Dec 30, 2008
Quote
--Buddha
A journey through thoughts from 2004 to 2025
Taleban militants in the Swat valley in north-west Pakistan have threatened to kill girls who attend school.
...Why are there so few female Einsteins? Many people share a belief that while women can do science, there are far fewer women than men at the very top of the science hierarchy because women just aren't as innately good at science as men. Others feel this view is wrong but cannot easily put their finger on why.
They should be able to now. There are few women at the top of science because there are so few women in science. It's simple statistics.
you can no longer cite the greater number of men among the most successful people as evidence of innate differences until the effects of participation rates have been allowed for," says Bilalic.In short, it's hardly surprising that there are so few women Einsteins when there are so few male ones – and so many more men are trying.
The Vedas posit that man has a choice of two paths in this world: Sreyas (preferable) also called Nivrtti, and the other Preyas (delectable) which is also known as Pravrtti. Sreyas is said to be preferable because the end (Self-knowledge) that is sought is permanent and hence there is no return to the world of bondage. The Vedas prescribe Preyas as a legitimate pursuit for fulfilling desires pertaining to both the world and the heaven through the performance of various sacrifices (Karma) with Dharma as the guiding principle in their advocacy. The fruits of Karma can be enjoyed relatively quickly but they are not long-lasting because they remain only till the merit is exhausted.
- Author Unknown
Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary
Because it means you've made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles and they
can become your blessings.
~ Author Unknown ~
I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colors, addition tables and simple nursery rhymes, but that didn't bother you, because you didn't know what you didn't know and you didn't care. When all you knew was to be happy because you didn't know all the things that should make you worried and upset. I want to think that the world is fair. That everyone in it is honest and good. I want to believe that anything is possible.
Somewhere in my youth...I matured and I learned too much. I learned of nuclear weapons, war, prejudice, starvation and abused children. I learned of lies, unhappy marriages, suffering, illness, pain and death. I learned of a world where men left their families to go and fight for our country, and returned only to end up living on the streets...begging for their next meal. I learned of a world where children knew how to kill...and did!!
What happened to the time when we thought that everyone would live forever, because we didn't grasp the concept of death? When we thought the worst thing in the world was if someone took the jump rope from you or picked you last for kickball? I want to be oblivious to the complexity of life and be overly excited by little things once again. I want to return to the days when reading was fun and music was clean. When television was used to report the news or for family entertainment and not to promote sex, violence and deceit. I remember being naive and thinking that everyone was happy because I was. I would walk on the beach and only think of the sand between my toes and the prettiest seashell I could find. I would spend my afternoons climbing trees and riding my bike. I didn't worry about time, bills or where I was going to find the money to fix my car. I used to wonder what I was going to do or be when I grew up, not worry about what I'll do if this doesn't work out.
I want to live simple again. I don't want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness and loss of loved ones. I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, the imagination, mankind and making angels in the snow.
I want to be six again.
1. Everybody Doesn’t Have to Love Me
Not everybody has to love me or even like me. I don’t necessarily like everybody I know, so why should everybody like me? I enjoy being liked and being loved, but if somebody doesn’t like me, I will still be okay and still feel like I am an okay person. I cannot make somebody like me, any more than someone can get me to like them. I don’t need approval all the time. If someone does not approve of me, I will still be okay.
2. It Is Okay to Make Mistakes
Making mistakes is something we all do, and I am still a fine and worthwhile person when I make them. There is no reason for me to get upset when I make a mistake. I am trying, and if I make a mistake, I am going to continue trying. I can handle making a mistake. It is okay for others to make mistakes, too. I will accept mistakes in myself and also mistakes that others make.
3. Other People Are Okay and I Am Okay
People who do things I don’t like are not necessarily bad people. They should not necessarily be punished just because I don‘t like what they do or did. There is no reason why other people should be the way I want them to be, and there is no reason why I should be the way somebody else wants me to be. People will be whatever they want to be, and I will be whatever I want to be. I cannot control other people or change them. They are who they are; we all deserve basic respect.
4. I Don’t Have to Control Things
I will survive if things are different than what I want them to be. I can accept things the way they are, accept people the way they are, and accept myself the way I am. There is no reason to get upset if I can’t change things to fit my idea of how they ought to be. There is no reason why I should have to like everything. Even if I don’t like it, I can live with it.
5. I Am Responsible for My Day
I am responsible for how I feel and what I do. Nobody can make me feel anything. If I have a rotten day, I am the one who allowed it to be that way. If I have a great day, I am the one who deserves credit for being positive. It is not the responsibility of other people to change so that I can feel better. I am the one who is in charge of my life.
6. I Can Handle It When Things Go Wrong
I don’t need to watch out for things to go wrong. Things usually go just fine, and when they don’t, I can handle it. I don’t have to waste my energy worrying. The sky won’t fall in; things will be okay.
7. It Is Important to Try
I can. Even though I may be faced with difficult tasks, it is better to try than to avoid them. Avoiding a task does not give me any opportunities for success or joy, but trying does. Things worth having are worth the effort. I might not be able to do everything, but I can do something.
8. I Am Capable
I don’t need someone else to take care of my problems. I am capable. I can take care of myself. I can make decisions for myself. I can think for myself. I don’t have to depend on somebody else to take care of me.
9. I Can Change
I don’t have to be a certain way because of what has happened in the past. Every day is a new day. It’s silly to think I can’t help being the way I am. Of course I can. I can change.
10. Other People Are Capable
I can’t solve other people’s problems for them. I don’t have to take on other people’s problems as if they were my own. I don’t need to change other people or fix up their lives. They are capable and can take care of themselves, and can solve their own problems. I can care and be of some help, but I can’t do everything for them.
11. I Can Be Flexible
There is more than one way to do something. More than one person has had good ideas that will work. There is no one and only “best” way. Everybody has ideas that are worthwhile. Some may make more sense to me than others, but everyone’s ideas are worthwhile, and everyone has something worthwhile to contribute.
SONG: “I’m Alright” – Kenny Loggins