Not Crooked

Pedro received a photo on social media abiut the hammering of a straight nail into the woodwork, leaving aside a line of crooked nails (that got bent with the first blow of the hammer). The caption spelled out the lesson: ‘The crooked ones will be left alone; the straight ones will get hammered!’ 

Pedro responded with a diagonally different interpretation: Those that are crooked will be discarded in the scrap heap. Those that are straight will end up being useful! 

So often, the nice ones, who walk the upright path, are sure that they are going to face the brunt of being ‘straight’. They may continue to align with their values, yet they are convinced that the crooked cheats will get the better returns. 

The choice to be ‘not crooked’ may result in tough outcomes, but it is the best thing to do. It empowers trust and enhances our trustworthiness. People rely on the ‘straight’ ones and stay away from the ‘crooked’ ones. Mankind has found use of those who are ‘not crooked’. 

Believing in the usefulness of being ‘not crooked’ is important to being happy with the choice that one has made. Just being ‘straight’ is not enough. We have to also believe that we are doing the right thing. We must rejoice that we have chosen to be ‘not crooked’!

The ‘crooked’ may seem to instantly benefit… 
Into worthiness, the ‘not crooked’ will truly fit! 

- Pravin K. Sabnis

 

#mondaymuse21stYear #pravinsabnis #since2004 #motivation #blogging #MondayMuse

 

 

Be Happy

At our home, the bathroom mirror would double up as a writing board. Birthday wishes, ‘welcome back’ messages, ‘things to do’ would be penned using colourful markers. Wishes and important messages would be seen at the right time… at the start of the day! 

One morning, the mirror had a line written by my then 12-year old daughter: ‘Make today better than yesterday!’ She told me that she had read the words in a children’s magazine. I asked her as to how could one make today better than yesterday. Her reply was simple: ‘by being happy!’

 

Surely, it as uncomplicated! It is said so well that life is less about how we make it and more about how we take it. Never mind the mishaps, never find the hurdles and never mind the regrets; it all boils downs to how we respond to the stimuli and the situation. 

 

Nevertheless, an affirmative attitude cannot be a postscript reaction. We have start every day with a resolve to make it a better. A better day is a matter of choice. We can choose a make a better day or we can choose to make it worse. 

 

We can opt to be happy and proactive or we can opt to be unhappy and inactive. It does not mean being oblivious of or indifferent to the situation. It is about taking every challenge and situation head on with a positive willingness that is reinforced with an attitude of tolerance and contentment.

 

Make the choice to be happy every day

Make today better than yesterday! 

 

- Pravin K. Sabnis

  

#mondaymuse21stYear #pravinsabnis #since2004 #motivation #blogging #MondayMuse