Finding Daily Inspiration

It is up to an individual to find the purpose of his/her life. To find that purpose, one needs to look at the spiritual side of life. For that, we need to invest some amount of time from our daily life. It can be anything like indulging in hobbies, spending time with our dear ones, reading, introspection, meditation,etc. And the list can go endless.

For me, Quotes written by great people gives me a lot of inspiration. It gives me strength when the chips are down and things are not going well. On the other hand, it makes me to feel better, when everything is going smooth. I just do not read it but try to remember it and apply it to me to some extent. Following are my 20 favourite quotes. These are collected from numerous web sites, blogs, books and other stuffs.
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“Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference- Reinhold Niebuhr

“Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” - Martin Luther King, Jr

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." - Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)

"If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars." - Rabindranath Tagore

"It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple." - Rabindranath Tagore

“Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” — Mary Anne Radmacher

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” — Winston Churchill

“Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people.” — Nido Qubein

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” — Mark Twain

"Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” — African Proverb

“You alone are the judge of your worth and your goal is to discover infinite worth in yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks.” — Deepak Chopra

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.” — Norman Vincent Peale

“The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.” -Helen Keller

"The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.” - Deepak Chopra

"The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times." - Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)

"The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them." — Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)

"A child can teach an adult three things: to be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires." - Paulo Coelho

"Anyone who loves in the expectation of being loved in return is wasting their time." - Paulo Coelho (The Devil and Miss Prym)
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Resources:
Books by Paulo Coelho
News Papers
http://sourcesofinsight.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/36913.Rabindranath_Tagore

Lord Ganesha

Today is Ganesha Chaturthi, the Birthday of Lord Ganesha. This festival is celebrated throughout the India and the atmosphere during this period is so divine and electrifying. People bring the Ganesha idols in home, worship him and pray together.

In 1893, Indian freedom fighter, Lokmanya Tilak, transformed the domestic festival into a well organised public event. The motive behind this move was to bring people across all casts and communities together, celebrate the festival and bridge the gap among them.

Ganesha, the elephant headed god, is a son of Lord Shiva and Parvati. He is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. Ganesha is associated with the root or mooladhara chakra in our body. This is the first energy centre and represents the earth element, providing a solid foundation for life. Praying to Ganesha is believed to bring stability enabling one to proceed with higher goals in life.

Ganesha is also known as Vighnahartha, the one who rules over the obstacles. He represents the energy which controls and removes the obstacles. Ganesha is also a symbol of quick thinking and effortless accomplishments.

Once, Lord Shiva held a contest between his two sons, Ganesha and Kartikeya to see who could circle around the earth first. The winner would receive a sacred fruit of wisdom from Lord Shiva. Kartikeya sped off on peacock and started circling around earth. Ganesha turned to his advisor, Mouse. The mouse suggested that he should encircle his parents Shiva and Parvati and tell them that they were his universe. Ganesha did the same as advised; Lord Shiva was flattered by that gesture, and gifted the sacred fruit to Ganesha.

Personally, I am a true devotee of Ganesha, and very much attached with him.
There is a divine connection and understanding between us. Whenever, I think about god, the picture of Ganesha appears in front of my eyes. There are various reasons and co incidences. I was born during Ganesha festival, I used to bring Ganesha idols every year in my home, even I met my wife for the first time in Ganesha temple itself.

Let’s pray Lord Ganesha to take care of us and our dear ones. May he shower his blessings upon us for great health, happiness and well being and give us strength to face the challenges, (coming along our paths) quite gracefully.