, the boldest counsels are the safest.  _  Livy

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1063.  The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.  _  H.W. Beecher

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1064.  Death, like generation, is a secret of Nature.  _  Marcus Aurelius

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1065.  Youth is in danger until it learns to look upon debts as furies.  _  Bulwer-Lytton

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1066.  The worst deluded are the self-deluded.  _  C.N. Bovee

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1067.  Where there is great love, there are always miracles.

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1068.  A man will fight harder for his interests than his rights.  _ Napoleon Bonaparte

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1069.  Where the willingness is great, the difficulties cannot be great.  _ Niccolo Machiavelli 

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1070.  Take time to be sure, but be sure not to take too much time.

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1071.  The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that costs. _Mme. Du Deffand

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1072.  To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are !

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1073.  A noble deed is a step toward God. _ J.G. Holland

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1074.  A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.  _ Henry Ford

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1075.  To yield to the stronger is valour's second prize.  _Martial

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1076.  To sensible men, every day is a day of reckoning. _ John W. Gardner

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1077.  By the street of By-and-By, one arrives at the house of Never.  _ Cervantes

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1078.  People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do. _ Lewis Cass

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1079.  Your obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.  _ Richard Bach

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1080.  We should aim rather at levelling down our desires than levelling up our means. _ Aristotle

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Good Sayings - 53

1041.  The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out.  _ Macaulay.

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1042.  The world will never disarm until disambitioned.

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1043.  Every man is an omnibus in which his ancestors ride. _ O.W. Holmes

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1044.  What we earnestly aspire to be, that is some sense we are.  _ Anna Jameson

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1045.  It is safer to hear and take counsel than give it.

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1046.  Stability itself is nothing else than a more sluggish motion. _ Montaigne.

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1047.  All things are admired either because they are new or because they are great.  _ Bacon.

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1048.  We ask advice, but we mean approbation. _ C.C. Colton

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1049.  Anger wishes all mankind had only one neck; love, that is had only one heart.  _ J.P. Richter

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1050.  Anger makes a rich man hated, and a poor man scorned.

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1051.  Truth, goodness and beauty are but different faces of the same all.  _  Emerson

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1051.  Begging a courtesy is selling liberty.

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1052.  Principles have no real force except when one is well fed.  _  Mark Twain

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1053.  It is an error to suppose that courage means courage in everything. _ Aeschylus

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1054.  If the heart be right, it matters not which way the head lies.  _Sir Walter Raleigh

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1055.  A man's own good breeding is the best security against other people's ill manners.  _ Chesterfield

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1056.  A civil denial is better than a rude grant.

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1057.  Cowards do not count in battle; they are there, but not in it.  _Euripides

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1058.  We easily forget crimes that are known only to ourselves. _ La Rochefoucauld

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1059.  Silence is sometimes the severest criticism.  _  Charles Buxton

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1060.  Curiosity is little more than another name for hope.  _ A.W. & J.C. Hare

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Renew Yourself...

"MIND IS GOOD SERVANT, BUT BAD MASTER", said Anandmurti Gurumaa in a Satsang.
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 Our mind is where our thoughts emanate from.  So mind is the master.  The great Rishis of yore had analysed and concluded that change for the better can be brought about only by a change of the mood of the mind.  If that is changed, then changes in one's lifestyle, attitude to things, behaviour and quality of thoughts also follow suit.  This change has to be brought about at three levels - the quality of thoughts, the quantity of thoughts and the direction of thoughts.  After all, the mind is but a flow of thoughts.  Once the thoughts change, we can confidently say that the mind has changed.  When the mind is changed, we are changed.  When we change, everything about us becomes new.  We don't have to wait for the first of January.  The day we change, it is new beginning for us.  We are the masters of our life.

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In the same way, we must learn that Time as such is ever pure, ever new, never old.  Now-a-days, the trend is to say, 'I don't know what kind of a time this is, a very sad time.  Everywhere around the world there are wars, destruction..."  If we examine this carefully, we realise that we, the humans who have committed these atrocities.  Who is to blame?  Is it Time?  Has time killed anybody?  Time never did it.  It is 'We', the people on Earth, prompted by our false values of hatred, jealousy, greed, passions and lust, act in the world.  The quality of these very actions is our contributions to Time making of marring it.

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What we need is courage to change and renew ourselves.  If the courage to change is absent, no progress is possible.  What is wanted is a renewal of attitude.  This can be attained through devotion to the Lord, which can bring a sea change in one's thoughts.  When we are in a good company of quiet and serene-minded people, our thoughts can seldom go astray.  We don't even indulge in vices, entertain mean thoughts.  When each individual changes thus, the world outside is also effective changed.

 

Life in 3

Fear Of Results Stems From Fear Of Failure

VARMA's

Are out-of-the-box promotions and innovative marketing for a film as important as a good story?
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These days, they are more important than a good story - at least in the context of box office success.  You get to know a good story only after you get into the theatre, and a publicity campaign is intended to pull you into the theater.  You can afford to make a bad film - but you can't afford a bad publicity campaign.

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Expectations are relationship killers.

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Relationships are expectation raisers, so we get f***ed both ways.

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What kind of a woman would you want to marry? 

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One with a butt like JLo, a face like Sridevi, a mind like Ayn Rand, and who loves all my films including Aag.

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Behind that invincible wall of yours, is there vulnerability?

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Vulnerability comes from a fear of losing.  Fear of losing comes from your perception of values.  Perception of values come from a lack of understanding and lack of understanding comes from lack of decision-making.  And lack of decision-making comes from a fear of the result.  Fear of results comes from a desperation for success.  Desperation for success comes from fear of failure.  So as long as you don't value success, you won't fear failure and you will become invincible.

WARNING :  Those who don't understand the above analysis should read it multiple times and if they don't understand it even then, they can consider themselves morons.  The smarter lot should not even try to understand it and take it for granted that a smart guy like me would anyway say only smart things thereby proving that all you smart guys are actually even bigger morons....

Recharge and Regain Lost Youth

"I get upset by rash and rebellious teenagers.  Why can't they behave properly?"__ Harish, 52 Years...

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The "rash" teenage mind appears naturally rebellious to you, friend.  In face it isn't rebellious at all.  I would prefer to say that your mind has been tamed and tethered.  It's your mind that won't stray from its confines.  It's your mind that gets upset when someone does not conform to the behaviour patterns that you have succumbed to.  

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Truly the teenage mind is free from the bondage.  It hasn't yet yet surrendered to fate, to society, to lethargy.  It's still alive and kicking.  Its very nature is to experiment, and when it looks at something, it sees it as you would have seen it when you were a teen yourself - as something fresh and new.  Alas, your memories of your youth seem to have faded, and you might not recall those heady days anymore.  As we grow older, our minds get more and more brittle - unless we step in and consciously, deliberately make it flexible once more.

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Youth has exuberance but no experience.  Old age has experience but no exuberance.  If you can recharge your lost energy and enthusiasm you will enjoy the best of both worlds.  You will never again complain about rash teenagers because you will be a bit "rash" yourself, and be busy enjoying every minutes of it.

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The whole problem comes when we think that we have become too old.  When we lock ourselves with notions of "proper behaviour".  Get rid of the notion of "proper behaviour".

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 Become ageless - which means gain the ability to be any age you want to be.  Come on, it's not too difficult.  At 52 your mind must be urging you to do so many things.  Lose weight, do Yoga, become flexible, walk, run, get a fit body, whatever.  Just do what your mind is asking you to do.  Spend a minute each day remembering your teenage days.  These simple things will surely make you youthful once again.

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The worst thing a man in his fifties can do is to criticise youth for their behavior.  The only cure for that is to become young yourself.  Sure, other oldies will add your name in their list of complaints; but that's their problem isn't it?

******* ________  Mani Shankar, The Author, a director, helps the youth strike a balance in their relationships

Our Country Needs Its Youth To Have A Mind

Q. I am going through a very painful situation currently.  I love a girl and we were together for two years.  But she left me for another guy.  I am heartbroken.  Now, I want to die.  She is my first love and I can't imagine living without her:  What can I do Sir?  Please help me....

A.  I understand and respect your feelings.  I agree that it can be painful, but I also want you to make the right choices.  I'm happy that you wrote to me.  My dear, in life, many a times, things do not work out.  It has happened to me.  It has happened to everyone.  There are times when someone may find comfort with someone else and it could have been you.  I agree you will feel low and bad and unhappy, but you are young and there is a lot more you can do.  I also want you to acknowledge and respect her decision and let her go.  You have your parents, your friends.  You need to work hard, earn money, change your mindset.  Our country needs its youth to have a mind, to be decision makers, to be progressive, happy, respectful and these things in the process are only going to benefit you.  Feel bad about it but don't let it be the only thing you do.  Time heals and it goes for all.  Being strong, doing the right thing is important.

Q.  I am 20 years old.  I am in a relationship with a guy who is from different caste.  Our families will not accept our relationship.  We are aware that we cannot marry, still we talk for long hours.  We can't even elope and get married because for my partner his parents come first.  I cry every time I think about the time I think about the time we are going to break up.

A.  Well, I'm sorry about your dilemma and I'm sorry that you feel low.  Relationships can be the best thing, that happen to us.  However, it's important to ask yourself questions that set your priorities right.  In this world full of insecurity and complexities, both of you can make things easier by just asking your parents and explaining to them how you feel.  If you think that they are not going to agree anyway and he does want to respect his parent's wishes, the right thing and healthy thing to do would be to change your equation - be friends.  It will be tough.  However, when one gets married it's important to have a healthy equation even with your own family.  We bring children into the world and have an added responsibility to give them warmth, love, security and make good human being out of them.  So when you think of being married and making a family, if you understand the dynamics of being healthy emotionally and secure in the choices you make, you will make it easier on children.

              Seeing the current scenario, I can't help but realise that healthy relationships, happiness, security and love is what we need to give our children and teach them to be good human beings....  ANUPAM KHER, The renowned action....

How To Tackle The Green - Eyed Monster _ MANI SHANKAR

I am all J over the way my ex-GF is making out with another guy and burning up with rage for weeks.  Can't think of anything else.  Help._ A teenager.

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I am going to make a scalpel out of my pen and harsh as it may seem, do a surgical incision.  J kills.  Yup.  But you know that already and you seem to want exactly that - to be drowned in such stupor that you begin to die slowly inside.  You get so obsessed that you secretly want all vestiges of compassion and camaraderie to get snuffed out of existence.  As emotions go jealously is among the more jealous of emotions.  It leaves no room for any other mood to exist.  Sure it satisfies you in certain obscure ways, just as a cigarette satisfies the smoker - in some obscure way.

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Ask a smoker exactly what pleasure he derives and he will be at a loss to explain - same with jealousy.  You can't explain why at every moment your mind drifts towards morbid fantasies but you sure do get a grim satisfaction from the addiction.  Make no mistake, once it takes it grip like a python coiling around a rat - it suffocates the life breath of goodness and smothers you to a horrible heart-death.  You become a shell of a person with no warmth, no humour, no happiness left.  Are you sure you want to get cured?  Had enough?

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Then stop feeling so self-important, stop feeling you are the centre of the universe around whom everyone should revolve.  Change the fulcrum of your existence.  Rise into a protecting nurturing wisdom.  Grant people the right to love others, to make love to others.  Grant people the right to see through you, to get fed up with you, to walk out on you.  Truly nobody is your own in this world.  Wow.  That was very harsh, yes, and I need to say it again with a smile.  Nobody is your own in this world.  Just because society said the two of you are a couple doesn't take away from the other the right to think otherwise.  Your real option is to free the other and set yourself free in the process.

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You have arrived at a crossroad and two paths lie before you.  The first is the smooth well traveled highway of jealous burning.  If you don't take the harder road of forgiveness now, someday when the juices run dry and you shrivel up inside into a brittle twig of your former self, the truth will hit you in the face.  You will understand that it was far better to have become humble, accepted your insignificance and walker away a free person than to have burnt into black toast with the raging fires of envy.

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The smart guy knows when to fume and rage and when to shrug and walk away.  The intelligent guy knows when to let pride flow into him and when to let pride flow away from him.  This soft skill of handling jealously is critical and life saving, friend.  Learn it well and live to love another day.

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"MANISHANKAR, THE AUTHOR, A DIRECTOR, HELPS THE YOUTH STRIKE A BALANCE IN THEIR RELATION SHIPS................"