This well-known proverb has a salutary lesson for men, particularly for young men still on the threshold of their career.
It is common knowledge that if a piece of stone is left to lie in water at one spot, quite undisturbed, for a long while, it gradually becomes coated with a spongy substance known as moss. But if it is constantly in motion, no trace of moss can gather around it. This analogy of the rolling stone, when applied to man, means only this that a person who constantly changes his vocation or plans who programmers of work, cannot attain success in life whatever his sphere of activities may be.
The reason is obvious. Every change of plan involves loss of the time, labor and money employed in the pursuit of the previous plan. It means beginning life or work afresh, making fresh arrangements, gaining fresh experience and facing all the difficulties and uncertainties of the new venture.
The construction of a house furnishes a good example of the harmful consequences of fickle-mindedness. Suppose a person decides to build a single- storied house. If, after it is half finished, he suddenly changes his mind and wants to put up a three- storeyed building cannot stand on the foundation already laid. Therefore, he will have to dismantle the structure so far erected, make the foundation deeper, wider and stronger, and then begin construction anew. This means wastage of all the time, labour and money spent on the previous construction.
The folly of such a change of plan by a pleader best illustrates the proverb. He starts practice at a certain place. Fortune favor’s him. He is able to establish himself in the profession. If he starts his practice elsewhere, he has to find clients, and give fresh demonstrations of his legal acumen. All this cannot be accomplished in a day. In the mean time, he many suffer monetary loss. In the end he may find the competition here too much for him. A young tree transplanted over and over again is not likely to take root and grow. A professional man who transplants himself from one place to another runs the risk of failing in life.
The proverb deprecates the idea of a man turning himself into a rolling stone. But it should not be taken to mean that under no circumstances should a person change his plan in life. There can be no objection to such a change of it promises better opportunities. One should only guard against too quick and too frequent changes without anticipating after-effects.

Happiness is something all of us strive for the fact happiness is the aim of all our activities.
What is happiness? How can it be obtained? Does happiness mean having comforts and pleasures as most people think? Is it the possession of material things in the form of food, clothing, rewards, houses, or cars? T.V. sets happiness? Many people believe is so. So much so that they dream of making the largest amount of money in the shortest amount of time.
But I do not think that only money can make us happy fully I believe in the words of Gautama Buddha that the root cause of all sorrows is desire. It may be material desires or social desires like honors and titles.
Therefore I strongly believe that health, is very important. Without health one can not enjoy wealth. A sound body is the first step to real happiness. It is only in a sound body that a sound and peaceful mind can be had. There are many examples of rich men who had enormous wealth but could not enjoy it. for they suffered from many ailments.
According to Gandhiji, "Happiness depends on what you can give and not on what you can receive."
With a healthy body and a noble soul, it may be concluded that wealth is not the only requisite for happiness. Although it would be a facilitating factor for happiness if the wealth is put to proper use. This giving rather than taking also gives a lot of happiness. The happiness derived in this manner is strong and long-lasting. There are many inspiring examples of social and humanitarian service rendered by Mahatma Gandhiji, Florence Nightingale, and Mother Teresa who have all lived and died happily in the service of humanity.
If one wants to be happy, one must have a contented heart. One should not aspire for things beyond one's reach. One must feel satisfied with whatever one possesses. A bird in the hand is worth two in a bush.
Dale Carnegie says that the best secret of happiness is renunciation. He is impressed by Einstein and says that he is a standing example of a happy man and his philosophy of happiness is indeed splendid. Carnegie says Einstein is happy only because he has contempt for the things most people set their hearts on-for fame, riches, luxury, titles, praise, and money he is highly contented with what he has and makes his happiness out of such things as his work, playing the violin and sailing his boat.
Lastly, it is only a selfless soul that is needed for a happy life.

India is a vast country. It consists of people belonging to different religions, following different political faiths, and speaking diverse languages One finds diversity in face and dress, region and religion. To confirm these various trends of thoughts and habits, our government divided our country into linguistic states. We now find people speaking Gujarati in Gujarat, Tamil in Tamil Nadu, Bengali in West Bengal, Marathi in Maharashtra, etc. This was done to facilitate the all-around progress of each state without much delay and many difficulties. Every state was allowed to maintain its identity.
If we look around we find diversity in political affiliation, cultural background, and even sports. One state is ruled by an 'A" political party, another by a 'B' political party, yet another by a 'C' political party, and so on. Every state has its unique historical, mythological, and cultural background reflected in its literature. One state has specialized in football. another in hockey, and yet another in cricket. Every state has its specialty. All the states, when reviewed at a glance, display diversity.
It is to our credit that we have forged unity from diversity. Outwardly it appears that our country is a heterogeneous mixture of diverse elements. In reality, however, it is a homogeneous whole, like a chemical compound.
The most glaring example of unity in diversity is found in the composition of the Council of Ministers at the Centre. Different political parties from different corners of the country have come together to form a government.
What more convincing example is needed to testify to our unity in diversity?

For the completion of and success in any job, we do not need ability alone. We need a strong desire for  a firm resolution. Our life is not a bed of roses. We come across many dangers and difficulties. Many times, defeat stares us in the face. As a matter of fact we are well-equipped to face the challenge and crown our efforts with success. But our willpower fails us at the eleventh hour. 

    “They can conquer who believe they can”.  Is a morale–boosting maxim. One should have confidence in himself. Many are afraid of opening their mouth in public. They shudder at the very idea of speaking in front of a mob. However, belief in one’s ability to speak can overcome this fear. 

      India became free in 1947 . But the struggle for freedom continued for years before that. Mahatma Gandhi was one of the freedom fighters. A strong desire to liberate India in a novel manner filled his heart. It appeared doubtful if non-violence and peace would ever help him in any way. But Mahatma Gandhi never lost faith in himself and  his methods. He fought against the armed British authority with his weapon of Ahimsa. He could challenge the mighty empire only because he had a strong desire and a firm resolution. 

     Success does not fall like rain, from the blue dome of heaven. It is the product of an elaborate and painful toil. One can reach many milestones on the way if unflinching faith in one’s self. 

‘Rome was not built in a day’ is an educative epigram by an Italian poet- Pietro Maryolli. The beautiful city of Rome is the product of untiring toil by generations of men. The caves of Ajanta and Ellora too must have consumed the time and energy of many. This proverb suggests that difficult goals cannot be reached at once. If a man wants to build a big house, he cannot expect its completion in a short period.
If a student wants to get through an examination. He should not expect success with hardly any preparation. Success demands continual toil. Patience and tenacity.
You should not expect an immediate award for your labour. He is a foolish man who expects crops soon after sowing. A farmer scatters seeds. He supplies water for their germination. He guards the plants. His efforts are crowned with success after a long time.
India become free in 15.8.47, But in reality, it did not become free in a day. Our freedom is the outcome of the long and painful toil of numerous patriots.
This proverb tells us that every great work demands the sacrifice of many. This work may pertain to private life or public life. You have to put in all your energy and attention for the completion of your undertaking. Every great work presupposes the self-denial and self-mortification of many. That is precisely why Oscar Wilde, the famous writer from Ireland, in one of his stories observed : “Every red rode has a nightingale buried under it”.

Speech has power. It can influence people and convince them. But silence is more powerful and effective. That is why we have Hamlet. "Give every man thy ear, but few thy tongue". You have to hear what others say. But you have to keep in reserve your comments. Shallow waters make much noise. Those with incomplete knowledge open their mouth only to show their shallowness. On the other hand, wise men are silent. Their silence proves the depth of their knowledge and wisdom. Silence has other advantages in respect of less efficient people. It covers a multitude of faults. It acts like a cloak on one's defects and weaknesses. As a person does not speak out at all, none can pinpoint his commissions or omissions. However, the fact remains that silence is much better than speech. History shows that speeches have led us to violence on many occasions. A speech excites people who go out of control. Julius Caesar of Shakespeare provides a example of what a speech can do. Gandhiji's life provides an example of the sagacity of silence. He observed ‘silence' once a week. As it is, silence has the purification capacity. It teaches the lesson of restraint. Hence it is aptly observed: Speech is silver, silence golden.

Discipline is a habit of both and mind. It is the quality of blood. It reflects in thought and speech action and reaction. A disciplined man is honest and industrious , prompt and punctual . It is erroneous to assume that this term is coined for the soldiers who are “not to reason why but to do and die.”
Man is a social animal. He moves and lives in a society. He participates in different social activities and avails of various services. He has to adjust himself in the social structure. Discipline alone can enable him to give the best account of himself.
There are numerous anecdotes of the English people’s discipline. In England, newspapers are kept for sale at the mercy of the people. One is expected to take away a paper after inserting its stipulated cost. The amount obtained at the end of the day is invariably the same as the cost of the newspapers taken away.
The English people display their discipline while standing in queue, travelling in a train ,driving a car etc. We would do well to imitate their example.
Unfortunately we, the Indians, offer a striking contrast. In every walk of line, we press our claim to the disadvantage of other. While purchasing a ticket or getting into a bus, we carefully ignore the presence of others. Discipline does not merely include promptness and punctuality. It presupposes social awareness.
Discipline is like an infectious illness. If one person acts in a disciplined manner, others are prompted to step into his shoes. A society consisting of disciplined person is bound to flourish by leaps and bounds. Discipline is of great importance.

      The saying_ ‘A little learning is a dangerous thing’ owes its origin to Alexander Pope.

     It is a gem of truth, but its universal application may not be a counsel of prudence. We should, therefore, have a clear conception of the meaning and scope of this saying. The saying means that shallow knowledge is a source of danger.

      A little reflection will show why little learning is a dangerous thing. Empty vessels make much noise. A man with superficial knowledge often feels disposed to conceal his real worth and pose what he is not. He is like a frog in the pond and takes the pond to be as big as an ocean. Puffed up with false pride, he parades  his scanty knowledge and thereby misleads other people.

     A man with  little learning fails to appreciate the point of view of others and feels inclined to settle an issue.

     Contrast him with the man who has drunk deep at the fountain of knowledge. Conscious of the vastness of knowledge, he  becomes humble and sober. Polite in his manners and gentle in his bearing, he is an ornament of society.

     There is a Sanskrit adage  that a little fish living in shallow waters makes a lot  of flutters, while a big fish moves gently and with dignity in deep waters. This truly depicts the character of the two types of men.

     Knowledge is power. But it is only when it is deep and thorough. Superficial knowledge does more harm than good. If a plan is piloted by a novice, the fate of the crew and the passengers is a foregone conclusion. Dangerous again is a person who drives machines and engines without knowing how to operate.

     When, however, we talk of deep knowledge, we must remember that too vast is the ocean of learning, too brief is our span of life, and too many are impediments on the way. All that is possible to do in the circumstances is to pick up the essence of certain things, instead of trying in vain to explore the whole field of knowledge.

     A little learning is, however, not a dangerous thing provided the learner is conscious of his  limitations as was Newton, for example. He with all his knowledge said he was only gathering pebbles on the shor

This proverbial statement emphasizes the role of a mother in the building of a nation. This role is indisputable indeed. A mother is the best nurse, guide, and guardian that a child can have. It is for her to make a saint of him or a dacoit. It is for her to cultivate in him undaunted courage or abject cowardice. The formative years of a man's life are spent in the lap of his mother. Whatever stamp or mould his impressionable clay gets from his mother becomes his permanent mark. Shiva ji the great Indian warrior, learned the fundamental lessons of warfare from his mother, who also inspired him with the legends of the great heroes of the old. D.H. Lawrence, the great English novelist, was equally inspired by his mother Mrs . Lydia Lawrence. Almost all the great men of the world will frankly acknowledge the influence of their mothers in their early development. Napoleon was right to remark.," Give me good mothers, and I will give you a good nation".

Not many words are needed to bring home the truth contained in the proverb because it is a matter of common experience.
We come across a class of people in this world who keep on grumbling about this disadvantage or that when doing a job. They only see difficulties and impediments in their way and put forward excuses for not doing the work. One can be sure that such men are all bad workmen. They find fault with their tools to cover up their incapacity or reluctance. The proverb in question speaks of this class of people.
There is another class of people who look at things from a different angle. They do not complain about the quality of the tools with which they have to work. They apply themselves cheerfully to their task and make a success if it. “Impossible” is a word which does not find a place in their dictionary. Their tools may not be satisfactory , but that does not deter them from going on with the work at hand. If necessary, they get the tools sharpened or repaired to make them serviceable.
Good implements are no doubt valuable aids to the accomplishment of work. But more valuable than good implements are determination and patience. The path of life is not strewn with roses. Difficulties and adverse circumstances block the path of our progress. But they should not induce us to throw up our hands in despair. Indeed with some men the greater the difficulties, the greater their determination to battle with them and surmount them. They are inspired by the English proverb, “Where there is a will there is a way” and also a good Chinese proverb that says: “Under the whole heaven there is nothing difficult. It is only that men’s minds are not determined”. It is this determination to succeed, which makes up for unsatisfactory tools and implements. Success is sure to attend the efforts of men with such determination. Failure is the an inevitable lot of those who only complain about their tools.
Therefore, the correct attitude for a man is not to grumble and groan and find fault with this or that, but to make the best use of whatever equipment, physical and mental, maybe at his command. He must put his shoulders on the wheel and with determination, patience, and perseverance, forge his way forward towards the goal.

People rightly say, East or west, Home is the best! Neither would the comforts of a five-star hotel. nor the attractions of new cities give us that comfort winch the folding cot and the kitchen meeting would give.
It has become a fashion to go and have dinners or lunches on weekends in hotels, and restaurants for a change. The cushioned beds, attendance of the bearers at pushing the buttons, and ball dances have been attracting people to spend days and weeks at these places.
But home whether for children or adults has such comforts that they get it without paying anything. Family members share their pains and pleasures on all occasions. A small kitchen can accommodate a large number of members of the family. Family discussions, fun, and celebrations cheer up everyone. The moral support of everyone is more than any luxury one can ask for. People dictate their choices and views and yet others accept them because there is no ill feeling behind them. Family bonds add to the physical comforts as well. Love and affection of all, patronage of elders compensate for discomforts, shortages, want of space, etc. We also feel close to our family because the same things have happened to us, we have shared the same things, fought amongst ourselves, laughed at the same jokes, and heard the same stories from our aunts and grandmothers. It is this common experience that have all shared that a feeling of belonging to us.
In fact living away from home has no attraction. Everyone is glad to come back to their family after a long visit to someone else’s home even if the place they went to was better than theirs. Your family need not be perfect Sometimes we find many wrong things within the family, we may disagree with each other or even have severe fights within the family. But one thing is certain our language will only be understood best by our own family. Hence my home indeed is my sweet home.

We find around us corruption in every walk of life. Those whom we least suspect are found to have swallowed an immense amount of money. We have forgotten the concept of purity of means. We attach more importance to the end and less to the means.
Though we are celebrating the half-century scored by our freedom, we have conveniently forgotten Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the nation, and Lord Buddha, the greatest seer of India. They both advocated truth, non-violence, and purity.
In our enthusiasm to imitate foreign life of luxury, as depicted on the various channels of the T.V., our needs have increased. We require more money than we earn to meet these materialistic demands. We don't bother wherefrom the money comes from so long as we can enjoy it.
Honesty is conspicuous by its absence in our country. In our financial transactions and in our daily dealings with people our actions must be beyond suspicion. Those holding high posts must set an example for others in honesty. For, as an English poet, Chaucer said, "If gold rusts, what will iron do?"
Truth and honesty breed trust and confidence. The twin virtues (truth and honesty) will make an infectious impact on others. Honesty is the best policy. An honest man may have a bitter experience initially. But in the long run, it will prove profitable. An honest man will have more friends than foes, more peace than destruction, more happiness than sorrow.

Shakespeare, in his play Julius Caesar, says:
There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune:
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and miseries.
And this tide waits for none. It is we who are required to be ever vigilant. We ought to keep a constant and the moment the tide turns in our favour, we ought to take a plunge. Once we have seized this opportunity and brought our ship into the mid-ocean, we are sure to have smooth sailing. Then new glories can be cornered, new laurels can be won. But if the tide recedes while we are looking the other way and we fail to steer our ship into deep waters, we are bound to be stuck forever in the sands of shallows. No remorse, however deep and genuine, can then extricate us from the unrelenting sands. Repentance is no opportunity, and opportunity knocks but once. So instead of repenting later, we should be watchful in the first instance. Time is a cruel master, and is miserly. It will not spare even a moment. The creative and formative years of youth, if once allowed to slip unutilized, will never return. So we should seize time as it approaches, catch it by the forelock as they say, and utilize it to the best of our capabilities.