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anwar kamal

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What is the first thing you tell yourself when you wake up to give yourself energy or courage?

Many people use various quotes and axioms for to inspire and motivate them for a new day. eg. steve jobs said. "I ask myself what would I do if today was my last day?"

What do you tell or ask yourself?

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    Edwin Nazarian 10+

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    Oct 30 2011: Many self-help training and books teach us to live every day as it is our last day, live the life to the fullest and achieve the very best for us. This bit makes me to think that we are being programmed to think about only ourselves and accomplish what we possibly can. It doesn’t really matter what we say to ourselves to start the day, but what we really want to do during the day, that counts. Starting a day by thinking that it is the luckiest day to be alive and be thankful for it makes me to want to do something (I mean to do it unconditionally) that can be useful for other human being, for our society and humanity (not mentioning the universe). After all you will understand that this approach will help you to improve not only their lives but yours as well. I think to start a day with a smile on your face is more important than 1000 words. “How can I make other person be happy?” that’s what I say to myself. And when they are happy being around me then I am happy to have the power to make them happy. After all, isn’t the happiness that we all pursue? People of great faith, I am not the person to tell you what to do and how to do, but if you really want to have a kinder world, then help others to meet their needs and we all will have the days of our dreams everyday on earth. Thanks for reading :-)

    • tishe Hires 10+

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      Nov 1 2011: Hi Mr. Edwin,
      Are you selling a book? :)

      • Edwin Nazarian

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        Nov 1 2011: Hi Tishe Hires

        No, I am not selling any book, but if you mean whether I write a book or not, the answer is: Yes, I do.

        • anwar kamal

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          Nov 2 2011: i think your book is related to the title. can you tell us the title
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      Colleen Steen 500+

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      Nov 1 2011: Hi Edwin,
      I don't believe we can actually "make" anyone happy. We certainly can contribute to the happiness of others, and whether or not one is happy, I believe is a choice s/he makes for him/her self. If our goal is to function in a way that we think may "make" others happy, is it really unconditional in our own heart and mind?

      • Edwin Nazarian

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        Nov 1 2011: Hi Colleen, Thanks for you note. I agree you said that and the only thing I would add is that people are happy when they meet their needs, you do think that too, don't you? When a parent helps her/his child to meet his/her needs, doesn’t that make the child be happy? I do believe that parents are happy seeing their child’s being happy. Is a mother's function conditional? And we are all parents and children, so we can make each other happy in a way we can, can’t we? Sometimes even your presence can make others happy, isn't it unconditional in your heart and mind? you do nothing but just being there with them. you give them what they need without asking anything in return. Thanks
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          Colleen Steen 500+

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          Nov 2 2011: Hi Edwin,
          Yes...I agree..people are happy when their needs are met, when a parent helps her/his child to meet needs, seeing their children happy. Yes...it is unconditional when we ask nothing in return. Is it still "unconditional" when you believe you "have the power to make them happy", as you say?

          Edwin, I'm curious as to why you have two TED accounts?

      • Edwin Nazarian

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        Nov 2 2011: Hi Colleen.
        Let me answer to your last question first. Why do I have two TED accounts? I think when I opened the first one, I thought I did something wrong and I didn’t have time to follow all the way through as I am not good in computing science. And I haven’t finished with filling in the account I use now. I would be glad if someone could help me to know how to delete one.

        Your second question was about whether I help people unconditionally as I say and believe in.
        To me the word “help” means giving-a-hand-to-another-person-who-needs-it (this isn’t from any English dictionary). To my understanding people ask for help when they need a help and not when they want. And here it comes, the helping-others-to-meet-their-needs. Even if it is just a simple smile, a nice word, a piece of advice, a meal or even a place to overnight, I giving without asking.
        I might sound a bit strange in this era, but all this comes from my background.

        What did Jesus Christ, Buddha, Lao Tze, Henry D Thoreau, Ralth W Emerson, M Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. N. Mandela teach us? HUMANITY! HOSPITALITY! LOVE! PEACE! I believe. How many of us live the way of life they showed us?

        I think we went far from asked question. :-)
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          Colleen Steen 500+

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          Nov 2 2011: Edwin,
          Yes, help means giving, understanding, meeting others needs, a nice smile, nice words, piece of advice, a meal, place to stay overnight and giving without asking. All of that does not sound strange at all. It is a wonderful thing to remind ourselves to do when we wake up in the morning. I try to live the life you talk about, and I do not believe I have the "power to make them happy". We can certainly contribute to the happiness of others, but we cannot "make" anyone happy. I am not questioning the actions in any way. I don't believe that a feeling of "power" to "make" others happy is unconditional.

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