May 25, 2009
Great thought
No one can tell whether they are rich or poor by looking at their ledger. It is the heart that makes a person rich. One is rich according to what one is, not what one has.
Henry Ward Beecher.
COMMENT;
One may have little, but if one is contented, he will be able to use that little to supply his basic needs and still have a little left to share with a needy one, while one may have much, but is not satisfied and still wants more. He has nothing to share. Who then is the rich one? The former is happy while the latter is miserable.
-Randall Butisingh
May 24, 2009
Working together for progress
It is time for the leaders of the world to realise that to survive this crisis which has affected every nation. that working together is the way to go. Now is not the time for nations to work in isolation and compete against one another. It needs concerted effort to get us out of this deep chasm that American leaders who lacked vision and discrimination brought us into. In this engagement, America, with her new world acclaimed leader, must try to set the standard of inclusion of all. At the same time she must make effort to bring justice to all peoples. Otherwise every one will continue to live in fear, for those who think they are wronged will quite rightly fight for their rights. Now is an opportunity to put less trust in fighting and more in trying to build friendships.
All men are brothers whether we accept it or not. Those who spurn true religion must know that all mankind came from the same source and are alike as the waves are to the ocean though they have differing degrees of dimension and intensity. Disregarding this fact of our inter relation has been the cause of conflicts from time immemorial.
– Randall Butisingh
May 10, 2009
A thought for Mother’s Day
PROTECTION OF MOTHER EARTH
Today, on Mother’s Day, I wish to divert my attention from the usual celebration of our biological mothers to focus and pay obeisance to that Great Mother whom a wise Creator has provided for the sustenance of His children and without whom there could have been no physical existence. I refer to Mother Earth.
We, mankind are all built with the same materials, varying only in colour, shape and size; each endowed with his own peculiar talents; and each, if he were to use them wisely and to its full potential will make for a world of peace and happiness.
The Amerindian, supposedly a primitive people has a wise saying which goes; “the sun is my father and the earth, my mother,” and also “we belong to the land and not the land to us.” The Amerindian will never abuse the land and what it provides. He will never wantonly destroy forests or kill more buffalos than is required for his immediate use; and though sometimes he may stumble into the war path, as mortals are prone to from the beginning of time, he is always willing to sit with the enemy and smoke the peace pipe. But alas! civilised man, who appears civilised outside, but is uncivilised inside, comes and stakes out a section of God’s earth and claims it as his own; then in the name of progress, he will cover it with concrete and asphalt after destroying the forests and draining the marshlands which give sustenance to other forms of life which we neeed for our sustenance, making them endangered species. He will destroy large number of cattle so as to get only the skin. or for raising the price of beef, or slaughter large herds of the Caribou so as to get only the tongue or huge shoals of sharks so as to get the fins , or herds of elephants so as to get the tusks; and I can go on and on. What about the idle rich Englishman who would hunt for foxes with his dogs or the Raja who would hunt the Bengal tiger for sport.
Civilised man also scars the bosom of Mother earth with his mining activities. He drills for enormous quantities of fossil fuels and pumps enormous quantities of water from the soil for use in his factories. These activities also contribute to land slides and global warming from the huge quantities of carbon that are spewed into the atmosphere. He also mines for enormous quantities of the metals to fashion his battle ships and weapons of mass destruction. In mining for gold, he pollutes the rivers, the source for fishes and domestic use. This is very much evident in Guyana where the miners not only scar the land but pollute the rivers with mercury, endangering the lives of the Aboriginal Indians.
Now, to satisfy his desire tor wealth and control, he has directed his greed on his neighbour whom he is supposed to love as himself, in order to wrest from him what is not his. The result – a world divisive and infected with the virus of conflicts and full scale war.
At this time Mother Earth is crying out to her children to halt the carnage or she will not have the capacity to sustain coming generations.
Surely. in these circumstances, many cannot go along with celebrating Mother’s Day. Instead, all can cooperate and come to the rescue of Mother Earth, for without her sustenance, we shall all perish.
May 3, 2009
GREAT THOUGHTS
GREAT THOUGHTS
1- THE SOUL THAT IS WITHIN ME, NO MAN CAN DESTROY. – FREDERICK DOUGLASS
2- CHARACTER IS DOING THE RIGHT THING WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING. – J.C.WATTS
3- EXPERIENCE IS THE NAME EVERYONE GIVES TO THEIR MISTAKES. – OSCAR WILDE
4- YOU MAY BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU FAIL, BUT YOU ARE DOOMED IF YOU DON’T TRY – BEVERLY SILLS
5- EVERY FLOWER MUST GROW THROUGH DIRT. – ANONYMOUS
6- MOTIVATION WILL ALMOST ALWAYS BEAT MERE TALENT. – NORMAN AUGUSTINE
7- NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE CHANGED, BUT NOTHING CAN BE CHANGED UNTIL IT IS FACED. – JAMES BALDWIN
8- BE LIKE A POSTAGE STAMP. STICK TO ONE THING UNTIL YOU GET THERE. – JOSH BILLINGS
9- CHARACTER MAY BE MANIFESTED IN THE GREAT MOMENTS, BUT IT IS MADE IN THE SMALL ONES. – PHILLIP BROOKS
10- YOU CAN’T BUILD A REPUTATION ON WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO. – HENRY FORD
11- HE WHO LIMPS IS STILL WALKING. – STANISLAW LEC
12- WHATEVER YOU ARE, BE A GOOD ONE. – ABRAHAM LINCOLN
13- WE MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET; WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE GIVE. – NORMAN MacEWAN
14- MOTIVATION IS WHAT GETS YOU STARTED. HABIT IS WHAT KEEPS YOU GOING. – UNKNOWN
15- CHOICE, NOT CHANCE, DETERMINES ONE’S DESTINY. – UNKNOWN
16- THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT. – UNKNOWN
17- OF ALL THE THINGS YOU WEAR, EXPRESSION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. – UNKNOWN
18- EDUCATION IS NOT PREPARATION FOR LIFE; EDUCATION IS LIFE ITSELF. – JOHN DEWEY
19- IF YOU THINK EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE, TRY IGNORANCE. – DEREK BOK
20- THE MUSIC IS NOTHING IF THE AUDIENCE IS DEAF. – WALTER LIPPMANN
21- WHAT’S RIGHT ISN’T ALWAYS POPULAR, AND WHAT IS POPULAR ISN’T ALWAYS RIGHT – UNKNOWN
22- IF YOU WANT THE RAINBOW YOU HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THE RAIN. – – UNKNOWN
23- WE FEAR THINGS IN PROPORTION TO OUR IGNORANCE OF THEM. – TITUS LIVIUS
24- THE REWARD OF A THING WELL DONE IS TO HAVE DONE IT. – RALPH WALDO EMERSON
25- RUDENESS IS THE WEAK MAN’S IMITATION OF STRENGTH. – ERIC HOFFER
26- A MIND, ONCE EXPANED BY A NEW IDEA, NEVER RETURNS TO ITS ORIGINAL DIMENSIONS. – OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES
27- ONLY THOSE WHO RISK GOING TOO FAR WILL EVER KNOW HOW FAR THEY CAN GO. – UNKNOWN
28- THERE IS NO SUCH THING IN ANYONE’S LIFE AS AN UNIMPORTANT DAY. – ALEXANDER WOOLCOTT
29- A SMILE IS CONTAGIOUS; BE A CARRIER. – UNKNOWN
30- HATE IS LIKE ACID. IT DAMAGES THE VESSEL IN WHICH IT IS STORED AS WELL AS DESTROY
THE OBJECT ON WHICH IT IS POURED. – ANN LANDERS
31- THE BEST THING TO DO BEHIND A FRIEND’S BACK IS PAT IT. – RUTH BRILLHART
32- IT IS EASIER TO GO DOWN A HILL THAN UP, BUT THE BEAUTIFUL VIEW IS FROM THE TOP. – UNKNOWN
33- YOU ARE THE ONLY PERSON ON THIS EARTH WHO CAN USE YOUR ABILITY. – UNKNOWN
34-THE BEST WAY TO FORGET YOUR PROBLEMS IS TO HELP SOMEONE SOLVE THEIRS. – UNKNOWN
35- FORGIVENESS IS THE SWEETEST REVENGE.
36- ONE OF THE SECRETS OF LIFE IS TO MAKE STEPPING STONES OUT OF STUMBLING BLOCKS. – JACK PENN
37- THE ONLY PEOPLE YOU SHOULD WANT TO GET EVEN WITH ARE THOSE WHO HAVE HEPLED YOU – JOHN HONEYFELD.
38- PRIDE IS TASTELESS, COLORLESS AND SIZELESS. YET IT IS THE HARDEST THING TO FOLLOW – AUGUST BLACK
39- BE KIND. EVERY PERSON YOU MEET IS FIGHTING A HARD BATTLE. – UNKNOWN
40- AN APOLOGY IS THE SUPER GLUE OF LIFE. IT CAN REPAIR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING. – LYNN JOHNSON
41- YOU CAN EITHER COMPLAIN THAT ROSE BUSHES HAVE THORNS – OR REJOICE THAT THORN
BUSHES HAVE ROSES. – UNKNOWN
42- LIFE IS NOT ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORMS TO PASS. BUT IT’S ABOUT LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN. – UNKNOWN
43- THE BAD NEWS IS THAT TIME FLIES; THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU’RE THE PILOT. – MICHAEL ALTSHULER
44- DISCIPLINE IS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. – UNKNOWN
Note: These thoughts have been submitted by Cyril Sarjoo – Guest Contributor.
Our Comment:
The Noble Thoughts of truly great men are food for the soul if only we can chew and digest them. Sir Philip Sidney that noble character when he was wounded in battle and called for a drink of water, saw another dying soldier reaching for his cup, gave it to him saying “his necessity is greater than mine” It was Sir Philip who also said: “he is never alone who is accompanied with noble thoughts”.
April 29, 2009
WE ARE ALL ONE
Thought for Today:
WE ARE ALL ONE
O Mankind, know that we are all One. Your neighbour is you; that is why you must love him as yourself. Like the waves in the Ocean, each with its own individuality and seemingly separate, doing their own thing…some as gentle ripples, hardly rocking the boat, others larger inviting the surfer, some so powerful that they can toss the largest steamer so badly as to cause a disaster; but below the Ocean from which they sprang, and which they truly are, lies peaceful and calm. Like the waves, we mankind, each individual soul, with its own individuality is deluded by its seeming separateness from the eternal Supersoul from which it took birth. When enlightenment comes, then it wll see not multiplicity but Unify.
Another analogy; like the islands of an archipelago, each with its own individuality and its own characteristics, some barren, some productive mostly of weeds others beautiful with flowering plants and luscious fruits, but remove the water which gives the illusion of separateness and what do you see: one land with humps that were called islands.
“No man is an island entire of itself” says the poet John Donne, “every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main……………..any man”s death diminishes me because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee”.
– Randall Butisingh
March 31, 2009
The Ones Who Care The Most
THE ONES WHO CARE THE MOST
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip.
Don’t actually answer the questions.
Just read this entry straight through, and you’ll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is , none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.
They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..
Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials..
the most money…or the most awards.
They simply are … the ones who care the most.
We hope that this entry would make a difference in your life, as it highlights what is really important.
‘Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia !’
”Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!’
March 15, 2009
The stream of life
“Life bears us on like the stream of a mighty river. Our boat at first glides down the narrow channel through the playful murmuring of the little brook, and the winding of its grassy border. The trees shed their blossoms over our young heads; the flowers on the brink seem to offer themselves into our young hands; we are happy in hope; and we grasp eagerly at the beauties around us; but the streams hurry on, and still our hands are empty.
“Our course in youth and manhood is along a wider and deeper flood, among objects more striking and magnificent. We are animated by the moving picture of enjoyment and industry passing before us; we are excited by some short-lived disappointment.
“The stream bears us on, and our joys and our griefs are alike left behind us. We may be shipwrecked, but we cannot be delayed. Whether rough or smooth, the river hastens towards its home, till the roar of the ocean is in our ears, and the tossing of the waves is beneath our feet, and the land lessens from our eyes, and the floods are lifted around us, and we take our leave of earth and its inhabitants. Of our further voyage there is no witness, save the Infinite and the Eternal.”
– Bishop Heber
March 11, 2009
LIFE’S PURPOSE
THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
LIFE’S PURPOSE
Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why for sure, but obviously for a Divine purpose.
From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know that man is here for the sake of other men – above all for those upon whose smiles and well being our happiness depends.
Many times during the day we realise how much our own inner and outer life is built upon the labour of our fellow men, both living and dead, and how we must sincerely try to give in return to our fellow man as much as we have received.
– Author unknown
Man is what he is today because of the endowments of his Creator and the legacies of his ancestors
– Randall Butisingh
Taken from his book “Flashes of Light”
March 9, 2009
Excess Money
Thought for Today:
EXCESS MONEY
When we have excess money, it breeds pride, sloth and contempt for others. In pursuit of money, man descends to the level of the beast.
Money is of the nature of manure. Piled up in one place, it fouls the air. Spread it wide, scatter it over the fields and you are rewarded with a bumper harvest.
So too, when money is spent for promoting good works, it yields contentment and happiness in plenty.
— Satya Sai Baba.
Randall Butisingh's Weblog 