Author: jamunarangachari

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

Edition 3 – Sharing good news

Ex-Banker from Gurugram Opens School Under Tree; Educates 700 Slum Kids in 10 Years

In 2009, a group of kids ambushed GK Bhatnagar, begging for alms. At that time, he promised them a free school. Today, Bhatnagar has more than fulfilled his promise!

Read more here..

Boy Raises $136,000 To Buy Bulletproof Vests For Police Dogs

Brady Snakovsky, 9, has equipped dozens of police dogs across the U.S., to ensure they “stay safe from bad people.”

In 2017, his goal was to donate a bulletproof vest to one K9, he then strived to donate nine to celebrate his ninth birthday.

Yet by November 2018, the schoolboy had made enough money to equip more than 50 police dogs across nine separate states.

Brady Snakovsky, 9, has equipped dozens of police dogs across the U.S., to ensure they “stay safe from bad people.”

In 2017, his goal was to donate a bulletproof vest to one K9, he then strived to donate nine to celebrate his ninth birthday

Read more here..

Duo Quit Jobs To Travel, Ended Up Changing Hundreds of Lives in Remote Arunachal!

“We were wanderers. Moving constantly without much of a reason, until that day. From no plans to structured road-maps to help villages get the basic facility of light, we have come a long way, and yet it feels that a longer journey awaits”

Read more here..

Fable : Right and Wrong

When Bankei held his seclusion-weeks of meditation, pupils from many parts of Japan came to attend. During one of these gatherings a pupil was caught stealing. The matter was reported to Bankei with the request that the culprit be expelled. Bankei ignored the case.

Later the pupil was caught in a similar act, and again Bankei disregarded the matter. This angered the other pupils, who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief, stating that otherwise they would leave in a body.

When Bankei had read the petition he called everyone before him. “You are wise brothers,” he told them. “You know what is right and what is not right. You may go somewhere else to study if you wish, but this poor brother does not even know right from wrong. Who will teach him if I do not? I am going to keep him here even if all the rest of you leave.”

A torrent of tears cleansed the face of the brother who had stolen. All desire to steal had vanished.

Comment: This story is pretty straightforward, but it certainly doesn’t make you think any less than the rest. How quickly would most people turn their back on those who commit a crime like stealing, just as the pupils did. But look deeper and you might just see another human being. Someone that simply needs to be shown the path.

Don’t write people off so easily. Expressing compassion isn’t always easy, but we’re all together in this life, so we can’t just help those that keep good behavior. Those people who commit such crimes are often some of the people that need help with the most basic spiritual and human principles, such as right and wrong.

If you have a loved one who’s committed a crime before you’ll know exactly what I mean. You know they can be better and they shouldn’t be thrown out just because they did something wrong at some point. Sure, we need to keep order, so they should be disciplined for their behavior, but we also need to take the time to teach them right and wrong. We should strive to lift them up just as we strive to lift ourselves and those we love despite their flaws.

Positive News Edition 2

School Dropout Desi Striking Textbook Covers, Gets Hired by TN State Board!

From ancient murals to electric fish in the deep, dark sea, these designs by the super talented Kathir Arumugam will make you go wow!

by Gopi KareliaMay 21, 2019, 11:32 am

Do you remember the covers on your school textbooks?

I cannot remember mine for the simple reason that I never found them attractive. I preferred covering the books with brown covers than look at their dull colours and dispirited animations.

Read more here..

Schools in England Introduce a New Subject: Mindfulness

Mindfulness exercises are already taught in many schools worldwide, including this one in New York. Schools in England are joining a study to determine which techniques work best.CreditLindsay Morris for The New York Times

THE CRACKED POT

jamunarangachari Uncategorized June 3, 2019 2 Minutes

A water bearer had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect. While the perfect one always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his master’s house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, as it was perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. ‘I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.’

‘Why?’ asked the bearer. ‘What are you ashamed of?’‘I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master s house. Because of my flaws, you don t get full value from your efforts,’ the pot said, miserably. The water bearer said compassionately, ‘As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, ‘Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your aw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day, while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have had these flowers to grace his house.’

COMMENT: Each of us is here for a unique purpose. Let us then, not be ashamed of our so called flaws but accept our own selves for what we are. We need to work on what we can of course but never be ashamed of anything.

Until next time. Happy reading, friends…Would love your views and contributions too..

Sharing good news – Edition I

Read recently through R Sridhar of connect ticket about a young girl, who had begun a good news newspaper. Emily Coxhead had felt a lot of despair at the negative news after various human created issues like 9/11 and decided to take this as an opportunity to share good news, instead of just negative news.

This made me remember my own attraction to Life Positive magazine, http://www.lifepositive.com for the same reason, in what seems like aons ago.

Now, I feel I should also do this, at least once a week on my own also. Would love your views and ideas on this small step of mine.

Some of the stories I wish to share in my first edition are given below –

This 26-Yr-Old Is A Singer, Composer, Motivational Speaker And 80% Disabled

Imagining spending even one day without the use of hands and legs is a difficult task for a majority of us. But one man has decided to challenge a debilitating disease and become an inspiration to many. This is Sai Ksaustuv Dasgupta. Click here to read more

How a 30-Minute Radio Program is Building Peace in Refugee Camps

Since South Sudan’s civil war began in 2013, over one million citizens have fled to neighboring Uganda.

Refugees continue to face tension—both between ethnic groups and with host communities—but in the Bidi Bidi refugee camp, one group of refugee reporters are behind a radio program that is broadcasting hope.

Click here to read more

Watch Quick-Thinking Bus Driver Stop Youngster Just As He Was About to Step in Front of Speeding Car

Good News Network

This quick-thinking bus driver may have accidentally revealed herself to be a guardian angel in disguise after she saved a student from almost certain disaster.

Samantha Call has been a bus driver for the Norwich City School District of New York for the last six years, and her training came in handy last month as she was driving along her usual morning route.

Click here to read more

They Disguised Themselves As Boys in Order to Pay the Bills, Now ‘Barbershop Girls’ of India Given Scholarships

May 11, 2019

These two Indian girls have been defying gender stereotypes in their village for years – and now they’re being rewarded for their hard work.

Neha and Jyoti are known as “The Barbershop Girls” of Banwari Tola village in Uttar Pradesh.

The youngsters earned their nickname back in 2014 when their father fell ill. Despite the fact that this career field is entirely dominated by men, the sisters took charge of their father’s barbershop so they could pay for his medical treatment — and their own education. The girls even disguised themselves as boys in order to avoid confrontation over working in a male-dominated profession.

Click here to know more.

Woman Quits Cushy US Job to Go Organic, Transforms Farm into 10-Acre Food Forest!

Nearly a decade ago, Bhatia gave up a well-paying job as an environmental analyst with the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Boston and traded her busy city life abroad to live at Vrindavan Farm.

Click here to know more

How to get a rooftop solar power connection for your Chennai home

Source: Wikimedia Commons

“I have been urging everyone to switch to solar for the last decade. It is the best decision I have made. If people just understood how simple it is, they would be willing to try it. It has to do more with the mindset” says Chennai citizen D Suresh, who has been bestowed the moniker Solar Suresh for his efforts to take solar energy to the general public in the city and the state.

Click here to read more

Opinion | How General Elections 2019 were disabled-friendly

The Election Commission took a definite step forward signaling the recognition of the citizenship of persons with disabilities and ensuring their inclusion

The Election Commission of India (ECI) had promised an inclusive election. The theme for this massive operation was “leave no one behind”.(Ajay Aggarwal/HT PHOTO)

April 11 was voting day in Noida. It was Phase 1 of the festival of democracy, the biggest elections in the world. I was excited, curious and a little apprehensive. The Election Commission of India (ECI) had promised an inclusive election. The theme for this massive operation was “leave no one behind”. Advertisements on radio, television and social media were repeatedly talking about accessible polling booths, Braille markings on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), list of candidates in Braille, pick-and-drop facilities, trained personnel etc. I believe that this is the first time that the ECI had looked at persons with disabilities as serious stakeholders in the General Elections. I was delighted to be included, though had serious fears about the reality on the ground. There is often a huge gap between the cup and the lip when it comes to intent and execution.

Click here to read more

As I complete compiling this, more than anything else, I feel like saluting the human spirit that is essentially all about positivity.

Happy reading, friends.