Following are few random thoughts to be edited later.

Few days back I thought over this topic when asked by a friend and did a study on various reports by leading news agencies. I felt it’s quite a social issue which further provoked me think and write more on this to generate awareness among people.
Let’s have a look at few excerpts from news articles first as follows.

” In India, the culture of promising freebies in election manifesto has been spreading extensively. The ethicality and legality of such promises has been the subject of debate for a while now. This issue was brought to the forefront when the issue was tackled by the Supreme Court.”

In the above case, the Court delved into the legality of promising freebies in election manifestos. The Court opined that freebies shook the ‘root of free and fair elections to a large degree.’ However, the distribution of colour TVs, laptops, mixer-grinders etc. by the government in accordance with the laws currently prevalent in the country cannot be ruled as being against ‘public purpose’. The Supreme Court ruled that promises made in an election manifesto cannot be construed as a ‘corrupt practice’ under section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. And since no legislation governs election manifestos, it directed the EC to frame appropriate guidelines.

Distribution of freebies in any form is not prohibited by any law in force in India. The Courts have already held that handing out of freebies is not a corrupt practice. In fact, since the goal of our constitution-makers was to build a welfare state, it is the responsibility of political parties to further that cause. Generally, political parties, especially the national parties, release their election manifestos before the Election Commission announces the date of elections. The Election Commission’s guidelines kick in only after the dates have been announced, and in this instance the Election Commission will have no authority to monitor the promises made in the Election Manifesto.

When political parties promise certain freebies, the intention is not for these promises to act as bribes or as a means of exercising undue influence on voters. It is just a statement to the people highlighting how if brought to power, that party will serve its voters. Thus, framing of manifestos is the right of political parties, and must not be interfered with. ”

How do you feel after reading the above? Let me write here what I feel as I understand the mindset of our people.

In reality and my view it’s an utter corrupt practice considering the level of mass education in India and the standard of living where a large part of the population still struggling to earn daily bread and butter.
Anything coming free is like God gift for them and they can go to any extent to get that which really doesn’t come from their hard earning effort. This really don’t improve their standard of living or earning capacity in long run. Rather they suffer out of it.
Promising freebies before or after elections must be prohibited under law strictly.  We must educate people help themselves and not to find ways to gets things free.
It’s really ridiculous how the apex court feels about the rights of political parties what they do in election propaganda. Promising to distribute freebies is indirectly influencing the common mass to buy votes. It’s well understood though they don’t say that.

Rather they should make promise for social development projects on a time bound manner which is quite acceptable and not freebies.
An example of promise could be we will construct foot over bridge or road within a year after we come to power. We are looking for employment opportunities and few eligible people in your area may get good work in those projects.

An example of promise could be we will construct foot over bridge or road within a year after we come to power. We are looking for employment opportunities and few eligible people in your area may get good work in those projects.

These kind of step will develop more credibility among people and it’s motivational too for them. They will start looking at their inner capability and view things differently.

Distribution of colour TVs and mobiles for free will make them corrupt for sure as it strikes hard the mindset of people getting things for free that never changes.

We all have the responsibility to play our role in nation building activities. We can’t do well unless we  I are well informed and do critical analysis of all coming  our way. It’s time to educate ourselves and act against all such false promises. Let’s reject all that comes free…

Thinking…

“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”

~Mother Teresa

Everything has a home; a place and a purpose. This life is no different. We all have a personal legend to fulfill, and a home.

Love is no different either.

This is the truth that pervades all existence. It lives within the innermost spaces of our hearts and envelopes all of creation. It inspires courage, art, and passion. It causes war, and brings forth peace. It moves through and around us; a force that speaks gently and boldly, eloquent and firm, forever reminding us of its presence, forever allowing us to see our souls.

But where does it live? Where does it emanate from? What causes it to exist?

The truth is so simple, yet so often misunderstood and even more forgotten.

in this simplicity, I recall with such clarity most of my childhood. These times I believe I learned the most valuable lessons all through simplicity, through the smallest gestures and the purest stories. One particular truth I learned came in the form of a cartoon.

My younger brother’s favorite cartoon was The Care Bears. Though today he may not admit it, this is simply a fact. The story was simple. Bears lived in the clouds.. and they were created to care, to spread love. In the event that something dramatic happened, that some form of evil would threaten, they would band together and “Care Stare, ” and love in its various forms would emanate forth from their chests.

They would defeat anything by projecting love forth from their being, their essence, their reason for being.

This is life’s most simple lesson, yet its most forgotten one.

Love lives within and without. It was never born and it never will perish. It always was and always will be. It is timeless, perfect and pure. It is the engine of all that exists, and you must only feel its presence to know its power.

We can defeat anything with love. We can become anything, do anything, be anything all with love. It is where we live, and it lives among us all the while.

Life is but an echo, a ripple in the water that never stops expanding. What we do in this life, what we think, how we perceive this world will only come back to us they way we project it out. It is causal, becoming always what we choose in the moment.

We all live with love. It is our companion from birth, and will lie down with us when we pass on, comforting our journey beyond this world.

Love is simplicity. It is the lesson we must all learn and the answer we all seek

Go forth and feel love, be love. Hold onto it when it touches you, and spread it forth to all who may cross your path. This is why we are here.

In the end, love is all that really matters.

Simple, I know.

Source: Where Love Lives

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” 
― Søren Kierkegaard

Tis the season for reversal, for appearing to move in a backward motion. These times come as reminders of our past and of our true desires, and most importantly, of who we really are. These are the moments where the past and unsaid words are given a voice, a time to reflect upon and the insight needed is gained to stand firm, or to move on.

Often these moments come into our lives where we must go slightly backward in order to advance forward.

I’ve recently read several articles regarding the multiple retrograde motions of several key planets. As Venus has been retrograde since the beginning of March, many things regarding relationships have come about, many feelings have shifted into the nostalgic memories that we all hold dear, and during this time we’ve been given a chance to reflect on both feeling and intention.

Now we come to the dreaded Mercury retrograde, just days before Venus is to turn direct once again. This is where we can expect upheaval, chaotic shifts and communication breakdowns. All of this comes at the arrival of the first full moon of spring, the pink moon as some call it.

Now whether anyone believes in moons and goochers is their own business. But, if anything, I like to believe it is all relative to the movements of nature, to natural rhythm and in accord with universal shifting. We are affected just as much as we affect it. Simply put.

But in life we must recognize these shifting patterns. We must become aware of the need to reverse in order to go forward. As paradoxical and illogical as it may sound, it is a truth that most do not accept.

We must love fully in order to let go. In holding our tightest, it is easiest to let go and move on just as moving in retrograde brings light to the way we must continue along our chosen course.

The need to backtrack, pause and reflect is part of our natural motion. It is how we learn from experience, how we grow in spirit and how we place our foot onto the next stone along our path.

These are the motions of our lives.

Last night I watched a movie titled, A Monster Calls. This film illustrates completely that in life we must take care to see how broken things are truly mended, how healing begins with admitting the truth and how knowing yourself is the only way to begin living.

Sometimes, we must go backward to uncover these answers.

Not everything is as it appears. And sometimes, by doing the one thing that seems counterproductive we’re actually going forward and doing the only thing that will get us there.

We should all take time to move in the rhythm of our own guidance, step into our intuition and allow the wheel to move in whatever motion feels right. Whether this be backward or forward, we will always advance.

Nothing is perfectly linear, and not everything makes sense at first glance.

Besides…

Even a monster can take the form of a healing tree.

Source: Retrograde

We all make mistakes no matter if we’re ten or sixty years old. Mistakes are an essential part of what makes us who we are. Mistakes are a crucial step in learning, improving and evolving to the person you want to become. Although it doesn’t make it any easier admitting you’ve made a mistake.

One of the first steps to learning from a mistake is to admit that in fact a mistake or error has been made. Though simple it can be difficult to implement, because it is easy to start blaming others to distance ourselves from potential repercussions.

However, if we are able to be honest with ourselves and say “I’ve made a mistake and I’m responsible for my actions” provides us a great opportunity to avoid the same mistake again. Thus, showing a level of maturity and wisdom that many people struggle with their entire lives.

The kind of mistakes we make define what type of life we have. If we take on more risk and are considered more of a risk-taker were likely to make some mistakes along the way. Rather than if the biggest mistakes we ever make are missing our favorite TV show or buying the wrong size shirt at the mall. However, in many cases making some mistakes are sometimes the best thing that can happen to us. There are always powerful lessons to be learned from mishaps that are vital to our ability to become who we are meant to be. Here are 5 powerful lessons that can be learned through failures, mistakes and mishaps.

1. Mistakes teach us to take responsibility – Often times our instinctive reaction to a mistake is to either shift the blame elsewhere or beat ourselves up inside. We say things like “It’s not my fault, “I don’t see how this has anything to do with me” or “I’m so stupid why do I always do this.” Taking responsibility for a failure may not be fun, but the act of doing so points out what we can do differently next time. Examining our role reminds us that our decisions and actions have a huge consequence on the quality of our lives.

2. Mistakes teach us about integrity – Majority of the time mishaps happen when we break promises, over-commit, agree to avoid conflict or fail to listen fully. Big mistakes usually start as small errors, but over time they start to affect us on a larger scale. Therefore, it is important we pay attention to the integrity of the choices we make every day. Mistakes can be a signal that our words and actions are out of alignment.

3. Mistakes teach us to engage in our lives — Once we realize that we aren’t defined by our mistakes. We will be willing to learn from them and not be fearful of making the “dreaded mistake.” Often times when we become fearful of making mistakes we won’t take any risks or chances, because we’re so afraid to make a mistake. As a wise woman once told me “Your history does not have to predict your future… it’s not about the mistake you made yesterday, but what you’ve learned today.” I remember once I watched a documentary on a man some would consider to be successful. He worked a full-time job for forty years, made a decent living and lived in a middle-class home. Many people would consider him the American dream. However, when interviewed on his death bed he was asked do you have regrets? He said “I wish I had taken more risk and made more mistakes… I never really took a chance on anything and many people would look at my life and say I was successful, but in actuality I was miserable… I had chances to take risk but was too afraid to actually do it.” Understanding that without risk there is sometimes no reward.

4. Mistakes allow us to inspire others – Although mistakes can seem like a waste of time and effort. Often times our mistakes can be used to not only teach but inspire others. I can remember countless number of times when people would tell me stories about their past mistakes and it has helped me to avoid some of those same pitfalls. Therefore, sharing our failure and mistakes can be a true help to others.

5. Mistakes don’t make us a failure –There are many negative connotations of mistakes in our society providing us with mix-signals about mistakes. Some say mistakes are a great learning opportunity while others deem it to be an undesirable and one of the most awful things that could ever happen. Mistakes are a part of life with them we wouldn’t have as much admiration for success. Mistakes provides us with a blue-print of what to do and not to do to reach said success.

 Final Thoughts

In the end mistakes are a part of being human appreciate mistakes for what they are. Learn, grow and become a better you. Allow yourself room to grow into the person you are destined to be and reach the predestined greatness that is already set for your life.

Source: 5 Powerful Lessons We Can Learn From Mistakes