13. FALSEHOOD AND LYING

There is a difference between telling a falsehood and lying. One who lies is not himself deceived, but tries to deceive others. He who tells a falsehood is himself deceived. One who lies deceives as far as he is able to, but one who tells a falsehood does not, himself; deceive more than he can help. A good man ought to take pains not to lie, a wise man, not to tell a falsehood.

12. DUTY

Duty performed is a moral tonic; if neglected the tone and strength of both mind and heart are weakened and the spiritual health undermined.

11. DO - GOOD

If you seek what is honourable, what is good, what is the truth of your life, all the other things you could not imagine come as a matter of course. Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly. Just don't give up trying to do good, that you really want to do. Where there is love, will and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong. You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. Everybody should carefully observe which way his heart draws him and then choose that way with all his strength and he will see his dreams come true.

10. DIFFICULT TIMES

Sometimes, when we are at a difficult time in our lives, we do not reach out for help. Maybe it is because we are proud, maybe we think we would be bothering someone with out troubles. Perhaps we are embarrassed. Or we might think that what is troubling us has never bothered anyone before and we are afraid to show our fears or feelings. Is it correct? We should learn to share our miseries, in a tactful manner, just as we would like others to share our joys, and take guidance.

9. COURAGE

Courage is finding the inner strength and bravery required when confronting danger, difficulty or opposition. Courage is the energy current behind all great actions and the spark that ignites the initial baby steps of growth. It resides deep within each of us, ready to be accessed in those moments when you need to forge ahead to break through seemingly insurmountable barriers.

8. CONTENTMENT

The fountain of contentment must spring up in the mind, and he who has so little knowledge of human nature as to see happiness by changing anything but his own disposition will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief's which he

7. CHILODREN

God has sent children to enlarge our hearts and to make us unselfish and full of kindly sympathies and affections rather than merely to keep up the race. - Children assist us in more ways than one: to give our souls higher aims; to call out all our faculties: to extended enterprise and exertion; and to sing round our firesides - bright faces, happy smiles and loving tender hearts.

6. BLESSINGS

I am a confirmed believer in 'blessings in disguise'. I prefer them undisguised when I happen to be the person blessed. But the theory that blessings in disguise are constantly happening to other people I find consoling. It enables me to bear their troubles without feeling miserable.

5. BENDING

The exercise most frequently performed by human beings. We bend over backwards for some people; we bend low fawning over others; we never miss a bender; teachers give benders; we periodically bend to pick up the shattered pieces of our lives; we bend double with pain; we bend low with care; we bend to touch our toes in vain attempt to stave off the middle age spread. In fact we are now beginning to stoop to any lengths.... And I wonder why our forefathers ever bothered to stand up in the first place.

4. AWE

Out of our recognition in fear and awe that there is an unknowable comes all that is best in the exploration of the mind, even though that recognition often misleads us into superstition, enslavement and over-confidence.

3, AFFLICTION

Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experience, that at the time seemed desolating and painful, with particular satisfaction. Indeed everything I have learnt, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence has been through 'affliction' and through 'happiness'. If it were to be possible to eliminate affliction from our earthly existence, the result would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal and trivial to be endurable.

2, ACTIVITY

Inactivity should be avoided by all means, it only leads us to be
nonsensical. Activity implies resistance. Resist all evils, mental and physical and when you have learnt to do this without fear or favour you will find calmness around you and peace of mind to give you company.

1. ACCURACY

Some of the words in common usage have widely divergent meanings and need deep reflection. I don't lay any claims to the originality of the words/sentences I have chosen, they are from my very old collections modified from time to time. Here are a few of these words, which fascinate me the most:

ACCURACY - It is basic to style. Words dress our thoughts and should fit not only in their utterances but also in their implications, their sequences and in their silences, just as in architecture the empty spaces are as important as those that are filled. The problem of all writing, speech and conversation is the same as that presented by the composition of a telegram. One has to convey a meaning, with the use of a few and generally inadequate words, and eke it out with what the reader, drawing upon his own reserves, will understand. The number of words one can use can never be enough to express one's innermost and real feelings and the impression one wishes to convey. Hence the necessity for apt choice of the few words one really uses - but the reserves he can draw upon in the readers or listeners mind are lavish indeed and that's what counts. The entire art therefore lies in choosing the words that the person not only understands but also has no room for ambiguity or misunderstandings.