What went right this week: Paris pedalled forwards, plus other good news stories
Paris voted for a cycling revolution and women’s football was given a boost, plus other stories of progress
Real Madrid finally launched a women’s football team
Women’s football was given a boost this week with the announcement that the Spanish club, Real Madrid, will launch its first female football team next season. Real had been one of the only clubs in Europe without a women’s team.
Positive news as more than 300 Covid recoveries at north Cumbria hospitals
The trust which runs NHS hospitals across north Cumbria has shared the good news that more than 300 patients have been discharged having recovered from coronavirus.
Inspiration Games offers a ‘strange’ experience for world-class athletes
Americans Tianna Bartoletta, left, Allyson Felix, center, and Candace Hill celebrate after winning the women’s 3×100-meter relay during the Weltklasse Zurich Inspiration Games at Mt. San Antonio College on Thursday.
Three runners take their place in the starting blocks for a hurdles race; two are bathed in sunshine, the other shadowed by gloomy skies.
Some of you have sadly experienced the traumatic death of loved ones due to COVID 19. Some of you have cared for patients, and some of you have recovered or are recovering. Yet all of us have been affected emotionally and spiritually and perhaps have struggled for the perspective to respond to the anxieties of others.
Once upon a time there was a world famous teacher in AenTakkasila, in north-western India. He had 500 high class students who learned sacred teachings from him.
It just so happened that one of these high class students had been named ‘Bad’ by his parents. One day he thought, “When I am told, ‘Come Bad’, ‘Go Bad’, ‘Do this Bad’, it is not nice for me or others. It even sounds disgraceful and unlucky.”
So he went to the teacher and asked him to give him a more pleasant name, one that would bring good fortune rather than bad. The teacher said, “Go my son, go wherever you like and find a more fortunate name. When you return, I will officially give you your new name.”
The young man named Bad left the city, and traveled from village to village until he came to a big city. A man had just died and Bad asked what his name was. People said. “His name was Alive.” “Alive also died?” asked Bad. The people answered, “Whether his name be Alive or whether it be Dead, in either case he must die. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!” After hearing this, Bad no longer felt badly about his own name — but he didn’t feel good about it either.
As he continued on his way into the city, a debt-slave girl was being beaten by her masters in the street. He asked, “Why is she being beaten?” He was told, “Because she is a slave until she pays a loan debt to her masters. She has come home from working, with no wages to pay as interest on her debt.” “And what is her name?” he asked. “Her name is Rich.” they said. “By her name she is Rich but she has no money even to pay interest?” asked Bad. They said, ‘Whether her name be Rich or whether it be Poor, in either case she has no money. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!” After hearing this, Bad became even less interested in changing his name.
After leaving the city, along the roadside he met a man who had lost his way. He asked him, “What is your name? ” He replied, ‘My name is Tourguide.” “You mean to say that even a Tourguide has gotten lost?” asked Bad. Then the man said, “Whether my name be Tourguide or whether it be Tourist, in either case I have lost my way. A name is merely a word used to recognize a person. Only a fool would not know this!”
Now completely satisfied with his own name, Bad returned to his teacher.
The world famous teacher of Takkasila asked him, “How are you, my son? Have you found a good name?” He answered, “Sir, those named Alive and Dead both die, Rich and Poor may be penniless, Tourguide and Tourist can get lost. Now I know that a name is merely a word used to recognize a person. The name does not make things happen, only deeds do. So I’m satisfied with my name. There’s no point in changing it.”
The teacher summarized the lesson his pupil had learned this way — “By seeing Alive as dead, Rich as poor, Tourguide as lost, Bad has accepted himself.”
Interpretation
This fable shows us all about self acceptance. We all need to accept the situation we find ourselves in and try our best to the best possible extent without denying there is a problem if we face one.
I am an author, writer and a trainer in spoken and written English.
My journey of stepping into writing began I realized that there are many ideas I wished to convey to all without sounding judgmental or patronizing. Writing then became my passion as I was able to do all of this quite effectively. This connected me with a variety of people who shared their journeys with me. In the midst of all this, I was diagnosed and recovered from multiple sclerosis that also got published as a book. I am certain that my recovery was possible not just because of the techniques that I used, most of which was alternative healing techniques but also because I used the approach of body, mind and spirit healing, where the spirit gives us faith, mind gives us positivity and the body follows the instructions that it receives. I have been the Asst Editor of Life Positive magazine and trained people, both children and adults in spoken and written English. All through my journey, I have realized how powerful writing is to convey messages of who we are. Now, six books of mine have been published. These comprise of two books for children; a collection of short stories on religion and an adventure story published by Rupa & Co. A book of Teaching Stories published by Life Positive in 2008. More Teaching Stories published in 2011, Elixir for Zylake, a childrens’ book published by Life Positive in December 2013 and Dancing with Life published by Hay House in 2015. I have also self-published a novel on Kindle recently. The novel is all about the quest of identity interwoven in the loves and lives of three generations of people in India and Afghanistan. The story conveys the emotions of people in the pre-independence era when Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan and Mahatma Gandhi were pretty active in spreading their message of non-violence. It shows how common people were affected both by physical violence and non-inclusion in their own land. Some pre-Independence violence and disharmony is conveyed while even the current terrorism and intolerance is brought out with the end ending on a note of hope and love. The primary message that the novel seeks to convey is the commonality of all people and their emotions and a search that all of us have for our own roots and identity. The novel ultimately brings out the fact that humanity is indeed one and our identity, no matter what the origin may be, is one of oneness, unity and love. For, we all are indeed from the same source, whatever we may call it.am an author, writer and a trainer in spoken and written English.
My journey of stepping into writing began I realized that there are many ideas I wished to convey to all without sounding judgmental or patronizing. Writing then became my passion as I was able to do all of this quite effectively. This connected me with a variety of people who shared their journeys with me. In the midst of all this, I was diagnosed and recovered from multiple sclerosis that also got published as a book. I am certain that my recovery was possible not just because of the techniques that I used, most of which was alternative healing techniques but also because I used the approach of body, mind and spirit healing, where the spirit gives us faith, mind gives us positivity and the body follows the instructions that it receives. I have been the Asst Editor of Life Positive magazine and trained people, both children and adults in spoken and written English. All through my journey, I have realized how powerful writing is to convey messages of who we are. Now, six books of mine have been published. These comprise of two books for children; a collection of short stories on religion and an adventure story published by Rupa & Co. A book of Teaching Stories published by Life Positive in 2008. More Teaching Stories published in 2011, Elixir for Zylake, a childrens’ book published by Life Positive in December 2013 and Dancing with Life published by Hay House in 2015. I have also self-published a novel on Kindle recently. The novel is all about the quest of identity interwoven in the loves and lives of three generations of people in India and Afghanistan. The story conveys the emotions of people in the pre-independence era when Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan and Mahatma Gandhi were pretty active in spreading their message of non-violence. It shows how common people were affected both by physical violence and non-inclusion in their own land. Some pre-Independence violence and disharmony is conveyed while even the current terrorism and intolerance is brought out with the end ending on a note of hope and love. The primary message that the novel seeks to convey is the commonality of all people and their emotions and a search that all of us have for our own roots and identity. The novel ultimately brings out the fact that humanity is indeed one and our identity, no matter what the origin may be, is one of oneness, unity and love. For, we all are indeed from the same source, whatever we may call it. It can be seen at https://www.amazon.in/Quest-Love-Enlightenment-Jamuna-Rangachari-ebook/dp/B075YCQGXC
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