Lessons From Living - People Savvy

Getting along with the people we share this planet with



Be nice – Ravi (45)

Treat others the way you want others to treat you –PC (55)

A simple smile works wonders though its your enemy.
Accept the people the way they are and not for the way you want them to be.
You are never right always to comment and judge other people _ Haru (20)

Love your enemies – Janet, (49)


Don’t open your mouth in the wrong place. Someimes, its better not to show you know something even when you do –Girija (35)

One thing I learnt however is to keep my mouth firmly shut when others are voicing their opinions about things and people close to them. You are damned if you agree and damned if you don't !!!! Raji Muthukrishnan (62)

To keep smiling always. To take things light. And to shut my big mouth though I feel am right. Gitanjali (25 and newly married)

I leant not to cheat anybody – not to believe anybody – enjoy a little without crossing any limits- believe in gods, -there is nothing in the world without them- whatever you do- keep in your mind that everybody are watching- us.
Forget the past try to be the best in the present –
Take life as your challenge –and reach your destiny – Girija


'no matter what its the skill or knowledge one has speaks' –Rajesh ramanujam (35)



Listen to your elders – swarna (32)

When in one trouble one approaches the person with willingness and the ability to solve your problems –
I realize that when people come to you in trouble, all they want most of the time is a listening ear.
BJ Krishnan (63)

The one lesson that I have learned and have realized is that balance is the essence of life. Too much of anything, including good things like being too nice is harmful :).
Oswin Samuel (25)




Real everyday stuff that works –
Getting up earlier than your family so you have time for yourself is a great start
-kallu
An early morning walk in fresh air even if its only 5 min to get the milk is a great start to the day -kapu
When you are really desperate; turn to your family even its only to fill up lifebuoy questionnaires -sind
No matter how bad the situation, Happiness is just a bar of chocolate away –Dachu (25)
80% of the work is done by 20% of members in a team- sindhu (22)

Lessons From Living -III

Qualities that help along the way!


To achieve our greatest part of endurance is "COURAGE" –Aristotle –contributed by Kumari (44)

Patience-Ramkumar(30)

Gain or learn by experience –Goutham
It is always better to make life simple and uncomplicated as possible. –Anita N(40)
Attitude and individuality matters a lot. - Haru

Money is the deciding factor. Better to realize it late than never –Anandhi (45)

Lost opportunities in money making deals are my only regrets – so don’t be afraid to take risks – Ramesh (45)

Must say that the best thing I have learnt would be that I am going to lose as much as I can win, so I take both as well - however, I hate not having competed - so, try and compete - win or lose is not that big a deal ! – vijaykanth (53)

Get to the bottom of the problem" - be it professional, personal, national... - mahendran (49)

Expectations hurts. (ouch! That hurts)

Be sure there is a problem in the first place before working hard to solve one – Newton (49)

Work hard..no substitute for hard work ..Sheela (45)

The big results can be achieved by altering the small things – Babu (29)

To accept changes and to be a lot more humane –Geetha (45)

Lessons from Living!! -II

Happy people about happiness! – The (B)Right Attitude


`Always look on the bright side of life ... Babu (age 50)

Anything may happen anytime.. people will change … so enjoy life.. dont take things seriously why kavalai??? – Sajit (age 15)

Happiness lies in what you have got. And not in what you feel have lost. –Kalai (50)

Be happy with what you have while striving for better things-Kapu (43)

That every day is better than the rest – Banu (49)

Do what you deem right within the bounds of reason – Jyothi (25)

live life to the fullest and for the moment only. –Sastha Prakash (30)

Highly philosophical


In life nothing is permanent. so making far fetched plans ahead can be redundant sometimes. Life itself is only a phase that we pass through so as long as we at are it, I believe we live righteously.
In short love and be loved. Goutham (48)

We always searching for something in our life which exists and not exists but need to have space for everyone and everything in our life.- damu (35)

Mystery story Writers

One of the things that add such a huge Zing to my Life I've discovered is a Well- Written-Mystery-Story I go about with such a glow the whole day, its worth it to read lots of these:-)

A recent addition to my list of Favorite Authors is :

Josephine Tey- Elegant Prose - I can't reveal any more mysteries.
Other favorites :
PD James -
Sue Grafton - the A is for ... - lady With a zingy, irascible detective Kinsey Malhone
Mary Higgins Clark - though Ive mostly given up on her.. too horrifying
Ruth Rendell - Macabre but a scholar
Ngaaio Marsh - I've read only one but it was great
Mary Stewart - Unbeatable for mystery undertinged just slightly with romance
Agatha Christie- where one begins

Male writers:
Dick Francis - a very intelligent mind
Lawrence Sanders - though his Commandment books are good, his madly gay detective Mcnally really holds
Raymond Chandler - Style
Giovanni Guareschi's Don Camillo - tho this isnt detective fiction actually

Lessons and Thoughts

One of the lessons I learnt over the past few weeks is:

If you want to write about a movie you've just watched or about a book you are reading; you should do it NOW.

Otherwise, the urge to inflict all those shades of thoughts and reactions on the world passes. Later all those shades are muddied and you may still write it all out anyway creating something which is not quite fresh and true.

So here goes in random order, impressions of weeks past that have lingered, as short as I can make it.

Two movies remain in my head and remind me that there is a story in each one of us. People who live ordinary lives, in poverty and want yet each find something - a dream - to cling to that lifts their lives out of the misery of want and makes their lives rich. Mari in Poo and Vedachalam in Kanjeevaram.

Poo is about Mari; the girl with the heart of a flower. She is consumed with love for her cousin brother but is too shy to express it. The blossoming of a young girl as she tries to express her love in different ways ; her tribulations which are told in a gentle humorous way. Her gentle heart which can never bear to see him hurt.
Poo is about Mari and actor Parvathy justly deserves all the awards she has been accumulating with her sensitive face.



The sepia tones Of Kanjeevarm linger long after. It’s a movie of superlative visuals with great attention to detail paid to the sets depicting a style of life of 60 years ago. The sharp beauty of Shreya Reddy stands out as well as the vigor of Prakash Raj in every scene.
What keeps this poor weaver, Vedachalam going is his commitment to weave a saree for his daughter's‘wedding from silk - a Kanjeevaram which he can never afford in his lifetime and how he finds the means to this end. His broader visions – the rights of his community of weavers to better pay and conditions makes him a man of stature and how his ideals grow and bend are party of the story.

His sensitivity – when he sees his daughter crying; he doesn’t look at her directly or take her in his arms. But in the Indian way, stands apart and tries to address her problem. It seems more authentic than the father in Abiyum Naanum. Or is this a generation apart?

Lessons from Living -I

This morning I realized two lessons about life:

1) I have done a lot of living and and now its time to listen to my body and take more care - recovery is much slower

2) I may be bursting with plans for the day but I can put them aside and do other things which are as gladdening - I just have to spend a little time and thought


Both are interconnected of course. Yesterday, I had done more cooking than usual because my brother in law turned up; started a new painting on one bit of wall and made some changes in the garden which involved shifting some pots.
I went to bed with the happiness that I would be doing all this and more today- the monthly shopping; some more sorting out of books and so on.

But this morning I found I could hardly use one arm and leg. Obviously, I had been doing things I shouldn't yday. And now I can't be doing things I should. So take-it-easy day .

unfinished business that can wait

Im adding a pic to give the idea of unfinished work that hangs over our heads when we can't do it but we can happily gloss over when we can do it.


As I was making idlies with the left hand - its really very clumsy; one should use it more often- I was thinking of the lesson its teaching me . And suddenly the idea came to me that I should ask other people too what lessons they've learnt.
so I started sending out sms' and got some replies which cheered me up immensely.
In the process the idlies got a bit overcooked but never mind.

The replies in the next post... But please whoever is reading this send in yours too.