YOU'RE IN MY HEART

There is a place for us that no one else can enter. It is a place that holds no secrets, only beauty, peace, understanding. A place that we come to, thinking we are one, only to have our souls fused together for a moment. And in that moment, I know you; every pore, every pulse, every thought, every fear. And I love you more. I feel myself laid bare before you, and I feel content . . . joyous that you are with me, loving me tremendously.

ART OF GIVING

"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit, nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them. The wealth of the noble is used solely for the benefit of others? Even after accepting that giving is good and that one must learn to give, several questions need to be answered. The first question is when should one give? We all know the famous incident from the Mahabharata. Yudhisthir, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next day. On this, Bhim rejoices, that Yudhisthir his brother, has conquered death! For he is sure that he will be around tomorrow to give. Yudhisthir gets the message. One does not know really whether one will be there tomorrow to give! The time to give therefore is now. The next question is how much to give. One recalls the famous incident from history. Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important he had lost hope, his will to fight. At that time in his darkest hour, his erstwhile minister Bhamasha came seeking him and placed his entire fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap. With this, Rana Pratap raised an army and lived to fight another day. The answer to this question how much to give is "Give as much as you can! The next question is what to give. It is not only money that can be given. It could be a flower or even a smile. It is not how much one gives but how one gives that really matters. When you give a smile to a stranger that may be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks! "You can give anything but you must give with your heart! One also needs answer to this question whom to give. Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is seeking. However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the presumption that he may not be the most deserving is not justified. "Give without being judgmental! Next we have to answer How to give Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver does not feel humiliated, nor does the giver feel proud by giving. In giving follow the advice, ' Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives? Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity. 'Give quietly! While giving let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which really did not belong to us? Give with grace and with a feeling of gratitude. When you help someone in need, give it before he asks for it; for if you place him under the necessity of stretching out his hand, you take away from him his self-respect which is worth more than the value of your alms. What should one feel after giving? We all know the story of Eklavya. When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina", he unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya. There is a little known sequel to this story. Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was asked to him when he was dying. His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life. It was when Pandavas were coming in to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the false news of death of his son Ashwathama and had stopped fighting. It was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. If the thumb was there, no one could have dared hurt my Guru. The message to us is clear. Give and never regret giving! And the last question is How much should we provide for our heirs? Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work'? - A source of happiness! The answer is given by Warren Buffett: "Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing! I would conclude by saying: let us learn the Art of Giving, and quoting Saint Kabir: "When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, Throw them out with both hands"

YOU ARE LIKE AN ART WORK

Your lips, your eyes, your soul Are like a work of art Your lips, your eyes, your soul Are like a work of art, The most creative thing of all Is your beautiful heart. If you were a painting, No colours could express The beauty deep inside you, A rainbow, nothing less. If you were a sculpture The clay could hardly make Your figure of an angel Without one mistake. If you were a euphony No choir could really sing All the beautiful music Your eyes could possibly bring. So here I am, an artist, With inspiration beyond belief But to capture such rare beauty, I'd have to be a thief.

IN THAT PRICELESS KISS OF FOREVER

In That Priceless Kiss of Forever! The first time I felt your lips I thought it was merely a dream I opened my eyes and to my surprise The most handsome eyes I've ever seen. I don't know why you love me But because of that I know dreams come true All I want is love and devotion Honesty and faithfulness from you. Since that very first day we kissed I just couldn't let it go I'd found a love to last forever And so much to experience and know. I couldn't believe what I was staring at You stole my heart away I love you with all my heart More and more each day. Whenever things get really rough And there's times I begin to miss I just close my eyes and begin to dream And remember our first kiss. I can't remember any kisses before you But it doesn't matter now I still can't believe it The feelings in that kiss I had found. It all just came in one day Two people who were perfect together And I found it all in one precious touch In that priceless kiss of forever.

WILL YOU DANCE WITH ME?

READ THIS VERY SLOWLY.... IT MAY SOUND PRETTY PROFOUND BUT IT DOES CARRY A VERY IMPORTANT IF NOT URGENT MESSAGE TO EVERYONE OF US WHEREVER YOU MAY BE. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine. I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible. How often have your kids dropped in to talk to you, but have to sit in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television? Because we cram so much into our lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! "We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get little Mike toilet-trained..... We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet ..... We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college ......We'll do the Tango again if the Wongs invite us to the Ball....... Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit." My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-Decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy. Now... go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to do ...... not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting? Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you. Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sunset into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ' How are you?' Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' And in your haste, did not notice his sorrow? When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift .... thrown away.....!! Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over. Show your friends how much you care. 'Life may not be the party we hoped for.. but while we are here we might as well dance'

I BELIEVE MYSELF

For many years of my life I wore my heart for all to see Making it much too easy For others to take advantage of me. I lived and I loved three times To the loftiest heights Always crashing to the ground When my loves took wings of flight. I put my whole being into love Never thinking of myself Whatever I truly needed Was put high upon a shelf. I thought another person Could make me whole Until I spent hours alone Looking deep within my soul. Life is different now I found the woman I used to be I know once again who I am inside In myself I now believe. I know what I have to offer I am kind .... I love .... I care No one will crush my spirit again For now I'm wiser and aware.

GREEN TEA : A MARVELOUS DRINK

Green Tea: the Marvelous Drink Currently, tea in the form of green or black tea, next to water, is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. According to Chinese legends, tea was discovered by the Emperor Shen Nong in about 2700 BC, when a gust of wind blew tea leaves into a kettle of boiling water. Teas contain polyphenols which act as antioxidants and exhibit numerous biochemical activities. Tea polyphenols consist mostly of catechins, the most powerful of which is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is found only in green tea. Since ancient times green tea has been considered a health-promoting beverage and currently researchers find more convincing proof of its healing qualities. Based on the growing range of studies that research health properties of green tea, I made this article about clear benefits you can get with regular drinking. 1 Longevity Green tea may protect against death from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease. Japanese scientists[1] analyzed data from a National Cohort Study that began in 1994 and had over 40,000 participants, age 40 to 79, who initially were free of stroke, heart disease and cancer. People were followed for up to 11 years. Compared with participants who consumed less than 1 cup of green tea per day, those drinking 5 or more cups a day had a significantly lower risk of death from all causes, especially lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and stroke. The findings might explain in part the reason why the Japanese live longer than people in any other country. However, there was no cancer prevention benefit of green tea. 2 Memory and learning One of the important health benefits of regular green tea drinking is improved memory and learning ability. In Japan there was revealed[2] that high green tea drinking maintains cognitive function. Also, green tea consumption may enhance learning and memory ability[3]. The main components of green tea that are thought to work on improving brain function are polyphenols, epigalochatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a very strong antioxidant. The high use of oxygen during the metabolic processes leads to the generation of a large number of free radicals (highly reactive molecules). EGCG can penetrate the brain's blood barrier and is able to enact its antioxidative affects on the free radicals that cause damage in the brain. 3 Weight control There is strong evidence that green tea has fat-burning properties and promotes weight loss, especially when combined with increased physical activity and a healthy diet. Green tea polyphenols are known to increase the metabolism of fats by the liver (thermogenic effect), inhibit lipase (fat absorption enzyme) in the digestive tract, and provide a feeling of satiety and fullness[4]. Green tea can reduce body weight in obese persons by increasing energy expenditure and fat oxidation[5]. Continuous ingestion of a green tea extract high in catechins promotes reduction in body fat, systolic blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol, that in its turn contributes to a decrease in obesity and cardiovascular disease risks. 4 Skin protection from Ultraviolet Green tea polyphenols protect the skin from the damage caused by ultraviolet radiation such as UV-induced sunburn, UV-induced immunosuppression and photoaging of the skin. They exert photoprotection by various cellular, molecular and biochemical mechanisms[6]. Also, green tea polyphenols protect the skin by improving the elastic tissues[7]. 5 Lowering cholesterol Green tea lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels and improves the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol. People who drink green tea daily have lower cholesterol levels than those who do not drink it [8]. It is believed that one of the underlying mechanisms by which green tea lowers blood cholesterol levels is by reducing lipids absorption in the digestive tract and promoting their excretion from the body[9]. 6 Diabetes and blood glucose levels Green tea has been traditionally used to control blood sugar. Recent evidence also suggests it may help regulate the blood sugar and reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. People who drink more than 6 cups per day are less likely to develop diabetes than those who drink less than 1 cup per week[10]. Green tea antidiabetic properties may be partly explained by its caffeine content. Japanese researchers[11] demonstrated that daily intake of green tea extract lowered the hemoglobin A1c level in people with borderline diabetes, that indicates the increased body's ability to utilize blood sugar. Hemoglobin A1c is a test that measures the amount of glycosylated hemoglobin molecules in red blood cells. These molecules attach to glucose and so people have more of them if they have more glucose in the blood. 7 Heart protection: Asian paradox Green tea may protect against heart disease. Green tea might explain the "Asian paradox" - when people living in Asian countries smoke cigarettes heavily, but have relatively low incidence of heart disease. The Japanese confirm[12] that the more green tea people drink, the less likely they are to have coronary artery disease. Underlying mechanisms for this include vasculoprotective, antioxidative, antithrombogenic, anti-inflammatory, and cholesterol-lowering properties of tea flavonoids. Green tea can promote cardioprotection and reduce heart muscle cells death after a heart attack (myocardial infarction)[13]. The primary catechin in tea, EGCG, prevents heart muscle damage by blocking the activation of inflammation-related compounds that promote the oxidative damage that kills heart cells in heart attack. EGCG also appears to speed up the recovery of heart cells. 8 Anti-hypertensive Green tea lowers blood pressure and helps prevent hypertension. Tea increases body's production of nitric oxide, which dilates arteries and thereby reduces blood pressure[14]. Among persons consuming tea regularly for at least one year, the risk of developing high blood pressure was 46% lower among those who drank 1/2 cup to 2 1/2 cups per day, and 65% less among those consuming more than 2 1/2 cups per day[15]. 9 Stroke Green tea shows promise in the prevention of stroke[1, 16]. Furthermore, the green tea polyphenols, particularly EGCG, have been shown to protect brain cells from destructive processes following stroke[17]. 10 Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases Green tea may reduce the risk of degenerative disorders of the central nervous system, such as cognitive decline, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Green tea catechin polyphenols produce several neuroprotective (i.e. lessening the damage to brain cells) activities like iron chelation, scavenging of radicals, activation of survival genes and cell signaling pathways, and inhibitory action on Abeta fibrils/oligomers formation[18, 20]. Japan scientists have discovered that people who consumed more than 2 cups of green tea a day had a 50% lower chance of having cognitive impairment, than those who drank fewer than 2 cups a day, or who consumed other tested beverages[19]. 11 Atherosclerosis Regular green tea drinking may be beneficial for the prevention of atherosclerosis, when the plaque builds up on the insides of the arteries [21]. Green tea has been shown to effectively lower the risk of atherosclerosis by lowering LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipid peroxides (free radicals that damage LDL cholesterol and other lipids) and fibrinogen (a protein in the blood involved in the formation of blood clots). Green tea is a powerful antioxidant and protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation[22]. Oxidized cholesterol gets sticky and tends to cling to the walls of he arteries, leading to the development of atherosclerosis. 12 Anticlotting effect Green tea also appears to prevent the formation of blood clots (thrombosis). Green tea catechins produce potent antithrombotic effect by inhibition of platelet aggregation (blood clot formation)[23]. 13 Increased exercise endurance Animal studies indicate that green tea increases exercise endurance. Green tea catechins increase metabolic capacity and utilization of fatty acid as a source of energy in muscles during exercise[24]. 14 Smoking Regular green tea drinking may protect smokers from oxidative damages and reduce cancer risk or other diseases caused by free radicals associated with smoking[25]. Green tea may prevent future cardiovascular disorders in chronic smokers[26]. 15 Bones Green tea may prevent osteoporosis and bone loss. Researchers at the University of Tokyo[27] have shown that green tea may increase bone mineral density. Australian researchers[28] report that bone mineral density is 2.8% greater in tea drinkers than non-drinkers. Over the 4 years period, tea drinkers lost an average of two times less of their total hip bone mineral density, than non-tea drinkers. 16 Tooth decay (dental caries) Green tea prevents tooth decay. It kills the bacteria that cause dental plaques and halitosis (bad breath) and increases the acid resistance of tooth enamel [29]. 17 Arthritis Green tea may help people with arthritis by reducing inflammation and slowing cartilage breakdown[30]. 18 Antimicrobal activity Green tea catechins have anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal activities[31]. These include some types of salmonella, influenza and herpes simplex. Its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning. A component of green tea may be useful in treating severe sepsis, an abnormal immune system response to bacteria[32]. 19 Liver protection Green tea appears to support healthy liver and protect it from the damage by toxic substances such as alcohol. Men who drink more than 10 cups of green tea per day are less likely to develop disorders of the liver[33]. 20 Gastrointestinal tract In the gastrointestinal tract, green tea was found to activate intracellular antioxidants and reduce inflammation. Drinking more than 10 cups per day may prevent chronic atrophic gastritis[34]. Also, it may help reduce inflammation associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.