You Live only once, Live it Well!
Let there not be a single day in your life when there is a feeling of discontent or dissatisfaction. Look around you, you have all that you need, so why is it that you feel unhappy or discontent.

This life that God has given us, is given to us only once. The people in our lives, our family, friends and other acquaintances are only for a lifetime. Live life wholeheartedly, live it to the fullest, while life is still in your hands.

It is not that life is good or bad, it is our actions that make it so. Life does not burden anyone, it is most often the same for everybody.  It is us who take wrong steps in our life and burden our own life.

Don’t take life too seriously. Learn to live life lightheartedly, forgiving those who have hurt you, forgiving those who have not been kind to you, smiling at things that do not turn right for you, for they will turn right when the time is right!

Whatever you have now is a great gift of God, cherish it and live in harmony with people and things around you. You may not have too much material wealth, but you may be blessed with good physical health, cherish the good state of your physical well being. Similarly you may not be in the pink of health, however you may have good material wealth, cherish every small thing that you have. For whatever you have now, many people in the world cannot even dream of it for a lifetime!

Often we find ourselves drifting towards worries of our day to day life, thinking and worrying as to how tomorrow will be like. What we forget is that, while we are thinking about our tomorrow, we are currently losing our today, a bright today that is in our hands now.

We often worry about our studies, children, work, money, health and so on. However, we must remember that what has to happen will certainly happen and worrying is not going to help us in any way. Instead we must think of ways to change things, we must think of what best foundation we can lay, what best efforts we can put, to turn our grey days into golden days!

Let there not be a single day in your life, when you allow people and situations to have the privilege of hurting you. We all come across strange, selfish people and unexpected situations. Do not let these strange reasons push you into the world of unhappiness. Let it be a learning, that’s all!

Remember whatever is happening to you, is actually happening to many others too. Yes, you are not alone! You are not the only one in this world burdened with life’s troubles. If only, you interact with other people, you will realize that there are so many other problems in this wide world, and problems are just a part of life.

Live your troubles with a clear mind, live them with the confidence that you can actually change your life step by step, slowly and steadily. Things do not change for good in a moment, it is a slow process. For life is a learning process!

Everything happens for a reason. Whatever has come your way in life was meant for you and whatever has not yet fallen on your path of life, is just a delayed boon. If it is good for you, you will receive it eventually, but only when it is the right time!

Believe in the ways of life! Believe in the ways of God! For He is your creator and He will not let you fall apart, when you need him the most.
Remember, you have to make your own life! Nobody else will do it for you!

“Never be Sad, for Life is after all not so Bad”!

“Live your Life with Freshness, for Each Day is New!
  Live Life to the Fullest, for its Days are Few”!

Written By,
Tanuja Ummatt

A new beginning, a new year, a new day has begun. Welcome it with great happiness, gratitude & joy. This new day brings with it a treasure of happiness, bliss and opportunities. Be happy and be glad forget all your worries and don’t be sad.

Forget the old, make a new beginning. Start afresh and live your life enjoying the little joys of life. Each day brings with it, new possibilities and opportunities to make a new beginning. Yes, today is a bright new day, a bright new year right at your door step, invite it with new hopes, new dreams and new ways to make your dreams come true.

Be mentally strong. If your mind is strong, focused and calm, nothing can keep away from achieving your goals in life. Change your mind into a positive one by bringing in positive thoughts of universal well being.

Think of all possible positive ways to reach your goal. Find a purpose of your living. Material wealth is not everything in life. Your purpose in life could be to bring joy to the people around you, it could be something non-materialistic. Begin by doing something that gives you great joy each day.

Set aside some time for yourself. Some time to socialize, some time for devotion, some time for relaxation, meditation, and some time for learning.

Your day is in your hands, live it your way keeping your loved ones in mind.

Don’t get over worked. Relax. Write down a list of things that you have to complete. Prioritize. First you must plan your work and then you must work your plan. Today is a blessing. Live life lightly. Cherish every moment that is leading you closer to your dreams.

This day is in your hands, it is under your control. You can mould it the way you want to. The key words to remember for a good day are Be good, Be calm, Be organized, Be focused, Be positive and Be a go-getter.

Most often when you follow the above you will find that your day turns your way, very easily.

We cannot sit with folded hands, waiting for the day to change for good by itself. It is unto us to take efforts, to make our day worth living. Envying or thinking of others day is not going to make your day better in any way. You have to get down, thinking of ways to improve your own day. Think of solutions, think of new ideas to make this day and the days to come, Good days! Great days!

Don’t look back at life, Look forward! God has intended us to see forward. Our eyes are not placed behind. Think of New Possibilities and Probabilities. And make your day “worth living”.

It’s Your Day, Live it your Way! The Right Way!

For It’s A New Beginning, A New Year, A New Day!

Written By,
Tanuja Ummatt

Dogs are man’s best friend. Have you ever thought in-depth about this line?

Even though man has his own kind as his friends, dogs are considered a man’s best friend! This is true indeed, a dog is known for the unconditional love it showers on his master, the kind of love that cannot be expressed in words.

Animals possess a unique expression of love that humans do not possess. They have the power to express their love without speaking a word. Their eyes and their body language can speak volumes of love.

A dog has the unique ability to understand your emotions. Have you ever realised, when you are low or when you need someone by your side, it is your dog who senses your need and soothes you with it’s presence. It stays by your side giving you a support of someone being there for you. Yes, a dog can understand what you have not said, it has the unique power to read your emotions and behave accordingly.

How many of you have given it a thought, that it is your dog who is the first to instantly jump and greet you upon entering your homes. He runs to you, with glee filled eyes expressing to you that you were missed so much throughout the day. You may have scolded him in the morning, for messing up your room or you may forgotten to give him a meal but he never forgets to greet you. Yes, a dog can express so much, even without saying a word.

We have to learn to reciprocate the kind of love they shower on us. Animals are also Gods precious creations, and together we have to live in peace and harmony. We as humans, the supreme creation of God have a responsibility to provide these innocent friends with food, shelter, love and care. For most of the time all they need is to be treated with love and compassion, no harshness or abuse.

Do not abuse or beat an animal, for it is totally innocent. It does not possess your thinking capacity, it does not know what is right and what is wrong. When we humans fail in our responsibilities and make mistakes, then why not an innocent animal who has not been trained or taught how to behave.

Never let anybody abuse or ill-treat an animal. Stop them from doing so. Most people are either ignorant or innocent. Some feel these animals were meant to be controlled. The moment they see a dog they pick a stone to hit at it. This act of violence is intolerable and is a great sin. A dog is an innocent creature and does not harm you until you harm it. The dog has all the rights to live, as you do. The phrase “Live and Let Live” is what we must remember for these animals. After all they are innocent and speechless and often cannot protect themselves from malicious people. It is our duty as humans to prevent people from exploiting these innocent friends. Yes, It is our duty to spread love and awareness for these animals. If you get a chance to spare some time, you can watch a true life story portrayed in an English film by the name “Hachi”. It says it all.

Never show your power or control over a weaker creation. Do not impose your frustration and anger on these innocent animals. Look into their eyes for a moment and all you will find is love.

Learn to love animals, take out time to do something for them in your own way. God has gifted us human’s with the ability to do things for our loved ones, we should use this gift to help our friends – “Animals” live a better life too.

It is our duty to take care of our fellow creations. Every animal has it’s own subtle requirements, we should not deprive them of it. We must make sure every animal, is able to live it’s life without being hurt, with adequate food, shelter and most important without being ill-treated.

Nowadays some unexplained apartment rules hinders us from raising pets at home. But let this not be a reason to stop you from going forward and extending a helpful hand towards animals. A small gesture of feeding dogs on the streets with the left over food that you have each day in your home, will help them have a meal. A little effort from your side will certainly help fill an empty stomach. Experience the happiness in giving for “Giving is Divine”.

Think about celebrating your special days and occasions by donating at dog homes like Blue Cross to provide a meal for the dogs there. Bring home a dog, raise a pet. You will feel a strong feeling of contentment, for life is all about loving and giving. You will in turn, feel overwhelmed with the thankfulness the animal expresses, his eyes will thank you.  For all they need is to be treated fairly, to be treated with love, to be given their little space in this big wide world.

Help the Animals, Help them have a fine living!

Give and Feel the Happiness in Giving!

 Written by,
 Tanuja Ummatt

You may have made mistakes in your past but never regret! Good or bad it has happened, to all of us. Every act of our past is a learning, it is a lesson you will remember for the years to come.

Things that have happened in your past do not hold importance now. What is important now is that you have to make the right move in your present, for it is your present which is leading to the future.

On the path of life we all meet so many different people, some good and some not so good. We come across many situations of decision making, some rightly taken and some not rightly taken, some we cherish and some we regret.

Many a times upon thinking about our past events, we feel if given a chance we could do better, we could change pain into gain. But the fact is that, there is nothing we can do now, to bring back our past and there is no point in holding regret. Do not blame yourself for the unfortunate turn of events, remember that God had wanted you to be the stronger person that you are today. If things had not gone wrong, you would not have known what is good and what is bad for you. No matter what has happened, no matter how much bitterness past events have left in us, the fact is that we have indeed learnt from our experiences and the learning from those events have made us stronger individuals today.

Life is not a bed of roses, neither for you nor for me. Life is a journey full of ups and downs, every day brings with it new challenges. It is unto us, to take right decisions in our present and turn our future journey into a smooth one.

Forgive those who have hurt you, for if they would not have behaved the way they did, you would have never come to know their reality and how strong you really are to deal with problems.
 
We all have some regrets, if left unattended regrets can grow in your mind and in turn prohibit your future growth and progress.

When we regret, we are unhappy. This negative feeling of regret hinders the positive flow of thoughts in our mind. It holds our thoughts back in our past, where we don’t live anymore, for we live in the present.

Your past does not matter, what matters the most is your present and your future. You have a beautiful future in your hands, you have the present day-today to sow the right seeds for your future. We should remember our past only to make, wiser decisions in our future. Remember the lessons learnt from your past, and help them build a solid base for your future.

Remember life does not always give a second chance, so make the most of today!
Most of us wait and keep waiting for happiness to knock on our door, while we don’t realise, that happiness is already in there, all around us. Just need to wear those rose tinted glasses and the world would seem rosy. Yes, we need to Change our Outlook! 

We have to learn to live in the moment!

Never Regret for you cannot change your past but you can make your present beautiful, which will be your past, tomorrow!

Written By,

Tanuja Ummatt

In these days of fast life, life full of work and worries we hardly find time to Say Thank You!

Thanksgiving is as important as receiving. We are so busy in receiving favours that we even forget the thought of being thankful.

Gratitude or Thankfulness is something that can be cultivated in one self. You have to remember that you have come to this world with nothing and whatever you have now is because of somebody, somewhere in your life.

We were born with no values, with no friends, no wisdom and no material wealth, with nothing at all. All that we have gained throughout our lives is a courtesy of God, our family, friends & society.

Our family is the first gift of God to us, all through life’s ups and downs it is our family that gives us strength & support, it teaches us values, manners, discipline and in all, our family moulds us to be right human beings. Be thankful to your family, without which you would not be what you are today.

Every day in every way, the society too plays an important role in our lives. It shapes us and builds us to be stronger individuals each day. So be thankful!

Our teachers also play a vital role in our lives, from primary school till the end of life, it is the values, the knowledge given to us by them that stays with us for a lifetime.  It is our teachers who have taught us every good thing in life. Remember their undying spirit, their alertness, their attention to detail has all shaped us to be what we are today. Sometimes as children, we feel it is the duty of family, teachers and the society to behave in a particular way and be giving. However we must remember that we just cannot be receiving in life always, at some point we must acknowledge their selfless giving and be thankful. There is something good to learn from every individual we meet in our lifetime. Every individual has something we can gain from, we can learn from. Be thankful to everyone.

Be it a rich man from whom we can learn how to manage time effectively and make money out of time, or be it a poor man from whom we can learn how to manage ones livelihood out of the very little he has.

The people around you and your well-wishers have always taught you ways to lead your life and have made your life easier, just be thankful!

Just feel the gratitude towards people, be thankful to all relationships of your life, every relationship has taught you something special. You have gained so much, it is now time to give back.

Say Thank you, Give to the needy, Give whenever you can, Give wisdom, Give time, Give love, Give hope, Give happiness, Give gratitude!

It is these little things that make us different from other creations of God.

 Learn to Say “Thank You”!

Written By,

Tanuja Ummatt

Good Times are Ahead!

All these years of our lives, we may have come across many ups & downs, we may have seen the fierce reality of life, but now we should believe that “Good Times are Ahead”!

All your worries will soon fade away and will be a thing of the past. “Believe” that each day is leading you closer to Good Times of your life.

We all have our share of problems. Every person comes across troubles in his/her life. There is nobody free of worries & problems. It is nothing but a learning experience for us. Believe that someday your life will brighten up too and soon your life will be the way you wanted it to be.

God has his own way of making us strong. He makes us bring forth the hidden strength lying within us, by giving us challenging situations. If you are in a situation, where you feel that routine life is taking away your happiness, if you feel that you are doing everything possible, but every other day is just passing without any good or positive change. Re-affirm to yourself, that Good Times are indeed ahead and that Happiness is just around the corner!

Build a positive frame of mind, believe that whatever is happening now is happening for your highest good. Remember that God is indeed doing his best, to bring you out of troubles and that very soon, good times will roll into your life. God is giving you some time to re-invent yourself, to think, to analyze the reason behind every situation of your life. Make the most of this time, and think of ways to resolve the problems that you have. Think of each problem as a learning exercise! If there were no problems, you and I would not be what we are today.

Remember, those who believe in Good Times, often find them! It is our perspective to life that we must change, and life around us will change by itself.

“Happiness is just a frame of mind”. It is already in you, you just have to discover it and bring it out. A positive mind is always happy, because it is filled with optimism. A belief that someday there will be end to all troubles and that life will soon be smoother and happier.

Do not enlarge your life’s problems, stop thinking that others have a better life than yours. Believe firmly that you too, are God’s precious child, and that you too will soon get an equal share of happiness in your life. Someday you too will be happy and will indeed Rejoice life!

Don’t miss the beautiful moments of your life, thinking and worrying about what the future holds for you. Your future is what you make of your present. Make the best of your present and your future will, by itself be good.

Cheer up and cheer those around you, for life slips away so fast and we often get so entangled in our problems that we forget to enjoy each day. Each day is a gift of God, and it is up to us to value it and make the most of it.

Remember what you now have, many people in the world cannot even dream of it for a lifetime! Be Positive! Welcome Happiness!  Welcome Good Times! Welcome each day and prove it to yourself that yes, you are strong enough to deal with your problems, and that you can actually turn around your life and bring in good times for you and your loved ones!

Look up at life! Go with the Flow!
Trust in God and Believe in yourself!

 Yes! “Good Times are Indeed Ahead for You”

Written By,

Tanuja Ummatt

“First you Burn the Cigarette and then, You Burn Yourself”!  

As we all know, cigarette smoking is very injurious to health. However, cigarette smoking has become a fashion off late. When we are among our friends we feel a sense of fake pride or style in holding a cigarette and blowing away the smoke.

What we forget is that this act of style is actually leading our system to a state of irreparable loss. Cigarette smoking is more associated with spoiling one’s health, than an act of style or fashion.

Habits like smoking and drinking are considered unethical because of the adverse effect it has on our system and society.

Many people have reasons associated with their bad habits. Some people blame it on stress and some feel it is harmless. Many people claim that immense amount of stress forces them to indulge in such habits, they smoke or drink to combat a stressful situation.

Well, to elaborate on the stress factor. “Stress” is actually a part of day to day life of “Every” individual. Nowadays, the word “Stress” is overrated. We all know that stress has been a part of human life since time immemorial. It is just that now, we have found a definite word to express our state.

“Pressure to do a defined work in a defined time or mental worries of any sort is termed as stress”.

Stress is something we should learn not to “stress” upon!  Stress is just a momentary state of mind and it is unto us to deal with it, without the help of bad habits.

Most often these bad habits are just an excuse! In reality, we don’t realize that it is the bad habit that is actually causing stress to our body. We eventually become slaves of our bad habits and simply follow it, because we are not able to overcome it.

Remember, Cigarette Smoking and Drinking Liquor can be life threatening habits. These habits might seem very attractive in the beginning, however as time passes by, these habits engulf us in a way that we don’t see a way out of it, we get trapped in them.

When stress can be dealt with positive and good habits like Meditation and Yoga, which are extremely beneficial for our body and mind, then why switch to habits that are harmful to us?

Begin slowly by replacing moments of urge & anxiety with something good for you & for your loved ones. Spend time with people who encourage you to get rid of your bad habits. When you are in a gathering or all by yourself, feel pride in saying “No” to your bad habits.

“Be aware & Beware “of the harm your bad habits are doing to you! Build Self Confidence and Self Control! If only you make up your mind, you can actually get rid of these unhealthy habits. If only you decide to Say “No”, you can be an inspiration for your friends! You can actually feel a sense of pride when your peers will praise your self control. Remember nothing is impossible, if only you decide!

Avoid giving in to the unhealthy demands of your mind and body, Control Yourself, Control Your Desire!

Feel pride in Good habits! Remember somebody somewhere is watching you and learning from you!

Be good! Feel Good!

Say “No” to Bad Habits!

Written By,

Tanuja Ummatt

Children the Blooms in your life, Children the Sunshine of your life.

When a child is born we are full of happiness and joy. We are extremely thankful to God for the wonderful gift he has showered upon us. We are filled with love and care for our new born.

However, as the years pass by, we sometimes begin to feel a change in the situation. We begin to find faults with the child’s activities, behavior and so on. We begin to correct, rather than to connect with the child!

What we often forget is that our child is a reflection of ourselves. A child can give only, what he has received. Our child will do things just the way we have ingrained it in him or her.

Most parents are on the verge of a nervous wreck due to child problems. They have complaints that their children do not obey, their children do not concentrate on studies, and many more problems. However it is not strange to feel so, when the child troubles, the parents have no choice but to experience a nervous wreck.

What can we do in situations like these? Human mind is gifted with the power of Visualization. Use this power, Visualize!

Bring back to memory the day of birth of your child into this beautiful world. No matter how grown up your child is, bring back to memory that beautiful day!  The feeling of total joy when you first saw the tiny face of your child lying close to you. Recollect the first smile of your child, the beautiful eyes and the little fingers. Yes, your child belongs to you. You have brought him or her into this world.

This small visualization will help you overcome your anger and your mind will once again be filled with love for your child.

Remember, there is always an option, rather than to scold or suppress the child. Take a few minutes away from the child if needed. Calm yourself and think, he or she is nothing, but you!

Your child needs love and affection and needs to be guided by you. You are the role model for your child. You are the one who has to teach your child, life’s bitter and sweet lessons. Be thoughtful. Be considerate. Your child looks upon you, as how to behave in life’s situations.
 
You cannot stop a child, but yes you can prepare him or her. Prepare your child to make lesser mistakes in life, prepare your child to make wiser decisions in life, prepare your child to do the best in life. For no matter, where your child goes, which path your child takes, he or she will always be remembered as a part of you.

Love your child, Love your creation!

By Tanuja Ummatt

Marriages are made in heaven, which means God has indeed selected your life partner for you!

We often find couples incompatible with each other, blaming each other, sometimes blaming their families for the indifference in their relationship.  Some blame destiny for the failure of their relationship. However, the future of a relationship is purely based on two individuals, who should have the willingness to nurture the relationship and take it forward.

 A relationship is a delicate bond which needs undying affection, love, care, reassurance and trust. It takes years to build a strong relationship, however even a few minutes of misunderstanding, mistrust and lack of affection is enough to break the relationship.

Many of us take our relationship with our spouse for granted. As the years pass by, the sparks fade, we begin to feel unsympathetic or indifferent towards our spouse.

A Good relationship with a spouse is a very important one. Your future depends on this very relationship, your happiness too depends on it. You must remember that you are not single anymore, that now you have a life partner with you in every step you take in your life. Your dreams, your goals, your desires are now unified with the one’s of your spouse. You are now in Unison.
     
Remember that people no longer see you as an individual, at home or outside. Somewhere in you they trace your spouse, the kind of relationship that you share with your spouse surfaces in your thoughts, words and expressions intentionally or unintentionally.

The relationship between you and your better-half should be that of inspiration for others. If only you are willing to accept, you can find your soul-mate in your spouse.

Remember, there is no individual in this world, who is free of faults, so why target only your spouse. Be understanding and gentle in your approach towards the faults of your spouse. Don’t voice them or correct them in the presence of anybody else not even your children. Your children are the ones who are directly affected by the instability of your relationship. Instead resolve any ambiguity with your better-half only when you are alone.

Honest communication is most important in any relationship. Communicate with your spouse, express yourself and let your spouse express too. Do not draw conclusions on issues by yourself; rather believe that the opinion of your spouse matters. Discuss your day to day activities, give importance to each other, for you are in a partnership for a lifetime.

Put in your best efforts to take care of the needs of your spouse, as you do for your children. Yes, your spouse too, needs to be taken care of, loved and pampered.

Overcome small disagreements, don’t blow them out of proportion. Ignore them, reflect and accept your spouse as your best friend. We all forgive our dear friends for various things, so why not our spouse. Every relationship needs love, care, trust and attention the same goes with your spouse too. Like you, your spouse too has a few expectations from you, live up to them and make your relationship a loving relationship

Remember these key words, Love, Care, Appreciate, Encourage, Communicate, and Co-operate. When you follow this, you will find that your indifferent spouse is no longer indifferent, that you can actually bring back the happiness and contentment in your relationship.

Enjoy and cherish every moment you spend with your spouse and make each day a loving day, in your own sweet way. Believe firmly that God has indeed chosen the best possible match for you and together you have a united dream to achieve!

Don’t Give up, Give in!
Give in your best to make your relationship a successful one.

Unveil the hidden happiness in your relationship.

“A Happy Spouse is the secret behind A Happy House”!

By Tanuja Ummatt

If you are Old or if you are heading towards old age, feel happy, old age is indeed Gold Age! Now why do I say so, well, who can be wiser than an old person, who can be more experienced than an old person and who can be the best friend, philosopher and guide than an old person. Old age is actually a stage in our lives, when not only our hair turns golden our wisdom too turns golden.

Old age brings with it, Wisdom, Patience and Purity of mind and soul.

Do not fear old age; do not feel low that you are old. Remember that you have successfully completed the years of struggle of your life, and now, it is time to relax and unwind.

You have gained so much valuable knowledge and experience from all those beautiful years of your life and now, no matter if your body is fragile and slightly weak, your mind and your inner spirit is still strong and raring to share knowledge and experience with the younger generation. You have practical knowledge on almost every issue of life, which the youngsters are still musing upon.

Remember, when we begin to neglect ourselves, the society too begins to neglect us! You have actually stepped into the highest stage of life, the Golden age, where your thoughts have also turned golden. You are easily able to forgive others; you are calm, composed & sober in your outlook. Also you are an icon to most youngsters.

Just relax live life! Reap the benefits from the seeds you have sown all these years. Enjoy the time that you now have, for which you once longed for. Do the things you wanted to do all these years, travelling, bonding with family and friends, sharing love and time with your near and dear ones.

You are the Senior Citizen! You are Senior in every aspect of life, so why do you feel timid and weak like a junior.

Feel senior! Feel strong! Do the things the youngsters are still struggling to find time for.
Rejuvenate yourself, enjoy the golden years of your life, have no regrets, for we have to learn to live in the moment.

Enjoy your gold age!

By Tanuja Ummatt