He admired his new possessions proudly as he wandered the jungle. They glistened red in the sun, and seemed perfect to him. He became so attached to them, that he didn’t even notice his hunger at first. A fruit tree reminded him of his hunger, but he felt the apples in his hands. He couldn’t bear to set them down to reach for the fruit. In fact, he couldn’t relax, either, if he was to defend his apples. A proud, but less happy monkey continued to walk along the forest trails.

The apples felt heavy, and at one point the poor little monkey thought about leaving them behind. He was tired, hungry, and he couldn’t climb trees or collect fruit with his hands full. What if he just let go? Letting go of such valuable things seemed crazy, but what else could he do? He was so tired. Seeing the next fruit tree, and smelling its fruit was enough. He dropped the wooden apples and reached up for his meal. He was happy again.

Like that little monkey, we sometimes carry things that seem too valuable to let go. Shiny wooden apples leave us tired and hungry for a better life. Still, letting go seems crazy. Even our worries are sacred apples – they prove we are “doing everything we can.” We hold onto them compulsively.

As soon as the sage came near the palace he said, “Wow, what a beautiful masterpiece. I feel like looking at the architecture all day.” The emperor later took him to the dining hall. The sage tasted the varieties of sweets, exotic cooked meat, and fruits and said “Yummy, can I have some more….”

Later the emperor took the sage to view dancing girls. The sage could not take his eyes off the girls. He adored their beauty and tapped his feet.

The emperor had been observing the sage all along. He was puzzled about the sage’s interest in these base worldly pursuits. So he confronted the sage, “You call yourself a sage. And you were popular for your renounced life and meaningful messages. But look how you are imbibing these pleasures…”

The sage looked at the emperor for some time and said, “Can you take me to the jungle where I came from?” The leader agreed and they set off on the journey. Soon they reached the border between the city and the jungle. The sage then tells the emperor, “Now, come with me into the jungle and let’s start living in the woods.”

The emperor begins to panic. He responds, “I cannot leave my palace, post, power, and luxury.”

The sage smiles and said, “That is the difference between you and me. I can renounce the worldly life anytime and return to a peaceful and happy living. But you cannot give up your status, glamour, and vices and live in the jungle.”

The emperor got the message. He touched the feet of the sage and the wise one walked into the woods in peace.

This story was selected and submitted by Anitha Jebaraj.

“Daddy, may I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, sure, what is it?” replied the man.

“Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?”

“What makes you ask such a thing?” the man said angrily.

“I just want to know – please tell me, how much do you make an hour?” pleaded the little boy.

“If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour.”

“Oh…!” the little boy replied, head bowed. Looking up, he said, “Daddy, may I borrow $10.00 please?”

The father was mad. “If the only reason you wanted to know how much money I make is just so you can borrow some to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you better march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you’re being so selfish. I work long, hard hours everyday and don’t have time for such childish games.”

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door. The man sat down and started to get even madder about the little boy’s questioning. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money.

After an hour or so, the man had calmed down, and started to think he may have been a little hard on his son. Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $10.00 and he really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of the little boy’s room and opened the door. “Are you asleep son?” he asked.

“No daddy, I’m awake,” replied the boy.

“I’ve been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier,” said the man. “It’s been a long day and I took my aggravation out on you. Here’s that $10.00 you asked for.”

The little boy sat straight up, beaming. “Oh, thank you daddy,” he yelled. Then reaching under his pillow, he pulled out some crumpled up bills.

The man seeing that the boy already had money started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted out his money then looked up at the man.

“Why did you want more money if you already had some?” the father grumbled.

“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do,” the little boy replied. “Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?”

This inspirational story was selected by Nithya Shanti.

First Important Lesson – Cleaning Lady

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read
the last one: ‘What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?’
Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50′s, but how would I know her name?
I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.
‘Absolutely,’ said the professor. ‘In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello.’
I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

Second Important Lesson – Pickup In The Rain

One night, at 11:30 pm, an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled ’60s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.
She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man’s door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached.
It read: “Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband’s bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.”
Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

Third Important Lesson – Always Remember Those Who Serve

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.
“How much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked.
“Fifty cents,” replied the waitress.
The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.
“Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he inquired.
By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.
“Thirty-five cents,” she brusquely replied.
The little boy again counted his coins.
“I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.
You see, he couldn’t have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

Fourth Important Lesson – The Obstacle In Our Path

In ancient times, a king had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.
After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway.
The peasant learned what few people in the world truly understand: Within every obstacle lies a golden opportunity to improve our condition.

Fifth Important Lesson – Giving When It Counts

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes I’ll do it if it will save her.”
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?”
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway.

Gratitude to Geir Ove Knutsen for sharing these five stories with me.

Let us all take these beautiful lessons to heart today…
1) In our life we will meet many people. All are significant. They all deserve our attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say “hello.”
2) Never pass an opportunity to serve others. Our smallest gestures showing care can affect their life profoundly.
3) Always remember those who serve you, even in the smallest way. Never take them for granted even if they take you for granted!
4) Within every obstacle lies a golden opportunity to improve our condition.
5) Give when it counts. Give without counting. Give!

These universal stories have been selected by Nithya Shanti.

He said he was in a hurry, as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would be able to see him.

I saw him looking at his watch, and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound.

On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment that morning, as he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, but he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.

I inquired about her health; he told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, “And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?”

He smiled as he patted my hand and said, ”She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.”

I had to hold back tears as he left. I had goose bumps on my arms and thought, “That is the kind of love I want in my life.”

True love is neither physical nor romantic.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

LIVING LIFE CREATIVELY AND JOYOUSLY

The Fine Print of Life brings alive the charmingly named Panna Lal, Hira Lal, Mishri Devi, Jalebi Devi and others as they muddle through life in their search for happiness and success. Struggling to make it big, but not sure what they really want from life, they reflect our own doubts, difficulties and apprehensions. As the author, P.S. Wasu, guides us, through them, to a new awareness of ourselves, he offers no prescriptions. What he does is far more valuable: he enables us to create our own paths and see the possibilities of our own lives.

There is no magic wand to solving life’s problems. But short of that, The Fine Print of Life shows us how we can live creatively and joyously. The book is not about making hard work of life. It is about letting go, effortlessness and spontaneity—the qualities we had in such abundance when we were children. It triggers something that brings our childhood back, showing us how to live life in the here and now.

With wonder and curiosity. Energy and enthusiasm. Trusting our impulses and acting upon them. Best of all, with the feeling that life is beautiful and it is great to be alive.

To read the introductory chapter of The Fine Print of Life, please go to this link:

http://tickledbylife.com/index.php/the-fine-print-of-life/

The Fine Print of Life
How Panna Lal Found Happiness, Wisdom and Mishri Devi

By P.S. Wasu

ISBN 9788172237516
177 pages, Price Rs. 195
Published by HarperCollins India

In bookshops in India from mid-April, 2009

Order online for delivery in India. Click here.

For delivery in the rest of the world, please contact N.S. Krishna, Sales Director, HarperCollins India, at krishna@harpercollins-india.com.

He lived at the very edge of the village in a small lodge made from bark and branches. His hair was always a tangled mess, and his clothes were old and tattered cast-offs he had been given in trade.

The village children were cruel and made fun of him because of the way he looked and because he was an orphan. This was a time when people did not have stories to teach them how to respect and care for others.

Young Mohan was an excellent hunter with his bow and arrows. He traded the birds and animals he killed for parched corn, other food and clothes.

As winter drew nearer, Mohan had to go further and further into the woods to hunt. One day he went further than he had ever been before. Eventually he came to a clearing where there was a large flat smooth stone with another round stone sitting on top of it.

Mohan sat on the flat stone and rested his back against the round one. He laid the birds he had killed next to him. Then he reached into his buckskin pouch for some parched corn, and began to tighten his bowstring.

“Shall I tell you a story?” asked a deep rumbling voice near him.

Mohan got such a fright he nearly choked. He jumped up quickly, spitting corn from his mouth and looked around but could see no one.

“Who’s there?” shouted Mohan. “Come out and show yourself.”

The clearing was silent. Nothing moved.

“I must be hearing things,” Mohan said to himself. “And now I’m talking to myself too.”

With a laugh, he sat down again and rested his back against the round stone.

“Shall I tell you a story?” asked the deep voice again.

Mohan sprang to his feet and shouted “All right, that’s enough. Show yourself now!”

Again, the clearing was silent and nothing moved.

Then Mohan looked at the round stone he’d been resting against. He could see a face in it. He realised it was the stone’s voice he’d heard.

“Who are you, and what are you?” asked Mohan.

“I am grandfather stone. I’ve been here since time began,” answered the stone.

“Shall I tell you a story?” asked the deep rumbling voice.

“What is a story?” asked Mohan. “What does it mean to tell a story?”

“Stories tell us of all things that happened before this time,” answered grandfather stone. “Give me a gift of your birds and I will tell you how the world came to be.”

“You may have the birds,” said Mohan.

He sat down in front of the stone. Its deep voice told him of a time before this one, how the world came into being. When he finished one story, the stone told another and then another. On and on he went.

As the sun began to set the stone said, “That’s enough for today. Come back tomorrow and I will tell you more stories. But don’t tell anyone about what you’ve heard today.”

Mohan ran back to the village. He managed to kill a few birds on the way to trade for hot food and parched corn.

When he traded the birds with a woman in the village she asked him “Why have you brought back so few birds from your hunting?”

“Winter is getting nearer and it’s harder to find anything to hunt,” answered Mohan.

Early the next morning, Mohan went into the woods with his bow and arrow. He hunted for birds and then rushed back to the clearing.

“Grandfather stone, I’ve brought you more birds as gifts,” said Mohan. He put the birds down on the flat stone. “Please tell me some more stories.”

Mohan sat down and the stone started telling one story after another until it was nearly nightfall. This happened for many days. Mohan brought back fewer and fewer birds to the village. The children of the village were even crueller to him. They made fun of him and told him that now he wasn’t even a good hunter.

One day Mohan came to the clearing, placed his gift on the stone and said, “Grandfather stone, please tell me some more stories.”

But the stone answered, “I have no more stories to tell. You have heard all that has happened before this time. Now you must pass on the knowledge you have learned from the stories. You will be the first storyteller.

You must tell others what you have heard, and also add stories of what happens from now on. The people you tell will remember your stories. Some will remember better than others. Some will tell different versions when they pass them on. It doesn’t matter. The truths and lessons from the stories will be remembered.”

“Thank you grandfather stone,” said Mohan. “I will make sure the stories are not forgotten.”

Mohan went back to the village. He knew it was time to move on. The people here didn’t respect him and wouldn’t listen. He collected his few belongings and left the village without telling anyone. No one missed him.

Mohan travelled far and eventually came to another village. The people welcomed him warmly. They invited him to come in out of the cold wind, sit by the fire and share their food.

After he had finished eating Mohan said, “You have been so kind I’d like to share something with you.”

He began to tell the stories he had learned from grandfather stone. He told them of the time when animals could speak, and when the turtle raced the bear.

That night the lodge house seemed warmer and the sound of the first storyteller’s voice could be heard above the howling wind outside. People went to sleep dreaming of the stories they had heard.

The chief of the village sent runners to other villages, inviting everyone to come and hear the stories. They brought gifts of food and clothing for Mohan to thank him. A beautiful young woman came and sat by him every time he spoke. She listened to every story. Many seasons passed. Mohan stayed in the village and married the young woman.

When he had shared all the stories with the people of the village and its neighbours, Mohan and his wife left and travelled to other villages further away, to tell the stories.

Eventually they came to the first village where he had lived before. The people didn’t recognise him in his fine clothes and with his beautiful wife.

The village chief welcomed them, inviting them to sit by the fire and share their food. Mohan told his stories. The people listened with their ears and their hearts.

Mohan told them, “You must not forget the stories and legends. You must pass them on to your children and your grandchildren, and they must pass them onto theirs. We can never again forget the stories and their wisdom.”

And that is how it has been from that day to this. The stories from grandfather stone have been handed down from generation to generation and storytellers are still honoured today by those who listen.

Mohan and Sohan left their village and headed for a big city in search of work. They found well-paying jobs and were very happy. A year later, they lost their jobs due to the recession. Instead of rushing back to their village, they stayed put in the big city hoping they would find work again. In a few months, all their money was finished. They were left with just enough money to pay for their fare back home. So they started the long journey. After 36 hours of train journey, there was 6 hours of bus journey followed by another 12 hours of trek up a hill before they could make it to their village.

After the bus journey, their money was finished and they were hungry. As they passed a village, the villagers were unwilling to share any food with the hungry travellers because of the recession.

The travellers then filled a pot with water, dropped a large stone in it, and placed it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers became curious and asked what they were doing. The travellers answered that they were making “stone soup”, which tasted wonderful, although it still needed a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they didn’t have. The villager didn’t mind parting with just a little bit to help them out, so it got added to the soup. Another villager walked by, inquiring about the pot, and the travellers again mentioned their stone soup which hadn’t reached its full potential yet. The villager handed them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walked by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup was enjoyed by all.

What do you say?

Do comment below.

Thank you, dear reader, for helping us become the most popular life enhancement website in such a short time. As we grow rapidly, we will continue to surprise, provoke, inspire and wow you with articles on personal development and life skills.

Chart from Google Analytics

It is heartening to see the growing community of Tickledbylife.com. Thousands of people visit the site every day from all over the world. The break-up of the site traffic from different countries as of now is as under:

To make Tickledbylife.com more fun we have now started a discussion forum Open Space. Jump in and start exploring. Do tickle others by sharing, expressing and interacting with them, and be tickled in turn!

As of now, there are 371 articles by 62 ticklers apart from guest ticklers. The ticklers have diverse backgrounds and come from all parts of the world so that you have a multitude of perspectives on issues related to life enhancement. Do look up the articles that you have missed and catch up with new ones. Every week we add about 20 articles.

Please do send us your suggestions and comments. On our part, we will keep experimenting and giving you meaningful and interesting stuff. Stay tickled.

Happy goose bumps!

Tickler at large

There was a cowherd Mohan who took his cows to the meadows every morning and brought them back to the cowshed at the end of the day. One evening, as he was tying the cows up for the night, he found that one of them was missing her rope. He feared that she might run away, but it was too late to go and buy a new rope. He didn’t know what to do, so he went to a wise man who lived next door and sought his advice. The wise man told him to pretend to tie the cow, and make sure that the cow saw him doing it. Mohan did as the wise man suggested and pretended to tie the cow.

The next morning Mohan discovered that the cow had remained still throughout the night. He untied all the cows as usual, and they all went outside. He was about to go to the meadows when he noticed that the cow with the missing rope was still in the cowshed. She was standing on the same spot where she had been all night. He tried to coax her to join the herd, but she wouldn’t budge. Mohan was perplexed. He went back to the wise man who said, “The cow still thinks she is tied up. Go back and pretend to untie her.” Mohan did as he was told, and the cow happily left the cowshed.

What do you say?

Do comment below.

Jasmine had a precious necklace. Once in her excitement she forgot that she had it round her neck and looked into her cupboard to find it. When she could not find it in the cupboard, she thought that the necklace was lost. She became anxious and looked for it everywhere in her home but could not find it. She asked friends and neighbours if they knew anything about the lost necklace. They did not. At last her friend Lily told her to feel the necklace round her neck. Jasmine found that it had all along been round her neck and she was overjoyed. Her face glowed with excitement as she hugged Lily.

Lily said, “You are so happy. It seems you have found a new necklace.”

Jasmine smiled.

What do you say?

Do comment below.

Then there is tickling at the psychological level.

You feel tickled when you are moved by a picturesque sight. You have this wondrous sensation when you hit upon a creative idea or achieve something big. It also happens when you are overwhelmed by a piece of music or a beautiful passage in a book. It can be triggered by anything nice happening or a kind gesture on somebody’s part. Falling in love feels like being tickled.

Incidentally, tickling at the psychological level also gives rise to physical signs like goose bumps and flushing of the skin.

It would seem that the feeling of being tickled occurs when something nice or unexpected happens to you. But that is only one part of the story. Actually, this special feeling is not so much dependent on what happens to you but on your ability to recognize what happens when it does.

If good things happen to you and you are not able to notice them, it is as if they have not happened at all. It is really a question of being sensitive enough to register them.
A ‘tickled mindset’ is what brings about a ‘tickled experience’!

Sometime back there was a discussion in the “Tickled by Life” group on Facebook on “What tickles you?” We reproduce below the various replies submitted by group members.

What tickles you?

For me, it’s helping others.

Jé Maverick

I’m tickled by the idea that each day presents me with the option of creating something that didn’t exist yesterday, and that these things will take on a life of their own… positively and negatively. Every day is an opportunity to move the universe towards a better destination.

Trey Baird

A tickle: a pleasurable stimulus to sensitive nerve endings, provoking laughter.

When life tickles, the nerve endings are in the mind and soul. Pleasurable stimuli abound. You want to be tickled by life? Stand still outdoors, observing, and slowly turn in a circle, observing. Observe as much as you can. Take an hour at it if you want, or just a minute.

Study the clouds, how their shapes change moment to moment; watch a flock of birds, and how they interact, the fluid forms they create as a group; see how many shades of green you can find; spot an odd-shaped stone, and imagine touching it; notice something you have never noticed before; study a reflection. Observe, and by observing, receive the stimuli of life.

What tickles me the most? The grandeur of life.

Don Dewsnap

I love how you just described it. I get tickled when I look at the clouds, birds, and nature itself. I am especially tickled when I see babies of any kind experiencing something for the first time. Thank you for your description.

Lisa Morgan (In response to Don’s post above)

You are so right about the grandeur of life… and also those things which are so obvious and around us but we miss noticing them. It tickles to realize that they are always there but get noticed only when they affect our lives and touch our raw nerves.

Gitanjali Kamal (In response to Don’s post above)

I am tickled to be a part of “Tickled by Life”. What tickles me is when my husband and I are able to transform people from the medical sickness industry into the wellness industry and begin to age younger.

Stephanie Tippie

Watching my boys grow and learn. I laugh with joy from them daily. What puzzles me is how some people immediately assume when you are laughing it is at another’s expense and not the joy you are feeling.

Cyn Rielley

What tickles me is when I am helping or encouraging other people and the joy it brings to them. If for no other reason but to just help someone out, I don’t help to get something in return. No one can understand it. Maybe the people in this group, but my family thinks people use me. I don’t.

Lisa Morgan

I get tickled when I go back home from work and see my son. I get tickled when I am challenged, stretched to limits @ work /tennis.

Sharad Chowdhaary

I am tickled when I get a compliment. Okay, I admit it, I like doing things well and being appreciated and admired. That’s not why I try to do things well, but it is a real nice perk.

I also get tickled when anyone tells me that something I have said or written has been helpful or useful to them. That’s a big-time tickle, even better than being complimented. Knowing I have made another life better – what could be more tickly?

Don Dewsnap

I am thankful for life every day. Every morning we wake up, that’s another slew of blessings…its starts over everyday! God is good.

Chris Royal

What tickle me most nowadays is upbringing Kids and students to make their own “Future Map”.

Hayadin Bin Hayadin

I’m just jumping for joy today, I had a wonderful sleep, and woke up just enjoying life. Got a wonderful tickling mail earlier. I’m just enjoying this wonderful day, listening to my favourite Christmas music on Youtube. And looking forward to a Christmas party later today. Happy and embracing life. That’s me :O).
Tickles to you all.

Karin Ludvigsen

I’m tickled by other people who become so inwardly focused they miss the things going on around them. I am that person at times, and when I notice it in others, I’m immediately reminded to become more alert. Check out the world. It’s happening now!

Marc Carlin

I function best in an atmosphere of love and encouragement.

Abhijit Bhaduri

Unexpected compliments!

Clare Appleyard

Inspiration.

James Burgos

Success.

Aayush Wasu

To point out negative things.

DrunkenG-ride Bouncer

The concern that my best friend shows for me!!!!!

Sabeena Mazumdar

I’m not your best friend Sabeena, but I am tickled that you have invited me to this group. It seems like the best group I’ve been invited to, so far. Thank you!!!

Carl Boniface (In response to Sabeena’s post above)

I agree! Thank you!

Lisa Morgan (In response to Carl’s post above)

Affection and candidness.

Praveen Amancharla

My tickles of life are being able to bless others in some small way. Taking my dog for a walk and observing all the joy she has at just sniffing her own path of adventure. Choosing ‘Thank you’ to be my first and last words of every day. Taking in sunshine and breathing in the beauty of life.

Katherine Mikshenas

It’s funny you wrote that about your dog. I live with a roommate and her 3 animals. I used to enjoy watching the dog sleep or eat or when we went for walks how much his tail wagged when he got to sniff everything. We lost him a month ago and I miss him dearly. I love all animals so much because they are pure love and nothing distracts them from showing it.

Lisa Morgan (In response to Katherine’s post above)

I love animals too. I am sorry to hear about your dog. Please know you are in my prayers. I believe that all animals are in a special place in heaven waiting for us. All through the bible animals are present. Therefore, God and His angels watch over them. My favorite scripture is “The soul of every living thing is in the hand of God” Job 12:10. God bless you and may God give you a message of comfort that your precious dog is with Him in a place of love and comfort. Blessings of peace.

Katherine Mikshenas (In response to Lisa’s post above)

Thank you so much. Just the other day, Wednesday, I rescued a baby bird in my back yard – actually right out of the mouth of my roommate’s cat. I bundled it and called to try to save him. My roommate was ready to say, oh, well. It’s nature. She thought I was nuts to try and save it in the middle of the snow and on a holiday, but I ended up taking the baby to a downtown vet where they later were going to transfer it to a wildlife rescue. I can’t understand how anyone could watch a little life that is so needy just freeze and starve when I can save it. A beating heart is still a beating heart no matter how small it is is how I look at it. I even try to save the mice, too, if I can. I still feel the dog around me and even though he wasn’t “mine”, he is in my heart.

Lisa Morgan (In response to Katherine’s post above)

God bless you for caring for the tiniest creatures. The bible says what you do for the least you do for God. May you be blessed one thousand fold for the love and compassion in your heart. God bless you for blessing my day.

Katherine Mikshenas (In response to Lisa’s post above)

Dear readers:

We request you to share your replies to the question “What tickles you?” in the form of comments below.

Mohan nearly fell into a pool one day. Sohan, who was nearby, saved him. Then onwards, every time they met, Sohan would remind Mohan of the great service that he had performed.

Mohan got annoyed at this behaviour. Then one day, he took Sohan to the water, jumped in, stood with his head just above the water and shouted, “Now I am as wet as I would have been if you had not saved me. Now please don’t remind me of the service performed by you.”

What do you say?

Do comment below.

Jasmine was going to the market to buy vegetables. On the way she met Lily.

“Where are you going?” asked Lily.

“Wherever my legs take me,” replied Jasmine.

Lily pondered over the answer but could not think of anything to say. When she returned home she reported the conversation to her mother who was a teacher. Mother said: “You should have asked her what she would do if she had no legs.”

The next day Lily was thrilled to see Jasmine coming towards her.

“Where are you going?” Lily asked and without waiting for a reply continued, “Wherever your legs take you, I suppose. Well, let me ask you . . .”

“You’re mistaken,” interrupted Jasmine. “Today I’m going wherever the wind blows.”

This answer so confused Lily that she could not think of anything to say.

When she reported the matter to her mother, she said: “You should have asked her what she would do if there were no wind.”

The next day Lily saw Jasmine in the market again and rushed to confront her, confident that this time she would have the last word.

“Where are you going?” Lily asked. “Wherever your legs take you or wherever the wind blows? Well, let me ask you . . . ”

“No, no,”  interrupted Jasmine. “Today I’m going to buy vegetables.”

What do you say?

Do comment below.

Sohan was a young boy. It was his first time flying a kite, so his father helped him – and after several attempts the kite was in the air. Sohan ran and let out more string, and soon the kite was flying high. He was so excited; the kite was beautiful. Eventually there was no more string left to allow the kite to go higher.

Sohan said to his father,”Daddy, let’s cut the string and let the kite go; I want to see it go higher and higher.”

His father said, “Son, the kite won’t go higher if we cut the string.”

“Yes, it will,” responded Sohan. “The string is holding the kite down; I can feel it.”

The father handed a pocketknife to his son. Sohan cut the string. In a matter of seconds the kite was out of control. It darted here and there and finally landed in a broken heap. That was difficult for the boy to understand. He felt certain the string was holding the kite down.

What do you say?

Do comment below.

There was once a stone cutter Mohan who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day he passed a wealthy merchant’s house. Through the open gateway, he saw many fine possessions and important visitors. “How powerful that merchant must be!” thought Mohan. He became very envious and wished that he could be like the merchant.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever imagined, but envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. Soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. “How powerful that official is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a high official!”

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around. It was a hot summer day, so the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. “How powerful the sun is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the sun!”

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and labourers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a cloud!”

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. “How powerful it is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the wind!”

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it – a huge, towering rock. “How powerful that rock is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a rock!”

Then he became the rock, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the hard surface, and felt himself being changed. “What could be more powerful than I, the rock?” he thought.

Mohan looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stone cutter.

What do you say?

Do comment below.

Mohan once met a swordsman Sohan who had had more than thirty sword fights without once being defeated. Mohan asked him where he had learned his skill. Sohan replied that he was entirely self-taught.

Mohan asked, “Then how come you are so successful?”

Sohan said, “As soon as the fight begins I get close enough to touch the tip of my enemy’s sword with my own. If he holds his sword stiffly I know I can win easily, but if he holds his sword in a flexible grip, I don’t take the risk of a fight. If I meet such a man I just run away and thus remain undefeated.”

What do you say?

Do comment below.

One day Lily and Jasmine were walking by a river.

“Look at the fish swimming about,” said Lily, “They are really enjoying themselves.”

“You are not a fish,” replied Jasmine, “So you can’t truly know that they are enjoying themselves.”

“You are not me,” said Lily. “So how do you know that I do not know that the fish are enjoying themselves?”

What do you say?

Do comment below.

Lily once dreamt that she was a butterfly fluttering here and there. In the dream, she had no awareness of her individuality as a girl. Suddenly, she woke up and thought to herself, “Am I a girl who dreamt about being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly who is now dreaming about being a girl?”

What do you say?

Do comment below.

Dig in and enjoy. Do forward this wonderful collection to friends and family as well.

My secret new year resolutions!- Shalu Wasu

Sing a song with at least one person listening (no, I‚Äôve never done it). Stop feeling guilty about not going jogging. Dance in the rain and jump in the puddle with my son. Sleep outdoors under the stars for a night. Go on a raw food diet for at least a month. Say no to everything that I don‚Äôt really want to do. Telling people that not making a ‚ÄòV‚Äô sign with their hand every time their picture is taken will not result in the camera exploding in their face. Go on a news fast ‚Äì no …

Set no wake-up calls in 2009 - Rachana Sharma

The countdown for the New Year has started. Immature persons are thinking hard to decide on a remarkable New Year resolution which can transform their life in a night and experienced persons like us, who are guilty-ridden about breaking their resolutions every year, are working seriously on the reasons of failure and finding a failure-proof resolution. While I was straining my every nerve to find out the answer, one difference kept striking me. ‚ÄòWhy all those saints who left their homes in search for truth never came back and we, …

Three New Years in a row! - Wan Fatimah

Muslims worldwide have just ushered in the New Year of 1430 Hijriah that is now to be followed by the New Year of 2009. And in a month‚Äôs time the Chinese will welcome the Lunar New Year of the Ox. Understandably, when a new year arrives, we all start to look for new resolutions. But to me, the resolutions need not always be new. And it need not be only a resolution but can also be a reflection. Preferably more of a reflection rather than resolution. Also, it can be a …

2009 - Abhijit Bhaduri

It is that time of the year when I avoid meeting people. Everyone wants to know about your New Year resolutions. This question just forces me to lie through my teeth just so that I remain politically correct and acceptable to my loved ones. It makes me worry, that, by myself I am not good enough. Like a soap bar I have to be relaunched periodically as ‚Äúnew and improved‚Äù every year until someone discovers that the jingle refers only to the wrapping and not the soap. The ‚Äúnew and …

Be careful of what you dream in 2009

My high-school football coach, Coach “Pic” would tell us this every day in his motivational speech as we prepared for the upcoming game. His goal was to get each of us to create a mental picture of what we wanted to do – individually and as a team. So, here are three strategies that I have used successfully and that you can utilize to achieve your dreams as well… Number 1 – Write your dreams down on paper. There are numerous studies that prove the value of writing down and keeping track of …

New year resolutions that will never fail! - Derek Cheshire

This sounds like a pretty wild claim but I never have trouble sticking to my New Year resolutions because I never make them! This sounds like a cop out but just think about it for a moment. Most resolutions are along the following lines:

Be charismatic

Many people think that Charisma is inborn, an innate quality that you naturally possess or you don’t. If you don’t, you lack a competitive edge to influence others as compared to those who do…

Moralists and that monkey business

In any age, there are moralists, crusaders and reformers who take upon themselves the task of weeding out the evils of the world. They condemn evil and propagate goodness. This line of thought gives rise to all sorts of values, rules and laws in the society.

Actually, these do-gooders are like Procrustes, the robber who kidnapped strangers and forced them to fit perfectly into a bed by either cutting off or stretching their legs. Values and laws are like the Procrustean bed. With pre-determined notions of good and bad, right and wrong, many societies are nothing but police networks. If you don’t fit the system, you are locked up in jail….

Success is just like riding a bicycle

How many of you learned to ride a bicycle as a child? Okay, a show of hands, please! Hey, that’s quite a lot of you. Now, close your eyes and remember what it felt like to ride a bicycle for the first time. Maybe yours had training wheels that helped to balance the bike as you gained confidence riding on the sidewalk in front of your house. As your confidence expanded and also from observing the older children in the neighbourhood riding without any assistance, you then graduated to your first test without …

Teaching the teacher

The arbiter of knowledge and skills, the teacher, is a revered figure around the world. In India, the teacher is known as the guru, the wise one who can be trusted to lead the knowledge-blind and shine the light of competence and skills in the darkness of ignorance and incompetence. Over time it has been realized that the wise one is not necessarily the most skilled teacher. Learning proficiently and transferring the learning just as well is not really as simple as it seems. It takes far more skill to teach…

Avoiding death by Powerpoint

I have had numerous near-death experiences sitting through presentations that I could not avoid. Haven’t you too?

I don’t know about you but I can’t take it anymore. So I have written this piece to reassure others that they won’t be subjected to the same misery when I am presenting. See if you can find something useful for yourselves here…

Communication is complete only when it is registered by the receiver!

As it is, humans are known to be bad listeners. We are so occupied with saying our piece that our ears are perennially switched off. So we have this lovely scenario where everyone is yapping away but there is little or no attempt to ensure that it is all registering at the other end. And this is precisely the point I wish to make. We have acquired some very self-defeating habits. I will take up two that I feel are the worst. One is the fact that our impatience is so …

Success through personal branding.

Have you wondered why Oprah Winfrey’s talk show is still the most popular talk show in TV? Or why is Madonna still a very sought after pop singer after more than two decades? Well, the answers lie not only on the talents possessed by these individuals but something beyond that. These personalities have ‘branded’ themselves well and they make efforts to consciously do or refrain from doing things that affect their brand image. We all know that business is becoming more and more competitive. There are numerous others who seem to …

Your role as a parent

Most of us take our role as a parent too seriously. We feel completely responsible for our offspring’s welfare. We consider it our duty to guide them in all aspects of their lives. After all we are the parents; we know what is best for our children. If we will not guide them, who will? All these arguments are well-intentioned and I have no issues with these. But in our desire to do the best for our children, we forget to give them ample doses of love, affection, and understanding. …

Why is it good for you to be a vegetarian

In this new age, vegetarianism has become the buzz word around the globe. More and more people are turning vegetarians. Celebrities are endorsing vegetarianism. What is this craze all about? We, in India, have known the virtues of this sattvic eating habit for eons. Let us revisit these eternal truths and freshen our perspective. Let me clarify here that vegetarian food means food from the plant kingdom. All dairy products are as much animal food as meat and eggs are. Even though in our culture we have always considered milk …

16 habits of highly creative people!

Many people believe that creativity is inborn and only a chosen few are creative. While it is true that creativity is inborn, it is not true that only a chosen few are creative.

Everyone is born creative. In the process of growing up, educating yourself and adapting yourself to your environment, you slowly add blocks to your creativity and forget that you had it in the first place.

Here are 16 habits of creative people. If you cultivate some of them, you will feel an increase in your level of creativity. In the process, you will also feel tickled by life!…

Happy goose bumps!

Dear friends,

I wrote to you last on November 5, 2008 just after publishing the 100th tickle. By coincidence and not by design, this message comes to you just after the 150th tickle.

Readers keep telling us that spending 15-20 minutes on http://www.tickledbylife.com/ every day is like some sort of a ‘reading meditation’ for them. It gives them enough tickles to stay upbeat all day, keeping their batteries charged. It has the effect of bringing a positive shift in their outlook as everything starts looking more beautiful!

We have added some more features to the site and there is a lot more that you can do – apart from reading the articles and benefitting from them that is!

1.¬†You can comment on the articles that you like or don’t like.
2. You can send us feedback Рboth bouquets and brickbats. Keep them coming at pswasu@tickledbylife.com. We want to keep improving.
3. There is a link under every article that says РLiked this article? Share with friends! You can use it to forward the article to your friends, post it to your Facebook profile, vote for it on DIGG,  STUMBLE, etc.
4. You can participate in the newly introduced poll in the right hand side band on every page. We will have a new poll every week or so. Do vote and check the result to see how your fellow readers have voted. If there is a specific question on which you would like people to vote, please send it to me at pswasu@tickledbylife.com. If we use the poll question suggested by you, we will give credit to you for that.
5. You can be in touch with your favourite ticklers. We are 30 of us. You can find our email ids from our profile pages. You can even catch up with us over coffee if you happen to be in the same city! We are spread over more than 15 cities as of now!
6. You can give us suggestions about what you want to see at tickledbylife.com. We will definitely act on your suggestions.
7. Please help us in spreading the word about http://www.tickledbylife.com/ among friends, family and colleagues. Do forward the link to them and let them know what you like about this site.

As traffic to the site grows, we are fully geared to manage the growth and fulfill your expectations. Please keep your expectations high. And keep visiting http://www.tickledbylife.com for fresh tickles that will surprise, provoke, inspire and wow you.

Finally, I would like to convey my special thanks to 4 authors – Chitra Jha, PK, KR Ravi and Shalu Wasu – for tickling us the most. They have churned out the maximum number of articles on the site. Among the newer ticklers, Derek Cheshire, Dexter J. Valles, Praveen Amancharla and Peter A. Hunter are great finds and I trust that they will keep tickling us for long.

Drop by soon. We are waiting for you!

Cheers.

PS Wasu

Chief Editor

At tickledbylife.com, we have just completed 100 tickles. It would be interesting to see how Hundredth Tickle Effect is going to manifest itself even though the analogy with Hundredth Monkey Effect is not exact.

Have we generated the minimum critical mass of tickles to grow into a global resource for life-enhancing material? Going by the number of people who have subscribed to our newsletter, the answer is an emphatic ‘yes’! All that is required now is that we go on adding quality tickles to the site. We are committed to doing that and making your experience at tickledbylife.com a rewarding one.

Coming back to the 100th tickle, we wanted it to be a light one that would bring smiles to your faces. Our newest tickler Pramod Joshi wrote it for us during his Diwali vacation. Titled Unwritten Rules of Bollywood, it is a delightful dig on the follies of the world’s most loved and most hated filmy phenomenon called Bollywood. You will see more of Pramod’s stuff in the days to come. Stay tuned!

As suggested by some subscribers, we have decided to send updates about new tickles every few days. Accordingly, we will be issuing newsletter of this type less often, say once a month. We hope that will work fine.

Please tickle us back with your suggestions, observations and feedback. Do mail us at pswasu@tickledbylife.com.

Happy goose bumps!

PS Wasu
Chief Editor