The Link between friends and obesity

So you think it's the cookies, chips and bread that make you fat?
Well, maybe. But in a major study, UCSD and Harvard researchers point a finger at an unlikely culprit: the subtle – perhaps even subconscious – influence of spouses, family members and, most important, close friends.

If those people become overweight or obese, you'll be more likely to think that such a body shape and the lifestyle behaviors contributing to it are OK. The result: You are more likely to gain pounds within a couple of years.
In other words, obesity might spread through “person to person” social interactions, much like the influenza virus spreads through the air.
Likewise, the reverse is true: If your family and trusted friends become thin, you are more likely to lose weight as well.

To Read More, Click Here and Here

Harry Potter & Syra

A friend was inquiring from me, that being a harry potter fan howcome I have no post relating to Harry Potter on my blog, so here is one.

My Harry Potter Series Collection

I made this a few years back :) ,


I took this test, see my results...yay :)

Which Harry Potter Character Are You?
	You are part Harry. You're a loyal and courageous friend. You'd do anything to protect the people you love, especially if it'll get you a break from class for a little while.
	You are part Dumbledore. You're the wise sage in any group. With your guidance, any situation can be resolved in the fairest way possible.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

See, I am such a huge Harry Potter fan that J.K.Rowling particularly mentioned me in her last book :p

It's Called Mindset

As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not.
I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.
"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free."
I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

Source: Saira-A told me abt it, Sahar emailed me abt it, National Geographic showed a programme on it too.

If you want to make a new beginning in life—look ahead to the end. Then decide what to do

THE BEST COACHING YOU WILL EVER GET

Imagine yourself at 95, knowing what was important and what wasn't. Take that knowledge to heart now, both for your career and for your personal life

By Marshall GoldSmith

You are now about to receive the best coaching advice that you will ever get in this—or perhaps any other—lifetime! You are about to receive advice from a very wise old person. Listen very carefully to what this wise old person says. First, take a deep breath. Take a deeper breath. Now, imagine that you are 95 years old and you are just about to die. Here comes your last breath. But before you take your last breath, you are being given a wonderful, beautiful gift: the ability to travel back in time and talk with the person who is reading this column. The 95-year-old you has been given the chance to help the you of today to have a great career and, much more important, to have a great life

To Read On, Click Here

Quotes on Trust

A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.The father was scared so he asked his little daughter: "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river" The little girl said: "No, Dad. You hold my hand."

"What's the difference?" Asked the puzzled father.

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl.

"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."

In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours.
Source--read it somewhere

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved"

George MacDonald

"Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement" Alfred Adler

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none"

William Shakespeare

"In God we trust, all others we virus scan"

Anonymous

"Trust enables you to put your deepest feelings and fears in the palm of your partner's hand, knowing they will be handled with care."
-Carl S. Avery

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much"

Mother Teresa

Quotes on Broken Trust

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine for believing every word u said"

Anonymous

"Cuts, scars, bruises, lies and fake laughs. Fake smiles, constant cries and a horrifying past. Promises broken, lost loves.. and the “trust me” that didn’t last."

Anonymous

"It takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it"

Anonymous

"Trust is like a mirror,once its broken you can never look at it the same again"
Anonymous

The Ghost in the T.V

See the television above in the picture,it gave me the scare of my life more than a year ago!

As most of you already know, last year I made the much hyped short trip to Dubai on my own to give the Microsoft interview.

So after a long tiring yet immensely exciting first day in dubai I finally headed towards my room. Out of excitement I already had little sleep the previous night but I was pumped up with some sort of super energy. I had been out wandering in the huge extravagant shopping malls in dubai city that day, I had also visited the dubai creek and yatching club, more commonly known as The Marina.

So I came back to my hotel room, offered the Isha prayer, arranged for a iron and iron stand, ironed my clothes, watched a bit of t.v, subscribed to the hotel's wake up call and eventually dove into the bed for a nap.But I just couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about my eventful day,and about the interview I was going to give in a few hours, and was looking forward to the coming up adventures the next day;a visit to the beach, arabian hotels and burj arab and much more were all lined up.

Lost in all sort of fun thoughts I slipped into a sleep, but then woke up pretty soon because the room had become too cold, thand lug rahee thee mujhay.I looked around for the temperature control gadget,it was attached to the wall,I spent a few minutes figuring out how to use it and finally got the hang of it and set the room temperature to a suitable figure. I went to bed again.It was nice, cosy and completely silent.I was just about to dose off into a sleep again but TRING TRING the phone started ringing.It was one of my uncles checking on how I was doing.So I comforted him that I am doing great, not scared and not feeling lonely at all.So now was my third attempt to find some sleep. It was nice and cosy and completely silent once again for some while kay ik dum LOUD SOUNDS OF TWO PEOPLE TALKING IN MY ROOM ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD woke me up.I jurked and literally could feel my heart thumping.As a reflex action my hands lit the lamp up and my eyes widely opened, and infront of me I saw the television switched on.I kept staring at the screen for a minute or two realizing what had happened, giggled on my own and then I seeked the remote and switched it off,checked the lock of my room and kept thinking how the television turn on automatically.how how how??? I still don't know..maybe some sort of timer was set or the electricity peaked or something.Only God knows, par mujhay tau dara diya tha.

To See Pics from my Dubai Trip Click Here

The tale of the tail

It's midnight
Silence Prevails
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Everybody in the house is sound asleep
Shhhhhhhhhhhhh
Darkness everywhere
---------------------------
All of a sudden a light is lit up!!!!
Saira wakes up
She had skipped dinner and thus is hungry
She wears her carpet shoes so that no sound of footsteps is made
Slowly Slowly she steps down the stairs into the dining room towards the fridge
She opens the fridge door
aaaaaaah...she sees the beautiful sight of a large creamy piece of cheese cake
She grabs a plate and takes a slice
She moves into the kitchen
While she is there she makes a point not to disturb the pin drop silence by the clattering of the plates, pots and glasses
She makes coffee flavoured milk for herself
She picks the plate carrying the cheese and cake in one hand, and the milk in another and eagerly heads towards her room where she can finally rest and eat.
She has almost reached her room
Darkness all around
-------------------------
Silence Prevails
shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..................
and all of a sudden a shrieky painful ever loud MeeeEEEoooooWWWWWWWWW
more like MeeeeeeeeeeeeYaaaaaaaaOWWWWWWwwwWWWWW
Shinto (the pet cat) was sound asleep and Saira had stepped on his tail
The glass of milk goes flying in the air
The cheese cake is down on the floor
The glass breaks
the milk is spilled
the plate is rattling on the floor
Shinto is scared to death
more over Saira's heart is in her mouth
All lights lit up
every member of the household is up
Roshee hee roshnee everywhere
Shor Sharaba aisa waisa :)
All efforts not to wake anyone up go down the drain
Saira looks towards shinto
He is feasting on the cheese cake

Sana,Sidra,Saira and The Veezo Crisps

I was walking by a grocery store and saw VEEEEZOOOOO CRISPS on the snacks stand and instantly it reminded me of my college buddies namely Sidra and Sana :). The three of us used to feast on them in the cafetaria after crazy hours of programming.It's funny how such associations build up.Carrying the flashback in my mind I rushed into the shop and got myself a packet of veezo's and like old times stuggled to open it, believe me, opening the veezo packet is the hardest thing to do!! Anyhow, after several attempts I finally managed to open it,(Sana would open it for me in uni) got hold of a chilled sprite and happily munched them.The munches would have been tastier had the twosome been along my side.Just for the record I prefer lays to veezo's :p and pringles to lays.

Happy Birthday to my baby brother

In the pic-->Shaz the cutie;

The story, (back in the 80's) --> The little darling went to the bathroom, managed to pick up the chothu sa orange tub in which mama used to give him a bath, dragged it along till the toy cupboard, sat in it and gave him self a toy shower :) , mom got the camera and said 'shahrukkkkkkkkh' and he posed with a smile.....cheeeeeeeseeeeee.... with his two bugs bunny teeth showing :)

On his birthday, lets pray for his well being, health,righteousness and prosperity.

Is Celebrating birthdays permitted in Islam?, to find out click Here

Amazing Creativity

Imitate the Balloon for a Successful Business and Life

At first a balloon is flat. You could have it in your pocket or in the middle of a book and nobody has any idea of what you are keeping. Sometimes you could hold it in your hands without anybody noticing what you have.

But the moment you blow air into it steadily, it becomes impossible for you to put it in the middle of your book like you did earlier! Once you start blowing the balloon, you cannot fold it in your hands as you did before! Everybody around you begins to notice the balloon. They begin to pay attention to its colors and its size.

This is how the life of a man is supposed to be. When you have an idea, it may first be in your book or on a sheet of paper in your hands and isn't seen by anybody. But when you start to blow creativity into your idea, people begin see it. It also becomes impossible for you, the visionary, to hide the idea.

The idea attracts attention itself. Just like all the balloon needs to start receiving attention is consistent air, all your idea needs is consistent creativity blown into it.

Air sustains the balloon as long as there is no place for air to escape. Your business also thrives as long as creativity is not allowed to escape.

The balloon traps air inside to be able to exhibit its real size and at the same time it takes advantage of the air to move up. The breeze does not often favor the balloon but the balloon still takes advantage of the breeze to dance in the air. You and I know so well that the balloon might be fully blown but it does not move if there is no breeze to carry it.

You do not have to start with money. Start with what's on your mind.

There are people who have ideas and are waiting for money to start. What amazes me is that there are people who have money and are waiting for ideas so that they can invest their money! If money really gets things started, the people who have money would not look for ideas.

You may also be interested in the fact that the balloon lasts longer because of its flexibility. When it hits anything, its direction changes. When you hit a hard rock, while sailing through life, don't stay put. Don't say it's the end of the road. There's a long way to travel beyond the rock.

When the balloon is pressed, it bends and flips because of pressure. Learn to endure. Use pressure to bend and flip to the next level.

The route a balloon or your life takes isn't going to be straight. Like an alphabet written on a straight line, you have to go zigzag before picking the letters that form success. I know you can be a success!

Written By Fola Daniel-CEO of Edible Pen

Dua--Seeking Allah’s Protection

It is reported that Talq b. Habib said, “A man came to Abu Darda and said to him, ‘O Abu Darda, your house has burned.’ He said: ‘No, it cannot be burned. Allah will never allow this to happen because of the words that I heard from the Prophet, peace be upon him. Whoever says these words in the beginning of a day, the Prophet, peace be upon him, told us, will not be afflicted by a misfortune until the end of the day, and whoever says these words in the evening will not be afflicted until morning. These words are,

“O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You, I put my trust in You, You are the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Whatever Allah wills will happen and what He does not will, cannot happen. There is no power or strength except with Allah, the Exalted, the Mighty. I know that Allah has power over all things, and Allah comprehends all things in knowledge. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the evil of myself and from the evil of all creatures under Your control. Surely the straight way is my Sustainer’s way“.”‘

In some versions of this hadith we further find that he said, “Come, let us go. So he went with them to his house. They found all the area surrounding the house burned but his house was not damaged.”

Why should the wedding ring be worn on the fourth finger?

There is a beautiful and convincing explanation given by the Chinese Legend.

Thumb represents your Parents;

Second (Index) finger represents your Siblings;

Middle finger represents your-Self;

Fourth (Ring) finger represents your Life Partner;

& the Last (Little) finger represents your children.

Firstly, open your palms (face to face), bend the middle fingers and hold them together - back to back

Secondly, open and hold the remaining three fingers and the thumb - tip to tip (As shown in the figure below):

Now, try to separate your thumbs (representing the parents), they will open, because your parents are not destined to live with you lifelong, and have to leave you sooner or later.
Please join your thumbs as before and separate your Index fingers (representing siblings), they will also open, because your brothers and sisters will have their own families and will have to lead their own separate lives.
Now join the Index fingers and separate your Little fingers (representing your children), they will open too, because the children also will get married and settle down on their own some day.
Finally, join your Little fingers, and try to separate your Ring fingers (representing your spouse).
You will be surprised to see that you just CANNOT, because Husband & Wife have to remain together all their lives - through thick and thin!!

Quote--On Positivity

“People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
… Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
… Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
… Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
… Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
… Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
… Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
… Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
… Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.”
Mother Theresa.

Why we dream & discussing dreams with others

WHY WE DREAM

There are few things we do with such regularity and intensity as sleep and dream.We spend
almost one third of our lives sleeping and we dream on average for a total of 2 hrs or so, every night.Yet precisely why we dream is still uncertain.Many theories have been put forward: for the scientist, dreams are a product of certain kind of sleep and a way for the brain to process important data; for they mystic, they are an opportunity for the soul to leave the body and experience other dimensions; while for the psychologist they represent the workings of the unconscious mind.

Sleep Patterns: Through a night of around seven to eight hours of undisturbed sleep, we
experience two alternating types of sleep

1) Orthodox or slow-wave deep sleep,

2) Paradoxical or light sleep.

Orthodoxical sleep lasts for 90 minutes, and is followed by a shorter period of paradoxical sleep.Paradoxical sleep is marked by rapid eye movement and it is during this type of sleep that we dream. Laboratory testing has shown that if you deprive people of REM sleep, the subject becomes unwell very fast. Within a few days, unpleasant symptoms such as depression, anxiety, nausea, irritability and general disorientaion are experienced. Irrespective of whether or not we remember them, it seems our dreams play an important part in health and wellbeing. It has even been suggested that we sleep in order to dream.

A little death: Dreams are also linked with our spiritual growth. Sleep is regarded as an intermediate stage between life and death. Every night we experience a "little death" as we fall into unconsciousness, and dreams regarded as gateways into altered states of mind.Learning how to navigate the world of dreams becomes an important preparation for when the soul will eventually leave the body permanently at death.

The language of dreams: The dream world is not something that exists outside of ourselves
but reside deep within. During the day, the conscious mind is in control and we negotiate the everyday world through reason and logic.At night,the unconscious mind takes over and enters the dream world using visual imagery, symbols and metaphors.To understand our dreams we need to listen with the heart rather than the head, developing our intuition while temporarily suspending judgement ad disbelief.

Apart from dreams being a creation of our mind, dreams can be from

-Allah (good visions)

-Satan (evil dreams)

DISCUSSING DREAMS WITH OTHERS

Discussing dreams is from the Sunna of the Prophet (Peace and blessing of Allah be upon him). There are a number of sound narrations where the Prophet (sa) would ask his companions (May
Allah be pleased with them), after the Fajir prayer, if they had any dreams. In another narration the Prophet (sa) equated the righteous dream with a part of Prophet-Hood itself.

However, there are a few points that should be noted:
1. There is an agreement amongst the scholars that dreams cannot be used as proof regarding
Islamic Law.

2. The interpretation of dreams and the like is not something that is learned, but is a gift from Allah (The Most High) given to some of His servants.

3. Good dreams should be shared with one's close and sincere friends. It is recommended that dreams should be shared with one's Sheikh or Imam only for the following reasons:
a) You will avoid the jealousy and animosity of others.

b) You will avoid the danger of showing off and falling into showing off.

4. If one has a frightening dream, he should spit on is left side and not inform others of it. This is based on the statement of the Prophet (sa) related by Al-Bukhari:
"The good visions are from Allah and the evil dreams are from Satan. If one sees a dream which one does not like, one should spit on one's left side and seek the refuge of Allah from Satan; it will not do any harm, and one should not disclose it to anyone, and if one sees a good vision one should feel pleased but should not disclose it to anyone but whom one loves."

Source

-Sunnipath

-The dictionary of dreams and thier meanings by Richard Craze

Music without lyrics

Last evening I attended a jazz concert for the first time ever! It turned out to be a fabolous experience. The music was a blend of sounds of flute, tabla, drums, guitar and piano.The instruments followed the same composition and tone.It was sweet, melodic and entertaining but to me it felt incomplete.

Something was missing.

..............................................

..............................................

WORDS!

I am a savage and I do not understand any other way

My dad got me this remarkable piece of writing:

1n 1834, the “Great White Chief” in Washington made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a “Reservation” for the Indian people. Chief Seattle’s reply, has been described as the most beautiful and profound statement on the environment ever made. Extracts are reproduced exclusively for you.

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air, and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every humming insect, is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony and man-all belong to the same family. I am a savage and I do not understand any other way.

Our ways are different from your ways. The sight of your cities pains the eyes of the red man. There is no quiet place in the white man’s cities. No place to hear the unfurling of leaves in the spring, or the rustle of an insect’s wings. The clatter only seems to insult the ears. But perhaps it is because I am a savage and I do not understand any other way.

I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage and I do not understand how the smoking iron horse can be more important than the buffalo that we kill only to stay alive. What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. I am a savage and I do not understand any other way.

And what is there to life if a man cannot hear the lonely cry of the whippoorwill or the arguments of the frogs around a pond at night; or the soft sound of the wind darting over the face of a pond, and the smell of the wind itself, cleansed by the midday rain, or scented with the pinon pine .I am a red man and do not understand.

This shining water that moves in the rivers and streams is not just water but the blood of our ancestors. Every ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes, tells of events and memories in the life my people. The water’s murmur is the voice of my father’s father. The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath-the beast, the tree, the man, they share the same breath. The air is precious to us, the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh.

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the earth is rich with the life of our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. If men spit on the ground, they spit upon themselves.

So when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us…for this land is sacred to us.

This we know: The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. This we know: All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. Even the white man, cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see.

One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover-our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land; but you cannot, because He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for the red man and the white. The earth is precious to Him, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator. The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner that all other tribes. Contaminate your bed, and your will one night suffocate in your own waster. I am a savage and I do not understand any other way.

Why does beauty lie in the eye of the beholder

A friend of mine e-mailed me yesterday asking my opinion on beauty. She wrote "How come everyone's definition of beauty is different? How come someone I find beautiful doesn't appear so to another individual and vice versa? I can understand that having an appreciation for things is something that cultivates as a result of our surroundings,we tend to like stuff that someone we hold in high opnion likes and so that's how we set certain criteria for judging what's good and what's bad but I don't think that's the way things work for judging the beauty of a person I'm talking about physical beauty here good looks that is"

This got me thinking on the subject. God has made everybody unique. We differ in style, habits, likes and dislikes. Even siblings growing up in a similar enviroment differ in nature. So I would say that an individuals sense of beauty comes from within.It depicts our nature and characteristic which distinguishes us from each other.How we see/perceive things is perhaps a cummulative result of our personality and experiences.

So I write this post in an attempt to gather as many thoughts on the subject. Lets hear everybodys comments.

Shoaib Mansoor on the inspiration behind Khuda Kay Liye

Click on the image above to read the article

for more info on the film click Here

Dreams, Dreams, Dreams - An introduction

Since childhood I have been fascinated by the whole concept of dreams and it continues to be a topic of immense interest for me. People close to me are perhaps of the view I am paranoid and take my dreams too seriously.I guess all of us have our own obsessions and I have all the reasons to be obsessed.

So with the passage of time InshahAllah i'll share my findings on different aspects of dreams.The sources of my finding includes:

-Sunnipath;

-The dictionary of dreams and their meanings by Richard Craze ;

-Dreams and Interpretations by Allamah Muhammad Biin Sireen(R.A);

Introduction

In practically every age and culture, dreams have fascinated and puzzled us and we have searched for countless ways to understand their significance and to interpret their meanings. There is a famous story told by the philosopher Chuang-tzu(399-295BC). While sleeping he had a dream in which he dreamt he was a butterfly.He could fly and land on flowers, drawing up nectar and feeling the warmth of the sun on his wings.The dream was so vivid that when he woke he couldn't decide who he was: was he a man dreaming he was a butterfly, or could he be a butterfly dreaming he was a man?

When we sleep we drift into another dimension, a dimension that is not bound by space or time.In this magical land the impossible becomes possible, and the nonsensical appears perfectly plausible.This is the land of dreams, a mysterious shape-shifting world where boundaries dissolve and merge, so that when we wake it can take a moment to distinguish between what is a dream and what is not.

Dreams are from the inner world, having their own internal logic and subjective meaning amd are as valid in their own way as what is happening in the world "out there".

A Prayer to deal with worries about the future

I am extremely fond of the latter part of the prayer.

One of the most effective ways of dealing with worries about the future is to recite this du’a which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite:

“Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa ‘ismatu amri, wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fiha ma’aashi, wa aslih li aakhirati allati ilayha ma’aadi, waj’al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayr, wa’l-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr "

(O Allah, correct my religious commitment which is the foundation of my life, and correct my worldly affairs in which is my livelihood, and grant me good in the Hereafter to which is my return. Make my life a means of accumulating good, and make death a respite for me from all evil).” (Narrated by Muslim, 2720).

And he said, “Allaahumma rahmataka arju fa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, laa ilaaha illa anta"

(O Allah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not abandon me to myself even for a moment. And correct all my affairs. There is no god but You). (Narrated by Abu Dawood)

If a person utters these du’as, which ask that his spiritual and worldly affairs may be set right or corrected, with proper presence of mind and sincerity of intention, whilst striving to achieve that, Allah will grant him what he has prayed for, hoped for and striven for, and He will turn his worry into joy and happiness.

Cricket Explained

Back in high school days (2001),being captain of the cricket team I was awarded a poster on my team's victory. This is what it said:

CRICKET EXPLAINED

You have two sides one out in the field and one in .

Each man that's in the side that's in goes out and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in until he's out .

When they are all out the side that's out comes in and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out .

Sometimes you get men still in and not out .

When both sides have been in and out including the not outs , THAT'S THE END OF THE GAME !

HOWZAT !!!!!

Ye Mamla koi Aur Hai - Najam Sheraz

Jisay dhonta hai yahan wahan
dil main tere majood hai
Jisay mil gaya aik bar woh
usi dil main asar-e-sajood hai

Point to Ponder

For every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows.They don't get press.They don't draw crowds.And a revival can begin with just one sermon.

We'd do well to keep our eyes open.Tomorrow's leader might be mowing your lawn,and the hero who inspires him might be in your mirror.

Max Lucado

When God Whispers Your Name

Work Smart, Not Hard

My brother tells me, that in an exam some students were caught cheating.The professor who spotted the cheaters was extremley dissapointed and lectured them on honesty.He strictly penalized the culprits and exclaimed "I hope you all have learnt a lesson". One naughty student playfully said "Sir jee,mainay yeh seekha kay nakal kay liyay akal chahiyee hotee hai":p:p.

The professor and the entire class giggled at this and the tension dissolved.
This reminded me of one of my university professors. He used to say over and over again; In order to succeed, "WORK SMART, NOT HARD". Obviously he didn't imply to unfair practices, rather tactful use of the head.

"WORK SMART, NOT HARD"-Prof Ahsan Abdullah

The heart decides, and what it decides is all the really matters

"........Rarely do we realize that we are in the midst of the extraordinary.Miracles occur all around us, signs from God show us the way, angels plead to be heard, but we pay little attention to them because we have been taught that we must follow certain formulas and rules if we want to find God. We do not recognize that God is wherever we allow Him/Her to enter.

Traditional religous practices are important:they allow us to share with others the communal experience of adoration and prayer.But we must never forget that spiritual experience is above all a practical experience of love. And with love, there are no rules.Some may try to control their emotions and develop strategies for their behavior;others may turn to reading books of advice from "experts" on relationships--but this is all folly. The heart decides, and what it decides is all the really matters.All of us have had this experience.At some point, we have each other said through our tears,"I'm suffering for a love that's not worth it".We suffer because we feel we are giving more that we receive.We suffer because our love is going unrecognized.We suffer because we are unable to impose our own rules.But ultimately there is no good reason for our suffering, for in every love lies the seed of our growth.The more we love, the closer we come to spiritual experience.Those who are truly enlightened, those whose souls are illuminated by love, have been able to overcome all of the inhibitions and preconceptions of their era.They have been able to sing, to laugh, and to pray out loud;they have danced and shared what Saint Paul called "the madness of saintliness" They have been joyful--because those who love conquer the world and have no fear of loss.True love is an act of total surrender.

........Sooner or later, we have to overcome our fears, because the spiritual path can only be travelled through the daily experience of love.

........To love is to be in communication with the other and to discover in that other the spark of God"

Paulo Coelho

Author's Note;By the River Piedra I sat down and wept

Baywatch action in Isb club

Normally a swimming life guard saves a drowning swimmer. At the isb club outdoor swimming pool last week the opposite happened. The life guard was saved by a young atheletic swimmer.

Howa yeh kay, this little kid was acting macho and swam into the deep side of the pool. He lost his stamina,panicked and went down, underwater. The hawkeye vision of the lifeguard spotted the kid in trouble and he dove in mitch(baywatch)style to save the boy.

All eyes were on the lifeguard.Everybody was ready to applaud and cheer him on his bravery and rescuing effort,but instead everybody went silent....

The lifeguard wasn't comin up the water surface.So behind the scene this young dashing swimmer came into action and dove in..SPLASH!!!!! and within a few seconds he came out with the boy and the life guard both and became the hero of the day.Perhaps the lifeguard lost his balance or got a cramp or something.

So the moral of the story is even a doctor can fall ill, a police man can get robbed, and a swimming life guard can drown.They are humans too, u know.

Some wise man once said "doobta wohee hai, jissay teharna ata hai, kyoon kay jissay teharna ata hai wohee pani may kodthta hai" meaning "those who drown are the ones who can swim, because only those who can swim dare jump in the water."