Excerpts from the thoughts of an animal lover..continued

The purity of the animal kingdom's life has brought continuous renewal to our world and humanity . Animals teach us to enjoy life. If you will notice they are not confined to schedules as we are; all they know is that they want to do something and they see no reason not to do it. We go out and play with them and begin to feel younger in the process.

Animals teach us how to relax. Watch them and you will notice that they find time to rest each day with no worries about anything. This is a lesson that everyone could use.
They teach us to love. Animals give love unconditionally to those that care for them. They do not give you ultimatums or conditions given; all that they ask is for love in return. Learning to love those around you with no expectations is a lesson we could all use as well.
Compassion is perhaps the greatest lesson animals can teach us. When they look at us with those innocent eyes we begin to melt and feel concern for them and their plight. We begin to want to do more to help them through and get them out of the worse situations.
Patience is something they teach us. When animals have behavior issues or habits that we as people find to be less than desirable we somehow find the patience to help them change those habits. We find ways to control our tempers no matter how angry the behavior may make us and begin to look for ways to alter their behavior.

I think that the biggest lesson that we can learn from animals, or at least pets, is undying love and devotion. You read stories about pets that gave there lives to save their owners, or pets that find their way back to their owners somehow, often traveling great distances to do so. Most of us humans would not even bother going out of our way for one another, even those that we love. But if an animal loves you, then they love you all the way, and they would do anything for you. All they want are the basic things that all living creatures need.

Animals could do things they know will hurt because they hope if they take the chance, the turn-out will be different. Just as maybe we think we can trust a relationship we know won't work out to test the waters and take a chance, even though we'll end up hurt and heartbroken.
When animals use their paws as hands or look at us a certain way, they seem more human than ever and yet we wish not to see the similarities.
Animals can teach us respect, patience, responsibility, and strength. If we're strong enough to respect them and likewise, we can get along. Just as all people should realize that and get along.
I'm not crazy, I just like to believe there's more than meets the eye.
So next time you throw a rubber ball for "man's best friend" to fetch, consider your roles for a second and how you're treating another being. Does your dog really want to fetch or does he just want to make you, his owner, happy?
What if someone said "fetch, simple human"? Would you oblige?

My TO DO list

Things i want to do in my lifetime :
*To acquire the skills and competencies required for my job (s/ws etc)

* Study an MBA - to hold higher positions of responsibility and also more money!-->to do all that i want to )

* Update myself with the current news in my company as well as in the field

*Donate money

*Take my family on a trip (Andaman and Nicobar??? )

* Marry the Guy God has planned for me in a beautiful chapel/church wearing a beautiful white gown.

*Stay thin!

*Get to travel Europe ( Eat various cuisines as well)

*Swim with dolphins(at least play with them! ) and learn more abt them

*Spend time working with an NGO (some weekends)

*Go to South America

*Go on a cruise

*Have a candlelight dinner by the seashore (candles mite get blown off rite?? )

*Lie down on the sand by the sea and gaze at the stars and live that moment truly

*Go to an astro club n gaze at various galaxies and stars

*Go to the biggest theme park in the world (with friends!)

*Go on an air balloon ride

*Go ice skating

*Explore a cave (with friends!)

*Echo my name over the mountain ranges

*Travel to a country I've never heard of before

* Travel to space

* Go on a submarine

* Retire at 50

* Get a pet for company after all my adventures :)

The video below was made as part of a presentation for one of my electives in college called conflict management. It contains scenes from the movie BLOOD DIAMOND (must see movie! ) . I couldn't show it in my presentation due to lack of time but i feel it truly deserves a spot on my blog. Isn't it ironic that Sierra Leone is the poorest country in the world, while it has a rich set of natural resources and minerals, including diamonds, which have caused entire countries and corporations to get involved to fight over them? I truly believe that the resources of a country are the sovereign property of its people. They are not anyone elses to steal or exploit in the name of comfort or consumerism. Civil war raged for the control of diamond fields in Sierra Leone. Thousands have died and millions became refugees. None of whom has ever seen a diamond!I want to thank Preets (Myla) for making me watch the movie and to Merben for making the video (Kudos to you!) :)