Colors of Life

             Color is a powerful and important communication tool, and it is tied to religious, cultural, political and social influences.Most of us have a favorite color or prefer some colors over others. This is because # CAN AFFECT OUR MOODS so we surround ourselves in the colors that have a positive impact on our mood.Red can boost your energy, yellow often makes people feel happier, and blue is proven to bring down blood pressure and slow your heart rate which is why it is often associated with being relaxing. If you combine the happiness of yellow and the relaxing feel of blue you get green, a very pleasing color for many people.

        Mental health units are known to use pastel tones on their walls so that patients feel calm, happy, and relaxed. Walls that are beige with a pink tint combined with mint green floors are a popular combination as it is said to create a soothing harmonious and calm area. At the other end of the spectrum, literally, schools tend to user bright colors that appeal to children. 

# COLORS COMMUNICATE INVISIBLY  Wassily Kandinsky was one of the first pioneers of color theory. A renowned Russian painter and art theorist, he is often considered the founder of abstract art. Kandinsky believed the following colours communicate the following qualities:

• Yellow – warm, exciting, happy
• Blue – deep, peaceful, supernatural
• Green – peace, stillness, nature
• Black – grief, dark, unknown
• Red – glowing, confidence, alive
• Orange – radiant, healthy, serious
• White – harmony, silence, cleanliness  

# COLORS HAS CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Different colours mean different things in different places. This is extremely important for designers to know because without an awareness of the cultural significance of a particular colour, you risk offending your entire target audience.Purple for example is a colour of mourning thailand.In western culture however,it is associated with

 with royalty, luxury, wealth and sometimes magic. The brand color for Thai Airways is purple. On first glance this seems like a huge error on their part because as mentioned above, purple is a color of mourning in Thailand.It is most likely however, that the Thai Airways website isn’t aimed at locals but at tourists, therefore if westerners view the site and see purple it will associate Thai Airways with values such as luxury and comfort.


        Other examples are:

• In western cultures black is a colour of mourning
• In Japan however it is a colour of honour, with white the colour of mourning
• Red in the west represents danger, love, passion
• In India it is a colour of purity, in China it is a colour of good luck and in South Africa it is a colour of mourning
• Yellow represents courage in Japan, mourning in Egypt and hope in the West

 #5COLOR HAS POLITICAL ASSOCIATIONS Individual political parties are associated with one colour or another. Depending on whom your audience is, this might prove to be valuable information when designing.The association between political parties and colours isn’t a new connection but it is often taken for granted. In the UK for example the following pairings exist:

• Labor – Red
• Conservative – Blue
• Liberal Democrats – Yellow
• The Green Party – Green

If a color is representative of a political party then the values and behaviors that the party is known for can be suggested through the use of this color.

• Red is often linked to socialism and communism
• White has links to pacifism and the surrender flag. In contrast to this, black is a color that is used in conjunction with anarchism.
• Working class Nazism is associated with the color brown as the SA were known as the ‘brown-shirts’.

A design with one of these colors as the dominant shade may well hint at a right wing or a left wing preference or at extreme behaviors.

#6 RELIGION CAN BE LINKED TO COLORS As with politics, colors are representative of certain religions. So as not to unintentionally offend anyone through your designs,

  some examples of these color/religion associations are:

• Green is considered to be the holy color of Islam
• Judaism is represented by the color yellow
• In Hinduism, many gods have blue skin
• White is linked to peace across many religions

Again this may only be necessary information if you are designing a site that has specific links to religion but it also emphasizes that a thorough knowledge of your audience is a fundamental part of the design process.

#7 AGE AFFECTS PEOPLE'S COLOR PREFERENCES Color expert Faber Birren carried out many studies into this area and in his book Color Psychology and Color Therapy, he states that for both genders, blue and red “maintain a high preference throughout life”. He found that yellow is popular with children but as become move into adulthood it shows less popularity. Birren found that “with maturity comes a greater liking for hues of shorter wave length (blue, green, purple) than for hues of longer wave length (red, orange, and yellow)”.Another factor that influences people's color preferences is that throughouttheir life there will be social and cultural changes and this can directly impact on their favorite colors. Some knowledge of what colors certain age ranges prefer can be valuable for designers. If you were designing a website for a toy store or a children TV channel, then knowing they prefer bright colors and yellow in particular would help with your design decisions.

Likewise, if you designed a website for a charity whereby the audience was to be the older generation then blue, green or purple might be ideal, based on Birren’s findings.

Significance of colors :

Meaning of the Color Green :Green occupies more space in the spectrum visible to the human eye and is second only to blue as a favorite color. Green is the pervasive color in the natural world that is an ideal backdrop in interior design because we are so used to seeing it everywhere.The natural greens,from forest to lime,are seen as refreshing with a natural, are seen as refreshing with a natural balance of

,are seen as refreshing with a natural balance of cool and warm(blue and yellow)under stones.Green is considered the color of peace and ecology.However there is an institutional side of green,associated with illness or government-issued that conjure up negative  emotions as do the "slimy" or bilious greens.

  How the color green affects us physically and mentally 

             * Soothing                     

             * Relaxing mentally as well as physically

             * Helps alleviate depression, nervousness &  anxiety              * Offers a sense of renewal, self control & harmony                                                                 

Meaning of the Color Yellow :Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment,   and happiness.  Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future yellow will advance

 from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy, as well as spark creative thoughts.

  





How the color yellow affects us mentally and physical  

                               *Mentally stimulating
                               *Stimulates the nervous system
                               *Activates memory
                               *Encourages communication

Meaning of the Color Orange : Orange, a close relative of red, sparks more controversy than any other hue. There is usually strong positive or negative association to  orange &

true orange generally elicits a stronger "love it" or "hate it" response than other colors. Fun and flamboyant orange radiates warmth and energy. Interestingly, some of the tones of orange such as terra cotta, peach or rust have very broad appeal.

How the color orange affects us mentally and physically
                * Stimulates activity
                * Stimulates appetite
                * Encourages socialization

  

Meaning of the Color Red :Red has more personal associations than any other color. Recognized as a stimulant red is inherently exciting and the

amount of red is directly related to the level of energy perceived. Red draws attention and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.


How the color red affects us mentally and physically
                       * Increases enthusiasm
                       * Stimulates energy
                       * Encourages action and confidence
                       * A sense of protection from fears and anxiety

Meaning of the Color Purple :Purple embodies the balance of red simulation and blue calm. This dichotomy can cause unrest or uneasiness unless the undertone is clearly defined at which point the purple takes on the characteristics of its

undertone. A sense of mystic and royal qualities, purple is a color often well liked by very creative or eccentric types and is the favorite color of adolescent girls.






How the color purple affects us mentally and physically
                           * Uplifting
                           * Calming to mind & nerves
                           * Offers a sense of spirituality
                           * Encourages creativity

Meaning of the Color Brown : Brown says stability, reliability, and approachability. It is the color of our earth and is associated with all things natural or organic.

How the color brown affects us physically and mentally
 
* Feeling of wholesomeness
* Stability
* Connection with the earth
* Offers a sense orderliness

Meaning of the Color White White projects purity, cleanliness, and neutrality. Doctor's white coats,brides traditionally were white gowns and a white picket fence surrounds a safe & happy home.

How the color white affects us mentally and physically
 
* aids mental clarity
* encourages us to clear clutter or obstacles
* evokes purification of  thoughts or actions
 * enables fresh beginnings

 Meaning of the Color Blue:The color signifies  intelligent, self-reliant and have a great depth of feeling. You feel responsibility for others and enjoy decision-making. You need tranquility all around you and must be surrounded by tenderness, love and affection. Noisy people disturb you.You may suffer from mental stress owing to.the lack of play and relaxation.Try wearing some blue-greens or green

 to help your self-expression and improve your health.
 
How the color gray affects us physically and mentally
* Reliable
*Decision making
*Royalty

Meaning of the Color Black  : Black is authoritative and powerful; because black can evoke strong emotions too much can be  overwhelming. A classic color for clothing possibly because it makes the wearer appear thinner and more sophisticated.

How the color black affects us physically and mentally :
     * feeling inconspicuous
                                                  * a restful emptiness
                                                  * mysterious evoking a sense of potential and possibility.

 Look at the colors you wear most often and see what they reveal about you. The following analysis are based on various psychological tests.  

http://library.thinkquest.org/C004179/significance.htm

So colors as affect both psychologically and physically ...Lets treat our eyes with colors of life around us.

"You don't have to be the biggest to beat the biggest"

               The title is not about physical size but about thoughts."Optimism" will be the repeated word in next few paragraphs of this blog.Who is an optimist? ,The Person who is looking for all possible positiveness in the world.Everything and every person has their own plus and minus created by nature,to be true minus will be meager for sure .We people habituated to points out the minus rather than plus.Its quite obvious among ignorant people who were not well literate.It is surprise to see the pessimistic thoughts even among well literate people.Optimism is a good tool to achieve things  for which we are not fully eligible.The positive thought in us will guide you and push you towards the destination very soon .

 The travel of optimist towards the destination will be satisfied and not too problematic too.Sometimes even the pessimistic thinking of people will works out,Only a pessimist must invented parachute while optimist invented an airplane.

A significant difference is ,an optimist says the glass is filled half with water while a pessimist talks on  empty part of the glass.Research has been conducted which has found that staying positive and brings good health benefits, long life, happiness, good relationships, career advancement, salary increase,good deal among other advantages. The Video below is amazing
 

Here I show you new advantages of maintaining a positive attitude.

1. Positive people live longer - those who express positive emotions regularly live 10 years longer on average.

2. Positive people, get more optimistic than pessimistic people, those who say the situation is hard.

3. Positive people are able to make better decisions under stress.

4. Marriages are most likely to succeed when the couple experiences positive attitudes.

5. Positive people who regularly express positive emotions are more resistant to face stress, challenges and adversity. 

  6. Positive people can maintain a broader perspective and see the complete picture that helps them identify solutions where people held a more negative closer and tends to focus on problems.

7. Positive emotions such as gratitude and appreciation help athletes run at a higher level.

8. Positive people have more friends who are a key factor in happiness and long life. 

9. The positive and sociable people are more likely to garner the support of others, and receive pay raises and promotion and achieve greater success in the workplace.

Without analyzing each of the benefits, let's stay with teaching. Keep a good attitude toward life, let us be positive. Do not be a defeatist, God does not sponsor failures or losers. The bible says "according to your faith be it done" and the author of Hebrews reminds us: "without faith it is impossible to please God." 

Just try with the link below,this might tell you your attitude 

http://www.funquizcards.com/quiz/personality/are-you-an-optimist-or-a-pessimist.php

  We can feel a person with positive thoughts and we can feel a place with positive vibration.This sense of feeling can be achieved by subconscious.A positive words and vibration can activate our brain cells and helps us to approach the problem with a right and good solution.An optimist will not look back once they step into the problem.Their eyes are ready to look forward for both good and bad in the way of destination .As per Doctors the negative thoughts leads the stress which leads the imbalance on salts in brain and nervous system.

I met an psychiatrist for stress management  ,he is a very simple man who is popular in media .I fixed a appointment the previous day and met him on the next day.I traveled 7 KM from my place and reached his house which is very simple,quite and looks natural.I went with a great hope that he will give me a good solution .When I enter the gate we saw four other persons talking with him ,so I was asked to sit in a room upstairs.The room was small with four chairs in between,there were three racks in three sides of  room .The racks were full of books .Some books were on psychology ,some on Islam-ism and many versions of qua-ran .There was a small TV on one of the rack and a mat & pillow to one side,I never seen such a dirty room but with beautiful books.I was not really comfortable and vibration around me was really bad .I was waiting for the person to come soon ,so that i can be out of the place as soon as possible.

     After 15 or 20 minutes he came inside and welcome me.He took one of the chair and starts to chat with me.A doctor or psychiatrist must be a listener to understand the problems of his patient but not a speaker .He is not a politician to speaks that may not be relevant to the problem  .He took a paper ,drew few stupid drawing and tried to drag me to his thoughts on which am totally depressed and feel like slap him at a moment.I controlled my emotions and tries to leave the place .The person is not my friend or enemy ,i never seen him before and i went with a happy mood.But the place spoils my mood , then the negative vibration of the person made me more stressed.So a negative and discouragement can even affect a person's  psychology .I took 2 months to recover from the stress he gave me on the day.

  So the negative thought can stop us achieving small ,but the optimism can be a catalyst for your success .We need not be an expert or fully qualified but the passion to learn and hard work towards the destination ,the success will travel from its ends to reduce your travel towards it. 

 None of the inventors or scientists would be a pessimist .Definitely they would predict the negative consequences of their inventions ,but the prediction did not stops their invention rather leads to another invention to suppress the negative consequences 

There was an incident in the epic Mahabharatha about the optimism.Guru Dhronacharya invited Dhuryodana and Dharmar for an assignment.He asked Dharmar to bring atleast 100 bad people and Duruyoadhana to bring 100 good people.They started their journey and visited all the cities .At the end of the journey Dhronar inquired on the results .Dharmar said 'I do'nt find any bad person in the cities" and duruyodhana said "I do'nt find any good person in the cities.The moral is that the character or attitude of the people changes based on our attitude and action towards them.The people approaches with positive attitude receives the same and with negative attitude receives only what they gave. 

"Be an optimist!!! Be as you are, but not for what other's like or dislike  "

Individualism and confidence are the by-products of optimism and the result is only the Success Success and Success!!!

A Trip to Thirupathi by walk

       Iam quite happy to share my experiences  on this trip .I  am publishing the blog late ,I hope i will not miss some interesting or exciting moments we faced.We planned a trip to thirupathi on Oct 8th and we booked a car from chennai to thirupathi.The trip is with my family,my uncle's and my aunt's ..We started our journey early in the morning by 4.30 AM.

Members of the Journey

The climate was quite chill since it was an October month.We totally 10(excluding driver)of us comfortably seated in the vehicle ,a 12 seater Qualis.We have 2 kids (my nephew and knees) with us.The car started with devotional songs as per instructions from my father and mother.The car we booked was with no good audio system.This disappoints us a lot and of-course the kids too.But still we started playing songs from our mobiles .For next 2 hours we had a quite ,cool and calm journey .My mother was commenting that we  were very calm ,because we were not out of sleep completely and hungry without breakfast .But the truth was that we were not thrilled on the trip without songs and few other friends we left out . 

         By 6 AM  we crossed tamilnadu border and started feel Andhra's climate with good view of mountains.The good scenes  we passed reduces our laziness and we came out of sleep and started to chat with very low voices .Then we planned to have a break ,so we stopped the car in a deserted place where no humans or animals around but only the vehicles passes us in the national highway. As soon as the car stopped we four and my uncle stepped down.

Thirumala in a Long View

We started to look for good locations and poses to capture.We had a handy -cam with us,,we took few good snaps and videos.We were forced to step into the car we decided to reach tirupathi before 9AM .   

My Cousin in a pose

By 7.30AM we reached almost near to Thirupathi so we decided to have breakfast before we reach thirupathi for dharsan.We stopped our car in a motel and had a stomach full breakfast .We four finished our food so fast and ran out for some good clicks in the camera .The motel was designed well with few antiques in the reception and the garden.

Waiting for breakfast

          We took nearly 20 snaps with different combination of persons.There was a resting place in the motel with chilrdren  park aside .we spent sometime in the park till the  elders finished their food .We had many clicks there.

Group photo in the Motel

 We started our journey again which was quite interesting ,because we started to chat on few hot topics between us ...I was in my own world with camera in hand capturing the running natures on two sides of the roads..Till we reach thirupathi we had no idea of dharshan by walk..As everyone experienced unplanned or unexpected  gives more flavor and happiness than a pre-planned or expected...There was only 5 to 10 KM to reach the destination.As one among the discussion we started sharing others experience on walk from thirupathi to thirumala.Suddenly my aunt said why can't we try for mountain climbing for dharshan,which was thrilling to hear.Next comes my uncle who accepts the proposal from my aunt ...Myself and my cousin raise hands next .So totally we were six decided to go by walk.After the final GO !! from my mother and father we started to think of path through hills and forest that leads to Lord Venkateswara .My father decides to travel in the car upto the hill and he requests my sister and a kid to come along with him which sounds better,as we think they will not be able to climb the altitudes .We doubted my mother that she might go along with my father but surprisingly she said " Enalayum mudiyum nanum nadanthu varaen" which means that  she is ready to walk.

                   After the decision we stepped out of the car as soon as we reached keel-thirupathi ,place where we have to start climbing the hill.The place is symbolized by an garudar idol which was big and splendid piece i can say ,specifies the journey 's epitome . The garudar Idol faces Lord venkatesawarao in the thirumala .The Idol is colorless, divine and in  sign of welcome

Garuda Statue at Tirupathi

(Keeping two hands together-Indian way of welcoming people).The time was exactly 8.45 AM and the climate was quite chill though the sun smiles on us.The climate is because of the hill and the forest around us.I felt really cool and thrilled with lots and lots of scenes in the mind .The scenes were obviously on the path ahead.We inquired on the way to start climbing the hill .We were guided by a lady,who sells flowers with different colors .I fixed a single prayer on my mind and i thought i should complete the walk with same prayer.I started murmuring my slogam on Lord Venkateswaro.Between this I thought that everyone will have the same kind of prayers for their own desires .To be true I tried to guess the prayers of each one who comes along with me.I had my cousin as a company and we started holding hands.We started exactly by 8.50 AM .

Initial steps to climb

 The initial point was like a cave with water leaking tubes .This tube sprays water gently on our feet ,which we considered that it would be for cleaning  our foot before we started to climb the holy hill Thirumala.  Was so thrilled to climb the initial steps of the hill.The First 50 steps were lighted with lot of camphor  and it was decorated so we well with turmeric and flowers.Devotees consider the steps to be so divine that leads to Lord Venkateswaro and they believe strongly that prayers will work for sure .Initially the steps were very steep since they built on the hill that leads us to quite high altitude.We climbed nearly 300 steps.Though I was with slogam on my tongue and prayers on my heart,,i was not satisfied in the scenes around us.I sould say that we quite disappointed as  the path was not so thrilled and we did not had a feel of being in a  hill      .

         While climbing we were hearing lots and lots of comments and communication on "number of steps" that leads to the destination.But nothing sounds

 true .We have counts on the steps of every 50 ,myself and my cousin started registering the counts that was written .After almost 500 steps we were able to feel the heights from the sea level.It was so chill though the time was 9.45 AM .There we can feel the nature

which makes us fresh and happy .We found lots of shops with snack and drinks where we stopped to have something that makes us energetic ..After 700 steps we found thick forest on both sides.

 I enjoyed my favorite green scenes on both the sides.The height really made us to feel the change in pressure and temperature of our body.While we reaching 1000 My mother and my aunt looks very tired and we reduced our speed to support them .We started to sit after 20 or 50 steps to make them comfortable .There were lot of shops with glucose which was a good catalyst for the devotees climbing steps..We happened to see lot of devotees lighting camphor on each steps .That surprises me a lot ,since we were struggling to climb the steps without doing anything special.
     I thought i should dedicate a separate paragraph for giving some thoughts on the beautiful green trees and plants on both sides of the steps.There was a rumor that many one killed by wild animals at thirupathi ,while climbing the steps of the hill.But we did not have this fear since we are very eager to have few clicks in-between the thick forests.The forest is not so thick  but looks bushy and looks scary in some places ..We saw lot of signboards that gives warnings on wild animals with pictures..We were commenting on the boards though we have a thought " how we will act  or react when a tiger suddenly jumps on us" really funny.
           Nearly 4 to 5 KM and 1500 steps were steep  after which we reached a plain where we have lots and lots of shops selling foods and snacks.There is  beautiful idols of

Lord Vishnu's avatars on every plains between the separation of the hills .There was a huge crowd for taking photographs  and we did not missed it too.We have a ticket counter and checking counters where a Identity photograph has to be taken and get register with name and signature.We were with great happiness of achievement .After we started to walk in the steps that were not steep but very flat steps .We felt very comfortable since we did not loose energy on walking in flat steps.One of the step says that it was 2500 steps and we felt only after that we climbed 2500 steps .

 We happened to see a lot of Deers on both sides and we did not missed the clicks along with them ..Thick trees in green and bright light in between on few spots which was selected for our camera clicks .

        After nearly 3000 steps we entered a long wide road where we can see vehicles that travels to Thirumala.There was a white goupra welcoming the group with divinity and beauty .

 We walked neary 3KM on the hair-pin bend road with  beautiful hills and tiny springs in between.In my last trips to Thirupathi i felt like walking in the roads, getting down from Bus or car which was attained in this trip.We saw beautiful deep valleys one side and brown gigantic mountains with trees and plants hanging .
Between the tress small or medium sized springs spraying water on the people who goes near for photo clicks.Looks like Brown fat Giant crying with open green hair.
 Some of the Beautiful clicks : 

          We My uncle was composing us that we were reached almost the destination and the last step to Thirumala.This really made us happy though we knew its not true.

 After we started climbing beautifully painted steps with decorated with flowers and turmeric and rangolis..Those steps seems to steep again and i think this is another hill we are climbing .We took lot of snaps there, since most of the places looks attractive and tempts us to sit for a while.After few number of steps (Not really - about 500 steps ) we climbed flat steps that extends about 5 KM .WE happened to see groups of monkeys which was trying to grab things from the devotee.We saw a group of people standing in a place .

 We pierced through the group and understood that we have reached the destination i.e:4800th steps.I cannot explain my feeling that time,I felt i achieved something big. We were very happy and there was an Hanuman Idol symbolizing the end of the 7 mountains .

 The time was exactly 1.30 PM noon.So  exactly we took 41/2 hrs .There we understood that we walked through all the 7 mountains ,some are with steep steps,some with flat steps and some with plains.We a snap there and we did window shopping there.The sun was bright but not too hot . From this place we took an auto to reach the temple entrance .It was about 3 KM from the statue.From there it is our choice to select the counter based on money we pay for tickets Either 300 Rs ticket or above is recommended in the month of Oct.Because the rush is unbearable and it is good to avoid taking small children and old aged persons in these months i.e: Oct to to mid-november .We did not feel that we were exhausred or with no energy ,look forward to move further with enthusiasm.

 we did'nt  missed to capture our achievement .We were eager to see darshan as soon as possilbe.

History of  Thirupathi :
 
       Thirupathi temple is an ancient hindu temple. The temple of Lord Venkateswara is located on the Tirumala hill and Tirupati is at the foot steps of the Tirumala hills.It is located at the south of andrapradesh. Tirumala has seven hills, this seven hills representing the seven heads of Sesha Saye a huge serpent on which lord vishnu resides. lord vishnu is considered the most powerful hindu god, he is believed to be the fulfiller of every wish made to him by the devotees.

The black idol of balaji or lord vishnu in thirupathi temple has 2 meter height. In this temple  tradition has it that the temple is Swayambhustala, meaning, it came into existence on its own without anyone making it.Temple is famous for wood carvings.This one of richest temple in the country.Tirumala temples nestles amidst the peaks of the seven hills of Tirumala. The temple can be approached from Tirupati by a 15 km .