Spending to live not live to spend

A lady to her husband: Avoid giving too many clothes for laundry.

Husband: What happened?

Wife: The maid won’t be coming for work for a couple of days.

Husband: Why?

Wife: She’s going to see her granddaughter over to her daughters place over the Ganesh Chaturthi holidays.

Husband: Alright, I’ll keep that in mind.

Wife: Before I forget, how about we offer her a festive bonus? Rs. 500?

Husband: But why? Diwali is around the corner, why don’t we just give her the money then?

Wife: Oh, no… She’s a poor lady, works as a domestic help. She’s going to see her daughter. With her meagre income, how would she be able to enjoy a good holiday? Poor thing!

Husband: There you go! Getting overly sentimental again!

Wife: Don’t worry about the money; let’s cancel our plan for pizza for dinner tonight. No point wasting money over eight slices of stale bread.

Husband: Great! So now we have to give up on our pizza night so the maid can get a bonus?!

Three days later, when the maid is back at work, the lady’s husband asked her.

Husband: So, how was your holiday?

Maid: It was wonderful, sir. Didi had given me 500 as a festive bonus that added to the joy.

Husband: I heard you went over to your daughters place. Met your granddaughter?

Maid: Yes, sir. I had such a great time. We spent 500, all of it in just two days.

Husband: What did you buy with that money?

Maid: I bought my granddaughter a shirt for Rs. 150 and a doll for Rs. 40, sweets for my daughter and to offer at the temple for Rs. 50, each, spent Rs. 60 on the rent, bought my daughter bangles for Rs. 25, and a nice belt for my son in law for Rs. 50. We spent the rest of the money buying notebooks and stationery for my granddaughter.

Husband: All that for Rs. 500?

In a shocked state he started thinking and seeing pizza in his head.

Each piece of the pizza started buzzing in his head. He started comparing the pizza’s price with the maid’s festive expenses over her family.

He started imagining each piece of the pizza as different things she bought for her family like kids dress, sweets, rent, the bangles she bought, the belt she bought for her son in law, the books and pencil she bought.

He had only imagined the delicious part of the pizza, he had never thought of the other plain and dry part of it and today because of his maid he could understand the other part of the coin or the pizza. A simple 8 pieced pizza taught some reality of life.

This incident made him realize the meaning of “Spending to live not live to spend”.

பெண் என்பவள் அழகிய தேவதையா? இல்லை சூனியக்காரக் கிழவியா?

பெண் என்பவள் அழகிய தேவதையா? இல்லை சூனியக்காரக் கிழவியா?
ஒரு குட்டிக்கதை
இரண்டு மன்னர்களுக்குள் சண்டை.தோற்றவனிடம் வென்றவன் சொன்னான்
”நான் கேட்கும் கேள்விக்கு சரியான பதிலைச் சொன்னால் உன் நாடு உனக்கே”
கேள்வி : ஒரு பெண் தன் ஆழ்மனதில் என்ன நினைக்கிறாள்?
(வென்ற மன்னனின் காதலி அவனிடம் இக்கேள்வியைக் கேட்டு விட்டு விடை சாென்னால் தான் நமக்கு திருமணம் என்று சாெல்லியிருந்தாள்)
தோற்ற மன்னன் பலரிடம் கேட்டான்.விடை கிடைக்கவில்லை.கடைசியாக சிலர் சொன்னதால் ஒரு சூனியக்காரக் கிழவியிடம் சென்று கேட்டான்.
அவள் சொன்னாள்
விடை சொல்கிறேன். அதனால் அவனுக்கு திருமணம் ஆகும்;உனக்கு நாடு கிடைக்கும்.ஆனால் எனக்கு என்ன கிடைக்கும்?
அவன் சொன்னான்,“என்ன கேட்டாலும் தருகிறேன்”
சூனியக்கார கிழவி விடையைச் சொன்னாள்,'"தன் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட முடிவுகளைத் தானே எடுக்க வேண்டும் என்பதே ஒரு பெண்ணின் ஆழ்மனது எண்ணம்”
இப்பதிலை அவன் ஜெயித்த மன்னனிடம் சொல்ல,அவன் தன் காதலியிடம் சொல்ல,அவர்கள் திருமணம் நடந்தது.இவனுக்கு நாடும் கிடைத்தது.
அவன் சூனியக்கார கிழவியிடம் வந்தான்.வேண்டியதைக் கேள் என்றான்.
அவள் கேட்டாள்
"நீ என்னைத் திருமணம் செய்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்”
கொடுத்த வாக்கைக் காப்பாற்ற அவன் ஒப்புக் கொண்டான்.
உடனே கிழவி ஒரு அழகிய தேவதையாக மாறிக் காட்சி அளித்தாள்.
அவள் சொன்னாள்,
”நாம் வீட்டில் தனியாக இருக்கும் போது நான் கிழவியாக இருந்தால், உன்னுடன் வெளியே வரும்போது தேவதையாக இருப்பேன்; ஆனால் நான் வெளியே உன்னுடன் வரும் பாேது கிழவியாக இருந்தால் வீட்டில் உன்னுடன் அழகிய தேவதையாக இருப்பேன்.இதில் எது உன் விருப்பம்?” என்றாள்.
அவன் சற்றும் யோசிக்காமல் சொன்னான்”இது உன் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட விஷயம்;முடிவு நீ தான் எடுக்க வேண்டும்” என்று
அவள் சொன்னாள்”முடிவை என்னிடம் விட்டு விட்டதால் நான் எப்போதும் அழகிய தேவதையாக இருக்கத் தீர்மானித்து விட்டேன்.!” என்றாள்
ஆம்!
பெண் அவள் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட முடிவுகளை அவளே எடுக்கும்போது தேவதையாக இருக்கிறாள். முடிவுகள் அவள் மீது திணிக்கப்படும் போது சூனியக்காரக் கிழவியாகி விடுகிறாள்.
அனைவரும் புரிந்து செயல்படுங்கள்!

Happiness

This article is a must read for everyone

After years of hard & dedicated service to his Company, Ajay was being appointed at  an elegant reception as the new Director.

It was a small function where his wife Anita , a Home Executive & some of the wives of the other persons in top management were also present.

In an adjacent room, Ann, the wife of the CEO of the Company, asked Ajay's wife a very odd & usual question; "Does your  husband make you  happy?"

The husband, Ajay, who at that moment was not at her side, but was sufficiently near to hear the question, paid attention to the conversation, sitting up slightly, feeling secure, even filling his chest lightly in pride & hope,  would definitely not publically lower or degrade her husband, would answer affirmatively, since she had always been there for him during their marriage and generally in life.

Nevertheless, to both his & the others' surprise, she replied simply; "No, no he doesn't make me happy…"

The room became uncomfortably silent, as if everyone were listening to the spouse's response. There was a sudden coldness in the air. The husband was petrified. A frown appeared on his face.
He couldn't believe what his wife was saying, especially at such an important occasion for him. To the amazement of her husband & of everyone!

Anita sat up firmly & explained in a modest but stern tone to the other wives who were present;
"No, he doesn't make me happy… I AM HAPPY. The fact that I am happy or not doesn't depend on him, but on me. GOD has granted each of us intellect & discretion to reason, interpret & decide. GOD made me the person upon which my happiness depends.

I make the choice to be happy in each situation & in each moment of my life.
If my happiness were to depend on other people, on other things or circumstances on the face of this earth, I would be in serious trouble!

Over my life I have learned a couple of things: I decide to be happy & the rest is a matter of 'experiences or circumstances' like helping, understanding, accepting, listening, consoling & with my spouse, I have lived & practiced this many times.

Honestly true happiness lies in being content"

Relieved & reassured, a smile was clearly noticed on Ajay's face.

Happiness will always be found in contentment, forgiveness & in loving ourselves & others.
To truly love is difficult, it is to forgive unconditionally, to live, to take the "experiences or  circumstances" as they are, facing them together & being happy with conviction.

There are those who say I cannot be happy  :
· Because I am sick.
· Because I have no money.
· Because it's too cold.
· Because they insulted me.
· Because someone stopped loving me.
· Because someone didn't appreciate me.

But what they don't know is that they can be happy even though sick, whether it is too hot, whether they have money or not, whether someone has insulted them, or someone didn't love or hasn't valued them.

Being Happy is an attitude about life & each one of us must decide!

Being Happy, depends on us!

It Depends on Me.
I fall. I rise. I make mistakes. I live. I learn. I've been hurt but I'm alive. I'm human. I'm not perfect but I'm Thankful.😊