Merry Christmas 2011

Christmas or Christmas Day is an auspicious religious festival for Christians. It is being celebrated every year on the specified date December 25 with great fervor to commemorate the birth and life of Lord Jesus Christ. Christians on this occasion gather at the churches in the morning for the 'church service', popularly known as mass, for Christ. Christmas, nominally a holiday is observed in various innovative ways apart from following traditional practices that includes: preparation of dishes, exchanging gifts, offering prayers and enjoying meal with family members. Following the centuries old customs and beliefs, Christians will observe Christmas 2011 on Sunday in the month of December.

For pilgrims and ardent followers of Jesus, Christmas is a season for pilgrimage. To make long and tiresome journeys to shrines or the sacred city Bethlehem, located in Palestine, Jerusalem that is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus according to the New Testament Gospels of Luke and Matthew.

Merriment of Christmas has a long history and believed to bring goodwill. For many people, this festival is truly a magical season as they can stay at their houses and spend some good moments with their friends and family members. Christmas is a very special occasion for children because they fantasize Santa Claus traveling a long journey carrying fancy gifts for them.

The festivity of Christmas usually continues nearly for a month. But preparation gears up a few weeks ahead of Christmas. Houses, churches and offices are fascinatingly embellished with colourful lights to mark the religious festival in a grand way. Delicious cuisines and traditional dishes such as turkey, fruit cake, roasted potatoes, fudges and more are an integral part of this celebration.



Christmas is celebrated across the world following customs that varies from one to another country. But certain customs prevails irrespective of geographical boundary that includes sending warm Christmas greetings, fancy Christmas gifts and Christmas cards; to hold nativity plays, beautify Christmas tree and visit church to sing Christmas songs praising or reliving baby Jesus and Holy Mother Mary.

The excitement of the festival is also expressed and shared with lovely and snappy Christmas SMS or messages. Happy Christmas and Merry Christmas quotes available in varied languages are also popular as successful medium to share the spirit of joy and peace of the occasion.

Christmas tree, known as Yule tree, has a distinctive significance in this festival. The Christmas tree is adorned with beautifully wrapped gifts, ribbons and attractive items to make the occasion more pleasant. But with the growing awareness to protect trees and go eco-friendly, people now opting for artificial Yule tree at their houses to observe Christmas.

Christmas is the best time for a vacation. As New Year follows the festivity, people plan for long rejuvenating vacation making the occasion a memorable one.

Ritesh Patel : Success Rules

Our mission is to help people who have not been able to reach their goals. Times are not easy -- they are challenging and we all need help to stand up to meeting today's new norm. We want to give you not just ideas but actionable steps.

We believe that if you focus on the right behaviors, develop your skills and take corrective actions you can acheive the results you desire. But it all starts with understanding the rules and principles.

To get you started, Success Rules A -->> Z now posted! Check it out.

Success is not an end point but is the result of continuous focus on those actions that will lead you to reach your goals.

What has made you break through challenges and win? Please share with us your personal rule of success and some examples of how you've put your rule into practice.

A Lucky Date - 11/11/2011

The Numbers Say Yes!!

McCants also said that people who meditate and have faith in the power of numbers have long believed that one of the best times to meditate is at 11 in the morning or 11 at night.

"The belief is that the universe is open to whatever you want at that time, the number is so significant," said McCants.

Valentine's Day is also one of the most popular days to get engaged. And many happy couples are already eyeing 11-11-11 as a wedding date -- despite the fact that it falls on a Friday.

A Facebook contest offering a free wedding on 11-11-11 down in Key West, Fla. was swamped with more than 1,400 entrants. The lucky winners, Kristin and Billy from Campbell, Ohio were announced today.

"Many clients had asked us to delay petitions so that they could be filed on November 11," said advocate Madhuri Sharma, who handles family court matters. The reason, she explained, ranged from a plausible obsession with the numbers, which don't necessarily have any significance, to a hope that their case would get expedited. Not surprising. Early divorce is, indeed, a prayer that many sparring spouses chant, especially as the family court has a backlog of around 11,000 cases. On an average day, the court gets between 8 and 20 new cases.

Apart from hope, Friday also held for people the prospect of 'luck'. Luck, in fact, seemed to be the buzzword of the day as litigants rushed to file cases in courts around the city. Some couples were turned back from the family court because their applications were either incomplete or lacking documents.

Even lawyers were taken by the special 'lucky' day. With the rush to file litigation reaching a high, a few advocates vetoed their clients' wishes for divorce. "This was such a happy day with many couples getting married, babies being delivered. We refused to file applications on November 11. We asked our clients why they wanted to break their marriage while the world was celebrating," said advocate Sadhana Jayakar-Lalwani.

Other than hope and luck, one more reason inspired people to file their litigation on 11/11/11. Jayakar-Lalwani received a request where "the wife wanted to file a case on 11/11/11 as an act of vengeance. She said she wanted her husband to always remember the day that she took him to court for divorce. I refused."

Among the divorce cases that did get filed, the majority were filed under the Hindu Marriage Act seeking separation on grounds of cruelty, while others were filed under the Special Marriage Act and the Indian Divorce Act. Other cases, meanwhile, related to issues ranging from dowry harassment to child custody.

Any baby conceived right around Feb. 18 has a good chance of being born on 11-11-11 according to Dr. Samuel Pang, medical director at the Reproductive Science Center of New England.

The time from the date of conception to the expected date of delivery is usually 38 weeks. But, fair warning, that can vary by one to two weeks before or after the expected due date.

"They can certainly try to time when they get pregnant but the variable is when the woman is ovulating and once you become pregnant there are so many other variables, the exact date is really up to Mother Nature," said Pang.

While things might ultimately be up to Mother Nature that hasn't stopped couples from doing everything they can to have a baby with a memorable birth date.

On Babycenter.com one mom wrote about planning to "time everything right" and that included having a Caesarean section on Nov. 11.

Why all the fuss about this particular date? Numerologists think they have the key.

"There's no way a child born on that day will not be significant. ... It's that cool of a date," said Glynis McCants, a numerologist who has studied numbers for over 20 years and runs the website Numberslady.com.

"Anyone born on the 11th is here to master their life," McCants said. "It's a master number that encourages intelligence."

November 11 will also see Ranbir Kapoor's 'Rockstar' competing with Frieda Pinto and Henry Cavill’s 'Immortals'. The Imtiaz Ali directed film which also stars Nargis Fakhri in the lead will hit the theatres on 11.11.11 along with Tarsem Singh's 'Immortals'.

The content of the film is varied as 'Rockstar' is a contemporary film and 'Immortals' is a tale of Olympian Gods and Titans. It follows the historic journey of Theseus, the mortal who rose to save the Gods as part of a Greek epic via his next Immortals.

Singh who is of an Indian origin, is known for his films ‘The Cell' and 'The Fall'. He is set to release the film worldwide and in 600 cinemas in India in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu while 'Rockstar' will be released worldwide with over 2000 prints.

Pinto, who is of an Indian orgin as well and whose last release '

Planet Of The Apes' didn't do quite well at the box office will be competing against debutant Nargis, a half Czech-half Pakistani. Ranbir will be seen essaying Rockstar Jordon in the film and Cavill as Theseus in 'Immortal'.

Hitting the screens in India is also Tintin, Steven Spielberg's computer animated 3D adaptation of the Belgian comic book hero. The film aims to capture a new global audience for the adventures of the boy reporter with the trademark quiff.

The Adventures of Tintin, first penned in 1929 by Brussels-born author Georges Remi, better known as Herge, are already hugely popular in most of Europe and Spielberg said he hoped his film would find fresh fans.

In The Adventures of Tintin - The Secret of the Unicorn, Spielberg, who directed blockbusters including Indiana Jones, E.T. and Jaws, aims to bridge the gap between Herge's comics and the big screen by employing a technique similar to that deployed in James Cameron's record-breaking Avatar.

Gandhi's Birthday, October 2, 1869

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was born on October 2, 1869, was one of the great spiritual and peace leaders of the 20th century. He was a staunch advocate of non-violent social change, first in South Africa and later as the leader of the movement for Indian independence from British colonial rule.

Throughout his life, Gandhi stood for the dignity of all people, even those who fought against him. He was a champion of the rights of the “untouchables” in India and a persistent opponent of the Indian caste system. Gandhi also worked to peacefully resolve the conflicts between Hindus and Muslims and prevent the break up of India into Hindu and Muslim countries.

Gandhi believed that non-violence has great spiritual power and that spiritual power is reflected in non-violence. He was influenced in his philosophy of non-violence by the Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy and, in turn, influenced the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

When asked his opinion in 1949 of the 1945 US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Gandhi replied, “What has happened to the soul of the destroying nation is yet too early to see. Forces of nature act in a mysterious manner.”

Gandhi was a great peace hero. On this anniversary of his birth, it is worthwhile to reflect upon how Gandhi's philosophy and life of non-violence has changed the world and given us a model to aspire to as individuals and as a human community. Here are a few of Gandhi's statements for reflection:

“You have to stand against the whole world although you may have to stand alone. You have to stare the world in the face although the world may look at you with bloodshot eyes. Do not fear. Trust that little thing that resides in your heart.”

“As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world that is the myth of the ‘atomic age' as in being able to remake ourselves.”

“Consciously or unconsciously, every one of us does render some service or other. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and will make not only for our own happiness, but that of the world at large…all of us are bound to place our resources at the disposal of humanity.”

Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Patit Pavan Sita Ram
Sita Ram Sita Ram, Bhaj pyare tu Sitaram
Ishwar Allah tero naam, Sab ko Sanmti de Bhagawan..........

What do people do?

Many people celebrate Mahatma Gandhi's birthday across India. Events include:

Prayer services, commemorative ceremonies and tributes at locations all over India.
Art exhibitions and essay competitions.
The presentation of awards to projects stimulating a non-violent way of life.
The showing of films and book readings on Mahatma Gandhi's life and achievements.

Many people sing Raghupati Raghava Raja Ram, Gandhi's favorite devotional song. Bunches of flowers or flower garlands are placed on many statues of Mahatma Gandhi throughout India. Some people also avoid eating meat or drinking alcohol on October 2.
Public life

Government offices, post offices and banks are closed on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. Stores and other businesses and organizations may be closed or have reduced opening hours. Those wishing to use public transport on the day may need to contact the local transport authorities to check on timetables.
Background

Mahatma Gandhi, also known as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, and died on January 30, 1948. He was a political and spiritual leader in India and played a key role in the Indian independence movement. Gandhi developed the novel technique of non-violent agitation, which he called "Satyagraha", loosely translated as "moral domination".

He is known for his non-violent civil disobedience in India and South Africa. These included the start of the non-cooperation movement in 1922 and the Salt Satyagraha or Salt (Dandi) March starting on March 12, 1930. Through Gandhi's efforts, India finally gained its freedom on August 15, 1947. The nation mourned for him after he was assassinated on January 30, 1948. The United Nations' (UN) International Day of Non-Violence is also held on October 2 each year to coincide with Mahatma Gandhi's birthday.
Symbols

Three locations in India play important roles in the celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. These are:

The Martyr's Column at the Gandhi Smriti in New Dehli where Mahatma Gandhi was shot on January 30, 1948.
The Raj Ghat on the banks of the river Yamuna in New Dehli where Mahatma Gandhi's body was cremated on January 31, 1948.
The Triveni Sangam where the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati come together near Allahabad.

The British controlled the production and distribution of cloth in India in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Mahatma Gandhi felt that India could never become independent until the country could produce its own cloth. He encouraged people to spin and weave cotton cloth using small scale traditional spinning wheels and looms. Hence, simple hand spinning wheels for cotton became an important symbol of the struggle for Indian independence and Mahatma Gandhi's life and work.

7 Signs of a Successful Persons

A friend of mine approached me a few weeks ago asking if I could make an investment into a jewelry store he was looking to purchase. Typically when I get these types of offers, I don’t give them too much attention, but this offer was slightly different.

And it’s not so much that the offer was different, but the person making the offer was different from the usual requestors.

Whenever someone asks me to invest in their business, I always go through the following “signs” to determine if the person will become a success.

If I believe they will succeed, I will invest; I don’t mind investing in success.

The 7 Signs of a Successful Person

1. Passion and Purpose

“Without passion you don’t have energy; without energy you have nothing.”

~Donald Trump

Passion and purpose are crucial. Passion is birth from purpose.

Why is passion and purpose so critical? Because there will always be unforeseen obstacles and reasons to give up, passion and purpose give you the strength to overcome these obstacles without losing hope.

Passion and purpose create the focus you need to push yourself to victory. As Walter Cronkite so eloquently put it, “I can’t imagine a person becoming a success who doesn’t give this game of life everything he’s got.”

2. Persistence

“Success…seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit”

~Conrad Hilton

In order to succeed you must have a “no-give-up” attitude. You have to be like a bulldog, Winston Churchill said, “The nose of the bulldog has been slanted backwards, so that he can breathe without letting go. Are you as persistent as the bulldog?

3. Experience

“Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.”

~Rita Mae Brown

How much experience do you have? Experience is priceless.

Virtually every successful person I know went through many years of experience prior to becoming a success; typically, 10, 20, sometimes 30 years of experience before succeeding. What are you experienced in?

4. Courage and Faith

“The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are, for what we could become.”

~Charles Dubois

Nothing great is ever achieved without the courage to make great sacrifices, and the faith to believe you will succeed. Are you willing to put everything on the line and face your fears with faith, confidence, resolution and bravery? William Shed said, “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.”

5. Sincerity and Integrity

“To give real service you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”

~Douglas Adams

Isaiah wrote, “Without a vision, the people perish.” I came here to tell you, “Without people, the vision will perish.” No one can succeed without people, and people will only help those they like and trust.

6. Wisdom

“In the multitude of counselors there is safety.” ~Solomon

Do you take wise counsel, who’s coaching you? Who are your mentors? This is pivotal, it’s critical that you lean on the wisdom of others. No man is an island.

7. Growth

“He that never changes his opinions, never corrects his mistakes, and will never be wiser on the morrow than he is today.”

~Tryon Edwards

Are you willing to fail forward? I often say that the road to success is paved with bricks of failure and mortar of rejection. Failure is necessary for success. If you’re not failing, you’re not growing, and if you’re not growing, you’re dying.

In Conclusion

Will Rogers said, “In order to succeed, you must know what you are doing, like what you are doing, and believe in what you are doing.” I agree with Mr. Rogers.

In case you’re wondering about my friend’s business venture, I did make the investment. I believe success is predictable, and my friend possesses the signs of a “successful person.”