Monday, June 21, 2010

Keep the doors wide open :)

Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open-Rose Wilder Lane.
When we are sad or 'don't feel at it' as explained in the popular lingo, we tend to close all the doors around us...the doors that keep our mind and our existence open to the good things in the world. A streak of happiness creeps in and bang we close our mind on it.
Sadness makes us miserable, but only when we want it to, otherwise sadness can also be turned into a struggle towards happiness, and believe me that's a much better option.
I think happiness is the best medicine one can ever have, every positive thought that goes into our mind, spreads on our heart and in turn heals our senses,its like the philosopher's stone that turns base metal into gold...it truly makes our thoughts shine with positivity!
Today I want to share a story with all of you that I discovered while surfing the net, it's a great example for all of us:
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with cancer and had been given 3 months to live. Her Dr. told her to start making preparations to die. So she contacted her pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what she wanted to be wearing.
The woman also told her pastor that she wanted to be buried with her favorite bible. Everything was in order and the pastor was preparing to leave when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
"There's one more thing" she said excitedly. "What's that?" came the pastor's reply. "This is very important." The woman continued. "I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman not knowing quite what to say. "That shocks you doesn't it?" the woman asked. "Well to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request" said the pastor.
The woman explained. "In all my years of attending church socials and functions where food was involved (and let's be honest, food is an important part of any church event; spiritual or otherwise); my favorite was when whoever was clearing away the dishes of the main course would lean over and say "you can keep your fork."
It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming. When they told me to keep my fork I knew that something great was about to be given to me. It wasn't Jell-O or pudding. It was cake or pie. Something with substance.
So I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder "What's with the fork?" Then I want you to tell them, "Something better is coming so keep your fork too."
The pastor's eyes were welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She KNEW that something better was coming.
At the funeral people were walking by the woman's casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and her favorite bible and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over the pastor heard the question "What's with the fork?" And over and over he smiled.
During his message the pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. The pastor told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.
He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it remind you that there is something better coming.
--- Author Unknown
All of us have to keep our forks ready, it's only then would we be able to wait for good things to happen. On the other hand if we give in to a situation and drown our lives into sadness, it's then that we close all the doors where happiness might knock at any moment in our lives.
I know that sadness is all consuming coz when it settles on us , it becomes difficult to brush it away, but we have to understand that this is the real war that needs to be won...we have to conquer our state of mind and lead it towards a positive direction....after all each one of us deserves to be happy coz we're a precious creation of God...very precious indeed :)

16 comments:

Ellen said...

This is such a beautiful post, Sana. Touched my heart so. God bless you.

Whirlwind said...

Sadness is the indication that something better is just around the corner. To rise up one must go through the journey of hitting rock bottom. Nice post Sana!!

Anonymous said...
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Ayesha Parveen said...

A good post, Sana. Hope all is well with you. Visiting blogspot after many days.
Take care :)

KParthasarathi said...

Excellent message in the post.Thanks Sana

anilkurup59 said...

You are perfectly on target. Only when the mind is open can it perceive happiness even in the midst of sorrow and turbulence. Easier said than done!
And many of us succumb to the pranks our mind play. We get emotional, and despondent in the face of constant barraging from tough times.
But then hope an hope , "when all doors are closed there is somewhere a window open".

Unknown said...

Beautiful post Sana..

Sadness and happiness both are times sports.
A nice read altogether..:)
Message reached here..

Cheers

Nuts

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hello Sana:)

A wonderful story indeed. I was really touched.The positive attitude of the woman is something to be greatly admired and emulated. It is stories like this which makes us sit up and think.

I fully agree with you-positive thoughts will help us get out of our miseries. But most of the time we keep sending negative thoughts to our mind. We feed out minds with our shortcomings, failures, presumed difficulties, disadvantages and so on.As a result we are always in a state of depression. Replacing these negative thoughts with positive ones will help us in any difficult situation. After all, every problem has a solution. It is said that all problems are opportunities for success.

This is a wonderful post and enjoyed it very much. The photo is excellent too. It captures the essence of this post very beautifully.

Have a nice day Sana:)
Joseph

A New Beginning said...

Im glad it did Ellen :)

Those are some great words Shwetha, thanks for sharing :)

Hi Ayesha,its been really long for sure, happy to see you back :)

Thanks for visitn gp :)

Thanks for the inspirational words Anil, thats a great comment :)

Thanks Nipun :)

Thanks for the wonderful comment Mr. Joseph, your comments are truely an inspiration :)

RGB said...

Agree with you totally and a truly touching story. If only, all of us had realized that the key to happiness is in our very hands...this world would have been a happier, better place. Sadness is only meant to be momentary, to allow us to enjoy Happiness to the fullest extent.

Margaret Cloud said...

I have heard the fork story before and it was good to read it again. Another great post. I think most of us are rejuvenated by sadness, it makes us appreciate the good times. Thank you for coming by.

A New Beginning said...

Thanks RGB and Margaret :) have a great week ahead!

Pramoda Meduri said...

Hi Sana..

@but we have to understand that this is the real war that needs to be won...we have to conquer our state of mind and lead it towards a positive direction....

these lines are so wonderul, after reading the whole post and when i entered the last para, these kicked me right at the heart..:)

കിരണ്‍ said...

Thanks for reminding to keep the fork..

I totally agree with you. Life has no juice until we enthusiastically, eagerly wait for the moments..

Remember a quote by Sri Sri..
"Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.."

Nice post, and a very nice story too..

Thank you Sana!! Keep ur good work..

Bikram said...

hi a beautiful post.. when sad always think there is something better .. I can give you a live example of my life.. when everything finished there was light and I must say a better one.. Now i regret why i went for it earlier.. the part i was thinking was the best time actually was a mistake and the worst time.. Now is the good time and thank god it got over when it did.. Really

everything happens for good ...

A New Beginning said...

Im glad Pramoda, thanks for reading :)

"Life has no juice until we enthusiastically, eagerly wait for the moments.." well said Kiran :)

Yes Bikram each one of us have a story that proves the point, its for us to realise :)