The Man Who Achieved Everything He Could...

They say that once upon a time, there lived a man who wanted to achieve everything he was capable of achieving. He was obsessed with this desire. He ate, slept, and walked with one and only dream: to die, having accomplished every single thing he was able to accomplish. There were so many things he could do. He felt like the whole world could be his, if he only set his mind to it. At times, he was even horrified by the powers hiding in his mind and heart. He was certain-in fact-he knew that his potential had no limits. He knew that he could accumulate power that would dwarf the power of ancient kings; he knew that he could write books that would shake the minds of generations to come; he knew that he could invent things that would forever change the lives of millions of people. He lived, constantly feeling the power within-and that power knew no bounds.

There was only one obstacle: having such a potential, but only one life, he had to make a choice. He had to decide where to apply all of his enormous abilities. Making that decision was extremely hard, for any choice meant cutting off some future achievements. And so in the meantime, he went to school, graduated, found a respectable well-paid job, married, and bred children. And he spent every minute of his spare time trying to decide where he should apply all his might. Even though he was not interested in applying it to his work, his power was impossible to hide. He was successful in everything he touched, and he earned great respect of the people who worked with him. And all the while, he thought to himself: Imagine what I would achieve once I concentrate entirely on the area of my choice.

Time went by, and he grew older. Some roads he used to dream about became closed to him. But there was still so much he could accomplish. And he kept thinking hard while working, raising children, dealing with everyday problems, and knowing that his potential had no limits. And most people who knew him were of the same opinion, for it was impossible not to realize this, being around him for a while.

One day, a sudden chest pain made him come home early. He dragged his feet to the bathroom. There, feeling weak and empty, he looked in the mirror. A worn-out, gray-haired man stared back at him. But his eyes, though red and tired, were still full of unrealized potential. He peered into these eyes and, all of a sudden, realized one simple truth. The next moment, the pain pierced his heart again, and it stopped beating forever.

Everybody cried, even those who knew him only slightly. The pain of this loss was staggering. Not only had he been a good man but they also knew what great potential had died with him. True, he had spent his life trying to make the choice, but imagine what would've happened had he made it. After all, he was so close to making it, and he hadn't been that old. He could not have had this feeling of unlimited potential for nothing. His potential was truly unlimited. The choice was about to be made, and very soon he could have achieved anything. His life could have become a shining monument, which would have forever inspired future generations. What a loss! What a tragedy! They cried and cried and cried. And they didn't know what he had realized the moment before he died.
The truth that came upon him was rather simple.

People only flatter themselves by thinking that they could have achieved this or that if not for such-and-such circumstances. Yet this is nothing but delusion. At any given moment, as long as you've been healthy and haven't been thrown into the midst of war, crime or forces of nature, you always achieve everything you can. You simply lack something that is necessary for achieving that goal you've never reached-a talent, a skill, willpower, a set of priorities, or something else. Like it or not, realize it or not, believe it or not, but you simply lack it. You just think you've got what it takes, and only these insurmountable difficulties have prevented you from reaching the ultimate heights. But in reality, what you don't achieve is something you're not capable of achieving.

Music, Happiness, and the Brain

Have you ever come home after a long, hard day and turned on music to de-stress? Do you associate music with different types of emotions (i.e. "I listen to Green Day when I'm angry.")? Do you find it impossible to sit still while listening to a certain type of music? Have you ever wondered why this happens? So have I. Ask most people to listen to music in a fast tempo and they will probably say that it makes them feel happier, recall happy memories, and/or make them want to dance. Give the same people slow music in a major key, and they will say, most likely, that it makes them relax, that such music is good for meditation. On the same line, slow music in a minor key makes people feel sad and possibly recall sad memories. If most people are asked to listen to dissonant music in a fast tempo, their most likely response will be fear.(1) To a certain degree, dissonance is dependent on culture, but there is a theory that dissonance sounds abrasive to listeners of any culture. Studies have demonstrated that babies as young as four months old react negatively to dissonant music. (2) For any piece of music, the way it is experienced by each listener is often entirely different. One could hear Saint-Saens The Dying Swan (a slow piece for solo cello) and literally picture the swan and it expires, while another could be picturing the time she danced to the piece for a ballet class or the time she played it for an audience. Either way, this piece is very moving and paints a graphic picture for the listener. However, for the listener picturing the poor swan, the reaction and memory associations would be very different than for the dancer or the cellist. It is a fact, as much as facts can exist, that the right kind music releases endorphins. This causes relief of pain, and if there is no pain, happiness, pleasure. (3) It has also been shown that music can induce sleep by convincing the brain to release melatonin. This can be seen visibly in listeners to whom a relaxing piece of music is being played. For many people, music that has an intrinsic feeling of pleasure associated with it can cause a listener to become motivated to do something. (4) These pieces have no other memories attached to them, but, interestingly, when they are played, the areas of the brain that are stimulated are those that are also stimulated by food, sex, and drugs. This could imply that there is a connection between these things and the way that music is processed by the brain. What is it that makes music so intensely powerful? We may never really know. As much as we can quantify the responses the brain produces when we listen to music, we cannot yet explain why they happen.
Below is the Chart that helps you, if you are a listener of Indian Classical Music. A summary of the table is:

Time: The time at which raga should be listened
Raga: Name of the Raga should be listened at the mentioned Time of the day

Benefit: The benefit you get if you listen the Raga at mentioned time of the day

Click on the Image to see it large

Hope this would work for you...