AWAKENING

The longest journey begins with a single step.

Lao Tsu

A fighter called Siddharth

I accidentally bumped into article on Siddharth when I was doing some other search on google ( you could see the article is dated March 2005 ). For someone with cereberal palsy to be able to successfully complete a post-graduate degree and also find a decent job on is own, is stunning by all standards.
To perform upto and beyond one's capablity is excellence and Siddharth has achieved just that!

...the article

ha ha ha ...

ha ha ha ...

stand at ease...

Is there really a need to put everyone in the same mould?

There should be space for everyone to think on their own. Some familiar observations could be made. There are situations where one makes the effort to affect others to think like oneself. Then again there is this situation where we are influenced to think on somebody's patterns, only to realise a little later that we are not at home that way. It would be amazing talent if one is able to listen and observe one's situations, without at any point of time feeling inadequate. It would require appreciating somebody's talent or the lack of it, and still feel good about oneself , irrespective of that somebody. That is feeling good about oneself for what we are worth, but not in comparison to somebody else.

... a simple and beautiful life ...

"Leading a simple and beautiful life", and what would that mean? The best of the lives are lived by the unknown, in anonymity. I have come to believe that a life lived beautifully has a subtle and positive influence on many, even after the actual physical demise of the person. How then would we know a beautiful life? We do know that beauty is a relative term and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So by logic, there is no definite definition for beauty.

So is the purpose achieved if one is able to attract the appreciation of a number of people. There are two aspects here. One aspect would be feeling beautiful about one's life and the other aspect would be others perceiving that beauty. Obviously, there is no control over others perception, not that it should matter. Feeling beautiful about oneself is of great worth and the only thing that should matter.

The following blunt observations could be made. No two persons are capable the same way. No two persons can do the same thing the same way. There is no such thing as the perfect way to accomplish a given activity, as again perfection is a very relative term. A given situation is experienced differently at different points of time and under different circumstances, even by the same person.

The most intelligent way to exist then would be to do any given activity with involvement. Under the given circumstances, making the best choices, using the available resources, is what one could do. And does the last sentence sound like it has been picked out of a Management book?

Warren Edward Buffet

Warren Buffet is the second richest man in the world, next only to Bill Gates the founder of Microsoft. Buffet had amassed his enormous fortune by making intelligent investments. He is worth around 42 billion US$. Buffet is to give away 85% of his wealth in charity.Most of the money would be going to Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffet's donation is considered as the largest act of charitable giving in United States history.
( to know more ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett )

wanna have a cocktail of pesticides?

Think twice before you have a cola drink next time!!! The articles mention that Coke and Pepsi are a cocktail of 3-5 different pesticides. You could check the articles below:

http://www.bellevision.com/newshead.asp?nhid=3552
http://www.centralchronicle.com/20060803/0308001.htm

Excess consumption of carbonated drinks could lead to obesity.

Phosphoric acid is a common ingredient in cola drinks; it provides a taste that is both sweet and sour, but does not compete with other flavors. There is some variability in both the amount and composition of the acid in cola drinks. The composition is affected by the equilibrium
H3PO4 + OH- --> H2PO4- + H2O
( courtesy : www.chem.uidaho.edu/faculty/ifcheng/Chem%20253/labs/Experiment%2011.doc )

A study by the University of Maryland revealed that regular long-term use of these beverages may cause irreversible damage to dental enamel - the thin, outer layer that helps preserve the tooth's structure and prevent decay.
( courtesy : http://www.ynhh.org/healthlink/pediatrics/index.html )