‘A day lived well is a life lived well,’ I told my friend.

He looked at me with a slight turn on his lips. I knew it was a mute question for me  to explain..(but how  to spend a day?). I thought for a moment , looking straight into his eyes. I asked him to name four flowers which he liked most.

He looked at me ,thought for a moment, and rolled out:

• Sunflower
• Rose
• Lotus
• Jasmine

With a smile I said:

Be a Sunflower in the Morning – fresh, optimistic, colourful and always look up. Be a Rose during the day- fresh, beautiful, attractive, full of fragrance, symbol of love and softness.

He looked at me with curiosity, but I saw he was getting interested.

Be a Lotus in the evening-peaceful, calm ,meditative and divine.

‘It is interesting,’ he said with a smile.

Be a Jasmine in the Night –full of passion,clove, affection and joy. Absorb  and display these qualities in the same order on a day‘s four zones;  Morning, Day, Evening, and Night. Let these flowers rule your heart when you interact with people around you. Visualize these flowers everyday and you will find a better meaning for  your life on a daily basis. Keep a smile on your face as you get along. You will be able to absorb frustration and admiration with a new found balance. You will win more friends, your near and dear will love you more and you will become very efficient. If you take care of today, life will take care of itself.

My friend was all smiles and he shook my hand. And he said, ‘it shall be so. From today, my life will have four flowers a day.’ He rang me up after one month and said with excitement, ‘Hi! it works! I never knew these flowers have so much power to change my perception and my life.’

Each flower is a soul opening out to nature.
– Gérard De Nerval

Prof. Rama Bharatha Varma, was a professor of English. He has published four volumes of poetry. He is a painter, public speaker, photographer and columnist.