Basil's Brain

Appreciation of kindness;thankfulness - the meaning of gratitude in the Oxford English dictionary. i didn't even know about World Gratitude Day until i read about it in the papers. Celebrated on September 21st every year for the past fifty years!. We have to thank Sri Chinmoy,head of the UN Meditation Group;the founder of World Gratitude Day. How many of us really mean it when we thank someone for help rendered or kindness shown? Do we actually feel gratitude in our hearts? or we just utter the words quickly with no feeling but exercise good manners?. Some don't even say thank you anymore because they feel the giver or doer 'owes' them. This people think "Thank You" should be used sparingly and only when they feel it is deserving. Observe this in your daily life and you will agree with me that most people from kids to adults no longer say thank you. i usually eyeball my students when i don't hear this word. i cannot understand how they don't seem t

i went to a member's day sales at a shopping mall the other day and the supermarket section was in complete mayhem. i wanted to run towards the exit and get the hell out of there. My head was spinning and i felt suffocated. i cannot be in crowded places. My first reaction is to flee-fast but i had a list of grocery items to purchase and for card members, the prices on member's day are a bargain. i stood at the entrance for a few minutes pondering if i should brave the crowd when my feet decided for me as i walked over, took a shopping cart and went in. That's when it started- full swing!, the mad rush for certain items with very,very low prices. The ugly attitude of a particular group of people and what was most shocking?. They were all grey haired seniors in their sixties and seventies!. What they did?. They elbowed, pushed and shoved everyone in their path just to grab what they wanted. There was total disregard to whether they stepped on toes or jumped queues - there

Imagine... Blue snails and pink frogs Yellow sky and purple grass Doesn't it make you smile? Imagine... You have wings to fly that take you everywhere Your spirit surges high Who says the sky is blue? It can be any colour You choose to see Close your eyes and imagine... Where is it written you must accept all that is Does not everything spring forth from imaginings? Imagine... Red lotus waltzing on a black lake and you an awed spectator Glowing...Rising up high Imagine... All that you desire feel them with love It's yours to receive

It starts... As fat droplets progressing to 'cats and dogs' Not stopping, a steady shower cooling, cleansing... Then freezing cold! Clothes don't dry Outings become a chore All you want to do is hibernate in your lair Unrelenting torrent continue for days... Causing floods and calamities Unbearable chill akin to winter! Oh! i must not complain The rains cool the Earth provide clean, crisp air A blessing for us to share Lands become fertile Crops yield abundance Animals enjoy water source Plants and trees bear fruit and flowers! The rains have come to reward and give respite Rejoice! Be thankful... For it's playing a role

Do you have a sixth sense?. It is sometimes called instinct, gut feeling, inner voice and i don't know what else. It is said that all of us are born with six senses but only the five obvious ones are acknowledged. The sixth sense is for you to discover within you...Should you ever!. i've often used the phrase, 'i'm going with my gut feeling on this.' i find that when i have to make an important decision and swarmed by well meant advice from different people, i "hear" another voice that has no name, no face but is the loudest. i also get a nagging feeling that if i follow sound advice, it will turn out wrong. On the other hand, following my instincts will surely result in what i want. i can tell you with conviction that allowing my sixth sense to guide me has resulted in amazing outcomes. Once or twice despite an inner turmoil, i acted upon advice that i thought was sound, made sense and sensible. It turned out disastrous for me!. i came to the conclusi

i don't suffer fools gladly and i certainly don't tolerate unfairness of any kind. Just two days ago, i was totally annoyed with someone who at a meeting,simply started telling others what their roles were and without missing a beat made sure he had no important role. In fact he didn't have any role to play. How convenient!. To the chagrin of the rest of us present. i'm sure everyone has come across this so called do gooder, who talks glibly and passes the buck to someone else when it comes to taking on responsibilities. There is no shortage of excuses from this person. It usually takes a few moments before others realise that everyone has something to do but not the very person who started the ball rolling. i find that the best way to deal with such persons is to ask directly what his or her role is in the scheme of things. Go further by suggesting the perfect, most important role and give no room for counter arguements. Do you have any suggestions? i mean, it

The gushing fountain is music to my ears Accompanied by wind chimes it's symphony at its best My private nook has a wooden swing With a colourful rug to sit and dream away Fishes swim in a little pond Dragonflies flit in and out foliage Delicate ferns cascade from urns and pots Bright marigolds nod in the wind The bamboo screen gives me shade and privacy Pots of burgeoning begonia beckons with grace The picnic bench strewn with jasmine blooms Lending an exotic air to match the paper lanterns A secret sanctuary An oasis of tranquillity Always charming Awakening calm and creativity

Play with children remember the child in you Act out your favourite stories give your dreams wings Play with children pure joy pulsates Happiness overflows exalt in bliss Play with children awaken your soul Embrace spontaneity laugh heartily Play with children let your imagination be the guide that shines and invigorates life Play with children be in the moment It's sheer exhilaration lighting you up from within Play with children it's remembering who you are Fun and full of love powerful and alive!

There are books and more books in my ideal world. i do nothing but read, read and read till my heart's content or i need a toilet break, food or sleep. Maybe a shower and a real good pal to share the stories with. i'm sure you too have read books that have to be finished in one sitting. A magnificent tome too precious for later. i'm so glad that i've read and continue to find gems that are hard to put down. i've got a vivid imagination, so reading a good book is much more than turning the pages to get to the end. It's savouring every word, relishing each event, feeling the emotions and totally being one with the story as it unfolds with every charm, colour and character in my mind. As the story takes hold in my heart, i feel the anger and angst, the pain and sorrow, the laughter and elation. Such is the power of words so cleverly put together by excellent writers with magical minds, offering a slice of their world. What wonder a great read does for the soul,

Splashes of Orche Green terraces Splodges of red and yellow Terracotta tiles, green moss What do you see A million images A thousand words swirl weaving a tale Rose tinted fairy tale Vermillion rhapsody Calming purple pulsates merging with black nothingness A story wild in colours Robust, rapturous and rowdy beating with vibrant life Celebrating LOVE infinite Grey pink parrots swoop in red desert grains Aquamarine sky waiting cottony pillows a lullaby A picture...New and old An angle with many facets Every twirl, dot and stain reveals a story See with the heart Alphabets will flow The mind can understand what the spirit knows