Nugget # 88 Life lesson from a Jammed Finger !

Hi friends,

This week I’d like to share a nugget that came to mind as I nursed my bruised finger.

Last Saturday, I accidentally jammed my ring finger as I was hurrying into a supermarket elevator. My finger turned pale and it pained me. So we went to the orthopedist who suggested an X-ray which confirmed no broken bones, but only a slight injury to the soft tissue on my knuckle.

Relieved to hear that, I went with the nurse who taped my injured finger to the unhurt finger next to it. This process is called buddy taping where we use the unaffected finger as a splint to keep the injured finger from moving too much and aggravating the injury.

Later, on reaching home, as I tried to do my daily chores, I was finding it difficult to move my finger since it had been taped to the other one. But that made me draw a paralell to our ordinary everyday lives.

Many times in life we may get jammed or injured and at that time if we ignore our hurt and just go on as if nothing happened, later in the long run, we will have to face the dire consequences of a serious damage due to neglect. Just like in the case of the injury we used a buddy splint, in our real life situations also, when hurt, the right move will be to open up to a buddy/persons we can trust and pray with. We may also brainstorm with them about how we can solve the issue. If nothing else, we will be able to experience a few moments of temporary relief at least instead of carrying the heavy load ourselves.

Just like in the case of my finger, we will remove the buddy tape when the swelling and pain have subsided and the finger is healed. Similarly, after some time, when we have drawn enough strength and courage, we will be able to move ahead more confidently in our life.

Nugget of Life: “None of us can ever save himself; we are the instruments of one another’s salvation, and only by the hope that we give to others do we lift ourselves out of the darkness into light.” – Dean Koontz

PS: My finger is healed and I have removed the buddy splint! : )

Have a blessed week!

Cheers,

Sparky Laurie

 

Nugget # 84 Life lesson from one of the best American Movies ever made!

Hi friends,

This week I’d like to share something that came to mind as I watched the 1946 American Christmas Drama film called ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’

It is the story of George Bailey , a man who has had to give up his dreams of traveling and going places in order to help others. Frustrated and feeling like a failure he opts for suicide on Christmas Eve. He is miraculously saved by the intervention of his guardian angel Clarence who shows George all the lives he has unknowingly touched and how different life in his community would be had he never been born.

This movie set me thinking of how many of us like George may not really be aware of the lives that we are responsible for changing by some small act of ours. Often we may not be doing any great thing, many times we may never even be in the lime light only behind doors and doing our duties faithfully not even aware of the mighty influence we may be having on someone somewhere! At this point I am reminded of an incident when my sister-in-law shared some money with a family who was struggling. Later on they told her that they were contemplating suicide and it was her action that made them change their mind. We may never fully know here and now how crucial our small acts of concern and kindness can be. It took a supernatural visitation to open George’s eyes. Let this movie do that for us and open our eyes to the truth that truly, our life is pretty awesome and it’s a Wonderful Life after all!

For those of you who would like to watch the movie, here’s the link: http://youtu.be/frXklECPkD0

 Nugget of Life: “Go into the world and do well but more importantly go into the world and do good.”- Minor Myers Jr

Have a wonderful week!

Cheers,

Sparky Laurie

 

Nugget # 83 Life lesson from an Irreplacable Loss

Hi friends,

This week I just want to share with you a truth that has been staring at me in the face for some time now . And that is the importance of living in the moment. The sudden demise of my brother- in -law ‘V’ due to a cardiac arrest shook us all so badly and even 2 months later the pain is still raw. But like they say, life’s greatest teacher is pain.

‘V’ was a wonderful person who enjoyed his life and everyone who knew him had many good things to say about him. One thing I could surely say about him was that he definitely lived in the moment.

That set me thinking. What about us ? Many times we postpone things for a later moment and leave it for some other day .How many kind words do we leave unspoken? Many times we forget to express appreciation for something someone does, maybe we are so caught up in our troubles and the speed of life that we allow small opportunities to just slip by. Sometimes we are not even aware of how much influence a simple “thank you” or “good job done” may brighten up the day of another, be it the clerk at the supermarket or the doorman or even the waitress who takes down our order.

There is no better day to start than today. As they say, life comes full circle and the goodness you sow into another person’s life will surely come back ,in a manner and at a time we may never know. Life is not something that comes with an expiry date so that we know when we are going to die and so let us let go of all our grudges and celebrate each and every moment.  More importantly let’s make it a priority to tell the people in our life that we love them as tomorrow may never come either for us or for them!

Nugget of Life: ‘The secret of life is letting go. The secret of love is letting it show.’

Enjoy this lovely song : http://youtu.be/sSNl3MORvMo

 

Have a great week!

Sparkylaurie

 

Nugget # 81 Life is like a Yoyo!

Hi friends,

 In this post let’s compare our life to a yoyo. We are all familiar with the up-down motions of a yoyo. Similarly as we go through the life of any person on earth, we can find similar ups and downs; some mountain top experiences , some deep down in the valley experiences and some in between ones too! I’ve been learning and still am that more often than not, it is not the experiences but our response/reactions to them that actually determine how they affect us. The litmus test for this one would be watching the way 2 people respond to very similar /identical circumstances. It may affect one very negatively and hardly matter to the other person. There may be several factors that contribute to this. Very often it is the difference in priorities, tolerance levels etc that result in these variations.

 Since the only certain thing in this life is Uncertainty and Change, the best thing to do is to develop emotional stability in life. While we develop a rhino skin “Does not bother me” or rather a “I refuse to be bothered about it” attitude to life, we will realize how simple and uncomplicated things turn out to be. We also realize that since we obviously cannot stop/control the ups and downs of our lives, an unshakeable, immovable trust in the One who can will help us develop the tough exterior that will make our ride a more joyful one.

We need to remain like the string in the yoyo that does not change, no matter how high or low the yoyo of our life goes. We might as well enjoy/endure the moment. After all, life goes on and this season too shall pass!:)

 

Nugget of Life: “Through the twists and turns, ups and downs, in happiness and in sorrow, life teaches us… TO LIVE!”- Author Unknown

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Sparkylaurie

 

Nugget # 80 Life is like a Xylophone!

Hi friends,

Hope you all are doing well. It’s been a while now since I have been able to share something with you. The truth is that a lot has been happening and I’ve been pushing myself out of my comfort zones and inviting with open arms a wide variety of experiences. To be honest, it has not been all that comfy but the ride has been a good one and left me richer with precious memories and good life lessons.

The other day as I was picking up my son’s toys and placing them back in the box, I came across his xylophone. I just struck the bars and realized how differently odd each sound was. In fact there was hardly any melody or harmony to hear and yet as I slowly struck them from one end to the other I could hear the sweet musical tune of the xylophone that we usually hear and that made me think about the many different kinds of people we encounter. With some it’s an instant click and it’s great when we can effortlessly connect. But then this is not always the case. Often everything everyone says or does may not make sense to us. People think, behave and act differently from us and we from them. It is easy to surround ourselves with like- minded individuals but then where is the challenge in making beautiful music when every sound is similar? The real beauty lies in making something harmonious out of the chaotic.

Each individual is a unique and precious creation of the Master Craftsman and the people He has allowed in our lives are there for a definite and designed purpose. Our finite minds may never fully the grasp the ways of our Maker. It is only when we allow Him to work through us and strike every bar, that we hear such beautiful music that we may never have heard before!

Nugget of Life: Life is a Xylophone; make sure you lightly strike all the bars from one end to the other;   you may end up hearing the most beautiful tune ever!

Have a wonderful week!

Cheers,

Sparky laurie

 

Nugget # 76 Life lesson from the movie ENGLISH VINGLISH!

Hi friends,

This week I’d like to share a very valuable life lesson I learnt from the recently released Bollywood film English Vinglish. A feel good movie for people of all ages. You can read the story line and review here.

Click here for Title Song: http://youtu.be/jqxF6MT4sZo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxF6MT4sZo

The lesson I learnt from Shashi (Sridevi) is the importance of Self respect. It’s admirable how this selfless wife and mother finally makes a decision to do something for herself (learn English) after being put down repeatedly by her husband and teenage daughter for not being able to speak English. She capitalizes on an opportunity that comes her way, by believing in herself and secretly working very hard.She finally surprises everyone with a Speech (about marriage and relationships) in perfect English and thus earns for herself the much deserved respect of all she knows; something that she had always yearned for.

In today’s highly competitive world, genuine appreciation/ encouragement and pats on the back never come easy and so in order to be truly happy, we need to learn how to be our own best friend first. It is when we love and respect ourselves that we can get ahead in life. And the way we treat ourselves often sets the standard for others to treat us.

Self-respect cannot be hunted. It cannot be purchased. It is never for sale. It cannot be fabricated out of public relations. It comes to us when we are alone, in quiet moments, in quiet places, when we suddenly realize that, knowing the good, we have done it; knowing the beautiful, we have served it; knowing the truth we have spoken it. ~Whitney Griswold

Click to enjoy this wonderful Inspirational Video on Self Respect!  :

http://youtu.be/0lTTZQwQgAE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lTTZQwQgAE

Nugget of Life : “ Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to become a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself and let your light shine! – Author Unknown”

Have a wonderful week,

Cheers,

Sparky Laurie

 

Nugget # 75 Life is not a Dress Rehearsal!

 “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”- Rose Tremain

Hi friends,

Often in life we find ourselves ruminating about the past and wishing that things had happened differently. Many times we wish that we could just rewind a few of the events in life, some misunderstandings/some words spoken/ some words left unspoken…..and just replay it again the right way. Then things would be better and all would be right again but the truth is that this life of ours is not a dress rehearsal.

A dress rehearsal is defined as a full-scale uninterrupted rehearsal or practice of a theater or musical performance with costumes and stage properties. This practice is intended to perfect the performance before the public sees it, making sure every detail of the show meets expectations.

However when it comes to life, we do not have to live life on autopilot and just take what comes. In fact since life is not a dress rehearsal we should ensure that we live it exactly the way we would want it. For this we may have to make several detours and improvements on the way. It may even require us to let go of the labels that either we have put on ourselves or others may have. Just because we have been one way all our life doesn’t mean that we should die that way. We need to listen to our heart and do all the things that we want to but never could. In some cases we may have to put down some full stops and start new paragraphs to get ahead in life.

Click to enjoy this song : Life is not a Dress Rehearsal, welcome to the main event!

http://youtu.be/cmArNV0eqc4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmArNV0eqc4

 

  Nugget of Life: “Live life like you are on a ramp, walking tall and gracefully because life is not a dress rehearsal, it’s your final and best performance!”- Aarti Khurana

Have an exciting week,

Cheers,

Sparky Laurie

 

Nugget # 74 Life is an Adventure!

Hi friends,

An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. This week’s post being Life is an Adventure, I thought I’d go ahead and share something different and special. Given below are a string of quotes/pics related to ADVENTURE. Hope you enjoy the journey! After all, “The best journeys in life are those that answer questions you never thought to ask.”- Rich Ridgeway

 

Nugget of Life: If you want something you’ve never had, then  you’ve got to do something you’ve never done!

Have an Adventurous week!

Cheers,

Sparky Laurie

 

Nugget # 73 Life is like a Piano!

“[The piano is] able to communicate the subtlest universal truths by means of wood, metal and vibrating air.”- Kenneth Miller

Hi friends,

Often in life when we look around us we may feel that many have got only the white keys(happy moments) and no black keys(sad moments). However if we really got to know them, we would realize that everybody has got their own fair share of both black and white keys. It’s how we make use of what we have that makes all the difference.

  “One man gets nothing but discord out of a piano; another gets harmony. No one claims the piano is at fault. Life is about the same. The discord is there, and the harmony is there. Study to play it correctly, and it will give forth the beauty; play it falsely, and it will give forth the ugliness. Life is not at fault.”- Author Unknown

 Click to enjoy this phenomenal musical Video by  The Piano Guys!

http://youtu.be/0VqTwnAuHws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VqTwnAuHws

Nugget of Life: Life is like a piano, what you get out of it depends on how you play it.

Have a melodious week!

Cheers,

Sparky Laurie

 

Nugget # 70 Life is like Sailing!

 

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving: To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it-but we must sail, and not drift nor lie at anchor.”- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Hi friends,

The last couple of days have been ones of tremendous learning for me. So I just feel like having a heart to heart with you this week. While I’m happily employed now, I’ve found that there can be numerous things that being out of touch with can cause within us fear- the fear of appearing to be wrong. I asked myself more than once, why am I so afraid of being wrong? I wondered…. was it simple self protection or just plain vanity?

But then something my husband said really made me sit up and think hard. He asked me: “Laura, if only we would be just like our little boy; not afraid to make mistakes and ever so ready to learn and move on when we do, wouldn’t we be much happier?” The question to ask is Why is it that we as grownups get stuck instead of moving on?

Then and there I learnt a lesson, a good one too that revealed a hidden part of me that was somehow somewhere within so afraid of being wrong. Isn’t that exactly what our Lord Jesus meant by us becoming like little children- bold and unafraid?

And so I’ve decided to set my sails up; ready to face the wind, a smile on my face, come what may, I am going to enjoy the ride. Wishing you the same 🙂

Nugget of Life : “A Ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.”

Have a pleasant week.

Cheers,

Sparky Laurie