It is used much too rarely. It is so powerful it could and perhaps should be used every day as a part of a morning ritual of preparation for day ahead.

Every day we should thank God or Universe that we are not blind or disabled in some other way (unless of course we are blind). We should be motivated by comparing our lot with that of blind, sick and disabled.

Most of us think about this occasionally. I am suggesting in this article that we should systematically think about this every single day of our lives especially early in morning

When we feel sorry for ourselves because we are faced with some problem or other, let's just think for a few moments about how we would deal with problem if we were blind.

I have some official and confusing documents to sort out tomorrow. I am not looking forward to this but if I were blind, it would take me twice as long to get up for a start. I would also have thought of another day without sight weighing me down and making me feel tired before day gets going.

I would then (unless I had special technology) have to ask someone to read documents over to me and would then have to ask someone to write reply for me when I had thought over problems.

This might involve paying someone to do this or waiting for a friend or relative to have time to help me. It might take several hours if not days to sort out problem. Without having to do all this, problem could be sorted out within an hour or two at most.

If I were paralysed, I would also need to rely on help and would also have to fight all problems of poor health that immobility encourages.

I should find myself motivated by comparisons above. Life is so much easier for me that I should be thoroughly ashamed of any self pity or lack of motivation.

I watched a tribute on BBC1 Program 'Breakfast with Frost' this morning (Sunday October 17th 2004) to Christopher Reeve who died last week

Sir David Frost started by saying that Christopher Reeve had been a guest on his show several times. He had always been inspirational.

David Frost continued: "The Superman in film became a real life superman when he refused to let his paralysis deter him in his fight to promote stem cell research "

In fact, Christopher Reeve, since his fall from his horse in 1995, had promoted cause of spinal cord injury research with determination and energy. He had brought hope to many spinal injury victims including himself.

Frost decided to end this morning's program with a tribute to Christopher Reeve by showing Christopher's answer to a key question.

Mark Twain must have had fun as a writer. His sense of fun emerges in his stories. He clearly enjoyed his work as a writer. No wonder he lived to a good age for those days. He learned as a boy how to turn work into a vacation. I owe following story about him to Alan Elliott and Josh Hinds. In 1830's Mark Twain disobeyed his mother by taking a dip in a swimming hole near his hometown in Missouri. His mother punished him by telling him to whitewash thirty- foot-long fence. Sam Clemens (Mark Twain before he chose a pen name) began to paint slowly. He was thinking of an excuse to get out of work. He had only just begun when his friend John showed up:

"I guess you can't go with me, 'cause you gotta work," said John.

"You call this work?" replied Sam. "A boy doesn't get to whitewash every day." Sam continued painting, pretending he was enjoying this drudgery. John watched for a minute, then said, "Let me have a go ." Sam told him that job was skilled. John offered Sam core of his apple and Sam accepted pretending he was doing John a big favour. All afternoon he conned boy after boy to pay for privilege of whitewashing a portion of fence. When task was finished, Sam had collected several objects which delight hearts of small boys.

Years later, Sam Clemens told this story again in his great book "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

The story symbolizes inventiveness of American spirit in making best of a situation and in treating work as play. Work can be unpleasant or fun, depending on way you look at it or spirit in which it is performed.

Adam Hollioake, English cricketer, realised when his brother died unexpectedly that most important things in life are 'being kind and having fun.'

Anyone who can be kind and have fun for much of their life is a success by this standard.

Joan Rivers is a New York comedienne who has spent 50 years in entertainment business and is still going strong.

She has been a huge success and is still a success at 71.Joan Rivers has not always been kind to victims of her jokes but she has had enormous fun and created fun for millions right up to her current age. Not all comics have found their work fun. Quite a number have suffered from depression and more than their fair share of unfunny thoughts but Joan seems to enjoy her work. However, even she once considered suicide. She was not speaking to her daughter and was out of work. She took out a gun and was ready to kill herself when her little dog crawled into her lap and she thought "Someone needs me". I heard Joan recently on Parkinson show on Oct 9th 2004 before starting her tour of UK (ten cities in ten days). The interview was riveting.

Michael Parkinson introduced her as Queen of comedy. "She has done for plastic surgeons what Mickey mouse has done for Walt Disney."

She told Michael that all her bookings had sold out except in Birmingham. "No one has bought a ticket in Birmingham." She pretended to spit. She has gift of turning any problem into a laugh. I expect that, after interview, Birmingham will soon be booked out.

Michael referred, somewhat unwisely, to her age and to plastic surgery. She replied at once: "I know I'm old but I don't see me so screw me. The only two good things about old age are: You lose your hearing so you can't hear doctor say:"You're going to die" and you can get into cinema at half price.

Joan went on to 'defend' plastic surgery. The only bad thing about plastic surgery is that I've spent so much money on it that I figured out it would have been cheaper to have my dna changed."