When your paradigm shifts...

In his book 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey describes our stereotypical responses to situations based on past experiences. Do you remember the stories that he told us to explain the paradigm shift. My favorite story on seeing things differently is the cookie story. So for those of you who dont remember the story here we go:

Change Your Point of View.. Joe Gracia ---

Imagine you're in London's Heathrow Airport. While you're waiting for your
flight, you notice a kiosk selling shortbread cookies. You buy a box, put
them in your traveling bag and then you patiently search for an available
seat so you can sit down and enjoy your cookies.Finally you find a seat next
to a gentleman. You reach down into your traveling bag and pull out your box
of shortbread cookies.

As you do so, you notice that the gentleman starts watching you intensely.
He stares as you open the box and his eyes follow your hand as you pick up
the cookie and bring it to your mouth. Just then he reaches over and takes
one of your cookies from the box, and eats it! You're more than a little
surprised at this. Actually, you're at a loss for words. Not only does he
take one cookie, but he alternates with you. For every one cookie you take,
he takes one.

Now, what's your immediate impression of this guy? Crazy? Greedy? He's got
some nerve?! Can you imagine the words you might use to describe this man
to your associates back at the office? Meanwhile, you both continue eating
the cookies until there's just one left. To your surprise, the man reaches
over and takes it. But then he does something unexpected. He breaks it in
half, and gives half to you. After he's finished with his half he gets up,
and without a word, he leaves.


You think to yourself, "Did this really happen?" You're left sitting there
dumbfounded and still hungry. So you go back to the kiosk and buy another
box of cookies. You then return to your seat and begin opening your new box
of cookies when you glance down into your traveling bag. Sitting there in
your bag is your original box of cookies -- still unopened.

Only then do you realize that when you reached down earlier, you had reached
into the other man's bag, and grabbed his box of cookies by mistake. Now
what do you think of the man? Generous? Tolerant? You've just experienced a
profound paradigm shift. You're seeing things from a new point of view.

Is it time to change your point of view?

Now, think of this story as it relates to your life. Seeing things from a new point of view can be very enlightening.

I was thinking, ever so often I judged and criticized people for not wearing the Christian outfit I wear. So the things I do right becomes the parameter for the rest of the world. You know how JESUS was not impressed about us comparing ourselves with ourselves. And everyday I realize that at the foot of the Cross we all stand on even ground.

Last week I myself using my finite wisdom and knowledge of a particular situation judged and criticized atleast 11 different people. By the end of the week I was just so sick and tired of playing judge! And what's worse is that I was all wrong or half wrong or never mind!!!  Being a judge is so demanding that I want The JUDGE to be the JUDGE. I dont want to be a part of it, I dont want to assume, criticize, justify, react or repond... I just want to be right before GOD and only that matters.

And this can happen only when GOD makes your paradigm shift....

So you`ve had a bad day...

I once read that what seems like a bad day may turn out to be a good day and what seems like a good day may in reality be a really bad day. Or what may seem like a fantastic news may eventually result into something really bad or what may seem like a really bad news may turn out for our good.

10 years ago I was considering an internal job posting. Having worked with the BPO for so many years I was excited about being promoted to a team leader. I worked real hard towards this promotion. I went through all the rounds. At the tail end of this process, I didn't make it. I failed the final interview.

This was one big failure. It seemed like a big failure. Utterly disappointed and downcast I spent many days feeling
 hopeless. I spent the next few weeks in gloom... I hardly understood that all things work together for good for those who love GOD and for those who are called according to HIS purposes.

And then one fine afternoon, the head of my department recommended that I move into training and development and put in a high recommendation for me. I went through all the rounds half hearted and least bothered. I was not even aware of what the future had in store for me through this opportunity.

To my amazement I got the job !

Then I applied to IBM and got a promising role there. I worked my way up and also met the person who told me all about a Loving Savior. So what seemed like a bad day spiralled into the most unbelievable promotion and of course led to me to getting to know JESUS.

And what seems like an awesome day eventually turned into a day I wish I never woke up to !

Like the day I met the person who did me the most wrong. However, the day he asked me out seemed to be the best day ever. It seemed to me the most beautiful day of my life. Little did I know that 8 months later this was going to result into the worst heart break ever !

So I have been trying to change my attitude when I have a bad day. Just wondering what is in store for me beyond the despair of the gloomy today. Or may be just praying about the great day I`ve had even asking for the strength to face an uncertain tomorrow...

Like the famous hymn says ``this child can face uncertain days because HE lives``

The Love Letter...

Two weeks ago I received the most sweet love letter from someone I had met only recently. It was filled with words trying to express love and emotions that we can't use words to express. And yet it stirred up so many lovely feelings within my heart.

I was still in bed when my phone beeped and I saw this message marked to me, I opened it not even expecting to read what I was about to read. The love letter took me by surprise. Its so flattering to know that someone thinks so lovingly about you. It's was so flattering for me that I read the message again and again and again. I read it so many times over that I memorized it word for word. Right this moment I could repeat every word in the love letter to me verbatim.

The funny thing is that I never got bored of it. As a matter of fact every time I read his words to me it seemed fresher and more meaningful. So I read it a few more times over. In the first one hour of receiving the letter I must have read it over 50 times ! ! !

I soooooo loved the love letter to me that I forwarded it to my best friend because I wanted to share my excitement over it with her, I just wanted her to cherish it as much as I did ! And because she is my best friend I was sure she would share in my joy and excitement and exhilaration... Like expected she called me unable to conceal her excitement. And then we discussed the letter word by word and line by line.

I couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful words in the love letter to me. I thought about it at work, in bed, as I walked and talked. I thought about it all the time. I was walking in the clouds. The last 2 weeks have been beautiful just thinking about his love letter to me...

Just one love letter convinced me of his love for me !

And then what comes to mind is a more meaningful love letter that I completely forgot. The Love Letter written by someone who loves me like no other. Who's love for me is not based on my performance or the way I look or dress up or speak. Not based on what I do. And not even based on how I love back ! So true HIS love for me is...

This Love Letter was loaded with more love than I could grasp. HE wrote this letter to me many years ago but it was delivered to me by my friend Pradeep Warpe in 2006. I was too busy to care about HIM or HIS Love Letter. So I just put it away. I finally got down to opening it and reading it in 2007. I had no idea that HE wrote to me before that. I read it but I must confess I didn't take it seriously. I didn't read it so many times over. I didn't think about it the whole day. It didnt impress me and it was too good to be true so I didnt even believe it much.

But HE said in HIS love letter to me that HE loves me. HIS love will never change no matter what I do or even if I blow it up real bad. HE has decided that HE is not going to leave me. HE is just a call away. Whenever I am in trouble I just have to call on HIM and HE will be there and sort it all out for me. Right now HE is getting my mansion ready and HE will be back to get me. Nothing will ever separate us, just nothing. Nothing I can think about or imagine can keep us apart. Even if I decide to walk away HE will wait for me. HE wont move on. Whatever I ask for HE will arrange to let me have it if it wont harm me in the long run HE said. HE also said that HE thinks about me all the time. And HE has my name tattooed on HIS hand. HE cant stop looking at it. HE is jealous for me. HE doesnt like it when anyone else takes HIS place in my heart or in my life.

So much JESUS loves us. Yet I take a man's love letter and hold it close to my heart and I take HIS Love Letter and keep it on my shelf. I think about a man's love letter all day. Just 6 lines I repeat in my head. Moment after moment I open it and read it and close it and keep it back and then quickly go back to it and open it and read those same 6 lines as if so much changed 2 minutes ago. And I forget HIS perfect, true, never changing love for me !

I am embarrassed that I held a man's love letter so dear and took for granted the best Love Letter written by the best Lover who loved me and laid HIS life down for me ! ! ! !