Think to get better Instead of More – solution to save environment

The Story of Solutions explores how we can move our economy in a more sustainable and just direction, starting with orienting ourselves toward a new goal.

In the current ‘Game of More’, we’re told to cheer a growing economy — more roads, more malls, more Stuff! — even though our health indicators are worsening, income inequality is growing and polar icecaps are melting.

But what if we changed the point of the game? What if the goal of our economy wasn’t more, but better — better health, better jobs and a better chance to survive on the planet?

The Story of Electronics products we keep on changing to often

The Story of Electronics, explore the high-tech revolution’s collateral damage—25 million tons of e-waste and counting, poisoned workers and a public left holding the bill. Host Annie Leonard takes viewers from the mines and factories where our gadgets begin to the horrific backyard recycling shops in China where many end up. The film concludes with a call for a green ‘race to the top’ where designers compete to make long-lasting, toxic-free products that are fully and easily recyclable.

Our production partner on the electronics film is the Electronics TakeBack Coalition, which promotes green design and responsible recycling in the electronics industry.

Bottled water is neither good for us nor for Environment

The Story of Bottled Water, the film explores the bottled water industrys attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

Our production partners on the bottled water film include five leading sustainability groups: Corporate Accountability International, Environmental Working Group, Food & Water Watch, Pacific Institute, and Polaris Institute.

And, for all you fact checkers out there, http://storyofstuff.org/pdfs/StoryOfB…

Visit for more details : http://storyofbottledwater.org

Devotional: Hanuman Chalisa With Lyrics

Hanuman Chalisa is a Hindu devotional hymn (stotra) dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The word ‘Chalisa’ is derived from the word ‘Chalis’, meaning forty. This is because Hanuman Chalisa has 40 verses excluding the couplets at the beginning and the end.

Lord Hanuman is a Vanara (a monkey-like humanoid deity) and was a devotee of Lord Rama. He was also one of the central characters in the Sanskrit epic,Ramayana. The authorship of the Hanuman Chalisa is attributed to the poet-saint Tulsidas, a poet-saint who lived in the 16th century.

 

FIVE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE MIND AND PRODUCTIVITY

Every place you are in has a different impact on the mind. Even in your house you can see that you feel differently in different rooms. A place where there there has been singing, chanting and meditation has a different influence on the mind. Suppose you like a particular place; you may find that a little later it will not be the same.

Time is also a factor. Different times of the day and year have different influences on the mind.

Different types of food that you take influence you for several days.

Past impressions- Karmas- have a different impact on the mind. Awareness, alertness, knowledge and meditation all help erase the past impressions.

Associations & actions, or the people and events you are associated with, also influence your mind. In certain company your mind behaves in one way and with others in a different way.When you do something which you are good at, you feel more relaxed and peace of mind, however if you do things which you do not like, you mind is not focused and energy seems to scattered around. 

For better productivity, you can try a place you like, with a group of people you feel comfortable, then try to have some nice food together and try some fun activities, like games, dance, signing, meditation, study or work together. 

Three types of DO-ERs

While doing work there are three types of doers.

1. A Sattvik doer
2. A Rajasik doer
3. A Tamasik doer

You have to see, which category you come into at this moment. It is not going to be the same all the time, it changes.

Who is a Sattvik doer? A Sattvik doer is one who, whether work has happened or not happened, whether success or failure, they have not lost their enthusiasm. Utsaha means Enthusiasm, and dhriti is that something which uplifts you and upholds you. That which sustains life and prana, the presence of that energy is a Sattvik Karta (doer).

The second type of doer is a Rajasik doer, one who is always interested in the outcome. He is so attached to the outcome that if something goes up he jumps up to the ceiling, and if something goes down he goes down along with that. He feels totally destroyed when things don’t happen, and when things happen, his ego gets a boost, ‘See, I did it’. This is a Rajasik doer. Though he does everything with a lot of passion, but along with the passion there is a lot of Rajas. Rajas means, there is a lot of anger, ego, a sense of challenge, etc. Have you had this experience, if someone doesn’t do something and you just challenge them, they immediately get up and say, ‘I take it as a challenge’. That sense of challenge is a Rajasik Karta.

The Tamasik doer is one who is doing it because of some pressure, or simple because he has to do it, not because he wants to do it. He thinks that everything is always bad. One who is always regretting, ‘Oh, I should have done electrical engineering ten years ago, I made a mistake’. My dear, you have already crossed those ten years, what is the point of regretting.

Often you will hear mothers tell their children, ‘Since 10 years I am telling you.’ Or a wife tells her husband, ‘It’s been 30 years of our marriage and you’re still like this.’ So, Vishaadi means regretful or remorseful, and Dhirga Sutri means anything you tell them they would say, ‘Oh, that is not possible. It is very difficult you know’. They beat around the bush so much and then come up and say how things cannot work. They finds everything difficult, everything hopeless. This is Tamasik Karta.

These are the three types of doers. See at this moment, in your mind, what type of a doer is coming up? How do you move from being a Tamasik Karta to a Rajasik Karta, and then to being a Sattvik Karta? This is the challenge and this is the path.

AOL : Act without Expectation – It relaxes and rewards

Act without Expectation: It relaxes and rewards by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
It’s often believed that if people become spiritual and dispassionate about the outcome of their actions, they will stagnate; there will be no progress. In fact, the opposite is true. Creativity and enthusiasm can spring only when you are well rested; and you cannot rest if you are anxious about the outcome of your actions.

When we perform every action with an eye on the end result, we get lost in the end and don’t enjoy the means of getting to the end. But when we perform some actions as an expression of joy and do not bother about the result, the action itself brings fulfillment. When we act expecting joy, the action becomes inferior. For example, you want to spread happiness, but if you try to find out whether the other person has become happy, you get entangled in a vicious circle. In the process, you lose your happiness!

Anxiety about the outcome of your action is what pulls you down. At the beginning of a project if you start worrying, then your whole enthusiasm for the project gets dampened. When you are aware of your potential, just jump into action without bothering about the result. When you are in doubt, any activity you do will bring more doubts. When you have a choice, the grass on the other side will look greener and this prevents you from enjoying what you have in your hand. When you are bothered by a choice, relax.

The choice is never between good and bad; it’s always between bad and worse or good and better. Choices bring conflict and there is freedom in ‘choicelessness’. How can you be centred when there is conflict? There is a Chinese saying: that when you are in doubt, take a pillow and go to bed!

In Narada Bhakti Sutras, Narada says, “Karmanyapi Sanyasyati”. Take a break, not just from activity, but also from the fruit of the activity. It will bring deep rest from doubts and conflicts. One who is not concerned about the outcome and is centered on the action, goes beyond dualities, beyond conflicts. The wise one is beyond all actions. Yet he continues to engage himself in action. You can only let go of what you have. So to let go of the fruit of action, you need to have the fruit and to have the fruit, you need to act!

This is so beautiful. If you have never acted, then how can you drop either the action or the fruit of action. So be active. Keep doing your work, and drop the fruit of action. The fruit of action is there as the motivation for you to start acting. Krishna used the fruit of action to motivate Arjuna to fight. He told Arjuna that if you die in battle, you will attain heaven and if you win, you will rule the world. Jesus did the same. When you are bogged down by laziness, you need motivation to do something and the expected fruit of action acts as the motivating factor.

But once you start acting, let go of the expected result. Just focus on the work on hand. This is the way of the wise!

– By Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Lyrics : Radhe Radhe Man Bole (AOL Bhajan)

Radhe Radhe Man Bole, Man Mein Amrit Ras Ghole (2)
Tu Hi Meri Aradhana, Prem Mayi Hai Tu Sadhana (2)
Tu Jo Ghoonghat Pat Khole, Man Mein Amrit Ras Ghole
Radhe Radhe . . .

Bansi Ka Har Raag Hai Tu Hi, Jeevan ka Anurag Hai Tu Hi
Tere Naino Ki Meena Ka, Le Kar Mera Mor Mukut
Ye Sang Pavan Ke Dole, Man Mein Amrit Ras Ghole
Radhe Radhe……

Teri Meri Preet Hai Anupam, Jaise Pani Aur Ho Chandan
Tere Rang Mein Mai Pitambar, Ban Jaoon Aur Ye Jeevan Sang Tere Hole
Man mein Amrit Ras Ghole
Radhe Radhe . . .

Jeevan Mein Phir Kya Baadha Hai, Sang Jo Mere Tu Radha Hai
Nirdhan Ka Tu Dhan Hai Radha, Prem Ke Is Anmol Ratan Ko Kaun Tula Mein Tole
Man Mein Amrit Ras Ghole
Radhe Radhe . . .

Meditation answers questions

Any question you have can be answered during your meditation or at the end of your meditation. If you go deep within, you are bound to get an answer. But when you get an answer, you have to determine whether it is coming from the soul or from the mind. If it comes from the heart or the soul, then you will feel a sense of relief and peace. At that time no contradictory thought will come to negate the answer. But if the answer does not come from the heart or the soul, then the mind will come to the fore and contradict the idea you have received.

Messages that come from the mind will have no certainty in them. This moment the mind tells you one thing; the next moment the mind tells you something else. ‘1’his moment your mind will tell you that I am a very good man; the next moment your mind will say, “No, he is very bad.” But the heart always offers the same message. When you sit down to meditate in the morning, it gives one message. In the evening when you meditate, you will get the same message from the heart.

If you get an inner message to see somebody-let us say your boss-you will simply go and sec that person. But if the message comes from the mind, before you see him there will be many questions in your mind. Then, if you finally do sec him and the result does not come out according to your satisfaction, you will curse yourself and say, “No, it was not the right thing to do. I got the wrong message.”

But if the message comes from the soul, you will have tremendous conviction, and you will take both success and failure with equal satisfaction. While you are executing the message, you will not expect anything in your own way; you will not expect that your boss will be pleased with you or will do something for you. You will just do it, and whether the result comes in the form of success or failure, you will feel that you have done the right thing.

10 minute deep breathing reduces stress

With people competing with one another for recognition and benefits, your workplace could be a breeding ground for stress. It may escalate into frustration and angry outbursts later. Stress may be considered as any physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental unrest and that may be a factor in causing disease. Physical and chemical factors that can cause stress include trauma, infections, toxins, illnesses, and injuries of any sort. Emotional causes of stress and tension are numerous and varied. No external standards can be applied to predict stress levels in individuals. Recognizing stress is the first step in lessening its impact. Good time-management skills are critical for effective stress control. In particular, learning to prioritize tasks and avoid over-commitment are critical measures to make sure that you are not overscheduled.

Chronic stress can lead to a whole host of physical and emotional problems.  Stress weakens the immune system and worsens chronic conditions like asthma, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Just 10 minutes a day of mindful relaxation — like deep breathing or meditation — can ease the muscle tension that can trigger a headache. Rahul J. Nair, an expert in psychology, suggests some tips to reduce stress: Sit in a quiet place, and close your eyes. Take a deep breath through your nose, and let it fill your abdomen; hold it for five seconds, then exhale. “Studies have shown that simple, deep-breathing exercises like this reduce blood pressure and promote a sense of well-being,” he says.